Update: Detroit teen who shot father, fled in family SUV with dog, arrested in Ohio alongside another individual

The incident occurred on Tuesday (Aug. 11) around 5 p.m. in the 18,000 block of Bretton when officers responded to a reported disturbance, according to Dietrich Lever, commanding officer of the Detroit Police Department’s 8th Precinct.

When officers arrived, they learned the boy had allegedly shot his father before taking the family vehicle and leaving the scene, Lever said.

The family dog, described by police as a French mastiff, was also in the vehicle.

Police said the boy was last seen driving a gray 2026 Rivian with Michigan license plate FAX 8251.

He was traveling southbound on the Southfield Freeway toward Lincoln Park, according to police.

Officials are treating the teen as armed and dangerous and are urging anyone who sees him not to approach.

“Call 911, call the police and get us out there and let us take him into custody safely,” Lever said.

Police said the shooting appears to have followed an incident involving discipline.

Lever said the teen allegedly took offense when his father disciplined him and then shot him when the father returned home.

Officials did not immediately know where the teen obtained the firearm or whether it belonged to his father.

Police also did not have information about what the teen was wearing when he fled.

Lever said there is no immediate threat to residents in the neighborhood and described the area as generally safe.

“We are on the lookout to take him into custody quickly to put this to rest soon,” Lever said.

The father’s condition was not released.

Police said the information remains preliminary and could change as the investigation continues.

Anyone who spots the teen or the vehicle should not approach him and should immediately call 911.

Sen. Darline Graham advanced to a runoff in South Carolina’s special Republican primary to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham in the U.S. Senate. The first-time candidate will face U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, who also emerged from a 10-way field in Tuesday's primary. The winner of the Aug. 25 runoff is expected to claim the U.S. Senate seat over the Democratic nominee.

Minnesota voters will settle a moderate-vs.-progressive Democratic U.S. Senate primary between centrist U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. In the race for governor, Mike Lindell, known as the MyPillow Guy, leads a crowded Republican primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic nomination with minimal opposition.

And the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor is another high-profile clash between the party’s establishment and progressive wings, as democratic socialist Francesca Hong tries to rise above establishment candidate David Crowley. In a Republican primary for U.S. House, Trump-backed candidate Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won the GOP nomination for Duffy’s old congressional seat.

Here's the latest:

Democrat Rebecca Cooke wins western Wisconsin congressional primary in targeted district

The 3rd Congressional District is a top target for Democrats to flip this year. Cooke will battle two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden for the seat in November.

Van Orden is one of President Donald Trump’s biggest supporters. But he will face a tough reelection bid in a narrowly divided district in a year where Trump’s approval ratings are low in Wisconsin.

Cooke defeated former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge in the primary. Berge ran an underdog, insurgent campaign against Cooke who was more well known and better financed.

Cooke narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 and also ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary that year.

Tight race in Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley are neck and neck.

The winner will advance to face Republican Tom Tiffany.

Hong was counting on support from her home city of Madison, the liberal state capital, to overcome Crowley, who has served as the top elected official in Milwaukee County for six years.

Crowley has the endorsement of two-term Gov. Tony Evers and has been running as the more moderate choice.

Sean Duffy’s son-in-law Michael Alfonso wins Wisconsin congressional primary

The 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy won a five-person Republican primary for Duffy’s old congressional seat in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.

Alfonso rode President Donald Trump’s endorsement to victory in the race where his opponents and some longtime Republican leaders in the district argued he was too young and inexperienced.

Duffy returned to Wisconsin to help campaign for Alfonso, who was waging his first run for any office. Alfonso is married to Duffy’s daughter.

Alfonso defeated four other challengers including Kevin Hermening, a Republican with deep ties to the district who was also one of the American hostages held in Iran starting in 1979.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar pledges to be ‘a transformative governor’

The Democratic nominee for Minnesota governor said she will bring tangible improvements for Minnesotans, including making life more affordable and tackling fraud.

“You expect leaders to deliver results, not excuses,” Klobuchar said.

She went on to preview the case she will make against her Republican rival. The GOP primary is too early to call between MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and state House speaker Lisa Demuth, but Klobuchar said both are more interested in serving the president than the state.

“When my opponents were asked to name one place where they disagreed with Donald Trump, they couldn’t do it,” Klobuchar said.

Longtime Connecticut congressman John Larson says he’s ‘disappointed’ with election turnout

Larson still stressed to supporters that Democrats must “come together, heal and move forward.”

Larson, a longtime Democrat who has represented the state’s 1st Congressional District for nearly 30 years, was ousted by former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

“Tonight, the people have spoken. And they’ve made that clear. They’ve made it clear what their decision is. And now is the time for all of us to come together,” Larson said, thanking his supporters, family and friends.

Larson added that he intended to “fulfill my responsibility to the last day.”

Norman earned his runoff spot with help from Upstate

South Carolina’s most populous county of Greenville once again showed its independent streak in Tuesday’s special U.S. Senate primary by helping Rep. Ralph Norman secure a spot in the August 25 runoff.

At 9 p.m. ET when he locked a runoff berth, Norman had a plurality of the Greenville County vote and a sizable lead over U.S. Sen. Darline Graham.

Norman was also Greenville County’s top vote-getter in the June 9 primary for governor, outperforming Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who both advanced to the June 23 runoff over Norman.

A plurality of Greenville County voters also preferred businessman Mark Lynch over the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in the June 9 Senate primary. Greenville and Spartanburg counties were the only two counties Lindsey Graham lost on June 9.

Ammie Akin wins Republican primary in redrawn Alabama district

She will face Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell in the November general election for the 7th Congressional District seat.

Akin served as assistant superintendent in a public school system, was interim superintendent of a private Christian school and founded a nonprofit.

Alabama is holding special primaries in four congressional districts after redrawing lines in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting decision. Alabama Republicans reshaped the 2nd Congressional District to make it more likely to elect a Republican, and altered the lines of three others, including the 7th District.

Sewell still remains the favorite to win in November.

A native of Selma, Sewell has served in Congress since 2011. She has sponsored legislation aimed at restoring and modernizing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

‘Guilty as charged’: Darline Graham is a political newcomer, and proud of it

“I’ve been accused of not being a politician,” she said at her election night speech. “Guilty as charged.”

Graham, who is now in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff in the race to replace her late brother, was tapped to serve his remaining months in office. She touted what she had done in the Senate so far and her work outside of politics, but leaned into the newcomer role.

“I will spend the next to weeks of this runoff meeting with voters and, unlike some politicians, listening to their concerns — yes, listening to their concerns,” she said. “This seat belongs to the people of South Carolina, and I will work hard to earn your vote.”

Luke Bronin defeats incumbent US Rep. John Larson in Connecticut Democratic primary

Bronin, the former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, topped Larson in a race that evoked the battle over generational change in the Democratic party.

A Rhodes scholar, lawyer and U.S. Navy Reserve officer, Bronin, 46, was a sophomore at Yale when Larson, 78, was first elected to the 1st District seat in 1998.

Bronin’s campaign got a big bump earlier this year when the state party endorsed him at a May nominating convention.

Larson has had to fight concerns about his age and health, which intensified last year after he suffered a partial seizure during a speech on the House floor.

Even in a loss, Sanford can’t stop talking about national debt

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s run for U.S. Senate ended with a loss for a man who almost never used to lose in South Carolina.

Sanford jumped at the opportunity to run for U.S. Senate in the state’s two-week special Republican primary since he had plenty of money remaining in his campaign account and a burning need to tell everyone the U.S. is drowning in debt.

His concession speech Tuesday was another campaign speech. He talked about how the U.S. will spend more national debt interest than defense this year and Social Security and Medicare are less than a decade away from bankruptcy.

“We are on an unsustainable course, and no civilization across the pages of time has been able to outrun math,” Sanford said.

The former governor had a blast getting back on the campaign trial. He spent most of his election night talking to his sons and supporters and drinking a few beers.

Darline Graham addresses grief and victory

“This is a very emotional night, because I’m usually standing here celebrating with Lindsey,” said the sister of the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, after she secured a place in the Republican runoff to replace him.

Darline Graham was subdued for a victory party, as she thanked God, her family and President Donald Trump.

“His steadfast and his complete and total endorsement means so much to me,” she said of the president. “He knows that I will stand with him, and fight for his agenda, just like Lindsey did.”

Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya wins Republican Senate nomination in Minnesota

Tafoya, a newcomer to politics, defeated Adam Schwarze, a Marine veteran and Navy SEAL who had the official backing of the state Republican committee, and Royce White, who had an existing profile as a prior candidate, conservative commentator and a brief professional basketball career.

Tafoya will face an uphill battle in Minnesota, where Democrats have a two-decade streak of winning top offices. But Republicans think Tafoya, who is known outside of politics and doesn’t have a controversial voting record, is well-positioned to pull off an upset victory.

President Donald Trump did not make an endorsement in the primary.

The Democratic candidate for South Carolina Senate is already on defense

Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews spoke to WIS News 10 after both Darline Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman notched the top two spots in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate in South Carolina.

Andrews, who was elected in her party’s June primary, batted away attacks from Norman’s election night speech before pitching her vision in an uphill race to win the red state.

“Unfortunately for Ralph, I guess, I am not a socialist, I am not a democratic socialist, I’m a mom and a pediatrician,” said Andrews. “I’m running, as I said, to address our affordability crisis and our broken healthcare system.”

Rep. Shomari Figures says Alabama voters have a clear choice in 2nd District

Figures will face Republican nominee Rhett Marques in November. Republicans redrew the district to be more Republican-leaning after the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting decision. Both parties have promised an aggressive fight for the seat.

“The people of Alabama deserve a congressman who will work for them, not against them,” Figures said. The congressman said he has worked to support hospitals, infrastructure, law enforcement and Alabama families.

“The choice in this race is simple; I have worked for the people of Alabama because that is who we should be working for. My opponent would be just another rubber stamp on the same policies that are making life more expensive for the people right here in Alabama,” Figures said.

Figures noted Marques has been criticized for supporting a gas tax increase while serving in the Alabama Legislature. Marques has said the increase was to fund road construction and he has voted to cut other taxes such as the state grocery tax.

Marques urges Republicans to unite to flip Democrat-held Alabama district

“The stakes in November could not be higher,” state Rep. Rhett Marques said after winning the GOP nomination in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. “If you want more money in your pockets, safe streets for your kids to play on, strong communities, and our Christian values to be preserved for our kids and their kids, I’d be proud to earn your vote. With your help, common sense will conquer craziness in November.”

Marques will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures. Republicans redrew the district to be more Republican-leaning.

Marques was endorsed by President Donald Trump and defeated five other Republicans in the special congressional primary.

Areas to watch in Wisconsin

Two counties to watch in Tuesday’s Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor are the leading contenders’ home counties: Milwaukee and Dane.

Milwaukee County is the state’s most populous and has supported more moderate candidates in past Democratic presidential primaries. Bernie Sanders trounced Hillary Clinton statewide in 2016, and the only place where Clinton led Sanders, albeit narrowly with about 52% of the vote, was Milwaukee County. The county gave 58% of the vote to Joe Biden in 2020.

Milwaukee County is the home turf of Democratic candidate David Crowley, who has served six years as Milwaukee County Executive.

Dane County is Wisconsin’s second-most populous and is home to the heavily Democratic city Madison. It’s also home to Democratic state Rep. Francesca Hong. Dane delivered the most votes of any county to Sanders in both his Wisconsin presidential primary runs. In 2020, although he lost every county to Biden, he posted his highest vote share in Dane.

Trump says Darline Graham called to thank him for Senate endorsement

At Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump told reporters that he would be “going to call her right now” after arriving from a trip to Ohio.

The interim South Carolina senator advanced on Tuesday to an Aug. 25 runoff.

Trump said “I think so” when asked if he would campaign for the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, among his top Senate allies.

Of the others in the special primary, Trump said he liked them, too: “I mean, they’re all Trumpers.”

Minnesota Democrats nominate Sen. Amy Klobuchar for governor

The moderate Democrat who ran for president in 2020 defeated six lesser-known rivals for the nomination.

Klobuchar is looking to replace two-term Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who ended his reelection campaign earlier this year amid public backlash to a fraud scandal that engulfed state government.

Klobuchar will have the upper hand in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to a statewide office in 20 years. But Republicans hope voters will be disillusioned enough with Democrats to end the party’s unified control of the state’s top offices.

The GOP’s gubernatorial primary is a three-way race between MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who was endorsed by Trump, state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who is supported by many elected officials in the state, and businessman Kendall Qualls, who has the state party’s endorsement.

US Rep. Tom Tiffany wins Republican primary for governor in swing state Wisconsin

Tiffany overcame nominal opposition in his victory as he attempts to flip control of the governor’s office, with President Donald Trump’s backing.

Tiffany is a former state lawmaker who was elected to Congress in 2020. He is one of the most conservative members of Congress and a staunch Trump ally.

He defeated 27-year-old Andy Manske in the primary.

Tiffany will now face whomever emerges from the chaotic race for the Democratic nomination that has seen two prominent candidates drop out since mid-July amid the rise of insurgent democratic socialist Francesca Hong. The race will be closely watched in swing state Wisconsin as Democrats try to regain full control of the Legislature and retain the governor’s office.

‘Looks like we did it’: US Rep. Ralph Norman speaks to supporter after making runoff

Norman, who will face Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, in a Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, thanked a lively bunch of supporters as he narrowly beat out his closest competition to secure the second slot.

“We’ve got to all coalesce, come together, because we have got some socialist Democrats we have got to defeat,” he said, before noting how sudden the campaign was after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s unexpected death.

“He’s a fixture. We thought he would be here,” he said.

Rhett Marques wins Alabama GOP primary for redrawn House district Republicans hope to flip

He will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures in November.

The district is one of several across the South that leaned Democratic but were reshaped in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upending redistricting law.

President Donald Trump endorsed Marques in the special congressional primary, as did U.S. Sen. Katie Britt.

Marques is the owner of a tire and automotive service who has served in the Alabama Legislature since 2018.

Figures, who was elected in 2024, maintains that the new district is winnable for him. Both parties have made the district a priority for the fall.

The new district is in the state’s southeastern corner and includes the city of Montgomery. Its Black voting-age population dropped from 48% to 40%, making it more challenging for Democrats.

US Rep. Ralph Norman advances to runoff for US Senate Republican nomination in South Carolina

Norman moved forward Tuesday in a 10-way, whirlwind special election set into motion after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death last month.

A wealthy real estate developer, Norman has long been a member of the House Freedom Caucus, the chamber’s most conservative members. He came into the special Senate primary already well-known to voters across the state, having run an unsuccessful campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination this year.

Sen. Darline Graham also advanced to the runoff. The late senator’s sister was appointed to serve the remaining months of his current term, then entered the race with an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

The winner of the Aug. 25 runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the general election. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.

Alabama voter wants to see Democratic congressman retain seat

Stephanie Jefferson, 52, of Montgomery said the Republicans’ redrawing of the 2nd Congressional District held by Rep. Shomari Figures was intended “to knock out the Democrats.”

She wants him to win reelection in November and said shifting Figures’ district to make it more GOP-leaning “was nothing about the average working family.”

Jefferson said she has considered herself a Republican in the past but is bothered that all the party’s ads leading up to the special primary election were about support by and for Trump.

“Which tells you they don’t care about me,” she said.

Polls have closed in Minnesota and Wisconsin

In-person Election Day voting has ended in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Comparable past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.

In Minnesota’s 2024 state primary, The Associated Press first reported results at 9:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 1:28 a.m. ET, with more than 99% of total votes counted.

In Wisconsin’s 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 9:09 p.m. ET, or nine minutes after polls closed. About 91% of the vote had been counted by midnight ET. The last vote update of the night was at 2:59 a.m. ET with 99.8% of total votes counted.

See live results in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

No cheers when Graham’s advancement apparent — just media setting up for live shots

Election night watch parties are usually all about crowd reaction when the news of race calls ripples across a ballroom or restaurant crowd.

As news spread of the AP race call that Sen. Darline Graham would advance to a special Senate GOP primary runoff in two weeks, reporters started scrambling for television live hits.

Graham is nearby watching results with family and campaign staffers. She’s said she expected to be in a runoff and has been treating Tuesday’s primary as just the first iteration of the election balloting.

No injuries were reported during the arrest, according to the Detroit Police Department.

Another individual and the family dog, a French mastiff, also were found inside the vehicle and taken into custody, police said.

Detroit police are working with Ohio officials to facilitate the extradition of the individuals back to Michigan.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Police said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

The search for the boy began after Detroit officers responded to a reported disturbance around 5 p.m. Tuesday in the 18,000 block of Bretton, according to Dietrich Lever, commanding officer of the department’s 8th Precinct.

Officers learned that the boy had allegedly shot his father before taking the family vehicle and leaving the scene, Lever said.

Prior to his arrest, the boy was last seen driving a gray 2026 Rivian with Michigan license plate FAX 8251.

He was traveling southbound on the Southfield Freeway toward Lincoln Park.

Officials considered the teen armed and dangerous and urged anyone who spotted him not to approach.

“Call 911, call the police and get us out there and let us take him into custody safely,” Lever said.

Police said the shooting appeared to follow an incident involving discipline.

Lever said the teen allegedly took offense when his father disciplined him and then shot him when the father returned home.

Officials did not immediately know where the teen obtained the firearm or whether it belonged to his father.

Police also did not immediately have information about what the teen was wearing when he fled.

Lever said there was no immediate threat to residents in the neighborhood, which he described as generally safe.

The father’s condition was not released.

Police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that the information released so far is preliminary and subject to change.

Previous coverage

Detroit police search for 13-year-old boy accused of shooting father, fleeing in family SUV with dog

The date and cause of his death were not immediately available.

Okuda served as president then chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. from 1995 through 2006. In his 45-year career at Toyota, Okuda is especially remembered for having led the development of the gas-electric hybrid Prius in 1997, a model with the fuel-efficient technology that was ground-breaking at that time.

The Prius became a symbol of the auto industry ’s push for green driving. Okuda was instrumental in helping drive Toyota’s reputation for fuel-efficiency at a time when gas prices were already surging, such as its bestseller Camry, as well as the hybrids.

Born in central Japan, the area where Toyota has its headquarters, Okuda graduated in 1955 from the prestigious Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, with a degree in business.

Okuda, reputedly outspoken and always ready with a quick laugh, was unusual in not being from Toyota’s founding Toyoda family, as the leadership at the world’s top automaker tended to be.

The former chief executive was key in leading Toyota’s global expansion over his years at the helm, not only in sales, but also production, setting up manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe.

Okuda, a black belt in judo, was vocal about his concerns over the possible backlash that Toyota might face, as its growth meant the inevitable dethroning of the American so-called “Big Three,” General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, synonymous for U.S. manufacturing grandeur.

He liked to emphasize how the auto industry was global and connected, using the term “harmony” to drive home that message.

Toyota, as well as other Japanese automakers like Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., were raking in huge profits, while the Americans were sinking into losses. That helped ring in the “Japan-bashing” sentiments starting in the 1980s.

As is still the case today, the cheap yen was also pointed to as giving Toyota and the other Japanese makers an unfair advantage. A cheap yen raises the value of overseas earnings for the Japanese, when translated into yen.

Okuda was adviser on Toyota’s board when Toyota added an American for the first time on its board, Jim Press, in 2007.

He was also a proponent of promoting younger management, when that was still relatively rare in Japanese corporate circles, although that usually meant empowering men in their 50s instead of their 60s.

“A company must change when things are going well. There’s no point in trying to change after things start going bad,” he told reporters in 2005.

That emphasis on staying nimble encapsulates Toyota’s basic principle of constantly improving, known as “kaizen,” which, along with just-in-time production, centering on the idea of avoiding huge inventory, is at the core of Toyota’s founding philosophies.

Respected in the business community here, Okuda served as head of major business lobbies, such as the Japan Business Federation known as Keidanren, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Prime Minister’s Economic Strategy Council of Japan and the Japan Federation of Employers’ Associations.

Toyota did not immediately have details on surviving family. Funeral arrangements were being made by the family, and plans may be coming later on a more public formal ceremony, according to the company.

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https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

The winner will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November in an open election that could test the limits of progressives' appeal in a critical battleground state. Tiffany easily advanced Tuesday against a token opponent.

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong was in a close race against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley based on early returns.

Democrats are hoping to capitalize on low approval ratings for President Donald Trump in a state he won in 2016 and 2024 to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010.

In other races, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s 26-year-old son-in-law Michael Alfonso won a five-way primary in Duffy’s old seat in the U.S. House. And Democrat Rebecca Cooke won the primary to force a rematch with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the state’s most hotly contested and narrowly divided congressional district.

Democratic socialist shakes up Wisconsin race, fueled by national movement

Hong, a single mother and former line cook, has tapped into Democratic anger with the party’s mainstream and Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement.

The 37-year-old known for sprinkling her comments with profanity and leaning into her edgy and sometimes humorous social media profile excited the liberal wing of the party. Hong called for free childcare and healthcare and a moratorium on artificial intelligence data center construction. But she also wrestled with her past support for defunding the police, saying at the race’s only debate that she would not support cutting law enforcement funding.

She also drew criticism for past social media posts in which she called for canceling Thanksgiving because “we should stop celebrating colonialism" and disparaged Valentine’s Day as “another day capitalism tells you how to show love.”

Hong has since downplayed the posts as her attempt at making jokes.

Hong supporter Dan Jakubek, 44, of Marshall, dismissed concerns over Hong's past statements and said her message of affordability is resonating across generations.

“I've never seen so many young, out of high school, college students revved up for change,” he said.

Establishment Democrats worried that a Hong win would make it easier for Tiffany to win in November, as her platform would be a tougher sell among moderate and independent voters who are critical in the swing state known for razor-thin election margins.

Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Crowley, saying he has the best chance of beating Tiffany in November.

Crowley told supporters at a Sunday night rally that they must come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don’t have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor’s office,” Crowley said.

Hong said she would welcome Evers' support after the primary.

“We have to come together to beat Tom Tiffany," she said Monday.

Democrat David Zimmerman, a 79-year-old retired industrial engineer professor in Madison, voted for Crowley on Tuesday. He said Hong's chance of beating Tiffany in November “worries me a lot" but he would vote for her if she's the nominee.

“I think she's going to have trouble winning,” he said.

Fellow Crowley voter Julie Martinson, 69, a bank worker from Madison, also said she was worried about Hong being able to win the general election. But Martinson also predicted Democrats would come together to support her.

“There's no reason we can't galvanize around her and get her in there, ” she said.

Hong is the first Asian American elected to the state Assembly in 2020. She is looking to become Wisconsin's first female governor and first Asian American governor. Crowley would be the state's first Black governor.

Chaotic Democratic primary saw candidates drop, come back in

Evers’ decision not to seek a third term created an open race for governor that initially had seven Democrats file to run.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez appeared to be making a move to consolidate mainstream Democratic support in July, but she dropped out in the middle of the month amid a campaign finance scandal. That led Crowley, who had dropped out a week earlier and endorsed Rodriguez, to get back in the race, this time with Evers' backing.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who was seen as an early front-runner after nearly beating Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022, bowed out less than two weeks before the election amid questions about inappropriate behavior.

Sean Duffy’s son-in-law looks to win back Duffy’s old congressional district

Alfonso is looking to become the youngest member of Congress by winning Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, a seat previously held for nine years by his father-in-law before Duffy stepped down in 2019.

He secured Trump’s endorsement, who called him a “MAGA warrior,” to top the Republican primary field that included Kevin Hermening, a Trump supporter and longtime Republican operative in the congressional district.

Trump spoke on a telephone rally for Alfonso on Monday night, calling him “a fantastic young guy who’s going to be a star in Washington.” It was the second event Trump hosted for Alfonso in the primary.

Alfonso’s candidacy drew blowback from some longtime Republican leaders in the district who said he was too young and inexperienced for the job, especially compared with Hermening.

Democrat Cooke will be in repeat race against Rep. Derrick Van Orden

Cooke, a former Democratic fundraiser and small business owner, defeated former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Berge ran an underdog, insurgent campaign against Cooke, who was more well-known and better financed.

Cooke narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 and also ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary that year.

Van Orden is one of Trump’s biggest supporters but will face a tough reelection bid in a narrowly divided district in a year where Trump’s approval ratings are low in Wisconsin.

The race between centrist U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was playing out in the aftermath of President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration surge, which led to the shooting death of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis and galvanized the president's liberal opposition.

The race was taking the temperature of Democratic primary voters a week after progressive Abdul El-Sayed won a bitter and divisive primary in Michigan that fired up the left and fueled anxiety among party leaders that Democrats will alienate moderate swing voters.

Whoever wins the primary for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, as it's known in Minnesota, will be the front-runner in November. Minnesota voters haven't elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006. The Democratic nominee will face former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, who won the GOP primary.

Still, Republicans are hoping a fraud scandal involving the widespread theft of public funds will give them an opening up and down the ballot.

Among the leading GOP candidates for governor is Mike Lindell — the Trump- endorsed pillow purveyor, who has been among the most persistent advocates of the lie that Trump's 2020 loss to Joe Biden was fraudulent. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic nomination for governor, defeating six other candidates.

Race between Craig and Flanagan shaped by ICE, outside spending

In the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, Craig lined up support from Democratic establishment figures including House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as well as senators from battleground states.

She pointed to her record of winning tough races in a closely divided House district in the suburban Twin Cities, saying she has the experience to bring the change voters are demanding to Washington.

“She has the work ethic, she has the fight, she has the experience,” said Angie Oi, a Craig supporter and volunteer.

Flanagan had the support of leading progressive figures including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. She was also backed by Smith, the retiring incumbent.

The race was shaped by the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, confrontations that were caught on camera and fueled a backlash to Trump's immigration policies. Flanagan highlighted Craig's vote for the Laken Riley Act, an immigration bill that passed early in Trump's second term. Craig repudiated her support after Good and Pretti were killed.

U.S. support for Israel and the influence of corporations and wealthy donors also figured prominently in a race that attracted tens of millions of dollars in spending by allies of both women.

“I love that she doesn’t take any corporate money, she doesn’t take any money from AIPAC,” said Andrea Ropella, a Flanagan supporter, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “The things that she says, she believes in and she stands for.”

Gov. Tim Walz declined to endorse either candidate, but late last month his wife, Gwen Walz, endorsed Craig over Flanagan, a move seen as a repudiation of her husband's running mate and governing partner for two terms.

Trump did not endorse a candidate on the Republican side, although Tafoya had support from the national GOP. Adam Schwarze, a Marine veteran and Navy SEAL, had the official backing of the state Republican committee and Royce White had an existing profile as a prior candidate, conservative commentator and a brief professional basketball career.

‘MyPillow Guy’ Mike Lindell is running for governor

Republicans had another crowded primary in the race for governor.

Lindell established his national profile from his TV advertising campaign as the “MyPillow Guy.” He has been one of Trump’s most outspoken supporters and a persistent proponent of myths about the 2020 election. He lost a defamation lawsuit last year and was ordered to pay $2.3 million to a former employee of a voting systems company, whom he called a traitor.

In a post on social media Tuesday morning, Trump said Lindell “deserves a BIG WIN.”

Trump's endorsement carries enormous weight in GOP primaries, and few of his favored candidates have lost so far this year. But some prominent Minnesota Republicans worry Lindell is too toxic with independent voters and will drag down the entire GOP ticket. Even state GOP Chairman Alex Plechash raised doubts about Lindell's electability.

Jim Busche, 79, said he likes Lindell but agrees that he’s probably too controversial to win a general election, so he cast his vote for state House Speaker Lisa Demuth.

“I wanted to vote for somebody that at least has a chance,” said Busche, who is retired and lives in Independence.

Lindell’s primary opponents included Demuth, who had strong backing from GOP elected officials, and businessman Kendall Qualls, who won the Minnesota GOP's endorsement.

The winner will face Klobuchar, who has built a moderate profile over her 20 years representing the state in Washington.

GOP sees hope despite Minnesota's long blue streak

No Republican has won a statewide race in Minnesota since Gov. Tim Pawlenty was reelected in 2006, but the state is more closely divided than that history would suggest.

In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Trump here by only 1.5 points, and in 2024, even with Walz on the ticket, Democrat Kamala Harris won the state by only 4 points.

In the state Legislature, Democrats hold just a one-seat majority in the Senate, and the House is split evenly between the parties.

Republicans think the fraud scandal, which led Walz to abandon his plans to run for a third term, gives them a rare opening to make inroads in an otherwise tough environment for the GOP.

At least 65 people have been convicted in a series of overlapping food fraud cases stemming from investigations that began during the Biden administration. One former nonprofit leader was sentenced in May to 42 years in prison in a $250 million fraud case.

Trump pointed to the scandals as justification for launching a massive immigration crackdown that he initially said would focus on the state’s large Somali community.

Most attention was focused on the Democratic nomination for governor in Wisconsin, where the insurgent candidacy of the socialist, Francesca Hong, was causing agita among more mainstream leaders in the party. The outcome of that race was not clear Tuesday night.

Here are some early takeaways from the night's elections.

Family name + Trump nod = runoff spot for Graham in South Carolina

Darline Graham advanced to a runoff Tuesday night in the primary for her brother’s seat. She was appointed to fill the remaining months of his current term after his death last month. While little was known about her, the family name and the goodwill toward her brother propelled her candidacy.

Trump then endorsed her in the GOP primary to occupy the seat for the next six years. He also praised her Tuesday night after returning to Washington. The role Trump chooses to play in the next two weeks could be decisive in a state where he is quite popular.

A who’s who of conservative South Carolina politicians also competed for the rare prize of a Senate seat, and Rep. Ralph Norman, a durable conservative who finished second, will face off against Graham in two weeks. Both candidates will need to consolidate votes from the other challengers to win.

Another veteran Democrat goes down in race over generational change

Connecticut Rep. John Larson became the latest Democratic stalwart to lose his primary. The 78-year-old, who served 14 terms in the House, was defeated by former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin.

Larson’s loss didn’t have the ideological overtones that have dominated some other Democratic House primaries, where younger, socialist candidates ousted veteran House members in Denver and New York City. But there was a definite generational cast, with his 47-year-old challenger arguing voters deserved a different choice in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.

Larson is the 10th member of the House to lose a primary this year, in a sign of bipartisan fury with each party’s veterans.

While that tally includes three Republicans, the rest are Democrats. After Joe Biden’s collapse during the 2024 presidential election – and the deaths of four Democratic House members over the past 18 months -- it’s clear that Democratic voters are casting a very critical eye on elderly party members.

But many eyes are on Wisconsin

Trump won Wisconsin in 2024 and its state legislature has long been in the hands of the GOP, but Democrats have been bullish about reversing that trend. The biggest worry many in the party have is about Tuesday's primary.

Hong, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist with a trail of controversial prior statements and social media posts, has been the front-runner for the party nomination for governor. Her principal opponent is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is backed by the state's current Democratic governor, Tony Evers.

Democratic strategists fear Hong could drag down the rest of the ticket in November and struggle against the Republican nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has Trump's backing and won easily on Tuesday.

The stakes are high in the races for Democrats nationally, not just Wisconsin residents. Democrats are hoping to win control of the state legislature, and the governor's mansion would give them the ability to redraw Wisconsin's map to counter the edge the GOP built up in this year's mid-decade redistricting. Without that, their path to a House majority in 2028 becomes challenging.

Democrats will also likely need to win Wisconsin to retake the White House in 2028, and the governor will play a key role in certifying the winner of the election. In 2020, Trump tried to claim Wisconsin despite it being won by Joe Biden, only to be blocked in part by Evers. Tiffany supported the president's attempt to overturn the election.

There are similar worries for Democrats in Minnesota, a state they've reliably won during the Trump years, but by shrinking margins. Moderate Rep. Angie Craig and liberal Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are enmeshed in a heated battle for the party's nod for the Senate seat being vacated by Klobuchar. GOP strategists hope the fight is divisive enough to provide an opening for their preferred candidate, sportscaster Michele Tafoya.

Experience and resume still mattered in some races

While much of this year’s midterm campaign cycle has been animated by new candidates with provocative progressive messages and by the fact that being an incumbent seemed like a liability, Democratic voters in Connecticut and Minnesota gravitated toward the familiar in their respective choices for governor.

Connecticut’s two-term Gov. Ned Lamont defeated his progressive challenger in the state’s Democratic primary while Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who first won her seat 20 years ago, easily won her state’s nomination for governor.

Their victories ran counter to any trend toward younger, more progressive candidates who had scored surprising wins in several House primaries, and notably, in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan last week. Lamont began his political rise as an insurgent challenger to incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman but is now considered establishment. Klobuchar has a reputation as a bipartisan consensus-builder.

A first-time candidate who was always close to her brother’s political orbit, Darline Graham overcame skepticism about her lack of experience in her campaign to replace him, as she moved forward Tuesday as the top vote-getter to runner-up Norman from a 10-way field en route to an Aug. 25 runoff. Lindsey Graham died July 11, triggering a whirlwind special election season.

Gov. Henry McMaster had appointed Darline Graham to serve the waning months of her late brother’s term. She picked up President Donald Trump’s swift backing, but the rare open Senate seat attracted a broad field, including some of the state’s top Republicans, setting up the latest test of the president’s command over the GOP base.

Darline Graham addressed reporters Tuesday evening flanked by her family and introduced herself anew to the state's Republicans voters. She boasted of her work with Trump in her first three weeks in the Senate and took a veiled swipe at her opponent, saying she was “guilty as charged” of not being a politician.

“I will spend the next to weeks of this runoff meeting with voters and unlike some politicians listening to their concerns — yes, listening to their concerns," Graham said, not mentioning Norman by name. "This seat belongs to the people of South Carolina and I will work hard to earn, earn your vote.”

Trump told reporters Tuesday evening that Graham called him after making the runoff to thank him for his support. Trump responded “I think so” when asked if he would campaign for her, but noted he also liked Norman and other candidates in the race, saying, “I mean, they’re all Trumpers.”

Norman has long been a member of the House Freedom Caucus, comprised of the chamber’s most conservative members. He unsuccessfully ran for the GOP gubernatorial nomination earlier this year.

“Let’s win this thing in a big way," Norman told supporters Tuesday night, as he appealed for party unity heading into the runoff and noted surprising circumstances of the campaign after Graham's death. “He’s a fixture, we thought he would be here,” Norman said.

For decades, South Carolina voters reliably returned Lindsey Graham to Washington despite periodic primary challengers who accused the dealmaker and foreign policy hawk of being insufficiently conservative.

Tuesday's contest featured one of Lindsey Graham’s earlier foes, as well as two U.S. House members and Mark Sanford, the former governor and congressman eager for a political comeback in a field crowded with familiar faces. The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election.

Goodwill toward Lindsey Graham helped boost his sister at the polls

The unexpected primary began even before funeral observances in Washington and South Carolina for Graham, who died at his Washington home after suffering a tear in his aorta, had concluded. State law proscribed a compressed timeline that forced candidates to navigate the decorum of mourning the senator's death while jockeying to replace him.

