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Victor Willis, who co-founded the Village People and co-wrote 'Y.M.C.A.,' dies at 74

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:37:42 +0000

Victor Willis, who co-founded the Village People, co-wrote the disco group's classic hits “Y.M.C.A.,” ″Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” and delighted crowds while dressed as the band's helmeted and mustachioed police officer, has died. He was 74.

“We are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis, lead singer of Village People," the group posted on its official Facebook page. The cause was identified as “a short but aggressive illness.”

Willis was a musician-actor who, among other things, had appeared on Broadway in “The Wiz” when he decided to cash in on the disco craze in 1977 by joining a group made up of beefy, macho-looking guys dressed as a biker, a construction worker, a cop, a cowboy and a Native American chief.

With producer Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, Morali’s business partner, Willis founded the six-member Village People. The idea came to them while partying at an after-hours gay nightclub in the West Village of Manhattan. The group’s self-titled debut album was released in 1977.

In 1978, the group released two albums, “Macho Man” and “Cruisin’” — which featured the international hit “Y.M.C.A.,” a song that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard chart. A year later, Village People released the album “Go West,” which included “In the Navy,” a song that peaked at No. 3 on the chart. “Macho Man” peaked at No. 25 in 1978.

In 2020, Congress described “Y.M.C.A.” — with its infectious chorus of “It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.” and an accompanying dance spelling out the letters — as “an American phenomenon” and added the song to the National Recording Registry. In 2021, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Willis also starred in the 1980 movie “Can’t Stop the Music,” a widely ridiculed comedy starring the Village People and Steve Guttenberg and directed by Nancy Walker. Critic Rex Reed called it "one of the silliest movies ever made."

Village People music is the backbone of pool parties, high school dances, weddings, proms, bar mitzvahs, games and whenever an uplifting mood is needed. The songs also played at gay marches and the White House.

“We will think of Victor every time ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media Wednesday. “My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed.”

While musicians like Neil Young, John Fogerty, Phil Collins, Panic! At The Disco and the estates of Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty and Prince sent cease-and-desist letters to stop Trump from using their music, Willis said he didn't feel he was endorsing Trump when the song played.

Willis was born in Texas and grew up in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. When he moved to New York, he went to a YMCA on West 63rd Street in Manhattan, which inspired the hit song.

The ownership of Village People's songs came into doubt decades after the hits, and in 2015, a federal jury ruled that Willis was entitled to 50% copyright ownership in the United States of 13 of the group’s songs, including “Y.M.C.A.”

After a series of arrests on drug-related charges that resulted in a rehab stint, Willis told The Associated Press in 2012 that his life had turned around. “Life is fine. I went through whatever I went through, but everything is going great now,” he said.

In May, Willis and the Village People — he was the only original member — sang “Happy Birthday” and “Y.M.C.A.” for Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an event in India.

Medicare is now covering some GLP-1 weight loss drugs for $50. Here’s what to know

Ali Swenson, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:09:05 +0000

Popular — and expensive — GLP-1 weight loss drugs just got a lot cheaper for many older Americans.

Starting Wednesday, the federal government is offering a selection of the brand name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge.

The temporary program, which runs until the end of 2027, is the first opportunity for most older adults to get GLP-1s, short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, covered by insurance when used strictly for weight loss. But there are weight and health requirements, and those who already get GLP-1s covered for diseases like diabetes and sleep apnea won’t qualify.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he hopes the program can help his agency collect data to potentially work toward longer-term coverage, while providing immediate relief to cash-strapped older Americans.

“The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access,” he said in a call with reporters. “That ends today.”

Eligibility is based on BMI and other conditions

Of the more than 70 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, at least 10 million are overweight or obese, said Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. But, she said, a narrower slice of that group will have access to this program.

There's no good data on how many people it can benefit — and Oz declined to speculate on the number with reporters. He said data from the program will reveal how many eligible beneficiaries choose to take the drugs, a number his team is keen to learn.

To qualify, besides having Medicare drug coverage, you must have a body mass index of 35 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside another health condition, such as a past heart attack or stroke, prediabetes or another from a list on the CMS website. BMI measurements are counted at the start of GLP-1 therapy — so even people who fall below the threshold now can qualify if they can show they had a high enough BMI when they began taking the drugs.

Medicare beneficiaries who have sleep apnea, diabetes or fatty liver disease can’t access the program, but their Medicare Part D insurance might cover their GLP-1s separately based on those diagnoses.

If you think you might qualify, the first step is to contact your health care provider, CMS says on its website. The provider must send a prescription for one of the covered GLP-1 drugs to a pharmacy and fill out a prior authorization form.

Only some GLP-1s are included

The covered medications include drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets. Those GLP-1s have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss, Cubanski said.

For those in the program, the cost is $50 per month, regardless of dosage. But those payments won’t contribute to their insurance deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums. That’s because Medicare, rather than the Part D insurer, is subsidizing the prescription.

Longer-term coverage of GLP-1s remains uncertain

The program is scheduled to sunset after Dec. 31, 2027. And since Congress hasn’t authorized Medicare to cover weight loss drugs permanently, the federal government is limited in its options to keep the access flowing.

Congress could pass a law to allow the drugs to be covered. CMS also could move forward with a different, voluntary pilot program for covering the drugs called BALANCE, which the agency indefinitely delayed earlier this year when many Part D insurers were reluctant to sign up.

Oz told reporters that CMS plans to “carefully track participation and outcomes” to see whether an extension of the Bridge program or another solution is the best way to move forward. He told The Associated Press a federal law permanently allowing the coverage is “not essential right now” but something “for Congress to debate amongst themselves.”

“We can’t decide what’s going to happen long term with Bridge until we see some of the data,” he said, noting that other negotiations with drug companies to lower costs are ongoing.

Program is life-changing for some, frustrating for others

GLP-1s have soared in popularity in recent years, and they've spurred dramatic weight loss in many patients. But their cost — sometimes hundreds of dollars a month for higher doses — has been a barrier.

For 78-year-old California resident Gloria Dralla, who told the AP she’s lost some 40 pounds after buying lower-cost Wegovy in Europe, the Bridge program means being able to continue a treatment that has improved her life.

“This drug should be made available at a reasonable price for everybody who’s got weight loss problems,” she said.

But not everyone will have access to the drugs at an affordable price. Katie Smith, 71, in Virginia isn’t so sure she will be eligible for the program. She has a BMI of 33 but doesn't know yet if she has another health condition that would allow her to meet the requirements.

Smith, whose mobility and ability to exercise were severely limited by a spinal cord injury in her 20s, said she has looked into getting the medications but was quoted $700 a month, a price she can't afford.

“I cannot tell you how frustrated I am,” she said. “I have the drive and I have the willingness and I have the motivation, but I have not been able to lose weight in all the conventional ways.”

Spotless uniforms, stalled cranes: Inside Venezuela’s faltering quake rescue effort

Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:02:25 +0000

Angélica Mundrain wants the bodies of her son, niece and nephew to be pulled from the rubble of her flattened beachfront apartment. She has spent every minute of the past six days waiting for the heavy machinery needed to remove the slabs of concrete and twisted metal that trapped them.

So have other Venezuelan earthquake survivors.

They, like others across the northern state of La Guaira, have the same question: Who is in charge? Venezuela's self-described socialist government, which long prided itself on being protector and provider, has been neither when it mattered most, many said.

The powerful back-to-back earthquakes on June 24 have brought to the forefront t he inability of the party that has ruled the country for 27 years — now with acting President Delcy Rodríguez at the helm — to carry out basic governmental functions.

“We’ve been abandoned,” Mundrain said, sitting in a chair on the street Tuesday in front of what remained of the 11-story building she once called home. “We feel helpless. What we have seen is a lack of organization, a lack of empathy, a lack of everything.”

In the critical 72 hours after residential buildings, food joints, pharmacies, hotels and convenience stores imploded in La Guaira state, Caracas and surrounding regions, the on-the-ground response was primarily focused on directing traffic, with police officers, intelligence agents and members of the armed forces manning intersections.

Residents take on rescue and recovery amid government failure

Civilians, mostly alone and some with the help of foreign rescuers, searched for loved ones among piles of rubble. Ambulances were stuck in miles-long (kilometers-long) traffic jams. Hospitals were undersupplied and understaffed. Emergency personnel responded with little to no equipment.

A week later, many residents in coastal communities of La Guaira were attributing most rescues and recoveries to fellow Venezuelans and foreign teams with know-how and equipment like thermal cameras and sound detectors as well as trained dogs. They also pointed out that while civilians and foreign rescuers worked, men and women in Venezuelan uniforms stood watching and state workers took selfies.

Tulane University professor David Smilde, who has studied Venezuela for three decades, said the tragedy has made clear that the stunning Jan. 3 capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces was not a one-off “in which the Venezuelan state was not able to defend itself at all.”

“It also can’t do anything like get started with digging people out," he said, adding that it should be a worrying concern for Rodríguez, who was sworn in after Maduro was deposed and taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Smilde said the dismal response is linked to the huge numbers of people who have left the public sector because of extremely low pay as well as corruption, such as the many people who are included in the government’s payroll but who have not worked in months or years. In a functioning government, he added, people have specific duties to design protocols spelling out procedures in case of emergencies, including earthquakes.

“It’s like trying to have a baseball team with three people on the field. You’re not sure who’s going to be the pitcher, who’s going to be catching, and who’s going to be outfielder,” he said of the government's lack of organization.

Wealth and government connections mean some get help

Wealth and government connections also influenced the government’s response, with some sites given preferential treatment.

When one collapsed building was teeming with police and military school students, people accurately guessed that officials or politically connected individuals must have lived there. The police officers from a neighboring state were indeed searching for a captain, while the students and a few members of the national guard were hoping to locate a major general.

A telescopic crane, like the one Mundrain needs for the recovery of her family, was parked for several hours in what was that building’s entrance. The relatives of the well-off families who lived in the building were able to rent it. Mundrain cannot.

“I think that if there were someone in a position of authority in each of these apartments, there would be a well-oiled machine working like they have in other residences,” Mundrain said pointing to her building.

People's anger over the response has also led to altercations between residents and machine operators. In one instance, when a government-provided excavator tried to leave the site of a flattened public housing building, people blocked traffic to keep it in place and even pulled the operator from the cab.

The government has reported that 1,943 died and more than 10,500 were injured in the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck June 24. Thousands more have been reported missing.

“We continue to support the affected families and directly oversee the care and recovery efforts in La Guaira,” Rodríguez posted on X Wednesday. “I know that many Venezuelans feel pain and frustration; I deeply share those feelings.”

Rescuers on Tuesday continued to free some survivors from mountains of debris, offering anguished families a sliver of hope even as the likelihood of finding people alive diminished with each passing hour. The desperation led two women to fight late at night, one dragging the other to the mud right next to a flattened building after one of them refused to be quiet while rescuers tried to listen for signs of life among the rubble.

The first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are crucial to rescue efforts, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.

Electrician Daniel Castillo was able to pull his mother and son alive from their second-floor apartment in a collapsed public housing building in La Guaira just hours after the earthquake struck. The body of his brother remained inside for another day until he could reach him.

On Tuesday, he decried the government’s response while he waited in line to get a free bag of hygiene products, including toilet paper and soap, from a tent staffed by the Venezuelan armed forces.

“You see the guards, and their uniforms are spotless, not dirty at all,” Castillo said, contrasting members of Venezuela's National Guard with dust-covered civilians and foreign rescuers who have dug through rubble for days. “The government did nothing.”

___

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

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Don Felder to perform at Pine Knob

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:48:13 +0000

You know his guitar skills from songs like “Hotel California” and for spending nearly three decades with The Eagles before launching a solo career. Now, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Don Felder is getting ready to take the stage in metro Detroit.

He will be joining The Guess Who as a part of the Takin’ It Back Tour which is coming to Pine Knob in Clarkston on Friday, July 3.

Watch the video above to see Don Felder’s interview on “Live in the D” where he talks about the tour and his music career.

Court sentences 7 more to prison over shooting at Texas immigration detention center

Jamie Stengle, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:03:17 +0000

Seven more people were sentenced to prison Wednesday over a shooting outside a Texas immigration detention center that wounded a police officer and has left many protesters facing decades behind bars.

All but one of the defendants sentenced in Fort Worth courtrooms pleaded guilty to charges related to the shooting outside the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas last July 4. They each were sentenced to between nearly two and 15 years in prison.

The same judges have already handed down harsher sentences to eight people who were convicted at trial, including a former Marine reservist who received a 100-year prison term.

The U.S. Justice Department alleges the shooting was carried out by members of the leftist militant group antifa — a claim attorneys for the protesters have denied.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor called the protest an “assault on democracy” before he and another judge handed down lengthy prison sentences last week to eight others who were convicted on terrorism charges.

The six defendants who did not stand trial had pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists. One of them testified at the earlier trial that he spray-painted a guard shack and vehicles in the parking lot.

The seventh defendant, Ines Soto, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being convicted of providing material support to terrorists, riot and explosives.

The case has been closely watched by critics who say the prosecution could have serious implications for protesters nationwide and First Amendment free-speech rights.

The protesters' attorneys have insisted there was no planned ambush and that the people who took firearms to the demonstration did so for their own protection. They argue the gathering was planned as a late-night demonstration with fireworks to show support for immigrants detained inside the facility.

Prosecutors told jurors at trial that the group’s actions — including bringing firearms, first aid kits and wearing body armor — signaled nefarious intent.

Benjamin Song, the former U.S. Marine reservist who was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting, was sentenced to 100 years in prison, and seven others received prison terms ranging from 30 to 70 years. Some of them, including Song, have filed notices of appeal.

Why are World Cup refs giving red cards to players covering their mouths when confronting opponents?

Steve Reed, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:29:46 +0000

World Cup players were warned before the tournament about a new rule that would result in an immediate red card for anyone covering their mouth when verbally confronting another player.

Officials are actively enforcing that rule change.

The latest incident came on Tuesday night when Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié was sent off in second-half stoppage time of his team's 2-0 loss to Mexico in the round of 32. The red card didn't impact the outcome of the match, which ended moments later.

Hincapié's red card came after an exchange with Mexico forward Santi Giménez.

Why did FIFA establish the new rule?

FIFA established the new rule to prevent players from hiding abusive, discriminatory or offensive language while on the field.

Nicknamed the “Prestianni Law,” rules for red cards to players at the World Cup were added because of a controversy in international soccer this year.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for changes after Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide verbal insults toward Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in a Champions League match. Soccer’s rule-making panel, the International Football Association Board, agreed that players can be penalized with a red card if they cover their mouths when verbally confronting another player.

The rule is not mandatory within the Laws of the Game but gives tournament organizers like FIFA the option to use it at their discretion.

The rule change was unanimously approved by IFAB, which includes officials from FIFA and the four British soccer federations, at a special meeting ahead of the FIFA Congress. FIFA’s proposal followed Vinícius, backed by Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé, accusing Prestianni of making a racially charged insult while raising his jersey to cover his mouth during the game in February.

Is Piero Hincapié the only player who has received a red card at the World Cup?

No. Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almirón was the first player to be punished under the new rule when he was sent off in a group match against Turkey for covering his mouth during a confrontation with defender Mert Mulder.

Paraguay won 1-0, but Almiron missed Paraguay’s final group game against Australia. FIFA said that decision was not subject to appeal.

What does it mean when a player receives a red card at the World Cup?

If a player is shown a red card by an official, he is ejected from the match and must serve a one-game suspension in the following match.

The team is forced to play the remainder of the match with 10 players — putting them at a huge disadvantage — but is allowed to start the following match at full strength with 11 players, just not the suspended player. ___

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

State laws ending essay requirement in high school merit exam takes effect

Jenny Sherman — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:11:36 +0000

Michigan high school students will have more flexibility when applying to colleges this fall thanks to two new state laws that went into effect on Tuesday.

The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in May, does away with the mandatory essay portion of the Michigan Merit Exam — a state and federally mandated competency test (previously the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP) which 11th and eligible 12th grade students are required to take each spring.

The Michigan Merit Exam consists of three components: a college entrance test in reading and writing such as the SAT, an optional work skills test, and the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) in science and social studies.

State Reps. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) and Tom Kunse (R-Clare) are co-sponsors of the legislation. They say the laws will help take stress out of the college application process and re-dedicate more resources for instruction and student development.

“Nearly every Michigan college has test-optional applications, yet Michigan’s students have been required to share their scores even while out-of-state applicants haven’t,” Koleszar said. “These laws even the playing field for Michigan’s students, ensuring they can competitively pursue postsecondary education in their home state.”

Koleszar says removing the essay requirement will also reduce the time required for standardized testing in schools, allowing for “more valuable instruction time with their teachers.”

“At their core, these laws are about reducing unnecessary stress while increasing opportunity for our kids,” he said.

The legislation passed with overwhelming support.

Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump's trip to North Dakota

Julia Demaree Nikhinson And Josh Boak, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:25:17 +0000

President Donald Trump on Wednesday is taking his maiden voyage on a new Air Force One — a retrofitted Boeing 747 worth $400 million gifted by Qatar that embeds his personality more deeply into the institution of the American presidency.

Gone is the trademark light blue hull that helped Air Force One blend into the sky. The refurbished jet is painted to Trump’s preferred color scheme of a navy belly and red and gold stripes. It has the luxury features that the president believes a commander-in-chief’s entourage should have — plush carpets, lie-flat seats, wood paneling and a presidential seal on the seat belts, according to reported tours of the plane.

Trump told reporters that he was proud of the luxurious plane. “You can do two things: You can low-key it, or you can show it,” he said.

Reporters are generally not permitted to take photos on the plane unless Trump is present. But on Wednesday, Trump administration staffers posted images of the plane's interior on social media.

White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a photo of aides gathered around a circular table that had off-white place mats and leather captain's chairs. Monica Crowley, the chief of U.S. protocol, posted a picture of herself perched on a leather couch between a pair of Air Force One throw pillows. Mounted on the wall behind her was a framed photo of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

The jet is carrying Trump to North Dakota to see the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, its first official visitor ahead of its opening on the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The gift from the Middle Eastern power raised ethical concerns, but Trump saw the plane as a necessary replacement to the 35-year-old planes that had previously ferried him as president.

“This is a gift from a country that has treated us very well,” Trump said.

The new jet will only temporarily be in the nation’s service, as Boeing is expected to deliver in 2028 long-delayed planes that will permanently serve as Air Force One. Trump, a Republican, has said in the past that the Qatar plane would end up in a presidential library.

The Air Force has said that it did little to change the cabin layout of the plane and that it spent less than $400 million on security upgrades.

In Mideast and around the world, everyone's talking 'ceasefire.' But what does it really mean?

Laurie Kellman, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:11:20 +0000

A ceasefire sounds straightforward: Fighting stops. Negotiations ensue. Ordinary citizens get a break from fighting — and some time to rebuild.

That's not what's happening in the volatile Mideast, where ongoing fighting still resembles a war long after ceasefire agreements were announced and President Donald Trump declared victory.

Israel is lately carrying out daily attacks on Gaza. The deal in Lebanon is a ceasefire in name only. As for Iran, low-level talks are continuing in Qatar this week under a 60-day deadline — a long way from a peace deal. People on the ground in the region, as well as some analysts and journalists, are increasingly objecting to anyone describing the state of the conflict as a “ceasefire.”

The shooting and periodic closures of the Strait of Hormuz, they point out, have never stopped for long.

“There is no ceasefire between the United States and Iran," said Fawaz A. Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, “Iran has zero trust in the Trump administration, so they are making the U.S. fulfill its obligations step by step. This tells me we are living in a new era where the ceasefire no longer really means what it used to.”

Ceasefires don't necessarily mean the shooting stops

Ceasefires are almost as old as conflict, an ancient way of formally calling a halt to hostilities. Also known as a truce, such an agreement is commonly understood to be a period between war and peace, in which the combatants agree to pause fighting while negotiations take place.

Beyond that, a truce means whatever the negotiators will tolerate as long as none backs out of talks. Breaches are common and have been used strategically to set a standard, tit-for-tat style, of acceptable lower-level hostilities during the sensitive period. The idea is to allow for accidents, miscommunications or misunderstandings that the participants agree should not scuttle talks.

Some ceasefires end up operating as long-term peace deals that can withstand violations in the absence of a formal treaty. Exhibit A: the Korean Armistice Agreement, which halted the fighting of the Korean War on July 27, 1953.

No formal treaty was ever signed, so the peninsula technically remains at war. Nonetheless, the deal halted hostilities and established the DMZ, a 4,000-meter (2.5-mile) buffer zone between North and South Korea. Breaches over the years have been commonplace.

In contrast, negotiators in the Mideast are still getting started, with the midterm U.S. elections looming and Trump eager to end the unpopular war.

Two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for talks with mediators about the an initial deal to end the war in Iran. The visit by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, comes after a weekend of crossfire in the Persian Gulf over efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic.

Defining a ceasefire in 2026 is complex

The terms of ceasefires can be vague or highly specific. They can cover troop withdrawals, cessation of hostilities, limits on where fighting can happen, humanitarian aid, buffer zones and timing. Violence levels have a good chance of dropping during a declared ceasefire.

Technically, ceasefires of varying durability exist between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and between the United States and Iran. But that has not meant an end to fighting.

Trump said it's all relative. “It’s a different part of the world, you know," he told reporters last month. "I’d say in that part, a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”

Instead of halting fighting, the agreements have “paved the way for a new conflict in which the various parties are fighting over the postwar strategic reality and the acceptable rules of the game,” according to analyst Daniel Sobelman of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

In the Mideast, “so-called 'rules' emerge through a process of violent bargaining over what is acceptable and what is a violation," said Sobelman, director of the graduate program in international security and diplomacy. Thus, the dissonance between the calm many people expect from a ceasefire and near-daily reports of ongoing fighting.

Does it work? Consider, Sobelman said in an email, that the U.S. and Iran have exchanged fire several times since the ceasefire went into effect, “and nonetheless the war has not erupted again because these upticks in violence are limited in time and scope.”

Institutions, from the United Nations to the U.S. Department of Defense and many news outlets like The Associated Press have broadly defined ceasefires as political instruments designed to take the pressure off the conflict as long as the sides consent to talking.

On the U.S.-Iran conflict, the AP advised its writers June 10 to include details about what’s happening on the ground, consider qualifying the deal with such terms as “tenuous” and referring to a "‘ceasefire deal,’ which speaks to the political process and not just the military/security dynamic.”

Over the weekend as fighting in the region flared again, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., tried more colorful imagery. Asked on NBC's “Meet the Press” whether the war is really over, he described the ceasefire talks as “almost just a mop-up operation." Then he described some of the terms. “We have to press them if they strike us. We have to strike them back by 10.”

He added: “This is a ceasefire, and yeah, they broke the ceasefire.”

‘Ceasefires are changing character’

On the ground in the region it can feel like a war, and there's a rising resistance in some quarters to calling this period anything else.

“It is not a ceasefire when it applies only to Hezbollah, Hamas or Iran, but not to Israel and the United States,” Kathy Gannon, who reported from Pakistan and Afghanistan for the AP for 35 years before retiring, wrote on Substack June 7.

Much of the objection to using the term comes from Israel's ongoing attacks in Lebanon and Gaza despite ceasefires. Israeli leaders make references to deals and agreements. But they stress the country’s freedom to operate against what they say are violations and existential threats.

“Continued Israeli strikes are treated as compatible with the truce; comparable actions by others are treated as its collapse,” said H.A. Hellyer, senior associate fellow of Middle Eastern studies and geopolitics at the Royal United Services Institute and the Center for American Progress. “A word that once implied mutual restraint now serves to legitimize profoundly unequal restraint."

Israel continues to occupy large swaths of Lebanon's south while battling Hezbollah fighters, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. More than 4,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since March, when Hezbollah fired at Israel two days after the Iran war began. Thirty-eight soldiers and three civilians have died on the Israeli side.

Here's what a ceasefire looks like in Gaza, where Israeli strikes have never really ended after the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in October. On Monday, Israeli strikes in southern and central Gaza killed at least eight people, including two children, and wounded at least 20 others, according to health officials and emergency services.

More than 1,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in October, Palestinian authorities say.

Defying Pope Leo XIV, traditionalists go ahead with bishop consecrations in Switzerland

Nicole Winfield And Jamey Keaten, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:02:03 +0000

A group of traditionalist Catholics directly defied Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday by consecrating four bishops without his consent, dismissing the resulting excommunications and break with the Holy See by saying it was necessary to defend the Catholic faith.

The Society of St. Pius X, which opposes modernizing reforms in the Catholic Church, went ahead with the five-hour ceremony at its seminary in Econe, Switzerland, despite a last-ditch appeal by Leo to call it off. The American pope warned in a letter Tuesday that consecrating bishops without his approval amounted to a “sin of extreme gravity” that will actually harm their faithful.

The consecrations amounted to a crisis for Leo, who has prioritized church unity and healing tensions with traditionalists that worsened during the Pope Francis pontificate.

The SSPX, as the society is known, is a threat to the Holy See because it represents a parallel, ultra-Catholic faith. It now has six bishops, 751 priests, 264 seminarians training in five seminaries, 145 religious brothers, 88 oblates and 250 religious sisters representing 50 nationalities, according to SSPX statistics.

Bells tolled through the misty Alpine mountain valley as hundreds of priests walked two-by-two to the altar under a tent to start the service and then again at the end. An estimated 16,500 faithful who prefer the traditional Latin Mass over modern liturgies attended, sitting in a field through a downpour alongside their children who were too numerous for organizers to count.

The Mass, rich in velvet and gold-trimmed vestments, chanting and incense, was livestreamed on the society's YouTube channel, with simultaneous explanations in several languages. The highly organized religious extravaganza underscored the society's international reach, despite its schismatic outsider status, and appeal to conservative, traditionalist Catholics wary of the modern, secular world.

At the start of the Mass, a priest read aloud a statement justifying the consecrations as a necessary “sacred duty” and dismissing the resulting penalties. “We consider every punishment and censure brought to bear against this step will have no validity,” he said.

In the consecration rite, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, who himself was excommunicated after being consecrated without papal consent in 1988, placed his hands on the head of each of the four new bishops. The ritual confers the Holy Spirit from one bishop to another and recalls Christ’s gesture to his apostles. After they received their miter hats, gloves and pastoral staffs, the four made a procession through the crowd, blessing the faithful as bishops.

According to church law, consecrating a bishop without a papal mandate incurs the harshest penalty in the Catholic Church: automatic excommunication for the four new bishops and the bishop administering the rite. It also amounts to a schismatic act, an intentional rupture of church unity.

The society was founded in opposition to Vatican II

French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the SSPX in opposition to the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Among other things, the 1960s meetings known as Vatican II revolutionized the church’s relations with other Christians, Jews and people of other faiths, and allowed Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin.

In 1988, Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal consent. The Vatican promptly excommunicated Lefebvre and the four bishops and declared the consecrations a “schismatic act.” Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 lifted the excommunications, but the SSPX today has no legal standing in the church.

The SSPX has accused the church of being rife with heresies and errors, and that only it is upholding the true faith of Christ. It has justified the consecrations, citing a “state of necessity” to minister to its faithful.

It identified the new bishops as Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Michael Goldade of the United States, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry of France and Marc Hanappier, also of France.

The Rev. Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX superior, said in his homily that the consecrations were necessary for the salvation of souls, but he also insisted they served Leo and the church.

“We are accused of not respecting the pope," he said. "But it is precisely because we love the pope as the vicar of Christ, as the head of the church, that we don't want to see the pope humiliated anymore, on the side of false shepherds representing false religions.”

Catholic faithful don't incur penalties for attending SSPX services, but they also can attend Latin Masses celebrated by priests in communion with the Vatican.

The Vatican didn't immediately comment on the consecrations and it wasn't clear how or if it would declare the excommunications or any other penalties. The SSPX acknowledged in a statement late Wednesday that the consecrations did not have papal approval.

The ritual had a joyous air

And yet everything about Wednesday’s ceremony had the air of a joyous celebration. The SSPX website has had a countdown clock running for days ahead of the consecration. Participants received a baseball cap with the “Econe2026” seal on it.

And in perhaps the most obvious sign of a celebration, registered participants could buy a souvenir set of wine to commemorate the “historic” event for 75 Swiss francs ($92.50). The “Cuvee des Sacres” gift box featured pinot noir, syrah, Petit Arvine and Fendant, each bottle with a label depicting a bishop’s miter, his ring, a cross or crozier staff.

The field, located under giant power lines, was awash in smiling nuns, priests posing for photos, youths handing out bottled water, black-clad security guards with earpieces and orange-vested volunteers who occasionally cut short journalists' interviews with the faithful. During the downpour, priests administered Communion under yellow and white umbrellas, the colors of the Holy See.

Arlina Onglao, a 71-year-old travel agent from the Philippines, said she wanted to be on hand for the “historic event” and didn't care about the prospect of excommunications of the bishops. She said the Vatican had “lost credibility.”

“I don’t think it’s going to scare any of us. Me, I’m not scared,” she said. “I feel like I’m on a safer road to heaven.”

Medical researcher Wulfran Lindzondzo, 42, a native of Gabon who lives in France, said he wanted to “rediscover tradition” through the society, noting its presence in the African country.

“The Holy Father doesn’t really agree with it, but I hand over –- I will pray to the Good Lord that the authorities in Rome can one day accept coming back to the church’s traditions,” he said before the Mass.

Eduardo Limón of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, lamented that Leo had asked the SSPX to halt the consecrations at the last minute. He prayed that "God illuminate him so he sees that the fraternity is an institution that has defended the faith,” he said.

“I’m both sad and content at the same time," he added. "Sad because again Rome closes itself in accepting that the tradition is the only hope for faith. And happy because the father superior (Pagliarani) has said courageously we are going to go ahead with the consecrations.”

But many Catholics not in Econe, including conservative and traditional ones, opposed the consecrations as an act of severe disobedience that hurts the church.

“You can’t serve tradition while disobeying the church and her authority,” said the Rev. Robert Gahl, an ethics expert at the Catholic University of America.

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Winfield contributed from Rome.

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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.

Best Karaoke bar in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Derick Hutchinson, Jenny Marchi — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

What is the best Karaoke bar in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best Karaoke bar.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Adam’s Apple Bar in Detroit
Brewligans Public House in Trenton
Eastern Palace Club in Hazel Park
My Place Bar & Grill in Wyandotte
Sprader’s On the Lake in White Lake

We received more than 16,700 nominations across our 80 Vote 4 The Best categories this year. Each category was then narrowed down to five finalists.

Now that nominations are over, voting on finalists can begin. Voting is open from June 22 through July 20, and you can vote for each category once per day during that time.

Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.

Most US stocks rise, but drops for tech keep Wall Street in check

Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:27:32 +0000

Most of Wall Street is rising Wednesday, but drops for some influential technology stocks are keeping the market in check.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and was heading toward a third straight gain following five consecutive losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 269 points, or 0.5%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% lower.

General Mills helped lead the market and climbed 7.1% after the company behind the Cheerios and Progresso brands reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also announced a plan to cut $3 billion in costs over four years.

The market’s gains were broad, and two out of every three stocks within the S&P 500 climbed. The index erased an early loss after a report said U.S. manufacturing grew again last month, but at a slightly slower speed than economists expected. The survey from the Institute for Supply Management also said prices were increasing at a slower pace.

The data could take some upward pressure off inflation, which in turn could make the Federal Reserve less likely to raise interest rates later this year. Following the report, the yield on the 10-year Treasury pulled back from its peak near 4.50% in the morning and fell to 4.46%.

That offered some relief to markets because higher yields make it more expensive for businesses and households to borrow money and in turn can slow the economy. Higher yields also tend to undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

Yields have been on the rise since the war with Iran began because of worries about high inflation caused by expensive oil.

The heaviest weights on the market were stocks that had soared earlier in the euphoria around artificial-intelligence technology, including drops of 8.8% for Micron Technology, 1.5% for Nvidia and 8% for Applied Materials. Such stocks have been zigzagging in recent weeks because of worries that they had become too expensive.

Kroger sank 1.1% after the grocer said it agreed to buy Giant Eagle for $1.25 billion in cash. It will also take on $400 million in liabilities to buy the food and pharmacy retailer with stores stretching from Indiana to Maryland.

Nike swung from an initial loss to a gain of 4.8% after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The athletic-gear giant is in the midst of a turnaround attempt by CEO Elliott Hill, and he said it’s still facing headwinds dragging on its revenue.

Gold's price also recovered from a morning loss to rise. It briefly sank below $3,980 per ounce overnight, down from more than $5,300 per ounce early this year, when Treasury yields were higher. When Treasurys are paying more in interest, investors become less willing to pay high prices for things seen as riskier bets. Gold, for example, pays its holders nothing.

But the weaker-than-expected manufacturing report and ensuing easing of Treasury yields sent gold back to $4,091.80 per ounce.

For their part, oil prices eased Wednesday as hope remains that the United States and Iran may ultimately end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers delivering crude. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 2.3% to $71.29.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi fell 2% for one of the world’s biggest moves. It’s been one of the world’s brightest stars thanks to euphoria around SK Hynix and other AI stocks, and the index is still up 97% for the year so far.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% after the Japanese yen fell to a 40-year low against the U.S. dollar.

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AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama contributed to this report.

Naomi Osaka shows off another fashion creation before reaching 3rd round at Wimbledon

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:58:10 +0000

Naomi Osaka had a new look to show off before winning her second-round match at Wimbledon.

