The pathways are located nearly 9,700 kilometers (6,000 miles) apart but share a notable feature: they were designed for visitors to use without wearing socks or shoes.

Barefoot trails exist around the world, inviting people to get closer to nature through sounds and sensations. Feeling cool mud squish between toes, stepping on pine needles and exploring meditation caves, scent stations and dark rooms transform a routine walk into an immersive experience.

Walking shoeless on varied surfaces also may contribute to emotional well-being and overall foot health, according to podiatrists and barefoot enthusiasts.

Below, more about where and why some people are bringing themselves down to earth one step at a time.

Barefoot trails as an environmental and health movement

Theories about the benefits of going barefoot have gained popularity among runners and other athletes in recent decades, as well as with environmentalists and as an alternative mental health treatment, but the idea has been around for well over a century.

Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th century German Catholic priest and early pioneer of naturopathy, promoted nature exposure, water therapy and barefoot walking as exercise and a way to stimulate circulation and support overall health, including immune function. He recommended walking barefoot over “dew-wet grass” or snow and is said to have called shoes “foot-bending machinery.”

His philosophy inspired trails and paths across Europe, where they are sometimes known as Kneipp paths, and to a lesser extent in the United States. In Asia, reflexology trails made of stones, pebbles and grass are intended to stimulate acupressure points on the soles of the feet, a concept linked to traditional medical therapies.

Germany's Park mit allen Sinnen, which in English translates to “park with all senses,” reflects a broader focus on wellness tourism in the Black Forest, which covers more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,317 square miles) and where visitors can breath mountain air, soak in thermal baths and visit spas offering treatments that incorporate local plants and herbs.

The park charges an admission fee. Its website says that meandering barefoot over the 2 kilometer-long (1-mile-long) trail's different surfaces "is ideal for exercising your back and spine, and at the same time, it’s a perfect foot reflexology massage in the fresh air.”

Leah Williams, the owner of The Barefoot Trail park near Flagstaff, Arizona, opened a manicured trail of the same length near Route 66 two years ago after a family trip in Europe. Tickets are required, though Williams operates the park as a nonprofit charitable foundation.

Williams said her mother, who is from Germany, encouraged her to go barefoot as a child climbing trees and playing in the forests and creeks around Seattle — a practice Williams carried into adulthood and passed on to her own children. While living in the Netherlands, her family visited a barefoot trail in Belgium.

“I loved everything about it. I saw all ages, and I loved seeing older people at the park because you don’t see that here in the United States," Williams said. "I thought, ‘Wow, when I get back to the United States, I’m going to build one of these parks myself.'”

She offers educational materials for schools, summer programs and camps to children who visit the park.

“Being good stewards of nature is really our job as human beings, and we have taken 13 acres (5 hectares) of land at our park for our community enjoyment, ... for local, statewide and regional enjoyment,” Williams said, her eyes moist with emotion.

A sensory experience

Most people don't walk outside barefoot regularly, and exposing their tender feet to different textures, temperatures and types of contact can take getting used to.

“You should see people’s faces when they start walking,” Williams said, chuckling at the thought.

While many parks with barefoot trails encourage users to walk the paths sans shoes, naked feet are not required. Guests with neuropathy, diabetes or other foot conditions are welcome to keep their shoes on at the parks in Arizona and Germany.

Some barefoot trails are designed to engage multiple senses.

At Park mit allen Sinnen, a sign that reads “Please be quiet” in German identifies a spot described as a meditation cave. Inside, a long bench faces tall windows overlooking the forest, and soft music plays through hidden speakers.

Elsewhere at the park, visitors can squeeze red bulbs to release the scent of papaya or apricots, or place their hands inside a box filled with wild boar fur.

Ditching the shoes step by step around the world

Austria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Switzerland and the U.K. are among other European countries with barefoot trails. Some are meant for local residents and not tourists, so finding them can prove difficult. Searching the terms “barefoot” or “barefoot paths” in the local language might help.

In Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, some public parks have pebble trails, which are walkways with smooth stones cemented into place that can be used for reflexology and foot massage.

Similarly, there are so-called wellness parks and informal barefoot hikes on regular trails in the United States. But because of how rare they are in the U.S., Williams plans to expand the The Barefoot Trail concept elsewhere.

The foundation recently received about 8 hectares (20 acres) of land in a commercial and residential area of college town Lawrence, Kansas, to develop a park similar to the one she opened in Arizona.

“The park will be one of the components of a larger commercial space being developed,” Williams said. “It’s about integrating those natural environments into people’s daily lives and providing those safe spaces for people to enjoy.”

___

Mumphrey reported from Flagstaff, Arizona.

France's CAC 40 slipped 0.2% in early trading to 8,221.18, while the German DAX inched down less than 0.1% to 24,256.40. Britain's FTSE 100 was virtually unchanged at 10,497.60. U.S. futures were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.4% at 49,509.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% to 7,131.00.

Inflation in the U.K. climbed in March after a sharp jump in prices at the pump in the wake of the disruption to energy supplies caused by the Iran war, official figures showed Wednesday.

In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to finish at 59,585.86.

The government reported a trade deficit of 1.7 trillion yen ($10.7 billion) in the fiscal year that ended in March, the fifth straight fiscal year of deficits. However, exports jumped nearly 11.7% in March and imports rose almost 10.9% in a sign that manufacturers may be bouncing back from the shocks of higher tariffs Trump imposed after returning to office last year.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.2% to 8,843.60. South Korea's Kospi added 0.5% to 6,417.93.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.2% to 26,163.24, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.5% to 4,106.26.

Oil prices have been wavering. In Asian trading Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude fell at first but later rose 50 cents to $90.17 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 81 cents to $99.29.

The moves were milder than the vicious swings that rocked Wall Street earlier in the war, when the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly topped $119 and the S&P 500 dropped nearly 10% below its prior all-time high.

Much of the tension in financial markets has focused on what will happen to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran’s coast that oil tankers use to exit the Persian Gulf. Japan, for instance, imports just about all its oil, and much of it previously came through the strait. The government has released its oil reserves and is working on alternative routes.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip to Pakistan, where he was expected to lead U.S. negotiators in talks with Iran to extend the ceasefire.

Iran had not yet responded to Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire extension, and both countries have warned they were prepared to resume fighting if a deal isn’t reached.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged down to 159.32 Japanese yen from 159.38 yen. The euro cost $1.1748, up from $1.1744.

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

Detroit will look to tie the series on Wednesday (April 22) at 7 p.m. inside Little Caesars Arena.

Game 1 on April 19 was ugly in front of a sold-out LCA, as the Pistons came out flat and got embarrassed from the tip, with the Magic jumping out to a 35-27 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Pistons went on a 13-3 run in the third quarter to tie the game, but that was the closest they would get as Orlando outscored them 57-50 in the second half to take a double-digit victory in upset fashion.

Of all the home teams in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Detroit was the only one to lose its opener, as the Magic exposed its weaknesses in the opener.

Speaking of being at home, the Pistons have now lost 11 straight games inside LCA, meaning their last home playoff victory dates back to their 94-75 victory over the Boston Celtics on May 26, 2008, at The Palace of Auburn Hills, which has been demolished.

Detroit, as a city and franchise, is all about toughness, but on Sunday, the Magic were more aggressive on both ends of the floor, especially on the glass, as they out-rebounded the Pistons 45-39 while shooting 44-90 from the field.

The Pistons were 31-77 from the field but did not convert at the free-throw line, going 29-38, while Orlando was 14-19.

“It starts always with us defensively,” said J.B. Bickerstaff. “We weren’t ourselves. Typically, when we play them, they go to the free-throw line a ton, around 36 times a game. We went 38, but they went 19. That means we weren’t playing our brand of basketball, being physical, being aggressive. That set the tone.”

Orlando also had more assists (26) than Detroit (19), knocking down uncontested three-pointers that forced the Pistons to overhelp, leading to easy looks at the rim.

Maybe Game 1 was the one the team could wash their hands of, given the old adage of rest vs. rust, as they had been off since their 133-121 victory over the Indiana Pacers on April 12, 2026.

The most jarring aspect of the game was how Orlando forced Detroit to generate offense, a talking point for the 2025-26 team.

All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren were a lethal duo in the regular season, but in Game 1, Cunningham scored 39 points with five rebounds and four assists, while Duren finished with eight points and seven rebounds in the defeat.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero dropped 23 points while snatching nine rebounds and four assists in the victory.

Banchero had four teammates score in double figures, including former Michigan Wolverines star Franz Wagner with 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Orlando had three-point shooting as well as Jalen Suggs (16 points), Desmond Bane, and Wendell Carter Jr., both of whom finished with 17 points in the victory, which is something that has plagued Detroit all season.

Motor Cade, coming back from pneumothorax, was at tip-top form as he tried to will the Pistons to victory, but he took 27 shots in the loss.

The Pistons shot 10-32 from beyond the arc, which was not great, but as a 60-win team, they are good enough to adjust for Game 2.

But they’ll need to make shots, create offense for shooters Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter, and get players like Duren and Tobias Harris involved to tie the series at 1-1, which is something potential NBA Coach of the Year, J.B. Bickerstaff, will have the team equipped with ahead of the pivotal Game 2.

Origins of Earth Day

Earth Day traces its roots to Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who was inspired to organize the event after the Jan. 28, 1969, Santa Barbara oil spill. More than three million gallons of oil spilled into the Santa Barbara Channel in the Pacific Ocean, killing more than 10,000 animals. Nelson enlisted Stanford University graduate Denis Hayes to assist in coordinating and organizing the event.

The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970. The New York Times estimated the gathering in New York City had crowds of 20,000 people and more than 100,000 over the day. Since New York City was home to most television networks and several large publications, coverage of Earth Day was spread nationally.

A movement takes hold

Across the country, approximately 2,000 colleges and universities and approximately 10,000 schools participated in the first Earth Day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The first Earth Day was said to bring 20 million Americans together, pressuring the United States to prioritize environmental issues.

Related: Why people think the Detroit River caught on fire -- and why the truth is somehow more alarming

“My primary objective in planning Earth Day was to show the political leadership of the nation that there was broad and deep support for the environmental movement,” Nelson said in 1980. “While I was confident that a nationwide peaceful demonstration of concern would be impressive, I was not quite prepared for the overwhelming response that occurred on that day.”

Impact, lasting legacy

The first Earth Day’s success didn’t take President Richard Nixon by surprise, having representatives around the country at events. On July 9, 1970, Nixon proposed consolidating the environmental responsibilities of the U.S. government into one agency, the EPA.

In the 55 years since its inception, Earth Day continues to influence the environment locally and internationally.

In 1995, Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his environmental work. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 89.

As Michigan’s largest city -- and one that has repeatedly caught the attention of the nation at large -- there’s a lot of gossip and half-truths spoken about Detroit. From conspiracies about Jimmy Hoffa, to the Nain Rouge Demon of the Strait, to Belle Isle’s lady in white, the city has a lot of folklore.

One of the most common and repeated claims was that the Detroit River was once so polluted that it caught on fire. It’s so common that it even got mentioned in the 1994 film “The Crow.” But did that happen?

River fires: Not as rare as you might think

While it wasn’t common for rivers to become so polluted that they lit on fire, it’s still a thing that happened.

And you don’t need to travel too far from the Motor City to find one of the most notorious river fires. The Cuyahoga River, which flows into Lake Erie outside Cleveland, Ohio, was so polluted that it famously caught fire more than a dozen times between 1868 and 1970.

The Cuyahoga River, which flows into Lake Erie outside Cleveland, Ohio, was so polluted it famously caught fire more than a dozen times between 1868 and 1970.

As Cleveland grew into a large industrial and manufacturing city, the river became increasingly contaminated -- at one point considered the most polluted river in the United States. The roughly 25-mile stretch between Akron and Cleveland was incapable of sustaining any natural life.

Time magazine in 1969 described the Cuyahoga River as having “chocolate-brown” water that “oozes rather than flows.” It looked less like a waterway and more like something Augustus Gloop would fall into.

When the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, the outcry led to the creation of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. That river fire is also responsible for the urban legend that Lake Erie was so polluted that it caught fire.

Both the Buffalo River and the Chicago River have repeatedly caught fire. There is a long history of industrial pollution and indiscriminate dumping that has caused several rivers and waterways to catch fire, so it’s not impossible that the Detroit River wouldn’t also be on that list, right?

I mean, Zug Island’s actual history sounds like someone just made up a bunch of environmental and industrial tragedies and assigned them to a single place. We put an IndyCar/Formula 1 race track on Belle Isle in 1992 (!!!), well after we as a society were concerned about our environmental impact. If anything, it seems downright likely that the Detroit River has lit on fire.

But, did the Detroit River ever catch on fire?

In a word, no. In a much more meaningful and literal way, also no.

The Detroit River did not catch on fire. You could argue that we Michiganders respect our state’s most valuable resource and took care of our waterways to help keep our ecosystems healthy, and that our state didn’t need rules and regulations in place for us to sustain the largest fresh watershed on the planet.

The Detroit River did not catch on fire. We’re better than that, unlike Ohioans. It was the River Rouge that became so polluted that the river itself caught fire where it flows into the Detroit River. Completely different thing.

Why the River Rouge caught fire

Dr. John Hartig wrote in his 2010 book “Burning Rivers” that as cities grew in the first half of the 1900s, pollution was seen as a “sign of prosperity.” It wasn’t a nuisance; it was seen as a good thing. It was proof that the city was doing something, and anyone who pushed for less damaging manufacturing practices was quickly labeled as hating progress.

At Detroit’s peak in the 1940s, it’s estimated that industrial companies were dumping six million gallons of waste into the Detroit and Rouge rivers every year.

In October 1969, just a few months after that summer’s Cuyahoga River fire, the River Rouge caught fire after a worker dropped a torch into the river. The flames were reportedly 50 feet tall and visible from I-75.

Similar to a grease fire, fire crews couldn’t spray water on the fire to put it out. The Detroit Fire Department crews that reported to the scene could only extinguish fires outside of the blazing river, which they had to just let burn out.

The Rouge and Cuyahoga fires weren’t the only river fires that year. The Buffalo and Chicago rivers also caught fire in 1969.

Things are better now, right?

President Richard Nixon proposed a federal agency that would include pollution control and pesticide programs, and would consolidate other environmental responsibilities from other agencies. Within six months, the EPA was up and running.

In 1972, the Clean Water Act was signed into law by Nixon. It significantly limited how companies could dump industrial waste. To this day, it’s one of the most influential environmental laws ever established. It was expanded in 1977 and 1987.

In addition to federal protections, most states and municipalities have established their own regulatory bodies to help ensure water quality. Michigan created the Department of Environmental Quality in 1995 under then-Gov. John Engler. Each subsequent governor has made changes to the department, which eventually evolved into the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

The Detroit, Cuyahoga, Rouge, Chicago and Buffalo rivers have all been revived over the years. They no longer resemble Yoo-Hoo and nature has since returned. Heck, the Detroit Riverfront is consistently listed as one of the best riverwalks in the country.

So yeah, things are better.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has removed an estimated 13 to 15 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from the market daily.

Gas prices dip, but remain well above last year

There is some good news for drivers. As of Tuesday, the national average for regular unleaded gas sat at $4.02 a gallon, according to AAA — down 15 cents from the peak of $4.17 seen earlier this month.

Diesel prices remain even more painful, holding at or above $5 a gallon in most states.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright offered some measured optimism.

“Prices have likely peaked and they’ll start going down,” Wright said.

But he tempered expectations for a quick return to pre-war prices.

“That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year,” Wright added.

What happens if a deal is reached?

Even under the best-case scenario — a lasting agreement before the ceasefire expires — drivers shouldn’t expect prices to snap back quickly.

Jason Miller, a supply chain analyst at Michigan State University, says the infrastructure simply isn’t ready for an overnight rebound.

“If a deal is made that actually lasts, the general sense is that crude oil prices are unlikely to fall much further than even where they’re at right now, because it is going to take months for infrastructure to be repaired in some instances, to get vessels over there through Hormuz, get them loaded, get them to market,” Miller said.

Miller uses a straightforward breakdown to explain the timeline. About 50 percent of capacity could be restored relatively quickly. Another 30 percent could come back online within a month or two. But the remaining 20 percent could take several months to recover.

“We’re not going to see $3 a gallon gasoline anytime soon on average in the United States,” Miller said.

The worst-case scenario

If no deal is reached and active military conflict resumes, the outlook turns significantly darker. Miller says a return to fighting — particularly if Iran targets regional energy infrastructure and Houthi forces attempt to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden could send crude oil prices surging to $160 to $200 a barrel.

“The worst-case scenario would be we go back to active military conflict that would especially see the Iranians target the energy infrastructure in that region, and also see the Houthis try to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” Miller said.

At those price levels, he warns the economic consequences would be severe — triggering what he calls “rampant demand destruction,” meaning fewer airline flights, reduced petrochemical activity and a slowdown in broader economic output.

“That would assuredly lead to a worldwide recession that would likely pull the United States into that recession as well,” Miller said.

An ‘air pocket’ in global supply

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for more than 50 days.

Miller describes the current moment as an “air pocket” — a gap in global shipments that is now beginning to hit Western Europe and the United States after weeks of hammering Asia.

The effects are already showing up in manufacturing. Petrochemical production has declined in South Korea and Japan, raising concerns about plastics and industrial parts. Japanese producers have begun drawing down aluminum use, partly because significant quantities of aluminum come from the Middle East.

Miller warned that the global supply situation is nearing a critical threshold.

“We’re very close to essentially what we’ve kind of viewed as the point of no return for the overall economic damage that this crisis will cause, because as we start approaching 60 days of Hormuz closed — and certainly as we would get closer to 75 days — we’re just in a very rough situation,” Miller said.

Why the U.S. can’t simply fill the gap

There has been growing excitement about more tankers heading to U.S. ports to load crude oil. But Miller cautions that American export capacity is nowhere near sufficient to offset the global loss.

The U.S. exports roughly 5 million barrels a day under normal circumstances. Even with the recent surge in loading activity, the country can only process about 2.5 tankers per day in terms of loading capacity. If 80 to 100 vessels arrive to load, it could take two months to work through that backlog. Meanwhile, the world is short 13 to 15 million barrels a day.

“We are in no way a substitute for Hormuz,” Miller said.

How consumers can cope

Unlike countries such as Australia, Bangladesh and India — where fuel shortages are causing gas stations to run out of supply — the U.S. remains relatively insulated, thanks largely to its own oil production and close energy ties with Canada. Still, Americans are feeling the pinch at the pump, and prices for aluminum, fertilizers and freight have also climbed.

Miller’s advice for everyday drivers is practical: be strategic.

“Combine multiple trips into one so you’re not having to burn more than what you need,” Miller said. He also suggested driving at 70 mph rather than 85 or 90, noting that fuel consumption rises sharply at higher speeds. As for rushing out to buy an electric vehicle, Miller says the math doesn’t quite work yet — unless someone was already planning to make the switch.

“The challenge with gasoline is it’s very hard. It’s one of those things where our consumption is relatively inelastic relative to price,” Miller said. “You still have to take your kids to school. You still have to go to work.”

Researchers have spent decades developing potatoes for chip makers that can grow in all kinds of climates, avoid diseases and pests, sit in storage for months and still deliver a satisfying crunch. They've also kept an eye on consumer trends; a shift to snack-size portions has increased the demand for smaller chipping potatoes, for example.

“The potato industry is dynamic," said David Douches, a Michigan State University professor who leads the school’s Potato Breeding and Genetics Program. “The needs change, the costs, the pressures that they have, and the markets change. So we have to adapt to that with our varieties.”

Douches has developed five new potato varieties for chips in the the last 15 years. His latest breakthrough is a bioengineered potato that can maintain a proper sugar balance when stored at colder temperatures, which can help keep potatoes from rotting. He is currently growing seeds for commercial testing of the potato, which is not yet on the market.

Douches' work helps fight world hunger; he has developed disease-resistant varieties for farmers in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Bangladesh. But he's also helping U.S. chip makers, grateful snackers and Michigan's $2.5 billion potato industry. While Idaho leads the U.S. in potato production, Michigan is the top producer of potatoes for chips.

There are around 50 unique potato varieties grown for chips in the U.S. right now, according to the National Chip Program, a cooperative that brings together Michigan State and 11 other university breeding programs with growers, companies that make chips, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Efforts to improve those varieties are constant. The National Chip Program evaluates around 225 new potato varieties each year and selects 100 for further trials, said Tim Rendall, the director of production research at Potatoes USA, a trade group that oversees the chip program.

The close partnership between researchers, farmers and potato chip companies is unusual in the food industry, said Phil Gusmano, the vice president of purchasing at Better Made Snack Foods, which has produced potato chips in Detroit since 1930. Better Made worked closely with Douches when he was developing two of the varieties the company uses now, Gusmano said.

“We were able talk about size profile and different needs that make a really good chip,” Gusmano said. “And the great thing is, they’re willing to listen to what we have to say, because if they put together a potato that doesn’t really meet the needs for the end processor, it doesn’t do them any good.”

Breeding a new type of potato can take up to 15 years, Douches said. The simple potato has a surprisingly complicated genetic structure, with four chromosomes in each cell compared to two in most species, including humans. That makes it harder to predict which traits that cross-bred plants will inherit, he said.

“We’re never able to fix a trait and carry that over to the next generation, so it’s very difficult to find a potato that has all the traits that we want,” Douches said.

Douches became fascinated with potato breeding and genetics while in graduate school. At Michigan State, he focuses on chipping potatoes, since Michigan is a leading producer. Around 70% of the state’s potato crop is destined for chip processing, according to the Michigan Ag Council. The trade group estimates that one of every four bags of potato chips produced in the U.S. contains Michigan potatoes.

Breeding potatoes that can sit in storage for nearly a year has been one of the biggest challenges in Douches' 40-year career. Historically, farmers harvested potatoes and then stored them in huge piles at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Temperatures any colder cause sugar levels to rise in the root vegetables, and higher sugar content leads to darker potato chips. But warmer storage conditions can lead to rot.

“You think they’re just these inanimate objects, but they actually are respiring and breathing,” Douches said. “When you do that to them, you’ve got, like, a two- to three-day window where they’re happy.”

His Manistee variety, which was released in 2013, can be safely stored until July at 45 F (7.2 C) degrees. His new bioengineered potato can be stored at 40 F (4.4 C).

Gusmano said Better Made used to source potatoes from outside of Michigan for half the year because the Michigan potatoes it harvested in the fall only could be stored until February. The company now uses newer varieties, like Douches' Mackinaw potato, which can be stored until July and is resistant to several common diseases.

“We’re not shipping potatoes from all over the country to be fried here in Michigan,” Gusmano said. “Instead, they’re being shipped from an hour and a half away all year long.”

Iran has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire extension, and both countries have warned they were prepared to resume fighting if a deal isn’t reached.

Trump said Tuesday night in a social media post that “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open” so they can sell their crude oil, after earlier saying that the U.S. military would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports.

Meanwhile, Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon traded some fire Tuesday, despite expected talks in Washington this week after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect last Friday.

Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Here is the latest:

Pakistan focuses on keeping talks alive

Pakistan’s top political and military leadership has worked to prevent talks from collapsing and to persuade the U.S. to extend the ceasefire over the past 24 hours, officials said Wednesday.

Two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press that authorities will keep security arrangements in place in Islamabad in case U.S. and Iranian delegations ultimately arrive.

Pakistan is also still waiting to hear from Tehran on when it will send a delegation for a second round, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

In Islamabad, police and troops remained on alert along key roads, manning checkpoints.

Residents were forced to take longer routes as authorities restricted access to parts of the city.

“We have not received any instructions to remove these barricades,” said police officer Mohammad Aslam as he directed commuters to turn back and use alternative routes.

— By Munir Ahmed

Pakistan’s top diplomat meets British high commissioner in Islamabad

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met British High Commissioner Jane Marriott on Wednesday in the capital, Islamabad, to discuss the evolving regional situation.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Dar underscored Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate diplomatic engagement and stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Marriott appreciated Pakistan’s facilitative role in bringing the United States and Iran to the negotiating table, the ministry said.

Second ship comes under attack in Strait of Hormuz

A second ship came under attack Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said, just a short time after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a container ship.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center did not immediately identify who shot at the second ship.

However, suspicion immediately fell on Iran, whose paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier opened fire on the container ship.

In the second attack, the cargo ship said it had been fired upon and was stopped in the water.

It said there was no reported damage to the vessel.

The attacks come days after the U.S. seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend, and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade Tuesday in the Indian Ocean.

Iranian missile rallies seen across country

Hard-line supporters of Iran’s government held rallies across the country late Tuesday that included the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard bringing missiles and their launchers into public places for the first time since the ceasefire in the war with Israel and the United States.

The scale of the demonstrations served as a sign of defiance to Israel and the U.S., which devoted a lot of their airstrike campaign to decimating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.

Iranian state media showed pictures, videos and wrote about missile demonstrations in Ahvaz, Arak, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Kerman, Tabriz, Tehran, Qom and Zanjan.

The missiles included the Faheh, the Kheibar Shekan, the Khorramshahr-4 and the Qadr.

Some of those include the cluster munitions used repeatedly against Israel during the war as a means to get around the country’s air defenses.

Drone strike on eastern Lebanon kills 1

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the drone strike on the village of Jabbour early Wednesday also wounded two people.

The Israeli military denied that it had struck in that area.

Since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect Friday, there have been several Israeli strikes while Hezbollah claimed its first attack Tuesday.

Military planners meet on Hormuz mission

Britain and France are gathering military planners from about 30 countries to flesh out details of a mission to provide security in the Strait of Hormuz — if and when the key shipping route reopens.

Britain’s Defense Ministry said the two-day meeting at a U.K. command-and-control center in London aims to “turn diplomatic consensus into a detailed military plan.”

The plan is for an international mission to protect merchant vessels, clear mines and provide reassurance, and is dependent on a “sustainable” ceasefire being reached in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Countries, including France and the U.K., have pledged to send ships and mine-clearing drones.

Despite skepticism that the plan will ever be put into action, British Defense Secretary John Healey said Wednesday he is “confident that, over the next two days, real progress can be made.”

Iran hangs another man over alleged ties to Mossad

Iran hanged another man Wednesday over alleged ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency as Tehran continues a series of executions during the war, and after nationwide protests in January.

The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary announced the execution of Mehdi Farid.

It described Farid as working for a “sensitive state organization” and passing information to the Israeli spy agency.

It said Farid was convicted in Iran’s Qom province.

Human rights activists have long said Iran convicts people in closed-door trials without allowing defendants to properly defend themselves.

There have been multiple executions of alleged spies recently, as well as protesters and those affiliated with an Iranian exiled opposition group.

Container ship in strait ‘ignored the warnings’ before attack, Iranian website says

Nour News, a website long affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Guard opened fire on the container ship after it had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces.”

Nour News added the ship sustained “extensive damage” in the attack.

Although the U.S. focused much of its fire in the war on Iran’s navy, sinking and heavily damaging dozens of vessels, the Guard operates a fleet of small attack boats, some of which apparently survived the war.

Those vessels typically carry mounted machine guns, and can be used for mining operations.

The Guard earlier Wednesday had vowed to “deliver crushing blows beyond the enemy’s imagination to its remaining assets in the region.”

The Guard “remains at peak readiness and determination to continue the fight, prepared for a decisive, certain and immediate response to any threat or renewed aggression,” the statement added.

Iran’s Revolution

ary Guard opens fire on ship in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire Wednesday on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the ship and further raising the stakes as planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialize.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the attack happened around 7:55 a.m. in the strait and targeted a container ship.

The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing.

It said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the attack.

Iran’s semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies, believed to be close to the Guard, both reported on the attack, citing the UKMTO.

Fars went further to describe Iran as “lawfully enforcing” its control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas traded once passed.

However, the strait had been considered an international waterway for the world’s shippers despite being in the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman.

The attack comes after the U.S. military seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend, and after it boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.

The morning assault by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard came after U.S. President Donald Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran due to expire within hours, giving Tehran time to come up with a “unified proposal” ahead of possible negotiations.

A second ship came under fire in the strait a short time later with no reported damage, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center.

The maritime monitoring center did not immediately identify who fired on the second vessel, but suspicion immediately fell on Iran, whose leaders appear poised to drive a harder bargain with American negotiators this time after two other rounds of talks with the Trump administration ended in open warfare.

Hard-line supporters of Iran’s theocracy held rallies across the country late Tuesday that included the Revolutionary Guard moving missiles and launchers into public places for the first time since the ceasefire started in a sign of defiance to Israel and the U.S., which devoted much of their airstrike campaign to destroying the county's ballistic missile arsenal.

While American and Israeli airstrikes have stopped in Iran — and Tehran's missile attacks no longer target Israel and the wider Middle East — Wednesday's attack in the strait and earlier American interdictions of Iranian ships suggest the threat remains at sea. Without any diplomatic agreement, those attacks may continue and further squeeze global energy supplies.

Trump said the U.S. would continue its blockade of Iranian ports, which Iran has called “unacceptable,” and has indicated was a reason it had not yet agreed to join talks in Islamabad.

The Revolutionary Guard vowed Wednesday to “deliver crushing blows beyond the enemy’s imagination to its remaining assets in the region.”

Iran claims ship ignored warnings before attacked

Wednesday's attacks in the Strait of Hormuz came after the U.S. seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.

The UKMTO, the monitoring agency that first reported the attacks, said the first ship was attacked at 7:55 a.m. by a Revolutionary Guard gunboat that did not hail the ship before firing. It added that nobody was hurt in the attack.

Iran's Nour News, however, reported that the Guard only opened fire on the ship after it had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces.” Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency described the attack as Iran "lawfully enforcing its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

In peacetime, about 20% of the world's oil and natural gas transits the strategic waterway, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open oceans and was fully open until the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war.

Since then Tehran has throttled shipping traffic through the strait, causing oil prices to skyrocket and impacting global economies.

In early trading on Wednesday, Brent crude oil, the international standard, was trading at close to $98 a barrel, up more than 30% since the day the war started.

Pakistan forges ahead with diplomatic efforts

Pakistan has been working tirelessly to bring both sides together for a second round of talks.

So far, Iran has not committed but Pakistani officials there have expressed confidence that Tehran will send a delegation to resume negotiations. The first round April 11 and 12 ended without an agreement.

Over the weekend, Iran said that it had received new proposals from Washington, but also suggested that a wide gap remains between the sides. Issues that derailed the previous round of negotiations included Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the strait.

Following Trump's announcement of the ceasefire extension, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he hoped it would create “critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States,” according to his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

One killed in drone attack in Lebanon

In Lebanon, where between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah broke out two days after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran to start the war, the state-run National News Agency said a morning Israeli drone strike on the village of Jabbour killed one and wounded two others.

Israel's military denied that it had attacked the area.

Since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect there on Friday, there have been several Israeli strikes while Hezbollah claimed its first attack on Tuesday.

Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to authorities. More than 2,290 people has been killed in Lebanon, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen have died in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

The Office for National Statistics said the annual consumer price inflation rate increased to a three-month high of 3.3% from 3% the previous month. The rise was in line with market expectations.

The main reason behind the inflation spike was higher motor fuel, which increased by a monthly 8.7% — the largest increase since June 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Airfares and food prices, both related to the spike in energy prices, were also higher.

Treasury chief Rachel Reeves, whose economic plans have been blown off course by the crisis in the Middle East, said this is “not our war, but it is pushing up bills for families and businesses” as a result.

The economic fallout has put paid to any expectations that the Bank of England would cut borrowing costs. Prior to the start of the war on Feb. 28, there had been an expectation in financial markets that the bank would cut its main interest rate from 3.75% given that inflation was predicted to fall back toward its 2% target during the spring.

Inflation is set to rise further in coming months, possibly to 4%, as higher energy prices impact household bills. Economists, including policymakers at the Bank of England, will be keeping a beady eye on whether the inflation spike starts to spread through the economy, via higher wages, for example.

Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at asset management firm Aberdeen, said that it will be “hard” to see workers and firms being able to push through higher wages and prices, given the relative weakness of both the labor market and the British economy.

“That should ultimately limit the size and extent of the coming inflation shock,” he said. "For now, though, the Bank of England is likely to remain in wait-and-see mode, keeping policy on hold next week and maintaining maximum optionality about whether interest rates ultimately end up increasing or decreasing later this year.”

How inflation develops will depend on what happens in the war and the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed to oil tanker traffic since the onset of hostilities, stoking fears over oil and gas supplies in many parts of the world.

A resolution sooner rather than later will limit the long-term impact. With developments so fast-moving, financial markets will remain on edge and energy prices will stay volatile. Over the past couple of weeks, oil prices have oscillated between the $90-100 a barrel range, having gone even higher during the conflict. Before the war, oil prices were pretty stable around $60 a barrel.

The Los Angeles interim coach had shattered glass fall on him after a pane broke behind the Kings bench Tuesday night in Game 2 against Colorado.

It happened right after Quinton Byfield was stopped on a penalty shot by Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood with 16:48 remaining in the second period. The glass began to sway as fans pounded on it in excitement and then gave way, with pieces raining on Smith. He covered his head and then brushed the glass off his suit before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. He returned a few minutes later.

“Whoever the guy (was) just kept pushing and pushing and pushing,” Smith recounted. “I looked back because it hit me a bunch of times, then it broke.”

The Avalanche cleanup crew brought out shovels and buckets to clean up the fragments from the LA bench. The Kings players mingled on the ice as they waited for a new pane to be brought in and installed.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told ESPN hockey analyst Erik Johnson he's never seen something like that happen before. Landeskog added: "It was loud there when ‘Wedgy' made that save and fans got a little too excited."

The delay took more than 15 minutes. The score was 0-0 when play was halted. Colorado won 2-1 in overtime on Nicolas Roy's winner to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series heading into Game 3 on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

“There's nothing you can do to control it. There's nothing you can do about it, so you just deal with it," Landeskog said of the delay. “I think maybe the only thing was that there were so many bodies on the ice that it (wore) the ice out a little bit for the rest (of the period).

“I thought the ice crew did a good job and they did their best to fix it as fast as possible. Doesn't happen every day.”

It was a first for Avalanche coach Jared Bednar.

“That’s a different one," Bednar said. "But, I mean, stuff happens. Fans get excited. Our guys were excited, competing hard. There was a bunch of melees on the ice today. It felt like playoff hockey.”

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Roy put the winner through the legs of defenseman Brandt Clarke and into the net to set off a wild celebration.

“Just trying to chip in as much as I can, to help these guys out,” said Roy, who was acquired in a deal with Toronto on March 5. “Getting that goal was big.”

The game was halted for roughly 17 minutes in the second period when a pane of glass shattered behind the Kings bench, sending pieces raining on interim coach D.J. Smith. The incident occurred right after Quinton Byfield was stopped on a penalty shot by Wedgewood and fans began to celebrate by pounding on the glass. It gave way as Smith covered his head and then brushed the glass off his suit.