A day after Graham’s death was announced, his sister accepted Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment to succeed her brother in an interim capacity and was sworn in with her family and the late senator’s staff standing behind her. A week later, Darline Graham launched into the campaign herself, encouraged to run and then endorsed by Trump.

Some voters said her brother's reputation helped tilt them to support Darline Graham.

“She’s not a politician, but she was kin to probably one of the greatest senators ever,” Frank Bohn of Horry County said.

While Darline Graham couldn't directly access the millions in Lindsey Graham's campaign account, there was no limit to how much could be transferred to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which funded advertising to support her.

A super PAC that once supported Lindsey Graham also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars backing Darline Graham. Mailers touted her as “President Trump's choice” and “Prepared to Carry on Lindsey's Legacy.”

Norman vaulted to the runoff over another sitting lawmaker

Fresh off his unsuccessful primary run for governor, Norman entered the Senate contest as one several politicians more familiar to South Carolina voters in their own right, and snapped up endorsements from the likes of Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah.

One of the most conservative House members, Norman is well-known across South Carolina as a fiscal conservative. At times, however, he has been at odds with Trump, backing former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary.

Another candidate, Rep. Russell Fry, had at one time appeared poised to gain Trump's backing after Lindsey Graham's death. Despite lacking the president's endorsement, he began running and sought to boost his name recognition beyond his pro-Trump, Myrtle Beach-area district.

Voter George Mitford said Fry's service stood out to him over Darline Graham, who hasn't been in elected office.

“I just thought he’d probably had more experience in this than she would have had,” Mitford said, adding that he had supported Lindsey Graham’s Senate tenure.

Mark Sanford deprived of another political comeback

The former South Carolina congressman and governor whose political ascendency was stalled by a 2009 extramarital affair failed in yet another attempt to return to public office. Sanford’s Senate bid came just three months after he ended an effort to retake his former U.S. House seat, saying then he was quitting the race to establish a nonprofit to address the national debt.

Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman who tried to oust Graham in last month's regular Republican primary, swiftly relaunched his campaign after Graham’s death. Lynch campaigned as a Trump supporter, but in June, Trump on social media called him a “lunatic” and a “disaster for the Republican Party.”

Who is the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat?

Andrews, a Charleston physician, won her party’s June primary outright. Having set up her campaign based around challenging Graham, Andrews had been forced to pivot to a broader critique of the Republican contenders.

No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat here in decades. And when Graham last ran in 2020, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by a 10 percentage point margin.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

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Collins reported from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. AP reporters Will Weissert in Washington and Jesse Bedayn in Austin, Texas contributed.

Trump downplayed the extraordinary nature of the subterfuge involved in his flight, which saw him stow away in an airport catering container to sneak onto another plane while Air Force One was sent into the sky, essentially as a decoy.

He also downplayed the risk to the people — White House officials, security and support staff, and reporters — he left on the plane.

“They wanted me to go on a different flight, different plane," Trump told reporters after returning from an event in Ohio, saying he had little choice in the matter.

“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn't really ask too much about it,” he said. “I get a lot of threats.”

His comments confirmed a report that first appeared in The Washington Post saying that Trump, following a NATO summit last month, was spirited onto a different plane because of a credible threat from Iran. The action was kept secret for weeks, until the newspaper's story.

“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk," Trump said Tuesday, who did not provide many details about the action. But he said the incident did not scare him.

“I don’t worry about anything, to be honest," Trump said. "Whatever it is. You know my attitude? Whatever!”

Presidents often take secret trips — but not like this

Commanders in chief have sometimes kept overseas trips covert for security reasons, with schedules and logistics kept classified until after for safety reasons. But the fact that Trump’s whereabouts were concealed at the time and for weeks afterward is believed to be unprecedented.

“We have absolutely seen the president fly on unmarked or decoy planes before, into Iraq, Afghanistan, other war-zone-like places,” said Garrett M. Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die.”

“But this was an ongoing secret that I don’t think we’ve ever seen before.”

After hiding in the catering vehicle and being moved to the other plane, Trump stopped in Britain, sneaked back aboard the presidential plane undetected, and even later scoffed when asked about potential danger.

“If I go, you go. Right?” he told reporters then — gliding past the fact that if the plane had been shot down, the president wouldn't have been aboard.

Many details about what happened remain unknown

The president's flight out of Turkey made headlines at the time because he had arrived aboard a luxury jet gifted by Qatar, which was not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential jets.

Trump ended up traveling in a smaller government aircraft from Turkey to the United Kingdom, only to secretly reboard the decoy jet, then descend from it and climb back aboard the Qatari plane.

Presidents have regularly tested the confines of their office, pushing their security advisers to visit war zones as a show of American presence and their own leadership. Usually, this happens in the form of trips that aren't announced until the president is deemed to be out of harm's way.

What’s different this time is that Trump was covertly separated from the rest of his travelers — including the press pool meant to provide independent coverage of the president and his actions — and, instead of informing the public about what occurred once the risk had passed, the White House still hasn't fully revealed what took place.

Graff said the presence of the White House press corps is as much about protecting “the presidency and democracy” as it is about covering the story.

“This shows that the White House just fundamentally doesn’t understand how important that role is,” he said.

Officials have gone to great lengths to keep presidents safe on covert trips before

In 2023, a motorcade pulled away from the White House around 3:30 a.m. on a Sunday, and President Joe Biden later boarded an Air Force C-32, a modified Boeing 757 normally used for domestic trips to smaller airports, and flew to Poland. Biden then took a secret, 10-hour overnight train ride to Kyiv meant to show solidarity with Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.

A press pool at the White House had been expecting a quiet Sunday for Biden in Washington. However, two journalists went to Ukraine with him and documented the trip, capturing images of Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walking together.

In Trump's first term, he made a secret Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan in 2019, when officials kept a separate press pool and decoy plane in Florida to maintain the illusion that the president was spending the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Instead, Trump and another group of reporters flew to the U.S. military base at Bagram, where the president served turkey to troops, gave a speech and met with Afghanistan's then-president, Ashraf Ghani, while journalists documented what was occurring.

When President George W. Bush made his first trip to Iraq in 2003, news was not released until he was in the air on the way back to the United States. President Barack Obama made a furtive nighttime visit to Afghanistan in 2010, when he was meant to be spending the weekend at Camp David.

Other risky trips featured presidential misdirection

President Bill Clinton went secretly from India to Pakistan in 2000, attempting to calm tensions in the disputed Kashmir region. He was seen talking with officials in front of a military plane that he appeared to board. Instead, Clinton ducked around the front of the aircraft to another jet parked nearby.

Both planes took off for Islamabad, as did a third jet painted with the familiar baby blue markings of Air Force One.

Joe Lockhart, a White House press secretary for Clinton, noted that reporters knew the president was on one of the planes, “but not which one.” He said he and other officials had briefed the press pool ahead of time and “although they didn’t know all the details, it was made clear” that Clinton “was not going to travel on the plane they were on.

“There was no attempt to hide anything, much less lie about it later,” Lockhart wrote on social media.

Bush was visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, during the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, and, after all commercial air traffic was grounded, officials wanted to move him to an undisclosed location.

The full White House traveling press pool flew with Bush from Florida to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, where officials reduced the number of reporters and staff on the plane. Bush and the smaller traveling party next flew to Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base before eventually returning to Washington.

Bush's location remained secret throughout the day. However, the White House did not suggest that the president was somewhere he was not — unlike when Trump was whisked out of Turkey.

“You can imagine the different ways that this could have gone wrong, where, for a period of time, no one would have been able to independently corroborate the status of the U.S. president, or who was in charge of the U.S. government,” Graff said. “And that’s an incredibly dangerous moment for the world.”

On Tuesday, she finally lashed out.

The 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and one of the original Fever players angrily defended herself after she was criticized for her response to DiJonai Carrington's flagrant foul on Sophie Cunningham, and pleaded with people to focus on the sport and not the continual sideshows.

“The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness that’s trying to hijack our league will not win. It won’t win,” White said, her voice rising as she pounded the table in front of her. “We are united. We are connected. We will not be divided. Every day these women put their ass on the line. Every day when they go low, we go high. Love will win. Grace will win. Humility will win and kindness will win. I stand by them, I will always stand by them. Everybody else can go to hell.”

White left immediately after her 2 1/2-minute outburst ended without taking questions.

Indiana responded with one of its best halves of the season, shooting 59% from the field and 79% on 3-pointers on its way to a 106-92 victory over the New York Liberty. The Fever have won seven of their last nine despite being the focal point of so many controversies.

Fever All-Star Caitlin Clark wasn't surprised by how the Fever played or White's pregame reaction. She was more upset by the boos she heard during White's pregame introduction.

“I talked to Steph earlier in the day and you know I think we forget a lot of times, like, we're humans and she has feelings and there are moments that are really hard and sometimes that's the job we sign up for," Clark said. “At the same time, it's OK to feel those emotions and I told her I've been through the same thing.”

Clark added: "There was like no way we were losing this game. Like, that’s my head coach. Like, I hated that our fans booed her before the game. That made me a little sick to be honest.”

Carrington hit Cunningham in the head and neck area Saturday, knocking the Fever guard hard to the ground on a breakaway layup. Cunningham got up and charged toward Carrington but was restrained.

Carrington was assessed a Flagrant 2, an automatic ejection. The Chicago Sky player then wrote “WHITE PRIVILEGE” and tagged the Fever on a social media account. On Monday, Carrington said she never claimed the foul call was “white privilege.”

Cunningham has been outspoken about her desire to keep transgender women out of women's sports, a position that has spurred rallies in support of and opposed to her stance.

White initially said she thought the refs got the call right but that she didn't think that action near the head and neck area was intentional. Critics claimed she was defending Carrington.

"OK... The Indiana Fever need to let Stephanie White go,” Indiana Lieutenant Gov. Micah Beckwith wrote Sunday on X. “No solid coach would ever take the side of the opposing team’s player who committed a flagrant foul on one of your own players. Terrible coaching! The Fever need to defend their players.”

White explained Tuesday that she had not seen the replay when she first spoke with reporters Saturday and that she changed her opinion after watching it again. She called the foul “egregious.”

“Our players' success, our players' health and wellness, our players' safety is always a top priority,” she began, her voice rising. “One of the things I pride myself on is my relationships with my players. For those who have anything to say about the play in the last game, I didn’t see the replay. I went straight to a press conference, I thought the play got called right. Thankfully, Sophie is OK. Was it egregious? Absolutely.

"When you get a chance to see that on replay over and over, you see that. I didn’t see that in real time. I personally take any suggestions that I don’t 100% always have my players back. I ride with them 10 toes down all the time, all the time.”

Cunningham received a loud ovation when she entered Tuesday's game. She and White hugged after the game.

“I think there’s just been a lot of outside noise but our locker room is good,” Cunningham said. “We have each other’s backs. Coach loves us. So give her her flowers. She didn’t see the clip and that’s OK. Me and Steph are great, and Steph is great with all of us.”

White faced a similar controversy when Clark also was fouled hard earlier this season, prompting a letter from the U.S. House of Representatives to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

White and Clark also were involved in a sideline spat in late and there was speculation about White's job status following the incident.

Now White just wants everyone to get back to basketball.

“It's a shame we can't have an opportunity to talk about what great basketball they are playing,” White said with emphasis. “The reality is, with me, I will always lead with love. I will always lead with grace, I will always lead with humility. and I will always lead with integrity. It doesn't mean I'll always get it right. I'm human.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The vote took place during a hastily convened meeting of Luxon’s center-right National Party lawmakers at Parliament in Wellington, which was held behind closed doors and ran for more than three hours. Luxon then emerged flanked by his lawmakers to give a brief statement and departed without taking any questions from reporters.

“There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting,” he said. “I had the full support of our caucus and our caucus is united and it is determined to win this election.”

Luxon didn’t say how many lawmakers had voted for him to continue in the job, although such ballots are usually a secret.

It was Luxon's 2nd confidence vote since April

The vote was the second Luxon had called about his own leadership since April and leaves lingering questions coming so close to the election scheduled for Nov. 7.

The April vote followed drops in polling for National, while this week’s followed recent public remarks Luxon had made on various issues that some in his party saw as gaffes.

On Tuesday, the leader took the rare step of disclosing on social media that he faced renewed rumblings about his leadership, and announcing he would call a meeting of his lawmakers Wednesday to resolve it.

“It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election,” he wrote on X. “I also believe this distraction is unfair to the New Zealand people, and dedicated National Party candidates, supporters and volunteers, when there is so much at stake.”

National has led a right-wing coalition government since New Zealand’s 2023 election. Luxon, a former airline executive who entered Parliament in 2020, had led the party since 2021.

Luxon's remarks in recent weeks prompted fresh speculation

Among the recent remarks that appeared to prompt renewed leadership murmurings were comments Luxon made to a business audience earlier this month, when he said some business leaders in the country had a “parent-child mentality” and too often looked to the government for direction. Luxon, who was once an executive at Unilever when he lived in the United States, has always sold himself as a business expert and has sometimes pointed out where he sees New Zealand as falling short of global trends.

When elected, he pledged to use his experience to reverse New Zealand’s economic woes of recent years. This month’s remarks were lambasted, including by some in his own party, as being out of touch while the economy remained sluggish.

He later apologized for the comments. In another episode, he was forced to divulge that he had used a military aircraft to return to Wellington after a political party fundraiser.

Luxon also surprised his lawmakers this month when he promised a referendum on New Zealand’s electoral system if reelected – apparently without first telling his caucus. The episodes were seen among some in his party as an unwelcome distraction ahead of the election and revealing of Luxon’s relative political inexperience.

No challenger emerged publicly

Among Luxon’s lawmakers, details of who had prompted the leadership rumblings remained a mystery. Nobody publicly confirmed plans for a leadership bid or expressed intentions to oust their leader, and those whose names were reported speculatively by news outlets denied it.

All who spoke to reporters as they left the lengthy meeting expressed support for the leader. Meanwhile, Luxon's political opponents criticized the saga.

“Backstabbing and infighting just means more delay and more distraction for New Zealand," said Chris Hipkins, the opposition leader and leader of the center-left Labour party. “If National can’t govern itself, how can New Zealanders trust it to govern the country?”

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This version has corrected that Luxon entered Parliament in 2020, not 2000.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

4 crew members and 2 allied fighters killed, Yemen says

Six people were killed Tuesday by Houthis firing missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Yemeni authorities said.

Yemen's coast guard said the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel, according to the Transportation Ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

They are the first known deaths from Houthi attacks on shipping off Yemen in the latest bout of fighting in the Arab country.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.

The deadly vessel strike came amid Houthi attacks on the government-held port city of Mokha on the Red Sea and other areas of the country. Dozens of government troops and civilians have been killed in attacks since last week, according to the Yemeni military.

The strikes are part of an escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesperson, accused Saudi Arabia in a social media post of exploiting the ceasefire to tighten an air and sea blockade it imposed in 2015.

He said the Houthis are open for negotiations but any settlement must include lifting the blockade.

US fires on ship it said was trying to break blockade of Iran

The U.S. military said Tuesday that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports. The move came as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. The statement did not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties.

Trump on Tuesday night insisted that the U.S. military has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, despite the fact that Iran has kept up its attacks on ships in the waterway, largely impeding traffic there.

“Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine,” he told reporters after a trip to Ohio. “We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it. Nobody else. Only us,” Trump said.

Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three noncompliant vessels and boarded two. The U.S. Navy currently has more than 15 warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, stationed in the waters of the Arabian Sea.

Iran has refused to back down on demands that the U.S. end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift sanctions on the Islamic Republic and fulfill other conditions.

Iran effectively closed the strait after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28. Attacks on the key waterway — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — and uncertainty around its future have kept energy prices a major focus of U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Pakistani official returns to Iran hoping to ease tensions with US

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled Tuesday to Tehran for meetings with Iran's foreign minister and other officials.

Naqvi's visit aimed to encourage Iran to resume negotiations with the United States under an interim peace deal brokered by Pakistan in June, two officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted photos from his meeting with Naqvi on his private Telegram channel.

It is Naqvi's sixth trip to Iran as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the U.S.

—Munir Ahmed in Islamabad

Israel criticized at UN meeting over West Bank violence

Five European nations on the Security Council called a meeting Tuesday as Britain’s new U.N. Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh condemned escalating violence across the West Bank, calling settler attacks on Palestinian villages, some alongside Israeli soldiers, “appalling.”

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour said Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory is already “underway -- brutally and relentlessly.” He urged international action to chart a path for Palestinian self-determination and “freedom.”

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon responded by saying: “Israel condemns all violence against Israelis and Palestinians” and “does not tolerate extremism — we confront it.”

Danon said “extremist attacks" by Israelis are declining and accused council members of ignoring “rising” attacks by Palestinians.

Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia

In Syria, a court sentenced former President Bashar Assad along with his younger brother to death for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead.

Assad and his brother Maher, who fled to Russia after insurgents marched into Damascus in December 2024, were sentenced in absentia at the Fourth Criminal Court in the Syrian capital.

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This story has been corrected to state that Bashar and Maher Assad fled to Russia in 2024, not 2014.

One hundred firefighters from Mexico have joined the effort, bringing the number of firefighters battling the blaze to 193. The fire has destroyed homes and other properties near Okanagan Lake, killed an 80-year-old woman and burned toward Summerland, a community of about 12,000 people roughly 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Vancouver.

The fire showed “quite significant growth” in some areas overnight even without strong winds, said Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the British Columbia Wildfire Service. He added crews were working around the clock to establish control lines and make it safe for evacuated residents to return home.

“We recognized and we heard even last night that people obviously would like to go home. They would like to see the extent of the damage,” Chapman said.

Provincial officials ramp up evacuations

Kevin Dunbar, British Columbia’s executive director for emergency response and recovery operations, called it one of the largest evacuations in recent British Columbia history.

British Columbia officials said they had secured 1,600 hotel rooms and 1,000 group-lodging spaces for evacuees in Okanagan after some residents faced delays getting emergency assistance during the weekend evacuation.

Beyond those already forced to flee, another 10,000 people have been told to be ready to leave on short notice. More than 100 wildfires were burning across the province, and officials warned that dry lightning could spark new fires in the Central Interior and Okanagan. The province also asked the federal government for help expanding lodging for evacuees.

RCMP are investigating whether criminal activity played a role in the fire. Chapman said about 4% of wildfires in British Columbia over the past decade were suspected of having been deliberately set, but officials have not said the Bald Range fire was intentionally started.

Evacuated residents recount emotional experience

Lucille and Gordon Beach of Summerland were in Vancouver for the weekend wedding of a granddaughter when they heard the fire had started. “We didn't feel too celebratory,” Lucille Beach said Tuesday.

The couple, staying for now in West Kelowna with their dog, haven't seen their home since leaving Friday but believed it was OK. It took a few days to adjust to the reality of what was happening, Lucille Beach said.

Carmen Bodzasy evacuated from Summerland, where she and her husband moved recently. She had to navigate evacuating on unfamiliar roads while he was away for work.

Before leaving, “I cried my eyes out for a minute, and I thought, you know what, if I had to restart over, what would I take with me?” She took photos of her parents' wedding, of her children's families and of her and her husband. “I thought if I didn’t have walls to go home to, at least I have memories to put up on my new one,” she said.

Holding her small dog Tuesday, she was not sure of the status of their home but said whatever happens, she intends to stay in Summerland, a place where people wave at passing motorists and stop to ask how you're doing.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help that town rebuild because everybody’s so kind there,” she said.

The lack of information has frustrated some Summerland residents, who have turned to photos and videos posted online from inside the evacuated community.

Firefighters battle blazes across the US

In the United States, firefighters in California were fighting a blaze that has burned nearly 5 square miles (about 12 square kilometers) in the Big Sur region of the state’s rugged central coast.

Area state parks have closed and evacuation orders have been issued, including for a roughly 7-mile (11-kilometer) stretch of Highway 1, the state’s iconic coastal route. Portions of the highway were closed on Tuesday due to the fire's spread and evacuations, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Along the Nevada-California border, a quick-moving blaze north of Reno had spread to about 68.8 square miles (178.2 square kilometers) and was continuing to grow every hour, Caleb Finch, an incident commander, said during a news conference Tuesday. More than 4,000 people and families were displaced, and hot, dry and windy conditions were adding to the fire threat, according to officials.

The fire had merged with another blaze that was burning on Freds Mountain. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 47-year-old woman on a third-degree arson charge in connection with that mountain fire after she told crews responding to it that she had started it, the sheriff’s department said in a post on social media Tuesday.

In Minnesota, a person involved in fighting a wildfire near the town of Ely died Tuesday following an unspecified medical emergency. The person was taken to a hospital for treatment where they died, the Superior National Forest said in a social media statement.

Further details were not immediately released.

At least eight other people have died while helping with wildfires in the U.S. this year, including four firefighters who got trapped in a fire in western Colorado, a bulldozer operator who got overrun by flames in Oregon, two helicopter pilots who crashed while helping fight a fire in Utah and a helicopter pilot in Colorado who crashed into a reservoir.

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Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writers Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

The Maumelle High student felt unusual movement inside his headgear following warmups last week and brought his helmet to an assistant coach for inspection. A slithering 2-foot cottonmouth was discovered behind some padding.

The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that police officers had to pour water into it to force the snake out and into a bag. Animal services technicians arrived a few minutes later, identified the snake as a deadly cottonmouth and took it to a wooded area far from the school.

Cottonmouths are the second-most venomous snakes found in Arkansas.

Animal services director Chris Davis said the player wore the helmet for nearly an hour and was fortunate he wasn't bitten.

“It was unreal," Davis said. “You had to kind of be there and take pictures to say this was real.”

The player grabbed a different helmet and continued practice. But the situation caused the head coach to reiterate to his team that players should examine their equipment carefully before using it, checking for insects — or maybe something larger and more dangerous.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Tornado warning sirens howled as the skies darkened. All flights were temporarily stopped at Chicago’s two major airports, and officials warned of delays as the backlog was cleared. In Ohio, power outages swept the state capital region, and at least one death was reported.

Sixteen incarcerated people were hospitalized, including one who was transported by helicopter, after lightning struck at a prison complex southwest of Cleveland, according to the Ohio Department of Corrections. The victims were injured as they returned from an evening meal at Grafton Reintegration Center, department spokesperson JoEllen Smith said in an email Tuesday evening. Their conditions weren't immediately known.

Two tornadoes touched down just south of Chicago, the National Weather Service said Tuesday night. Photos posted on social media from the Chicago area, and across the state line in Indiana, showed flooded roads, trees tangled in power lines and homes with gashes in their roofs.

“No power. It was very scary. We were down in the basement,” said Javid Jenkins of Homewood, a Chicago suburb. “We’re built for snow. We’re built for cold. We’re not built for this.”

Jenkins, 54, said he was driving around for gas to fire up a generator to preserve food in his refrigerator.

Forecasters said a wind gust of 99 mph (159 kph) was recorded in Gary, Indiana. Elsewhere there were numerous reports of gusts of 80 mph (128 kph) or more at personal weather stations.

Preliminary information indicated that the intense system that swept from Iowa into Indiana over several hours qualified as a derecho, the weather service's Storm Prediction Center said Tuesday evening. Derechos are prolonged straight-line wind events that unleash heavy rainfall and travel far distances. The damage they cause is sometimes comparable to the destructive forces of tornadoes or hurricanes.

The weather service bluntly warned earlier in the day: “These are dangerous storms!”

More than 600,000 customers lost electricity in Illinois and Indiana, according to poweroutage.us. Lake and Porter counties in Indiana and Will County, south of Chicago, were especially hard hit. Farther east in Ohio, at least 250,000 customers were without power.

“Total devastation. No roof,” said Kerry Hourigan, standing outside her home of 25 years in Tinley Park, another Chicago suburb. “Stupid thing, but my focus was I just bought a new barbecue grill, and I have no idea where that is. It’s disappeared.”

Meteorologist Scott Baker said the Midwest was on the outer edge of a “ring of fire,” bringing waves of excessive moisture, instability and storms.

In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said a resident of Roseville died during a health emergency when first responders, faced with flooded roads, couldn’t get there. He warned that flood dangers would persist.

“This is not something that will end tonight,” DeWine said of the severe weather.

Dayton, Ohio, set a daily rainfall record with 2.07 inches (5.25 cm), shattering a mark set in 1915, the weather service said. Forecasters said multiple rounds of rain would cause flood hazards in the Ohio Valley through early Friday.

Officials in Columbus, Ohio, sent local government workers home early ahead of another round of storms. The library in Westerville, Ohio, closed after rain poured into the atrium.

The fifth day of the 10-day Lake County, Indiana, Fair was canceled, disappointing fans who were hoping to see a professional wrestling event involving people under 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall.

Nearby in LaPorte County, Indiana, there was a “tremendous amount of tree damage,” Commissioner Joe Haney said.

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White reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Jennifer Garske in Washington, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said a ballistic missile fired from the North's eastern coastal Wonsan area around 6 a.m. flew more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). The Japanese Defense Ministry also detected the launch, saying the weapon landed in waters outside its exclusive economic zone, between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

The launches, within days of each other, were seen as part of North Korea’s extended run of weapons tests as the country has refused to return to talks with the U.S. and South Korea for years. Experts say North Korea often uses its rivals’ military training as a pretext to boost its own testing activities.

South Korea's military said it remains ready to repel any provocation by Pyongyang in cooperation with the United States. South Korea's national security council called North Korean ballistic missile launches “acts of provocation” and urged the North to halt them immediately.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that Japan strongly protested the North Korean launch through their embassies in Beijing. “It’s a serious problem that affects the safety of the Japanese people,” he said.

The latest launch came two days after South Korea and the United States announced they will kick off their annual large-scale military drills on Aug. 17 to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.

North Korea has previously responded to the Ulchi Freedom Shield training and other major South Korea-U.S. military exercises with provocative weapons tests and harsh rhetoric. The U.S. and South Korea have repeatedly said their training is defensive in nature.

After last year's Ulchi Freedom Shield training exercises began, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the drills showed the U.S. and South Korea's “will to ignite a war” and claimed they have grown more provocative than before, which has prompted North Korea to respond with “proactive and overwhelming” countermeasures.

On Aug. 6, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile from North Korea in what was the North’s first ballistic weapons testing activity since late June. North Korea didn’t confirm the reported launch, though it usually releases details of weapons tests a day later.

Multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from launching ballistic missiles. But North Korea has ramped up ballistic and other weapons testing activities to expand its nuclear and missile arsenals since Kim’s high-stakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Experts say Kim likely hopes to use his enlarged arsenals to wrest concessions from the U.S., such as relaxing international economic sanctions on the North.

In recent years, Kim has boosted his diplomatic footprint by strengthening cooperation with Russia by supplying troops and ammunition to support its war against Ukraine. He's also recently taken steps to bolster ties with China, the country's traditional ally and economic pipeline. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the North Korean capital Pyongyang in June for the first time in seven years.

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

A boy’s scream can be heard in the distance on body camera footage released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources showing how rescue teams last week found two women and a 9-year-old boy who had been stranded for three days when their river tubing trip went wrong.

“We’re coming, guys,” says Cameron Wright, a conservation officer from Newaygo County, his breath heard in ragged gasps.

The team picks up their pace, pushing through sharp switchgrass and stinging nettle. A few moments later, they find Sarah Vida, 28, and her son Kayden Kovalcik, 9, along with Jazmin Hock, 28; wearing just their swimming suits.

Hock's legs are almost entirely covered in deep, red cuts from scrapes after walking for days through the brush. They have a broken phone and a single water bottle with only a few sips left.

“You’re talking about vegetation that’s higher than your eyes and switchgrass that cuts you when you touch it and stinging nettles that makes your skin set on fire,” Anna Cullen, a conservation officer from Muskegon County who helped with the rescue, said Tuesday.

The trio had been on a tubing trip on the Muskegon River in the small community of Twin Lake on Tuesday when they'd hit logs and their tubes popped, according to officials. They were reported missing after one of the women didn't show up to her dentist appointment.

“I was just in disbelief at finding them because we were just running out of ideas and places to search and it was nothing short of a miracle that we ended up finding them the way we did,” Wright said.

For days, teams had scoured the river and rugged terrain.

The group was found Friday about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) from where they entered the river, according to Wright. The rescuers had tracked them from a tube next to the river, following footprints, broken twigs and knocked over grass.

In the video, Kayden explains that they’ve been eating bark and flowers, while Hock says they had to drink river water.

Hock explains that they’d been tubing down the river and kept hitting log jams.

“The last one that we ran into just popped everything,” she said.

They started walking and soon realized they were going in circles, she said.

Members of the rescue crew handed over their own shirts to protect them from the bugs swarming their cuts and put medical gloves on some of their hands and feet. Wright inflated his life vest for Hock to sit on. As she answered the rescue team's questions, her legs, lined with scratches, shook.

“There was not even an inch of their exposed skin that was not just covered in cuts and bug bites and mud and scrapes where they were just physically not able to go any further,” Wright said, explaining that he still had cuts on his arms.

Cullen said the women later explained that when they saw the rescuers, they thought they were hallucinating.

The two women couldn't walk, so they put them in Stokes baskets, a type of stretcher, to get them out of the brush, while Wright carried the boy on his back. Along with their scrapes and cuts, they were also dealing with dehydration and exhaustion, and were taken to the hospital, according to Lt. Pat Agema, a spokesperson for the Michigan State Police.

“The entire hike out, he's just telling me about all of the root beer he’s going to drink and the slushies and the pizza and doughnuts he’s going to eat,” said Wright.

He adds: "You would have no idea that he had just spent 72 hours in the woods from how happy he was.”

Drone strikes continued on Tuesday, hitting the town's power plant and oil refinery, the state-run National Oil Corporation said.

The attacks underscored the fragile state of security at Libya's critical infrastructure. In the country's east, in the city of Benghazi, a car bomb killed a senior military officer with a self-styled military force on Monday, the latest such bombing in the violence-stricken North African nation.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for either the drone strikes in the town of Zawiya, about 47 kilometers (about 30 miles) west of the capital of Tripoli, or the Benghazi bombing.

Monday's first drone strike ignited a massive blaze at the refinery's gasoline-storage tank that burned through the night and into Tuesday afternoon, according to the Civil Defense, a first responders agency. There were no reports of casualties, health authorities said.

Footage aired by local media showed massive flames and fireballs erupting from the tank, with black and orange smoke rising in the sky as firefighters sprayed what appeared to be foam or water in efforts to extinguish the blaze.

As the firefighters fought the flames, another drone hit close to a key oil tank nearby but did not cause any casualties, the company said. It said the tank, which held 4.5 million liters of fuel when it was hit, collapsed and the company declared a state of maximum emergency at the facility.

On Tuesday, two drones hit the town's power plant, with one damaging its firefighting system while the second landed close to the facility’s main fuel storage, setting it on fire. The national oil company said firefighters quickly got that fire under control and there were no casualties.

Oil infrastructure in Zawiya — which houses critical energy infrastructure, including Libya's largest oil refinery, an export terminal and a power plant — has come under frequent attacks, including over the weekend when the national oil company said drones hit a fuel tank and a desalination plant linked to the oil facilities. It said the tank was damaged.

By late Tuesday evening, the national oil company said all the fires had been extinguished.

The attacks come as tensions are rising between the government of western Libya and warlord Mohamed Bahroun who controls the city of Zawiya. Much of western Libya is ruled by local militias loosely allied to Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah's government in Tripoli.

Jalel Harchaoui, an analyst affiliated with the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the warlord has been cornered by the government and his forces “are likely to resort to desperate measures.”

The Benghazi bombing on Monday evening killed a senior officer with the forces of powerful commander Khalifa Hifter. Maj. Gen. Fawzy al-Mansouri, director of the military intelligence of Hifter’s self-styled Libyan National Army, was killed when an explosive-laden vehicle detonated near his car in the Sayyida Aisha neighborhood in Benghazi, the LNA said.

The LNA is allied with one of Libya’s two rival governments, which controls the country’s eastern and southern parts.

Libya, a largely lawless Mediterranean country, has been plunged into chaos and division following the 2011 uprising-turned-civil war, which toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Amid the chaos, militias grew in wealth and power, particularly in Tripoli and the western part of the country.

The country has been divided for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Currently, it is governed by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah’s government in the west and by the administration of Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in the east.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is to arrive in Libya for a visit this week, is due to visit both Tripoli and Benghazi.

Areas of fog could develop overnight as winds become light and skies begin to clear, especially in locations that received rain. Lows will generally fall into the mid-60s.

Wednesday brings a break for most of Metro Detroit

Patchy fog is possible early Wednesday before partly sunny skies take over. Most of Metro Detroit should stay dry, with afternoon highs generally reaching the lower to middle 80s.

There is still a chance for isolated thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening, but the better opportunity appears to be farther north, particularly toward the Saginaw Valley and Thumb.

The National Weather Service says any stronger storms that develop in that area could produce hail, strong winds and downpours.

Wednesday night should be partly cloudy and comfortable, with temperatures dropping into the lower to mid-60s.

Another shower chance Thursday

Another disturbance could bring scattered showers back to parts of Metro Detroit Thursday afternoon.

Rain coverage is expected to remain limited, which means most locations may stay dry.

Highs Thursday will generally range from around 80 to the mid-80s.

Any showers should diminish Thursday evening as a cooler and drier air mass begins moving into the Great Lakes.

Friday and most of Saturday look like the picks of the week

High pressure takes control Friday, bringing mostly sunny skies, lower humidity and highs from the upper 70s to lower 80s.

Friday night could turn noticeably cooler, with some communities dropping into the 50s.

Saturday could shape up as a nice weather day for the Woodward Dream Cruise in Oakland County.

It looks largely dry and pleasant, but a couple of stray showers are possible.

Otherwise, expect a mixture of sunshine and clouds with highs mainly in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees.

Storms and heavier rain could return Saturday night into Sunday

The next weather system is expected to approach the Great Lakes late Saturday.

Showers could begin developing Saturday night, followed by a better chance for showers and thunderstorms Sunday.

There are also early indications that the system could carry enough moisture for locally heavy rainfall.

The information supports rainfall totals greater than an inch in some parts of the region, although it is too early to determine exactly where the heaviest rain would fall.

Sunday will be warmer and more humid, with highs generally reaching the lower to mid-80s.

Drier weather is expected to return Monday, with partly to mostly sunny skies to partly cloudy and highs around 80 to the lower 80s.

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The team didn't provide any further details on the nature of Stiggers’ ailment or if he might be sidelined. The teams practice again Wednesday and Jets coach Aaron Glenn will speak to reporters after the session.

Shortly after practice Tuesday, Glenn said the 24-year-old Stiggers was conscious and talking on the field before being put on a stretcher and taken for further examination.

“He was able to talk and I want to make sure I go and see him after this, just to make sure I'm good with everything,” Glenn said. “But for the most part, he was good.”

