The alert posted Friday by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the U.S. and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.

Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.

That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the U.S. sanctions warning.

The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.

“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn U.S. and non-U. S. persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.

The U.S. responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.

The U.S. Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.

Trump rejects Iranian proposal

The warning came as U.S. President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war between the countries.

“They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.

“It’s a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they’re all messed up.”

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.

The shaky three-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.

Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys’ trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America’s Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU’s Gulf partners.

China’s UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions

Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is “the most urgent issue" as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations “to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.”

Foreign Minister Wang Yi “has been on the phone almost constantly” with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between the parties.

Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, “is the illegitimate war by the U.S. and Israel.”

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Edith Lederer at the U.N. contributed to this report

The attacks are aimed at slashing Moscow’s oil exports, a key source of funding for its grinding invasion of Ukraine. But the economic impact is so far unclear, as the rise in oil prices from the Iran war, and a related easing of U.S. sanctions, have helped replenish the Kremlin’s coffers.

Still, the range of the attacks and their environmental impact is bringing the war home to ordinary Russians far from the front lines.

Oil spilling onto the street

Ukrainian drones have hit the oil refinery and export terminal in the Black Sea town of Tuapse on four occasions in just over two weeks, sparking fires that prompted local evacuations and sent up massive plumes of smoke. The town is roughly 450 kilometers (280 miles) from the front lines.

In a video posted by local Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev after the third attack on April 18, an emergency official said boiling oil products had spilled onto the street, damaging cars.

Ukraine said Thursday that it hit an oil pumping station in Russia’s Perm region, more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) from Ukraine, two days in a row. Russian media reported the attacks, though Perm Gov. Dmitry Makhonin said only that drones had hit industrial facilities.

Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea, one of Russia’s largest oil and gas export terminals, was hit three times in the space of a week in late March. It is more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) away from Ukraine.

In a broadcast several weeks later, regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko declared that the area around St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, was a “front-line region” due to aerial threats.

Ukraine says the attacks have cost Russia billions

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has compared such strikes to the international sanctions on Russia. They are seen as even more crucial now that Moscow is collecting windfall profits from the global energy crisis linked to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia has lost at least $7 billion since the start of the year as a direct result of attacks on its oil sector. Earlier in the week, he said Ukrainian intelligence indicates a drop in exports from key oil ports such as Ust-Luga and Primorsk.

Drone strikes have also disrupted Russia's oil refining capacities, while sanctions make it difficult to acquire replacement parts, experts say.

But the full economic impact remains unclear as Russia benefits from the Mideast crisis.

Russian crude and oil product exports rose by 320,000 barrels per day month-on-month to hit 7.1 million in March, the International Energy Agency said. Rising prices meant that oil export revenues almost doubled, from $9.7 billion to $19 billion. It is unclear whether April's strikes will disrupt that trend.

“U.S. action against Iran has saved both the Russian oil sector and the federal budget from a crisis that was clearly developing in late February,” said Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd. Consultancy.

The damage to Russia’s oil infrastructure has meanwhile been far less significant than the massive explosions would suggest, he said.

“If you hit an oil tank, particularly an oil tank that’s not full, the vapors ignite and you get the flames. So it looks very spectacular.” But that only delays deliveries by a couple of days, he said.

“It’s much less damaging than hitting the pump stations or the compressors or the loading infrastructure. And that appears to be well protected. The tanks are not.”

Long-range drones stretch Russia's defenses

The ability to strike key infrastructure deep inside Russia has highlighted Ukraine’s growing military capabilities and put pressure on Moscow’s overstretched air defenses. It has also forced more Russians to confront the consequences of a war their government claims to be winning.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says its forces have more than doubled the range of their deep-strike capabilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The increased range also allows drones to attack locations from different directions, complicating countermeasures.

“Drone attacks have so far been a very successful case of leveraging simple technologies and domestically assembled technology to attack Russia in places that, at the start of the war, they just would have never expected to be attacked,” said Marcel Plichta, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews.

“This capability just didn’t exist” four years ago, he said.

There could be long-term consequences

Russian officials are usually reluctant to comment on deep strikes.

But the Tuapse attacks and the images that followed gained traction in Russian media. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of “serious environmental consequences” while insisting things were under control.

Officials warned that high levels of benzene, a carcinogen found in oil products, had been recorded in the air while fires burned and urged residents to limit time outdoors.

Residents also widely reported “black rain,” oily droplets falling on their skin and clothes. Local news outlets posted images of stray dogs and cats with their coats stained gray. Oil spills along the coastline have coated birds and fish, and Russian media recently circulated images of beached dolphins.

Those images are shocking to Russians accustomed to vacationing on the Black Sea coast.

Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the Russian environmental group Ecodefense, said there could be long-term consequences for human health and the region’s ecosystem.

“There is a lot of oil in the sea,” he said. “In the next few years, every storm will be bringing more oil pollution onto the coast.”

There has not yet been a public backlash to the strikes, as authorities wage a crackdown on dissent. But that could change as the damage spreads.

“I think a lot of people understand that there is a very big difference between what Putin says and what regional authorities are saying, and what’s really going on,” Slivyak said.

The ultra-low cost airline that once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.”

The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available.

“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,” the announcement said.

The company advised customers that they could expect refunds but there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines.

The shutdown was expected after Friday came and went without a needed government bailout for the cash-strapped business.

President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration had given the budget carrier a “final proposal” for a taxpayer-funded takeover to keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached.

Trump floated the idea of a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years with jet fuel prices soaring because of the Iran war. About 17,000 jobs could be impacted by a shutdown, Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner said.

Spirit has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt. By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020.

The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings.

Supporters of a rescue including labor unions representing Spirit’s pilots, flight attendants and ramp workers said say a collapse would put thousands of Americans out of work and hurt consumers by reducing airline competition and increasing airfares. About 17,000 jobs could be impacted, according to Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner.

Budget-conscious and leisure travelers would likely feel Spirit’s absence the most, especially in places where the airline has a big footprint such as Las Vegas and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

The carrier flew about 1.7 million domestic passengers in February, roughly half a million fewer than during the same month a year earlier, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Spirit also has sharply reduced its capacity, with about half as many seats available this month than in May 2024.

Vegas will face Anaheim in the second round. The Ducks advanced Thursday night with a 5-2 home victory over Edmonton in Game 6.

The Golden Knights have surged since John Tortorella took over as coach from the fired Bruce Cassidy, closing the regular season 7-0-1 after the change. They ripped off three straight wins after Utah took a 2-1 series lead.

“This is what I hoped for,” Marner said. “There’s a lot more work to keep going.”

Marner had two goals and five assists in the series. Friday was the first multi-goal playoff game for the Vegas forward since April 20, 2023, against Tampa Bay.

“It was his best game of the series. He just looked comfortable,” Tortorella said.

Brett Howden opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the series, all coming over the last three games. Colton Sissons added a third-period goal for Vegas soon after Utah’s Kailer Yamamoto cut it to 2-1. Cole Smith capped the scoring with an empty-netter on the heels of Marner converting a power play for his second goal.

“We’ve been here before,” Vegas captain Mark Stone said. “We don’t have the panic. Maybe some teams do. We can calm ourselves pretty quickly.”

Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves for Utah. The Mammoth led in the third period in each of the first five games before trailing the whole way in Game 6.

“I didn’t have that in my bingo card,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “I was really confident we would go to Vegas tomorrow.”

Howden scored with 4:58 left in the first period. Marner’s shot went to the right of the goal and rebounded out front for Howden to put a wrist shot home.

On Wednesday night in Game 5, Howden scored the winner in the Golden Knights’ 5-4 double-overtime victory. Vegas also won 5-4 in overtime in Game 4 after getting two goals from him in regulation.

Marner made it 2-0 with 45 seconds left in the second after Vegas had the puck in Utah’s end for more than two minutes. He blasted a slap shot from the top of the right circle off Ian Cole’s knee and into the net.

“I’ve had a couple opportunities in that same area that I had just missed on,” Marner said. “That’s why I just decided to quickly wind one up and see if I could get a clapper through.”

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

Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn't binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.

By February, the district court judge, Sunshine Sykes, was fed up. Sykes, a nominee of President Joe Biden, accused Trump officials in a ruling that month of seeking “to erode any semblance of separation of powers,” adding that they could “only do so in a world where the Constitution does not exist.”

Hardly isolated, the case illustrates a broader pattern of defiance of lower court decisions in President Donald Trump's second term.

The failure of Trump officials to follow court orders has been highlighted most notably in individual immigration cases. But a review of hundreds of pages of court records by The Associated Press also shows an extraordinary record of violations in lawsuits over policy changes and other moves.

The Republican administration's power struggle with federal courts — which is testing basic tenets of U.S. democracy — reflects an expansive view of executive authority that has also challenged the independence of federal agencies, a president’s ethical obligations, and the U.S.’s role in the international order.

Judges find widespread noncompliance

In the second Trump administration’s first 15 months in office, district court judges ruled it was violating an order in at least 31 lawsuits over a wide range of issues, including mass layoffs, deportations, spending cuts and immigration practices, the AP’s review of court records found. That’s about one out of every eight lawsuits in which courts have at least temporarily blocked the administration’s actions.

The White House's aggressive policy moves have prompted a barrage of lawsuits — more than 700 and counting.

The violations in the 31 lawsuits are in addition to more than 250 instances of noncompliance judges have recently highlighted in individual immigration petitions — from failing to return property to keeping immigrants locked up past court-ordered release dates.

Legal scholars and former federal judges said they could recall at most a few violations of court rulings over the full four-year terms of other recent presidential administrations, including Trump's first time in office. They also noted previous administrations were generally apologetic when confronted by judges; the Trump administration's Justice Department has been outright combative in some cases.

“What the court system is experiencing in the last year and a half is just qualitatively completely different from anything that’s preceded it,” said Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University who studies federal courts and is tracking litigation against the Trump administration.

Though Trump officials eventually backed down in about a third of the 31 lawsuits, legal experts say their treatment of court orders poses serious dangers.

“The federal government should be the institution most devoted to the rule of law in this country,” said David Super, a constitutional law scholar at Georgetown University. “When it ceases to feel itself bound, respect for the rule of law is likely to break down across the country.”

The administration has gotten a boost from higher courts

The AP’s review also found that higher courts, including the Supreme Court, overruled the district courts and sided with the White House in nearly half of the 31 cases. Critics say those decisions are emboldening the administration to ignore judges' orders.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the higher courts had overturned “unlawful district court rulings.” The administration will “continue to comply with lawful court rulings,” she added in a written statement.

“President Trump’s entire Administration is lawfully implementing the America First agenda he was elected to enact,” the statement said.

Among other instances of noncompliance, judges found the White House defied rulings when it deported scores of accused gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador, withheld billions of dollars in foreign aid and failed to restore programming at the Voice of America. The three cases date to the first few months of the new administration, but judges have continued to find violations since then, including in two cases in April.

“The danger is that this gets normalized,” said JoAnna Suriani, counsel at the nonpartisan group Protect Democracy, which is tracking noncompliance cases. The group is also involved in litigation against the administration.