The Kings had the game plan to steal a road win — clog up the middle of the ice and disrupt the flow of the fast-flying Avalanche. They lost both games by a 2-1 score, but kept the highest-scoring team this season largely in check.

“Played two good games,” Smith said. “We had every opportunity, got a lead with whatever to go. You have to be able to close it out.”

Colorado is 17-2 in playoff series when taking a 2-0 lead since relocating to Denver before the 1995-96 season. Los Angeles is 3-12 in postseason series when facing an 0-2 hole, according to NHL Stats.

The Kings took the lead on Artemi Panarin’s power-play goal with 6:56 remaining. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog tied it up with 3:35 left when he got loose in front of the net.

It set the stage for Roy, who scored his second career OT winner in the playoffs. He also had one while with Vegas in 2021.

“He’s been awesome,” Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “He’s a great player, a really smart player.”

Game 3 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

This was a showdown between Wedgewood and Anton Forsberg, who both turned in sensational saves. Forsberg stopped 34 shots.

It was a physical game, too, that featured 52 hits, 52 blocks, 11 penalties, plenty of skirmishes and lots of hard feelings.

“Playoffs are going to be hard. It’s a really good team over there,” MacKinnon said. “They’re playing hard. We’re playing hard. It’s low scoring, but it’s fun hockey."

Colorado thought it had a goal after a shot from Sam Malinski seconds into the third. The horn went off and the fans erupted, but it was quickly ruled that the puck stuck into the side of the net and never went in.

Forsberg and his defensive teammates did their part. Mikey Anderson broke up a 3-on-1 with a slide across the ice in the second when Martin Necas elected to pass, and Drew Doughty made a similar sliding play later in the period.

“We believe in our way of playing and we’re right there with one of the best teams in the league,” Forsberg said. “You just have to stick with it and find a way.”

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Leo’s visit to the prison in Bata, the central African country’s port city, continues the tradition of Pope Francis, who made prison visits a priority of his pontificate. Francis’ aim was to give prisoners hope and to remind them the church was with them, while also shining a spotlight on judicial abuses, overcrowding and other injustices.

The visit caps Leo’s last full day in Africa, rounding out a marathon 11-day, four-nation tour that took him from Algeria in the north to Angola in the south, with Cameroon in between.

He was due to open the day with a Mass in Mongomo, in the far east, before arriving in Bata, the country's most populous city on the coast. Also on the agenda was a moment of prayer at a memorial to victims of a 2021 explosion in a military barracks in Bata that has been blamed on negligence.

Judicial abuses documented

The U.N. human rights office in 2022 welcomed the abolition of the death penalty in Equatorial Guinea, but its prisons and justice system overall have been repeatedly faulted by the U.N. and condemned by human rights groups and the U.S. State Department.

In its 2023 report on the country, the U.S. listed a host of abuses: arbitrary or unlawful killings and arrests, political detentions, torture, life-threatening prison conditions and “serious problems” with the independence of the judiciary.

“Amnesty International has serious concerns about the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea,” said Marta Colomer Aguilera, senior campaigner at Amnesty's West and Central Africa office.

She said torture had been used to extract confessions or to punish, human rights defenders are harassed, and the lack of judicial independence compromised the right to a fair trial.

Equatorial Guinea is led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been in power since 1979 and is accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism.

Equatorial Guinea is also one of several African nations that have been paid millions of dollars in controversial deals with the Trump administration to receive migrants deported from the U.S. to countries other than their own.

AP reporting shows that at least 29 such migrants with no ties to the country have been deported here. They were not sent to the prison in Bata. Some remain in detention in Malabo with restrictions on legal and medical support, while others have been forcibly returned to their countries where they face persecution.

The Equatorial Guinea government has denied rights abuses and hasn’t commented when asked to respond to questions about abuses involving the U.S. migration deportation deal.

Leo, the U.S.-born pope, has criticized the Trump administration’s overall migration deportation policy as “extremely disrespectful.”

Human rights groups want pope to speak out

On the eve of his prison visit, 70 human rights organizations published an open letter to Leo, urging him to speak out especially about U.S. deportation of migrants here and encourage African nations to not be complicit in the practice.

“These practices circumvent humanitarian protections, expose refugees to detention and coercion, and subject individuals to refoulement, in direct contravention of international law,” they wrote, referring to the legal concept that prohibits countries from sending people to places where their lives or freedoms are at risk.

“The conditions under which these deportations have been carried out have also reflected a very troubling disregard for human life and safety. We call for the intercession of Pope Leo XIV to discourage African countries from being complicit in these violations and instead to protect these individuals,” the groups said.

One of the signatories was EG Justice, which has repeatedly denounced the detention of political prisoners in Equatorial Guinea. The group urged Leo to use his moral authority to speak out about it.

“There are individuals — prisoners of conscience, and human rights activists — in detention whose cases raise serious humanitarian and due process concerns,” said Tutu Alicante, a U.S.-based activist who runs the EG Justice group. “At moments like this, sentence review and a real commitment to reform the judiciary can send a powerful signal of a willingness to turn a page toward justice and reconciliation.”

Alicante said the government had taken “cosmetic steps” in recent months to improve certain detention facilities but he said they were temporary.

"The real test will be whether humane conditions, access to medical care, and basic rights are sustained long after the papal visit concludes,” he said.

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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.

Marcus Smart had 25 points with five 3-pointers and seven assists for the Lakers, who have twice overcome the absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with a comprehensive team effort led by the 41-year-old James. Los Angeles did it in Game 2 despite the return of Kevin Durant, who scored just three of his 23 points in the second half against the Lakers' tenacious defense.

“We executed the game plan offensively and defensively, shored up some of our mistakes from Game 1, and just got into a dogfight,” James said. “When we have two big guns out like we have, we've all got to pick up our play, and that's all it's about. We're all just trying to make contributions on offense and seize the opportunity.”

Luke Kennard scored 23 points for Los Angeles, which nursed a small lead throughout the fourth quarter of Game 2. Smart found James streaking down the lane for a theatrical two-handed dunk with 55 seconds left, and Kennard added two late free throws to ice it.

Game 3 is Friday in Houston.

Alperen Sengun had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who again struggled offensively even with Durant making his Houston playoff debut. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 18 points and Amen Thompson had 16, but the Rockets made only 40.4% of their shots and managed just seven 3-pointers.

Three days after he missed the series opener with a right knee bruise, Durant took only 12 shots and had nine turnovers to begin his fourth career playoff matchup against James. The superstars previously met in the NBA Finals in 2012, 2017 and 2018.

“They started doubling me from possession one,” Durant said. “I’ve got to do better and not put my teammates in bad positions when I’m swinging the ball. ... We're just not making shots, to be honest. We're not shooting the ball well. We're missing a lot of layups. I just think that's the difference in the game. They're making shots. Smart was the guy that knocked down shots for them today. Kennard, too.”

Durant blocked Kennard’s shot on the first possession of Game 2, but then got in early foul trouble while the Lakers again streaked to a large first-half lead.

The Lakers are getting exceptional postseason play from Smart, the longtime Celtics guard who joined Los Angeles this season. Although he missed much of the regular-season stretch run due to injury, Smart has immediately added toughness and playmaking acumen to the Lakers' supporting cast.

“He just had a killer game tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Smart. “He did a great job defensively. He made shots. He's an unbelievable player.”

Both Smart and Kennard went 8 for 13 from the field, combining for eight 3-pointers..

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And since then, chaos. Road teams figured out how to avoid being pushovers.

Of the six first-round series that have completed two games, only two higher-seeded teams — Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers — have managed to hold serve at home and take 2-0 series leads. Oklahoma City could join the Cavaliers and Lakers in that club if it beats Phoenix in Game 2 of that series on Wednesday.

Otherwise, that home-court advantage teams spent 82 games of regular-season basketball trying to obtain? It's already gone, meaning a whole bunch of Game 3s are coming up later this week with lower-seeded teams feeling pretty good about their chances at springing an upset.

— East No. 8 Orlando beat No. 1 Detroit in Game 1 of their series on Sunday. The Pistons will try to salvage a split when the series resumes Wednesday.

— East No. 6 Atlanta beat No. 3 New York on Monday, while West No. 6 Minnesota beat No. 3 Denver later that night.

— And on Tuesday, East No. 7 Philadelphia beat No. 2 Boston, and West No. 7 Portland beat No. 2 San Antonio in a game in which the Spurs saw Victor Wembanyama depart with a concussion in the first half.

Cleveland is up 2-0 on Toronto, while the Lakers are up 2-0 on Houston.

“It's the playoffs,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said after his team — which beat the 76ers by 32 points in Game 1 — lost by 14 points in Game 2. “They've got ballplayers over there and they came to play. On any given night, you can lose a game if you don't come out with the right mindset.”

Road teams getting wins isn't uncommon. It's been a trend in recent years.

Over the last six postseasons, not counting the 2020 playoffs held inside the bubble at Walt Disney World because of the pandemic, home teams have won only 58% of playoff games — a steep dip from what used to be the norm. In the 15 seasons before that, home teams won playoff games at a 69% rate.

“Whatever story you told yourself during the regular season, that story is done,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And now it’s the playoffs, so it's an entirely new season.”

It's not like the Pistons, Celtics, Spurs — with or without Wembanyama — or Nuggets will be intimidated by the notion of now having to win at least one road game if they're going to eventually prevail in these opening-round series. They all made road wins look routine this season.

Oklahoma City had the best road record in the NBA. The next four winningest road teams, in order, were San Antonio, Detroit, Denver and Boston.

“You have to just keep your temperament where it's at, understand these games ebb and flow," Denver coach David Adelman said after the Game 2 loss to Minnesota. “And we can play better. We know that.”

And Houston's 30 home wins tied for the fourth-most in the league, so the Lakers — even after they were one of the clubs defend home floor and take a 2-0 lead — know their matchup with the Rockets is far from over.

“It's the postseason. So, it's the first to four," Lakers forward LeBron James said. “It's never the first to one. It's never the first to two. Our whole mindset now is focused on Game 3. We know we're going into a hostile environment. Guys tend to play better at home than they do on the road, so we have to be ready for that.”

In the current playoff format, higher-seeded teams win conference quarterfinals series 77.4% of the time, and that goes up to 92.5% of the time when those higher-seeded clubs start with 2-0 series leads. The road warriors so far — Orlando, Atlanta, Minnesota, Portland and Philadelphia — have at least put a good-sized dent in those odds.

That said, they all know there's a ton of basketball left to be played.

“It's 1-1. Who cares?” 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey said. “Now we've got to go home and try to protect home court.”

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

Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and in an instant dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century.

“They told them this was now the people's bank,” said Valdes-Fauli, an attorney and former mayor of the Miami suburb of Coral Gables. “They couldn’t even take family pictures off the walls of their office.”

Seven decades later such traumatic episodes are resurfacing with urgency, as President Donald Trump's threats of military intervention, backed by a naval blockade of fuel shipments that has brought the island's already-anemic economy to its knees, have spawned negotiations between Washington and Havana. Many Cuban Americans are convinced that 2026 could — finally — be the year of regime change on the communist-run island.

But that cautious optimism among exiles is tempered by concern they could be cut out. Their nightmare scenario: a repeat of what happened recently in Venezuela, where Trump ousted Nicolás Maduro only to join forces with his former allies in a partnership where demands for democracy are taking a back seat to oil industry dealmaking.

“I hope that he doesn’t do what he did in Venezuela, which is keep the thieves in power,” said Valdes-Fauli, who married a Venezuelan.

An emotional element of the talks, and one of the toughest to resolve, is the potential for hundreds of thousands of legal claims by Cuban Americans whose homes, businesses and land were seized after Castro took power in 1959.

New hope for getting compensation

Nick Gutiérrez's home is full of fading land titles, black-and-white photographs and obscure books including one torn-apart tome — “The Owners of Cuba, 1958” — that describes the 550 biggest fortunes taken over by the revolution.

As president of the National Association of Cuban Landowners in Exile, Gutiérrez advises Cuban exile families on how to seek compensation for the forced collectivism. For decades that was a lonely mission relegated to the legal fringes, because there was never any hope of getting Cuba to pay.

“A lot of it just fell on deaf ears,” Gutiérrez said.

But with rising speculation about possible regime change, real interest in the issue has exploded among those who previously saw costly litigation as a fool's errand, as well as younger Cuban American entrepreneurs eager to help rebuild a country they barely know but whose heritage they proudly carry.

“Now we're talking about the existential issue of whether the Cuban dictatorship will survive until next month,” said Gutiérrez, whose parents fled the island two years before he was born.

Resolving the claims

Untangling property claims in Cuba is akin to battling a multiheaded hydra, said Robert Muse, a Washington attorney who specializes in U.S. laws relating to Cuba.

In the hierarchy of property losses, those with the strongest standing under U.S. law are the 5,913 claims certified by the Justice Department in 1972 for $1.9 billion. They include corporations like ExxonMobil and Marriott International whose assets were seized as part of Castro's nationalization drive of everything from oil refineries and the telephone system to hair salons and shoeshine stands.

Under U.S. law those claims — worth $10 billion today — must be resolved for a full restoration of economic and diplomatic relations. In practice, however, the executive branch is authorized to assume control of private losses for a lump-sum payment and fold the dispute into any settlement with Havana.

In a break from the past, Cuba has signaled a willingness to discuss the claims — as part of a broader conversation over its demand for compensation for damages wrought by the U.S. trade embargo, enacted in 1962.

A thornier issue is Title III of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act. The law allows exiles to sue any company deemed to be “trafficking” in property confiscated by Cuba.

All past U.S. presidents suspended Title III because of objections from U.S. allies doing business in Cuba. Similarly, many exiles viewed the legislation as an empty threat because of the remote prospect of ever collecting from a bankrupt government.

But Trump lifted the suspension in 2019, and about 50 lawsuits have since been filed. The floodgates to more claims could open soon depending on two cases argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this year.

One of the cases, brought by Exxon, seeks $1 billion from Cuban state-owned entities. The other was filed by the Delaware-based company, Havana Docks, against four cruise liners that paid Cuba's government to disembark nearly 1 million tourists at a port it once operated after President Barack Obama reestablished diplomatic relations.

Will Trump strike a deal?

Muse likened the legal risks of doing business in Cuba to a “stalactite” formed over several decades, deterring investment and political compromise.

“You can't have a restitution remedy for hundreds of thousands of claimants,” Muse said. “It’s unworkable.”

However if Havana's stated aim to attract foreign capital is sincere, it has incentives to cut deals with Cuban Americans willing to invest in the country, Gutiérrez said. A model for that would be the former Communist states in Eastern Europe that compensated for property seizures at the conclusion of the Cold War, helping their economies surge ahead.

Trump, Muse said, may have the right mix of business sense, impatience with convention and political freedom as a second-term president to work through the complex mess. A signal that he is unlikely to be bogged down by legal haggling, Muse added, was when he hosted oil executives at the White House following Maduro's ouster and told them they would have to write off any unpaid claims from asset seizures in Venezuela.

Gutiérrez worries that Trump’s eagerness for a trophy that has evaded 12 Democratic and Republican presidents could get the better of him. But he is reassured by the president's longstanding friendship with Cuban Americans who are among his most ardent supporters.

“Trump doesn't have moral qualms of doing business with bad guys,” Gutiérrez said. “But he knows how important this is to us, and that gives us some comfort he won't sell us out.”

Two Mexican investigators also were killed in the crash, which Mexican authorities said occurred while the convoy was returning from an operation to destroy drug labs of criminal groups. There have been discrepancies in the public accounts of what happened from U.S. and Mexican officials, which experts say underscores heightened American involvement in security operations in Mexico and across the region.

The CIA's involvement was confirmed Tuesday by the three with knowledge of the crash, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. That the U.S. officials worked for the CIA was reported earlier by The Washington Post.

It comes after days of contradictions from Mexican and U.S. authorities about the role that American officials played in an operation to bust a narco-laboratory in northern Chihuahua state.

The lack of clarity from authorities reignited a debate over the extent of U.S. involvement in Mexico's security operations as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum faces extreme pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to crack down on cartels. Trump has taken a more aggressive stance toward Latin America than any leader in recent U.S. history, capturing Venezuela's president, blockading oil shipments to Cuba and launching joint military operations in Ecuador, a country also marked by criminal violence.

Trump has repeatedly offered to take action on Mexican cartels, an intervention that Sheinbaum has said was “unnecessary.”

The CIA officers were initially identified as U.S. embassy personnel by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson, who is himself a former CIA employee.

The U.S. Embassy declined Monday to identify the individuals or which entity of the U.S. government they worked for, but said the officials were “supporting Chihuahua state authorities’ efforts to combat cartel operations.” The embassy, State Department and CIA declined to comment on the identities of reports of CIA involvement in the operation.

Local Mexican officials originally claimed they were working with the U.S. on an operation, but later walked those comments back after the effort came under scrutiny from Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum said she knew nothing of a joint operation between Chihuahua’s government and the U.S. despite reports that the Mexican army was also involved in the raid on the lab.

She maintained in a Tuesday press briefing that she didn’t know if the officials were part of the CIA but acknowledged that state officials and the U.S. “were working together.”

It’s a sensitive issue for the Mexican leader as she walks a careful line with the Trump administration, working to maintain a strong relationship to offset threats of U.S. intervention on cartels and tariffs while also underscoring Mexico’s sovereignty.

The CIA has recently expanded its collaboration with Mexican authorities, part of the Trump administration’s effort to stop the flow of illicit drugs.

The presence of U.S. intelligence officials in Mexican territory has been the subject of ongoing debate, which has only intensified after Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

Last year, Sheinbaum said the U.S. had conducted surveillance drone flights at Mexico’s request after a series of conflicting public statements.

The most recent controversy surfaced in January over the detention in Mexico of former Canadian athlete Ryan Wedding, one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives. While Mexican officials claim he surrendered at the U.S. Embassy, U.S. authorities have described his capture as the result of a binational operation.

“There is a rise of hidden operations by the United States in Mexico under Trump,” said David Saucedo, a Mexican security analyst. “They're hidden because … the Mexican government has a discourse that they can't permit the presence of armed U.S. agents — it's a kind of violation of sovereignty. The Mexican government has always tried to hide this collaboration.”

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Janetsky reported from Mexico City. AP writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, President Nikos Christodoulides said EU leaders will discuss “giving substance” to Article 42.7 of the bloc’s treaties, which oblige all 27 member states to assist each other in times of crisis.

The article states that if a nation is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, its partners should provide “aid and assistance by all the means in their power.” It has never been used before so there’s no hard and fast rules on how EU members should respond to any call for assistance.

“We have Article 42.7 and we don’t know what is going to happen if a member state triggers this article,” Christodoulides said ahead of an EU-Mideast summit he is also hosting later this week, expected to focus on the Iran war and its fallout. “So we’re going to have a discussion and prepare, let’s say, an operational plan of what is going to happen in case a member state triggers this article, and there are a number of issues.”

The issue resonates particularly with Christodoulides, who appealed for help from fellow EU countries last month when a Shahed drone struck a British air base on the island’s southern coastline. Cypriot officials said the drone was launched from Lebanon whose capital is just 207 kilometers (129 miles) away from Cyprus’ southern coast. Greece, France, Spain, The Netherlands and Portugal dispatched ships with anti-drone capabilities to help defend the island.

Clarification needed on countries that are also NATO members

Christodoulides said since many EU countries are also members of NATO, the playbook should clarify how those countries would respond to a call for help from an EU partner without conflicting with their obligations under the military alliance.

NATO’s own security guarantee, Article 5, states an attack on one ally is deemed an attack on them all, requiring a collective response.

“So what is going to happen in this situation if a member state is both NATO member state and an EU member state? What is going happen?” Christodoulides said.

Another issue that needs to be addressed under the Article 47.2 is whether a response would be a collective one in the NATO mold or just one for states neighboring the country in distress. There’s also the issue of what means would need to be used to deal with varying types of crises.

Forging closer EU ties to the Mideast

Christodoulides said he’s pleased to see that fellow EU leaders now “understand the importance” of bringing the bloc closer to the Middle East with such initiatives as the Mediterranean Pact that implements specific projects on a range of issues including health, education and energy in Middle Eastern countries.

Closer EU ties to the Middle East has been a key priority for Cyprus’ EU presidency, which Christodoulides said offers a “very good opportunity ... to give substance” to that objective. Attending the informal EU leaders’ summit later this week will be the leaders of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, affording the opportunity “not just to exchange ideas but to see in action how we elevate our cooperation in a strategic level.”

“We can represent the interest of the countries of the Greater Middle East to Brussels, but at the same time, and this is very, very important, the countries in the region, they trust Cyprus to represent them in the European Union," he said.

Bringing India to Europe

Christodoulides is a strong proponent of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a trade, energy and digital connectivity corridor that would link the continent with the world's largest democracy and is hoped to usher peace and stability in the Middle East.

Christodoulides said under the Cypriot EU presidency, a “Friends of IMEC” group has been set up to promote the initiative, which still lacks what he said are more specific projects. One such project is the Great Seas Interconnector, an electricity cable connecting the power grids of Greece and Cyprus and eventually Israel that has been plagued by delays.

“We can work together with the Americans, with the U.S. Government, with President Trump in order to give substance because it will be a win-win situation for both the European Union and the United States" with additional concrete projects, Christodoulides said.

On the lookout for new energy sources

The Iran war again brought the need for the EU to diversify its energy source into sharp relief. Christodoulides said he’s in talks with the EU’s executive arm on how Cyprus’ own offshore natural gas deposits can help the bloc find alternative energy sources and routes.

He said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will unveil on Friday “very specific proposals” regarding energy costs and how the bloc can become more energy independent.

The Cypriot president said the EU has made significant strides in hastening its decision on making mechanisms but has failed to deliver on its pledge to add new members in the last two years, diminishing the trust that prospective member nations have in the union.

“So we have a strong geopolitical tool that we are losing mainly because of our mistakes. The situation today is much better. We are deciding in a much faster, let’s say, pace,” said Christodoulides. “And enlargement is one of the geopolitical tools that, as a European Union, we need pretty soon to have specific decisions.”

The price of Brent crude edged 1 cent higher to $98.51 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel.

Lower oil prices help bring down costs for all kinds of businesses. President Donald Trump said he was extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request while awaiting a “unified proposal” from Tehran. The U.S. military was keeping its blockade of Iranian ports

Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.5% to 59,653.56 and the Kospi in South Korea edged 0.2% lower to 6,374.46.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.9% to 8,866.20.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 1.3% to 26,137.59, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.1% to 4,090.24.

In Taiwan, the Taiex was up 1.1%.

On Tuesday, U.S. shares initially were lifted by signs that diplomats were working through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.

The S&P 500 erased an early rise to fall 0.6% after U.S. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip to Pakistan, where he had been expected to lead U.S. negotiators in talks with Iran to extend the ceasefire.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%, erasing an earlier gain of 400 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.6%.

On Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude inched up 1 cent to $91.29 a barrel. Brent crude added 48 cents to $95.27, or less than 1% after falling 4.6% the day before. While that’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war began in late February, it’s well below the peak level of $119.

Asian nations, including resource-poor Japan, depend on access to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that’s the main avenue for crude oil produced in the Persian Gulf area to reach customers worldwide. Blockages there have kept oil off the global market, helping to drive up its price.

Global inflation this year looks set to accelerate to 4.4% from 4.1% in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund, which had earlier thought inflation would slow to 3.8%. The IMF on Tuesday also downgraded its forecast for global economic growth to 3.1% this year from the 3.3% it had forecast in January.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased as the fall for oil prices took some of the pressure off inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.30% late Monday.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 159.27 Japanese yen from 159.38 yen. The euro cost $1.1746, down from $1.1744.

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AP Business Writer Stan Choe in New York contributed to this report.

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

Krueger, 86, and her daughter were on a specialized zoo tour last month for people who live with dementia that was organized by Malteser Deutschland, part of the international Catholic aid organization Malteser Order of Malta.

On the tour with Krueger, Ingrid Barkow watched from her wheelchair as the elephants roamed their habitat, while Monika Jansen balanced on her tiptoes to get a better view of a rhinoceros.

“When I get home, I’ll still be thinking about it,” said Jansen, 85. “Maybe even at night, while I’m sleeping and dreaming about it.”

The three women are among roughly 1.6 million people living with dementia in Germany, according to the Office of the National Dementia Strategy. The figure is expected to rise to 2.8 million by 2050.

Specialized tours grow worldwide

Museums and other cultural institutions across the globe have added specialized, barrier-free tours and guides to their repertoire in recent years, some made possible by advances in technology.

These include sign-language tours for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, touch-based events for those with blindness or low vision and programs for people on the autism spectrum.

The Berlin chapter of Malteser Deutschland last year designed a cultural program in the capital catering to people with dementia.

“People with dementia aren’t very visible in our society. It’s still a major taboo subject, yet it actually affects a great many people and it’s important that they continue to be at the heart of society," project coordinator Christine Gruschka said. "They have a right to participate, just like everyone else.”

Millions of people around the globe have some form of dementia, a progressive loss of memory, reasoning, language skills and other cognitive functions. People can experience changes in personality, emotional control and even visual perception. Alzheimer’s is the most widely recognized type, but there are many others, with their own symptoms and underlying biology.

Malteser Berlin's tours for people with dementia occur at the zoo, the Museum of Natural History, Britzer Garden and Charlottenburg Palace, with hopes of expanding to other locations.

“‘Normal’ tours — so-called normal tours — are often too fast, too loud, with too many people and too many distractions," Gruschka said. "That’s why we’ve made it our goal to create programs specifically for people with dementia: Where they still feel seen, where they feel comfortable, and where they can still show that they’re still here and can still be part of it.”

Dementia-specific tours are key for caregivers and families

Krueger, Jansen and Barkow followed Malteser Berlin tour coordinator Carola Tembrink around the Berlin Zoo, accompanied by their daughters and a caregiver.

Tembrink skipped the majority of the zoo's vast offerings to focus on the hippo, rhino and elephant habitats so the participants would not get too tired or overwhelmed.

“The zoo is a wonderful place for tours like this because almost everyone who grew up in Berlin has been here as a child," Tembrink said. "And especially for people with dementia, childhood memories are often still present — they just need to be jogged a bit — and that happens naturally when they see the animals, smell the air as they enter the zoo, or when they go into the rhino house and catch a different scent.”

For the caregivers and families, the tours are a lifeline. During long and sometimes frustrating days of caring for someone with dementia, a specialized tour lets them connect with others who understand the journey.

Krueger was formally diagnosed last year with dementia, but her daughter, Kerstin Hoehne, said the symptoms appeared more than two years ago.

“What’s nice is that it’s also with, let’s say, like-minded people, that you’re not alone, but that you have a sense of belonging because everyone else might have the same problem,” Hoehne said.

Barkow's daughter, Manuela Grudda, said the tour brought them closer together. Grudda pushed Barkow's wheelchair through the zoo, her hands caressing her mother's shoulders or pointing out the animals.

“I can’t really communicate with her in a normal way, of course, but I see that when I show her something, she looks at it, she’s paying attention, and that’s important,” Grudda said. “And it just makes me happy that she’s not just in her own world, but also in this one.”

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

The tone changed once it became clear the skid was going to last at least another night.

Embattled closer Devin Williams allowed a tiebreaking RBI single to Luke Keaschall in the ninth inning and New York lost its 12th straight, falling 5-3 to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

With an opening-day payroll of $352.2 million that tops the majors, the Mets have baseball's worst record at 7-16. The skid is their longest since they dropped 12 straight from Aug. 10-23, 2002. No team has made the playoffs after a season in which it lost 12 in a row.

New York is hitting .194 during the losing streak while being outscored 67-22. The Mets didn’t have slugger Juan Soto for any of that stretch, but he is expected to come off the injured list Wednesday after missing the last 16 games with a strained right calf.

“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” Williams said. “I think we just need to get the one win out of the way and I think everything else will take care of itself. But it’s obviously proving pretty difficult right now.”

Williams, who failed to record an out, was booed off the mound by what was left of the announced crowd of 32,798. The actual crowd appeared far smaller on a night when the temperature at first pitch was 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 Celsius).

At least a few spectators showed their displeasure with the time-honored tradition of wearing paper bags over their heads.

Fans began chanting “Fire Mendy!” as Williams loaded the bases. Austin Warren relieved Williams and received an ovation when he struck out Royce Lewis. The crowd then chanted his name after he struck out the next two batters, Brooks Lee and Byron Buxton.

The mood was far lighter a few hours earlier.

Patrick Heaney, the only person in section 524 at Citi Field shortly before the start of the game, grinned as he gazed at a sea of empty seats.

“You wouldn’t be here tonight if you weren’t a Met fan,” Heaney said.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor said following Sunday’s 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs that he expected it to “get very loud” Tuesday night. But the fans didn’t make much noise until the third inning, when Lindor hit a three-run homer to open the scoring and give the Mets their biggest lead since a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 5.

“I think if they can get it going today, I think the fans will rally around them,” said Josh Hudson, a Tennessee resident in town for business who was sitting in section 509 with a $15 ticket he bought on the secondary market.

Heaney, a resident of Malverne on Long Island who wore a Mets hat and 2022 playoff sweatshirt, grinned as he recalled how he ended up buying a $12 ticket and heading to the game alone.

“I couldn’t get my wife to come,” Heaney said. “I couldn’t get my kids to come. I couldn’t get my friends to come. I bought one ticket, the cheapest one I could find, and I’m going to see if I can help them turn it around.”

Mendoza, in his third season as manager after six seasons on the Yankees’ coaching staff, said before the game he wouldn’t mind a frosty reception because he knows how fans will react if the team fares better.

“They’re also going to be right behind you when we flip it around,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen that before, too, so it’s nothing new for us that have been here. We expect those guys to continue to support us, but we’ve got to do better for them, too.

“It’s all part of it. It comes with the territory. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

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This story has been corrected. A previous version reported erroneously that Soto had a strained left quad.

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The series shifts to Montreal for two games, with Game 3 set for Friday night. Game 4 is Sunday.

Brandon Hagel had a Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, assist and a fight, and teammate Nikita Kucherov also scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots.

The Lightning had lost four consecutive home playoff games and 10 of the past 11, dating to Game 4 against Colorado in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final and 11 of the previous 12 playoff games that went to overtime.

Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens. Jakub Dobes finished with 31 saves.

Moser scored his first career playoff goal following an icing call, taking the puck off a faceoff win by Anthony Cirelli, skating around a stick check attempt by Kirby Dach and beating Dobes with a wrist shot from inside the left faceoff circle.

“We worked on faceoff plays and the puck kind of squirts out,’’ Moser said. “I tried to keep it in, skate with it and all of a sudden it opens up. I took it down and take a shot.’’

Kucherov forced overtime at 12:33 of the third period, collecting a deflected puck off the stick of Hagel and scoring on a wrap-around. The goal was the first playoff goal for Kucherov since April 19, 2023, a span of 17 postseason games.

“(Hagel) had a puck, shot the puck on the net,’’ Kucherov said. “I picked it up behind the net and put it in.’’

Hagel sparked the Lightning, scoring the opening goal 8:40 into the first period, assisting on the tying goal and fighting Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky — who had a hat trick in first game of the series — in the second period.

“Whatever it takes to win,’’ Hagel said. “Sometimes it’s going to take fighting, and sometimes it’s going to take scoring goals. I was lucky enough to squeak one by and then (Kucherov) made a good play. Obviously a good feeling just that we won tonight.’’

After taking the first game in overtime, Montreal took a lead into the third period, getting a power-play goal from Hutson – the fourth power-play goal of the series for the Canadiens – at 16:11 of the first period and a go-ahead goal from Anderson with 1:24 left in the second.

But the Canadiens were unable to capitalize on a power play chance with 2:15 left in regulation and Tampa Bay carried that momentum into overtime where the Lightning outshot Montreal 9-0.

“It would have been nice to get two (wins),’’ Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I felt like, after two periods, I felt we were so close of getting two (wins), especially the way we were playing. It just kind of got away from us a little bit. We didn’t play with the puck a lot. And I feel we carried that into overtime, too. When you keep giving them the puck, you’re just rolling the dice a little bit.’’

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Like many soft toys, the creatures developed by a manufacturer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are made with polyester and acrylic, synthetic fibers derived from petroleum. Three weeks after the war started, suppliers in China notified Aleni Brands that getting the materials already was costing them 10% to 15% more, CEO Ricardo Venegas said.

“I think this situation demonstrates how much oil permeates throughout our system, and we can’t get away from it,” said Venegas, who founded Aleni Brands last year and is in the process of adding product lines. “Who would have thought that the price of a toy would have a direct relationship with oil?”

It's not just toys. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets, pajamas, soft contact lenses, detergent, chewing gum, shoes, crayons, shaving cream, pillows, aspirin, dentures, tape, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings are just a few of them.

So far, the war's most tangible and immediate effect for many people outside the conflict zone has been spiking gasoline prices. Travelers also are seeing higher airfares and flight fees as airlines respond to the rising cost of jet fuel. Consumers may find themselves paying more for food, furniture or any of the myriad of goods transported by trucks that run on diesel.

But crude oil isn't just refined as fuel. It gets turned into chemicals, waxes, oils and other mixtures that appear in a vast array of everyday items, including most made with plastic and rubber. Petroleum derivatives also are used in a lot of packaging. With disruptions to global oil supplies now in their eighth week, higher production costs also could make things more expensive for shoppers, according to trade groups and some companies.

Venegas, a 30-year toy industry veteran, said he would absorb higher material costs for now but expects to increase prices for customers by early 2027, if the war goes on another three to six months.

From crude oil to T-shirts and rugs

While 85% of global oil consumption is in the form of fuel, the rest goes into a wide range of consumer products, according to Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia University's School of Business.

Crude oil is mostly a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which are compounds made of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Refineries and chemical plants separate and break them down to convert them into smaller chemical building blocks known as petrochemicals.

Six petrochemicals — ethylene, propylene, butylene, benzene, toluene and xylenes — are the major foundations of plastics and synthetic materials like nylon and polyesters, which manufacturers in turn use to design and deliver products. More from the Department of Energy: Automobile parts, ballpoint pens, curtains, dice, eyeglasses, fertilizer, golf balls, hearing aids, insect repellant, kayaks, luggage, mops and nail polish.

Materials account for a big share of production costs for many manufacturers, including those that supply carpets, clothing and tires, according to Andrew Walberer, partner and global lead in the chemicals practice of global strategy and management consultancy Kearney.

Take a button-down shirt, for example. Walberer estimated that materials account for 27%-30% of how much it costs a manufacturer to make one. Labor costs contribute 10% to 30%. Business expenses tied to marketing, distribution and administration comprises the rest, he said.

The ripple effect

Experts say if oil holds above $90 per barrel for the next several months, cost pressures will accelerate throughout the supply network.

Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America CEO Matt Priest said most of the trade organization's members keep a two- to three-month inventory of finished products, providing a temporary cushion against higher materials costs.