The Jets and Buccaneers were in the middle of special teams drills late in practice when Glenn — who was watching a session on another field — said he was told Stiggers came to the sideline and “passed out.”

“He actually fell out,” Glenn said. “The good thing is, he was conscious. Our guys did a hell of a job, just like most medical staffs around this league do in situations like that, and they took the necessary steps just to make sure that we do everything we can to be on board when it comes to those situations.”

It was a somewhat scary scene, though, as several Jets teammates took a knee near the sideline and some formed a prayer circle. After several minutes, Stiggers was placed on a stretcher with what appeared to be an IV and loaded into the ambulance as fans seated near the area clapped in support.

“It was very sad, very emotional,” running back Breece Hall said. “You get on your knee and say a prayer for him and hope he’s OK."

Added defensive tackle Harrison Phillips: “What’s been shared to us is things are on the up and up.”

Practiced resumed after being halted for more than 10 minutes while Stiggers was being attended to.

Stiggers was earlier involved in one of the handful of chippy moments during the practice when he had his helmet flung down the field by Buccaneers offensive lineman Luke Goedeke after players on both teams scuffled.

Stiggers, an Atlanta native, is entering his third season with the Jets after being a fifth-round draft pick in 2024. He was one of that draft's feel-good stories because he had no college football experience and was the first player drafted directly from the CFL, where he played for the Toronto Argonauts, since Miami took Jermaine Haley in 1999.

In 29 games, including five starts, with New York, Stiggers has 35 tackles, two fumble recoveries and three passes defensed. He is also one of the Jets' top special teams players.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The organization said its blood supply fell to less than a day’s supply of O-positive blood, a level that can make it difficult for hospitals and emergency rooms to meet patient needs.

The shortage is prompting donors across Metro Detroit to step up.

Local blood drives are being held throughout the region in partnership with the Red Cross and Gardner-White, giving residents an opportunity to help replenish the supply.

Peggy Martin, who has received blood transfusions in the past, said she wanted to donate after learning how low the nation’s supply had become.

“I’ve gotten blood transfusions before, but it’s my turn to give,” Martin said.

Martin said she saw reports that the blood supply had fallen to less than a day and knew she needed to help.

The Red Cross said summer is traditionally a challenging time for blood collections.

Vacations, travel and other seasonal activities can make it harder to maintain a steady stream of donors.

Jenn Serra with the American Red Cross said the crisis designation was issued after the organization had less than one day’s supply of O-positive blood available.

“That’s what the emergency rooms need to make sure patients’ needs are met,” Serra said.

Donors such as Angela Stephenson said giving blood is a way to help others while recognizing that anyone could eventually need a transfusion.

“I’m an organ donor, and so I think it’s important to give any way we can, because you never know if it’s going to be you that’s going to need it,” Stephenson said.

The response has already been strong at some Metro Detroit donation sites.

Appointments at the Taylor and Ann Arbor locations were fully booked as blood drives got underway.

Organizers are encouraging anyone who missed a recent drive to find another opportunity to donate.

Residents who donate between now and Aug. 28 are eligible to receive a $20 Amazon gift card, according to the Red Cross.

Additional blood drives are scheduled Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at participating Gardner-White locations in Auburn Hills, Cadillac, Canton, Chesterfield Township, Howell, Saginaw, Shelby Township, Warren and Waterford.

Blood donors can check availability and schedule an appointment through the American Red Cross.

The national shortage underscores the importance of regular donations, organizers said, particularly during the summer months when collections traditionally decline.

For donors like Martin and Stephenson, the message is simple: A single donation can help save a life when someone needs blood most.

The 38-year-old Curry is hoping to play at least a couple more years and has said he wants them to be with the Warriors. He is set to complete a $62.6 million extension he signed for the 2026-27 season in August 2024.

Whether a new contract will get done right away remains to be seen. Curry becomes eligible for a two-year extension Aug. 29, and general manager Mike Dunleavy said, “I'm pretty confident Steph will finish his career here.”

"Ultimately it’s his call, his decision, whether that’s allowing his contract to run out and move on,” Dunleavy said during a video call Tuesday. “Look, if he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe (owner Joe Lacob) and I will talk it through. We wouldn’t love it. But he’s earned the right to do what he wants, do those things. But as far as the messaging or any idea that he would be anywhere else, that’s not a thing we’re looking at or he’s looking at.”

Curry averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds but was limited to 43 games last season for the Warriors, who will host Denver on Christmas night — playing on the holiday for the 14th straight year.

Closely monitoring his playing time will be a top priority as coach Steve Kerr returns for two more seasons after signing a new contract in May. Curry missed more than two months with a nagging right knee injury before he finally came back in early April.

He had initially hoped to return after the All-Star break.

“I think with the knee, other injuries and then his age, it's definitely something we have to manage,” Dunleavy said.

The Warriors (37-45) also dealt with season-ending knee injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody that required surgeries and finish 10th in the Western Conference. After beating the Los Angeles Clippers in the first play-in tournament game, Golden State lost 111-96 at Phoenix.

The Warriors missed out on signing LeBron James this offseason but brought back Draymond Green on a one-year contract for $27.7 million, and also Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Gary Payton II.

Dunleavy hasn't heard any change of thinking from Curry, who is headed into his 18th NBA season still determined to add to his four championships with Golden State. The Warriors last won in 2022.

“That’s always been what he’s discussed. I think that’s tracking quite well,” Dunleavy said of Curry staying put.

“There's two things I’m confident about with Steph. He really, really wants to win and he wants to finish his career as a Warrior. I don’t think that changes tomorrow, Aug. 29th, the start of the season, middle of the season, the end of next season. I think those things are going to be consistent.”

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

Update: Detroit police search for 13-year-old boy accused of shooting father, fleeing in family SUV with dog

The incident occurred on Tuesday (Aug. 11) in the 18000 block of Bretton.

Police said the teen is considered armed and dangerous and was last seen driving a gray 2026 Rivian SUV.

Officials are warning the public not to approach the boy if he is spotted.

Anyone who comes into contact with him should immediately call 911 and provide their location, along with any information that could help responding officers.

Police have not released additional details about the shooting or the juvenile’s identity.

British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph (653.908 kph) in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, setting the record for that vehicle category, according to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports.

The 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot rocketed across the crystalline crust at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats in a 32-foot (9.75-meter) car engineered by British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The engines, adapted from those used in the company’s heavy machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.

“It’s magic to be able to showcase this technology and to showcase how good the engineering is on the best racing surface in the world, Bonneville Salt Flats,” Green told The Associated Press after the run.

To be clear, Tuesday’s feat didn’t come close to approaching the overall land-speed record, which Green set with jet power in 1997. That year, he climbed into the Thrust SSC, a black needle sandwiched between two cartoonishly large jet engines, and hit 763.035 mph (1,227.985 kph), breaking the sound barrier and achieving a feat no one has come close to matching. His runs in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert produced sonic booms that shook the nearby town of Gerlach.

In 2006, Green also set the land-speed record for a diesel-powered car — 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) — at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He returned there Tuesday with the goal of beating that mark using hydrogen power, which he has called the “fuel of the future.”

In targeting his diesel speed, Green easily topped the previous hydrogen combustion world record of 185.5 mph (298.5 kph). He had a 10-mile (16-kilometer) straightaway to build speed. A few dozen JCB staff members and reporters watched from a distance through cameras and binoculars.

Green said the cockpit of the car he used on Tuesday was “probably a little hotter” than in the jet-powered vehicle from 1997, with temperatures routinely above 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius).

“But I have been training four months for that, both training in the gym and actually just getting used to it with hot baths,” he said.

A remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, the Bonneville Salt Flats are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City and sit atop a shallow aquifer that cools the tires. The low-friction surface and dry desert air are conducive to speed and have beckoned drivers since the first race there in 1914.

“It looks like snow, and it behaves a bit like packed snow — it is surprisingly slippery,” Green said.

Green was no stranger to speed when he took his first racing job. He had been flying supersonic military jets when he spotted a 1994 British newspaper ad seeking a high-speed driver to break the sound barrier.

Green did not approach supersonic speeds on Tuesday, but JCB engineers hope his feat with hydrogen power will shake up the clean-energy industry.

The company's chairman has argued that hydrogen can better handle the demands of heavy industries than electric power.

Hydrogen is only as clean as its source, and the vast majority is currently produced from fossil fuels. JCB signed a deal to buy green hydrogen, which is created using renewable energy but makes up a tiny fraction of global hydrogen production.

The concept and development of such technology has been around for decades, but has had a resurgence over the past several years, said Greg Keoleian, a professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan and co-director of the school’s MI Hydrogen initiative.

Many major automakers have already developed hydrogen internal combustion engines or hydrogen fuel cell technology, but the higher cost of hydrogen production compared with gas and diesel is a barrier to wider usage, Keoleian said.

“It represents an important energy carrier for decarbonizing areas of the economy,” he said. “As far as its deployment, it’s influenced heavily by the cost.”

An emerging focus, he said, is extracting hydrogen from natural deposits instead of separating it from water, a prospect that could significantly reduce costs.

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Associated Press reporter Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed reporting.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League was created in 2024 to give female baseball players a direct path to the pros. The league launched with four teams — Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Boston — with players from around the world trying out and the first draft held last November.

Now, the league is playing its inaugural season, with games based in Springfield, Illinois.

Michigan is part of that history.

Bella Villarreal of Newport, Michigan, was drafted by Los Angeles.

Her team faces San Francisco tomorrow, August 12, but Villarreal will be watching from home as she rehabs an injury.

She says the energy around the league has been unforgettable — especially in front of crowds that showed up to support women’s baseball in a big way.

“Our first game I was there and walking out everyone was screaming,” Villarreal said. “It was my first big crowd, too. It was better than a travel ball game with just probably five people in the stands.”

Villarreal’s baseball story started early.

She first picked up the sport at four years old, born into what her family describes as a baseball household. Growing up, Villarreal played on all-boys teams, often the only girl on the field at tournaments across Michigan — and a player people remembered.

Villarreal says being part of the league’s first season feels bigger than any one game — and she hopes it sends a message to girls who have been told they don’t belong in the sport.

“No matter what, there’s going to be hate in the world, and it’s going to tear you down, and that’s okay because at the end of the day you belong,” she said. “Just keep going.”

As she works toward returning to the mound, Villarreal says she’s leaning into progress over perfection.

“Improvement is the best,” she said.

And she believes the league is only getting started.

“We’re here to stay; that’s for sure,” Villarreal said.

Stewart canceled his Tuesday night performance at Rocket Arena in Cleveland shortly after postponing his Sunday concert in Cincinnati at Riverbend Music Center. The latter venue said at the time that it was due “to an unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention.”

Stewart also canceled a few dates earlier this year, including two in Las Vegas and one in San Diego.

“Following further medical evaluation, Sir Rod Stewart has successfully undergone a routine coronary stent procedure. Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities,” a statement from his publicist read. “On the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates.”

It added that “information regarding affected performances will be communicated by the respective promoters and venues.”

Stewart, 81, was scheduled to appear through Sept. 3 in North America, including his six-night residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and a few dates in Mexico.

“I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend. I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me,” Stewart said in the statement. “I’m deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon.”

The Grammy Award-winning Stewart, whose signature rasp made him a rock ‘n’ roll legend, has sold millions of records across his career's many decades. Perhaps best known for hits like “Maggie May” and “Tonight’s the Night,” he has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice.

Romo, the network's lead NFL analyst, is on leave following his arrest last month in Wisconsin on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence.

“It’s an evolving situation, and therefore we’re still assessing,” Berson said during a network event.

Berson also told reporters the decision to place Romo on indefinite leave was intended to shift attention toward the games and away from his legal situation.

“We we had to consider the impact on our image and on our brand. That’s very important to us. Whether the games, marketing, PR, social, the focus should and needs to be on our presentation and not on any other factors,” he said.

Analyst JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence. Their first game will be on Sept. 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers.

Watt joined CBS in 2023. He was an analyst on “The NFL Today” for two seasons before teaming with Ian Eagle on the network’s No. 2 crew beginning last season. Ross Tucker has been moved up to the No. 2 team. He has previously teamed with Eagle on radio broadcasts for Westwood One.

Romo, 46, has been the lead game analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage since 2017 after making four Pro Bowl appearances during a playing career that ran from 2004-16 and was spent entirely with Dallas.

He was arrested July 23 after he was stopped while driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests before getting arrested, booked and released.

He has a court date set for Sept. 21.

Romo went to high school about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee in Burlington, Wisconsin.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Mozeliak also fired bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott in a shake-up of first-year manager Kurt Suzuki’s staff with just 43 games remaining for the Angels, who have the majors' worst record at 45-74.

While Mozeliak said that "no one thing just stood out” in his decision to fire Maddux, he prominently cited his desire for the Angels to “use all the different tools that you see a lot of pitchers use today.”

“I think there was becoming some level of frustration with the inconsistency of that, and so ultimately that's when we started thinking about, ‘Do we need to make a change?’” Mozeliak said. ”I do feel like we have a lot of great resources that we could be taking (greater) advantage of."

The dismissals were the latest shake-up in a tumultuous year for the Angels, who fired general manager Perry Minasian in late June. Los Angeles is headed toward its 11th consecutive losing season and 12th straight non-playoff season, both the longest active droughts in the majors, under much-criticized owner Arte Moreno.

Mozeliak, the longtime St. Louis Cardinals general manager, agreed to take over baseball operations for Moreno on a temporary basis after Minasian's firing, and he has endeavored to modernize the Halos' long-struggling organization.

Mozeliak said the Angels have technology and information on par with the rest of the majors, and he's confident it is being used properly by Suzuki's offensive staff — but the pitching operation needed an urgent overhaul.

“There’s so many more resources out there that really every team in baseball is utilizing, so (we’re) just making sure that the Angels are up to speed with that and leveraging this,” Mozeliak said. “I know our research and development team upstairs, they’re providing a lot of useful things that I think we can be taking advantage of. And then moving forward ... what can we do to make this a state-of-the-art place for player growth? What you don’t want to do is have players outsourcing those types of things. You want it to be the internal model, and hopefully we can accomplish that.”

Maddux, who turns 65 later this month, didn’t last one full season with the Angels after leaving the Texas Rangers last winter. The former major leaguer is widely respected in the game after 24 seasons as a pitching coach, and he played a significant role in the Rangers’ success during their 2023 World Series title.

But in Anaheim, Maddux presided over a staff that has posted the majors’ seventh-worst ERA at 4.51 and an MLB-high 508 walks.

Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, whose 1.10 WHIP is the 14th-best in the majors, said “everybody is surprised” by the firings.

“I mean, if we have it, might as well use it, right?," said Detmers, who evaluates his biomechanics in every bullpen session and consults with his personal coaches during the season. “I'm not saying we didn't use it all the time, but there's definitely times where we could have used it. In my eyes, it's only going to make you better.”

Tim Leveque was appointed Los Angeles’ interim pitching coach, and Michael Wuertz will be the club’s interim bullpen coach. Leveque was the pitching coach at the Angels’ Double-A Rocket City affiliate after working in the Cardinals organization during Mozeliak’s tenure.

“He’s a smart guy who really understands where the game is at, and I think he’ll be a good resource for (Suzuki),” Mozeliak said of Leveque.

Suzuki is on a one-year contract in his first major league managerial job. Mozeliak said he won't make any additional changes before the end of the season in seven weeks.

“I appreciated everything that they did,” Suzuki said of the fired coaches. “They worked hard. They prepared. At the end of the day, Mo and I felt like the path moving forward in these last 43 games ... we felt like this was the best way.”

Chiti was in his first season as the bullpen coach after rejoining the Angels organization in late 2023. Scott also was in his first season with the Angels after several years with the Colorado Rockies.

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

It turned out to be an ultrarare collection of 97 “absolutely pristine” copies of Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt, a popular Nintendo game that was released in 1988, Ganos said.

After some initial research, Ganos found that the cartridges he held were not only a new variant of the game, but also the last known production date of it.

Most of the cartridges will go up for sale Friday in an online auction that will run until Sept. 9.

“I still don’t quite believe that any of this is happening,” Ganos said. “I just think it’s kind of serendipitous that this happened. It’s just still very bizarre to me.”

Ganos, a hard-core fan covered in Nintendo tattoos and who has operated Nintendo Wire, a news service for Nintendo announcements and nostalgia for over 10 years, said he would not venture to guess how much the games are worth.

But when he saw the box, he immediately knew it was special.

“It’s like pulling out like a Holy Grail,” Ganos said, later adding, “They're gorgeous.”

The discovery came after the owner, Kevin Braun, of One Stop Wonders in Waukesha, outside Milwaukee, asked Ganos to help him sell some stuff, including common Nintendo games and Pokémon cards.

Braun mentioned the box of Mario cartridges that had been sitting in storage for years. He recalled buying them from a customer whose family had kept them for metal scraps but thought they were not worth much.

The cartridges of Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt he had were made in 1993, long after the company discontinued the bundle in 1991. Braun and Ganos still aren’t sure why the copies they possess were made but assume they were either warranty replacements or part of a bundle with a box retailer that never panned out.

Knowing the potential significance of the possession, Ganos booked a flight immediately.

“I flew down to California with 97 carts in my carry-on luggage, sweating bullets going through TSA, like why do you have 97 little circuit boards in your carry-on?” Ganos recalled thinking nervously.

He anxiously made it through airport security to meet with video game experts to have the cartridges verified and graded, giving them a perceived value.

There had never been a cartridge rated a perfect 10 at Professional Sports Authenticator video games, Ganos said.

Five of the 97 Ganos possessed received a perfect score.

“I think there’s going to be historic significance to the tens,” Ganos said when talking about how much the games may sell at the auction. “Like number one, it’s so many people’s childhoods, and number two, there’s never been a 10 in an NES cart before.”

Ultrarare video game cartridges, especially ones with unique production history, can be sold for six- to seven-figure prices in the collector’s market. Ganos said the 97 carts are also unique because of their perfect condition, which, much like comic books or sports cards, often sell higher.

Ganos can't estimate the ultimate worth of the cartridges because they are incomparable to other video game collectibles he has seen before. They could be worth hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands, he said.

Ganos and Braun are only auctioning off three of the perfect 10 scored cartridges at Golden Pop’s Culture Auction beginning Friday. They are both keeping one copy with a score of a 10, and a few others rated in the higher 9’s.

The games can be played if the buyer wants. But because they are pristine, Ganos hopes to keep them that way.

“Finding uncirculated stuff for me is just like super exciting,” Ganos said. “This game was the first video game I’ve ever played. Mario Duck Hunt was just such a big part of my life growing up.”

Braun and Ganos also plan to do a charity auction after they are finished with the current one.

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Wilder is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The executions come as a small number of states, including the three with scheduled lethal injections Thursday, drive execution numbers in the United States.

“You look at the country as a whole, you’ve just got this little pocket of five or six states that are using the death penalty, executing people, and a small number of states that are still imposing new death sentences,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. Maher said it is highly unusual to have three executions on one day, although it is largely a scheduling coincidence.

Eleven states executed a total of 47 people in 2025, the highest number since 2009. Florida accounted for most of the surge with 19 executions. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas each carried out five. Tennessee carried out three. Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arizona and Indiana each carried out two. Louisiana and Missouri each carried out one execution.

The 19 executions so far in 2026 have occurred in four states. Florida, which again leads the country, executed two inmates on the same day in July.

The last time three executions were held on the same day was Jan. 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio and Texas put inmates to death. Three executions were scheduled on the same day in 2018, but only one went forward after a Texas man was granted a reprieve and prison officials in Alabama had problems with the IV line.

Tennessee will attempt another lethal injection after IV problems

Tennessee plans to execute Anthony Darrell Hines three months after the attempted lethal injection of another inmate was called off because of problems inserting an IV. The aborted execution put a spotlight on issues states have sometimes had in establishing IV lines during lethal injections.

“All eyes really are on Tennessee at this moment because of the problem that happened,” Maher said.

During the attempted execution of Tony Carruthers in May, the IV team established a primary line right away but then worked for more than an hour trying to insert a required backup line. The execution was ultimately called off and Carruthers was given a one-year reprieve.

Hines, 66, has seized on the problems with the previous execution, saying his health issues — including two strokes that left him partially paralyzed — increase the risk of difficulties at his execution. He has unsuccessfully asked the governor and courts to intervene, claiming the doctor who oversaw that execution was unqualified and is likely to botch his execution, as well.

Gov. Bill Lee has declined to take any action on Hines’ requests, and last week the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled against a stay of his execution. The state has declined to say whether the same doctor will preside over the upcoming execution, but the court noted that Hines had not proved that doctor was unqualified.

Hines was convicted of stabbing Catherine Jean Jenkins to death in 1985 while the 54-year-old was working as a motel maid in Kingston Springs. He was sentenced to death in 1986, won an appeal for a new sentencing hearing, and was again sentenced to death in 1989.

Alabama inmate asks to be put to death for killing girl

Alabama is scheduled to execute Jeremy Williams, 42, by lethal injection for the 2021 rape and murder of a 5-year-old Georgia girl.

Williams, who pleaded guilty to killing Kamarie Holland, has asked for his death sentence to be carried out.

Prosecutors said Williams raped and strangled Holland after offering her mother $2,500 for the child to perform oral sex on him. Williams filmed his attack on the girl and kept her body to continue to abuse, prosecutors said.

In 2022, Williams also was charged with the 2005 death of his infant daughter in Alaska.

“This man left a trail of destruction of children,” Russell County District Attorney Richard Chancey said.

About 10% of executed inmates are so-called volunteers who drop appeals, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, but most of those have been on death row longer. The time between Williams’ 2024 conviction and his scheduled lethal injection is unusually brief, Maher said.

It will be Alabama’s first execution of the year if it goes forward. A nitrogen gas execution was halted in June after a federal judge ruled the method unconstitutional.

Oklahoma inmate says he doesn’t want clemency

Oklahoma is scheduled to execute Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, for the 2003 murder of his girlfriend.

If the lethal injection goes forward, he will be the third person executed in Oklahoma this year.

Prosecutors said Olimpia Fisher, 43, had been making plans to leave Cuesta-Rodriguez when he shot her in one eye and then waited about eight minutes as she screamed for help before firing the fatal shot into her other eye.

Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-1 last month against recommending clemency for Cuesta-Rodriguez. Cuesta-Rodriguez’s attorneys had asked the board to recommend he serve life in prison without parole, saying he had a difficult childhood and suffered from brain damage, post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression with psychotic episodes.

But Cuesta-Rodriguez told the board that he did not want clemency. He said he wanted Fisher’s two daughters to know that he regretted what happened.

“I can’t have been in my right mind to have done something so horrific,” he said through a Spanish-language translator. “I have not been able to find any sense in all this.”

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Stengle contributed to this report from Dallas. Loller contributed to this report from Nashville.

The proposal, qualified for the November ballot after thousands of residents signed a petition, according to Sean Higgins, president of Ann Arbor for Public Power.

The vote in November would let the city create a board to explore forming a municipal electric utility.

Higgins said the board would be made up of elected and appointed officials.

“I’m just so excited that we’ve just got so much energy built up around this,” Higgins said.

Higgins leads the group pushing for voters to decide who supplies their power: DTE or a city-run utility.

He added, after the step in November, the next thing to do would be for the city to do a second feasibility study on this topic.

“This study would essentially assess what would the price be of these assets, what would the city need to pay to DTE to acquire these assets and therefore what’s the size of the bond the city would need to take out,“ Higgins said. “How would that need to be paid out in electric rates?”

Higgins said interest in moving away from DTE grew as residents raised concerns about both the price of electricity and the reliability of service.

Some city officials, however, said the municipal utility push is misguided.

“Frankly, I think it’s reckless and ill-conceived, confusing and a little bit deceptive,” City Council member Erica Briggs said.

Briggs said she has heard from constituents who are unclear about what the ballot proposal would do and whether it overlaps with the city’s broader clean energy and sustainability energy utility.

She also raised concerns about the potential price tag.

A 2023 city feasibility study estimated that acquiring DTE’s local electric assets could cost anywhere from nearly $300 million to more than $1 billion.

Higgins noted the range is too broad.

Some residents also worry about the scale of the undertaking.

“I think it’s too big of an undertaking for Ann Arbor to do,” said Ann Arbor resident Mary Jo Goldstein, who opposes the idea. “I think the cost of it is- I can’t imagine how much money it would cost.”

Higgins said residents with questions can contact Ann Arbor for Public Power to learn more about the proposal and what a city-run utility could entail.

Briggs also mentioned she has been speaking with constituents and answering their questions on this topic if they stop her.

Voters will make the final decision on the charter amendment in November.

Local 4 reached out to DTE about this topic. They sent a statement:

“The proposal to take over Ann Arbor’s electric grid will cost the City of Ann Arbor nearly $1 billion on day one, leading to skyrocketing costs for Ann Arbor businesses and residents.

Last year, DTE delivered the best electric reliability Ann Arbor has experienced in nearly 30 years. It’s proof that DTE’s five-year, $270 million plan to modernize Ann Arbor’s electric system is working. We will remain focused on our work and will continue to deliver the reliable, affordable, clean energy future Ann Arbor deserves."

DTE

In the undercover sting, men were busted after showing up to an Oakland County hotel to have sex with women. It’s the latest work in stopping human trafficking.

It’s well known that the week of the Dream Cruise lures human traffickers to set up shop in hotels and Airbnb’s -- and that’s where busts are going down. Detectives have spent much of their time and attention stopping human traffickers -- now they’re putting effort into busting the people bankrolling those trafficking.

Detective Sgt. Mike Miles with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says most of these men are married, blue collar, and white collar workers. Miles tells us they’ve seen all types of men at these operations -- from the CEOs of companies, to engineers, to the owners of dealerships.

“A lot of the reaction is, ‘Oh my gosh, my family might find out about this, my wife might find out about this.’ We’ve had them, they took their family, dropped them off at a wedding, and he left the reception to come to our hotel and he’s now realizing, ‘Uh oh, my family’s going to know I left the reception to go here,” Miles said.

Miles is the commander of the human trafficking unit in Oakland County. In a recent sting, investigators had 45 different male subjects they were in contact with in only five hours.

So far, the Oakland County task force has arrested 45 individuals (including ‘Johns’), leading to 57 felonies and 19 misdemeanors.

Miles said that many of the ‘Johns’ don’t realize the majority of the women they’re meeting for sex are being forced to be there.

“A lot of times, it’s the trafficker that’s posting those threads. A lot of times, the people you’re communicating with isn’t that girl in that room. It’s her trafficker that’s typing on that thread, having a conversation with you,” Miles said.

Cindy Brown, chief of the Human Trafficking Division, tells us that they attack human trafficking from multiple angles, by not just arresting the traffickers -- with a focus on helping victims.

“If we can attack it from multiple angles, we’ll be more successful in terms of what we’re doing in Oakland County,” Brown said.

It’s a digital criminal maze that the task force is eroding post by post.

“The technology that we have is allowing us to basically track trackers online into various commercial websites, commercial sex websites. Track them around the country, not just here in Michigan or in Oakland County. It allows us to identify more than just, perhaps, the one victim that we recognize during the course of a sting or through a hospital or a hotel clerk who calls us. So, it is allowing us to really identify trackers and assist more victims,” Brown said.

Whether it’s a hotel or an Airbnb, the task force is out, especially as visitors from around the country descend up and down Woodward Avenue for the Dream Cruise.

The Oakland County task force is made up of officers from Southfield, Auburn Hills, and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. Michigan State Police and Rochester are expected to join soon.

O'Connell made the announcement before practice on Tuesday afternoon, giving Murray a full month of full-time repetitions with the first-team offense before the regular season begins on Sept. 13. O'Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley met with both players in the morning to discuss the decision.

“I didn’t come in here expecting to be handed the job or anything like that. I just expected to come here and compete," Murray said after practice. "I’m very appreciative of how it was handled.”

With 87 starts over seven years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, two Pro Bowl selections and a unique elusiveness that has fueled 3,193 career rushing yards, Murray was going to have to either get hurt or badly struggle with his grasp of O'Connell's offense for McCarthy to keep the job.

An earlier end to the audition was always going to be ideal for Murray, too, in the familiarization process with a layered playbook that asks more of the quarterback than most teams in the league.

Based purely on performance in open-to-the-public practices, this depth chart battle was more even than not. But the Vikings have clearly been cognizant of the downside to splitting turns considering the value to Murray of maximizing his preseason time running the offense.

“It’s just the appropriate time now to allow our team and everybody clarity for exactly the direction we’re moving going forward,” O'Connell said.

Murray, who signed a one-year contract with the Vikings for the veteran minimum salary, will be the fourth starting quarterback in four season openers following McCarthy, Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins.

“There’s moments in time where you know there’s comfort from Kyler in the scheme. He had some really high completion days where he was able to show some really, really good understanding of just putting the ball in play, playing with great timing, rhythm,” O'Connell said. “You guys have seen him be explosive when there’s opportunities there, but you’ve also seen him check the ball down and put the ball in play and get us from a first-and-10 to a second-and-3. And then, as you continued to look at the body of work through those 10 days, what jumped out is what could be.”

Both Murray and McCarthy will play in the first exhibition game on Saturday against the New York Giants, O'Connell said. McCarthy will be the second stringer, followed by Carson Wentz, who started five games last season while McCarthy was injured. Max Brosmer, who made two starts, is the other quarterback in camp.

McCarthy, who was not immediately made available for comment, was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He tore the meniscus in his right knee during the first exhibition game and underwent surgery that kept him sidelined for his entire rookie year while Darnold helped the Vikings rack up 14 wins.

After Darnold departed as a free agent for the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, McCarthy inherited the job without any legitimate competition and struggled as a variety of injuries limited him to 10 starts.

“Look, he’s a young player with a whole bunch of outstanding things in his future," O'Connell said, adding: "I know he’s going to continue to improve, and the long-term mindset of him as a Minnesota Viking and all the things that he’s brought here is still absolutely part of the long-term vision for sure. I’m excited to see him go do that and get to do it with him.”

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

Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, was freed after President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his release, which Trump said was “very much on a Humanitarian Basis.”

“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Arrests of Americans have become increasingly common in Russia in recent years. Concern has risen that Russia could be targeting U.S. nationals to use later as bargaining chips in talks to bring back Russians convicted of crimes in the U.S. and Europe. Five other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia with deteriorating medical issues, according to a news release from Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free them.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media of a gaunt-looking Gilman draped in an American flag and surrounded by his family aboard an airplane.

“While we appreciate this positive step, we are still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans,” Rubio stated.

Gilman will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland outside of Washington on Tuesday evening, Trump said in his post.

“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump wrote. “I will take care of that!”

Gilman is bound for a military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated, Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, said in a statement.

Gilman had his prison sentence extended three times

Gilman was detained in 2022 on charges of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance. He was convicted and handed a 3.5-year sentence.

He later was convicted of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, beating an investigator and assaulting a guard. In October 2024, he was sentenced to eight years and one month. His sentence was extended in December to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.

Russian media reported that he pleaded guilty to the charges and apologized to the guards he was charged with assaulting. The business daily Kommersant said he explained his actions by saying he wanted to stay in the prison where he was serving his sentence and avoid being moved to another penitentiary.

Gilman’s father has disputed the charges against his son, while the State Department has said the U.S. determined that Gilman was wrongfully detained,

Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, credited Trump and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts with bringing about his release.

“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” said Hudson, who thanked Markey “for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress.”

“The Russians treated my brother so badly," Hudson said. "They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”

Russian officials did not immediately comment on Gilman's release. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service did not respond to a request for comment on his health deteriorating behind bars.

Gilman was hospitalized before his release

Gilman’s lawyer Irina Brazhnikova told the Russian news agency Interfax on Friday that Gilman was in a psychiatric ward of a civilian hospital, where he’s been since early July.

He was there “due to a psychiatric condition,” and according to doctors, his condition has worsened, but neither his defense lawyers, nor his family were allowed to visit, she said.

Before Gilman was flown out of Russia, he had been in “a dissociative stupor” for 47 days due to the abuse he had suffered in prison, according to Lebson. After Gilman was moved to the hospital, he was hooked up to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed.

Hospital reports conveyed Gilman’s condition “as dire and life-threatening,” pushing the U.S. government into action and leading to his release, Lebson said.

Markey had called on Russia and the U.S. to work together to get Gilman released. He was among at least eight Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges with the U.S. in recent years.

Markey blamed Russia for Gilman's poor health, saying his return to the U.S. was long overdue.

“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required for his release to be negotiated," Markey said. "Throughout his detention, Robert was subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities. There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today.”

The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed Tuesday that Carmine Agnello began his 15-month prison term the previous day at the Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in southern New Jersey.

Agnello, who starred on “ Growing Up Gotti ” in the mid-2000s, was originally scheduled to report to prison in July. But U.S. District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury agreed to delay that until Sept. 18, saying it would allow enough time to recover from the surgery, presuming that happened by Aug. 10 as Agnello suggested

Agnello’s lawyers have said in court filings that Victoria Gotti, the daughter of the former head of New York’s Gambino crime family, suffers from chronic kidney disease.

On Monday, though, with no operation in sight, Choudhury ordered Agnello to surrender immediately to federal authorities.

“Because there is no concrete evidence that an organ transplant will be scheduled to take place at any time between today and Sept. 18, 2026, the request for another deferral of Mr. Agnello’s self-surrender is unjustified,” the judge said.

Agnello lawyer Robert Beltrani said in a letter that surgeons needed more time to set a date for the operation because Gotti was dealing with infections.

“It is undisputed that Carmine is a great match for Ms. Gotti,” he said. “He is simply asking the Court to allow him to remain available to his mother during this very limited period while her doctors determine whether and when she can proceed with transplant.”

Prosecutors objected, noting that a medical report attached to the defendant’s letter said doctors were working to “identify the etiology and the proper treatment” for Gotti’s recurring infections and no transplant could happen until they are fully treated.

“Clearly, the transplant surgery is not imminent,” said Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Nocella’s office declined to comment further, and lawyers for Agnello did not immediately respond to email messages. Nor did Gotti, an author and former columnist for the New York Post.

Agnello pleaded guilty in 2024 to wire fraud after prosecutors said he fraudulently obtained $1.1 million in loans from a federal program meant to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A resident of Long Island, he obtained the loans on behalf of his company, Crown Auto Parts & Recycling LLC, but lied about how many people it employed, his criminal record and his plans for the funds, prosecutors said.

The company ceased operations before Agnello applied for the loan, which he ultimately used on other ventures including a $420,000 investment in a cryptocurrency business, prosecutors said.

Agnello, now 40, was a teen when he and his brothers briefly rose to fame sporting gel-spiked hairdos on “Growing up Gotti,” which followed the family's life on Long Island.

His grandfather earned the nicknames “Teflon Don” and “Dapper Don” for his flamboyant style and ability to beat some of the criminal charges he faced over the years. He died in a Missouri federal prison in 2002 at age 61.

The New Jersey lockup where Agnello is now incarcerated has housed some notable inmates over the years.