‘Ham-handed.’ ‘Hallucinating.’ Judges have also been scathing

In October, U.S. District Judge William Smith took little time to conclude Homeland Security officials were flouting one of his orders. Smith, a nominee of George W. Bush, had blocked them from making billions of dollars in disaster relief funding to states contingent on cooperation with the president's immigration priorities.

DHS responded by keeping the immigration requirement on some grants, but making it contingent on a higher court overriding Smith’s injunction. The judge called the move “ham-handed” and said DHS was trying to “bully the states.”

In a case over the suspension of refugee admissions, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a Biden nominee, accused the Justice Department last May of “hallucinating new text” in an appellate court order and “rewriting” it to achieve the government's preferred outcome.

In four additional cases the AP reviewed, judges stopped short of a clear written finding of noncompliance but still criticized the administration’s response to their orders.

Of the judges who have confirmed violations, 22 were appointed by Democratic presidents and 7 by Republican presidents.

Former federal judges Jeremy Fogel and Liam O’Grady said judges are losing trust in the integrity of the Department of Justice.

That’s making them “more aggressive in accusing the government of bad faith,” said O’Grady, who along with Fogel is now part of the nonpartisan democracy group, Keep Our Republic.

Fogel said judges are also getting frustrated.

“They make orders and the orders don’t get complied with and then they have to inquire why the orders are not being complied with, and that’s where it gets very mushy and very political,” he said.

Plaintiffs in an education case raise alarms

In Eureka, California, school administrator Lisa Claussen is worried about the impact on her students’ mental health if a judge does not find the Education Department in violation of a court order on federal grants.

Grant money allowed the school district in the poor coastal community in Northern California to hire more than a dozen psychologists and social workers to help students struggling with drug use and suicidal thoughts.

Education officials in the Trump administration told schools in California and other states last year that it was discontinuing the grants; the administration opposed diversity considerations in the grant process.

U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson blocked the move permanently in December, but California and 15 other states now say the administration is making an end run around her injunction by imposing new rules, including an initial limit of six months of funding.

Attorneys for the Education Department said they wanted to see whether schools were making progress on performance goals before releasing additional funds. The judge's order did not block the six-month limit, they added in a court filing.

Evanson, a Biden nominee, has yet to rule.

In the absence of a one-year funding guarantee, Eureka City Schools and other districts say they have already issued layoff notices to mental health providers or eliminated positions.

“We have many kids who don’t trust adults for very good reason and to be able to just swipe this grant like they’re doing ...” Claussen said in a phone interview, her voice trailing off. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

Justice Department pushes back

In court filings, Justice Department attorneys have generally disputed accusations the government was not complying. They have argued over the meaning of words, cited favorable appellate court rulings and said they were acting outside the scope of the court’s order, among other legal maneuvering.

Outside of court, Trump and White House officials have railed against federal judges. Vice President JD Vance has even suggested the president could ignore court orders.

Will Chamberlain, senior counsel with the conservative legal advocacy group The Article III Project, said many of the judges who have found violations are ignoring laws that clearly prohibit their rulings.

Trump officials are “generally complying, appealing and winning,” he said. “If they were defying orders left and right, they’d be losing them.”

Critics say the higher courts are excusing noncompliance

In March, a federal appeals court ruled Sykes, the judge in California, had likely exceeded her authority in requiring bond hearings nationwide and blocked her February decision.

The outcome was not unusual.

In 15 of the 31 lawsuits the AP reviewed, an appellate court or the Supreme Court either allowed the administration's underlying policy, limited the district court's efforts to correct or punish the noncompliance, or both.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized her fellow justices after one such ruling.

“This is not the first time the Court closes its eyes to noncompliance, nor, I fear, will it be the last,” she wrote in June in a dissent joined by the court's two other liberal justices. “Yet each time this Court rewards noncompliance with discretionary relief, it further erodes respect for courts and for the rule of law.”

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Associated Press writer Michael Casey in Boston contributed.

Global instability triggered by the Iran war and surging fuel prices have brought unpredictability to the tourism industry, including in Dubrovnik, Croatia's top Adriatic Sea destination that draws millions of visitors annually.

The stakes for Croatia’s economy are high: The tourism sector is one of the country’s key sources of income and is largely dependent on international travelers.

Though tourist numbers have been up in Dubrovnik, officials are warning nothing is guaranteed. The fuel crisis and Persian Gulf tensions could drive up airfares and slow arrivals just as the season gathers pace.

Miro Draskovic, director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, noted that while the American market remains strong, some Australian travelers — typically among the top 10 nations coming to the city — are now “facing difficulties traveling toward Europe.”

“The situation for sure is very, very difficult, and we are following what’s happening every day," he told The Associated Press.

So far, things are looking good. Dubrovnik airport has recorded a 13% rise in visitors over Easter compared to the same period last year. Its bustling atmosphere and boats ferrying tourists around testify to the city's lasting appeal.

The UNESCO-protected heritage city is known for its rich medieval history, seafront location and churches and palaces within its stone walls. Dubrovnik's popularity soared after it served as a filming location for the hit TV series “Game of Thrones.”

Compared to other regions in the country, Dubrovnik could be harder hit if the fuel crisis deepens because of its location at the southern tip of Croatia's Adriatic Sea coastline. Around 80% of visitors come to Dubrovnik by plane.

Marina Ruso Mileusnic, a spokeswoman for the city's airport, which is connected to some 70 airports around the world, said “we are very cautious about the upcoming season."

Predictions for the weeks and months ahead have varied.

In early April, the head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol warned in an interview with the AP that Europe has just weeks of jet fuel supplies and could face the biggest energy crisis ever.

This week, however, European Union’s Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said there is “no actual evidence” of shortages in the 27-nation bloc as officials urged people to plan their holidays without fear.

Singapore businessman Ramon Padiernos agreed. The crisis in the Middle East meant he had to swap his favorite carriers Emirates and Qatar Airways for Turkish Airlines, but he still made it to Dubrovnik.

“We feel the impact maybe of oil prices but I think everybody just goes on with their lives and enjoy their holidays,” he said. “I think it is best for the world to see the lighter side of it, rather than focusing on the issues that we cannot control."

Apart from impacts on tourism, the energy crisis has also contributed to a rise in inflation in Croatia to 5.8% in April, one of the highest in the EU.

The country recorded nearly 22 million tourist arrivals last year. Out of some 110 million overnight stays in 2025, Dubrovnik alone had 4.28 million, according to the national tourism board.

Draskovic said hopes are high that things soon will get back to normal. Until then, he said, “we can only work on day to day basis to get the best possible season we can.”

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Jovana Gec contributed. to this report

Josh Norris added an empty-netter. Alex Lyon finished with 25 saves.

The 4-2 series victory is the latest milestone for Buffalo, which saw the end of its 14-year playoff drought by capturing its first Atlantic Division title. The 2007 season was also the last time the Sabres advanced to the second round. They lost in the conference finals that year.

“It's one step in the right direction. That's it,” Tuch said.

Buffalo will play the winner of the Montreal-Tampa Bay series in the second round. That series will go to seven games after the Lightning's 1-0 overtime win Friday night in Montreal.

“I think Part A is getting to the playoffs. Part B is trying to have success once you get there,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “We talked about what a challenge it was going to be to try to take out a good team. And Boston's a good team. ... I thought our guys dug in and gave us a heck of a game tonight.”

David Pastrnak scored the lone goal for the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman made 22 stops.

“Buffalo, there's a reason they won the division,” Pastrnak said. "A lot of skill and speed that's over there. Their (defense) is very active. So, yeah, they were better."

Tempers flared with 1:31 to play after Benson tripped Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy responded with a slash at Benson. Both were sent to the penalty box.

It ends a feisty series comeback for the Bruins after earning a playoff berth in their first season under coach Marco Sturm. Boston has lost its last six home playoff games.

Trailing 2-1 in the third, the Bruins picked up their attack and had something working in the Sabres’ zone. But Josh Doan poked the puck away to start a break. He was pursued by Pastrnak and McAvoy toward the corner, when Doan flipped it back to a wide-open Zach Benson, who beat Swayman.

The Sabres’ speed dominated in the early going.

That changed 1:54 into the second period when a Buffalo turnover turned into a 2-on-1 break between Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. Zacha passed to Pastrnak on the left side, and he fired it in from the faceoff circle to get the Bruins within 2-1. It marked his third goal in the series.

It was part of a second period that saw an increase in physical play that was mostly allowed by the referees. It included a more than nine-minute stretch without a stoppage of play.

The Sabres needed just 3:25 into the first period to open the scoring when Tuch guided in a touch pass in front of the net by Rasmus Dahlin.

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

In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that she is calling a special legislative session to begin Monday in hopes that the Supreme Court allows the state to change its U.S. House map ahead of the November midterm elections. In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee also announced a special session for the GOP-controlled Legislature to break up the state's one Democratic-held House district, centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis.

Louisiana already has suspended its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts, though that is being challenged in court. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is pressuring other states such as Tennessee to also redistrict ahead of the midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the closely divided House.

Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same. Then other states joined the battle. Lawmakers, commissions or courts have adopted new House districts in eight states.

That total could grow following the Supreme Court’s decision that significantly weakened a provision in the federal Voting Rights Act.

Here’s a look at how some states are responding to the Supreme Court ruling:

Louisiana

Current House map: two Democrats, four Republicans

Early in-person voting was to begin Saturday for Louisiana’s primaries. But Republican Gov. Jeff Landry moved quickly Thursday to postpone the congressional primary while allowing elections for other offices to go forward.

A federal lawsuit filed later Thursday, on behalf of a Democratic congressional candidate and voter, asked a court to block Landry’s order and allow the House primary to occur as originally scheduled. Two more lawsuits asserting that the congressional primary should go forward were filed Friday in state court on behalf of voters who already had cast absentee ballots and several civil rights organizations.

Among other things, the lawsuits contend that Landry lacked authority to suspend the primary and that thousands of absentee ballots already have been mailed to people, with a substantial number filled out and returned.

District court judges in Baton Rouge late Friday denied requests in two of those cases to temporarily block Landry’s executive order.

Separately, a three-judge federal court panel that heard the case that was appealed to the Supreme Court also issued an order Thursday suspending Louisiana’s congressional primary.

Republican state House and Senate leaders said they are prepared to pass new U.S. House districts — and set a new primary election date — before their legislative session ends in a month.

Alabama

Current House map: two Democrats, five Republicans

The state’s primaries are set for May 19. But Alabama officials on Thursday filed an emergency motion with the Supreme Court seeking an expedited review of a pending appeal in a redistricting case that could affect the election.

A federal court in 2023 ordered the creation of a new near majority-Black district in Alabama, resulting in the election of a second Black representative to the U.S. House. Alabama is under a court order to use the new map until after the next census in 2030.

An appeal pending before the Supreme Court argues that the map is an illegal racial gerrymander, a claim similar to that made in Louisiana.

The state is seeking to lift an injunction blocking the use of a 2023 map drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature that did not include the new district. The state is making a similar request for two state Senate districts impacted by a separate redistricting case.

Ivey said the special legislative session will focus on a contingency plan to have special primary elections in case the Supreme Court acts quickly enough to allow Alabama’s previously drawn districts to be used this year.

