The report, titled “Silenced No More,” was published Tuesday by the Civil Commission, an independent group that documents and researches gender-based violence by Hamas after its 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

The report details a two-year investigation that drew on more than 400 testimonies and nearly 2,000 hours of visual analysis documenting 13 patterns of violence, including gang rape, sexual torture and forced nudity.

“Our findings demonstrate that it was a deliberate tactic within the broader architecture of the terror inflicted on victims and hostages,” said Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder and chair of the commission and lead author of the report.

Sexual violence has been heavily politicized since the war in Gaza began, with each side trying to discredit the other’s accusations.

Israel has pointed to incidents during the Oct. 7 attacks and to treatment of hostages to highlight what it says is Hamas’ savagery and to justify its wartime goal of preventing any repeated threat from Gaza. The Israeli government has accused the international community of ignoring or playing down evidence of sexual violence, alleging anti-Israel bias.

The report's findings could not be independently verified by The Associated Press, and critics have challenged some of Elkayam-Levy’s previous research. A number of prominent figures, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rahm Emanuel and Facebook pioneer Sheryl Sandberg, have endorsed her work.

The United Nations says it has found “ reasonable grounds ” to believe that Hamas militants committed rape and other sexual violence during their rampage. The prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has said he had reason to believe that three key Hamas leaders bore responsibility for “rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity.”

Human rights groups and Palestinians rounded up by Israel after the attacks have also shared detailed testimonies of sexual violence and torture in Israeli prisons.

In March, Israel dropped charges against five soldiers who had been accused of beating and sodomizing a Palestinian detainee in an alleged assault partially caught on camera. Hard-line politicians, who had angrily protested the charges, hailed the decision to dismiss the charges, while human rights groups said it illustrated Israel's unwillingness to investigate abuses.

Israel's government and Hamas did not immediately respond to requests from AP for comment.

The commission — composed of a team of researchers, lawyers and trauma experts — collected digital materials, conducted interviews and filmed testimonies. It also cross-referenced information using independent data sources, it said.

The report said Hamas and its collaborators primarily targeted women and hostages but that children also were subjected to violence and abuse.

In one example, it said two returning young hostages were forced to perform “sexual acts on one another," such as taking off their clothes while their captors touched their private parts.

It said sexual torture was used to maximize pain and suffering, with survivors enduring burning, mutilation and forced insertion of objects. Victims were sometimes found handcuffed or bound. Armed groups also recorded acts of abuse and killing and circulated footage through social media, the report said.

The report documented assaults at multiple sites, including the Nova Music festival, where hundreds were killed and others taken hostage. The AP previously found evidence that sexual assault was part of Hamas’ atrocities-filled rampage on Oct. 7, including a witness account by a man at the festival who said he heard a woman screaming for help and shouting, “They’re raping me, they’re raping me!”

Hostages also were subjected to sexual harassment and assault, some for months at a time, according to the report.

Some released hostages have spoken out about being sexually assaulted in captivity. In an interview with Israeli media, Romi Gonen said she was repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed by three men.

Another hostage, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, told the New York Times he was sexually abused by one of his captors and threatened with death if he said anything.

U.S. consumer prices climbed sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran delivered higher gasoline prices and more pain for Americans, according to data released Tuesday.

Senators from both parties grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the Iran war ’s unclear endgame and spiraling costs, as he defended the Pentagon’s historic $1.5 trillion budget request for 2027.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office reports that Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense program could cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years, far more than he initially said.

Also Tuesday, a White House official said the head of Trump's Food and Drug Administration is resigning after a rocky tenure. Dr. Marty Makary drew months of complaints from health industry executives, anti-abortion activists, vaping lobbyists and other allies of the president.

Here's the latest:

Patel denies drinking allegations in testy Senate hearing

FBI Director Kash Patel angrily lashed out at a Democratic lawmaker during a budget hearing Tuesday, calling allegations that he drinks excessively on the job and has been unreachable at times to his staff “unequivocally, categorically false.”

“I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations,” Patel told Sen. Chris Van Hollen when the Maryland Democrat confronted him about a recent article in The Atlantic magazine that painted an unflattering portrait of his leadership of the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. Patel has sued over the story.

Patel shouted over Van Hollen and sought to turn the tables by accusing him of “slinging margaritas” in El Salvador, a reference to a visit the Democrat paid last year to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was jailed there following his arrest in Maryland.

The director of Melania Trump’s movie is aboard Air Force One for the president’s trip to China

Also meeting Trump in Beijing are more than a dozen CEOs of such American corporations as Apple, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, and others, according to the White House.

Trump’s friend Elon Musk — of Tesla, SpaceX and the social platform X — is also expected to join.

Brett Ratner directed “Melania,” released in January, about the first lady’s life in the weeks before her husband began his second term as president.

It was Ratner’s first project since he was accused of sexual misconduct in the early days of the #MeToo reckoning. His lawyer has denied the allegations.

Ratner is also director of the “Rush Hour” movie series, including a fourth installment that Trump is said to be interested in.

Ratner paid a brief visit to the press cabin on Air Force One before it took off on the trip to China.

Trump renews his threat to decimate Iran if there’s no agreement on its nuclear program

“We have Iran very much under control,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a summit in Beijing. “We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated. One way or the other, we win.”

Trump said he would be thinking about the fate of the ceasefire during his flight to China and “for the next little while.”

“We’re going to see what happens,” he said.

Trump says trade will be focus of Beijing visit, plays down discussions on Iran

The president said he would have a “long talk” about Iran with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but added that trade would be the central issue.

“We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” Trump said as he departed the White House for Beijing on Tuesday.

Trump said he spoke with Xi and both are looking forward to the visit.

“He’s been a friend of mine. He’s been somebody that we get along with. And, I think you’re going to see that good things are going to happen.”

▶ Read more

Trump’s proposed ‘Golden Dome’ is estimated to cost $1.2 trillion for 20 years, far more than he initially said

A new Congressional Budget Office analysis released Tuesday suggests a far heftier sum than the initial $175 billion price tag Trump gave last year for his plan to put weapons in space, called the “Golden Dome for America” missile defense program.

The system, inspired by Israel’s “Iron Dome,” aims to detect and intercept missiles at all stages of an attack. Congress has already approved about $24 billion for the initiative.

Trump ordered the system during his first week in office, expecting it to be operational before his term ends in January 2029.

With Makary’s departure from the FDA, the fate of many fledgling initiatives is uncertain

Most of the programs Makary introduced have not gone through federal rulemaking required to enshrine them in U.S. regulations and could easily be overturned by his successors.

Democrats in Congress have questioned the legality of some of those efforts, including a program that offers drugmakers expedited reviews for innovative medicines.

▶ Read more

Marty Makary is out as Trump’s Food and Drug Administration head

That’s according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak ahead of an official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday.

Makary, a surgeon and health researcher, had drawn complaints from health industry executives, anti-abortion activists and other Trump allies.

He came to the attention of Republican operatives as an outspoken critic of COVID-19 health measures during the pandemic when he appeared frequently on Fox News Channel.

But at the FDA, Makary failed to win the staff’s confidence after mass layoffs, leadership changes and a series of controversies in which the agency’s scientific principles appeared to be overridden by political interests.

— By Matthew Perrone and Seung Min Kim

Hegseth hearing concludes with questions on long-term strategy in Iran war

The defense secretary’s hearing for a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee has concluded with Democratic senators repeatedly asking the defense secretary for clarity on what the plan is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Hegseth was defensive and countered that the questions were ignoring the U.S. military’s successes in the war.

Sen. John Kennedy offers encouragement and warning to Hegseth

The Republican from Louisiana did not echo the administration’s claims of victory in Iran, noting the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

But Kennedy agreed with Trump that the U.S. has long-term leverage with its blockade of Iranian ships and those aligned with Tehran. And Kennedy pushed back at Democrats that he accused of suggesting the U.S. already has lost.

“You’re not going to win over my Democratic friends,” Kennedy told Hegseth. “It’s not worth getting your blood pressure up. Focus on other things.”

Kennedy added a muted endorsement of international alliances. He wasn’t as direct as McConnell, but he concluded with advice:

“America First does not have to mean America alone,” he said. “We need all the friends we can get. They need to carry their own weight. They need to pay their bills. But the more the better.”

Democratic senator closely questions Hegseth on strategy to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Sen. Chris Coons had some intense questions for the defense secretary after he claimed that the U.S. essentially controls the Strait of Hormuz.

Coons repeatedly asked what the Trump administration’s strategy is for reopening the waterway to commercial shipping.

“If we control it, how do we reopen it? And your average American is seeing this at the gas pump every single day as the cost of gas continues to rise,” Coons told Hegseth.

Hegseth responded defensively, saying the senator was being disingenuous and ignoring the U.S.’s “incredible battlefield successes.”

Still, Coons said he was worried that “you’ve achieved a series of tactical successes but are on the verge of a strategic loss.”

Hegseth suggests Iran is accessing old drone supplies, not replenishing

Some Democrats pushed back against Trump’s claims of victory and Hegseth’s assertions that Iran’s military has been obliterated.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, noted Iran’s continued use of drones, which are inexpensive assets compared to what the U.S. has used to prosecute the war.

Hegseth retorted that “pulling a drone out of a cave that’s been collapsed” is not the same as “producing more drones.”

Shaheen was unmoved, joining colleagues who have put Hegseth on the defensive deep into his testimony.

“But if Iran still has almost 50% of their capacity and the ability to pull drones out of caves and still injure our allies and U.S. service members, then we have not won the war,” she said.

Defense secretary tells senators Trump has authority to resume war

That posture has resulted in some tension between the Republican-controlled Congress and White House.

Presidents are required by law to gain authorization from Congress after 60 days of starting a war. However, the White House has argued that the 60-day deadline no longer applies because the war is currently in a ceasefire.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski voiced some skepticism to that argument. Pointing to the troops and warships deployed to the region, she said, “It doesn’t appear that that hostilities have ended.”

Murkowski has hinted she may bring legislation that would authorize the use of military force against Iran.

Hegseth claims the US controls the Strait of Hormuz

He claimed to senators that “ultimately we control the Strait, because nothing’s going in that we don’t allow to go in.”

It was a striking statement from the defense secretary at a time when Iran has seized control of the waterway, causing a global spike in fuel prices that’s rippled through other economic sectors. In response, the U.S. has tried to cut off all Iranian traffic through the strait as well.

Hegseth claimed “the economic pressure that creates on them greatly outstrips the pressure on us.”

Cuban diplomat slams Hegseth’s testimony that Havana poses a threat to the US

Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, the Cuban ambassador to the U.N., said Tuesday that it is the U.S., not the small island country, that poses “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the world and international law.

“Its acts of aggression and threats against Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Canada, His Holiness the Pope, Palestine, Mexico, Cuba — and an endless list of others — demonstrate this to be true,” Guzman said in a statement.

His comments came hours after Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, asked Hegseth in a congressional hearing whether he believed the Cuban government poses a national security threat to the U.S. The Pentagon chief responded, “I do.”

GOP senator pushes for the military to take a harder line on Iran

There are plenty of lawmakers, including Republicans, who are uneasy with President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham isn’t one of them.

He drew a tough line as he questioned the Trump administration’s efforts to draw down the conflict and questioned the decision to use China and Pakistan as intermediaries in peace negotiations with Iran.

Graham’s ire was mostly aimed at efforts by previous Democratic presidents to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He said those efforts had “failed.”

Graham praised the current war with Iran as “spectacular” and said there should be “more to come.”

White House holds off on beef executive orders

The president on Monday had planned to sign two directives meant to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market.

But the White House is saying it’s reworking the orders a bit.

A White House official, noting that Trump is “committed” to lowering the cost of beef and other groceries, said Tuesday the administration is “accordingly finetuning potential executive actions.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

The two executive orders that had been on tap were meant to expand beef imports and support the renewal of America’s domestic cattle herd.

— Seung Min Kim

Hegseth offers no timeline on details for how Ukraine aid funds will be spent

The defense secretary wouldn’t offer lawmakers a timeline on delivering a plan for what the military will buy with the $400 million that was set aside for Ukraine aid by Congress at the start of the year.

Hegseth said he wanted to make sure U.S. European Command, which has been tasked with determining what the money will be spent on, “is fully informed in how they want to spend this.”

However, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons noted that “it’s May and this has been the law since January, and you or your representatives have been asked this repeatedly on a bipartisan basis by members of this committee.”

Hegseth has only publicly confirmed that he’ll spend the money about two weeks ago when he last appeared before Congress and just a day after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell called out the Pentagon for withholding the funds in an editorial in The Washington Post.

Sen. Susan Collins critiques Trump administration’s shifting strategy on the Strait of Hormuz

The Republican, who’s in the midst of a reelection campaign for her Maine Senate seat, questioned whether the military anticipated Iran could take actions to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, told her the military’s briefings to the Trump administration “cover and consider the full range of things all the time in our careful consideration of military actions.”

But Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responded with criticism for the Trump administration’s current strategy.

“It seems there has been a different plan almost daily with dealing with this problem,” she said.

Collins late last month also joined Democrats to vote for failed legislation that would have forced Trump to halt the war with Iran.

Hegseth treads carefully on China but says the US works with regional partners

When pressed by Sen. McConnell about U.S.-China relations, the defense secretary said he wouldn’t speak for the president ahead of his Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But Hegseth said the U.S. has “worked very hard in that region, in the Indo-Pacific, with Japan, with the Philippines and others” to prioritize U.S. security and security for its allies around China.

Hegseth said U.S. interests are “amplified by burden sharing of partners who recognize the shared threats that we face and are willing to invest alongside us.”

He insisted that “every aspect” Trump does regarding China “is to ensure that American interests are advanced.”

McConnell had asked explicitly whether Trump is trying “to preserve American primacy or simply to accommodate China’s rise?”

The senator also asked about Trump’s commitment to navigational freedom in the South China Sea. Hegseth said, “Americans ships should — should sail freely. So should others.”

McConnell warns against the administration’s budget approach

The Kentucky Republican got into the weeds on the president’s budget request, noting it’s not a $1.5 trillion annual baseline. Instead, he noted it’s a roughly $1.1 trillion request plus a supplemental bill.

The latter can be passed by “reconciliation,” a process that allows the Republican majority the easiest way to bypass Democrats’ objections. But McConnell suggested the White House think about future years when Republicans may not have the Senate majority.

He said the Pentagon’s approach means it’s putting necessary ongoing funding requests in the supplemental, one-time measure.

McConnell alluded to “continuing resolutions” that have become a common budget device for a divided Congress to extend agencies’ funding even without a larger budget deal. But one-time funding, McConnell noted, cannot be included in those CRs.

“I’m confused by the administration’s failure to prioritize” ongoing funding, the senator said.

Anti-war protester interrupts Hegseth’s opening statement

As Hegseth started his opening statement, a woman stood up and pronounced, “I am an Iranian American and against this war of aggression.”

Within moments, she was removed from the hearing room by Capitol police officers , but she continued to tell the hearing room she was opposed to the war with Iran.

There are a handful more anti-war protesters wearing pink shirts sitting in the back row of the Senate hearing room, but they remained silent. Several of them stood and walked out while Hegseth was talking.

Senate Democrat overseeing defense spending says administration ‘distracted’ from military priorities

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons launched into a wide-ranging critique of how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is leading the military and raised concerns that his decisions are undermining U.S. military priorities.

“I am concerned that we have a distracted administration and a distracted department,” Coons said, adding that “We have a president who seems more focused on a $1 billion ballroom and a victory arch, rather than achieving actual victory.”

Coons also questioned why the administration has withdrawn support from allies in Europe, including Ukraine, at a time when their drone defenses could aid U.S. efforts to counteract drone attacks from Iran.

Sen. Mitch McConnell emphasizes the need for US alliances in a rebuke of Trump’s approach

Without naming Trump, McConnell sternly critiqued the president’s belligerent approach to traditional U.S. allies and he advocated for NATO and defending Ukraine.

The former Republican Senate leader now chairs the Senate’s Appropriations subcommittee. McConnell told Hegseth that strained relationships with democratic allies “only serves our adversaries’ interests and limits our capacity and deterrent power globally.”

McConnell, who voted against Hegseth’s confirmation in 2025, said he wanted to see U.S. assistance previously approved for Ukraine “reach their destination without further delay.”

The senator said such aid is not “charity,” but part of cultivating relationships that can benefit the U.S. in the future.

“I want to hear about the future of capacity building with committed allies and partners,” he said.

“We have things to learn from our friends,” McConnell added, alluding to Ukraine’s success in drone warfare.

Hegseth’s Senate hearing gets underway

The defense secretary has started his hearing before a Senate appropriations panel after spending several hours Tuesday morning testifying before House lawmakers.

The hearing room is packed and there are a handful of anti-war protesters in the audience as well.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy greeted Hegseth with some friendly advice before the hearing got underway. “Don’t let them get you down,” Kennedy told Hegseth.

House panel adjourns with a final push for more information from the Pentagon

The budget subcommittee adjourned with a final bipartisan push for the Pentagon to provide more details about its $1.5 trillion budget request for the coming year.

The leading Democrat and Republican also noted the more professional tenor of the hearing, which did not feature the name-calling and other tense exchanges that have defined Hegseth’s previous Hill appearances.

“This is the way these hearings should be conducted, especially when it’s dealing with national defense,” said McCollum, the ranking Democrat, after urging Hegseth to answer the panel’s questions by the end of next week.

“I thank everyone for a respectful hearing, but we need the information, Mr. Secretary,” she added.

Rep. Ken Calvert, the Republican chair, clarified that the committee wants details both for the Pentagon’s more immediate supplemental funding request and the larger proposal for fiscal 2027.

The subcommittee plans to more formally consider the administration’s requests on June 11.

Hegseth says ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite exchange of fire

He said “it’s evident” the ceasefire remains in effect in response to questions from lawmakers Tuesday.

“Cease fire means the fire is ceasing and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur,” Hegseth said even as the U.S. military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Hegseth also said restarting military escorts of merchant shipping known as Project Freedom “could always recommence should the commander in chief want us to.”

As Trump heads to Beijing, Caine and lawmakers make clear China is a main focus

Caine told the panel the Pentagon wants “a range and mix of capabilities that create outsized dilemmas for XI Jinping and others that are out there, to ensure that we maintain and sustain deterrence.”

He added that it’s “our primary focus” to assess the risks and ensure that Trump and Hegseth can always consider “a range of military options across the world.”

Caine’s statement comes hours before Trump departs for a summit with Xi.

The Joint Chiefs chair was responding to Rep. Hal Rogers. The Kentucky Republican is among several lawmakers raising concerns about China.

Earlier, the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, said “China is modernizing its military at a pace and scale that is alarming.”

Rogers, in his questioning of Caine, said he appreciated the administration’s push for more money to bolster U.S. manufacturing for weaponry but cautioned that “we’re competing against the speed” at which China can build up its military.

News of Makary's departure Tuesday came just 13 months after he was confirmed to lead the powerful regulatory agency.

A surgeon and health researcher, Makary came to prominence among Republicans as an outspoken critic of COVID-19 health measures during the pandemic, when he frequently appeared on Fox News Channel. But he struggled to manage the FDA’s bureaucracy and failed to win the confidence of its staff after mass layoffs, leadership upheavals and a series of controversies in which the agency’s scientific principles appeared to be overridden by political interests, including those of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“He’s a great doctor, and he was having some difficulty,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “But he’s going to go on and he’s going to do well.”

Kyle Diamantas, the agency’s chief for foods, is expected to take over as acting commissioner. Diamantas is an attorney with personal ties to Donald Trump Jr.

The FDA commissioner, as the leader of an agency that regulates billions of dollars in consumer goods and medicines, is often required to juggle competing priorities that straddle science and politics.

Makary faced a unique challenge in balancing calls by Trump and other Republicans to cut red tape at the FDA, while also tending to Kennedy’s interest in scrutinizing the safety of vaccines, drugs and food additives.

Virtually all of the FDA’s senior career officials resigned, retired or were forced out in the first year of the second-term Trump administration, leading to a steady stream of leaks and negative stories in the media cataloging low morale, dysfunction and frustration among staff.

Makary’s handpicked deputy, Dr. Vinay Prasad, was pushed out of the agency twice in less than a year for running afoul of specialty drugmakers and groups for patients with rare diseases. Makary appeared poised to weather the controversy, despite an ongoing pressure campaign calling on Trump to fire him.

Recent weeks brought fresh criticisms from other interest groups that the White House considers key to Republican chances in November elections.

Anti-abortion groups have accused Makary of slow-walking an internal review of the abortion pill mifepristone, which has been on the market for 25 years but remains a target for conservative activists. They are seeking to roll back FDA rules that currently allow the pill to be sent through the mail.

“We look forward to a new FDA commissioner who will put an end to the mail-order abortion drug regime,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Vaping executives told Trump that Makary was blocking approval of their products, including new flavored e-cigarettes seen as crucial to the industry's survival.

Last week, the agency abruptly changed course, authorizing the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes and issuing guidelines that loosened marketing for major manufacturers. But it wasn't enough to keep Makary in the job.

A permanent replacement for the FDA job will need to be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate.

Faster drug reviews are overshadowed

As a former regular on Fox News, Makary was aggressive about promoting his accomplishments on cable television and podcasts and in online opinion pieces.

A string of initiatives from Makary aimed to speed up or streamline FDA drug reviews, including dropping certain study requirements, incorporating artificial intelligence into drug evaluations and offering expedited reviews to medicines that support “national interests.”

But pharmaceutical executives rely on the predictability and consistency of FDA decisions, even more than speedy reviews. Makary’s efforts on drug reviews were overshadowed by internal conflicts and disputes that created headaches for drugmakers, investors and patients.

More than a half-dozen drugmakers studying therapies for rare or hard-to-treat diseases said they received rejection letters or requests to run additional studies for drugs that had previously been given the go-ahead by FDA staff. Those drugs were primarily overseen by Prasad, who stepped down for a second time from his role as the FDA’s vaccine and biotech chief in April.

Vaccine moves denounced

Prasad repeatedly overruled vaccine staffers to restrict eligibility for new coronavirus shots. In February, Prasad initially refused to even consider Moderna’s mRNA shot for flu. The FDA was forced to reverse itself after Moderna pledged to formally challenge the decision and called for intervention by the White House.

Some of Makary and Prasad’s most controversial vaccine proposals never came to fruition, despite stoking confusion and anxiety within the FDA and beyond.

In an internal memo in November, Prasad claimed — without publishing evidence — that the FDA had linked COVID-19 shots to the deaths of 10 children. Prasad used that to justify a planned overhaul of the agency’s approach to approving vaccines.

A dozen former FDA commissioners issued a scathing denunciation of the plan, warning it would “undermine the public interest” and decimate vaccine development. The FDA has not released its analysis of the deaths or its plan for the vaccine overhaul.

FDA's drug center had a revolving door

In the FDA’s drug center, which is the agency's largest division, Makary oversaw a revolving door of leadership changes. Six people served as director over the course of one year.

Makary’s initial pick for the job, Dr. George Tidmarsh, was forced to resign after allegations that he used his FDA position to pursue a personal vendetta against a former business partner.

His replacement, longtime FDA cancer specialist Dr. Rick Pazdur, announced he would retire after just three weeks on the job, after clashing with Makary on multiple issues surrounding drug reviews.

With Makary's departure, the fate of many of his fledgling initiatives is uncertain.

Most of the programs Makary introduced have not gone through federal rulemaking required to enshrine them in U.S. law. Democrats in Congress have questioned the legality of some of those efforts, including a program that offers drugmakers expedited reviews for innovative medicines.

___

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

Here are five things that happened on Cannes' opening day:

Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d'Or

The French Riviera festival began with a tribute to Jackson, handing the “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker an honorary Palme d’Or. He was introduced by Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the films.

“I’ve never figured out why I’m getting a Palme d’Or. I’m not a Palme d’Or sorta guy,” said the shaggy-haired New Zealand filmmaker.

Jackson was then serenaded with a rendition of the Beatles’ “Get Back,” a nod to his lauded 2021 documentary. The director sat stage right mouthing the lyrics.

Jane Fonda and Gong Li declared the festival open

The task of declaring the festival officially open fell to the 88-year-old Fonda and Gong, the Chinese-Singaporean actor.

“Cinema has always been an act of resistance,” said Fonda.

Politics dominated the jury introduction

At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d’Or — Cannes’ top honor — jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict.

Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year’s Cannes poster, of “Thelma and Louise,” while discussing attending Cannes during what he called “genocide in Gaza.”

Quoting “King Lear,” he said: “Madmen lead the blind.”

“Cannes has a wonderful poster,” said Laverty. “Isn’t it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood people who do that.”

The nine-member jury is being presided over by Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker of “Oldboy” and “No Other Choice,” who said that politics and cinema go hand in hand.

“Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,” said Park. “One cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.”

Other jury members include Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore, who two years ago was celebrated in Cannes for her comeback performance in “The Substance.”

James Franco turned up on the red carpet

Cannes has sometimes been known for hosting personalities that find a less welcome reception in Hollywood. Three years ago, the festival famously opened with the Johnny Depp film “Jeanne du Barry.”

On Tuesday, James Franco was an unexpected guest at the opening ceremony. The 48-year-old actor also appeared in Cannes in 2024.

In 2021, Franco and his co-defendants agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a lawsuit alleging he intimidated students at an acting and film school he founded into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations.

Guillermo del Toro presented a restored ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’

Twenty years after Guillermo del Toro premiered his lauded fable, “Pan's Labyrinth,” he returned to Cannes on Tuesday to screen a 4K restoration of it. The filmmaker said the movie, about a young girl and fascist captain in 1940s Spain, remains timely.

“We are, unfortunately, in times that make this movie more pertinent than ever because they tell us everything is useless to resist, that art can be done with a —-ing app,” said del Toro.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to a request by one of Trump's lawyers that it let the president delay the payment to E. Jean Carroll, though it required that Trump post a $7.4 million bond to cover any additional interest costs, a request Carroll's attorney had made.

The appeals court late last month refused Trump’s request for a rare meeting of the full 2nd Circuit to hear an appeal of a three-judge panel’s affirmance of the January 2024 verdict.

Afterward, Trump attorney Justin D. Smith asked the 2nd Circuit to stay the effect of its decision upholding the award so that Trump would not be forced to pay the judgment before the high court has a chance to consider an appeal.

Smith said last week there was a “fair prospect” that the Supreme Court will find in favor of Trump, who has called Carroll’s claims first made publicly in 2019 that she was sexually attacked by Trump in a Manhattan luxury department store dressing room in spring 1996 a “made up scam.”

The $83 million award to Carroll, 82, came from a jury that briefly heard Trump testify and observed his animated behavior for several days.

In upholding the verdict, a 2nd Circuit panel wrote last September that Trump continued his attacks against Carroll for at least five years, making them “more extreme and frequent as the trial approached.”

“He also continued these same attacks during the trial itself,” the appeals court said. “In one such statement, issued two days into the trial, Trump proclaimed that he would continue to defame Carroll ‘a thousand times.’ ”

The jury had been instructed to accept the findings of a jury that in May 2023 awarded Carroll $5 million after concluding Trump sexually abused her in the department store and then defamed her after she published her account of it in a 2019 memoir.

Trump is challenging the $83 million award on several grounds, asserting “absolute immunity” for comments he made while president as he disavowed knowing Carroll and attacked her motivations, saying they were politically driven or arose from a desire to promote her memoir.

Messi’s new contract includes $25 million in base salary and $28,333,333 in guaranteed compensation, the MLS Players Association said Tuesday in its first release of 2026 salaries. He earns more than the payrolls of 28 of the other 29 MLS teams.

Miami's $54.6 million payroll is more than $20 million higher than LAFC, which is second at $32.7 million, and nearly five times as much as Philadelphia's league-low $11.7 million. Miami's payroll is up from $46.8 million at the start of last season.

Toronto cut payroll to $21.4 million from $34.1 million at the start of 2025, and LAFC boosted its spending to $32.7 million from $22.4 million.

Total league compensation was $631 million and the average guaranteed compensation of $688,816 on April 16 was up 8.9% from $632,809 as of last Oct. 1.

Messi's initial MLS contract, agreed to in July 2023, included a $12 million base salary and annualized guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667. Messi agreed last October to a three-year contract through the 2028 season, then led the team to its first MLS title.

An attacker who turns 39 next month, Messi is captain of defending World Cup champion Argentina and is expected to play in his sixth World Cup. Messi has 59 goals in 64 regular-season games with Miami, including nine in 11 matches this season. He led MLS with 29 regular-season goals last season and won his second straight MVP award.

His salary figures are for his MLS contract and include any marketing bonus and agent’s fees but do not account for any additional agreements with the team or its affiliates, or for any performance bonuses.

Son is second at $10,368,750 in base salary and $11,152,852 in total compensation, the same as his figures last season. The 33-year-old winger joined LA last August.

Midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, who signed with Miami last summer, is third at $7,569,000 in salary and $9,688,320 in total compensation, followed by Atlanta winger Miguel Almirón ($6,056,000, $7,871,000), San Diego winger Hirving Lozano ($6 million, $9,333,333), New York Red Bulls winger Emil Forsberg ($5,405,000, $6,035,625), Nashville forward Sam Surridge ($5.27 million, $5,933,000), LA Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig ($5,125,000, $5,792,188), Vancouver attacker Thomas Müller ($5,000,004, $5,152,504) and Chicago winger Jonathan Bamba ($5 million, $5,581,806).

Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson topped MLS players in contention for spots on the U.S. World Cup roster at $3.5 million in base salary and $3.95 million in total compensation, followed by New England goalkeeper Matt Turner ($1,776,136, $1,942,886), Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan ($1,645,000, $1,766,000), Charlotte midfielder Tim Ream ($1 million, $1,127,750), Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte ($900,000, $1,032,083), Columbus left back/winger Max Arfsten ($800,000, $895,000), New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese ($675,000, $795,833), Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano ($525,000, $574,000), Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna ($450,000, $500,833), Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter ($480,000) and Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady ($250,000, $348,333).

Newcomers to the league include Toronto forward Josh Sargent ($3.21 million, $5,265,667), San Jose forward Timo Werner ($3,738,872, $4,268,039), Salt Lake winger Morgan Guilavogui ($2.2 million, $2,225,500), Houston forward Guilherme ($1,528,572, $1,925,230), LAFC midfielder Stephen Eustáquio ($1.8 million), D.C. forward Louis Munteanu ($1.19 million, $1,634,100) and Minnesota midfielder James Rodríguez ($684,000).

MLS's median salary — the point an equal number of players earned above and below — rose 4.1% to $352,104 from $338,347 last fall. There were 133 players earning $1 million or more, up from 131 at the start of last season and 91 at the start of 2022.

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

Naturally, he was upset the No. 20 car wound up parked next to the concrete wall near Indianapolis Motor Speedway's famed yard of bricks. What really irked him, though, was waiting another lap for a full-course caution to come out.

IndyCar Officiating heard the complaints and responded Tuesday by announcing the series would no longer consider race order or pit window status to determine whether to employ a full-course yellow or a local caution.

Drivers almost universally lauded the move, just hours before their first Indianapolis 500 practice.

“I was surprised it took so long to be thrown,” Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing said Tuesday. “But there was also debris on the track at the time on the race line, which is what they threw the yellow for at Long Beach, so I thought a yellow would be thrown for that. Not sure why it wasn't, but I think it should be totally yellow when there is danger for drivers. Rossi trying to jump out of his car — safety needs to be the priority.”

The rule change won't impact the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, scheduled for May 24, because there are no local yellows on ovals.

But it's intended to avoid a repeat of Saturday's scary scene when Rossi climbed out of his cockpit and across the wall separating the racetrack from pit lane before walking to his pit stall. Rossi waited for the full-course caution to come out and when it didn't the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, who now drives for Ed Carpenter Racing, left nobody guessing about his thoughts.

"It's pretty annoying to have failures on the car because of a product that we didn't ask for, that doesn't improve the racing, so that's frustrating," Rossi told Fox's pit reporter. “Second, the fact it took that long to throw a full-course yellow when a car is on the front straight, people are going 175 mph, also seems insane when they didn't let us run in the rain (Friday). So I don't know where the priorities lie.”

The series' Independent Officiating Board tried to clarify what happened Tuesday, saying in a news release Rossi's car was out of the normal racing line and that Saturday's decision to throw a local yellow was based on a standard set of factors that included both pit windows and running order.

Moving forward, though, those two factors will not be used in the equation of when a full-course yellow is needed.

“The Lap 21 incident on Saturday made clear there needs to be a cleaner standard for how race control moves from a local to a full-course yellow,” said Raj Nair, the chairman of the new board. “IndyCar Officiating, with IndyCar’s full support, has made this change of approach to ensure that the only inputs to the full course yellow escalation are safety ones.”

It's the second rule change the series has made since the season moved to the historic Brickyard for May. But it's one everyone seems to believe is warranted.

“The most important job in race control is to ensure the safety of our drivers, crews, safety workers and fans,” IndyCar President Doug Boles said in a news release. “Saturday highlighted we must not waver from that central mission, and aligning everyone on that philosophy was critical to discuss over the last 48 hours.”

The drivers concur.

“I heard there was something that came out this morning," said Josef Newgarden, a two-time 500 champion who drives for Team Penske. "Every incident is different, but I think IndyCar has always tried to optimize the show versus safety and whatever they've tried to do, I fully support.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America.

The French passenger hospitalized in Paris has a severe form of the disease that has caused life-threatening lung and heart problems, said Dr. Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital.

He said the woman is on a life-support device that pumps blood through an artificial lung, providing it with oxygen and returning it to the body. The hope is that the device relieves enough pressure on the lungs and heart to give them some time to recover. Lescure called it “the final stage of supportive care.”

With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.

The director of the World Health Organization said confirmed and suspected cases have only been reported among the cruise ship's passengers or crew.

“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general. He added: “But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”

The latest person confirmed to be infected is a Spanish passenger who tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated from the ship, Spain’s health ministry said Tuesday. The passenger was in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.

Health authorities say it’s the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. While there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, the WHO says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.