Most recently disgraced former New York Congressman George Santos served less than three months of a more than seven-year sentence there before President Donald Trump granted him clemency last year.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

The Romeo Theatre, a family-owned two-screen cinema in Washington Township, announced on Facebook it will close its doors in mid-September after 40 years in the business.

Owners cited COVID-19 fallout, industry strikes and the rise of streaming services.

“While we have proudly served this community for the last 40 years, we are heartbroken to share that the Romeo Theatre will close its doors in mid-September,” the owner wrote on Facebook. “We had hoped our 40th year would be more celebratory, but we are grateful for the years we spent bringing entertainment to the community while staying true to our focus on family values.”

Decades of memories

For generations of families, the theater has been the setting for first movies, first dates and lifelong traditions.

Shannon Kuehnel said the news hit hard.

“I was really surprised when I heard about it, because it’s been open since I was a kid,” Kuehnel said.

Her memories stretch back to the theater’s earliest days.

“I remember seeing reruns of Jaws here when it opened and Taxi Driver,” she said.

Resident Stephanie Zimmerman echoed that sentiment.

“It’s sad. It’s been a staple in the community the whole time I’ve lived here — it’s good popcorn and wonderful people — so sad to see it go,” Zimmerman said.

COVID, strikes, streaming take their toll

The owners explained in their Facebook post that a year-long shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the actors’ and writers’ strikes, left the theater with limited film availability for roughly 18 months. Even with support from property owners, business never returned to pre-COVID levels.

“Since COVID, moviegoers’ habits have shifted toward streaming and premium on-demand options,” the owner wrote. “We have seen this change at the Romeo Theatre, and theatres nationwide have experienced similar attendance declines.”

The property owners are expected to bring in a new business to fill the space — but it will not be a theater.

Community responds

The announcement drew hundreds of comments online, including a message from the Washington Township supervisor.

“The Romeo Theatre has been so much more than a movie theatre — it has been part of the fabric of our community for 40 years,” the supervisor wrote.

Resident Carol Pelletier said the loss will be felt for years to come.

“It’s going to be a place that’s going to be missed here in town,” Pelletier said.

And for many, the theater’s famous popcorn holds a special place — right alongside the movies themselves.

“The popcorn, of course, is to die for,” Pelletier said.

The owners did leave the door open — at least a crack — for popcorn fans.

“Perhaps someday we will pop up around the community with our popcorn machine, offering delicious Romeo Theatre Popcorn-To-Go,” he wrote.

ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices” for officers and agents by March, according to a notice published Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.

The devices are known as the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. They have been used in recent years by some jails and police departments.

DHS said Tuesday that it was working on a response to an Associated Press inquiry and offered no immediate comment. Jeff Niklaus, the founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies, wrote in an email, “Unfortunately, we are unable to speak on this subject.”

The notice said the solicitation for a no-bid contract could be published as early as Friday.

Civil rights advocates expressed alarm at the plan, saying ICE officers already face criticism for their use of force with little oversight or accountability while enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Compliant Technologies says the devices function as a normal pair of patrol gloves until officers press a switch to activate their electrical mode. The gloves must be applied directly to someone's skin to deliver a pain stimulus that typically helps an officer gain compliance within seconds, according to the company.

“It’s immediate and sharp, and it will distract you. I call it like a bee sting,” said John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, who is studying how the device has been used. “If the officer is getting any type of resistance from the person, this is certainly an effective tool.”

Peters said he believed ICE’s planned purchase would likely be the largest from the company to date. He said he could envision ICE officers using the gloves to help remove uncooperative subjects from cars and houses and in and out of detention facilities.

“For smaller officers or weaker officers or older officers, I think it has a great advantage” because it can produce faster takedowns and shorten confrontations, he said.

The manufacturer warns the device should not be used as punishment, against people merely exhibiting “verbal defiance or belligerence” or on high-risk populations such as children, pregnant women or elderly or disabled people.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the public should have no confidence that ICE officers will use the devices appropriately. She questioned why the devices would be necessary for civil immigration enforcement and noted those getting shocked might have no advance warning.

“ICE spent the last year showing this country they are too quick to use force. Now they will be able to deploy electric shocks with the slight push of a button that maybe nobody else can see them do,” she said. “Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public.”

Supporters say the devices are generally used in specific jail and transport situations, rather than broadly to patrol on the streets. They have been used to subdue violent suspects who are refusing to get into squad cars and inmates who are harming themselves and threatening officers, according to Compliant Technologies.

Peters said he expected the devices to be misused by a small number of employees, as with other policing technologies, but he said they are unlikely to cause injuries. He said it would be important for ICE to have robust policies and training in place.

To use the device, officers must complete a course and be recertified every two years, the manufacturer says.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit western Colombia on Monday wreaked havoc, collapsing buildings, buckling roads, crushing cars and leaving devastated residents to console each other among the wreckage of their homes. Excavators and heavy machinery cleared heavy chunks of concrete, while buckets of rubble were passed hand-to-hand along a line of volunteers.

Rescue crews and volunteers picked through flattened concrete buildings in affected cities, searching for signs of life. They raised their hands to call for silence when they thought they heard someone beneath the piles of debris. At least one woman was retrieved — alive — from the rubble.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said the earthquake killed at least 181 people and left 2,595 more injured. He said at least 195 remained missing, but civilian-run databases suggest that number could be closer to 4,000.

Crews race to find survivors

Authorities said the deaths were concentrated in the cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo, but local leaders and families worried about casualties and damage in rural areas, from where very little information has emerged. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that threshold can be extended if they have access to food and water.

De la Espriella said more than 1,000 homes were destroyed and yet more damaged.

Standing near the remains of his brother’s collapsed apartment building in Pereira, Jairo Vargas said he made the 220-kilometer (135-mile) drive from Medellin, hoping to find him alive.

“I’m absolutely certain he’s here. Absolutely certain,” Vargas said, adding that his brother’s car was still parked outside. But he fears his sibling did not survive.

“The debris surrounding my brother is soft,” he said, as heavy machinery rumbled nearby. “It’s possible that it’s protecting him, but we can’t hear any noises anymore. I don’t know. I have little hope.”

Colombia's new president faces his first serious challenge

The earthquake presents the first major test for first-time officeholder de la Espriella, who entered office just days before the natural disaster. The leader, who split the country in recent elections, now seeks to unite Colombia in its disaster response.

That challenge was particularly notable in Choco, the region at the quake’s epicenter. It is one of Colombia's poorest and most neglected regions, often beset by warring armed groups. Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the jungle or by airplane.

Sterling Palacios, a religious and environmental leader in the region, said Choco's capital and smaller communities along the Atrato River were devastated. Homes were reduced to rubble and aftershocks continued to rumble, terrifying residents who slept in the streets overnight.

The Colombian Geological Service said it has documented more than 100 less powerful aftershocks since the initial quake.

“There are towns where people have lost everything, where people have died, where homes have been destroyed,” he said. “We don’t have a full panorama of the damage, but we know it’s been massive.”

De la Espriella traveled to Quibdo in Choco on Monday night where he announced he was mobilizing “the entire military and police apparatus,” as well as deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.

“Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’” he said.

Palacios said the government's response has so far been “concentrated in the capital,” and that authorities were flying the wounded from Quibdo to hospitals in the city of Medellín.

The biggest challenge, he said, remains towns in rural areas only reachable by boat — journeys that can take hours or days. That response is also complicated by a toxic slate of armed groups warring for control who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, blocked healthcare workers from traveling to remote areas.

“It's a risk and it's very difficult to predict” what could happen, he said, adding it could take weeks to fully assess the devastation.

Desperate residents seek news of their loved ones

Families posted information about missing loved ones on citizen-run websites.

Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, cradling his dog. The farmer was living in a rural area of El Cairo, not far from the quake's epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar.

Local authorities said 80% of El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people, was damaged. Zamora said her uncle lived in a traditional house of sticks and mud.

“We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything from him,” Zamora said.

The earthquake left many people unnerved after back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing more than 6,300 people.

Mónica Sánchez, who lives in Pereira, one of the worst-hit cities, said when the quake happened a wall collapsed inside her clothing factory. Sánchez and her 12 employees escaped just in time.

“It was shocking — the city fell down around us,” she said.

On Tuesday, rescue workers pulled a woman alive from the rubble. Diana Troncoso lay on a stretcher, dusty and scraped up, with her eyes closed. Observers burst into applause as she emerged, but search teams raised their hand to call for quiet so they could continue their search for survivors.

Pereira and Cali enforced curfews Monday night to prevent looting, and private vehicles were banned from the roads of Pereira so ambulances, police and rescue workers were able to navigate what's left of the roads.

The U.S. State Department has announced it would provide $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other aid. Governments across Latin America have also lined up to help.

“This has been a tragedy for the whole city, for thousands of families,” Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar told local media, his voice quavering. “But here we are, and we will continue forward with the hand of God.”

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Suarez reported from Bogota, Colombia, and Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press reporter Manuel Rueda in Bogota contributed.

The fire companies tried to extinguish the May 15 fire inside a silo at the Robbins Lumber mill in rural Searsmont, Maine, by injecting it with water — unaware of warnings from the manufacturer that doing so would be dangerous.

The silo then blasted skyward like a rocket as flames and a shock wave from the explosion hurled workers and firefighters away.

The firefighters didn’t know, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health wrote this month, that the silo was oxygen-limiting, a type of sealed structure that can become pressurized with combustible gases during a fire.

That kind of buildup is a known hazard in oxygen-limited silos, and both the manufacturer and fire safety organizations put out firefighting guidance warning against putting water or foam into such chambers.

“The document warns against spraying water or foam into the oxygen-limiting silo as it will force air in and may create a potentially explosive mixture,” the report states. “The application of water into the silo in this incident likely entrained oxygen into the silo headspace, stirred up dust within the contents, and caused it to become suspended in an explosive concentration.”

The report recommends that fire departments make sure firefighters choose appropriate tactics for silo fires and never direct water or foam into oxygen-limiting silos. It also states that more training is needed for fire departments about the hazards associated with different types of silos.

The blast also injured at least 13 people and the toppling of the silo engulfed the surrounding area in fire, investigators have said. The explosion took place in the small town about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northeast of Portland and triggered a response of 299 firefighters from 46 departments across a four-county area. It took them hours to contain the fire.

Representatives for Searsmont Fire & Rescue did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday. The department's assistant fire chief, Wayne Woodbury, 76, died from injuries suffered in the explosion. Andrew Cross, 27, of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department, also died. Alden Robbins, the co-owner of the mill, died from injuries weeks later.

Robbins Lumber representatives said on the company's website that “no report can fully capture the heartbreak experienced by our community, nor can it lessen the tremendous loss suffered by so many.” The company is working with industry experts to rebuild its facilities, the statement said.

“Our objective is not simply to meet current industry standards, but to exceed them. We are committed to learning from this event and to doing everything we can to help prevent anything like this from happening again,” the statement said.

The National Fire Protection Association declined to comment on the report beyond saying it encourages firefighters to participate in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's work to improve safety investigations. The Maine Department of Public Safety also declined to comment.

Officials with the town of Searsmont said in a statement that a final investigation into the explosion is still ongoing.

"As investigations move forward, we should allow the facts to guide any conclusions. It is neither fair nor constructive to rush to judgment or to diminish the dedication of the firefighters who responded or the company that suffered such a devastating loss," the statement said.

The Maine State Fire Marshal's Office said in late May that rapid ignition of particulate material resulted in the silo explosion, which caused it to lift from its concrete base and release large amounts of sawdust and other materials. It said the fire and explosion were accidental.

The mill is a part of the historic lumber and wood products industry in Maine. The company has said it is a high tech lumber manufacturer that has been in existence since the 19th century.

Twenty-two speakers testified at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's hearing, which lasted more than two hours. Most opposed the proposal to toss a 60-year-old requirement for tens of thousands of private sector employers to submit annual workforce demographic reports to the EEOC, which is responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws.

Six speakers, however, spoke out in favor of the proposal, siding with the Trump administration's stance that reporting such data is burdensome and encourages companies to adopt discriminatory practices to diversify their workforces.

The proposal, currently subject to a 30-day public commentary period ending Aug. 24, is a key step in President Donald Trump's efforts to overhaul the country's civil rights enforcement, particularly stamping out diversity and inclusion practices.

Since 1966, the EEOC has required companies with at least 100 employees, or federal contractors with at least 50 workers, to submit a report each year called an EEO-1 that breaks down gender and racial representation across different roles, from executives to laborers and service workers.

The Republican-led EEOC voted 2-1 last month to stop collecting that data, arguing that the reporting requirement may encourage employers to engage in discriminatory tactics.

Civil rights groups argued the data has been a crucial tool for uncovering systemic discrimination in the workplace and tracking the progress of women and minorities since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"By weakening EEOC enforcement, these changes will harm all workers, but particularly Black workers and other workers of color who continue to face racial discrimination more frequently,” said Amalea Smirniotopoulos, senior policy counsel at the civil rights group Legal Defense Fund.

Researchers said EEO-1 data has been crucial to their work.

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, co-director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Center for Employment Equity, said he has relied on EEO-1 data for dozens of research articles and two books. He said his research has found that while workplace discrimination has declined since 1964, progress has most recently stalled.

Without EEO-1 metrics, “our society will be flying blind into the future,” he said.

Rachel Lee, president and general counsel of Stand with Asian Americans, said the data has been critical for demonstrating that many Asian Americans rarely reach the highest ranks of many companies, despite comprising a large portion of professional roles.

“The EEO-1 report is the only federal instrument that exposes what we call the bamboo ceiling,” Lee said.

Several conservative advocates, however, criticized the EEO-1 data as outdated and conducive to stereotyping and discrimination.

“It is inconsistent with equal opportunity law, potentially unconstitutional, unnecessary to enforce anti-discrimination laws, and imposes substantial burdens on both employers and the EEOC that are not outweighed by its marginal benefits,” said Rachel Morrison, fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center and a former EEOC attorney.

Morrison pointed out that since the EEOC investigates some forms of discrimination not captured in the EEO-1 data, such as religion and pregnancy-related discrimination, the data “is not actually necessary for EEOC to enforce Title VII or fulfill its mission.”

However, two prominent employer groups said there is little evidence that companies have used EEO-1 data to engage in racial quotas or other discriminatory employment practices, as the EEOC under the leadership of its current conservative chair Andrea Lucas argues.

“Regarding the possible misuse of EEO-1 data, we cannot square that with the experience of our members, and I might add with my personal experience,” said David Fortney of the Institute for Workplace Equality, a nonprofit employer association whose members include many of the biggest U.S. companies.

Fortney, a former chief legal officer of the Labor Department under President George H.W. Bush, said many employers instead use EEO-1 data to detect and prevent discriminatory practices. He said the EEOC has not identified any instance of an employer using EEO-1 data for discriminatory purposes.

“Presumably after six decades, if the agency had specific instances, it would have called those out,” Fortney said.

Michael Eastman, of the Center for Workplace Compliance, described examples of how its member companies have used the EEO-1 data to uncover hiring and promotion practices that excluded certain groups.

One large company, he said, found data showed that an employee referral program at a manufacturing facility consistently produced a narrow applicant pool and “a homogenous hiring pattern at the facility.”

Another company, he said, found an “unusual pattern” in its promotion decisions that suggested that managers had misunderstood internal policies to mean race and gender could be considered in promotions.

“These examples reflect what many large employers are trying to do when they use demographic data for compliance purposes,” said Eastman.

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The Associated Press’ women in the workforce coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. 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.

A new hands-on program in metro Detroit is working to change that. It is helping young adults gain job experience, build confidence, and develop skills that can lead to long-term careers.

At the Living and Learning Enrichment Center in Northville, a team of young adults spends part of their week in the garden learning how to grow and care for flowers. From there, they help turn those flowers into colorful bouquets that are delivered each week through a community-based flower subscription program.

“We’re at stop number one,” a member of the team members says as they prepare to make deliveries—after putting in hours of work behind the scenes.

“These are hydrangea,” Jared explains while working in the garden.

Jared says he enjoys the routine and the responsibility.

“I like working here because it’s a good place to work,” he said.

The subscription program gives members practical experience that mirrors a real workplace environment—taking orders, assembling bouquets, handling money and working with job coaches to stay on task and meet expectations.

Logan, who helps ensure bouquets are packed correctly and ready to go, says staying busy matters to him.

“Well, my main job is to help them carry them to main campus,” Logan said. “It’s really important. I just don’t want to not be busy,” he added.

Alyssa Givas, the farm education coordinator at Living and Learning Enrichment Center, says the impact goes beyond the job skills.

“When they leave here with their job coach, they feel like they are going to work. It’s very impactful for them,” Givas said. “They are learning these skills. They take it very seriously, and they are very proud of what they do.”

Staff members say the long-term goal is helping participants prepare for adulthood and independence, especially as families think about what the future looks like.

“Not just for now when their parents are still here, but what happens afterwards,” Givas said. “Where are they going to live? How are they going to care for themselves? Are they going to have those valuable skills that they need to move forward in their life?”

For John, who often works the farm stand, the program is also about connecting with the community.

“I love that it gets me out and interactive with customers,” he said.

The public gets to see hard workers who want a chance to thrive.

“They don’t focus on what we have. They focus on what we are,” John added.

The workers say one of the best ways to help is by visiting the farm stand:

Living and Learning Enrichment Center Farm Stand, 801 Griswold St, Northville, MI 48167.

Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The announcement is the latest in a series of policies from the administration aimed at transgender people that began the day Trump returned to office last year.

The policy is to take effect Oct. 13.

It is not clear how much taxpayer funding is going to cover gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth now. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not respond to questions about the policy on Tuesday.

At least 27 states have already banned gender-affirming care for those under 18. Even in states that haven’t, many major hospitals have stopped providing some of the treatments. And gender-affirming surgeries for minors are rare. Puberty blockers and hormone treatments are more common.

The policy calls for Medicaid and CHIP to continue to pay for mental health treatment for transgender minors but phase out coverage of hormone treatments that are used both to block puberty and to produce sex-related physical changes for those already receiving them as of April 2027.

Trump said in a social media post Tuesday that he directed Dr. Mehmet Oz, the CMS administrator, to make the change.

“We are not going to pay for our innocent children to undergo these barbaric surgeries and practices, which result in unthinkable and irreversible harm to their young bodies,” Trump said in his post.

Advocates for LGBTQ+ young people look at it differently.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders legal director Josh Rovenger said the rule “is putting up barriers between parents and their ability to make the best medical decisions for their children” and would face a legal challenge.

“The Trump administration is terrorizing trans youth and their families with these kinds of actions, and it has to stop,” Human Right Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.

HRC is already suing the administration for efforts to bar gender-affirming care coverage under federal employee benefit plans.

The American Medical Association and most other major medical organizations support access to gender-affirming care, though the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said earlier this year that it found “insufficient evidence” that the benefits of chest, genital and facial surgeries on minors experiencing gender dysphoria — or the unease a person may have because their assigned gender and gender identity don't match — outweigh the risks.

The administration has already announced it would cut off Medicaid and Medicare funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care for minors, along with barring transgender athletes from sports competitions for girls and women and blocking people from being able to choose male, female or X to designate their sex on passports.

It also released a report last year urging therapy only for transgender youth and not broader gender-affirming health care.

Most of the changes have faced legal challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court let the administration's passport policy stand and allowed states to enforce the sports bans. A lower court ruled against the administration's declaration that called the treatments unsafe and ineffective. A challenge over the policy targeting hospitals is still pending.

Rebecca Jollotta, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at South Shore Health Perinatal Behavior Health Program, testified at the trial Tuesday she exchanged messages with Clancy regularly on a patient portal throughout in late November and December 2022. Much of their conversations revolved around Clancy reporting trouble sleeping, depressive symptoms she was having and her search for the right mix of medications to treat her symptoms.

Several times Clancy indicated to Jollotta either that she had not taken the full dose of a prescribed medication or that she wanted to reduce a dosage or change her prescription based on what she felt were intolerable side effects. Clancy also worried about being addicted to some medications like Ativan, but Jollotta said she was not.

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

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Struggle to find the right medications

“I really don’t like the way I feel on the Remeron and I know that I can’t stick with taking it,” Clancy said in a December message asking to switch from the antidepressant, which also is used to treat anxiety and insomnia, to a previous prescription mix. “I started having very intrusive thoughts that I never had before.”

Jollotta tried to assure Clancy that having intrusive thoughts is common with someone diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety and encouraged her to give the Remeron more time to work since she had only been on it a few days.

“This could be some postpartum anxiety. And I wanted to familiarize her with the symptoms, so that she had them written down and she could report them to me,” Jollotta said.

Jollotta, who is among several providers that Lindsay and her former husband Patrick Clancy have sued over her care, repeatedly came up with alternative treatment plans for Clancy including a range of different medications, behavioral therapy, support groups and meditation. But she acknowledged that it was up to Clancy whether she chose to follow her advice.

“I’m only making recommendations based on my education experience, training and what I’m seeing in terms of symptoms,” Jollotta said. “The patient has the autonomy.”

During their virtual and in-person visits, Jollotta said, Clancy never talked of having a plan to harm herself or her children. She also never showed signs of psychosis or mania.

But Jollotta acknowledged that Clancy did report having thoughts of suicide. She also suggested that Clancy might have underlying bipolar disorder — due to her days of going without sleep. But Patrick Clancy denied that was the case.

Suicidal thoughts

In mid-December, Jollotta had a call with the couple and was told Clancy had her “worst day” and was “having persistent, intrusive thoughts of suicide.” Jollotta suggested she consider a higher level of care such as that offered by Massachusetts General Hospital. She settled on the Women and Infants Hospital postpartum program in Rhode Island t but was soon discharged — with advice to stop taking one of her antipsychotic medication.

Jollotta, who was going on vacation, said she was concerned that Clancy had been discharged from the hospital, telling her in a message that she could “could benefit from the groups and added support separate even from medication changes.”

She was worried the hospital wanted Clancy to go off Seroquel, the antipsychotic medications. Clancy was advised this could lead to “worsening of mood, worsening of sleep,” but she insisted on going off the medication. Jollotta agreed to slowly reduce the dosage.

During cross-examination Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington argued that Jollotta was not familiar with the care Clancy received elsewhere.

Jollotta never talked to one of Clancy’s psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, nor did she access Tuft’s medical records. She did not know how many times Clancy saw Tufts, noting that she only thought Tufts treated Clancy in September.

“Would it surprise you if I told you that she saw Dr. Tufts 14 times” during a four-month period ending in January, Reddington said.

Jollotta never talked to anyone from the Rhode Island hospital that admitted Clancy, nor did she have access to the records of McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility that Clancy admitted herself into on New Year’s Eve.

“If you're treating a person through all of this stuff that we've talked about and it’s now apparent that things have decompensated so bad that they have voluntarily admitted her to a locked ward in a mental institution, is it important to Rebecca Jollotta to find out what the diagnosis and treatment was of their patient?” Reddington said.

Jollotta agreed it was but acknowledged that she never did find out.

Killer, or someone who was mentally ill

Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. They were found in the basement of the family’s home in coastal Duxbury, Massachusetts, where their mother was lying in the yard. She had jumped from a second-story window, and she remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Prosecutors argue that the former labor and delivery nurse was an intentional killer who contrived to get her husband out of the house and then strangled the children with exercise bands on Jan. 24, 2023. Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham has urged jurors not to view the trial as “a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women.”

Clancy’s attorneys do not dispute that she killed the children. But they say she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill, believing she heard voices ordering her to take their lives and her own.

The defense says she was in the grip of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis, a rare postpregnancy condition that can alter a woman’s sense of reality. A forensic psychiatrist diagnosed Clancy with those conditions after the killings.

It all made for one competitive and, at times, heated joint practice for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets on Tuesday.

The first of four scuffles started, according to Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke, when Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey called him out during 1-on-1 drills because he wanted to go up against him.

“And lost,” Goedeke said of Bailey.

The two lined up against each other several times and the No. 2 overall draft pick appeared to mostly get the better of the veteran O-lineman. They stalemated on one and Bailey appeared to pat Goedeke on the helmet. It set off a fracas that included Goedeke and Bailey taking swings at each other and players from both sides jumping in.

“He tried shoving me after that and then 52, I believe, came from the side and just cheap-shotted me,” Goedeke said, referring to Jets edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare. “That didn't start practice warm and fuzzy, that's for sure.”

Later, the two were still jawing on the field during 11-on-11 team drills when Jarius Monroe returned an interception of Baker Mayfield for a touchdown when another huge fight broke out. During the melee, Goedeke took the helmet of Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers and flung it about 20 yards downfield.

“Obviously, not the greatest decision by me,” Goedeke said. “But with that being said, I'm always going to defend my players. I'm always going to defend myself, for that matter. I'm not going to get punked and not do anything about it, especially on a football field. It just comes with the game, I guess, especially in joint practices, you see stuff like this all the time.

"Obviously, you try to limit it and make sure it doesn't happen in a game.”

Jets right tackle Armand Membou and Bucs defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson also fought, and Robinson tore off Membou's helmet. New York rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. had a fight that involved several Tampa Bay players.

The teams were scheduled to have another joint practice Wednesday before their preseason opener Friday night.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said there were “a few minor dustups.” Jets coach Aaron Glenn added: “I thought the guys did a really good job of forgetting about it, getting to the next play and continue practicing.”

Vita Vea is with the Bucs but still not practicing

Buccaneers star defensive tackle Vita Vea was with the team and wearing his familiar No. 50 jersey but didn't participate in the joint practice with the Jets while his contract squabble continues.

Vea, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is entering the final year of his deal and wants a new contract. He missed the first few days of practice with what Bowles said was a tweaked back, but Vea has continued to not participate.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht recently told reporters the team has no plans to trade Vea.

Vea joins Mayfield as Bucs players unhappy with their contracts. Mayfield said early in training camp he feels “disrespected” by the team for not getting the contract extension he sought. He's fully participating at practice, unlike Vea, and plans to play out the final season of his three-year, $100 million deal.

Jets set to play starters against Bucs in preseason opener

Geno Smith and the rest of the Jets starters will see snaps in the preseason opener.

“Oh, everybody's playing,” Glenn said.

Glenn explained that the team has two new systems being installed — his defense as the primary play caller and Frank Reich's offense — “and I think it's important for our guys to play,” he added. Glenn also said there is “science” behind the decision.

“What they say is when you have joint practices where the (starters) get a lot of reps and then you have that many plays — 25 to 30 in a preseason game — throughout those three games, the risk of injury actually goes down in that first part of the year,” Glenn said. "Just talking to those guys, I’m a big believer in that, so I’m looking forward to seeing that.”

Bucs' Browning leaves practice early with apparent injury

Buccaneers backup quarterback Jake Browning was expected to start against the Jets, but he left practice early with what appeared to be a back ailment.

Bowles had no update on the status of Browning, who walked off the field gingerly after team drills midway through practice. He took his jersey off and went inside the Jets' facility and didn't return to practice.

Mayfield won't play in the game Friday night, so if Browning can't go, the Buccaneers are down to Connor Bazelak and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback.

Jets activate Ossai from the PUP list

The Jets activated edge rusher Joseph Ossai from the active/physically unable to perform list after he sat out the start of training camp with an undisclosed injury.

Ossai signed a three-year, $34.5 million deal with New York in March. He spent his first five seasons in Cincinnati after being a third-round draft pick in 2021 out of Texas. He has 14 1/2 career sacks, including five in each of the last two seasons.

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Other charges were dropped. After entering the plea by video, Haddish was placed on 12 months' probation and told to avoid drugs and alcohol and complete a substance abuse evaluation. She was credited for the brief time she spent in jail following her arrest.

Haddish’s films include the comedy “Girls Trip,” “Night School,” “Like a Boss” and “The Kitchen.” She wrote the New York Times bestseller “The Last Black Unicorn,” which earned a Grammy nomination for a subsequent audiobook she narrated. In 2018, she won an Emmy for her appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and a Grammy in 2021 for her special “Black Mitzvah.”

At around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2022, someone called 911 to report seeing a person who appeared to be asleep in the driver's seat of a white Ford Explorer with their foot on the brake in Peachtree City, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Atlanta, according to a court filing. An officer spotted an SUV that matched the description given by the caller and stopped Haddish as she pulled into a neighborhood, according to a police report.

Haddish's lawyers in May asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing that waiting more than four years for the case to be resolved had caused personal and professional difficulties and violated her right to a speedy trial. Fayette County State Court Judge Jason Thompson rejected her arguments.

The judge found that Haddish and her attorneys had requested some of the delays, including a request for a delay so she could attend a fashion show in Morocco and a request to leave a hearing early to catch a flight. He wrote that she also did not show any evidence of having missed specific performing opportunities or of actual financial harm because of the delay.

Haddish also was arrested in November 2023 in Beverly Hills, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence after police received a call and said Haddish appeared to be slumped over the wheel of a vehicle while the engine was still running.

Haddish reached a plea deal with prosecutors in that case in February 2024, pleading no contest to a vehicle code violation, and the two misdemeanor DUI charges against her were dropped, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Residents say the trees are more than just part of the neighborhood’s landscape.

“These trees are between 100 and 200 years old, and each one of them has a really intense environmental impact when it comes to helping to cool the area, climate change control, how much water they can absorb,” said resident Windy Weber.

Walking through Edison Park, Weber pointed to the tree canopy and said it is one of the reasons people choose to live in the neighborhood.

“There’s a lot of people in these homes that moved here specifically because of this green space in this park,” Weber said.

For longtime residents, the trees are also tied to family memories.

Gail Welmers said the trees have been part of her son’s childhood.

“When my son was little, he’d be over there. They would play games in between the trees — him and his buddies,” Welmers said.

The city said the project is focused on separating the storm sewer system from the sanitary sewer line, a change required by state and federal regulators.

A city spokesperson also said the separation is a critical step toward preventing flooding.

But Welmers questioned why changes are needed in the area and said she hopes the city will consider alternatives.

“To me, there’s got to be another avenue, another way that this can be done. We don’t have a flooding problem in this area. That’s why I think it’s confusing to a lot of us,” she said.

The city said the project is still in its early planning stages, and it is too soon to determine exactly which trees or other areas could be impacted.

Residents say they want to make sure preserving the mature oak trees remains a priority as the plans move forward.

Weber helped organize a meeting with city officials for late Tuesday afternoon, where neighbors gathered to learn more about the project and discuss their concerns.

Local 4 spoke with residents ahead of the meeting.

Bryant, signed to a $40 million, three-year deal as a free agent this offseason, was expected to be an important part of a revamped Chicago secondary.

Johnson said Bryant had surgery Friday without disclosing details of the injury. He did not rule out the possibility that Bryant would return this season.

“I got to see him today,” Johnson said. “He’s going to be in a hurry to get back to help us out there at the end of the year.”

Bryant was hurt at practice on Aug. 3. ESPN initially reported that he could miss eight to 10 weeks, but the team never confirmed that timeline.

Chicago let All-Pro safety Kevin Byard leave for Buffalo in free agency and signed Bryant, who spent four years with the Seattle Seahawks. He was the starting free safety for last year's Super Bowl-winning squad.

“Coby is the template for how we all want our team to play,” Johnson said. “He was a big part of offense, defense and special teams, the mentality, the mindset, his approach. We loved everything about him.

“It certainly takes us back a little bit but it also provides opportunity for other guys to fill that void and it might be guys we hope to prod along a little bit.”

Former Dallas and Tennessee safety Xavier Woods was signed last week and immediately went in as a replacement for Bryant. He intercepted quarterback Caleb Williams in his first full practice.

“He’s a veteran player, he’s played a lot of football, been in a few different schemes,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “He’s been a productive player.”

Woods played for Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris in Dallas at the start of his career.

“So there’s some familiarity there with him,” Allen said. “And, I just think, right now, we needed another veteran piece back there in the back end, specifically at the safety position.”

Several other Bears players are banged up

The news about Bryant comes as the Bears deal with several less serious injuries. Chicago is preparing to host Cleveland on Saturday in its first preseason game.

Wide receiver Luther Burden suffered a groin injury last week and Johnson said he’ll miss the rest of training camp and the preseason, but will return for the start of the regular season.

Johnson also updated the injury status of starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who suffered a patellar tendon injury last January in a playoff victory over Green Bay. Trapilo is progressing well, and Johnson wouldn’t rule out his return to practice by the end of preseason.

The Bears have been practicing without defensive end Montez Sweat, left tackle Braxton Jones, backup safety/cornerback Cam Lewis and backup safety Elijah Hicks. All of those injuries except for Hicks are considered day-to-day. Starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon remains on the physically unable to perform list after a calf injury before training camp.

The Bears turned to rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad in the slot last week and he continues to work with the starters in that role.

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The organization, founded by Candice Davis Price, is preparing to bring girls together at Wayne State University for an event designed to introduce athletes to flag football while connecting them with women athletes and leaders.

Davis Price said the event is part of what she calls a “Detroit Takeover” for Wild Child Athletics, following the organization’s launch in Ypsilanti.

The push comes after girls in Detroit reached out to Davis Price on social media, saying transportation and distance made it difficult to participate in programs outside the city.

River Rouge has since offered a facility that will open for girls’ flag football in September.

Davis Price said Wild Child Athletics plans to run a seven-week season for girls in Detroit.

“This takeover is just a little taste for them to get out there,” Davis Price said.

The Wayne State event is designed to be more than a football clinic.

Davis Price said participants will receive giveaways, take part in photo opportunities and receive customized jerseys and sports bras, along with hands-on instruction.

The event is being held in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation, Delta Air Lines, Gatorade, Oakley and MGM Grand, according to Davis Price.

Girls will have opportunities to learn introductory skills including flag pulling and quarterback fundamentals.

Davis Price said experienced players and newcomers alike will receive instruction designed to help them succeed.

For Audrey King, who started playing flag football in January, the sport has provided a chance to transfer skills she developed in other sports.

“I love it. It’s so diverse,” King said.

King previously competed in track and field and said her speed and agility have translated well to flag football.

Davis Price recalled that King initially struggled with the idea of being taken out of a game.

She said King became upset when she couldn’t finish, but has since developed into a more confident player who continued working through challenges.

“She kept going,” Davis Price said.

Aubrey Kirby is preparing to try flag football for the first time.

Kirby said her experience in track has made her confident that she can succeed on the football field.

“I think I will be really good in it,” Kirby said, pointing to her speed and experience in track.

For King, one of the biggest benefits of girls’ flag football is the opportunities that can come with the sport.

She said the growing number of flag football programs could create additional opportunities for athletes, including college scholarships.

“There’s more scholarships coming into the USA,” King said. “It’s just such a good opportunity to get your name out there, get some experience.”

Davis Price said expanding access is a major part of Wild Child Athletics’ mission.

The goal is not simply to introduce girls to football, but to create a pathway for athletes who might otherwise never have the opportunity to play.

The upcoming event will give girls the chance to learn the sport, meet other athletes, and build confidence in a growing game.