Florida

Current House map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans

Hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, Florida’s Republican-led Legislature approved new U.S. House districts that could help the GOP win up to four additional seats in November.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session without knowing when the Supreme Court would issue its opinion in the Louisiana case. But DeSantis expressed confidence that the court would rule as it did. Among other things, the new map reshapes a southeastern Florida district that DeSantis said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

A Florida constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2010 prohibits districts from being drawn to deny or diminish the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. DeSantis said he considers that amendment a violation of the U.S. Constitution. That question is expected to be decided by the courts.

Tennessee

Lee announced the special session in a statement late Friday afternoon, saying, “We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters.”

That came after a pressure campaign by Trump and other Republicans to reconfigure the state's 9th Congressional District. Republicans have always been checkmated by the Voting Rights Act in their desire to spread the district's Democratic voters around neighboring conservative districts and make it winnable, but the law may no longer be an impediment.

The candidate qualifying period ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6. Democrats noted that in 2022 the state supreme court checked additional redistricting because it was too close to an election. They argued that the court is their best hope this time around too.

“We cannot keep doing things like this and calling ourselves a democracy, Democratic State Sen. Ramesh Akbari said at a news conference outside the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, which includes the structure of the motel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

Mississippi

Current House map: one Democrat, three Republicans

Mississippi held its U.S. House primaries in March. But the Supreme Court’s decision could affect elections for other offices.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves announced previously that he would call a special legislative session to redraw voting districts for the state Supreme Court that would begin 21 days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Louisiana case. That would put the special session's start at around May 20.

A federal judge last year ordered Mississippi to redraw its Supreme Court voting districts after finding that they violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. Mississippi lawmakers had been waiting on a decision in the Louisiana case before moving forward, but their legislative session ended in April.

Reeves said in his proclamation that the Supreme Court’s decision would provide guidance to lawmakers on whether “race-conscious redistricting” violates the U.S. Constitution.

Georgia

Current House map: five Democrats, nine Republicans

Early in-person voting began April 27 and continues for the next few weeks ahead of Georgia’s primary elections on May 19.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said it’s too late for Georgia officials to try to change congressional districts for this year’s elections, because voting already is underway. But he said the rationale in the Supreme Court’s decision “requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.”

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Associated Press writers Jeff Amy, Jack Brook, Travis Loller, Nicholas Riccardi and Kim Chandler contributed to this report.

Unionized workers are employed on a huge number of massive data center projects and scrambling to recruit new apprentices to feed the explosive demand.

They've also become an ally of tech giants and tech-friendly government officials, echoing the talking point that the United States is in a critical national security race with China for AI superiority.

Unions are a visible force in helping counter fierce opposition in communities and hostile legislation in Congress and legislatures, often aligning with traditional Republican pro-business constituencies and forcing Democrats to choose between them and progressives who want to take a harder line.

Unions have aggressively answered complaints about data centers in ways that executives at tech giants and the development firms rarely do, unafraid to bluntly confront concerns about energy and water shortages, rising electric and water bills, or noise and quality-of-life objections.

“When people say, you know, ‘data centers are the root of all evil,’ we’re just saying, ‘look, they do create a hell of a lot of construction jobs, which we live and work in your communities,'” said Rob Bair, president of the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council.

Instead of “being just a blunt ‘no,'” Bair said, communities should figure out what they need and ask the tech companies for it — such as improvements to the project's plans or millions of dollars for local schools. “If you don’t ask, you’re never gonna get,” he said.

Data centers a boon for unions

With data center construction accelerating, unions are expanding training centers and seeing their ranks grow faster than many union leaders have ever seen.

Unions in a number of states are reporting skyrocketing man hours, apprentice classes doubling in size and training centers undergoing expansions in anticipation of more work coming.

Data centers consume at least 40% of work hours done by members of the Columbus-Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, a top official, Dorsey Hager, estimated. It's at least 50% for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 in metropolitan Washington, D.C., spokesperson Don Slaiman said.

The umbrella North America’s Building Trades Unions said it hit a record number of members and apprentices in 2025.

The organization's president, Sean McGarvey, compared it to the build trades' expansion in the 1950s. He attributes today's growth to data centers, power plants and legislation under former President Joe Biden that subsidized the construction of semiconductor and electric vehicle battery factories, energy efficiency projects and grid transmission improvements.

Data centers' voracious energy needs are setting off a power plant construction boom and delivering a one-two punch of new life to unions whose members also build and maintain boilers, ductwork, pipelines and other power infrastructure.

The Boilermakers Local 154, whose members have watched power plants shut down in southwestern Pennsylvania, went from recruiting zero apprentices for four years to now assembling a class of over 200 — and they need more, union official Shawn Steffee said.

For their part, tech giants say they need to train hundreds of thousands more workers in skilled trades. They are spending tens of millions of dollars on training programs, including partnerships with unions that they hire to build their multibillion-dollar projects.

“Across the country, highly skilled union construction workers are laying the foundation for the AI economy,” Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said in a joint statement in March with McGarvey's organization.

Google said the majority of labor used to build its data centers is unionized, and pointed to a $10 million grant to a union-backed electricians training program that it said would help expand the electrician workforce pipeline by 70%.

'The data centers would still be getting built'

Mark McManus, the general president of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters, whose members work on pipelines, data centers and power plants, acknowledged criticism that organized labor is getting in bed with the richest, most powerful companies in the world.

But he rejected it as unrealistic.

“If we chose as a union to have a moratorium on building the data centers because we didn’t believe it was right for America, the data centers would still be getting built,” McManus said. “They’re not stopping because of organized labor.”

His union has a strong relationship with tech companies, is hitting all-time highs in membership and, based on an internal survey, has members working on over 90% of the data center projects in the United States.

“That’s a market share that we don’t have in a lot of other industries,” McManus said. “So it’s pretty near and dear to us.”

It's difficult to pin down exactly how many data center projects involve union labor. An Associated General Contractors of America survey late last year suggested that the labor composition of data center construction likely mirrors the makeup of commercial construction, which is roughly one-third union, an AGC spokesperson said.

Showing up in towns and statehouses

National unions have negotiated labor agreements on major projects, including an Oracle and OpenAI Stargate campus in Michigan and the “Project Blue” data center campus in Arizona, with more in the works.

When Gov. Josh Shapiro stood with Amazon executives to announce that the tech giant would spend $20 billion on two data center projects in eastern Pennsylvania, Bair stood with them.

“This is really unique, what we’re building here in this commonwealth. People coming together with common purpose to get stuff done,” Shapiro said.

In statehouses, unions have worked against Maine's since-vetoed proposal for a statewide data center moratorium; standards proposed in Illinois, including requiring data centers to supply their own energy; and an end to Virginia's sales tax exemption that helped make it the world's biggest data center destination.

Pennsylvania state Sen. Katie Muth said it has been difficult to collect support from fellow Democrats for her legislation to regulate data centers when it is competing with union-backed legislation that she views as weaker.

“The unions don’t want to promote anything that would impede data center development,” Muth said.

Union representatives have made their presence felt at packed council meetings in municipal buildings from St. Louis to Spring City, Pennsylvania.

Sometimes it's not in a good way.

Speaking to the City Council in Joliet, Illinois, Alicia Morales complained that union members — who sat in the front row holding “vote yes for union jobs” signs — had been disrespectful and “bullied a lot of people” entering the meeting.

Sometimes, union representatives are the only people in a packed municipal meeting room to speak in favor of a project.

“I just want to commend you guys, thanks for being the adults in the room,” Chuck Curry, the president of Ironworkers Local 395, told City Council members in Hobart, Indiana, at a January meeting on an Amazon data center. “Knowing the tax structure, knowing business, that most of the people here don’t know.”

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter

An Associated Press review of court records shows Trump officials have also racked up an extraordinary record of defiance in a much broader set of lawsuits dating back to the first days of President Donald Trump's second term.

Since February 2025, district court judges have ruled the Republican administration was violating an order in at least 31 lawsuits over a wide range of issues, including cuts in federal funding, mass layoffs, deportations, and immigration practices.

These violations are in addition to more than 250 instances of noncompliance judges have recently highlighted in individual immigration petitions — from failing to return property to keeping immigrants locked up past court-ordered release dates.

Though Trump officials eventually backed down in about a third of the 31 cases, legal experts say their treatment of court orders damages the constitutional system of checks and balances.

“The federal government should be the institution most devoted to the rule of law in this country,” said David Super, a constitutional law scholar at Georgetown University. “When it ceases to feel itself bound, respect for the rule of law is likely to break down across the country.”

Here are some key takeaways from AP's report on these cases:

Trump's aggressive policy moves spark a barrage of lawsuits

The administration has already faced more than 700 lawsuits.

The AP reviewed hundreds of pages of court documents in noncompliance cases compiled by nonpartisan government watchdogs. It found additional cases by scouring media reports of violations and then verifying the findings with court records.

An unprecedented level of defiance

District courts have also found previous administrations in violation of their orders.

But legal scholars and former federal judges said they could recall at most a few cases over the full four-year terms of other recent presidents — including the first Trump administration and Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said district court judges were making “unlawful” rulings against Trump officials.

“President Trump’s entire Administration is lawfully implementing the America First agenda he was elected to enact,” she said in a written statement.

In court filings, Justice Department attorneys have generally disputed accusations the government was not complying. They have argued over the meaning of words, cited favorable appellate court rulings and said they were acting outside the scope of the court’s order, among other legal maneuvering.

Outside of court, Trump and White House officials have railed against federal judges, and Vice President JD Vance has even suggested the president could ignore court orders.

The effects have been far-reaching

The groups that say they’ve been harmed by the administration’s failure to comply with court orders are varied and include immigrants, nonprofits and journalists.

Among other instances of noncompliance, judges found the White House defied rulings when it deported scores of accused gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador, withheld billions of dollars in foreign aid and failed to restore programming at the Voice of America. The three cases date to the first few months of the new administration, but judges have continued to find violations since then, including in two cases in April.

Higher courts often sided with the White House

In 15 of the 31 lawsuits the AP reviewed, an appellate court or the Supreme Court either allowed the administration’s underlying policy, limited the district court’s efforts to correct or punish the noncompliance, or both.

Those decisions show lower court judges are overreaching, said Will Chamberlain, senior counsel with the conservative legal advocacy group The Article III Project.

Trump officials are “generally complying, appealing and winning,” he said. “If they were defying orders left and right, they’d be losing them.”

Critics say the higher courts are excusing noncompliance.

“This is not the first time the Court closes its eyes to noncompliance, nor, I fear, will it be the last,” Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in June in a dissent joined by the court’s two other liberal justices. “Yet each time this Court rewards noncompliance with discretionary relief, it further erodes respect for courts and for the rule of law.”

Diesel, which powers the majority of Africa’s roughly 500,000 telecommunications towers, has become more expensive and sometimes harder to secure in recent weeks as global fuel markets tightened following the conflict. Several African countries that rely heavily on imported fuel have reported price spikes and supply disruptions, prompting governments and companies to reassess energy strategies.

The transition to cleaner power for the towers that provide cellphone service predates the latest price shocks, driven by cost pressures and climate goals. But the war in the Middle East has accelerated the push.