Osaka, whose fashion reveals have become an event of their own at Grand Slam tournaments, wore a less elaborate outfit for her walk-on than the “Kill Bill” inspired kimono for her opening-round match Monday.

This all-white outfit featured a wide belt and a long train behind her. It drew plenty of attention as she made the walk from the locker room to No. 2 Court, trailed by photographers and fans wanting to take their own photos. The four-time major winner took off the latest ensemble as she began warming up for her match against qualifier Anastasia Gasanova on Wednesday.

She went on to quickly dispatch Gasanova 6-3, 6-2.

“I'm just trying to mix it up a little bit,” Osaka said about her outfit, adding she had been worried that a loss might have ruined her daughter Shai's third birthday on Thursday.

“I just wanted to be here for longer, I didn't want to make her get on a plane on her birthday,” Osaka said.

Osaka's match was among the early starts on the outside courts as the second round got underway.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka soon followed her into the third round, beating McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6 (9) on No. 1 Court.

Sabalenka converted her third match point in the tiebreaker after saving two set points.

“She really tested me today and I'm super happy to have passed the test,” said Sabalenka, who will next play Jelena Ostapenko.

Men's No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, who came from a set down twice to win in five sets in the first round, had a more comfortable victory Wednesday. Sinner beat Nuno Borges 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the first match on Centre Court.

It wasn't entirely straightforward for the Italian, though, as he had to break back for 5-5 when Borges served for the second set, before winning in just over 2 1/2 hours.

“Second set was very, very tough,” Sinner said.

Other winners included French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, No. 17 Frances Tiafoe and No. 21 Tommy Paul.

Next up on Centre Court was women's French Open winner Mirra Andreeva facing 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova before Novak Djokovic takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas.

On Tuesday, Serena Williams returned to Centre Court but lost in three sets to Maya Joint in her first singles match in nearly four years. Williams, who tweaked her knee in the match, still hopes to play doubles with sister Venus later in the week.

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

The Latest: Federal filing shows Trump took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:10:42 +0000

President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Tuesday shows, locking in profits while his investors were socked with losses.

Mere startups when he took the oath of office, the new ventures have now eclipsed in revenue much of his vast property portfolio that took him decades to accumulate.

Also, the House leadership on Tuesday abruptly canceled votes and sent lawmakers home early for the holiday recess, Speaker Mike Johnson ’s majority once again ground to a standstill by a Republican revolt over their own party’s agenda. In this case, it’s a standoff blocking the annual defense bill as Republicans push to include Trump’s own priority, the SAVE America Act, a strict voter ID bill.

Here's the latest:

Trump gives condolences after death of musician who co-wrote ‘Y.M.C.A.’

Victor Willis, who co-founded the Village People and helped write the disco group’s classic hits, has died at age 74.

The song “Y.M.C.A.” is a favorite of Trump’s and is often played at his events.

“We will think of Victor every time ‘Y.M.C.A.’ is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week,” Trump wrote on social media Wednesday. “My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed.”

Nealy 1,000 US military personnel are helping with Venezuela earthquake relief

The U.S. military now has about 900 military personnel supporting relief efforts in Venezuela following a pair of powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck the country June 24, Steven McCloud, a U.S. Southern Command spokesperson said.

The statement comes as U.S. Southern Command continues to utilize a host of military aircraft and ships to move supplies and equipment into the country and U.S. Marines have joined search and rescue teams. The Marine Corps has also brought military transport trucks, highly mobile off-road vehicles and military ambulances to “further accelerate the movement of critical supplies and equipment,” a Southern Command statement said Wednesday.

McCloud added that there are also about 100 people from the State Department supporting aid and relief work.

The Venezuelan government has reported more than 1,400 deaths from the quakes over the weekend as well as thousands more that have been reported missing.

Trump administration moves to deport Cubans legally living in the US for alleged espionage

It comes accusations they were working as spies for Cuba’s socialist government.

The State Department said Tuesday that it had revoked the legal status of Carlos Antonio Lloga Dominguez, his wife and son, all of whom are now in federal custody awaiting deportation. The department said Lloga Dominguez had worked for more than a decade in the U.S. as an agent of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People, which it said was an “influence and intelligence front group” for Cuba.

“Under the Trump Administration, America will never become home for Cuban Communist regime thugs who peddle propaganda, run foreign influence operations, or seek to wage revolution against American civilization,” the department said in a statement.

Trump visits Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota

The president is visiting North Dakota on Wednesday to see the newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, a massive facility exploring the life of America’s 26th president. The 96,000-square-foot library is in the rugged, lonely landscape where the young Easterner built his conservation values while ranching and hunting in the 1880s.

Saturday’s official opening coincides with July Fourth celebrations honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump is coming early to see the $450 million project, a boost for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, a former governor of North Dakota, while also bringing the nation’s birthday festivities to a region synonymous with its westward expansion.

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Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump’s trip to North Dakota

President Trump is taking his maiden voyage on a new Air Force One — a retrofitted Boeing 747 worth $400 million gifted by Qatar that embeds his personality more deeply into the institution of the American presidency.

Gone is the trademark light blue hull that helped Air Force One blend into the sky. The refurbished jet is painted to Trump’s preferred color scheme of a navy belly and red and gold stripes. It has the luxury features the president believes a commander-in-chief’s entourage should have — plush carpets, lie-flat seats, wood paneling and a presidential seal on the seat belts, according to reported tours of the plane.

Trump told reporters he was proud of the luxurious plane. “You can do two things: You can low-key it, or you can show it,” he said.

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Trump says Pulte can declassify what he wants as acting director of national intelligence

The president said federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, who Trump named as the acting director of national intelligence, “can declassify whatever” he wants.

Pulte’s elevation to the position has been a source of tension because of his lack of national security credentials. But he’s been given free reign to force job cuts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“Bill is there just for a fairly short period of time, but while he’s there, I said, ‘You can declassify whatever you want,’” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One.

The president estimated that Pulte could hold the job for one or two months. There’s been a push inside Trump’s movement to release documents to back up Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, despite electoral results that show a clear loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has nominated Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the permanent DNI.

The president said Clayton will have a Senate hearing on his nomination in two weeks, after having canceled Clayton’s initial hearing.

Trump claims stock market gains are behind his rising fortune

Financial disclosures show Trump made roughly $1.2 billion off his crypto currency ventures last year, but the president claimed he’s not directing his investments.

“We have funds that run my money,” Trump said. “I made a lot of money before I became president, and they invest my money, and I don’t talk to them. I never, I don’t even speak to them.”

Trump claimed his financial gains largely came from a rising stock market and that those profits help the country as a whole.

“We’re all profiting,” Trump said. “I’m profiting because I have a lot of money and a lot of cash.”

But not all Americans have access to the stock market.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that 38% of Americans don’t have exposure to the stock market.

Trump boards new Air Force One, saying Boeing’s answers to questions led him to approach Qatar

Trump beamed with pride about the new Air Force One before its initial voyage, telling reporters pictures of the Boeing 747 given to him by Qatar would win the Pulitzer Prize.

The plane was given to the U.S. by Qatar and Trump relayed how the exchange happened. He said he asked Boeing — which is set to deliver new planes for the presidential jet in 2028 — if there were any counties that had potential substitutes in the interim.

“I said, ‘Who has the best one?’ They said, ‘Qatar. There’s no, there’s never been a plane like it.’ Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollar,” Trump said.

The president said he went to Qatar and asked to use its plane for a period of time and the emir said he would instead give the plane to Trump. The president described the plane as “a gift from a country that has treated us very well.”

“You’re going to get a kick out of it,” Trump said to reporters about the plane. “There’s just nothing like it.”

How the Supreme Court became a pivotal force in Trump’s immigration agenda

President Trump’s administration looked to the Supreme Court to greenlight its sweeping hard-line immigration agenda and, by and large, it got the backing it was looking for with one key exception — birthright citizenship.

After lower courts repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration, the nation’s top court allowed it to terminate temporary protections for people fleeing war or strife. It gave immigration officers greater leeway in dealing with green card holders returning from abroad, and it allowed the government to limit the number of people who can apply for asylum.

In being asked to serve as an enabler of the Republican president’s contentious immigration crackdown, the Supreme Court showed deference to constitutional guardrails in the key case of birthright citizenship that would have redefined who can be an American. In ruling against the administration, the court upheld the idea that people who are born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, are Americans.

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Trump’s actions signal a move toward institutionalizing people with disabilities, advocates warn

Last month, the Education Department announced it would offload oversight of special education to the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose comments on the limits of disabilities such as autism have drawn sharp rebukes from advocates and lawmakers.

Meanwhile, following a White House push to police homelessness, the Department of Justice released guidance that lowered the barrier to institutionalizing any person with a disability.

Taken together, the actions signal a worrying return to a reality where people with disabilities are pushed to the margins of society, advocates said.

“It’s a direct, frontal assault on the rights of people with disabilities to live their lives the way that people who are nondisabled live their lives,” said Selene Almazan, legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. “I can’t imagine that as a country, that would be something that we would agree we should go back to.”

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Writer E. Jean Carroll calls for Trump to pay $5.8M after high court appeal fails

Advice columnist E. Jean Carroll asked a judge Tuesday to require President Donald Trump to pay her $5 million from a jury verdict that concluded Trump sexually abused her in the 1990s and defamed her after she publicly described the attack in 2019.

Lawyers for Carroll filed papers in Manhattan federal court to say Trump is unjustly trying to further delay release of the money after the Supreme Court refused Monday to hear an appeal of the 2023 civil jury verdict.

The amount has grown to nearly $5.8 million with interest and should be required by the court to be disbursed, the lawyers wrote, saying Trump has resumed his defamatory attacks against Carroll as his lawyers considered asking the high court to reconsider its decision.

The jury reached its verdict in a trial that Trump did not attend after Carroll testified that she was sexually abused by Trump in spring 1996 in the dressing room of a midtown Manhattan luxury department store after a flirtatious and friendly chance encounter between them turned violent.

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Trump to visit newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota’s Badlands

Trump will visit North Dakota on Wednesday to see the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, a massive facility exploring the 26th president’s life, built in the rugged, lonely landscape where the young easterner built his conservation values while ranching and hunting in the 1880s.

The 96,000-square-foot library opens over the weekend on July 4, the pinnacle date of celebrations this year honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But Trump is coming early to see the $450 million project, a push of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum from when he was governor of North Dakota, and bringing the official celebrations of the nation’s birth to a region synonymous with its westward expansion.

All living presidents were invited to the grand opening of the library, which joins more than a dozen such libraries throughout the country examining the lives and legacies of U.S. presidents from Ronald Reagan in California, to Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York to Herbert Hoover in Iowa. The Obama Presidential Center recently opened in Chicago, bringing together four former presidents for the occasion.

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Harvard professor with polarizing alien theories is picked to lead new White House UFO council

A polarizing Harvard astronomer known for splashy theories about alien visits has been tapped by the White House to lead a team of outside scientists to study the national security risks posed by UFOs.

Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard’s astronomy department until 2020, was recently appointed to helm a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel in recent years. It’s part of President Donald Trump’s push to declassify more information about the issue.

Loeb’s team will report to a new White House panel focused on UFOs, now often referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP.

For the last decade, Loeb has been scanning the skies and seas for evidence of intelligent alien life. He began the quest in 2017 as scientists puzzled over an interstellar object soaring by Earth. While others proposed it was a comet or ice chunk, Loeb said it could be a thin “light sail” detached from an alien spacecraft.

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House GOP deadlocks over Trump’s demands, sending lawmakers home early

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, the legislative branch has momentarily called it quits.

The House leadership on Tuesday abruptly canceled votes and sent lawmakers home early for the holiday recess, Speaker Mike Johnson ’s majority once again ground to a standstill by a Republican revolt over their own party’s agenda.

In this case, it’s a standoff blocking the annual defense bill — with pay raises for the troops and other matters at a time of war — as the renegade Republicans push to include President Donald Trump’s own priority, the SAVE America Act, a strict voter ID bill. Last week, the Senate similarly shuttered after Trump’s demands.

The emptying Capitol provides another snapshot of the imbalance of power in Washington as a headstrong executive confronts a weakened Congress.

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Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year

President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Tuesday shows, locking in profits while his investors were socked with losses.

Mere startups when he took the oath of office, the new ventures have now eclipsed in revenue much of his vast property portfolio that took him decades to accumulate. Fueling their rise were billionaire investors and Trump’s own move to quash a federal crackdown on the industry.

Trump got more than $500 million from his World Liberty Financial business selling new crypto products, including “governance tokens,” according to the required annual disclosure report with the Office of Government Ethics. It also showed another crypto business, CIC Digital LLC, took in more than $600 million from sales of souvenir-type “meme” coins stamped with his face.

Both the tokens and the coins have plunged in value since the sales.

Trump also took in millions last year from selling Trump-branded Bibles, sneakers and other small items in another unprecedented move for the presidency. The sale of Trump-branded watches alone brought in $4.7 million.

▶ Read more

Trump will visit newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota's Badlands

Jack Dura, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:04:09 +0000

President Donald Trump is visiting North Dakota on Wednesday to see the newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, a massive facility exploring the life of America's 26th president. The 96,000-square-foot library is in the rugged, lonely landscape where the young Easterner built his conservation values while ranching and hunting in the 1880s.

Saturday's official opening coincides with July Fourth celebrations honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump is coming early to see the $450 million project, a boost for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, a former governor of North Dakota, while also bringing the nation's birthday festivities to a region synonymous with its westward expansion.

The Republican president made the trip aboard his new Air Force One, a Boeing 747 given to the United States by Qatar. Trump said he asked Boeing, which is set to deliver new planes for the president's service in 2028, if there were any countries that had potential substitutes in the interim.

“I said, ‘Who has the best one?’ They said, ‘Qatar," Trump said, adding that he was assured, "'There’s never been a plane like it.'”

All living presidents were invited to the grand opening of the library, which joins more than a dozen throughout the country examining the lives and legacies of U.S. presidents from Ronald Reagan in California to Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York and Herbert Hoover in Iowa. The Obama Presidential Center recently opened in Chicago, bringing together four former presidents for the occasion.

Trump will be the library’s first official visitor, according to the library's executive director, Robbie Lauf. Trump will speak at a nearby Western-themed amphitheater at an event run by Freedom 250, the Trump-created group billed as nonpartisan that he has tapped to organize the festivities he will participate in this week.

Before Trump's arrival, construction workers gathered alongside railroad tracks in Medora, the Old West tourist town where he is expected to arrive aboard a train. Rough Rider reenactors milled nearby with their horses in the shade.

On Friday, the president plans to visit South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore for Independence Day fireworks, as he did in 2020.

Trump has often praised Roosevelt and has compared himself favorably to the late president. Trump began his second term last year by trumpeting construction of the Panama Canal during the Roosevelt administration.

Trump even said the U.S. might seek to take back the waterway from Panama to curb influence from China. That is a goal overshadowed by his suggestions that Washington might seize control of Greenland or that Canada could become America's 51st state.

In the run-up to staging a UFC fight on the White House lawn for his 80th birthday, Trump said he was aware of Roosevelt holding far lower-key boxing matches in the White House. Trump made no mention of Roosevelt having detached the retina of his left eye during one such sparring session.

The trip also underscores the president's esteem for Burgum, who has become a key face of and cheerleader for the president’s expansive renovation projects around Washington.

Roosevelt was a New York native with a strong North Dakota connection

Roosevelt visited Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. On Valentine's Day the next year, his mother and wife died hours apart in the same house in New York.

Devastated, Roosevelt came to Dakota where he ranched cattle and hunted big game in the West during visits mostly from 1884 to 1887.

He underwent deep personal growth from his experiences, including chasing boat thieves down a river, standing up to a bully in a bar and working alongside cowboys who ridiculed him for wearing eyeglasses.

Roosevelt, who served as president from 1901 to 1909, later said he never would have been president were it not for his experiences in North Dakota.

Near the library is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Visitors can hike trails and drive a scenic route through the colorful, rugged Badlands where bison and wild horses roam.

In 2019, Burgum championed the library to North Dakota's Republican-led legislature when he was governor, touting its tourism potential. The legislature approved a $50 million operations endowment, requiring library planners to raise $100 million in private donations, a goal met in 2020. Donations total about $354 million as of early 2026.

Donors include oil executive Harold Hamm, the Waltons of Walmart fame, Kenneth Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, a hedge fund, and Burgum himself.

Burgum also has lobbied for Roosevelt’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Roosevelt became alarmed at the number of injuries and deaths of college football players and convened a 1905 White House meeting featuring the presidents of Harvard, Yale and Princeton to urge safety improvements. That helped sparked the founding of the NCAA, college’s sports governing body.

The library will showcase Roosevelt's ideas and artifacts

Visitors will learn about Roosevelt's conservation ideas and his Rough Riders regiment of the Spanish-American War, but also his “horrific comments” about Native Americans and other issues "that have obviously aged poorly," Lauf said.

Artifacts, many of them out of public view for decades, will tell Roosevelt's story. Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.

Organizers hope the library draws families and thousands of school children from the region, as well as some of the millions of motorists who travel to Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills.

“It's a feature, not a bug, that we are in a county of 1,000 people and a town of 120,” Lauf said. “TR came here for that purpose.”

The Dakota Resource Council on Tuesday hosted several conservation leaders who criticized Burgum and Trump for policies they say contradict Roosevelt's conservation principles, such as cutting staff and budgets and prioritizing energy development on public lands.

Last year Burgum signed an order prioritizing the openness and accessibility of parks to the public amid the workforce cuts. He has compared America's public lands and natural resources to “assets” that should be responsibly developed to exert “energy dominance.”

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Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

Shields and Scott face off at press conference ahead of August title fight

Isaiah Hall — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:38:53 +0000

Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Claressa Shields and Unified WBC & WBA Middleweight Champion Kaye Scott faced off for the first time on June 30 in Atlanta ahead of their world championship showdown on Aug. 15 at State Farm Arena.

Shields will make her highly-anticipated Atlanta debut as she returns to the middleweight division and attempts to become just the second heavyweight champion, male or female, to win a world championship in a lower weight class in the last 120-plus years.

Claressa Shields and Kaye Scott facing off during Shields vs. Scott pre-fight press conference.

Presented by Salita Promotions in partnership with Wynn Records, Claressa Shields Promotions and Route 30 Promotions, and presenting sponsor Zeus Network, the event marks the first women’s headliner at State Farm Arena. The fight card will air live on boxing streaming service, DAZN. Tickets for the event are available on Ticketmaster’s website.

It was announced Tuesday that Zeus Network will stream live undercard coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET featuring a mix of professional and celebrity influencer bouts. The Zeus Network press conference featured recording artist, actor and TV host Ray J, actor Orlando Brown, TV personality Big Lex, Not Da Lil One and TV personality Tesehki.

Here’s what the fighters and executives had to say on Tuesday:

CLARESSA SHIELDS:

“I want to thank Kaye for taking this fight, but because of you I have to lose 20 pounds. If you hadn’t taken this fight I wouldn’t have come back down to middleweight. I vacated those belts because no one wanted to fight me.

Claressa Shields posing for a photo during pre-fight press conference.

“I can make weight comfortably and keep all my power. I was undisputed twice at 160 and I wasn’t my strongest, but over the years I’ve gotten stronger. Kaye looks very strong and fit right now. Come Aug 15 I will look just as strong and fit.

Claressa Shields speaking on the podium during pre-fight press conference.

“She’s not an easy task and she’s not someone who wants to lose. I saw her get a draw and come right back for a rematch to win these belts. It was a dog fight. They were bloody and bruised by the end of it, but Kaye came out on top.

Claressa Shields sitting next to rapper Papoose during pre-fight press conference.

“I honestly didn’t think she would say yes to this fight but I’m happy she did. I’ve always celebrated her wins – I’m not a hater so I can do that. The only time I have to go against anyone seriously is when they get in the ring with me.

Claressa Shields and Kaye Scott facing off during during pre-fight press conference.

“Kaye is so strong but I hope she’s ready for my best. Don’t think me losing this 20 pounds is going give you the upper hand.

“I know Kaye can’t outbox me. I think her game plan is going to be to come forward with those big broad shoulders and legs and try to land one of the meanest and strongest shots she can land to try to knock me off my block. That’s when you’re going to see a fight. That’s what I’ve been training for - to not get hit, to not get in a back and forth with her. Kaye loves back and forth wars.

Claressa Shields smiling during pre-fight press conference.

“Kaye just said she thinks me coming down is her advantage and that’s how she’s supposed to think. But know this, skill overrides everything. I could be tired and have skill. I can be weak and have skill. People think that it’s all about strength. But I just know how to win.

“I’m looking forward to putting on a show in Atlanta. I was supposed to come here 2 years ago and I’m glad it finally happened. I love Atlanta. Shout out to all my fans who bought tickets. The dress code for the ladies is diamonds, glitter and sheer.

“I thank God for me being here. I thank Salita for rocking with me since 2016. I want to thank DAZN. I thank Ruben and Wynn for seeing my worth. And I want to thank you for Zeus for making this a bigger event.”

KAYE SCOTT:

“This is a big opportunity and I am honored to be part of it. This is not unfamiliar territory. I’ve earned this spot and I’m ready to put it everything on the line. They’re my belts and I am the world champion right now. She’s the challenger. I’m not looking to hand them over, she’s going to have to come get them off me.

Kaye Scott speaking at the podium during Shields vs. Scott pre-fight press conference.

“I have over 120 amateur fights, seven pro fights, nearly two decades dedicating my life to the sport. Self-belief is a strong tool and while I’m coming up against one of the best women in the entire world, I believe in myself and my ability. I believe I can get the job done.

Kaye Scott smiling during pre-fight press conference.

“The aspect of her dropping the weight is definitely my advantage. In the amateurs I’ve done some heavy weight cuts and it can be draining on the body. I sit comfortably at middle weight. I’m hoping in the later stages of the fight that my endurance will come through. My fitness gives me the advantage to be able to push through.

“Thank you to my manager Mark Taffet, Salita Promotions and Wynn Records for believing in an event like this. Thank you to Claressa for choosing me as your dance partner.”

Mark Taffet speaking during Shields vs. Scott pre-fight press conference.

DMITRIY SALITA, PRESIDENT, SALITA PROMOTIONS:

“We are bridging together boxing and music. Thank you to Ruben, Papoose and Wynn Records for helping me bridge that game. Thank you to the cultural streaming network Zeus and Lemmy Plumber. Thank you DAZN, the number one premium boxing broadcast in the world.

Dmitriy Salita speaking at the podium during Shields vs. Scott pre-fight press conference.

“Claressa Shields needs no introduction as she is one of the most decelerated women in the sport. She the first woman boxer to be the main event on premium cable television. She’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the only male or female fighter to accomplish that in the history of the sport.

“Kaye Scott is very experienced world champion who just won WBC Fight of the Year. This is going to be an incredible fight.

“Thank you to State Farm Arena and thank you to Atlanta for welcoming us and for the hospitality.”

RUBEN BRANSON, CEO, WYNN RECORDS:

“Thank you DAZN and thank you Lemmy for helping us bring the sport of boxing to a whole new level. Wynn Records’ goal is to blend sports, entertainment and culture and with our partners we have been successful. August 15 will be an epic night for Claressa Shields who continues to redefine history. We are proud to walk side by side with you Claressa. As a United States veteran myself, I am so proud of you being a US two-time Gold Medal Olympian.”

Wynn Records CEO Ruben Branson speaking at the podium during Shields vs. Scott pre-fight press conference.

LEMUEL PLUMMER – CEO, ZEUS NETWORK

“Thank you Ruben and Wynn Records and Salita Promotions. We are excited to be part of this and distributing the undercard on the Zeus network. This partnership will change the sport of boxing entertainment.”

Zeus Network CEO Lemuel Plummer speaking on the podium during Shields. vs Scott pre-fight press conference.

MIRIAM ARCHIBONG, ROUTE 30 PROMOTIONS:

“August 15 isn’t just another fight. For the first time in Atlanta’s history, State Farm Arena will host a major boxing event headlined by two women. I can’t think of anyone more deserving to headline that event than Claressa The GWOAT Shields and Kaye Scott. Great cities don’t wait for history, they create it.”

French shipping company CMA CGM Group to buy FedEx' logistics arm for $1.4B

Mae Anderson, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:35:10 +0000

French container shipping company CMA CGM Group said Wednesday it will buy FedEx Supply Chain, the third-party logistics subsidiary of FedEx for $1.4 billion, as it works to expand in the U.S.

CMA CGM Group said the acquisition will triple the size of its own logistics arm, CEVA Logistics and help build its presence as a contract logistics provider in North America.

In 2025, CMA CGM pledged to invest $20 billion in its U.S. warehousing, air cargo and logistics over four years.

The two companies said they expected to enter into multiyear air and ocean freight commercial agreements as well.

Rodolphe Saadé, CEO of CMA CGM Group, said the deal will "reinforce our long-term commitment to investing in the United States and supporting the resilience and efficiency of its supply chain.”

FedEx, based in Memphis, Tennessee, has been spinning off some businesses to focus on its delivery business, focusing on higher-margin business-to-business deliveries for the healthcare, automotive, aerospace and data center industries. It completed its spinoff of FedEx Freight, which transports heavy and bulky shipments, on June 1.

The acquisition is expected to close later this year, subject to regulatory approvals.

The air cargo and ocean freight deals are expected to be ironed out in different phases between 2026 and 2028.

Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year

Bernard Condon, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:02:16 +0000

President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Tuesday shows, locking in profits while his investors were socked with losses.

Both the tokens and the coins have plunged in value since the sales.

The 927-page disclosure form paints a stark, if incomplete picture of the massive growth of the president’s wealth since taking office last January through a web of business interests — many of which have benefited from the policy moves of Trump’s own government. Trump has insisted that his sons direct his finances but the arrangement rejects the conflict of interest protections that his recent predecessors in office had instituted.

Forbes estimates Trump's net worth at $6 billion, up from $2.3 billion in 2024.

The Trump business is growing abroad

The rise of crypto relative to Trump’s property is especially noteworthy because he first rode to office boasting of his property wins. It's also remarkable because that mainstay business also boomed last year. Trump took in tens of millions in fees from a flurry of new hotel, resort and condo deals overseas that amounts to the biggest property expansion ever in the century since the family business was founded.

Many of those countries were negotiating with the U.S. over tariffs, military aid and other important matters while the family business was striking the deals.

A property in the United Arab Emirates generated $10.4 million for the Trump business last year. One in Saudi Arabia being built by a real estate developer close to the ruling family sent the president’s company $9 million. And one in Bucharest, Romania, and another in Qatar sent him $5 million each.

One of his prominent domestic properties, Mar-a-Lago in Florida, notched big growth last year, too.

Trump took in $77 million from the property, a 50% jump from the year earlier when he was just another citizen, as heads of state and business people flocked to it in his new term.

The disclosure report doesn't give profit figures, just revenue, so it's impossible to know how much he is earning.

Trump is now the billion-dollar crypto man

Trump said Wednesday that most of his gains last year came from the stock market and he's just riding along with everyone else.

“We’re all profiting,” he said. “I’m profiting because I have a lot of money and a lot of cash.”

But crypto was clearly the big revenue generator last year in part due his own moves since taking office — pushing policies friendly to the industry and reversing a Biden administration regulatory crackdown.

The regulators are still worried. Before Trump's World Liberty began selling “governance tokens,” they issued warnings about this new kind of crypto asset, saying that unlike stocks, the tokens offer no ownership stake in the issuing company, just voting power on certain corporate policies, and are difficult to value.

Buyers pounced anyway, including a Chinese billionaire who spent $75 million on the tokens and $200 million on the souvenir coins. In February last year, a federal lawsuit charging him with duping investors was paused before being settled for a $10 million fine.

The billionaire, Justin Sun, has repeatedly denied his spending on Trump businesses had anything to do with his federal case, while World Liberty has dismissed the notion of a conflict of interest.

Meanwhile, investors have seen the value of their Trump-tied holdings drop significantly.

The price of World Liberty tokens has fallen 80% since they started trading in September. And the Trump souvenir coins that spiked to more than $74 in the days after launching in January 2025 now sell for $1.68.

The White House says Trump only acts in the public interest

The White House has repeatedly said Trump put his business in a trust managed by his sons and is not involved in its decisions and that there are no ethics issues to discuss.

“Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged — or will ever engage — in conflicts of interest,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. “All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people.”

The Trump umbrella company, the Trump Organization, has said its deals overseas were with private companies, not with governments.

Still, it is difficult to know what is truly private in countries ruled by authoritarians, royal families and one-party governments.

For a new Trump resort in Vietnam, the report shows Trump took in $5 million last year after the ruling Communist Party sent its deputy prime minister to sign off on the deal and, according to The New York Times, pushed farmers off the land to make way for the construction.

Whether the deals played any role in changing U.S. policies in ways these countries sought is nearly impossible to know, but the countries did get what they wanted.

Vietnam got tariff relief. Qatar got access to advanced U.S. technology previously off limits, and Saudi Arabia got U.S. fighter jets it had coveted for years.

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AP White House reporter Josh Boak contributed from Washington.

Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras tossed for a 2nd straight game as benches clear against Nationals

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:53:24 +0000

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was tossed for a second straight game on Tuesday after throwing his helmet toward Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli during a heated exchange that ended with the benches clearing and multiple ejections.

Cavalli struck out Contreras looking on a full-count pitch in the top of the fourth of what eventually became an 8-1 victory by the Nationals. The 27-year-old right-hander then shouted at Contreras as Contreras made his way back to the Boston dugout.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said he heard Cavalli yell “Sit down, boy” after fanning Contreras.

Asked what his specific words to Contreras were, Cavalli told reporters, “I don’t know. I just lose my head in it. I’m competitive. I just told him to sit down.”

The term “boy” has a racist history in the U.S. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli's word choice.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Contreras said, later adding he plans to "let MLB handle that.”

Contreras, who hit a three-run homer off Washington's Miles Mikolas on Monday and celebrated with a massive bat flip that he later apologized fo r, then approached Cavalli on the mound. The two jawed at each other as both dugouts emptied.

“He struck me on a good pitch, I was walking back to the dugout, and then he did what did, and the rest was history,” Contreras told reporters afterward, later adding, "He was like, instigating, and I snapped.”

Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez tried to hold Contreras back, but Contreras broke loose long enough to leap and throw his batting helmet in Cavalli's direction.

Things settled down quickly after that, though the brief dustup ended with Contreras, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, Boston outfielder Nate Eaton and Mikolas being ejected.

Cavalli pointed to an incident at the end of the top of the first when Contreras nearly ran into the pitcher as both exited the field as the spark that set things in motion.

“He's just been doing stuff," Cavalli said of Contreras. “In the first inning, he just runs past me and brushes me. It's just something you don't do in baseball. I think he knows that. I didn't say anything. I just looked at him. And a few words were said after the strikeout. It's part of the game. And he's going to let everybody run out there and try and do whatever he does, throw a helmet and get himself tossed.”

Cavalli stayed in the game and allowed one run on one hit with 13 strikeouts over seven innings in what became an 8-1 romp.

“After everything that happened, the people that they chose that were going to leave the game, I just felt like the other pitcher should have been one of them too,” Tracy said. "That was my biggest complaint.”

The early exit was the second in as many nights for Contreras, the first time that's happened to a Red Sox player in the club's 126-year history. The 34-year-old Venezuela native — who acknowledged he is having a difficult time while his native country tries to recover from a pair of devastating earthquakes last week — was ejected in the second inning on Monday for mimicking an appeal call after striking out on a checked swing.

“I feel like everything is against me right now,” Contreras said. "I got ejected last night from nothing. I got ejected today even though I was walking back to the dugout.”

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Zelenskyy says Ukraine has hit a Russian oil refinery for the second time in a week

Samya Kullab And Illia Novikov, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:56:02 +0000

Ukrainian forces struck Russia's major Ufa oil refinery for the second time in a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.

Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.

The Ufa refinery is one of Russia’s largest producers of lubricants and is located more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on social media.

Ukraine also struck a plant producing missile components in Russia’s Penza region southeast of Moscow, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said.

Russian officials did not confirm the strikes, which could not be independently verified. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 179 Ukrainian drones over 16 Russian regions, the annexed Crimea and waters of the Azov and the Black Sea.

Penza regional Gov. Oleg Melnichenko said that Ukrainian drones struck two industrial plants in the city of Penza, injuring two people at one of them. He didn’t name the plants or describe the damage.

The explosions shattered windows in two apartment buildings in Penza, Melnichenko said, while downed drone debris damaged a power line and fell on a building under construction.

Ukraine says drone strikes slow Russian advance

Ukraine’s domestically developed and manufactured drones and missiles have been hammering Russian oil facilities, including refineries, terminals, storage depots and pipeline pumping stations, for months.

Many regions of Russia, one of the world’s biggest energy producers, have introduced fuel rationing.

Ukraine has developed new weaponry and in recent months has gained an edge, according to Western officials. Its strikes on supply routes behind the front line have robbed the Russian army of momentum on the battlefield, officials and analysts say.

“Russians now have great problems with delivering infantry to the front line and supplying it,” Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov said Wednesday.

Ukraine sees growing interest in its military technology

Ukraine has become a provider of military technology sought by countries around the world, especially drones.

With European countries fearing what Moscow’s territorial ambitions might lie beyond Ukraine, leaders have described Kyiv as a bulwark against Russian advances.

Ukraine is “becoming a security provider for the whole of Europe,” Swedish Minister of Defense Paul Jonsson said in Kyiv, where he held talks with Fedorov.