For Kirby, who has yet to play a flag football game, the opportunity is another chance to test her athletic abilities.

“I think I’m really fast,” Kirby said.

And Davis Price believes that athleticism, combined with the growing interest in girls’ flag football, can help open the door for more young athletes.

“Women are far more intellectual on the football field than you think,” Davis Price said.

With Detroit preparing for its own seven-week girls’ flag football season this fall, Wild Child Athletics hopes next week’s event will be the beginning of a larger movement to get more girls into the game.

Prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear he was with the press pool on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

Russia has released American military veteran Robert Gilman who spent more than four years in prison on disputed charges under abusive conditions and was said to be gravely ill and at risk of dying, a group advocating for him said Tuesday. Gilman was on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated.

The president’s media company has tried a half-dozen businesses to lift its stock, but nothing has worked. Now it’s getting back to its roots, telling investors Monday that Truth Social will focus on selling early high-speed access to his administration’s announcements on social media, a move raising ethical questions.

The Latest:

More women than ever running for the House

That’s according to Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, which showed 590 women have filed to run for House seats in the 206 midterm elections, besting the record of 583 set in 2020.

The boost was largely driven by the number of Democratic women candidates, the center said. Women make up just over one-third of all Democratic candidates for the House, and 19.1% of Republicans.

Overall, 27% of all House candidates in 2026 are women, which is about on par with their representation in Congress this cycle, the center said.

Democrats announce investment to defeat GOP’s Rep. Max Miller

Democratic candidate Brian Poindexter was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program the party signals an intensifying push to oust the Ohio congressman in its effort to wrest control of the House from Republicans.

The move comes after Miller brushed past Monday’s deadline for Republicans to replace him on the ballot, and those within his party urging him to step aside as he faced domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife.

He has pledged to invest his own money to win.

Trump heads off to Patriot Games to watch teen athletes compete

The president has departed Washington to attend the Patriot Games in Geneva, Ohio.

The games that are part the America’s sesquicentennial celebration and feature high school athletes from across the country that Trump has billed as a chance to display “the best of American skill, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit.”

Trump is arriving on the final day of the competition, in which the student athletes are competing for a slice of a $250,000 scholarship pool.

Kennedy Center ordered to pay legal fees to musician who cancelled show over Trump name change

A judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 in legal fees and costs to a musician who was sued by the performing arts venue for cancelling a Christmas Eve performance last year, an act of protest against adding President Donald Trump’s name to the building.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier on Monday ordered the center to pay the musician, Chuck Redd, approximately $252,000 within 45 days. The same judge had dismissed the center’s lawsuit against Redd in June.

Lisa Banks, an attorney for Redd, described the center’s lawsuit as a “meritless” attempt to silence opposition to the name change.

Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player, had presided over holiday “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center for 20 years.

A Kennedy Center spokesperson said the center intends to appeal the judge’s ruling.

US military says it has fired on a ship in Gulf of Oman to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports

The U.S. military said Tuesday that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports, a move that comes as President Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. U.S. Central Command’s statement does not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties.

Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels and boarded two. The U.S. Navy currently has more than 15 warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, stationed in the waters of the Arabian Sea.

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Democratic Rep. Raskin launches inquiry into failed prosecution of constituent in Reflecting Pool case

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the Trump administration’s prosecution of former Olympian David Hearn over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro dropped the case after acknowledging damage to the pool was caused by a botched installation rather than vandalism. Trump then publicly rebuked Pirro, saying she “folded like an umbrella.”

In letters Tuesday, Raskin seeks records from the Justice and Interior departments on the decision to prosecute Hearn, a Maryland resident who lives in Raskin’s district. Raskin also seeks communications with the White House and evidence presented to the grand jury.

“At a minimum,” he wrote, “it appears that members of the Trump Administration were ready and willing to imprison an innocent American for a decade in a desperate effort to soothe an ex-landlord’s wounded ego about a terrible paint job and wasteful contract.”

Emails seeking comment were left Tuesday with Pirro’s office and the Interior Department.

Trump administration says more oil is flowing through Strait of Hormuz

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on social media that nearly 9 million barrels of oil a day are getting shipped through the Strait of Hormuz — as the administration is suggesting that the supply pressures tied to the Iran war are easing.

Wright said that along with additional oil flowing through pipelines total oil flows from the region are averaging roughly 15 million barrels a day.

U.S. oil futures prices remain above the pre-war levels, with a barrel trading on Tuesday afternoon at $83. The Trump administration has tapped the strategic petroleum reserve to steady the market and that reserve last week fell below 300 million barrels, down by more than 100 million barrels since the start of 2026.

Wright is setting expectations that oil will keep going through the strait.

Trump announces release of American detained in Russia, says no prisoner swap took place

The U.S. president said Tuesday that Robert Gilman, a Marine veteran who was detained in 2022, is being released on a “humanitarian basis” after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Gilman is scheduled to land at Andrews Air Force Base just outside of Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night, Trump said. He is being accompanied on the plane back to the U.S. by his mother, Nancy.

“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump said in his post. “I will take care of that!”

Sen. Ed Markey: Gilman’s return was long overdue

“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required for his release to be negotiated,” Markey said in the statement from Global Reach.

“Throughout his detention, Robert was subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities. There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today.”

State Department: Other Americans should be released as well

The State Department said that Gilman had been determined recently to have been wrongfully detained, and was released on humanitarian grounds.

This “was not part of an exchange, and no other concessions were provided,” the department said. It called Gilman’s release “a welcome step that we hope leads to the release of Americans unjustly held in Russia, such as wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard.”

Gilman’s sister: ‘Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?’

Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, credited President Donald Trump and Sen. Ed Markey for the former Marine’s release.

“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” said Hudson, who thanked Markey in the statement from Global Reach “for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress.”

“The Russians treated my brother so badly,” Hudson said. “They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”

Released American’s family flew to Texas to meet him, advocates say

Robert Gilman’s mother had been in Russia, attempting to see him there. Gilman had been in “a dissociative stupor” for 47 days due to the abuse he has suffered in prison, and was moved to a civilian hospital, where he was hooked up to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed, aid Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach.

Now he’ll be medically and psychologically assessed and treated at a U.S. military hospital, Lebson said.

The 32-year-old teacher was convicted of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance, and his sentence was extended last year to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.

Sen. Edward Markey had called on Russia and the U.S. to work together to release the Massachusetts resident, one of at least 8 Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges.

Former US Marine held in Russia for over 4 years has been released after group warned he was gravely ill

A former U.S. Marine who has been held in Russia for more than four years on disputed charges has been released, his advocates said Tuesday, days after warning he was gravely ill and at risk of dying.

Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old teacher detained since 2022, was on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, according to Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free him and other American detainees abroad.

Russian attacks kill 10 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy says Moscow is getting more North Korean missiles

Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones and glide bombs Tuesday, killing at least 10 civilians, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is getting more North Korean help to extend its 4-year invasion.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in the overnight attack, and is preparing to deploy more North Korean troops to Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un already sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin’s invasion.

Now Ukraine says Russia aims to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors, which worsened after U.S. diplomacy to end the war fizzled and Washington turned its attention to the Iran war.

“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

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Trump told Ukraine it had no cards. Then Kyiv took the war to Russia

When Trump told the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office last year that he had “no cards” in the fight against Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy already had a bold plan to take the fight deep inside Russian territory.

While Trump was warmly welcoming President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and encouraging Ukraine to accept an unfavorable peace deal, Ukraine was smuggling drones for an attack that destroyed Russian bombers worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

And since then, Kyiv’s campaign of longer-range strikes has targeted Russian air defenses, oil infrastructure and military suppliers, embarrassing Putin and impressing Trump. When Trump and Zelenskyy met at a NATO summit in July, the American president said the Ukrainian leader had “been very effective” in the war.

An Associated Press analysis shows how Ukraine has shifted the narrative about the war in Washington, but it’s still not clear if it will be able to push Putin toward the negotiating table.

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Houthi rebels attack vessel in Bab el-Mandeb, killing four

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday and killed four people, Yemeni authorities said.

The transportation ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the dead included three Pakistani nationals and an Indonesian.

The ministry statement said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on the Yemeni commercial vessel, and then fired another missile that targeted rescue teams, wounding a Yemeni rescuer.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.

Congressional Democrats probe alleged coordination between ICE and Iran to deport detainees

Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff are requesting access to all potential communications between two private immigration detention centers and Iranian diplomats, according to two letters shared with The Associated Press.

Iranian asylum seekers sued last month, alleging that the Department of Homeland Security endangered them by sharing details of their application records with the Iranian government.

The applicants said they were forced to meet with Iranian Interests Section officials who had confidential information about their claims of persecution in Iran for converting to Christianity, for their sexuality or for participating in the Women, Life, Freedom protests against the Iranian government, according to court filings.

“These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE,” a DHS statement said.

In rejecting Trump’s Gaza plan, Netanyahu reprises a balancing act he has mastered

It’s possibly the most important job of any Israeli prime minister: maintain good relations with the United States while pushing back on demands seen as undermining Israel’s security.

No one has managed the balancing act longer than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader.

But with the Iran war at a stalemate, and U.S. President Donald Trump looking to advance peace efforts elsewhere, Netanyahu’s task is getting harder less than three months away from Israeli elections.

On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected Trump’s latest plan to advance the stalled ceasefire in Gaza, saying Israel will not withdraw from any of the roughly 60% of the territory it controls until Hamas has been completely disarmed — something the militant group controlling the other 40% has long resisted.

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Houthis hit Red Sea port city, threatening regional shipping

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels renewed attacks Tuesday on government-controlled areas in Yemen as the violence threatened to reignite civil war and raised fears over new threats to regional shipping lanes.

Yemen’s military said the rebels targeted the government-held port city of Mokha and the central province of Marib with missiles and drones but did not provide further details. The Houthis also hit Mokha with missiles and drones over the weekend and killed at least seven people, it said.

The escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia aims to threaten the kingdom’s alternative route for shipping its oil. The attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.

Iran and Germany’s foreign ministers describe their call

Iran’s Abbas Araghchi said on his Telegram channel that in a call with Germany’s Johann Wadephul late Monday, he had “emphasized that making the Strait of Hormuz secure requires an end to the United States’ aggressive actions and unlawful interventions, including the naval blockade and other violations of U.S. obligations.”

Wadephul said on X that he had emphasized “the Strait of Hormuz needs to be opened unconditionally ensuring free and safe navigation for all.”

Iranian foreign minister underlines Tehran’s demands

Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran is insisting that the Strait of Hormuz won’t be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions, after Trump said he wants compensation from Iran “for all of the people that they have killed” in the past.

Abbas Araghchi told reporters that Iran has “astonished the whole world” in the war against the United States and Israel, proving “that it is a tough and invincible power.”

Iran effectively closed the strait by threatening shipping after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28.

Oil prices jumped, gasoline over $4 after Trump’s latest Iran war comments

Oil prices are settling in a state of uncertainty about when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to global energy supplies, after jumping about 7.5% since Trump scoffed at Iranian demands for compensation for war damage.

Motor club AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline ticked up overnight to $4.01.

Brent crude oil was trading at about $87.61 a barrel early Tuesday, and U.S. benchmark crude at $82.19. Shares of major U.S. oil companies — including Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips — were close to unchanged after jumping 4.5% on Monday.

Higher oil prices mean consumers pay more for all manner of products as companies pay more for fuel to produce and transport goods. Accordingly, the main event for Wall Street this week will be Wednesday’s update on U.S. inflation.

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The S&P 500 fell 0.3% for a second modest drop since setting its all-time high on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 184 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.6%.

The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly jumped above $90 in the morning before falling back below $87. It eventually settled at $88.91, up 1.4% from Monday.

Such erratic moves have become typical since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and kept much of the world’s oil pent up in the Middle East. Last month alone, Brent’s price veered between $72 and $102 per barrel.

Higher oil prices make inflation worse, and they’ve sent the average cost for a gallon of regular gasoline to $4.01, according to AAA. That’s up from less than $3.14 a year ago, though it’s down from last week’s nearly $4.09.

That has Wall Street’s attention focused on Wednesday, when the U.S. government will release the latest monthly reading on inflation. Economists expect it to show inflation remains high but that it decelerated to 3.4% in July from 3.5% in June.

That could help the Federal Reserve, whose members are notably split on whether they should be raising the country’s interest rates to keep a lid on inflation. While higher rates could help slow the increases of prices on store shelves, they would also slow the overall U.S. economy by making it more expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money. They would also undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

Traders are betting on a coin flip’s chance that the Fed will raise its main interest rate at its next meeting in September, according to data from CME Group. If it does, that would be the first increase in more than three years. It also could anger President Donald Trump, who has been lobbying for lower interest rates.

Treasury yields have jumped since the war with Iran because of higher oil prices and worries about inflation, sending long-term mortgage rates to their highest levels in a year.

The 10-year Treasury yield eased back Tuesday, falling to 4.69% from 4.72% late Monday. But it remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran.

On Wall Street, On Holding dropped 20.3% even though the Swiss sneaker company reported a better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It gave a forecast for upcoming revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations, while saying it does not want to slash prices to drum up more sales.

Companies broadly have been blowing past analysts’ forecasts, which Wall Street loves because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term. Earnings per share for S&P 500 companies are on track to be 50% higher than a year earlier, according to FactSet, and that’s a big reason U.S. stocks have been setting records recently despite worries about expensive oil, high inflation and other challenges.

Aramark, the food company and facilities manager, rallied 8.5% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Cardinal Health added 1.3% after topping analysts’ profit expectations for the spring.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 24.91 points to 7,728.20. The Dow Jones Industrial dropped 184.13 to 53,791.85, and the Nasdaq composite sank 159.91 to 26,445.45.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.1% for one of the world’s bigger moves.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

But look skyward anyway Wednesday and, if you’re far enough north in the U.S. and Canada, you might savor a partial eclipse as the moon nibbles away at the sun.

Totality will begin near the North Pole, then streak southward across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a patch of Portugal. Daytime darkness won’t last more than a couple minutes at best — shrimpy compared with North America’s epic 2024 eclipse — but it is continental Europe's first encounter with totality since 1999. Spain gets a much longer shot at totality next August, along with North Africa and the Middle East.

For the U.S., the Great American Eclipse of 2017 kicked off the sun-vanishing mania with more than two minutes of totality from Oregon to South Carolina. The amount of totality almost doubled in 2024, racing diagonally from Mexico's Pacific coast all the way past Newfoundland.

America's next coast-to-coast total solar eclipse isn't until 2045. So catch a partial now if you can, but don't forget to protect your eyes with certified eclipse glasses.

Here's a list of some U.S. and Canadian cities in position to see a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday if skies are clear, in alphabetical order, with local times and the amount of sun coverage provided by NASA:

—Anchorage, Alaska, with 28% coverage. Begins at 7:36 a.m. and ends at 9:09 a.m., peaking at 8:21 a.m.

—Bangor, Maine, with 24% coverage. Begins at 12:54 p.m. and ends at 2:49 p.m., peaking at 1:53 p.m.

—Detroit with 3% coverage. Begins at 1:03 p.m. and ends at 2:08 p.m., peaking at 1:36 p.m.

—Montreal, Quebec, with 18% coverage. Begins at 12:50 p.m. and ends at 2:38 p.m., peaking at 1:45 p.m.

—New York City with 9% coverage. Begins at 1:07 p.m. and ends at 2:38 p.m., peaking at 1:54 p.m.

—Philadelphia with 7% coverage. Begins at 1:11 p.m. and ends at 2:35 p.m., peaking at 1:53 p.m.

—St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, with 53% coverage. Begins at 2:28 p.m. and ends at 4:37 p.m., peaking at 3:35 p.m.

—Toronto, Ontario, with 8% coverage. Begins at 12:55 p.m. and ends at 2:23 p.m., peaking at 1:40 p.m.

—Washington, D.C., with 4% coverage. Begins at 1:17 p.m. and ends at 2:27 p.m., peaking at 1:53 p.m.

—Winnipeg, Manitoba, with 5% coverage. Begins at 11:25 a.m. and ends at 12:40 p.m., peaking at 12:02 p.m.

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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.

They married Tuesday in a civil ceremony described by the public relations team that represents the Portuguese soccer star as “a private and intimate moment attended by their five children.”

The ceremony took place in Cascais, a coastal town in western Portugal near the capital Lisbon, the Brunswick Group said in the announcement.

The couple posted a picture on their Instagram accounts showing their rings.

They have been together for the past decade after meeting in Madrid.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo, a five-time world player of the year and one of the most high-profile sports stars, is coming off playing in his record-tying sixth World Cup for Portugal.

His Saudi team, Al Nassr, starts its domestic season on Saturday.

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

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a final report into the August 2025 blast at Clairton Coke Works, which also injured 11 others, including contractors.

U.S. Steel has said the explosion happened when workers were flushing a gas valve with pressurized water in preparation for routine planned maintenance at the sprawling riverside industrial facility, the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. The valve ruptured under intense pressure and released combustible coke oven gas.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration previously fined the company a total of $118,214 and issued 10 citations. OSHA had said that U.S. Steel’s written procedures, practices and training to safely maintain equipment and flush the gas valve were incomplete, outdated or inadequate.

The Chemical Safety Board report recommended that U.S. Steel develop a written procedure for washing valves with pressurized water in order to minimize the operation's hazards. It also recommended that an industrial cleaning contractor which used a pump truck to apply pressurized water to the valve develop written policies and procedures for cleaning piping systems containing flammable or toxic gas, and train its workers in such operations.

The Chemical Safety Board report found that when a valve would not close fully, U.S. Steel had a practice of injecting steam or high-pressure water into the cleanout port in an attempt to remove residue.

“U.S. Steel had no procedure for how to safely conduct this operation, but for at least three years before the incident, U.S. Steel employees had utilized pressurized water to clean valve seats on an ad hoc basis despite the lack of a formal procedure prescribing it,” according to the report's executive summary.

Chemical Safety Board member Sylvia Johnson said the blast "was the result of workers routinely performing a task incorrectly over a period of years until it ultimately led to a catastrophic explosion.”

The valve that failed was more than 70 years old and made from cast iron, which the report said is widely recognized as a brittle material. Numerous safety publications either ban or warn against using cast iron equipment in certain hazardous applications, including for flammable substances such as coke oven gas.

The report also said the two workers who died and two of the five seriously injured workers were located around buildings directly above the coke oven gas piping. If these buildings were located in a different area of the facility away from coke ovens, "this incident could have been far less severe,” said Drew Sahli, the Chemical Safety Board investigator in charge.

Before the blast, Clairton Coke Works had a history of accidents and explosions, and some current and former workers there say poor management and underinvestment have exacerbated air pollution and undermined workplace safety, Pittsburgh’s Public Source and The Associated Press have found.

The blast came on top of a string of other accidents at the Clairton plant over time, as well as a long history of legal battles between U.S. Steel and Allegheny County regulators, who regularly accuse the company of flouting environmental rules at the facility.

The report noted that a similar gas oven explosion occurred at the Clairton plant in July 2010, injuring 14 U.S. Steel employees and six contractors. The report criticized U.S. Steel for failing to conduct a subsequent facility siting evaluation after that incident.

They want the city and the property’s owners to take stronger action.

Sterling Dickerson, who lives nearby, said the steady stream of people going in and out of the building has brought harassment and apparent drug use into the area.

“They overrun our neighborhood,” Dickerson said.

Dickerson pointed to the building at 10030 Cadieux as the center of the problem.

“The constant squatting and the people that’s harassing us. The drug use is amazing over here,” Dickerson said.

He said nuisance activity happens throughout the day and that nearby vacant properties have also seen problems.

Dickerson said he recently recorded video of Detroit police conducting a raid near the building.

“We are so frustrated over here,” Dickerson said. “I’m talking to you today because of this.”

Local 4 learned the building at 10030 Cadieux has been on the city’s radar for some time and is among properties tied to Real Token, a group that has drawn controversy over its ownership of hundreds of properties across Detroit.

Detroit Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett, Jr. said the city has tried multiple times to secure the building.

“This property has been boarded up at least three times. We’ve had DPD out here,” Mallett said.

Simply boarding up a building with plywood hasn’t been enough to keep people out, Mallett explained.

He said the city may need to use stronger measures.

“Securing the buildings with plywood does not seem to be effective. We are probably going to have to upgrade securitization, to the point where we are probably going to have to do something called clear-view, or even steel grating, in order to keep people out of unsafe buildings,” Mallett said.

Mallett said the owner is currently under court-ordered receivership.

On Monday (Aug. 10), building inspectors posted Notice to Vacate warnings around the site as city staff prepared to secure the building again.

Detroit City Council member Latisha Johnson represents District 4.

She said the city needs to hold property owners accountable — but also stressed the importance of getting long-vacant properties back into use.

“It’s important for us to hold the owners of the properties accountable, but at the end of the day we have to get these properties occupied. A vacant property of any sort is no good for the community.” Johnson said.

Detroit’s law department and council staff are urging residents dealing with problem properties to keep reporting issues to the city.

They say those reports help investigators build cases against public nuisances.

The complaint — filed in the Southern District of New York — says that President Donald Trump's executive order last year targeting the Hague-based criminal court and the U.S. sanctions issued against a U.N. human rights expert and three Palestinian rights groups represent a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down," according to a press release.

The lawsuit is the latest example of organizations pushing back on what they call the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine international law and prevent efforts to combat impunity by governments around the world.

“The fact that so many leading human rights and humanitarian organizations have come together to challenge Trump’s unlawful executive order demonstrates the widespread harm it is causing across civil society groups dedicated to bringing those responsible for grave crimes to justice,” said Andrew Loewenstein of Foley Hoag LLP, the lead counsel representing the plaintiffs.

The groups assert that the financial and legal penalties against the ICC have forced them to “curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work in violation of their First and Fifth Amendment rights under the US Constitution and under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Other organizations joining the lawsuit are the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Open Society Institute.

The U.S. and Israel are not among the ICC’s member states, and neither nation recognizes the court’s authority. A White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing litigation, dismissed the lawsuit Tuesday, saying that the ICC’s actions have infringed on the sovereignty and national security of the U.S. and its closest ally, Israel. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Efforts to retain the global tribunal's power come as the ICC faces enormous pressure, both internally and from its more than 120 member states. Among those sanctioned by the U.S. last year was Karim Khan, who was the ICC’s chief prosecutor until he was removed from the post last month, nearly two years after sexual misconduct allegations against him first emerged, as detailed in stories by The Associated Press.

The Trump administration had issued those sanctions against Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants the court has issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

“The Trump administration seeks a get out of jail free card for whomever it chooses. And with this case, we say no,” Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said during a press conference Tuesday.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”

In a video message, Rubio said the U.S. would pressure member states to withdraw from the institution, sanction organizations that work with the court and ban staff from traveling to the United States. Countries that “enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella” will be called upon to reject the court’s jurisdiction over U.S. citizens, he added.

Several countries, including U.S.-allied Venezuela, announced they would withdraw from the court shortly after Rubio's statements and Khan's removal.

The shooting happened in the area of 7 Mile and Klinger Street on Aug. 11 at around 12:30 p.m.

According to Michael Chambers, the commander of the Detroit Police Department’s 11th Precinct, officers were patrolling the area and went into a business before they heard shots being fired outside.

The officers left the business to figure out where the shooting happened; they then saw a person fall to the ground on Klinger Street while two people ran away.

The officers ran to the victim and immediately rendered aid. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover.

Chambers said additional officers responded and used a K9 unit to track the suspects. One of the suspects was found about a block away from where the shooting happened and was arrested.

The second suspect is still at large. Chambers said the second suspect is a man in his late teens to early 20s wearing dark clothing with a head covering.

No details were released as to what stemmed from the shooting.

You can watch the media briefing below:

Michigan State Police responded to the area of I-75 near Clintonville Road in Oakland County on Aug. 9 just before 9 p.m. for reports of a car blocking lanes on the freeway.

When troopers arrived, they found the driver, a 44-year-old Flint man, asleep behind the wheel. When they woke him up, police said they saw open containers of alcohol on the passenger seat. After searching the Flint man’s car, troopers found two knives, 9 and 12 inches long.

According to police, the Flint man appeared intoxicated, and preliminary testing determined he was twice over the legal limit.

The man was taken to the Oakland County Jail on two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, open intoxicants, operating without insurance, and operating while intoxicated.

Police said he was previously convicted of operating while intoxicated.

Netanyahu’s remarks cast more doubt on the deal to disarm Hamas, which was seen as a potential breakthrough for ending the war. They also marked a rare public display of friction with the Trump administration.

The agreement called for Hamas to begin disarming and for Israel to halt its strikes and begin withdrawing from the roughly 60% of Gaza it currently controls. It was based on an October ceasefire agreement that ended major military operations and brought about the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza but has stalled on other fronts.

Netanyahu, who faces a tough battle for reelection in October, reiterated his stance that disarmament should come first. He said Israeli forces would continue to “do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, our territory, and our citizens.”

The Trump administration “sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not our draft. We sent our comments. … This is our position,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media.

Mass funeral held for dozens killed in 2023 strike

Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinians gathered for a mass funeral of more than 100 bodies finally recovered from a deadly Israeli strike in Gaza in 2023. More than 300 people were killed on Nov. 22, 2023, weeks into the war with Hamas, when warplanes flattened a residential block in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood.

Around 40 bodies were recovered soon afterward in a frantic scramble of rough tools and bare hands, but most were buried deep beneath the rubble. Reports of the high number of victims in one of the war’s deadliest attacks took days to reach the public in the chaos just before its first ceasefire.

Over the weekend, first responders dug through the destroyed buildings and recovered remains of 112 victims, including 40 children, according to the Civil Defense, a rescue agency operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.

It said 157 bodies still have not been found.

“The only crime of these martyrs was that they remained steadfast and resilient in their homes, believing that these homes would protect them,” one relative, Taysir al-Hassayna, told The Associated Press following the funeral prayers.

For the missing, it’s “as if their bodies had evaporated without a trace.”

The current ceasefire has allowed recovery of remains

Only now are some bodies of people killed in the war’s ferocious early months slowly being recovered, as the fragile ceasefire allows such efforts to push ahead in parts of devastated Gaza.

Those discoveries have contributed to the war’s rising toll. The Hamas-led militant attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,377 Palestinians, including since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

At least 7,400 people have been reported by relatives to still be under the rubble, Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry’s records department, told the AP. The true number is likely thousands higher because in some cases entire families were killed in a single bombing, leaving no one to report the missing, al-Waheidi has said.

The people mourned on Tuesday were from a residential block belonging to the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clan, and many were related. AP has identified at least 60 families across Gaza who lost 25 or more family members during the first three months of war.

On Tuesday, the remains of the victims, wrapped in Palestinian flags, were laid in rows on the ground. Many were marked with photos, and flower petals were scattered around them all. Hundreds of people surrounded the bodies for funeral prayers, some standing on the rubble.

Following the prayers, people carried the bodies on stretchers along a narrow street lined by destroyed buildings and buried them in a nearby cemetery.

Deadly strikes continue and rebuilding is on hold

At least 1,252 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children constitute roughly half of the dead.

Israel says its strikes are against militants who endanger its soldiers, took part in the Oct. 7 attack or carry out other violations. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

The U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement last October called for Hamas to be disarmed and for Israel to withdraw. An International Stabilization Force was to be deployed, and an independent Palestinian administration was to oversee governance and reconstruction.

Israel says everything hinges on Hamas giving up its weapons, while Hamas says Israel must end its strikes and begin withdrawing from the territory. Each side accuses the other of violating the truce.

Gaza remains largely shattered. Most of its 2 million Palestinians are displaced, many living in tent camps where poor conditions and overcrowding have led to rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.

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This story was first published on Aug. 4, 2026. It was updated on Aug. 11, 2026, to correct how the proportion of women and children in the death toll in Gaza is characterized. They constitute roughly half of the dead, according to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, not most of the dead. It was also updated to correct the dateline to DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip, not DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City.

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Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where a company said seven workers at its steel plant were killed and 21 injured.

Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed by Russian drones and artillery in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said.

In addition to the ballistic missiles, North Korea is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia, Zelenskyy said late Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024, pledging mutual aid if either country faces aggression.

Kim has sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some experts say the engagement with Moscow is helping improve North Korea’s military capabilities, and Zelenskyy said the battlefield experience would help Pyongyang menace other countries in its region.

Ukraine says Russia is poised to escalate the war

Ukraine says Russia is scaling up its production of ballistic missiles, aiming to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors that can stop them, and claims Moscow is preparing to recruit more troops for a new push on the front line that stretches 1,250 kilometers (775 miles) along eastern and southern Ukraine.

“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

In an unusual step, Ukraine's air force didn't say in its daily report how many missiles Russia launched overnight. It was not clear whether the omission was deliberate, and Kyiv officials made no immediate comment.

U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war have fizzled as Washington grew frustrated with the lack of progress and its attention turned to the Iran war.

In an indication that Putin is determined to press on with the invasion, Russia’s highest court on Monday ordered that Yabloko, the only political party opposing the war, to be excluded from the ballot in the Sept. 18-20 parliamentary election.

“The Kremlin will not enter serious negotiations or make meaningful compromises on its demands as long as Putin believes that he has a viable military path to achieving his full objectives,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said in an analysis Monday.

“Ukraine’s Patriot shortages offer Russia an opportunity to cause very serious damage to Ukraine over the coming winter and will therefore contribute to delaying meaningful negotiations and protracting the war,” it said.

Russia hits the grounds of a Kyiv children's hospital

Russian forces also struck parts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, overnight, according to officials. One strike hit the grounds of a children’s hospital, leaving two craters and shattering windows, the State Emergency Service said. Children and medical workers were in bomb shelters and nobody was hurt, it added.

At another location in Kyiv, a Russian strike started a fire in a warehouse that spread across about 1,200 square meters (nearly 13,000 square feet), according to emergency officials.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces overnight struck “military industrial facilities and transport and logistics centers” in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia with “ground-based precision weapons.”

It said in a statement that it hit civilian storage facilities housing drones in Kyiv and a metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia.

Metinvest, a major Ukrainian mining and metals company with operations in Zaporizhzhia, said seven of its steel plant employees died as staff tried to reach shelters after a warning of an incoming ballistic missile.

The company, which employs tens of thousands of people, said in a statement that the attack damaged its blast furnace and other equipment and forced the plant to shut down.

Russia targeted Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia with Zircon anti-ship missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles, while launching 120 long-range strike drones across the country, Ukraine’s air force said.

Russia's biggest e-commerce company hit again

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted nearly 400 Ukrainian drones over 14 regions and Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow illegally annexed from Kyiv in 2014.

Russia’s biggest online retailer, Wildberries, said its logistical facilities in the Voronezh region near the Ukrainian border came under attack and caught fire. It added that the fire was extinguished and goods stored there were “largely undamaged.”

Ukraine has repeatedly struck Wildberries warehouses and Russian oil facilities in what it says is a strategy to compel Putin to negotiate an end to the invasion.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck an oil refinery in the city of Orsk in Russia’s Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan, about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine, causing a fire.

The refinery, with an annual processing capacity of about 44 million barrels of crude oil, produces gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, among other products. The extent of the damage was being assessed, the military said.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said its navy destroyed two drones drifting in the Black Sea about 90 nautical miles (166 kilometers) from the port of Constanta.

The Gerbera-type drones were neutralized by divers using controlled detonations, and some pieces were recovered, the ministry said, adding that Ukraine said the drones were not theirs.

UN says over 16,000 civilians are being held by Russia

The United Nations, meanwhile, estimates that more than 16,000 civilians detained by Russia during the war are still being “deprived of their liberty,” with many held incommunicado and on grounds that don’t comply with international law.

“Widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment” of both Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war by Russia are continuing, including sexual violence, said Claudia Fuentes Julio, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights.

She spoke at an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday to spotlight the plight of civilians and soldiers taken following the Russia invasion.

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Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

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

Now is not that time.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is trying to soak in every moment of what he says will be his 22nd and final NFL training camp, he doesn't sound like someone who thinks he needs to be on the field when the Steelers host Green Bay in their exhibition opener on Thursday night.

“It's not real football,” Rodgers said.

At least, not “real” compared to what things will look like when the games start to count in September. Most defenses are vanilla. Most offenses too. The four-time MVP understands August is still a valuable time of year, just not for someone who has been in the league nearly as long as some of his teammates — backup quarterbacks Drew Allar (22) and Will Howard (24) — have been alive.

“I think preseason football is good to see guys with pads on, under the lights, how they react to the nerves,” he said.

Nerves that Rodgers once had himself. He remembers running onto the field as a rookie with Green Bay in 2005 and trying desperately to keep his breathing under control. He failed as much as he succeeded.

Back then, the goal was to make sure he could hear the play coming through the headset so he could repeat it with conviction in the huddle. And that was the easy part.

The challenge was then walking to the line of scrimmage and “trying to remember what else is going on in the play and who’s got what.”

Those jitters eventually subsided. It took a while, but they're long since gone. It's why he feels the Steelers will be better served with Rodgers watching from the sideline with a headset on while Howard — who didn't take a live snap last year after getting hurt early in camp — and Allar do the majority of the work.

Rodgers described the first game as traditionally “hectic,” one of many reasons his preference is to be in sweatpants offering perspective.

“I like to be the voice of reason, tell the occasional dad joke or one-liner,” he said. “Just help everybody settle in a little bit.”

Mike McCarthy, in his first season coaching his hometown team, played a little coy about whether he'll ask Rodgers to see a little game action, though McCarthy might have tipped his hand a bit when he said he'd divide the offense into three groups.

One group will handle the first couple of series. The second will play until halftime, with the third taking over for the final two quarters.

The math is pretty easy. Pittsburgh currently has four quarterbacks — Rodgers, Howard, Allar and Mason Rudolph — on the roster. Only one of them has operated a McCarthy offense in a game, and it's the one who will turn 43 in December.

“Frankly, the most important part is the health of the team,” McCarthy said. “That drives these decisions. That’s where you tend to maybe pull back and maybe not play the veteran or the older guys in those situations. You just lean on their experience.”

McCarthy is well-versed in what Rodgers can do. Howard and Allar remain very much works in progress and could have the opportunity to be a long-term part of Pittsburgh's future. They'll take their first real steps in that direction on Thursday, and Rodgers wants to help make sure those steps are more assured than tentative.

“Quarterback, just like all things, can be overcomplicated to make it seem more difficult than it might be sometimes,” he said. “It’s not easy, but you can simplify things, and that’s what I’m trying to help with.”

Rodgers' most recent preseason snaps came three years ago during the first of his brief two-season stint with the New York Jets. He was “open” to doing it last summer in Pittsburgh, though former head coach Mike Tomlin opted to hold him out. The decision looked like the right one when Rodgers threw for four touchdowns in a Week 1 win over his old team.

Rodgers was still finding his way back then. Now, he's far more familiar with the personnel around him and his reunion with McCarthy means he's ending his career in the same system where he began it a generation ago.