“Diesel has always been a major cost, but recent global events have made it even more volatile,” said Lande Abudu, senior energy specialist for Africa at GSMA, a global industry organization representing mobile operators. “That strengthens the case for solar and hybrid solutions.”

Across the continent, mobile network operators are increasingly adopting hybrid systems that combine solar panels, battery storage and limited diesel backup. Some are aiming for fully solar-powered sites over time, particularly in rural and off-grid areas where extending electricity grids is costly.

Cellphone towers in Africa have traditionally been powered by diesel generators, often large industrial units that require operators to manually refuel them. In contrast, solar-powered towers rely on sunlight, using solar panels to generate electricity and battery systems to store energy for continuous operation.

Globally, most telecommunication towers in developed markets such as the United States and India are connected to the electricity grid, with diesel generators used mainly as backup during outages. In parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, operators have also relied heavily on diesel but are now pursuing similar transitions to renewable energy.

Last month, American-owned Atlas Tower Kenya said it was investing $52.5 million to construct 300 new, solar-powered telecommunication towers to serve major operators, including Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya. The firm currently has 82% of its 500 towers solar powered.

“It’s a significant shift, but there’s still a long way to go,” said Abudu.

Financial arguments for solar-powered towers

The economics are becoming increasingly compelling. Energy accounts for up to 60% of operating costs for telecom towers in off-grid areas. Diesel, once the default solution, has become more expensive and harder to manage, with challenges ranging from transport logistics to theft and maintenance.

Vodacom Africa said its energy costs rose 5% to $300 million in 2025 from the prior year, citing higher electricity tariffs and fuel prices. The company operates in Egypt, South Africa, Congo, Mozambique, Tanzania and Lesotho, and owns subsidiaries in Kenya and Ethiopia through Safaricom. Safaricom last year raised $153.6 million in green bonds to help it transition its towers to solar power.

In countries like Nigeria, cost pressures have shifted sharply. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 triggered a surge in diesel prices, rising by as much as 200% within a year, and operators now spend $400 million annually to keep towers running. Recent global price increases tied to the Iran conflict have added further pressure.

Companies are responding by accelerating clean energy deployments. Firms such as iSAT Africa are rolling out solar-powered towers backed by new financing models, while major operators including Orange, Vodacom, MTN Group and Airtel Africa are expanding solar and hybrid systems across their networks.

“By replacing diesel-powered telecom towers with fully solar-powered infrastructure, we expect to reduce the carbon emissions associated with mobile network operations,” said iSAT Africa CEO Rakesh Kukreja in March, announcing new funding for clean energy tower projects.

Early results show significant savings. MTN operations in South Sudan have cut fuel spending by about 30% after adopting solar power, while Airtel Africa, working with ENGIE Energy Access, has reduced diesel use by more than half at sites in Zambia and Congo.

Vodacom Africa said in its 2025 sustainability report that connecting towers to national grids and rolling out more solar and battery were key parts of its strategy to replace diesel generators.

Improving network reliability

The benefits go beyond cost. Solar-powered towers are less vulnerable to fuel shortages and generator failures, improving reliability in underserved areas. In parts of northern Nigeria and Congo, cellular outages linked to fuel shortages predating the war have caused disruptions to services ranging from mobile money transactions to emergency communications.

Replacing diesel generators with solar energy could help close Africa’s connectivity gap, where about 65% of people who could benefit from mobile internet remain unconnected, according to the GSMA.

“Renewable energy systems enable faster and more cost-effective expansion into underserved areas,” Abudu said.

In rural Kenya, residents in some off-grid communities say solar-powered towers have improved service stability, enabling more consistent access to mobile banking, education and health information.

“Before this telecommunication mast was installed, we struggled to process mobile money payment or even call for help during medical emergencies,” said Martin Imwatok, a teacher in northern Kenya. “When these towers go off, business and life stop.”

Africa’s reliance on diesel is more pronounced due to weaker grid infrastructure, making the shift both more challenging and potentially more transformative. However, regulators say the transition could deliver broader benefits. In Nigeria, the telecom regulator has encouraged operators to integrate towers into solar minigrids that can also supply nearby communities.

“These telecom towers can act as anchor clients for solar minigrids, supplying electricity not only to the towers but also to nearby homes, businesses and public services,” said Aminu Maida, head of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

As fuel prices remain uncertain amid global tensions, industry experts say the case for cleaner energy will only grow stronger.

“This is no longer just about climate,” Abudu said. “It’s about resilience, cost and keeping Africa connected.”

___

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.

In Metro Detroit, the freeze warning is in effect from midnight through 9 a.m. Saturday.

Skies will gradually clear overnight, allowing temperatures to fall sharply.

Sunshine is expected early Saturday before clouds increase in the afternoon.

A stray shower is possible later in the day, with highs reaching only around 50 degrees, well below the normal high of 65.

Sunday

Temperatures will rebound slightly by Sunday, starting in the mid-30s in the morning and climbing to near 60 in the afternoon.

Skies are expected to remain mostly cloudy, with scattered showers possible later in the day.

Next week

A warming trend continues into Monday, with highs approaching 70 degrees, though another chance of rain remains in the forecast.

Showers are more likely on Tuesday, when temperatures are expected to settle back into the low to mid-60s.

Unsettled weather is expected to persist through midweek, with additional chances for rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff credited his team’s resilience after Detroit erased a 24-point deficit on the road to defeat the Orlando Magic and force a decisive Game 7.

“A testament to the character of this group,” Bickerstaff said. “The consistency, the commitment to something greater than themselves, the willingness to do it together, they don’t want to disappoint each other. We just have an amazing spirit and never quit.”

→ Detroit Pistons complete historic 24-point comeback to force Game 7 as Magic go ice cold in the second half

Down big, then suddenly alive

Detroit trailed by 22 at halftime and fell behind by as many as 24 early in the third quarter before mounting a furious rally.

The Pistons chipped away possession by possession, opening the second half on a surge that flipped momentum and silenced the home crowd.

“It was staying present and staying in the moment,” Bickerstaff said. “We weren’t going to get it all back at once. We had to make play after play, possession by possession, and focus on all the small things.”

Reed sparks second-half surge

A key spark came from reserve Paul Reed, who had seen limited action earlier in the series but delivered a burst of energy off the bench.

Reed’s activity on defense, deflections, rebounds, and hustle plays — helped ignite the comeback.

“He’s one of those guys that personifies our spirit,” Bickerstaff said. “Any time you put him on the floor, he’s active, aggressive, all over the place. We needed that energy, and I knew he would bring it.”

Defense shuts Magic down

Detroit’s turnaround was fueled by a dramatic defensive shift. The Pistons increased ball pressure and physicality, disrupting Orlando’s rhythm.

The Magic missed their final 23 shots, managing just eight points in the fourth quarter.

“That was a special performance,” Bickerstaff said. “To hold them to 19 points in the second half and eight in the fourth, that’s one that goes down in the history books.”

The Pistons’ resolve has been a theme all season.

Bickerstaff said adversity tends to bring out the best in his group.

“In adverse situations, you’ve got two options, you fight, or you run,” Bickerstaff said. “The nature of this group is they fight. There is no ‘woe is me.’ It’s always, ‘What can I do to help the team?’”

One more game, one more chance

With the series now even, Detroit heads home for Game 7 with momentum and a clear focus.

“Hopefully, we start the game like we finished,” Bickerstaff said. “It starts with our defense. When that’s at a high level, our offense comes. We’ve had moments, but now we’ve got to put it together for 48 minutes.”

For a team that refuses to quit, one more complete effort could extend its season and add another chapter to an already remarkable run.

--> Cade Cunningham credits defense after Detroit Pistons’ massive comeback forces winner-take-all Game 7

--> ‘It’s going to be a war’: Ex-Michigan basketball star Duncan Robinson previews Detroit Pistons-Magic Game 7

The Pistons trailed by as many as 24 points before erupting on a 42-10 run, capped by a defensive stretch in which Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots.

Cunningham said the rally came down to belief and execution after a lopsided first half left his team searching for answers.

“Fight to see another day, never say die mentality,” Cunningham said. “We weren’t going to lay down for anything.”

--> Detroit Pistons complete historic 24-point comeback to force Game 7 as Magic go ice cold in the second half

Chip away, trust the defense

The message at halftime was simple, Cunningham said: stay together, chip away, and trust their defense to create offense.

“We still believed we could get back in the game and win,” Cunningham said. “It was just going to be by chipping away, cutting it to 11, then six, then taking the lead.”

Cunningham said the team’s ability to remain composed under pressure was rooted in its season-long identity, even as the Magic controlled large stretches early.

He pointed to communication in the locker room and a renewed focus on defensive intensity as the foundation of the comeback.

“Just staying poised, sticking with what we were doing,” Cunningham said. “Winning with our defense and staying in the moment.”

Defense changes everything

Detroit’s defensive turnaround proved decisive.

Cunningham said the group locked into its scheme, improved its rebounding, and began forcing difficult shots that fueled transition opportunities.

“Whenever we really lock in on our defense, it’s tough for them to score on us,” Cunningham said. “That was the mentality at halftime.”

Cunningham also praised the impact of reserve big man Paul Reed, calling him a stabilizing force who consistently changes the game with effort plays and physicality.

“He imposes himself on the game,” Cunningham said. “He gets offensive rebounds, gives us extra possessions, he’s like a safety blanket for us.”

‘None of this matters if we don’t go win Game 7’

As the Pistons surged late, Cunningham said confidence never wavered, even as the deficit remained daunting early in the second half.

“It keeps us alive, allows us to fight another day,” Cunningham said. “But none of this matters if we don’t go win Game 7.”

The victory gives Detroit momentum heading into Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup, but Cunningham was quick to emphasize the job is far from finished.

“We’ll be back at home, a lot of energy,” Cunningham said. “But it’s about finishing the job.”

Game 7 tips off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

--> ‘It’s going to be a war’: Ex-Michigan basketball star Duncan Robinson previews Detroit Pistons-Magic Game 7

--> Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praises Detroit Pistons’ grit after 24-point rally forces Game 7

Robinson, who played collegiately for the Michigan Wolverines, praised the Pistons’ composure after they erased a double-digit deficit and flipped momentum late in Game 6 against the Orlando Magic.

“This group has a lot of pride,” Robinson said. “When our backs are against the wall, we’re pretty comfortable there. There’s never a question of splintering. We just come together.”

Winning three minutes at a time

The Pistons trailed for long stretches before mounting a second-half surge fueled by defensive pressure and timely scoring. The win evened the series against the Orlando Magic and set up a winner-take-all Game 7.

Robinson said the Pistons remained confident even during difficult stretches, including a second quarter that swung heavily in Orlando’s favor.

“There was a lot of encouragement,” Robinson said. “We knew what it was going to take, just winning three minutes at a time. Once you win one stretch, you just move to the next.”

Defense builds its own momentum

Detroit’s defensive intensity proved decisive, highlighted by a stretch in which Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots.

“The same way confidence can build offensively, it can build defensively,” Robinson said. “Guys just didn’t want to be the weak link. It was effort across the board.”

Robinson also singled out reserve Paul Reed for providing a spark off the bench, crediting his energy and preparation.