Roughly 70% of the materials in synthetic shoes are petrochemical-based, and 30% of the costs for those materials are directly tied to oil price rate swings, according to a report the organization published last month on the U.S. footwear industry's “exposure to oil prices & the impact on shoe costs.”

The FDRA analysis estimated that between materials, factory energy and transportation, companies paying more for petroleum could translate into a 1.5% to 3% increase in the price shoppers pay for a pair of shoes by late summer and the fall.

By the end of April, U.S. shoe and clothing manufacturers need to start signing contracts with suppliers, mostly outside the U.S., for orders of polyester staple fiber and polyester filament yarn to get their designs on retail shelves and online for the holiday shopping season, according to Nate Herman, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association.

One kilogram, or a little over two pounds, of the materials used in polyester textiles, has increased in price from an average of 90 cents before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran to $1.33 per kilogram, Herman said. He estimated that each garment will cost 10 cents to 15 cents more to produce as a result.

Another cost for importers

Some businesses are looking for ways to offset rising costs.

Lisa Lane is the founder of Rinseroo, which sells portable shower head, bathtub and sink attachments for cleaning, pet grooming, and bathing. She recently tripled the number of the slip-on hoses she procures from China each month after her manufacturer said the cost would be 30% higher in another 30 days. She had a few days to decide whether to place a three-month advance order.

The components of Rinseroo's products include petroleum derivatives like polyvinyl chloride, Lane said. After purchasing 240,000 units instead of her usual 80,000, she is also evaluating cost-cutting options.

Lane said she wants to hold off on increasing prices for retailers that sell the attachments since Rinseroo did that last year to offset higher U.S. tariffs on imports from China. For example, a hose for washing pets in a bathtub went up to $33.95 from $29.95 on retail websites, she said.

“We want to stay at that sweet spot where people want to continue to buy from us and feel like they’re getting a good value," Lane said.

Another company, which sells wound care products like bandages, dressings, pads and sponges to nursing homes and other medical facilities, plans to raise its prices by 15% in a matter of weeks. Gentell CEO David Navazio noted that adhesives in the products rely on several petrochemicals.

Including energy for production and materials, Navazio estimated the company's costs are going up by 20%.

Gentell, which is based in Yardley, Pennsylvania but has its main manufacturing location in Toronto, also makes private label products for other companies, including a medical technology firm that supplies retail stores like CVS.

Because bandages and dressings are necessities, Navazio said he doesn't think his business will suffer if it raises customer prices. Less certain is whether prices will come down once the war ends and oil shipments stabilize.

“In the past, I’ve seen transportation costs come down, but I’ve never seen prices of raw material come down,” he said.

The Louisiana Republican chairs one of the Senate committees that oversees Kennedy's department and sits on another, giving him two chances to interrogate the secretary about his plans for an agency responsible for public health programs and research. As a doctor, Cassidy has clashed with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine ideas even though he provided crucial support for the health secretary's nomination last year.

At the same time, Cassidy is fighting for his political future in next month’s primary, where President Donald Trump has endorsed one of his opponents in an unusual attempt to oust a sitting senator from his own party.

How Cassidy handles the hearings could affect his chances at a pivotal moment of his reelection campaign and set the tone for how Congress oversees the nation's health agenda at a time of rampant distrust and misinformation.

Cassidy hasn't faced Kennedy in public since September. In the subsequent months, Kennedy has attempted a dramatic rollback of vaccine recommendations that, if not blocked by an ongoing lawsuit, could undermine protections against diseases like flu, hepatitis B and RSV.

After a backlash, Kennedy has also pivoted to spending more time talking about less controversial topics like healthy eating — albeit with his own spin, including sharing exaggerated claims that various ailments can be cured by diet alone.

Cassidy will have to decide on Wednesday whether to grill Kennedy on vaccines, an issue deeply important to him, or put their differences aside and prioritize loyalty to the Trump administration.

“He’s taken a risk showing any sort of resistance to RFK,” said Claire Leavitt, an assistant professor at Smith College who studies congressional oversight. “He may pay an electoral price for that.”

Cassidy has long advocated for vaccines

Cassidy has spent years walking a political tightrope. He's one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during an impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

As a liver doctor, he advocated for babies to receive hepatitis B vaccines shortly after birth, a step that could have prevented the disease in his patients. But when Trump nominated Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, Cassidy supported him. He did so after securing various commitments, including that Kennedy would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring system and support the childhood vaccine schedule.

The vote for Kennedy did not appear to mollify Trump. The president endorsed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, one of Cassidy's two primary opponents.

Cassidy also faces opposition from Kennedy's allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, a group that includes both anti-vaccine activists and a wide variety of other crusaders for health and the environment. The MAHA PAC, aligned with Kennedy, has pledged $1 million to Letlow’s campaign. While the organization hasn't publicly said so, some have questioned whether the support is partly in retaliation against Cassidy for criticizing Kennedy's vaccine policy agenda.

“I’m not really sure what MAHA’s beef is," Cassidy told reporters earlier this month. “Let me point out that I am the reason that Robert F. Kennedy is now the secretary of HHS. He would not have gotten there otherwise."

Cassidy argues that he has “strongly supported” the MAHA agenda, especially when it comes to the fight against ultraprocessed foods. However, the physician-turned-senator acknowledged that he and MAHA have “disagreed on vaccines."

“We’ve seen, frankly, that I am right," Cassidy added, pointing to recent measles-related deaths of children who were not vaccinated.

At a hearing in September, he slammed Kennedy’s decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccine development. He interrogated Kennedy over his attempt to replace members of a vaccine committee, suggesting the new members could have conflicts of interest. He also raised concerns that Kennedy's vaccine policy decisions could be making it harder for Americans to get COVID-19 shots.

Later that month, Cassidy convened a hearing featuring former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez, who was ousted by Kennedy less than a month into her tenure after they clashed over vaccine policy, and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who resigned in August citing an erosion of science at the agency.

“I want to work with the president to fulfill his campaign promise to reform the CDC and Make America Healthy Again. The president says radical transparency is the way to do that,” Cassidy said at the time.

Experts say Cassidy's vaccine stance might not hurt him

Political consultants said they expect Cassidy’s primary opponents, Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, to seize on any sound bites from Wednesday’s hearings that can make Cassidy seem at odds with the Trump administration.

But Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco, said the political risk of advocating for vaccines may not be as strong among Republicans as some people assume.

“He’s probably not alienating voters by focusing on the issue and calling it out,” she said.

Louisiana political consultant Mary-Patricia Wray said she thinks most diehard MAHA voters already know who they are voting for, and it’s probably not Cassidy.

Instead, she said, he may still be able to appeal to Democrats who switch their party registration to vote in the primary, as well as a wide swath of still-undecided Republican voters who care about the same health care affordability issues he advocates for every day in Congress.

“If I was advising Bill Cassidy, I would tell him your goal here is not to get out unscathed,” Wray said. “Your goal is to prove that your consistency on issues regarding public health is an asset in your campaign, not a detriment.”

Election outcome will shape future oversight of HHS

Also at stake if Cassidy doesn’t make it to November’s general election is what will happen to his responsibility to oversee the massive U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

Leavitt, the Smith College professor, said seniority typically plays the most important role in who chairs Senate committees. She said another Republican in today’s increasingly hyper-partisan Congress may not be as willing as Cassidy to check Kennedy’s power.

Reiss, the vaccine law expert, said she wishes Cassidy had done more hearings or introduced legislation to rein in Kennedy. And she said the senator bears the blame for allowing Kennedy to bring unfounded vaccine fears into the government in the first place.

“His original sin, of course, was voting for Kennedy at all,” Reiss said.

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Associated Press writer Sara Cline contributed to this report.

The Monday shooting, carried out by a lone gunman on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids — a UNESCO Heritage Site and one of Mexico's most frequented tourist attractions — killed one Canadian tourist and injured a dozen more.

It also set off a flurry of questions the next morning by reporters to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum about what security protocols her government was taking ahead of the sports competition, which Mexico will jointly host with the United States and Canada over the summer.

About an hour from Mexico City, Teotihuacan was slated to be a key site for visitors during the festivities. Just days before the shooting, local lawmakers even pushed forward an initiative to revive a nighttime interactive light show projected on the pyramids for World Cup visitors, which was previous suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The unexpected act of violence comes as Sheinbaum's government has gone to great lengths to project an image of safety ahead of the soccer competition, following a surge of cartel violence February in the World Cup host city of Guadalajara.

"Events like this only further magnify the negative images that Mexico has on security issues, undermining the narrative that President Sheinbaum is trying to build that Mexico is a safe country," said Mexican security analyst David Saucedo.

‘An isolated incident’

On Tuesday, Sheinbaum acknowledged that the archaeological site lacked security filters to prevent the attack in part, she said, because the shooting “was an isolated incident" that hasn't occurred before in such a public space.

While Mexico suffers from cartel violence, especially in strategic and rural areas, mass shootings in public spaces are rare in Mexico compared to the U.S., where it is much easier to legally obtain a gun.

She noted that the shooter appeared to be motivated by “outside influences," particularly the 1999 Columbine massacre in Colorado.

“Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place,” Sheinbaum said Tuesday morning.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, the face of the government's crackdown on cartels, said on Tuesday that security forces had been ordered to “immediately strengthen security" at archaeological sites and major tourist destinations across the country.

He said the government will increase the presence of Mexican National Guard, boost security checks at key sites and fortify surveillance systems to “identify and prevent any threats” against citizens and visitors.

Security concerns ahead of World Cup

The announcement was an effort by Mexican authorities to assuage ongoing concerns about violence in Mexico ahead of the tournament.

Sheinbaum's government has touted security successes under her leadership. Homicides have dipped sharply since she taken office to the lowest levels in a decade, government figures show. The government has also taken out a number of top capos and highlighted a dip in fentanyl seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But they have hit hurdles in recent months, namely a burst a violence in Guadalajara in February, triggered by the killing of Mexico’s most powerful cartel boss. The bloodshed was met with a wave of concern by people in and outside of Mexico. Sheinbaum vowed there would be “no risk” for fans coming to the tournament and FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he had “full confidence” in Mexico as a host country. Sheinbaum later met with FIFA representatives to assess security for the World Cup matches to be played in Mexico.

Mexico’s government doubled down on security measures, which include deploying 100,000 security forces across the country, particularly concentrated in the country’s three host cities, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Officials said it would deploy more than 2,000 military vehicles, as well as dozens of air crafts and drones, and establish security perimeters around areas like stadiums and airports in key cities.

"As you can see, we are very prepared for the World Cup," Sheinbaum said in early March.

Despite the rare nature of the Monday shooting at the pyramids, the extreme act of violence reignited scrutiny by some about the government's capacity to prevent violence during the soccer tournament, and once again boosted pressures on the government.

FIFA was approached for comment about the pyramid shooting, but the soccer body typically does not address security issues and incidents that happen away from tournament venues.

Saucedo, the security analyst, said that pressures to concentrate security in host cities and tourist areas like Teotihuacan may come at the expense of other more crime-torn areas in greater need of police and military.

"Events like the one that took place yesterday in Teotihuacan clearly show that public safety agencies are overwhelmed," he said.

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Associated Press reporter Graham Dunbar contributed to this report from Geneva.

The 9-8 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a boost to backers of similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana. Opponents have argued that hanging the Ten Commandments in classrooms proselytizes to students and amounts to religious indoctrination by the government.

In a lengthy majority opinion, the conservative-leaning appeals court in New Orleans rejected those arguments in Texas, saying the requirement does not step on the rights of parents or students.

“No child is made to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin,” the ruling says.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups that challenged the Texas law on behalf of parents said in a statement that they anticipate appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,” they said in the statement.

The mandate is one of several fronts in Texas that opponents have fought over religion in classrooms. In 2024, the state approved optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools, and a proposal set for a vote in June would add Bible stories to required reading lists in Texas classrooms.

The decision over the Ten Commandments law reverses a lower federal court ruling that had blocked about a dozen Texas school districts — including some of the state's largest — from putting up the posters. The Texas law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott took effect in September, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools.

From the start, the law was met almost immediately by a mix of embrace and hesitation in Texas classrooms that educate the state's 5.5 million public school students.

The mandate animated school board meetings, spun up guidance about what to say when students ask questions, and led to boxes of donated posters being dropped on the doorsteps of campuses statewide. Although the law only requires schools to hang the posters if donated, one suburban Dallas school district spent nearly $1,800 to print roughly 5,000 posters.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling “a major victory for Texas and our moral values.”

“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” he said.

Tuesday's ruling comes after the appeals court heard arguments in January in the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana. In February, the court cleared the way for Louisiana to enforce its law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

Republican Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the Texas ruling “adopted our entire legal defense” of the law in her state. In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey also signed a similar law earlier this month.

“Our law clearly was always constitutional, and I am grateful that the Fifth Circuit has now definitively agreed with us," Murrill said in a statement posted to social media.

Judge Stephen A. Higginson, in a dissenting opinion joined by four others on the court, wrote that the framers of the Constitution “intended disestablishment of religion, above all to prevent large religious sects from using political power to impose their religion on others.”

“Yet Texas, like Louisiana, seeks to do just that, legislating that specific, politically chosen scripture be installed in every public-school classroom,” Higginson wrote.

The law says schools must put donated posters “in a conspicuous place” and requires the writing to be a size and typeface that is visible from anywhere in a classroom to a person with “average vision.” The displays must also be 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall (40 centimeters wide and 50 centimeters tall).

Texas’ law easily passed the GOP-controlled Legislature and Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have backed posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

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Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report from Honolulu, Hawaii.

Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion after he tumbled face-first when he was fouled by Jrue Holiday and his jaw slammed into the floor. He did not return after the injury in the second quarter and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, which raises the possibility the versatile 7-foot-4 center could miss multiple games.

The second-seeded Spurs looked like they could win without Wemby, building a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter before their offense stagnated.

Portland held San Antonio without a field goal for the final 3:37 as the Blazers closed the game on an 11-2 run. Robert Williams III converted an alley-oop dunk with 12 seconds left for a 104-101 lead after Deni Avdija muscled through the paint and fed him the ball.

“As a team, as a unit, I think that was our goal — to be aggressive,” Henderson said. “Hit everybody that comes through the paint, box out and play fast. I think that was all of our success and that kind of opened the floor for all of us.”

Holiday had 16 points and nine assists, Avdija scored 14 and Williams finished with 11.

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points and De’Aaron Fox added 17. Devin Vassell, who finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, missed a 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining.

Game 3 is Friday at Portland.

After scoring 35 points in the Spurs' Game 1 win, Wembanyama had five points, four rebounds, one blocked shot and one assist in 12 minutes.

Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. A player must undergo neurological testing and receive a final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director.

The Spurs had won 76 straight playoff games when leading by 14 points or more in the fourth quarter. The last time they lost under those circumstances was on May 19, 2003 against Dallas.

San Antonio built that big lead with a 13-0 run to start the fourth. Backup center Luke Kornet, who replaced Wembanyama, punctuated that burst with a reverse slam for a three-point play.

Kornet finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Henderson shot 11 of 17 from the field and 5 of 9 on 3-pointers.

“(Henderson) has been shooting the ball really well,” Vassell said. “Got to be more physical with him. No catch-and-shoots, no easy off-the-dribble pullups. I think he made ... I don’t know how many he made today. We’re going to make it a lot harder for him because he’s feeling way too comfortable.”

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

The Mets' skid is their longest since they dropped 12 straight from Aug. 10-23, 2002. No team has made the playoffs after a season in which it lost 12 in a row.

Matt Wallner followed Keaschall by drawing a bases-loaded walk off Williams (0-1), who didn’t retire any of the five batters he faced before being booed off the mound. Williams has allowed seven runs while recording four outs in his last three appearances.

The Mets were in position to end their streak when Nolan McLean retired the first 15 Twins batters and Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer in the third to give the Mets their biggest lead since April 5, when they beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2.

The homer was Lindor’s first with a man on base since last Aug. 15 — one day before McLean’s debut.

Wallner led off the sixth with a single off McLean and Byron Buxton homered with two outs. Keaschall tied the game with an RBI single in the seventh.

A quartet of Twins pitchers retired the final 14 Mets in order. Cole Sands (1-1) tossed the last two innings.

McLean allowed three runs and struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings. Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson gave up three runs and struck out two in five innings.

Up next

LHP Connor Prielipp will make his major league debut on Wednesday for the Twins in place of Richardson, who was moved up in place of the injured Mick Abel. RHP Clay Holmes (2-2, 1.96 ERA) is set to pitch for the Mets.

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

Thunderstorms are possible, but nothing severe is expected.

Scattered rain looks to develop this afternoon and evening.

You may need the umbrella or poncho for after-school and work activities, as well as for the Detroit Tigers game.

Rain will exit the area late this evening, giving way to clearing skies overnight.

After hitting highs around 70° this afternoon with a breezy southwest wind, temperatures stay milder tonight.

Winds shift to the northwest at 5-10 mph tonight. This will bring in cooler air, helping those in our northern communities fall to around 40°, while areas further south will be closer to 50°.

Winds stay northerly tomorrow, keeping those closer to the thumb region cooler.

Elsewhere, we’ll find more low to mid-70s.

Wednesday will feature plenty of sunshine, followed by increasing clouds on Thursday.

The next chance for rain develops on Friday.

President Lai Ching-te was set to visit Eswatini, Taiwan’s sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa, from April 22-26.

But flight permits were canceled in island nations along the route, Secretary-General to the president, Pan Meng-an, told journalists in Taipei.

“The cancellation of flight permits by Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar without prior warning was actually due to strong pressure from the Chinese authorities, including economic coercion,” Pan said.

China’s alleged pressure “constitutes blatant interference in the internal affairs of other countries, disrupts the regional status quo and hurts the feelings of the Taiwanese people,” he added.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its breakaway province, to be retaken by force if necessary, and prohibits countries it has diplomatic relations with from maintaining formal ties with Taipei.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Wednesday that it wanted to express its “high appreciation” for the actions, saying the “relevant countries’ adherence to the one-China principle is in full compliance with international law,” in reference to Beijing’s claims over Taiwan.

The Mauritius government, the Seychelles government and the office of the Madagascar president did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Eswatini's government said in a statement that it regretted that Lai wasn't able to visit but it “does not change the status of our longstanding bilateral relations.”

Over the past few years, Beijing has intensified a campaign of poaching Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, often while financing infrastructure and other projects in the less-developed countries.

Taipei now has diplomatic ties with only 12 countries, almost all smaller nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Most recently, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in January 2024, following similar moves by Honduras in 2023 and Nicaragua in 2021.

The last visit by a Taiwanese president to Eswatini was in 2023, when former President Tsai Ing-wen visited the southern African country of 1.2 million people and met with King Mswati III.

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Mistreanu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Nokukhanya Musi in Manzini, Eswatini, and Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, contributed to this report.

The incident occurred on Tuesday (April 21) at about 4:40 p.m. on eastbound I-96 between Middlebelt Road and Inkster Road, according to preliminary information provided by the Detroit Regional Communication Center.

Troopers said they responded to reports of a possible shooting and located the caller, who was on the shoulder of eastbound I-96 east of Outer Drive.

Investigators said the victim reported turning right onto the eastbound I-96 service drive from northbound Farmington Road using a designated right-turn lane when another vehicle made an illegal right turn at the same time.

The victim told Troopers she braked to avoid a collision.

After the near crash, the victim said she merged onto the eastbound I-96 and moved into the far-left lane.

Police said the suspect vehicle then merged onto the freeway behind her, accelerated, and pulled alongside in the left-center lane.

The victim reported to Troopers that she heard multiple gunshots, though neither she nor her vehicle was struck.

Troopers said the suspect fled the scene, and no arrests have been announced.

The incident closed the freeway for a few hours, reopening around 10 p.m.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Trump made the announcement as ceasefire talks looked increasingly uncertain with a two-week truce set to expire on Wednesday. Both countries had said they were prepared to resume fighting if no deal is reached.

Trump said he would "extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

Iran has yet to decide whether to join the negotiations in Pakistan, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said earlier Tuesday, and will only take part if Tehran believes the discussions would yield results.

Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Here is the latest:

US treasury secretary doubles down on economic pressures on Iran

In a post on X Tuesday evening, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the blockade of Iranian ports “directly targets the regime’s primary revenue lifelines” by constraining maritime trade.

“Kharg Island storage will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in,” Bessent said.

Kharg Island is considered the beating heart of Iran’s oil industry, through which 90% of its exports pass.

In line with previous statements about economic pressure efforts, Bessent also said Iranian funds would remain frozen and any person or vessel facilitating the flow of funds to Iran would risk U.S. sanctions.

Iran holds rallies including a ballistic missile launcher

Iranian hard-liners rallied late Tuesday night as possible talks in Islamabad with the United States broke down, with members of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard apparently bringing a ballistic missile on a mobile launcher to one event.

Footage aired by Iranian state TV showed men carrying Kalashnikov-style assault rifles riding atop a missile that resembled a Qadr ballistic missile in Iran’s capital, Tehran.

Such Qadr missiles can release individual bomblets known as cluster munitions, which Iran used widely when attacking Israel during the war.

Trump offers combative social media post as ceasefire indefinitely extended

Trump offered a combative social media post Tuesday night after indefinitely extending a ceasefire in the Iran war after talks in Islamabad failed to materialize.

Writing on his Truth Social website, Trump contended that “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open” so they can sell their crude oil.

Trump said if he allowed that to happen, there “can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

It’s unclear what the next step forward is to resume talks in Pakistan’s capital.

UAE thanks Trump for currency swap mention

The United Arab Emirates thanked Trump early Wednesday over his mention of a possible currency swap with their country as uncertainty remains over the Iran war.

A statement issued by the UAE’s Embassy in Washington appeared aimed at signaling the country remained financially secure after Trump’s comment.

“Any suggestion that the UAE requires external financial backing misreads the facts,” it said. “The UAE is one of the world’s most financially resilient economies, underpinned by more than $2 trillion in sovereign investment assets; more than $300 billion in foreign currency reserves held by the UAE’s central bank; and a banking sector with approximately $1.5 trillion in deposits.”

The UAE is an autocratically ruled federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

While able to export some oil through a pipeline to the Gulf of Oman, the continued chaos around the Strait of Hormuz has cut off a lot of its oil from reaching the market.

The war also has affected businesses in Dubai and the country’s long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad.

UN chief calls US announcement ‘an important step toward de-escalation’

Secretary-General António Guterres said the U.S. announcement that it is extending the ceasefire will create “critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States,” according to his spokesperson.

“We encourage all parties to build on this momentum, refrain from actions that could undermine the cease-fire, and engage constructively in negotiations to reach a sustainable and lasting resolution,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said late Tuesday.

The secretary-general “fully supports” Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate U.S.-Iran talks and hopes its efforts “will contribute to creating conditions conducive to a comprehensive and durable resolution to the conflict,” Dujarric said.

UN nuclear watchdog chief welcomes ceasefire extension between Iran and US

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters late Tuesday that the effort to end the war between Tehran and Washington is a “complex process” and that it’s important to allow “continuity” for that process to play out.

“I think it’s very important that an opportunity for peace is given,” he said.

Grossi, who is currently running to become the next U.N. secretary-general, also warned both sides that any peace deal must include the IAEA from the start to enforce oversight over Iran’s nuclear program.

Otherwise, he added, “you will have an illusion of an agreement.”

Talks to end the war present a new test for Iran’s leadership

U.S.-Israeli bombardment eliminated Iran’s supreme leader and much of the nation’s top echelons, but the Islamic Republic’s leadership didn’t fall apart. Negotiations to end the war offer it a new test.

For decades, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei managed several powerful factions, bringing to heel those who challenged his authority.

It’s now unclear who wields that kind of authority over the civilian figures and powerful generals from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who appear to be in charge.

They have found unity — for now — by taking a tough line. But disagreements over how much to concede in negotiations with the U.S. could reveal fault lines as Pakistani mediators try to host a new round of talks.

After Israeli strikes killed Khamenei the first day of the war, his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him. But doubts persist over the younger Khamenei’s role after reports he was wounded in the strikes. He has not appeared in public since.

At the center of power now is a politburo-like body known as the Supreme National Security Council, which includes Iran’s top civilian and military officials.

▶ Read more

Vance will not be traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday

The White House said in a statement that in light of the president’s announcement that he was extending the ceasefire and awaiting a proposal from Iran, Vance and the U.S. negotiating delegation would not be traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday.

The White House did not offer any additional updates on the possibility of in-person meetings.

Pakistan’s prime minister thanks Trump

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the U.S. president for extending the ceasefire with Iran, saying it would allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to proceed.

In a post on X, Sharif said he was expressing gratitude “on my personal behalf and on behalf of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir” for Trump’s “gracious acceptance” of Pakistan’s request to extend the ceasefire.

Sharif said he hoped both sides would continue observing the ceasefire and reach a comprehensive peace deal during a second round of talks scheduled in Islamabad.

Stocks slip and oil prices rise on uncertainty about US-Iran ceasefire talks

The S&P 500 erased an early rise to fall 0.6% after the U.S. vice president called off his trip to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 293 points, or 0.6%, after erasing an earlier gain of 400 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.6%. Less than 10 minutes after the U.S. stock market finished trading for the day, Trump said he would extend the ceasefire to give Iran time to submit a proposal to end the war.

Oil prices also wavered before Trump announced the extension, and the price for a barrel of Brent crude went from less than $95 to roughly $100 during the day. It settled at $98.48, up 3.1%.

The moves were mostly more modest than the vicious swings that rocked Wall Street earlier in the war.

Trump says a ceasefire extension was needed because Iranian leadership is ‘seriously fractured’

The president, in his social media post, also alluded to reported divisions within the Islamic Republic, saying they have come “not unexpectedly.”

Trump has repeatedly said over the course of the ceasefire that began on April 8 that his team is dealing with Iranian officials who want to make a deal, while acknowledging his decision to kill several top leaders has come with some complications.

“We’ve taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way, but these leaders are much more rational,” Trump said earlier Tuesday during an interview on CNBC.

Iran calls for the United Nations to condemn US seizures of its ships

The Iranian mission to the U.N. sent a letter Tuesday asking for the world body and the Security Council to issue a “firm and unequivocal” condemnation of the U.S. decision Sunday to attack and seize an Iranian-flagged cargo ship.

“This constitutes a grave breach of international law, a clear violation of the ceasefire, and an act of aggression marked by the hallmarks of piracy,” the mission posted on X. “Such reckless conduct directly endangers international navigation and undermines maritime safety and security.”

Washington had said the ship tried to evade the U.S. naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump says US will extend ceasefire but continue its blockade of Iranian ports

The president said he’s extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request as he waits for a “unified proposal” from the Islamic Republic, but that the U.S. military will continue its blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump added that “he’s directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

The president made the move even as the White House has put on hold Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad for a second round of talks as Tehran, at least for time being, is balking at further talks.

Israel and Hezbollah trade fire with talks expected this week

Israel and the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah traded some fire on Tuesday, even as more talks are expected in Washington this week after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect last Friday.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets and drones at Israeli forces maintaining a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, accusing Israel of breaching the truce with “attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages.”

In response, Israel said it had struck the launcher, calling Hezbollah’s strikes a blatant violation of the ceasefire.

Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel, particularly its northern border communities, shortly after the Iran war started. Israeli forces have engaged in fierce battles with the militants in southern Lebanon as they pushed to create what officials have called a “security zone.”

A senior Iranian commander threatens to destroy the region’s oil industry if war resumes

Gen. Majid Mousavi, the aerospace chief for the Revolutionary Guard, said in comments on Iranian media that it would be a mistake to carry out “aggression” against Iran. He also said the region’s oil facilities would be harmed if neighboring countries allow the U.S. to carry out attacks.

“If southern neighbors allow the enemy to use their facilities to attack Iran, they should say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East region,” he said.

The U.S. has bases and troops in several countries across the region.

Iranian foreign minister says US blockade of its ports is violation of ceasefire

As news came that the U.S. delegation was pausing its travel to Islamabad, Iran’s top diplomat posted on X saying that American forces boarding an Iranian oil tanker earlier Tuesday was an act of war.

“Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post. “Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying.”

Iran’s UN envoy says his government has ‘received some sign’ the US is ready to stop the blockade

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tuesday that as soon as Washington ends the blockade, “I think the next round of the negotiations will take place in Islamabad.”

He called the U.S. naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and reiterated that lifting it is a condition for new negotiations to take place. The United States has not publicly indicated that it will lift the blockade.

The U.S. started the war against Iran, Iravani said, and if they want to return to the negotiating table “and find a political solution, they will find us ready.”

“If they want to go to the war, in this case also Iran is ready for that,” he told a small group of reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Iran’s state TV denies 8 women are at risk of execution

State TV quoted the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency denying Trump’s claims that the women are facing execution. It said some have already been released, while others face charges that — if upheld by the courts — would ultimately result in prison sentences rather than execution.

It didn’t name which women were allegedly released.

Human rights centers have reported that at least two of the women were facing charges that carry a death sentence.

Pakistani officials race to salvage ceasefire talks

Two officials say Pakistani leaders were engaged in intensive mediation efforts late Tuesday to ensure the second round of ceasefire talks takes place.

The officials said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and the prime minister’s national security adviser were involved in the push.

Despite a delay by Iran in sending its delegation to Islamabad, “overall optimism endures among decision makers in Pakistan,” the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

— By Munir Ahmed in Islamabad.

6 Iranian women and 2 teenagers, mostly detained during January protests, are on Trump’s appeal for release

Bita Hemmati was sentenced to death in Tehran after taking part in the protests, according to the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.

Mahboubeh Shabani was arrested in the city of Mashhad during the protests. She’s charged with “enmity of God,” which carries the death sentence, according to human rights monitor Hengaw.

Diana Taher Abadi and Ghazal Ghalandari are both 16, and were arrested separately in Karaj, west of Tehran, and Yasuj in southwestern Iran during the protests, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Venus Hossein Nejad, from the Bahai faith, was arrested in January from her workplace in southeast Iran. She was forced to confess on state TV and was accused with others of organizing protests and being members of a “satanic network and under the influence of Israel,” the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said.

Golnar Naraqi, a 37-year-old emergency physician, was arrested in Tehran during the protests, according to a state-affiliated newspaper.

Two women were identified by Iranian social media as Ensieh Nejati and Panah Movahhedi Salamat. There was no immediate confirmed reports about their whereabouts.

Trump calls on Iran to release 8 women ahead of potential truce talks

The president reposted a photo of six women and two teen girls on social media Tuesday morning that a conservative activist noted are facing prosecution by the Iranian government.

“I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm!” Trump posted. “Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!”

Five of those in the photo flagged by Trump were arrested during widespread anti-government protests earlier this year, according to human rights groups.

One of the women, from Iran’s minority Bahai faith, is accused of being part of a network described as “satanic and under the influence of Israel.”

Iranian media sites identified two others in Trump’s posting but did not offer details on why they were detained.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says his government has not yet decided whether to join ceasefire negotiations

Esmail Baghaei told state TV late Tuesday that Iran was upset about what he called mixed messages from the Americans.

“It is not out of indecisiveness, it is because we are facing contradictory messages and behaviors, and unacceptable actions from the American counterpart,” he said.

US military seeks to boost spending on drones, air defenses and fighter jets

As part of Trump’s push to boost defense spending to $1.5 trillion in the 2027 budget, the Pentagon wants to triple spending on drones and related technology to more than $74 billion and invest over $30 billion into more critical munitions.

That includes missile interceptors, whose stockpiles have become critically low during the Iran war.

Military officials said the spending blueprint was developed ahead of the conflict in the Middle East. They also did not discuss how much they will request in additional funds for the war.

Drones and other unmanned vehicles have emerged as a key weapon in the wars in Ukraine and Iran, and top Pentagon officials say the U.S. must significantly increase its funding of both drones and counter-drone systems.

▶ Read more

Israel’s military says it has replaced a crucifix in southern Lebanon after a soldier smashed it down

The Israeli military posted a photo on social media of the replacement crucifix, which appeared smaller but more ornate than the original statue that a soldier was photographed destroying in southern Lebanon. Israel says two soldiers involved in the episode will be held for a month in military detention.

Tuesday’s post on X said troops worked with the community in the Lebanese village of Debel to coordinate the replacement, which includes a metallic-sheened Jesus figure and four paintings of saints, one on each arm of the cross.

Christians are estimated to make up around a third of Lebanon’s population of roughly 5.5 million people. Thousands of Christians were displaced from their homes in the country’s south during the war.

EU diplomats agree to new sanctions targeting Iranians obstructing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz

“Today we also reach the political agreement to widen our sanctions regime, to also target those responsible for breaches to freedom of navigation,” said the 27-nation European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, after a Tuesday gathering in Luxembourg.

“Freedom of navigation is non-negotiable. Daily U-turns where the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, are reckless. Transit through the strait must remain free of charge,” she said, referring to Iran’s charging for safe passage on the Strait of Hormuz.

Kallas said the EU’s maritime security mission would be “the quickest way” to ensure safe transit in the Persian Gulf after peace is settled.

Iran-allied Yemeni rebels warn against escalation in the region

Even if the U.S.-Iran ceasefire holds and the current war ends, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebel group said “there is no doubt that further rounds of fighting are coming, as it is merely a truce within a continuous conflict with the enemy.”

In a televised speech Tuesday, Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned that escalation in the region is “possibly high” as the “fragile” ceasefire is nearing an end.

A Houthi missile attack on Israel last month raised concern that Iran’s ally in Yemen may again try to block Red Sea shipping routes, as it did during the war in Gaza.

Gulf shipping crews are stranded amid maritime attacks, UN agency warns

At least 10 seafarers have been killed and several more severely injured in a series of attacks on commercial vessels around the Persian Gulf since the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, according to the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for regulating global shipping.

IMO spokesperson Natasha Brown said the agency has confirmed 25 attacks on commercial shipping since Feb. 28. Hundreds of ships have been stranded in the Persian Gulf since.

“Around 20,000 civilian seafarers remain aboard vessels in the Persian Gulf, facing dwindling supplies, fatigue and severe psychological stress,” Brown added.

Following an extraordinary council session in March, the IMO said it is working with “relevant states on the development of a safe passage framework” to evacuate stranded crews, while coordinating access to supplies.

A new budget request from the Pentagon would triple spending on drone technology

The $1.5 trillion budget proposal detailed Tuesday by defense officials would allocate nearly $54 billion for military drones and related technology, as well as $21 billion for weapons systems designed to take down enemy drones.

“Drone warfare is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield,” Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of defense, comptroller, told reporters during a budget briefing at the Pentagon.

Israel disciplines 2 soldiers for destruction of Jesus statue

One of the soldiers photographed the other using what appears to be a sledgehammer to hack down the crucifix during military operations in the Lebanese village. The two will be held in military detention for 30 days.

“The soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” said a military statement, using the acronym for the Israeli military.