Argentina sending experts to investigate source of outbreak

Argentina’s health ministry said Tuesday a team of scientific experts will be dispatched in the coming days to investigate the origin of outbreak.

A Dutch couple, identified by the WHO as the first cruise passengers infected with hantavirus, spent several months in Argentina and neighboring South American countries before boarding the cruise ship. The husband and wife later died.

Argentine officials have said the couple took a bird-watching tour that included a stop at a garbage dump where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection. The health ministry said its team will investigate the landfill and other locations the couple visited where rats known to carry the virus are found, although local officials in the province where the cruise departed have challenged the theory it began there.

The evacuation of the MV Hondius is complete

A total of 87 passengers and 35 crew were escorted from the ship to shore in Tenerife by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks in a carefully choreographed effort that ended Monday night.

Two aircraft arrived in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven overnight carrying Dutch nationals as well as passengers from Australia and New Zealand and crew members from the Philippines. All were placed into quarantine, according to the Dutch government.

Some crew stayed aboard the ship and set course for the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, said ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions.

Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms — which can include fever, chills and muscle aches — usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

WHO chief Tedros has advised that returning passengers should stay in quarantine, either in their homes or in other facilities, for 42 days. He added that WHO cannot enforce its guidance, and that different countries may handle the monitoring of passengers without symptoms in different ways.

Dutch hospital staff quarantined

Twelve employees at a Dutch hospital where a passenger from the Hondius is being treated have to quarantine for six weeks after improperly handling bodily fluids, Radboud University Medical Center said in a statement Monday night.

The “risk of infection is low” the hospital said, but was requiring the dozen employees to go into preventive quarantine as a “precaution.”

The hospital in the eastern city of Nijmegen received a passenger last week from one of the evacuation flights that landed in the Netherlands and the person has since tested positive for hantavirus.

Blood and urine from the patient should have been handled “according to a stricter procedure,” the hospital said.

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This story has been corrected to show that the WHO says nine hantavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide. Two suspected cases have been reported but not confirmed. ___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writers Mike Corder and Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherlands; Suman Naishadham in Madrid; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lauran Neergaard in Washington and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

“I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations,” Patel told Sen. Chris Van Hollen when the Maryland Democrat confronted him about a recent article in The Atlantic magazine that painted an unflattering portrait of his leadership of the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. Patel has sued over the story. The Atlantic has said it stands by its reporting and would vigorously defend against the “meritless lawsuit.”

Patel shouted over Van Hollen and sought to turn the tables by accusing him of “slinging margaritas” in El Salvador, a reference to a visit the Democrat paid last year to Kilmar Abrego Garcia while he was jailed there following his arrest in Maryland.

The testy exchange occurred at an annual Senate committee budget hearing featuring Patel and other senior law enforcement leaders.

The accusation brought Tuesday came just before U.S. President Donald Trump departed for Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues.

Trump said he would have a “long talk” about Iran with Xi but said trade would be a bigger focus. As he left for the summit, Trump again threatened Iran if its leaders don’t reach an agreement on its nuclear program.

“We have Iran very much under control,” Trump said. “We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated. One way or the other, we win.”

Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under attack by Iran in the war and during the shaky ceasefire still holding. But that allegation and ongoing attacks throughout the region have threatened to reignite open warfare.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz remains in Iran's chokehold, the U.S. is maintaining a blockade against Iran and negotiations between the two countries appear at a standstill.

With the risk of the conflict breaking out again, Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them in the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said.

It was the first publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel’s military to the Emirates — home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai — and underlined the growing relationship between Israel and the UAE.

Kuwait alleges Iran planned attack

Kuwait said a paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf near Iraq and Iran on May 1.

Four men were detained and two escaped when Kuwait's forces disrupted the attack, it said.

Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of a Chinese plan to build infrastructure across the world. It also came under Iranian attack during the war.

Kuwait provided no reason for why it delayed linking the attack to Iran after initially announcing it on May 3 without any details. Trump is traveling this week to China for a summit where Iran will likely be a main topic. Beijing long has been a buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and has been hurt by the strait's closure, which has sparked a global energy crisis.

Huckabee says Israel deployed to UAE

U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a one-time presidential candidate, revealed at a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, that Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense to the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel's main regional enemy. Iran didn't immediately respond to Huckabee's remarks, though it has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.

The Israeli military declined to comment on Huckabee’s statement about the Iron Dome while the UAE didn't immediately respond.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was quoted as making comments similar to Huckabee's during an event at the Israeli mission — suggesting the release of the information was intentional, likely with the Emiratis' and Israelis' blessing.

The UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors and the public that it remains open for business and safe.

Hegseth tells Congress: ‘We control the strait’

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress Tuesday that the military has plenty of bombs and missiles despite concerns about its stockpiles.

He also maintained that the U.S. is in control of the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iranian attacks — and threats — have disrupted the shipment of oil and other products through the vital waterway.

“Ultimately we control the strait, because nothing’s going in that we don’t allow to go in,” said Hegseth, who faced tough questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers who oversee defense spending.

Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, asked what the Trump administration’s strategy is for reopening the waterway. “Your average American is seeing this at the gas pump every single day as the cost of gas continues to rise,” Coons said.

Hegseth avoided specifics about the next steps in Iran. The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress that the cost of the war is close to $29 billion so far — that’s up from an estimate of $25 billion just two weeks ago.

Norway has some 25 stranded vessels

One of Norway’s top diplomats met Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, pressing for the need to open the strait.

Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik stressed that the attacks on commercial shipping and obstruction of the passageway must end, his minister, Espen Barth Eide, said in an email.

Kravik said Iran’s actions affecting third-party countries are “completely unacceptable” and noted that Norway has some 25 vessels stranded, according to Eide.

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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press reporters Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Collin Binkley and Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Switzerland, contributed.

Trump has been unsuccessfully pressing Xi to use China's considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the more than 2-month-old war — or, at the very least, reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

But just before he left the White House on Tuesday for his flight to Beijing, Trump sought to downplay differences with Xi over Iran and the shadow the conflict is casting on global oil markets.

“We’re going to have a long talk about it. I think he’s been relatively good, to be honest with you," Trump said of his plans to discuss the conflict with Xi. Minutes later, he added, “We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control."

But Trump over the course of the conflict has veered between venting that China, the world’s biggest buyer of Iranian oil, hasn't done more to get the Islamic Republic in line and acknowledging that Xi's government helped de-escalate the conflict last month by nudging Tehran back to ceasefire talks when negotiations wobbled.

Ahead of the visit, Trump sought to minimize the need to persuade Xi to change China's posture on Iran.

Instead, Trump's Republican administration seems determined not to let differences on Iran overshadow efforts to make headway on other difficult matters in the complicated relationship — ranging from trade to further Chinese cooperation to block exports of fentanyl precursors.

“I don’t think we need any help with Iran,” Trump said when asked by a reporter if he would press Xi to pressure the Islamic Republic.

US administration sanctioned China ahead of the trip

Beijing publicly insists that it wants to see the war end and has been working diplomatically behind the scenes to help its ally Pakistan push to broker a peace agreement. It has also sent a “subtle message of discontent to Iran” for closing the Strait of Hormuz and to the U.S. for its blockade of Iranian shipping, said Ahmed Aboudouh, a specialist on China’s influence in the Middle East with the London-based Chatham House think tank.

“They are very cautious, risk averse, and they don’t want to be involved in anything that would drag them into something that they don’t consider their problem,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuwait on Tuesday accused Iran of dispatching an armed paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team to launch a failed attack earlier this month on an island in the Middle East nation that is home to a China-funded port project. Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under repeated attack by Iran in the war and even during the shaky ceasefire still holding in the region.

In recent days, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have stepped up their calls for China to use its influence to help reopen the strait, through which about 20% of the world's crude flowed before the war began.

The State Department announced on Friday it was sanctioning four entities, including three China-based firms, for providing sensitive satellite imagery that enables Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. Earlier, the Treasury Department moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil. The sanctions cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them.

Beijing has called the sanctions “illegal unilateral pressure” and enacted a blocking statute — passed in 2021 and never used until now — that prohibits any Chinese entity from recognizing or complying with the sanctions.

Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week hosted his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Beijing. The Chinese foreign minister used the moment to defend Iran’s right to develop civilian nuclear energy.

Xi has also offered implicit criticism of the U.S. over the war. He has said that safeguarding international rule of law is paramount, adding it “must not be selectively applied or disregarded,” nor should the world be allowed to revert “to the law of the jungle.”

China and the US want to avoid a return to a tariff war

Like Trump, Xi also has plenty of reason to not let differences over Iran impact other facets of the relationship, analysts say.

Beijing wants to guard against further deterioration of the U.S.-China relationship — something that would add further challenges to its economy.

Yet, since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, there have been difficult moments between Trump and Xi that threatened to set back the relative stability in their relationship.

China has long supported Iran’s ballistic missile program and backed it with dual-use industrial components that can be used for missile production, according to the U.S. government.

Last month, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on China after reports that Beijing was preparing to deliver a shipment of new air defense systems to Iran, but he later backed away from the threat, claiming that he had received written assurance from Xi that he would not provide Tehran with weaponry. Days later, Trump said cryptically that the U.S. Navy had intercepted a Chinese vessel carrying a “gift” for Iran. He has not offered further explanation.

Both Trump and Xi may be eager to avoid creating dark economic clouds, as they did last year, when the two powers appeared on the precipice of a massive trade war.

Trump had set tariffs on Chinese goods at 145%, and China announced a further tightening of rare-earth export controls that would have hurt U.S. industry — before the governments backed off from inflicting maximalist penalties on each other. The two sides reached a fragile truce in their long-running trade disputes in October.

Trump and other administration officials have made the case that the Iran conflict — particularly the closure of the strait — has caused greater harm to China and its Pacific neighbors than it has to the United States, which is far less dependent on Middle East oil and has an export-driven economy.

“You can’t buy from them if you can’t ship it there, and you can’t buy from them if your economy is being destroyed by what Iran is doing,” Rubio told reporters last week, making the case that it was in China’s interest for Iran to let traffic resume.

But for now, China has shown little interest in wading deeper into the conflict and has appeared reluctant to be seen siding with Washington.

“It will be difficult to get the Chinese deeply involved under any circumstances,” said Kurt Campbell, a former deputy secretary of state during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and chair of The Asia Group. “They will want to be careful because they can see political quicksand as well as the next guy.”

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Madhani reported from Beijing. Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington, Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.

The Associated Press was allowed to witness the Swedish-led military exercise this week as Europe faces not only the threat of Russia but the wavering of NATO’s most powerful member, the United States.

The war game that also involved U.S. forces played out with a real threat in mind. For months, Russia has ramped up sabotage including cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and disinformation against countries across Europe, as detailed by an AP investigation.

The war game scenario — with the Swedish island of Gotland in theory facing power outages and food shortages because of sabotage — tested what NATO members might do before NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5, has been invoked.

“In theory, it could happen tomorrow,” said Rear Adm. Jonas Wikström, director of the exercise.

Europe considers Trump's volatile approach to NATO

Sweden’s chief of defense, Gen. Michael Claesson, noted that the U.S. is Europe’s most militarily capable ally so “any change in the American presence” affects the overall dynamics. He told the AP that announcements by U.S. President Donald Trump of troop reductions in Europe are interpreted “as the Americans are leaving — and they are not.”

Europe’s military leaders, however, are watching closely how Trump and his administration treat NATO, which Trump has described as a “paper tiger.” Most recently, he has ordered the withdrawal of at least 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and threatens to remove more.

Trump also has criticized allies, and NATO, for not coming to the aid of the U.S. in the Iran war, while U.S. air defense systems and missiles have been moved toward the Middle East from Europe, raising concerns about gaps in protection. Some European nations have been told they will face delays to their orders of U.S. weapons.

Claesson denied that recent announcements — including plans for a “hybrid navy” between a group of Nordic and Baltic nations, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, as announced by Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the U.K's First Sea Lord — were a hedge against a possible future where the U.S. does not come to the aid of NATO allies.

But, he said, “everything that offers European allies freedom of action is good.”

The U.K. and Norway also aim to build a combined frigate fleet, said Marte Gerhardsen, state secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Defense.

Ukrainian drone forces destroy Swedish troops in exercise

Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, he also has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine and at times aligned with Moscow in negotiations to end the war.

In the war game scenario this week, Ukrainian forces had a chance to demonstrate what they have learned on the battlefield and why their country might be a worthy NATO member.

A group of Ukrainian drone pilots, invited to teach Western forces how to win at drone warfare, destroyed Sweden’s troops in an exercise where the Ukrainians played the role of the aggressor, a 24-year-old drone pilot told the AP.

“They stopped the training three times” for troops to work out what to do better, but if it were real life they would have been dead, he said, giving his call sign Tarik in line with Ukrainian military regulations.

Swedish troops have potential but need to improve their drones and tactics and commanders need a deeper understanding of drone warfare, said another pilot with the call sign Karat.

He described flying small, first-person-view attack drones on the front line against Russian forces. Sometimes drone pilots are supported by reconnaissance drone teams but other times they are “working blindly.”

Western forces cannot understand what it is like, he added: “You need to see this with your own eyes.”

All Western forces need to “learn rapidly” how to perform drone and counter-drone operations, and the “fastest” way is to listen to the Ukrainians, Claesson said.

“What they’ve taught us is you have to really focus on your survivability and how you can’t be detected,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King with the U.S. military. At the same time, he said, Western nations need to focus on “deep” detection capabilities to spot drones from far away.

Such knowledge is desperately needed along Russia’s border with NATO where there has been a spate of drone incursions in recent months, including from Ukrainian drones sent off course by Russian jamming.

The goal is to have systems that work together so that radar made by different companies in different countries can be integrated to share data and track threats, King said. That process has started but, “we’re not there yet.”

Putin could use Gotland to test the alliance

The war game focused on the Swedish island of Gotland because it is strategically located in the Baltic Sea between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad — where Moscow has stationed missiles — and Sweden.

“If you control Gotland, you pretty much control the central part of the Baltic Sea,” Claesson said.

The Baltic Sea is a financial lifeline for Russia as vessels with its “shadow fleet” carry oil and liquefied natural gas that Moscow uses to fund its war in Ukraine.

After the Cold War, Sweden effectively abandoned its military presence on Gotland but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted a rethink and a strengthened military presence there. And Sweden, along with Finland, decided to join NATO in 2024.

“A very reasonable scenario” is that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use Gotland to test NATO by trying to take a thin sliver of alliance territory to probe the collective reaction, Claesson said.

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Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed.

While the Pentagon chief softened his tone from hearings before Congress nearly two weeks ago, notably avoiding the same pointed criticism of lawmakers, he got far more pushback from members of his own Republican Party about the levels of U.S. munitions used in the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s intense criticism of traditional allies for not taking part in the conflict.

“I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,” Hegseth said. “That’s not true.”

Even as he insisted that the U.S. military has plenty of missile defense systems and other munitions for the Iran war or future conflicts, Hegseth told House and Senate lawmakers overseeing defense spending that the Trump administration is working to ramp up production of weapons.

Pentagon officials also told lawmakers that the cost of the Iran war has risen to about $29 billion, the vast bulk of which — roughly $24 billion — is related to replacing munitions and repairing equipment but also includes operational costs to keep forces deployed. That is up from the overall total of $25 billion that Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst revealed nearly two weeks ago. He said the updated estimate does not include the cost to repair or rebuild U.S. military sites damaged in the region.

Republicans tout the importance of American allies

Hegseth faced notable pushback from Republicans on the Trump administration's straining of relations with longtime allies, with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell telling Hegseth that “NATO is the most important military alliance in world history.”

“It seems to me that a lot of the European countries think that we’re reducing our influence there, they’re sort of on their own,” said McConnell, the GOP chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense.

Trump has assailed NATO allies and others for not helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping corridor, or otherwise offering more support, saying he plans to pull thousands of troops out of Germany in the coming months.

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, voiced his concerns in a separate hearing, saying that “America First has never meant American alone.”

“American power is most effective when it’s exercised in concert with like-minded nations who share our interests and our values,” Cole said.

Hegseth gets bipartisan pushback on munitions stockpiles

The hearings before the powerful House and Senate Appropriations defense subcommittees spanned four hours as they reviewed the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which calls for a historic allocation of $1.5 trillion.

The discussions quickly veered into the handling of a war that appears locked in a stalemate as higher fuel prices pose political problems for Republicans in the midterm congressional elections.

California Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the House subcommittee's chair, asked about the impact of the Iran war on military funding as well as weapons stockpiles drawn down from the conflict.

“Questions persist about whether we are building the depth and reliance required for a high-end conflict,” Calvert said.

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, the defense subcommittee's ranking Democrat, pressed Hegseth on whether the military has a plan to draw down troops in the Middle East if Congress passes so-far-unsuccessful efforts to end the Iran war.

“We have a plan to escalate if necessary," Hegseth said. "We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets.”

He said he would not reveal any next steps publicly. Noting repeated questions from lawmakers over weapons stockpiles, Hegseth said the concerns have been “unhelpfully overstated” and that "we have plenty of what we need.”

He said the defense industry has been told to "build more and build faster,” blaming the military industrial base's inadequate capacity on previous administrations and U.S. aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has painted an alarming picture of U.S. stockpiles of munitions, including interceptors that can defend against incoming enemy missiles on land and sea.

The think tank said in an April analysis that American forces “expended more than half of the prewar inventory” on four key weapons systems and that rebuilding to adequate levels for a possible war with China “will take additional time.”

Trump administration faces pressure from the economic impact of the Iran war

Trump is facing increasing pressure from the economic shocks of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world's oil normally flows. The U.S. military in turn has blockaded Iranian ports and the two sides have traded fire, with American forces thwarting attacks on their warships and disabling Tehran-linked oil tankers.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned whether the Trump administration anticipated Iran’s closure of the strait, which has surged gasoline prices.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the president is briefed with carefully considered military options.

“It seems to me that there’s been a different plan almost daily of, with dealing with this problem, which is why I ask,” said Collins, who joined Democrats last month in a failed vote to halt the conflict and is facing a tough reelection fight.

Democrats in both hearings repeatedly questioned what the cost of the war would be, from repairing damaged military installations in the Middle East to the rising fuel prices.

"You’re spending families’ hard-earned tax dollars on a war that many strongly oppose, and you’re forcing people to pay more at the pump,” said Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state. “And yet you’re not even providing a real breakdown for the cost of this war.”

Hegseth responded rhetorically: “What is the cost of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon? And the fact that this president has been willing to make a historic and courageous choice to confront that it comes with cost — and we recognize that.”

Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, the ranking Democrat on the Senate's subcommittee, repeatedly asked how the Trump administration will reopen the strait to commercial shipping.

“If we control it, how do we reopen it?" Coons pressed Hegseth in a tense exchange.

Hegseth responded defensively, saying the senator was being disingenuous and ignoring the “incredible battlefield successes.”

Coons shot back that he was worried that “you’ve achieved a series of tactical successes but are on the verge of a strategic loss.”

——

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

Scattered showers are moving through the bay and thumb region this afternoon but will become more widespread as we head into the evening.

As rain continues into the late-night, thunderstorms will be possible. Storms may have small hail and gusty winds, but they aren’t expected to reach severe thresholds.

Rain is expected to move out between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.

On the backside of the low pressure system and cold front, we’ll see the chance of a stray shower linger into Wednesday.

Temperatures will also stay cool tomorrow. After starting the morning in the mid 40s to low 50s, highs will remain below-average in the mid 50s to near 60°.

Thursday will be slightly warmer, in the low 60s, with more sunshine. We’ll reach the upper 60s Friday, then jump to around 80 for the weekend.

Musk, the world’s richest man, is seeking Altman’s ouster from the company leadership as part of a civil lawsuit accusing him of betraying their shared vision for OpenAI. Since its start as a nonprofit funded primarily by Musk, OpenAI has evolved into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

More than two weeks into the trial in a federal courthouse in Oakland, California, neither of the tech titans has emerged as an overly sympathetic character. But nobody has more to lose than Altman.

Even if Musk loses the case, the trial has invited further scrutiny of Altman’s leadership at a crucial time for the company and its competition with Musk’s own AI firm and another rival, Anthropic, formed by a group of seven ex-OpenAI leaders. All three firms are moving toward planned initial public offerings that are expected to be some of the largest ever.

Under a barrage of questions by a lawyer for Musk, Altman said he did not agree with trial testimony that depicted him as dishonest.

“I believe I am an honest and trustworthy businessperson,” Altman said.

A jury that’s already heard about Altman’s character from a parade of his former allies and adversaries will ultimately decide the verdict. But the repercussions could reverberate widely.

“This is not looking good for any of them, and I think that that’s a little bit unfortunate for the AI industry at a time when the public perception of AI is quite negative and seems to be getting worse,” said Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.

Testimony about Altman has been a font of social media memes

The lawsuit accuses Altman and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted into a moneymaking mode behind his back. Musk is seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI’s charitable arm.

While Musk, the head of SpaceX, Tesla and a slew of other companies, was well known by the San Francisco Bay Area jury pool, fewer knew who Altman was before the start of the trial, even if they were familiar with ChatGPT.

Since the start of the trial, testimony about Altman’s turbulent tenure at OpenAI has become prime fodder for internet jokes. One piece of evidence that has inspired countless memes was a text exchange between Altman and a company officer, Mira Murati, in 2023 during his short-lived ouster as CEO, when Altman asked if things were moving “directionally good or bad” and she wrote back: “Sam this is very bad.”

Jurors have heard from witnesses including OpenAI ex-board members Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, who spoke about the decision to fire Altman in 2023 before they were themselves ousted from the board of directors when Altman returned to his role.

In video testimony last week, Toner said a starting point for the decision to oust Altman was when OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, a respected AI scientist, reached out to confide some of his own concerns.

“A phrase we used was ‘a pattern of behavior,’ so no one single cause,” Toner said. “The pattern of behavior related to his honesty and candor, his resistance of board oversight.”

Sutskever was instrumental in the unsuccessful attempt to oust Altman but later said he regretted his role in the shakeup. In his own testimony Monday, Sutskever confirmed that he wrote a 2023 memo to OpenAI’s board that characterized Altman as pitting his executives against one another and exhibiting a “consistent pattern of lying” that was causing a loss of trust and productivity.

He said he later backtracked and signed a letter supporting Altman’s reinstatement to try to keep the company from being destroyed.

Altman has cast Musk as bent on control of OpenAI

The trial has carried risks also for Musk, who is pursuing an initial public offering this summer for his rocket ship maker, SpaceX, which could make him the world's first trillionaire.

Sutskever testified to his early admiration for Musk as an entrepreneur but said that once they were working together as co-founders, Musk's push for a controlling stake in the startup “just felt aggressive to me.”

OpenAI has brushed off Musk’s allegations as an unfounded case of sour grapes that’s aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s own xAI.

In his testimony Tuesday, Altman said he had concerns about Musk’s attempts to gain more control over OpenAI, which was aiming to safely build a better-than-human form of AI called artificial general intelligence.

“Part of the reason we started OpenAI is we didn’t think AGI could be under the control of any one person,” Altman said, describing what he called a “particularly hair-raising moment when my co-founders asked Mr. Musk about, well, ‘If you have control, what happens when you die?’”

Altman said Musk’s response was that maybe the control should “pass to my children.” Altman said he did not feel comfortable with that.

Syracuse University professor Shubha Ghosh, an expert in business and technology law, said regardless of the outcome of the case, it has raised doubts about Altman's staying power as OpenAI CEO.

“A lot this of might depend upon a testimony,” he said. “And I don’t know what he’s going to say or how he’s going to say it. But even like the best case, movie theater type performance, with all the music playing and the angels descending or whatnot, I don’t see him coming off as a fairly strong leader, especially (since) this case has gone this far."

____

O'Brien contributed from Providence, Rhode Island.

Neither the Grizzlies nor Clarke's agency, Priority Sports, immediately provided any details about when, where or how Clarke died.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke. Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten," the Grizzlies said in a statement. "We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

His agents wrote on social media that they were “beyond devastated” by Clarke’s death.

“He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” Priority Sports said. “He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed sympathies to Clarke’s family and friends and the Grizzlies organization.

“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Silver said. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit.”

The National Basketball Players Association said: “This is an incredible loss for the brotherhood. We will remember Brandon not only for the immense joy he brought to so many throughout his career, but for the genuine friendships he built far beyond basketball.”

Clarke was arrested April 1 in Arkansas for speeding and possession of a controlled substance that was reportedly kratom, an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy that is legal to possess in Tennessee. He was released on bond a day later.

Clarke was the 21st overall pick out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA draft by Oklahoma, which dealt his rights to the Grizzlies, who already took guard Ja Morant at No. 2 overall. Clarke joined Morant on the NBA's All-Rookie team in 2020, and the Grizzlies gave him a multiyear contract extension in October 2022.

He tore his left Achilles tendon March 3, 2023, in a loss to the Denver Nuggets in a showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference. Injuries limited him to 72 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons, including only two this season.

Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds over his seven seasons with the Grizzlies.

___

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

Whitney Rush left her residence in the 12000 block of Lauder Street on Friday (May 1) and did not return home.

She was last seen wearing a brown scarf, black t-shirt and black jeans.

Rush is 32 years old, 5′3″, 120 lbs., has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 9th Precinct at 313-596-5940 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online.

Kelvin Evans, 41, entered guilty pleas in Fulton County Superior Court to entering an automobile and criminal trespass. He was sentenced to two years in prison, according to news outlets. He was scheduled to go on trial this week.

Evans broke into a parked Jeep Wagoneer last July that was rented by a choreographer and a dancer for Beyoncé.

Christoper Grant, the choreographer, and Diandre Blue, the dancer, told Atlanta police they returned to the vehicle on July 8 to find the trunk window damaged and two suitcases gone.

Stolen items included hard drives containing unreleased music, footage plans and concert set lists, according to a police report. The theft occurred two days before Beyoncé kicked off four nights of concerts at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as part of her “Cowboy Carter” tour.

Surveillance cameras captured the break-in. Police arrested Evans in August.

They have not recovered the hard drives or other stolen items.

An initial session of about two hours took place at the office of the Major League Baseball Players Association, a five-minute walk from Major League Baseball's headquarters in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center. The meeting lasted about two hours and was scheduled for initial presentations from each side on their view of the sport and its economics. No proposals were made.

Players who attended included Mets infielder Marcus Semien, a member of the union's eight-man executive subcommittee, along with Mets teammates Clay Holmes and Austin Slater, a person familiar with the session told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the attendees were not announced. Additional players joined via video conference.

The sport's five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has said repeatedly that management prefers offseason lockouts to in-season strikes, aiming to prevent the loss of regular-season games. Baseball has not lost regular-season games to a work stoppage since a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that caused the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.

Talks for the last agreement began in April 2021 and ended with a deal on March 10, 2022 that preserved the 162-game schedule only after the sides bargained past several deadlines and Manfred announced the cancellation of 184 games, which were restored.

Bruce Meyer will lead negotiations for the union, as he did in 2021-22, but in his new role as interim union head. He moved up from deputy director in February after the forced resignation of Tony Clark, a former All-Star first baseman who took over following the death of Michael Weiner in 2013.

Deputy commissioner Dan Halem heads MLB's negotiations team, as he did in talks for the previous two agreements.

Some major league owners have said a salary cap system that also contains a floor is needed and would improve the sport. MLB, unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, has not had a cap system, but since 2003 has had a luxury tax designed to slow spending.

“When I talk to the players, I don’t try to convince them that a salary cap system would be a good thing,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America last summer. “I identify a problem in the media business and explain to them that owners need to change to address that problem. I then identify a second problem that we need to work together and that is that there are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem."

Restraints had not appeared to have had much impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in recent years. The Dodgers shattered MLB's spending records with a combined $515 million in payroll and luxury tax last year en route to their second straight World Series title, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner’s office, and Los Angeles is projected for the highest total again in 2026. The ratio of the five highest spenders to the five lowest increased from 3.6 in 2021 to a record-high 4.7 last year.

The union maintains a cap system decreases spending on players, while management argues a cap and a floor would benefit most players.

Players increased their potential war chest of cash and investments ahead of collective bargaining to $415 million heading into 2026. MLB also has been accumulating cash ahead of bargaining, about $75 million per club in withheld central fund distributions.

___

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

Weinstein, the former Hollywood honcho who has been imprisoned on various sex crime convictions since 2020, watched quietly as the two sides made their closing arguments about whether he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a New York hotel in March 2013.

“She has taken on a false narrative about all of this,” Weinstein lawyer Marc Agnifilo said.

“She has absolutely no motive to lie. None,” prosecutor Nicole Blumberg countered.

Jurors, who are expected to start deliberating Wednesday, will have to sift through the complexities of a yearslong relationship between Weinstein and Mann.

They met in early 2013, when she was trying to make it big in Hollywood. She testified that she anticipated a professional connection, was taken aback when he started making sexual advances but decided to have a relationship with the then-married, Oscar-winning producer.

A few weeks later, according to Mann, Weinstein abruptly took a room at a Doubletree hotel where she and a friend were staying. When she accompanied Weinstein upstairs to tell him she didn't want a sexual interlude, she testified, he trapped her in the room, grabbed her arms, insisted she undress, went into the bathroom for a time, and then raped her.

“He just treated me like he owned me,” she testified last month.

Weinstein didn't testify, but his defense contends the encounter was consensual and part of a caring relationship that Mann fostered and leaned on until Weinstein’s #MeToo downfall in 2017. That was when news reports about allegations against him propelled a global campaign against sexual assault and sexual harassment. He has said he behaved “wrongly” but never assaulted anyone.

He was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann, got the conviction overturned, then saw a jury deadlock on it at a retrial last year.

In summations Tuesday, Agnifilo suggested that parts of Mann's account were ill-supported or implausible. He underscored the warm email exchanges and continued get-togethers she had with Weinstein before and after the alleged rape — and a musing, diary-like note she wrote to herself two days after the encounter. In the note, she expresses her misgivings about her emotional attachment in a nonexclusive relationship, asks whether she loves “him or the idea of him,” questions her “woulds and would nots,” and worries about being “a ‘bad’ person.”

The note doesn't name the man, but Agnifilo asserted it was about Weinstein and that its silence about any alleged assault spoke volumes. Rather, the lawyer contended, “this is how she's falling in love with him” and grappling with feelings of transgressing the values of her religious upbringing.

Agnifilo said the two had “a sweet, loving, supportive relationship,” noting that Weinstein encouraged Mann’s acting ambitions, helped her land a hairstyling job, provided emotional support during her father’s terminal illness and tried to send her money — which she declined — when she was broke.

Blumberg, the prosecutor, scoffed at that portrayal.

“This was not some four-year, loving relationship. This was a woman who got manipulated by that man,” she said.

“Did a part of her love him? Absolutely. But did she consent to having sexual intercourse with the defendant inside the Doubletree hotel on March 18, 2013? Absolutely not,” Blumberg said. “No means no -- to most people. You know who no doesn’t mean no to? Harvey Weinstein.”

Whatever the outcome of the trial, the former movie producer and studio boss still will stand convicted of other sex crimes in New York and California, though he is appealing those convictions. If convicted in the current trial, Weinstein, 73, could face up to four years in prison — less time than he already has served.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be named, as Mann has done.

Rather than waning, a national redistricting battle that began 10 months ago has intensified — inflamed by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and provided grounds for states to try to eliminate voting districts with large minority populations.

Missouri was the second Republican state after Texas to heed Trump's call last year to redraw congressional districts to help the GOP win additional seats in the midterms. Opponents argued Tuesday that the gerrymandered districts violated a state compactness requirement and should have been suspended last December when activists submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures seeking a public referendum. The state Supreme Court issued no immediate ruling.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Louisiana wrestled with how politically aggressive to be when redrawing House districts after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a majority-Black district as an illegal racial gerrymander. In South Carolina, Republicans facing pressure from Trump to redistrict weighed the political risks of doing so.

The ripples of the Louisiana ruling also extended into Alabama, where Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced an Aug. 11 special primary for four of the state's seven congressional districts. That came after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday overturned an order mandating use of a map with two largely Black districts. The state plans to switch to a map passed in 2023 that has only one majority-Black district, though opponents have asked a court to again block that plan.

Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from new House maps enacted so far in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain six seats from new maps in California and Utah. The Virginia Supreme Court last week struck down a redistricting effort that could have yielded four more winnable seats for Democrats.

Missouri map splits Kansas City district

Attorneys for voters challenging Missouri's new map focused on changes to a Kansas City-based district long represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who previously was the city’s first Black mayor.

The new map takes a compact urban district that covered 20 miles (32 kilometers) and two counties and stretches it 200 miles (322 kilometers) over 15 counties, distorting it “into a sprawling behemoth that cuts clear across the state to unite territories that share nothing in common,” said Abha Khanna, an attorney who has represented Democrats in voting and redistricting cases across the country.

A lower court ruled in March that the map as a whole satisfied the compactness requirement, even though the Kansas City district is less compact. No Missouri court has ever struck down a congressional map for not being compact, said attorney John Gore, who defended the districts on behalf of the Republican Party.

A second case heard by the high court centered on whether the new map took effect in December, as asserted by Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, or whether it should have been suspended when referendum signatures were submitted.

To suspend the map before validating the signatures would let activists temporarily undercut laws by submitting boxes of fraudulent signatures, Missouri Solicitor General Lou Capozzi argued.

But to not immediately suspend the map “would dilute the referendum right, if not destroy it altogether,” said attorney Jonathan Hawley, arguing for voters who sued.

Republican officials contend the new districts can be suspended only after Hoskins determines the petition meets constitutional requirements and has enough valid signatures. Hoskins has until Aug. 4, the day of Missouri’s primary elections, to make that determination. A state judge in March agreed with Republicans’ position.

Louisiana hearing leads to death threats

Louisiana state Sen. Jay Morris, a Republican who drafted redistricting bills that would eliminate one or both of the state’s majority Black districts, told lawmakers Monday that he received death threats after Friday's contentious hearing in which he told members of the public to “shut up.”