“He was huge,” Robinson said. “He shows up every day ready, and when his number is called, you have total confidence in him.”

‘It’s going to be a war’

With the series now tied, Robinson said Game 7 is expected to be a physical, high-pressure battle back in Detroit.

“It’s going to be a war,” he said. “We’re excited to go home and play in front of our fans. It’s going to be a great challenge.”

Robinson added that the Pistons continue to grow through the series, even this deep into the postseason.

“We’re improving,” Robinson said. “Teams that make runs in the playoffs get better as they go, and that should be encouraging for us.”

--> Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praises Detroit Pistons’ grit after 24-point rally forces Game 7

--> Cade Cunningham credits defense after Detroit Pistons’ massive comeback forces winner-take-all Game 7

For employees like Casey Rockefeller, the shop is more than a paycheck.

“I have worked here for at least almost a year now, and it’s pretty cool,” Rockefeller said.

Rockefeller said the job has helped build friendships and confidence.

“I like the fact that I’m able to work with a lot of people, and I also get to work with some of my friends too,” Rockefeller said. “I’ve gotten to know some of the people here, it’s really good.”

Arkay Inc. provides supported employment services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and Java Junction is designed to teach multiple tasks.

Workers learn every aspect of running a restaurant, from prepping food to serving customers.

“They’re not regulated to just cleaning bathrooms or swabbing floors,” Arkay Inc. CEO Ed Steinberger said. “They make the sandwiches, they do everything, they run the cash register.”

But like many small businesses, Java Junction has struggled to keep up with rising costs, especially in an older building that has required unexpected repairs.

“We had a leak in the roof, we had a leak in the door, the gutters needed to be replaced,” Steinberger said. “We have some major electrical work that’s about to be done down in the basement, so we’re spending a lot of money on that.”

Java Junction program manager Leslie Cooke said the shop typically sees only a handful of customers a day.

That changed after social media reviews introduced new customers to the café’s mission.

“It’s been amazing,” Cooke said. “We are not able to keep our display case full with our baked goods. We are running out of lunch meat for our sandwiches. We’ve gone through seven dozen eggs in three days.”

Cooke said the sudden rush has also given employees new opportunities to shine.

“They’re waiting on the customers,” Cooke said. “I’ve seen so many people grow with their socialization skills and be able to look people in the eye — I’ve seen them come so far.”

Cooke said for many employees, the job is the first time they’ve had the opportunity to interact directly with customers.

She said the impact has been life-changing.

“This, for a lot of them, is their first time working in the community where they’re actually in the front of the house. They’re able to be seen, they’re able to interact with customers,” Cooke said. “They’re gaining so much. I’ve seen self-esteem go through the roof.”

Java Junction is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. You can learn more about Arkay Inc. here.

Friday's unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is requiring that the abortion pill be distributed only in person and at clinics, overruling regulations set by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

The ruling, which is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, is the biggest jolt to abortion policy in the U.S. since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to enforce abortion bans.

In the ruling, Judge Kyle Duncan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, agreed with the state of Louisiana's contention that allowing the drug to be mailed there makes moot the state's ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

“Every abortion facilitated by FDA’s action cancels Louisiana’s ban on medical abortions and undermines its policy that ‘every unborn child is human being from the moment of conception and is, therefore, a legal person,’” the ruling states.

Mifepristone is involved in most abortions in the US

Mifepristone was approved in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies. It is typically used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.

Surveys have found that the majority of abortions in the U.S. are provided via pills and that about 1 in 4 abortions nationally are prescribed via telehealth.

One survey of abortion providers last year estimated that more women in states where abortion is banned obtained abortions that way than by traveling to other states.

Some Democratic-led states have laws that seek to protect providers who prescribe via telehealth to patients in places with bans.

That rise in prominence is why abortion opponents have targeted the pills in legislation and litigation.

Ruling goes against how courts usually view FDA decisions

There is little precedent for a federal court overruling the scientific regulations of the FDA, and it wasn’t immediately clear how quickly or completely the decision would impact mailing of the drug throughout the country.

Judges have long deferred to the agency's judgments on the safety and appropriate regulation of drugs.

FDA officials under Trump have repeatedly stated that the agency is conducting a new review of mifepristone’s safety, at the direction of the president.

The judges, all nominated by Republican presidents, noted in their ruling that the FDA “could not say when that review might be complete and admitted it was still collecting data.”

Because of rare cases of excessive bleeding, the FDA initially imposed strict limits on who could prescribe and distribute the pill — only specially certified physicians and only after an in-person appointment where the person would receive the pill.

Both those requirements were dropped during the COVID-19 years. At the time, FDA officials under President Joe Biden said that after more than 20 years of monitoring mifepristone use, and reviewing dozens of studies involving thousands of women, it was clear that women could safely use the pill without direct supervision.

GenBioPro, which makes generic mifepristone, said in a statement the court’s decision “ignores the FDA’s rigorous science and decades of safe use of mifepristone in a case pursued by extremist abortion opponents.”

The impact isn't just in states with bans

In a court filing, Louisiana’s attorney general and a woman who said she was coerced into taking abortion pills requested that the FDA rules be rolled back to when the pills were allowed to be prescribed and dispensed only in person.

A Louisiana-based federal judge last month ruled that those allowances undermined the state’s abortion ban but stopped short of undoing the regulations immediately.

Friday's ruling is in effect as the case works its way through the courts and extends beyond Louisiana and states with abortion bans.

Telehealth prescriptions have become common even in states where abortion is allowed — and the ruling blocks them there, too.

“This is going to affect patients’ access to abortion and miscarriage care in every state in the nation,” said Julia Kaye, an ACLU lawyer. “When telemedicine is restricted, rural communities, people with low incomes, people with disabilities, survivors of intimate partner violence and communities of color suffer the most.”

The National Right to Life Committee said the ruling “restores a critical layer of oversight" in women’s health.

“Women deserve better than an abortion-by-mail system that prioritizes ideology over safety," said Carol Tobias, the group’s president.

Next step could be an appeal to the nation's top court

Danco Laboratories, another mifepristone manufacturer and a defendant in the lawsuit, asked the appeals court Friday after the ruling to put its order on hold for one week to give the company time to “seek relief” from the Supreme Court. If the court does not grant the request, the company said it will file an emergency appeal with the high court.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court overturned abortion as a nationwide right in 2022 but unanimously preserved access to mifepristone two years later.

That 2024 decision sidestepped the core issues, however, by ruling that the anti-abortion doctors behind the case didn’t have legal standing to sue.

“I look forward to continuing to defend women and babies as this case continues,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, said in a statement.

Representatives for the FDA and the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday evening.

In the meantime, anti-abortion groups are celebrating Friday's ruling. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, applauded the ruling as “a huge victory for victims and survivors of Biden’s reckless mail-order abortion drug regime.” She also criticized the Trump administration for taking time to conduct its own review of mifepristone, saying its slow movement has forced states to take action.

“Women and children suffer and state sovereignty is violated every day the FDA allows abortion drugs to flood the mail,” Dannenfelser said.

___

Associated Press reporters John Hanna, Matthew Perrone and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed.

“They went on a pretty big run there,” Banchero said. “And we didn't score.”

It truly might have been that simple.

The Pistons — facing elimination and down by 24 points, on the road, in the second half, and about to join an ignominious club of No. 1 seeds who were ousted from the playoffs by No. 8 seeds — pulled off a comeback for the ages in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Magic.

The final score: Pistons 93, Magic 79.

“We weren't going to lay down,” Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said. “For anything.”

A breakdown of how the comeback — or the collapse, depending on one’s perspective — happened:

The basic numbers

— The score over the first 25 minutes: Magic 62, Pistons 38.

— The score over the final 23 minutes: Pistons 55, Magic 17.

— The score in the fourth quarter: Pistons 31, Magic 8.

— Orlando's shooting percentage in the fourth quarter: 5%. The Magic were 1 for 20.

— That was the worst shooting percentage by any team, in any quarter, since Washington shot 5% in the fourth quarter against Charlotte on Nov. 25, 2015. Put another way, it was the worst shooting performance in any quarter by an NBA team in the league's last 20,238 games.

Orlando's shooting drought

The Magic missed 23 consecutive shots from the field, the most by any team in a playoff game during the play-by-play era (which started with the 1996-97 season).

— Banchero and Desmond Bane were both 0 for 6.

— Jalen Suggs was 0 for 4.

— In all, eight Magic players missed a shot during the drought and 13 of the 23 misses were from 3-point range.

— Orlando led 70-54 when the run of missed shots started. Detroit led 89-75 when it ended. That's a 35-5 Pistons run.

— In game time, the missed-shot stretch took 13 minutes, 50 seconds. In real time, it was about 41 minutes.

What the Pistons did

Cunningham had seven field goals in the second half and Duncan Robinson had four for the Pistons in that span.

The Magic — as a team — had four baskets, in the entire second half. And Cunningham outscored the Magic in the second half by himself, 24-19.

“I mean, we just have amazing spirit and never quit," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “This is a testament to what we’ve built.”

Detroit didn't exactly get red-hot; the Pistons shot 40% in the second half. But the defense and a dominant show on the glass — the Pistons outrebounded the Magic 35-17 in the second half — was more than enough.

The final word

“It keeps us alive. It allows us to fight another day. And now it's about us going and finishing the job. None of this stuff means anything if we don't go win Game 7. But we'll be back at home, we'll have a lot of energy in there, and these last two games have given us a lot of life.” — Cunningham, on what the comeback and having a chance to play Game 7 means.

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

The separatist fighters, meanwhile, said earlier in the day that they captured a strategic military camp in the northern town of Tessalit after the withdrawal of Mali's army and its Russian allies from there.

The claim by the Azawad Liberation Front separatist group was the latest setback for Mali’s ruling junta, which lost control of the major city of Kidal earlier in the week as part of the attacks that killed Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara.

Mali has been run by the military since a 2020 coup and has long suffered violence as jihadi groups expand in surrounding territories in the wider Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, which is known as global hotspot for violent extremism.

The latest assault in the West African nation began Saturday after al-Qaida-backed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, and the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, partnered to target the main international airport in the capital, Bamako, as well as other Malian towns and cities in near-simultaneous attacks, with the fighters riding on motorcycles and trucks.

A statement from the public prosecutor at the Military Court of Bamako, which was read on state television on Friday, noted that investigations found “solid evidence regarding the complicity of certain military personnel” in the attacks, including serving and recently dismissed officers.

The officers participated in “the planning, coordination, and execution” of the attacks, the prosecutor's statement said, while also alleging the involvement of politicians, including Oumar Mariko, a prominent Malian politician in exile.

Malian army withdraws from a key town

Before the arrival of the FLA fighters Friday, the Malian army and members of Russia’s Africa Corp reportedly pulled out of the Tessalit military camp, which is strategically located near an airport and the border with Algeria.

Achafghi Ag Bouhanda, a top FLA commander, announced the capture of Tessalit in an online video verified by The Associated Press.

The AP could not independently confirm the situation at the camp. Malian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At least 10 locations have been attacked by the militants since the latest assault began, forcing Malian and Russian forces to withdraw from the key northern city of Kidal, which was once a stronghold of the separatists.