The disciplinary measures come after the photo of the incident attracted worldwide attention and condemnations from Christian religious leaders. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have also denounced the incident.

The military said that six other soldiers who stood by without intervening would be summoned for conversations with higher-ups and that military protocol for dealing with religious buildings and artifacts were reemphasized to troops in the area.

“He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after San Antonio fell 106-103 to even the Western Conference first-round series at one game apiece. “We’ll take the proper and appropriate steps.”

Any extended absence by Wembanyama would be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France.

Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. A player must undergo neurological testing and receive a final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league's concussion protocol director.

Game 3 is Friday in Portland. It seems improbable that Wembanyama would be cleared by then, but Johnson wouldn't speculate about his status.

“The protocol is the protocol,” Johnson said. “We’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”

The Spurs went 12-6 during the regular season without Wembanyama.

“We’ve all got to step up,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. “We know what Vic brings to the table. We’ve played without him for a couple games this year. It’s going to be next man up. Everybody’s going to have to step up. That’s a huge void to fill. We can’t get bogged down by it.”

Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday after he spun around the Trail Blazers point guard in the paint. He was not able to brace himself on the fall, and his jaw hit the court with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter.

Wembanyama remained on the court for about 30 seconds before rising to a seated position for about a minute and speaking to teammate Stephon Castle. Johnson called timeout to check on Wembanyama, who immediately ran through the tunnel after getting to his feet.

Wembanyama had five points, four rebounds, one blocked shot and one assist in 12 minutes. Veteran Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama and started the second half at center, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.

“It was scary. I saw the images. It was not good,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said of the play where Wembanyama got hurt. “With him out, Kornet, I think he did a tremendous job. We still have to figure out how to play better when Kornet is on the court.”

San Antonio is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and beat Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series behind 35 points from Wembanyama. Without him, the Spurs blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, a span of 76 games.

On Monday, Wembanyama became the unanimous winner of the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-best 3.1 blocks this season.

Vassell said he didn’t have a chance to talk with Wembanyama immediately after the game.

“We’ll definitely check in on him. Our prayers are with him,” Vassell said. “We just want him to be good.”

___

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

Update: Police reveal new details in triple homicide at gas station on Detroit’s west side

Detroit police sources told Local 4 that three guns were from the victims.

We’re told both parties were attending a drag racing event.

One victim was allegedly seen pointing an AK-style weapon at the person who ended up being the shooter.

The three victims, according to Detroit police sources, were the aggressors in this situation and began beating the shooter in his vehicle.

Detroit police sources also said late Tuesday (April 21) that the Wayne County prosecutor’s office has denied charges against the shooter.

“It was my whole world. That’s all I live for: my kids. That’s all I live for,” Stacy Roberson, who lost two of her four children in the Sunday morning shooting, told Local 4.

The violence erupted following a crash, according to Detroit police.

Detroit police said officers responded around 3 a.m. April 19 to a Sunoco gas station at W McNichols Road and Lahser Road on the city’s west side for reports of a shooting.

Investigators said the violence appeared to have stemmed from a physical altercation following a car crash that happened prior to the gunfire.

Local 4 was told the 22-year-old alleged shooter stayed at the scene and is still in custody.

“Our condolences go out to all the families impacted by this tragic incident,” police said.

Siblings killed

Among those killed were tight-knit siblings Trevor “Hairy” Sheeler Jr., 25, and Jasmine “Jazzy” Sheeler, 24, a loss their mother, Stacy Roberson, said has “shattered” her world.

She described her son and daughter as inseparable and full of life, always calling, texting, and checking in with their mom.

“There’s a hole in my heart,” Roberson said through tears. “There’s a hole in my heart that I know will never be filled again. It will never be filled again. I don’t know how I’m gonna do it.”

Her son, she said, had “no filter and a deep bond” with her.

“I was his best friend,” she said.

Jasmine, she said, was quirky and brought her own energy into every room.

“Jasmine was outgoing,” she said. “Always trying to pull somebody to do something with her. Just, you know, they were just lovable.”

Both siblings were parents. Jasmine leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter. Trevor leaves behind two children, ages six and five.

Roberson said the loss feels impossible to process.

She said they were simply out celebrating a birthday party.

“It just didn’t make any sense to me,” Roberson said. “I still can’t even believe that they’re gone over foolishness.“

24-year-old also killed in shooting

Another victim, identified by the family as Lester Owens III, 24, was also killed in the shooting.

His family described him as a vibrant, hard-working, and kind young man with a bright future cut short.

“That was my baby,” his father, Lester Owens Jr., told Local 4. “That was my everything. He had so much future. His life was ended by nonsense. He had a beautiful heart. He was loved by many.”

The large family left behind told Local 4 they are struggling not only with the loss, but with how they keep learning more about what may have happened.

“It seemed like the justice system is letting me down already, because it’s like I’m seeing my son get blown away on the internet,” his father said. “Police haven’t came out here to talk to me or anything. I’m not getting any information. I want justice for my son.”

“The biggest thing I ask for is justice for him,” his uncle, Jason Owens, said.

His grandfather said the loss has shaken the family to its core, and he wants to see every person responsible held accountable.

Alleged shooter’s family responds

Meanwhile, the family of the alleged shooter, who remains in custody, told Local 4 there is “a lot more to the story,” adding that the incident began well before the group arrived at the gas station. They added that the alleged shooter and shooting victims “did not know each other.”

“He did not intend to go out and harm anyone that night,” the alleged shooter’s family told Local 4. “He was in fear for his life.”

Detroit police have not released further details as the investigation continues.

Charges have not yet been filed.

A GoFundMe has been set up by the Roberson family.

The family of Lester Owens III also created a GoFundMe.

Hayes told Local 4 on Tuesday (April 21) that the triple homicide that occurred at a Detroit gas station stemmed from an illegal street racing incident that escalated into a confrontation involving firearms.

The shooting, which left three young people dead, began with a drag racing meetup that officers attempted to break up, per Hayes.

“Truly a tragic incident where three young lives were lost,” Hayes said. “This started from an illegal drag racing incident.”

According to Hayes, the three individuals who were killed were inside a vehicle that fled after police arrived at the gathering.

During the incident, their vehicle was involved in a crash with another car, which they then pursued onto local freeways.

“At one point, one of the occupants pointed an AK-style pistol out of the window,” Hayes said.

Haynes said the situation continued onto city streets before ending at a Green Light gas station on West 7 Mile Road, where the vehicles stopped face-to-face.

The occupants of the pursuing vehicle exited, opened a door, and began assaulting the other occupants, according to Hayes.

At that point, the other driver, identified by police as a licensed concealed pistol holder, fired shots, killing three people.

“As we understand the tragedy of that, three individuals did not make it home that night,” Hayes said.

Police said the incident was not a random act of violence but the culmination of a targeted encounter that began earlier at an illegal drag racing meetup.

“This was not a fight at a gas station,” Hayes said. “This was an individual being pursued, chased on the freeway at gunpoint, and it culminated at that location.”

Hayes said investigators have submitted their findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and could not provide full details while the case is under review.

However, Hayes said the video circulating on social media aligns with the department’s investigation, showing that the individuals who were killed had been pursuing another vehicle and were inside a vehicle that displayed a firearm during the incident.

“Our victims were the ones pursuing,” Hayes said. “They were in the vehicle that brandished a firearm on the freeway and then pulled nose-to-nose with the individual who fired the shots.”

Police said the confrontation escalated at a gas station, where the armed encounter ended with the driver of the other vehicle firing shots, fatally striking the three individuals.

Three firearms were recovered following the fatal shooting, and the weapon used by the shooter was legally registered, Hayes said.

Hayes said the individual who fired the fatal shots is a licensed concealed pistol holder and legally possessed the firearm.

“Three firearms were recovered that night,” Hayes said. “The individual that fired the fatal shots is a CPL holder, and his firearm was registered to him.”

Hayes said he could not confirm the ownership status of the other two firearms recovered at the scene.

The case has been forwarded to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review as the investigation continues.

The individual who fired the fatal shots remained at the scene, surrendered the weapon, and was taken into custody, police said.

Hayes said the shooter did not flee after the incident and cooperated with officers.

“The individual that fired the shots remained at the scene, surrendered the firearm, and was taken into police custody at that time,” Hayes said.

Authorities have not announced any charges as the case has been submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

No charging decision has been made in connection with the triple fatal shooting as prosecutors continue reviewing the case, police said.

Hayes said the Detroit Police Department has submitted its investigative report to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and is awaiting a determination.

“That I’m aware of, a charging decision has not come back,” Hayes said.

Police said the incident stemmed from an illegal street-racing meetup that officers tried to break up.

Participants fled the scene, leading to the events that ultimately ended in the fatal shooting.

Hayes urged the public to avoid such gatherings, warning of the risks associated with illegal drag racing events.

“If you’re not out here at these events, this is one less issue you’d have to worry about,” Hayes said. “Please don’t go. Please don’t participate.”

He also emphasized that violence is not an acceptable way to resolve disputes.

“Using firearms, violence is never the answer,” Hayes said. “That is not how we solve problems here in the city of Detroit.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

Detroit police Assistant Chief F.D. Hayes gives update on triple homicide

The work is part of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s Project WS-725, a project to replace and rehabilitate aged water mains and lead service lines.

Oria McLain Jr., who lives on Griggs Street, said contractors began work in the area back in the fall, digging a trench in the street and refilling it ahead of the winter months.

McLain Jr. said crews restarted work last Monday, reopening the trench and blocking residents from using their driveways, forcing some to drive over the sidewalk.

“I had to go down the sidewalk to go to the end of the street, Kramer, to get out,” McLain said. “It rained three or four days, so all of this was mud. Fiasco. People were afraid because we didn’t know if the sidewalks would hold up our vehicles or not.”

McLain said after he called the city to complain, crews later came out to put barriers and tape around the trench and put down metal plates to allow vehicles into their driveways, but he said they were initially installed improperly and had to be fixed.

“When they first dropped them off, they dropped them off the wrong way, and they were too narrow, and a couple of people actually slid off of them,” McLain said.

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Deputy Director Sam Smalley apologized to residents and said the city is reworking its approach before continuing.

“The plan was not fully baked as it relates to this project,” Smalley said. “There were some impacts being proposed on the customers that are not acceptable, and it’s not the way that we conduct business. So I’ve talked to our engineers, our contractor, I told them we need a better plan, discuss it tonight (April 21), give us some options tomorrow (April 22).”

Smalley said a contractor had been scheduled to begin restoring asphalt and concrete on Wednesday, but the city is now requiring a revised plan focused on minimizing disruptions.

That includes maintaining access to driveways and, if residents must park elsewhere, considering security and lighting.

“That we’re providing access to their driveways,” Smalley said. “If they can’t access their driveways, where can they park? Is it going to be secure? Are we going to have 24-hour security and lighting there? I told our team they’d better come up with some options.”

McLain said residents want the project completed, but done correctly.

“We want it done, we want it fixed, and we’re tired of the excuses,” McLain said.

“We thank the Lord for the great gift of the life of Francis, to the church and the world,” Leo said.

The American pope delivered the tribute in Italian while speaking with reporters aboard the papal plane heading from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his four-nation African trip.

Francis died on Easter Monday last year after suffering a stroke. He had been at the Vatican recovering from a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia, and had managed to deliver a final Easter salute to the crowd with a popemobile romp through St. Peter’s Square.

His death, at 88, set the stage for the conclave that elected Leo a few weeks later. It was an outcome for which Francis had laid the groundwork by promoting the former missionary priest, Robert Prevost, whom he considered “a saint.”

In his tribute, Leo recalled with precision some of Francis’ most memorable homilies and messages, saying he “gave so much to the church with his life, with his witness, with his word and with his gestures.”

“So many times what he did was live truly being close to the poorest, the smallest, the sick, children, the elderly,” he said.

He cited Francis’ preaching promoting human fraternity and “authentic respect” among all people, as well as a special Holy Year he called in 2015 to emphasize God’s mercy and forgiveness. Francis famously opened the year in the Central African Republic, and Leo delivered his tribute just as his plane was flying over that part of Africa.

Leo recalled Francis’ first Sunday noon prayer as pope, and a Mass he celebrated two days before his pontificate was officially inaugurated, when he preached about an adulterous woman “and how he spoke from the heart of the mercy of God.”

“Let us pray that he is still enjoying the mercy of the Lord,” Leo said.

Books recall Francis’ life and what he thought of Prevost

The anniversary was being marked with commemorations in Rome, including the release of commemorative books about and recollections of Francis, and a Mass on Tuesday evening at St. Mary Major basilica, where Francis’ tomb is located.

Among the flurry of recollections, one by Salvatore Cernuzio stands out because it offers a view of the current pope from his predecessor.

Cernuzio, an Italian reporter with Vatican Media, the Holy See’s in-house news operation, developed a close personal relationship with Francis and often traveled in his entourage when the pope left the Vatican. However, the book, entitled “Padre,” or “Father,” details the private side of their relationship, of Cernuzio’s visits with Francis at the Santa Marta hotel where he lived, and their conversations.

“Him? He’s a saint,” Francis told Cernuzio of the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, whom Francis had brought to Rome in 2023 to take up the important job heading the Vatican’s bishop-vetting office.

Francis’ assessment, delivered in 2023 after he had announced Prevost would be included in his new batch of cardinals that year, adds even more weight to the hypothesis that Francis saw in Prevost a possible successor.

Cernuzio recalls that when Francis called someone a saint, it was usually “to describe people who are able to handle conflicts, tensions, and complex situations with composure, and who are able to foster a sense of community.”

Prevost was spotted and promoted by Francis

The hypothesis that Francis laid the groundwork for Prevost’s election is well-founded, given it’s clear Francis had his eye on Prevost from the start and greatly appreciated his experience as a missionary who spent two decades working in Peru.

After Prevost finished a second consecutive stint as head of the Order of St. Augustine, Francis sent him in 2014 to be bishop of the complicated diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, and he rose up within the Peruvian bishops conference from there to take on leadership roles.

Francis then moved Prevost to head one of the most important Vatican jobs — prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops — that gave Prevost crucial experience in the Vatican bureaucracy and contacts with the cardinals who would eventually choose Francis’ successor.

The combination made Prevost a viable contender in a future papal election, overcoming the otherwise impossible conclave hurdle of his American citizenship. There had long been a taboo in the church against a U.S. pope, given the geopolitical power the country already wields.

The two men, who later became good friends, had known each other from when Prevost was the Augustinian prior general and the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Prevost has recounted that at one point Bergoglio had expressed interest in assigning an Augustinian priest to a specific job in his archdiocese.

“And I, as prior general, said ‘I understand, Your Eminence, but he’s got to do something else’ and so I transferred him somewhere else,” Prevost told parishioners in his home state of Illinois in 2024.

Prevost said he “naively” thought the Francis wouldn’t remember him after his 2013 election as pope, and that regardless “he’ll never appoint me bishop” due to the disagreement years earlier.

Bergoglio not only made him bishop, he laid the groundwork for Prevost to succeed him.

Adoring crowds in the largely Catholic country lined the road from the airport into the administrative capital, Malabo, cheering the first pope to visit since St. John Paul II in 1982. Wearing his formal red mozzetta cape, Leo thrilled the flag-waving masses by arriving at the presidential palace in his open-sided popemobile.

“There is a lot of joy today because we waited 44 years for the pope to come,” said Diosdado Marques, a senior Catholic official in the country. “It’s a blessing for the country. We hope many things will change and we will deepen our faith.”

The former Spanish colony on Africa’s western coast is run by the continent's longest-serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism.

The pope notes a year since Francis' death

The discovery of offshore oil in the mid-1990s transformed Equatorial Guinea’s economy virtually overnight, with oil now accounting for almost half of its GDP and more than 90% of exports, according to the African Development Bank.

Yet more than half of the country’s nearly 2 million people live in poverty. And rights groups including Human Rights Watch — as well as court cases in France and Spain — have documented how revenues have enriched the ruling Obiang family rather than the broader population.

Leo, who arrived from Angola, met with Obiang at the presidential palace and then addressed government authorities, diplomats and civil service representatives. Noting that the encounter occurred on the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, Leo quoted the late pope in denouncing income inequalities that he said had been exacerbated by a global economy focused on the pursuit of profit at all cost.

“Such an economy kills,” Leo said. “In fact, it is even more evident today than in years past that the proliferation of armed conflicts is often driven by the colonization of oil and mineral deposits, occurring with no regard for international law or the self-determination of peoples.”

The Trump administration, which has announced plans to create a minerals trading bloc with its allies, has been racing to get access to Africa’s regions rich in critical minerals and to beat competition from China in a region where Beijing has long dominated.

Last year, as the administration emerged as a key broker for a peace deal to end the fighting in Congo’s mineral-rich but conflict-battered eastern region, it was also signing a partnership with Congo that would allow American companies access to those conflict minerals.

The U.S. is also investing funds in the Lobito Corridor, a major rail project that would facilitate export of minerals from regions in Zambia and Congo through Lobito in Angola. At the same time, the U.S. has backed a South Africa project aimed at extracting rare earth minerals from industrial waste.

Leo suggests Equatorial Guinea look to the ‘City of God’

The pope's meetings took place in the old presidential palace. The government has built a new capital on the mainland named Ciudad de la Paz, or City of Peace, but the transfer of government buildings is not complete.

Authorities have said the decision to build the new capital was strategic, given the potential for expansion of the city carved out of a tropical forest. But critics said the relocation would exacerbate inequalities and give further opportunities for the presidential circle to enrich themselves.

Leo referred to the new capital by citing the famous work of St. Augustine, “City of God,” in which the 5th-century philosopher interpreted humanity through two models: The “earthly city” where people live temporarily and the eternal “city of God,” characterized by God’s unconditional love and love of one another, especially the poor.

Leo didn't call out the corruption associated with the Obiang family or the criticism of the new capital. But he suggested Equatorial Guinea should look to the “City of God” as a model.

“The earthly city is centered upon the proud love of self, on the lust for power and worldly glory that leads to destruction,” he said. “It is essential to discern the difference between that which lasts and that which passes, remaining free from the pursuit of unjust wealth and the illusion of dominion.”

The pope plans to visit a prison

Equatorial Guinea is officially a secular country but about 75% of its population is Catholic, making it one of Africa's most Catholic countries.

Church leaders “are very much interconnected intrinsically with the government,” said Tutu Alicante, a U.S.-based activist who runs the EG Justice rights group. “Part of it is the fear the government has instilled in everyone, including the church, and part of it is the monetary gains that the church derives from this government.”

The Rev. Fortunatus Nwachukwu, No. 2 in the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office, said the Catholic Church is present in difficult civil spaces and knows how to operate in them to carry out its mission.

“Should the church go to war against the government? Surely no,” Nwachukwu said. “Should the church swallow everything as if it were normal? No. The church has to continue preaching justice, always in defense of life, human dignity and the common good.”

In addition to official corruption, the country’s government also faces accusations of harassment, arrest and intimidation of political opponents, critics and journalists.

Equatorial Guinea is also one of several African nations that have been paid millions of dollars in deals with the Trump administration to receive migrants deported from the U.S. to countries other than their own.

AP reporting shows that at least 29 such migrants with no ties to the country have been deported there. Some remain in detention in Malabo with restrictions on legal and medical support, while others have been forcibly returned to their countries where they face persecution.

Leo, who will visit a prison in the port city of Bata on Wednesday, has criticized the Trump administration’s overall migration deportation policy as “extremely disrespectful.”

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Associated Press writers Monika Pronczuk in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, and Ope Adetayo in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed.

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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 constitutional amendment narrowly backed by voters bypasses a bipartisan redistricting commission to allow the use of new districts drawn by Virginia’s Democratic-led General Assembly. But the public vote may not be the final word. The state Supreme Court is considering whether the plan is illegal in a case that could make the referendum results meaningless.

The Virginia redistricting referendum marked a setback for President Donald Trump, who kicked off a national redistricting battle last year by urging Republican officials in Texas to redraw districts. The goal was to help Republicans win more seats in the November elections and hold on to a narrow House majority in the face of political headwinds that typically favor the party out of power during midterm elections.

But the Virginia redistricting referendum could help nullify Republican gains elsewhere.

“Virginia just changed the trajectory of the 2026 midterms,” Democratic state House Speaker Don Scott said in a celebratory statement. “At a moment when Trump and his allies are trying to lock in power before voters have a say, Virginians stepped up and leveled the playing field for the entire country.”

Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who campaigned for the new map, quickly shifted her attention to the November election.

“I understand the urgency of winning congressional seats as a check on this President, and I look forward to campaigning with candidates across the Commonwealth working to earn Virginians’ trust," she said in a statement.

Virginia vote is part of a national redistricting battle

The redistricting in Texas led to a burst of redistricting nationwide. So far, Republicans believe they can win up to nine more House seats in newly redrawn districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats think they can win up to five more seats in California, where voters approved a similar mid-decade redistricting effort last November, and one more seat under new court-imposed districts in Utah.

Democrats hope to offset the rest of that gap in Virginia, where they decisively flipped 13 seats in the state House and won back the governor’s office last year.

Tuesday’s narrow victory for Democrats contrasted with last fall's vote in California, where a Democratic redistricting plan passed by a nearly 29-point margin.

“As we saw in California, when voters have a say, they are rejecting Republicans’ attempt to rig the system,” said U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Washington state, who is chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Republicans pledged to continue the battle over Virginia's new map in court.

“Serious legal questions remain about both the wording of this referendum and the process used to put it before voters,” Virginia House Republican Minority Leader Terry Kilgore said. “Those questions have not been resolved, and they now move where they belong: to the courts.”

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, of North Carolina, who is chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the "close margin reinforces that Virginia is a purple state that shouldn’t be represented by a severe partisan gerrymander.”

The back-and-forth redistricting battle also could continue in Florida, where the Republican-led Legislature is to convene April 28 for a special session that could result in more favorable congressional districts for Republicans.

Voters focus on fairness, with different perspectives

The campaign over Virginia’s redistricting referendum focused heavily on fairness.

Republicans argued that it was unfair to gerrymander Virginia’s districts to Democrats’ advantage. But Democrats argued that they were creating a fairer election landscape nationally by counteracting Republican gerrymandering elsewhere.

Matt Wallace, of Alexandria, said he voted for the Democratic redistricting amendment “to help balance the scales a bit until things get back to normal.”

But Ruth Ann McCartney, who voted in the town of South Hill just a few miles north of the North Carolina border, said she cast her ballot against the amendment.

“I look at it more as we don’t have the population as northern Virginia,” she said. “And as a rural area, we just need to be heard.”

A lobsterlike district could aid Democratic efforts

In Virginia, Democrats currently hold six of the 11 U.S. House seats under districts that were imposed by the state Supreme Court in 2021 after a bipartisan commission failed to agree on a map based on the latest census data.

The new plan could help Democrats win as many as 10 seats. Five seats are anchored in the Democratic stronghold of northern Virginia, including one stretching out like a lobster to consume Republican-leaning rural areas. Revisions to four other districts across Richmond, southern Virginia and Hampton Roads dilute the voting power of conservative blocs in those areas. And a reshaped district in parts of western Virginia lumps together three Democratic-leaning college towns to offset other Republican voters.

Democrats portrayed the Virginia redistricting as a response to Trump. Ads for the “yes to redistricting” campaign featuring former President Barack Obama flooded the airwaves.

But opponents of the redistricting also distributed campaign materials citing statements from Obama and Spanberger, who had both criticized gerrymandering in the past.

Virginia court weighs whether lawmakers acted illegally

Congressional redistricting typically is done once a decade after each census.

In 2020, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment meant to diminish political gamesmanship by shifting redistricting responsibilities away from the legislature.

But lawmakers endorsed a new constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade redistricting last fall, then passed it again in January as part of a two-step process that requires an intervening election in order for an amendment to be placed on the ballot. The measure allows lawmakers to redistrict until returning the task to a bipartisan commission after the 2030 census.

In February, they passed a new U.S. House map to take effect pending the outcome of the redistricting referendum.

Republicans have filed multiple legal challenges against the redistricting effort.

A Tazewell County judge ruled that the redistricting push was illegal for several reasons. Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. said lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session. He ruled that their initial vote failed to occur before the public began casting ballots in last year’s general election and thus didn’t count toward the two-step process. And he ruled that the state failed to publish the amendment three months before that election, as required by law.

If the state Supreme Court agrees with the lower court, the referendum results could be rendered moot.

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Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed in South Hill, Virginia, Gary Fields in Alexandria, Virginia, and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

Edgecombe made six of the 76ers' 19 3-pointers. Maxey also had nine assists as Philadelphia bounced back after getting blown out 123-91 in Game 1. Edgecombe is the first rookie to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Tim Duncan on May 5, 1998.

The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday.

“I think we knew where the shots were going to come from," Edgecombe said. "We kept trusting each other. Everyone can make a play on the court. ... They wanted me to shoot the ball.”

The Celtics cut a seven-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to 91-89 before an 11-0 run put the 76ers back in front 102-89 with just over four minutes to play. The Celtics pulled their starters with a little more than a minute remaining.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 36 points. Jayson Tatum added 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

“I thought Edgecombe was just too comfortable,” Brown said. “He's a rookie, but he can play. We've got to be better on him.”

After struggling from the field in Game 1, the 76ers needed much more from Maxey and Edgecombe. They got it, with the pair carrying the load for a team that shot 47.8% from the field, including 19 of 39 from the 3-point line.

“I grab (Edgecombe) and Tyrese together a lot and remind them to be super aggressive,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. "Fire it up there, like keep shooting no matter what.”

Boston was only 13 of 47 from the 3-point line and shot 39.3% from the field overall, while committing 13 turnovers leading to 16 points by the 76ers.

Philadelphia, which was again without center Joel Embiid for Game 2 as he continues to go through a strength and conditioning program following an appendectomy on April 9, was twice without Edgecombe for brief stretches Tuesday.

Edgecombe limped off in noticeable pain and went straight to the locker room for treatment in both the first and third quarters.

He returned each time and kept scoring to help the 76ers build as much as a 13-point lead in the third.

The intensity was high throughout the game.

It hit a high point in the opening minutes when Brown was assessed a technical foul after his emphatic one-handed dunk over Adem Bona that sent the 76ers big man to the floor.

Replays appeared to show that Brown’s momentum after the jam carried him into contact with Bona, who fell to the floor and left Brown in a hovering position over him.

But referee Marc Davis didn’t see it that way and called Brown for the tech.

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

Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment authorizing a Democratic redistricting plan that could help the party win several additional House seats in this year’s elections. Next up could be Florida, where lawmakers are to begin a special session April 28 for a Republican attempt at congressional redistricting.

Voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade, after each census. But President Donald Trump triggered an unusual round of mid-decade redistricting last year when he urged Texas Republicans to redraw House districts to give the GOP an edge in the midterm elections. California Democrats reciprocated, and redistricting efforts soon cascaded across states.

So far, Republicans believe they could win up to nine additional seats in states where they have redrawn congressional districts while Democrats think they could gain up to 10 seats elsewhere because of redistricting. But that presumes past voting patterns hold in November. And that’s uncertain, especially since the party in power typically loses seats in the midterms and Trump faces negative approval ratings in polls.

Democrats need to gain just a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, potentially allowing them to obstruct Trump’s agenda.

Next up on redistricting: Florida

Current map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans

Proposed map: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special legislative session to begin April 28 on congressional redistricting. Republicans haven't yet publicly released a specific plan.

Challenges: The state constitution says districts cannot be drawn with intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.

Where new House districts were approved

New U.S. House districts have been adopted in seven states since last summer. Five took up redistricting voluntarily, one was required to by its state constitution and another did so under court order.

Texas

Current map: 13 Democrats, 25 Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a revised House map into law last August that could help Republicans win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in December cleared the way for the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It put on hold a lower-court ruling that blocked the new map because it was “racially gerrymandered.”

California

Current map: 43 Democrats, nine Republicans

New map: Voters in November approved revised House districts drawn by the Democratic-led Legislature that could help Democrats win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in February allowed the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It denied an appeal from Republicans and the Department of Justice, which claimed the districts impermissibly favor Hispanic voters.

Missouri

Current map: two Democrats, six Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a revised House map into law last September that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A Cole County judge ruled the new map is in effect as election officials work to determine whether a referendum petition seeking a statewide vote complies with constitutional criteria and contains enough valid petition signatures. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit claiming mid-decade redistricting is illegal. It's scheduled to hear arguments in May on claims the new districts violate compactness requirements and should be placed on hold pending the potential referendum.

North Carolina

Current map: four Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval in October to revised districts that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A federal court panel in November denied a request to block the revised districts from being used in the midterm elections.

Ohio

Current map: five Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: A bipartisan panel composed primarily of Republicans voted in October to approve revised House districts that improve Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: None. The state constitution required new districts before the 2026 election, because Republicans had approved the prior map without sufficient Democratic support after the last census.

Utah

Current map: no Democrats, four Republicans

New map: A judge in November imposed revised House districts that could help Democrats win a seat. The court ruled that lawmakers had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters when adopting the prior map.

Challenges: A federal court panel and the state Supreme Court, in February, each rejected Republican challenges to the judicial map selection.

Virginia

Current map: six Democrats, five Republicans

New map: Voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing new U.S. House districts backed by Democrats that could help the party win up to four additional seats.

Challenges: The state Supreme Court allowed the referendum to proceed, but it has yet to rule whether the effort is legal. The court is considering an appeal of a Tazewell County judge’s ruling that the amendment is invalid because lawmakers violated their own rules while passing it.

Where redistricting efforts were denied

Governors, lawmakers or partisan officials pushed for congressional redistricting in numerous states. In at least five states, those efforts gained some initial traction but ultimately fell short in either the legislature or court.

Maryland

Current map: seven Democrats, one Republican

Proposed map: The Democratic-led House in February passed a redistricting plan backed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore that could help Democrats win an additional seat.

Challenges: The legislative session ended in April without the Democratic-led Senate voting on the redistricting plan. The state Senate president said there were concerns it could backfire on Democrats.

New York

Current map: 19 Democrats, seven Republicans

Proposed map: A judge in January ordered a state commission to draw new boundaries for the only congressional district in New York City represented by a Republican, ruling it unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of Black and Hispanic residents.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in March granted Republicans' request to halt the judge’s order, leaving the existing district lines in place for the 2026 election.

Indiana

Current map: two Democrats, seven Republicans

Proposed map: The Republican-led House passed a redistricting plan in December that would have improved Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: Despite pressure from Trump to adopt the new map, the Republican-led Senate rejected it in a bipartisan vote on Dec. 11.

Kansas

Current map: one Democrat, three Republicans

Proposed map: Some Republican lawmakers mounted an attempt to take up congressional redistricting.

Challenges: Lawmakers dropped a petition drive for a special session on congressional redistricting in November, after failing to gain enough support.

Illinois

Current map: 14 Democrats, three Republicans

Proposed map: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in October proposed a new U.S. House map that would improve Democrats’ chances of winning an additional seat.

Challenges: The Democratic-led General Assembly declined to take up redistricting, citing concerns about the effect on representation for Black residents.

“It was so ridiculous I couldn't say no," Jenks said.

The proposal by Canadian buddy Seth Scott, a fellow lover of cars and crazy adventures, was for them to drive a decades-old British-made Reliant Robin car from London to the southern tip of Africa — a 14,000-mile (22,500-kilometer) journey through 22 countries — to set a record for the longest trip in a three-wheeled vehicle.

Reliant Robins have cultlike status in the U.K. as humble three-wheelers that, in Jenks' words, were designed to go to the shops and back in 1970s Britain. They went out of production in the early 2000s but remain loved in British culture, especially after a Reliant appeared as the Trotter brothers' trusty but battered yellow van in the hugely popular sitcom “Only Fools and Horses."

Yet you couldn't find a less suitable vehicle to take thousands of miles through tropical jungles, mountain ranges and deserts down the west side of Africa. And that's precisely why Jenks went for the absurd plan.

Sheila the three-wheeler

Sheila, the silver three-wheeler — one of the last Reliant Robins to be built — was acquired specifically for the adventure. Jenks and Scott set off in October with a can of fuel and a few essential supplies strapped to Sheila's small roof, and a large amount of blind hope that they would somehow make it to Cape Town, South Africa, near the bottom of the world.

“No power steering, no air con, and it doesn’t do well up hills or down them. It is the most unsuitable car for probably any journey," Jenks said in an unkind assessment of Sheila's abilities. “We made friends with the designer of this car, and he’s scared to take it any more than 20 miles.”

Jenks and Scott ignored all the advice and took Sheila on the epic journey over four-and-a-half months that cost in the region of $40,000 to $50,000, Jenks said. They had help from sponsors and crowd funding, and documented the journey on an Instagram page that pulled in nearly 100,000 followers under the title: “14,000 miles, 3 wheels, 0 common sense.”

Attempted coups and airstrikes

They arrived in Benin during an attempted coup. They skirted through northern Nigeria as the U.S. launched airstrikes on Islamic State targets. They were given a military escort for about 300 miles (480 kilometers) through a region of separatist violence in Cameroon.

“Imagine this car in a military convoy,” Jenks said.

And there were many brushes with traffic-related danger, including when an overtaking bus almost flattened Sheila against a cliff face in Congo.

True to form that Reliants are sometimes not so reliable, there were also countless breakdowns on the punishing roads.

Sheila needed her wheel springs replaced in the first two weeks. The gearbox broke in Ghana, leaving them with only fourth gear. In Cameroon, there were clutch and distributor problems and then the big one: the engine blew up.

Through all the technical problems, the kindness of strangers and the intrepidness of Jenks and Scott kept them going. One man got a new gearbox shipped to Ghana. Reliant enthusiasts in the U.K. helped find a new engine to send to Cameroon.

After one breakdown, people helped load Sheila onto a cattle truck so she could be taken to a garage. Mechanics across the continent screwed, hammered and welded Sheila to keep her together, sometimes shaking their heads at the madness of it all.

Where no Reliant Robin has gone before

But there were also majestic moments, the kind that Jenks and Scott had envisioned to make it all worth it.

Sheila cruised through stunning mountain ranges and vast deserts — where surely no Reliant Robin has gone before. She went on safari, driving alongside galloping giraffes, spotting endangered rhinos, and posing for a picture next to a giant elephant.

More than 120 days after setting off, she rattled into Cape Town last month on an engine that began badly overheating in the Namibian desert and had been touch and go for about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers).

“This is a great underdog story,” said Graeme Hurst, a South African car lover who followed them on Instagram and came to see Sheila. “I see the farcical kind of comical nature of it ... but also the sheer admiration. I mean, they have utter tenacity.”

In South Africa, Sheila was put on temporary display in a showroom for high-end cars and was the center of attention ahead of the glittering Porsches and Mercedes, showing off her broken side window, her petrol-stained windshield, her bent tire rims, and her countless dents and scratches.

She will rest now and be given the thorough service she deserves, Jenks said. Eventually, she'll be driven to Kenya, put on a ship to Turkey, then make one last trip back to the U.K. to find a home at the London Transport Museum.