Morris acknowledged the outburst but denied the Louisiana Democratic Party’s assertion — blasted across social media and in a press release — that he also used the derogatory term “boy” toward its executive director, Dadrius Lanus, who is Black.

State Sen. Gary Carter, one of three Black Democrats serving alongside six white Republicans on the Senate committee overseeing redistricting, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had withdrawn from the committee “to help restore the decorum and focus that this moment demands” after shouting at Republicans during last Friday’s hearing. Carter publicly apologized on Monday to Morris and his Senate colleagues for having “lost my temper” and for any remarks that were taken as “personal attacks.”

Carter is the nephew of U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat who represents New Orleans and is at risk of losing his seat in the redistricting process. Gary Carter is being replaced on the committee with state Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat representing New Orleans.

South Carolina weighs political risks of redistricting

A South Carolina House committee on Tuesday was considering whether to send a congressional redistricting plan to the full chamber for debate, alongside a proposal to delay the June 9 congressional primaries until August.

That comes even as some absentee and overseas military ballots already have been cast, and the state’s top election official warned of an “extremely tight” deadline where one problem or mistake could derail an election.

Any redistricting effort also must clear the Senate, where support is uncertain. Two-thirds of senators have to agree before the regular General Assembly session ends Thursday to let the legislature take up redistricting later.

Trump said on social media Monday that he was closely watching the redistricting vote, urging South Carolina senators to “be bold and courageous” and to delay the House primaries so new districts can be drawn.

Although Republicans have a supermajority in the chamber, some GOP senators aren’t sure the proposed map guarantees the party can unseat longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. They also said it could push enough Democrats into other districts to backfire, resulting in a 5-2 or even a 4-3 Republican split.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey acknowledged the pressure from Trump, but said he doesn't like being asked to bend to someone’s will instead of doing what’s best for his state.

“I got too much Southern in my blood,” Massey said. “I’ve got too much resistance in my heritage.”

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Brook reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chandler from Montgomery, Alabama, Collins from Columbia, South Carolina, and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between Woods' defense attorney and prosecutors following a four-minute hearing in Martin County circuit court, just north of Palm Beach County.

Prosecutors had issued a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer at a Palm Beach pharmacy from the start of the year through the end of March. Defense attorney Doug Duncan had previously argued that Woods has a constitutional right to privacy when it comes to his prescription medications, but he acknowledged during the hearing that the right is not absolute and that prosecutors could make a compelling argument for why they were needed.

Meanwhile, prosecutors agreed to Duncan's request for a protective order limiting the release of records only to prosecutors, law enforcement officers, state experts and Woods' defense team.

Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University who is not connected to the case, said the agreement and the judge's approval seems normal for DUI case, particularly one that involves drugs instead of alcohol. Florida law considers a driver with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or higher to be impaired, but there's no clear, measurable standard to determine impairment for other drugs. That means prosecutors will have to use field sobriety tests, officer testimony and other evidence to convince jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that Woods was impaired.

Jarvis said there's no indication so far that Woods is receiving special treatment, either more harsh or more lenient, because of his celebrity status.

“We don’t know if the prosecutor offered a plea, and a typical defendant would have taken the plea, and Tiger Woods decided not to take the plea,” Jarvis said. “But other than that, I think that this is what would happen no matter who the defendant was.”

Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. A sheriff’s office report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket, and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a truck's trailer and rolled onto its side.

Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) speed limit when his Land Rover caused $5,000 in damage to the truck, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test, authorities said.

Woods has traveled outside of the United States to seek treatment at an inpatient treatment facility, according to court records.

The Labor Department's consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years, and up from a 3.3% year-over-year gain in March. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%, according to the data released Tuesday. The month-over-month gain was down from a 0.9% increase in overall prices from February to March, when the initial financial shock from the war hit the U.S. economy.

Labor Department figures showed that gasoline prices are up more than 28% compared with a year ago. However, the AAA motor club listed the average regular gallon of gasoline above $4.50 on Tuesday, about 44% more than it cost last year at this time.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices rose 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst has yet to spill over more broadly into prices for other goods.

Grocery prices rose 0.7% from March to April as meat prices rose after they had declined slightly in the month before.

Prices are rising at a time when Americans are already frustrated by the high cost of living. Affordability is likely to be a key issue when voters go to the polls Nov. 3 to determine whether President Donald Trump's Republican Party maintains control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“Inflation is the key drag on the U.S. economy now,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote. “There is a real financial squeeze underway. For the first time in three years, inflation is eating up all wage gains. This is a setback for middle-class and lower-income households and they know it. They are having to cut back on spending and stretch every dollar.”

In April, average hourly wages fell 0.3% from a year earlier after accounting for inflation – the first year-over-year drop in three years.

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1% year-over-year spike in June 2022, a surge caused by supply chain bottlenecks at the end of COVID-19 lockdowns and a jolt for energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But inflation has remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Then, the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and Tehran responded by shutting off access to the Gulf of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. That has sent oil prices, and most visibly gasoline, racing higher.

The Fed, which had been expected to cut its benchmark interest rate in 2026, has turned cautious as it waits to see how long the conflict lasts and whether higher energy prices spill over into other products and cause a broader inflationary outbreak.

Trump has lambasted the Fed and its outgoing chair, Jerome Powell, for refusing to slash rates to boost the economy. Kevin Warsh, the president’s hand-picked choice to succeed Powell, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week; but it’s unclear whether Warsh would pursue lower rates given the uncertainties arising from the war — or whether he could persuade his colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee to go along if he tried.

Some companies are also starting to feel the pain.

Whirlpool, which makes KitchenAid and Maytag appliances, reported last week that revenue dropped nearly 10% in its most recent quarter and said that the war has caused a “recession-level industry decline″ that has undermined consumer confidence.

Grace King of Ames, Iowa, said that higher prices in the food aisle and at the pump are making her cut back on spending for things like clothing. The administrative assistant, 31, used to spend $200 per month on clothing, mostly on Amazon, but not anymore.

“There’s pressure basically everywhere from the groceries that I buy to the gas to fill up the tank,” she said. “I’ve severely cut back on my frill spending.”

For example, King noted that while it’s only a five-minute drive to work, she makes the trip twice a day. And if she needs to do any big shopping, that’s a 40-minute drive to malls in Des Moines, Iowa.

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AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this story.

Golden Tempo is the third Kentucky Derby winner over the past five years not in the Preakness Stakes, which for the sixth time in eight years will run without a Triple Crown contender.

While no decisions have been made, Maryland officials are considering shifting the Preakness from two weeks to three after the Derby, which always runs the first Saturday in May with the Belmont Stakes on the first Saturday in June — a five-week span that has been a mainstay since 1969, except for the 2020 pandemic when they were run out of order.

It's almost unheard of for elite thoroughbreds now to race that frequently. While momentum is building toward a change worthy of upending tradition, many at the height of the sport wonder if one additional week would even make a difference.

“It’s not enough, no,” trainer Brad Cox said. “A lot of the trainers that have the success at the top level with these 3-year-olds would tell you that you would like more than three weeks."

Anything more would require a massive undertaking involving stakeholders in multiple jurisdictions and media companies.

Changing the Triple Crown could be complicated

American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 became the 12th and 13th horses to sweep all three races. The 2015 win ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought that was the longest in history.

The concern is less about whether a 3-year-old is good enough to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont and more about them not even getting the opportunity. Typically, the best horses go a month or more between races, including a grueling road just to get to Churchill Downs for the Derby.

“It’s pretty obvious that the horses benefit from more time in between races,” Chad Brown, five-time Eclipse Award-winner as trainer of the year, said. “They run a lot less than they used to over the course of time, when you study the history, and I guess we have to take a step back and look at what’s best — even if it’s an uncomfortable change.”

Brown, who has won the Preakness twice, agrees with Cox that three weeks is not enough but also said a small shift should come first.

The Maryland Jockey Club, which is taking over control of the Preakness from 1/ST Racing beginning next year, must first complete a media rights agreement that could play a big role in when the race is held. 1/ST Racing in 2023 broached the possibility of moving the Preakness back by two weeks, and while that never happened, new people in charge now have that control.

“We do have that luxury of just starting over and listening to all viewpoints, and ultimately we’re going to try to make the best decision we can for obviously the event and horse racing and the state of Maryland,” Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager Bill Knauf told The Associated Press this week. “We obviously recognize the history. We know what obviously has happened recently in terms of some of the Derby winners not being able to make it because of the timing. So, everything is going to be considered.”

Watching the developments keenly are officials in charge of the Belmont, which would likely need to shift in some way to avoid the same dilemma of another short turnaround. That decision is up to the New York Racing Association, and pushing the final Crown race back to, say, the July Fourth weekend is unlikely given the lack of fan interest in sports during the holiday.

NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna said: “We are always willing to engage with Churchill Downs and the Maryland Jockey Club to ensure the continued success of the Triple Crown.”

Horse welfare is the most important thing

It's not typically the fear of injury but rather performance concerns that keep owners and trainers from wanting to risk a two- or three-week turnaround.

“It’s not that the horses can’t do it,” said trainer Whit Beckman, who entered Ocelli in the Preakness after he finished third in the Derby. "These are very durable, resilient animals when they’re fit, when they’re happy, when they’re healthy, so it’s not necessarily a matter of they can’t do it. It’s just a matter of the opportunities nowadays just don’t seem to arise like this.”

Like Bill Mott with Derby champion Sovereignty last year, Cherie DeVaux is bypassing the Preakness with Golden Tempo to focus on the Belmont on June 6. The five-week gap paid off for Sovereignty, who won the Belmont, the Jim Dandy and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York and is back racing as a 4-year-old.

“They obviously skipped the Preakness because it’s kind of tough for trainers and owners,” Cox said. "We sometimes get bashed about not having horses stay around at the age of 4, but you’ve got to manage them properly and manage them right in order to get some longevity out of them. And running them back in two weeks, demanding races, oftentimes that’s not going to lead to longevity.”

Sovereignty earned nearly $6 million, and his success will be worth even more in breeding.

There are many other factors to consider

Brown, whose opinion has evolved to embracing change, wants horse racing to figure out the reasons the race should get moved: based on more Derby horses in the Preakness, long-term health coming out of it and viewership.

"Are you looking for a little bit of all of it?” Brown said. “The industry needs to clearly define what their main objectives are before you move it and work backwards from there to see what date of this race is going to achieve those. ”

More Derby winners and horses in general going to the Preakness could restore the luster of the race and perhaps boost viewership and attendance, which last year was down 60% from pre-pandemic levels.

Television exposure is crucial, and Knauf expects resolution on a new media rights deal soon. Whether NBC Sports retains the rights or Fox Sports takes over, as it has the Belmont, could affect negotiations over spacing.

“There are a lot of factors, and certainly the media rights and broadcast partner, dependent on whatever events they already are showcasing on those weekends come in,” Knauf said. “We are trying to do the best that we can to obviously communicate with all of them, communicate eventually with partners in NYRA and Churchill as part of the Triple Crown.”

Knauf expects whatever strategy Maryland comes up with to be implemented as soon as 2027, when the Preakness returns to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore after a one-year stint at Laurel Park. That would be the start of a shift in racing that Brown considers inevitable.

“It’s not sustainable,” Brown said. “You can’t ignore the trend, and you can’t ignore the fact that horses in all different categories and class levels seem to appreciate more time in between their races, for whatever the reasons are. So, that’s the way we’re headed.”

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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

The nonpartisan CBO report, published Tuesday, is described as an analysis that reflects “one illustrative approach rather than an estimate of a specific Administration proposal.”

The futuristic system was ordered by Trump in an executive order during his first week in office. He said then that he expected the system to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which wraps up in January 2029.

“Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems,” Trump said in his executive order, justifying the need for the missile defense system.

The CBO’s estimates are in part based on a lack of details from the Defense Department about what and how many systems will be deployed, “making it impossible to estimate the long term cost” of the Golden Dome system, the report says.

The concept for the missile system is at least partly inspired by Israel’s multitiered defenses, often collectively referred to as the “Iron Dome,” which played a key role in defending it from rocket and missile fire from Iran and allied militant groups as it prosecutes the war on Iran alongside the U.S.

The U.S. Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground and space-based capabilities able to detect, intercept and stop missiles at all major stages of a potential attack.

Congress has already approved roughly $24 billion for the missile defense initiative through Republicans' massive tax and spending measure signed into law last summer.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, who requested the estimate from the CBO, said in response to the report that the missile defense project is “nothing more than a massive giveaway to defense contractors paid for entirely by working Americans.”

Last May, the president said the Golden Dome would cost $175 billion. The CBO last year estimated that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years.

Local 4 cameras captured video of the dig, starting around 9 a.m. May 12, 2026, at Pingree Park, which is at Forest Avenue and Iroquois Street on Detroit’s east side.

This is part of Operation United Block -- a joint operation involving the Detroit Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.

Operation United Block has included some previous digs, and there will be more in the future. This initiative between local, state, and federal authorities is a search for missing persons, but not any single missing person in particular.

Firetrucks, emergency vehicles, and a backhoe are at the park near a command center.

Here’s video footage of the scene:

The S&P 500 fell 0.4% from its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 73 points, or 0.2%, as of 2:26 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was down 1.2% from its own record.

Some of the sharpest drops hit chip companies and stocks that had been on electric runs because of the artificial-intelligence boom. Intel slumped 8.6% after its stock had more than tripled so far this year. Micron Technology dropped 6.1% after coming into the day with a gain of nearly 180% for the year to date, and CoreWeave sank 7.7% to cut into its gain of 60% for 2026.

The pullback for AI stocks began earlier in the day in Asia, where South Korea’s Kospi index sank 2.3% from its all-time high on worries that the government may redistribute windfall AI profits from companies to its citizens.

Also weighing on Wall Street was another rise in oil prices as the war with Iran threatens to drag on. The price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 3.6% to $107.97 as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire looks more tenuous. The war has essentially shut the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, keeping them stuck in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide.

The resulting leap for crude oil prices, with Brent up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war, caused inflation in the United States to worsen last month by more than economists expected, according to a report released Tuesday. In another discouraging signal, price increases accelerated by more in April than economists expected even after excluding gasoline and food costs.

That could be a result of tariffs and bad weather also pushing prices higher, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

Treasury yields rose in the bond market following an initial zigzag, suggesting traders suspect the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates high to combat inflation.

The Fed has been keeping its cuts to interest rates on hold recently, as it waits to see how high inflation will go because of the war with Iran and the tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. That’s because lower rates can worsen inflation at the same time that they give the economy a boost.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.46% from 4.42% late Monday and remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war.

Traders still largely expect the Fed to keep its main interest rate steady this year, but they're now betting on a better than 1-in-3 chance that it could hike rates by December, according to data from CME Group. Higher rates tend to push down on stock prices, while also slowing the economy.

Despite the climbs for Treasury yields, oil prices and uncertainty because of the Iran war, the U.S. stock market has remained remarkably resilient recently, in large part because companies keep producing bigger profits than analysts expected.

Zebra Technologies became the latest company in the S&P 500 to top analysts’ expectations for earnings, and its stock leaped 14.4%. The company, which helps customers digitize and automate their workflows with bar code scanners and other products, also gave a forecast for profit over the full year that topped analysts’ expectations.

But Under Armour sank 19.4% after reporting a worse loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Kevin Plank said the company is continuing steps to “reset the business and restore the discipline required to operate as a best-in-class brand.”

Outside of earnings reports, GameStop fell 2.5% after eBay rejected a buyout offer from the much smaller company, calling it “neither credible nor attractive.” It highlighted uncertainty about how GameStop would raise the money to pull off the purchases, among other challenges for the deal, and eBay's stock added 1.4%.

Beazer Homes USA fell 4.8% after likewise rejecting an unsolicited buyout offer. It said that Dream Finders Homes has repeatedly undervalued it in its attempts to buy the homebuilder, including with its latest bid, which offered less than prior offers.

Dream Finders dropped 13.7%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes mostly fell across Europe and Asia.

Besides South Korea’s tumble, losses of 1.6% for Germany’s DAX and 1% for France’s CAC 40 were some of the world’s sharpest.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5%.

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AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The festival launched with a tribute to director Peter Jackson, handing the “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker an honorary Palme d’Or. He was introduced by actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in Jackson's fantasy franchise, one of many notable faces on the Cannes red carpet, including Bong Joon Ho, Joan Collins, Heidi Klum and James Franco.

“I've never figured out why I'm getting a Palme d'Or. I'm not a Palme d'Or sorta guy,” said the shaggy haired New Zealand filmmaker.

Jackson was then serenaded with a rendition of the song “Get Back,” a nod to his lauded 2021 documentary about The Beatles. The director sat stage right mouthing the lyrics.

Jane Fonda and the Chinese-Singaporean star Gong Li officially opened the festival, with Fonda declaring: “Cinema has always been an act of resistance.”

It was a fitting observation for a film festival that has already seen politics take center stage. At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d’Or, Cannes’ top honor, jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict.

The Palme d'Or jury weighs politics in film

Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year's Cannes poster, of “Thelma and Louise,” while discussing attending Cannes during what he called “genocide in Gaza.” Quoting “King Lear,” he said: “Madmen lead the blind.”

“Cannes has a wonderful poster,” said Laverty. “Isn’t it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood people who do that.”

The nine-member jury is being presided over by Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker of “Oldboy” and “No Other Choice,” who said that politics and cinema go hand in hand.

“Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,” said Park. “One cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.”

Other jury members include Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore, who two years ago was celebrated in Cannes for her comeback performance in “The Substance.”

Moore spoke about a topic that's already dominated conversation at this year's festival.

“AI is here, and so to fight it is to, in a sense, to fight something that is a battle that we will lose,” she said. “So to find ways in which we can work with it, I think, is a more valuable path,” she said. “Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don’t know. My inclination would be to say probably not.”

Hollywood takes a hiatus

What isn’t at Cannes has been as buzzed about as much as what is. Hollywood is largely absent this year.

While recent blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Elvis” have touched down at previous incarnations, studio films this year have been either scared away by the possibility of a rocky reception or by the high cost of flying in A-listers to the Cote d’Azur. The closest thing in Cannes' slate is an anniversary celebration for “Fast & Furious.”

Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux said Hollywood “is reshaping” in the midst of Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

“I hope the studio films will come back,” Frémaux told reporters on Monday.

Oscar season starts early

Cannes has become better known for its lengthy standing ovations than its boos.

This year, a long list of big-name filmmakers will have center stage. Among the filmmakers set to unveil new movies are Pedro Almodovar (“Bitter Christmas”), James Gray (“Paper Tiger”), Na Hong-jin (“Hope”), Pawel Pawlikowski (“Fatherland”) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“All of a Sudden”).

If Cannes has waned as a global launchpad for studio releases, it has grown as a breeding ground for Oscar contenders.

Two years ago, Sean Baker’s “Anora” won the Palme before winning best picture. Last year, Cannes selections like “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident” went on to play prominent roles in awards season.

More often than not, the specialty distributor Neon has been at the forefront of the Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline. Neon has backed the past six Palme d’Or winners, an unprecedented streak that it may be poised to extend. The company is attached to more than a quarter of the 22 films in competition for the Palme d’Or.

While Cannes may be light on big Hollywood movies, it isn’t lacking in stars. Set to appear over the next two weeks are Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra Hüller and many others.

How much any of this will serve as backdrop for “The White Lotus” remains to be seen. The fourth season of Mike White’s acclaimed HBO series is based around a trip to Cannes. Last month, the show began shooting on the French Riviera.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, said in an online post that it “reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved in this incident.”

The company didn’t provide any details on the agreement, including whether it involved a payment, and didn’t elaborate who was behind the hack. Instructure temporarily took the system offline while it investigated, locking out students and faculty.

A hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for last week's breach, threatening to leak data involving nearly 9,000 schools worldwide and 275 million individuals if schools did not pay a ransom by May 6. The group then extended the deadline, indicating some schools had engaged with them to negotiate.

ShinyHunters also was behind a smaller breach of Infrastructure last year. A lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Utah alleged Instructure did not do enough to protect the platform used by millions of students and made itself “easy prey for cybercriminals.”

As part of the deal, the data was returned to Instructure. The company said Monday that it also received “digital confirmation" that the hackers destroyed any remaining copies, in the form of "shred logs.”

The company acknowledged that there was no way to be sure that the data was erased for good, and said it took action because of concerns about potential publication of the data.

“While there is never complete certainty when dealing with cybercriminals, we believe it was important to take every step within our control to give customers additional peace of mind, to the extent possible,” Instructure said.

Cybersecurity experts were skeptical it was the end of the attack. Cynthia Kaiser, a former deputy director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said the reported deal suggests that a ransom was likely paid.

“What victims must understand is that payment does not end the threat,” Kaiser, now the senior vice president of the Halcyon Ransomware Research Center, said in a written statement. "Stolen data will be used against clients and users for as long as it remains profitable to do so.”

The data breach appeared to involve student ID numbers, email addresses, names and messages on the Canvas platform, Instructure’s chief information security officer, Steve Proud, said earlier this month. The company found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identification or financial information were compromised, it said.

The company said it was working with "expert vendors" to do a forensic analysis, “further harden” its systems, and carry out a “comprehensive review of the data involved.”

The disruption caused panic last week among students and faculty members when they were locked out of a platform they rely on to manage grades and access course notes and assignments.

Schools and universities use Canvas to manage nearly all aspects of instruction. The platform acts as a gradebook, a hub for digital lectures and course materials, a discussion board for classroom projects, and a messaging platform between students and instructors.

Some courses also give quizzes and exams on the platform, or use it as a portal where final projects and papers are submitted on deadline.

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Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report.

He had speaking lines — pulling off a “Saved by the Bell” joke — in Adam Sandler's “Happy Gilmore 2” and even snagged a bit part for his wife alongside him for a party scene in the recent Anne Hathaway movie “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

There's something about sequels that fits McIlroy just fine these days.

No red carpet needed.

Try green jackets. Two of them, after he joined Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only repeat winners of the Masters.

The 37-year-old McIlroy is living his best life ahead of this weekend's PGA Championship, feeling at ease as he navigates not only the pressures of trying to win another major, but time management that comes with outside opportunities, as well — running the gamut from movie cameos to schmoozing with the Kelce brothers on their podcast to a state dinner during the visit of King Charles III at the White House with President Donald Trump.

“Sometimes you have to enjoy the perks,” McIlroy said, “because I know that isn't going to last forever.”

McIlroy, winner of the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships, even found time to squeeze in rounds two weeks ago at Aronimink Golf Club to get a feel for the course before the first round starts Thursday. McIlroy played his only rounds at the suburban Philadelphia course at the 2018 BMW Championship and found the early visits can sometimes give him a bit of an edge headed into otherwise unfamiliar courses for the bulk of the field.

“I definitely think courses we don’t see very often, whether it’s here or Shinnecock or Frisco, it certainly has benefited me over the years,” McIlroy said. “I remember the first time I did it for a major championship was Congressional in 2011 on the back of a recommendation from Jack Nicklaus. So, it’s helped me over the years.”

The advice from Nicklaus for the early trip to Congressional Country Club was a success — McIlroy won the 2011 U.S. Open by eight strokes.

McIlroy is trying to join Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015) as the only golfers to win the first two majors of the year in the modern rotation.

“Coming into this tournament feels a lot different than what it did last year,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I’ve got some nice clear road ahead to try to get some more of these majors.”

For as much has gone right for McIlroy — and at only 37, he shows no sign of slowing down — he's happy to admit when he gets something wrong.

LIV Golf had a seemingly endless supply of Saudi money that suddenly is coming to an end. The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia bankrolled LIV and seemingly had a deal in place to join commercial forces with the PGA Tour. The Saudis walked away from LIV and McIlroy admitted Tuesday at Aronimink that he never should have advocated for them to invest in the tour.

“I can admit when I’m wrong, and that was one that I did get wrong,” McIlroy said. “I think it was always a possibility to happen. I think everyone knows like with everything that’s happening in the Middle East, that had a lot to do; but whenever you have funding tied so much to the geopolitical landscape in the world, that’s a tricky road to navigate.”

McIlroy, the only European with the career Grand Slam, hasn't found much else to worry about this year.

He played last weekend at Quail Hollow (one of his favorite courses), making the Truist Championship his lone tournament since he won at Augusta.

“I need to take the time after the Masters to reset and decompress and get myself in the right mental space again to get myself up for this tournament and keep going for the U.S. Open and The Open Championship,” he said.

Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite to win at Aronimink, followed by McIlroy.

After a career full of chasing, chasing, chasing and falling short at Augusta, McIlroy was about swallowed by the enormity last year of actually winning the Masters.

The fulfilment of a career Grand Slam left him wondering, what's next?

Turned out, the answer was as simple as winning Augusta again.

He now has six majors, tied with Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson. The professional bucket list is about full — how about a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics? — and the only real challenge is to see how high he can rise among the career major winners.

McIlroy's not even close to yelling, “Cut!” on his career. But if there are more film projects out there looking for an actor to play, well, give the Northern Irishman a shout.

“There’s going to be a day where I’m not sitting up here and I’m not competing for major championships and I’m not doing what I’m doing,” he said. “I guess while I’m doing it, I have to enjoy it, as well.”

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

Macron said the Africa Forward Summit marked a financial shift in relations between France and African nations, including those that were once its colonies. Kenya, which was not a French colony, co-hosted the gathering with France.

Investments worth 23 billion euros ($27 billion) will fund various sectors in Africa, including energy, artificial intelligence and agriculture, Macron said, adding that 14 billion euros ($16.4 billion) will come from French companies and 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) from African entities.

Kenyan President William Ruto, mentioned the word sovereignty eight times in his speech Tuesday.

New partnerships between the African nations and France “must not be built on dependency but on sovereign equality, not on aid or charity but on mutually beneficial investment, and not on extraction or exploitation but on win-win engagements," Ruto said.

The gathering in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, comes at the height of a fallout between France and its former colonies, mostly in West Africa. France has long maintained a colonial-era policy of economic, political and military sway dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in African countries it once controlled.

After years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach, France has withdrawn its troops from those countries and last July, completed its withdrawal from Senegal.

Macron said Paris will respect each African country's independence, adding that “sovereignty and autonomy are shared, and your success is our success.”

The “days of offering assistance are behind us,” Macron said as he lauded the strong display of unity among African heads of state and government at the summit. "I’d like to focus on co-investment.”

Among those who attended were Senegal, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Rwanda — parts of Francophone Africa — and Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Botswana, all Anglophone countries.

Patricia Rodrigues, Africa director for Control Risks, said France was rebalancing its ties after losing influence to Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

“By organizing an Africa-France summit on the continent, rather than requiring African heads of state to travel to Paris to sign agreements, Macron is seeking to demonstrate that commitment to equality,” said Rodrigues, an expert at the global risk assessment group.

Kenyan economist Wangari Muikia said Africa was diversifying by collaborating with non-European nations, emphasizing growth partnerships rather than historical influence.

“China, the Gulf (Arab) states, and others have expanded aggressively into (African) infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing, offering governments alternative sources of finance and partnership,” she said.

Muikia said the biggest question would be whether these new partnerships with France would move away from exploiting raw materials.

“Without that structural shift, the legacy of Françafrique will continue to shape perceptions of France’s engagement, regardless of how the new model is presented,” she said.

As the summit wrapped up, a joint declaration by all 30 heads of state and government that attended, pledged cooperation in sectors such as energy, technology, agriculture and health.

The runway fatality underscores the longstanding challenge of keeping intruders out of major airports such as Denver's, which sprawls across 53 square miles (138 square kilometers), twice the size of Manhattan.

The trespasser triggered an alarm as he crossed into the airport in a remote area about 2 miles from the terminal late Friday night. But security personnel mistakenly attributed that alarm to a herd of deer that was nearby.

Authorities said the man entered the airport intending to take his own life. However, no note from the victim was immediately recovered. Officials determined the cause of death to be suicide based on their investigation at the scene and a postmortem examination, said Sterling McLaren, chief medical examiner for the city and county of Denver. She did not provide further details.

The collision involving the Frontier Airlines plane sparked an engine fire that forced passengers to evacuate. Twelve people sustained minor injuries and five were taken to hospitals. Four have since been released, said airport Chief Executive Officer Phillip Washington.

A black-and-white video released by the airport shows, from a distance, a tiny figure walking toward the runway with arms swaying. The person crosses onto the runway at a slight angle and seconds later the plane is seen speeding past. It strikes the person with its right engine, which bursts into flame upon impact.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

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Passengers were evacuated via slides.

Federal officials notified the airport

A few minutes before the man scaled the fence, a ground-based radar system activated in the area, triggering an alarm. An airport worker checked a surveillance camera and saw a herd of deer in the same area but did not initially see the trespasser, Washington said.

"The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual. There are some ditches in the area, so the person was out of view before the hit as well,” Washington said.

He said federal officials notified the airport about the trespasser minutes later. But because of the location and short time period between the man scaling the fence and crossing the runway, Washington said airport personnel were not able to intervene.

The man crossed about 650 feet (200 meters) from the fence to the runway before being struck and killed by the Frontier Airlines plane traveling at 150 mph (240 kilometers per hour) on takeoff.

The plane’s engine caused the man’s death, McLaren said.

Trespassers breaching airport perimeters is a longstanding and regular problem, with perhaps dozens annually nationwide, said security expert Jeff Price, who was assistant director of security at the Denver airport in the 1990s. Denver International Airport is located northeast of the city center and surrounded by about 36 miles of perimeter fence, which airport officials say is continuously inspected.

The vast majority of airport trespassers are intoxicated or simply “messing around just to see if they could do it,” said Price, adding that they typically don't pose a real threat. Denver also gets the rare individual who will jump the fence seeking to prove a long-running conspiracy theory about a UFO base being based at the airport, he said.

The Transportation Security Administration oversees airport security programs, including perimeter security requirements.

“It's really not that difficult to jump an airport perimeter fence,” Price said. “They meet the standards for TSA, but the standards are not that robust.”

The fences are typically 6 to 8 feet tall with barbed wire at the top, he said. They must be approved by federal inspectors, but there are no set rules on their construction. Major airports such as Denver also have intrusion detection systems that include cameras and motion sensors. he said. Some systems detect the seismic impact of people dropping to the ground, Price said.

Security program will be reviewed

The person was killed on the airport’s easternmost north-south runway and at least 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) from any airport buildings. Empty fields and croplands surround Denver International Airport in most directions. Distant trees and structures in the video showed that the person was headed toward the airport when they crossed the runway.

The Transportation Security Administration has regulatory oversight of airport security programs, including perimeter security requirements.

Though the man’s death was ruled as suicide, the circumstances leading up to his death remained unclear.

“As we speak, investigators are out continuing to contact family and others who knew him to see if there are additional information that we can learn about these motivations,” Denver police Chief Ron Thomas said at the news conference, adding that anyone with information about him should call police.

Washington said the breach and the airport’s perimeter security program would be reviewed as part of the investigation.

Evacuation under scrutiny

Separately, the National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday said it is gathering information about the evacuation.

An agency spokesperson said an investigation would be launched if it's determined the injuries meet the agency's definition for “serious." That can include a person requiring hospitalization for more than 48 hours, suffering a broken bone or second- or third-degree burns affecting more than 5% of their body.

Frontier representatives declined to answer questions about the accident and evacuation submitted by email. The company referred The Associated Press to airport authorities.

The plane, en route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff. The pilots aborted takeoff and smoke was reported in the cabin, Frontier Airlines said at the time.

Some people on board expressed concern about the evacuation, including being stuck in the plane for several minutes as smoke filled the cabin and left on the tarmac in the cold once they were out. Video also showed some passengers coming down the slide with what looked to be their carry-on bags.

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Philip Valente was federally charged with maliciously damaging or destroying commercial property using fire or explosives.

The E & L Supermercado at W Vernor and Cavalry Street caught fire at around 7:45 a.m. on May 11.

The Detroit Fire Department received a report that shopping carts were on fire outside the supermarket. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames were spreading toward the front of the building.

The fire was put out, and no one was injured.

A criminal complaint was unsealed on May 12, detailing how Valente was tracked and arrested within hours of the fire.

Security footage

An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reviewed security footage from the grocery store and viewed the following:

At 7:34 a.m., a man wearing a gold-colored hooded sweatshirt went to the rows of shopping carts stored at the front of E & L Supermercado under an overhang. He was seen on camera placing something small on top of the tarp covering the cart.

He moved closer to the front door, appeared to pick something up from the ground, and stood with his hands hovering over the carts. He then immediately placed his hands behind his back and walked away.

A small fire was visible on top of the tarp where the man was hovering his hands. A minute and a half later, flaming material began dripping to the ground. A small fire then spread.

By 7:47 a.m., a large fire rapidly extended to the facade of the building under the store’s overhang.

The fire damaged the grocery store’s roof, with smoke spreading into the store -- forcing the business to close.

Nearby business reports encounter with suspect

A security officer at a nearby business from E & L Supermercado flagged down police and said they saw the suspect at their location, who stole a drink after setting the fire.

The criminal complaint said a man went to the nearby business, stole a drink and walked about at around 8:06 a.m. He then returned to the store and argued with the security guard there.

As the security officer escorted the man out of the store, the suspect allegedly pulled a lighter from his pocket but made no explicit threats.

Security footage of that business showed that the man was wearing the same clothing as the suspect who set the fire at the grocery store.

Arrest

Detroit police found Valente a few blocks east of E & L Supermercado and arrested him. Police said he had a green lighter.

The criminal complaint compared the bodycam video of his arrest with the surveillance footage from the grocery store and confirmed that he matched the suspect’s description.

Previous conviction

Valente was previously convicted of arson in Grosse Pointe Woods on Jan. 21, according to court records.

Starmer tried to shore up support within his Cabinet following a feverish few days in the wake of hefty losses for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election that has to be held by 2029 would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power.

Though no Cabinet member has quit or publicly stated the prime minister should step aside for a change in leader, the resignations of several junior ministers stoked speculation Starmer could suffer the fate of Boris Johnson in 2022 when dozens of ministers quit en masse and forced his departure.