It's why he believes the real growth during camp comes on the practice field. He likes what he's seen so far, which is part of why he's just fine letting others get chased around by opponents during the waning days of summer.

“I think we’re right where I’d like to be,” he said. “I think we’re ahead of where we were last year. I think you’re seeing guys take some steps and then play with confidence.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Existing home sales fell 1.7% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. That’s slightly above the 4.05 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

July sales, however, were up 0.7% compared with last year.

Home prices continued to rise, hitting unprecedented levels for the month of July, NAR said. The U.S. median sales price increased 2% from a year earlier, to $434,100.

In June, the median sales price hit $442,800, an all-time high for any month on data going back to 1999, NAR said. Home prices have risen on an annual basis for 37 months in a row.

Last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.69%, its highest level in just over a year. It was the fifth consecutive week that the average rate rose, marking the latest strain for prospective homebuyers who are facing steep borrowing costs.

It is difficult to find good news about the U.S. housing market from the July report, said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics.

“No one who has a home already can afford to sell it,” said Weinberg. “People with ultra-low COVID-era mortgages cannot afford to give them up. If no one is selling, no one can be buying, and inventories are low.”

Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a 4-million annual pace for about three years, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2 million.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

Sales remain sluggish as mortgage rates have mostly trended higher in the months since the war between the U.S. and Iran started. Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up the long-term bond yields that lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans, causing mortgage rates to climb.

Home inventory levels also remain well below historical norms.

There were 1.54 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 1.9% from June and 0.6% less than July last year, NAR said. That’s well short of the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic.

July’s month-end inventory translates to a 4.6-month supply at the current sales pace. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

Regionally, prices in the Northeast continue to rise faster than the rest of the country, jumping 5.2% year-over-year, driven by a shortage of inventory.

NAR said that 29% of sales were first-time homebuyers, down from 33% in June but up slightly from 28% in July 2025. Historically, first-time buyers make up closer to 40% of home sales.

Government data published overnight into Tuesday showed the outbreak has 4,381 confirmed cases, including 2,011 deaths. Starting from the first confirmed case, the death toll was reached almost three times faster than in the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the worst on record.

The current outbreak was declared on May 15 but health authorities now say sequencing showed it began months earlier, in February.

It took about nine weeks for the outbreak to record the first 1,000 deaths, but it’s taken just around three weeks for the figure to double, as experts say the crisis is moving faster than efforts to track and manage it.

At the epicenter in eastern Congo's Ituri province, friends and family members gathered in tears on Tuesday for the burial of Jeannine Katusabe, 38, one of the latest to die.

Christophe Logo, a family representative, said Katusabe first sought traditional treatment at home and only went to the local Ebola treatment center after her condition worsened. “Unfortunately, she did not recover,” he said.

Identifying cases early can be nearly ‘impossible’

This is already the second-largest outbreak in history, behind the 2014-2016 outbreak's over 28,000 cases including over 11,000 deaths. The outbreak has been expanding across five eastern provinces near South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda.

The ongoing outbreak has had a case fatality rate of 45.9%, more than the 39.6% rate recorded in the 2014-2016 outbreak.

This Ebola outbreak is unlike most previous ones. The rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments. Clinical trials for those have begun in Ituri province.

Although the type of Ebola responsible for the 2014-2016 outbreak is considered the deadliest, government data shows this Bundibugyo outbreak has killed a higher percentage of people as care and support are not getting to patients quickly enough. Many people are reporting symptoms late or not at all.

“In the absence of an effective vaccine, control (for the outbreak) rests on identifying cases and then nursing them in secure facilities until they recover or sadly perish,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia in the U.K.

In a remote region like this with an ongoing conflict and interrupted communications, routine surveillance can be very difficult and “identifying cases early enough to prevent spread can be impossible,” Hunter said.

Authorities in eastern Congo have restricted public gatherings and shut the main airport in Ituri to limit spread of the disease. But mass movements due to trade, mining and displacements from conflict have continued.

The response has been behind from the start

The World Health Organization on Monday said some cases early in the outbreak were wrongly attributed to malaria and typhoid, and that early testing was conducted for the more common type of Ebola, delaying the realization of what was unfolding

Officials are “chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us," the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, told a news conference.

The new death toll is “alarming,” said Dr. Jean-Marie Akandabo, who is helping manage patients at a clinic in Ituri.

Akandabo said the major challenges he's seen are limited care for patients and poor community engagement. Some people have described widespread misinformation about the virus in sometimes hostile communities that long have been wary of outsiders after years of attacks by rebel groups.

“We must not take this disease lightly, because it continues to kill and no one is safe,” Akandabo said.

The current outbreak is the 17th — and largest — the Central African nation has faced. The first Ebola virus to be identified was in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now Congo.

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Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Associated Press writer Mark Banchereau contributed from Dakar, Senegal.

A few storms both today and tomorrow may be strong.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Marginal Risk (green, level 1/5) for severe weather for our southern communities, and a Slight Risk (yellow, level 2/5) for southwestern Lenawee County for today.

The main time frame will be between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. with damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rain the main storm hazards.

We’ll have the same storm threats tomorrow with our northern areas under a Marginal Risk.

Wednesday afternoon will be the best time for storms to develop.

Much of the day both today and tomorrow will be dry and we’ll see some hazy sunshine. Smoke from wildfires out west will remain over the Great Lakes region, giving us some vivid sunrises and sunsets.

Temperatures today will reach the low to mid 80s with a southwest breeze.

Winds turn light tonight as we fall to the mid 60s. With some breaks in the cloud cover, you may catch some meteors! The Perseid Meteor shower peaks tomorrow and Thursday.

Highs Wednesday and Thursday will be in the low 80s before dropping to around 80° Friday and Saturday.

Though Michiganders across the state will only get to experience a partial eclipse, those watching the sky in parts of northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small corner of Portugal will experience totality — the point at which the moon completely blocks the face of the sun.

In Detroit, the partial eclipse will begin at 1:03 p.m., reach its maximum coverage (around 3%) at 1:36 p.m., and end at 2:08 p.m. The farther northeast you are, the bigger the “bite” out of the sun will appear.

See how the eclipse will look in your city here.

Whether you’ll be in the path of totality or a partial eclipse, here are a few things to know ahead of tomorrow’s rare celestial event.

RELATED: Perseid meteor shower to peak this week — here’s what to know

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when a new moon moves between the sun and Earth, blocking out the sun’s rays and casting a shadow on parts of Earth.

How often do solar eclipses occur?

There are between two and five solar eclipses every year, each visible only along a specific area.

The last total solar eclipse viewable in the U.S. was on April 8, 2024, with only a small portion of southern Michigan able to experience totality.

The next total solar eclipse will take place on Aug. 2, 2027, and will be viewable in southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In the U.S., the next three total solar eclipses will occur in 2033, 2044, and 2045.

What are the different types of solar eclipses?

There are four types of solar eclipses:

• Partial solar eclipse - Occurs when the moon partially obscures the sun’s disk and casts only its penumbra — the lighter, outer part of a shadow where a light source is partly blocked — onto the Earth
• Annular solar eclipse - Occurs when the moon isn’t big enough to cover the entire disk of the sun, and the sun’s outer edges remain visible to form a ring of fire in the sky. This happens when the moon is near apogee, the point in a geocentric orbit where an object is farthest away
• Total solar eclipse - Occurs when the moon covers the sun completely. This can only happen when the moon is near perigee, the point of the moon’s orbit closest to Earth
• Hybrid Solar Eclipse - This is the rarest type of solar eclipse, occuring when the same eclipse changes from an annular to a total solar eclipse, and/or vice versa, along the eclipse’s path

What safety measures should be taken when viewing a solar eclipse?

Other than the moment of totality, when the moon completely blocks out the sun’s light, it is not safe to view a total or partial solar eclipse with the naked eye.

Experts advise that viewers use specialized eye protection to avoid severe injury, as well as using solar filters when viewing an eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars, or telescope.

If I’m not in the path of totality, where can I watch the total solar eclipse on Wednesday?

NASA will be streaming the total solar eclipse live on Wednesday, beginning at 1:15 p.m. ET, at nasa.gov/live.

The 26-year-old Rice was booked into a Dallas County jail on May 19 for violating the terms of his probation, which stemmed from his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured on a Texas highway. He'd had surgery about a week before the sentence to clean up debris in his right knee, which had been causing inflammation throughout much of last season.

Rice was released in June, and he resumed his rehab work alongside Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who was rehabbing after his own surgery to repair torn knee ligaments — at their training facility in Kansas City leading into the start of training camp.

“It was tough. It was mentally tough,” Rice said of the jail stint Tuesday, the first time the wide receiver has spoken publicly about his offseason. “They gave me ways to communicate with my teammates as well as my athletic trainer. Besides the hard times in there, just tried to keep positive — as much Kevin Hart as I could to laugh, and communicating with my teammates on the outside.”

Rice has been brilliant for Kansas City when he's been available, catching 156 passes for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns, and helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl after the 2023 season. But he also missed games to a suspension following the car crash, and several injuries have kept him off the field, resulting in just 28 games played over his first three seasons in the league.

The upcoming season is without question his most important yet.

Not only does Rice has much to prove to a growing chorus of doubters, he's also entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he wants to land a lucrative, long-term deal in Kansas City or elsewhere, Rice has to not only prove that he can stay on the field but also show that he can consistently be productive for an offense that desperately needs him to be.

“I mean, it's motivating,” Rice said of impending free agency. “Honestly, just being back on the field with my brothers right now is motivating. That's in the future. And I'm just focusing on what's happening right now, and that's getting better for the team.”

The Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season in which Mahomes hurt his knee, several others went down with injuries, and what was once one of the NFL's premier offenses looked like a shadow of itself — even before all those players were sidelined.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach spent most of his draft capital upgrading the defense, though, including both of his first-round picks, and the biggest move to help the offense was to sign Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to be their lead running back.

Otherwise, the Chiefs are banking on Rice and fellow wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton to take big steps forward in their development, all while hoping that 36-year-old tight end Travis Kelce can still be a reliable and effective pass-catcher.

“We're going to do some amazing things,” Rice predicted, “not only because we're great receivers but we have a great coaching staff around us, and a great quarterback and foundation in general.”

Mahomes has certainly looked like his normal self in camp, moving around on his reconstructed knee as if nothing ever happened. That bodes well for Rice, the passing game and the Chiefs in general as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“He was my motivation every morning,” Rice said.

Rice was asked whether he had anything to say to fans who felt let down by his off-the-field problems, or to young players who might be looking up to him. He went back to Mahomes and the teammates that have been with him through thick and thin.

“Find someone that you can lean on. Find someone you can talk to,” Rice said, “and basically don't be scared to vocalize yourself, or say exactly what's on your mind, because someone is going through the same thing. There's too many people in the world for there not to be someone going through the same thing.”

Notes: The Chiefs are signing DE Emmanuel Ogbah, who appeared in 10 games for them during the 2019 season. The veteran spent last season with Jacksonville. “It was disappointing the year we had him. I thought he was coming on and he got hurt, and we didn't have him at the end of the year,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “If he's part of our group, I'll be excited.”

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

Hobbs' selection Tuesday of John Giles, a former mayor of Mesa, a Phoenix suburb that is Arizona’s third-largest city, is an overture to the Republicans and conservative independents she must win in a state that was once a GOP stronghold. Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage over Democrats since Hobbs eked out a narrow win over Kari Lake, a fierce ally of President Donald Trump, in 2022.

Hobbs is considered the most vulnerable Democratic governor in the country. Giles, a registered Republican for decades, changed his party affiliation to independent on May 17 and voted in the Democratic primary last month, according to county voting records.

The Republican nominee is U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who last week picked Sine Kerr, a farmer and Republican former state lawmaker, to be his running mate. Kerr's rural roots balance Biggs' base in parts of metro Phoenix.

In an interview with The Associated Press before Hobbs publicly announced that she had picked Giles, he said he still considers himself to be a conservative and said he stuck around the Republican Party probably longer than he should have in a crusade to save it. "A few months ago, I realized that it was time to give up that crusade,” Giles said.

Giles led a conservative city for a decade

Giles, who was Mesa's mayor from 2014 to 2025, has been a vocal Trump critic and has endorsed Democrats, including Trump's 2024 rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Giles spoke in favor of Harris at the Democratic National Convention, saying Trump's policies would hurt Mesa.

Giles also backed Democrats running against Trump allies, including Hobbs in her 2022 race against Lake and the state's current U.S. senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

As mayor, Giles signed a proclamation promoting equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents in housing and accommodations, a controversial move in the conservative city.

The Biggs campaign, in anticipation of Hobbs' announcement, launched a website highlighting Giles’ support for Harris in 2024 and his participation in the Democratic convention. Drew Sexton, a senior adviser in the Biggs campaign, issued a statement early Tuesday saying Hobbs’ selection of Giles “is of no surprise to Arizonans who have been paying attention. As Kamala Harris’ favorite Arizona mayor, Giles is aligned with Hobbs on all the issues that have hurt Arizonans the most over the past four years.”

Sexton also said Giles “has been an aspiring Democrat since he first voted for Joe Biden in 2020.”

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Giles can be an ambassador for Hobbs. Church members make up about 6% of the Arizona population. Latter-day Saints, widely known as Mormons, have been a reliably Republican voting bloc for decades, but many have been ambivalent about Trump since his first run for the White House.

Democrats have been working to woo Latter-day Saints turned off by Trump's penchant for foul language and demeaning rhetoric toward women and people of color, which clashes with the church’s values of humility, morality and compassion.

Biggs is also a member of the church.

Picking a Republican running mate hones the bipartisan image Hobbs has tried to create, contrasting with Biggs' background as a far-right congressman and, before that, the state Senate president. But it also risks inflaming tensions on the left.

In the AP interview, Hobbs said she takes a nonpartisan approach to her work in government. When she was asked whether some supporters might be frustrated because she picked a former Republican as her running mate, she said, “It shouldn't be a surprise.”

Both Hobbs and Giles portray Biggs as an extreme partisan. Giles said it’s disingenuous for Biggs to present himself as more of a moderate when he was “unapologetic about being the most conservative person in the room – in any room.”

Arizona is electing a lieutenant governor for the first time

Arizona is one of just five states without a lieutenant governor position, along with Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming.

That will change in January.

Voters added the post in 2022 to more clearly define the line of succession. Until then, the secretary of state will continue to serve as the next in line to be governor.

Gubernatorial succession is especially relevant in Arizona, where five governors since 1975 have entered the office through succession rather than election.

In fact, of Arizona's 12 governors over the past 50 years, only one, Republican Doug Ducey, entered and left the office through the typical pathways of being elected and serving out a full term. Among the others, one died, one was impeached and removed, one resigned after being convicted of fraud and two quit to accept presidential appointments.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Volunteers of America Michigan is marking National Thrift Shop Day on Aug. 17 with a one-day shopping event across all seven of its thrift store locations, featuring 25% off entire purchases, double loyalty points and hourly raffle drawings. The proceeds go directly to the organization’s programs for veterans, seniors, families and people with disabilities.

“VOA Michigan has been serving the community for 130 years,” said David Bann, vice president of development and communications at VOA Michigan. “Primarily, we serve veterans by offering them transitional housing in downtown Detroit.”

The organization operates a 40-bed Detroit Veterans Housing Program where veterans can live for up to two years, gain a permanent address and access support systems to get back on their feet. According to Bann, none of it would be possible without the thrift stores.

“We would not be able to offer those resources, we would not be able to help the vets if we didn’t have all this,” he said.

The stores run entirely on donated inventory - everything from vintage toys and 8-track players to Chanel bags and designer clothing with original tags still attached. One shopper even purchased her wedding dress and her bridesmaids’ gowns from a VOA Michigan location.

“We had somebody come in, buy her wedding dress and all her bridesmaids’ dresses,” Bann said. “She looked great. They looked great. The wedding was fantastic.”

The appeal, Bann says, is in the unpredictability.

“Every single thing in our store is unique. We don’t have doubles, we don’t have duplicates,” he said. “Every single thing is about the hunt because you can hunt, find it, and get something unique. And then you can really change somebody’s life while you’re doing it because when you spend money, it really does help the vets.”

Shoppers can also bring donations the day of the event. Bann encouraged anyone with unused items to drop them off, noting that donated goods are turned directly into revenue for the mission.

For those who shop, Bann framed it simply: “It’s the first step to the rest of their lives. And you’re doing it because you’re excited to go shopping and hunting.”

The Aug. 17 event runs at all seven VOA Michigan locations, including stores in Burton, Lansing, Marshall and Westland. Hourly raffle prizes include gift cards redeemable in-store. More information is available at VOAMI.org.

UNESCO, the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said the continued exclusion of women and girls from education amounted to a grave violation of their fundamental rights.

“Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are formally banned from secondary and higher education,” Hoda Jaberian, UNESCO’s program coordinator for education in emergencies, said in a news conference by video. “Five years is not a temporary interruption in a child’s education. It is clearly almost an entire secondary school cycle.”

Jaberian said: “UNESCO continues to call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of girls and women's right to secondary and higher education. It is not negotiable. It’s a basic human right and we reiterate that there is no substitute for this.”

The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021, as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from the country after two decades of war.

Shortly after, it barred girls from secondary schools and later extended the restrictions to higher education, employment and other sectors, effectively excluding women and girls from public life.

The Taliban has maintained the ban despite appeals from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, human‑rights advocates, and several Islamic countries, insisting the issue is a domestic matter.

Jaberian said the restrictions are reversing two decades of progress that Afghanistan had made in education. While access to schooling for girls was severely limited in 2001, by 2021 nearly 1 million girls were enrolled in secondary education.

“Afghanistan had made really major progress in expanding girls’ access to education,” Jaberian said. “But unfortunately, much of that progress now has been completely reversed.”

UNESCO has been supporting education in Afghanistan by running community-based education, literacy and skills development programs.

The skills development and literacy classes take place in community spaces, often inside the homes of the literacy facilitators — with the knowledge of the authorities, the agency said. It said there were more than 1,000 literacy facilitators, most of them trained by UNESCO and its partners.

“While the restriction remains, we cannot abandon Afghan learners,” Jaberian said. “UNESCO work with communities and our partners from the communities to preserve every possible pathway to learning.”

“I started this company simply to give my kids a better life than I had,” said Bullis, who founded the Detroit-area roofing company after working his way up from the bottom of the industry. “I grew up so poor with nothing.”

That personal drive, he says, shapes every job his company takes on - and every dollar it doesn’t ask for upfront.

Michigan Home Restoration operates on an unusual promise: no money changes hands until the work passes inspection. Not the city’s inspection - their own, too.

“We don’t ask for a dollar down. We won’t take a dollar till we pass inspection,” Bullis said. “Even past that, after the city’s inspection, we send an inspector out and inspect it ourselves before we take any money.”

The policy, he says, isn’t a gimmick. It’s a guarantee.

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay us - which, thank God, it’s never happened.”

In a market crowded with roofing contractors, Bullis believes his edge is a combination of structure, standards, and no-middleman pricing. He handles all sales himself.

“I believe in what I sell. I don’t have sales guys. I’m the only sales guy, and I’m an owner. So, you instantly cut out the middleman right there.”

That approach saves customers roughly 10% off the bat, he says - a meaningful difference when a new roof can run $25,000 or more.

Building the right team has been equally central to the company’s growth. Bullis likens his hiring philosophy to assembling a roster.

“Having a roofing company is like having a sports team. You’re only as good as your weakest player.”

When asked what he hopes customers associate with the Michigan Home Restoration name, Bullis didn’t hesitate.

“I want them to think of honesty from start to finish. How honest we are. It’s the truth. It’s simple.”

The company offers financing to help make major repairs accessible. “With the price of everything nowadays, it’s so hard to survive,” Bullis said. “Imagine having to put a $25,000 roof on.”

During his appearance on Live in the D, Bullis brought along his young son Luca - who, when asked if he was his father’s helper, corrected the record immediately: “I’m actually his boss.”

For more information or to schedule a free estimate, visit MHRRoof.com.

Bedrock and General Motors are asking Detroiters to share feedback to help shape the Renaissance Center and East Riverfront redevelopment plans through community engagement and the Community Benefits Ordinance (CBO) process.

The companies hope to incorporate the feedback to reimagine the more than 35 acres spanning the riverfront.

Related --> Detroit’s Renaissance Center redevelopment project to get $75M in public funding

How to get involved

Detroiters can visit the Riverfront Community Hub at Beaubien Place, 521 Atwater Street, to share feedback, tour exhibits, participate in workshops and directly engage with the project team. Visiting hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Aug. 19.

Detroiters can also head to the Roadshow stops in each City Council District, at city events and celebrations, open houses and at local Block Clubs.

Residents can also attend weekly CBO meetings at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Tuesdays from Aug. 18 through Oct. 27 at 6 p.m.

For more information and updates, click here.

Click here to take the online survey.

Conceptual renderings

Related --> Mayor Duggan highlights redevelopment plans in Detroit

“Widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment" of both Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war by Russia are continuing, including sexual violence, said Claudia Fuentes Julio, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights.

She spoke at an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by Latvia and the United Kingdom on Monday to spotlight the plight of civilians and soldiers taken during the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. The council, which counts Russia as a permanent member, heard the accounts as both Russia and Ukraine have escalated attacks in the four-year conflict.

Since the invasion, Julio said, U.N. human rights staff have interviewed 910 Ukrainian prisoners of war and 403 civilian detainees following their release. The U.N. has not been able to visit detention facilities in Russia, and its estimated figure of those held does not break down how many are adults or children.

More than 95% of the Ukrainian prisoners of war and 85% of the civilian detainees reported being tortured or ill-treated, often repeatedly, the U.N. official said. They also reported sexual attacks and inhumane conditions, including food deprivation and inadequate medical services.

The Geneva-based human rights office “has documented the execution of 129 Ukrainian prisoners of war at the beginning of their captivity, and the deaths of 48 Ukrainian prisoners of war in custody, resulting from torture, denial of medical care, or other inhumane conditions of detention,” Julio said.

Former detainees share their accounts with the United Nations

The U.N. Security Council also heard emotionally wrenching accounts from Crimean Tatar human rights activist Leniie Umerova, who called herself a “political prisoner” of the Russians for almost two years, and Khuan Leyva Garsiya, a Ukrainian soldier who was among the hundreds that held out for months at the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol before turning themselves over to the Russians in May 2022.

Garsiya, who was born in Mariupol to a Ukrainian mother and Cuban father, spent 1,183 days as a POW. He said he weighed 55 kilograms (120 pounds) when he was freed, pulling out a picture of his emaciated body to show the council.

He said he was tortured, beaten harder and humiliated more than other prisoners because the Russians suspected that he was a foreign mercenary due to his Cuban ancestry or an American spy because he went to college in the United States.

“Russians were outraged that someone with a connection to Cuba, whom they consider an ally, would fight against their occupation army,” said Garsiya, who is still in the Ukrainian military.

He said the Russians tried to break the prisoners mentally and force them to confess to falsified crimes through tortures including freezing, beatings, electrocution and sexual abuse, he said.

“Two of my friends were beaten to death in detention centers in the Donetsk region,” Garsiya said. “Two of my friends died because of the conditions they were put in in Russian prisons and were returned in plastic bags to the homeland.”

For Umerova, her captivity began when she tried to enter Russia from Georgia to visit her seriously ill father in Crimea, which is part of Ukraine but has been occupied by Russia since 2014.

She said she was placed in detention on “fabricated charges.” But unlike many others, she was able to contact an attorney. In the third month, she said, her attorney obtained her release through a court order.

“But as soon as the prison gates opened, a bag was put over my head and I was taken away again.” In six months, she said she was moved to seven different facilities, calling it “a carousel of repression.”

What happened to her, Umerova said, is part of a system Russia uses to unlawfully detain, isolate, torture and fabricate charges against civilians. She named half a dozen women in Russian prisons today and said at least 84 women have faced criminal prosecution.

U.N. also said Russian detainees reported abuses

U.N. human rights experts also interviewed 816 Russians and 57 third-country national prisoners of war from over 45 countries who were members of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, said Julio, the assistant secretary-general.

About half reported torture or ill-treatment, primarily during the initial stages of captivity and interrogation by Ukrainians, she said. But U.N. monitors reported that once they arrived in Ukrainian detention facilities, “the conditions generally comply with international humanitarian law and have improved since 2022.”

Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Maria Zabolotskaya told the council the Russian armed forces are complying with international humanitarian law, which includes the treatment of prisoners. She claimed Russian prisoners in Ukraine faced “torture and degradation, and moral and physical abuse.”

She called the Security Council meeting part of “a disinformation campaign against Russia,” funded by NATO countries involved in the Ukraine conflict. The aim, she said, "is to derail efforts towards a peace settlement and to justify strikes on the territory of Russia and against civilians.”

Ukraine’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Volodymyr Pavlichenko said he was struck that during Monday’s meeting, Russia was not ready to discuss the return of POWs — “including their POWs” — and all civilian detainees including abducted children.

Lawmakers on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favor of the legislation that is aimed at advancing a peace effort between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which waged a long-running insurgency before announcing last year that it would lay down its weapons. The measures, however, will only come into effect after Turkish authorities have verified that the group has fully disarmed.

Residents in Diyarbakir, the region's main city, expressed hope the new law will bring peace — as well as prosperity to a region that has lagged behind economically.

“I was really very happy. I even applauded (the result) in my own home,” said 70-year-old retiree Ali Akdogan. “The economy will improve, good things will happen, people will start doing business.”

“I believe it will bring peace,” he continued, noting that since the start of the peace process there have been no deaths related to the conflict, which killed thousands of civilians, soldiers and militants over more than four decades.

Hasan Gecti, a 56-year-old shop owner, also said he believes the stability and lack of violence will benefit the region's people economically and socially but suggested that other matters, such as greater Kurdish rights, have not been addressed.

Among other issues, Kurds have been calling for broader use of their language in education and public services, along with greater political rights, including an end to the government’s practice of ousting elected mayors and replacing them with government-appointed officials.

“Has the Kurdish issue been directly solved? That’s a bit of a question mark. In my opinion, only the terrorism problem has been solved,” Gecti said. “Unfortunately, the Kurdish issue still remains where it is.”

The PKK's objectives evolved from independence to Kurdish rights

The PKK declared a decision to dissolve itself last year in response to a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

The group then staged a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq, where it is based, and announced that it was withdrawing fighters from key locations in Turkey to Iraq.

The PKK launched the insurgency in the 1980s, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkey. Kurds are estimated to make up around 15–20% of Turkey’s population.

The new legislation will suspend some prison sentences for convicted PKK members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials against others for five or 10 years, depending on the severity of the alleged offenses. If no terror-related crime is committed within the time frame, the cases will be dropped.

Turkish media reports said thousands of PKK members are likely to benefit, including those in exile in Europe and those who are based in Iraq and Syria.

Militants convicted of intentional killings and those sentenced to life terms before 2005 are excluded from the bill’s provisions. This applies to Ocalan and other senior PKK figures.

Further reforms needed, Kurdish leaders warn

Mehmet Kaya, head of the Diyarbakir Chamber of Trade and Industry, welcomed the fact that the legislation was passed with an overwhelming majority.

“It signals that violence is ending and the doors of politics are opening,” he said.

However, the law alone does not solve the Kurdish issue and that further reforms will be needed, he added.

“If the step taken from now bring sustainable democratization, social policies, and economic policies develop — which is the expectation — then the region will go through an important phase,” Kaya said.

In a statement carried by the PKK-linked ANF news outlet, the group on Monday described the Turkish legislation as a “beginning” to resolving outstanding issues but “has serious shortcomings and deficiencies.”

It called for Ocalan’s release from prison, for democratic reforms and Kurdish rights.

———

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

There will be blood drives on two days, on Aug. 11 and Aug. 13, at Gardner White stores throughout Michigan.

All donors will receive a $50 coupon toward a Gardner White purchase of $399 or more and will be entered to win a $500 Gardner White gift certificate. Also, donors who give blood between Aug. 1 and Aug. 28 will get a $20 Amazon gift card by email.

All blood types are needed.

Walk-ins are welcome. However, appointments are strongly recommended. Click here to make an appointment. You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Use sponsor code gardnerwhite.

The following Gardner White locations will be hosting a blood drive:

Tuesday, Aug. 11

11:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

• Ann Arbor, 3725 Washtenaw, 48104
• Lansing, 8748 W. Saginaw Hwy, 48917
• Mt. Pleasant, 5260 E. Pickard Road, 48858
• Taylor, 22035 Eureka Road, 48180

Thursday, Aug. 13

11:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

• Auburn Hills, 4445 N. Atlantic Blvd., 48326
• Cadillac, 2240 N. Mitchell Street, 49601
• Canton, 41661 Ford Road, 48187
• Chesterfield, 50400 Gratiot Avenue, 48051
• Howell, 4101 E. Grand River, 48843
• Saginaw, 2660 Tittabawassee Road, 48604
• Shelby Township, 14055 Hall Road, 48315
• Warren, 6500 E. 14 Mile Road, 48092
• Waterford, 4945 Dixie Highway, 48329

The verdicts by a court in Damascus are the first against Assad or any members of his inner circle since his family's five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago. They are mostly symbolic, however, because Assad and his brother Maher had fled to Russia, where they received asylum after the Syrian government’s stunning collapse in December 2024.

Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. The only former official sentenced to death and in custody is Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who oversaw a crackdown on dissent that led to an uprising that sparked the civil war. Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read his sentence aloud, and a crowd gathered outside the heavily guarded courthouse.

Even though Assad is unlikely to ever face justice, the verdicts will be popular among many Syrians, especially those who have expressed frustration that the new government hasn’t moved with enough speed or strength against Assad-era figures.

Some human rights groups, though, expressed concerns that the trials were rushed, potentially unfair and, at the very least, exposed flaws in Syria's justice system.

“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court session that was aired live on state TV — a contrast with Assad-era trials, which were conducted in secret. The verdicts al-Aryan read aloud found Assad and the others guilty of premeditated murder, including against children, as well as other acts of brutality, including torture.

Al-Aryan said Najib could appeal.

“Today is the day of justice for all the wounded, martyrs, detainees and Syrians who were forced to leave their country,” said attorney Adnan al-Masalmeh who represented families of Najib's victims. “Today marks a victory of right against injustice, a victory of the Syrian people against the ousted regime.”

Najib is one of the highest-ranking security officials to be put on trial. He is a former army brigadier general who was in charge of political security in Syria’s southern Daraa province.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown in 2011 that spiraled into the civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

Some of Najib's victims were present at the courthouse, including two who were teenagers in 2011 and expressed their opinions to The Associated Press.

“Today we reached a point where the blood was not wasted,” said Mouawiya Sayasneh, about those who died in the crackdown. Fifteen years later, “there is happiness that Atef Najib was sentenced to death,” he said.

Another man, Nayef Abazeid, who was detained at the age of 13 in 2011, expressed his satisfaction with the sentence, adding that “our biggest happiness will be when Bashar Assad is executed.”

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

“Today’s scenes outside the courthouse reflect 15 years of pain and a justice long denied," said Hiba Zayadin, Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch. She said the rights group opposes the death penalty in all cases, including this one, because "it’s cruel and irreversible, especially when a fair trial isn’t guaranteed.”

She said the appeal process for Najib “needs to meet fair trial standards.” Real accountability for Assad-era crimes depends on Syria building a justice system that lasts, she said.

The Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center described Tuesday’s conviction of Najib as a “historical step in Syria’s transitional period,” but said it exposed major flaws in the justice system which likely jeopardized his right to a fair trial.

It said that SJAC’s trial monitoring team attended Najib’s trial and documented multiple issues such as rushed proceedings and witness testimony that did not connect Atef to the crimes he was charged with. SJAC said Najib’s lawyer “lacked the capacity and willingness to meaningfully engage with the case or mount an adequate defense.”

___

Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut.

___

This story has been edited to correct that Bashar and Maher Assad fled to Russia following the collapse of their government in December 2024, not December 2014.

“Music is such a wonderful way for people to bond, for parents to bond. I know from the minute my kids were born, we’re singing to them,” Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, said.

Ms. Rachel launched her mega popular YouTube channel in 2019 with her husband, known online as Mr. Aron.

“I am a music educator, so I get excited about kids hearing a real clarinet on ‘Icky Sticky Bubble Gum’ and kids getting excited about hearing more real instruments,” said Ms. Rachel.

But that isn't the only education they'll get from the album. A song like “I Could Be Your Friend” gives kids a script for bolstering their social skills. “We’re always thinking about all kinds of kids, whether they have disabilities, whether they’re autistic,” she said. “We just want the world to feel like it’s helpful to all children and the musical worlds as well.”

The songs aren't limited by genre, either. Take the single “I Love a Rainbow” as an example: It's a big bossa nova number. Their take on the classic “Old McDonald” leans bluegrass.

“Music is at the heart of our show,” added Aron Accurso. “And so, we’ve always wanted to release the music and have families experience the music away from the screen.”

Big arrangements and simple songs

“I'm So Happy” was co-produced by Aron Accurso and Grammy winner Scott Riesett and principally arranged by Mr. Aron as well. Aron Accurso reimagined a number of Ms. Rachel's fan favorite songs and childhood classics with a team of 19 vocalists and 42 instrumentalists.

“It’s songs that people know from the show, but we decided to expand them and elevate them with new arrangements and reproducing them,” Aron Accurso explained. “It was a process of, you know, looking at them and saying, ‘OK, what else can we do to this to make it sparkle more? What can we add to it? What does it need to be on the album?’”

He says they most hope that the album will inspire “living room dance parties, because that’s what we love with our children,” he said. “We love to put on an album and dance around.”

An album next to advocacy

Ms. Rachel has made headlines over the last few years for using her social media platforms to advocate for global humanitarian crises, with particular attention given to the plight of children in Gaza and those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most recently, she shared comments about the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells in Mississippi, a case shadowed by the state’s fraught racial history and lingering distrust in law enforcement.

“We know the investigation and everything that followed would have been different if Nolan Wells were white and his friends were black. Nolan and his family deserve justice,” she wrote on Instagram.

Ms. Rachel says she knows her album may bring attention to her advocacy and vice versa. “I view myself as an advocate for children’s rights so anytime they’re being violated by anyone anywhere, I want to be speaking out,” she said. “I want families to be happy and safe and healthy, and I think that’s a wonderful thing. So, if it’s brought up with the album, that’s great.”

'I'm So Happy' Tracklist

1. “I’m So Happy” 2. “I Love a Rainbow” 3. “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” 4. “Phonics” 5. “Hop Little Bunnies” 6. “Caterpillar” 7. “Up and Down” 8. “Bubble Pop” 9. “Walkin’ at the Zoo” 10. “Open Shut Them” 11. “I Could Be Your Friend” 12. “I Listen to My Body” 13. “The Wheels on the Bus” 14. “Dino Play” 15. “Pop Those Bubbles” 16. “Old MacDonald” 17. “If You Should Meet an Elephant” 18. “Counting to 20!” 19. “B-I-N-G-O” 20. “Lobby Loo” 21. “Big Feelings” 22. “Together” 23. “I Love You to the Moon”

“One was in 2002 and the other passed away in 2009 and they were both 25,” she said. “One overdosed on OxyContin and the other one overdosed heroin after becoming addicted to heroin via OxyContin.”