Jenks said he felt triumphant after reaching Cape Town, but relieved to have survived and finally be out of the tiny two-seater.

“It was like driving a motorized coffin,” he said.

___

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

Cherfilus-McCormick was the subject of a more than two-year investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which had determined recently that she had violated multiple federal laws and House rules. Support from her own party was increasingly in doubt.

It's the third resignation in a little more than a week from a House lawmaker. Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, announced within hours of each other that they were leaving Congress. Both men were facing sexual misconduct allegations and possible expulsion.

In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick said the House committee denied her new attorney's request for more time to prepare a defense. She also said she would not pretend that the investigation had been anything other than a “witch hunt,” and rather than play political games, she would resign, effective immediately.

“But let me say this plainly: we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting in this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete," she said. "We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. That is a dangerous path, and one that should concern every American, regardless of party.”

Cherfilus-McCormick is also facing federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using the money to buy items such as a 3-carat yellow diamond ring.

She has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and says she is not guilty of ethics violations, either.

The allegations against the congresswoman center on how she received millions of dollars from her family’s health care business after Florida mistakenly overpaid the business by roughly $5 million with COVID-19 disaster relief funds. She is accused of using that money to fund her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and family members.

Cherfilus-McCormick declined to testify during a previous Ethics Committee hearing, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney, William Barzee, sparred with some of the lawmakers and argued that they should have allowed a thorough ethics trial, at which he could present witnesses and evidence to counter the conclusions of House investigators.

Some supporters weighed in against expulsion

A group of supporters in Cherfilus-McCormick's congressional district had weighed in on her behalf with the lawmakers who lead the Ethics Committee, urging committee leaders to proceed with caution in sanctioning her.

“Our communities deserve stability. Our voices deserve to be heard. And our right to representation must be protected,” said one of the letters signed by about a dozen local faith leaders, union officials and others.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, along with other members of the caucus, issued a statement that praised Cherfilus-McCormick's time in Congress. They said Cherfilus-McCormick “worked to uplift her constituents and elevate issues impacting underserved communities at home and abroad.”

“We extend our appreciation for her service and offer our prayers for her and her family," the caucus members said.

In all, the Ethics panel's more than two-year investigation led to the issuance of 59 subpoenas, 28 witness interviews and a review of more than 33,000 pages of documents.

House Democratic leaders had declined to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick, saying they wanted to see the ethics process play out.

Still, leadership had been in conversations with her for weeks, ever since the Ethics committee released its findings, about the situation and the likelihood of an expulsion vote.

A high threshold for expulsion

The House has historically been reluctant to serve as the final arbiter of a lawmaker’s career, preferring to give that final say to the voters.

Of the six House members expelled, the first three fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and were expelled for disloyalty. The next two had been convicted of crimes. The final one was George Santos, the scandal-plagued freshman who was the subject of a blistering ethics report on his conduct as well as a federal indictment.

Santos, a New York Republican, served time in prison for ripping off his campaign donors before President Donald Trump granted him clemency, and he has apologized to his former constituents.

Under the Constitution, at least two-thirds of the House has to vote for expulsion for it to occur, a high threshold that requires enormous bipartisan support.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last week he believed the House would move to expel Cherfilus-McCormick.

“The facts are indisputable at this point," Johnson said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., took exception to Cherfilus-McCormick's characterization of the Ethics Committee's investigation.

“Well, if you steal money, it's called theft. It's not called a witch hunt, and stealing taxpayer money is not going to be tolerated,” Scalise said.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed that it has asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for arresting Bang, the billionaire founder and chairman of Hybe.

Bang’s legal team in a statement to The Associated Press did not directly address the accusations but expressed regret that police were seeking his arrest “despite our full and consistent cooperation with the investigation over an extended period.”

“We will continue to cooperate with all legal procedures and make every effort to clearly explain our position,” the statement said.

Bang, who has been barred from leaving the country since August, is being investigated over allegations that he misled investors in 2019 by telling them Hybe had no plans to go public, prompting them to sell their shares to a private equity fund, before the company proceeded with an initial public offering. Police believe that the fund may have paid Bang around 200 billion won ($136 million) in a side deal that promised him 30% of post-IPO stock sale profits.

Hybe officials say Bang denies any wrongdoing.

Bang’s legal troubles are a major public relations setback for Hybe, coming as BTS embarks on a global tour after a nearly four-year hiatus as its seven members served their mandatory military service, which is required for most able-bodied South Korean males.

BTS performed in front of tens of thousands of international fans at a free comeback concert in Seoul last month and have also held several concerts in South Korea’s Goyang city and Tokyo. The group is to kick off a series of U.S. events with a concert in Tampa, Florida, later this month.

Bang, a music executive and producer who founded Hybe as Big Hit Entertainment in 2005, is widely seen as one of the most powerful figures in K-pop and has sought to capitalize on the global success of BTS to build his company into an international pop powerhouse.

In 2021, Hybe spent about $1 billion to purchase Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, securing the management rights to artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

While Hybe’s roster includes some of K-pop’s biggest acts, such as Seventeen, Le Sserafim and Katseye in addition to BTS, the company has seen turmoil in recent years, including a highly public fallout between Bang and star producer Min Hee-Jin over the popular girl group NewJeans.

The rift erupted in 2024 when Hybe attempted to remove Min as CEO of Ador, the subsidiary managing NewJeans, while accusing her of illegally attempting to take control of that company. Min, in turn, accused Bang of hostile treatment and of undermining NewJeans in favor of other groups, as the dispute moved into courts. Members of NewJeans, who have described Min as a mentor, tried to leave the label following her ouster, but a court last year ruled they must honor their contract through 2029.

A small handful of subpoenas were known to have been issued over the weekend for witnesses to appear before a grand jury in Washington. But investigators on Monday evening informed lawyers that the subpoenas were being withdrawn in favor of requests for voluntary interviews, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to discuss developments in an ongoing investigation.

The reason for the reversal in course was not immediately known.

The months-old Brennan investigation is one of several criminal probes the Justice Department has opened over the last year against President Donald Trump’s perceived adversaries. It centers on one of the Republican president’s chief grievances — a U.S. intelligence community finding that Russia interfered on his behalf during his successful 2016 presidential campaign.

The subpoenas were issued after a shake-up in the Justice Department team leading the investigation. A career national security prosecutor in Florida who had been handling the inquiry recently left the case after expressing doubt about the legal viability of a potential criminal prosecution, according to another person familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department on Monday installed a Trump loyalist, Joe diGenova, who served as U.S. attorney in Washington during the Reagan administration, as a counselor to the attorney general who will now work on the Brennan investigation. The 81-year-old former prosecutor supported Trump's failed legal campaign to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election and has also been an outspoken critic of Trump foes like Brennan, saying in a television interview years ago that the former CIA director was “at the head” of a conspiracy to falsely link Trump to Russia.

At an unrelated news conference on Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche brushed aside questions about whether diGenova's past comments could create a conflict of interest and leave him susceptible to claims of bias.

“The mere fact that he has spoken about his perception — he didn’t have access to grand jury information, he didn’t have access to witnesses. And so, like any prosecutor, I expect that he will follow the facts. And those facts come from witnesses and grand jury information,” Blanche said.

Brennan served as CIA director under President Barack Obama and was in that role when the intelligence community in January 2017 published an assessment detailing Russian interference aimed at helping Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. An investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russia meddled on Trump’s behalf and that his campaign welcomed the assistance, but it did not find sufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy.

The Justice Department last year received a criminal referral from Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, alleging that Brennan made false statements in 2023 about the preparation of the intelligence community assessment. Brennan and his lawyers have vigorously denied any wrongdoing and have called the investigation politically motivated.

The investigation has been led by prosecutors in Florida, with investigators lining up interviews and issuing subpoenas for records. The latest subpoenas sought grand jury testimony in Washington, a possible indication that prosecutors believe they might need to bring any criminal case in Washington, where Brennan’s testimony took place.

The attack was among several separate assaults against Britain’s Jewish community in recent weeks.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, pleaded guilty to arson not endangering life when he appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Surveillance footage showed the boy climb over a wall at Kenton United Synagogue, in Harrow, on Saturday night, and set light to a bottle of liquid before throwing it through a broken window. The fire caused some smoke damage and no one was injured.

The boy said he did not know the building was a synagogue and he didn’t intend to harm anyone.

“I have no hate toward the Jewish people,” he said in a written statement. “I am very sorry for my actions.”

The boy was released on bail and ordered to appear at Willesden Youth Court on June 4.

Police arrested and released a 19-year-old man in the investigation and are seeking two other suspects.

There has been a series of arson attacks against synagogues and other Jewish targets in the U.K. since March 23, when four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity that serves people of all faiths in Golders Green, north London, were torched. No one has been injured in any of the incidents.

Police have said they are looking into whether Iran is behind six recent attacks, including one on a Persian-language media organization critical of Iran’s government, as part of a hybrid war fought by proxies amid the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.

Counterterror police said 23 people have been arrested so far. Seven of those were held on suspicion of conspiring to set fire to an unspecified Jewish venue, London’s Metropolitan Police said.

A group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia — or Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right — has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks in Britain. It has also admitted being behind incidents in recent months at places of worship, business and financial institutions across Europe, all of which appear to be linked to Jewish or Israeli interests, police said.

Israel has said the recently founded group has suspected links to “an Iranian proxy.”

Through his long months in captivity, family and friends hoped that, like Frankl, he would come back with a message of hope. Then, in August 2024, after nearly a year in captivity, he and five other hostages were shot dead by their captors deep underground, likely as Israeli forces were closing in.

The quest for his why has fallen to his family, who led a high-profile campaign for his release. His mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, has a new book released Tuesday.

“When We See You Again” has no narrative arc, no tidy uplifting message, no score settling with the Hamas militants who killed her son or the Israeli leaders who many blamed for his death — only a searing account of her grief.

She hasn’t yet decided whether the book is an exceptionally painful love story, or a love-filled pain story.

“I’m still trying to figure out with clarity what is my why, but it’s clear to me that my why is not done,” Goldberg-Polin said, a photo of a smiling Hersh behind her. “I just really wanted to tell the truth. It’s very ugly.”

A face of the hostage crisis

Hersh was among the 251 people abducted by Hamas in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack. His hand was blown off by a grenade before he was dragged into Gaza and eventually into the militant group’s labyrinth of tunnels.

The war sparked by the attack led to the killing of over 70,000 Palestinians and the destruction of much of Gaza before a ceasefire deal in October led to the release of all the remaining hostages. Hersh had been killed, along with five other hostages, more than a year earlier.

Rachel had campaigned tirelessly for her son’s release, appearing in countless media interviews, meeting with then-President Joe Biden and addressing the Democratic National Convention. She also joined mass protests in Israel accusing the government of failing to reach a deal sooner.

Her son was among the best-known hostages. Posters and graffiti with his name and face still appear across the country, often bearing the line popularized by Frankl.

A human portrait

In her memoir, Rachel takes care not to mythologize him. She notes that he picked his scabs as a kid and was bad at doing dishes.

“Hersh has become a symbol to many,” Goldberg-Polin writes in the book. “I don’t know what to do with that. But it’s OK. If people need Hersh to be something, he will be that. That is the essence of service, being what is needed.”

Rachel grew up in Chicago and moved to Israel with her husband and three children when Hersh, the oldest, was 6. She tells stories from the “before time”: of how Hersh as a child would wow people with his encyclopedic knowledge of U.S. presidents, and how he loved Jerusalem's local soccer team and their sister team in Bremen, Germany.

She only briefly touches on his capture and the details of his captivity, which have been widely reported. She writes about their desperate search for information in the chaotic and terrifying days after the attack, their long fight for his release and the news of Hersh's killing, along with five others, after 328 days.

The book is mostly a “very raw, peeled, oozing, throbbing pain,” Goldberg-Polin said. She describes “hundreds of sodden days dripping with anguish.”

“The book really started just as a way of taking this tremendous weight of suffering that was causing my soul to buckle,” she said in an interview in Jerusalem.

The writing came out in bursts, without a plan for a final project, just a question of “How do I survive the next 15 minutes?” she said.

A fellowship of grief

The book emerged in part from her frustration when people asked how she was. “I think, ‘Well, do you not see this dagger sticking out of my chest at my heart? How can you possibly be asking me that?’” she said. “But I realized they don’t see it. And it’s not because they’re mean or insensitive. They simply don’t see it.”

“Someone who’s born blind doesn’t know what blue is, and it’s very difficult to describe blue to someone who’s blind. But I’m desperate for people to see my blue, and I’m yearning for people to feel my pain,” she said.

Then there were those who wanted to share their own stories of death and loss, even during her son’s shiva, the traditional Jewish week of mourning after the funeral. It’s an experience that she describes as overwhelming and eye-opening, revealing the “surplus of suffering” in the world.

“They’re not trying to comfort me, they’re saying: ‘Let me stand next to you and we’ll be in this together,’” she said.

During the campaign to release the hostages, one of Rachel’s mantras was “Hope is mandatory,” even when it felt impossible. Now, wherever they go, people ask her and her husband for a bit of their creased and crumpled hope.

She has no easy answers, as she tells Hersh in a letter addressed to her dead son near the end of the book.

“I will carry your why,” she writes. “I'll do it, I’ll carry your why around the world.”

The Justice Department alleges the civil rights group defrauded donors by using their money to fund the very extremism it claimed to be fighting, with more than $3 million paid to informants through a now-defunct program to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groups. Prosecutors allege some of the money was used by extremists to carry out other crimes, but court papers did not include specific examples.

“The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred,” Blanche said.

The civil rights group faces charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the case brought in the federal court in Alabama, where the organization is based.

The indictment came shortly after the SPLC revealed the existence of a criminal investigation into its disbanded informant program to gather intelligence on extremist group activities. The group said the program was used to monitor threats of violence and the information was often shared with local and federal law enforcement.

The SPLC said it “will vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work" against what it described as false allegations. The group said its informant program saved lives.

“Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do,” interim CEO and president Bryan Fair said in a statement. “The actions by the DOJ will not shake our resolve to fight for justice and ensure the promise of the Civil Rights Movement becomes a reality for all."

A program that dated back to the 1980s

The Justice Department alleges the SPLC made false statements to banks in order to set up accounts used to funnel money to informants. The group created bank accounts for fictitious entities such as “Fox Photography” and “Rare Books Warehouse” that were used to send money from donors to informants, in a scheme to conceal the money’s actual purpose, the indictment alleges.

Prosecutors say the group never disclosed to donors details of the informant program.

“They’re required to under the laws associated with a nonprofit to have certain transparency and honesty in what they’re telling donors they’re going to spend money on and what their mission statement is and what they’re raising money doing,” Blanche said.

The indictment includes details on at least nine unnamed informants were paid by the SPLC through a secret program that prosecutors say began in the 1980s. Within the SPLC, they were known as field sources or “the Fs,” according to the indictment.

One informant was paid more than $1 million between 2014 and 2023 while affiliated with the neo-Nazi National Alliance, the indictment said. Prosecutors say another informant was a member of the “online leadership chat group” that planned the 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The informant attended the rally at the direction of the SPLC, according to the indictment, and helped coordinate transportation for several others. That person was allegedly paid more than $270,000 between 2015 and 2013.

The SPLC said the program was kept quiet to protect the safety of informants.

“When we began working with informants, we were living in the shadow of the height of the Civil Rights Movement, which had seen bombings at churches, state-sponsored violence against demonstrators, and the murders of activists that went unanswered by the justice system,” Fair said. “There is no question that what we learned from informants saved lives.”

The center has been targeted by Republicans

The SPLC, which is based in Montgomery, Alabama, was founded in 1971 and used civil litigation to fight white supremacist groups. The nonprofit has become a popular target among Republicans who see it as overly leftist and partisan.

The investigation could add to concerns that Trump's Republican administration is using the Justice Department to go after conservative opponents and his critics. It follows a number of other investigations into Trump foes that have raised questions about whether the law enforcement agency has been turned into a political weapon.

The SPLC has faced intense criticism from conservatives, who have accused it of unfairly maligning right-wing organizations as extremist groups because of their viewpoints. The center regularly condemns Trump’s rhetoric and policies around voting rights, immigration and other issues.

The center came under fresh scrutiny after the assassination last year of conservative activist Charlie Kirk brought renewed attention to its characterization of the group that Kirk founded and led. The center included a section on that group, Turning Point USA, in a report titled “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” that described the group as “A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said last year that the agency was severing its relationship with the center, which had long provided law enforcement with research on hate crime and domestic extremism. Patel said the center had been 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.

House Republicans hosted a hearing centered on the SPLC in December, saying it coordinated efforts with President Joe Biden's Democratic administration "to target Christian and conservative Americans and deprive them of their constitutional rights to free speech and free association.” _____

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

If confirmed by the Senate, Phelan would succeed Stephen Miran, a Harvard University-trained economist who worked at investment funds and joined the Federal Reserve Board of Governors last September. The council's vice chairman, Pierre Yared, had served as acting leader after Trump shifted Miran to the Fed.

Phelan's resume suggests a keen interest in the operations of central banks, a major interest of Trump, who has pressured the Fed to dramatically cut its benchmark interest rates to drive stronger growth, even though doing so could risk higher inflation.

Phelan has worked as a consultant with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and obtained his doctorate from the University of Chicago.

“President Trump has assembled the best and most experienced economic team in modern history,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai, who called Phelan “a key addition.”

Desai said that Yared, the current acting chairman, is returning to his professorship at Columbia University's business school.

Ternus will take over as chief executive in September for Tim Cook, who turned Apple into a $4 trillion tech colossus during his 15-year run after the death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

Ternus faces challenges that will force him to step out of his comfort zone in hardware engineering. Beyond finding ways to keep Apple competitive in the artificial intelligence race, he will need to navigate supply chain questions and relationships with figures like President Donald Trump, who offered public praise for his predecessor on Tuesday.

Although Cook is handing over the CEO reins at Apple, he is widely expected to help the Cupertino, California, company maintain a good relationship with Trump after he shifts over to his new role as executive chairman.

Ternus, 50, has spent almost his entire career with Apple. He joined the company 25 years ago and has spent the past five years overseeing the engineering that underlies the iPhone, iPad and Mac.

It made him the prime contender to succeed Cook who on Monday, when Apple announced the change in leadership, hailed Ternus as “without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”

Ternus worked on some of Apple's signature products under Cook, including the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro. He was also involved in the MacBook Neo, "arguably one of the most disruptive products” that Apple has released in a while, said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight.

“This mentorship will undoubtedly ensure a smooth transition, and initially, I expect very few changes to the company’s strategy,” Wood said.

The appointment appeared to be carefully timed, following Apple's 50th anniversary celebrations and ahead of its annual WWDC developers conference in June.

The change also arrives at a pivotal time for the company. While Cook led Apple through an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity, Apple has fallen behind in the AI race. Apple has stumbled in its efforts to deliver new features built on AI, as was promised nearly two years ago.

“The challenge for the new CEO is really to make sure Apple is able to crack AI as the new user interface and reinvent human machine interaction," Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said.

Wood says attention at WWDC will be on the new CEO's AI strategy, and what the company will do next after turning earlier this year to Google — an early leader in the AI race — to help make the iPhone’s virtual assistant Siri more conversational and versatile.

“A big strategic question is how far Apple will invest in building its own AI platform versus relying on other companies’ models and platforms,” Wood said.

Apples shares fell more than 2% during Tuesday's trading, signaling some investors may have doubts about whether Ternus's focus on hardware products has prepared him for the AI challenges he will confront as the company's next CEO.

But building a device well-suited for the AI age is among the most critical missions as technology makes its most significant pivot since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. That's why some analysts believe Apple's board saw Ternus' hardware background as a key advantage as it tries to develop an AI-powered device that could eventually supplant the iPhone as its top-selling product.

That is something that Jony Ive, the former Apple design guru, who shaped the look of the iPhone, is trying to do after his startup, io Products , was acquired last year for $6.5 billion by ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

Apple also faces a turbulent market amid geopolitical uncertainty, Wood said.

"The consumer electronics industry faces a perfect storm, with memory chip shortages and the war in the Middle East having widespread implications for consumer confidence. Apple will also need to decide how much it wants to continue its deep reliance on China for manufacturing,” he said.

Being Apple CEO will also require soft skills including developing relationships with important figures. Cook cultivated ties with Trump as he navigated the company through business challenges including Trump's trade and tariff war targeting countries in Asia, where Apple has extensive manufacturing supply chains.

Trump noted his relationship with Cook in a social media post on Tuesday morning, writing that “it began with a phone call” at the beginning of his first term, when Cook asked for help with “a fairly large problem that only I, as President, could fix.”

“That was the beginning of a long and very nice relationship,” Trump said.

Ternus is not well known outside of the Apple universe. He joined the company in July 2001, according to his LinkedIn profile, which does not have any posts.

Before joining Apple, he spent four years as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He graduated in 1997 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the swim team and for his senior project developed a mechanical feeding arm for quadriplegics controlled by head movements.

In a 2024 commencement speech to the university's engineering school, Ternus said he was intimidated when he first started working at Apple and wasn't sure he belonged. He learned to “always assume you’re as smart as anyone else in the room but never assume you know as much as they do.”

“There will always be new skills to master and new people to learn from,” he said.

Ternus said in Apple's announcement that he was "humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”

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AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke contributed to this story from Berkeley, California.

Chadwick Scott Willacy, 58, received a three-drug injection and was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke for the 1990 killing of Marlys Sather. It was Florida's fifth execution this year.

The curtain to the death chamber went up promptly at the scheduled 6 p.m. execution time, and the lethal injection began 2 minutes later after Willacy made a brief statement.

He apologized to his family and friends and urged his ”brothers on the row” to stay strong. He maintained his innocence, saying he would never kill his friend.

“To the victim’s family, I hope this brings you peace. If it does, that's good, ” Willacy said. “But this is not right.”

Shortly after the lethal injection got underway, a warden shook Willacy and shouted his name, but there was no response. His skin began to turn gray, and a medic eventually entered the chamber to examine Willacy, declaring him dead.

Court records indicate Sather, 56, had returned to her Palm Bay home on a lunch break from work on Sept. 5, 1990, and discovered Willacy burglarizing her home. He struck her in the head with a blunt object, fracturing her skull, and then bound her hands and ankles with wire and tape, according to investigators.

Willacy attempted to strangle Sather with a phone cord, and when that didn’t work, he doused her in gasoline and set her on fire, the records show. An autopsy determined that Sather had died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was still alive when she was set on fire.

Willacy also stole Sather’s car and other items from her home, and used the woman’s ATM card to steal cash, authorities said. When Sather failed to return from her break, her employer caller her family. Her son-in-law went to check on her and found her body.

Willacy was sentenced to death a year later upon a 9-3 jury recommendation after being convicted of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery and arson.

Then in 1994 the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing because the trial judge failed to allow defense attorneys a chance to rehabilitate a potential juror who indicated she could not recommend the death penalty. Willacy again drew the death penalty in 1995, following the 11-1 recommendation of a new jury.

Florida's fifth execution of 2026 followed a record 19 executions in the state last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

On Tuesday, Willacy woke up at 5 a.m. and remained compliant as the execution hour approached, Department of Corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said earlier. The inmate received visits during the day from his mother, two sisters and a cousin, but did not meet with a spiritual adviser.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon denied Willacy’s final appeal without comment. Last week the Florida Supreme Court also denied his appeals. He had made claims based on the state's refusal to grant public records requests about executions and lethal injection.

None of Sather's relatives spoke at a news briefing after the execution, but the family released a statement thanking DeSantis and others.

“We have waited 36.5 years for justice for our mom. Our mother, Marlys Mae Sather should be remembered as a beautiful and loving daughter, wife, mother of 3, grandmother of 5, great grandmother of 5, aunt, cousin and friend,” it said in part. It noted the victim had lost her husband to cancer in July 1990, “just weeks before she was murdered.”

“She was a new widow trying to take one day at a time,” it said. “We miss her so much every day.”

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a long line of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each.

Another execution is planned in Florida on April 30. James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to received a lethal injection for his conviction in the fatal beating and choking of his 13-year-old niece.

All Florida executions are carried out by injecting a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

Although officials did not mention Columbine by name, they referred to several books and handwritten notes that belonged to the gunman and referenced attacks in the United States in April 1999. Monday was the 27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado.

Among the gunman's belongings was a photo modified by artificial intelligence showing him alongside the Columbine attackers, according to a state official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to address the media.

Seven people were wounded by gunshots at the archaeological site north of the Mexican capital, the local government said. The nature of the other injuries was not disclosed, but some people fell when the shooting started, including some who were climbing on the pyramids.

The assailant, who acted alone, shot and killed himself, authorities said, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition at the scene.

Attack came before World Cup tournament

The attack happened less than two months before Mexico co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. Mexico's security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said major tourist destinations would see a heightened presence of both ground forces and digital “cyber patrols” to prevent threats.

“Yesterday’s attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She also noted the importance of analyzing “external influences” that may provoke such violence within the country.

While such attacks are uncommon in Latin America, they are not unheard of. Earlier this month, Argentine authorities linked a teenager to the “true crime community” after the teen killed one student and wounded eight others at a school in the central province of Santa Fe. The community is an online subculture that emerged from forums established after the Columbine massacre to discuss and, in some cases, glorify such violence.

Taken to hospitals after the Mexico attack were six people from the U.S., three from Colombia, one from Russia, one from Brazil, one from the Netherlands and one from Canada, the local government said. The youngest person who was hurt was 6; the oldest was 61, Mexican authorities said.

Shooter scouted tourist site ahead of attack

Authorities identified the attacker as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a native of Guerrero, Mexico, who, they said, arrived in Teotihuacan a day earlier in an Uber and stayed in a hotel.

Then on Monday shortly before noon, while atop the Pyramid of the Moon, he began firing at tourists with an old revolver while holding a plastic bag containing 52 .38-caliber cartridges in his other hand, said José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico, which includes Teotihuacan.

From the summit of the pyramid, the attacker opened fire on tourists and targeted approaching security forces. Some people threw themselves to the ground and lay motionless to avoid detection. Others fled down the structure as gunshots echoed, Cervantes Martínez said.

National Guard members eventually scaled the pyramid and wounded the attacker in the leg. Witnesses said the gunman shot and killed himself once he felt cornered, according to Cervantes Martínez.

The assailant carried a tactical-style backpack containing an analog cellphone and bus tickets, Cervantes Martínez said.

The attorney general also noted the presence of “literature, images and manuscripts" that related to "violent incidents known to have occurred in the United States in April 1999,” a likely reference to the Columbine attack in which 12 students and a teacher were killed.

Investigators built "a psychopathic profile" of the suspect that was "characterized by a tendency to copy situations that occurred in other places, at other times and involving other figures,’” he added.

Greg Magadini, of Boise, Idaho, was with a tour group on top of the pyramid when he heard a loud crack followed by screaming. The gunman was about 40 feet (12 meters) away on the same platform with roughly 60 tourists, he said.

Magadini jumped down a ledge and scrambled for cover while two of his friends stayed on the platform above trying to hide.

Witnesses said everyone was a target

Shots seemed to ring out every five seconds, Magadini said, as he and the others jumped down more ledges to reach the ground. Then they ran through a field behind the pyramid, carrying one of his friends who badly injured her ankle on one of the jumps.

Magadini, who came away with scrapes and cuts, said he did not see the shooter, but his friends said the gunman seemed to fire randomly in all directions. “Everyone was a target,” he said.

Later at the hospital, they talked with other tourists, who said the shooter at one point played strange music and taunted them, saying he hated tourists, Magadini said.

The Teotihuacan pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a series of ancient structures on the outskirts of Mexico City. As one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered condolences to the family and friends of the Canadian tourist who was killed. He said Canadian authorities were working with those in Mexico.

“It’s a terrible circumstance,” Carney said.

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Associated Press writers Megan Janetsky and and Fabiola Sánchez in Mexico City and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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

The testimony by Olly Robbins increases the heat on Starmer, who is facing calls to resign over the decision to appoint Mandelson, a scandal-tainted politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein, to one of the U.K.’s most important diplomatic posts.

Robbins, the former top civil servant in the Foreign Office, said there was an “atmosphere of pressure” from Starmer’s 10 Downing St. office to approve the appointment so Mandelson could be in the post at the start of U.S. President Donald Trump ’s second term.

He told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee there had been “a very, very strong expectation” that Mandelson “needed to be in post and in America as quickly as humanly possible.” He said Downing Street had “a generally dismissive attitude” toward the requirement for tough security checks.

The prime minister fired Robbins last week after the revelation that Mandelson was approved for the job in January 2025 against the recommendation of the government's security vetting agency.

Robbins said the vetting agency considered Mandelson a “borderline case” and was “leaning toward recommending against” giving him security clearance. Robbins cleared him anyway, based on advice that the risks could be managed, he said.

Robbins said the concerns about Mandelson didn't relate to his relationship with Epstein, but he declined to explain to lawmakers what led the government's vetting agency to flag him as a potential security risk.

Mandelson had to resign twice from senior posts in previous Labour Party governments because of scandals over money and ethics. A separate background report prepared before he was appointed ambassador flagged potential business links to Russia and China as a concern.

Politicians wanted the appointment approved

Starmer has called it “staggering” that Foreign Office officials failed to tell him about the security concerns, which he says he only found out about last week. Robbins said the rules bar details of the sensitive vetting process from being shared except in “exceptional circumstances.”

Starmer announced the choice of Mandelson in December 2024, before intensive security checks were carried out. Robbins said he was “very conscious” that refusing Mandelson security clearance would have caused “a real problem for the government and a problem for the country” in its relations with the Trump administration.

Robbins declined to identify any individuals as being behind the pressure. Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, a protégé of Mandelson, resigned in February, saying he took responsibility for the decision to appoint Mandelson.

The leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, said Starmer "personally decided to appoint a serious known national security risk to our most sensitive diplomatic post.

“The prime minister is not fit for office," she said. “It is time for him to go.”

Starmer acknowledged on Monday that he made the wrong judgment when he picked Mandelson for the job, but said he would have withdrawn the appointment if he’d known about the failed security vetting.

Starmer fired Mandelson in September, nine months into the job, when new details emerged about his friendship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019.

The U.K. leader has ordered a review of security concerns arising from Mandelson’s access to sensitive information while ambassador.

Questions over Starmer's judgment

Critics say the Mandelson appointment is more evidence of bad judgment by a prime minister who has made repeated missteps since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

He picked Mandelson as ambassador despite being warned by his staff that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein exposed the government to “reputational risk.” Mandelson's expertise as a former European Union trade chief and contacts among global elites were considered assets in dealing with the Trump administration.

Starmer says he won't resign, but the scandal has caused gloom among lawmakers in his center-left Labour Party, already anxious about its dire poll ratings. Starmer already defused one potential crisis in February, when some Labour lawmakers urged him to quit over the Mandelson appointment.

He could face a new challenge if, as expected, Labour takes a hammering in local and regional elections on May 7, which give voters a chance to pass a midterm verdict on the government.

Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, said that regardless of the complexities and blame-trading, the view of many voters boils down to: “Keir Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson. Peter Mandelson was a wrong-un and he hung out with Jeffrey Epstein.

“And none of this that we’ve seen today or any other day does anything except reinforce that,” he said. “And that's just disastrous" for Starmer.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said he had raised concerns about the choice of ambassador, but didn’t think Starmer should resign over the debacle.

“If every time a prime minister made a mistake they resigned, we would shuttle through prime ministers like nobody’s business,” Miliband told the BBC.

Mandelson is under police investigation for suspected misconduct in public office after a trove of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Justice Department in January included emails suggesting that Mandelson had passed on sensitive — and potentially market-moving — government information to Epstein in 2009, after the global financial crisis.

British police launched a criminal investigation and arrested Mandelson in February. Mandelson has previously denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged. He doesn't face allegations of sexual misconduct.

The crash, following an operation to destroy a clandestine drug lab in a rural area, has reignited a debate over the extent of U.S. involvement in Mexican security operations. Speculation was only fueled by Sheinbaum, local officials and the U.S. Embassy appearing to contradict each other and at times themselves, and offering sparse details about the U.S. officials who died.

“It was not an operation that the security cabinet was aware of,” Sheinbaum told journalists. “We were not informed; it was a decision by the Chihuahua government.”

It comes at a key moment for the relationship between the two neighboring nations as Mexico faces escalating pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump crack down on cartels and Sheinbaum underscores Mexico’s sovereignty.

Sheinbaum said her government would investigate the incident to ensure no laws were broken after the deaths on Sunday, adding that state governments must have authorization from Mexico's federal government to collaborate with U.S. and other foreign entities “as established by the Constitution.”

A mountainside car crash

Chihuahua Attorney General César Jáuregui said Sunday the officials died while returning from the operation to destroy labs of criminal groups. They were driving in the middle of the night through rugged mountain territory connecting Chihuahua to the state of Sinaloa, when the truck “appears to have skidded at some point and fell into a ravine, exploding.”

He said the four who died were two local Mexican investigative officials and two U.S. Embassy instructors who were participating in routine “training work.”

The U.S. Embassy on Monday declined to identify who the U.S. officials were or which entity of the U.S. government they worked for, but said the officials were “supporting Chihuahua state authorities’ efforts to combat cartel operations.” U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson expressed his condolences on social media but he and other officials provided few details of the incident.

Jáuregui said that the operation came following months of investigation by state prosecutors and Mexico's federal military, indicating there was at least some level of involvement in the operation from Sheinbaum’s security forces. Hours later, the Mexican Security Cabinet confirmed that the army and state prosecutor’s office carried out a joint operation over the weekend in Chihuahua dismantling drug labs in the same location, Morelos.

After locating the labs using drones, officials found tons of material to manufacture drugs but no people, who were likely alerted beforehand and fled, the prosecutor added.

The local official later backtracked and clarified to press that there “were no U.S. agents in the operation to secure the narco-lab," and said the embassy officials joined the group after the operation and were several hours away from where the action took place.

A resurfaced debate

Sheinbaum said her government would provide more information when it has more details, but insisted Monday that “there are no joint operations on land or in the air" in Mexico. She said there is only sharing of information between her government and the U.S., carried out within a “well-established” legal framework.

While U.S. officials’ training of Mexican security forces is common, their presence on Mexican territory has been the subject of ongoing debate, which has intensified after Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

Trump has repeatedly offered to take action on Mexican cartels, intervention which Sheinbaum has said was “unnecessary. ” The Trump administration has already launched joint military operations in Ecuador, a country that has been roiled by violence by drug gangs in recent years.

Last year, Sheinbaum said the U.S. had conducted surveillance drone flights at Mexico’s request after a series of conflicting public statements on the issue, also sparking alarm among observers.

The most recent controversy surfaced in January over the detention in Mexico of former Canadian athlete Ryan Wedding, one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives. While Mexican officials claim he surrendered at the U.S. Embassy, U.S. authorities have described his capture as the result of a binational operation.