Ukraine signed an agreement on Tuesday for Sweden to provide Kyiv with Gripen fighter jets. They will help Ukraine stop Russian aircraft carrying powerful glide bombs, Fedorov said.

Jonsson said European countries want Ukraine to be integrated into Euro-Atlantic defenses, although Ukraine’s NATO membership has been a contentious issue and likely will be discussed at an alliance summit in Turkey next week.

“The sooner it happens, the better it is for you, the better it is for our security and prosperity as well,” Jonsson told a press conference.

Ukraine also wants to join the European Union, though the process could take years. Zelenskyy arrived Wednesday in Ireland, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.

“Ukraine proves every day that it deserves to be an equal partner of our common European home. And we hope that during Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council, we will be able to achieve tangible progress on the path to membership and open all negotiations clusters,” Zelenskyy said.

Russian attacks kill five Ukrainian civilians, injure 35

Russian long-range attacks on Ukraine continued, with at least five civilians reported killed Wednesday.

A Russian drone struck a bus in the southern Kherson region, killing two people and injuring six others, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Glide bombs hit the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest, killing two people, including a 15-year-old boy, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. At least 26 people were wounded, including a 1-year-old, he added.

A 43-year-old woman was killed and three were injured, including a 35-year-old pregnant woman, when Russia attacked five gas stations in the central Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, according to regional authorities.

Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian gas stations.

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

NBA free agency: Norman Powell to Chicago in another All-Star move as teams continue shaping rosters

Tim Reynolds, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:02:08 +0000

Add Norman Powell to the list of this past season's All-Stars who are changing addresses this summer in NBA free agency.

Powell has agreed to a two-year deal that could be worth up to $45 million with the Chicago Bulls, a person with knowledge of the talks said Wednesday. Powell also had received some interest from the Detroit Pistons, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be finalized until July 6 at the earliest.

ESPN and Chicago Sports Network were among those who first reported the agreement between Powell and the Bulls, who will hold a team option for 2027-28. Powell spent this past season in Miami, where he became an All-Star for the first time and averaged 21.7 points in 58 games with the Heat.

Miami will have a very different look this coming season, after the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade that sent Tyler Herro and others to Milwaukee. Powell will be joining his fifth team, after past stints with Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto and the Heat.

All-Stars on the move

Powell is among five — and there likely will be more — All-Star selections from 2026 alone to be on the move this offseason.

He joins Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee to Miami), Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Ingram (the headliners of a trade that brings Leonard back to Toronto and sends Ingram to the Los Angeles Clippers), and LeBron James (who is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers for a yet-to-be-decided team).

Of the 62 players with at least one All-Star selection in the last five years, just over half — 32 of them — have changed teams at least once in that span.

Nikola Vucevic returns to Orlando

Nikola Vucevic is headed back to the Orlando Magic, agreeing on a one-year deal for just under $4 million, a person with knowledge of those talks confirmed.

Vucevic is second all-time on the Magic list in rebounds, third in points and fourth in games played. The 35-year-old center has been in the league for 15 seasons, nine of those with Orlando — and now joins a young core led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Orlando needed another post option after losing Moritz Wagner in free agency to Brooklyn — and Vucevic, who still has a home in central Florida, was the natural fit.

Moritz Wagner, the brother of Franz Wagner, is signing a two-year deal with the Nets.

Vucevic averaged 15.1 points this past season for Chicago and Boston.

Marcus Smart to Houston

Marcus Smart, the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2022, is about to join his fourth team in a span of 17 months after agreeing with the Houston Rockets on a two-year deal worth about $12.7 million, a person with knowledge of those talks told the AP.

Smart was with Memphis as recently as February 2025, then was sent to Washington to complete that season and spent this past season with the Lakers.

He averaged 9.3 points and started 54 games for the Lakers in 2025-26.

John Collins to Detroit

Forward John Collins is changing teams again, after agreeing to a three-year contract with the Pistons, a person with knowledge of those negotiations told the AP.

ESPN reported the deal is worth $51 million.

The Pistons will be Collins' third team in as many seasons. He started his career in Atlanta, then spent two seasons in Utah (until 2024-25) and played for the Clippers last season.

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

Trump administration lifts restrictions on Anthropic's Claude models after cybersecurity alarm

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:49:48 +0000

The Trump administration has lifted restrictions on artificial intelligence company Anthropic's latest versions of its Claude chatbot, ending a weekslong ban tied to cybersecurity concerns.

Anthropic said Tuesday night that its AI model called Claude Fable 5 is now widely available. It's also restoring access to its most powerful model, Mythos 5, but only to a select group of U.S.-based organizations approved by the federal government.

The Commerce Department blocked foreign nationals from using both AI models on June 12, a move that San Francisco-based Anthropic said forced the company to immediately take the products down for all users just days after it unveiled them.

Anthropic said in a blog post this week that the government's concerns were sparked by a report from cybersecurity researchers at Amazon, Anthropic's primary cloud computing provider. The company “had found a method of bypassing Fable 5’s safeguards” that enabled it to discover and potentially exploit software vulnerabilities, Anthropic said.

Officials have grown increasingly concerned since Anthropic warned earlier this year that its Mythos model was adept at finding software flaws in a way that could be weaponized by malicious hackers and threaten critical computer networks around the world.

Anthropic's chief rival, ChatGPT maker OpenAI, also said Friday it is restricting the release of its new artificial intelligence model at the request of President Donald Trump’s administration.

OpenAI said its new AI product, called GPT-5.6 Sol, would be accessible only to a select group of government-approved customers for a temporary period.

Trump last month signed an executive order on AI oversight that established a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to 30 days before their public release. The order described participation by AI developers as voluntary, but the framework has not yet been fully developed.

Federal Reserve Chair Warsh emphasizes political independence, signals focus on inflation

Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:03:08 +0000

New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Wednesday that the central bank would remain independent and seek to bring down inflation, likely foreclosing the rate cuts President Donald Trump has sought.

In remarks at a central bank conference in Sintra, Portugal, Warsh said that if businesses or households thought the Fed would accept inflation above 2%, “I guess they'd be disappointed. We're going to deliver price stability.”

The Fed typically combats inflation by raising borrowing costs. When asked about Trump's oft-repeated desire for lower rates, Warsh underscored the Fed's independence from day-to-day politics.

“We’ve been an independent central bank for a very long time," he said. "We’re going to be an independent central bank at this moment and you’re going to see no changes to that.”

Such comments suggest that Warsh has shifted his views since replacing Jerome Powell as chair May 22. He called for lower rates last year as he essentially campaigned for the job. Since becoming chair, however, Warsh has appeared to move away from that stance and instead has signaled a focus on getting inflation down.

But on Wednesday he declined to say what steps the Fed would take to achieve that goal, consistent with his opposition to so-called “forward guidance,” in which central bank leaders foreshadow their next policy moves.

“I'm not going to make a judgment now," he said during the panel discussion with other central bankers. "The tactics, the strategy, and the rest, that's still to come,” he later added.

At his first news conference last month, Warsh also emphasized his goal of getting inflation back down to target. Wall Street investors expect the Fed could hike its key interest rate as soon as in September, from its current level of about 3.6% to roughly 3.9%.

When the Fed last met June 16-17, nearly half of the 19 policymakers signaled that they supported higher rates this year, while eight supported no change and one penciled in a cut. Warsh did not submit a forecast because of his opposition to providing guidance.

The economy has shifted since Trump first nominated Warsh in January, with inflation rising to a three-year high of 4.2% in May, pushed higher by the Iran war's impact on gas prices. Yet as a peace agreement has been reached, gas prices have declined, suggesting inflation may have peaked. Fed officials may very well wait to see where inflation settles if oil and gas prices continue to fall back to prewar levels.

On Wednesday, Warsh also said there are signs that the threat of persistent inflation has moderated. He specifically cited inflation expectations, or where the public and financial markets think inflation will head next, as measured by surveys and bond prices. Both have showed declining expectations in the past month.

Yet a key question facing Warsh is whether he will have to raise rates in the next few meetings to underscore his commitment to fighting inflation. If gas prices keep falling and inflation declines, he may be try to avoid doing so.

At the same time, hiring has picked up in recent months and economists forecast the government will issue a solid jobs report on Thursday that will likely show the unemployment rate remains a low 4.3%. Such a report would reduce pressure on the Fed to lower borrowing costs.

Warsh also reiterated his view that over time, artificial intelligence will expand the economy's ability to produce goods and services and reduce inflationary pressures. Yet many economists think it could take an extended period of time for those trends to take hold.

In the short term, economists say, the breakneck investment in AI infrastructure is pushing up prices for semiconductor and computing equipment, fueling inflation.

Warsh declined to comment specifically on whether AI spending is inflationary, and often noted that he has set up five task forces at the Fed to study a range of issues, including AI and its impact on productivity.

“This is as exciting a time and also as consequential a time to be a central banker that I can think of at any point, maybe outside of a crisis, in my adult lifetime,” he said.

Judge orders Pentagon to lift policy that journalists be accompanied by an escort

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:02:22 +0000

A federal judge has ordered the Defense Department to temporarily halt a requirement that journalists be accompanied by an official escort, another legal setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict media access at the Pentagon. It was not immediately clear whether the order applied only to reporters from The New York Times, which filed the lawsuit, or to the entire press corps.

U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington said that policy violated the First Amendment. He issued a preliminary ruling Tuesday barring the requirement while the Times continues its protracted legal battle against the department's restrictions.

While the order's language suggested the judge's decision was directed only at the Times, the escort policy itself applies to all journalists.

The newspaper in May sued the Defense Department for the second time in five months. The lawsuits have played into an escalating tension between the U.S. media and the Republican administration, both in the public arena and the courts.

The Times hailed Friedman’s ruling.

“Today’s well-reasoned decision reaffirms the First Amendment rights of the press to cover the Pentagon without restrictions designed to prevent the public from knowing what the military is doing,” said Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson. “The court recognized that the Pentagon’s hastily implemented new policy was a clear violation of the Constitution.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X late Tuesday that the department “strongly disagrees” with Friedman's decision. "This ruling strips away reasonable security measures and will make it easier for sensitive and classified information to reach our adversaries.”

Parnell argued further that “unescorted access to the Pentagon allowed journalists to observe activity patterns and develop relationships that contributed to repeated unauthorized disclosures of operational plans and intelligence. The court’s order effectively restores that risky environment at a time when protecting our military’s secrets is more critical than ever.”

The Times first sued in December over rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking to limit media access.

The escort policy was implemented in March after a ruling by Friedman that had struck down earlier restrictions. He said they violated the rights of Times reporter Julian E. Barnes and the paper.

The following month, the judge ruled that the interim policy violated his March order. But the escort policy remained in place when an appeals court stayed part of Friedman’s ruling while the government appealed. The appeals process is ongoing.

The Times and other outlets walked out of the Pentagon in October rather than agree to Hegseth's restrictions. They continue to cover the U.S. military from outside the building. A new press corps approved by the department currently occupies the Pentagon space.

Actor and activist Danny Glover says he has Alzheimer’s disease

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:06:46 +0000

Actor and activist Danny Glover, best known for starring as an easygoing police officer in the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, has revealed he has Alzheimer’s disease.

The four-time Emmy Award nominee, who turns 80 on July 22, told “Today” and People magazine that he was diagnosed with the progressive, memory-destroying disease three years ago.

“I’m still not accepting in my mind all parts of it,” he told People magazine. “There are the moments that you keep remembering that validate the fact that you can remember stuff. And there are moments I’ll never forget.”

More than 6 million people in the United States and millions more around the world have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.

Glover earned four Emmy Award nominations and an honorary Oscar in 2022. Other awards came from the NAACP and Black Entertainment Television, and he received nominations from the Screen Actors Guild.

Glover also served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program from 1998 to 2004. It focuses on poverty, disease and economic development in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Michigan’s Selfridge National Air Base receives big upgrades -- here’s what’s new

Jenny Marchi — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:03:05 +0000

Michigan’s Selfridge National Air Base has locked in major funding and plans from the president; here’s what the base plans to receive.

Last year, President Trump announced a new fighter mission for the base.

The plan will give Selfridge 21 new F-15 Ex Eagle Two Fighter Jets to replace aging A-10 Warthogs.

The new jets will reach 1,800 MPH and can fly 3k miles without refueling.

New jets are set to arrive in 2028.

For the jets, Lansing has locked in $152 million for runway and infrastructure upgrades at the base.

The funding is a piece of what Selfridge is expecting for its needed $1 billion improvements over the next few years.

Selfridge supports 30k jobs statewide and brings in an estimated $850 million dollars into Michigan’s economy each year.

On July 1, the base turns 109.

The base is located in Harrison Township.

Originally, the land was bought by Henry Joy, president of the Packard Motor Car Company, in 1916 and named Joy Aviation Field.

When the U.S. Army took over the field in 1917, the field was renamed Selfridge, after Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, the first person ever killed in a military aircraft crash.

54 years later, on July 1 1971, the army handed the base to Michigan Air National guard, making Selfridge the first active air force base in the country to be run by the guard.

Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, Adjutant General, Michigan National Guard. joined Local 4 Live to tell us more.

You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.

Ship runs aground in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state TV reports

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:19:30 +0000

A ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz while using a route not approved by Iran, state television in Tehran reported Wednesday. The vessel was identified as a foreign container ship, with no other details.

The report appeared aimed at underlining Tehran’s claims to control the strait, which the world has long considered an international waterway. A fifth of all oil and natural gas passed through it in peacetime.

Iran has used its ability to choke off the waterway as a key source of leverage since the war began Feb. 28, disrupting global markets for energy and other critical goods.

The report came as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, were in Doha, Qatar, for talks over reaching a permanent end to the Iran war. Iran's top negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, traveled to Qatar with a team as well.

Technical talks between diplomats began Wednesday in Qatar, said two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions. Negotiators aim to nail down specifics to pave the way for top leaders to seal an agreement, though differences over the strait and Lebanon loom large.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key sticking point in talks

Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades of practice in the waterway.

The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they won't agree to the charges. An effort by Oman and a U.N. agency to launch a new route near Oman's shore sparked attacks across the Mideast last weekend, highlighting the tensions.

Iranian state TV on Wednesday said the ship “ran aground with its cargo because of shallow waters along the route it had chosen and was unable to continue sailing.” It said shippers needed to follow the instructions of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the strait.

The Guard’s navy has repeatedly warned that “any entry or exit through routes other than the ‘Route of Authority’ in the Persian Gulf could lead to irreparable incidents.”

The report did not mention the two ships Iran attacked in recent days for daring to head out through the strait without Tehran's permission, including one carrying crude oil from Qatar.

Qatar meets with both sides

Witkoff and Kushner arrived Tuesday in Qatar ahead of talks, with Qatar mediating. While Iran has said it planned no meetings with the Americans, there was the possibility of the nations negotiating indirectly by passing messages through Qatari officials.

Qatar said the Americans met Wednesday with its ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Sheikh Mohammed also met with Gharibabadi and other Iranian officials. An Iranian statement said they discussed the interim deal and “the existing challenges and obstacles to its implementation.” Pakistani mediators also were on hand.

Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator, told Iranian state television that work continues to try to reach a permanent end to the war.

“We are engaged in dialogue, but if they refuse to implement what has been agreed through dialogue, we are prepared for war,” Qalibaf said.

Lebanon is another key point in a final deal. Iran has insisted that all fighting end between the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah and Israeli military forces there.

Iran also has called for Israel to give up the land it now occupies in southern Lebanon. Israel insists it must hold the territory and have a free hand to attack Hezbollah, which has been launching attacks into northern Israel.

More ships get out of Strait of Hormuz

While ship traffic in the strait dropped after the weekend attacks, more countries say their vessels have gotten out.

The Thai Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that 10 out of 11 Thai-flagged vessels or vessels chartered by Thai operators have departed the strait safely. South Korean officials say all but two of the country’s 26 vessels that were stranded have left safely.

Iraq shoots down drone over Baghdad

Elsewhere, Iraqi authorities on Wednesday shot down a small drone over Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, which includes many embassies and government buildings, two Iraqi security officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

One of the officials said the drone was unarmed and likely was being used for surveillance. No group immediately claimed the drone as theirs.

After the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias launched frequent attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic facilities in Iraq. The drone that was shot down Wednesday was the first security incident in Baghdad since the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.

___

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Najib Jobain in Doha, Qatar; Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.

Serena Williams tweaked her knee during Wimbledon return at age 44 but still aims to play doubles

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:22:45 +0000

Serena Williams tweaked her right knee at Wimbledon during her first singles match in nearly four years but still hopes to play doubles with sister Venus, her agent said Wednesday.

The 44-year-old Williams did not ask for medical treatment during a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 loss to 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in the first round on Tuesday.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion who won seven of her titles at Wimbledon, did not meet with media after the match.

“Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,” said Jill Smoller, Williams’ agent. “She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week.”

Williams confirmed the injury on Instagram and added, “It felt so good to be back on the grass (at) Wimbledon. I’m incredibly thankful for the wild card — and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it’s never too late to chase something you love.

“Congratulations to Maya Joint on a great match, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed me so much love. That feeling will never get old,” Williams added.

Serena received wild card invitations from Wimbledon organizers to play both singles and doubles with Venus.

Serena has said that having her two daughters off from school inspired her comeback and it marked the first time that her youngest daughter, Adira, who is almost three, saw her play singles. Adira sat next to her 8-year-old sister, Olympia in the front row of Serena’s players’ box.

Alexis Ohanian, Williams' husband, wrote on social media: “Our little family is so proud of you @serenawilliams — even though it wasn’t the outcome you wanted, you’re an inspiration. We love you” He added that the kids “are also happy they got to stay up a bit past their bedtime.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka also paid tribute to Serena and her sister on social media: “I really wonder if Serena and Venus know how much they mean to us,” Osaka posted.

Then after winning her second-round match Wednesday, Osaka discussed watching Serena play.

“The montages that they had before the match started made me really emotional because I feel like I’ve watched her growing up,” Osaka said. “Now I feel like I’m grown up and I get the privilege of watching her again. So it was really cool.”

Fellow American Tommy Paul watched, too.

“It’s pretty impressive at her age,” Paul said. “She was striking the ball pretty well, returning pretty well. I thought she was going to go after it a little bit more. ... I think it would have helped her a lot to have maybe a match of singles before coming out to Wimbledon. But she’s Serena. She can do whatever she wants.”

___

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

An on-the-go agency is here to help Wayne County residents make ends meet, here’s how

Jenny Marchi — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:31:22 +0000

An agency has been helping residents across Wayne County pay rent, utilities, home repairs childcare and more. Now that agency is taking their services on the road.

The Wayne Metropolitan Community Action agency is launching “Wayne Metro on the go”, a mobile intake unit to bring support directly into communities across the County.

The organization is planning to give residents access at block parties and community events to connect with staff and access full range of services on the spot.

Jasmine Carson, executive director and Hiba Haidous, director of community for the organization joined Local 4 Live to tell us more on how residents can utilize this service.

You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.

The US, Canada and Mexico begin bumpy negotiations to renew North American trade pact

Paul Wiseman, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:39:26 +0000

Tourists from Chattanooga check into beach resorts in Cancun. Canadian auto parts feed factories in the American Midwest – and vice versa. Happy hour revelers raise glasses of Mexican tequila and mezcal at bars in Seattle.

It adds up. The United States trades $1.9 trillion a year — $5 billion a day — worth of goods and services with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico. They have supplanted China to become America's top two trading partners.

So the stakes are high when it comes to fiddling with the rules that govern trade between the three countries. And after a year of President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariff policies, many U.S., Canadian and Mexican businesses would welcome the return of stability across North America.

They are not likely to get it.

The regional trade pact — the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA — that Trump negotiated and boasted about in his first term comes up for renewal Wednesday, a process that is likely to last months, maybe longer.

And the path forward is lined with landmines.

"There’s going to be a lot of drama this summer," Diego Marroquín Bitar, a fellow in the America’s program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said last week at a USMCA forum sponsored by the Cato Institute.

A bumpy road ahead for North American trade

The U.S. is making demands that could effectively force Canada and Mexico to surrender some automaking production to the United States. That might bring more auto factory jobs to the United States. But it would also upend established supply chains and would push up U.S. prices for new cars that now average nearly $50,000 at a time when American consumers are already frustrated about the high cost of living.

Trump, characteristically, has added to the tension by threatening to pull out of his own agreement altogether.

In 2020, the USMCA replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which tore down most trade barriers between the three North American countries.

Trump and other critics had called NAFTA a job killer because it encouraged U.S. companies to move factories south of the border to take advantage of low-wage Mexican labor, then ship goods back to the United States duty free.

His USMCA ended up being similar to NAFTA — though it pressured factories to pay higher wages and make sure that more of what they made originated in North America in an effort to prevent Chinese products from slipping across regional borders duty free.

North America trade deal is up for renewal

The USMCA included a novel provision requiring the pact to be renewed every six years. That deadline is Wednesday, but “nothing is going to happen July 1,” said Oscar Ocampo, director of economic development at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness.

Negotiators could agree Wednesday to renew the USMCA as it is for another 16 years — until 2042. But that is considered highly unlikely. Instead, they are expected to keep working on ways to improve it; they have until the current term ends in 2036 to reach an agreement. Otherwise, the pact expires.

Meantime, any USMCA country can pull out of the pact provided it gives its two partners six months’ notice — a red buzzer that Canada and Mexico, dependent on trade with the United States, fear Trump just might push.

Trump, after all, said in June that he was “not looking to renew’’ the trade pact with Canada and Mexico. "We don’t need anything that they have,” he said.

Ocampo suspects that Trump doesn't really want to drop the treaty; he just wants to use the uncertainty to keep pressure on Mexico over security and immigration issues.

Canada is out in the cold — so far

The United States and Mexico have held talks on renewing the trade agreement. But Canada has so far been stuck on the sidelines.

Patrick Childress, a partner at the Holland & Knight law firm and a former U.S. trade negotiator, said: "The danger for Canada is this: that the U.S. government and the Mexican government reach agreement on changes to core provisions of the treaty and then show up in Ottawa and say: ‘Here’s what we’ve agreed to. You can take it or leave it.’’’

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the three trading partners plan to meet virtually on Wednesday, adding: “I’m not looking for my pen.”

Carney later said in French his priority is to update the USMCA and that it is impossible for the U.S. to have a new agreement without the approval of Congress.

Pushing production to the United States

The U.S. wants a refreshed trade pact to do more to make sure that Chinese goods don’t get in through the back door. But the most contentious issue is a U.S. push to require that more products are made in North America — and specifically the United States.

The USMCA included a requirement that automotive products must be 75% made in North America — up from 62.5% under NAFTA — to qualify for duty-free treatment.

The U.S. wants to push the 75% threshold even higher but it won’t be easy. Automakers already "have been fine-tuning their supply chains for years to be able to hit that 75% mark," Childress said. They would need time to meet the higher standard.

The U.S. is also seeking a brand-new requirement: that 50% of cars be made in the United States, Carney confirmed in early June. Currently, none of the USMCA countries gets a guaranteed share of production. "It’s a red line for both Mexico and Canada, and it goes against the spirit and the letter of regional integration," Ocampo said.

Marcos Carias, an economist at the credit insurer Coface, said only 1 in 5 Mexican and Canadian cars imported into the United States would currently meet the 50% standard.

Vehicle models likely to be hit with higher costs under the plan, he said, include Ford’s Maverick compact pickup truck, Chevrolet’s mid-size Equinox SUV and some Nissan sedans — all made in Mexico. Carias’ "back of the envelope" calculations suggest that prices could increase 5% to 7% on the most-affected models.

Businesses want stability

A lot of companies just want relief from Trump’s ever-changing tariffs. “My interest in this USMCA renewal is just consistency, right?" said Shawn Miller, co-founder of PKGD Group, which imports agave spirits (tequila, mezcal and raicilla) from family producers in Mexico. “If the rules change, the rules change. But we’d really like to know (what they're going to be) and we’d like them to stay that way for a while."

Business is booming for PKGD. Sales at the Holland, Michigan-based firm are up 62% so far this year after surging 100% in 2025 and 300% in 2024.

But last year was chaotic.

Trump hit Mexican and Canadian goods with a 25% import tax in February only to turn around a month later and exempt products that were eligible for preferential USMCA treatment. The USMCA allows the Mexican spirits into the United States duty free.

Amid the tumult, three truckloads of Mexican spirits imported by PKGD crossed the border into the United States and got hit with the 25% tariff. The cost came to $105,000. "For us, it was one unfortunate day!'' Miller said.

Not knowing what tariffs Trump might conjure up next, PKGD huddled with its Mexican producers to figure out how to respond. “What can we absorb? What can they absorb?" Miller said. “How can we mitigate this?"

Miller said he and his Mexican suppliers “are not large multinational corporations with dedicated trade departments, teams of lawyers, or lobbyists focused on trade policy."

Kerry Mellin can sympathize.

In 2014, the veteran Hollywood costume designer started a business in Ventura County, California, selling silicone grips that enable people with disabilities (such as cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s) to hold things — spoons, cups, pens, toothbrushes.

But sales floundered when she introduced her EazyHold grips in Canada, where she has dual citizenship. She thinks it’s because the silicone she imports from Asia kept her grips from having enough North American content to qualify for USMCA’s duty-free treatment when they crossed the border from the United States.

Mellin suspects EazyHold could meet the USMCA standards, “but the rules are complex and unpredictable enough that I genuinely can’t be sure without hiring a trade attorney."

Mellin believes the USMCA’s rules of origin should be loosened, not tightened, to help small businesses that can’t afford costlier raw materials from North America.

“I do understand why the rule exists -- to stop companies from routing Chinese goods through Mexico," she said. “I just wish it could tell the difference between that and a small family business in California making grip aids for people who can’t hold a fork. I’m not the problem they were trying to solve."

____

AP Writers Maria Verza in Mexico City and Rob Gilles in Toronto contributed to this story.

Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries plunge Russia into a summer fuel crisis

Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:01:50 +0000

The lines are growing at Russian gas stations -- and so is the frustration and uncertainty as several months of Ukrainian attacks have set oil refineries ablaze and choked supplies for motorists across the vast country.

Fuel rationing has been introduced in many regions, with hourslong queues of cars snaking beside roads. Social media videos show drivers aghast at the lines or swearing at empty gas pumps and rising prices. The mayor of the Siberian city of Irkutsk even ordered portable toilets brought in to accommodate those in line.

The fuel crisis — unprecedented for a nation that is one of the world's biggest energy producers — has brought Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine home to ordinary Russians like few other events in the war, now in its fifth year.

It drew a rare admission from President Vladimir Putin, who acknowledged “problems persist for both motorists and businesses,” and “there are still queues at petrol stations, and finding the right grade of petrol isn’t always easy.”

He insisted the shortages are “not critical” and “temporary.”

But that appeared to do little to reassure at least one motorist in Moscow, the wealthy capital typically better-insulated from economic shocks than the rest of the country.

“I think the situation is not very good,” the motorist waiting in line told The Associated Press on Monday, the day after Putin's televised remarks.

“They say one thing on television, and in reality it’s another. ... People are queueing everywhere,” he added, declining to give his full name out of safety concerns.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday echoed that sentiment, writing on Telegram that “Putin can go on and on, claiming on TV that he supposedly has everything under control," but Russians can see that the war "has reached the point where even an oil state -- a gas station, as Russia used to be called -- is now facing gas shortages.”

Ukraine hits energy targets multiple times

An AP count shows over 50 reported attacks by Ukraine on oil refineries, depots, terminals and other energy infrastructure in Russia and the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula since March. Often, the same facility was hit more than once -– such as the refinery in the Black Sea town of Tuapse that was struck four times.

The amount of crude oil Russia processed into fuel in June was down 25% from a year ago, to 3.95 million barrels per day — the lowest level in over two decades, said Gary Peach, oil markets analyst at Energy Intelligence.

“The outages are extraordinary,” he said.

Gasoline production has fallen 17% to 850,000 barrels a day, from 1.03 million a day a year ago — far short of what the domestic market needs. Russia exports relatively little gasoline.

About a third of Russia's oil refining capacity is offline, said Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd. Consultancy, noting that because refineries don't publicly confirm the extent of the damage, his estimate comes from anecdotal evidence and oil industry sources.

“It comes at a very critical time for the Russian economy, in that the agriculture season, particularly the harvest season, is now starting to ratchet up,” increasing demand, Weafer said.

Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign to pressure Moscow to end the war by undermining military logistics and supply lines and weakening its ability to mount front-line assaults.

In particular, Kyiv has sought to isolate Crimea, which was seized from Ukraine in 2014 in a move most nations don't recognize. Attacks this year forced the Moscow-installed authorities to enact fuel rationing on the peninsula in May and halt sales to civilians there altogether. Limited sales later resumed in the city of Sevastopol.

Attacks — and fuel shortages — spread

Ukraine carried out major drone strikes on Russia’s two largest cities, embarrassing the Kremlin with images of black plumes of smoke that circulated widely online, despite regulations restricting their publication.

A June 3 attack on a St. Petersburg oil terminal darkened the sky as Putin prepared to host his annual economic forum to attract foreign investment. On June 18, a similar cloud rose from the Moscow Oil Refinery on capital's outskirts, with greasy black droplets raining down.

By late June, some form of rationing was reported in over half of Russia's regions. Some slapped strict limits on all gas stations; in others, gas station chains limited how much fuel could be bought.

Officials blamed hoarding and panic-buying, urging motorists to fill their tanks only when needed.

Exports of gasoline and aviation fuel have been restricted, and authorities weighed banning diesel fuel exports, too.

Importing fuel was being considered. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said contacts with some countries were “underway,” calling the move “another step toward stabilizing the market and aimed at reducing panic-buying.”

Shortages in Siberia

The shortages have reached distant regions where no refineries were attacked by Ukraine.

Viktor Shkurenko, who owns retail stores and other businesses in the Omsk region, called announced limits on gasoline sales there to 40 liters (10.5 gallons) per vehicle “unexpected.”

“Nothing was bombed here. We have the biggest oil refinery in Siberia right here, and it gave us confidence that this fuel crisis won’t come to us,” he said, expressing worry about how limits could affect his businesses. As of Saturday, however, he said his company has not had any problems refueling its vehicles.

In the Siberian region of Zabayakalye, east of Lake Baikal, media reports said a garbage hauler suspended pickups and some bus services were curtailed.

In addition to ordering portable toilets outside gas stations, the city of Irkutsk raised public transport fares as of Wednesday, citing higher fuel costs.

Pavel Kharitonenko, acting head of Irkutsk's branch of the opposition Yabloko party, told AP he finds it easier to walk or use public transportation.

“I don't have the fuel, and I don't want to queue at gas stations,” he said. The Irkutsk region, home to a Rosneft oil refinery, has experienced acute shortages for several days, with lines growing, Kharitonenko said.

Repairs will take time

Putin said Russia's gasoline stockpiles are only 4% lower than what it had the same time last year. Weafer, the analyst, says that "reportedly, there are good supplies of fuel around the country. The problem is it’s in the wrong place."

Supplies need to be reallocated to regions experiencing shortages, and in a big country like Russia, “it's not something that can be done overnight," Weafer said.

“There should be enough, but it will take several weeks to get it from where it is to where it’s needed,” he says. “It’s just a huge logistics operation to do that.”

Fixing the war-damaged refineries is complicated. Ukraine's attacks damaged specialized equipment that is often imported, making repairs time-consuming and expensive as workarounds or replacements are sought by evading sanctions.

“They manage to get these things up and running, not necessarily at full capacity,” Peach said. “But the extent of the damage this time is so extensive that they won’t get back to winter levels of refining this summer.”

Some refineries aren't worth repairing until a ceasefire or armistice, he said, because they will just "get knocked down again.”

Repairing the Moscow refinery that supplied 40% of the fuel for the capital and the surrounding region is expected to take at least three months, Weafer said.

If there's no further damage to Russia's oil infrastructure, he estimated the shortages will last “probably throughout the summer" because demand from agriculture will likely remain high into September.

———

Associated Press writers David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed.

Lob City brewing in Detroit as Pistons sign high-flying forward John Collins to 3-year, $51M deal

Brandon Carr — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:57:11 +0000

The Detroit Pistons have added another weapon for star guard Cade Cunningham, signing forward John Collins to a three-year, $51 million deal.

Collins, 28, is expected to step into Detroit’s starting power forward role.

ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reported Wednesday (July 1) on X that the Pistons identified Collins as their top free-agent target.

The Pistons pursued Collins as their top target to assume an expected starting role at power forward -- completing a deal with his agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management this morning. https://t.co/gBtEQeNYQh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

The signing addresses the team’s vacant power forward position and adds depth at center, where All-Star Jalen Duren’s status remains uncertain.

Collins gives the Pistons another pick-and-roll finisher at the rim alongside Cunningham.

The 28-year-old spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers after being acquired in a trade before the 2024-25 season.

He averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 55% from the field and 40% from the three-point range, offering both scoring and floor spacing.

Known for his explosiveness above the rim, Collins finished nearly 15% of his field-goal attempts with dunks last season.

He has also continued to develop into a reliable perimeter shooter, making him a versatile offensive weapon.

Originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Collins emerged as one of the league’s top pick-and-roll finishers alongside now Washington Wizards guard Trae Young.

Collins later spent two seasons with the Utah Jazz before joining the Clippers.

His arrival continues Detroit’s push to build around Cunningham following the Pistons’ return to playoff contention last season.

His ability to finish at the rim and space the floor is expected to complement the team’s potential young core, especially if Duren re-signs with the team.