While more than 100 members of Parliament signed a letter saying it was “no time for a leadership contest,” about 90 others said Starmer should stand down or at least set out a timetable for his departure.

That's not enough to trigger a leadership contest, though, as no candidate has issued a challenge to the prime minister. Under Labour party rules, a fifth of its lawmakers in the House of Commons, or 81 members, must publicly give their backing to a single candidate for a leadership election to take place.

First resignations

On Tuesday, several junior ministers, some of whom were elected for the first time in Labour's landslide election victory in July 2024, resigned and urged Starmer to do the same.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, minister of housing, communities and local government, was the first to quit, urging Starmer “to do the right thing for the country.”

She was followed by Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister and a prominent member of the Labour Party. In her resignation letter, she described Starmer as a “good man fundamentally” but unable to make bold changes.

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,” Phillips said. “I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.”

Despite the party's dominant win driving out the Conservatives after 14 years in power, Labour’s popularity has plunged and Starmer is getting much of the blame.

The reasons include a series of policy missteps, a perceived lack of vision on the prime minister's part, a struggling British economy and questions over his judgment. Starmer's choice of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington despite ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has continued to haunt him.

Starmer defiant

At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said he took responsibility for the losses in last week’s elections but would fight on.

Labour was squeezed from the right and the left, losing votes to both anti-immigrant Reform UK and the Green Party, as well as nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales. The result reflects the increasing fragmentation of U.K. politics, long dominated by Labour and the Conservatives.

Starmer told his Cabinet that there’s a process to oust a leader and it hadn't been triggered.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” Starmer said. “The past 48 hours have been destabilizing for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.”

That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations. That shows investors think it's increasingly risky to hold British government debt.

As Cabinet members left 10 Downing Street, some voiced their support for the embattled prime minister.

Works and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said nobody publicly challenged Starmer at the meeting, while Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the prime minister was showing “really steadfast leadership.”

Later, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy warned Labour lawmakers that the only beneficiary of the party's “navel-gazing” over Starmer's position is the populist right.

“He has my full support, and what I say to colleagues is, look, let’s just step back," he said. “Take a breath.”

Starmer's efforts to save his position as prime minister came a day ahead of the state opening of Parliament, when the government will present its legislative program for the coming year.

Potential candidates

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against Starmer, was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a gaggle of reporters outside.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” a man yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

The other two names often touted as possible successors are Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who had to quit last year over an unpaid tax bill. She has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story, brought up in social housing and leaving school at 16 as a teen mother.

Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely perceived to be one of the strongest candidates but is not currently eligible because he’s not in Parliament. To get in the race, he'll have to find a seat where he can be elected.

That may involve a close ally of Burnham's in the northwest of England vacating their seat for him to stand for election. However, he may be blocked as was the case earlier this year or could even lose, if last week's results are any guide.

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Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

The Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, is one of the Democratic Party's biggest targets this midterm season. It's also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 — a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.

Three Democrats are seen as the top contenders in Tuesday's primary: state Sen. John Cavanaugh, political activist Denise Powell and district court clerk Crystal Rhoades. Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed by President Donald Trump, is running unopposed on the GOP side.

Cavanaugh, more than anyone else on Tuesday's ballot, has been under attack from both parties.

Some Democratic opponents argue that a primary victory for Cavanaugh would jeopardize the district's “blue dot” status because he'd be leaving his valuable state legislative seat, making it easier for Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature to change the law that allows the state to split its electoral votes.

The issue has defined the primary contest perhaps more than any other.

Opponents say the ‘blue dot’ is in danger

The Democratic argument against Cavanaugh has little to do with his politics or policies.

His opponents and groups backing them have flooded mailboxes, airwaves and social media warning that if he wins the congressional primary, Nebraska's Republican governor would appoint a conservative Republican to replace him in the Legislature.

That move, they say, could give state Republicans enough votes to enact a conservative wish list that includes stricter limitations on abortion and transgender rights.

It could also empower Republicans to enact midcycle redistricting or change the state's unusual system of splitting presidential electoral votes, some Democrats argue. Republicans failed in 2024 to pass a bill that would have made Nebraska the 49th state to award its Electoral College votes on a winner-take-all basis.

“Our Blue Dot. We fought hard for it. But if John Cavanaugh goes to Congress, it could all fall down,” cautions one TV ad by the super PAC New Democrat Majority.

EMILY’s List, a national group that supports women running for office, has put its reach and money behind Powell, calling Cavanaugh’s candidacy “a gift to MAGA Republicans.”

On Tuesday, Democrat Tony Vargas was out with his wife holding a large campaign sign and encouraging Omaha voters to support him in the county treasurer race. He also was supporting Powell in the congressional race, saying preserving the blue dot is important but not the only reason people might vote for Powell.

“I’m not voting for somebody for the blue dot loss. I’m voting for someone who I think is going to be the best leader in Congress,” Vargas said.

Republican groups also target Cavanaugh

Republican groups have sent out mailers and social media posts claiming Cavanaugh “is in agreement with President Donald Trump” and showing a photo of Cavanaugh overlaid on a photo of the president, making it appear as if the two are standing together.

“Clearly, the Republicans know that I’m the strongest general election candidate,” Cavanaugh said. “And so they’re trying to hurt me.”

The attacks on Cavanaugh show Democrats and Republicans believe he has the best chance of winning the general election, said Paul Landow, a former Nebraska Democratic Party executive director.

He called the “blue dot” attacks disingenuous, noting Republicans already have a filibuster-proof majority in the Legislature but have still failed to pass key elements of their agenda because it is unpopular even among GOP lawmakers. The argument that a Cavanaugh win could weaken the state’s “blue dot” also assumes Democrats won’t pick up additional legislative seats this year, he said.

“There’s so many things that have to fall into place for this alleged danger to the ‘blue dot,’” Landow said. “It’s just wild speculation.”

The Democratic primary grows contentious

While all the Democratic contenders cite affordability and opposition to Trump administration policies — from immigration and healthcare to military actions — the top three contenders began attacking one another more aggressively in the days leading up to the primary.

Candidates and allied groups have spent more than $2.6 million on TV and digital advertising since Jan. 1, according to the advertising tracking company AdImpact. Nearly all of that has been by or on behalf of Cavanaugh and Powell.

Cavanaugh has spent about $375,000. Powell's campaign has spent almost as much — $345,000 — but with the help of groups backing her, campaign advertising has been overwhelmingly pro-Powell.

Powell co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that supports progressive female candidates, and she has a decade of Democratic political activism. She's never held office but said her deep connections have helped her with independents and third-party voters who make up nearly 30% of the district's electorate.

“My name recognition has increased dramatically,” Powell said, adding that "people are really connecting with my message.”

Rhoades carries her own name recognition after 20 years in public service and running a slew of successful local Democratic elections — including that of Omaha Mayor John Ewing, who unseated a longtime Republican last year. Rhoades has raised a fraction of what Cavanaugh and Powell have amassed, but said she's intentionally eschewing campaign ads and instead blanketing the city with door-knocking and personal contact with voters.

Both Powell and Rhoades have leaned heavily into the concern that Democrats' influence in the district will erode if Cavanaugh is elected to Congress.

The winner of Tuesday's primary will head to a highly competitive general election. Trump won the district in 2016, and the retiring Bacon, who has clashed with Trump, has held the House seat for five terms.

Other Tuesday contests

Also on Tuesday's ballot is the race for U.S. Senate, where Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts is seeking a full term, following his 2023 appointment and 2024 special election victory to replace Republican Ben Sasse.

Ricketts faces four Republican primary challengers, but he’s already looking ahead to an expected general election contest against independent candidate Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran who came within 7 points of defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in her 2024 reelection bid. Running in the Democratic primary are William Forbes and Cindy Burbank.

In the race for governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Pillen faces five primary challengers, while former state Sen. Lynne Walz and frequent candidate Larry Marvin compete for the Democratic nomination. Marvin previously ran for U.S. Senate four times since 2012.

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Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

The event is a bicycle ride inviting survivors of suicide, their families, friends, supporters and local biking enthusiasts of Metro Detroit to join from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Riders of all ages and abilities are welcome.

The event is in Stony Creek Metropark beginning from the Eastwood Beach shelter.

The route is an approximately 6 mile paved looped trail around the lake.

Riders can turn around at any time for a shorter ride.

Click here to register online

Registration for the event is $50.

Military, first responders and students age 11-18 can register for $30.

Kids under 10 ride for free.

All funds raised benefit Common Ground.

More information available at Ride 2 End Suicide - 2026 | Common Ground.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence.”

The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.

Synergy Marine expressed disappointment and accused the U.S. Justice Department of turning an accident into a crime.

“This was a maritime casualty that should be assessed through the full factual, technical and regulatory record, rather than through selective mischaracterizations in a criminal indictment. ... Synergy will vigorously defend itself against these inaccurate allegations," the company said.

The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge on March 24, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that caused its steering to fail.

After regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again. The Dali turned to a certain pump to supply fuel to two generators but the pump was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout, so a second blackout occurred, the indictment says.

The ship crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m.

If the Dali had used the proper fuel pumps, according to the indictment, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely get under the bridge. It crashed instead, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.

“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety,” said Jimmy Paul, head of the FBI’s Baltimore office.

The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstructing an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements.

The Synergy companies are also charged with misdemeanors for the release of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents.

The FBI's investigation focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port. The NTSB found that the two electrical blackouts disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.

The ship had experienced two blackouts in port a day earlier, but Synergy didn’t investigate or report those as required and provided false information to the NTSB, the government alleges.

Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.

“The altered skyline is a constant reminder of this tragedy,” Paul said.

But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.

The indictment comes on the heels of a settlement in principle between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced in April.

That lawsuit alleged the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include the families of the six construction workers who died, owners of cargo that was on the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. The details of the settlement haven’t been disclosed and some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.

The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues and economic losses to Maryland and its residents.

The settlement does not resolve any claims the state has against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general’s office said in April.

The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.

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White reported from Detroit.

Sherlock spends his days going on long walks, romping with his best friend Baxter, and soaking in the kind of life every dog deserves - full of toys, snacks, and endless affection.

His adopter Jason put it simply: shelter dogs carry a quiet gratitude, as if they’re saying “thank you” for bringing them home.

If Sherlock’s story is any inspiration, there’s a dog out there for every family - and right now, a charming 9-year-old Chihuahua mix named Egbert at Michigan Humane is ready to find his.

To watch the segment, click on the video above.

Local 4 Lifestyle Editor Jon Jordan pointed to a perfect storm of causes: a tough economy, astronomically high ticket prices, and bloated production costs, noting that fans were literally flying to Europe to see Taylor Swift because it was cheaper than buying domestic tickets.

Jon highlighted some resilient acts that you might want to consider in the future. To watch the segment, click on the video above.

The Spurs are obviously relieved about that. And if Wembanyama is angry about missing most of Game 4, then even better, Spurs guard Devin Vassell said Tuesday at shootaround.

“I know he was upset not being able to play that game," Vassell said at a shootaround attended by Spurs President Gregg Popovich, Spurs legend Manu Ginobili and former Spurs assistant Brett Brown, among others. "So, I know that he’s going to be ready to go. That’s what we need. We need that upset Vic who’s ready to attack the game for sure.”

It could be easily argued that Tuesday's game — Game 5, playoff series, tied 2-2, with the winner moving one win from a trip to the Western Conference finals — is the biggest of Wembanyama's NBA career.

Vassell wants to see a fiery Wembanyama — within reason, of course.

“We’ve seen it before. We’ve seen when Vic gets upset," Vassell said. "I mean, we just need him to calm his emotions, make sure that he doesn’t let his emotions take over because at the end of the day like I said, he can’t get any flagrants, he can’t get anything like that. So, Vic knows what he's got to do and he’ll be ready.”

Wembanyama was ejected from the Spurs-Timberwolves game on Sunday night because of the elbow, which he threw early in the second quarter after getting tangled with Minnesota's Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels while grabbing a rebound. Wembanyama swung his arms and his elbow struck Reid in the face.

Officials looked at the play and upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 2, which comes with an automatic ejection. The NBA, as it always does in those situations, further reviewed the play after the game and decided Monday that the ejection was sufficient. It could have fined or even suspended Wembanyama for Game 5 and beyond if it felt that was warranted.

“I don’t think we even thought about it much at all," Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. told reporters at Minnesota's shootaround session Tuesday. "I think once the ruling came down, it was just like, we expected that and just moved forward. It's one of those things. We don’t want guys to miss games. We want to play against the best. We don't want to have guys missing games like that."

Wembanyama's elbow isn't the Spurs' biggest issue right now. The ankles and knees of two of his teammates are potentially problematic, however.

The Spurs added Dylan Harper to their injury list a few hours before Game 5 on Thursday with left knee soreness. He's listed as questionable, as is point guard De'Aaron Fox — who is dealing with what the Spurs described as right ankle soreness.

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

The company, which revolutionized online shopping in 2005 with two-day deliveries for Prime members, is rapidly opening small order-processing hubs in dozens of U.S. and foreign cities to cater to shoppers who can't or don't want to wait for cough medicine to relieve flu symptoms or tomatoes for tonight's dinner salad.

The ultrafast service, called Amazon Now, first launched in India last June. Amazon says 30-minute deliveries now are also available in urban areas of Brazil, Mexico, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The mini-warehouses devoted to Amazon Now are about the size of a CVS drugstore. They stock about 3,500 products for expedited delivery, including beer, diapers, pet food, meat, nonprescription medications, playing cards and cellphone charging cables.

“We know that customers love speed and always have,” Beryl Tomay, Amazon’s head of transportation, told The Associated Press on Monday. “What we see customers doing, when we offer faster speeds, are they purchase more from Amazon. And Amazon becomes more top of mind for that or other types of items as well.”

In the U.S., the company first tested Amazon Now in Seattle, the home of its headquarters, and in Philadelphia. Most residents of Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area now have access as well. The service is live in Houston, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be launched in dozens of other cities, including New York, by year-end, Amazon said.

The service charges for Amazon Now start at $3.99 for Prime members, who pay an annual fee of $139, and $13.99 for non-members. A $1.99 small basket fee applies to orders under $15, Amazon said.

The company's bet on a need for speed also comes as some consumers are rebelling against rushed deliveries as they weigh the potential impact on the environment and the workers tasked with preparing orders at a rapid rate.

Amazon’s approach

A relentless focus on speed helped Amazon build a logistics and e-commerce empire. After it made two days the new delivery time normal, Amazon moved into one-day and same-day deliveries for its Prime members. This spring, the company began making 90,000 products available in one hour or three hours at an extra cost.

The scaled down and sped up microhubs that are designed to handle 30-minute orders represent another step in Amazon's pursuit.

Only a handful of people prepare orders from aisles of shelves in the 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot facilities, unlike the sprawling fulfillment centers storing millions of items where Amazon employs a mix of human workers and robotics to pick and pack orders.

Amazon tailors the product inventory to each location and uses artificial intelligence and other technology to analyze what customers buy, as well as when and how often. The most popular U.S. purchases so far include soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, toilet plungers, bananas, limes and wireless earbuds, Amazon said.

The competition

Amazon’s attempt to up the instant gratification ante provides direct competition to on-demand food delivery platforms like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub, which don't have the scale of the e-commerce titan, according to independent retail analyst Bruce Winder.

“What Amazon brings is their prowess in supply chain,” Winder said.

These smaller companies said they don't see Amazon as a threat, though, citing the hundreds of thousands of items they are able to deliver to users' doorsteps by partnering with various merchants and restaurants.

“DoorDash has a mission to empower grocers and retailers and augment their existing footprint, not to replace them,” DoorDash spokesperson Ali Musa said in an emailed statement. “We win only when they win, which is how we can offer over half a million grocery and retail items in under an hour across the country.”

Amazon also is in a race with Walmart to become the retailer that reliably gets orders to online shoppers in under an hour.

For an additional $10 on top of standard delivery charges, shoppers can place Walmart Express Delivery orders from among more than 100,000 products that are guaranteed to arrive in an hour. Many customers, however, are receiving the items under 30 minutes, Walmart CEO John Furner told analysts in February.

Domino's cautionary tale

Companies have promised deliveries in 30 minutes or less before, but the landscape also is littered with failed attempts to break the speed barrier.

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a flurry of companies that promised 10- to 15-minute grocery deliveries from microwarehouses in dense neighborhoods, according to Sucharita Kodali, an analyst at market research firm Forrester Research.

But soaring operating costs, low customer loyalty and the drying up of investor money ultimately caused most to fail before the pandemic was over, analysts said.

Domino’s in 1984 pushed a guarantee that customers would receive their pizzas for free if they weren't delivered in under a half-hour. The company amended the “30 minutes or it’s free” policy after two years, providing only a $3 discount for late deliveries.

The promotion helped Domino’s win market share, but it ended up tarnishing the company's reputation. It dropped the guarantee in December 1993 after a string of crashes and lawsuits involving drivers racing to meet the deadline.

Brad Jashinsky, a retail analyst at information technology research and consulting firm Gartner, said he thinks Amazon should take the pizza chain's experience as a cautionary tale.

“You get in trouble when you start overpromising something like that,” he said.

Amazon won't be making any time guarantees and instead plans to keep customers who chose the 30-minute delivery option updated on the progress of their orders, Tomay said.

“There's no rushing either in our building workers or the gig workers,” she said.

Taking it slow

Kodali thinks Amazon will need a lot of people placing orders around the same time from the same or adjacent apartment buildings for the 30-minute service to be cost-effective.

Consumers may appreciate rapid receipt of products like toilet paper and batteries, but retailers and logistics experts said they also see some online shoppers, especially members of Generation Z, choosing no-rush shipping for products they don't need in a hurry.

Amazon for several years has invited customers to skip one- or two-day delivery and to receive their orders on the same day in as few parcels as possible. Consolidating orders into fewer packages by electing to have them delivered at the same time cuts down on boxes, shipping envelopes and fuel use, analysts said.

“The millennials who came to age in an era that was on fast delivery came to expect it de facto, whereas ... Gen Z is more accepting of a slower speed than previous generations before them,” said Darby Meegan, a general manager at Flexport, a supply chain and logistics company that fulfills orders for thousands of online merchants.

Still, Amazon executives have cited positive early results for Amazon Now in India, where they said Prime members tripled their requests for 30-minute deliveries once they started using the service.

Amazon Now also is attracting more repeat American customers, Tomay said.

“It’s in early days and time will tell,” she said. “I think that it will be interesting to see how it evolves.”

Scheffler has been there ever since.

As for Rahm? He can only wonder which direction his career would have gone had he not bolted from the PGA Tour at the end of 2023 to take the Saudi riches of LIV Golf.

He firmly dismissed the notion Tuesday that his departure — six months after the PGA Tour tried to strike a deal with the Saudis — was an attempt to force the two circuits to unite.

“I was never thinking that I was going to be any sort of weight that would tip the scales to make things come together," Rahm said. “That was never an argument in my mind.”

The Spaniard prefers not to look back — not at any shot or any round that cost him a chance to win any tournament. And certainly not a decision that is starting to look worse by the day as LIV's future no longer includes financial backing from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.

“I've made a lot of decisions in my life, and I've never gone back thinking, ‘Oh, had I know this again, I would do ’x' and ‘y’ different. I could do that about 15 different golf shots on the golf course every single day," Rahm said. "If I lived my life like that as a golfer, I would be a very pessimistic person.

“So we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, and all we can do is learn from things that happen in the past good and bad,” he said. “Just to speculate on what could have done, what could have been different doesn’t really make much sense.”

Three years ago can seem even longer considering where he was.

Scheffler won the Phoenix Open — Rahm finished third — to return to No. 1 in the world, which lasted all of one week until Rahm won at Riviera. Three weeks later, Scheffler went back to No. 1 by winning The Players Championship and stayed there for a month until Rahm won the Masters.

Back and forth they went — Rory McIlroy joined the fray in the summer — until December when Rahm famously wore that black letterman's jacket during the announcement that he had joined LIV.

Where are they now?

Scheffler has been No. 1 since that 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, the longest streak of anyone other than Tiger Woods since the ranking began in 1986.

Rahm is at No. 20, a ranking that comes with an asterisk because LIV Golf started getting ranking points only last year, and then at a reduced rate because of the size and strength of its field. Only the top 10 on LIV receive points, but Rahm has never finished out of the top 10. Moot point.

Rahm, though, is keenly aware of the perception.

He referred to himself as being under the radar at the Masters this year, and then lived up to that by nearly missing the cut.

But he has a point because he hasn't been part of the conversation about the best golf. Despite two wins and four runner-up finishes in the seven LIV events this year, the talk of golf is Scheffler and McIlroy, with Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick on the fringes.

“As good as I played this year, nobody’s expects anything from me this week,” Rahm said. “It’s just funny, in that sense. ... I think as players, we usually have a fairly good assessment of where we stand. I don’t really necessarily need a ranking to tell me where I’m at or where I feel like I’m at.”

And where is that?

Rahm wasn't about to attach a number to where he thinks he should be. That's asking for a debate he doesn't want.

“I will just say I feel like the way I’ve played, including the last three years, I feel like I'm playing better than the ranking I have now,” he said.

That makes weeks like this so important for Rahm.

It's only four weeks a year that he gets a crack at a full field of golf's best players, and it hasn't gone very well for him since he left a full schedule of top competition.

In the eight majors Rahm has played since leaving for LIV, he has finished out of the top 30 in half of them, including a missed cut.

He has had three top 10s but only one serious chance of winning. That was last year in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow when he rallied from five shots back of Scheffler, only for his Sunday charge to stall. He played the last three holes in 5 over when the tournament already was decided and wound up in a tie for eight, seven shots behind.

He also tied for seventh in the U.S. Open, though he started the final round 11 shots behind. He tied for seventh in the 2024, eight shots behind.

Rahm described his form as “very, very comfortable.”

“I've been playing — obviously besides the Masters — pretty good golf up until now,” he said.

The Masters is where he gets the true measure. The PGA Championship is no different. Winning won't return him to No. 1 in the world or get him close to Scheffler or even McIlroy. But it might at least get him back in the conversation.

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On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The custom storage company, locally owned and manufactured in the Detroit area since 1988, has spent decades building a reputation for transforming cluttered closets - but designer Elizabeth Lulgjuraj says that’s just the beginning.

“We’re a custom solution for more than just closets. We really want to serve the whole home,” Lulgjuraj said during a walkthrough of the company’s Birmingham showroom.

And she means it literally. The showroom floor spans pantries with pull-out wire baskets and concealed wine storage, wall units with integrated lighting and hidden shelf hardware, and mudrooms built with the chaos of family life in mind.

“Everything from mudrooms, bookshelves, a wine bar, your pantry, any space that’s really a struggle for you and your family - we want to be your custom solution,” she said.

The mudroom display was designed with parents squarely in mind. “The kids get off the bus at the end of the day, and they have a spot to be able to put their things, and it doesn’t just end up on the floor,” Lulgjuraj said, gesturing to a bench flanked by pullout drawers for hats, gloves and shoes.

The design process itself is built around collaboration. Lulgjuraj walks clients through layouts using 3D modeling software that displays cost in real time.

“We use 3-D CAD software where we really work on the design with the clients,” she said. As features are added or removed, the price adjusts instantly - giving clients full control over the budget before a single panel is cut.

That transparency is part of how the company pushes back against its pricey reputation.

“We’re locally manufactured. It really gives us that edge over the competition to be able to stay very competitive with pricing but also offer a higher quality product,” Lulgjuraj said.

The company recently debuted a new signature color - Desert Agave, a soft, elegant green - now available across its custom line.

Free design consultations are available at CaliforniaClosets.com.

Terms of the deal announced Tuesday, which still must be approved by the second-tier league and soccer federation, were not disclosed.

Fernandez earned the deal after a two-month trial with the team, appearing in a preseason match against New Mexico United. He played soccer at the youth level before an injury at the age of 15 led him to acting.

“No matter where life has taken me, the dream of competing professionally never truly left my heart,” Fernandez said. “I’m incredibly grateful to El Paso Locomotive FC — the club, coaches, staff, and especially my teammates — for opening the doors and giving me the opportunity to compete from day one."

Locomotive coach Junior Gonzalez said Fernandez is a great addition, giving them another attacking threat while bringing passion and leadership to the locker room.

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

1. Your own emergency fund/short-term securities

Emergency funds should be held outside of tax-sheltered wrappers and include highly liquid investments like bank savings accounts, money market accounts, and so on. If you’re working, your emergency fund would ideally hold a minimum of three to six months’ worth of living expenses; retirees should target one to two years’ worth of anticipated portfolio withdrawals.

2. Low-risk assets in taxable account

Your next source of cash is other taxable holdings: investments in brokerage accounts, outside tax-sheltered vehicles. When identifying securities you could sell, focus on liquidity, tax consequences, and transaction fees.

In a best-case scenario, you’d have a short- or intermediate-term bond fund to sell. It’s reasonably liquid, and you’d already have paid taxes on most of your gains.

3. Roth IRA contributions

You can withdraw any Roth IRA contributions (the amount you put in, not investment earnings) at any time, without penalties or tax. The big downside, of course, is that you’ll have fewer retirement funds working for you.

4. Life insurance cash values

You can withdraw money outright from your whole life insurance or variable universal life insurance policy and have it deducted from the face value. Those withdrawals are tax-free, assuming they don’t exceed the amount you’ve put in.

A less attractive option is to borrow from the cash value of your life insurance. You’ll owe interest, payable to the insurance company, and the loan may come with additional costs. You will not owe taxes, but the interest is not tax-deductible.

5. 401(k) loan

Even though you’ll pay interest on a 401(k) loan, it gets paid back into your account. And the interest rates can be reasonable. But you’ll shrink your retirement savings. If you lose your job, you’ll be required to pay the loan back sooner, usually in 90 days. If you can’t, you’ll owe taxes and a 10% penalty, unless you’re 59½ or older.

6. Home equity line of credit

The interest rates for borrowing against your home equity are usually reasonable, particularly if you maintain a good credit rating.

But if you’re not a perfect borrower, you could be denied or get an unfavorable rate. And if you end up borrowing more than your equity and have to sell in a hurry, you’d have to cough up the difference. Finally, the interest on HELOCS is no longer tax-deductible unless the funds are used for home improvements.

7. Hardship withdrawals

Funds you take out of a 401(k) via a hardship withdrawal cannot be paid back and you’ll owe taxes on any untaxed dollars you pull out. You’ll also owe a 10% penalty unless you’re 59½ or older or  your situation meets one of several exceptions. Those taxes can take a big bite out of the amount that you remove from your account.

8. Reverse mortgage

A reverse mortgage allows homeowners 62 or older to receive a pool of assets that represents equity in their homes. They don’t have to repay the loan as long as they’re in their homes, but when they leave, the borrowed amount, plus interest, is deducted from the home’s value.

Rates can vary widely, so shop around and read the fine print; the loans can be costly and complicated.

9. Margin loans

A margin account allows you to borrow against the value of the securities in your brokerage account. You might do this if you don’t want to sell the assets at a bad time or incur tax consequences.

Interest rates aren’t always attractive, plus margin loans are risky because the securities’ value can fluctuate with the market. If your collateral drops below a certain level, your brokerage firm will require you to deposit more money or sell the securities. If you don’t have the cash, you can end up in an even bigger financial bind.

10. Credit cards

Some consumers have been able to play credit cards like a fiddle, shifting balances among cards with ultralow teaser rates and incurring little interest. For the rest of the world, credit cards are the single easiest way to wreck your financial standing. Rates are high, and credit card companies want to keep you paying for as long as possible. Thus, the minimum payments they require don’t make a dent in your loan’s principal.

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This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

Christine Benz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.

Related Links

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https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/6-tax-tips-you-should-start-thinking-about-now

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https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/ira-decision-that-affects-your-kids

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The Cote d’Azur spectacular plays host — starting on Tuesday — to some of the most anticipated movies of the year in a constant parade of red carpets and megawatt premieres. This year, Hollywood studios are mostly on the sidelines. But for more than 78 years, Cannes has been an unparalleled showcase, and sun-dappled circus, for some of the best in cinema.

Last year that included Oscar nominees like “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident.” This year is just as likely to produce a crop of contenders. In recent years, movies like “Parasite” and “Anora” have launched at Cannes and gone on to win best picture at the Academy Awards.

Presiding over the jury deciding the Palme this year is South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. At the opening ceremony Tuesday, Cannes will also bestow an honorary Palme d’Or on Peter Jackson. Later, Barbra Streisand will get one, too.

So there will be much to keep an eye on at this year’s Cannes, including “The White Lotus.” The HBO series has come to the Croisette — the Mediterranean city's famous promenade — to shoot its fourth season.

On the screen, these are some of the movies that should stir Cannes.

“Hope”

Na Hong-jin isn’t as well known as some of his fellow Korean filmmakers, but he may be poised for a breakout moment this year. His latest is a long-gestating sci-fi thriller that Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux said “constantly changes genres.” The cast has both Korean and Hollywood stars, including Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell.

“Paper Tiger”

Though not initially announced as part of the festival competition slate, James Gray’s latest Queens-set drama was subsequently added. And it instantly became one of the most anticipated and star-studded American films at the festival. Gray, the filmmaker of “Armageddon Time” and “The Immigrant,” tells a story about two brothers (Adam Driver, Miles Teller) who become mixed up with the Russian mafia. Scarlett Johansson co-stars.

“Fjord”

The Romanian director Cristian Mungiu is a heavyweight of European cinema because of films like the 2007 Palme d’Or winner “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” and 2022’s “R.M.N.” Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve star in his latest as a Romanian-Norwegian couple who move to the wife’s remote Norwegian hometown.

“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”

Jane Schoenbrun has quickly established themselves as a vital voice in contemporary American film with 2024’s “I Saw the TV Glow” and 2021’s “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.” Playing in the Un Certain Regard section, Schoenbrun’s new one stars Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson in a movie about the making of a slasher film.

“Fatherland”

Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski is best known for a pair of black-and-white, powerfully succinct period dramas: “Ida” and “Cold War.” His latest makes it three. It stars Hanns Zischler as the German author Thomas Mann on a road trip following World War II. Accompanying him is his daughter, played by Sandra Hüller.

“All of a Sudden”

The Japanese auteur Ryusuke Hamaguchi makes his French-language debut. Hamaguchi’s 2021 opus “Drive My Car” made history as the first Japanese film nominated for best picture. His 2023 follow-up, “Evil Does Not Exist,” was also acclaimed. “All of a Sudden,” starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, is about a nursing home director and a terminally ill Japanese playwright.

“Sheep in the Box”

Long revered for his delicate humanism, the Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda will unveil his latest. Kore-eda has already won the Palme d’Or, for 2018’s “Shoplifters.” But his three decades of moviemaking have made him a never-to-be-missed filmmaker of exquisite tenderness. The sci-fi “Sheep in the Box” is about a couple, grieving the loss of their son, who adopt an infant humanoid robot.

“The Man I Love”

Before Gray’s film entered the competition, Ira Sachs' “The Man I Love” was the sole American selection. Coming quickly on the heels of Sachs’ “Peter Hujar’s Day,” with Ben Whishaw, “The Man I Love”’ stars Rami Malek as a an actor with a life-threatening illness in 1980s New York, preparing for what could be his final performance.

“The Unknown”

The French filmmaker Arthur Harari three years ago co-wrote the Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” with his partner, Justine Triet. In “The Unknown,” Harari directs and cowrites a film about a photographer who, after photographing a woman at a party and then following her, wakes up in her body. Starring Léa Seydoux.

“Minotaur”

The Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev has been behind some powerfully potent dramas, including 2014’s “Leviathan” and 2017’s “Loveless” — both of which were Oscar nominated. After a near-death experience during the pandemic, Zvyagintsev returns to Cannes with a business executive in crisis in rural Russia.

“John Lennon: The Last Interview”

Steven Soderbergh's documentary about John Lennon’s final interview, granted at the Dakota in New York just before he was killed, drew headlines after Soderbergh acknowledged using artificial intelligence to illustrate some of Lennon’s more philosophical musings. But the film, playing in Cannes as a special screening, promises to lend unparalleled intimacy with the great Beatle.

“Bitter Christmas”

Pedro Almodóvar is among the most regular filmmakers in Cannes. This festival, he'll debut “Bitter Christmas,” a multilayered melodrama about filmmaking, grief and aging. After making his English-language debut with “The Room Next Door,” starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, Almodovar is back in his native Spain with one of his most personal films yet.

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This story first moved May 10, 2026. It was updated May 12, 2026 to reflect the festival has started.

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For more coverage of this year's Cannes festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival

Dozens of Labour lawmakers are calling on Starmer to resign, though several ministers publicly spoke of their support for Starmer as they left a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The prime minister has insisted he has no intention of resigning. Starmer could be forced out if one-fifth of sitting Labour lawmakers, or at least 80 or them, agree to back a lawmaker to challenge him. So far, no formal leadership challenge has been triggered.

In a blow to Starmer, a junior minister became the first member of his government to quit on Tuesday.

Here's the latest:

Deputy leader says Starmer has his full support

David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, has urged lawmakers to step back from calling for Starmer to step down and to stop benefiting their political rivals.

Starmer “has my full support, and what I say to colleagues is, look, let’s just step back. Take a breath,” Lammy told reporters. “Let’s get on with the business of running this country.”

“I urge colleagues to step back and not benefit Nigel Farage and Reform,” he added, referring to the hard-right, anti-immigration party that made major gains in local elections last week.

Starmer could be latest PM turned out by revolving door of British politics

If Keir Starmer steps aside, Britain could get its fifth prime minister in four years.

Starmer’s Labour Party ousted the Conservatives in 2024 following 14 years in power that saw a series of chaotic leadership changes.

Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson in September 2022 but only lasted 45 days after announcing unfunded tax cuts that spooked markets.

The party elected Rishi Sunak to succeed her, but he failed to rally public support for the Tories who were badly beaten by Starmer’s party in the general election.

US ambassador to London speaks about ‘frequent turnover’ of British leaders

Ambassador Warren Stephens was asked about whether political instability in the U.K. makes it more difficult for Washington to work with the British government.