Using a carnival merry-go-round as an allegory, “The Galloping Cure” opened Sunday at the Edinburgh International Festival, a haunting portrayal of the drug's destructive power that is among the most impactful of contemporary operas.

Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek created a charismatic charlatan, Lucky Mack (baritone Justin Austin), who arrives at the faded community Yourtown in a white double-breasted suit and matching cowboy hat, easing residents' chronic pain by offering free rides on six fiberglass horses to get people hooked.

He starts charging money during the town's yearlong descent — “dynamic pricing,” he calls it — then rents hobbyhorses until people go broke. He demands noses, hair, kneecaps and tongues as payments, body parts he will use to build more carousel horses. By the final notes, wasted bodies resemble a skid row.

“When he offers you the cure, he never tells you the price,” sings Dr. Theresa Hart (mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack), whose endorsement of Lucky Mack leads to the death of her daughter Noy (soprano Gabrielle Turgeon).

This was the first of two launches for Mazzoli in a 71-day span. She becomes the first woman composer with a premiere at New York's Metropolitan Opera with “ Lincoln in the Bardo” on Oct. 19, a tight gap comparable to when Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” and “La Traviata” debuted 46 days apart in 1853.

A 45-year-old New Yorker originally from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, Mazzoli met Vavrek in 2009. They have become the Rodgers and Hammerstein of 21st-century American opera, previously creating “Song from the Uproar” (2012), “Breaking the Waves” (2016), “Proving Up” (2018) and “The Listeners” (2022).

“Galloping” runs through Wednesday in Scotland, moves to Sweden’s Norrlands Opera from Sept. 12-23 and the San Francisco Opera in the fall of 2027.

A Franz Kafka work was the genesis

Vavrek, a 43-year-old Canadian who also lives in New York, won a Pulitzer Prize for Du Yun's “Angel’s Bone.” He and Mazzoli had long contemplated an opioids opera but made progress only after commissioning a treatment in 2022 from author Karen Russell.

“It wasn’t until we collaborated with Karen that we found a way in that wasn’t preachy or predictable,” Mazzoli said. “Coming at it via this weird fairy tale allows us to bring in all sorts of compassion and allows us see it in an unexpected way.”

Russell joined Mazzoli and Vavrek for a Zoom meeting to discuss ideas, when they settled on Franz Kafka’s “A Country Doctor” as a starting point.

“There’s sort of this floorless void of existential suffering,” Russell said. “And then there’s also physical agony. Different kinds of pain are represented in that story and it feels like a fever dream to me.”

Russell's treatment initially was called “The Devil's Miracle.” She was influenced by the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

“All of your daughters are going to starve unless you give me your youngest child, right?” she said. “It’s like the devil knows when to appear, and it’s often in the context of extreme desperation.”

Key meeting in Paris led to project’s green light

A breakthrough came in 2023, when Mazzoli and Vavrek’s earlier work, “Breaking the Waves” was performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris. It was co-produced by the former artistic director of the English National Opera, John Berry, and directed by Tom Morris, who would go on to direct “Galloping.”

Berry arranged for the creative trio to spend time at Hawkwood, a retreat at Stroud in the English Cotswolds, where they developed the thematic structure and Mazzoli wrote an initial melody. Around the same time, Mazzoli was finishing the composition of the second act of “Lincoln,” based on the George Saunders novel.

“I was working on them both concurrently, which I would not recommend to anyone,” Mazzoli said. “But you do what you have to do when these opportunities come up.”

A 2-hour, 15-minute work conducted by Stuart Stratford with one intermission, “Galloping” was composed for four primary characters. One of them, a pain-wracked old woman named Ivona Kowalski (soprano Susan Bullock), sings early on: “Life’s a joke and then you croak.”

Set designer Rebecca Ringst and lighting designer Lucy Carter used 120 vertical LEDs about 7 yards (6.5 meters) long that resembled needles and caused at times a hallucinatory effect. Mazzoli shifts themes to a darker register as addiction takes hold and the music turns to electronica by DJ Blume and Lorna Dune for teenagers’ raves, mixed into the Scottish Opera Orchestra.

There is a chorus of 14, singing sheep and a pair of dogs (hilariously portrayed by Catriona Hewitson and Edward Jowle), whose barks become words that Theresa understands as she becomes strung out.

“I’m really into finding that strange element that only works really for opera and some comic relief,” Vavrek said. “The dogs are funny. They’re silly.”

Set in a struggling town that could be anywhere

Lucky Mack similar to Harold Hill in Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” Sportin' Life in “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess” and Dr. Dulcamara in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love).” Morris called him a “grifter/magician/snake-oil salesman.”

“It’s the same kind of charismatic person that will sell you on anything,” Mack said. “From an outsider’s point of view, you can objectively say, `Oh, well, I would never do that.' But actually, would you never do it? You don’t know until you’re in a situation. This is not a piece that passes judgment on any of those things but rather asks a really big question about who’s at fault for these ills in society and what we do moving forward.”

The Post said Monday the operation was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat against Trump. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington from the annual gathering of NATO country leaders.

The Post cited material reviewed by the newspaper, a U.S. official familiar with the operation and another person with knowledge of the president’s travel. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the report.

Trump had flown to the summit in a new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet. But ahead of departing Turkey, he said he would fly partway home on an older-model baby blue Air Force One plane instead.

The president at the time said the new luxury jet was being flown out ahead of his departure from Ankara to give some U.S. troops based in eastern England a chance to check out the new Air Force One.

In Ankara, Trump boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras ahead of the plane flying to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom.

However, according to the Post report, after boarding the legacy Air Force One jet, he was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane — an Air Force C-32A — via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies. Trump flew to Mildenhall on that smaller jet.

The White House did not respond directly to questions about the Post report of the secret operation to whisk Trump out of the country on a third aircraft, or the reported elaborate ruse to make it appear he was on the baby blue Air Force One jet flying to Mildenhall.

“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.

The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment. The Air Force, which maintains the fleet of executive travel aircraft, referred questions to the White House.

There have been questions about the safety of the new Qatari-gifted plane

While Trump was in Turkey, the U.S. military conducted a series of large strikes in Iran in retaliation for its attacks on merchant shipping in the region.

The New York Times and CBS News reported last month that intelligence officials had raised concerns about a potential attack on the president or his jet, triggering additional precautions and the decision not to use the newly inaugurated aircraft gifted to Trump by Qatar for the first leg of Trump’s trip home from Ankara.

The swap had spurred questions about the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft, and Trump said last month after the trip that it would undergo additional upgrades.

Cheung on Monday maintained that the new, Qatari-gifted plane was “a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.”

The new Post report on clandestinely putting Trump on a third aircraft and quietly whisking him out of the country adds a fresh layer to just how seriously concerned U.S. security officials were about the threat against Trump during the ongoing war with Iran.

Paul Eckloff, a former special agent with the Secret Service, said such an unusual move could either reflect actionable intelligence or an abundance of caution given volatility in the region with the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

“I would not say unprecedented, but it is an unusual occurrence,” Eckloff told The Associated Press.

The Post reported that to exit that plane without being seen by those uninvolved in the operation, Trump and several aides stepped aboard an airport catering truck, which was elevated planeside using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One’s entrance.

The small group of reporters who thought they were traveling with Trump were advised to lower their window shades ahead of takeoff.

After arriving at Mildenhall, news photographers captured images of Trump getting off the presidential plane — suggesting he reboarded Air Force One out of sight of the pack of journalists who thought they were traveling with him.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional briefing on what happened.

“It is unprecedented and it is surreal,” he said Monday on CNN, calling the incident “downright scary.”

After the brief visit to the base at Mildenhall, Trump boarded the new Air Force One aircraft to fly the rest of the way to Washington.

During a gaggle with reporters aboard the aircraft, Trump was asked directly if there was any credible threats on Air Force One by Iran.

“Well, I have a threat all the time. I’m number one on their list before you,” Trump said. He added to the traveling reporters, “But if I go, you go.”

___

This story has been corrected to show Blumenthal called for a congressional briefing on what happened, not a congressional investigation.

___

AP writers Josh Boak, Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin contributed reporting.

The new class also includes Shawn Camp and Lee Thomas Miller, both elected in the contemporary songwriter category, and Bruce Channel as the veteran songwriter. They will be formally inducted during the 56th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala later this year.

Swift, the 14-time Grammy Award winning artist, is elected in the contemporary songwriter/artist category. She's known for writing many of her own hits since launching her career in Nashville as a preteen. Those include her country singles “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Love Story,” as well as her blockbuster pop hits “Blank Space,” “Anti-Hero,” and “Cruel Summer.” She became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June.

Lovett is elected in the veteran songwriter/artist category. He started his career in the folk scene before finding success for his clever lyricism and innovative country-Americana songs like “She's No Lady,” “Cowboy Man,” “Give Back My Heart,” “Why I Don’t Know,” “God Will” and more.

Camp began as a fiddle player for Shelby Lynne, Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood and others in the ’80s before becoming a hit songwriter. His credits include Garth Brooks’ “Two Piña Coladas,” Brooks & Dunn's “How Long Gone” and Willie Nelson’s “A Beautiful Time.”

Miller's hits include Terri Clark's “I Just Wanna Be Mad,” Trace Adkins' “You're Gonna Miss This,” Tim McGraw's “Nothin' To Die For” and “Southern Girl,” Chris Stapleton's “Whiskey And You” and many songs for Brad Paisley, including “The World.”

Texas talent Channel is perhaps best known for “Hey! Baby!” written in 1959 and recorded by José Feliciano, Ringo Starr, Conway Twitty, Anne Murray and DJ Ötzi; it may be most recognizable for its prominent placement in the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing.”

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame executive director Mark Ford made the announcement inside Belmont University’s R. Milton and Denice Johnson Center.

“This is always one of the most anticipated days on our calendar — the annual reveal of our incoming class,” Ford said in a statement. “We’re excited to once again add new names to a legendary list that began more than a half century ago.”

Most of the now-recalled cars were sold in the U.S. — where more than 508,000 model year 2025-2026 Camry Hybrids are affected.

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these vehicles are equipped with a 7-inch (17.8 centimeters) display combination meter that can become blank at startup. And beyond turn signals and hazard lights, certain warnings like seat belt reminders and “key left in ignition” buzzers may also not function as a result.

These display failures increase crash risks — both for drivers who may not be able to see telltale indicators and “the ability of other road users to recognize the driver’s intent to change direction or indicate a vehicle hazard,” the NHTSA warns.

Texas-based Toyota Motor North America — a subsidiary of the larger Japanese automaker — says it will notify all known owners of the affected Camrys to bring their vehicles into a certified dealer. To remedy the issue, those dealers will later provide a software update free of charge.

Owner letters are set to be mailed starting Sept. 21 in the U.S., and Toyota expects to complete those notifications by early October. In the meantime, customers can check the NHTSA's and Toyota's online recall lookups to see if their car is affected.

Toyota confirmed to The Associated Press via email Tuesday that its recall affects markets in North America, the Middle East, Asia and some countries in other regions. The company said the 655,000 vehicles impacted globally were produced between December 2023 and July 2026 — across three plants located in the U.S., Japan and Thailand.

For more information, customers can visit Toyota's website or contact customer support at 1-800-331-4331.

Now it's getting back to its roots.

In a conference call with investors Monday, the company behind Truth Social said it will be unwinding much of its expansion and doubling down on its original media business by selling a form of White House access, a move that has raised big ethical questions among Democrats and government watchdogs.

Donald Trump started Truth Social after he was kicked off Twitter and Facebook, but the two reinstated him more than three years ago, so the company has had to transform itself. Instead of a “free speech” forum, it now acts more like a “hear it here first” site, a second White House press office where people get scoops from the president on everything from the Iran war to tariffs to the future of the U.S. central bank.

But shares of the parent company, Trump Media & Technology, kept falling so it decided to become more than a media company, and branched into unrelated industries like online betting, finance, investment funds, buying and storing bitcoin and nuclear energy.

Now it's returning to its original mission, with a twist: It's offering a special new service that grants fast access to President Trump's posts for a fee.

The new business could double or triple revenue

In a conference call with investors, the company's new chief executive, Kevin McGurn, said it had already signed up several high speed trading firms, each paying between $60,000 and $100,000 a month.

“We’re in the early innings,” said McGurn, noting that the potential market included data center companies, news organizations and developers of large language models, not just traders, and he was talking to them all.

McGurn has rejected the idea that the new business is an ethics quagmire as good-government groups have said, noting that other social media companies provide a similar service. As for the White House, it denies conflicts even exist between Trump the president and Trump the businessman where his private interests may influence his public policy.

Traders on Wall Street can make big money if they get White House news faster and so are signing up — 10 in the week since the service began, which may seem like a tiny number but translates into a major boost for the company. The monthly customers collectively are paying as much as $7 million and $12 million annually — two to three times the revenue the company took in for all its businesses last year.

Trump Media needs the money — and a lot more.

It's lost more than $1 billion since the start of last year, and its earnings report released Monday for the three months ended June 30 showed relief is not on the horizon. It lost another $238 million, though much of that was due to paper losses from the plunging value of its bitcoin holdings.

Time is running out

The clock is ticking to fix the company.

Trump Media depends partly on outside funding, specifically $1 billion raised from lenders with a special agreement that allows them to get paid back early. They can demand the company buy back their convertible notes on Nov. 30, 18 months before the loans mature.

That cashout date is just after the November midterms, which could impact the company should Democrats get control of Congress. Several current members, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, say they will hold formal investigations of Trump's businesses, including Trump Media, should they take over.

A third deadline is farther out, but the most consequential — the end of Trump's presidency.

Trump is a big draw for the platform's users, but it's not clear how many will read his posts after he leaves office, much less why traders will pay as much $1.2 million a year for sneak peeks at his posts if he's no longer able to declare on the site that the Strait of Hormuz is open or that he's hiking tariffs on dozens of countries.

Would Vance in the White House help Truth Social?

The special, high-speed service, called Truth API, includes posts from other top posters on the site, but no one comes near the president in popularity. He has 13 million followers. The second biggest poster, his son, Donald Jr., has 7.5 million.

Other heavily followed posters include Trump administration members who also may fall in popularity once out of office, including FBI director Kash Patel and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A wild card is JD Vance, who will be out of his vice presidential job in 2028 but, if he runs for president and wins, may continue to post on the site where he has five million followers.

The other business line that McGurn is choosing to hold onto is nuclear fusion, a technology still not commercially available but that is getting a big boost by the current administration.

The U.S. government has a helping hand

In June, the U.S. Department of Energy released a “road map” committing to government funding to speed the development of nuclear fusion as a national priority and calling for public-private partnerships.

Despite the help, investors still aren't convinced Trump Media has a rosy future.

After closing at about $62 shortly after it went public in 2024, the stock has plunged into the single digits, wiping out billions in stock market value.

On Tuesday, shares of Trump Media fell about 3.3% to $9.08.

Carrington came from behind and hit the Fever's Sophie Cunningham in the head and neck on a fast-break layup, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul.

Carrington is Black and Cunningham is white. After Carrington was ejected, she posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever.

Responding to a clip of former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho criticizing her reaction, Carrington posted on X on Monday that she “never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege.”

“Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych. Furthermore, I’m the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on ‘white privilege’, do ya research on that one,” Carrington wrote. "I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject.

“I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it.”

The 28-year-old Carrington played for Stanford for four years before spending her final season of college ball at Baylor. She majored in psychology and African and African American studies at Stanford.

There has been no word from the WNBA on any additional punishment for Carrington for the hard foul. The Sky lost 97-88 to the Seattle Storm on Monday night. Carrington came off the bench, played 27 minutes and scored a career-high 26 points.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Here’s a list of back-to-school giveaways across Metro Detroit:

Aug. 7

• City of Southfield, 26000 Evergreen Rd, Southfield, MI 48037 - Free Backpacks w/School Supplies, Food, Games, Music, Giveaways, K-12 (4-7 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 26310 Eastgate Blvd, Roseville, MI 48066 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More (3 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 19620 Middlebelt Rd, Livonia, MI 48152 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3PM)
• Center of Family Development, 2995 E Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202 - Backpack giveaway, Free Diapers, Family Immunizations (12-4 PM)
• Back-to-school fair in Southfield
• • Where: Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Rd. in Southfield
  • What: The Southfield Public Schools is holding its annual back-to-school fair, where there will be free backpacks and school supplies, entertainment, food, prizes, and more. For more information, email communications@southfieldk12.org.

Aug. 8

• Abundant Life Church, 29863 Dawson St, Garden City, MI 48135 - Free Backpacks & School Supplies, Food, Family Fun, Bounce House, Face Painting, Community Resources (2- 5 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 34873 Ford Rd, Westland, MI 48185 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Detroit Police Dept 11187 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48213 - Free Backpack w/School Supplies, Food, Music, Bounce Houses. (12- 4 PM)
• 12-4 PM -- Tuff Elites Back to School, Heilmann Community Center, 19601 Crusade St, Detroit, MI 48205

Aug. 9

• Greater Missionary Church, 2533 Carpenter, Detroit, MI 48212 - Free Backpacks/School Supplies, Dental Services, Food, Community Resources, Bounce Houses, Fun (1-4:30 PM)

Aug. 10

• Em Urgent Care 8030 N Middlebelt Rd, Westland, MI 48185 - Free School Supplies, Bounce Houses, Food Trucks, Giveaways (3:30-7 PM)

Aug. 11

• Greater Grace Temple, 23500 W. Seven Mile, Detroit, MI 48219 - All Free: Backpacks, School Supplies, Eye Exams, Glasses, Dental Care, Shots, Physicals, Zoo, Bike Helmets, Bike giveaway, Community Resources (11 AM- 2 PM)
• MI Dept Human Services, 4733 Conner, Detroit, MI 48210 - School Supplies Giveaway RSVP: (313) 926-8343 Mrs. Thurman (9 AM-1 PM)
• 4–6 PM -- Backpacks & Beats 2026
• • 400 Martin Luther King Jr. St. SE
  • Grand Rapids, MI 49503
  • Free school supplies while supplies last, including backpacks, notebooks, crayons, markers, colored pencils, dry erase markers, highlighters, pencils, pens, folders, scissors, calculators, sticky notes and glue sticks. Also includes a bounce house, hot dogs, ice cream, and community resources including healthcare, education, and food security information. Weather permitting.

Aug. 13

• Boost Mobile, 7451 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48213 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 19085 Eureka Rd, Southgate, MI 48195 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)

Aug. 14

• Boost Mobile, 9169 Telegraph Rd, Redford, MI 48239 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 19100 Van Dyke Detroit, MI 48234 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More (3 PM)
• Kemeny Rec. Center, 2260 S. Fort St, Detroit, MI 48217 - Free Backpacks w/School Supplies, Lunch, Community Resources, Bounce Houses, Music, Face painting (12- 4 PM)
• New Era Detroit Back to School Event
• • 2-5PM
  • 19010 Schoolcraft Detroit, MI 48223
  • Free Uniform Giveaway (Child must be present)

Aug. 15

• Boost Mobile, 352 N Telegraph Rd, Pontiac, MI 48341 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 22844 John R. Rd, Hazel Park, MI 48030 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Boost Mobile, 6042 Rawsonville Rd, Belleville, MI 48111 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• John F. Kennedy, Jr. Library, 24602 Van Born Rd, Dearborn Heights, MI 48125 -Backpacks with school supplies K-12 (11 AM)
• Levagood Park 801 N. Denwood St., Dearborn, MI 48128 - Backpack w/School Supplies, w/Ice Cream - Free Backpacks. (12- 2 PM)
• Douglas Ramsay Park, 14800 Longacre St, Detroit, MI 48227 - Free Backpacks w/ School Supplies, Free Books. Vendors Welcomed. (10 AM-1 PM)
• Magical Touch Quick Lube, 10700 Seven Mile W, Detroit, MI 48221 - Free Backpacks, Food, drinks, DJ (12-4 PM)
• Unity Baptist Church, 7500 Tireman Ave, Detroit, MI 48204 - Free Backpack w/School Supplies (11 AM- 2 PM)
• Beechwood Center, 421 Beechwood St., River Rouge, MI 48218 - Free Backpacks w/ School Supplies, Tacos, Pizza, DJ (2- 5 PM)
• 2-4 PM -- Back-to-school giveaway in Detroit
• • Where: 10700 W. Seven Mile Rd. in Detroit
  • What: The Peace Over Pistols event will provide 400 free backpacks for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Children must be present at the event to receive a bag.
  • The event will also include a DJ, popcorn, cotton candy, and hot dogs. For more information or to donate school supplies, call 313-658-4391.
• 10 AM – 2 PM
• • Where: 12227 Findlay Ave. in Detroit
  • What: The Refuge Temple Cathedral of His Glory Church of God in Christ will host a free community day featuring free backpacks and school items distributed (while supplies last), free food, music, bounce houses, face painting, immunizations, a gaming truck, and more. For more information or to make donations, call 248-508-2182.
• 19493 Joann Detroit, MI 48205
• • What: Back-to-school event with bounce house, food & drinks, live DJ & music, and fun games. Giveaways and more.
  • Contact: 214-899-3100
• Peace Over Pistols Back 2 School Event
• • 12-4PM
  • 10700 W. 7 Mile/Meyers Detroit, MI 48221
  • Free Backpacks, Food, Music
• Purpose Driven Cares Back to School Even
• • 12PM-6PM
  • Calimera Park 19493 Joann Detroit, MI 48205
  • Food & Drinks, Music, Games, Giveaways

Aug. 16

• Penn-Vassar Park 3600 Pardee St., Dearborn, MI 48124 - Backpack w/School Supplies, w/Ice Cream - 125 Backpacks given away (12-2 PM)

Aug. 18

• Xfinity’s Back to School Giveaway for Local Families
• • 10AM-7PM
  • Xfinity Store 2911 Preyde Blvd, Ste 14 Lansing, MI 48912
  • Free Backpacks with school supplies, Tablet Raffle, Bike Raffle, Community Resources
  • Has to be within 20 miles of Lansing

Aug. 20

• Boost Mobile, 12042 E 10 Mile Rd, Warren, MI 48089 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Joseph Center, 8431 Rosa Parks, Detroit, MI - Backpacks w/School Supplies, Free Food, Haircuts, Braiding, Kids Zone, Health Screenings, Community Resources (2-6 PM)

Aug. 21

• Admire Dental 13219 Eureka Rd, Southgate, MI 48195 - Free Backpacks w/School Supplies (3 PM)

Aug. 22

• Boost Mobile, 866 Dix Hwy, Lincoln Park, MI 48146 - Free Backpack, Food, Giveaways, More! (3 PM)
• Schoolcraft Browns, 12416 Indiana Street, Detroit, MI 48204 - Free Backpack 1st 100 People (2 PM)
• Freedom Missionary Church 2228 Lakeview St, Detroit, MI 48215 (Watch) - All Free: Backpacks, school supplies, Face painting, food, haircuts, bounce house, & more! (1-4 PM)
• True Love Christian Ministries 6138 East Nevada St. Detroit, MI 48234 - Free: Food, Backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, community resources, bounce houses, activities Volunteers Welcomed, RSVP: Impact Detroit Youth
• Community Hub’s 3rd Annual Back-to-School Event Tickets, Saturday, August 22 • 1 PM - 5 PM | Eventbrite (1-5 PM)
• Taylor Christian Church, 11425 Telegraph Rd, Taylor, MI 48180 - Free backpacks, school supplies, face painting, giveaways, haircuts and inflatables (11 AM)
• Sweet Living Towers, 15400 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48227 - All Free: Backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, hair styles, braids, nails, skin care, food, community resources, uniforms, health screenings, Kid Zone, Music & More (12-4 PM)
• Aiyanah’s Gift Annual Back to School Rally
• • 3PM
  • 3801 Martin Luther King Ave Flint, MI 48505
  • Free Backpacks with school supplies, Food, Games, Raffles, Face Painting, Bounce Houses
• Groomsday Back to School Drive
• • 12-4PM
  • Sweet Living Towers 15400 Grand River Detroit, MI 48227
  • All Free: Backpacks, Uniforms, School Supplies, Community Resources, Haircuts, Braids, Gift Cards and more!

Aug. 23

• Royal Party Store 20520 Lahser Rd, Detroit, MI 48219 - Free Backpacks w/School
• Supplies, Haircuts, Braiding, Food, Community Resources, Bounce Houses, more! (2- 7 PM)
• Faith Church 894 E Huron River Dr, Belleville, MI 48111 - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -Free Backpacks & School Supplies, Food, Hygiene Kits, K-12 (11 AM-1 PM)
• Tax Reliant 25755 W 8 Mile Rd, Redford Township, MI 48240 - Free School Supplies, Refreshments, Games. Activities, Giveaways (12- 3 PM)
• Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, 4454 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201
• Free Backpacks w/School Supplies, Clothing Swap, Free books, Crafts, community resources (1-3 PM) www.facebook.com/groups/michiganfreebies
• 2nd Annual Back 2 School Drive
• • 2-7PM
  • Royal Party Store 20420 Lahser Rd. Detroit, MI 48219
  • Free Backpacks, School Supplies, Haircuts, Braiders, Food, Bounce Houses, Giveaways and more!

Aug. 25

• WCCCD Back to School Rally
• • 11AM-2PM
  • Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center 19305 Vernier Rd. Harper Woods, MI 48225
  • Free Backpacks and School Supplies, Youth and Parent Workshops, Vendors, Community Resources and more!

Aug. 26

• WCCCD Back to School Rally
• • 11AM-2PM
  • Downriver Campus 21000 Northline Rd. Taylor, MI 48180
  • Free Backpacks and School Supplies, Youth and Parent Workshops, Vendors, Community Resources and more!

Aug. 27

• WCCCD Back to School Rally
• • 11AM-2PM
  • Northwest Campus 8200 W. Outer Dr. Detroit, MI 48219
  • Free Backpacks and School Supplies, Youth and Parent Workshops, Vendors, Community Resources and more!

Aug. 29

• Day of Dignity Drive-Thru Community Distribution
• • 12-5PM
  • Islamic Center of Detroit 14350 Tireman Ave, Detroit, MI 48228
  • All Free (ID Required): School Kits & Backpacks, Winter Jackets, Hygiene Kits, Hot Meals, Family Essentials, Health Services provided by ICD Staff, Gifts, Balloon Twisters

Aug. 30

• The Movement Stop the Violence 14^th Annual Back to School Giveaway and Resource Fair
• • 2-6PM
  • On The Go Barbershop 10230 Fenkell Ave. Detroit, MI 48238
  • All Free: Backpacks with school supplies, Access to Financial Resources, Health and Wellness Information, Educational Support Services, Community Programs, Haircuts for Students, Free Lunch for Kids, Petting Zoo and more!
• Detroit Heals Detroit Back to School Bash
• • 2-6PM
  • The Healing Hub 19510 Alcoy Detroit, MI 48205
  • Free Uniforms, Free Shoes, School Supplies, Food, Fun
• Detroit Highwaymen Backpack Drive
• • 12-3PM
  • 4746 Gratiot Ave. Kimball, MI 48074
  • All Free: Backpacks, Haircuts, Fingernail Painting, Finger Foods

Green Lantern is the winner of this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best pizza (all types) in Metro Detroit.

Here are the results for the top five:

1. Green Lantern.
2. Toarmina’s Pizza.
3. Mootz Pizzeria & Bar in Detroit.
4. Alibi of Troy.
5. Square One Pizzeria in Mt. Clemens.

Congrats to all of our finalists.

This year’s Vote 4 The Best received more than 163,000 votes during the finalist phase, with Metro Detroiters supporting their favorite restaurants, venues, and local businesses in 80 different categories.

Our winner reveal begins Monday, Aug. 10.

Click here to view a full list of this year’s Vote 4 The Best winners as they are announced.

Methodology

Fans nominated their favorite businesses from June 1 through June 14 -- one nomination in each category per person.

After the nomination period closed on June 14, we announced the finalists for each category at the end of the week -- on June 19.

Voting on finalists opened June 22 during our Ford Fireworks special. Fans voted in each category once per day until voting ended on July 20.

Winners are announced from Aug 10 through Aug. 21.

Click here to read the official Vote 4 The Best rules.

Thanks to our Vote 4 The Best sponsor, Wallside Windows!

Have a question? Email us at clickondetroit@wdiv.com , and we’ll get you an answer.

The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different single-disease shots and administering all childhood immunizations at separate appointments whenever possible. It also directs the nation's health department to improve research on vaccines, which are already extensively studied, and present a plan to offer separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines for children, since that is not currently an option in the United States.

The renewed focus on vaccines marks a departure from the Trump administration’s recent efforts to emphasize less controversial health policies related to healthy eating, drug price negotiations and medical fraud crackdowns ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit. Childhood vaccines — and how and when to give them in combination — go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.

Trump called the announcement a “major victory for parents rights, religious and constitutional rights, and for the gold standard science.”

Speaking about the order at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump repeatedly suggested the number or timing of vaccines could play a role in rising rates of autism spectrum disorder, even as scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link. The order also includes several changes to the childhood vaccine schedule that his health department has already attempted, but that have been blocked by a federal judge. A White House official who insisted on anonymity to brief reporters said Trump was within his right to provide his own recommendation through the executive order and said the lawsuit blocking the health department's schedule was a separate issue.

Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the announcement spreads uncertainty, fear and confusion where “there doesn't need to be any of that.” He disputed Trump's recommendations and said previous ones should stand.

“Science about vaccines and their efficacy has not changed,” he said. “The distribution of viruses and other pathogens in our environment has not changed. Children in this country have not changed in the last 48 hours."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chair of the Senate health committee, slammed the executive order in a social media post, saying vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.

“I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong,” the Louisiana senator wrote. “The President does not have the expertise to make these changes.”

Who is in charge of vaccine policy?

Even as the order calls for revised vaccine recommendations, states, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. The order advises states with school vaccine mandates to consider updating their laws to reflect the administration's preferred schedule, according to a White House fact sheet.

Last December, Trump ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising U.S. guidance accordingly. The department responded by cutting the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, a move that has since been blocked in court.

Changes to federal childhood vaccine recommendations customarily require approval from the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The newly Senate-confirmed CDC director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, oversaw policies promoting vaccination of service members while in a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

However, public health law expert Lawrence Gostin at Georgetown University said the Supreme Court's interpretation of Trump's power may allow him to supersede Schwartz if she does not agree to new recommendations.

“This is clearly the first test for Dr. Erica Schwartz,” Gostin said in an email. “The President is placing her in an untenable position.”

Asked on a call with reporters why the president was advocating splitting MMR into three single-disease vaccines, the White House official did not provide any studies supporting the decision. They said that was Trump's long-held view and that some countries provide individual measles vaccines in certain circumstances.

Kush Desai, a Trump spokesperson, told The Associated Press that the president is “one of countless parents who have voiced questions and concerns about the combined MMR vaccine" and said the plan to develop single-disease vaccines would “give parents more options on timing and frequency for their children,” ultimately increasing vaccine uptake.

Studies of babies and toddlers in the U.S. have shown that the use of combination shots for childhood vaccines, rather than single ones, increased the likelihood of completing all recommended vaccinations by the age of 2.

Announcement follows other Trump administration vaccine actions

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist before he entered politics, set out to overhaul immunization guidance at HHS in the first year of Trump’s term. He fired an entire 17-member vaccine advisory committee, installing replacements who made far more restrictive recommendations that have since been halted by a federal judge. He also personally directed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism, without supplying any new evidence to support the change.

Throughout his second term, Trump has been fixated on connecting autism to vaccines. He has recently ramped up pressure on Kennedy to identify the cause of autism, something Kennedy had pledged to do with new research unveiled last year. Trump publicly prodded the health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month.

“How are you doing on the autism research?” Trump asked.

“We will have an answer for you,” Kennedy said.

Scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between childhood vaccines and autism. Racine reiterated that point on Monday, noting that the potential link had been studied in “over 40 methodologically well-designed studies in over seven countries involving over 5 million children.”

“I'm not sure that there is anything that has been as thoroughly looked at as this question," he said. “And the answer is unequivocally no."

In the Oval Office, Kennedy repeated his assertion that he believes an unknown environmental factor is to blame for rising autism diagnoses and said that his department will deliver research findings “as soon as they are ready.”

Monday's order comes as students are returning to classrooms around the country and the nation contends with a measles outbreak that experts say could result in the U.S. losing its measles elimination status.

Doctors have raised concerns that Trump's falsehoods on vaccines could stoke vaccine hesitancy. Federal data shows U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have been dropping, with the share of children with exemptions rising to an all-time high in the 2024-25 school year.

___

This story was first published on Aug. 10, 2026. It was published again on Aug. 11, 2026, to correct the name of the agency where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. set out to overhaul immunization guidance. The agency was HHS, not DHS.

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Associated Press writers Laura Ungar and Mike Stobbe contributed to this report. Swenson reported from New York.

Ann Arbor is now doing something about that.

The City Council just approved two new programs that will work together. The first is called Sprout—it’s a mental health response team. No police, just trained clinicians who show up at low-risk calls like welfare checks or homelessness concerns. Situations where someone just needs a little help.

The second one is called Co-Response A2 Reach. It pairs a police officer with a mental health clinician. Together, they are in the same police car. They handle more difficult calls, but ones that still need a different approach, like someone in a mental health crisis, a suicide threat, or a substance use emergency. Situations where you need both mental health help and a police officer.

The whole idea is pretty straightforward: match the response to the situation. If it is a mental health call, send a mental health professional. If it is a safety threat, send both. That way, police can stay focused on crime, and people in crisis can get the help they need.

Ann Arbor City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. and Police Chief Andre Anderson joined Local 4 Live to talk about the new programs.

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

Trump's administration is hoping that months of bombing have pushed Iran’s economy to a breaking point that will force its leadership to cave to demands to end its nuclear program and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

The Republican president on Monday said that since Iran is seeking compensation as part of any peace talks, he now intends to demand the same for the U.S. side. It's part of a larger pivot this weekend by Trump to argue that Iran is now on the cusp of financially collapsing, even though it has already endured decades of financial sanctions, which are often a longer-term strategy rather than an immediate tool of warfare that can halt a conflict.

The shift comes as U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have dwindled and as stop-start talks seem again to have stalled. But Trump insists the pressure can lead to a breakthrough.

“Yeah, they can make trouble, but they’re broke,” Trump told reporters. “They have no money. You know, Iran is broke, totally broke. And, they’re not paying their soldiers. They have inflation of 300%.”

Inflation is running high in Iran, although Trump's estimates were higher than what administration officials have been citing to reporters. But the prospect of a longer war also carries inflation risks for other nations, including the U.S., where the war and higher gasoline prices are unpopular.