US, Canada and Mexico begin bumpy negotiations to renew North American trade pact

Paul Wiseman, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:38:09 +0000

Tourists from Chattanooga check into beach resorts in Cancun. Canadian auto parts feed factories in the American Midwest — and vice versa. Happy hour revelers raise glasses of Mexican tequila and mezcal at bars in Seattle.

It adds up. The United States trades $1.9 trillion a year — $5 billion a day — worth of goods and services with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico. They have supplanted China as America's top two trading partners.

They are not likely to get it.

And the path forward is lined with landmines.

“There’s going to be a lot of drama this summer," Diego Marroquín Bitar, a fellow in the America’s program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said last week at a USMCA forum sponsored by the Cato Institute.

A bumpy road ahead for North American trade

Trump, characteristically, has added to the tension by threatening to pull out of his own agreement altogether.

In 2020, the USMCA replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which tore down most trade barriers between the three North American countries.

North America trade deal is up for renewal

Negotiators could agree Wednesday to renew USMCA as it is for another 16 years — until 2042. But that is considered highly unlikely. Instead, they are expected to keep working on ways to improve it; they have until the current term ends in 2036 to reach an agreement. Otherwise, the pact expires.

Trump, after all, said in June that he was “not looking to renew" the trade pact with Canada and Mexico. "We don’t need anything that they have,” he said.

Ocampo suspects that Trump doesn't really want to drop the treaty; he just wants to use the uncertainty to keep pressure on Mexico over security and immigration issues.

Canada is out in the cold

The United States and Mexico have held talks on renewing the trade agreement. But Canada has so far been stuck on the sidelines.

Patrick Childress, a partner at the Holland & Knight law firm and a former U.S. trade negotiator, said: “The danger for Canada is this: that the U.S. government and the Mexican government reach agreement on changes to core provisions of the treaty and then show up in Ottawa and say: ‘Here’s what we’ve agreed to. You can take it or leave it."’

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the three trading partners plan to meet virtually on Wednesday, adding: “I’m not looking for my pen.”

Carney later said in French his priority is to update the USMCA.

Pushing production to the United States

The U.S. wants a refreshed trade pact to do more to make sure that Chinese goods don’t get in through the back door.

But the most contentious issue is that the U.S. is also seeking a brand-new requirement: that 50% of cars be made in the United States, Carney confirmed in early June. Currently, none of the USMCA countries gets a guaranteed share of production. “It’s a red line for both Mexico and Canada, and it goes against the spirit and the letter of regional integration,” Ocampo said.

Marcos Carias, economist at the credit insurer Coface, said only 1 in 5 Mexican and Canadian cars imported into the United States would currently meet the 50% standard.

Vehicle models likely to be hit with higher costs under the plan, he said, include Ford’s Maverick compact pickup truck, Chevrolet’s mid-size Equinox SUV and some Nissan sedans — all made in Mexico. Carias’ “back of the envelope" calculations suggest that prices could increase 5% to 7% on the most-affected models.

____

AP Writers Maria Verza in Mexico City and Rob Gilles in Toronto contributed to this story.

Eurovision, eh? Canada will compete at the glitzy song contest in 2027

Jill Lawless, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:45:58 +0000

The Eurovision Song Contest is expanding across the Atlantic, with Canada set to compete at next year’s edition of the glitter-drenched pop music competition.

Contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union and Canadian public broadcaster CBC announced that Canada will send an act to the 2027 contest in Bulgaria in May. Canada is the first new country to join Eurovision since Australia entered in 2015.

The announcement was made on the Canada Day national holiday. It comes shortly after Canada joined the EBU, an association of national public broadcasters that oversees Eurovision.

A campy, colorful contest that has been likened to the World Cup with songs instead of soccer, Eurovision has given the world the perfect pop of ABBA’s “Waterloo” – the winning song in 1974 – and a host of Euro-pop party anthems.

CBC President Marie-Philippe Bouchard said participation “will allow Canadian talent to be showcased on one of the most storied music stages in the world.”

Founded in 1956, Eurovision brings together musical acts from dozens of mostly European countries to compete for the votes of professional jurors and international viewers.

Eurovision Director Martin Green said Canada’s accession is “a further sign that, while born in Europe, the Contest continues to welcome the world.”

The CBC said it will announce details of how Canada’s entry will be selected later this year. Some Eurovision countries choose their competitors through televised national selections. In others, competitors are picked by the national broadcaster.

Canadians have entered Eurovision before under different flags — most famously Quebecoise chanteuse Celine Dion, who won the 1988 contest competing for Switzerland.

The 70th Eurovision contest in May featured 35 countries and was won by Bulgarian singer Dara, so next year’s competition will take place in the southeast European country.

Eurovision has been roiled in recent years by protests over the participation of Israel, a competitor since 1973.

Five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotted this year after organizers declined to kick Israel out over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The 2026 Eurovision final was watched by 130 million viewers around the world, organizers say, down from 160 million in 2025.

Despite the blows to Eurovision’s finances and viewership from the boycott, the contest is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.

Fire in Belgian apartment block leaves at least 6 people dead, many injured

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:46:19 +0000

At least six people were killed and many others injured on Wednesday in a fire at an apartment block on the outskirts of the Belgian city of Antwerp, police said.

The blaze was caused by a technical failure on the ground floor of the building, where more than 200 people live in 80 apartments, in the city’s Linkeroever neighborhood, sending vast plumes of smoke into the air, Antwerp police said in a statement.

The top floors of the 10-story block appeared worst hit. The building was evacuated and nearby residents were warned to keep their windows and doors closed and, if needed, to turn off any ventilators due to the amount of smoke in the air. Those evacuated were taken to a local shelter.

Firefighters battled the blaze in difficult conditions due to its size and intensity, police said. Several teams of first responders and police were dispatched to the site, including a specialized drone unit.

Television images from the scene showed one man on an upper floor enveloped in smoke and hanging over a balcony in an effort to get fresh air, before making his way to a nearby window.

A medical emergency plan was activated to keep the victims from saturating nearby hospitals.

An Associated Press photographer at the scene said that the smoke died down by early afternoon, but that many first responders were still there.

Belgium 's Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, said his “thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents of the terrible fire on Linkeroever.”

“My deep appreciation goes out to the emergency services who are striving to help the many affected people as quickly and safely as possible, and who are working hard to bring the fire under control,” he said in a post on social media.

Linkeroever, which is located on the eastern edge of Antwerp, is a large residential area dotted by high-rise apartment buildings and bordering a major park where outdoor music concerts are held.

___

Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

As the Pentagon stays quiet, AP reconstructs a US strike that killed over 100 Iranian children

Julia Frankel, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:01:22 +0000

It was the deadliest reported strike in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Most of the victims were children.

In almost any other conflict, these haunting truths would be seared into national memory. Yet more than 120 days since at least one U.S. missile struck an Iranian primary school, there remains no final accounting of what happened.

The Trump administration has yet to directly accept the blame or formally release findings of a Pentagon investigation into the bombing, even though the military possessed evidence almost immediately that the site of the school had been struck, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an ongoing investigation, told The Associated Press.

The AP has reconstructed the story of the attack, beginning in the schoolyard on the morning of Feb. 28, drawing from open-source information, video footage, human rights reports and interviews with researchers and civilians inside and outside Iran to reveal previously unreported details about the bombing in Minab, including the diversity of children killed.

Still, many details about the blast remain elusive, as a lack of information from the Pentagon and politicization of the attack by Iran’s theocracy have complicated independent reporting efforts. That has created an accountability vacuum, leaving the families of the victims without resolution. Among the mysteries remaining are the number of munitions that hit the school and a complete list of the dead.

When asked last week about the incident, President Donald Trump said he hadn't read the Pentagon's report and had seen nothing to make him believe the U.S. had carried out the attack.

“I don’t know that they’re ever going to solve that problem in terms of whose fault was it, because there were missiles flying all over the place,” he said. “I don’t think it was us."

Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.

Video evidence, interviews and other sources yield a fuller picture

The reconstruction draws from interviews with U.S. officials, Iranian human rights workers, a resident of Minab, an international representative of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Union and researchers from major international rights groups.

Several people who spoke to the AP were in direct contact with the families of victims and rescuers who rushed to the scene. Most requested anonymity for fear of retribution against them and those with whom they spoke.

Teachers called parents to pick up their kids. Then the bomb fell

Skies over the city of Minab, located in southeastern Iran about 16 miles (25 km) from the Strait of Hormuz, were clear and bright on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 28, a school day in Iran. It was Ramadan.

Students of the Shajareh Tayyebeh school, Farsi for “Good Tree,” jostled past the colorful murals lining the schoolyard and into the building. Boys and girls filtered into separate spaces with brightly painted desks.

The school they entered was one of over 30 with the same name established to serve children from families closely tied to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard or other state institutions, said Shiva Amelirad, the international union representative who also worked as a teacher in Iran for 18 years and has been in contact with people in Minab.

Though most schools in Iran operate within guidelines proscribed by the Islamic Republic, the Shejareh Tayyebeh schools were more explicitly oriented toward reproducing and reinforcing the Guard’s worldview, she said, adding that children are civilians regardless of their family backgrounds, and "any attack targeting a school is unequivocally condemnable."

The school lay within the same walled compound as a Guard base, according to an AP assessment of satellite imagery and open-source mapping. It was once part of that neighboring base, before it was fenced off and converted over a decade ago.

Though some of its pupils were the children of Guard officers working on the nearby base, others were local children from Minab, which is populated predominantly by people of the majority-Sunni Baluch ethnic minority who often face repression from the Iranian government, said the Balochistan Human Rights Group.

Hundreds of students are believed to have been inside the building by the time teachers and administrators received the news that bombs had begun falling on Tehran around 9:40 a.m.

Teachers and administrators thought it prudent to send the children home. They called parents on landline phones, summoning them for an early pickup, two people told the AP. A recently released report by Airwars, a London-based independent group that tracks recent conflicts, also found that parents were called to pick up their children.

At 10:15 a.m., Iran’s state media sent out an advisory, closing schools across the country.

One father, who lived a short distance away, went immediately to pick up his 10-year-old son, said a resident of Minab, who relayed the stories of several families to the AP. The AP verified details of the residents’ stories against available lists of the dead and rights groups' chronologies of the day’s events.

The father noticed his 6- and 7-year-old relatives among the students waiting for their parents, said the resident. He asked them if they’d like a ride home and they said no, that their own father was on the way.

He left with his child and headed to the supermarket. Ten minutes later, he heard the explosions.

Multiple munitions pummeled the compound, striking at least five buildings, according to an AP analysis of satellite imagery. Hundreds of pounds of explosives collapsed the school.

A tiny arm, suspended in the rubble

The father raced back to a scene of chaos, where onlookers gathered, screaming, as men pawed through smoking rubble to dig out bodies, according to video of the aftermath circulated by Iranian state media.

Eventually, the father made out two burned figures he believes were those of his relatives, but he couldn’t be sure.

People kept coming. One man from a nearby Sunni village arrived to search for his nephew after receiving a panicked call from the boy's mother. In the rubble, he found her dead son.

Rescuers found small backpacks and children’s drawings, colored pencils and worksheets. Gently suspended, a tiny arm lay in the wreckage.

Men carried disfigured limbs and torsos to the local hospital, said the Balochistan Human Rights Group, whose staff spoke with two families of those killed. The AP has not been able to verify how many munitions specifically hit the school, but the attack had left flesh so mutilated that many body parts were unrecognizable.

By the end of the day, doctors at the hospital estimated they had at least 108 bodies, but cautioned that it was likely an undercount, said the resident of Minab.

By the next day, state media was saying around 150 had been killed. Soon, it was reporting a death toll of 168.

‘They called the kids martyrs’

Three days after the bombing, state TV showed thousands of Iranians packing a Minab roundabout, where the crowds faced a podium and a large portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic.

The gathering might have been mistaken for a demonstration, if it were not a funeral. All the parents of victims, regardless of ethnicity or religion, had to participate, said the Minab resident. Most women in the crowd donned the black chador garment customary to the Islamic Republic, even though it’s not typically worn by Baluch people at funerals.

Parents were told they'd be permitted to take their children’s bodies back to their villages and conduct their own observances, said the resident. In the end, though, many decided to bury their children together.

In footage captured by drone cameras and circulated by state media, workers broke ground on an earthen lot, creating a grid of tiny, identical, unmarked graves.

“The state media advocated a narrative based on IRGC interest,” said Amelirad. “You can tell because they called the kids martyrs.”

The story grows harder to tell

Strikes continued to ravage Iran, targeting more sites in its opening days than the start of recent U.S. or Israeli military campaigns, including in Gaza, an Airwars analysis found.

Racing to document the ongoing bombardment, journalists and rights groups struggled to verify details from Minab. They had no access to the target site. Government restrictions in Iran prevented most foreign journalists from entering the country. The opening day of the war, Iran shut down the internet, making it nearly impossible to hear from ordinary civilians.

As the war progressed and the Strait of Hormuz became a major battlefield, the situation in the province grew more tense, said the resident. All branches of the military were deployed heavily in the area. Families of the victims feared retribution for speaking out. People were reportedly being detained for trying to communicate with foreign media.

That left Iran's government in control of the messaging around the strike.

Iran’s soccer team wore golden “#168” pins on their jackets upon their arrival at the FIFA World Cup.

The Iranian team negotiating for a pause to the war with the U.S. named itself “Minab 168.”

The children were depicted as animated Lego figures in viral videos made by pro-Iran groups trolling the U.S.

“In the aftermath of the attack, Iranian authorities ... exploited the suffering of victims’ families and surviving children for propaganda purposes,” wrote Amnesty International in a March report investigating the deaths.

Through it all, there remained no public list of the names of the dead.

The Pentagon finds clues in archive

Locked out of Iran, researchers focused on the question of responsibility.

Iran blamed the U.S. Trump cast doubt on American culpability and pointed the finger at Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said only that the Pentagon was investigating.

Internally, the U.S. military knew more than it initially let on. The clues were buried in their archives.

When the news first surfaced, the U.S. military knew they had conducted strikes in the vicinity — though it took the military time to verify the Iranian claims that a school was struck and begin a formal investigation, said a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing inquiry.

It appears that while the building housing the school was identified as such by one analyst as early as seven years ago, that discovery was not sufficiently made known across different intelligence and military staffs and agencies, the U.S. official said.

Ultimately, the building was not known among target developers as a school, revealing potential systematic shortfalls in the target analysis and review process, they said.

One former Pentagon official, similarly speaking on condition of anonymity, said the bombing came as a natural result of changes made by the Trump administration to reduce staff to mitigate civilian harm and Hegseth’s emphasis on lethality.

When Hegseth took charge, he slashed the size of an office called the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, created at the direction of Congress in late 2022. That stopped the office’s work on updating “no-strike lists,” which are lists of protected sites such as hospitals, schools, churches and mosques, that the Pentagon keeps, said Wes Bryant, who began working at the office in 2024 as the Branch Chief of Civil Harm Assessments.

When he was working at the Pentagon, it was well known that the list was out-of-date, he said.

The search for more answers from Minab

In the last weeks, researchers have made some progress. Airwars, the conflict research group, spent months combing through open-source information to verify the identity of victims. The group determined the names and identities of 157 of the dead, including 123 children, all 13 or younger, and 34 adults. Among the adults are 26 school staff members (one of whom was pregnant) and five parents — each of whom lost at least one child.

The group puts the death toll between 157 and 168 and says between 95 and 111 people were injured.

It’s unclear if the formal results of the military’s Minab investigation will be published. Much of the investigative work has been completed, but the U.S. military’s Central Command, which commissioned the investigation, is currently reviewing the findings.

Findings from similar past investigations have been more timely. When a Hellfire missile killed 10 civilians in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 29, 2021, the Defense Department claimed responsibility and gave details on its operations in less than a month.

When asked about the Minab investigation last week, Trump said, “I don’t know that they’re ever going to solve that problem." Hegseth said the report would be divulged “when the appropriate time is right.”

Some members of Congress still push for transparency.

In a recent interview, Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota and a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said Congress has not gotten enough information on the bombing and expected a full report.

The issue “has not gone away,” he said.

___

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin, Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Amir Hussein Rajdy in Cairo and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

Detroit Salvation Army runs out of free fans as extreme heat drives demand

Demond Fernandez, Jacob Nagel — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:49:28 +0000

Extreme heat across Metro Detroit has many residents searching for ways to stay cool, including free fan giveaways.

But a box-fan distribution hosted by the Salvation Army Grandale Corps in Detroit ended early after the organizers ran out of supplies within an hour.

“We were going to do it yesterday from 10 to 12 and today from 10 to 12,” said Envoy Margaret Gaster with the Salvation Army. “But by 11 o’clock yesterday, the fans were all gone.”

Gaster said the site received 137 box fans donated by Ace Hardware and promoted the two-day event online, believing the supply would last through both distribution windows.

“We thought it would stretch over the two days, but it did not,” Gaster said.

On Tuesday (June 30), some community members arrived to find signs posted on the doors reading, “Sorry, we are all out of fans.”

Gaster said turning people away is the last thing the organization wants to do, especially during a stretch of dangerous heat when needs are rising across multiple services, including its food pantry.

The Salvation Army Grandale Corps is now asking the community to help meet demand, particularly for residents without air conditioning.

“We have a lot of seniors in this area. And I would say maybe 10 percent would have an air conditioner. The rest are just going off fans,” Gaster said. “They’re keeping their house locked up, so the heat doesn’t get in, but then it gets stuffy in there.”

How to help

The Salvation Army Grandale Corps is accepting donations of:

Box fans
Small air conditioners
Shelf-stable food items, including proteins

Donations can be dropped off at the Salvation Army Grandale Corps at 11325 Montrose Street, Detroit.

Guardians rookie Cooper Ingle loses track of outs, tosses ball into the stands to give Rangers lead

Tom Withers, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:34:30 +0000

Rookies are prone to mistakes. Cooper Ingle made a big one he may never forget.

Cleveland's left fielder lost track of the number of outs in the seventh inning and threw the ball into the stands, allowing the Texas Rangers to score the go-ahead run in a 4-2 victory over the Guardians on Tuesday night.

“Obviously, I feel terrible,” Ingle said, his face flushed red on a warm, humid night. "It’s a pretty embarrassing feeling.”

With a runner at second base and one out in the seventh, the 24-year-old Ingle, making just his second major league start as an outfielder, caught a routine fly ball hit by Rangers left fielder Alejandro Osuna off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee for the second out.

Thinking it was out No. 3, Ingle briefly glanced at the ball in his glove before throwing it over the protective netting to fans as a souvenir.

The umpires immediately ruled the ball was dead and Osuna was awarded home plate.

It wasn't until then that Ingle realized his mistake and he walked back to his position in shocked disbelief. He was charged with an error.

“Yeah, honestly when I threw the ball out, I heard a bunch of yelling,” Ingle said. “Happens sometimes, but just got to learn from it and not make the same mistake."

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who has had to plug rookies into his starting lineup all season, offered his unwavering support to Ingle.

“These things happen,” Vogt said. “Rookie. Nonrookie. It’s happened to Hall of Famers. They’ve done it. We’re going to keep learning. We’re going to keep getting better.”

Vogt was proud of the way Ingle's teammates quickly rallied around him following the bone-headed play.

“It’s a mistake. Lost track of the outs. Pretty big spot,” he said. “We’ll learn from it and can’t control it once it happens. That’s why I was like, flush it. And I just want to give a credit to the dugout. Every one of his teammates, when he came back in, same messaging.”

One of the first to talk to Ingle was Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, who told him to keep his chin up.

“I’ve made so many mistakes,” Hedges said. “I can’t even remember half of them. I’ve embarrassed myself a billion times on the field. I mean, just check my offensive numbers for my career. It’s not super easy to go through that, but that’s the big leagues.”

After his mistake, Ingle said he immediately apologized to Bibee (2-9), who went toe to toe Jacob deGrom for seven innings. Bibee's response to his teammates was to try and make things right.

“I just told him to go tie the game right back up,” Bibee said. “Obviously, we all make mistakes. Everyone in this locker room has made multiple mistakes in the big leagues, whether you’re (rookie) Khalil (Waston) or me or Hedgie. It’s tough.”

Ingle was brought up from Triple-A Columbus last week. He made his big league debut on June 26 and got his first major league hit the next day, a two-run single against Seattle.

After his fielding foible, Ingle came up in the bottom of the seventh and grounded out. He got another chance in the ninth to avenge his gaffe but struck out looking for the game's final out.

What's most important now is that he move forward.

“Obviously learn from it and think about it,” he said. “It’s not something that makes you feel great, but things like that happen for a reason and learning from those things and moving on and getting better from them, it’s pretty much the only thing you can do.”

Vogt said the mistake doesn't affect his belief in Ingle.

“We’re going to help him through it. That’s what we’re here for,” he said. "You’re playing in your second game in the outfield in the big leagues and a mistake like that. Let’s learn. So what? It’s over. Flush it. We’re not going to be mad at him.

“We’re not going to hold it against him. He’s going to be right back out there the next time it’s his turn to play outfield. This was a mistake. This isn’t a judgment or anything like that, but we know how good of a player Coop is and we’re going to stick with him and we’re going to keep helping him.”

___

World Cup buzz has the potential to mint more soccer fans among kids — some just toddlers now

Heather Hollingsworth, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:56:14 +0000

Jude Cornell joined a swarm of toddlers crawling after soccer balls, tossing training cones into the air and relocating a goalie net that was proving to be very, very portable.

“He just started walking,” laughed his mother, 27-year-old Kyra Cornell. She's already plotting her son’s soccer career during a World Cup-themed event for toddlers at a suburban Kansas City library, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the stadium where six matches are being played.

Across the country, experts are watching to see whether the World Cup will give a boost to youth soccer — and mint fans for decades to come.

Soccer already ranks among the most popular youth sports in the country. Among 6- to 12-year-olds, 7.5% played youth soccer in 2024, a slight drop from a decade earlier, but only baseball and basketball recorded higher stats, according to a report from the Aspen Institute.

Youth soccer already has a track record of converting players into fans

Look at Haley Garbowski, a midfielder who has been to more professional women's soccer matches than she can count.

Just days after her private Kansas City, Missouri, high school won the state championship match, the 18-year-old was helping out at a summer camp on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area, leading a gaggle of grade-school girls around a circuit of sports that includes rugby, tennis and, of course, her own beloved soccer.

“We were killing it,” gushed Garbowski, as she recalled the title game victory in the small school division. In the fall, she is headed to San Diego State University as a business major and considering a career in sports marketing.

Are her grandparents soccer fans? She laughs at the thought. Her mother has become a fan but didn’t start out that way, unaware her high school had a soccer team until Garbowski went snooping in an old yearbook.

None of this comes as a surprise to Michael Lewis, an Emory University professor who focuses on the intersection of sports analytics and sports marketing.

“Soccer is a generational story that’s building generation after generation, but it takes a long, long time,” Lewis said.

America’s sports landscape shifts

Overall, soccer doesn’t have the draw of the big three of baseball, basketball and the American brand of tackle-heavy football. Ipsos Sports research shows that only about 1 in 10 Americans consider themselves fans of U.S. soccer or international soccer.

Boomers in particular grew up playing the big three and that influences what they watch now, Lewis said. Ipsos data shows that those 65 and older are especially likely to call themselves fans of the popular trio.

But market researchers see promise with millennials — and Gen Z, those between the ages of 14 and 29.

America’s sports landscape began to change in the 1970s, when the now-defunct North American Soccer League signed greats like Pelé, the winner of three World Cups with Brazil.

By the 1980s, U.S. kids were playing, too, including girls thanks to Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

But the gym teachers and parents who coached this first batch had little experience to draw from. Some learned the rules from books. And those in football-dominated towns sometimes resisted soccer, fearful it would pull talent away from the gridiron. Players faced taunts and slurs, and were even accused of being communists.

“I cannot repeat the things I got called,” said Darin White, 58, who played and then coached at the college level before becoming the executive director of the Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University in Alabama.

But kids kept playing. The U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer played its inaugural season two years later. Today's parents frequently have played themselves. There are highly competitive travel teams. MLS has joined the player development effort with its MLS Next program. Its players have gotten better, and viewership is up.

When American sports fans are asked why they became a fan of sports generally, about half say it was because of their family’s connection to the sport, or that they grew up as a fan of a particular team, Ipsos data shows.

The women's game has fueled soccer's rise, too, said Nicholas Watanabe, a professor at the University of South Carolina, whose book “The Beautiful Game?” is about the future of soccer. Girls that play as kids become fans. Their enrollment helps keep youth leagues large and more financially viable, Watanabe said.

“Without the success and long-standing growth, I don’t think you get this side-by-side effect that also I think has helped the men’s team, too,” Watanabe said.

Consider the Kansas City Current, the NWSL team that touts its stadium as the first built for a women’s soccer team. Its owners include Brittany Mahomes, a former college soccer player and the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Current, which is playing host to the Netherlands' team during the World Cup, sent staff to help at the camp where Garbowski was working.

Where soccer goes from here in the US

Make no mistake. Experts are quick to add soccer isn't the NFL, the juggernaut in a saturated U.S. sports market.

“The question isn’t, ‘Why aren’t we as big as football?’ Well, we’re not, but we are way closer than the last time we hosted the World Cup,” said White, who is studying how Americans get hooked on the sport.

There are challenges: Most of the best players still compete in the more storied European leagues. Hardcore American fans frequently follow those European teams, rather than MLS ones, which means less money to grow the sport in the U.S., White said. But on the plus side, American players are increasingly breaking into these top European leagues, White said. And he noted the sport's youthful fan base in the U.S. is one marketers are eager to woo.

“I am more hopeful right now than I’ve ever been in my life,” said White, adding, “And I’ve been a soccer missionary, if you will.”

Back at the Lenexa, Kansas, library, one mother held her 1-year-old daughter's hands as she toddled toward a ball, kicking it with a chubby bare foot.

“Messi,” another toddler practiced saying, repeating the last name of the star of the Argentine team whose tournament home base is nearby.

Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list. Teething.

“Do you want to play soccer?” his mother asked the 17-month-old, noting some programs in town take kids as young as 2. He didn't respond.

“You don’t know,” she said. “Maybe like next spring or summer we start trying.”

____

AP journalist Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Morning 4: What to know ahead of tonight’s World Cup watch party in Campus Martius — and more news

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:09:40 +0000

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.

USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina watch party at Campus Martius: Everything Detroit fans need to know

The World Cup excitement continues in downtown Detroit as soccer fans are expected to gather for a watch party featuring the United States’ Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The World Soccer Celebration will take place at Campus Martius Park in partnership with the Downtown Detroit Partnership and Detroit City FC.

The match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1. Fans must have a free ticket to attend.

The event is expected to bring together soccer supporters from across Metro Detroit to cheer on Team USA in a downtown celebration atmosphere.

Corrections officer at Milan prison who had sex with inmate summoned for no-contact violation

A former corrections officer who served six months in jail for having sex with an inmate in her care and buying him a gold chain is due back in court this week after allegedly violating the terms of her probation.

Cara Wozniak, 36, of Milan, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to having sexual contact with a ward while working at FCI Milan and providing the inmate with contraband. She was sentenced in February 2025 to six months in jail followed by one year of supervised release, during which she was ordered to have no contact with the inmate. However, court documents filed last month show that Wozniak violated those terms.

Priority Waste CEO shares progress on plan to fix disruptions, delays across Metro Detroit

The CEO of Priority Waste announced the progress of the company’s recovery plan following numerous customer complaints across Metro Detroit.

CEO Aaron Johnson sent a letter to residents on Wednesday, July 1, outlining the progress so far on Priority Waste’s recovery plan after numerous communities across Metro Detroit experienced service delays and collection disruptions.

Redford Township cat hoarding case: Animal Control rescues cats from home deemed public health hazard

Animal control officers from multiple agencies are continuing efforts to rescue dozens of cats from a Redford Township home after authorities declared the property an imminent danger to public health.

Redford Township Animal Control responded to a home in the 20000 block of Gaylord Street on Wednesday (June 24) after receiving a welfare check request.

Officers found what officials described as deplorable living conditions. The homeowner was located and transported to a Metro Detroit hospital for treatment.

— France forward Kylian Mbappé scores his 17th and 18th World Cup goals, one back of Lionel Messi

Weather: Dangerous heat continues across Metro Detroit as storm chances increase for the holiday weekend

A prolonged stretch of dangerous heat and humidity continues to grip Metro Detroit with near-record temperatures expected through Thursday before a more active weather pattern arrives heading into the holiday weekend.

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World Cup what to know: US looks to win first knockout match in 24 years against Bosnia-Herzegovina

Steve Reed, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:16:09 +0000

The United States national team has grown tired of hearing about its traditional shortcomings in World Cup knockout matches.

The Americans will look to change that narrative on Wednesday as they attempt to win their first World Cup elimination game in 24 years when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 in Santa Clara, California.

The Americans' last, and only, knockout win came on June 17, 2002, when they defeated Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16 in South Korea.

The good news for the Americans is they should have a healthy Christian Pulisic after the star missed the second game with a calf injury and played only 33 minutes as a sub in the final group match against Turkey.

“I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow,” Pulisic said.

The U.S. will once again play a knockout round match at a home World Cup in the San Francisco Bay area. The 1994 team made it out of group stage and faced Brazil at Stanford Stadium — less than 15 miles away from the site of this year’s game in Santa Clara — only to lose 1-0 to the eventual champions.

Since that round of 16 win over Mexico in 2002, the U.S. is 0-3 at that stage but are favored to advance against Bosnia, according to oddsmakers.

“We understand what it means, you win or you go home. There definitely needs to be a lot of focus and attention detail this week,” Pulisic said. “But I think the vibe feels good. We’ve still kept it light and we still are going to be ready to battle once the whistle blows.”

The U.S. has one win in 21 games against European teams with seven draws and 13 losses since making it back to the World Cup in 1990 for the first time in 40 years.

England will face Congo and Belgium will play Senegal in the other elimination games on Wednesday.

The round of 32 continues on Thursday with Spain playing Austria, Portugal taking on Croatia and Switzerland facing Algeria, and then concludes on Friday with Australia up against Egypt, Cape Verde playing Argentina and Colombia facing Ghana.

The eound of 16 begins on Saturday.

What to watch on July 1

— England vs. Congo, noon EDT in Atlanta (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Belgium vs. Senegal, 4 p.m. EDT in Seattle (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— United States vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 8 p.m. EDT in Santa Clara, California (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

England battling mounting injuries entering round of 32

Injuries are mounting for England, which is missing its first- and second-choice right backs for the round of 32 game against Congo.

Reece James is out with a hamstring injury and backup Jarrell Quansah twisted his ankle in England’s 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday.

It could see Djed Spence move over from the left to cover, but coach Thomas Tuchel is confident James and Quansah will both soon return — so long as England can advance beyond Congo.

“They’re getting closer and closer,” Tuchel said. “The race was close even to make it into my squad this time. So we need to make sure that we have more matches. That is the main focus, and then that will be very soon.”

Congo is playing in the knockout round of the World Cup for the first time. It already held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in the group stage and beat Uzbekistan to advance.

“It is true we are looking at a difficult match, but in no way insurmountable. We have proven this against teams that were supposed to be superior to us, that we could actually put in a good performance,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “So we are focusing on our strengths, we are walking our path and once you get to this point in the competition, it’s difficult for everyone.”

Bukayo Saka, who came into the tournament carrying an injury, is fit to start, Tuchel said.

US coach Pochettino apologizes for curt tone to media after loss

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino opened his news conference on Tuesday by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone following the U.S. team’s 3-2 loss to Turkey.

The loss came after the U.S. had clinched the top spot in the group.

“I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,” Pochettino said. “I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”

Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss to Turkey.

“For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad,” Pochettino told reporters after the game.

Belgium looks to return to 2018 glory when it faces Senegal

By advancing to the knockout round atop Group G, Belgium has already improved upon its woeful performance at the World Cup four years ago.

After a historic third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Belgium did not advance past the group stage in Qatar. With its 5-1 victory over New Zealand on Friday night, Belgium has already achieved what coach Rudi Garcia expected at the bare minimum from his team.

Ahead of Wednesday’s knockout round match against Senegal, Garcia expressed satisfaction, as well as desire for more. Belgium won one game and played to two draws in group play.

“We wanted to finish first in the group stage and we succeeded,” Garcia said in French. “Of course we wanted to win more — we know the story of our World Cup so far. Now it is time for the knockout phase. Senegal is a big team. But, you have to beat them, too, if you want to go far in a World Cup.”

More World Cup news

— Haaland scores deciding goal as Norway wins its 1st World Cup knockout game, beating Ivory Coast 2-1

— Netherlands coach Koeman resigns after penalty shootout loss marked team’s quickest World Cup exit

— Iran heads home after a heartbreaking World Cup knockout, but fans say players should be proud

— False hope and schadenfreude: Familiar feelings for Germany after another World Cup flop

— World Cup in photos, Day 20

Stat of the day

— Prior to Monday's loss to Paraguay on penalty kicks, Germany had been 17 for 18 in World Cup shootouts and had converted 15 in a row. In the 1982 semifinals, Uli Stielike was blocked by France goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettore with Germany’s third shot. But Germany made its next three and won 5-4. Germany was 4-for-4 in the 1986 quarterfinals against Mexico, 4-for-4 in the 1990 semifinals against England, and 4-for-4 in the 2006 quarterfinals against Argentina — winning all of those contests.