“I don’t really think so. I think the policies don’t really change that much so long as the party in power is still in power,” he told LBC Radio.

“But certainly the ability to have personal relationships matters, and to the extent that there’s frequent turnover, that’s a problem,” he said.

Stephens added that the special U.K.-U.S. relationship “goes on regardless of who our political leaders are.”

Doctor quits Starmer’s government

A junior health minister is the latest to quit Keir Starmer’s government, blaming him for massive election losses last week in Scotland.

In a letter to Starmer, Dr. Zubir Ahmed wrote that at “door after door your name was specifically cited as the driving reason” Labour voters in Scotland had turned away from the party.

“It is clear from recent days, that the public across the U.K. has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister,” Ahmed said.

He said the U.K. government had inadvertently been the “midwife” that delivered the Scottish National Party to a fifth term leading the parliament in Scotland, which he said was “as intolerable as it was avoidable.”

Ahmed said he was resigning with a “heavy heart” after his achievements were “dwarfed and undermined by a lack of values-driven leadership.”

More than 100 Labour lawmakers reportedly sign a statement rejecting a leadership contest

Amid a flurry of calls within Starmer’s Labour Party for him to step down, British media report that some 100 lawmakers signed a statement supporting the prime minister.

The BBC, Press Association and others reported that lawmakers urged party members to “work together to deliver the change the country needs” after Labour suffered heavy losses at local elections across the U.K. last week.

“We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest,” the statement reportedly said.

Downing Street statement silent on political chaos

In a statement about the Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, Starmer’s office said senior ministers are focused on the conflict in the Middle East and getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened.

It made no mention of the growing calls from Labour lawmakers for Starmer to resign, or his pledge to “get on with governing.”

Starmer appeared to be carrying on with the business of government, chairing a committee on responding to the Middle East conflict around noon.

Another minister resigns

Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for tackling violence against women and girls, wrote in a letter to Starmer to “act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”

She called Starmer a “good and honest man,” but described the scale of Labour’s defeat at last week’s local elections as “catastrophic.”

“The country has spoken and we must listen,” she wrote. “We waited fourteen years to get into power and change the lives of those we represent. The time now is for bold, radical action.”

“We have needed to do more and therefore it is with a very heavy heart that I feel I have no choice but to resign,” she said.

Second minister resigns from Keir Starmer’s government

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has lost a second member of his government amid a growing chorus of Labour Party members to resign.

Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, announced her resignation in a letter Tuesday.

“I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things,” she wrote. “However I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.”

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,” she added. “I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”

The king’s speech

The political crisis engulfing Starmer’s government comes just hours ahead of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech to mark the beginning of a new parliamentary year. The speech, which is written by officials but read out by the monarch, will set out the government’s legislative agenda for the coming months.

“As far as I’m aware, the King’s Speech is going ahead tomorrow,” Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, said.

Growing number of lawmakers demand Starmer stand down

At least 80 out of Labour’s 403 lawmakers have now demanded the prime minister stand down, or at least set out a timetable for his departure, after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections last week.

However, so far no Labour lawmaker has announced they will challenge Starmer for the leadership.

What to know about contenders who could replace Starmer as Britain’s Labour leader

While there is no clear frontrunner to replace Starmer, here are some of the leading contenders for the top job:

1. Wes Streeting - The health secretary is widely regarded as one of the government’s best communicators and has led on one of its key pledges, improving the creaky National Health Service.

2. Angela Rayner - the former deputy prime minister has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story. She was brought up in social housing and left school at 16 as a teen mother.

3. Andy Burnham - The former cabinet minister has long been seen as a potential rival for Starmer. But his leadership prospects were dented after Labour blocked him from standing as the party’s candidate for Parliament.

4. Ed Miliband - The energy secretaryis a former Labour leader, but his five years at the top of the party ended in the party’s 2015 election defeat.

5. Shabana Mahmood - The home secretary has become a favorite of many on the right of the Labour Party with her moves to tighten border controls and crack down on immigration.

British minister says ‘cabinet united’ around Starmer

A cabinet member in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government said there was no direct challenge to his leadership at Tuesday’s meeting.

Jenny Chapman, minister of international development, said she did not think Starmer’s authority had been destroyed by dozens of Labour Party members calling for him to step down.

“That’s not what I have just seen around the Cabinet table,” she told reporters outside 10 Downing St. “I saw a Cabinet united and focused on dealing with the issues that are confronting the British people.”

UK health secretary ignores shouted questions

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, didn’t comment as he left the Cabinet meeting at Downing Street.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” one person yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

He was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a scrum of reporters gathered outside.

Starmer showing ‘steadfast leadership,’ Cabinet minister says

U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle has voiced support for embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer is showing “really steadfast leadership,” Kyle told reporters as he left the Cabinet meeting.

Kyle says the meeting discussed the economy and issues facing society. He said that he was on his way to Brussels to deepen the U.K. relationship with the European Union — one of the goals Starmer announced Monday as he delivered a speech aimed at winning back support.

No one has made a leadership challenge yet, official says

A U.K. official says that nobody had yet made a challenge to the leadership of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“The prime minister talked about the challenges we faced as a country, the crisis in the Middle East and the impact on the cost of living here,” Liz Kendall, the secretary of science, innovation and technology, told reporters as she left a Cabinet meeting.

“This government will do what we were elected to do, which is serve the British people. The prime minister has my full support in this,” Kendall said.

“There is a process to challenge the leader. Nobody has made that challenge,” she said.

Treasury chief pulls out of business event

U.K. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves won’t be taking part in a London risk summit that she was due to appear at after attending a Cabinet meeting.

Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is in turmoil as dozens of Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit, after poor local election results for the party last week.

UK housing secretary urges support for Starmer

Housing Secretary Steve Reed has urged Labour Party colleagues to support Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he faces calls to step down.

Reed posted a message on social media during a meeting of Starmer’s Cabinet.

“This is not a game,” Reed said on X. “This instability has consequences for people’s lives. The people who will be hurt most will be those that elected us less than two years ago. We must unite behind the Prime Minister.”

Treasury chief pulls out of business event

The Treasury confirmed that Rachel Reeves has pulled out of a London risk summit she was expected to take part in after attending a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is in turmoil as dozens of his Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit Tuesday.

Starmer resolves to stay in office

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer doubled down Tuesday on his resolve to stay in office, despite calls to step down.

Starmer told Cabinet ministers that he took responsibility for devastating losses that his center-left Labour Party suffered in last week’s local elections across the U.K., but he would fight on.

Starmer said there’s a process to oust a leader and that hadn’t been triggered.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” he said. ”That is what I am doing and what we must do.”

Junior minister quits UK government

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer lost the first member of his government Tuesday as he faced pressure to step down following losses in local elections.

Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and urged Starmer “to do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable to step aside.

Fahnbulleh, a junior minister who is considered to be on the left of the party, said that she was proud of her service, but that the government hadn't acted with the vision, pace and mandate for change it had been given by voters.

How Starmer could be replaced

The next U.K. national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.

If it comes to it, the simplest option would be for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce his intention to resign, triggering an election for the Labour leadership. A resignation announcement could possibly come if members of his Cabinet tell Starmer in their regular meeting on Tuesday that he has lost too much support within the party.

If Starmer doesn’t resign, he could face a challenge from one or more Labour lawmakers.

Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda.

“This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined power of the Sarmat’s individually targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart.

The Russian leader has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.

After overseeing a military parade on Red Square on Saturday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, which for the first time in nearly two decades didn’t include heavy weapons, Putin declared the conflict in Ukraine is coming to an end.

Since coming to power in 2000, Putin has overseen efforts to upgrade the Soviet-built components of the Russian nuclear triad — deploying hundreds of new, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, commissioning new nuclear submarines and modernizing nuclear-capable bombers.

Russia’s effort to revamp its nuclear forces pushed the United States to launch a costly modernization of its arsenal.

The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the U.S. expired in February, leaving no caps on the world's two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century and fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.

The Sarmat — designated “Satan II” in the West — is meant to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles. Its development began in 2011 and before Tuesday, the missile had only one known successful test and reportedly suffered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.

Putin said Tuesday that the Sarmat — part of a slew of new weapons that Putin revealed in 2018, claiming they would render any prospective U.S. missile defenses useless — is as powerful as the Voyevoda but with a higher precision. It is capable of suborbital flight, he said, giving it a range of more than 35,000 kilometers (21,700 miles) and an extended capability to penetrate any prospective missile defenses.

Moscow's new weapons include the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound. The first vehicles have already entered service.

Russia has also commissioned the new nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, and used its conventionally-armed version twice to strike Ukraine. Oreshnik's range of up to 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) makes it capable of reaching any target in Europe.

Putin also announced Russia was in the “final stages” of the development of the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile powered by miniature atomic reactors.

The Poseidon is designed to explode near enemy coastlines and cause a radioactive tsunami. The Burevestnik has virtually unlimited range thanks to nuclear propulsion, allowing it to loiter for days, circling air defenses and attacking from an unexpected direction.

Putin has described those new weapons as part of a Russian response to the U.S. missile shield that Washington developed after its 2001 withdrawal from a Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet pact that limited missile defenses.

Russian military planners have feared a missile shield could tempt Washington to launch a first strike that would knock out most of Moscow’s nuclear arsenal in hopes of intercepting a small number of surviving missiles fired in retaliation.

"We were forced to consider ensuring our strategic security in the face of the new reality and the need to maintain a strategic balance of power and parity,” Putin said.

The 18-year-old winger, who is already widely regarded as one of the best soccer players in the world, held the flag as the team bus drove through the streets of Barcelona on Monday. Yamal, who is Muslim, also posted pictures of him holding the flag on his Instagram account.

Nearly 750,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets to celebrate Barcelona's La Liga title parade.

There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, which has spread to sport and culture. Protests have been seen in soccer, cycling and basketball. Spain is one of five countries boycotting this year’s Eurovision song contest to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Coach defends Yamal

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Yamal, whose father is Moroccan, is old enough to make his own decisions.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Flick was questioned about the teenager's decision to wave the flag.

“This I don’t normally like," he said. “I spoke with him. I said if he wants this, it is his decision. He is old enough. He’s 18 years old."

Flick said celebrations with fans after back-to-back titles was his priority.

“We are playing football and you can see what the people expect from us," he said. "We are playing football to make the people happy. This is for me the first thing we have to do.”

Spain international Yamal is one of the leading contenders to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest star.

He is expected to be one of the stars at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico held in June and July.

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

Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.

"In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.

Nigeria's military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”

“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.

The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.

Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria's air force killed 100 people.

Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.

Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.

___

Omolehin reported from Sokoto, Nigeria.

Room bookings have been lighter than expected in most of the 11 U.S. cities hosting the world’s most watched sporting event, according to an April survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

In several cities, including Kansas City, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle, a majority of hotel operators said bookings were actually running behind typical seasonal demand. In others, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, demand was flat so far compared with a regular spring and summer, according to the association.

The hotel association blamed travel concerns from international fans, worries about wait times for a U.S. visa and the cost of attending the tournament — including high ticket prices and transit costs in some cities— as major factors in the softer-than-expected demand.

“I think everyone had hoped the games would lead to an influx of bookings, but with all going on in the world and the USA’s involvement, events are playing out differently for everyone,” said Michael Black, general manager at the Cloud One hotel in Manhattan.

Concerns about softer-than-expected bookings extend to Mexico, which is co-hosting the games with the U.S. and Canada. Hotels in Mexico City, which hosts the tournament’s opening match on June 11, are about 30% to 36% booked, according to the Asociación de Hoteles de Ciudad de México.

High prices may be a factor

Many hotels jacked up their prices after the tournament's schedule was announced, anticipating that soccer fans would pay exorbitant rates if they were able to score tickets to a match.

Near MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, for example, one hotel that normally charges around $200 a night was advertising a rate of $800 on nights around June World Cup matches. The costs soar to more than $1,300 a night ahead of the July 19 final.

Many seasoned fans are probably still waiting for those prices to drop, said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, a Germany-based fan advocacy group.

“Fans that are used to traveling for tournaments know that this price will always go down,” Evain said. “There are many examples of hotel owners regretting that they priced too high and then panicking at the last minute and reducing prices.”

Others have already likely secured cheaper lodging farther from the stadiums or through Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms, he added.

Indeed, the metropolitan regions around Kansas City, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale are all enjoying an uptick in short-term rental bookings compared with the same period last year, according to a recent report from AirDNA, a rental data firm that tracks bookings on Airbnb and Vrbo.

Airbnb said last week that the number of guests expected to stay at its rental listings during the tournament is expected to exceed earlier estimates and even end up surpassing the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris as the biggest hosting event in the company’s history.

Unrealistic expectations

More than 5 million tickets have been sold for the tournament so far, out of the more than 6 million expected to be offered for all 104 matches, according to FIFA.

While many of those attending the tournament will be travelers who need hotel rooms, global events like the World Cup also tend to discourage other types of visitors, said Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in Massachusetts.

“The general problem is that soccer tourists — and expected congestion, high prices and security concerns — push away normal business travel and tourism,” he explained.

Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, said city hotels are seeing a modest upswing in summer bookings -- around 10% compared with the previous year — but nowhere close to the windfall promised by FIFA and other tournament boosters.

In Vancouver, Canada, which is hosting seven matches, hotel occupancy is down from the same time last year, but the industry is optimistic business will pick up closer to the games, says Paul Hawes, CEO of the British Columbia Hotel Association.

In Kansas City, where some 90% of respondents to the American Hotel & Lodging Association survey reported bookings below expectations, tourism officials are still holding out for a record-breaking number of visitors.

“While hotel occupancy in Kansas City has not followed the trajectory originally predicted by FIFA, there are positive indicators for Kansas City on the horizon,” said Derik Detter, market research director at Visit KC.

Jon Bortz, CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a real estate investment company that owns dozens of hotels nationally, is equally positive.

Overall, he said, occupancy rates are up at its many host city properties compared with last year, though he acknowledged cities like Boston with more marquee matchups are performing better than cities like San Francisco that host less in-demand games.

“We haven’t seen anything that would cause us to think it’s going to be less than what we were expecting,” he said. “Maybe other people had much grander expectations.”

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Associated Press reporters David Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, Carlos Rodriguez in Mexico City and Jim Morris in Vancouver contributed to this story.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

On Tuesday, researchers said a single dose of those revved-up cells strongly suppressed HIV in two people — one for nearly a year and the other for nearly two years — without requiring their usual medicines.

Larger and longer studies are needed to prove if what's called CAR-T cell therapy might really offer long-lasting help for HIV, cautioned Dr. Steven Deeks of the University of California, San Francisco, who led the research.

“We find the fact that two people have had such a really sustained response provocative,” he said. “There is a real need for a one-and-done, safe and scalable cure ... and this is one of the strategies that we’re pursuing.”

The data is being presented at a meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in Boston.

There are nearly 40 million people living with HIV around the world. Today’s medicines have turned the virus that causes AIDS from a fast killer into a manageable chronic disease, often keeping the virus at undetectable levels, but only if people can afford the drugs and stick with them. The virus hides out in reservoirs in the body and rebounds fast if people stop treatment.

Researchers have long hunted an elusive cure, pursuing such clues as a rare gene mutation that makes some people naturally resistant to HIV or how a handful of HIV patients who also had certain cancers were declared cured or in long-term remission after receiving a stem cell transplant, something too risky for most people.

CAR-T therapy involves taking immune soldiers called T cells out of a person’s blood, genetically engineering them into “living drugs” and infusing them back into the patient. They’re widely used to cure certain types of cancer and are being studied for other diseases.

For HIV, scientists at the nonprofit drug developer Caring Cross created CAR-T cells with dual features. They're programmed to better find and kill HIV-infected cells — and engineered with protection against infection by the very virus they’re supposed to fight.

With that added armor, they should be able to reproduce enough to keep HIV in check, said Caring Cross executive director Boro Dropulić.

Deeks’ early-stage experiment tested different dosing strategies in people who stopped their HIV medicine the day they received their CAR-T cells. There were no serious side effects. The first three recipients showed no response and resumed their usual medicines.

Six others received a small amount of chemotherapy to make space for the new T cells. Those two strong responders saw their HIV drop to undetectable levels, inching up only occasionally when the CAR-T cells presumably got to work again. A third patient had a temporary response and resumed regular HIV treatment.

Those three patients all had started their original HIV treatment soon after they'd been infected, Deeks said. That makes sense because people treated early tend to have less HIV hiding in the body and a healthier immune system.

“This is certainly very fascinating that they’ve had this positive response,” said Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, a gene therapy expert at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who wasn’t part of the new study. He cautioned that it will take additional research to prove if CAR-T really works.

But the strategy is exciting because it’s “boosting what our body, our immune system, can already do,” said Andrea Gramatica, vice president for research at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which is funding some work to create easier-to-use versions.

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

Having spent the previous eight months under college football's media microscope, the sixth-year senior smiled when reporters asked about his summer plans once spring practice wrapped up.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

For Chambliss, the spring session finished with a weekend meet-and-greet fan function before a weeklong session of spring drills that were closed to reporters.

Chambliss planned to return with family to his childhood hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was expected to make personal appearances and speeches at school functions. Chambliss regularly touts his hometown roots, his experience at Division II Ferris State and an opportunity to “give back and tell (schoolchildren) if I can make it, you can make it.”

Coach Pete Golding said he encouraged all Ole Miss players to give themselves a break from football following spring football and exams.

“I told them I didn’t want to see them for a few weeks,” said Golding, who is heading into his first regular season as a head coach after going 2-1 in the College Football Playoff last season as current LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s successor.

“I do think it’s really important for them to get away from it,” Golding said. “They need a reset.”

Perhaps no player could appreciate a break more than Chambliss, who'd won a Division II national title in 2024 but remained relatively unknown before Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons was sidelined by an ankle injury. Elevated into a starting role, Chambliss debuted by leading the Rebels to a 41-35 home win over Arkansas.

By the time the season ended in a last-second, CFP semifinal loss to Miami, the dual-threat Chambliss had totaled more than 3,900 yards and accounted for 30 touchdowns.

The Rebels finished 13-2 and ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press Top 25. Along the way were a handful of victories over ranked teams, including Tulane and Georgia in the CFP. Chambliss routinely produced explosive, clutch plays, overcoming his less-than-ideal size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and emerging from a relative obscurity in ways that captured fans' imagination.

NIL endorsements, estimated at $1.5 million by On3, followed. AT&T, for example, traded off Chambliss' transfer story, stylish demeanor and puckish smile.

Another big win for Chambliss came off the field after a three-month legal challenge that resulted in an additional year of eligibility. The ruling became a big win for Ole Miss when Chambliss opted to stay in Oxford.

“It was very stressful,” Chambliss said shortly after the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the final appeal by the NCAA in March. “I knew I was going to play football somewhere, either the NFL or here (Ole Miss), but not knowing was tough. I knew whatever happened was in God’s hands, but it was still tough.”

The decision to remain at Ole Miss was less difficult.

“You know, when I visited Oxford from Ferris State, I really liked it here and wasn’t promised anything about being the quarterback,” Chambliss said. “The thing that helped was my parents really liked it here, too, on the visit. We’ve been treated great and once Ole Miss decided to go with PG (Pete Golding), we wanted to stay.”

While Chambliss takes his hiatus from Oxford, the Ole Miss media department intends to organize a Heisman Trophy campaign. Chambliss finished eighth in last year’s voting and has been listed with preseason front-runners Arch Manning of Texas and C.J. Carr of Notre Dame.

Ole Miss has a solid track record with quarterbacks in the Heisman Trophy race, with five – Charlie Conerly, Jake Gibbs, Archie Manning (twice) and Eli Manning — finishing in the top five.

The Rebels also have produced other prominent NFL quarterbacks, including 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

A few rumbles of thunder will also be possible as the system pushes through Southeast Michigan. While severe weather is not anticipated, some of the stronger showers may produce small hail at times. Temperatures this afternoon will climb into the low 60s despite the increasing cloud cover and rain chances.

Rain will begin tapering off overnight, although a lingering shower could persist into early Wednesday morning before drier conditions return. Cooler air will remain in place on Wednesday with afternoon highs expected to only reach the upper 50s. The cooler stretch will not last long though.

A significant warming trend develops later this week. Temperatures are forecast to steadily rise, giving us a taste of summer this weekend as highs climb to around 80 degrees by Saturday. Warm conditions are expected to continue into early next week, with highs remaining near or just above 80 degrees. Following today’s rain chances, the next opportunity for precipitation appears to arrive later Sunday.

“I even picture the scenario in my head: I’m sitting out there alone, and a beam of light comes down,” he says. “It’s not a spacecraft that’s hovering over me. It’s just a beam of light from space. And I just get lifted up into that beam of light, and I appear in a new place.”

America’s favorite astrophysicist has turned that lifelong fascination into a book, “Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter,” which — like that beam of light — illuminates what we know about possible space critters and what we can anticipate if they ever come calling.

“Even if it doesn’t actually happen, there’s value to going through the thought experiment of what could happen,” he says. “Maybe there’s some takeaways that offer insights into how you think about the world, how we think about each other and the future of our civilization.”

The book, out Tuesday, is a unique road map into the prodigious brain of Tyson, who has an ability to blend pop culture with quantum physics. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

“Take Me to Your Leader” references evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould and Cartoon Network’s “Rick and Morty” and weaves ideas from both the French philosopher Voltaire and lyrics by Katy Perry. It mixes the physics of invisibility with “Star Trek” and has digressions into multispectral vision, how Superman — an alien, remember? — could kill us all just by farting and why supersonic planes “look badass.”

They're going to be smart

Tyson concludes that if aliens were to arrive on Earth, they are likely to be much more advanced than humans. He writes it would be like trying to teach a chimp long division.

“They’ll not only be brilliant, but they’ll be way more powerful than us in practically any way that matters, which is why it’s so laughable when you see in Hollywood movies some mothership arrives and people pull out their pistols and start shooting guns at it. Like, ‘Really? Have you thought this through?’”

During first contact, he advises against trying to shake hands or raising a hand in a sign of hello. “Leave all your habits at home, until you learn a thing or two about theirs,” he writes.

The book arrives during a spasm of interest in aliens. The Pentagon has begun releasing a new batch of files on UFOs, “Project Hail Mary” was a smash and Steven Spielberg prepares his alien movie “Disclosure Day,” while former President Barack Obama declared on a podcast that aliens are real. (He later clarified that he had seen no evidence but that “the odds are good there’s life out there.”)

Tyson decided to write his book after watching recent congressional hearings on UFOs, noting that both Republicans and Democrats seemed unified in finding the truth.

“They had a common subject that they’re both interested in,” he says. “When I saw it hit that level, I realized I have something to contribute.”

A book of etiquette

It is the first book under Simon & Schuster's new Simon Six imprint led by Jonathan Karp, Tyson's editor, who called the scientist “the Bruce Springsteen of astrophysicists.”

“You name a respected scientist who has ever written a book of etiquette on how to meet aliens. It hasn’t been done. This is truly terra incognita,” Karp says.

The aliens will, of course, not speak any Earth languages, but Tyson thinks we can still communicate via science — universal constants like the speed of light, Newton’s laws of motion and gravity and Einstein’s relativity. The aliens may even recognize our periodic table — not the names or symbols — but the simple organization, which they may likely also have done.

He also concludes that they won't be tiny or enormous, citing brain-to-body-weight ratios. Too big and they collapse under their own body weight. Too small and they couldn’t construct a spaceworthy vehicle. “The laws of physics greatly restrict the likelihood of Earth being visited by, much less invaded by tiny aliens,” he writes.

If they're monitoring us, though, there's a good chance they'll want to be taken to our apparent leader — Taylor Swift. Instead, Karp says Tyson should be the point man for the human race and the book is his calling card.

“I think this is the funniest factual book that anyone will ever read on aliens and that’s quite a statement,” says Karp. “There’s so much chaos and conflict in the world, and it's a book on aliens that has the potential to bring us all together. He’s clearly been thinking about aliens his entire life, and he’s managed to write about them with the acuity of a scientist and the appeal of an entertainer. That’s a powerful combination.”

Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett was joined by Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) CEO Suzanne Coffey, Auburn Hills Mayor Eugene Hawkins, Chief of Communications for Rochester Hills Nathan Mueller and many other city and county officials at the township hall on May 12.

Background

A 42-inch water main burst at River Woods Park in Auburn Hills on May 10.

GLWA said the water main was discovered leaking on May 6. Crews were working to reroute water, but the water main broke at around 1:30 a.m. on May 10 before rerouting was completed.

This pipe was installed in 1975 and was supposed to last 100 years. It’s only been about 50 years.

Related --> A 42-inch pipe broke 50 years too soon. Here’s where things stand for Oakland County communities

“A very small percentage of this kind of pipe can have a defect in it,” Coffey said. “They called it a ‘manufacturing anomaly’ that creates a condition where it ages more rapidly than it should. But 96% of the pipe is good. It’s $20 million a mile to replace the pipe.”

Water main repair timeline

Coffey said the repaired section of the pipe was placed at around 6 p.m. on Monday. She said by 2 a.m. on Tuesday, the pipe was full of water and at normal pressure.

She said GLWA is flushing the system, which will likely take until Thursday, and water testing will be done by Sunday or Monday next week. An estimated completion date for the repairs has not yet been set.

Water restrictions

Barnett reminded residents of water restrictions, such as not running the dishwasher, using the washing machine, washing a car or watering plants.

Residents can take a shower, but Barnett said those showers should be quick, like a military shower.

Orion Township schools will remain closed until Thursday, May 14, as repairs continue.

An order was lifted for restaurants in the affected areas, but only for businesses that don’t use a lot of water. Businesses such as car washes remain closed.

Hawkins said the northern part of Auburn Hills, above University Drive and Cross Creek, is still under a boil water advisory. The southern part is under emergency-use water restrictions, meaning residents are subject to the same restrictions as Orion Township, but not under a boil-water advisory.

Rochester Hills is also under a water restriction, but not under a boil-water advisory.

Meeting with restaurant owners

At 1 p.m., there will be a briefing with the Oakland County Health Department, specifically for restaurant owners in the impacted areas, to understand safety precautions during the water restriction and boil-water advisory.

Visit Orion Township’s website for details.

Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said the press conference will be held at 11 a.m. on May 12 at the township hall.

The livestream has ended.

Update: Oakland County water main break: A rough timeline on repairs

All three are expected to be fine in time for the World Cup, but others have not been so fortunate.

France's Hugo Ekitike sustained an Achilles injury in April that could take more than six months to fully recover, ruling him out of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and possibly the start of next season.

Brazil stars Rodrygo and Éder Militão are definitely out. So is Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry after injuring his adductor in training.

Arsenal defender Ben White is out of contention for the World Cup after sustaining medial ligament damage. The Premier League leader confirmed the injury on Tuesday and said the England international would be out for the rest of the season.

Players and coaches have increasingly warned about the impact of an ever-packed playing schedule, and the expanded World Cup comes a year after the relaunched, supersized Club World Cup. The Champions League has also been expanded in recent years.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta describes the demand on players as “an accident waiting to happen."

With the World Cup just around the corner and the biggest club prizes up for grabs in the final weeks of the season for many top leagues, players are walking a tightrope to avoid injury before the tournament kicks off.

Players definitely ruled out of the World Cup

Argentina: Joaquín Panichelli (ACL)

Brazil: Éder Militão (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL)

England: Ben White (medial ligament)

France: Hugo Ekitike (Achilles)

Germany: Serge Gnabry (adductor)

Netherlands: Xavi Simons (ACL)

United States: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Patrick Agyemang (Achilles)

Ones to watch

Algeria: Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France icon Zinedine Zidane, is a doubt after a facial injury during an on-field collision last month.

Argentina: Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. It has not yet been confirmed if he is out of the World Cup, with Tottenham not giving a timeframe for his recovery.

Canada: Star left back Alphonso Davies injured his hamstring with just over a month to go before the tournament starts when he was hurt during Bayern Munich's exit to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.

Croatia: Veteran midfielder Luka Modrić broke his cheekbone last month but is expected to be available for the World Cup. Defender Joško Gvardiol returned to training for Manchester City in earlier May after four months out with a broken leg.

Morocco: Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been sidelined with a right thigh injury.

United States: Midfielder Johnny Cardoso sprained his right ankle five weeks before the World Cup while training with Atletico Madrid.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

Big Boy restaurants are launching their Big Boy Graduation Giveaway, an effort to celebrate local graduates.

Graduates can be nominated online through a submission form at www.BigBoy.com

The nomination period will go until May 15.

​​“At Big Boy, celebrating life’s biggest milestones with families has always been part of who we are, and graduation season is one of the most meaningful moments of all,” said Tamer Afr, CEO of Big Boy Restaurants

The winner will be announced on May 29.

Reed died at his Manhattan home after a short illness, publicist Sean Katz said on behalf of Reed’s friend William Kapfer.

In a career spanning more than six decades, Reed became one of the most well-known voices in cultural criticism. He published eight books, acted in movies (playing himself in “Superman”), counted movie stars like Angela Lansbury as friends and often found himself in the spotlight for controversial comments. Most infamous among them was his assertion that Marlee Matlin’s Oscar win for “Children of a Lesser God” was a pity vote, and, decades later, comments about Melissa McCarthy’s weight and size in a review for “Identity Thief.” He also perpetuated a false conspiracy theory that Marisa Tomei’s 1992 Oscar win for “My Cousin Vinny” was fake.

When it came to the movies, he had a reputation for being a bit of a crank as well, often bemoaning the old days and feeling out of step with the next generation of film critics.

“I like just as many films as I dislike,” Reed told The New York Times in 2018. “But I think we’re drowning in mediocrity. I just try as hard as I can to raise the level of consciousness. It’s so hard to get people to see good films.”

Reed was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 2, 1938, and spent his childhood moving around the South for his father’s job. He told the New York Times in 2018 that his origin story as a “controversial writer” began in the eighth grade, when he started writing a gossip column in the school paper and plotted his exodus to a more cosmopolitan life.

One of his first jobs was in the publicity department at 20th Century Fox, during the making of “Cleopatra,” but he was laid off due to budget cuts. The way he told it, he faked his way into film journalism while gallivanting around Europe with friends and looking for ways to fund a ticket home, including writing a Buster Keaton story for The New York Times. In the 1960s and '70s, he established himself as an in-demand magazine and newspaper writer and became a television staple, appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and “The Dick Cavett Show.”

One of his most famous profiles was of Ava Gardner in 1967 for The New York Times (“There Is Nothing Like This Dame”), which was included in his collection “Do You Sleep in the Nude?” with profiles of Barbra Streisand, Lucille Ball, Warren Beatty and others. His work appeared in Vogue, Esquire, GQ and Women’s Wear Daily. He spent nearly four decades writing about films for the Observer.

Reed also acted occasionally, playing the pre-transition Myron in “Myra Breckinridge” and appearing alongside Laurence Olivier in the Korean War movie “Inchon.” He never married and has no immediate survivors. It was his writing that was his legacy.

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who really tried to make things better,” Rex told his Observer editor earlier this year. “Or at least respected what was good when it happened. Not as a curmudgeon. That’s not what I am in real life.”

The 81-year-old was sworn in Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term to extend his presidency over a further five years that may well be his last — although not necessarily for the Museveni family.

Army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president's son and presumptive heir, oversaw dayslong rehearsals of the military parade that animated the inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying noisily over official ceremonial grounds in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

Museveni took the oath of office and received the ceremonial instruments of power while being cheered by thousands attending the event in the Kampala suburb of Kololo. The president urged Ugandans to work hard and build wealth for their families, citing the stories of individuals whose entrepreneurial spirit had paid off.

“No more excuses,” he said.

Many Ugandans now accept that Museveni’s presidency — the only one that many millions of them have known — is nearing its end.

What remains uncertain is the nature of the transition and how orderly things would be in the time he has left in office.

Two possible routes to the top

Kainerugaba looks poised to take over. He has declared his wish to succeed his father and said recently that the mission is unstoppable.

Still, his path is narrow and could follow one of two ways: either a bloodless but unconstitutional takeover by Kainerugaba or a constitutional amendment that allows lawmakers with the ruling party — which has an overwhelming majority — to pick him as Museveni’s successor. An electoral win is seen as a hurdle too high for Kainerugaba, whose challengers would include opposition leader Bobi Wine, the popular entertainer who has twice run for president and rejected the outcome of the January election that gave Museveni his next term.

Anita Among, the parliamentary speaker, said last month that legislators would do everything possible to assist Kainerugaba in his pursuit of the presidency.

“For the sake of MK, just assure MK that we will do whatever it takes,” Among told a group of lawmakers celebrating the general's birthday, mentioning Kainerugaba's initials. “In the 11th parliament, the opposition got swallowed. In the 12th parliament, it is going to be walloped.”

In addition to the speaker, many other leaders have been scampering to show allegiance to Kainerugaba. While their moves display a quest for political survival, they also underscore Kainerugaba’s rise as Uganda’s de facto leader as his father ages and relies more on the army chief to exercise authority.

“Many Ugandans close to power have learned this lesson. That the president is old and exhausted, both intellectually and physically,” Andrew Mwenda, a close ally and friend of Kainerugaba, wrote last month in The Independent online newspaper. “He has a limited ability to monitor many things across a large spectrum of sectors.”

Kainerugaba, 52, joined the army in the late 1990s, and his rise to the top of the armed forces has been controversial, with critics dubbing it the “Muhoozi Project” to prepare him for the presidency.

Museveni and Kainerugaba denied the existence of such a scheme, but it has become apparent in the last two years that hereditary rule is possibly what the president prefers.

Museveni, who has not said when he will retire, has no rivals within the ruling party — the reason many believe the military will have a say in choosing his successor.

“While people are waiting for the legal transition from Museveni, the de facto transition has already happened,” said Angelo Izama, an analyst who runs the Uganda-based Fanaka Kwawote think tank. “Kainerugaba, more than the president, is the final voice on defense and security matters.”

A more confrontational style than his father's

Kainerugaba’s associates describe him as a dedicated military officer who often eschews ostentatious displays of wealth. He attended military schools in the U.S. and Britain before taking charge of a presidential guard unit that has since been expanded into an elite group of special forces.