The recent debacle comes at a pivotal time in U.S.-Mexico relations. The second round of negotiations between the United States and Mexico on the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, the USMCA, was slated to begin in Mexico City. The U.S. delegation is led by Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who was scheduled to meet with the president on Monday.

That same day, the Trump administration also announced it was imposing visa restrictions on family members of the Cartel de Sinaloa.

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

Charles Ford told investigators he suspected Elkins, who was the father of seven of the children killed, because he was one of the few people to ride with him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Louisiana federal court. Ford allegedly said it was around March 9 when he noticed the gun was missing.

Ford said he confronted Elkins about the missing weapon. But when Elikns became “offensive," Ford "let it go," according to a court affidavit filed Tuesday.

The affidavit is in support of federal charges that accuse Ford of being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents. He originally denied having the gun when first approached by investigators after the shooting Sunday, according court records.

“Elkins’ death means that our community will never see him face justice,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said in a statement. “Our hope, as we continue to investigate and prosecute this case alongside our law enforcement partners, is that holding the person whose gun Elkins used to perpetrate the crime accountable will give some small bit of solace to our Shreveport community.”

Ford does not currently have an appointed legal representative and is expected to receive a federal public defender, according to federal court records.

An attorney who previously represented Ford could not immediately be reached for comment. Efforts to reach family members of Ford could not be immediately contacted at other phone numbers associated with him.

Elkins died after fleeing and a police pursuit. It was not clear whether he was killed by officers who fired or from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to police.

Elkins' wife and another woman were also shot and wounded in the rampage, which unfolded across two houses before dawn.

Officials said the children who died — three boys and five girls — ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old.

Elkins plead guilty in 2019 to a felony of illegal use of weapons, according to court documents. As a result, a Caddo Parish district judge sentenced Elkins to 18 months of supervised probation, and Elkins turned his handgun into police as a condition of probation, court filings show.

Under Louisiana law, a person convicted of certain violent felonies – including illegal use of weapons – are banned from having a gun for at least 10 years after completing their sentence and probation.

Officials have not addressed whether Elkins was legally prohibited from having a weapon.

The tragedy in Louisiana is one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings in recent years.

“Families should be able to feel safe at home, but this tragedy shows how gun violence can shatter lives in an instant,” said Lindsay Nichols, policy director for Giffords Law Center, which is an organization that aims to curb gun violence.

For years, advocates for stronger gun control have sought to tighten Louisiana's loose firearm regulations. Democrats routinely propose red flag laws, but Republicans in the reliably red state block the measures.

But it is the European Union's policy toward Israel — and how to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as security deteriorates in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as in Lebanon — that is dividing EU members, stymieing strong action, and frustrating many in the 27-nation bloc.

Israel disagreement hobbles EU action

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said there was no clear political agreement in Luxembourg to ramp up pressure on Israel.

“We didn’t see that today, but these discussions will continue,” she said.

One of the loudest voices within the EU blocking sharper pressure on Israel is shortly leaving office — Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán routinely obstructed EU action on issues ranging from support for Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion to sanctions on Israelis accused of violent extremism.

Kallas said that Orbán’s defeat by pro-European opposition leader Péter Magyar in Hungary’s recent election could accelerate action.

“A lot of issues ... have been blocked” by Hungary, she said. “We are reopening the discussions and hope that we get a positive result.”

The EU has an Association Agreement, signed in 2000, that regulates trade and cooperation with Israel. Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have proposed completely suspending it, a move that doesn't have the required unanimous support among EU nations.

However, a partial suspension targeting just the trade aspects could have enough political support, said Spanish Foreign Minister José Albares.

“The European Union has to say today very clearly to Israel that a change is needed,” he said.

The EU has found indications Israel had violated the agreement with the bloc in its military campaign in Gaza.

“The attacks on the values that underpin that agreement are now too serious to ignore,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, adding that Belgium would support at least a partial suspension of the deal.

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Israel's recent adoption of the death penalty for some Palestinians, and ongoing fighting in Lebanon should push EU nations to ramp up pressure on Israel.

“We need to act. We need to make sure that our fundamental values are protected,” McEntee said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said France and Sweden have brought forward a plan to curtail trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Amnesty International condemned EU's lack of action to pressure Israel over its actions. Erika Guevara-Rosas, a director for the human rights organization, said “each delay only further entrenches impunity and paves the way for further grave human rights violations” by Israel.

EU diplomats call for extending ceasefires in Lebanon and Iran

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke at the meeting in Luxembourg about the fragile ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, difficulties in disarming the Hezbollah militant group, and the need for EU assistance for the war-torn nation.

“Lebanon today needs its European partners more than ever,” Salam posted on X on Tuesday.

While now mainly headquartered in Brussels, EU institutions are also spread out in northern Europe like the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany and the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Lawmakers, diplomats and officials regularly move between the cities for meetings.

The Luxembourg meeting comes a day after 60 nations sent representatives to a Palestinian peace conference in Brussels with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa and Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, who heads the Board of Peace set up by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The EU diplomats gathered in Luxembourg called for diplomacy on Iran as a ceasefire struck between Tehran and Washington that began April 8 was to expire Wednesday.

Kallas, the foreign policy chief, warned that if the fighting resumes, "it will come at a very large cost for all.”

She also announced that EU foreign ministers agreed Tuesday on new sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for obstructing freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.

“Freedom of navigation is non-negotiable. Daily U-turns where the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, are reckless. Transit through the strait must remain free of charge,” Kallas said.

She did not elaborate on the sanctions or name the targeted officials.

Germany’s foreign minister called on Iran to send negotiators to Islamabad to meet with U.S. negotiators.

“Iran should now take this outstretched hand in the interest of its own people,” Johann Wadephul said.

The war in Iran has throttled global oil and gas markets and rattled the EU as a major importer of energy.

Also Tuesday, EU transportation ministers discussed in a video conference how to protect consumers at home and at the pump after the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe has “ maybe six weeks ” supply left of jet fuel.

Since the latest war in the Middle East started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

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McNeil reported from Brussels.

Leon Smith, 46, has spent his entire 25-year career at Haverford High School, where he teaches Advanced Placement classes in U.S. history and African American studies. He describes himself as a “warm demander,” someone who sets high expectations while surrounding students with love and support. Often, that means recognizing hidden talents and bringing them to the forefront, he said in an interview Monday.

“An adult can tell you that they see something in you that maybe you didn’t see in yourself,” he said. “I love to do that for students. When I see ambition, when I see talent, I let them know that so that they can hopefully pursue that goal and achieve their dreams.”

Smith starts each class with a community building exercise — on Monday, he asked his students to talk about a song that made them happy. One shared a track that reminded him of a family vacation. Another recalled music she listened to with friends before they went their separate ways. The exercise helped settle the students before the discussion shifted to a harder question: When, if ever, should the United States enter a war happening far away?

“We want to make sure that our students can think critically, that they have empathy, that they can understand the nuance and complexity that goes into making decisions,” he said. “My hope is that when they leave my classroom, that they can be civically engaged, that they can make sure that they can create a society that they can be proud of.”

Smith also extends his teaching to outside the school, taking students to the state Capitol each year to engage with policymakers. That won him praise from the organization behind the award, the Council of Chief State School Officers, which also cited his emphasis on the inclusion of multiple perspectives in history.

As the Teacher of the Year, Smith will spend a year promoting the pivotal role educators play in shaping the next generation.

“They’ve moved societies. They have empowered activist movements. They’ve helped people to figure out what they want to do when they group up,” he said. “They’ve had a tremendous impact, and my hope is that people are inspired to join that legacy.”

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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

Devin Nunes, a former California congressmen in Donald Trump's first term, is being replaced temporarily by digital media executive Kevin McGurn as chief executive officer. The company, Trump Media & Technology, didn't give a reason for Nunes leaving or provide a timeline for his permanent replacement.

After soaring shortly before Trump's re-election in November 2024, stock in the company plunged 67%, wiping out more than $6 billion in investor wealth.

Trump Media was formed by the Trump family as an alternative to social media giants that had barred him from posting on their platforms after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. It said it would not only take on Facebook and Twitter as a “free speech” alternative, but eventually could become a media giant competing with streaming services such as Netflix.

The stock soared, but it never gained traction with a wide audience despite the president's frequent use of it for major political announcements, slammed by government ethics experts as a conflict of interest with the presidency.

Since it went public two years ago, Trump Media has lost more than $1.1 billion. Nunes got total compensation of $47 million in 2024, the last year for which figures are available.

The new CEO McGurn said in statement that the company was “poised to take off."

“In carrying President Trump’s unique, singular vision and message, Truth Social stands for the most powerful brand and voice in history of social media and beyond,” he said.

The Trump Organization didn’t immediately responded to a request for comment.

The company has recently b ranched into cryptocurrency and another hot business, prediction markets. The latter are online betting venues in which people can wager on sports, entertainment and political events.

Both cryptocurrencies and prediction markets have gotten boosts from the Trump administration, in terms of lighter regulation and outright promotion. Last year, for instance, the Trump established a national bitcoin reserve, pushing up the value of that currency.

McGurn, has worked at NBC Universal, Hulu and DoubleClick, among other companies, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is also the CEO of a new shell company that Trump’s two oldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, joined last year to buy U.S. manufacturers. That company originally stated in regulatory filings that it would be targeting businesses hoping to tap federal contracts, which would be awarded by the same government run by their father.

The Trump Organization and the White House have repeatedly denied that there are conflicts of interest b etween Trump's role as president and the family business.

Richard Horne, the head of the NCSC — part of the U.K's signals intelligence agency GCHQ — will warn that the U.K. is living through “the most seismic geopolitical shift in modern history.” British businesses, he will say, need to prepare themselves to defend against cyberattacks because the U.K. could be targeted “at scale,” if it became involved in an international conflict, according to a preview of his speech shared with reporters.

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

Horne will say the NCSC currently handles around four “nationally significant” cyber incidents a week and while criminal activity, such as ransomware, remains the most common problem, the most serious threat comes from cyberattacks carried out directly or indirectly by other states.

In December, Blaise Metreweli, the head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, said the world is more dangerous and contested now than it has been for decades and that the U.K. is operating in a space between peace and war.

“Let’s be clear, cyberspace is part of that contest,” Horne will say.

China's intelligence and military agencies display an “eye-watering level of sophistication in their cyber operations,” while Iran is “almost certainly using cyber activity to support the repression of British individuals on our streets who are seen as a threat to the regime,” Horne will say in his speech at the CyberUK conference in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

Moscow, meanwhile, is using tactics and techniques honed during its war in Ukraine and is “moving them beyond the battlefield,” Horne will say, pointing to “sustained Russian hybrid activity” targeting the U.K. and Europe. Companies, he will say, must learn how cyber operations have been used in conflict situations in order to boost their own resilience.

In a conflict situation, Horne will say, the U.K. would likely face cyberattacks at scale but — unlike with ransomware — companies will not be able to pay their way out in order to recover data and access to systems. For that reason, he will say, every organization needs to understand the “full extent” of the risk they face and improve their cyber defenses before it is too late.

On Friday, Swedish authorities said that a pro-Russian group with links to Russia’s security and intelligence services was behind a cyberattack on a heating plant last year.

Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden's minister for civil defense, compared it to incidents in Poland in December, when coordinated cyberattacks hit combined heat and power plants supplying heat to almost 500,000 customers, as well as wind and solar farms. Poland later said evidence indicated hackers were “directly linked to the Russian services.” Norwegian authorities also warned that a hack in April 2025 which affected water flows from a dam was linked to Russia while in December, Danish authorities said another attack on a water utility company in 2024 left some houses without water.

The four cyberattacks are among more than 155 incidents of disruption — including arson, sabotage and espionage — linked to Russia or its proxies by Western officials and tracked by The Associated Press since Moscow's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Other incidents linked to Russia by European officials include an attack on German air traffic control, attempts to gain access to Signal and WhatsApp accounts belonging to officials and journalists and attempts by hackers linked to Russian military intelligence to steal users' sensitive data by exploiting a weakness in some internet routers.

Pakistan had planned to host a second round of talks, but the White House put on hold Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Islamabad as Iran rebuffed efforts to restart negotiations.

Iran has not yet responded to Trump's announcement of the ceasefire extension. Both countries have warned that, without a deal, they were prepared to resume fighting.

Pakistan scrambles to get US and Iran to negotiate

Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, worked intensively to get both sides to agree to a second round of ceasefire talks, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Sharif later thanked Trump for his “gracious acceptance” of Pakistan’s request, saying the ceasefire extension would allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to proceed.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iran’s state TV there has been “no final decision” on whether to agree to more talks because of “unacceptable actions" by the U.S., apparently referring to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

In a Truth Social post announcing the ceasefire extension, Trump said the U.S. would continue the blockade.

As Vance put on hold a return trip to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected in Washington on Tuesday afternoon for consultations about how to proceed, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.

The official cautioned that Trump could change his mind on negotiating with Iran at any time, and declined to predict what would happen. The official said Trump has options short of restarting airstrikes.

Both sides remain dug in rhetorically

Before announcing the ceasefire extension, Trump had warned that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if there’s no agreement before the Wednesday deadline, while Iran’s chief negotiator said that Tehran has “new cards on the battlefield” that haven't yet been revealed.

A senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to destroy the region's oil industry if war with the U.S. resumes. “If southern neighbors allow the enemy to use their facilities to attack Iran, they should say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East region,” Gen. Majid Mousavi told an Iranian news site.

Strait of Hormuz control key to negotiations

Iran’s envoy to the United Nations said Tuesday that Tehran has “received some sign” that the U.S. is ready to stop its blockade of Iranian ports.

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said ending the blockade remains a condition for Iran to rejoin peace talks. When that happens, he said, “I think the next round of the negotiations will take place.”

The U.S. imposed the blockade to pressure Tehran into ending its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which 20% of the world’s natural gas and crude oil transits in peacetime.

Iran’s grip on the strait has sent oil prices soaring. Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at close to $95 per barrel on Tuesday, up more than 30% from Feb. 28, the day that Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran to start the war.

Before the war began, the Strait of Hormuz had been fully open to international shipping. Trump has demanded that vessels again be allowed to transit unimpeded.

Over the weekend, Iran said that it had received new proposals from Washington, but also suggested that a wide gap remains between the sides. Issues that derailed the previous round of negotiations included Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the strait.

The US says its forces board sanctioned oil tanker

On Tuesday, the U.S. said its forces boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia. The Pentagon said in a social media post that U.S. forces boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident.”

The U.S. military did not say where the vessel had been boarded, though ship-tracking data showed the Tifani in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia on Tuesday. The Pentagon statement added that “international waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels.”

The U.S. military on Sunday seized an Iranian container ship, the first interception under the blockade. Iran’s joint military command called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a violation of the ceasefire.

Pakistan hopeful talks will proceed

Pakistani officials have expressed confidence that Iran will also send a delegation to resume the talks — the highest-level negotiations between the U.S. and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The first round April 11 and 12 ended without an agreement.

Pakistan said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Tuesday separately with the U.S. and China's top diplomats in Islamabad. China is a key trading partner of Iran.

Security has been tightened across Islamabad, where authorities have deployed thousands of personnel and increased patrols along routes leading to the airport.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the ceasefire extension was “an important step toward de-escalation” that will create “critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States,” according to his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

Talks between Israel and Lebanon are to resume

In Lebanon, the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said in a statement it had fired rockets and drones at Israeli forces for the first time since 10-day truce took effect last Friday “in response to the blatant and documented violations” by Israel.

Those violations, it said, included “attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages in southern Lebanon.”

The Israeli army said it responded by striking the group's rocket launcher. Israeli officials have said they intend to maintain a buffer zone in southern Lebanon — an area that includes dozens of villages whose residents have not been allowed to return.

Historic diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon are to resume on Thursday in Washington, an Israeli, a Lebanese and a U.S. official said. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes negotiations.

The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met last week for the first direct diplomatic talks in decades. Israel says the talks are aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a peace agreement with Lebanon.

Fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah broke out two days after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran to start the war. In Lebanon, the fighting has killed more than 2,290 people.

Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to authorities. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Lee from Washington. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville in Washington; Samy Magdy in Cairo; David Rising and Huizhong Wu in Bangkok; Julia Frankel in New York; Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Edith M. Lederer and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

“This case will come down to power, to control and to manipulation,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Candace White told jurors as opening statements began in the bellwether #MeToo case, with DA Alvin Bragg watching from the audience.

Weinstein lawyer Jacob Kaplan countered that the case actually “is about consent, about choice and about regret,” echoing Weinstein's longtime defense that his accuser has recast a willing encounter as a crime.

Since Weinstein became a major target of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct nearly a decade ago, he has been convicted of some sexual assault charges and acquitted of others in trials on two U.S. coasts. A couple of charges ultimately were dismissed.

But the rape charge involving a 2013 encounter in a Manhattan hotel has lingered, due to an overturned conviction followed by a jury deadlock.

What's different about this trial

The allegation is, by now, well known. But the contours of the case have changed.

The prior trials included other accusers and charges. This trial is pared down to the single question of what happened between Weinstein and hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a hotel room one morning, though the majority-male jury will also hear a lot about their relationship before and after that day.

Weinstein also switched trial legal team, and with it the rhetorical style and perhaps some strategic choices in his defense. For example, his new attorneys have signaled they'll rein in some questions about a claims fund for women who said Weinstein sexually mistreated them.

Prosecutors also took a fresh look at the case file, and they're asking the judge to allow the addition of at least one new witness: a close friend of Mann's from the time of the alleged rape. If Weinstein himself testifies — which he hasn't done at prior trials — prosecutors may also argue for calling a court officer who recently disclosed a remark he says Weinstein made in 2020. The defense objects to both potential witnesses.

Judge Curtis Farber, too, is revisiting some aspects of the case. He limited questioning Tuesday about a list of “friends of Harvey” that the producer's assistants maintained for event guest lists.

Jurors learned that Mann and another expected witness were on the list. But unlike at last year's trial, the panel wasn't informed that the roster was all women.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty. He said in January that he had been unfaithful to his then-wife and “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.”

Now a 73-year-old prison inmate, Weinstein was once one of the most influential people in Hollywood. An Academy Award-winning producer and a studio boss, he helped bring such films as “Pulp Fiction,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “Gangs of New York” to movie houses and produced TV shows including “Project Runway." He also was a prominent Democratic donor.

His career collapsed in 2017, when years of Hollywood whispers about his behavior toward women became public accusations in news and social media. Criminal charges followed in New York and Los Angeles.

About Weinstein's accuser and their relationship

Mann was a 27-year-old who struggled financially, had recently lived in her car and yearned to break into big-time acting when she met Weinstein at a Los Angeles-area party in early 2013.

She has testified that she was looking for a professional connection but ended up, ambivalently, in a consensual relationship with the then-married Weinstein.

During a New York trip with a friend in March 2013, she arranged a breakfast for pals and Weinstein. According to Mann's prior testimony, Weinstein ultimately trapped her in a hotel room, ignored her protestation that “I don't want to do this,” demanded she undress and grabbed her arms, and she succumbed because she “just wanted to get out.”

White told jurors Tuesday that Weinstein “was used to getting his way" professionally and personally.

“Behind closed doors, power meant him taking what he wanted from the victim in this case,” the prosecutor said.

Weinstein shook his head slightly at one point as White claimed that he had “silenced” Mann by letting her know that crossing him could be professional quicksand. She has testified that for years, she told no one about the alleged rape.

In the aftermath, she kept seeing Weinstein, accepting invitations, asking him for career help and sending warm messages to him.

She has said she was trying to avoid angering him. But his lawyer said the case “isn’t a ‘he said, she said' — it will be her word against her own word.”

“Ask yourself: What is Jessica Mann getting from Harvey Weinstein?” Kaplan told jurors.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they agree to be named, as Mann has done.

Gianinna Maradona, in a court in the Buenos Aires town of San Isidro, testified in the trial of seven medical professionals accused of negligence her father's death in 2020.

“I heard on television that he said he wasn’t his doctor, and it makes me very angry that he won’t take responsibility,” Gianinna Maradona said.

Luque and six others are standing a new trial because last May the court declared a mistrial after Julieta Makintach, one of the original three presiding judges, stepped down over criticism about her participation in a documentary on the case.

The negligence case accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care in the weeks leading up to his death at a home outside Buenos Aires. Maradona died at age 60 from cardiac arrest while recovering from surgery for a blood clot on the brain.

The defendants, who deny all accusations, were charged with culpable homicide, a charge similar to involuntary manslaughter in that it implies the accused were aware of the risk caused by their alleged reckless conduct and ignored it.

Maradona’s daughter said that Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Díaz were responsible for Maradona’s health and the home confinement where, she said, the star’s health deteriorated day by day without anyone apparently remedying it.

Luque’s defense alleges that Gianinna Maradona and her sister Dalma — the former soccer star's eldest daughters from his relationship with Claudia Villafañe — were responsible for not acting with the necessary speed to care for their father during a long process of declining health.

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

Police said they located the suspect on Tuesday (April 20) around 2:30 p.m. in the area of Bonita Street and Hayes Street.

Officials said when they approached, the suspect entered a vehicle and fled the scene.

Police said as the suspect drove off, the vehicle’s door struck an officer, causing minor injuries.

Officials said the officer was treated and is expected to be OK.

Police said the suspect later abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot before he was captured around 4:49 p.m.

Officials said the individual was known to law enforcement, but no identifying information has been released.

It has long been quoted and promoted by those who believe America was founded as a Christian nation and should be one. It's from the seventh chapter of 2 Chronicles, a book in the Hebrew (Old Testament) portion of the Bible.

The 14th verse — the one most often quoted — says:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Trump is among hundreds who are taking turns reading the entire Bible aloud over the course of a week. Most of the readings are taking place at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, though Trump's is coming by video from the Oval Office.

A passage often quoted at National Day of Prayer events

The Chronicles passage has for decades been a major theme at annual National Day of Prayer events. Organizers of the America Reads the Bible marathon invited Trump to read from it. “It’s a powerful statement that he decided to read that passage,” said Bunni Pounds, founder of Christians Engaged, which organized the project.

The passage has been recited over the decades at countless rallies, services and events, often organized around the disputed belief that America was created as a Christian nation and needs to repent of its sins and return to God. The passage has particularly been associated with annual events commemorating the National Day of Prayer, which has taken various forms since the mid-20th century and became fixed by law on the first Thursday in May since the 1980s.

The verse is set in a context far from modern America — during the reign of King Solomon in ancient Israel some 3,000 years ago. Solomon is presiding over the dedication of the first temple in Jerusalem, and in a lengthy prayer he asks for divine mercy if a future generation sins, is punished with military or natural disaster and then repents. In the key passage, God replies with a promise of restoration.

Critics say the passage is used out of context

But the use of the passage in modern settings has its critics.

The Chronicles passage is “a popular verse among Christian nationalists and has been for quite some time,” said Brian Kaylor, a Baptist pastor and president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, a progressive site covering faith and politics.

He said its use has taken on a partisan and polarizing tone, often used in tandem with a promotion of a belief in a Christian America in an increasingly diverse country.

“This verse is not about the United States,” said Kaylor, author of “The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.” It is “a promise made to one particular person in one particular moment. It doesn’t really work to pull it out of context and apply it to whatever you want to.”

But many have done so recently and in decades past, either saying America has a divinely ordained destiny similar to ancient Israel's or simply that they believe every nation has a duty to follow God and repent when needed.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower took the oath of office in 1953 with his hand on a Bible opened to the 2 Chronicles passage. President Ronald Reagan quoted the passage in a proclamation declaring 1984's National Day of Prayer. A speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention also quoted it.

The National Day of Prayer, while officially nonsectarian, has long been drawn particular promotion and participation from evangelical Christians. Readings of the “If my people” passage has been a staple of such events.

Politicians, others joining in the Bible-reading marathon

Evangelicals — a loyal Republican voting bloc for decades — have formed a crucial part of Trump's electoral base. His rallies have featured a fusion of Christian and national symbols and rhetoric, featuring songs like “God Bless USA” and T-shirts with slogans like “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president.”

Many other Republican politicians are taking part in the Bible reading, along with celebrities, pastors and others. And Trump isn't the only one reading a passage significant to his office or mission.

Mike Huckabee, a Baptist pastor and U.S. ambassador to Israel, is reading from a Genesis passage in which God says he will bless those who bless Abraham — a passage popular with many evangelicals who believe they have a biblical mandate to support Israel.

David Barton, whose Wallbuilders promotes belief in America as a Christian nation, will read from a passage that gave his organization its name, in which Nehemiah rebuilds the broken walls of Jerusalem.

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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.

Trump's remarks came at a White House event honoring some 100 athletes from seven teams that won NCAA championships in 2025.

Trump this month signed an executive order that would limit eligibility to five years, allow one transfer without penalty for undergraduates, stop pay-for-play schemes and build in protections for women's and Olympic sports.

Aspects of the executive order might not withstand legal scrutiny, which is why Trump and some college sports stakeholders are asking for federal legislation that would codify restrictions and grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to enforce rules.

Dozens of athletes have challenged NCAA eligibility rules with the hope of extending their college careers and, in turn, their ability to earn money through name, image and likeness deals. He said it's unfair for athletes right out of high school to compete against 28- or 29-year-olds.

“It’s a very precarious position the courts have left us in," Trump said, adding that the 2025 settlement of House v. the NCAA created a professional model that has led to financial instability for colleges. “And now it’s a total and complete mess. But we’re going to get it fixed up and we’ve got fantastic people doing it. So we need now Congress to act to clear up the confusion created by the courts and institute permanent reforms to protect college sports at every level, especially some sports.”

The national championship teams honored were Oklahoma State in men's golf, Texas A&M in women's volleyball, Wake Forest in men's tennis, Georgia in women's tennis, Youngstown State in women's bowling, Florida State in women's soccer and West Virginia in mixed rifle.

“Seventy-five percent of Olympians competing for Team USA played as college athletes," Trump said. “If we don’t straighten out this, we’re not going to have much of an Olympic team because you have so many of these sports, especially certain sports where it’s like the minor leagues, call it the major leagues, whatever you want. But we've trained unbelievable athletes to go in and win the gold medal. Without college sports and without your ability to go into college sports and compete and learn how to play and get better, we’re not going to have much of an Olympic team anymore.”

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

The America Reads the Bible event — with each participant reading a passage aloud — is being livestreamed from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations. It featured a video of Trump from the Oval Office on Tuesday evening reading an Old Testament passage that called for national repentance in ancient Israel — words that have been used prominently for decades by those promoting the belief that America has been and should be a Christian nation.

Trump recited the passage from his desk with his hands folded on an open Bible in front of him, though he was looking straight into the camera. The video cut back and forth between two camera angles.

The Bible is “indelibly woven into our national identity and way of life,” Trump said in a statement commemorating the event. The statement cited historical figures such as the Puritan leader John Winthrop as “imploring his fellow Christian settlers to stand as a beacon of faith for all the world to see.”

Critics say the event has a highly partisan list of participants and is part of a larger project to connect America's upcoming 250th birthday with a Christian nationalist vision that portrays the nation's founding as essentially Christian, something many historians dispute. White Christians, particularly evangelicals, have been crucial to Trump's electoral base.

The list of participants — which overwhelmingly includes Republican politicians and Christian supporters of Trump — shows it to be “very much a right-wing MAGA, Christian nationalist effort,” said Brian Kaylor, author of “The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power,” referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

“If they wanted this to be a unifying American project, there would have been a whole lot more attention to getting political diversity and ideological diversity,” added Kaylor, president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, a progressive site covering faith and politics.

Historian Jemar Tisby, whose books have challenged what he says is enduring Christian complicity in racism, criticized the event on Facebook: “You cannot quote the Bible while justifying violence, war and exclusion.” Pastor Doug Pagitt, executive director of the progressive group Vote Common Good, echoed the comment in a statement: “If you like reading the Bible, try living it.”

Bunni Pounds, founder of Christians Engaged, organizer of the event, said that reading the Bible alone isn't enough. “Faith without works is dead,” she said, adding: “We need the word first to bring faith into our life.”

Trump's latest faith-related tensions

The Bible event comes just a week after Trump drew rare criticism from his evangelical supporters for circulating a social media meme in which a white-robed Trump appeared as a Jesus-like healer surrounded by patriotic symbols. Trump removed the image from his Truth Social site while insisting he was depicted as a doctor, not Jesus.

It also comes shortly after Trump's high-profile clash with the U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.

Other high-ranking officials have been or will be reading biblical passages in person or by video in the event, which began Sunday and concludes Saturday. They include Cabinet officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson and several other Republican members of Congress. Prominent evangelical supporters of Trump who are participating include evangelist Franklin Graham, pastor Jack Graham and pastor Paula White-Cain, who heads Trump's White House Faith Office.

Pounds said that the organization invited Democratic members of Congress as well as leaders of some denominations that might be considered progressive but that they didn’t accept.

Each speaker is taking a turn in the ongoing reading of the 66 books of the Bible as recognized by Protestants. Jews recognize the Hebrew portion of the Bible that Christians call the Old Testament but not the New Testament books centered on Jesus, while Catholics and Orthodox recognize additional books of the Bible that are not included in this reading. The event does include some Catholic representation, including the president of CatholicVote, which endorsed Trump in 2024.

The event involves a comprehensive reading of the entire Bible, from the famous verses (“Let my people go,” “The Lord is my shepherd”) to the obscure. Passages range from the creation of the world to bloody battles and apocalyptic destruction, from exhortations to love of God, neighbor and the needy to passages telling of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

Trump will read from 2 Chronicles

Christians Engaged, the organizer, is a nonprofit whose stated mission includes “discipling Americans on biblical worldview and their responsibilities to pray, vote and engage.”

Trump read from the seventh chapter of 2 Chronicles, set during King Solomon's dedication of the temple in ancient Jerusalem. In it, God promises forgiveness if a future generation rebels then repents: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

The verse has long been quoted at many conservative Christian rallies and political events, such as the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Pounds noted that the Chronicles passage has for decades been a major theme at annual National Day of Prayer events and that organizers invited Trump to read from it. “It’s a powerful statement that he decided to read that passage,” she said.

The Bible-reading marathon comes just weeks before a May 17 event called a “National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving,” to be held on the National Mall. It's the climactic event of “America Prays,” a project Trump announced last year in conjunction with America 250, calling for prayer for the country and to “rededicate ourselves to one nation under God.”

Several of the groups and individuals involved in America Prays are also participating in this week’s Bible reading event.

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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.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City guard who is the reigning MVP and NBA Finals MVP, was the overwhelming and nearly unanimous pick as the Clutch Player of the Year for this season, the NBA announced Tuesday.

It’s the first of what could be several awards for Gilgeous-Alexander in the coming weeks. He's the heavy favorite to win a second straight MVP trophy — and because he's a finalist there, he's also a lock to make the All-NBA team for a fourth straight year.

“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on NBC Sports, which aired the award announcement. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I'm about more than anything is winning games.”

Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes. Jamal Murray of Denver was second, one point ahead of Anthony Edwards of Minnesota.

Edwards didn’t reach the 65-game eligibility standard for most league awards like MVP and the All-NBA team — and unsuccessfully appealed for a waiver that would have put him on those ballots — but his candidacy for the clutch award wasn’t affected by that rule.

Instead, the finalists for the clutch award were decided by a survey of the league’s coaches. That whittled the group down to 14 names, which were then placed onto the ballot that a panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league filled out last week to decide the various awards.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been a contender for the clutch award since it was added to the league's slate of trophies; he was third last season, eighth in 2024 and seventh in 2023.

And now, it's his.

“I'm proud I get to hoist it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It means I'm effective out there.”

Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the fourth player to win the clutch award, which was added in tribute to Jerry West — the inspiration for the NBA’s logo and the player long known as “Mr. Clutch” as a nod to his exploits when the outcome of games was on the line.

De’Aaron Fox (then of Sacramento, now of San Antonio) was the first clutch award recipient in 2023, followed by Golden State’s Stephen Curry in 2024 and New York’s Jalen Brunson last season. Brunson was a nominee again this year, finishing fifth.

Detroit's Cade Cunningham was fourth, followed by Brunson, Denver's Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey, the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, Houston's Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Brunson and Jokic are now the only players to get votes in the clutch balloting in all four seasons of the award’s existence.

Curry, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving saw their three-year streaks as clutch vote-getters end because of injuries; Curry missed about half the season, Tatum missed most of the season and Irving was sidelined for the entire season.

For a play to be considered clutch, by the NBA’s definition, these are the criteria: The score differential has to be five points or less, and the game has to be in either the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime.

All three of the leading vote-getters had compelling statistical arguments for the award:

— Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 175 points in clutch times, plus was ninth with 21 assists in those situations. The Thunder went 20-7 in the 27 clutch games in which he played, and outscored opponents by 93 points in those clutch situations with him on the floor.

— Edwards shot 56.5% from the field in clutch moments, the best of any of the league's 19 players that had at least 85 clutch-time points this season.

— Murray was second in clutch points with 166 plus led the league with 30 clutch-time assists.

The clutch award was the second to be handed out this season. San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous winner of Defensive Player of the Year, which was announced Monday.

“It's just very meaningful to me,” Wembanyama said Tuesday about being the first unanimous winner of the DPOY trophy. “It means that's there no place for debate. It means that everybody agrees upon something.”

On Wednesday, the Sixth Man of the Year winner — either the Spurs' Keldon Johnson, the Nuggets' Tim Hardaway Jr. or Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr. — will be revealed. The league's Sportsmanship Award winner will be announced Thursday, followed by Most Improved Player on Friday.

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

Residents in multiple neighborhoods say traffic has been a long-standing concern.

“Oh, it’s been a big concern,” Sally Niemczewsk said when asked about conditions in the area.

Another resident described certain times of day as particularly challenging.

“It can be a little congested, especially around pickup time, drop-off time,” said Niemczewsk.

In response, the city has begun installing new solar-powered flashing stop signs at some four-way stops in what officials call high-risk locations.

The goal is to improve visibility and grab drivers’ attention before they enter intersections.

“They blow through these things,” one resident said, describing drivers who fail to stop. Another neighbor said the flashing signs could help: “Yeah, they’re good. It at least catches your attention.”

The new signs are part of a pilot program unanimously approved by the Dearborn Heights City Council in February.

At the time, Mayor Mo Baydoun said the initiative was an important step toward improving neighborhood safety.

Still, some residents say they’re waiting to see results.

“I would hope it does a lot,” Niemczewski said. “But I haven’t seen it so far.”

For now, the city is prioritizing installation near schools and parks. Neighbors say the changes are needed, and they’re urging drivers to slow down and follow the rules of the road.

“Please don’t do that,” one woman said, referring to reckless driving. “There’s been way too many accidents of kids being on their bikes, of pedestrians walking and getting hit, and it’s really traumatic.”

The city says it will continue its “Safe Streets for All” efforts and is asking residents to share feedback as officials review crash data, identify high-risk areas, and plan additional safety improvements.