___

AP Sports Writers Josh Dubow, James Dobson and Andrew Destin contributed to this report. ___

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

A marine heat wave caused seabird deaths off California. El Nino could worsen the die-off

Julie Watson, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:01:29 +0000

Within minutes of walking on a San Diego beach, marine ornithologist Tammy Russell found the feathered carcasses — one after another.

Some were mixed in with washed up kelp. Others were under rocks.

Each month, scientists and volunteers conduct surveys of dead seabirds and find what Russell describes as a grim assessment of the impact of a massive marine heat wave that has lingered for months off parts of the California coast.

The surveys that have been carried out by various organizations for decades help build a baseline of information on beached sea life to detect threats and their impact.

Many seabirds, including California brown pelicans, loons and grebes, starved to death in recent months as record-setting ocean temperatures decreased the band of cold, nutrient-rich surface water where krill, anchovies and sardines thrive near the shore, said Russell, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

“We’ve been seeing cormorants walk to shore and then just die within the hour. I mean one time it happened within 15 minutes, and I’ve never seen that before,” Russell said. “That has been heartbreaking for me and we’re seeing this happening across the whole coast.”

Scientists fear the die-off could worsen with the recently formed El Nino, the natural warming of parts of the central Pacific that alters weather worldwide and spikes global temperatures.

Die-offs of seabirds is happening more with warming oceans

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in June confirmed an El Nino formed and it is expected to grow to historic strength.

Die-offs of seabirds occur periodically, and not all the seabird deaths off California this year are tied to the marine heat wave, scientists and wildlife officials say.

But such die-offs are becoming more frequent as the planet warms and oceans heat up.

‘We don't know how bad this is going to get'

Already a marine heat wave has persisted off parts of the West Coast for the past year, marking only the third time on record that such a large section of coastal waters stayed warm for so long, according to NOAA.

Scripps measures daily ocean temperatures at 10 coastal stations along the California coast, where their records stretch back over a century. This year, saw three stations break records for 40 days or more, said the director Melissa Carter, who runs the program. The samples are taken in a variety of ways, including off piers by dropping an insulated bucket, or by lifeguards in the early morning surf or researchers off rocky shorelines.

Robotic underwater gliders with sensors operating out at sea also recorded high temperatures offshore and at depth during the spring. Dan Rudnick, who runs the Scripps glider program, said the warm temperature anomaly off Southern California this spring was comparable to that during the last El Nino in 2023.

And that was before the formation of this year's El Nino, which could stretch into 2027.

As cold-water species move deeper and farther north, the marine heat wave coupled with El Nino could further disrupt food webs for sea life from gray whales to seabirds. A similar pattern happened a decade ago.

“We don’t know how bad this is going to get,” said Russell, who has written about five species of Booby that are now common off California because of warming ocean temperatures.

Seabirds are seeking food in unusual places

Wildlife rehabilitation facilities treated hundreds of emaciated birds this spring when the marine heat wave intensified.

“It’s not abnormal to see dead birds on the beach, but the quantity of dead birds is unusual,” J.D. Bergeron, the CEO of ⁠International Bird Rescue, a global wildlife conservation organization that runs two aquatic bird rehabilitation centers in California, said in an interview in May.

Brown pelicans are turning up in inland lakes, Bergeron said.

“When birds starve, especially the pelicans, they start to look in unusual places for food,” he said. “They will chase fishing boats, they will go to piers and you end up with birds with fishing line and fish hook injuries.”

Many dead or debilitated seabirds examined this year have been young and emaciated, and most have tested negative for avian flu, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Some had opportunistic infections linked to malnourishment.

Krysta Rogers, a senior state environmental scientist, said there may be factors besides warm ocean temperatures. High mortality rates among young Brandt’s cormorants and common murres began after a robust 2025 breeding season, peaking post-winter, and appeared to coincide with the marine heat wave. Those deaths may be mostly due to chicks simply not surviving on their own, she said.

But she does not discount the marine heat wave affecting some seabirds, considering an increase this spring in reported deaths from other species and not just young ones.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which collects data from the dead seabird surveys and others, said they do not have a comprehensive report ready yet.

Only a fraction of birds that die at sea wash ashore

In 2013, a warm water mass nicknamed “the blob” developed off Alaska and stretched south, lingering for years as it wreaked havoc on marine ecosystems all the way to Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. One of the strongest El Ninos on record overlapped with it in 2015.

Carcasses of emaciated common murres showed up on beaches in what biologists say was the largest seabird die-off recorded in the world’s oceans.

Common murres look like thin penguins. They can fly miles in search of schools of finger-length fish and can dive and swim nearly 600 feet (183 meters) deep to capture them. However, the birds’ high metabolism means they have to eat a lot. If they don’t eat prey matching 10% to 30% of their body mass daily, they can use up fat reserves and drop to a critical threshold for starvation within three days.

Studies show that only a fraction of birds that die at sea wash ashore. It took years for scientists to confirm that more than half of Alaska’s population of common murres, an estimated 4 million birds, died during “the blob,” according to a 2024 study in the journal Science.

The species is still struggling to recover.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Best Italian in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Derick Hutchinson, Jenny Marchi — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Who has the best Italian in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best Italian.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Antonio’s Cucina Italiana
Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar in Shelby Township
La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar in Birmingham
Luciano’s Italian Restaurant in Clinton Township
Villa Restaurant and Pizzeria in Eastpointe

We received more than 16,700 nominations across our 80 Vote 4 The Best categories this year. Each category was then narrowed down to five finalists.

Now that nominations are over, voting on finalists can begin. Voting is open from June 22 through July 20, and you can vote for each category once per day during that time.

Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.

Kawhi Leonard going back to Toronto after Raptors make deal with Clippers, AP source says

Tim Reynolds, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:19:12 +0000

Kawhi Leonard is headed back to the Toronto Raptors, after they struck a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers to reunite with the player who led their run to the 2019 NBA championship, a person with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday.

The Raptors are sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and pick swap to the Clippers for Leonard, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not received the required league approval.

Leonard spent one season in Toronto, and that was the year the Raptors won their lone title. He turned 35 on Monday but is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.

Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is generally considered one of the game's top defensive players.

The trade is the latest in what's becoming a long line of huge deals getting made between clubs already this summer, one that has seen Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded by Milwaukee to Miami, Ja Morant getting moved to Portland by Memphis and now this — one where the Raptors will hope that Leonard can weave his title magic one more time.

Toronto agreeing to make this deal suggests that it isn't worried about the ongoing probe into an endorsement deal that Leonard had with a California-based sustainability services company.

The NBA opened an investigation back in September into whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. The primary issue for the NBA to decide is if the deal allowed the Clippers to circumvent league salary cap rules.

___

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

Americans step out for their nation's 250th in a proud moment sown with division and doubt

Calvin Woodward, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:43:02 +0000

One of the stars of the American firmament once advised citizens of all stripes how to express their love of country. Mark Twain's long-ago words capture how Americans are stepping out this week to wish their nation a happy milestone birthday.

“Our patriotism is medieval, outworn, obsolete,” Twain wrote in 1905. “The modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.”

In these rabidly partisan times, those who think President Donald Trump deserves their support and those who don’t are joining in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Whether all the partying to come gives the nation a breather from disunity or aggravates it is an open question.

It's a proud and loud moment, sown with division and doubt.

Love of country comes in different flavors, of course. Some love it as is. Some love what it could become and press on with their activism and protest in pursuit of history's call for a “more perfect union." Some love what it used to be and might be once more — the underpinning of MAGA.

But overall, belief in American exceptionalism has waned. More people in the U.S. think there are better countries in the world than those who think the United States is the best. That’s according to an April poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that found 44% endorsing the United States as just one of the best.

This is not the America of, say, Teddy Roosevelt, whose presidential library Trump is visiting in North Dakota on Wednesday. Roosevelt mirrored the brashness and ambition of a country surging in innovation, industry, influence, military muscle and spirit.

In its place is a country where the president is his own brand of brash, but millions of the people he leads wonder if it's all coming apart.

Who’s in charge here?

For the 250th, the division starts at the top, with two organizations claiming to be the one leading the commemoration and all but ignoring the other.

A decade ago, Congress created the bipartisan America250 group and charged it by law with planning the country’s local, national and international events for the 250th. Trump stepped on that with an executive order making his Freedom 250 group “the” national organization in charge.

Marquee events like the Fourth of July fireworks at the National Mall, the parade of tall ships in New York and the Great American State Fair along the National Mall are the province of Trump's Freedom 250. Musical stars who had been lined up for the splashy opener of the fair last week withdrew, concerned Trump, a Republican, would make the festivities political and very much about him.

He stepped forward to fill the void, declaring himself the “No. 1 attraction," and he delivered a speech there June 24 on American glory and his achievements. He'll headline the official July Fourth events in the capital as well, for what he called “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all."

Poems, art and a message in a bottle go underground for 250 years

America250, meantime, put together America's Block Party — a series scheduled simultaneously around the country anchored by a Fourth of July benefit concert in Los Angeles hosted by Queen Latifah, with Chris Stapleton and the Smashing Pumpkins among the acts.

By congressional mandate, America250 also sank a 900-pound (400-kilogram) time capsule in Philadelphia with items from all states and branches of government, to be pried open in 250 years.

The people of 2276 will then see a major league baseball lineup from 2026, poems from Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky and more, postcards from Colorado and Maine, beaded artwork from Montana, an Oklahoma belt buckle, a message in a vintage Coco-Cola bottle, a pocket Constitution signed by the U.S. justices, a George Washington Lord’s Prayer gold medal from Utah given out at the Wedding of the Rails event celebrating completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, and more.

In Philadelphia, where the founders signed the declaration and birthed the nation, 250 people will form the contours of the Liberty Bell in a parade with 50 marching bands and Miss America delegates, formerly called contestants, representing every state.

Ain't that America: Celebrations sprout from the grassroots, too

Though there are official events galore, it's not as if Americans, of all people, need the government to show them a good time.

In one of thousands of gatherings under the national radar, Evans, Pennsylvania, will hear the Circle of Friends Choir perform patriotic songs a cappella in an event also featuring a patriotic trivia contest and a barbershop quartet.

In Pocatello, Idaho, drag queens organized a reading of patriotic picture books for young people, including the story of Katharine Lee Bates. Bates returned from the Colorado Rockies, where the spacious skies, purple mountain majesties and fruited plains inspired her to write the poem that became “America the Beautiful.”

Twain, the scold and satirist of American government and of imperialism, shared Bates' love of his country's natural beauty. He loved the nature of its people, too — sometimes. “We glorious Americans will occasionally astonish the God that created us,” he wrote.

But a century before Make America Great Again grabbed the political zeitgeist by the lapels, he was speaking of good old days lost.

“We are called the nation of inventors," he said. “And we are. We could still claim that title and wear its loftiest honors if we had stopped with the first thing we ever invented, which was human liberty.” ___

This story has been corrected to show the benefit concert host’s name is Latifah, not Latifa.

How advances in personalized medicine are changing gastrointestinal cancer care

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:38:49 +0000

Most people think of cancer treatment in broad terms: surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. But today, treatment for many gastrointestinal cancers is becoming increasingly personalized, thanks to advances in genetic research, targeted therapies and a deeper understanding of how individual tumors behave.

According to Dr. Wasif Saif, medical oncologist at Karmanos Cancer Institute, these advances are helping physicians develop more precise and tailored treatment plans for patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancers.

“Gastrointestinal cancers -- including colon, rectal, pancreatic, stomach, liver and esophageal cancers -- are no longer treated with a one-size-fits-all approach. Today, we can increasingly tailor treatment based on the biology of the tumor, blood-based biomarkers, genetics and participation in clinical trials,” said Dr. Saif.

One of the most significant developments has been the ability to perform genomic testing on tumors.

“Genomic testing of the tumor allows us to tailor treatment based on biology and specific mutations in the tumor,” Dr. Saif said.

Rather than treating every patient’s cancer the same way, genomic testing helps physicians identify specific genetic mutations that may influence how cancer grows and responds to treatment. This approach can help doctors select therapies that are more effective for an individual’s unique cancer.

Researchers continue to learn more about the genetic changes that drive certain cancers, creating new opportunities for personalized care. Pancreatic cancer, for example, has been closely linked to mutations in the KRAS gene, which plays a significant role in tumor growth.

“If pancreatic cancer is a speeding car, KRAS is often the accelerator stuck to the floor, explained Dr. Saif. “For decades we could see the problem but couldn’t reach the pedal. Today, science is finally finding ways to slow that engine down, giving patients new hope. In pancreatic cancer, this is particularly important because more than 90% of pancreatic cancers carry a KRAS mutation.”

Scientists at Karmanos are actively researching ways to target these genetic changes more effectively.

Today’s treatment options may also include targeted therapies that attack specific cancer cells, immunotherapy that helps the body’s immune system recognize and fight cancer, more precise radiation techniques and advanced surgical approaches designed to improve recovery while reducing complications.

“These advances mean many patients receive treatments that are more effective, safer and better tolerated than those available decades ago,” Dr. Saif said.

Why specialized expertise matters

As treatments become more sophisticated, so does the importance of receiving care from specialists who focus on gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal cancers affect organs throughout the digestive system. At Karmanos, the Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Oncology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) treats a wide range of cancers, including anal, colorectal, gallbladder, liver, pancreatic, appendix, esophageal, small intestine and stomach cancers.

Because these cancers can affect different organs and behave differently from one patient to the next, treatment often requires expertise from multiple specialists who work together.

“At Karmanos, you don’t just see one doctor -- you’re cared for by an entire team of experts dedicated solely to treating gastrointestinal cancers,” said Dr. Saif, who is also the co-leader of the Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Oncology MDT.

That team may include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, interventional radiologists, pathologists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers and genetic counselors.

Every new gastrointestinal cancer patient is also reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumor board, where specialists collaborate to develop a personalized treatment plan.

“All new patients are presented at the tumor board and reviewed among the group of experts so that the treatment recommendation is a consensus of the entire group,” Dr. Saif said.

Access to tomorrow’s treatments today

For some patients, participation in a clinical trial may provide access to promising new therapies before they become widely available.

As a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karmanos conducts extensive cancer research and offers one of the nation’s most robust clinical trial programs.

“We study tomorrow’s standard of care today, offering patients new treatments even before they get FDA-approved,” Dr. Saif said.

Karmanos also operates the state’s only Phase I Clinical Trials Program, providing access to innovative therapies across a wide range of cancer types and stages.

The importance of screening

While treatment options continue to advance, screening remains one of the most effective tools for detecting certain gastrointestinal cancers early. Screening recommendations depend on the specific gastrointestinal cancer and a person’s risk factors (such as family history, genetic syndromes, inflammatory bowel disease, smoking, obesity and more).

“Screening is increasingly shifting from simple age-based recommendations to risk-adapted screening incorporating family history, genetics, environmental exposures and potentially ctDNA-based approaches in the future,” said Dr. Saif.

For colorectal cancer, screening options include stool-based tests and colonoscopy. While several screening methods are available, colonoscopy continues to be considered the gold standard because it can identify and remove precancerous polyps during the same procedure.

Depending on a person’s family history, genetic risk factors or other medical conditions, additional screening recommendations may be appropriate. That’s why experts encourage individuals to discuss their personal risk factors with their physician.

“The future of gastrointestinal cancer care is increasingly personalized. The combination of screening, molecular testing, multidisciplinary care, second opinions and clinical trials is helping us deliver the right treatment to the right patient at the right time,” Dr. Saif added. “If you or a loved one is diagnosed with a gastrointestinal cancer, ask three questions: Have we done the right molecular testing? Should I get a second opinion? Is there a clinical trial available for me? Those three questions can sometimes change the entire treatment journey.”

Why second opinions are valuable

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming, and many patients seek a second opinion to better understand their options.

“Second opinions are best practice in oncology,” Dr. Saif said. “I often see patients seeking a second opinion because they want more information and access to the latest treatments, especially for complex or aggressive cancers.”

While many cancer centers offer second opinions, obtaining one can sometimes be complicated by paperwork, medical records and insurance requirements.

“A second opinion isn’t about distrust -- it’s about making sure every option is on the table,” Dr. Saif added.

Karmanos has created a streamlined process designed to eliminate many of those barriers.

When a patient calls or submits a second-opinion request, patient navigators help gather medical records and coordinate insurance authorizations. An oncology nurse reviews the case before the appointment to ensure the physician is prepared with the patient’s information.

Most importantly, patients can meet with a cancer specialist within seven days of requesting a second opinion.

“We’ve removed those barriers,” Dr. Saif said. “Within seven days of the request, the patient will meet with a cancer expert who is familiar with their case and ready to discuss personalized treatment recommendations.”

According to Dr. Saif, second opinions can sometimes uncover additional treatment options or even lead to changes in diagnosis.

“Patients gain access to advanced surgeries, targeted therapies, leading-edge radiation techniques and innovative clinical trials that are exclusively available to Karmanos patients.”

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer and would like a second opinion, visit the Karmanos Cancer Institute or call 1-800-KARMANOS to learn more.

Corrections officer at Milan prison who had sex with inmate summoned for no-contact violation

Jenny Sherman — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:29:55 +0000

As part of her supervised release, she was required to submit to periodic polygraph testing — among other special conditions required by the court.

Prior to her most recent polygraph test on June 10, 2026, Wozniak notified her probation officer that she has in fact been in contact with the inmate via phone and social media, and also failed to disclose the existence of a cell phone she had been using.

As a result, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan issued a summons for Wozniak to address the two violations.

She is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Kroger buying regional grocer and pharmacy retailer Giant Eagle in deal valued at $1.65 billion

Michelle Chapman, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:31:00 +0000

Kroger is buying regional grocer and pharmacy retailer Giant Eagle in a deal valued at $1.65 billion.

Giant Eagle, which is privately held, has 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. Kroger has thousands of stores operating under various brands, including Ralphs, King Soopers, Smith’s and Fred Meyer.

The transaction includes $1.25 billion in cash and the assumption of approximately $400 million in outstanding liabilities, the companies said Wednesday.

“Giant Eagle is a well-run, high-quality regional grocer with a strong reputation for fresh products, pharmacy, private label and customer loyalty,” Kroger CEO Greg Foran said in a statement. “We evaluated the opportunity carefully, and the strategic fit is clear."

Foran, a former Walmart executive, was named Kroger's CEO in February. He has a reputation as a tech-savvy and detail-oriented leader.

Kroger and Giant Eagle said that they anticipate having to divest a limited number of Giant Eagle stores in order to receive the necessary regulatory clearance for the transaction.

The deal is expected to close next year.

Kroger's stock fell nearly 3% before the market open.

Turkey tightens security and showcases strength and commitment ahead of NATO summit

Suzan Fraser, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:16:14 +0000

Turkey is rolling out sweeping security measures for the upcoming NATO summit, deploying tens of thousands of police and placing air defenses on high alert, while banning public gatherings and imposing controversial restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

That's meant to safeguard the summit, but also to display strength and underscore Turkey’s commitment to the military alliance, even as it is often portrayed as an outlier within it.

On July 7–8, leaders from all 32 member states are expected convene in the Turkish capital, including U.S. President Donald Trump, whose threats to withdraw from NATO and reduce U.S. troop levels have cast uncertainty over the alliance’s future.

Turkey has also unveiled a new VIP airport, converted from a former military airfield, specifically to host NATO leaders.

Allies will aim for unity

At the Ankara summit, NATO members are expected to address questions over defense spending and the U.S.’s evolving role in the alliance.

The main agenda will center on unity after Trump has criticized allies for failing to support the U.S.-led war on Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“The important aspect of the meeting is to what extent the rift between the United States and Europe can be healed or narrowed during the summit,” said Fatih Ceylan, a former Turkish ambassador to NATO and security analyst at the Ankara Policy Center. “We should not expect miracles, but nonetheless if there is a convergence of ideas emphasizing the importance of NATO, that should be seen as a success.”

Turkey's role as host seems to have helped win an appearance by Trump, who has a close rapport with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Well, except for the fact that it was being held in Turkey by President Erdogan, I don’t think I would have gone to it,” he told reporters following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

Turkey has often acted independently in NATO

In the run-up to the summit, Erdogan described Turkey as a reliable ally that consistently shoulders responsibility on NATO’s southeastern flank and will continue to play a leading role in the alliance. He said his country was working to ensure that the Ankara Summit “will stand as a reference point in NATO’s history.”

A NATO member since 1952, Turkey has the alliance’s second-largest army after the United States, a fast-growing defense industry and a strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, the Black Sea and the Caucasus.

Yet it has often acted independently, frustrating allies by refusing to participate in sanctions on Russia, engaging in disputes with Greece, and purchasing Russian missile defense systems — a move that led to its expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 program in 2019.

Turkey also delayed Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership until it secured concessions on counter-terrorism cooperation and the lifting of arms export restrictions, and blocked the appointments of NATO chiefs Anders Fogh Rassmussen in 2009 and Mark Rutte in 2024 until other demands were met.

But Turkey's independent streak has also enabled it to play a mediating role, from brokering a deal to ship grain across the Black Sea between Ukraine and Russia in 2022 to supporting recent initiatives aimed at ending the war in Iran.

Ankara, too, has at times been frustrated with its NATO allies, particularly over what it saw as the alliance’s lack of solidarity during a failed coup attempt in 2016, and the arms sales restrictions imposed on Turkey after its intervention in Syria.

Murat Aslan, an analyst at the Ankara-based SETA think tank, said Turkey learned to “play it alone” due to its turbulent relations with the United States and Europe, adding that Europe is now also talking about “strategic autonomy” from the U.S.

Turkey can help NATO navigate U.S.–Europe tensions by showing how to “balance” independence with alliance commitments, he said.

Ankara is tilting back toward the West

More recently, however, Turkey has leaned closer to NATO, whose importance was underscored during the Iran war when alliance missile defenses intercepted four missiles fired from Iran into Turkish territory. Weeks before the summit, Italy and Germany deployed air defense systems to help Turkey respond to heightened threats.

“Turkey wishes to distinguish itself as a foreign policy actor that is independent of NATO and the West,” wrote Hamish Kinnear, principal Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, in a note. “While Turkey is not abandoning its balancing approach, it is tilting closer to the West, primarily because of NATO.”

Authorities roll out strict security measures

In Ankara, strict access restrictions will be imposed on several of the city's main arteries, around airports, the presidential complex where the summit will be held, and around hotels hosting the delegations, severely disrupting life in the city of nearly 6 million.

As the country prepares for the summit, Erdogan unveiled a new airport which was transformed from a former military airfield into a modern facility with expanded runways. The new Ankara Airport is expected to remain a VIP airport after the summit and is not expected to serve the general public, officials have said.

Facades of houses along the route from the new airport have been painted over as part of city beautification efforts, the newspaper Cumhuriyet reported.

With a history of terrorist attacks, Turkey's capital is no stranger to tight security, but the measures being taken in connection with NATO appear to go beyond the usual.

Authorities have also banned demonstrations, concerts, and graduation ceremonies during the summit, while nonessential state employees have been placed on leave to ease congestion.

Security units have detained more than 200 people suspected of links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State group, authorities said. Media reports said that several activists, lawyers and an academic were caught up in the sweep.

A Turkish court, meanwhile, blocked access to websites critical of NATO and the summit on security and public order grounds, according to Engelli Web, a website that tracks websites banned in Turkey. Several journalists from Turkish opposition-leaning media organizations were denied accreditation to cover the summit, sparking outrage from media rights groups.

“In the history of the organization, we have never witnessed security measures as stringent and suffocating in a host city for a summit as we are seeing this time in Ankara,” wrote Namik Tan, a former Turkish ambassador and legislator from Turkey's main opposition party.

Personal trainer Selin Karakoc said she breathed a sigh of relief after she was told that her wedding on July 5 falls just before the start of the restrictions.

“Ours could be one of the last weddings in Ankara that week,” she joked.

How the Supreme Court became a pivotal force in Trump's immigration agenda

Rebecca Santana, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:37:48 +0000

President Donald Trump's administration looked to the Supreme Court to greenlight its sweeping hard-line immigration agenda and, by and large, it got the backing it was looking for with one key exception — birthright citizenship.

After lower courts repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration, the nation's top court allowed it to terminate temporary protections for people fleeing war or strife. It gave immigration officers greater leeway in dealing with green card holders returning from abroad, and it allowed the government to limit the number of people who can apply for asylum.

In being asked to serve as an enabler of the Republican president's contentious immigration crackdown, the Supreme Court showed deference to constitutional guardrails in the key case of birthright citizenship that would have redefined who can be an American. In ruling against the administration, the court upheld the idea that people who are born in the United States, regardless of their parents' immigration status, are Americans.

Each decision could have far-reaching consequences for foreigners seeking to live in the country and could help shape public perceptions over whether America remains a beacon for migrants.

Birthright citizenship is upheld, prompting calls for more restrictions

The Trump administration had sought to prevent children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily from being entitled to American citizenship at birth.

A divided Supreme Court upheld the concept of birthright citizenship, with a bare majority of five justices saying that with very limited exceptions the long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.

It was a blow to Trump's immigration agenda, a centerpiece of his second administration. The president signed the order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship on his first day in office, although it never went into effect due to legal challenges.

The court's decision was praised by advocates but led to calls by some Republicans to try to restrict birthright citizenship by other means.

Mark Krikorian, who heads the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration, said the decision makes the president's push for large-scale deportations “all the more urgent,” with the goal of removing people in the country illegally before they have children.

Krikorian said the decision means policies governing programs that allow foreigners to come to the U.S. to work or study at university need to be “tightened up” to prevent people from coming to the U.S. and having children who then become citizens. He also suggested the State Department could add a pregnancy question to visa applications of foreigners seeking to get a tourist or other visa to come to the U.S.

“I think it’s going to have real policy impact," Krikorian said.

Temporary protections for Haitians and Syrians removed

The court allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants who have fled violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria. The 6-3 decision announced June 25 potentially leaves hundreds of thousands of more people unable to work in the U.S. and vulnerable to deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security has moved to end the protections, including some that had been in place for more than a decade, for people from 13 countries.

Republican critics have said that these temporary protections effectively become permanent. But immigration lawyers said countries such as Haiti and Syria remain dangerous.

The court’s conservative majority found that the law doesn’t allow courts to question the process that immigration authorities use to revoke the protections. The high court sided with the administration before and allowed the end of the program for people from Venezuela.

It's unclear how quickly the court's ruling could translate into ICE trying to remove affected Haitians and Syrians from the country although fear of potential deportation has already ricocheted around the Haitian community.

David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank that advocates for more immigration, said the court's decision has a far wider impact than just the 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians covered by the case. Roughly 1 million others are covered by temporary protected status, or TPS, decisions, and Bier said the ruling leaves them without any meaningful way to challenge the administration's moves.

“It just fully closed the door to any challenges," Bier said.

Limits on asylum applicants allowed

Under U.S. law, migrants who set foot on American soil can apply for asylum. Although the number of migrants coming to the southern border has fallen dramatically during the Trump administration, the numbers of asylum seekers had ballooned under previous administrations.

Started under Democrat Barack Obama's administration and then expanded under Trump's first term, asylum-metering limited how many people could apply for asylum every day at the southern border with Mexico.

The ruling cleared the way for the Trump administration to potentially revive the policy, which isn't in place now, should it choose to do so.

The administration argued that asylum-metering was an important tool and that people turned away at the border could come back later. But advocates argued that at the time the asylum-metering was in place it led to chaos and a humanitarian crisis in Mexico as thousands of people waited for days and months in makeshift shelters in Mexico.

Court allows administration greater leeway with some green card holders

In another 6-3 decision, the court sided with the Trump administration in giving greater power to immigration officers when deciding how to treat green card holders returning to the country from abroad.

In 2012, Customs and Border Protection officers put lawful permanent resident Muk Choi Lau on immigration parole when he returned from a short trip to China and took away his green card. He had been accused of a counterfeiting crime, although not convicted.

Lau argued that the officer overstepped their authority and that when he eventually pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit clothes in New Jersey, the decision gave Homeland Security, then under the Obama administration, an easier path to remove him from the country.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in her dissent, wrote that she was worried that the court had given the government a “massive blank check” in dealing with millions of other lawful permanent residents who want to travel abroad.

The American Immigration Council, an advocacy group, wrote in an analysis after the court's decision that Congress gave lawful permanent residents special protections when they travel that make it harder to detain and remove them from the country.

There are exceptions that limit the special protections that green card holders have, including if the person has committed certain crimes in the U.S., the council wrote.

The council said there were still a lot of questions as to the effect of the court's decision but that it expects the government to argue that the decision can be applied more broadly.

EU issues new steel and e-commerce regulations to reduce trade imbalance with China

Sam Mcneil And Chan Ho-Him, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:05:21 +0000

The European Union rolled out two measures to protect its steel industry and limit e-commerce small parcels on Wednesday as the 27-nation bloc grapples with its staggering trade imbalance with China.

“Today’s change is about restoring fairness for European businesses and better protecting our consumers,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an online post praising a new 3 euro ($3.42) customs duty on small packages. “The surge in low-value online imports has put our retailers at an unfair disadvantage. Too many of these products also fail to meet EU safety standards, putting consumers at risk.”

The Commission said new rules on steel imports are designed to protect EU plants and jobs from “the damaging impacts of global overcapacity” on “a strategically crucial European industry.” China’s subsidies for steel production have led critics in Brussels and beyond to charge that policy undercuts steel industries from Germany's Ruhr valley to Kyushu Island in Japan.

The EU's trade deficit with China widened in 2025 to around 360 billion euros ($410 billion) — or roughly 1 billion euros a day — and is rising in 2026.

China’s annual global trade surplus reached a near-record $1.2 trillion last year even after higher tariffs introduced by the Trump administration, and despite China’s dependency on Persian Gulf energy, the war in Iran has not destabilized China’s export-led economy with sales of high-tech goods and vehicles abroad having jumped.

Flood of small packages has destabilized main street

From Wednesday, the EU will remove an customs duty exemption called “de minimis” for parcels valued at under 150 euros. Chinese firms like the e-commerce giants Temu and Shien control about 90% of this type of trade, according to the Commission. The U.S. made a similar move last year.

The Commission said 5.9 billion small packages were imported into the EU in 2025, compared with about 1.4 billion in 2022. At roughly 16 million a day, that’s 97% of the traffic, but represents just 2% of import value. A majority of the packages were said to have failed safety tests and triggered environmental concerns on overuse of plastic.

“Europe finally shows teeth against flood of cheap package deals,” said Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament’s trade committee in a post online.

Yet the 3 euro tax might “not affect the big picture” as it's minimal compared to the price gap between Europe and China for goods like e-commerce, according to Gary Ng, a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies.

While it may be effective in reducing small orders and impulse purchases, Ng said that customers and e-commerce platforms can still make group orders.

EU steel under threat

The new rules set tariff-free quotas at 18.3 million metric tons annually and imposes an out-of-quota duty of 50% on 26 types of steel imports. It also requires more transparency from importers to trace where the so-called “melt and pour” stage of production takes place to ensure countries like China will not circumvent protections by shipping products to the EU via third countries. The EU had put in new steel tariffs in October to protect the bloc from a flood of steel imports diverted by new U.S. trade policy under Trump.

Europe's steel industry is in crisis, with crude steel output falling to a “historic low” in 2026, according to the European Steel Association.

“Europe’s steel production is shrinking while imports as a share of the EU market are rising,” said the trade group’s director-general Axel Eggert in March. “EU policymakers must therefore agree the new steel trade measure quickly without it being weakened otherwise Europe risks losing more industrial capacity.”

While China producers more than half of the world's steel, the EU imports mostly from trade partners like the U.K., Ukraine, India, Taiwan, Turkey, Japan and South Korea. The new tariffs could trigger penalties in free trade agreements with nations like Japan but some exemptions have been granted to Ukraine as it battles Russia.

“We will remain open to engage — call it a club, call it an alliance, call it whatever you like — but the idea that we come together with like-minded partners on this global challenge of overcapacity in the market," said a Commission official tasked with communicating policy but not authorized to be named. "In an ideal world there is fair competition and level playing fields. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to live in an ideal world.”

Beijing will oppose the new rules even if they do not directly target China, said Alicia García-Herrero, a chief economist for Asia Pacific and Middle East at the French bank Natixis.

“The Chinese do not want this instrument to work. This could be a springboard for more," she said. “It opens the door to the overall overcapacity instruments to see how it works.”

China’s Ministry of Commerce in May warned the EU against new steel import regulations and said China would firmly respond to “discriminatory measures” against its companies and products.

'Wolf pack effect'

Some experts in China have raised the alarm over growing backlash to mass exports.

In a recent report, the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing identified “ China Shock 2.0 ” — a massive surge of highly subsidized, advanced Chinese manufacturing exports flooding global markets — as one of the top 10 perceived security risks for China. It warned that the EU would likely impose additional tariffs on China that, together with protectionist sentiment in the U.S., might inspire other nations to follow suit with “steep tariff hikes and investment screening” targeting Chinese firms.

"What makes this risk distinctive is that it does not originate from a single adversary. It is the ‘wolf pack effect’ of multiple countries acting in concert, inflicting not only direct economic losses on China but, more profoundly, degrading its strategic environment and international business reputation," the report stated.

Beijing has hit back at the concept of “China Shock 2.0,” defending it instead as an “opportunity” which brings the world wider shared benefits from China's tech innovations.

While the EU has not been as combative with China as the Trump administration, “the direction of travel is clearly shifting in Brussels,” HSBC economists Frederic Neumann and Justin Feng wrote in a research note on Tuesday.