In addition to his military duties, he is the founder of a political activist group known as the Patriotic League of Uganda. Its members and well-wishers range from government ministers to businesspeople.

But Kainerugaba lacks the public charisma and folksy style of Museveni, who has kept power in part by striking deals with his political rivals and even convincing some to serve in his government. Kainerugaba's style is more confrontational, expressed often in harsh online posts that can give offense. He has ordered the arrest over alleged corruption of multiple generals, including some known to have once been his friends.

Museveni first took power by force in 1986 as the leader of a guerrilla force whose goal was to democratize Uganda after years of chaos and civil war. He said at the time that Africa’s problem was leaders who overstayed their welcome. Much later, he changed his stance to say his criticism was of leaders who prolonged their rule without an electoral mandate.

Museveni, a U.S. ally on regional security, is often credited with presiding over relative peace and stability. But many others see an increasingly authoritarian streak at odds with his early promise of democracy. Term and age limits have been scrapped and some opponents jailed or sidelined.

Lawmakers recently passed a punitive bill whose stated purpose is to deter foreign interference, but which drew widespread concern over its potential to hurt the work of non-governmental organizations and opposition groups.

The legislation forbids an “agent of a foreigner” from obtaining grants or other monetary support from external sources exceeding 400 million Ugandan shillings — roughly $110,000 today — within a 12-month period without the approval of the interior minister.

Wine's party, the National Unity Platform, condemned the legislation as “unconstitutional, irrelevant and brought in bad faith to further persecute those with divergent views.”

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

According to authorities, Terry Lewis Taylor Jr. was intentionally struck by a speeding SUV after getting into an argument at a Flint wedding in 2024. Police said he was severely injured and later died at a hospital.

Police identified the SUV driver as the groom, 24-year-old James Shirah. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and denied bond.

Prosecutors argued Shirah had been drinking and got into an argument with Taylor before leaving the scene, then returned and struck him with the SUV.

In April 2026, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, driving without a license causing death and failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in death.

On Monday, May 11, Shirah was sentenced to 30-45 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The earliest Shirah would be eligible for parole is in 2054.

Andriy Yermak is suspected in an alleged 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme, the agencies announced late Monday.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met with the CEO of Palantir Technologies, part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector, as a three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire that decreased the fighting but failed to stop it altogether ended Monday.

Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is now in its fifth year, with no sign of a peace settlement within reach.

Graft investigation embarrasses Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.

The move is a step short of formally charging Yermak, who resigned in November. He was the country’s lead negotiator in talks with the U.S and left during the scandal that brought the biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The investigation is deeply embarrassing for the Ukrainian leader as he pushes for his country’s admission to the European Union, a process that will likely take years. Endemic corruption is one of the obstacles slowing Ukraine’s admission.

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and a key negotiator in U.S. diplomatic peace efforts, has been questioned and is a witness in the case revolving around a luxury real estate development near the capital, prosecutors told a media briefing in Kyiv.

Several other senior officials, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, are “implicated” in the case, according to the prosecutors, as is prominent Ukrainian businessman Tymur Mindich.

The graft investigation also involves suspected wrongdoing in Ukraine’s energy sector, the defense industry, and the procurement of drones and other military equipment, they said.

Yermak was a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy, who resisted persistent pressure to replace him, and a powerful figure in the government. Investigators searched his home in November.

Zelenskyy made no public comment on the anti-graft agencies’ announcement, but his press officer, Dmytro Lytvyn, said: “The investigation is ongoing, it’s early to draw conclusions.”

Yermak’s attorney, Ihor Fomin, called the suspicion notice groundless and denied his client’s involvement in the alleged laundering of 460 million hryvnias ($10.5 million) through an elite construction project outside Kyiv.

“In my view, this entire situation has been provoked by public pressure,” Fomin said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

A decision on whether to bring formal charges against Yermak could still take months.

Zelenskyy holds talks with CEO of US firm Palantir

Zelenskyy said Tuesday he met in Kyiv with Alex Karp, as part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector.

The Ukrainian leader said in a social media post that Ukraine and Palantir “can be useful to each other.”

“We discussed directions of technological development both in the context of combat operations and civilian needs,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Palantir Technologies is an artificial intelligence software company that helps global defense agencies. It specializes in software platforms that collate and analyze large volumes of data and has partnered with Ukraine for several years.

AI can help combatants quickly sift and decipher a huge volume of battlefield information, enabling more accurate attacks, among other things.

Ukraine Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after meeting with Karp that cooperation with the company is giving Ukraine a technological edge in the war.

It has enabled detailed analysis of air attacks, AI solutions for handling large volumes of reconnaissance data, and the integration of technology in the planning of Ukraine’s deep-strike operations on Russian soil, Fedorov said on Telegram.

Also, Ukraine and Palantir have created a platform for developers to get battlefield data to train AI models, with more than 100 companies currently involved, he said.

Russia launches strikes on Ukraine after relative lull

Ukraine offered to extend the pause in hostilities, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. But he reported Tuesday that Russia launched over 200 drones against Ukraine overnight, striking civilian infrastructure and killing at least one person and wounding another six.

“It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha said on X. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must realize that it will only get worse for him.”

Western analysts and officials say Ukraine’s battlefield position has recently improved as it deploys cutting-edge drone technology to hold Russia’s bigger army at bay.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions of Ukraine on Tuesday, said he thinks that “the Ukrainians really have momentum” at present.

“Russia is having a phase of weakness, economically as well as in domestic political terms and on the battlefield,” Pistorius said, according to German news agency dpa.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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

Their record at the playoffs' halfway point disagrees.

The Thunder completed their second straight series sweep of the spring Monday night when they held off the resilient Lakers 115-110 in Game 4 of the second round. Oklahoma City went 8-0 against LeBron James and the Lakers this season — and the defending champs are also 8-0 in these playoffs after back-to-back routs of Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Sure, coach Mark Daigneault can see areas for improvement and problems to be solved. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander warns that the job is far from finished.

Yet the Thunder are unquestionably the class of the sport with this playoff streak following their dominant regular season as they seek the NBA's first back-to-back championships since Golden State did it 2017 and 2018.

General manager Sam Presti's merciless machine is looking fairly unbeatable as it heads to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year and the sixth time in the past 16 seasons.

“We’ve done our job so far, that’s all it really means,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’ve gone out there, we’ve executed, we played at a high level and we’ve been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents. That’s all it really means. And nothing is guaranteed. In the playoffs, no two games are the same, especially when you change opponents. So the challenges are all coming up, I guess you can say.”

The next challenge is a date with either the San Antonio Spurs or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference finals — after several more days of rest than those teams, which are tied heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

But whoever emerges from that rock fight of a series will face the NBA's biggest challenge in the smooth, relentless Thunder, who appear to be operating on an even higher level than they reached last season while winning the title.

“We’ve been very, very good,” Daigneault said. “I thought we had more lapses tonight than we had had in previous games, so we have to learn from that. Obviously we have to play better in more of the 48 minutes, but I also think the wind is going to be in your face in a playoff game for different reasons at different times, and you’ve got to be able to recenter. I thought we did that exceptionally well.”

The Thunder had never swept back-to-back playoff series, and neither did the Seattle SuperSonics before them.

The Lakers got blown out by Oklahoma City three times before managing one close game. The Thunder trailed in a fourth quarter for the first time in these playoffs, and their five-point win was the smallest of the spring.

But the Thunder rallied, as they almost always do.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. Ajay Mitchell, the backup guard who has become a star in Jalen Williams' injury absence, poured in 10 of his career playoff-high 28 in the same period. Chet Holmgren had arguably the biggest baskets of all, including a go-ahead dunk with 32.8 seconds left.

The Thunder celebrated a closeout quarter that seemed to feature a big play from everybody who touched the court. A few minutes later, they were back to business.

“Everything that we’ve done so far is behind us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We still have a huge target on. We have two more series to win to reach our ultimate goal, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Los Angeles coach JJ Redick and his staff appeared to have a surprising, effective game plan to harass the Thunder’s scorers — and yet it didn’t make much of an impact on the scoreboard at all.

Daigneault found teachable moments during his team's demolition of the Lakers, who sent double-teams at Gilgeous-Alexander and other ball-handlers at a rate they hadn't seen since the Thunder's playoff series with Denver a year ago.

In perhaps the most dismaying aspect of this series for the Thunder's future opponents, they've learned and improved from the Lakers' meager successes.

“It really had us having to sharpen our attacks, but I thought we did a great job of that,” Daigneault said. "Down the stretch, we had some big-time plays (with) high-lows, traps, and we had a dunk for Chet. That was a great attack, and I just thought we showed great execution of that. So I think we’re a lot better in that area than we were coming into the series.”

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

According to authorities, Shelby Township police had been investigating Ryan Jackson, who they suspected was selling cocaine. When police searched his home on Thursday, May 7, they reportedly found multiple guns, ammunition, a speed loader and cocaine.

Police said Jackson is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing guns or ammo. He was taken into custody.

The next day, Jackson was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, felon in possession of weapons, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person and possession of narcotics.

Jackson’s bond was set at $250,000 cash/surety.

The crash happened on Featherstone Street at Martin Luther Kind Jr. Boulevard in the city of Pontiac around 11 p.m. Sunday.

According to investigators, a 60-year-old Pontiac man was crossing Featherstone at a crosswalk when he was struck by an SUV.

Investigators say the driver of the SUV pulled over.

A second SUV struck the man and continued eastbound on Featherstone, police said.

Neither driver reported the crash nor stopped to aid the Pontiac man, according to police.

The Pontiac man was found dead in the middle of Cameron Avenue, north of Featherstone.

Police say one of the SUVs dragged the man’s body a half mile west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The crash remains under investigation.

Oakland County Sheriff’s investigators are asking for the public’s help to identify either SUV driver.

Anyone with information on the crash can contact the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office at 248-858-4950 or Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

It happened near I-94 and 16 Mile Road in Harrison Township on May 12, just before 6 a.m.

Black smoke was seen coming off the balcony of one of the units.

It’s unclear if anyone was injured.

Our story begins in Flint, November 1983. Michael Jackson’s Thriller had just come out. A Christmas Story was about to hit theaters. And 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliot was a part-time babysitter attending Carman High School — just trying to settle into a new life.

Sheri had just moved to Flint to live with her mom after living with her dad in Charlotte.

She was shy, smart and always careful around strangers. Then on Nov. 16, 1983, Sheri never came home from school.

She was last seen waiting for the bus, and then she was gone.

Four days later, her body was found along a rural road in Blumfield Township. She had been shot multiple times and sexually assaulted.

After an extensive investigation, the case went cold. And it stayed cold for 40 years.

Then, in 2023, MSP detectives reopened the case with something they had never had before: modern DNA technology. Using forensic-grade genome sequencing, they built a suspect profile.

At the same time, students from Western Michigan University’s Cold Case Program joined the investigation.

All of that work led to one man: Roni Collins. A 75-year-old from Grand Blanc who had lived in the same area as Sheri Jo and was a traveling musician at the time of her death.

DNA from his autopsy was tested — and it was a conclusive match to evidence recovered from Sheri Jo in 1983.

On April 13, 2026, Michigan State Police announced the case was solved, and the Western Michigan students were integral to making it happen.

Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten, the director of the Cold Case Program at Western Michigan, and Halli Warner, a student who was part of the team that helped solve this case, joined Local 4 Live to discuss the investigation.

We also spoke with the Michigan State Police liaison about how this case came together.

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

Host city Vienna has been bedecked in hearts and the contest’s “United by Music” motto for a week in which singers and bands from 35 countries will compete onstage for the continent’s musical crown. But five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — are boycotting to protest Israel's inclusion.

Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Vienna during Eurovision week, and security is tight, with police officers from across Austria deployed in the capital, and support from forces in neighboring Germany.

Last month a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024, and the head of Austria’s DSN intelligence service, Sylvia Mayer, said “the terror threat posed by Islamist terror groups, as well as Iran-affiliated groups, is still at a high level.”

Israel aiming for the Eurovision final

Israeli singer Noam Bettan is among 15 acts competing for votes from viewers and national juries in Tuesday’s semifinal at the Wiener Stadthalle arena. The top 10 will go through to Saturday’s grand final, along with 10 from Thursday’s second semifinal. The U.K., France, Germany and Italy automatically qualify because they are among the contest’s biggest funders. Austria, last year’s winner, goes through to the final as host country.

Bettan is seeking to get Israel, which came second in 2025, into Saturday’s final with the ballad “Michelle.” Like last year’s Israeli competitor, Yuval Raphael, he has practiced singing while being booed.

Hoping to cement its status as bookmakers’ favorite is Finland, with the intense “Liekinheitin” (“Flamethrower”) by violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen.

Other competitors in Tuesday’s semifinal include Greece’s Akylas with fan-favorite party-rap track “Ferto” (“Bring It”); Portuguese quintet Bandidos do Cante with the soulful “Rosa”; and singer Senhit, representing tiny San Marino with “Superstar,” a party anthem featuring a guest appearance by Boy George.

Long a forum for good-natured — and sometimes more pointed — national rivalries, Eurovision has found it hard to separate pop and politics in recent years. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled over its conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations it ran a rule-breaking marketing campaign to get votes for its contestant.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has toughened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per person to 10 and tightening safeguards against “suspicious or coordinated voting activity.”

But the EBU declined to kick Israel out, spurring five countries to announce in December that they would not participate this year.

Protesters urge artists to withdraw

At a press conference on Tuesday the group No Music for Genocide urged participants to pull out of the contest.

“Israel will not withdraw. The Austrian government will not have Israel removed from the competition, from the Song Contest. So I think it is a moral obligation for each and every artist to take action and step away from the competition,” said Congolese-Austrian activist Patrick Bongola, a member of the group.

Israel strongly denies committing genocide in Gaza. Demonstrations in support of the country's participation are also planned this week in Vienna.

The five-country boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year. Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania have returned after skipping the event for artistic or financial reasons in recent years, but the number of participants, at 35, is still the lowest since 2003.

Jonathan Hendrickx, a media researcher at the University of Copenhagen, said any more boycotts will stress the structure of the contest and raise doubts if the very show can still go on as usual.

“They really are at their limits now, in terms of what they can handle with the current format,” Hendrickx said.

Dean Vuletic, the author of “Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest,” is confident Eurovision can weather the latest storms.

“We’ll see demonstrations, but we’ll also see a lot of colorful events going on which will really represent what Eurovision is about, which is bringing Europeans together,” he said.

“If you look at the history of Eurovision, it’s gone through so many crises, so many political challenges, so many geopolitical changes in Europe, and it’s always managed to survive.”

___

Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this story.

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For more coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/eurovision-song-contest

A fisherman on the island of Lefkada found the craft inside a coastal cave on May 7 and towed it close to a nearby harbor. It was moved a day later to a naval base on the mainland for inspection and the explosives were later destroyed, according to Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT.

“We have certainty now that it is a Ukrainian USV,” Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said, referring to the drone as an unmanned surface vehicle.

Ukrainian authorities didn’t immediately return a request seeking comment.

Dendias made the remarks in Brussels at a meeting of European Union defense ministers, saying that he would raise the issue with his European colleagues and with the Ukrainian officials directly.

“You understand that the presence of that USV — the drone, the sea drone — affects the freedom of navigation and affects also the security of navigation,” Dendias said. “This is an extremely serious issue.”

Ukraine has used surface drones to attack Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea, and more recently to target tankers used to transport Russian oil as part of an illicit network when returning empty as part of a campaign to hammer Moscow's energy exports.

Greek authorities gave no further details of the drone, while Greek naval experts said that its features resemble Ukrainian Magura-type craft — a platform developed by Ukraine's intelligence service.

Lefkada, off the west coast of the Greek mainland, is on a busy waterway between Greece and Italy, and is popular with tourists traveling by yacht or ferry, as well as commercial vessels. “It appears that the (drone) suffered some malfunction and was moving in an uncontrolled way,” Stefanos Gikas, a Greek deputy minister for maritime affairs, told public television on Monday. “So this craft — a black thing without navigation and carrying explosives — could have struck a tourist vessel.”

The heightening drone-led confrontation between Ukraine and the invading Russian military has led to multiple incidents on the territory of NATO and EU member states — the incursions mostly involving suspected Russian drones entering their airspace.

“They are violating our airspace. And it’s very clear that inside the European Union we should rearrange our capacities, our capabilities, in order to decrease this type of violations,” Romanian Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruța said in Brussels on Tuesday.

“It is very important to understand that this is a common threat,” he said. “It is happening on the entire eastern flank.”

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Lorne Cook reported from Brussels. Theodora Tongas contributed to this report.

’’Children crying, and even babies,” said Ross, the French widow of a U.S. military veteran, whose arrest last month as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown made international headlines.

Ross spoke to The Associated Press on Monday about her 16 days in federal immigration custody after being arrested on April 1 in Alabama following an alleged visa overstay, and the late-in-life love story that brought her to the United States. She has been released and returned to France.

The experience in detention, she said, changed her and her view of politics.

She was held in a dormitory-style room with 58 other women, mostly mothers. ‘’Some of them didn’t know where their children were,'' she said. ‘’I think it’s terrible for a woman not to know where her children are.”

Her arrest in Alabama unfolded so quickly that she barely understood what was happening. Five men, who identified themselves as immigration officers, banged on her door and windows at 8 a.m. before handcuffing her and placing her in a vehicle, she said. She was still wearing her bathrobe, slippers and pajamas.

She was transferred two days later to a facility in Basile, Louisiana. Later that month she was freed. She is now recovering in a suburb of Nantes in western France with her family. The French foreign minister had publicly called for her release, saying that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement methods are “not in line” with French standards.

Ross had entered the U.S. to start a new life with William B. Ross, a retired U.S. soldier she had met decades earlier when he was stationed in France in the 1950s and she was a secretary at NATO. They married in April 2025.

After he died of natural causes in January, a dispute emerged over his estate. An Alabama judge found that Ross’ stepson, a U.S. federal employee, allegedly intervened to prompt her placement in immigration custody.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ross had overstayed her 90-day visa at the time of her arrest. The AP on Tuesday sought comment from DHS, which previously didn’t respond to requests.

Ross described strict rules and constant shouting from guards and condescending treatment at the detention facility in Louisiana.

“The prison was clean, the food was okay, but it was the way they spoke to us,” she told the AP. “The guards could not speak without yelling.”

She described the place as noisy. ’’Everybody was talking loudly so everybody could hear what they were saying, but when silence came, you could hear children crying and even babies crying,″ she said. ’’There’s babies in this jail.″

Despite the conditions, Ross described moments of solidarity among detainees. “During the night, if my bed cover slipped away, I felt a small hand putting it back,” she said. “I didn’t know who it was, but they pampered me because I was older than them.”

She said the women called her “Grandma.” She kept a handmade friendship bracelet given to her by another detainee, a gift she wears today.

Family members said Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress following her detention. She said she wants to seek medical follow-up in France to address symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress and is receiving support.

Ross said she continues to think about the women she met in custody, most of them from South America. Many were mothers separated from their children.

Her experience changed the way she sees the United States and its immigration policies, Ross said. Her husband was a Trump supporter and they used to watch Fox News together. But she was shocked to learn firsthand how immigrants are treated inside immigration facilities.

She used to view the U.S. as a “country of freedom, where people are not arrested based on how they look, and where those who are detained are treated fairly and with respect.” But the women she met did not deserve to be detained, she said. “Their only fault was to be South American.”

As she recovers in France, Ross still thinks about them: “When I left this jail in Louisiana, I told them that if I ever had the chance to speak about them, I would do it, to help them.”

From above, the plant forms dense, almost carpet-like mats that stretch across the surface. Up close, its long strands extend deep below the water, with roots reaching toward the lagoon bed, making it difficult to remove completely.

The scenes are unfolding in Colombia’s Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, a vast coastal wetland on the Caribbean coast about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city of Santa Marta. What was until recently a lifeline for fishing and transport is now being choked by dense vegetation, turning it into what he describes as an unfolding environmental crisis.

“What we’re seeing here today is a problem. One that affects not only movement or fishing, but the community as a whole,” said 32-year-old Cantillo, a local environmental and social leader from Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta.

Over the past year, residents say the fast-growing invasive plant native to Asia — Hydrilla verticillata — has spread rapidly across the wetland after first appearing around mid-2025. The dense vegetation, which some locals refer to as “horse tail,” is choking fishing routes, clogging waterways and restricting access to areas where residents collect water, while driving up costs in communities that rely almost entirely on the lagoon for their livelihoods.

The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is one of Colombia’s most important fishing ecosystems, serving as a nursery for many species.

In Nueva Venecia and Buenavista — two isolated fishing communities built almost entirely on wooden stilts over the water — large swaths of open water are now covered by the invasive plant. The communities themselves are largely informal and exist outside many basic state services.

Nueva Venecia — the older of the two, founded in 1847 as a fishing settlement — is home to roughly 4,500 people living in about 500 colorful houses. Buenavista, which emerged in the 1950s, has around 1,150 residents and 163 similarly vibrant homes, where residents travel between houses, shops and schools by small boats or canoes.

"A year ago, there were canoes fishing here. Teachers and students crossing the lagoon. Today, what we see is a problem,” Cantillo said.

A growing crisis for fishing communities

The impact is rippling through already vulnerable communities. Fish catches have dropped, transport has become more difficult and families are facing rising costs as they are forced to buy potable water.

In Nueva Venecia, one small-scale fisherman stood shirtless in the midday heat, pulling brittle strands of dried vegetation from his fishing nets, which he had laid out in the sun to make them easier to clean.

“We can’t work because of this plant,” said 61-year-old Santander Cueto. “It doesn’t let us cast our nets — everything gets tangled.”

What was once a routine task now takes significantly longer.

“The lagoon's completely covered. There’s nowhere left to fish,” said Demóstenes Guerrero, 58, a fisherman and representative of a fishing association in Buenavista.

In some areas, groups of residents head out in wooden boats to cut narrow “lifeline” passages through the thickest vegetation, allowing canoes to pass without getting their propellers tangled. These efforts are labor-intensive and largely driven by the community itself, and must be repeated every few days as the fast-growing plant quickly closes the routes again.

The wetland spans about 428,000 hectares (1,600 square miles) of lagoons, mangroves and marshes — roughly the size of Los Angeles — and has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2000.

Pollution and changing water flows fuel the spread

The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is fed by the Magdalena River — one of Colombia’s main waterways — which carries untreated wastewater from across much of the country, said Julián Arbelaez, a water and sanitation engineer working in the region.

That influx of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, creates ideal conditions for invasive species when water slows in wetlands like this one.

“That load causes the river to enter a state of eutrophication,” Arbelaez said, referring to a process in which excess nutrients fuel rapid plant growth.

The vegetation is also cutting off access to cleaner water sources. Residents typically travel by boat to collect freshwater from channels connected to the Magdalena River, but many of those routes are now blocked. As a result, Arbelaez said, people are increasingly collecting water closer to their homes — often in areas contaminated by untreated sewage.

Residents say another invasive plant, Eichhornia crassipes, which floats on the water’s surface, has long been present in the lagoon and also disrupts fishing and transport, though its impact has been less sudden.

Local leaders say changes in water flow have also contributed to the crisis, with freshwater now dominating areas where saltwater once helped suppress or kill Hydrilla verticillata.

Sandra Vilardy, a professor at Universidad de los Andes who has a doctorate in ecology and who has worked in the region for about 20 years, said there is still limited research on how the plant arrived and that current explanations remain hypotheses.

She said one of the most likely pathways is maritime transport, with the plant potentially entering through major river systems before spreading into wetlands through smaller vessels and dredging activity. A second possibility, she said, is the release of aquarium plants into waterways, a common cause of biological invasions globally, though she noted that explanation appears less likely in this case given the region’s environmental conditions.

Communities say response has been slow and insufficient

“This is a monster in terms of growth,” Cantillo said, describing how it spread from a limited presence early last year to surrounding entire communities within months.

Even attempts to remove it can make the situation worse, as fragments can break off and spread further. Residents say efforts to remove the plant have largely been limited to small-scale manual clearing by fishermen and sporadic pilot efforts by authorities, with no effective large-scale solution in place.

The crisis is now pushing some residents to consider leaving altogether.

“We now face a risk that we didn’t have 20 or 25 years ago — the risk of mass displacement,” Cantillo said.

Protests and road blockades have already taken place as frustration grows over what locals describe as a slow and insufficient government response.

Alfredo Martínez, director of CORPAMAG, the regional environmental authority, said Hydrilla verticillata is not officially classified as an invasive species in Colombia and that national guidelines for its control are still pending. He said monitoring and removal efforts are underway with local community involvement, adding that no further expansion has been observed since March and that lower water levels may be slowing its spread.

César Rodríguez Ayala, a community leader in Nueva Venecia, said the crisis is affecting nearly every aspect of life.

“If the fisherman can’t work, the shop doesn’t sell,” he said. “We are living a very difficult situation, economically and environmentally.”

While mechanical removal methods exist, complete eradication is unlikely in the short term due to high costs and limited capacity, according to Cantillo.

“We are part of Colombia too,” Rodríguez said. “We live on the water, but we also deserve to be seen — and helped — in a moment like this.”

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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.

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) said the line was installed in 1975 to last about 100 years. It only reached 51 before bursting, leaving thousands without water.

Here’s everything we know about the water main break:

Water main break update

Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett is expected to provide an update on the water main break at 11 a.m. on May 12.

Local 4 will be at the press conference.

Water main replaced

The ruptured 42-inch water main was replaced Monday afternoon.

“The next step in the process is they’ve got to go in and actually weld the joints to the existing pipe,” GLWA CEO Suzanne Coffey said.

Coffey said this is ahead of schedule. But just because things are moving along doesn’t mean there isn’t a long road of testing ahead.

This pipe was installed in 1975 and was supposed to last 100 years. It’s only been about 50 years.

Related --> A 42-inch pipe broke 50 years too soon. Here’s where things stand for Oakland County communities

“A very small percentage of this kind of pipe can have a defect in it,” Coffey said. “They called it a ‘manufacturing anomaly’ that creates a condition where it ages more rapidly than it should. But 96% of the pipe is good. It’s $20 million a mile to replace the pipe.”

GLWA said the water main was discovered leaking on May 6. Crews were working to reroute water, but the water main broke at around 1:30 a.m. on May 10 before rerouting was completed.

Businesses reopening

Orion Township businesses are no longer required to close unless they are specifically notified by the fire department.

Related --> Water main break forces Oakland County businesses to close during busy weekend

Water restrictions

Residents in Orion Township, Lake Orion, Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills still cannot use water for nonessential activities such as watering lawns, washing cars, running dishwashers, using washing machines, etc.

Related --> ‘No showers, no laundry’: Oakland County residents line up for water as main break repair continues

Boil Water Advisories still in effect

Boil Water Advisories are still in effect for the communities affected: Orion Township, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills and Oakland Township.

--> Here’s what to do during a boil water advisory

In Pontiac, residents are asked to avoid outdoor water use to reduce strain on the system. Higher demand can contribute to low water pressure in the city and nearby communities and may reduce water available for firefighting. Residents are urged to limit water use to essential needs only until the break is repaired.

Related --> Neighbors, agencies unite to provide clean water amid Oakland County boil advisory

Water pickup locations

GLWA said water trucks are distributing one-gallon containers at:

• Orion Township: Wildwood Amphitheater, 2700 Joslyn Court
• Auburn Hills: Auburn Hills Department of Public Works, 1500 Brown Road
• Lake Orion: Atwater Park, 426 Atwater Street

View a map of the locations here.

School closures

Lake Orion Baptist is closed on Tuesday, May 12.

Lake Orion Community Schools are closed through Thursday, May 14, due to the water main break.

See the list of school closures in Metro Detroit here.

Random House Children's Books announced Tuesday that Riordan is collaborating with different co-authors on each of four “Camp Half-Blood” middle-grade novels set during the time between Riordan's first two Percy books, “The Lightning Thief” and “The Sea of Monsters.”

Since “The Lightning Thief” was published in 2005, Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” novels have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages. His books feature such beloved characters as Percy, the boy whose father is the Greek god Poseidon; best friend Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Riordan said in a statement that working on the Emmy-winning Disney+ adaptation of his work stirred his curiosity about Camp Half-Blood.

“It made me wonder what was happening back at camp between the books of the original series, when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover weren’t around,” he said. “This new series gives me a chance to explore that idea, while opening up Percy’s world by introducing a new group of demigod heroes, co-created with amazing authors who can write authentically about those heroes’ backgrounds. It’s been an incredible thrill!”

The first installment, “The Wild Zone,” was written with Annebelle Oh and comes out Sept. 29. Kyle Lukoff, Jade Adia and Pablo Cartaya are working with Riordan on the second, third and fourth books, respectively. Each will be published six months apart.

According to Random House, “The Wild Zone” tells of “ancient threats and long-buried secrets” and how “campers begin to disappear, unlikely new heroes must face monsters, curses, and impossible choices, all while discovering what it truly means to belong.”

Mathers, 51, of Chesterfield, pleaded no contest on Monday, May 11, in the 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore.

The crash happened on Feb. 16 when she was driving a white Range Rover and struck a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck parked on a street.

Police said the truck was pushed approximately 50 feet from where it was parked.

It is alleged that Mathers was impaired at the time of the crash.

Mathers was charged with:

• Operating – impaired, a 93-day misdemeanor
• Failure to stop after a collision is a 90-day misdemeanor

After the arraignment, Mathers immediately pleaded no contest to operating while impaired and to failing to report an accident.

Mathers is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at the 42-2 District Court on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 9 a.m.

The Thunder — who trailed in the fourth quarter for the first time in these playoffs — eliminated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, winning 115-110 to close out another four-game sweep.

Oklahoma City also swept Phoenix in Round 1.

The Thunder join the New York Knicks as teams in the conference finals. Their opponents won't be known for at least a couple of days — with both remaining series tied at 2-2.

Game 5 in the Western Conference matchup between San Antonio and Minnesota is on Tuesday. Game 5 in the Eastern Conference semifinal between Detroit and Cleveland is on Wednesday.

Tuesday's schedule

— Game 5, Minnesota at San Antonio, 8 p.m. EDT (NBC, Peacock)

Series: Tied, 2-2.

Odds: San Antonio by 10.5.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama — who will play, after the NBA said nothing more than an ejection was merited after he elbowed Minnesota's Naz Reid in Game 4 — is about to face the most pressure-packed game of his career, with the Spurs looking to keep home-court advantage against the Timberwolves.

Wednesday's schedule

— Game 5, Cleveland at Detroit, 8 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Tied, 2-2.

Odds: Detroit by 3.5.

Home teams are 4-0 in this series, and the Pistons need to continue that trend. Everyone knows Game 5 in a tied-up series is a swing game, but the Pistons — who fended off elimination three times in the Round 1 win over Orlando — are used to playing amid pressure.

Monday's recap

— Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103 to tie series at 2-2. Donovan Mitchell ran wild after halftime.

— Thunder 115, Lakers 110 to win series 4-0. And now, all eyes are on LeBron James' future.

Sleepy, you have company

Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell backed up his talk.

He told teammates at halftime Monday night that he had to be better — so he went out and scored 39 of his 43 points in the second half to lead the Cavs to a Game 4 win.

Mitchell's 39 points tied the NBA record for points in a playoff half. Sleepy Floyd also had 39 in the second half for Golden State against the Lakers on May 10, 1987 — a record that was unmatched for, ironically enough, 39 years (and one day).

Charles Barkley (for Phoenix against Golden State on May 4, 1994) and Kevin Durant (for Golden State against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 26, 2019) both had 38-point first halves in playoff games.

Awards watch

A breakdown of this season's NBA awards:

— Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year: DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans.

— Hustle Award: Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte.

— Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio.

— Clutch Player of the Year: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City.

— Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio.

— Sportsmanship Award: Derrick White, Boston.

— Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta.

— Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas.

— Executive of the Year: Brad Stevens, Boston.

Among the announcements still to come:

— Most Valuable Player: Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver's Nikola Jokic.

— Coach of the Year: Johnson, Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff, or Boston's Joe Mazzulla.

Betting odds

Defending champion Oklahoma City (-165) is favored to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.

The Thunder are followed by San Antonio (+350), New York (+600), Detroit (+2000), Cleveland (+4000) and Minnesota (+5000).

Key dates

— Through Sunday: NBA draft combine.

— May 17 or 19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC.

— May 18 or 20: Western Conference finals begin on NBC and Peacock.

— June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10, June 13, June 16 and June 19).

— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft.

— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft.

Quote of the day

“They threw a lot of pitches at us, and I think we’re a better team at the end of the series than we were at the beginning. And that’s a credit to them. So, just a tip of the hat to them. Deep respect.” — Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, on the Lakers.

Stats of the day

— Oklahoma City got its first fourth-quarter comeback win of these playoffs — because the Thunder had not trailed in the fourth quarter in any of their first seven playoff games this year.

— LeBron James got his 147th playoff double-double Monday night, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for third-most in NBA postseason history. Only Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157) have more.

___

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

Ex-wife of rapper Eminem charged after alleged hit-and-run crash, pleads no contest

The ex-wife of rapper Eminem, Kimberley Anne Mathers, 51, of Chesterfield, pleaded no contest after she was charged with an alleged hit-and-run crash.

Mathers pleaded no contest on Monday (May 11) in the 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore.

The incident occurred on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, when she was driving a white Range Rover and struck a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck parked on a street.

Read more here.

What northern Oakland County residents can expect after broken water main replaced

 broken 42-inch water main in Auburn Hills has been replaced. But the work is just starting, leaving northern Oakland County under a state of emergency.

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) said the line was installed in 1975 to last about 100 years. It only reached 51 before bursting, leaving thousands without water.

Read more here.

Detroit man accused of killing punk rock singer in 1993 arrested in Panama after 30 years on the run

The U.S. Marshals Service’s Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team has arrested a Detroit man who they said had been on the run for more than 30 years after being accused of a 1993 murder.

“He was a ghost since ‘94,” a federal source told Local 4 Monday. “He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run.”