Safe Streets for All Community Workshops

Monday, April 27, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.Richard Young Rec. Center, 5400 McKinley Street, Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Canfield Community Center, 1801 N. Beech Daly Road.

Navy Secretary John Phelan told reporters Tuesday that the review, which should be complete next month, was “a prudent and practical" move aimed at examining “the costs of the designs and the systems to make sure that they make sense and they have all the systems and requirements that we want going forward.”

The review of the design comes after years of criticism from President Donald Trump, who has taken issue with some of the technology on this type of aircraft carrier, including its magnetic catapults, which he claimed “didn't work” during remarks in the Oval Office last year.

When Phelan was asked if the review could lead to the cancellation of future Ford-class aircraft carriers, he told reporters only that “it’s too early to say, but we will have carriers.”

The USS Gerald R. Ford has been on a record-setting deployment of more than 300 days — since June 2025 — that has seen the world’s largest aircraft carrier participate in two key military actions by the Trump administration: the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the war against Iran.

Navy budget documents made public Tuesday did not list Ford-class aircraft carriers among the ships that the Navy planned to buy. The documents instead simply said “aircraft carrier.” Meanwhile, other ships — such as the Columbia-class submarines and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers — were described by class name.

A Navy statement provided Tuesday praised the Ford-class carrier as “a battle-proven design” that has been able to launch aircraft at a faster rate than the older Nimitz-class carriers and offers increased “combat power and ability to maintain high-tempo global strike operations" in three parts of the world.

Phelan, however, told reporters that he wanted to review that data.

“I go to the Ronald Reagan school of ‘trust and verify,’” Phelan said, before adding that the review would look into the carrier's ability to launch and retrieve aircraft.

The ship's magnetic catapults are a key component in giving the Ford a leg up from the older Nimitz ships in launching aircraft. They also put less stress on planes, require less maintenance and reduce the ship's need for fresh water compared with the older steam-powered variants.

The Navy has three other Ford-class carriers under construction: the USS John F. Kennedy, the USS Enterprise and the USS Dorie Millier.

Phelan said the review will examine the next two carriers — named USS William Jefferson Clinton and USS George W. Bush by the Biden administration — which have been planned but not contracted.

Trump, meanwhile, has rolled out a new warship design dubbed the Trump-class battleship, estimated to cost more than $17 billion — or $4 billion more than the Ford-class carriers. The Navy does not plan to pay for the first ship in the new class, the USS Defiant, until the 2028 budget year.

Phelan told reporters the current cost for the Trump-class ship is an “early initial estimate” and he expected the cost to fall as the design is refined and further ships are built. He also didn't rule out the ship being powered by a nuclear reactor, which would significantly drive up its costs.

Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state court in Manhattan, seeks to bar the companies' platforms from operating in the state unless and until they obtain licenses from the state Gaming Commission.

“Gambling by another name is still gambling, and it is not exempt from regulation under our state laws and Constitution,” James said in a statement. “Gemini and Coinbase’s so-called prediction markets are just illegal gambling operations, exposing young people to addictive platforms that lack the necessary guardrails.”

Messages seeking comment were left for Coinbase and Gemini. Both companies began as cryptocurrency trading platforms before branching into the prediction space, which has been dominated by Kalshi and Polymarket.

Gemini, founded by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, launched Gemini Predictions in December. Coinbase started its prediction markets service in January.

“Crypto was just the beginning,” Gemini’s website said Tuesday, next to a prediction box offering bets on such things as the winner of that day's Chelsea-Brighton Premier League soccer match, when Kevin Warsh will be confirmed as the chairman of the Federal Reserve, and what the price of oil will be Friday.

New York's lawsuit alleges that the Coinbase and Gemini are seeking “to avoid the legal and financial consequences" of the state's close regulation of gambling “by offering what is quintessentially wagering under the guise of offering ‘event contracts’ on a ‘prediction market.’”

By operating without licenses, the lawsuit says, Coinbase's and Gemini's prediction market businesses aren't paying the same taxes as licensed casinos and mobile sportsbooks, which are taxed by the state at a rate of approximately 51% of gross revenues. In addition, the lawsuit says, Coinbase and Gemini allow users as young as 18, while state law prohibits wagering by anyone under 21.

Kalshi sued the state Gaming Commission in October after the commission sought to bar the company's prediction market business from operating in the state. In the case, which is ongoing, Kalshi argues that, as a federally designated derivatives exchange, it is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Coinbase made the same argument in December when it sued Connecticut, Michigan and Illinois to block those states from attempting to regulate its prediction business. Earlier this month, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Arizona, Connecticut, and Illinois to block them from policing prediction markets.

Last week, a federal judge halted Arizona’s regulatory efforts — which have included criminal charges against Kalshi — finding that the federal commission had demonstrated a reasonable chance of success in showing that the act preempts Arizona law.

In February, James issued what her office described as a consumer alert warning, saying that prediction markets operating without the supervision of the state Gaming Commission were putting New Yorkers “at significant financial risk.” Some users who say they've lost money on the sites have filed lawsuits against them.

James herself has been the subject of prediction market wagering.

Last year, as the Trump administration was scrutinizing the Democrat's real estate transactions, Polymarket saw $18,700 in trades on the question: “Will Letitia James be charged with a crime by December 31?”

James was indicted in October, but a judge dismissed the case a month later, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. James had denied wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Kalshi has seen $12,660 in trades on the outcome of this year's election for New York attorney general. As of Tuesday, 93% of users were predicting James to win a third term.

His ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, said in a teaser for the episode airing Thursday on NBC’s streaming service Peacock that Rex Heuermann also told her that the eight women he has admitted to killing were his only victims.

Ellerup says later in the teaser that he told her that he killed seven of them in the basement of the family's house in Massapequa Park on Long Island while she was away.

“I said to him, ‘So Mr. Heuermann, I understand that you are confessing to me on these murders. Can you please tell me how many of these women did you kill’?,” she said in the 90-second clip. “He said, ‘Eight’.”

Ellerup said she intentionally didn’t use her former husband’s first name as a way to “put a wall up” between the two.

“When he started talking, it started feeling like that’s the Rex I know,” she said. “But I didn’t want to see that one. I wanted to see the one I needed to see.”

The latest and last installment of “The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets” follows the release of the series' first three episodes last June. Another documentary, “Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders,” also comes out Wednesday on Amazon's streaming service, Prime Video.

Ellerup's attorney, Robert Macedonio, declined to discuss what other new details are revealed in the new episode of the Peacock documentary.

“This has been an extremely emotional and painful process for the family to endure and come to terms with the allegations that Rex Heuermann was the Gilgo Beach serial killer,” he said in an email. “Ms. Ellerup would like the focus to remain where it belongs — on the victims and their families, who have suffered immeasurable and lasting losses.”

Vess Mitev, a lawyer for the couple's two grown children, Victoria and Chris, said the two “echo the sentiments of their mother, and wish only to move forward as best they can, given this remarkably dark chapter in their lives.”

Heuermann’s lawyers didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

Earlier episodes of the documentary showed the family struggling to reconcile their memories of the architect, who had an office in Manhattan, with the portrait of the killer described by authorities.

Ellerup, who divorced Heuermann after his arrest in 2023, steadfastly defended her ex-husband’s innocence during those earlier episodes. But her daughter eventually conceded her father “most likely” committed the brutal killings that bedeviled investigators and drew intense interest from true-crime watchers for years.

The saga came to a close earlier this month when Heuermann, 62, of Massapequa Park, admitted in Riverhead court to murdering seven women and also killing an eighth he had not yet been charged with over a 17-year span.

Heuermann said in court he strangled the women, many of them sex workers, and dismembered some of their bodies before dumping them on a desolate parkway not far from Long Island's Gilgo Beach, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Manhattan.

He’ll be sentenced in June to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo on X: @philmarcelo.

Michael Williams named the park after his late mother, Etheldra Mae Williams, and says it has become a neighborhood hub, hosting events ranging from live music to classic car shows.

“We’ve just been able to create opportunities for our vendors and for people who appreciate what it is that we’re doing here in the community,” Williams said.

He said he has tried to buy nearby parcels to grow the park, properties he said the Detroit Land Bank Authority had promised to sell him.

Williams warned the uncertainty could force him to shut the park down.

“If they can’t do it, they can say, Mr. Williams, we’re not going to sell you this property. Please go away. And at that point I will go away. The park will close,” he said.

City officials say the expansion talks are complicated by ongoing litigation between Williams and DWSD over property about a block north of the park.

DWSD acquired two homes and six parcels from Williams for the Brightmoor Stormwater Improvement Project, which the department says is intended to reduce basement backups and street flooding.

“We have legal title to the 2 homes and the six parcels. The only thing that is in dispute is the price,” DWSD Director Gary Brown said. “He wants a different amount of money than everybody has negotiated.”

Brown said that until the dispute is resolved, other property Williams wants to purchase is not available.

“Once we’ve settled our legal issue with regards to the cost of his properties, the city will be more than willing to sit down with him and discuss any other properties that he might want to purchase,” he said.

The 52-46 vote was the first step in a budget process that Republicans hope will unlock the funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Senate Democrats have blocked money for those agencies since mid-February, demanding policy changes after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents.

Republicans are now trying to fund the two agencies through a complicated, time-consuming process called budget reconciliation, a maneuver that they also used to pass President Donald Trump’s package of tax and spending cuts last year with no Democratic votes. The Senate has already voted on a bipartisan basis to reopen the rest of the department, but Republican leaders in the House say they won't take that bill up until the Senate shows progress toward funding ICE and Border Patrol, as well.

The budget process only requires a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing filibuster rules that require Republicans to find 60 votes on most bills when they only hold 53 seats. But it also comes with increased scrutiny from the Senate parliamentarian and an open-ended series of amendment votes that could potentially alter the bill.

“It’s not my preference, but it is reality,” Thune said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the budget workaround a “partisan sideshow” and said the resolution will pour money into immigration enforcement “without putting any restraints on these rogue agencies’ rampant violence in our streets.”

Senate leaders try to keep bill focused on ICE, border patrol

The Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday released the estimated $70 billion resolution to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years, through the rest of Trump’s term. Thune and other GOP leaders say they hope to keep the bill narrowly focused and pass it by the end of the month.

But that could prove difficult as many in the party see it as the last real chance this year to enact their priorities. Republicans in both the Senate and House have pushed to add other items, including money for farmers and Trump’s proof of citizenship voting bill, called the SAVE America Act.

Republican leaders say they would try to do a second partisan budget reconciliation bill to deal with some of those issues. But many of their colleagues are skeptical, especially with thin GOP margins in both chambers of Congress and an election approaching.

Senators who have been pushing for more to be included in the original resolution say they are preparing amendments to try and add them on the Senate floor. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he’ll try to add parts of the SAVE America Act and proposals related to the economy.

“A lot of Americans are very worried about the cost of living and we need to address it,” Kennedy said Monday.

But at a lunch meeting on Tuesday, Republican senators were mostly united around Thune's plan.

“I think people recognize that we have to act quickly,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. “The more you add the more that slows the process down.”

Democrats say reforms still needed at ICE

Democrats say any funding bill should place restraints on federal immigration authorities, including better identification for federal officers and more use of judicial warrants, among other asks.

“After the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, people across the country demanded ICE be reined in," said Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “But instead of working with Democrats to enact real reform, Republicans rejected the most basic accountability measures, and now they’re rushing to give ICE billions of dollars more.”

After federal agents shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January, Trump agreed to a Democratic request that the Homeland Security bill be separated from a larger spending measure that became law. But bipartisan negotiations went nowhere, and the DHS funding lapsed with no agreement on changes to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

In March, the Senate passed legislation by voice vote that would separate out ICE and Border Patrol and fund the rest of the department, including the Transportation Security Administration as security lines grew long at some airports. But Republicans in the House refused to vote for it, saying they wouldn’t support any bill that didn’t include money for immigration enforcement.

Congress then left town for a two-week recess, leaving the issue unresolved. Trump has used executive orders to pay some department salaries in the meantime, but the future of those paychecks is uncertain.

During the recess, Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that they would pursue a two-track approach — pass the Senate bill that includes most of the department’s funding through regular order and use the party-line bill to pass ICE and CBP funding.

Weeks later, though, Johnson has still not said when the House will take up the Senate's legislation funding the rest of the department. And it is unclear if members of his GOP conference will unite behind the narrowed budget bill.

“We’ll figure this out,” Johnson said ahead of the Senate vote on Tuesday. “We’ve got lots of discussion today and in the coming days to make sure we can get that through and I think we will.”

___

Associated Press writers Steven Sloan and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

“The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times is just overly broad and not rational,” Hegseth said in a video posted on social media.

He said American service members are free to get the flu vaccine but will not be forced to “because your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”

Hegseth’s directive does allow for the military services to request to keep the vaccine requirement in place, according to a memo enacting the policy posted online. It says the services have 15 days to make those requests.

Vaccination programs in the U.S. military date back to the American Revolution. But they became a contentious political issue during the coronavirus pandemic, when more than 8,400 troops were forced out of the military for refusing to obey the 2021 mandate for the COVID-19 vaccine. Thousands of others sought religious and medical exemptions.

Congress agreed to rescind the mandate, which the Pentagon dropped in January 2023, after roughly 99% of active duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had gotten the vaccine, and 98% of those in the Army. The Guard and Reserve rates are lower but generally are more than 90%.

The Trump administration then spent months crafting a policy to allow service members who refused to take the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine to reenter service with back pay. While only a tiny fraction have taken the Pentagon up on the new policy, Hegseth’s team has spent the past several months personally highlighting them.

The Pentagon stated in March that 153 service members who were separated under the COVID-19 mandate had been reinstated or "re-accessed."

The dropping of the flu vaccine mandate follows what health officials said was a particularly severe flu season when U.S. infections surged. Public health experts recommend that everyone 6 months and older get an annual influenza vaccine.

The Trump administration has been working to dial back vaccine recommendations. It stated earlier this year that it will no longer recommend flu shots and some other types of vaccines for all children, saying it’s a decision parents and patients should make in consultation with their doctors. A federal judge has temporarily blocked that effort as a lawsuit plays out.

The Congressional Research Service listed eight mandatory vaccines for service members in a 2021 report. They included vaccines for the flu, polio and tetanus as well as the measles and hepatitis A and B.

Service members could request to opt out of a vaccine requirement for religious reasons, the report stated. But the unit commander was required to seek input from medical and religious representatives, while also counseling the service member on the potential impact on their ability to deploy. A military physician also had to counsel the service member on the benefits and risks of forgoing a required vaccination.

The Congressional Research Service noted that the military instituted its first vaccination program in 1777 when Gen. George Washington directed the inoculation of the Continental Army to protect personnel from smallpox.

Dan Mores, a Good Samaritan who helped with the rescue, said he and his friends were fishing when he noticed the boat.

“It was rough. 5-foot waves out there,” Mores said. “I just happened to catch the boat out of the corner of my eye. At the time, all the guys were on the boat, and then I turned, and that was it. It was going down.”

The U.S. Coast Guard said the boat capsized just after 11 a.m. At the time, the water temperature was about 47 degrees.

Mores said his group rushed to help and used safety ropes they had on board.

“It took quite a few tosses to get to him,” Mores said. “Thank God those guys had something on the seawall to hang onto to keep them afloat otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it at all.”

Bob Grimes — a retired police sergeant from Jackson, Ohio — said he arrived just as the other group was struggling to get the fourth man aboard.

“Their boat was too tall. My boat sits pretty low to the water,” Grimes said. “It was a joint effort. We were able to drag him into my boat in the back end,” he said. “He was worn out, spent, but he was talking. Then the Coast Guard and the sheriff’s office showed up.”

All four men were taken back to the Delray Boat Launch and treated by EMS.

“Thank God that people were in the right place at the right time,” Grimes said.

Dangers of Cold Water

The U.S. Coast Guard reminds boaters to check water conditions before heading out and while on the water, saying things can change in an instant.

The graphic below explains cold shock, which is what happens to the body when it first enters the water.

This next graphic explains the dangers of cold water when temperatures are between 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit:

According to a family spokesperson, Alan's wife, Suzanne Osmond, and their eight sons were with him at his home in Lehi, Utah, at the time of his death. Prior to his passing, Alan used a wheelchair and spent a week in intensive care before returning home Thursday on hospice.

A talented songwriter and performer, Alan Osmond helped write some of the Osmond Brothers' biggest hits, including “One Bad Apple,” “Crazy Horses” and “Are You Up There?”

Born in Ogden, Utah, on June 22, 1949 and raised in a Mormon household, Alan Osmond's storied musical career began in the 1950s, when he and his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay formed a barbershop quartet. He was the oldest of the performing group and the third oldest of his siblings.

The brothers worked the state fair circuit in Utah until a visit to Disneyland led to a television debut on “Disney After Dark” in 1962.

The group became regulars on “The Andy Williams Show,” where they made their name and forged their wholesome and peppy image, peaking as a quintet in the early 1970s, as younger brother Donny Osmond became the breakout star. In 1971, the Osmonds tallied nine gold records, surpassing single-year bests by Elvis and the Beatles.

In the mid-to-late 1970s, Alan became a principal producer on ABC’s hit television show “The Donny and Marie Show,” starring his brother and sister.

The original Osmond Brothers — Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay — returned to the stage in 1982 as a country group and had a handful of hits, including “I Think About Your Lovin.’” At the time, Alan told The Associated Press he switched from recording rock to country music because it better fit their wholesome image.

“Country music really is the backbone of America,” he said. “It doesn’t just come and go. And we’re kind of flag-wavers. You find that in the country area, too.”

In 1987, Alan Osmond was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). It caused him to retire from performing with his family.

His brother Wayne Osmond died at the age of 73 in 2025 after having a stroke.

“He is my hero,” Doug Osmond, one of Alan's sons, told The Associated Press over the phone Tuesday. “I’ve never met anyone more positive in my life. I never once heard him complain, not once. He would say, ‘I may have MS, but MS does not have me.’ That was his motto and he always was worried about everyone else. ... Family always took priority and his faith was in everything he did.”

In terms of his musical accomplishments, Doug recalled witnessing other famous musicians gush over his father. “I saw that with Steven Tyler, I saw that with Brad Paisley. I saw that with Justin Timberlake and Donnie Wahlberg," he said. “They all knew of his genius and ability."

In a statement on social media Tuesday, Donny Osmond called Alan Osmond his “protector” and “guide,” saying he was “the one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine.”

Merrill Osmond also paid tribute in a social media post, explaining that he saw his ailing brother two days prior.

“We talked as brothers do, heart to heart. He was struggling, but when I shared a joke or two, he found the strength to chuckle … and then he smiled,” he wrote on Facebook. “I need you to know this … he has not left me. I have felt him. I have felt his quiet encouragement telling me to keep going … to keep building faith … to keep sharing light.”

Alan is survived by his wife, Suzanne; his eight sons, Michael, Nathan, Doug, David, Scott, Jon, Alex, and Tyler; 30 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; brothers Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy; and sister Marie.

Service plans are forthcoming.

Timothy Hudson has received the indictment and is waiving his appearance at an arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, defense attorney Eric Cohen said in a court filing. The 16-year-old also signed the one-page document.

Cohen didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking further comment

Hudson is being prosecuted as an adult in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, whose body was found under a bed in a Carnival Horizon room that she was sharing with him and another teen during a family trip in November.

Hudson is charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse. He has been free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February, though prosecutors now want a judge to lock him up while the case unfolds. That issue is unsettled.

Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Orlando. The cause of her Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or force stops someone from breathing.

Records and hearings in the case were closed to the public for weeks because Hudson was initially charged as a minor. But U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom granted the government's request to have him prosecuted as an adult. The case was unsealed on April 10.

The findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research show a president who is struggling with unfulfilled promises to tame inflation and testing Americans’ patience with a conflict in the Middle East that has dragged on longer than expected.

Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll. A similarly low share of U.S. adults, 32%, approve of the president’s leadership on Iran, which is unchanged since last month.

The poll was conducted April 16-20, during which time the Strait of Hormuz was reopened by Iran, then closed again, an example of the whiplash that has characterized the conflict.

The president’s policies and pronouncements have often been at odds with each other. Gasoline prices — which he promised to slash — jumped after the U.S. attacked Iran in February. His tariffs have kept much of the economy in limbo and hiring has slowed despite his boasts of a “golden age.”

Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s overall job performance, down slightly from 38% last month.

Trump’s falling approval ratings could create problems for his party as it tries to defend House and Senate majorities in the midterm elections. The poll finds that Trump is especially weak on cost of living, and enthusiasm about Trump’s performance has waned over the past year among his own supporters.

Kathryn Bright, 60, a retired captain in the U.S. Air Force, regrets that she supported Trump in the last election.

“I feel disgusted with myself, I feel betrayed, like he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” she said.

Bright lives in a small town far out on Colorado’s prairie and has several disabling medical conditions. She was initially drawn to Trump because of his vows to support veterans, avoid foreign wars and lower costs.

“It’s like high school class president: ‘I’m gonna promise we are going to get pizza every single day,’” Bright said. “Then as soon as they get elected they are like, ‘Oh, I lied.’”

The vast majority of Americans disapprove of Trump on cost of living

In a sign of just how unpopular Trump’s approach on prices has become, the poll found that only about one-quarter of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the cost of living.

The consumer price index climbed 3.3% in March from a year ago, and inflation is slightly higher than the 3% that Trump inherited upon returning to the White House last year. Yet Trump has shown little interest in inflation and played down the rising energy costs caused by the war prompting Iran to effectively shutter the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

Trump on Tuesday dismissed the war as a “little journey” and portrayed the roughly 35% jump in oil prices as a positive compared to what he thought would happen.

He told CNBC in an interview that he was “surprised” that oil prices were only around $90 a barrel, compared to the $200 that he claimed to have expected.

Public disenchantment with that attitude is visible among his own supporters. Only about half of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living.

Younger Republicans are particularly unhappy. About 6 in 10 Republicans under 45 disapprove of how Trump is handling costs, compared to about 4 in 10 older Republicans.

Most Republicans who identify as supporters of the Make America Great Again movement are still largely behind the president. About 9 in 10 MAGA Republicans approve of Trump’s job performance, compared to 44% of non-MAGA Republicans, although only about 7 in 10 MAGA Republicans approve of him on cost of living.

Miguel Cortes, a 67-year-old retired aircraft mechanic in South Carolina, believes the increase in prices from tariffs and the Iran war is simply a temporary price to pay. As for gasoline costs rising, “it is what it is, I’m not going to complain,” he said. “People are just going to have to deal with it.”

“From deep in my soul, I believe God put him there for a reason,” said Cortes, who has a tin sign of “Make America Great” in his garage near a National Rifle Association plaque.

Americans are gloomier about the U.S. economy

About three-quarters of U.S. adults described the U.S. economy as “very” or “somewhat” poor in April, up from about two-thirds in February.

The drop in confidence comes as the economy remains unsettled, with gasoline prices higher than they were, as the financial markets for stocks, bonds and oil continues on a rollercoaster ride that veers wildly based on Trump’s claims of a coming peace with Iran one day and a threat to destroy the entire civilization the next.

Americans such as Heidi Bunting, 35, a student with two children, see an economy in which basic needs such as health care and transportation are unaffordable.

“It’s awful, and not just for me,” said Bunting, who lives in Bowling Green, Ohio. “I’m sure the only people doing well in this economy are those who started with a lot of money.”

Falling approval on the economy among independents and Republicans

Despite efforts to tout last year’s tax cuts and brush off economic concerns, Trump’s economic approval remains low among independents and has even eroded among Republicans.

About 2 in 10 independents approve of Trump’s performance on the economy in the new poll, down slightly from about 3 in 10 in March. Far more Republicans, 62%, have a positive view of the way Trump is handling the economy, but that’s also down from 74% last month.

In general, Republicans are less enthusiastic about Trump’s overall performance than they were shortly after he took office. In March 2025, 51% of Republicans “strongly” approved of the way he was handling the presidency, a figure that has dropped to 38% now.

Immigration, another signature issue of Trump’s, is a relative bright spot for the president. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of his performance on that issue, which is unchanged from last month and higher than his overall approval.

Trump’s approval ratings are in line with his predecessor Joe Biden’s lowest approval rating in AP-NORC polling — 36% — which came during July 2022 after inflation spiked to a four-decade high. Biden’s approval ratings recovered slightly as inflation eased, raising a question as to whether Trump can quickly regroup to show tangible progress.

Trump came into office last year with relatively low approval — 42% in March 2025 — which has until now remained fairly stable.

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Bedayn reported from Austin.

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The AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Harmony Quinn left her residence in the 2600 block of S. Deacon Street on Monday (April 20) without permission and failed to return home.

She was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, and black-and-gray ‘Yeezy’ shoes.

Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 4th Precinct at 313-596-5440 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online.

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

U.S. forces “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” of the M/T Tifani “without incident,” the Pentagon said on social media.

The tanker was captured in the Bay of Bengal — between India and Southeast Asia — and it was carrying Iranian oil, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation. The military will decide in the next four days what to do with the vessel, such as tow it back to the U.S. or turn it over to another country, the official said.

It's the latest move by the U.S. to stop any ship tied to Iran or those suspected of carrying supplies that could help its government, from weapons and oil to metals and electronics. The tanker was seized before President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. was extending a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war at mediator Pakistan’s request but was keeping the blockade in place.

The tanker is the second vessel linked to Iran that has been interdicted by the U.S. military. The U.S. Navy attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports, with Trump saying an American destroyer blew a hole in the ship’s engine room.

Targeting Iran-linked ships in international waters

The Pentagon on social media described the Tifani as “stateless” despite it being a Botswana-flagged vessel.

“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran — anywhere they operate,” the Pentagon announcement said, echoing previous statements from Trump administration officials. “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels.”

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week that the enforcement actions would extend beyond Iranian waters and the area under control of U.S. Central Command.

U.S. forces in other areas of responsibility, he told reporters at the Pentagon, “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.” He specifically pointed to operations in the Pacific and said the U.S. would target vessels that left before the blockade began outside the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for energy and other shipments.

The military also detailed an expansive list of goods that it considers contraband, declaring that it will board, search and seize them from merchant vessels “regardless of location.” A notice published Thursday says any “goods that are destined for an enemy and that may be susceptible to use in armed conflict” are “subject to capture at any place beyond neutral territory.”

Blockades can be lawful in wartime, expert says

The U.S. military’s actions against Iranian-linked vessels, namely the attack over the weekend on the cargo ship named the Touska, have raised questions about the two-week ceasefire.

The U.S. and Iran are operating in “an awkward space where the law doesn’t give you a clean yes-or-no answer” on whether the ceasefire was violated, said Jason Chuah, a law professor at the City University of London and the Maritime Institute of Malaysia.

“The United States seems to take the line that the conflict never fully switched off — that is there is still a state of armed conflict,” Chuah said. “By saying that, it can keep doing things like enforcing a blockade and even using limited force at sea.”

Iran is treating the ceasefire as a pause on all hostile acts, Chuah said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday called the U.S. blockade a breach of the ceasefire and said “striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation.” In a letter, Iran's U.N. Mission asked the U.N. Security Council and U.N. chief António Guterres to condemn the U.S. for seizing the Touska and its crew.

The U.S. earlier had instituted a blockade against sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela but had never fired on those vessels.

Blockades and even limited attacks on vessels can be lawful in wartime, with merchant vessels becoming legitimate targets if they contribute to military actions, carry contraband or are incorporated into enemy logistics, Chuah said.

It's harder to prove that a ship such as the Touska is realistically contributing to military action against the U.S., Chuah said.

“The whole dispute really turns on a deceptively simple question: Did the ceasefire actually suspend the right to use force?” Chuah said. “If it did, then firing on vessels or seizing them is very hard to square with the United Nations Charter.”

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior defense adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said a violation of the ceasefire is up for interpretation because there were no defined terms.

“Trump announced it. The Iranians agreed. But there’s no formal agreement,” Cancian said. “So whether it broke the ceasefire or not depends on your perspective. ... Nothing was written down.”

Michael O’Hanlon, a defense and foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution, said the U.S. did not violate the ceasefire because it was limited to bombing Iran, not the blockade.

“We agreed to stop dropping bombs on them, and that’s the basic thing they wanted,” O’Hanlon said, adding that the U.S. still had to enforce the blockade “if you’re going to make it mean anything.”

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AP writer Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations contributed to this report.

As part of President Donald Trump’s push to boost defense spending to $1.5 trillion in the 2027 budget, the Pentagon wants to triple spending on drones and related technology to more than $74 billion and invest over $30 billion into more critical munitions, including missile interceptors, whose stockpiles have become critically low during the Iran war.

Military officials said the spending blueprint was developed before the conflict in the Middle East. They also did not discuss how much they will request in additional funds for the war, which would be on top of what the White House is seeking to boost defense spending in the next budget year.

“The overlap, you’ll see, is the request for munitions, which is something we always need," Jules Hurst III, acting undersecretary of defense and the Pentagon's comptroller, told reporters at a briefing. "We always need to increase our magazine depth. But outside of that, there aren’t any operational costs in here from Iran.”

Heavy investment in drone warfare

The missile interceptors whose numbers are under the most strain are the Patriot and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, air defense systems. The THAAD system is designed for defeating medium-range ballistic missiles, while the Patriot system is for taking down short-range ballistic missiles and crewed aircraft. However, they both also were used to shoot down cheap Iranian drones.

The $30 billion budget item also would aim to purchase long-range Precision Strike Missiles and Mid-Range Capability missile systems used by the U.S. Army.

The budget proposal would allocate nearly $54 billion for military drones and related technology, as well as $21 billion for weapons systems designed to take down enemy drones.

Drones and other unmanned vehicles have emerged as a key weapon in the wars in Ukraine and Iran, and top Pentagon officials say the U.S. must significantly increase its funding of both drones and counter-drone systems.

“Drone warfare is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield,” Hurst said. “This budget is the largest investment in drone warfare and counter drone technology in U.S. history.”

As part of the 2027 budget, the Pentagon also intends to grow the military by 44,500 troops, or more than 2%, spend more than $2 billion on operations on the U.S.-Mexico border and make the largest shipbuilding request since 1962.

Dramatic increase in the Navy's Tomahawk missiles

While officials said the budget was developed before operations began in Iran, it featured major jumps in many of the missiles that have been used in the conflict. One of the most dramatic increases was in the choice for the Navy to increase of its purchase of the Tomahawk cruise missile from 55 missiles last year to 785 in this year’s budget.

The long-range cruise missile was heavily used in Iran and led to concerns from experts that the military was using it much faster than it could replenish its stocks.

Vice Adm. Ben Reynolds, the Navy’s budget boss, wouldn’t say if he expected all 785 Tomahawk missiles to be delivered within the year. He acknowledged that weapons production capacity “is absolutely the challenge” and, in the case of the Tomahawk, he said the Navy expects Raytheon — the company that makes it — “to invest very heavily now to be able to ramp up production.”

The services also are addressing the difficulty in producing the advanced munitions favored by the military by slowly shifting toward more basic weapons.

Major Gen. Frank Verdugo, the Air Force’s budget chief, said the Air Force wants to invest $600 million to develop “affordable” munitions as part of an effort to move away from “small numbers of exquisite weapons toward a future where we can overwhelm an adversary with sheer volume.”

Trump-endorsed battleship is missing

The Navy said it would be buying 18 more warships using more than $65 billion — a 46% increase from the previous year.

However, the Trump-endorsed battleship that was announced to great fanfare last year is not in this year’s budget, according to the briefing. Instead, the Navy is planning to pay for the first battleship in next year’s budget.

The military's spending proposal also lacked money for repairing U.S. bases in the Middle East, which Hurst said would be part of a future request.

“Part of it is we would assess what our posture should be in the Middle East,” Hurst told reporters. “We have to make sure we understand what we want to construct in the future. We might change how we build bases in the Middle East based on this conflict.”

Budget echoes Biden-era priorities, expert says

If approved by Congress, the budget would provide the largest level of defense funding in inflation-adjusted dollars in U.S. history, said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

Harrison said the spending appears more aligned with former President Joe Biden’s national defense strategy than Trump’s.

“This is a budget that is trying to build a force capable of sustaining U.S. presence and security commitments around the world — a force that’s capable of fighting major wars against countries like Russia and China,” Harrison said.

The Trump administration’s strategy document put the priority on homeland defense and was largely silent on Russia and did not say much about China, Harrison said.

The cellular companies appealed to the justices after the Federal Communications Commission found they sold customers’ location data without proper safeguards. The FCC slapped the companies with hefty penalties totaling over $100 million.

The telecom companies challenged the process as unconstitutional because it gives them little opportunity to tell their side of the story in court. Key justices seemed skeptical, however. “I wonder if, at the end of the day, you're really just talking about a PR problem,” Chief Justice John Roberts said during arguments Tuesday.

The Trump administration defended the process as an essential regulatory tool and argued that it does leave a path to court. But the government also said companies don’t have to pay penalties right away, a concession that amounts to a win for the companies, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. “It seems like you’ve won on the law going forward one way or the other,” Kavanaugh told an attorney for AT&T and Verizon.

The Supreme Court's conservative majority has limited the power of federal agencies before, including overturning a decades-old decision that had given regulators an advantage in court and stripping another agency of a major tool in fighting securities fraud. A victory for AT&T and Verizon in this case could have widespread effects for other agencies who use similar enforcement mechanisms, advocates said.

Companies who get notices that they’ve run afoul of FCC regulations now have two options: pay the penalty and then contest it before an appeals court or refuse to pay and wait for a federal lawsuit that could eventually go before a jury. Doug Orvis, a veteran telecom attorney, said neither option is viable, so most companies pay up.

A ruling is expected by late June.

Many advocates in the aftermath of the headline-grabbing shootings have said the tragedies pointedly highlight troubling trends in which Black women are more likely to experience domestic violence — and they see the killings as an opportunity to confront how disparities in access to care and resources make some women and children more vulnerable to violence in the home.

On Sunday morning, a man police identified as Shamar Elkins fatally shot seven of his children and another child in Shreveport, Louisiana. A relative has said Elkins was in the midst of separating from his wife, who was wounded in the attack.

And last Thursday, police found the bodies of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his estranged wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, in their suburban Washington, D.C., home. Justin Fairfax shot his estranged wife and then himself, and their two children in the home at the time were unhurt, police said. Like Elkins, Fairfax was in the process of separating from his wife and had faced a judge's upcoming deadline to move from the house.

While it's not clear what prompted the Shreveport killings or the apparent murder-suicide in Annandale, Virginia, experts say that the harrowing details of the killings echo familiar patterns that play out in homes across the country — and underscore the need for solutions that address the root causes of the disparate violence.

A ‘silent epidemic’

Sunday wasn’t the first time that Elkins’ family had suffered from gender-based gun violence: Shaneiqua Elkins was shot and her sister, Keosha Pugh, was injured while escaping, according to authorities and family. Elkins and Pugh lost their mother to gun violence when they were under age 10, according to their uncle Lionel Pugh. Another woman who authorities have not identified also was shot.