In June, leaders from the Group of Seven nations issued a joint call to develop independent supply chains for critical minerals so crucial for defense and high-tech industries.

'Status quo is not an option'

“China and the EU are partners, not rivals,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Tuesday. “The root cause of the EU’s problems does not lie with China.”

China’s recent success handling Trump’s escalated tariff threats last year suggests it “can withstand external pressure,” according to Neumann and Feng, who said Beijing leveraged its control of rare earth supply chains to forge a truce on trade with Washington.

“If China managed a U.S. tariff ramp-up and the global energy shock during the U.S.-Iran conflict, it may show less inclination to make concessions to the EU,” the economists said. “The near-term outlook points to limited progress towards a comprehensive China-EU settlement.”

García-Herrero said that despite the importance of the EU’s common market to China — 90% of battery and 60% of its electrical vehicles exports go to the bloc — there is a perception in Beijing that they can successfully dissuade common action by lobbying national capitals in the EU.

“China thinks Europe has no leverage,” she said. “They do think they have the upper hand, by all means.”

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with the EU’s trade representative Maroš Šefčovič in Brussels on Monday.

“The EU remains open for business but we need to defend our industrial base and keep pushing for a level playing field globally, so our industries get a fair shot at competing,” Šefčovič said after the talks. “That is why today’s talks – and the ones to follow – matter."

He has set an October deadline for meaningful results in rebalancing trade during a visit to Beijing.

“The status quo is not an option.”

___

Chan reported from Hong Kong.

What to look for in an eye care provider at every stage of life

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:03:43 +0000

Most people know they should have their eyes checked regularly, but vision care often falls low on the priority list until something feels off.

Whether it’s struggling to read small print, experiencing headaches after screen time or noticing changes in night vision, many eye issues develop gradually and can be easy to overlook.

According to eye care specialists with Henry Ford OptimEyes, regular eye exams are about much more than updating a glasses prescription. Comprehensive exams can help identify vision changes, detect eye diseases in their early stages and, in some cases, reveal signs of broader health conditions.

Eye health changes throughout life

Vision needs evolve from childhood through older adulthood, making regular eye care important at every age.

For children, healthy vision can play a key role in learning and development. Adults often rely heavily on their eyesight for work, driving and daily activities, while older adults may face an increased risk of age-related eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

People living with diabetes should also prioritize regular eye examinations, as diabetes can affect the health of the blood vessels in the eye and increase the risk of vision complications.

What comprehensive eye care looks like

While many people think of eye care as simply getting glasses or contact lenses, modern vision care often includes a much broader range of services.

Comprehensive eye care providers can help patients monitor changes in vision, manage chronic eye conditions and access treatment when problems arise. This can include everything from annual vision exams and diabetic eye screenings to contact lens fittings and treatment for conditions like glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Having access to both routine and specialized services in one location can also make it easier for patients to maintain consistent care over time.

Why convenience matters

Even people who understand the importance of routine eye exams often postpone appointments because of scheduling challenges. Between work, school, family responsibilities and other commitments, finding time for preventive care can be difficult.

That’s why convenience has become an increasingly important factor when choosing an eye care provider. Features like flexible appointment hours, multiple locations and the ability to access both routine and specialized services in one place can help make it easier for patients to stay on top of their eye health.

For families, convenience can be especially valuable. Parents often juggle appointments for multiple children, while adults might need vision care, eyewear services and follow-up visits throughout the year. Having access to comprehensive care through a single provider can reduce the need for multiple trips and referrals.

Many providers are adapting their services to address these challenges and make routine eye care easier to access.

To help make eye care more accessible, Henry Ford OptimEyes has designed its services around many of these patient needs. The practice operates 21 locations throughout southeast Michigan and offers evening hours six days a week, giving patients more flexibility when scheduling care.

Same-day contact lenses are available for many prescriptions, and individuals who already have a valid prescription can stop by to browse eyewear without making an appointment.

Additional services like eyeglass adjustments, repair assistance, handicap-accessible facilities and financing options are designed to help simplify the patient experience.

Making quality vision care more accessible

Cost is another factor that can influence whether people seek routine eye care and update their eyewear when needed.

Eye care experts say delaying exams or continuing to wear outdated prescriptions can affect comfort, productivity and overall quality of life. Access to affordable options can help remove some of the barriers that prevent patients from prioritizing their vision health.

Combined with comprehensive medical eye care and vision services, Henry Ford OptimEyes also offers programs designed to make eyewear more affordable for families, including special pricing on children’s glasses and select value-focused lens options.

The goal is to help patients access the care and eyewear solutions they need without compromising quality.

Investing in long-term vision health

Good vision affects nearly every aspect of daily life, from learning and working to driving and spending time with family. Experts say routine eye care remains one of the most effective ways to protect long-term eye health and identify potential concerns before they become more serious.

Whether someone is looking for annual eye exams, pediatric vision care, treatment for an eye condition or new eyewear, finding a provider that combines expertise, accessibility and convenience can make it easier to maintain healthy vision for years to come.

To learn more about services available through Henry Ford OptimEyes, click or tap here, or call 800-393-2273.

Priority Waste CEO shares progress on plan to fix disruptions, delays across Metro Detroit

Samantha Sayles — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The CEO of Priority Waste announced the progress of the company’s recovery plan following numerous customer complaints across Metro Detroit.

Previous coverage --> Priority Waste apologizes to Metro Detroit customers, outlines plan for improvements

“Our objective is not simply to restore service, but to build a stronger, more reliable company than the one that existed before,” said Johnson. “We will continue to communicate openly, share our progress, and hold ourselves accountable for delivering measurable results. Most importantly, we are committed to earning back your trust, not through words alone, but through sustained improvement and reliable performance which we have detailed for you.”

The letter sent out on Wednesday outlined a 30-day service recovery report.

You can view the full letter below:

Dear Residents:

One month ago, I was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Priority Waste after serving as a senior advisor behind the scenes. From my first day in this role, my focus has been clear: observe, assess, and correct. First and foremost, we want to acknowledge and sincerely apologize for the frustration and inconvenience many of you have experienced. We take full responsibility for the service failures that have occurred. While the challenges we face today were not created overnight, we are committed to addressing them with urgency, transparency, and accountability.

At Priority Waste, we are embracing a culture of continuous improvement. Every day, we are working to be better than we were the day before. Our objective is not simply to restore service, but to build a stronger, more reliable company than the one that existed before. We will continue to communicate openly, share our progress, and hold ourselves accountable for delivering measurable results. Most importantly, we are committed to earning back your trust, not through words alone, but through sustained improvement and reliable performance which we have detailed for you below.

Priority Waste’s 5 Point Recovery Plan

1. Fleet Expansion

To strengthen our operations, Priority Waste has purchased 198 trucks previously operating under rental agreements, as well as 91 new automated side-load collection vehicles equipped with upgraded technology to improve efficiency and reliability. To date, we have received 30 of the 91 new vehicles, with the remaining trucks expected to arrive by the end of August due to manufacturing and delivery timelines. Frequent vehicle breakdowns have been one of the primary causes of service interruptions. As these new trucks enter our fleet, they will improve route reliability and provide more consistent collection service for your household.

2. Staffing Enhancements

Over the past three weeks, we have hired 41 qualified drivers, and our recruitment efforts continue every day. Our goal is to maintain approximately 20 percent excess driver capacity, ensuring we can effectively respond to employee absences, seasonal demand, and unexpected operational challenges without disrupting customer service.

3. Container Reinvestment

Limited investment resulted in a significant backlog of container deliveries and repairs. During my first week as CEO, we invested more than $2 million to purchase 19,000 new containers to begin eliminating that backlog. In addition, we have expanded our container delivery operation from five crews to nine crews over the past 30 days. We anticipate completing all outstanding container requests within the next two weeks.

4. Customer Service Improvements

When service issues occur, our customers deserve timely answers and responsive support. Previously, our customer service operation was not adequately staffed to handle the volume of incoming calls. To address this, we quickly expanded our customer support capacity through a partnership with a Michigan-based contact center, allowing us to significantly improve responsiveness. As service performance has improved, customer call volume has declined by approximately 50 percent.

Ultimately, however, our goal is not simply to answer more calls, it’s to eliminate the need for them by consistently providing on-time service.

5. Recovery Operations

While our goal is always to provide on-time service, we recognize that issues can still occur. When they do, missed collections will be recovered the very next day.

We understand the burden these service disruptions have placed on you and your family, and we sincerely apologize. Over the coming weeks, we anticipate increased operational demands surrounding the Fourth of July holiday, which will provide another opportunity to further strengthen our operations and services. I look forward to providing another update in 30 days and sharing the measurable improvements we continue to achieve. Thank you for your patience, your feedback, and the opportunity to earn back your trust.

Sincerely,

Aaron Johnson

Chief Executive Officer

Priority Waste

Mourners attend funerals for 14 Pakistani children killed in tutoring center roof collapse

Babar Dogar And K.M. Chaudhry, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:54:48 +0000

Mourners gathered Wednesday in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore to bury 14 schoolchildren who were killed when the roof of a tutoring center collapsed on Tuesday.

Police are investigating whether negligence during ongoing construction work caused the collapse that left another eight children injured and hospitalized in stable condition.

Residents and preliminary police findings indicate the tutoring center was operating in an aging building. Investigators believe the unfinished roof of the second floor may have collapsed because of poor construction.

At least two people, including the building owner, were arrested as investigators tried to determine who was responsible, senior police official Kamran Faisal said, adding that negligence by the owner and construction workers appear to have caused the collapse.

“We are still investigating to determine exactly whose negligence resulted in this tragic incident,” Faisal said.

Funeral prayers for the children, who were up to 14 years old, began before dawn and continued through Wednesday morning. Most of the victims were buried in a local graveyard, while some families planned to take the bodies to their native towns for burial.

Ambulances transported the victims’ bodies overnight to their homes in Kahna, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Lahore. As the bodies were returned to their families, cries echoed through the neighborhood. Mothers and female relatives sat beside the bodies throughout the night while classmates and friends of the victims stood nearby in tears.

The funeral mourners Wednesday morning included Mohammad Ashfaq, a laborer whose 7-year-old son and nephew were killed in the collapse.

“I cannot express my pain and grief in words,” Ashfaq said through tears as relatives tried to comfort him.

Nearby, Muhammad Farooq mourned the loss of his young daughter.

“Yesterday she went to her tuition class at around 4 p.m.,” Farooq said. “Around 4:45 p.m., my family called me and said the roof of the tuition center had collapsed. They told me many children were trapped under the debris. Fourteen children were killed, and the injured were taken to the hospital.”

Local resident Mohammad Tahir said neighbors were the first to respond after the roof gave way.

“Rescuers arrived quickly, but before they reached us, neighbors rushed in with shovels and even dug through the debris with their bare hands,” Tahir said. “We also pulled children from the rubble, but many could not be saved.”

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Structures are frequently built with substandard materials and safety regulations are sometimes ignored to reduce costs.

Grief has turned to anger for some people. Residents blamed the owner of the tutoring center for holding classes in what they described as an old and unsafe building despite ongoing construction and demanded strict punishment for those responsible.

“We don’t know whose funeral to attend first or whose home to visit first to offer condolences,” Tahir said.

Hospitals in Europe are gearing up for the next heat wave armed with lessons from this one

John Leicester, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:30:09 +0000

Ice. Urgently and in large quantities.

At a Paris-region hospital, emergency medics needed it to plunge patients into cold-water baths to speedily bring down their temperatures so they wouldn't join the growing tally of dead from a record-smashing heat wave. But lacking an ice-making machine, where to get it?

A fast-food restaurant helped out last week, saying the hospital could take its ice. Staff also bought ice from the supermarket. The Paris-Saclay Hospital has now ordered its own ice machine, eagerly awaited in the emergency department for a future attack of sizzling heat.

Whether that hits next week, as France's weather service says it might, or in summer months ahead, medics and hospital administrators are acutely aware that the battle they've just endured will, because of climate change, be followed by others. Just as they brace for the annual flu season, they know that fighting heat waves is becoming their new normal.

So as they catch their breath from what the director of the public hospital described as a “horrible" last week, he and his staff are also gearing up for the next round.

“We thought we were ready. We were not actually,” said the director, Cédric Lussiez.

“The hospital was working on a 24-hours-a-day basis because we had to find new solutions in a very short delay,” he said. “We already learned some lessons.”

Hospitals are preparing for more inevitable heat waves

Efforts to plug some of the holes exposed by the heat wave that shifted eastward to other parts of Europe after battering France, the United Kingdom and other countries are accelerating on a national level, too.

When France was baking through its hottest days on record last week, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a 100-million euro ($114-million) spend from this summer on cooling systems for hospitals and other work to keep wards functioning.

And at the latest in a series of heat-wave crisis meetings, he said Monday that the government is buying 30,000 air-conditioning units for health facilities, with the first deliveries expected “at the end of the week, beginning of next week.”

“It's an absolute priority for us that, if the heat wave returns, the hospital situation be a lot less strained," he said.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday described the heat wave as “a dress rehearsal” for summers that “will be harder."

“Europe is warming at more than twice the global average. Heat waves are no longer one-off freak events,” it said. “Every summer we fail to prepare for them is a summer we pay for in lives.”

Heart attacks and other heat-exposure emergencies surge

At the Paris-Saclay Hospital, patients suffering from heat exposure started arriving in a surge on June 20, said Dr. Nicolas Gonzales, head of the emergency department.

“It was like a big mountain,” he said. “It was like that for seven days. So it was very intense.”

“In winter, we know we’ll have influenza epidemics and probably COVID as well. And now, in the summer, we’re going to have the climate crisis," he said.

The first patient he treated in this heat wave was an emergency call-out, for a 50-year-old man in a coma at home and with a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). His family said he seemed fine one minute, but was unconscious the next, Gonzales said. He was rushed to the hospital for critical care.

Then came the flood: heart attacks, dehydration, kidney malfunctions and other heat-related problems, impacting all age groups, from children to older people living alone.

“Heat is a physical assault. It is a physical assault on the body," Gonzales said. “And when the body can no longer adapt — or, unfortunately, is no longer able to fight off that assault — you don’t feel it coming, and the heart can stop beating."

Hospitals are urgently upgrading heat defenses

Paris-Saclay Hospital is new and has air-conditioning, but three older hospitals that are part of its group, which Lussiez heads, aren’t so well defended against the heat. It tested them arduously.

To prevent medicines from spoiling, they had to be cooled with a temporary solution of electric fans and blocks of ice. Student nurses were recruited to help with the work of keeping patients hydrated. The thermometer hit 33 C (91 F) on the top, most exposed floor of a psychiatric unit, Lussiez said.

He's now urgently equipping that unit with a cool room for patients on each floor and organizing other renovation works and changes, including moving a department for elderly patients to the new hospital.

“We’ll be in a better situation next week than we were last week,” he said.

___

Associated Press journalist Alex Turnbull contributed.

Explosion in Monaco reportedly wounds Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:29:22 +0000

An explosion at an apartment building entrance in Monaco reportedly wounded a Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia and two other people, the chief prosecutor in the exclusive Mediterranean country said Tuesday.

A search was underway for a suspect who fled on foot after the blast late Monday, Prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said, adding that the motive was unclear.

Media reports identified Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev as being among the injured. He has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, and he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russia. A woman and a child were also hurt.

“It appears that the family was specifically targeted,” said Christophe Mirmand, the minister of state for Monaco. He said the suspect “had walked around the area several times while waiting for the victims,” according to surveillance footage.

It was not clear why the family was targeted or by whom.

Russia has a long history of targeting its enemies abroad, and Western intelligence officials have recently said that a campaign of targeted killings has ramped up since President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine is also believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said its embassy in France, which is also responsible for Monaco, was in touch with local authorities. Ukrainian diplomats were at the scene providing assistance, it said.

Attack shocks glamorous Monaco

The attack shocked the country on the Mediterranean coast, one of the world’s smallest sovereign states known for its high concentration of wealthy residents. Monaco’s Prince Albert II described it as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.

Monaco police opened an attempted murder investigation, but they did not describe it as a terrorism investigation, Thibault told reporters.

The family members are “regular” residents of Monaco, and authorities did not yet know whether they had been threatened in the past, Mirmand said.

The blast occurred around 9 p.m. Monday at the entrance of a residence near the French border.

Silvano Ippolito, who lives across from the building where the explosion happened, described hearing it and seeing a little boy on the ground being attended to by other people. He then called his wife, a doctor, who provided first aid to the badly wounded woman.

“She intervened very quickly, before the emergency services arrived, to apply tourniquets and perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as the woman was losing consciousness,” Ippolito said.

A man came out of the building covered in blood and staggering. As he tried to go down the stairs, the staircase collapsed, and he fell on Ippolito’s wife and a firefighter, he said.

The woman’s injuries were “a real disaster," Ippolito said. "I’m telling you, she had no foot.”

The woman was in life-threatening condition, Thibault said. He did not provide the identities of the people who were hurt.

The woman was being treated at a hospital in Nice, Mirmand told French news broadcaster LCI. Her partner and the 13-year-old child suffered less severe injuries but were still hospitalized Tuesday, he added.

The suspect got away via steps to a small street to the neighboring French town of Beausoleil, according to surveillance footage.

In a picture captured by surveillance cameras and published by French media, the suspect could be seen in a street wearing a black jacket, light-colored pants, white shoes and a black bucket hat that partly concealed his face.

The three people were “apparently returning home peacefully,” Mirmand said, citing surveillance footage. “They were caught in the explosion as they crossed the threshold of their apartment building."

Ukrainian tycoon is a well-known real estate developer

Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian-born businessman originally from the city of Dnipro, built his fortune through the Alef Group, a diversified business that includes commercial real estate, manufacturing and agriculture. He became one of the country’s best-known property developers, leading projects that reshaped parts of Dnipro’s city center. He has regularly appeared in rankings of Ukraine’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.

In an interview with Forbes Ukraine, Yermolaiev said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and became a Cypriot citizen in 2017.

In December 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on Yermolaiev as part of a broader package targeting individuals and companies Kyiv said had business links to Russia or Russian-occupied territories.

The Cyprus Registrar of Companies lists a man called Vadym Iermolaiev as the director of Vespano Ltd., a company in the Cypriot city of Limassol first registered in January 2019. Cyprus’ Interior Ministry told The Associated Press it could not provide information about the man’s citizenship status due to confidentiality rules.

A coastal playground for the rich and famous, Monaco is renowned as much for its tax-friendly incentives and Formula 1 Grand Prix as its glamorous royal family. The small principality is widely regarded as one of the safest places in the world, in part because of its network of thousands of surveillance cameras covering most public spaces.

Monaco’s population of 38,000 is multinational, with only a fifth of the population actually citizens of the principality.

___

Associated Press journalists Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

🔊 Detroit approves ShotSpotter extension

Jenny Sherman — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:57:04 +0000

Detroit City Council narrowly approved a nine-month extension of the city’s ShotSpotter contract Tuesday after hearing emotional testimony from residents -- Welcome to July!

🍇 Grapevine

🌅 Good morning! On this day in 1979, the first personal stereo cassette player — the Sony Walkman — debuted for sale, sparking a global revolution in portable electronics.

Here are a few things to know about for Wednesday, July 1, 2026:

☀️ 4Warn Weather: A prolonged stretch of dangerous heat continues to grip Metro Detroit with near-record temperatures expected through Thursday before a more active weather pattern arrives heading into the holiday weekend. Check out the 10-day forecast.

🔌Extreme Heat Causes Outages: A brutal stretch of hot weather is pushing DTE Energy’s power grid to its limits across Southeast Michigan. Read more.

🍎 Hunger Free Summer: Hunger doesn’t take a break during the summer, and Local 4 volunteers spent the day on Tuesday helping make sure kids have enough to eat while school is out. Watch here.

🔎 Bigfoot in Michigan?: Snake Stuart, Bigfoot hunter and author joined Local 4 yesterday to discuss his claim of finding the first scientifically verified Bigfoot specimen. Watch here.

🚔 Farmington Hills Homicide: Records show a petition was filed over three years ago seeking court-ordered mental health treatment for the 34-year-old man accused of killing his grandmother inside the home they shared in Farmington Hills. Read more.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

After heated public comments and debate over whether ShotSpotter improves public safety or drains resources that could be used elsewhere, Detroit City Council voted 5-4 to extend the city’s contract for the gunshot-detection technology.

Residents who opposed the system raised concerns about surveillance, privacy, and the impact on neighborhoods where the sensors are deployed.

“It targets black and brown communities, it violates privacy, and the sensors are unknown where they’re located,” one speaker said during public comment.

Supporters argued the system can help police identify possible gunfire and locate victims more quickly, especially in cases where no one calls 911.

LaKeisha Brooks said the technology helped save her 7-year-old son after the child was found shot multiple times in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood last week.

Brooks said her 20-year-old nephew was killed in the same shooting, which police said happened in a mostly vacant area.

“Unfortunately, my nephew was killed, but if it wasn’t for the ShotSpotter, my 7-year-old son would be dead,” Brooks said.

Get the full story here.

Here’s a look at your July calendar:

July 2-5: Salute to America at Greenfield Village
July 4: Independence Day
July 7: World Chocolate Day
July 10-12: African World Festival at Hart Plaza
July 10-19: Oakland County Fair
July 12: Detroit Kite Festival
July 15-19: Concert of Colors
July 17-19: Thunder Over Michigan Air Show
July 19: Detroit Festival of Books
July 23-25: Sterlingfest

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

🌎 Meanwhile

News from around the world via the Associated Press:

Nature’s oven was on high Tuesday for millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes states as intense heat and humidity baked the regions with no immediate relief before the misery shifts to the eastern U.S.

The National Weather Service was blunt: Conditions were “dangerous” as the heat index, a combination of air temperature and humidity, exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) in some areas. It warned about a risk for heat-related illnesses, especially among people without air conditioning.

Detroit’s air temperature was in the high 90s, the Weather Service said, and could even reach 100 at some point through Thursday. (Read more)

----

The Supreme Court on Tuesday erased limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, striking down a federal election law that is more than 50 years old.

Prodded by a Republican-led lawsuit that includes Vice President JD Vance, the court’s six conservative justices were again in the majority of the latest decision that upended congressionally enacted limits on raising and spending money to influence elections. The court’s 2010 Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited independent spending in federal elections.

The limits on party spending stem from a desire to prevent large donors from skirting caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party, with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate. (Read more)

----

Two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for talks with mediators about the implementation of an initial deal to end the war in Iran, an official said.

The visit by Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, comes after a weekend of crossfire in the Persian Gulf over efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic.

The envoys won’t be having direct negotiations with Iranian diplomats while in Qatar’s capital, Doha, said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. Instead, mediators are working for the time being as go-betweens for the talks, which won’t include any high-level officials, he added. (Read more)

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Mercurial / mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl / (adjective) — defined as “rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood; fast in development or occurrence.”

Example: “Michigan’s mercurial spring weather brought bright sunshine in the morning and a blizzard by afternoon.”

🧹 Housekeeping

Hey, if you like this newsletter, let us know. We’d love your feedback. We also offer several other newsletters, including 4Warn Weather, All 4 Pets and more. Hopefully, we have one that caters to your interests — unless you’re only interested in wax statues that come alive at night. We don’t have one for that, sorry.

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Jenny Sherman (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

🔊 Detroit approves ShotSpotter extension

Jenny Sherman — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:55:25 +0000

Detroit City Council narrowly approved a nine-month extension of the city’s ShotSpotter contract Tuesday after hearing emotional testimony from residents -- Welcome to July!

🍇 Grapevine

🌅 Good morning! On this day in 1979, the first personal stereo cassette player — the Sony Walkman — debuted for sale, sparking a global revolution in portable electronics.

Here are a few things to know about for Wednesday, July 1, 2026:

Extreme Heat Causes Outages: A brutal stretch of hot weather is pushing DTE Energy’s power grid to its limits across Southeast Michigan. Read more.

🔎 Bigfoot in Michigan?: Snake Stuart, Bigfoot hunter and author joined Local 4 yesterday to discuss his claim of finding the first scientifically verified Bigfoot specimen. Watch here.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

Residents who opposed the system raised concerns about surveillance, privacy, and the impact on neighborhoods where the sensors are deployed.

“It targets black and brown communities, it violates privacy, and the sensors are unknown where they’re located,” one speaker said during public comment.

Supporters argued the system can help police identify possible gunfire and locate victims more quickly, especially in cases where no one calls 911.

LaKeisha Brooks said the technology helped save her 7-year-old son after the child was found shot multiple times in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood last week.

Brooks said her 20-year-old nephew was killed in the same shooting, which police said happened in a mostly vacant area.

“Unfortunately, my nephew was killed, but if it wasn’t for the ShotSpotter, my 7-year-old son would be dead,” Brooks said.

Get the full story here.

Here’s a look at your July calendar:

July 2-5: Salute to America at Greenfield Village
July 4: Independence Day
July 7: World Chocolate Day
July 10-12: African World Festival at Hart Plaza
July 10-19: Oakland County Fair
July 12: Detroit Kite Festival
July 15-19: Concert of Colors
July 17-19: Thunder Over Michigan Air Show
July 19: Detroit Festival of Books
July 23-25: Sterlingfest

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

🌎 Meanwhile

News from around the world via the Associated Press:

Detroit’s air temperature was in the high 90s, the Weather Service said, and could even reach 100 at some point through Thursday. (Read more)

----

Two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for talks with mediators about the implementation of an initial deal to end the war in Iran, an official said.

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Mercurial / mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl / (adjective) — defined as “rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood; fast in development or occurrence.”

Example: “Michigan’s mercurial spring weather brought bright sunshine in the morning and a blizzard by afternoon.”

🧹 Housekeeping

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Jenny Sherman (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

Dangerous heat continues across Metro Detroit as storm chances increase for the holiday weekend

Ashlee Baracy — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:52:45 +0000

An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Thursday as afternoon high temperatures soar into the mid to upper 90s. When combined with oppressive humidity, heat index values will climb to 105 degrees or higher, creating dangerous conditions for anyone spending time outdoors. Little overnight relief is expected, making the extended heat especially hazardous. Stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, check on vulnerable neighbors, and never leave children or pets inside parked vehicles.

Today’s temperatures could challenge daily records as highs reach the upper 90s under mostly sunny skies.

Record Highs at DTW:

Wed., July 1: 98°F (1931)
Thu., July 2: 99°F (2011)
Fri., July 3: 100°F (1911)
Sat., July 4: 102°F (2012)

The sunshine may appear somewhat hazy at times as a plume of Saharan dust remains suspended high in the atmosphere. While the dust won’t significantly impact air quality for most people, it can produce vivid sunrises and sunsets while giving the sky a milky appearance.

Storm Chances Begin to Increase

While the heat remains the primary concern through Thursday, isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will also be possible.

A Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) for severe weather exists this afternoon, mainly north of I-69, where an isolated storm could produce gusty winds and heavy downpours. The threat level increases the farther north you go in Michigan. On Thursday, the severe weather threat shifts farther south toward the I-94 corridor as another round of scattered storms becomes possible.

Active Pattern Arrives Friday and Continues Through the Holiday Weekend

Friday will still be hot, with temperatures climbing above 90 degrees, but the atmosphere will become increasingly unstable. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening, with some storms capable of producing heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds. The unsettled weather pattern is expected to continue through the holiday weekend. Periods of showers and thunderstorms remain likely at times from Saturday through Sunday, while temperatures gradually trend downward from the intense heat experienced earlier in the week. Stay with the 4Warn Weather Team for the latest forecast updates, heat safety information, and any watches or warnings that may be issued as the holiday weekend approaches.

Chevrolet Bolt vs. Nissan Leaf, an Edmunds $30,000 EV comparison

Dan Frio Of Edmunds, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:23:15 +0000

Many new electric vehicles are prohibitively expensive for car shoppers. But there are a few relatively low-cost options that provide plenty of usable range and utility. One great example is the Nissan Leaf. Originally debuting for 2011, it’s today’s longest-tenured EV and remains among the most affordable ways to go electric. The 2026 Leaf has been fully redesigned and features sleeker styling and a maximum estimated range of more than 300 miles.

The Leaf also faces a familiar challenger. The Chevrolet Bolt is back for 2027 after a three-year hiatus. Its 2027 overhaul adds updated technology features and more range. Both of these small EVs have starting prices around $30,000 and are compelling choices if you can’t commit to pricier picks from Hyundai, Tesla and Toyota. But which is best for you? Edmunds’ auto experts tested them to find out.

Range, performance and charging

The 2027 Bolt is capable of going 262 miles on a single charge, according to the EPA’s estimates. That’s certainly enough for routine driving and to make the occasional road trip feasible. The Leaf holds a potential edge with its EPA-estimated maximum of 303 miles. However, these two EVs were more closely matched in Edmunds’ standardized real-world range test. Here, the Bolt traveled 290 miles and the Leaf covered 310 miles.

Acceleration is similar — both went from zero to 60 mph in about 7 seconds in Edmunds’ testing — but the Bolt is the EV that Edmunds prefers to drive. The Chevy’s nimble handling makes it ideal for threading tight city streets, while the Leaf feels a little too harsh and bouncy over rough asphalt.

If you’re charging at public fast-charging stations, the Bolt will potentially get you back on the road a bit sooner. In Edmunds’ testing, the Bolt was able to regain range more quickly than the Leaf.

Winner: Bolt

Technology features

Gadget-minded drivers will probably prefer the Leaf. It comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, another 12.3-inch display for digital gauges, and an option to upgrade both screens to 14.3 inches. The Leaf also has wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, allowing you to easily use many of your smartphone’s apps right on the touchscreen.

The Bolt has dual 11-inch displays but no option to upgrade in size. It also lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality and instead uses Google Built-In, an integrated Android-based operating system. Popular apps such as Waze and Apple Music can be downloaded from the Google app store, but overall Edmunds prefers the convenience of having Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The Bolt does have one potential advantage with its available Super Cruise feature. When active, Super Cruise enables hands-free driving on highways to help reduce driver fatigue during tedious conditions, such as in slow-moving traffic or on long highway drives. But overall, the Leaf maintains its edge here.

Winner: Leaf

Interior space and utility

The Bolt and Leaf share crossover-style designs with tall roofs, ample cabin space and similar headroom. Rear seat passengers can stretch out more in the Bolt thanks to its additional 7.3 inches of legroom compared to the Bolt. That’s also advantageous if you have small kids and need to install a bulky rear-facing child safety seat.

The Leaf compensates with more cargo space behind its rear seats. It has 20 cubic feet behind the rear seat compared to the Bolt’s 16.2 cubic feet. Nissan also includes a handy underfloor storage system, so you can securely stow valuables or smaller items.

Winner: Leaf

Price and value

The Chevy Bolt LT starts at $28,995, including the destination fee, making it today’s most affordable new EV. Chevy includes the basic convenience features plus plenty of standard advanced driver aids such as adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning and intervention. Go with the Bolt RS for a few thousand more and you get upgrades such as synthetic leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a heated steering wheel.

The Leaf S+ trim, starting at $31,535, is also a good deal. It has a similar collection of standard features and advanced driver aids. It also has a standard surround-view camera system, which is helpful for parking in tight spots. But typically you’ll be paying more for a Leaf. A fully loaded Leaf Platinum+ will cost you around $40,000 while a loaded Bolt RS will be around $37,500.

Winner: Bolt

Edmunds says

The Bolt and the Leaf are both solid choices for an affordable EV. In fact, they ended up with the same overall score in Edmunds’ ratings. Choose the Leaf for its longer range, more useful tech and bigger cargo area, or go with the Bolt for its better value for the money and more agile handling around town.

____________

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

Dan Frio is a contributor at Edmunds.

Here are 5 water safety tips to keep kids safe during Fourth of July weekend

Jenny Marchi — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:01 +0000

During Fourth of July weekend many families are expecting to gather by pools, lakes and beaches. Here is how you can enjoy the holiday and keep your family safe.

Five water safety tips for a safer Fourth of July

1. Designate a Water Watcher

Assign one dedicated adult to actively supervise children whenever they’re in or near water.

According to the National Drowning Prevention Association 88% of children drown with at least one adult present, watchers should stay focused without distractions like phones, conversations, alcohol or headphones.

Rotate watchers every 15 to 20 minutes to stay attentive.

2. Understand What Drowning Really Looks Like

Many expect drowning to be loud and dramatic, but often drowning can be silent and difficult to recognize.

Children in distress may be unable to call for help or wave their arms.

Watches should frequently do visual scans and maintain active supervision.

3. Choose Brightly Colored Swimwear

Some swim colors are easier to see underwater, neon yellow, orange, pink and red swimsuits are recommended high visibility colors.

Blue, gray, green, purple or black are colored swimsuit are typically harder to view once underwater.

Drowning can happen quickly and quietly, increased visibility can help to recognize an emergency sooner.

4. Use Life Jackets, Not Floaties

Children should wear properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around open water.

Water wings, inflatables and pool toys are not life-saving devices and should never replace active supervision.

5. Create Layers of Protection with Barriers

Four-sided pool fencing, self-closing and self-latching gates, door alarms and secure locks can help prevent unsupervised access to water.

Barriers are important during holiday gatherings when distractions are more common.

For more

According to the National Institutes of Health formal swim lessons can reduce drowning risk by 88% among children ages 1 to 4.

Click here for additional water safety resources.

66-year-old man dies in motorcycle crash at Monroe County intersection

Brandon Carr — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:13:18 +0000

A 66-year-old Trenton man was killed in a crash involving a motorcycle and a minivan in Monroe County.