Read more here.

Spain reports new hantavirus case in passenger evacuated from cruise ship as outbreak grows to 11

A Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus, Spain’s health ministry announced Tuesday as the World Health Organization said it has now confirmed 11 cases, including three people from the cruise who died.

Read more here.

Weather: Freeze warning and frost advisory in effect across SE Michigan, rain and storms arrive in afternoon

We are waking up to a chilly start across Southeast Michigan as a Freeze Warning remains in effect for the Thumb region, while a Frost Advisory covers the remainder of Southeast Michigan through 8 a.m. Sensitive plants could be impacted by the cold temperatures early this morning if they weren’t properly protected overnight.

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Where that game will be played was not part of Tuesday morning's announcement. The location has not been determined yet with the NFL still finalizing things ahead of Thursday night's 2026 season schedule release.

Another unknown is whether two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes will be available for that season opener. His goal is to be ready for Week 1. The Chiefs quarterback tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14 in the final minutes of a loss to the Chargers, which effectively eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.

Quarterback Bo Nix is expected to be ready for training camp after breaking a bone in his right ankle on Jan. 18 during the AFC playoffs. Denver finished last season losing the AFC championship game to New England.

More matchups will be revealed in the coming days.

The trio of games announced Monday came as NBC, Fox and Prime Video made their upfront presentations to advertisers. The Buffalo Bills’ first regular-season game in their new stadium will be against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17 and will kick off Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” schedule.

The Dallas Cowboys were part of the other two unveilings. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in the first NBC “Sunday Night Football” game of the season on Sept. 13 and they will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26.

___

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

Bested in every way during a 112-103 runaway in Cleveland to even the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Game 4, the once certain, poised Pistons head back to Detroit in search of two wins and more answers.

“We were turning the ball over a lot. Couldn’t get stops,” Pistons forward Paul Reed said. “Donovan Mitchell was killing us. That was pretty much it.”

A 56-52 halftime lead evaporated as Mitchell sprang into superstar form.

Following a 1-for-8 shooting performance before the break, Mitchell led the Cavaliers on a 22-0 run out of the locker room, accounting for 20 of the team’s first 28 points in the third quarter.

Mitchell finished with 43 total points, his 39-point second half tying the record for most in any half during the NBA Playoffs set by Sleepy Floyd in 1987.

The 22-0 run opened an insurmountable lead. Held in check on the glass with just a 35-33 rebounding edge and turning the ball over five more times than Cleveland, the Pistons trailed by as many as 17 and returned the deficit to single digits with less than a minute to go.

“They played with more force and tenacity than we did to start the quarter,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They came out very aggressive on both ends of the floor. We just didn’t match it.”

Cade Cunningham posted 19 points to go with six assists, outdueled by a combined 67 points courtesy of Mitchell and James Harden.

"It's unacceptable."

The #Pistons lost Game 4 vs. the Cavs for many reasons, but the free throw disparity did not help.

Cleveland shot 34. Detroit shot 12.

More from JB Bickerstaff & Jalen Duren on that stark difference while playing on the road.

🎥 @Local4News pic.twitter.com/tm12OxTSyy

— Hobie Artigue (@HeyItsMeHobie) May 12, 2026

The Pistons were whistled for 27 fouls to 15 by the Cavs, resulting in nearly three times the free throw attempts being awarded to Cleveland.

“It’s unacceptable,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s no way one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our whole team. We’re not a ‘sell’ team. We’re not a jump shooting team.”

“You wonder the reason why,” the Pistons coach continued. “It’s interesting since Kenny [Atkinson] made his comments publicly about us, the whistle has changed in this series.”

Players were measured in their response to the disparity in the locker room.

“Can’t blame it on the refs. We shot ourselves in the foot,” Jalen Duren told Local 4’s Hobie Artigue. “There are areas we could have been better in, including myself. I will be better for my teammates. We’ve been backs against the wall before.”

Game 4 vs. the Cavs was the fifth time Jalen Duren's been held to single-digit points in the playoffs.

He was held under 10 points in just six of his 70 games in the regular season. pic.twitter.com/1vzNqPbPBZ

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 12, 2026

Duren was limited to eight points and two rebounds.

Former Cavalier Caris LeVert brought his best out of necessity, netting a career playoff-high 24 points off the bench. Paired with 15 points from Paul Reed, the duo provided the most reliable scoring output down the stretch.

“I thought P-Reed earned the opportunity to be on the floor,” Bickerstaff explained. “Vert is a true competitor who understands the moment.”

Having come from 3-1 down in the first round, the Pistons are no strangers to playing through adversity. The battles of playoff basketball still provide tough learning experiences every night.

“It’s just about us figuring out what adjustment we need to make moving forward,” Reed said. “Against Orlando, we knew we had to come out and play with more urgency. Hopefully we win the next game with more urgency.”

“I think we learned from the Orlando series what it’s like to be down and the amount of urgency you have to play with, but now we’re on the other side of it,” Bickerstaff added. “Some of the hardest lessons you learn are the most frustrating ones, but you learn from them and you grow.”

As the old saying goes: a series doesn’t start until the home team loses on their court.

Even so, Pistons fans won’t stop thinking about two games that got away in Cleveland, and the team can’t stop working on how to right the ship for Game 5 at LCA on Wednesday.

The matchup was one of three announced by the NFL on Monday as NBC, Fox and Prime Video made their upfront presentations to advertisers.

The Dallas Cowboys were part of the other two unveilings. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in the first NBC “Sunday Night Football” game of the season on Sept. 13 and they will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 26.

The full schedule will be released on Thursday with other matchups revealed in the coming days.

The Bills are one of 10 teams to have new coaches this season with Joe Brady taking over after Sean McDermott was fired after nine seasons. The game will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the league with Josh Allen and the Bills hosting Jared Goff and the Lions. Detroit is looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season.

The NFL has traditionally used Week 2 to showcase new stadiums in a primetime game.

This is the eighth time in the past 15 years the Cowboys and Giants are opening the season against each other. It also marks the 15th time the NFC East rivals are meeting on NBC's Sunday night package, the second-most played matchup since the network started the package in 2016.

Dallas is always a national television draw as “America's Team,” and New York could get more primetime exposure with Super Bowl winner John Harbaugh in his first year coaching the Giants and Jaxson Dart established as the franchise quarterback coming off his eventful rookie year.

This also could be the NFL debuts for a pair of former Ohio State teammates: Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, taken with the fifth pick, and Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, drafted not long after at No. 11.

This will only be the third time, and first since 2014, that the Eagles will be the Cowboys' Thanksgiving opponent.

Dallas has won its past four Thanksgiving games, including a 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last year.

The late afternoon Thanksgiving game is traditionally the most viewed of the regular season. Last year’s game averaged 57.23 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched regular-season game in league history.

This will be the second straight season Philadelphia will have the spotlight on Thanksgiving week. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles hosted last year's Black Friday game and lost to the Chicago Bears 24-15.

Monday's announcements mean the Cowboys know the dates for three of their 17 games. It was announced a couple of weeks ago their game in Rio de Janeiro against the Baltimore Ravens will take place in Week 3 on Sept. 27 and air on CBS.

Dallas at New York in Week 1 also means neither of those teams will be the visitor at Seattle on Wednesday night, Sept. 9, when the defending champion Seahawks unveil their Super Bowl banner and kick off the season. Chicago, Arizona, Kansas City, the Los Angeles Chargers or a title-game rematch against New England are the remaining possibilities.

___

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

Ryan Cohen’s GameStop disclosed earlier this month that it was pursuing a takeover of eBay, seeing it as a vehicle to compete with online retail giant Amazon.

The national gaming retailer said at the time that its approximately 1,600 U.S. stores could become drop-off and shipping locations. One proposal included live sales broadcasts from GameStop locations featuring eBay products.

GameStop’s bid is worth $125 per share in cash and stock. The equity value of the proposed deal is $55 billion on paper. The company previously said that it started accumulating shares in eBay beginning in February and currently has a 5% stake.

In a letter from eBay Chairman Paul Pressler sent to Cohen, eBay's board said that it had completed its review of GameStop's offer and believes that eBay is a “strong, resilient business.”

“With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders,” the letter said.

GameStop did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's stock fell 4% before the market open on Tuesday.

San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs has put an artificial intelligence agent nicknamed “Mona” in charge at the eponymous Andon Café in the Swedish capital. While human baristas still brew the coffee and serve the orders, the AI agent — powered by Google’s Gemini — oversees almost every other aspect of the business, from hiring staff to managing inventory.

It is not clear how long the experiment will last, but the AI agent appears to be struggling to turn a profit in Stockholm’s competitive coffee trade. The cafe has made more than $5,700 in sales since it opened in mid-April, but less than $5,000 remains from its original budget of $21,000-plus. Much of the cash was spent on one-time setup costs, and the hope is that it eventually levels out and makes money.

Many cafe patrons have found it amusing to visit a business that's run by AI. Customers can pick up a telephone inside the cafe and ask the agent questions.

“It’s nice to see what happens if you push the boundary,” customer Kajsa Norin said. “The drink was good.”

Experts worry about AI's role going forward

Experts say ethical concerns abound, ranging from technology's role in humankind's future to conducting job interviews and judging employee performance.

Emrah Karakaya, an associate professor of industrial economics at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, likened the experiment to “opening Pandora’s box" and said putting AI in charge can cause many problems. What might happen, he said, if a customer gets food poisoning? Who’s to blame?

“If you don’t have the required organizational infrastructure around it, and if you overlook these mistakes, it can cause harm to people, to society, to the environment, to business,” Karakaya said. “The question is, do we care about this negative impact?”

Founded in 2023, Andon Labs is an AI safety and research startup that says it focuses on “stress-testing” AI agents in the real world by giving them “real tools and real money.” It has worked with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Claude’s Anthropic, Google DeepMind and Elon Musk’s xAI, and the startup says it is preparing for a future where “organizations are run autonomously by AI.”

The Swedish cafe is billed as a “controlled experiment” to explore how AI might be deployed going forward.

“AI will be a big part of society in the future, and therefore we want to make this experiment (to) see what ethical questions arise when we have AI that employs other people and runs a business,” said Hanna Petersson, a member of Andon Labs’ technical staff.

The lab previously held pilots that put Anthropic’s Claude AI in charge of a vending machine business and a San Francisco gift store. The vending machine simulation revealed some worrying traits: The AI agent told customers it would issue refunds but never did, and it also intentionally lied to suppliers about competitor pricing to gain leverage.

AI agent struggles with inventory orders

Mona got to work after it was prompted with some basic instructions, Petersson said. The team told it to try to run the cafe profitably, be friendly and easygoing, and figure out operational details by itself but ask for new tools if needed.

From there it set up contracts for electricity and internet, and secured permits for food handling and outdoor seating. The agent then advertised for staff on LinkedIn and Indeed, and set up commercial accounts with wholesalers for daily bread and bakery orders. It communicates with the baristas via Slack, often messaging them outside of working hours, which is a workplace no-no in Sweden.

Other problems have arisen, particularly related to inventory.

The AI agent has placed orders for 6,000 napkins, four first-aid kits and 3,000 rubber gloves for the tiny cafe — plus canned tomatoes that aren’t used in any dish the cafe serves.

And then there’s the bread. Sometimes the agent orders far too much, while other days it misses bakeries’ daily deadlines, forcing the baristas to strike sandwiches from the menu.

Petersson said the ordering issues are likely due to the AI assistant’s “limited context window.”

“When old memory of ordering stuff is out of the context window, she completely forgets what she has ordered in the past,” Petersson said.

Barista Kajetan Grzelczak said he isn’t worried about being replaced by AI just yet.

“All the workers are pretty much safe,” he said. “The ones who should be worried about their employment are the middle bosses, the people in management.”

The attack took place in Lakki Marwat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Azmat Ullah said. He said that two traffic police officers and a woman were among those killed.

Ullah provided no further details but said traffic police officers were apparently the target of the attack. The bombing also damaged nearby shops. Most of the dead and wounded were passersby, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Suspicion in such attacks often falls on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has intensified its campaign against Pakistani security forces in recent years. The group is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

However, the Pakistani Taliban denied involvement in Tuesday's attack, saying in a statement that it had learned about the bombing but was not behind it.

The latest attack came days after 15 police officers were killed in a suicide bombing and gun assault on a security post in the nearby Bannu district on Saturday, prompting Islamabad to summon a senior Afghan diplomat to lodge a formal complaint.

Pakistan on Monday blamed that attack on Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban.

On Tuesday, Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a post on X, rejected Pakistan’s claim that the recent attack in the Bannu district was planned in Afghanistan, calling it baseless.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that problems can be resolved through understanding, mutual respect and genuine cooperation, rather than accusations, threats and emotional reactions,” he said. Mujahid reiterated that Kabul’s position remains that Afghan territory will not be used against any country, and that no one will be allowed to engage in activities that undermine regional security and stability.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Tuesday's attack and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims.

In a statement, he said the government and all relevant institutions were committed to eliminating terrorism and would not allow militants to obstruct peace and development in the country. He directed authorities to swiftly complete the investigation, identify those responsible and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Pakistani authorities have long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants. Kabul has denied the allegation, saying it does not allow militants to use Afghan soil to launch attacks against other countries.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, straining relations with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups have grown more emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have persisted, including fighting that has killed hundreds of people since late February. In early April, the two sides held peace talks mediated by China. However, sporadic cross-border clashes have continued, though at a lower intensity than before.

___

Associated Press writers Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Abdul Qahar Afghan in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

🍇 Grapevine

🌅 Good morning! On this day in 1965, the Rolling Stones finished the studio recording of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” their first major hit. The song, which catapulted the ascendant British blues-rock group to global fame, had an unusual origin: Less than a week earlier, during the early morning hours, the band’s bleary-eyed lead guitarist, Keith Richards, had bolted up from his bed, grabbed a tape recorder and laid down the song’s opening riff, now considered one of the greatest pop hooks of all time.

Here are a few things to know about for Tuesday, May 12, 2026:

⛅ 4Warn Weather: We are waking up to a chilly start across Southeast Michigan as a Freeze Warning remains in effect for the Thumb region, while a Frost Advisory covers the remainder of Southeast Michigan through 8 a.m. Check the 10-day forecast.

🚓 1993 Murder Arrest: The U.S. Marshals Service’s Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team has arrested a Detroit man who they said had been on the run for more than 30 years after being accused of a 1993 murder. Read more.

🚰 ‘No showers, no laundry’: Crews replaced a broken 42-inch water main in Auburn Hills yesterday, moving the area closer to restoring service after days of water restrictions across parts of Oakland County. Read more.

🔥 Grocery Store Fire: A suspect is in custody after investigators say someone intentionally set shopping carts on fire outside E & L Supermercado in Southwest Detroit. Read more.

⚖️ Eminem’s ex-wife pleads no contest: The ex-wife of rapper Eminem, Kimberley Anne Mathers, pleaded no contest after she was charged with an alleged hit-and-run crash. Read more.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

You’ll start seeing many more birds return to Michigan as the weather gets warmer.

The BirdCast model predicts the intensity of bird migration for specific areas.

Last night was a big night for migration, with around 5.1 million birds flying over Michigan. Over 8,000 were expected to fly over Metro Detroit.

380 million birds have flown across the country.

According to Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology, approximately 945,000 birds flew over Michigan Sunday night.

Around 2.5 million birds are expected to fly over Michigan tonight.

At least a small number of birds fly almost every night of the migration season, but you can check the migration level to see if the BirdCast model is projecting small or medium amounts.

Peak Spring migration in Michigan is in early to late May.

Click here to check the migration level.

Turn off lights at night

Birds typically begin to migrate 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, with the greatest number in flight two to three hours later. Therefore, you can play a role in helping the birds migrate by turning off any non-essential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

This helps to reduce skyglow, which can confuse birds. Lowering skyglow will, in turn, lower the number of birds attracted to brighter urban cores and also reduce collisions. In addition, it keeps nocturnal environments darker for resting birds near stopover hotspots.

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

• Dozens of goats brought in to clean up wooded area in Macomb County -- Here’s why
• ‘Amateur hour’: Arson suspects set themselves on fire trying to torch Monroe cannabis shop
• Men make up 80% of U.S. suicides. Experts say stigma is keeping them from getting help
• Spain reports new hantavirus case in passenger evacuated from cruise ship as outbreak grows to 11
• Veterans Memorial Ice Arena in Ann Arbor to remain closed for 2026–27 season after tornado damage
• Fifth Third Bank laying off over 500 jobs in Oakland County
• Suspect arrested after setting fire at Southwest Detroit supermarket
• Neighbors, agencies unite to provide clean water amid Oakland County boil advisory
• Amazon looks to redefine a need for speed with 30-minute deliveries
• Life without parole for man who shot his ex-girlfriend outside Ferndale workplace
• Hegseth is facing a new round of questioning from Congress on the Iran war and more
• Find more Local News headlines here
• Find more Entertainment headlines here
• Find more Health headlines here
• Check out the latest ClickOnDeals here
• Introducing the ClickOnDetroit Help Desk: How it works and how to use it

🌎 Meanwhile

News from around the world via the Associated Press:

At this year’s Tony Awards, sound designer Justin Ellington and performer-producer Kandi Burruss have gotten nominations to theater’s biggest prize. A man who helped both get there is also being highlighted.

Freddie Hendricks, a middle school theater teacher at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood, Georgia, and who founded the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, is getting the special Tony Award that honors educators.

“It feels really great to know that they’re succeeding on that level and that I had a little to do with it,” he told The Associated Press ahead of the announcement on Monday. “It’s just a beautiful thing.” (Read more)

----

Competition starts Tuesday at the Eurovision Song Contest, with divisions over Israel’s participation hanging over the 70th birthday of the over-the-top pop music extravaganza.

Host city Vienna has been bedecked in hearts and the contest’s “United by Music” motto for a week in which singers and bands from 35 countries will compete onstage for the continent’s musical crown. But five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — are boycotting to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Vienna during Eurovision week, and security is tight, with police officers from across Austria deployed in the capital, and support from forces in neighboring Germany. (Read more)

----

A new wave of gang violence in Haiti’s capital forced hundreds to flee their homes over the weekend, leaving families scattered along the road to the country’s main airport on Monday.

Monique Verdieux, 56, fled to the highway after watching armed men burning houses in her neighborhood. Her family scattered in different directions and she said she’s not sure where they are.

“I am now sleeping in the street,” Verdieux said, noting it was unsafe to return. (Read more)

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Absquatulate /ab-SKWAH-chuh-layt/ (verb) -- defined as “To discreetly leave a gathering or party without informing the host.”

Example: “At the party, I made such a fool of myself that I felt it was best to absquatulate after a half hour.”

🧹 Housekeeping

Hey, if you like this newsletter, let us know. We’d love your feedback. We also offer several other newsletters, including Live in the D, All 4 Pets and more. Hopefully, we have one that caters to your interests -- unless you’re only interested in organic chemistry. We don’t have one for that, sorry.

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Samantha Sayles (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

The ICC in The Hague unsealed Monday an arrest warrant for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief who first enforced then- President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdowns that left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead.

Originally issued in November, the warrant charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” allegedly committed between July 2016 and the end of April 2018 in the Philippines.

“If I have something to answer for, I will face those in our local courts and not before foreigners,” dela Rosa told reporters in the Senate, which took him into “protective custody” Monday when he reappeared after months of absence.

“I will avail of all legal processes,” he said, and pleaded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.: “Don’t bring me to The Hague.”

After winning the presidency in 2016, Duterte designated dela Rosa, a loyal ally, as head of the national police force, which enforced the brutal campaign against illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa also once headed the police force in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte served as a longtime mayor and built a political name for his extra tough approach to crimes.

“My role was to lead the war on drugs, and that war on drugs was not meant to annihilate people,” dela Rosa said when he was asked about the huge death toll.

“When the lives of police officers came under threat, of course they needed to defend themselves,” dela Rosa said.

Duterte’s six-year term ended in mid-2022. He was arrested in March last year and detained by the ICC in the Netherlands, where he is now awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with several killings under his crackdowns.

Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the ICC, in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability. The court, however, said it retained jurisdiction over crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member.

Asked if the Philippines will enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant against dela Rosa, officials suggested they were ready and could surrender him to the global court’s jurisdiction like Duterte under a Philippine law enacted to address crimes against humanity like genocide.

“We have an obligation that all those who should be held to account should be held responsible,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a news briefing.

Dela Rosa cannot invoke a privilege of immunity from arrest while attending formal sessions or staying within the Senate because the crimes he allegedly committed were serious and punishable by a long prison term, Castro said.

Police have deployed nearly 350 law enforcers outside the Senate, sparking concerns from dela Rosa and allied senators, but officials said they were assigned to keep order and not to eventually help arrest the senator.

After the frosty start, conditions will gradually improve through the morning before a more active weather pattern develops later today, so don’t let the early sunshine fool you. Numerous to widespread showers are expected to move into the region this afternoon and continue overnight. A few rumbles of thunder will also be possible as the system pushes through Southeast Michigan. While severe weather is not anticipated, some of the stronger showers may produce small hail at times. Temperatures this afternoon will climb into the low 60s despite the increasing cloud cover and rain chances.

Rain will begin tapering off overnight, although a lingering shower could persist into early Wednesday morning before drier conditions return. Cooler air will remain in place on Wednesday with afternoon highs expected to only reach the upper 50s. The cooler stretch will not last long though.

A significant warming trend develops later this week. Temperatures are forecast to steadily rise, giving us a taste of summer this weekend as highs climb to around 80 degrees by Saturday. Warm conditions are expected to continue into early next week, with highs remaining near or just above 80 degrees. Following today’s rain chances, the next opportunity for precipitation appears to arrive later Sunday.

He could stay with the Los Angeles Lakers. He could decide to join another team. He could even retire and end the longest career in NBA history. He knows all this.

He just doesn't know the answer.

“I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously,” James said.

His 23rd season ended Monday night when the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder. At 41, James likely doesn't have many years left to play — if any. And now he'll start the process of figuring out what he wants to do, what his family wants him to do and what's best for all parties involved.

Dwyane Wade, James' longtime friend and former teammate, was on the Amazon Prime broadcast of Game 4 of the Thunder-Lakers series as an analyst. And when the conversation turned to what James is going to do, he had some thoughts.

“That’s the question," Wade said. "And I think if we all know LeBron James, he’s going to take some time off and go drink some wine, go yacht a little bit around the world. He’s going to spend some time with his family. He’s going to sit down and try to make the best decision for the James family at the end of the day.

“And then from there, you've got to look at the picture of the Lakers," Wade continued. "LeBron, Year 24 coming back next year if he does, he wants to play for something. So, are they in a position that he can play for something and compete for something?”

Salary will be another issue. He made nearly $53 million this season. He could command somewhere around $60 million next season if he wanted. If he gives a team a discount to preserve flexibility, he could certainly afford to do so.

Wade doesn't seem to think that's likely.

“History shows that Mr. James ain’t taking a lot of discounts, right? I don’t think no one knows," Wade said. “I think one of the things that him and his entire team have been great at is they hold their cards close to their chest. Decisions are made by LeBron, and they all respect it. And they wait on him to decide what he wants to do.”

A look at some of what James' next moves could be (and for purposes of this exercise, the realities of the salary cap, the aprons, tax ramifications and whatever James will command in salary if he decides to keep playing do not apply):

Retirement

This one doesn't seem likely even though James posted the lowest scoring average of his career — 20.933 points per game, down a teeny-tiny sliver from his 20.937 average as a rookie. Another made free throw this season would have been enough to keep this season's average from being his worst.

The pessimists, or the anti-LeBron crowd, can say — accurately — that his numbers are declining. They are. He averaged 30.3 points in 2021-22, and his per-game scoring average has fallen in every season since, going to 28.9 in 2022-23, 25.7 in 2023-24, 24.4 last season and 20.9 this season.

Of course, his role has changed as well and that has some effect on the numbers. James spent much of this season as the Lakers' third option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and did so happily.

Stay with the Lakers

To be fair, this wasn't a bad season. Getting ousted in Round 2 by the overwhelming favorite to win the NBA title — the defending champion, too — isn't exactly a collapse, and Doncic not being able to play because of injury almost made the outcome expected.

The Lakers have the seventh-best record in the NBA during James' eight seasons there. Not great, not bad. But the playoffs, even with the run to the bubble championship in 2020, have not been to James' expectations. The Lakers went 32-31 in playoff games during these last eight seasons, and remember, 16 of those wins came in the bubble. Since then, the Lakers are just 16-26 in playoff games.

Good enough? It wouldn't seem so. The Lakers will have to give James reasons to stay. It's simple as that.

Return to Miami

James' jersey will sway from the rafters one day in Miami, assuming he ever actually retires and allows such tributes to finally take place. And there's no question that James still holds many people within the organization — Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and more — in high regard.

But it's not like James has unfinished business in Miami. He became a champion in Miami; two of his four titles were won with the Heat. He'd be welcome, of course, but it's hard to envision James saying Miami would be the place for his final act.

Return to Cleveland

Northeast Ohio is home and will forever be close to James' heart. He's still (and forever will be) beloved there, and whatever anger existed over him leaving in 2010 was washed away forever when he delivered Cleveland's NBA title in 2016.

Time healed all wounds. If James wants to go the sentimental route, he might go home again. It would likely be contingent on the Cavaliers finding a way to keep a roster that's capable of contention.

He takes his talents to New York

The Knicks have tried and failed before to land James.

They have some serious selling points right now — among them, a good team and Madison Square Garden. That's a place James has always revered.

The bright lights of New York wouldn't scare him off. Then again, wherever James plays, the lights will be bright there, too.

Pair up with Stephen Curry again

James won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 with Steve Kerr coaching and Stephen Curry starring at the end.

The respect James has for Curry is off the charts, and he's often raved about Kerr as well. Kerr's coming back to the Warriors, and you know Golden State will do anything it can to give Curry one more chance at a title.

Bear in mind, it's highly improbable that this would ever work financially. But if James wants to play there, the Warriors will surely find a way.

The wild scenario: James and Wemby?

The greatest scorer ever teaming up with the game's most prolific defensive player in San Antonio?

Now that would be fun.

James is one of the people who dubbed Victor Wembanyama as an “alien” and did so with the utmost of respect. James is unlike anyone the league has ever seen, and Wembanyama might be thought of in the same way.

And even though Gregg Popovich doesn't coach the Spurs anymore, he's still there and James has always had the utmost respect for the NBA's winningest coach. James would be accused of ring-chasing if he tried this one, but then again, he knows detractors won't like anything he does anyway.

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

“Here we go again,” Alex Fitzpatrick said with a laugh.

Hold up, the younger Fitzpatrick said.

Time to clear the air — and clean the room — it's actually big brother Matt who can be a bit unkempt, especially in the bathroom.

“I’m a normal brush my teeth at night guy,” Alex said after practice rounds Monday. “He's got all these different things on the side of the counter and stuff. I'm not as bad as what he makes it out to be. He's exaggerating a lot. He's a bit of a neat freak.”

The brothers out of Sheffield, England can agree more these days that it might be better to share a trophy — as they did in April when they won the Zurich Classic team event — than share a house.

Only one can win at the PGA Championship this weekend at Aronimink Golf Club and each brother is a strong contender to win the first major in the Philadelphia region since the 2013 US Open at Merion.

Matt Fitzpatrick has three PGA Tours wins this season while Alex shared one win with his brother and entered Sunday with the lead at Quail Hollow before a double bogey on 17 derailed his shot at winning the Truist Open.

It’s rare for brothers to win in tandem on the PGA Tour. There haven’t historically been many team events, but brothers Danny and David Edwards did it at the Walt Disney World Team Championship in 1980.

“I think a lot of people feel like that once they get to this stage or even to the DP World Tour that they need to change a bunch of things and that’s going to help success,” Alex said. “I just felt like I keep doing what I’m trying to do. I’ve got a circle around me that I really trust. All the advice that I get is great.”

Alex has finished tied for ninth and fourth in his first two signature events since the Zurich Classic and has won about $2.84 million over that span. Pretty good for a golfer who wasn't on the PGA Tour before that date.

A day later, Alex tried to put the late fade at Quail Hollow behind him as he practiced for the PGA.

“I think if I looked back two months ago and someone said you’d finish fourth at the Truist Championship, I’d have kicked myself," if he was crushed, Fitzpatrick said. “I was disappointed in just in that I wish I’d have scored a little better. Overall, it was a great week and I have no complaints.”

Little brother's recent hot streak has sparked a bit of a role reversal in their dynamic.

Alex Fitzpatrick is 27 — about 4 1/2 years younger than Matt — which has led to years of answering questions about his brother.

Matt Fitzpatrick was a U.S. Amateur champion in 2013 and the U.S. Open champion in 2022, both at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He beat Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, in a playoff in April at Harbour Town.

“It can be such a blur at times, and I think it is trying to take a step back and kind of remember those moments, even on a week like this and think about, oh, yeah, I won the Valspar or I won Harbour Town, whatever it may be,” Matt said.

Fitzpatrick has enjoyed the roles this season of watching, winning — and analyzing — his younger brother.

“I have to get used to that now because he’s had it for much longer than me,” Matt said. “I’m probably known as Alex’s brother now, as opposed to him being Matt’s brother. I love talking about my brother. It’s an amazing position to be in to have that privilege to talk about how well he’s doing. I’d so much rather have these questions, conversations, than the opposite of, you know, why is he not playing well."

Maybe one of the brothers can talk Sunday about the feeling of winning a major.

“I’d say my head is still spinning and I haven’t woken up from the dream yet,” Alex said.

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

Christian Jon Leo, 24, was charged with accosting a minor for immoral purposes and using computers to commit a crime. He was also charged as a second habitual offender.

The investigation began after police received a report on Nov. 1, 2025, about a 23-year-old working at the Holiday Inn Express off Woodward Avenue in Birmingham actively sending sexually explicit messages to a minor.

After further investigation, Leo was arrested on Dec. 11.

On May 7, Leo pleaded no contest to accosting a minor for immoral purposes and using computers to commit a crime.

According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Leo was convicted in 2022 of an attempted sexual assault charge. He was on probation until September 2027. He is also a registered sex offender.

Leo is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 at 8:30 a.m.

Ernest Howell, 33, was scheduled for a preliminary exam in the 37th District Court in Warren.

During the hearing, he waived his right to the proceeding and was ordered bound over for trial, officials said.

Howell is scheduled to be arraigned in Macomb County Circuit Court on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

He is charged with child sexually abusive activity, a 20-year felony; using a computer to commit a crime, a seven-year felony; and accosting a child for immoral purposes, a four-year felony.

Prosecutors said those are the maximum charges available based on the evidence presented at this stage.

Authorities allege that on April 1, 2026, Warren police arrested Howell at the Warren Public Library after receiving a tip that he had come to the location to meet a 13-year-old girl for a sexual encounter.

Investigators said the encounter had been arranged through text messages.

The Cavaliers erased a four-point Detroit halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter, overwhelming the Pistons and swinging the momentum of the game decisively in Cleveland’s favor.

Bickerstaff acknowledged his team didn’t match the Cavaliers’ intensity when it mattered most.

“I mean, they came out and played with more force and tenacity than we did to start the quarter,” Bickerstaff said. “They came out very aggressive on both ends of the floor. We just didn’t match it.”

Officiating frustration takes center stage

Much of Bickerstaff’s postgame frustration zeroed in on the officiating.

Detroit attempted just 12 free throws in the game, while Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell (15) alone surpassed that total on his own.

“It’s unacceptable,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team. We’re not a settled team. We’re not a jump-shooting team. We drive the ball, attack the paint.”

Bickerstaff also referenced prior public comments from Cavaliers players and coaches following their Game 2 victory, suggesting the officiating tone shifted in Cleveland’s favor following those remarks.

“Ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed in this series,” Bickerstaff said.

Still, Bickerstaff stopped short of placing the full blame on the officials.

“We can’t allow that to be the reason why, because we didn’t play well enough and didn’t play to the best of our capabilities,” Bickerstaff said. “But again, you look at the foul count, you look at the disparity, and that’s hard to overcome.”

Mitchell’s second-half explosion

Defensively, Detroit had no answer for Mitchell after halftime. The All-Star guard scored just four points in the first half before erupting for 39 in the second half.

“He’s electric,” Bickerstaff said. “If you let him get going, we know what he’s capable of.”

--> Donovan Mitchell explodes for 43 points as Cavs use third-quarter avalanche to crush Detroit Pistons

Lineup decisions, ball movement, bright spots

Bickerstaff also defended his decision to play veteran forward Paul Reed over center Jalen Duren for portions of the third quarter, saying Reed had earned his spot in the rotation.

Offensively, Bickerstaff pointed to stagnant possessions and too much isolation basketball as key breakdowns during Cleveland’s decisive run.

“We got to do more ball movement, more making them chase us,” Bickerstaff said. “Less stagnant, less one-on-one opportunities.”

One bright spot was former Michigan Wolverines guard Caris LeVert, who scored 24 points off the bench. Bickerstaff praised LeVert’s performance and playoff mindset.

“[He’s] a true competitor,” Bickerstaff said, “[who] understands the intensity of playoff basketball.”

Youth, resilience, home court advantage

Bickerstaff acknowledged his young roster is still adjusting to the emotional demands of a deep playoff run.

“We’re still learning,” Bickerstaff said. “This is a new environment for us, being in the second round, understanding what it takes to win at this level in this round for the first time.”

Despite the loss, the coach struck a measured tone about the road ahead, emphasizing that Detroit still controls its own destiny with two upcoming home games.

“The best part about it is it’s now a three-game series, and we got two of them in Detroit,” Bickerstaff said. “So we got to make sure we go home and take care of our business.”

The top scorer in league history stuck to the strategy he has taken into the past several summers when he declined to announce his future immediately after the Lakers' final postseason defeat.