“It’s sad. It just breaks you down," Pugh said.

Shreveport Councilman Grayson Boucher said at a news conference Monday that the Louisiana killings were emblematic of “a true epidemic of domestic violence" across the small southern city of roughly 180,000 people.

Those trends go well beyond Shreveport as experts have pointed out how both race and gender make Black women in particular more vulnerable to domestic violence.

More than 4 in 10 Black women experience physical violence from an intimate partner during their lifetimes — a much higher rate than women who are white, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander — according to a 2014 study by the Centers for Disease Control.

Pamela Tate is the executive director of Black Women Revolt, which runs programs to prevent abuse and offers survivors' resources. She said a logical skepticism about police and government child services agencies based on a history of institutionalized racism makes Black women reluctant to seek help — and especially vulnerable to domestic violence.

Additionally, Black women are two times more likely to be murdered by men than their white counterparts, according to a 2025 study published by the Violence Policy Center, based on federal government data from 2023. Those men are more often than not familiar to their victims, according to the study, which found that more than 9 in 10 Black female victims knew their killers, with the majority of those killings being carried out with guns.

Ultimately, Tate said, “domestic violence doesn't see color," and is primarily driven by the prevalent belief among men — across racial demographics — that women are subjects or property.

“Domestic violence is about exerting power over someone that you profess to love and controlling their behavior,” Tate said.

Lack of resources for Black men

There has been intense speculation about the role that mental health crises might have played in both shootings.

A relative of Elkins' wife told The Associated Press that Elkins had voluntarily checked into a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in January for about a week and a half for mental health help.

In Virginia, Justin Fairfax was a rising star in the Democratic Party until two women accused him of sexual assault, casting doubt on his trustworthiness as a political leader. The former lieutenant governor's “mental and emotional health” suffered before he killed his wife and himself, according to court documents, which say he drank heavily and withdrew from his family after the allegations were made public in 2019.

Dr. Christine Crawford, an adult and child psychiatrist, hasn’t examined the killings in Shreveport or Annandale, but said financial troubles, marital issues and problems at work — in addition to underlying mental health vulnerabilities — can lead someone to “crack."

“It makes some think about the amount of pain, distress and hopelessness they found themselves in at that time,” said Crawford, who practices at the Webster Clinic in Boston and is interim chief medical officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

She noted many Black people find themselves priced out of programs and care for mental health for such reasons as private care costs and a lack of insurance.

That level of desperation can make some people feel “completely out of options on how to deal with the pain he was in at that moment," Crawford said.

Some have said that there are social dimensions to these economic trends, too.

“Mental health disparities in the Black community is not accidental,” said University of Michigan Social Work Professor Daphne C. Watkins. “They are the predictable result of structural racism” in schools, employment and other aspects of society.

Watkins, founder of the YBMen Project which provides young Black men with a safe place to discuss their mental health, manhood and social support, said studies show that 10% of Black adults experience moderate to severe depression, while 18% experience anxiety disorders.

But Black men tend to forego mental health treatment due to cultural expectations, in addition to costs, said Watkins. Without an outlet, stressors from family, work and relationships can pile up.

“For a long time, in the Black community, we didn’t talk about anxiety. Now, you have to talk about it hand in hand along with depression.”

Mental health not an excuse, some say

Others have emphatically said that mental health is not an excuse for domestic violence.

“To say they’re mentally ill, that doesn’t cut it,” Tate said. “There are people who are depressed or people who have schizophrenia and don’t harm the their partners, much less kill them.”

Shaneiqua Elkins and Cerina Fairfax could have been struggling with mental health challenges too, Tate added, and they both “had the same access or ability to go and purchase a gun” but chose not to.

“The mental illness is not what we’re talking about here,” she said.

____

This story has been updated to correct that Shaneiqua Elkins’ sister Keosha Pugh was not shot; Pugh was injured escaping, and a second woman who authorities have not identified was also shot.

____

Associated Press writer Sophie Bates contributed in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The S&P 500 erased an early rise to fall 0.6% after U.S. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip to Pakistan, where he was expected to lead U.S. negotiators in talks with Iran to extend the ceasefire.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 293 points, or 0.6%, after erasing an earlier gain of 400 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.6%. Less than 10 minutes after the U.S. stock market finished trading for the day President Donald Trump said he would extend the ceasefire to give Iran time to submit a proposal to end the war.

Oil prices also wavered before Trump announced the extension, and the price for a barrel of Brent crude went from less than $95 to roughly $100 during the day. It settled at $98.48, up 3.1%.

The moves were mostly more modest than the vicious swings that rocked Wall Street earlier in the war, when the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly topped $119 and the S&P 500 dropped nearly 10% below its prior all-time high. The U.S. stock market remains near its most recent record, which was set Friday, indicating optimism still remains in financial markets that the United States and Iran will avoid a worst-case scenario for the economy.

“It’s become cliched to say that the economic hit will depend on the duration of the Middle East conflict, but that cliché does ring true,” according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

Much of the tension in financial markets has focused on what will happen to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran’s coast that oil tankers use to exit the Persian Gulf. A long-term closure would keep crude oil pent up in the gulf and away from customers worldwide.

Helping to limit Wall Street’s losses were UnitedHealth Group and other big companies that reported bigger profits for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

UnitedHealth jumped 7% after also raising its forecast for profit over the full year of 2026. That’s big because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term, and it’s a double-plus when companies not only top earnings estimates but also forecast better growth ahead.

Quest Diagnostics rose 4.4% after likewise reporting fatter profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected while also raising its profit forecast for the full year.

Amazon added 0.7% after Anthropic said it signed a new agreement and is committing more than $100 billion over the next 10 years to AWS technologies to train and run its Claude chatbot.

But they were all nevertheless overshadowed by a 2.5% drop for Apple, which was the day’s heaviest weight on the S&P 500. It fell in its first trading after Tim Cook said he’ll step down as CEO on Sept. 1 and become the iPhone maker’s executive chairman.

Cook is handing control over to John Ternus, a company veteran who rose through Apple’s hardware engineering ranks.

Tractor Supply, meanwhile, dropped 11.7% after reporting profit and revenue for the latest quarter that fell short of expectations.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 45.13 points to 7,064.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 293.18 to 49,149.38, and the Nasdaq composite sank 144.43 to 24,259.96.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. South Korea’s Kospi rallied 2.7% for one of the world’s biggest moves.

In the bond market, Treasury yields rose after a report on Tuesday morning showed that U.S. retailers made more money in March, the first full month of the war, than analysts expected. Growth was even relatively stable for retail sales when not including those from gasoline stations.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.31% from 4.26% late Monday, and the gains accelerated late in the day with oil prices.

Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to chair the Federal Reserve, said that he never promised Trump he would cut interest rates, even though Trump has angrily been calling for the central bank to do so. Warsh is facing a tightrope walk as U.S. senators consider his nomination because investors want him to maintain the Fed’s independence from political meddling.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Taron Smith was last seen on Tuesday (April 21) at 9 a.m. in the area of Franklin Street and 11 Mile Road.

Smith was last seen wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt and shorts.

Anyone with information should contact the Southfield Police Department at 248-796-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online.

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

Gary Stevens, who suffers from cognitive impairment, was last seen during the early hours of Sunday (April 19), after leaving his residence on foot in the area of S Lilley Road and Palmer Road.

Stevens was last seen wearing a camo t-shirt, camo pants, and black shoes.

Anyone with information should contact the Canton Police Department at 734-394-5400 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online.

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

To celebrate the 22nd year of Bookstock, 22 people have a chance to win $20 in Bookstock bucks. This can be used to make purchases during the used book and media sale which runs April 26 through May 3.

Please complete the form below to enter the sweepstakes.

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Chief Judge Denise J. Casper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that a coalition of plaintiffs representing wind and solar developers were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that the administration's actions violate federal statute and will cause irreparable harm if the court did not intervene.

She issued a preliminary injunction to stop the administration from implementing the policies, which clean energy advocates said would hamstring projects that need to get underway quickly to qualify for expiring federal tax credits.

The Interior Department in July said that all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Burgum, a layer of enhanced oversight that officials said was needed to end what they said was preferential treatment for these technologies under the Biden administration. Burgum's order authorized him to conduct “elevated review” of renewable projects, from proposed leases to rights of way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions.

A coalition of regional wind and solar developers sued Burgum and other federal officials in December, saying his actions had the “goal and effect of destroying solar and wind energy” proposals in the United States. They accused Burgum of favoring fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas and said he had intentionally changed longstanding agency processes and legal determinations to delay and prevent the permitting and construction of wind and solar facilities. The lawsuit challenged six final agency actions that it says place wind and solar technologies into “second-class status.”

An Interior spokesperson said Tuesday the department does not comment on litigation, but added: “America sets the global standard for energy production. We do it cleaner, safer, and more reliably than anywhere in the world.”

In his second term, President Donald Trump has focused U.S. energy production on fossil fuels, which he says will lower costs for families, increase reliability and help the U.S. maintain global leadership in artificial intelligence. Critics say that change continues U.S. dependence on more polluting energy sources and sets the country apart from a world transitioning toward cleaner energy.

A law approved last year by the Republican-controlled Congress phases out tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy while enhancing federal support for coal, oil and natural gas. Three days after signing the law, Trump issued an executive order that further restricts subsidies for what he called “expensive and unreliable energy policies from the Green New Scam.”

The plaintiffs said in a joint statement Tuesday that the ruling is the first of many steps to bring more affordable energy options to people across the country.

“Clean energy is fast, affordable and here to stay,” the statement said. “We look forward to getting back to work and restarting the impacted wind and solar projects nationwide.”

The plaintiffs are: the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, MAREC Action, Southern Renewable Energy Association, Clean Grid Alliance, Interwest Energy Alliance, Renewable Northwest, Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association, RENEW Northeast and Green Energy Consumers Alliance.

Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the Trump administration keeps trying new ways to block the clean energy projects needed to power the grid, and the courts keep striking them down.

“The administration should take the hint and stop these illegal attacks on projects that will help meet surging electricity demand and bring down costs for consumers,” Kennedy said in a statement.

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McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.

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“Spirit’s in trouble and I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs,” Trump said in a CNBC interview. “And maybe the federal government should help that one out.”

The ultra low-cost carrier filed for bankruptcy protection in August for the second time in less than a year and was aiming to exit in late spring or early summer after striking a preliminary deal with lenders. That plan was quickly disrupted when U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran sent oil prices soaring above $100 a barrel, with jet fuel costs doubling in some markets as the fighting in the Middle East continues to disrupt global oil supplies.

Spirit’s relatively young fleet has made it an attractive acquisition target. But previous buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and during Spirit’s first bankruptcy.

Trump did not offer details on what type of government aid could be provided. But asked separately on Tuesday about potential government relief, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters that the president had directed the department to review possible options.

“He’s directed us to take a look. I’ll have a conversation with the president later today,” Duffy said, adding that he was also meeting with some of the budget carriers later Tuesday.

The Associated Press sent emailed requests for comment to Spirit.

Congress has stepped in to authorize federal support for airlines before, most notably after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Already weakened by soft domestic demand and persistent losses, especially since the pandemic, Spirit has come under growing financial strain as the higher fuel costs have added fresh uncertainty about its ability to continue operating.

Against that backdrop, the union representing Spirit flight attendants sought to address growing concerns in a memo sent last Thursday to members.

“There have been speculative reports of liquidation. While we want to make it clear that conditions have worsened, at this time there are ongoing efforts to keep Spirit operating," the Association of Flight Attendants said. "We know you need the best possible information on this and we will keep you closely advised. But to be clear, at this time there is no definitive decision to halt operations.”

Budget carriers like Spirit — known for its bright yellow planes and no-frills service — have been under pressure by bigger airlines, which have rolled out their own low-cost offerings. By the time of its first Chapter 11 filing in November 2024, the Florida company had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator said during a Politico health care summit that his agency plans to ask states to “own” the problem of health care fraud this week with requests for states to share their strategies within 30 days.

“It's an example of what we'd like them to do to prove that they're serious about this,” Oz said onstage Tuesday. “And if you don't take it seriously, it indicates to us that we might have to take the audits that we're doing to the different states more aggressively,” he said, without elaborating.

Tuesday's announcement is part of a federal campaign to tackle waste, fraud and abuse in federal Medicaid and Medicare programs that so far has mostly targeted Democratic states — and at least once has erred in its accusations.

Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported that CMS made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe in New York. The acknowledgment deepened doubts in the administration's methods and raised a common criticism that has been made about the second Trump administration — that it tends to attack first and confirm the facts later.

In addition to New York, CMS has approached at least four other states with investigations into potential health care fraud and halted some $243 million in Medicaid payments to one of them, Minnesota, over fraud concerns. It also is blocking for six months any new Medicare enrollments for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics or certain other supplies around the country to address the potential for fraud. In addition, federal officials made several arrests earlier this month related to alleged hospice fraud schemes in the Los Angeles area.

Last month, Trump signed an executive order to create an anti-fraud task force across federal benefit programs led by Vice President JD Vance. It's unclear whether Tuesday's move is part of that effort, though Oz has been working closely with Vance on other investigations related to the task force. Asked for details on the new audit, a spokesperson for CMS said the agency was researching the AP's inquiry.

Oz justified Tuesday's move by saying federal health programs in some states have enrolled large numbers of providers who aren't providing real care to patients, but instead profiting from fraud. He said the requests for states to verify the legitimacy of Medicaid providers will be focused on “high risk areas,” but didn’t explain what those entail.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have blamed for allowing fraud to happen in federally funded programs including Medicaid, welcomed Oz’s announcement.

Walz told reporters Tuesday that Minnesota hadn’t received the request yet, but the Democratic governor said his state is already moving ahead with the revalidation process and has made significant improvements. Minnesota sued CMS in February in an attempt to stop it from withholding Medicaid funds. That case is still ongoing, and the money has not yet been released, but CMS wrote to state officials last month that the agency had approved the state’s corrective action plan.

Asked during the Politico interview whether there was a risk that Trump administration initiatives could eliminate, slow down or harm essential health care programs, Oz said he expects the opposite. He said Medicaid and Medicare are the “crown jewels” of our nation.

“I believe this audit and others like it will save the programs we care most about,” he said.

__

Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report.

“The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, period,” Kevin Warsh, a former top Fed official, said under questioning by the Senate Banking Committee. “Nor would I ever agree to do so if he had. ... I will be an independent actor if confirmed as chair of the Federal Reserve.”

Warsh’s comments came just hours after Trump, in an interview on CNBC, was asked if he would be disappointed if Warsh didn’t immediately cut rates and responded, “I would.”

The comments underscore the challenge faced by Warsh, 56, a financier and former member of the Fed's board of governors whom Trump named in January to replace the current Fed chair, Jerome Powell. Democrats on the committee accused Warsh of flip-flopping on interest rates over the years, supporting higher interest rates under Democratic presidents and advocating rate cuts during Trump's time in office. Investors are watching the hearing closely to see how Warsh balances Trump’s demands with worsening inflation, as the war in Iran pushes up the price of gasoline.

Higher inflation typically leads the Fed to raise rates, or at least keep them unchanged, rather than cut them. When the Fed changes its key rate, it can affect mortgages, auto loans, and business borrowing.

Yet Warsh's account was challenged by Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, who said that Wall Street Journal reporting last year found that Trump had urged Warsh to reduce borrowing costs.

“Who's lying here? Is it you or the president?” Gallego asked.

“I think those reporters need better sources,” Warsh responded.

For all the back and forth, the hearing didn't appear to advance Warsh's nomination, which has been delayed by a Justice Department investigation into the Fed and Powell, over brief testimony Powell gave last June before the same panel about a building renovation.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican on the committee, reiterated Tuesday he wouldn't vote for Warsh until the investigation is dropped. With the committee closely divided and all Democrats opposed to his nomination, Tillis' opposition is enough to bottle it up in committee.

“We have got to get rid of this investigation,” Tillis said, “so I can support your nomination.”

Tillis has previously said that all seven Republicans on the committee have signed a letter stating that Powell did not commit a crime when he testified before the panel last June. Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro, are investigating his testimony for potential perjury, though a judge said last month they offered no evidence to support the charge when he threw out subpoenas Pirro had issued.

Prosecutors from her office as recently as last week sought access to the Fed’s building project but were turned away, revealing that the Trump administration has not reversed course despite opposition from members of his own party that are essential to Warsh’s confirmation.

In his opening remarks, Warsh told the Senate Banking Committee that one of his top goals would be to fight inflation, which remains elevated at 3.3% annually.

“Congress tasked the Fed with the mission to ensure price stability, without excuse or equivocation, argument or anguish,” Warsh said. “Inflation is a choice, and the Fed must take responsibility for it.”

Warsh would be in a tough spot if confirmed. Inflation is worsening, making it much harder for the Fed to implement the interest rate cuts Trump so desperately seeks. The conflict could also slow the economy, as well as hiring. And if Warsh ultimately becomes chair, he may very well find his predecessor, Powell, still sitting on the Fed’s governing board, an uncomfortable arrangement that hasn’t occurred since the late 1940s.

Warsh said the Fed's political independence is “essential,” and that the central bank wasn't threatened when “elected officials — presidents, senators, or members of the House — state their views on interest rates." Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to cut the Fed's key rate from its current level of about 3.6% to as low as 1%, a view almost no economist shares.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said that Trump has not just stated his opinions on rates, but has sought to fire a Fed governor and is investigating Powell.

“The Senate should not be aiding and abetting Donald Trump’s illegal takeover of the Fed by installing his chosen sock puppet as chair,” she said Tuesday.

Warren also noted that Warsh has not disclosed all of his financial holdings, which include investments in start-ups and private companies, or the size of those financial stakes. For example, Warsh has said he has holdings in SpaceX and Polymarket, but has not said how large those investments are.

Warren charged that Warsh is not in compliance with ethics requirements. Warsh argued that the Office of Government Ethics has signed off on his plan to sell all his assets within 90 days of his confirmation.

The turmoil could make a potential transition from Powell to Warsh an unusually turbulent one for the world’s most pivotal central bank, which has historically experienced smooth transfers of power. Should the change in leadership prove particularly bumpy, it could unnerve markets and lift longer-term interest rates.

Powell's term as chair ends May 15. He said last month that he would remain as chair until a successor is named. Powell also is serving a separate term as a member of the Fed's governing board that lasts until January 2028. Fed chairs typically leave the board when their terms as chair end, but Powell said last month he would remain on the board, even if a new chair is approved, until the investigation is dropped.

Trump said he would fire Powell if he attempted to remain at the Fed. Yet Trump's previous attempt to remove a Fed governor, Lisa Cook, has been tied up in court. During oral arguments in January, a majority of justices on the Supreme Court appeared to lean toward leaving Cook at the Fed.

Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Price of St. Louis was accused in 2020 of having sex with an intern, threatening a staffer to keep quiet and then lying while under investigation. An attempt to expel Price from the House failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority in January 2021. Colleagues instead voted overwhelmingly to censure him and deduct about $22,500 from his paychecks to cover the costs of the investigation.

Price did not contest the allegations in his 2024 lawsuit against the Missouri House of Representatives and the state Office of Administration. Rather, he contended that the legislature lacked the authority to take his salary, and did so too late.

Cole County Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe agreed with Price in a ruling late last week. The judge said that House rules made no mention of potential fines or cost recoupments when an ethics committee recommended in December 2020 that Price be punished. After a new two-year session of the legislature began in 2021, the House could not legally continue the case nor retroactively change its rules to allow the financial penalties, the judge wrote.

“Even grade-school children recognize that you can’t change the rules after the fact," Richard Callahan, a former U.S. attorney who represented Price, said Tuesday. He added: "You don’t have to know Latin to know that there’s an unfairness about that.”

A spokesperson for the Missouri House said that chamber officials are reviewing the court order and evaluating their next steps.

Price lost in the Democratic primary in 2022 and now works on the staff of Democratic state Sen. Karla May. He is one of at least 158 lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct in state capitols since 2017, the year the #MeToo movement gained momentum, according to a tally by The Associated Press. More than one-third resigned or were expelled from office and roughly another third faced repercussions, such as losing party or committee leadership positions or being formally censured.

A dozen top state executive officials, including governors and attorneys general, also faced sexual misconduct allegations during that time, and most resigned.

A report released Tuesday by the National Women's Defense League also cataloged 30 members of U.S. Congress who faced publicly reported workplace sexual harassment or misconduct accusations since 2006. Those include Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, who announced last week that they were leaving Congress. Their decisions came as both faced the prospect of being expelled from the chamber by their colleagues.

Advocates for those subjected to harassment say resignations provide accountability only if they are followed by substantive changes to the way allegations are handled and better policies for deterring such actions.

“It is an ongoing problem that there is kind of a get-out-of-jail-free card, where you can resign with dignity and we stop a political tsunami, we don’t have to keep talking about this, and we can move on to the politics of the day,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, founding director of the National Women’s Defense League. "That is not enough.“

She said actual instances of sexual harassment and misconduct by federal and state lawmakers likely are several times higher than what's publicly reported because many people who targeted are reluctant to go public over fear of retaliation.

“We are aware of disturbing messages allegedly attributed to Regent Acker in an article recently published in The Guardian, including messages potentially referencing a University of Michigan student. We immediately reported this matter and expect it to be investigated thoroughly, fairly, and expeditiously," according to a statement from regents Mark J. Bernstein and Michael J. Behm on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA) reviewed the article and said it alleges that Acker shared private information about a student on Slack.

He allegedly “lewdly and misogynistically speculated on the student’s sexual activity and posted her picture,” according to a statement from the SACUA on Monday, April 20.

“The conduct described in this report is disgusting, a violation of trust and professional standards, and unbecoming of the high office to which Regent Acker has been elected,” the SACUA said in the statement. “If these allegations are true, Regent Acker should resign his position immediately.”

This comes after Dearborn attorney Amir Makled defeated Acker for the Democratic nomination for the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

Acker has served on the Board of Regents since 2019.

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The UT Dell Medical Center, announced Tuesday, is projected to open in 2030 as the crown jewel of a new 300-plus-acre advanced research campus. The university expects to break ground this fall on what school leaders are calling the country's first “AI-native” hospital.

The donation makes the couple the first University of Texas donors to give more than $1 billion, according to system officials, building on two decades of support for computer science education, the medical school and scholarships for students with the most significant financial need.

For Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at about $170 billion, the next step was to further expand his and his wife's investments in Central Texas. The computer magnate founded the company in 1984 as a UT-Austin pre-med student selling customized personal computers from his freshman dorm room. Health infrastructure needs became clear, he said, as the area's population about doubled in size.

“I was born in Texas. My wife was born in Texas. This is our home,” Dell told the Associated Press, adding that “building a stronger health system here, more innovation and helping to support the growth and stability of the region” is important.

The donation is among the largest ever in higher education philanthropy, following recent contributions such as Phil Knight's $2 billion pledge to Oregon Health & Science University's cancer center and Michael Bloomberg's $1.8 billion gift to cover Johns Hopkins University medical students' tuition.

A ‘rare' opportunity to integrate technology into a new medical center

From monitoring vital signs to triggering step-by-step care plans, AI is making inroads into health care at hundreds of hospitals.

With the launch of UT Dell Medical Center, however, Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti sees a rare opportunity: instead of retroactively applying new technologies to old hospital infrastructure, she said they can integrate them from the start. They will also collaborate with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to offer top specialists for those with complex conditions.

Lucchinetti, the dean of Dell Medical School and senior vice president for medical affairs, said their model will use technology to support the patient-doctor relationship and make care “feel simpler and more human.” “Ambient" AI will make the hospital itself an “intelligent member of the care team,” she said, taking notes so that clinicians can treat patients more directly. She touted AI's ability to identify biometric patterns and early signs of cancer before they're obvious to the naked eye.

The goal, she said, is to move from a reactive and fragmented health system to one that is predictive and more seamless.

“We have the technology, the science and the understanding to do better. And what we’ve been missing is the ability to design a system around those capabilities from the start,” she said. "That’s the opportunity that Susan and Michael Dell have catalyzed.”

The gift will also support undergraduate scholarships, student housing and UT's Texas Advanced Computing Center, where officials are building the nation's largest academic supercomputer with Dell's AI infrastructure.

In a convocation address two years ago, Michael Dell encouraged medical school graduates to ensure AI models understand human ethics and make health care more equitable. He believes the technology will augment caregiving, create more precise treatments, accelerate scientific discoveries and apply those findings to real-world practices sooner.

“We have to figure out how to do this in a way that is responsible, reflects our values and beliefs, and ultimately enables humans to reach their full potential,” he told AP. “That's what we're all working on.”

Landscape for higher education giving

The major contribution comes at a time when private support for higher education is falling to a dwindling pool of supporters.

Colleges raised a record $78 billion last year, according to the 2025 Voluntary Support of Education, but nearly 90% of that money came from just 2% of donors.

Rutgers University Associate Dean for Research Marybeth Gasman said she's excited to see such strong support for a public institution at a time when public funding is declining amid politicized attacks on higher education. She hopes the megagift inspires other donations, as she said decades-long patterns suggest that more giving occurs after high-profile individual contributions.

“Higher education, quite frankly, could really use it right now," she said.

UT-Austin officials are certainly hoping so. The Dells' gift kicks off a broader 10-year campaign to raise $10 billion for the university.

The donation comes on the heels of the Dells' $6.25 billion pledge to provide an incentive to claim new investment accounts under President Donald Trump's tax law for 25 million American children ages 10 and under. The “Trump Accounts” give $1,000 to every newborn, so long as their parents open one, and invests those funds in the stock market. The couple believes it is the largest single private commitment made to U.S. children.

Michael Dell said even a small sum makes a child more likely to enter college — “perhaps at the University of Texas or some other great school” — and eventually start a family or business. He welcomed the creativity he's seeing from other “Trump Accounts" funders. He's seen cities offer additional investments for community service and good grades. He noted that hedge fund managers Brad Gerstner and Ray Dalio have seeded accounts in Indiana and Connecticut, respectively.

“I think you'll see many more gifts at the local community level and some other big ones at the national level,” he said.

But he dismissed the suggestion that, between the “Trump Accounts” and this University of Texas gift, there's been a shift in his and his wife's philanthropy toward more selective, bigger bets.

“Certainly, we’ve been very blessed and we have a lot of resources,” he said. "So, we're looking for things that have significant impact.”

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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.

Repairs to the Druzhba pipeline became a contentious issue, delaying approval of a major 90 billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan intended to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs over the next two years. Zelenskyy said repairing the pipeline was linked to freeing the funds, which had been blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.

But top EU officials are now cautiously optimistic that the massive loan scheme might be approved as soon as Wednesday, ending months of political deadlock.

“Ukraine has completed repair work on the section of the Druzhba oil pipeline that was damaged by a Russian strike. The pipeline can resume operation,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Although no one can currently guarantee that Russia will not repeat attacks on the pipeline infrastructure, our specialists have ensured the basic conditions for restoring the operation of the pipeline system and equipment.”

“We connect this with the unblocking of the European support package for Ukraine, which had already been approved by the European Council,” he added.

Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia have been halted for two months after what Ukrainian officials say were Russian drone attacks that damaged the pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory, and that continuous strikes risk the lives of technicians trying to repair it.

The war in Ukraine that began in February 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands, forced millions to flee their homes and turned cities into rubble.

Before being unseated by centrist challenger Péter Magyar, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had threatened to cut gas supplies to Ukraine. Both Hungary and Slovakia accused Kyiv of deliberately obstructing Russian deliveries.

Zelenskyy said earlier this month he is reluctant to allow Russian oil to continue transiting through his country.

Speaking to reporters in Luxembourg after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the loan saga had taken many twists and turns. “We expect an agreement in 24 hours, so I don’t want to jinx it,” she said.

EU envoys are due to meet Wednesday in hopes of ending the standoff.

European Council President Antonio Costa, who will chair a summit of EU leaders starting Thursday, took to social media to thank Zelenskyy “for delivering, as agreed: repairing the Druzhba pipeline and restoring its operation.”

The 27-nation EU had originally intended to use Russian assets frozen in Europe as collateral for the loan. But that option was blocked by Belgium, where the bulk of the frozen assets are held.

In December, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia agreed not to stop their EU partners from borrowing the money on international markets as long as the three countries did not have to take part in the scheme.

But Orbán angered the other 24 countries by later reneging on that deal over the pipeline dispute and as campaigning heated up ahead of elections earlier this month, which the veteran Hungarian leader lost in a landslide.

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

Even more notable: Mendoza, of Indiana, joined Jim Plunkett and Bryce Young as just the third Latino to win the trophy while Pavia, from Vanderbilt, was the runner-up.

Now with the NFL draft almost here, Mendoza and Pavia continue to drive conversation about where they will go. Mendoza is projected to be the No. 1 selection Thursday night, likely going to the quarterback-needy Las Vegas Raiders, while Pavia hopes to prove any lingering doubters wrong.

And while the two quarterbacks are the headliners, they are certainly not the only Latino prospects hoping to hear their names called before the draft ends Saturday.

Here's a look at nine players who attended the NFL's annual scouting combine in Indianapolis in February.

QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

The Heisman Trophy winner and national championship-winning quarterback seems a virtual lock to be the No. 1 pick after throwing for 3,535 yards, leading the nation with 41 TD passes and running for seven more scores, including the memorable TD that helped seal Indiana's national title. Mendoza eagerly embraces his Cuban lineage. He has talked often about the role his parents and family played in his growth as a player, and his four grandparents who fled Cuba in 1959.

WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

The 5-foot-11 1/2, 196-pound, do-it-all receiver with Puerto Rican connections emerged as one of the nation's top playmakers in 2025. He was a first-team All-America selection as the all-purpose player and though his 40-yard dash time of 4.43 seconds may cause some scouts to question his top-end speed, Concepcion always seems to deliver in clutch moments or when plays appear to be over. He also has written about his speech impediment, indicating he wants to become a role model for those who “may be too scared to speak.” He could be picked on Day 1 or early on Day 2.

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

The 6-1, 231-pound Rodriguez did a little bit of everything with one of last season's top defenses. He made 128 tackles, broke up seven passes, intercepted four, forced seven fumbles, recovered two and posted one sack. And the unanimous All-American also won the Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award and Bednarik Award on a defense stacked with future NFL players. He seemingly did it all in college, including playing quarterback at Virginia in 2021. The question is where he will land and how all that experience will translate to the pro level.

LB Taurean York, Texas A&M

At 5-11, 186 pounds, York is smaller than prototypical linebackers but could find a home by playing the trendy safety-linebacker hybrid NFL teams seem to increasingly want. He's been productive, too. The second team all-SEC selection started all three seasons with the Aggies, and he finished last season with 72 tackles and three passes defensed. He's one of five players in this draft with family ties to Mexico. Look for York to be chosen on Day 2 or early on Day 3.

QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

He's one of the most polarizing players in this draft class, in part because he's not afraid to express his thoughts and in part because he stands only 5-foot-10, much shorter than most teams prefer in a quarterback. But there are two things on Pavia's resume that can't be ignored — he's routinely defied the odds and he wins. Pavia started his college career at New Mexico Military Institute, played well enough to jump to New Mexico State and then led Vanderbilt to its most successful back-to-back seasons in recent memory. Now the 2025 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and the first Heisman finalist from Vanderbilt will be waiting to find out which NFL team will give him a chance to prove himself all over again.

TE Josh Cuevas, Alabama

Cuevas has been a more proficient blocker than pass catcher at his three college stops — Cal Poly, Washington and Alabama. And though his size, 6-3 1/2, 245 pounds, may prompt some teams to project him more as a fullback than a tight end, there's plenty to like. Cuevas produced solid numbers last season with the Tide — 37 receptions, 411 yards, four TDs — and had career bests in 2022 at Cal Poly (58 catches, 678 yards, six TDs). The other thing coaches will appreciate is his accountablilty. He apologized to Alabama fans after the 2025 season-opening loss to Florida State, saying the players failed to meet the expected standard in that game. He also used his Senior Bowl platform to throw his support behind Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer.

OL Fernando Carmona, Arkansas

Carmona showed his versatility last season by moving to guard after playing left tackle the previous three seasons. That gave NFL teams a potential preview of what he could do next season with his shorter arms and massive size — 6-4 1/2, 316 pounds. He's also improved steadily in college, going from honorable mention all-Western Athletic Conference with San Jose State in 2023 to third-team all-SEC in 2024 and second-team all-SEC last year. While scouts also seem to like his energy and edge, they also realize he'll need better technique to excel at the next level.

QB Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

Aguilar is one of the rare prospects who didn't want to be on any draft list. Despite throwing for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns in his only season with the Volunteers, Aguilar wanted to return to school for one more year. But just days before the NFL's annual scouting combine was set to begin, a Tennessee court denied his preliminary injunction, pushing him into the draft. The decision put Aguilar in an awkward position because most of the other players had spent weeks or months preparing for the draft. That makes his landing spot — or even a selection — anybody's guess.

OL Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas

Cruz has the size teams covet — 6-5 1/2, 313 pounds — and the versatility they like in late-round prospects because he played both left and right tackle in college. He also overcame the adversity of going from starter to backup at Syracuse by reclaiming the starting job last year at Kansas. Will it be enough to entice an NFL team? Perhaps.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Michael Lopez, 44, of Southfield, first encountered Melvindale police Officer Mohamed Said at 12:34 p.m. July 21, 2024, at a car wash near the intersection of Oakwood Boulevard and Clarann Street in Melvindale, officials said.

Said, 26, was called to the car wash and Lopez fled on foot, according to authorities.

While Said chased Lopez, Lopez pulled out a handgun and shot Said, police said.

Said died from his injuries.

Lopez is facing the following charges:

• Murder of a police officer -- a felony with a maximum penalty of life in prison.
• Felon in possession of a firearm -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
• Felon in possession of ammunition -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
• Carrying a concealed weapon -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
• Possession of methamphetamine/ecstasy -- a felony with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
• Possession of under 25 grams of a controlled substance -- a felony with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
• Carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
• Five felony firearm violations -- each two-year felonies, to be served consecutively.

On May 1, 2025, a judge ruled Lopez was competent to stand trial. Jury selection was held on Monday and Tuesday, April 20-21, 2026.

The seller was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 14 days of community service, according to court records.

The victim met the seller in the front parking lot of the Livonia Police Department to complete a Facebook Marketplace sale on Feb. 18, 2026.

The victim approached the driver’s side window of the seller’s car and handed over $1,300 in cash before inspecting the items.

After receiving the cash, the seller drove away without providing the items, police said.

He was taken into custody on the evening of Feb. 26, 2026.

The teen was arraigned Feb. 27, 2026, in the 16th District Court of Livonia. His bond was set at $15,000 at 10%.

Brittany Brodacki from Michigan Humane appeared on “Live In The D” to discuss heartworm prevention.

Watch the video above to see the segment.