The incident occurred at the intersection of North Telegraph and Newport roads on Tuesday (June 30) at 11:08 p.m.

Investigators said Carleana L. Plyler, 34, of Newport, was driving a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica east on Newport Road with a juvenile passenger when the vehicle entered the intersection and collided with a 2012 Harley-Davidson motorcycle operated by Robert M. Noble, 66, of Trenton.

According to the sheriff’s office, Noble was turning south onto North Telegraph Road from westbound Newport Road when the collision occurred.

The impact threw Noble from the motorcycle. He came to rest on the south grassy shoulder of Newport Road.

The Chrysler continued through a fence before coming to rest in the parking lot of the DTE Energy Newport Service Center.

Police said Plyler and her juvenile passenger were wearing seat belts, and the minivan’s airbags deployed during the crash.

Noble was not wearing a helmet, according to investigators.

Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Plyler and the juvenile passenger were evaluated at the scene and later sought medical treatment on their own as a precaution.

Noble died from injuries sustained in the collision.

The crash remains under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Services Division.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 734-240-7541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online.

LeBron James has governors, the NHL and the NFL waiting for his free agency decision

Tim Reynolds, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:22:14 +0000

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made his sales pitch. So did DJ Khaled, the New York Jets and the Winnipeg Jets. Even the PGA Tour took a swing, trying to appeal to someone who has quickly become obsessed with golf.

“We're waiting for you Bron,” the tour posted on social media.

Get in line. Every team and every league, it would seem, wants LeBron James.

The waiting-for-LeBron game is on, with the entire basketball universe — and, evidently, the political, entertainment, football, hockey and golf universes as well — waiting to hear what the greatest scorer in NBA history will decide about the 2026-27 season. All that is known so far are two things: He isn't retiring yet, and he won't be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

James let the world know on Tuesday that he's coming back for at least one more season and that he's decided to move on from the Lakers, those decisions becoming known a few hours before the start of free agency. What happens next, and when it will happen, is anyone's guess. The oldest active player in the NBA is still a guy who moves the needle, and it's not even clear if he knows how long this process will take.

“LeBron James, come on, let's do it again,” DJ Khaled, a regular courtside patron at Miami Heat games, said in a video posting in an effort to recruit James back to the place where he won his first two NBA titles. “Come on, man. Let's do it again. After the game, we'll go play golf. You know Miami's the best city in the world.”

A person familiar with James' planning told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he wanted his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, to take meetings with interested teams — actual NBA ones, which means it doesn't look good for other online suitors such as the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and soccer's Minnesota United — before reporting back.

For the most part, James and Paul went into this process knowing much of what the teams would say. Cleveland's pitch would be that Northeast Ohio is home, that his career started there and that it would make sense to end it there. Miami's pitch would be that he won two titles there, that it's known he loves the city, that it just landed Giannis Antetokounmpo and James still has deep ties to coach Erik Spoelstra and the front office. Golden State's pitch would include playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, two guys who click with James on multiple levels.

Walz wanted James to see a newspaper clip touting that Minnesota has the best quality of life when compared to other states. The New York Jets pointed out that James wore green and white in high school, matching their color scheme. The Winnipeg Jets simply offered to change their name to LeWinnipeg Jets.

“Never say never,” the Bills posted.

Jokes aside, James is obviously worth all the effort that some team will make to get him signed.

He still plays at an All-Star level, even at his age — there have been 24 instances, including playoffs, of someone in his 40s scoring 30 or more points in an NBA game, and James is responsible for 17 of those. No player had averaged more than 15 points per game in a season after turning 40; James averaged 24.4 points in 2024-25 and 20.9 points this past season, even while often being the Lakers' third option.

Plus, James' next home will see an immediate rush of activity.

Season ticket packages, if any are available, will get gobbled up quickly. James' Lakers jersey was the fifth-hottest seller in the league at the end of this past regular season, based on sales from NBAStore.com, Fanatics.com and Fanatics partner sites; his next jersey (even if it is a Cavs or Heat jersey again) will fly off the racks as soon as they can be printed. And it'll probably make fans in that city, whichever city it is, truly believe they have a real shot at the 2027 NBA title.

Only James knows when the waiting game will end.

___

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

China imposes export controls on 40 Japanese entities as tensions with Tokyo rise

Simina Mistreanu, Associated Press — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:16:40 +0000

China imposed new export controls Monday on 40 Japanese entities it says are contributing to the country’s “remilitarization,” as tensions with Tokyo rise.

Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have been increasingly tense since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year implied Japan could intervene if China used military force against Taiwan, an island democracy China claims as its own.

Meanwhile, Japan has accelerated its military expansion, especially by adding offensive capabilities, which Beijing has condemned.

China’s Commerce Ministry on Monday placed 20 Japanese entities, including several subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, on a control list, which prohibits Chinese and foreign exporters from selling to them dual-use items made in China. Dual-use items can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

Additionally, 20 other entities have been added to a watch list for dual-use items, according to the ministry. It includes Mitsui E&S, which makes engines and other equipment for ships, as well as divisions of Fujitsu and Komatsu corporations.

Chinese companies exporting to these firms will be required to apply for special licenses, submit risk assessment reports on the Japanese companies and written pledges that the dual-use items will not be used for military purposes.

Beijing and Tokyo spar over export measures

The export controls are “entirely justified, reasonable and lawful,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry said, adding they are aimed at “firmly deterring Japan’s reckless pursuit of ‘new militarism.’”

“We hope Japan will recognize its mistakes, reverse its wrongful course, genuinely reflect on its past and return to the right track,” it added.

Japan’s top government spokesperson called the curbs as “unacceptable and extremely regrettable,” while calling on Beijing to retract the measures.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Monday that Japan would take necessary countermeasures after thoroughly assessing the curbs and their impact.

Under Takaichi, Japan's military has been equipped with more offensive capabilities, including long-range missiles on remote islands. Exports of lethal weapons are now allowed under a new policy. Japan will revise its defense and security documents by December, which could further increase its defense budget.

On Monday, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force announced the deployment of a Type-12 missile launcher on the southernmost remote island of Minamitorishima, an apparent response to China’s growing activity expanding into the Pacific.

The curbs serve as a diplomatic message, an expert says

In February, China put 20 Japanese companies on an export control list and 20 others on a watch list.

The Commerce Ministry said that since then, “instead of reflecting on its past and correcting its course, Japan has continued down the wrong path” by accelerating remilitarization, deploying offensive weapons and launching missiles.

The ministry emphasized the curbs affect only a small number of Japanese entities, and the measures only apply to dual-use items. “They do not affect normal Sino-Japanese economic and trade exchanges, and honest and law-abiding Japanese entities have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

The measures function more as a “diplomatic message” as Beijing steps up its pressure on Tokyo, said George Chen, partner for Greater China at the advisory firm The Asia Group.

“From Beijing’s perspective, Japan has not taken meaningful actions to stabilize bilateral ties,” Chen said. “And concerns are growing in China about deeper defense cooperation between Japan, the United States, and potentially other partners.”

In the short term, Japan–China relations will likely remain fragile “and at risk of slipping further if neither side moves to arrest the downward trend,” he added.

For Beijing, the issue of Taiwan is particularly sensitive. China considers the self-ruled island its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary, and has increased military pressure on it.

Earlier this month, the Chinese coast guard conducted patrols east of Taiwan in what state media described a “pointed warning” to Japan and the Philippines following an announcement that the countries would discuss their maritime boundaries in waters that Beijing views as its own.

The United Kingdom, Germany and France in a rare joint statement last week condemned Chinese activities in the waters east of Taiwan, adding they opposed any change of the status quo between China and Taiwan.

___

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Kanis Leung and Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

———

This story was updated and corrected on July 1 to make clear that the Japanese companies placed on a Chinese control list were subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and not, as previously reported, multiple divisions of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Nothing Bundt Cakes debuts new cinnamon roll pop-up flavor nationwide for limited time

Brandon Carr — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Nothing Bundt Cakes is adding a new limited-time flavor to its summer lineup: the Cinnamon Roll Pop-Up Flavor, available nationwide from July 6 through July 19 while supplies last.

The seasonal Bundtlet offers a twist on the classic cinnamon roll, featuring yellow cake infused with a buttery brown sugar-cinnamon blend.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is adding a new limited-time flavor to its summer lineup: the Cinnamon Roll Pop-Up Flavor, available nationwide from July 6 through July 19 while supplies last.

The dessert is finished with the bakery’s signature cream cheese frosting and filled and topped with cinnamon caramel sauce.

The Cinnamon Roll Pop-Up Flavor joins the return of the bakery chain’s S’mores Made With HERSHEY’S flavor, which also will be available through July 19.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is adding a new limited-time flavor to its summer lineup: the Cinnamon Roll Pop-Up Flavor, available nationwide from July 6 through July 19 while supplies last.

In addition to the seasonal offerings, Nothing Bundt Cakes continues to feature its signature Red Velvet cake, patriotically decorated cakes, and Fireworks and Freedom Bundtini Toppers for Independence Day gatherings and other summer celebrations.

The Cinnamon Roll Bundtlet will be available for a limited time at participating Nothing Bundt Cakes bakeries while supplies last.

Customers interested in seasonal flavors can click here.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is adding a new limited-time flavor to its summer lineup: the Cinnamon Roll Pop-Up Flavor, available nationwide from July 6 through July 19 while supplies last.

Motor City Cruise brings back Youth All-Star Draft for Metro Detroit students

Brandon Carr — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:01 +0000

The Motor City Cruise is bringing back one of its most popular youth initiatives, and this time, even more Metro Detroit students have a chance to get in on the action.

The NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons announced the return of its Youth All-Star Draft initiative for the 2026-27 season.

The program gives students in grades 1-8 an opportunity to earn exclusive basketball experiences through a series of skills competitions and camps.

How the program works

At the center of the initiative is the Motor City Skills Challenge, presented by the Michigan Beef Industry Commission.

Students can earn consideration for the 2026 Motor City Cruise Youth All-Star Draft by participating in the organization’s second annual Mini-Cruisers Pistons Academy Camp, select Pistons Academy camps and community events featuring the Skills Challenge.

Pistons Academy coaches will evaluate participants on basketball fundamentals, effort, teamwork, sportsmanship, and overall engagement.

The Skills Challenge itself includes basketball drills, skill competitions, interactive instruction, and player development activities.

Students selected through the draft will be placed on youth teams and invited to participate in Motor City Cruise Youth All-Star Draft events throughout the 2026-27 season.

Registration details and information about the draft and team selection process will be shared with eligible participants in August.

Mini-Cruisers Camp returns in July

The second annual Mini-Cruisers Camp is set for July 15-17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit.

The three-day camp will feature basketball instruction led by Pistons Academy coaches, Motor City Cruise staff, and the team’s mascot, Nitro.

The camp is open only to registered participants.

Additional Pistons Academy camps featuring the 45-minute Motor City Skills Challenge will be held throughout the summer, with stops in Southfield, Sterling Heights, Brighton, Canton and Northville.

Community events round out summer schedule

The Skills Challenge will also be featured at two community events this summer.

The NW Goldberg Cares HOOPFEST on July 18 in Detroit and the Detroit Youth Sports Showcase on Aug. 15 at Robert C. Valade Park will both offer students a chance to compete and potentially earn a spot in the draft.

The Motor City Cruise said the initiative is designed to encourage youth development both on and off the court and to create memorable experiences for young athletes and their families.

Redford Township cat hoarding case: Animal Control rescues cats from home deemed public health hazard

Brandon Carr — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Redford Township Animal Control responded to a home in the 20000 block of Gaylord Street on Wednesday (June 24) after receiving a welfare check request.

Officers found what officials described as deplorable living conditions.

The homeowner was located and transported to a Metro Detroit hospital for treatment.

Hazardous conditions force officers to retreat

After obtaining a search warrant, animal control officers from Redford Township, Southfield, Dearborn Heights, and the city of Wayne attempted to enter the home but were forced to retreat due to suffocating fumes and gases inside.

The Redford Township Fire Department broke out the home’s windows to ventilate the structure and installed screens to prevent potentially diseased cats from escaping.

The Wayne County Public Health Department determined the home was too dangerous to enter without several days of ventilation, high-level respirators, and specialized protective equipment.

Authorities left water and open bags of cat food inside the home while waiting for conditions to improve.

Multi-agency response mobilizes

Redford Township Animal Control later partnered with multiple agencies, including the Redford Township Building Department, Detroit Animal Care and Control, the Wayne County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Michigan Humane, to safely enter the home.

On June 28, officials returned with a second search warrant after the building department determined the structure was safe enough to enter, despite finding more than two feet of water in the basement.

Animal control officers worked in 10-minute shifts due to hazardous conditions.

Officials observed more than 20 feral cats, but the animals quickly scattered into the basement, rafters, tunnels, and piles of debris.

After several hours, crews captured only one cat.

The Redford Township Department of Public Services used a vacuum truck to remove much of the standing water from the basement before officials determined that live traps offered the best chance to rescue the remaining animals.

Rescue efforts ongoing

As of June 30, 2026, six cats had been rescued and transported to Michigan Humane for evaluation and treatment.

Live traps remain inside the home and are being checked daily.

Redford Township Animal Control Chief Jennifer Mansfield said the safety of responders remains the department’s top priority.

The Wayne County Health Officer has declared the property an imminent danger to public health and prohibited anyone other than authorized personnel from entering.

Officials warned that unauthorized entry could result in criminal charges.

The Redford Township Building Department has declared the home unfit for occupancy and is pursuing additional legal action.

Charges filed against homeowner

The homeowner has been cited for exceeding the allowable number of animals.

Two animal cruelty charges, failure to provide medical care and maintaining unsanitary conditions, have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office for review.

Animal control officers say they will continue checking the live traps each day until all known cats have been safely removed from the home.

Wayne County Health Dept Public Health Order_Redford Residence by brandon carr

Xi touts Chinese wisdom and solutions as a model for developing nations

Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:46:58 +0000

China's leader held up his country's rapid industrialization as a new pathway for developing nations in a speech Wednesday that projected a growing confidence both at home and on the world stage.

Xi Jinping, now in his 14th year in power, noted that China achieved in a few decades what it took centuries for rich countries to do.

“We advocate the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, providing Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength for addressing major issues facing humanity,” he said at an event marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.

China, which has long bristled at U.S. dominance of the international system, has said it doesn't want to replace the global order but change it to better represent the interests of developing countries. Xi's government went head-to-head with the U.S. last year and forced President Donald Trump to scale back import tariffs that he had imposed on imports from China.

The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, putting humanity at a crossroads, Xi said. He repeated past pledges to push forward the construction of a new type of international relations to promote world peace and development.

His remarks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing echoed many of the themes of his speech on the party's 100th anniversary in 2021, including the importance of a strong military and of bringing Taiwan under China's control.

He emphasized the need to elevate the military more quickly to world-class standards, while also upholding the Communist Party's leadership of the armed forces. Several senior generals have been removed in recent years in a corruption purge that is also seen as a way to ensure loyalty in the military.

Writer E. Jean Carroll calls for Trump to pay $5.8M after high court appeal fails

Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:47:54 +0000

Carroll, 82, first talked about the attack publicly in 2019 while Trump was president. He repeatedly insisted that he never knew Carroll. He also accused her of trying to sell books at his expense and having political motives.

Trump promised on social media Monday to keep fighting what he called a “Weaponization and Lawfare Case” after the Supreme Court's rejection became known.

They said lawyers for Trump contacted Carroll's attorneys minutes after Trump published a response to the high court's action, asking that the payout be delayed while the Supreme Court is asked to reconsider its decision.

But Carroll's lawyers — Roberta Kaplan, D. Brandon Trice and Maximilian T. Crema — said in their court filing that there was no reason to delay the payment, especially since the Supreme Court expressed no division in its decision not to hear the case.

“To date, Carroll has agreed to each of Defendant’s many requests to delay the payment he owes her. Given the extraordinary lengths he has taken to avoid such payments and that each of those efforts has been denied in full, that cooperation ends today. It is time for him to pay Carroll,” they wrote.

Lawyers for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump is also appealing $83 million in defamation compensation granted to Carroll from a separate Manhattan jury after a January 2024 trial at which Trump briefly testified.

At that trial, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is unrelated to Carroll's attorney, required that jury to accept the findings of the previous jury and only determine how much money, if any, Trump owed Carroll for comments he made about her as president.

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeats longtime US House incumbent in Colorado

Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:03:39 +0000

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros beat U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in a Colorado House primary Tuesday, a stunning victory for the first-time candidate against a nearly 30-year incumbent and another win for progressive challengers across the country.

Kiros, a 29-year-old lawyer turned doctoral student, is the latest candidate to rise from the party's left flank and boot establishment-backed candidates. That includes two self-described democratic socialists and a progressive who won their Democratic primaries in New York last week.

Kiros' victory adds to a nascent but clear uprising, stirred by frustration among some voters, that has vexed party leadership. Colorado's 1st Congressional District covers the dark blue city of Denver, and Kiros is expected to win in November and reach Congress in January.

“We are winning from coast to coast," Kiros said to an ecstatic audience and the blast of air horns. "We are taking back our party and our country!”

There were mixed results for progressives in Tuesday's other races.

Sen. John Hickenlooper fended off a primary challenge from self-fashioned “insurgent progressive” state Sen. Julie Gonzales. And a smaller divide separated the two Democrats competing for U.S. House in the state’s lone swing district, where the candidate considered more progressive, state Rep. Manny Rutinel, won.

Kiros says ‘we are just getting started’

Taking to a stage under a sign that read “Power to the People,” Kiros told her supporters that her win belonged to every one of them.

“This is a movement,” Kiros said. “We are just getting started.”

To an excited crowd, which had been singing and dancing moments before she got on stage, she laid out her plans: taking the fight to “Donald Trump and the oligarchy," abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, passing “Medicare for all” and ending the “genocide in Palestine.”

Those she thanked included DeGette, for standing up for women’s rights, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed her.

DeGette — a more progressive lawmaker herself — had comfortably controlled her House seat in Denver for nearly 30 years and was backed by Colorado’s established Democratic House delegation.

The incumbent had argued that experience in Congress is needed right now to combat Trump, while Kiros, a former attorney, accused DeGette of ineffectiveness.

DeGette did not speak or release a statement after the race was called Tuesday night.

Hickenlooper fends off a challenge from the left

His victory didn't come as a surprise to the political world, though it dampened a broader wave of progressive candidates beating establish-backed Democrats across the country.

Gonzales, the state senator who challenged the more centrist Hickenlooper, had attacked him for being an “incrementalist” and had said she previously joined the Democratic Socialists of America but that her membership had lapsed.

After his victory, Hickenlooper quickly turned his attention to Trump and said he'd never lost an election and didn't intend to in November.

“Coloradoans have once again made their voices clear. We are not going to accept Trump’s broken promises and cost of living emergency, or his constant corruption,” he said in a video posted to YouTube.

Rutinel to face GOP Rep. Gabe Evans in race key to House control

Colorado's 8th Congressional District is relatively new, stretching from the northern suburbs of Denver up through farming country, and has flipped party control in recent elections.

Evans now holds the seat, after beating the Democratic incumbent in 2024.

Party leaders thought the more moderate Shannon Bird, a former state representative, was best equipped to challenge Evans. But Rutinel, who had the more progressive record, beat Bird Tuesday night.

The district is heavily Hispanic and poorer than much of the rest of the state, and that's where Rutinel, who is Latino, planted a flag, arguing his personal story and more aggressive economic agenda would be more potent against Evans.

“This is the moment for all the kids out there who had the deck stacked against them,” Rutinel said in his victory speech. “I’m going to work with everything I have so that those kids have the same opportunities to live out the American Dream that I did.”

Progressives could find new ally in governor's mansion

Phil Weiser, the state attorney general, won the Democratic primary Tuesday and will be favored to win come November. Term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis will depart after two-terms governing with a more moderate touch, at times stymieing progressive state lawmakers.

Weiser, who formerly served in the presidential administrations of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, is considered to be more sympathetic to the party's left. Michael Bennet, the U.S. senator who Weiser beat Tuesday, would likely have brought a similar change.

On the campaign trail, Weiser and Bennet struggled to show major differences in their political agendas, and instead often attacked each other over who could better stand up to Trump.

Weiser hammered his point home in a victory speech to ecstatic, sign-waving supporters who crowded around the candidate.

“In the face of a lawless bullying Trump administration trying to intimidate us, rip away our rights and freedoms," Weiser said, “you made it clear that we need a leader who will fight back and never bend the knee.”

After his loss, Bennet spoke to supporters. “Sometimes the harder path is the right path, even when it doesn’t lead where you’d hoped," he said.

The three candidates seeking the Republican nomination included state Rep. Scott Bottoms, a further right state lawmaker. State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer was considered the more conventional Republican, while Victor Marx was something of a wild card candidate with an eclectic past.

Kirkmeyer and Marx were locked in a tight race that was too early to call Tuesday night. ___ Associated Press reporter Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, contributed to this report.

Roof of tutoring center collapses in eastern Pakistan, killing at least 14 children, police say

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:31:40 +0000

A roof collapse at a tutoring center under construction in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday killed at least 14 schoolchildren, police and rescue officials said.

Eight other children were injured and being treated at a hospital, senior police official Faisal Kamran said, adding that the owner of the tutoring center and another person have been arrested.

Kamran said rescuers were searching through the rubble after receiving reports that more children could be trapped beneath the debris. He said the tutoring center was housed in an aging building and that the roof of an unfinished second floor apparently collapsed because of poor construction quality.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to reduce costs.

Witnesses said ambulances and rescue workers rushed to the scene after the roof collapsed. Residents also joined the search, using shovels and their bare hands to remove rubble in an effort to reach children trapped beneath the debris.

Hours later, as the bodies of the children were being handed over to their families, scenes of anguish unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighborhood on the outskirts of Lahore where the private tutoring center was located in a house. Parents wept over the loss of their children, while mothers and other female relatives cried and beat their chests in grief.

Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday.

Grief was mixed with anger as residents demanded stern punishment for the owner of the tutoring center, blaming him for operating classes in what they described as an aging and unsafe building. Dozens of mourners were seen gathering outside the victims’ homes to offer condolences.

“We don’t know whose home to visit first to offer condolences for the loss of their children,” resident Zafar Iqbal said as he moved from one bereaved family’s home to another nearby street.

Lahore is the capital of Pakistan's most populous Punjab province, where many parents send their children to private tutoring centers in the afternoon and evening.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the collapse of the roof of an evening school building in Lahore. In separate statements, they offered condolences to the families of the victims, prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured, and said effective safety measures were needed to prevent similar tragedies.

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Associated Press writer K.M. Chaudhry in Lahore contributed to this story.

Survey shows Japan's business sentiment improving for a 5th straight quarter

Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:27:28 +0000

Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers has improved for a fifth straight quarter, the Bank of Japan said in its quarterly “tankan” survey released Wednesday.

The survey's so-called diffusion index rose to 22 from 17 in the previous quarter, the BOJ said. The index for large non-manufacturers, such as services, edged up to 37 from the last tankan 's 36.

The survey is an indicator of companies foreseeing good conditions minus those feeling pessimistic.

Higher fuel prices due to the Iran war have added to inflationary pressures in Japan, though crude oil prices have fallen since the U.S. and Iran agreed on an interim deal to end the war.

Although a weak yen raises the value of exports’ earnings when converted into yen, a boon for Japan’s giant exporters, that positive is starting to be countered by the big negative of rising energy prices.

Japan imports nearly all of its oil and gas, and the yen’s recent decline to near a 40-year low has added to those concerns given recent high oil prices.

The U.S. dollar was trading at about 162 yen on Wednesday.

Last month the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1%, a three-decade high, citing challenges stemming from a weak Japanese yen and higher prices. The central bank has been trying to normalize monetary policy lately after decades of keeping interest rates near or below zero.

Analysts say Japan's economic indicators, such as investments, remain relatively strong despite longer term problems such as a chronic labor shortage due to an aging and declining population.

“Sales remain firm, especially for large enterprises, but profits are expected to weaken,” said Amova Asset Management Chief Global Strategist and Chief Economist Naomi Fink said about the tankan.

“Fixed investment plans are strong for large and mid-size firms but less so for small firms.”

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

Ecuador's Hincapié becomes the second player sent off for covering his mouth at the World Cup

Jack Little, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:47:20 +0000

Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié became the second player to be issued a red card at the World Cup under FIFA’s new rule that calls for a player to be sent off for covering their mouth during a confrontational exchange with an opponent.

Hincapié was sent off in the 95th minute of Ecuador’s 2-0 loss to Mexico Tuesday in the round of 32. He was shown the red card following an exchange with Mexico forward Santi Giménez.

FIFA established the new rule to prevent players from hiding abusive comments to opponents by covering their mouth.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was the first player to be punished under the new rule when he was sent off in a group stage match against Turkey last week.

While Ecuador’s tournament is over, Hincapié will be suspended for the team's next international match.

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Jack Little is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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Organizers said a ticket does not guarantee entry and encouraged fans to arrive early.

Anti-immigration protesters march in South Africa, as some immigrants leave the country

Michelle Gumede And Mogomotsi Magome, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:57:04 +0000

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in parts of South Africa to rally against illegal immigration on Tuesday in the biggest migration-related protests since the wave of anti-migrant violence in 2008. Authorities said the marches were largely peaceful despite isolated incidents of looting and attempted looting.

Police reported that several people were arrested, although they did not disclose how many. At a press conference late on Tuesday, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi praised the peaceful nature of the protests but warned that anyone involved in violence or other criminal acts would be prosecuted.

“Those who chose to exploit the marches to commit criminal acts will face the full might of the law," she told reporters. "Police will continue to identify, arrest and prosecute all those responsible for criminal conduct.”

Protesters blame migrants, but root of South Africa's problems disputed

The demonstrations come after some protest groups set their own June 30 deadline for the departure of all migrants who are in the country illegally. The activists blame those migrants for causing unemployment among South Africans by accepting low wages, and for other problems, including high crime.

South Africa's government has rejected the deadline, saying only authorities can enforce immigration laws.

The most prominent groups opposing illegal immigration include March and March, Operation Dudula and Progressive Forces. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has challenged the protesters' allegation that migrants are to blame for the country's social and economic challenges, met Monday night with leaders of some of the groups and asked them to conduct peaceful demonstrations.

Ngizwe Mchunu, one of the protest leaders, told The Associated Press that he blamed illegal migration for a proliferation of illicit drugs in South Africa. He also complained about the high percentage of informal neighborhood shops run by immigrants from other African countries, saying they should all be owned by South Africans.

“It's a very sad story that we have been telling our government since the dawn of democracy that illegal immigration here is out of hand,” Mchunu said. “It is time for our government to put South Africa first.”

Amnesty International South Africa said migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are being unfairly blamed for the country’s unemployment, inequality and struggling public services, arguing that those challenges stem from the legacy of apartheid, persistent inequality and failures in the asylum system.

The rights group warned that scapegoating foreign nationals distracts from the government’s responsibility to address those underlying problems and said misinformation and xenophobia risk fueling further violence against migrants, according to a statement from Amnesty International South Africa executive director Shenilla Mohamed.

Demonstrators express frustration

Protesters marching through Johannesburg’s city center Tuesday included young men carrying traditional fighting sticks and women of all ages. Some wore the South African flag and sang liberation songs.

They carried posters with slogans including “SA withdraw from the U.N. refugee convention,” “The future of our kids” and “80% of children born in Limpopo province are born to foreign nationals.”

“Today is the last day,” protester Nkele Thebe said at the start of the Johannesburg demonstration. “After today, we’ll be dealing with our president and our nation. We don’t want an outsider to come interfere.”

Another protester, Bongani Cindi, said groups opposing illegal immigration were being unfairly labeled as xenophobic for raising legitimate issues.

“Our country has got a lot of problems. We have influx of illegal immigrants who are committing crimes that we can’t even take anymore. So we need them to leave us in peace, so we can sort our house. We are not fighting anyone,” he said.

Demonstrators also gathered Tuesday in parts of Durban with reports of more protesters in parts of the North West and Free State provinces.

The South African police deployed hundreds of officers in cities including Johannesburg in Gauteng province and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province to prepare for potential violence.

Previous marches against illegal immigration have resulted in attacks on migrants and vandalism of foreign-owned businesses. In Johannesburg, most shops owned by both foreign nationals and locals were closed before protesters arrived on Tuesday. In some parts of the country, private security firms were protecting businesses.

Protests fuel an exodus of migrants

Thousands of migrants, primarily from neighboring Zimbabwe and Malawi, gathered at their embassies and consulates to request transport back to their countries.

There has been increased traffic over the past few days at the Beitbridge checkpoint along the Zimbabwe border as buses carrying migrants left South Africa. Thousands of Malawian nationals also have returned to their country from a temporary repatriation center in Durban.

Three groups of Nigerian migrants returned to Nigeria this month amid rising anti-immigrant tensions, including a group of 271 people who arrived in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to Nigerian officials, 632 Nigerians have been repatriated out of the more than a thousand Nigerians who have registered for the voluntary repatriation and more flights are expected in coming days.

Emmanuella Akagbosun, a 44-year-old who moved to South Africa in 2017, said she left because she feared she would be killed. She said the shop that she shared with her sister was ransacked by the anti-migrant protesters and their wares looted.

“We are not safe, so we had to leave,” Akagbosun said in Lagos.

Fintan Opara, another Nigerian national repatriated after 18 years in South Africa, said most Nigerians no longer feel welcome in the country.

According to Justice Minister Kubayi, South Africa has successfully repatriated 4,286 individuals thus far and deported an additional 419 in recent days.

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Associated Press writer Ope Adetayo in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report.

California bans 'sell by' food labels to cut food waste and confusion

Olga R. Rodriguez, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:01:03 +0000

In Kimberley Kausen’s home, a passed “sell by” date on a jug of milk means different things to different family members. For her daughter, it means the jug belongs in the trash. For her husband, it means the milk is still good for a few more days.

Kausen, a chef and cooking teacher in Irvine, California, is more discerning and often uses her sense of smell before deciding what to do with the milk.

“I’ll put some thought into it, and if we’re talking about meat and poultry, I’m very cautious about that and for sure will do the smell test and the touch test,” she said.

The debate playing out in Kausen’s kitchen is repeated in homes across California and the country, where varying phrases on food packaging have long left shoppers unsure whether food is simply past its peak quality or unsafe to eat. The state is aiming to cut down on confusion — and the food waste it creates when people throw away food early — with a new food labeling law starting Wednesday.

It bans the use of “sell by” labels on food packaging, which experts say act as a guide for retailers on how long to display products on the shelves but are not an indicator of whether they are still safe to consume. Now, manufacturers selling food in California must use two standardized labels — a “Best if Used By” label for peak quality and “Use By” label for product safety.

Food manufacturers can choose to use either label or both, said Democratic Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, the author of the bill.

California became the first state in the U.S. to standardize food labels when it approved the law in 2024 that seeks to reduce food waste and the state’s climate-warming emissions. New York state lawmakers recently approved a similar law that's awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

Legislation addressing food labeling also has been proposed in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and South Carolina, though it has not passed in those states.

Nick Lapis, director of advocacy at Californians Against Waste, which co-sponsored the bill, said food labels are the leading cause of household food waste. The “sell by” date labels have also been a problem for food banks in California because people consider those dates as meaning the food has expired, he said.

“We don’t need to build some kind of huge infrastructure and invest tons of money to solve this. We just need companies to use the same words across brands,” he said.

There are more than 50 different date labels on packaged food sold in stores, according to a 2022 report on food waste published by the University of Maryland. The information in the labels is largely unregulated and often does not relate to food safety.

“Consumers get confused and they just default to assuming that whatever date is on the package means ‘don’t eat it and throw it away’,” said Kumar Chandran, policy director at ReFED, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste.

Chandran said California and New York’s approval of food-labeling laws has added momentum to the push for a national standard. A bipartisan bill that would establish uniform food labels is pending in Congress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommended a decade ago that food sellers should switch to “Best if Used By” labeling.

Currently, the only product that is regulated federally with date labels is infant formula.

With no federal regulations dictating what information labels should include, the stamps have led to consumer confusion — and nearly 20% of the nation’s food waste, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In California, that’s about 6 million tons of unexpired food that’s tossed in the trash each year.

Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association, said some grocers have had to overhaul their labeling systems, but as a whole, the association has been supportive of the change.

The new labels will result in “a win-win where we can reduce food waste and consumers will find these decisions a little bit simpler,” he said, adding that shoppers will still find old labels in stores for months to come as grocers sell through the products that already have them.

Federal board offers $3B settlement to restructure Puerto Rico power company debt

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:08:49 +0000

A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances announced Tuesday that it has offered a $3 billion settlement to bondholders in a new push to finally restructure more than $10 billion in debt held by the U.S. territory’s power company.

The board is proposing paying cash and offering the issuance of new bonds to bondholders that have not settled and are seeking some $8.5 billion in claims.

The proposed settlement represents $1.4 billion more than previously offered.

Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority has been trying to restructure its debt for roughly a decade, after the U.S. territory announced in 2015 that it was unable to pay its more than $70 billion debt load. That prompted U.S. Congress to create the federal board in 2016. A year later, Puerto Rico’s government filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Since then, the board and bondholders of the power company's debt have been at odds over compensation, with multiple mediation attempts failing.

“Puerto Rico must be able to close this last chapter of its fiscal crisis and move forward,” said Robert F. Mujica Jr., the board’s executive director.