Crude oil prices climbed on Monday as investors interpreted Trump’s comments as a sign that fewer ships would be traversing the Strait of Hormuz, continuing to limit global supplies of gasoline, jet fuel, natural gas and other forms of energy. The Iran war largely closed the waterway involved in shipping roughly 20% of global oil supplies before the conflict — and attempts to reopen the strait have been short-lived as it has become a source of leverage for the Iranians in negotiations.

Iran does not appear to be publicly intimidated by the prospect of more financial sanctions.

“Whenever Washington proves itself incapable of pursuing diplomacy, it retreats into sanctions; and whenever those sanctions fail to produce results, it simply increases the dose,” said Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, on social media. “The real risk is that American politicians, clinging to this bad habit, will instead strangle their own remaining chances of a less humiliating exit from a crisis of their own making.”

The White House has called this Operation Economic Fury

The president didn’t say what additional financial pressure would be applied, but the administration has since April 16 been engaged in what it calls Operation Economic Fury against Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called this component the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign as the countries that buy oil from Iran or bank with it could be sanctioned.

But one problem with this pivot is that the sanctions are unable to bite as quickly as the impact of the largely shuttered strait, said Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University who helped direct Iran sanctions strategy in the Obama administration.

Nephew stressed that the value of sanctions as a tool is limited because Trump has not articulated clear strategic goals for the war, at times stressing that it can't have a nuclear weapon, then emphasizing the strait and then talking about ballistic missiles. Instead, Trump has engaged in a massive series of aerial assaults and a level of destruction that has not produced the quick end that he initially promised.

“Economic pressure is a possible element in his strategy, but he’s yet to explain the purpose,” Nephew said. “Trump has systematically weakened his own hand through his inadequate use of force, inarticulate elucidation of an objective, and vacillation on negotiations.”

Still, the sanctions and the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports give the U.S. economic and financial leverage, said Juan Zarate, a deputy national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration. Zarate said the U.S. sanctions threatening third-party countries doing business with Iran also have an impact. But these things take time, he noted.

“The ultimate question will be how far the United States is willing to go to constrict Iran’s oil trade and threaten third countries with severe sanctions -- and whether it has the patience to test whether the economic pain will change the regime’s behavior,” Zarate said.

Past presidents used sanctions. Trump has said they didn't go far enough

Trump's latest pivot to economic issues with Iran is something of a flip-flop. Trump has long derided past presidents who used sanctions to limit Iran’s economic ability to pay for its military and nuclear development. In a speech last week in Las Vegas, he defended the bombing, missiles and drone attacks that began on Feb. 28 by indicating that the sanctions from previous administrations that date back to November 1979 had failed to succeed.

“It’s been 47 years, but really, it’s been 50 years because they’ve been saying 47 for three years, it’s been 50 years,” Trump said. “And no other president has done what you should have done a long time ago, because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, can’t have it.”

The Iranian economy has suffered gravely because of the war, with the International Monetary Fund estimating the overall economy shrinks by 5.4% and the Iranian government recently reporting an annual inflation rate of 88.6%. The U.S. Treasury Department said average loadings of Iranian oil have decreased from 1.8 million barrels per day before the war to less than 500,000 barrels per day over the past month.

The U.S. economy — the world’s largest — has continued to grow, but inflation is elevated and borrowing costs have risen in ways that have hurt Trump’s popularity and led to disapproval of the Iran war.

A senior U.S. official, insisting on anonymity to discuss strategy, said the U.S. military has set back Iran’s ability to produce, sell and ship oil and other energy resources. The administration sees the naval blockade of the strait and sanctions as effective and views Trump as having additional options that can be cranked harder in the weeks and months ahead.

Trump is essentially arguing that U.S. voters are better able to tolerate any economic inconveniences than Iranians, who have been in a state of economic hardship for years.

“It’s not just what the military can do — we’ve got the most powerful economy in the world as well," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday in a joint appearance with Bessent. "And when you’ve got a motivated treasury secretary who can pull a lot of levers because he knows how to do it, you can put a lot of pressure on adversaries.”

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AP White House reporter Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

James' arrival in Philadelphia has made the 76ers must-see TV, and they are all over the NBA's biggest days of the season.

James will make his 76ers debut against the NBA champion Knicks on Oct. 20. The game at Madison Square Garden will be part of a tripleheader, when the Knicks raise a banner to celebrate their first championship since 1973 and James then kicks off the final stop in his career.

He will return to LA to face the Lakers on Christmas, after Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are back in New York for an NBA Finals rematch to open a five-game schedule.

The NBA unveiled those games Tuesday as what it called a “sneak peek” at the 2026-27 schedule. The full schedule will be released Thursday.

The season begins with the Boston Celtics visiting Detroit in a rare 3 p.m. EDT start for a midweek game. The tripleheader is capped by the Spurs hosting Oklahoma City in a rematch of the Western Conference finals.

Those three games — opening night traditionally has featured two in recent years — will all be televised by NBC. ESPN then has all five games on Christmas.

That schedule: San Antonio at New York, Miami at Boston, Philadelphia at Los Angeles, Oklahoma City at Minnesota and Denver at Golden State.

James’ new team was always going to have a prominent place on the schedule, so the NBA struggled to put the puzzle together while waiting for his decision. Commissioner Adam Silver even said last month that he wanted James to announce his decision because teams and networks were calling to ask when the schedule would be completed.

The NBA's career scoring leader said it would be the Sixers about a week later, joining a team that already had acquired All-Star Jaylen Brown from Boston and is expected to be one of the top challengers for the Knicks' title.

James will play his first home game in Philadelphia on Oct. 22 against Cleveland, one of his former teams that hoped to get the 41-year-old Ohio native back for a third time. That will be part of an ESPN doubleheader preceding Denver visiting Oklahoma City.

Minnesota visits Miami to highlight the schedule on Oct. 21, when most teams will open their seasons. The Heat acquired two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee — and tried to bring James back as well — and the Timberwolves traded for flashy point guard LaMelo Ball. Golden State then faces the Lakers to cap that ESPN doubleheader.

The Spurs are also a top draw now behind Wembanyama, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year who helped San Antonio win Game 7 of the West finals in Oklahoma City to end the Thunder's title reign.

This will be his second time playing at Madison Square Garden on Christmas, after he delivered a massive 42-point, 18-rebound performance in 2024 in a loss in his first time playing on the holiday. This matchup will be his first time back on the court in New York since the Knicks set an NBA Finals record by rallying from 29 points down for a 107-106 victory in Game 4. They won the title in San Antonio in the next game.

San Antonio will face Houston and former Longhorns star Kevin Durant in a game at the University of Texas on Oct. 23 airing on Prime Video, the back of a doubleheader starting with the Knicks at the Celtics.

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

This week, two celestial treats are lighting up, or rather dimming, the sky.

First, we are heading to Iceland, where Wednesday afternoon the moon will slide between the Earth and the sun. In some parts of the world—like Greenland, Iceland, and Spain—the sun will be completely blocked. It’s a total eclipse, but not of the heart—just total darkness in the middle of the day.

For Spain, this is the first time that has happened since 1905, so more than 120 years. Here in Michigan, we get a partial eclipse, but not really. Part of the sun will get covered, but Sault Ste. Marie will see about seven percent of the sun covered. Detroit, just three percent. Not huge, but still worth seeing.

But what we’re really looking forward to is what happens the following night. That’s when the Perseid meteor shower peaks.

Now, what’s a meteor shower? Well, every year, Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by a comet. Those tiny pieces hit our atmosphere, heat up, and light up the sky. Under perfect conditions, you could see up to a hundred meteors an hour, and the best part? You do not need a telescope.

Buddy Stark, the planetarium manager at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, joined Local 4 Live to walk us all through it.

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

We are not talking about one day anymore. This is five days, six locations all across Detroit, and every bit of it free.

So how did this all begin?

We have to go back 41 years to a man named Edward Deeb. He had a simple but powerful idea -- What if Detroit stopped everything and threw the biggest celebration in the city just for its kids?

He made it happen, and it never stopped.

Over four decades, more than two and a half million kids have been part of Metro Detroit Youth Day.

More than 2,300 college scholarships have been handed out, and generations of Detroit kids have grown up with this event as part of their story.

Now, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit are bringing it back in a big way. Five days, six locations, all across the city -- all free.

We are talking Belle Isle, Eastern Market, the Joe Louis Greenway, Michigan Central, Ralph C. Wilson Park, and more. And everything is there for the kids: sports, wellness, music, technology, arts, and leadership.

Addison Mauck, the program manager with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, one of the key partners making this week happen, joined Local 4 Live.

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

Unc’s Pizza, located at 1133 Griswold Street, officially opens for business on Tuesday on the first floor of the historic Detroit & Northern Building.

A collaboration from Dime Store owners Larry Kahn, Ann-Marie Murphy and Jeff Alexander, and Tony Sacco of Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, the restaurant will offer up traditional fare like mozzarella sticks, chicken wings and tenders alongside it’s pizza offerings, while also leaving room for “creative license.”

“There’s incredible pride in Detroit-style pizza and demand for a place that really celebrates it,” said Sacco. “We took our time getting it right while having some fun.”

The eatery was named in honor of Kahn’s Uncle Paul, a World War II veteran and longtime Detroit Edison employee who Kahn says embodied the warm, neighborly spirit that inspired the concept.

“We wanted to create the neighborhood pizza place we all wish still existed,” Kahn said. “The kind of place where everyone feels welcome, families stay awhile and another chair is pulled up to the table.”

The 7,300-square-foot space was rehabilitated by Detroit-based RKP Group, featuring a nostalgic interior with 80 indoor seats and an outdoor patio that seats 50. Executive chefs Andrew Shedden and Josh Taylor will lead the kitchen.

Unc’s Pizza will be open Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight.

For more information, visit uncspizza.com.

The cases span from Indigenous land rights, recent rollbacks on environmental safeguards and infrastructure projects. Despite their differences, they share a common path to the court.

In recent years, a mostly conservative Congress approved measures that environmentalists say violate constitutional rights. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose administration has pursued a more environmentally focused agenda, vetoed some measures outright and parts of others.

But lawmakers overrode those objections, and the disputes ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which environmental advocates increasingly view as the last line of defense against the weakening of environmental protections in Brazil.

The cases illustrate the constraints facing the Lula administration. Despite notable achievements in reducing deforestation and directing resources to foster ecological investments, the government has often struggled to counter a conservative Congress where agribusiness interests wield significant influence.

“The government is very weak in the legislative arena," said Suely Araújo, a policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, a network of environmental nonprofits. "It often opposes anti-environmental bills, but it lacks the political strength to persuade Congress to vote with it.”

Agribusiness holds considerable sway in Congress

The Lula administration is not only outnumbered in Congress, but also has less leverage to negotiate than previous Brazilian governments. In recent years, lawmakers have gained greater control over the federal budget, a key tool of political bargaining.

Agribusiness, one of Brazil’s most powerful economic sectors, also holds a majority in Congress and has pushed through measures that weaken environmental protections. As a result, the Supreme Court has emerged as a check on Congress, helping preserve parts of Lula’s environmental agenda when lawmakers push in the opposite direction.

The office of the president's chief of staff, which coordinates the government’s relations with Congress, said in a statement to The Associated Press it would not comment on cases pending before the Supreme Court.

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of soybeans and beef. While most Brazilian beef is consumed domestically, most soybeans are exported. From January through July 2026, China, Brazil's largest trading partner, bought 50% of its beef exports and 70% of its soybean exports, according to official trade data.

The expansion of Brazil’s agricultural frontier, particularly for cattle ranching and soybean production, is the country’s leading cause of deforestation, much of it in the Amazon.

The Parliamentary Agricultural Front did not respond to a request for comment. Agribusiness groups have long said they oppose illegal deforestation and point to increased agricultural productivity even as forest clearing has declined.

Protecting the rainforest is critical to tackling climate change. The Amazon helps regulate climate and rainfall patterns and stores vast amounts of carbon that, if released, could further accelerate global warming.

Shaping the future of Indigenous lands

On Friday, Brazil’s Supreme Court began reviewing final motions seeking clarification of a 2025 ruling that rejected the “time limit” thesis, a legal theory backed by the agribusiness caucus that would restrict Indigenous land claims to territories they occupied or were under legal dispute when the Constitution took effect on Oct. 5, 1988.

Supporters say the cutoff provides legal certainty for landowners. Indigenous groups argue it disregards decades of expulsions and forced displacement, particularly during Brazil’s agricultural expansion in the 20th century.

The justices are considering motions filed by the government, political parties, farmers and Indigenous organizations, with votes due by Aug. 18. Among other issues, they are expected to address compensation rules and possible deadlines for completing Indigenous land demarcations.

Ricardo Terena, a lawyer with the advocacy organization Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, said some of the proposals could effectively stall future demarcations by adding administrative hurdles and broadening compensation rights for non-Indigenous occupants, allowing them to remain on disputed land until payment is made.

The Kawahiva Indigenous people, who remain isolated and uncontacted in the Amazon, is one of the many communities who may be affected by the proceedings. Authorities confirmed their presence in Mato Grosso state in 1999, but only completed the physical demarcation of their territory, mapping it out earlier this month.

According to the nonprofit Survival International, the remaining Kawahiva are nomadic hunter-gatherers who survived attacks and disease and continue to avoid contact with outsiders.

2 other cases that could reshape Amazon governance

On Wednesday, Brazil's top court is also scheduled to consider two other significant sets of cases: state laws that led to the end of the soy moratorium and a new environmental license law that fast-tracked approval of strategic infrastructure projects.

In January, major grain traders withdrew from the soy moratorium, a nearly 20-year-old pact credited with reducing Amazon deforestation by barring soy grown on cleared land. The agreement collapsed after top soy-producing states passed bills revoking tax benefits for participating companies. Justice Flávio Dino issued an injunction temporarily halting the state legislation, and the full court is now set to review his order.

Also on Wednesday, the court is expected to consider a challenge to the new environmental licensing law that took effect in February. The law fast-tracks permits for projects with significant impact, including mines, highways, and industrial plants.

Araújo of the Climate Observatory said she expects the Supreme Court to strike down at least what environmentalists consider the law's most clearly unconstitutional provisions, including those allowing self-licensing for projects with moderate environmental impacts. She added the law is already having tangible consequences in the Amazon, citing the paving of a controversial highway and plans to dredge a major river without adequate prior environmental review.

The environment ministry has defended the soy moratorium, saying it helped reduce Amazon deforestation even as Brazil expanded production. On the environmental licensing law, the ministry said the government had sought to veto provisions it considered problematic and remained concerned about maintaining minimum national standards.

“Brazil needs an environmental licensing system that is more efficient, predictable, technically robust and capable of addressing the challenges of an economy that must expand infrastructure investment while confronting climate change and biodiversity loss,” the ministry said.

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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.

More than 163,000 votes were cast this year during the finalist portion of Vote 4 The Best.

Voting was open for nearly a month, and now it’s time to reveal the winners for our 80 categories.

Eight winners will be revealed each weekday from Aug. 10 through Aug. 21. Here’s a list of the winners we’ve announce so far, as well as the schedule for the future announcements:

NOTE: If you click the link for each winner, you can see how the top five finalists finished for the category.

Aug. 10

• Best Burger: Miller’s Bar in Dearborn
• Best Detroit-style Pizza: Jet’s Pizza
• Best Bakery: Lil Daddy’s Cheesecakes Co. in Mount Clemens
• Best Dance Studio: Rhythm N Jump Dance Academy in St. Clair Shores
• Best Movie Theatre: MJR
• Best Mexican: Mojave Cantina in Clawson
• Best Ice Cream: Holy Cow! Creamery in Wyandotte
• Best Gourmet Market: Nino Salvaggio

Aug. 11

• Best Coney Dog: Lafayette Coney Island
• Best Pizza (all types): Green Lantern
• Best Sandwich/deli: Ventimiglia Italian Foods in Sterling Heights
• Best Coney Island: Leo’s Coney Island
• Best Sports Venue: Comerica Park
• Best Italian: Antonio’s Cucina Italiana
• Best Museum: Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village
• Best Polish: Polish Village Cafe in Hamtramck 

Aug. 12

• BBQ
• Fine dining
• Breakfast
• Steakhouse
• Tacos
• Farmer’s market
• Cider Mill
• Concert venue

Aug. 13

• Fried chicken
• Shawarma
• Brunch
• Soup/salad
• Festival
• Wings
• Donuts
• Middle Eastern

Aug. 14

• Florist
• Real Estate Agent
• Fries
• Bowling Alley
• Bagels
• Photographer
• Sushi
• Food truck

Aug. 17

• Gyro
• Tattoo parlor
• Haunted House
• Chinese
• Thai
• Boutique clothing store
• Roofing
• Book store

Aug. 18

• Coffee
• Hotel
• Sports bar
• Brewery
• Hair salon
• Law firm
• Irish pub
• Dog groomer

Aug. 19

• Comedy club
• Dive bar
• Margarita
• Rooftop Bar
• Live Music Bar
• Soul Food
• Indian
• Distillery

Aug. 20

• Wine bar
• Nail Salon
• Auto dealership
• Vegan/Vegetarian
• Golf course
• Karaoke Bar
• Pho
• Escape Room

Aug. 21

• Cannabis dispensary
• Cocktail bar
• Funeral home
• Barbershop
• HVAC Company
• Day spa
• Beauty Salon
• CBD Store

Click here to read the official Vote 4 The Best rules.

Thanks to our Vote 4 The Best sponsor, Wallside Windows!

Have a question? Email us at clickondetroit@wdiv.com, and we’ll get you an answer.

Michael Sowards, 49, was charged with two counts of firearm possession by a prohibited person, one count of ammunition possession by a prohibited person and three counts of felony firearms.

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said on May 4, in the 100 block of Dickinson in Mount Clemens, a mail carrier, a 34-year-old man, asked Sowards to secure his dog to ensure safe delivery.

Sowards allegedly responded by calling the mail carrier racial slurs and threatening to get his AR-15 rifle.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they placed Sowards into custody and found the following weapons in his home:

• One AR-15 style rifle chambered for 7.62x39mm rounds
• Two loaded magazines containing 7.62mm ammunition
• One CO2-powered pellet pistol
• One .22 caliber pellet rifle
• One additional pellet air rifle

On Aug. 10, Sowards pleaded guilty to one count of firearm possession by a prohibited person and ammunition possession by a prohibited person. Other charges were dismissed as part of the guilty plea.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29 at 8:30 a.m.

Zachary Kenneth Crutchfield is accused of attempted travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and attempted sexual exploitation of children.

Undercover investigation

According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court, an undercover FBI agent communicated online with a person investigators identified as Crutchfield between July 31 and Aug. 7.

The affidavit says the undercover agent presented a scenario involving minors and discussed plans to meet in Tennessee.

Investigators allege Crutchfield expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the purported minors and discussed travel arrangements.

The FBI affidavit states the person communicating with the undercover agent used the online name “Breeder Bull” and participated in online groups that investigators identified as being used to distribute child sexual abuse material.

Identifying the suspect

Investigators say they connected the online account to Crutchfield through photographs, identifying information and other records. An open-source records search identified a potential employer in Flint, according to the affidavit.

On Aug. 8, an FBI agent conducted surveillance at an address in Grand Blanc and at the Flint workplace identified in the affidavit. Investigators later observed Crutchfield leave the workplace and arrested him.

Evidence recovered

Following the arrest, investigators recovered Crutchfield’s phone and obtained a search warrant, according to the affidavit.

An FBI agent said an initial review of the device showed the Signal messaging application and United Airlines application were installed.

The affidavit states investigators also found an airline reservation in Crutchfield’s name that was consistent with travel plans discussed during the undercover investigation.

Case details

The federal complaint was signed Aug. 8 by FBI Special Agent Justin M. Thompson and sworn before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony P. Patti.

The case is being prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The complaint identifies Assistant U.S. Attorney Rawsthorne as the prosecutor assigned to the case.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Detroit Division, Flint Resident Agency, as part of the Northeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force, according to the affidavit.

“There was no place where we could guarantee that you could go in and hear it,” he told The Associated Press. “So, we had to establish that.”

Freeman and his business partners, then-Mayor Bill Luckett and Howard Stovall, were inspired to open a juke joint in Clarksdale called Ground Zero Blues Club. Then, much more recently, they created “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience,” a touring ensemble of blues musicians who marry the beloved Southern genre with classical, symphonic compositions. On Friday, they'll release an album under the same name.

The legendary actor is a producer and narrator on the release, not a performer. That's left up to the professionals: all-star acts like Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Shemekia Copeland, Tiernii Jackson, the Stax Music Academy Choir, the Chineke! Orchestra out of London, and many more.

“I like the blues. I like music. I cannot claim to be an aficionado. That’s not my place,” says Freeman. “I’m an enthusiast, but that’s a necessity.”

From live performances to a full-length record

Before the album, the “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” traveling performances were born out of a simple idea: How could Freeman and his team bring this music to the world?

“Blues is an important American story birthed in the Mississippi Delta out of hardship but obviously resonates with people and cultures on a global basis, both for how good it sounds, but also the message underneath it,” said Eric Meier, Freeman's partner and co-producer on the project who joined the actor's blues club in 2018. “We conceived of this concept to really take this music to new geographies and new audiences.”

Turning the live performance into an album meant cutting down a nearly two-hour show to around 45 minutes across 12 tracks, while still honoring the format. It includes video vignettes as well as “cinematic narration,” courtesy of Freeman, recorded at the club in Clarksdale.

“We offer a musical story, a 100-year arc from the 1930s to modern day, so the evolution of blues music,” says Meier.

Freeman's idiosyncratic voice opens the record, describing the genre with a real poetry, delivered atop a haunting rendition of Blind Willie Johnson's 1927 gospel blues classic, “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground.”

“This is music that gave voice to a people, to their pain, their hope and their resilience,” Freeman recites. “Music isn't just melody, you know. It's memory, it's history wrapped in ribbon, the echoes of lives lived and lost, heartache and hope all tangled together. And nowhere is that truer than in the blues.”

Freeman wants to keep the blues alive

The last song on “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” sees singer-songwriter Muddy Waters' great-nephew Keith Johnson covering Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson's “I Lied to You” from the Oscar-winning 2025 film “Sinners.” It brings the 100-year story of blues to its coda, but it also serves as a reminder of the film's ability to bring the genre into mainstream conversation.

That's something Freeman hopes to accomplish, too. He wants to make sure blues is not forgotten.

“It is a responsibility that we’ve taken on. And the hope is that it, like everything else that catches on, takes root, as it were. You know, the blues is actually America’s music,” he says. “So, it’s incumbent upon us to water it, nurture it, keep it alive, keep it going.”

Meier adds that their album project predates “Sinners” — he says director Ryan Coogler told him the film's juke joint was partially inspired by Ground Zero Blues Club; the film is set in Clarksdale after all — but it has been “a wonderful coincidence” that both works have the power to bring the blues to the masses.

And maybe one day, “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” will receive the same kind of critical praise given to “Sinners.” The album is eligible for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

“We will be submitting in multiple categories,” says Meier. “You got room on your trophy shelf, Morgan?”

“Yeah, yeah. I want it,” Freeman smiles.

Adding Grammy Award-winner to his Academy Award-winner title? “Sounds pretty good to me.”

The crash happened just after 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 on the eastern part of Pontiac Lake near Walt’s Point Marina in White Lake Township.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, a 40-year-old Fenton woman was swimming in Pontiac Lake when she was struck by a passing boat. She was taken to a local hospital suffering injuries to her back and numerous lacerations.

Investigators are searching for the boat’s operator. Witnesses described the vessel as a white speedboat or jet boat with dark accent striping. The operator is described as a man between 50 and 60 years old.

Anyone who saw the crash, recognizes the description of the boat or has photos is asked to contact the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office at 248-858-4950.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Florida says Stephen Matheny was pulled from the water near Marathon, Fla., around 11:20 a.m.

First responders began CPR immediately and transported the man to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Foul play is not believed to be a factor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

An autopsy is pending.

Most storms will remain non-severe, but an isolated stronger storm could produce damaging wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rainfall. Frequent lightning will also be a concern with any thunderstorms that develop. If you have outdoor plans today. make sure to be weather-aware this afternoon and evening and have a way to receive weather alerts.

The unsettled weather pattern doesn’t completely go away after today. There is a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon in our northern communities. Isolated chances linger on Thursday, although coverage is expected to be limited.

Drier weather develops by Friday and Friday night, providing a brief break before another round of unsettled weather arrives for the weekend. Forecast guidance continues to suggest a renewed chance for showers and thunderstorms, including periods of heavy rainfall, over the weekend. Temperatures will remain seasonable, with afternoon highs generally staying in the 80s through the remainder of the workweek.

🍇 Grapevine

🌅 Good morning! On this day in 1866, the world’s first roller skating rink opened to the public inside the Atlantic House Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island.

Here are a few things to know about for Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026:

⛈️ 4Warn Weather: The threat for thunderstorms returns to Southeast Michigan this afternoon and evening, with a few storms potentially becoming strong to severe. Check out the 10-day forecast.

🚔 Revised Police Millage: Sumpter Township leaders voted unanimously on Monday to approve a revised police millage proposal to put before voters on the November ballot after a previous iteration failed in the August primary. Read more.

👟 Shoes for School: Local 4 is teaming up with the nonprofit Lace Up Detroit on Aug. 21 for their 2026 Back to School Campaign. Read more.

📸 Meet-and-Greet: British social media stars Josh & Jase will be meeting up with fans in Metro Detroit on Friday to cap off their summer visit to Michigan. Read more.

🎞️ Theatre Closure: A longstanding family-run theater in Macomb County announced Sunday evening that it will be closing its doors next month after 40 years in business. Read more.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

Michigan DNR conservation officers used their knowledge of the area and specialized tracking skills to find the three individuals who went missing on the Muskegon River.

Jazman Hock, 28, of Muskegon; Sarah Vida, 28, of Muskegon; and Vida’s 9-year-old son, Kayden Kovalcik, were found safe and alive Friday, Aug. 7, after a dayslong search involving multiple law enforcement agencies, emergency responders and volunteers.

The three were located at about 4:36 p.m., approximately three-quarters of a mile northeast of the Mill Iron Road Boat Launch, police said.

A Michigan State Police K-9 team assisted DNR officers in the search.

Watch the emotional video here.

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

• Former Detroit school assistant principal pleads no contest to sex crime charge
• This was just voted the best coney dog place in Metro Detroit
• 13-year-old in ICU after car hits siblings on e-bike in Redford
• What we know about the deadly double shooting at a Southfield restaurant
• Oakland County vote could fund Planned Parenthood clinic through 2028
• Southfield gun shop employee lied about details in shooting during robbery, police say
• Lapeer man faces new charges in Thanksgiving crash that killed 5-year-old daughter, injures 2-year-old son
• Head lice are back: Consumer Reports warns some common treatments may fail
• ‘We’re so frustrated’: Neighbors feel unsafe as squatters, drug activity go on at vacant Detroit apartment
• 2 products sold in Michigan included in major Taylor Farms recall
• Body of 23-year-old Northville man recovered from Lake St. Clair after going missing in water
• ‘Two very different Americas’: CAIR criticizes Trump post targeting Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed
• Oakland County man arrested after being caught masturbating in Twelve Oaks Mall, police say
• Ferndale mother accused in special needs daughter’s death sentenced after plea deal
• DIA brings student art to Guardian Building in 5th annual Wayne County High School Art Exhibition
• Shelby Township man charged after stabbing 21-year-old man at Muskamoot Bay on Lake St. Clair
• Missing 4-year-old dies after drowning in Livingston County lake
• AAA: Michigan gas prices see double-digit drop since last week
• Oakland County deputies searching for boater who struck, injured swimmer in Pontiac Lake
• 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:

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations that promote his long-held but discredited theory that childhood shots should be spaced out into separate medical visits.

The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different single-disease shots and administering all childhood immunizations at separate appointments whenever possible.

It also directs the nation’s health department to improve research on vaccines, which are already extensively studied, and present a plan to offer separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines for children, since that is not currently an option in the United States. (Read more)

----

The contiguous United States sizzled to its hottest month ever last month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

July averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree. Records go back to 1895.

Although it was unusually cool in Alaska, hotter-than-normal conditions blanketed the Lower 48, with the most excessive heat in the Mountain West, Southwest, Northern Plains and Southeast. The heat was so widespread that every one of the Lower 48 states was at least 1 degree Fahrenheit (nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average, said Russ Vose, chief of monitoring at NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information. (Read more)

----

The first — and only — person to break the sound barrier in a car hits the track in Utah this week with new wheels and his eye on another record.

Twenty years ago, British driver Andy Green set the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, reaching 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Green will return to the lunarlike landscape Tuesday and try to beat that mark, this time with a hydrogen-powered car.

The retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot aims not only to win another accolade but to showcase the power of hydrogen as a clean-energy alternative. It’s the “fuel of the future,” Green told The Associated Press in a July interview. (Read more)

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Eidetic / ī-ˈde-tik / (adjective) -- defined as “Having extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall, especially of visual images.”

Example: ”The artist used her eidetic recall to paint the complex landscape from memory alone."

🧹 Housekeeping

Hey, if you like this newsletter, let us know. We’d love your feedback. We also offer several other newsletters, including 4Warn Weather, All 4 Pets and more. Hopefully, we have one that caters to your interests — unless you’re only interested in the 2002 Disney film, “Snow Dogs.” We don’t have one for that, sorry.

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Jenny Sherman (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

From my personal experience as well as discussions with aging experts, here’s what I suggest adult children talk with their parents about and how to help them. I’ve included insights from several guests on episodes of Morningstar’s  The Long View podcast.

1. How healthy are your finances?

“If I had to do it all over again, I would have had conversations with (my mom) sooner about her finances,” author and journalist  Cameron Huddlestontold us on The Long View.

Our parents don’t want to be a burden, and it may seem like everything is fine, but appearances can be deceiving. Gently ask how they’re managing their bills: Are they paying on time, do they have enough money?

Then keep going with questions about income. Are they getting distributions from retirement funds or relying on Social Security and a pension? Do they have investments? They may not want to share all the paperwork, but you can ask them to put it someplace safe for you to access in case of emergency.

What you can do:

1. If the logistics are hard for your parents or they’re paying bills late, ask them about setting up autopay. Along with that, they’ll need account alerts and regular reviews to avoid errors or fraud.

2. See if their utility companies can add you as an authorized or emergency contact, so you get notified if they miss a payment or are in danger of shut-off.

3. If they have a lot of accounts to keep track of, help them streamline if possible. “We simplified our finances down just basically into one bank account and one credit card,” Sally Balch Hurme , an elder law attorney and author, told us on The Long View .

4. If you’ve noticed changes that may suggest they’re experiencing cognitive decline, encourage your parents to have a conversation with a healthcare provider.

5. Discuss with them who they want to be their durable power of attorney to manage and protect their assets.

6. If money is tight, help your parents get in touch with organizations such as local senior services or departments on aging. They could help with meals, transportation, or money management.

7. Depending on circumstances, you may be able to help them apply for Medicaid. The rules on eligibility vary by state, and there are asset limits and “look-back” restrictions. It’s a complicated process that often requires an attorney.

2. Do you have end-of-life plans and documents?

“If you die without a will,  state law is going to determine who gets your assets. … (Or) family members get into fighting over who gets what,” Huddleston says.

That’s why a will and a durable power of attorney are important. Even if there’s a will, though, beneficiary designations on various accounts can override it. If those are out of date, money could go to a place the parent didn’t ultimately intend.

Don’t overlook a healthcare power of attorney (aka healthcare surrogate or healthcare proxy), which is someone who can make medical decisions if your parent can’t. An advance directive (often called a living will) specifies what sort of end-of-life care they want. Then “family knows what your wishes are so they don’t end up in court fighting over whether to keep you on life support,” Huddleston says.

And finally, ask about your parents’ wishes for a burial, cremation, or memorial service, and whether they may have already bought a cemetery plot.

What you can do:

8. Huddleston’s recommendation: “Encourage them to meet with an estate planning attorney or an elder-law attorney as soon as possible. And if your parents don’t have the resources to pay for an attorney, perhaps you can offer paying for them as a gift.”

9. Help them review beneficiary designations on IRAs, life insurance policies, and bank accounts, especially if there’s been a death, divorce , or remarriage.

10. If your loved one has already completed these documents, make sure you know where they are.

Here’s what this all boils down to, attorney Hurme says, “Your family really can’t carry out your wishes if they don’t know what they are. They want to do the right thing. So don’t make them guess about it.”

3. Is your home still safe and comfortable for you?

A 2024 survey from AARP shows that the majority of older adults want to stay in their homes as long as possible. As people age, though, it can be difficult, especially if they’re far from the rest of the family. Can your parents still climb the stairs? Can they safely maintain a big yard? Let them know there are benefits for both of you: They could help you by handling the occasional school pickup, and they might get  a health boost from interacting with grandkids.

What you can do:

11. Explore whether your parents can stay in their home with adjustments: bedroom on the first floor, grab bars in the bathroom, video doorbell, wearable medical alert device like a watch or pendant, or a TV-based video calling system that family members can control from their phones.

12. Help them find someone to assist with meals, laundry, errands, and so on. If your parents have a long-term care insurance policy , check whether it covers some of these services. Vet these service providers carefully and check in on your parents even if you’re not giving hands-on help. Your attention and vigilance could protect them from exploitation.

13. If staying home isn’t in the cards for them anymore, look into home-sharing or an accessory dwelling unit that can offer both independence and proximity to younger relatives.

14. Explore continuing care retirement communities . With CCRCs, also known as life plan communities, people go in healthy and live independently, with “Someone to always rely on no matter what.” That’s the take from Joy Loverde , an author, speaker, and family caregiver who talked to us on The Long View . Fees and operators’ financial stability vary, so if your parents opt for a CCRC, make sure to do your research.

15. Look into assisted living. “There are assisted living communities that are excellent,” Loverde says. “And they also have therapists, and they have spiritual programs, and they have a family environment.” And again, a long-term care insurance policy can help with those expenses. Arrange to tour a facility with your parents so they can see how the residents are taken care of, the activities, and the food.

16. If you meet a brick wall and they just won’t talk about living elsewhere, then get to know their neighbors and exchange phone numbers. In an emergency, they could check on your folks.

Your loved ones may not be open to these tricky conversations the first time around, but raise the issue gently again, making sure they know how much you care.

Valentina Djeljosevic contributed to this article.

_____

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

Amy C. Arnott, CFA, is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.

Related Links:

How to Tackle Estate Planning Basics in 7 Steps

https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/how-tackle-estate-planning-basics-7-steps

What Retirees Might Give Up When They Age in Place

https://www.morningstar.com/retirement/what-retirees-might-give-up-when-they-age-place

5 Money Questions Every Couple Should Ask

https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/5-money-questions-every-couple-should-askespecially-before-valentines-day