The junta has vowed to continue its aerial and ground offensive against the militants.

“Military operations will continue until the armed groups involved have been completely neutralized and security has been sustainably restored throughout the country,” Assimi Goita, Malian military leader, said on Tuesday.

Roads to Bamako are blocked

The jihadis have at various times in recent days blocked roads leading to Mali’s capital Bamako, further squeezing the city that already was facing a fuel blockade imposed by the militants late last year.

JNIM earlier this week announced it would enforce a total blockade of Bamako's four major routes, which had previously been partially blocked by the militants. Traffic leading to the city was disrupted Friday and there were reports of roadblocks. The partial blockade has forced some travel agencies to stop operating, travelers said.

“These days, traveling by road is a dangerous undertaking,” said Aminata Traoré, who travels between Bamako and the Sikasso region in the south of the country.

FEMA has “initiated contact to offer new appointments” to term-limited staff whose contracts expired the first three weeks of January, U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian wrote in a notice submitted to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco Friday.

The notice comes after months of uncertainty over the future of FEMA's term-limited disaster workers, who make up roughly half the agency's workforce. It follows news earlier this week that FEMA had reinstated 14 employees who were put on paid administrative leave for eight months for signing a public letter of dissent critiquing policies taken by FEMA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security.

The actions are the latest indications that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is moving away from his predecessor Kristi Noem’s harsher approach toward FEMA, before she was fired as DHS leader. They also raise questions about whether the measures are a response to concerns that the disaster agency might not be prepared for the Atlantic hurricane season and major events like the FIFA World Cup.

FEMA did not immediately respond to questions Friday about the court notice or how many employees received offers to return. On Thursday a spokesperson told The Associated Press that while it does not comment on specific personnel actions, the agency is “addressing outstanding personnel actions to ensure workforce stability and a strong, deployable surge force for upcoming national events and potential disasters.”

FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees, or CORE, work on two- to four-year assignments, though they traditionally have been routinely renewed, a system that allows the agency to build up and taper down its capacity as needed. There are about 10,000 COREs. Current and former FEMA staffers told the AP it is not uncommon for employees to work for decades or even retire in the term-limited appointments.

FEMA abruptly stopped renewing some CORE employees’ contracts at the start of 2026 as they expired, and extended other appointments by only 90 days at a time. The agency paused the nonrenewals in late January, right before a severe winter storm impacted multiple states. By that time, 159 COREs had not been renewed, according to a sworn declaration by FEMA's temporary leader, Karen S. Evans.

A coalition led by the American Federation of Government Employees labor union sued the administration over the nonrenewals, alleging they were part of a wider plan to cut FEMA’s workforce by half and undermined FEMA's congressional mandate to ensure the nation's disaster preparedness.

Evans in her declaration denied any plan for “blanket” elimination of COREs, and said the nonrenewals “do not threaten FEMA's ability to perform its statutory mandate.”

It is unclear how FEMA's decision will impact the lawsuit. A statement submitted to the court by plaintiffs' lawyers Friday evening said they would respond “after proper factual investigation." Plaintiffs' lawyers were scheduled to depose former DHS Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Guy next week in an ongoing discovery effort around the decision-making that led to the CORE dismissals.

A FEMA employee who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media said they knew of at least two COREs who had already been called back.

FEMA officials also announced this week that COREs with contracts ending between January and May who were previously extended for 90 days “may be reappointed for up to one year,” along with those whose contracts end after May, according to an email to staff reviewed by the AP. “Eligible” FEMA reservists will be renewed for two years, the email said. Around 7,000 reservists in the agency’s surge workforce have contracts expiring May 2.

“Our readiness directly impacts our ability to help Americans in need,” the email said, “and every employee plays a critical role in meeting these challenges.”

The president did not provide details but said an announcement could come later Friday or Saturday.

“We’re looking at it. If we could do it, we’ll do it. But only if it’s a good deal,” he said earlier Friday, speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Florida.

The possibility of a bailout first emerged publicly last week, when Trump floated the idea of the U.S. government offering Spirit a financial lifeline to help keep it from going out of business. Separately, a lawyer for the airline told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that Spirit was in advanced talks with the government about a financing package.

The president suggested the government would be able to resell the airline known for its bright yellow planes and “no frills” service for a profit once oil prices driven up by the Iran war come down.

Lawmakers from both parties and some Trump administration officials have criticized using taxpayer funds to keep the ultra-low cost airline afloat. Speculation around Spirit's future has grown with every day that passes without a resolution and its operating expenses and debts mount.

A spokesperson for Spirit, headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida, declined to comment on ongoing discussions Friday and said “Spirit is operating as usual.”

Although travelers still could book flights on the airline's website Friday evening, customers flooded Spirit's X account with questions about upcoming flights and demands for refunds. Some U.S. airlines say they would step in to support Spirit customers if the airline goes under.

American Airlines said in a statement that it was capping main cabin fares for flights on Spirit routes where American also offers nonstop service. Budget carrier Frontier said in an X post that it was “ready to support customers who may be impacted if Spirit Airlines ceases operations."

Trump framed the possible federal intervention as an effort to preserve jobs but stressed that any deal must benefit the government.

“If we can help them, we will," he said. “But we have to come first.”

The size and terms of the deal have not been shared publicly. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, both reported an amount of $500 million that would give the government an option to acquire a sizable stake in the airline.

Supporters of a rescue — including labor unions representing Spirit's pilots, flight attendants and ramp workers — say a collapse would put thousands of Americans out of work and hurt consumers by reducing airline competition and increasing airfares. About 17,000 jobs could be impacted, according to Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said Friday in a post on X that if Trump wanted to help the airline, “it's in his hands.”

“Everyday Americans will hurt,” Nelson wrote, including consumers and the employees who stand to lose their jobs if Spirit shuts down.

Miami resident Caleb Euzebe, 27, who works at an insurance company, said he flies Spirit “all the time" and compared the carrier to “that reliable car that you have. It always gets you from point A to point B safely.”

Euzebe, who was at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport after his Spirit flight to Houston was canceled Friday, said he supported the government stepping in if it meant saving jobs.

Spirit's employees have to “put food on the table, keep the lights on for their homes,” he said. "So if that means that bailing them out keeps these people working, I support 100%.”

Spirit has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt. By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020.

The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings.

Shortly before, its parent company revealed in a quarterly report that it had “substantial doubt” about Spirit’s ability to stay in business over the next year, citing “adverse market conditions” — including weak leisure domestic travel demand and ongoing “uncertainties in its business operations.”

The company, Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc., struck a more optimistic tone earlier this year, saying in February it had reached a preliminary deal with creditors and expected to exit Chapter 11 in late spring or early summer. It pitched a “new Spirit,” — smaller and leaner, but still focused on low fares while adding more premium seating options.

Instead, the war that started days later when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran intensified the airline's cash flow problems. Rising jet fuel costs tied to the war added pressure across the industry, and Spirit's creditors last month expressed doubts about whether it could continue operating, raising the possibility of the airline being forced to sell off assets and shut down.

Gianfranco Finizio, a bankruptcy expert and partner at law firm Lowenstein Sandler, said Spirit’s situation reflected an unusually turbulent stretch for the airline, shaped in part by shifting signals from Washington.

He cited the Biden administration’s successful 2023 lawsuit to block Spirit’s merger with JetBlue, followed by mixed messages from the Trump administration about a potential rescue.

“The thought of there even being a bailout is unusual. It’s not something that happens in every day bankruptcy practice,” said Finizio, who is not involved in the airline's Chapter 11 proceedings.

"It's been a tumultuous couple of years and certainly a tumultuous couple of weeks for Spirit,” he said.

Budget-conscious and leisure travelers would likely feel Spirit's absence the most — especially where the airline has a big footprint, such as Las Vegas and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

The carrier flew about 1.7 million domestic passengers in February, roughly half a million fewer than it did during the same month a year earlier, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. It has also sharply reduced its capacity, with about half as many seats available this month than in May 2024.

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Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press video journalist Daniel Kozin contributed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Detroit trailed by 22 at the half and Orlando's lead went to 62-38 early in the third quarter. The Magic looked absolutely poised to become the seventh No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the first round.

And then everything went wrong for Orlando. Everything.

“Detroit grit,” Cunningham said. “That's what we've been talking about all year.”

The Magic became the first team since 1996-97 — when play-by-play began getting tracked digitally — to lose at home after leading by at least 24 points with a chance to win a series.

That number, and a whole lot of others, were just baffling. The Magic missed 23 consecutive shots from the field, Detroit went on a 35-5 run and just like that, the story of the game — and quite possibly the series — changed wildly.

“We took each possession at a time, both offensively and defensively, and tried our best to execute on every single possession," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Every screening action, every rebound, all the small things. We went out and focused on that. And we put ourselves in position to win.”

Tobias Harris scored 22 points for Detroit, which will host Game 7 on Sunday. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 17 for Orlando, which is now 0-2 in closeout opportunities in this series and was again without injured forward Franz Wagner.

The first quarter was back and forth, Detroit leading 26-25 after those opening 12 minutes.

The second quarter: Magic 35, Pistons 12.

Orlando outscored the Pistons 17-0 from 3-point range and the free-throw line in that quarter, held Detroit to 2-for-11 shooting over the first 5:48 of the period and took a 60-38 lead into the half.

The 22-point halftime lead was the fourth-largest by a No. 8 seed over a No. 1 seed in this format. And there was never an instance of a No. 8 seed — at least in the play-by-play era, which started in 1996-97 — outscoring a No. 1 seed by 23 or more points in any quarter of a playoff game, either.

It seemed over. It was not. Because the third quarter: Pistons 24, Magic 11.

“When things get sideways, people splinter. And this group does the opposite," Pistons guard Duncan Robinson said. "It finds a way to just come together. There’s a lot of pride in that locker room, not wanting to go out like that.”

The tone was set for a comeback — an epic one — and when the night ended those who remained in Orlando's Kia Center booed as they departed for possibly the final time this season.

“We've got to go do it the hard way,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

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

Teams that come back from 3-1 are 13-286 all-time, but the Denver Nuggets have done it twice in the same 2020 playoffs.

In the victory, Detroit became the third team in the play-by-play era to rally from 20 or more points down at halftime when facing elimination in a playoff game, joining the 2018 Oklahoma City Thunder (25 points) and the 2024 Minnesota Timberwolves (20 points).

The Pistons, in the victory overcame their largest deficit in franchise history, led by Cade Cunningham, scoring 32 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, with 19 points coming in the fourth quarter.

But defense was the story as Detroit outscored Orlando 55-19 in the second half, forcing the Magic to miss 23 consecutive field goals, including 14 straight from the three-point line.

Orlando led 60-38 at the half and took a 24-point lead before Detroit turned off their faucet while getting hot in the second half for the massive victory.

Tobias Harris chipped in with 22 points, while Duncan Robinson added 14 in the massive comeback victory.

The @DetroitPistons recorded the largest comeback by a road team facing elimination since the 1996-97 season, overcoming a 24-point deficit in Game 6. pic.twitter.com/1tDHD4MO39

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2026

1st quarter

The Pistons won the opening tip but failed to convert, nearly turning the ball over before Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. secured possession. The sequence led to the first foul of the game on Cade Cunningham, who contested a shot by Paolo Banchero and sent him to the line, where he split a pair of free throws.