He stressed that restructuring the company’s debt “is essential to Puerto Rico’s recovery — to the reliable, affordable electricity and the new investment its residents and businesses deserve.”

The board said it has not yet identified the source to finance the proposed settlement.

Some worry that the source of funds could come from an increase in power bills, which already are among the highest in any U.S. jurisdiction as chronic outages persist.

The board noted that previous agreements reached with several creditors and some bondholders in the power company’s case remain in place.

The board said that overall, it has completed 12 debt restructurings for Puerto Rico’s government, eliminating more than $55 billion in debt payments over 40 years.

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

Italy displays paintings from an ancient Etruscan tomb, its latest cultural acquisition

Nicole Winfield, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:26:38 +0000

Italy on Tuesday put on display one of the best known examples of Etruscan painting, panels from a tomb that it acquired for 15 million euros ($17 million) in the Culture Ministry’s buying spree of big-ticket pieces of the country's cultural heritage.

The ministry announced in May that it had acquired the fresco panels, dating from the 4th century, from members of the Torlonia family, one of Italy’s ancient noble families whose vast collection of antiquity has long been kept out of the public domain.

The Francois Tomb was discovered in 1857 by the French archaeologist Alessandro Francois in Vulci, on land owned by the Torlonia family. The frescoes were detached from the necropolis in 1863 and became part of the Torlonia private collection, while the contents of the tomb were divided up among Francois, colleagues and the family.

The Italian government has been trying to get possession of the tomb since 1921, as part of its effort to bring back into the Italian public patrimony artifacts and antiquities that were acquired or looted during the boom of archaeological excavations in the 1800s and beyond.

The Etruscan Civilization occupied swaths of what is today central Italy for centuries was a major Mediterranean trading power. Much of it was destroyed by the subsequent Roman Empire.

The tomb is opening to the public Wednesday at Rome’s Villa Giulia National Etruscan Museum. Alongside the fresco panels are jewels, Etruscan vases and other items that were discovered inside the tomb, now belong in museum collections around the world and were loaned to Italy for the exhibition.

The tomb marks the Culture Ministry’s third major acquisition this year of expensive, culturally important artworks. It paid $14.9 million for Antonello da Messina’s “ Ecce Homo” and around $35 million for a rare portrait by Caravaggio depicting Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII.

The funds have come from the ministry’s annual budget for acquisitions, but Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has prioritized buying fewer, bigger-ticket items of cultural importance rather than smaller, lesser artworks and antiquities, officials said.

“In recent months, the Ministry of Culture has invested a great deal of money in acquiring masterpieces," said Massimo Osanna, director general of Italian museums in the ministry.

Giuli has said the tomb is a “fundamental” part of Italian history that was now being returned to the Italian public to enjoy.

Luana Toniolo, director of the Villa Giulia museum, called the tomb one of the greatest masterpieces of antiquity and Etruscan painting, and one of the best preserved. Among other things, the paintings depict the sacrifice of Trojan prisoners and battles of Etruscan heroes.

“It is a vast book of stone and color that tells us about families, warriors, gods and heroes — both Etruscans and Greeks — and recounts Greek myths reinterpreted through an Etruscan lens," she said.

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Associated Press journalist Silvia Stellacci in Rome contributed.

Detroit City Council approves 9-month ShotSpotter extension after heated 5-4 vote

Noelle Friel, Mondrae Murphy — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:47:43 +0000

The Detroit City Council narrowly approved a nine-month extension of the city’s ShotSpotter contract Tuesday, following emotional public comment and a debate over whether the gunshot-detection technology improves public safety or drains resources that could be used elsewhere.

The extension passed 5-4, continuing a contract costing more than $2 million.

Residents who opposed the system raised concerns about surveillance, privacy, and the impact on neighborhoods where the sensors are deployed.

“It targets black and brown communities, it violates privacy, and the sensors are unknown where they’re located,” one speaker said during public comment.

Supporters argued the system can help police identify possible gunfire and locate victims more quickly, especially in cases where no one calls 911.

LaKeisha Brooks said the technology helped save her 7-year-old son after the child was found shot multiple times in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood last week.

Brooks said her 20-year-old nephew was killed in the same shooting, which police said happened in a mostly vacant area.

“Unfortunately, my nephew was killed, but if it wasn’t for the ShotSpotter, my 7-year-old son would be dead,” Brooks said.

Detroit police leadership has defended ShotSpotter, saying the alerts have helped officers locate victims, including in areas with few occupied homes, but some council members questioned whether the system delivers results that justify its cost.

Councilman Denzel Anton McCampbell of District 7 said the city needs clearer performance measures and pointed to department data he said shows arrests follow only 2% to 3% of ShotSpotter alerts.

“When the department’s own data shows that 911 calls are faster, that arrests only follow two to 3% of the alerts, that aid is rendered to victims that are less than 1% of the calls or cases that they get, and that we have no performance benchmarks that exist to either discontinue or wind down the program, that is alarming to me,” McCampbell said.

Community groups also argued that ShotSpotter data can help direct non-police intervention and support.

Zoe Kennedy, executive director of the community violence intervention group FORCE Detroit, said organizations can use the alerts to identify where gun violence is concentrated and tailor outreach.

Even in cases where shots are fired and there is no victim, Kennedy said the technology helps community organizations track where conflict is happening.

“If law enforcement shows up and nobody’s there, well, we know what went on over here, and we know something’s concentrated in this area, so we’re going to engage the community more over here,” Kennedy said. “We can concentrate our efforts where conflict is arising.”

FORCE Detroit works to prevent retaliatory violence and connect community members with resources after shootings, including mentorship, mental health support, and athletics programming for young people.

Kennedy said shootings can leave lasting trauma beyond the immediate victims.

“If something happened to this family and a lot of resources and a lot of support is there, but this community, this block, this residential area, also experienced that, that’s traumatic,” he said.

The nine-month extension keeps ShotSpotter services in place as the city works toward a longer-term solution.

USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina watch party at Campus Martius: Everything Detroit fans need to know

Brandon Carr — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:32:36 +0000

The World Cup excitement continues in downtown Detroit as soccer fans are expected to gather for a watch party featuring the United States’ Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The World Soccer Celebration will take place at Campus Martius Park in partnership with the Downtown Detroit Partnership and Detroit City FC.

The match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (July 1).

Fans must have a free ticket to attend. Tickets will be sent by email after registration, and organizers recommend printing tickets in advance or having the ticket email ready for scanning at the entrance.

Attendees can enter through the gate across from Cadillac Square on the east side of Campus Martius Park or through the gate near Parc restaurant on the west side of the park.

Food will not be available inside Campus Martius Park, but food trucks will be located nearby in Cadillac Square. Beverages will be available for purchase inside the park, and restrooms will be available for guests.

Fans are asked not to bring outside alcohol or lawn chairs.

Permitted items include:

Sealed, store-bought water bottles
Empty reusable water bottles, with water-filling stations available
Clear handbags, which will be searched through security screening and metal detectors

The event is expected to bring together soccer supporters from across Metro Detroit to cheer on Team USA in a downtown celebration atmosphere.

Organizers encourage attendees to review the event guidelines before arriving and to plan for security checks and potential crowds.

Extreme heat continues, storm threat arrives late week in Metro Detroit

Ron Hilliard — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 03:18:42 +0000

Dangerous heat will remain the primary weather story across Southeast Michigan through the end of the workweek, with the National Weather Service continuing an Extreme Heat Warning through Thursday evening, while the 4Warn Weather Alert remains in effect through Friday, as dangerous conditions could linger even after the warning expires.

The National Weather Service continues an Extreme Heat Warning for Southeast Michigan through Thursday evening. (WDIV)

The hottest weather is expected Wednesday and Thursday, when afternoon heat index values or “feels-like temperatures” are forecast to range from 106 to 110 degrees across much of the region.

Warm nights, with lows only in the mid to upper 70s, will provide little opportunity for the body to recover from the heat.

It will still feel warmer than the actual air temperature.

The hottest weather is expected Wednesday and Thursday, when afternoon heat index values or “feels-like temperatures” are forecast to range from 106 to 110 degrees across much of Southeast Michigan. (WDIV)

Tuesday offered a preview of what is to come, with observed peak heat index values reaching 107 degrees in Monroe, 105 degrees in Grosse Ile, Lambertville, Lapeer and Mt. Clemens, 103 degrees in Ypsilanti, Romulus (Detroit Metro Airport), Troy, Adrian and Flint, 102 degrees in Detroit, and 100 degrees in Pontiac and Howell.

Although the National Weather Service’s Extreme Heat Warning is scheduled to expire Thursday evening, temperatures are expected to remain in the 90s on Friday.

After several consecutive days of extreme heat, the cumulative stress on the body increases the risk of heat-related illness, even if heat index values are slightly lower.

Forecast highs will approach 100 degrees Wednesday and Thursday, placing parts of Southeast Michigan within reach of daily record temperatures.

Residents are urged to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest part of the afternoon, wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, drink plenty of water before becoming thirsty, and take frequent breaks in air conditioning or in the shade.

Consider limiting alcohol and excessive caffeine consumption because both can contribute to dehydration.

Parents and caregivers are reminded to always check the back seat before exiting and locking their vehicle.

Interior vehicle temperatures can become life-threatening within minutes, even with windows cracked.

Pets should never be left inside parked vehicles.

The heat will also make sidewalks, asphalt, and playground equipment dangerously hot.

While air temperatures climb into the upper 90s, pavement temperatures can exceed 130 to 150 degrees in direct sunshine, hot enough to burn bare feet and pets’ paws.

Veterinarians recommend walking dogs in the early morning or late evening and testing the pavement with the back of your hand before heading out.

If the ground is too hot to keep the back of your hand on it for seven seconds, it is too hot for your dog’s paws.

Air quality

Air quality may also become a concern, especially for sensitive groups including children, older adults, and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

A plume of dust moving into the Great Lakes on Wednesday and Thursday may produce hazier skies while enhancing the potential for vivid sunrises and sunsets.

Rain and storm chances

Rain chances remain limited through midweek.

An isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out across portions of the Thumb on Wednesday.

By Thursday, a marginal risk exists for a few afternoon and evening thunderstorms to become strong or severe if enough instability develops.

Additional scattered thunderstorms become more likely Friday into the holiday weekend as a cold front approaches.

Temperatures should gradually trend lower over the weekend, although highs are still expected to remain warm, generally in the upper 80s to lower 90s, with periodic chances of thunderstorms.

Share your weather photos with Local 4 at MIPics.

Local 4 volunteers help pack food boxes for Gleaners’ Hunger Free Summer initiative in Taylor

Will Jones, Mike Tiseo, Joel Deaner — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:26:49 +0000

Hunger doesn’t take a break during the summer, and Local 4 volunteers spent the day helping make sure kids have enough to eat while school is out.

At Gleaners Community Food Bank, volunteers sorted produce and packed boxes along an assembly line, each one filled with food meant to help families stretch through the summer months.

“Not all food insecurity looks the same. People can have cars, they can have homes, and they can still struggle with feeding their kids,” volunteer Fatima Elfakih said.

According to Feeding America, one in five children in Michigan faces hunger, roughly 400,000 kids.

That’s why Local 4 partnered with Gleaners for our June Go 4 It event, supporting the organization’s Hunger Free Summer initiative.

“Hunger Free Summer is really important because when kids are out of school, they may be missing two of the three meals they have access to at school, breakfast and lunch,” said Kristin Sokul with Gleaners Community Food Bank. “We also know summer brings increased expenses for families.”

Volunteers worked side-by-side to get boxes ready for distribution, with support from Local 4 viewers and teams from Citizens Bank and Rocket Community Fund.

“My job is packing these mobile food boxes. They come down the assembly line, get to my station, and I’m the tape woman,” Rocket volunteer Lauren Carlisle said.

Volunteer Paul Gyorke said it’s rewarding to be part of the effort.

“It’s just a good feeling,” Gyorke said.

Elfakih said the impact is hard to ignore when you realize what each box represents.

“To hold this box and know it’s 24 pounds of food going to someone experiencing food insecurity is a very humbling experience,” she said.

How to help

If you’d like to support the Hunger Free Summer initiative, you can make a monetary donation here. Keep Kids Fueled for a Hunger-Free Summer.

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, call 2-1-1.

Gleaners is always looking for volunteers, especially during the summer.

You can sign up to volunteer by clicking here.

Florida Panthers bring back goaltender Jacob Markstrom in trade; Rangers sign Dorofeyev

Stephen Whyno, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:44:45 +0000

The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky's storied run in South Florida.

The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agent Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank. Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.

“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”

Markstrom at 36 returns to Florida, where he started his NHL career a decade and a half ago. He was one of the top prospects at the position after getting taken with the 34th pick in the 2008 draft and played his first 43 games in the league with the Panthers during their down years, long before becoming a contender again.

Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23. He is expected to be among the top players available when free agency opens Wednesday.

Markstrom is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed in late October by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April. Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.

Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.

The Devils also re-signed forward Arseny Gritsyuk to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. The 25-year-old Gritsyuk is from Russia, and had 13 goals and 31 points in his rookie season last year, and was a pending restricted free agent.

In other moves around the NHL:

— Vegas is re-signing Jeremy Lauzon to a six-year contract worth $24 million, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the extension had not yet been announced. Lauzon will count $4 million against the salary cap through 2032.

— The New York Rangers agreed to a seven-year contract with newly acquired Pavel Dorofeyev, the high-scoring forward acquired in a trade with Vegas. Dorofeyev, who turns 26 in October, was a pending restricted free agent. He had career-highs with 37 goals and 64 points and scored 12 goals in the playoffs.

— The St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.

— Utah signed goalie Sebastian Cossa to a two-year, $4 million contract after trading a first-round pick to Detroit for his rights.

— The Minnesota Wild re-signed right wing Bobby Brink to a one-year, $2.75 million contract. Brink, a Minnesota native who was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers before the trade deadline last season, was eligible to be a restricted free agent. The 24-year-old had 15 goals and 15 assists in 68 regular-season games between the Flyers and Wild.

— Fresh off winning the Cup, Carolina reacquired defenseman Kyle Masters' rights from Anaheim for forward Noah Philp. The Hurricanes sent Masters to the Ducks on Saturday along with a sixth-round pick for the rights to pending free agent John Carlson.

— Vegas, which lost to Carolina in the final, made a one-for-one defenseman swap with Pittsburgh, sending Kaedan Korczak to the Penguins for Parker Wotherspoon. Pittsburgh is retaining half of Wotherspoon's $1 million salary in a cap-saving deal for the Golden Knights. ___

AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow and AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.

___

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

Skubal works 6 strong innings, Tigers hit 5 homers in 9-3 win over the Yankees

Larry Fleisher, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:35:25 +0000

Tarik Skubal pitched six innings of one-hit ball and Riley Greene hit two of Detroit’s four homers off Cam Schlittler as the Tigers beat the Yankees 9-3 on Tuesday night and sent New York to its season-worst sixth straight loss.

The Tigers hit five homers overall against the Yankees for the first time since Aug. 30, 2018.

Skubal (4-4), making his fourth start since returning from elbow surgery, allowed only Ben Rice’s 23rd homer in the first inning and an unearned run in the sixth. The two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner struck out nine and walked none after allowing four runs to the Yankees last week in Detroit.

Skubal threw 61 of 87 pitches for strikes and retired 12 straight after Rice’s homer in the first.

Greene hit a solo shot during a four-run first inning off Schlittler (8-5) and added a two-run drive in the third for a 6-1 lead. It was Greene’s eighth career multi-homer game.

Before Greene’s first homer, Kerry Carpenter hit a solo shot in which center fielder Spencer Jones could not complete a leaping catch at the right-center field fence and saw the ball pop out of his glove into the Yankees’ bullpen.

Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer to cap a 10-pitch at-bat in which he fouled off six pitches.

Schlittler allowed a career-high six runs runs and seven hits in four-plus innings. The hard-throwing right-hander had his ERA climb from 1.62 to 2.08.

Schlittler allowed four homers after allowing six homers in his first 17 starts. He had never allowed more than two in any start and became the first Yankees pitcher to allow four homers to the Tigers since Chuck Cary in 1989 at Tiger Stadium.

Detroit’s James Outman hit a three-run homer in the sixth off Ryan Yarbrough after second baseman José Caballero committed a throwing error on a force play.

New York has managed just 16 hits in its last five games.

Up next

Detroit RHP Troy Melton (4-1, 2.39 ERA) opposes New York RHP Will Warren (7-3, 3.75) in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon.

___

Adults arrested after 16 children found in 'deplorable' conditions in southern Ohio home

Jaimie Ding, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 01:53:52 +0000

Authorities arrested four adults on felony child endangerment charges after discovering 16 children in dire need of medical treatment Tuesday in a rural southern Ohio home.

The Ohio Bureau of Investigation and local sheriff's department searched a home in the small village of Hamden, where they found the kids in what officials called “deplorable" conditions."

“Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said at a news conference.

Law enforcement arrested Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders. They have not yet been arraigned and assigned public defenders.

Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said they were being charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves “serious physical harm.”

Officials did not confirm if the children were related but said it was not a human trafficking situation. They said the adults were not locals and appeared to have been traveling.

Hamden has a population of less than 1,000 people and is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Columbus.

The children ranged from ages 1.5 to 18 and included both boys and girls, officials said. Several were in serious conditions when found, and two had to be flown to level one trauma centers because of their injuries.

Wilson said it was the worst scene he had ever encountered in his entire career, describing what he saw as “pure evil.”

Law enforcement were also executing a secondary search warrant at the home Tuesday, and the investigation is ongoing. The four adults will appear in court Wednesday morning.

“Justice will be served for these children,” Wilson said.

Mbappé scores twice to tie Messi for World Cup lead with 6 goals, France beats Sweden 3-0

Ronald Blum, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:54:55 +0000

Kylian Mbappé and France are sizzling — and not just because of MetLife Stadium's broiling conditions.

Mbappé had his third two-goal game of this World Cup and set a career scoring record for the tournament's knockout rounds, leading Les Bleus over Sweden 3-0 on Tuesday to set up a round of 16 match against Paraguay.

“I personally haven't seen a better team,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said. “The quality they have all over the pitch and then the options for them off the bench are very, very strong, so they’ve got as good a chance as anybody, I would suggest.”

France's 27-year-old star scored the go-ahead goal with a brilliant crossover step in the 45th minute and added his sixth goal of the tournament in the 74th to tie Lionel Messi for the tournament scoring lead. He has 18 goals in 18 World Cup games, one behind the Argentine's career scoring record of 19 in 29 matches.

In between, Bradley Barcola had a 53rd-minute goal for France, which became the first nation to score three or more goals in five consecutive World Cup matches.

“I’m very aware of who I am, how I play, what I shall do, but it’s not just about me,” Mbappé said through a translator. "The entire team is aware of what should be done. It is a new competition that has started today. We did play well, but we were timid. We could have done better at the beginning."

Mbappé’s 10 knockout round goals are two more than the previous high by Brazilian greats Leonidas and Ronaldo.

France coach Didier Deschamps bowed when Mbappé came to the bench after he was substituted in the 85th minute.

“We’re on a mission — so am I with them,” Deschamps said through a translator.

France has outscored opponents 13-2. Michael Olise has five assists, the most in a World Cup since Germany's Thomas Hassler had five in 1994.

“They are skilled at knowing when to change the pace and increase it, when to possess the ball, went to fall back,” Sweden captain Victor Lindelöf said through a translator.

Seeking to reach its third straight World Cup final, France plays Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia. The winner advances to a quarterfinal against Canada or Morocco five days later at Foxborough, Massachusetts.

It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), sunny and humid at the 5 p.m. kickoff with poor air quality at the site of the July 19 final. Many fans in the club areas stayed inside their air-conditioned suites.

France outshot Sweden 25-7 in the first World Cup meeting between the nations, including 15-3 in the first half.

Mbappé hit a post in the 32nd minute, raising both hands in disgust, and France nearly went ahead four minutes later on Olise’s spectacular bicycle kick from just inside the penalty area, which also clanked off a post.

“I said I think we needed a couple of miracles. We had a couple, but we ran out of them," Potter said. “So we needed a few more.”

Mbappé scored after goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström tipped Olise’s shot just outside the post.

Olise played a short corner kick to Ousmane Dembélé, who passed to Mbappé near the byline. Mbappé took a crossover step to get around Viktor Gyökeres and from just outside the 6-yard box sent a diagonal shot inside the far post.

Mbappé ran up the center of the field to celebrate, colliding with Dembélé, and jogged to the bench to hug Deschamps, who returned for the match after going to France for his mother’s funeral.

“He knows that he will never be alone with us, and we will support him,” Mbappé said.

Gustaf Lagerbielke lost the ball ahead of France’s second goal. Aurélien Tchouaméni passed to Olise, who nutmegged Lagerbielke, and Barcola took a centering touch and sent the ball past Zetterström’s outstretched right hand.

Mbappé entertained the crowd with a backheel pass to Barcola in the buildup to France’s third goal, the 62nd of his international career. Barcola passed to Olise, who sent the ball forward as Mbappé sprinted into the penalty area, took a touch and fired the ball inside the far post.

“We continue to deliver great performances,” Mbappé said.

A crowd of 80,663 raised the record total for the expanded 104-match tournament above 5 million. A majority of fans wore France’s blue, with a pocket in Sweden’s yellow at one end.

“I have no complaints to the players whatsoever. I said to them after the game I don’t think it’s a disgrace to lose to France," Potter said. “For us it’s about using this as a foundation to go forward and to be proud of what we’ve done so far.”

Speaking just after the final whistle, Mbappé wasn't quite ready to turn his attention to Paraguay just yet.

“I’m looking forward to the changing room and the AC," he said.

___

AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

___

EB lanes of I-96 in Wayne County reopen following severe multi-vehicle crash

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:37:28 +0000

The eastbound lanes of I-96 in Wayne County have reopened following a severe multi-vehicle crash.

Michigan State Police closed all eastbound lanes of I-96 near Telegraph Road following the crash in Redford Township on Tuesday (June 30).

According to the police, the crash occurred around 12:40 p.m., and injuries have been reported.

Aerial footage from Sky 4 showed that two badly damaged vehicles and a semi-truck were involved.

Traffic was being diverted off the freeway at Beech Daly Road while the crash investigation is underway.

All lanes of eastbound I-96 are closed at Telegraph Road for a crash investigation.

Traffic crash alert: At 12:40 p.m. today, we received reports of a crash on eastbound I-96 near Telegraph Road.

Troopers are currently on scene, and all eastbound lanes are closed. Traffic is being diverted off the freeway at Beech Daly Road.

Injuries have been reported;… pic.twitter.com/q2mbNEpLjW
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) June 30, 2026

Center Kristaps Porzingis re-signing with Warriors on two-year, $40 million deal

Janie Mccauley, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:19:08 +0000

Center Kristaps Porzingis has reached an agreement to remain with the Golden State Warriors, with a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations saying it's a two-year, $40 million contract.

The team announced his deal Tuesday, keeping Porzingis off the market as the NBA's free-agency period begins. The person provided the terms to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not part of the announcement.

The 30-year-old Latvian joined Golden State at the February trade deadline from Atlanta in a swap that sent Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks.

Porzingis missed significant time last season even after coming to the Warriors. The 7-foot-2 veteran played just 32 games, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 24 minutes of action. He appeared in 15 games for Golden State with 11 starts.

The Warriors finished 37-45 to earn the 10th seed in the Western Conference and lost to Phoenix in the Play-In tournament.

___

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

House GOP deadlocks over Trump's demands, sending lawmakers home early

Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:48:56 +0000

Whither the U.S. House?

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, the legislative branch has momentarily called it quits.

In this case, it's a standoff blocking the annual defense bill — with pay raises for the troops and other matters at a time of war — as the renegade Republicans push to include President Donald Trump’s own priority, the SAVE America Act, a strict voter ID bill. Last week, the Senate similarly shuttered after Trump's demands.

The emptying Capitol provides another snapshot of the imbalance of power in Washington as a headstrong executive confronts a weakened Congress.

For the second time in as many weeks, the House has simply given up.

“It’s a relatively bad time in Congress,” Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota said recently. “A lot of my colleagues have forgotten how to govern.”

The scene is far different than last year's Fourth of July

A year ago this weekend brought a wholly different scene in Washington, as Trump gathered Republican lawmakers outside the White House for an ebullient July Fourth ceremony to sign what they called the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts.

It was a celebratory moment for Trump and the slim Republican majority — and for Johnson, who many doubted could pass the bill over the objections of Democrats who viewed it as tax giveaway at the expense of billions of dollars in cuts to health care and food stamps for Americans in need.

Johnson was so reliant on Trump's power to help push the bill to approval that he gifted the president a speaker's gavel, which Democrats and others saw as a worrisome symbol of the transference of power from one branch of government to the other.

“We’re not dealing with Speaker Mike Johnson,” Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the caucus chairman, said in a recent interview. “Unfortunately, Speaker Donald Trump does not want us in this week.”

Trump makes conflicting demands on his party in Congress

As Johnson works to keep Trump close, the president's demands seem to grow in ways the Republican speaker can't always deliver.

The president’s insistence on the SAVE America Act, which doesn't have enough support in the Senate to pass, has interrupted almost all other business in Congress. Trump has refused to sign a popular bipartisan housing bill that cleared both chambers until the voting bill is also approved. He calls the housing bill a “yawn.”

Johnson spent four hours last week at the White House and said he spent another two hours with the president this week on a path forward.

“I told him, ‘Mr. President, I don’t have any tattoos, but if I did, it’d say SAVE America on my shoulder,’ OK?” Johnson said over the weekend on Fox News.

“We passed it three times in the House already. We’re going to pass it again.”

But by Tuesday, a House vote to advance the legislation collapsed. Republicans led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida argued that Johnson's plan to attach the voting bill to the defense bill was essentially a doomed strategy that would be rejected in the Senate.

“That’s disappointing,” acknowledged Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who insisted the GOP would try again.

“We’re going to keep trying because we have to,” he said. “We’re not done doing big things.”

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, Congress is adrift

The founders of the new democracy clearly had aspirations for the Congress, putting it first in the Constitution as the Article One branch of government, ahead of the executive and judicial branches.

But as lawmakers face voters this fall, they will have to answer for these dwindling days on their calendar.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the problem is not the Congress, it's the GOP.

“Donald Trump is fighting with Senate Republicans, Senate Republicans are fighting with House Republicans, and House Republicans are fighting with each other,” said Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats win control in fall.

“It’s not the Congress that’s struggling. It’s House Republicans who are struggling,” he said.

Jeffries said Democrats are fighting “to make life more affordable for the American people.”

As they left the Capitol for an extended recess, lawmakers voiced frustration with the House’s dysfunction.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the Republican Party to become an independent earlier this year, said the situation in the House is “frustrating.”

“It’s just like déjà vu where many times now we run into some sort of obstacle," he said, “then the solution is just to go home.”

Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

France forward Kylian Mbappé scores his 17th and 18th World Cup goals, one back of Lionel Messi

Stephen Whyno, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:09:38 +0000

Kylian Mbappé felt the heat and turned up the temperature on Lionel Messi in the race for the most goals at the World Cup this year and in the tournament's history.

Thriving on a hot, humid afternoon, Mbappé scored his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals in France’s 3-0 rout of Sweden on Tuesday, moving one back of Messi’s record of 19. With six in the tournament, Mbappé tied the Argentina star in the race for the Golden Boot.

Asked coming off the field if he was already looking forward to facing Paraguay, Mbappé quipped, “I’m looking forward to the changing room and the AC.” It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) for the 5 p.m. kickoff, so steamy that Lucas Digne let himself be doused by a sprinkler during the first-half hydration break.

Before halftime, Mbappé scored one for the highlight reel. In the 45th minute, Mbappé engaged in a give-and-go with Ousmane Dembélé, crossed over Viktor Gyökeres and fired his shot past goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström.

“It goes without saying that Mapp is an absolute top, top player,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said. “His goal was a fine example of the speed and the change of direction and the way he can get the shot off quick. It’s an incredibly high level.”

That broke a tie with Brazilian greats Leonidas and Ronaldo for the most goals in the knockout stage of the World Cup with nine. Mbappé added to his record with his 10th, scoring in the 74th minute off a feed from Michael Olise.

Celebrating the first goal, Mbappé ran immediately to coach Didier Deschamps after scoring. This was Deschamps’ first game back on the sideline after missing the group stage finale to fly back to Europe for his mother’s funeral.

“We know that the head coach had to face a really tough, tough challenge,” Mbappé said. “Everyone will go through that one day. It goes beyond football. He knows that he will never be alone with us, and we will support him.”

With 18 goals in 18 World Cup games, Mbappé has scored at an even faster clip than Messi, who has played in 29 games at the tournament. Deschamps bowed to Mbappé when he was substituted out in the 85th minute.

That kept Mbappé from chasing a hat trick, but he also could have scored in the 32nd minute. Instead, the 27-year-old banged a shot off the left post and even began to celebrate before watching it bounce back.

Scoring twice later allowed Mbappé not to regret that missed opportunity at a World Cup he is trying to soak in while playing some of his best soccer.

“I did say that I wanted to enjoy this World Cup to the fullest,” Mbappé said. "I’m not saying that the other World Cup I didn’t enjoy, but I was younger. I was focused then into delivering the best performances, and today I believe I can do both: delivering great performances and obviously enjoying.”

___

AP Sports Writer Ron Blum contributed to this report.

___

Abdul Ahad Momand, an Afghan air force pilot who served on the Mir space station, dies at 67

Abdul Qahar Afghan And Suzan Fraser, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:11:57 +0000

Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan ’s first citizen in space, has died at age 67, his family and friends said.

A national hero, Momand died from cancer on June 21 in a hospital in Stuttgart, Germany, where he had lived since leaving Afghanistan in 1992 during the civil war.

“I am deeply saddened by the sudden death of Afghanistan’s first and only astronaut, Abdul Ahad Momand,” former President Ashraf Ghani wrote on X. “I pray to God to grant Momand a high place in heaven, and I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, children, and other family members.”

In 1988, Momand — then a 29‑year‑old air force pilot — was selected to join a Soviet space program designed to send representatives from aligned nations into orbit, at a time when Afghanistan was under Soviet control.

After months of training, he flew aboard Soyuz TM‑6 with Russian cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov and Valery Polyakov, spending nine days in space and conducting scientific research on the Mir space station. His return aboard another spacecraft, the Soyuz TM‑5, was delayed by a day due to technical problems, leaving him and Lyakhov stranded in cramped conditions and at risk of being left without food and oxygen.

An Associated Press report at the time noted that Momand, whose surname was then spelled Mohmand, highlighted his prior role in a joint Soviet‑Afghan military effort to end an insurgency in his homeland. The report cited him as saying he had flown hundreds of attack missions.

Before launching, Momand told Sovietskaya Rossiya that his space mission would help identify Afghanistan’s mineral resources, assess hydroelectric potential and study glaciers and earthquake risks, according to the AP report.

The AP said he addressed his fellow citizens in a televised message from orbit saying that violence cannot be seen from outer space.

"I would like to believe that such will be the situation on the land inhabited by my brothers and sisters, on the land of our fathers and mothers who have suffered so much during the years of the war,” he was quoted as saying.

He also carried and read from the Quran during his mission, which Ghani described as a moment that introduced Afghanistan to the world “with national colors and national words” and presented its Islamic identity to the cosmos.

“His nine days on the Mir space station made Afghans forget the bitterness of the civil wars of 1988 and the rest of that decade,” Ghani added.

Momand was born in Ghazni province’s Andar district, in southeastern Afghanistan. He trained in military academies in Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.

His death was met with sorrow in Afghanistan among people who remembered him as a hero.

Zahir Ammar, a 35-year-old Jalalabad-based blogger on cosmology, paid tribute to Momand, emphasizing the historic significance of his mission for Afghanistan.

“Abdul Ahad Momand is the first Afghan astronaut in the entire scientific history of the country to go into space, he took the Holy Quran with him into space and added Pashto to the list of languages spoken in space,” he wrote.

“Now, astronauts’ trips to (international space stations) have become commonplace, but during the time of the late Abdul Ahad Momand, this was a great achievement for Afghanistan,” he said.

Ammar also expresses regret that Momand died in exile, wishing he could have shared his experiences with the younger generation in Afghanistan.

Funeral and memorial arrangements were not announced. Momand is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

Shohei Ohtani skipping pitching start Wednesday against Athletics to get extra rest

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:47:39 +0000

The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will skip his scheduled pitching start Wednesday against the Athletics to get some extra rest, manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers are in the midst of playing 13 games in 13 days, and Roberts wanted to make sure that the Japanese sensation got a break. Ohtani is slated to pitch in San Diego on Friday.

“If there’s any opportunity to give him some extra rest, we’re going to try to take advantage of it,” Roberts said. “So pushing him to Friday allows us to have him still take two starts before the break and get on two division opponents. In that vein, there’s just no downside. This made too much sense.”

Ohtani is 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA in 13 starts this season. The four-time MVP has 82 strikeouts and 24 walks in 79 2/3 innings this season.

Roberts indicated that Ohtani will be the Dodgers designated hitter for the series finale against the A’s on Wednesday.

“It’s mostly schedule-driven,” Roberts said. “We talked to Shohei and he was agreeing to whatever we felt, knowing it’s best for him. There’s no downside with him losing starts, get more rest. That was the whole driver.”

Roberts said the Dodgers will go with a bullpen game in Ohtani’s absence on Wednesday.

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