He hasn't ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers, and he said nothing about the possibility of moving to another team as he contemplates an unprecedented 24th NBA season.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” the 41-year-old James said. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then obviously when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

James' record 23rd season ended with a heartbreaking 115-110 loss, completing a four-game sweep of the short-handed Lakers by the defending NBA champions. Los Angeles began the playoffs without NBA scoring champ Luka Doncic and second-leading scorer Austin Reaves due to injury, yet James led the Lakers to a first-round upset of Houston before running into the league's best team in the second round.

“It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at this age," Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It's very impressive. It's hard to put it to words. He's not very old in the grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he's pretty old, and he doesn't seem like it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us issues at times. He was impressive out there. I'm not sure we'll see anything like that again, his longevity and his greatness.”

James has played in more games, won more games, scored more points and taken more shots than everybody else who ever put on a uniform, but he has never put a limit on his time in the game.

Instead, he repeated his oft-stated declarations that he'll figure it out with his family over a few glasses of wine in the next couple of months.

“Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either,” James said. “I’ll take time to recalibrate and look over the season and see what’s best for my future, and when I get to that point, everyone will know.”

James showed only marginal signs of age's encroachment in his 23rd season, continuing to play versatile basketball at an elite level throughout the Lakers' successful regular season.

Injuries forced his largest compromises: He missed training camp and the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, and he missed eight additional games during the regular season, eliminating him from consideration for inclusion on the All-NBA teams for the 22nd consecutive time.

With Doncic winning the NBA scoring title and Reaves emerging as a legitimate top-level NBA scorer, James willingly assumed a supporting role as the No. 3 option in the Lakers' offense — and it worked.

His 20.9 points per game were his fewest since his rookie season, largely because his 3-point shooting accuracy declined to 31.7%, and his 33.2 minutes per game were his fewest ever. Yet he contributed 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds with another season of steady performances — and when the Lakers needed him to step up, he did it repeatedly.

“It was so many different seasons in one season with our ballclub,” James said. “Obviously injuries played a big part in it, but as far as our identity, I thought it was super-resilient.”

James was chosen for the All-Star Game for the 22nd time, and right before the midseason break, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He surpassed Robert Parish's record for the most regular-season games played in late March.

The Lakers picked up steam down the stretch in the regular season, winning 16 of 18 heading into April and kindling hope of being a dark-horse candidate to give trouble to the Thunder or Spurs in the playoffs. But that's when Doncic and Reaves both incurred major injuries, sidelining both indefinitely.

James handled the disappointment by stepping up and coolly taking charge of the Lakers' offense again. While nearly every NBA observer wrote off Los Angeles' chances of any playoff run, James and his supporting cast improbably knocked off the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in six games in the first round, sending the Lakers into the second round for only the second time since 2020.

“For our group to have the moment that we had when Luka goes down with the hamstring and AR goes down with the oblique and we’re staring down the barrel of a playoff series with Houston, I thought our guys responded and were just super-resilient,” James said. “To win that series was big-time for the group that went out there.”

James' reasons to prolong his career in Los Angeles would be multifold.

He has spent the past two seasons playing alongside Bronny James, his oldest son and a backup guard for the Lakers. They even got significant playoff minutes together this season, allowing LeBron to live another dream.

His family loves living in Southern California — and while his sons are both out of the family home, he has spoken frequently of his desire to watch the progress of his 11-year-old daughter, Zhuri, a competitive volleyball player.

And the Lakers' outstanding play down the stretch suggested they could be among the NBA's best teams with full health for Doncic, James and Reaves — who is expected to sign a massive contract to stay with the Lakers this summer.

Whether the Lakers can actually contend for a championship next season will be one factor that James must weigh, but finding a true title contender to join at this stage of his career would be difficult even if the Thunder and the rising San Antonio Spurs didn't appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league.

For now, James will take time off to enjoy life away from the daily grind that has allowed his career to reach unprecedented lengths — and if he decides not to come back, he doesn't appear to have regrets about how this season ended."

“I left everything I could on the floor,” James said. “I control what I can control, and I can leave the floor saying even though I hate losing, I was locked in on what we needed to do.”

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

Ajay Mitchell scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic final period as the Thunder overcame the Lakers' tenacious effort and improved to 8-0 in the playoffs with their toughest victory of the postseason.

“We've done our job so far, that's all it really means,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We've gone out there, we've executed, we've played at a high level and we've been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents. That's all it means. Nothing is guaranteed.”

LeBron James had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of the unprecedented 23rd season for the top scorer in NBA history, but he missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put the Lakers ahead.

The 41-year-old James has repeatedly said he hasn’t decided whether to play next season, so there was no ceremony or momentousness around this game. Instead, the Lakers desperately tried to extend their year, only to lose to Oklahoma City for the eighth time this season.

“I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now, tonight,” James said. “I've got a lot of time. I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and when the time goes, obviously you guys will know what I decide to do.”

Austin Reaves scored 27 points before missing a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left for the Lakers, who advanced one round farther than almost anybody expected after losing NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and Reaves to significant injuries a month ago.

Los Angeles still lost six of its final seven playoff games and fell well short of the conference finals for the third straight season.

“I didn't want our season to end,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I wanted to keep this thing going. I enjoyed every bit of this year.”

Oklahoma City faced its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire playoffs in Game 4 as the Lakers repeatedly refused to fold. The Thunder still got it done, and they've earned at least the rest of the week off before they open the conference finals against the winner of San Antonio’s second-round series with Minnesota. The Spurs and Timberwolves are even heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

“They won more of the minutes tonight than we did, and that hadn’t been the case (earlier in the series),” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “They outplayed us for stretches. They’re a really good team with prideful players. We did not expect them to give us an unearned win, and we went out and earned it.”

Oklahoma City went 8-0 against the Lakers this season, winning all four regular-season matchups as well — but this one was the toughest. The Lakers took the lead and kept it close down the stretch with big buckets from Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Holmgren’s dunk with 2:03 left put the Thunder up 109-103, but Hachimura coolly converted a four-point play. Marcus Smart then drove the lane and hit a layup while being fouled in the final minute, converting a three-point play for a 110-109 Lakers lead.

But Holmgren got the ball inside and triple-pumped for a dunk with 32.8 seconds left, and James missed on his drive. After Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Reaves missed again, and the Thunder hung on to secure their sixth berth in the Western Conference finals in the last 16 seasons.

The Thunder won the first two games of the series at home by 18 points apiece, and they routed the Lakers 131-108 in Game 3.

Doncic missed the final 15 games of the Lakers’ season after incurring a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and he watched the season finale on the bench in a black sweatsuit. The Slovenian superstar apparently didn’t get close to returning from the injury, which often requires two months of recovery.

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

The eight-time All-Star went 1 for 5 with a single and a strikeout hitting second behind Shohei Ohtani and ahead of Freddie Freeman in a 9-3 loss in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants.

“We just have to make sure we swing at good pitches,” Betts said before the game. “Those guys are good, too. They drive nice cars, too. We just have to control the zone, swing at good pitches.”

The Dodgers have dropped eight of their last 12 games and were looking for Betts to help jumpstart a stagnant offense. They have scored three runs or fewer in nine of those 12 games.

"I know I’m not the hero,” said Betts, the 2018 AL MVP. “It’s important for everyone to know it’s going to take all of us and not just one guy getting through their struggles or whatever it is.”

Betts was batting .179 (5 for 28) with two home runs in eight games before he went on the injured list April 5 with a right oblique strain.

"I just didn’t really realize how long it takes for it to really heal,” he said. “I felt pretty good pretty fast actually. But just some of the movements I couldn’t do kind of lingered for a long time. I was trying to hurry but obviously the doctors were saying it just takes a month for it to heal.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts would start at shortstop Monday and Tuesday before taking Wednesday off.

“After seven days, six days, I think he’s going to want to be in there regularly, but we’ll kind of see,” Roberts said.

Betts was on a tear in spring training, hitting .357 with a .786 OPS in five games before briefly leaving the team for the birth of his third child. He cooled off the first two weeks of the regular season before getting hurt.

Roberts is taking a wait-and-see approach toward Betts' offense. The 33-year-old shortstop was 2 for 5 in two minor league rehab games.

“Certainly two games of rehab, taking batting practice, a day of live at-bats, is not ideal,” the manager said, “but I think with Mookie you just don’t know. The hope is that he can kind of hit the ground running.”

With Betts' return, infielder Alex Freeland was sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was hitting .235 with two homers and eight RBIs in 33 games.

The front office chose to keep second baseman Hyeseong Kim over Freeland.

“What it came down to is Hyeseong has performed better,” Roberts said.

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

Mitchell tied an NBA playoff mark with 39 points in the final two quarters as he rallied the Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory Monday night.

“What a shift, right? Really struggled in the first half and then big-time, second-half performance by Don,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The home team has won all four games in the series, which shifts to Detroit for Game 5 Wednesday night.

Mitchell matched the mark of Eric “Sleepy” Floyd on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when the Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers, but missed his second foul shot.

“Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though,” said Mitchell, who finished with 43 points. “I will say that, but we’re two and two headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”

James Harden had his 40th playoff double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. Evan Mobley had 17 points as Cleveland remained unbeaten at home in six playoff games.

Caris LeVert had a season-high 24 points for Detroit. Cade Cunningham scored 19, the first time he has been held under 20 in 11 playoff games this season, and Tobias Harris added 16.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who takes pride in the physical style his team plays, was not pleased with the free throw disparity. Mitchell had more trips to the foul line (15) than Detroit (12).

“There is no way one guy on their team should have more free throws than our team. We’re not a settling for jump shots team," he said. “We didn’t do enough to help ourselves, but ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed.”

Even though Mitchell struggled in the first half and the Cavaliers shot 15 of 38, with most of their shots being 3-pointers, the Cavaliers felt pretty fortunate to be down 56-52 at halftime.

Atkinson's message at halftime was to play with more pace and attack downhill, which opened things up.

Mitchell scored 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter. Cleveland trailed 56-52 at halftime before taking control.

The Cavs were 10 of 12 from the field and made three 3-pointers. They also converted five turnovers by the Pistons into nine points.

“When (Mitchell) sees a gap, he’s going to go. We’ve got to eliminate his touches and catches on the run,” Cunningham said. “That run, we just never caught our footing again. That was the first time they really got loose in the series.”

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

“We understood if we could just get some stops and get out in transition and get some easier looks, we’ll be in good shape. We were doing a solid job, we just weren’t scoring,” Mitchell said, “I think understanding that we were in a good spot and did a good job of weathering a storm.”

Mitchell and Harden accounted for 49 points apiece with their points scored and points off assists. Mobley was a force on both ends of the court with eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and five blocked shots.

“Don’s going to get all the flowers, but we should give a lot of flowers to Mobley for tonight’s performance,” Atkinson said.

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

The No. 4 seed Cavaliers used a 38-point third quarter, including a 22-0 run to open the half, to take control and secure their fifth consecutive home playoff victory.

The win tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Donovan Mitchell led the charge with a historic second half, finishing with 43 points. After scoring just four points in the first half, Mitchell erupted for 39 points after the break, tying an NBA playoff record set by Sleepy Floyd.

James Harden added a strong all-around performance with 24 points and 11 assists for Cleveland.

Detroit’s bench provided one of its few bright spots, with former Michigan standout Caris LeVert scoring 24 points, including 17 in the first half. Paul Reed added 15 points in the loss.

Cade Cunningham finished with 19 points and six assists, while Tobias Harris contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the top-seeded Pistons.

Turnovers proved costly for Detroit, which committed 10 in the first half and eight more in the second, finishing with 18 total. Cleveland repeatedly turned mistakes into points during its third-quarter outburst.

Duncan Robinson struggled offensively with four points in 29 minutes, while Ausar Thompson also finished with four points as both players battled foul trouble throughout the game.

Cleveland’s 22-0 run to start the third quarter set the tone for the second half, overwhelming Detroit on both ends of the floor as the Cavaliers maintained their perfect home playoff record.

Game 5 will shift to Detroit, where the Pistons will host a pivotal matchup Wednesday, May 13, at Little Caesars Arena.

1st quarter

The Cavaliers won the opening tip and immediately looked to feed Jarrett Allen, but the possession ended in a turnover forced by Ausar Thompson.

On the ensuing trip, Detroit’s Jalen Duren turned the ball over after Tobias Harris missed an open 3-point attempt.

Cade Cunningham put the Pistons on the board first with a contested three-pointer, but Harden answered quickly with a 3 of his own to keep Cleveland in front.

The Pistons’ early offensive struggles continued when Duren was blocked by Evan Mobley.

Harris later connected on a mid-range jumper, but Harden continued to push the pace, turning a steal into another 3-pointer to give Cleveland an 8-5 lead.

Duren missed a running layup on the next possession, and Harden was fouled by former Michigan Wolverines star Duncan Robinson on the other end. Harden converted both free throws to extend the lead to 10-5.

Cunningham was then blocked by Dean Wade, while Robinson missed a contested 3-pointer as Detroit tried to respond from the perimeter.

Thompson secured a defensive rebound but lost the ball out of bounds on the offensive end after Mobley challenged a layup attempt, leading to a jump ball.

Allen gained possession for Cleveland, and Harden again capitalized with a 3-pointer.

Detroit called a timeout with 7:45 remaining in the quarter, trailing 13-5.

Harden accounted for 11 of Cleveland’s first 13 points in the opening frame.

Harden stole the ball on one possession, leading to a fast break where Allen attacked the rim and nearly dunked on Thompson.

Allen was fouled on the play and split a pair of free throws.

Detroit’s offense struggled to stabilize as Robinson turned the ball over while attempting to feed Duren under the basket.

The mistake led to an Evan Mobley transition finish, and Thompson was whistled for his second foul on the play.

Mobley hit both free throws to extend Cleveland’s run to 10-0.

Caris LeVert, another former Wolverines star, stopped the momentum briefly with a midrange jumper, cutting the deficit as Detroit trailed 16-7.

Harden missed a 3-pointer on the next possession, and LeVert responded by attacking off the dribble, drawing a foul on Harris during a drive that resulted in free throws.

Mobley added a jumper, but Detroit answered when Duren established position in the post and scored through contact on a contested finish at the rim before LeVert drilled a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 18-15, expanding their run to 10-2 before the Cavaliers’ timeout with 5:18 to play.

The Pistons closed the first quarter on a strong run, overcoming an early double-digit deficit to take a 24-21 lead over the Cavaliers.

Coming out of a timeout, Harris knocked down a 14-foot jumper before Allen missed a close-range attempt at the rim for Cleveland.

Detroit then grabbed its first lead of the game when Caris LeVert found Isaiah Stewart underneath the basket for an easy finish, putting the Pistons ahead 19-18.

The Cavaliers struggled to regain momentum as Harden committed a double-dribble turnover on the next possession.

LeVert later missed a contested floater, but Detroit continued to pressure defensively.

Daniss Jenkins secured a defensive rebound and pushed the ball coast-to-coast before being called for an offensive foul against former Pistons guard Schröder.

Stewart came up with another defensive rebound after Max Strus missed from beyond the arc.

Cunningham missed a 3-point attempt on the other end, allowing Schröder to answer with a layup for Cleveland.

LeVert responded with a 3-pointer to put Detroit back in front 22-20 before Jaylon Tyson was fouled and split a pair of free throws.

2nd quarter

LeVert continued his strong performance to begin the second quarter Wednesday night, helping the Pistons briefly maintain momentum before the Cavaliers rallied back to regain the lead.

LeVert opened the quarter with a floater, extending Detroit’s scoring run after the Pistons erased an early double-digit deficit in the first quarter.

Duren followed with a contested drive to the rim for a layup, but Mobley answered with a 3-pointer for Cleveland.

On the next possession, Sam Merrill fouled Robinson, who split a pair of free throws to give Detroit a 29-24 advantage.

Ronald Holland II was then called for a foul while defending Donovan Mitchell, and Max Strus capitalized moments later by drilling a 3-pointer off a Mitchell assist.

LeVert stayed aggressive offensively, knocking down a contested jumper before making an impact defensively by stripping Mobley near the rim.

After LeVert missed on another jumper attempt, Ausar Thompson came up with a steal but lost possession when Strus stripped the ball away and converted a fast-break dunk.

Cleveland continued to build momentum when Merrill connected on a 25-foot 3-pointer to put the Cavaliers back in front 32-31.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout with 8:48 remaining in the first half as Cleveland reclaimed the lead.

Detroit carried a four-point lead into halftime after a back-and-forth second quarter against Cleveland.

Thompson opened the stretch with a layup to give Detroit the lead before Robinson fouled Harden on the other end.

The Cavaliers answered quickly when Merrill buried a 26-foot 3-pointer after Cunningham lost track of him defensively.

Duren responded with a lob finish to tie the game.

Cunningham then went coast-to-coast for a layup and converted the ensuing free throw to complete a three-point play, putting Detroit ahead by three. Dennis Schroder answered with an open three-pointer to tie the game at 38-38.

Detroit’s turnover issues resurfaced when Thompson committed the team’s 10th turnover of the first half.

Cleveland gave the ball right back moments later as Schröder turned it over, leading to a Harris steal and assist to LeVert for a fast-break layup.

Harris stayed active defensively, stripping Harden before Duren was fouled in the paint.

Harris later had a shot blocked at the rim, but Isaiah Stewart followed with a basket that gave Detroit a 42-38 lead entering a timeout with 5:04 remaining in the half.

Mobley made a contested floater for Cleveland before Harris missed a contested jumper.

Javonte Green was then called for a foul on Mitchell, who split a pair of free throws for his first point of the half.

LeVert missed a contested floater before Stewart fouled Allen.

On the next possession, LeVert stripped Max Strus for a turnover, leading to a Harris three-pointer.

Harden continued attacking the basket and drew a foul on Stewart, converting both free throws.

Cunningham answered with a contested jumper over Harden before Mitchell knocked down a corner three-pointer to cut Detroit’s lead to 47-46.

Harris added another contested jumper before Duren fouled Allen, who made both free throws.

Detroit extended its lead again when LeVert connected on a corner three-pointer following three offensive rebounds.

Harden answered by drawing a foul on LeVert and making both free throws as the Pistons held a 52-50 advantage with 1:10 left in the half.

Strus later fouled Cunningham, who converted both free throws.

Mitchell then committed a turnover that led to a Harris driving layup.

Harden found Mobley for a late basket before Cunningham missed a last-second attempt as the Pistons took a 56-52 lead into halftime.

LeVert led Detroit with 17 points off the bench, while Harris had 14 points and Cunningham had 12 points to end the half.

3rd quarter

Harris opened the half with an airball on a three-point attempt before Harden found Mitchell for a floater to cut into the Pistons’ advantage.

Harris then missed a contested three-pointer on Detroit’s next possession, and Mitchell continued his surge by drawing contact while converting another floater over Cunningham.

Mitchell completed the three-point play to give Cleveland the lead.

Cunningham missed a floater on the other end before Mitchell buried a wide-open 3-pointer, prompting Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff to call a timeout with 10:24 remaining in the third quarter as Cleveland moved ahead 60-56.

The Cavaliers’ run continued after the timeout.

Cunningham missed from beyond the arc, and Harden responded by finding Allen underneath the basket for an easy score.

Mitchell, who scored eight straight points during the stretch, stayed aggressive defensively as well.

Harden later drew an offensive foul on Jalen Duren, giving the Detroit center his third foul of the game.

Paul Reed entered for the Pistons and helped force a 24-second shot clock violation, briefly slowing Cleveland’s momentum.

But Detroit continued to struggle offensively. Ausar Thompson was blocked at the rim, and Mitchell answered with another 3-pointer to cap a 16-0 Cavaliers run to open the second half.

Bickerstaff called another timeout with 8:16 left in the quarter as Detroit fell behind 68-56.

Cunningham committed a turnover early in the quarter, and Mitchell immediately capitalized with a 3-pointer that extended Cleveland’s run to 19-0.

The Cavaliers continued to dominate on both ends as Reed was called for a foul on Allen during an offensive rebound attempt.

Cleveland’s scoring burst eventually reached 21-0, marking the franchise’s largest run since 1997.

Detroit finally stopped the drought after another Cunningham turnover led to a Mitchell floater.

Reed answered with a dunk for the Pistons, but Mitchell continued attacking the paint and scored another floater before Reed knocked down a 3-pointer.

Mitchell later drew a foul on Caris LeVert and converted both free throws as Cleveland extended its advantage during a 26-5 stretch.

LeVert briefly sparked Detroit by drawing a foul on chröder and completing a three-point play.

Mitchell answered again with a contested floater before Merrill fouled Robinson.

Mitchell exited to the bench shortly afterward with 25 points as Cleveland maintained control.

Detroit continued battling late in the quarter as LeVert converted a dunk and Reed added a driving layup.

On the next possession, the Pistons secured a defensive rebound and found Reed underneath the basket, where he was fouled.

Reed missed the first free throw before Cleveland called timeout with 3:12 remaining in the third quarter.

Reed missed both free throws coming out of a timeout before Robinson was called for his third foul of the game on the defensive end.

Detroit forced a turnover moments later and capitalized when Reed finished a reverse layup to trim the deficit.

But Cunningham was then whistled for a foul that sent Mobley to the free-throw line, where he converted both attempts.

Trailing by 12 with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter, Cunningham committed another turnover.

Robinson responded on the next possession by securing a defensive rebound and knocking down a three-pointer to briefly spark the Pistons.

Harden answered immediately for Cleveland with a three-pointer of his own.

Jenkins later had a shot blocked by Mobley, leading to a contested floater off the glass by Dennis Schröder on the other end.

Reed continued to provide offense for Detroit, adding another layup in the paint.

Harden then drew a foul on Robinson while attempting a three-pointer.

The veteran guard made all three free throws to extend Cleveland’s advantage to 90-75 with nine seconds left in the quarter.

Reed closed the period with a putback basket as Detroit entered the fourth quarter trailing 90-77.

The Cavaliers used a 22-0 run to open the third quarter, led by Mitchell, to seize momentum after trailing by four points at halftime.

4th quarter

Mobley was called for a loose-ball foul to open the quarter, but Cunningham missed a jumper on Detroit’s ensuing possession.

Cleveland quickly converted the miss into points as Mobley scored on a layup, followed by a driving finish from Mitchell after Mobley blocked a shot on the defensive end.

Detroit’s struggles continued when Duren was called for another offensive foul, his fourth personal foul of the game, with the Pistons trailing by 17.

Mitchell stayed aggressive offensively and added another driving layup to push Cleveland’s lead to 19 points.

Mobley later missed a deep three-point attempt, and Cunningham grabbed the defensive rebound before Harris missed a contested jumper on the other end.

Mitchell then drew contact and converted two free throws for his 30th point of the night.

Cunningham, who had been held scoreless in the third quarter, finally recorded his first basket of the second half with a jumper.

Mitchell answered again at the free-throw line, making two more shots.

Cunningham connected on another jumper before Mitchell misfired on a shot that sailed out of bounds with 7:39 remaining.

Detroit showed signs of life moments later when Duren dunked over Allen to trim the deficit back to 17.

The Pistons then forced back-to-back defensive stops.

Duren blocked Harden at the rim before Allen was stripped by Thompson.

Thompson pushed the ball in transition and found Cunningham for an open 3-pointer.

Cleveland called a timeout with 6:56 left in the game, holding a 100-86 lead.

Mitchell had 29 points in the second half, his playoff high for a half was 31 as there was still 6:56 toplay.

Detroit briefly generated momentum defensively in the fourth quarter, but Mitchell continued to take over offensively for the Cavaliers.

Detroit forced a 24-second shot clock violation before Cunningham committed another turnover while attempting to feed Duren underneath the basket.

Duren appeared to be looking for the rebound rather than the pass as the ball sailed out of bounds.

Mitchell capitalized on the mistake by drawing a foul on Thompson and converting both free throws.

The pair of foul shots tied Mitchell’s career high with 31 points in a half as Cleveland continued to control the game late in the fourth quarter.

Schröder later fouled Cunningham on the other end, but Detroit struggled to convert consistently as Harris missed a contested jumper.

Mitchell stayed hot, knocking down a 3-pointer before Thompson answered with a reverse layup for Detroit.

The Cavaliers star continued his scoring barrage with another floater in the lane, followed by another three-pointer to extend Cleveland’s lead.

LeVert missed a three-point attempt for Detroit but followed with an offensive tip-in to keep the Pistons within striking distance.

Mitchell was fouled again with 2:48 remaining as Cleveland maintained firm control down the stretch.

Mitchell, with his eighth playoff 40-point game, made both free throws for 42 points as Cleveland led 109-93 with 2:42 to play.

Jenkins got fouled and went to the line to make both.

Marcus Sasser drilled a corner three-pointer before Reed missed at the rim.

Mobley got an offensive rebound and putback jam to stop the bleeding before Holland II turned the ball over as Mitchell tied a played a playoff record with Sleepy Floyd for 39 points in a half, as he split a pair.

Toews tried to send the ill-fated clearing attempt from the crease toward the corner, but it made a direct hit on MacKinnon's face instead. The league's leading goal scorer during the regular season collapsed to his knees in pain before an athletic trainer arrived to press a towel under his nose and help him skate off the ice.

Blood was all over, including streaming down the inside of MacKinnon's visor, and he went up the tunnel for further treatment shortly before the second intermission. MacKinnon returned in time for the third period and tacked on an empty-net goal in Colorado's 5-2 win.

“If he was going to be able to get out there, he was going to be out there," coach Jared Bednar said. “I just felt for him because I just went through that. It doesn’t feel very good.”

Bednar went to a hospital with facial fractures and a corneal abrasion in his eye last month, missing a two-game road trip after being hit with a puck on his right cheek that soared into the bench area during a game.

MacKinnon has six goals and six assists in eight playoff games this spring for the Avalanche, who lead the Wild 3-1 going into Game 5 on Wednesday.

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No problem. The All-Star guard followed it up with one of the best 24-minute stretches by a player in NBA playoff history Monday night.

After scoring only four points in the first half, Mitchell responded with 39 in the second half, tying the NBA playoff record for most points in a half as the Cavaliers rallied for a 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“It’s pretty impressive. I'm not sure I’ve seen in the playoffs a turnaround like that where a guy is struggling and just absolutely turns the switch and complete opposite of the first half,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Mitchell equaled Eric “Sleepy” Floyd's record on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when Floyd's Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals, but missed his second foul shot.

“Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though," Mitchell said. "I will say that, but we’re two and two headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”

Mitchell didn't score until he made a free throw with 4:19 remaining in the second quarter. He also missed his first six shots from the field before hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:48 left in the first half.

Despite Mitchell's early struggles, the Cavaliers only trailed 56-52 at halftime. James Harden and Evan Mobley both kept Cleveland in the game in the first half as they combined for 26 points.

“I airball the first layup and was missing shots short," Mitchell said. "Sometimes it’s natural, right? I wasn’t really trying to get in there and force it and then just doubling down on the defensive end, trying to take whoever I’m guarding, take them out of the equation. I’m not tripping, we were down four at half.

"I always tell y’all it’s not just about the scoring, it’s about your overall impact on the game. And for me, it was just like, ‘OK, now I have an opportunity to try to get downhill’ and then started going in.”

Mitchell was 12 of 18 from the field in the second half, including three 3-pointers, and was 12 of 13 at the line. Cleveland's previous mark for most points in a half was 31 by Mitchell in Game 7 of its first-round series against Orlando in 2024.

Mitchell tied a franchise record for points in a quarter with 21 in the third as the Cavaliers seized control, outscoring the Pistons 38-21 in the quarter. He scored 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter.

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

“Donovan Mitchell was killing us, and that’s pretty much it," Pistons center Paul Reed said.

It was Mitchell's eighth playoff game with at least 40 points, his fourth with the Cavaliers. He has at least 30 points in three straight games as the series shifts to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday with it even at two games apiece.

Cleveland is still looking for its first road playoff win this season, and will need at least one if it hopes to make the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.

“We’ve had two good games to build off of, but it’s going to be a hostile environment," Mitchell said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. And I think I know we’re ready for the challenge.”

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“It’s just about staying ready,” Kelly said, “and all these guys in here are ready.”

Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start this postseason after relieving Scott Wedgewood during a 5-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, and the Avalanche moved within one win of taking the first spot in the Western Conference finals. Game 5 will be in Denver on Wednesday.

“You’re never going to be perfect after 30 days off, so I just try to do my best to stay sharp,” said Blackwood, who learned the day before he would be starting.

Nazem Kadri scored on a power play in the second period, and Nathan MacKinnon — who had a brief absence to fix a bloody nose from a puck to the face — and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute.

Nico Sturm tied the game at 2 for Minnesota with his first goal of the postseason about two minutes after Colton scored, but the Wild were outshot 20-4 over roughly the first half of the game by an energized Colorado offense.

Rookie Danila Yurov scored his first career postseason goal on a deflection midway through the first period for the Wild during a four-minute power play prompted by a double minor penalty on defenseman Josh Manson, but they failed to consistently get pucks deep into the offensive zone and allowed their crowd-noise advantage to all but disappear during their slog of a second period before coming to life down the stretch.

“The style of game that we needed to play to win the game, we didn’t,” coach John Hynes said. "We made the conscious choice not to play that way tonight, so we’ll readdress that and then we’ll get ready for Game 5.”

After leading the NHL in goals during the regular season while posting the league's best record, the Avalanche scored 14 times over the first two games before Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stonewalled them in Game 3.

But Colton, whose wrist shot was set up by a slick across-the-slot pass by linemate Nicolas Roy, became the 15th player to score for the Avalanche in just eight postseason games this spring. Then Kelly made it 16.

“They were doing a lot of what we want to do — quick with the puck, get it down deep, work our players down low," Wallstedt said. “They got a lot of pucks to the net. They were creating rebounds. They were creating scoring chances. We want to do the exact same thing. It just took a little longer for us to get there.”

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Decades later, she’s still going to camp there. A separate band program was created for adults in 2013, where she felt encouraged to take up another instrument: trumpet.

“I was thrilled because I love this place,” said Guess, 71, of Baltimore, a retired lawyer for the U.S. Department of Defense who plans to return to the New England Adult Music Camp in August. “It is serene, beautiful, a perfect setting. And it’s not all that different from what it was 50-some years ago.”

Whether they are looking to make friends, improve their skills or just take some time out for themselves after sending their own kids to camp and college, adults can find a variety of summer music programs across the United States, ranging from electronic, folk, rock 'n' roll and jazz to chamber and opera.

For many campers, it offers a way to relive the nostalgic musical experiences of their youth and make new social connections.

“Emotionally, making music is good for the soul,” said Carole Lieberman, a California-based forensic psychiatrist who has played multiple instruments herself. “It makes you feel creative, allows you to provide the music you like for yourself and can boost your spirits."

“Cognitively, research demonstrates that learning to play a musical instrument and playing it helps your brain make better neurological connections,” she added. “It can help to ward off dementia.”

For Guess, playing music is about being “in that zone” with other musicians.

“When you’re playing music together, you rise above all the pettiness of life,” she said. “And it’s just the most spiritual thing I can think of.”

A camp for every playing level

The camps cover a range of playing abilities. Some listings specifying beginner, intermediate and advanced levels can be found in camp guides put out by organizations such Musical America Worldwide and The Instrumentalist.

The Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where Guess attended band camp in middle school, branched out to offer a variety of summer musical programs for adults, including a weeklong Symphonic Band Camp for experienced players in August.

In Walla Walla, Washington, the Midsummer Musical Retreat has grown to include multiple performance groups, large and small, for varying levels since it began in 1983.

Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, hosts the Band Camp for Adult Musicians, where players at an intermediate level and beyond are coached by retired military members and college professors.

The camp's founder was inspired by his kids' experience at band camp, director Leigh Hurtz said.

Now in its 37th season, many players are retired and have attended the camp together for years. Some have come with their children and grandchildren.

“They were lawyers or doctors, or working full-time, mothers,” Hurtz said. “There are also people who sold their tuba for a couch in college so they could have a couch, and 20 years later, it’s like, ‘I need a tuba again!’”

In addition to putting on concerts, the camps have their own traditions. At the one in Pennsylvania, everyone gets together on the first night for a family dinner. Walla Walla has a camper-created sketch comedy night. New England has campfire gatherings and a lobster dinner. Campers often have access to other activities such as kayaking, yoga or cocktail hours, or in open-mics solo or with a small ensemble of fellow campers.

Camps also can offer special sessions covering certain genres or instruments such as jazz, drum circles, klezmer, German band and ukulele, and host talks about topics like performance anxiety and music theory.

Camps offer support and encouragement

Linda Haller, 70, of Laconia, New Hampshire, had retired as an obstetrician-gynecologist a few years ago when she learned about a community band for adults promoting “music for life” nearby. She felt motivated to try the clarinet again after last playing it in high school. So she joined.

“It hasn’t all come back, but I’m getting to the point where I think I’m playing almost as good as I did back then,” she said. Haller, who also plays piano, said the rhythms and counting came right back to her.

She attended the camp in Sidney, Maine, for two years, where she progressed from a beginner’s band to intermediate. She said she enjoyed the camaraderie.

“Returning to an instrument learned in childhood is powerful because it combines memory, discipline and renewed growth,” said Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist based in New York.

“It strengthens attention, fine motor coordination, and memory pathways while reducing stress and improving mood,” Alpert said. “But equally important is the emotional experience of reengaging with something that once required patience and repetition.”

The community band Haller plays with is affiliated with the New Horizons International Music Association, a nonprofit that provides entry points for adults to create music, including those who have no musical experience. The organization counts over 200 bands, orchestras and choruses worldwide for 10,000 adult musicians since 1991.

Its philosophy, also adopted by other programs for adult musicians, is "Your best is good enough.”

New Horizons also sponsors its own camps, including an “American Music Abroad” trip to the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary in June, and one near Cincinnati, Ohio, in July.

The programs are popular, said Russ Grazier of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who has taught at New Horizons camps and is the artistic director of the New England Adult Music Camp.

He notes that the ensemble participation rate for adults over age 60 has doubled from about 150 to 300 people at a local music and arts center he leads. He said he thinks the social connection is key.

“And that's something missing from a lot of people's lives these days," Grazier said. "So any time we have an opportunity to have a space outside of the home where we're connecting with new people and sharing a common interest, it has remarkable benefits for our health and our aging.”