Former Michigan Wolverines standout Duncan Robinson attacked the rim on the next possession but missed, setting up a putback by Jalen Duren for Detroit’s first points.

Desmond Bane answered with a 3-pointer, followed by Jamal Cain, giving Orlando a 7-2 lead.

Cunningham then went to the line and split a pair of free throws as Detroit trailed 7-3.

Tobias Harris hit a floater, but Duren’s attempt to push the pace after a rebound resulted in a turnover and a dunk for Carter Jr., pushing Orlando ahead 9-5.

Ausar Thompson responded with a putback to cut the deficit to two, but Banchero quickly assisted Carter Jr. for another dunk.

Harris drilled a 3-pointer, but Cain committed a turnover, prompting a timeout with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter.

Out of the timeout, Robinson found Duren for a dunk, giving Detroit its first lead.

Duren followed with a reverse layup off a Daniss Jenkins assist as the Pistons went on a 7-0 run.

The run ended when Banchero was fouled and split a pair of free throws. Jenkins answered with a floater, but Bane hit a contested jumper to give Orlando a 14-13 lead.

Harris drew a foul on Carter Jr. on a 3-point attempt, going to the line and making just one of three as Detroit led 17-14.

Cunningham was stripped after a defensive rebound, and Jevon Carter was later called for a shot-clock violation.

Carter Jr. then hit a jumper before Anthony Black answered with a basket to briefly retake the lead.

Robinson knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night, but Harris lost control of a defensive rebound, leading to a timeout with 2:50 left in the quarter.

Out of the break, Caris LeVert nearly forced a turnover before Tristan da Silva hit a jumper over Cunningham.

Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer, but Da Silva answered with one of his own to tie the game at 23-23.

Jenkins then buried a corner 3 to put Detroit back in front.

Javonte Green secured a defensive rebound but nearly turned it over, and Jenkins had a shot blocked by Goga Bitadze.

Bitadze finished a dunk after Banchero drove into traffic and found him under the rim.

LeVert nearly beat the buzzer with a long attempt, but it rimmed out as Detroit led 26-25 after one quarter.

2nd quarter

Banchero opened the second quarter with a jumper as the Orlando Magic quickly extended their lead, while Paul Reed missed a corner 3-pointer that led to a Tristan da Silva floater and a 29-26 advantage.

Goga Bitadze added a layup off an offensive rebound, fueling an 8-0 run for Orlando.

Cunningham missed a contested layup, but Reed responded with an offensive rebound and putback to momentarily stop the surge.

Bitadze continued his strong stretch inside, finishing another basket after securing his fifth rebound.

Harris drove into the paint but missed a contested attempt, and Duren followed with an offensive rebound and missed a putback that sparked a transition the other way.

Anthony Black finished through contact, converting the layup and free throw as Orlando built a 36-28 lead with 7:53 remaining.

The Magic had outscored Detroit 13-2 to start the quarter.

Bane extended the run with an uncontested layup, prompting a Pistons timeout with 7:46 left as Orlando led 38-28 and had pushed the run to 15-2.

Out of the timeout, Banchero forced a turnover when Harris threw an airball out of bounds.

Jalen Suggs then buried a 3-pointer as the run grew to 18-2. Cunningham answered with a jumper, and Bane added a 3-pointer of his own.

Orlando responded immediately as Carter Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer, pushing the run to 24-4.

Harris hit a floater to bring Detroit within 47-32 with 5:19 remaining, but Jamal Cain picked up his second foul of the game.

Thompson secured an offensive rebound and found Cunningham for a jumper.

Robinson was then called for his third foul, and Suggs converted a pair of free throws after drawing contact.

Harris reached double figures with a jumper off a Jenkins assist, trimming the deficit to 13.

Carter Jr. was later called for an offensive foul after Jenkins missed an open 3-pointer.

Detroit failed to secure a defensive rebound, allowing Orlando to find Bane for another 3-pointer.

Bane added a long fadeaway jumper, and Jenkins was called for an offensive foul, leading to a timeout with 2:31 remaining as Orlando led 54-38.

The Magic outscored the Pistons 31-12 in the quarter, including a 29-12 advantage in the second, as Detroit’s defensive lapses and cold shooting continued to widen the gap.

Banchero added a contested layup to extend the lead to 18 before Harris rushed an off-balance 3-pointer late in the clock.

Banchero followed with another jumper, drew a foul, and converted both free throws as Orlando pushed the lead further amid “MVP” chants from the crowd.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff had no answer as the Pistons trailed by more than 20 points, scoring just 12 in the quarter.

Bane was whistled for a foul on Robinson with 16.2 seconds remaining, and Detroit then committed a turnover on the inbound.

Orlando failed to capitalize, but still entered halftime with a commanding 60-38 lead after holding Detroit to its lowest-scoring quarter of the season.

3rd quarter

Robinson picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, and Bane capitalized with a driving layup to extend Orlando’s lead to 24.

Cunningham then turned the ball over on Detroit’s ensuing possession.

Banchero was called for an offensive foul after Thompson drew a charge, giving the Pistons a brief spark.

Orlando, which had been shooting 56% from the field, saw its lead trimmed when Cunningham hit a jumper, and Harris followed with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 19 with 9:41 remaining.

Thompson blocked Bane on the next possession, and despite Harris being denied at the rim, Cunningham grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the putback.

The sequence capped a 7-0 Detroit run and forced an Orlando timeout with 9:16 left in the quarter.

Suggs was called for traveling out of the break, but Wendell Carter Jr. answered with a block on Thompson.

Harris then missed a pair of open looks, including a 3-pointer and a follow-up attempt that struck the side of the backboard.

Duren picked up his third foul, sending Banchero to the free-throw line, where he converted both attempts.

Cunningham missed a contested layup on the other end, but Duren secured the offensive rebound and finished the putback while drawing a foul, though he missed the free throw.

Cunningham came up with a steal and found Robinson for a 3-pointer as Detroit continued to chip away.

Robinson and Harris both missed open looks from beyond the arc on the next possession, but Duren again controlled the offensive glass.

Bane was assessed a dead-ball foul, leading to a free throw as Detroit extended its run to 16-2.

However, Robinson turned the ball over, and Banchero pushed in transition before being blocked by Duren.

Detroit regained possession and called a timeout with 5:32 to play.

Out of the timeout, Cunningham nearly missed the rim on a long attempt, and Tristan da Silva answered with a 3-pointer.

Jenkins then misfired, leading to an Anthony Black 3-pointer that pushed Orlando’s lead back to 16.

Banchero was fouled on the following possession and split a pair of free throws to make it 71-54.

Reed answered with a contested layup off a Cunningham assist, then drew a foul under the rim and converted both free throws to cut the deficit to 13.

Detroit forced a turnover, and Jenkins made both free throws after being fouled.

Robinson later added a layup as the Pistons continued their push.

Detroit outscored Orlando 22-11 in the quarter, trimming the deficit to nine heading into the final period.

4th quarter

Cunningham opened the fourth quarter with a basket inside, cutting Detroit’s deficit to seven and igniting a comeback that would ultimately force a Game 7.

Thompson followed with a block on Jamal Cain, though Paul Reed was called for a foul on the offensive end.

Cunningham continued to attack, converting a basket while drawing contact to trim the deficit to five with 11:05 remaining, but he missed the free throw.

Carter Jr. split a pair of free throws after drawing a foul from Reed, and Cunningham answered with another score to keep Detroit within striking distance. A defensive trap by Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins created an open look for Jenkins, but he missed a 3-pointer.

Orlando’s offense began to unravel, missing 12 consecutive shots before Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout with his team trailing 72-68 and 9:01 left.

Tobias Harris picked up his fourth foul on Paolo Banchero, but Banchero missed on the ensuing possession. Cunningham capitalized, drawing a foul and making both free throws to cut the deficit to two with 7:53 remaining.

Cunningham then came up with a steal and converted a layup, completing a personal 10-0 run to tie the game. Harris followed by drawing Carter Jr.’s fourth foul and making both free throws to give Detroit its first lead since the opening quarter.

The Pistons’ surge intensified as Orlando’s shooting struggles deepened. The Magic missed 17 straight shots during a 20-1 Detroit run, allowing the Pistons to seize control.

Cunningham added two more free throws to extend the lead to four, and after another Orlando miss, he secured a rebound and drew Carter Jr.’s fifth foul. Cunningham made both free throws to push the lead to six with under six minutes to play, capping a 22-1 run.

Orlando’s drought stretched to 19 consecutive misses before Harris knocked down a jumper to give Detroit an eight-point lead. Banchero later drew a foul and made two free throws, but the Magic’s struggles continued.

Cunningham buried a corner 3-pointer after another defensive stop, and Thompson delivered a key block on Carter Jr., who fouled out on the next possession. Cunningham made both free throws following the foul to extend the lead to 10.

Duncan Robinson added a 3-pointer to make it 88-75 as Orlando’s skid reached 23 consecutive missed field goals, including 13 straight from beyond the arc, drawing boos from the home crowd.

Harris split a pair of free throws before Banchero ended the drought with a dunk. Harris responded by converting two more free throws, and Thompson added another emphatic block with 1:49 remaining.

Jalen Suggs made both free throws after drawing a foul, but Harris answered with a jumper to stretch the lead to 15.

Detroit outscored Orlando 55-19 in the second half, completing a stunning comeback to force a decisive Game 7.

“This filly was struggling,” Brown said. “Her career was really up in the air.”

After more than a month in a veterinary clinic and treatment with a hyperbaric chamber, she began her racing career in February. On Friday night, Always a Runner showed her toughness once again by winning the Kentucky Oaks against some of the best 3-year-old fillies around in the 152nd edition of the race and the first run under the lights in prime time at Churchill Downs.

“This filly is very resilient, very tough,” Brown said after winning the Oaks for the first time. “She didn’t have to be here today. She didn’t have to run again. She could have never run, easily. I’ve had it happen with several horses. The fact that not only did she overcome it and ended up here today as an undefeated horse in the Oaks is just remarkable.”

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Always a Runner made a move around the final turn and needed every bit of the stretch to pass Bob Baffert’s Explora and and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning before the finish line of the 1 1/8-mile race.

Meaning was second by 1 1/4 lengths and Counting Stars third. Always a Runner finished in 1:48.62 and paid $13.04 to win, $7.46 to place and $5.44 to show.

“We were there every step of the way,” McCarthy said. “Kudos to Chad, that filly came running. We were second best.”

Always a Runner impressed Ortiz, who had never ridden her in a race before the Oaks — just a morning workout. She's now 3 for 3.

“Chad was very confident in her,” said Ortiz, who won five races on Friday at Churchill Downs. "He knew what he had. He told me, ‘Just go out there, get to know her in the work and you’re going to feel like a sports car, like she’s a Ferrari.’ And he was right. I loved the way she worked, and here we are. We won.”

Brown will try to pull off the Oaks- Kentucky Derby double on Saturday with Emerging Market, who also had pneumonia as a 2-year-old and has only raced twice. He has also never won the Derby.

“I stick with things that are working," Brown said. “So, two starts, we should be good.”

The first night Kentucky Oaks was one for the history books, but also took place in front of large swaths of empty seats. Many of the 100,000-plus fans who filled the grandstand and the track from the late morning through the afternoon had departed before sunset. The Oaks has typically been run before 6 p.m.

“For me it’s just a very long day,” Ortiz said. “It was just amazing. Good vibe. It’s for the public. If they have fun, it’s good to me.”

Brown lamented not being able to get presented with the trophy in the infield, the tradition for the Oaks and the Derby that was moved to the paddock because of the time. Other than that, he had no complaints.

“It was a really cool experience, and it’s nice to utilize this facility with the lights and all and I would definitely do it again. Obviously, my horse ran terrific,” Brown said. “(The ceremony) was the only negative. Everything else about it was an incredible experience today with this post time.”

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

Caballero, making the most of his chance to play while shortstop Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery, broke a 1-1 tie when he hit a solo shot in the second off Cade Povich (1-1).

Rice hit a three-run drive later in the inning, giving him 11 homers and 26 RBIs.

Warren (4-0) allowed two runs — one earned — and three hits in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and one walk, lowering his ERA to 2.39. The Yankees improve to an AL-best 21-11 and 5-0 in home series openers.

Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird finished a three-hitter.

Cody Bellinger put the Yankees ahead with an RBI double in the first but Alonso tied the score when he led off the second with his fifth homer, driving a sinker into the second deck in right field. Alonso left the New York Mets during the offseason for a $155 million, five-year contract with the Orioles.

Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge robbed former Fresno State teammate Taylor Ward of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch at the wall in the first.

Dylan Beavers hit a run-scoring grounder in the seventh after center fielder Trent Grisham allowed Samuel Basallo's single to bounce by him for an error.

Amed Rosario restored a four-run lead with an RBI single in the bottom half as Judge scored his 900th run, and Judge added a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Up next

Orioles RHP Kyle Bradish (1-3, 4.20 ERA) was set to start Saturday opposite LHP Ryan Weathers (1-2, 3.21)

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

The new rules also include significant changes to the much-criticized international film category, expanding eligibility to include films that won top qualifying awards from prestigious film festivals like Cannes, Venice and Toronto.

“As we do every year, we made a lot of, we think, really smart and progressive changes,” film academy CEO Bill Kramer told The Associated Press. “Obviously, as the academy becomes more global, we need to think about how we are inviting international films into the Oscars conversation.”

AI and the Oscars

As part of its annual review of Oscar eligibility rules, the academy is tackling one of the global filmmaking community's biggest concerns: generative artificial intelligence.

The new rules state that “the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination” and that the academy and each branch “will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.” They’re also reserving the right to request more information from the filmmaking team about the nature of the use of AI and “human authorship.”

“Humans have to be at the center of the creative process,” said academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. “As AI continues to evolve, our conversations around AI will do so along with that. But for the academy, we are always going to put human authorship at the center of our awards eligibility process.”

When it comes to the eligibility of performances, only roles “demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” will be considered. The organization declined to comment on whether the upcoming AI-rendered Val Kilmer performance would be eligible as the filmmakers have not yet submitted it for consideration.

A likeness is not an actor, for one, but it might also depend on how Kilmer is credited in the film: As Val Kilmer or something else? One could also take Andy Serkis as Gollum as an example of a human collaborating with technology for the final performance.

“We will review that on a case-by-case basis,” Kramer said. “We, like everybody in our industry and world, we will be assessing this every year.”

There is less ambiguity in the screenplay categories, where the rules state that “screenplays must be human-authored to be eligible.”

The film academy has often had to review its standards to meet the technological advances of the moment, whether it be sound, color or computer generated imagery (CGI).

Sweeping changes to international film eligibility

As its membership has grown much more international, there have been increasing calls for an overhaul to the international film category, which had been continually criticized as unjust, outdated and subject to political interference. That's led to independent and dissident filmmakers often pointedly not being submitted to represent the country they’re from.

Last year’s Palme d’Or-winner at Cannes, for instance, was “It Was Just an Accident,” from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, was not submitted as Iran’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards, but France’s.

Under the new rules, “It Was Just an Accident” could be considered eligible because it won the top Cannes prize and not because a country chose to submit it. In addition to the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the Golden Lion at Venice and the Platform award at Toronto, other festivals with eligible qualifying awards will also include the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear, the Busan International Film Festival’s best film award and the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize.

All the international films will also be credited as the nominee, not the country or region, and the award will be accepted by the filmmaker. The director’s name will also be listed on the Oscar plaque, “after the film title and country if applicable.”

“That really reflects our desire to honor the film’s creative team. That is how we approach other categories,” Kramer said. “And as we become more global, as the filmmaking community becomes more global. I think it’s really about a focus on the filmmakers and less a focus of the country.”

Actors can now be nominated for more than one award in a category

The acting branch is catching up with the rest of the academy in allowing an actor to be nominated for more than one performance in a single category. If, say, this year’s best actor winner Michael B. Jordan has two extraordinary leading performances in two different films in 2026, he could possibly get two best actor nominations.

This is standard practice in the other categories. In 2001, at the 73rd Oscars, Steven Soderbergh was nominated for best director for both “Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich,” winning the prize for the former.

And about those original songs in the end credits

The organization also clarified the eligibility of original songs used during a film’s end credits. For songs in which the first music cue plays over the end credits, that song must overlap with at least the film’s last 15 seconds before the credits roll in order to be considered eligible. This year’s original song winner, “Golden” was a key part of “KPop Demon Hunters” and used several times throughout the film.

“We never stop looking at ways to improve our eligibility process,” Taylor said.

Leon Botstein, who has been president of the small, liberal arts college inn New York for a half century, will retire at the end of June, he wrote in an email provided to The Associated Press by Bard.

In the note, Botstein, 79, didn't mention the scrutiny of his ties to Epstein, except to say that he had waited to announce his retirement publicly until the completion of an independent review of his relationship with the notorious sex offender.

He said he would remain on Bard's faculty as a teacher and musician.

Botstein was not accused of any involvement in Epstein's exploitation and abuse of girls and women. But he was among a long list of prominent and notable men and women who maintained friendly relationships with him for years, despite his status as a convicted sex offender.

A trove of documents released by the U.S. Justice Department this year showed that Botstein and Epstein had met on multiple occasions, with Epstein sometimes arriving at Bard by helicopter. The president had also asked Epstein to be a guest at the 2013 graduation ceremonies and suggested they meet for an opera performance.

In addition, Botstein reached out to Epstein weeks after the The Miami Herald reported new details on Epstein’s criminal prosecution in 2018, saying “I want you to know that I hope you are holding up as well as can be expected,” and had separately referred to his “friendship” with Epstein in at least two emails.

Epstein steered $150,000 to Botstein in 2016, which the president has previously said he donated to the college. Botstein has previously denied having a personal connection with Epstein, instead saying his contacts with Epstein were centered on fundraising for the college.

Bard's trustees enlisted the outside law firm WilmerHale to conduct an independent review of the communications between Epstein and Botstein. The review found that the president did not do anything illegal but “made decisions in the course of that relationship that reflect on his leadership of Bard," according to a summary provided by the college.

“In his public statements and his statements to the Bard community, President Botstein minimized and was not fully accurate in describing his relationship with Epstein,” the review said.

At one point, according to the review, Botstein disagreed with a senior faculty member who felt Bard should not engage with Epstein, concluding that the president “relied on his view that a person convicted of crimes involving sex with a minor—‘an ordinary sex offender’, in his words—could be presumed to be rehabilitated in the same way that any other convicted person should, in his view, be given that presumption.”

“President Botstein forcefully argues that Bard’s need for funds was paramount. His view was, ‘I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work,’ ” the review said.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees at Bard, in a separate message, wrote that it is grateful for Botstein's decades of service to the college, but added that the “concerns raised in recent months have been serious and deeply felt.”

It said funds associated with Epstein will be directed to organizations that support survivors of sexual harm.

Bard’s media relations office released a statement calling Botstein “a transformative leader with the vision and unwavering commitment that has shaped Bard into the world-class educational institution it is today.”

The jet is currently being painted red, white and blue, the Air Force said in a news release.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the luxury jet a year ago despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting an expensive gift from a foreign nation, as well as concerns about security and cyber intelligence. Trump has defended the gift as a way to save tax dollars.

Trump has said he wouldn’t fly around in the aircraft when his term ends. Instead, he said, the plane would be donated to a future presidential library, similar to how the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum piece.

Air Force officials said the former Qatari jet will serve as a “bridge” until Boeing is ready to deliver a pair of new aircraft, which is now expected in 2028.

The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, and Trump is eager to replace them. During his first term, he displayed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office, complete with a revised paint scheme that echoed the red, white and dark blue design of his personal plane.

Boeing has been retrofitting 747s originally built for a now-defunct Russian airliner. But the program has faced nearly a decade of delays from a series of issues, including a critical subcontractor’s bankruptcy and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff who could be awarded high-level security clearances.

The new planes aren’t due to be finished until near the end of Trump’s term, and he’s out of patience. He has described the situation as “a total mess,” and he has complained that Air Force One isn’t as nice as the planes flown by some Arab leaders.

The $400 million Qatari plane has been described as a “palace in the sky,” complete with luxurious accommodations and top-of-the-line finishes.

But security is the primary concern when it comes to presidential travel. The current Air Force One planes were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War. They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room. They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though they have never been used with a president on board.

It is not clear which capabilities were added to the former Qatari jet. The Air Force did not reveal the cost of the modifications, but lawmakers suggested last year that they could top $1 billion.

Air Force officials said they leased a 747-8 freighter from Atlas Air between October and February so pilots could get familiar with the latest variant. The U.S. has also purchased two jets from the German carrier Lufthansa for training and spare parts. Boeing stopped building 747s in 2023.

Even as negotiations continue, Trump is claiming that the war has been “terminated” because of the ceasefire. The president also called the War Powers Resolution, which states Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days, “unconstitutional.”

The resolution’s May 1 deadline is now set to pass without action, as lawmakers left town for a week on Thursday after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.

Trump also said Friday that he will increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union next week to 25% after claiming without evidence that the E.U. was “not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal.” The U.S. and E.U. reached a trade deal last July that sets a 15% tariff on most goods.

Here's the latest:

Trump jokes that US Navy will take on Cuba on the way home from Iran

“Cuba’s got problems,” Trump said in one of several digressions in his Friday evening speech before the non-profit Forum Club of the Palm Beaches. “On the way back from Iran, we’ll have one of our big, maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier — the biggest in the world — we’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘Thank you very much. We give up.’”

The Trump administration is in the midst of a monthslong campaign to press the Cuban government to make dramatic reforms. All the while, Trump has repeatedly threatened that the U.S. could take military action against the island to get what he wants.

Trump now speaking in West Palm Beach, Florida

The president is at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches Dinner, which is being held at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

“We’re joined tonight by a lot of my friends,” he said.

Trump owns Mar-a-Lago, his home and private club across the causeway in Palm Beach.

He also spoke a little bit about the war against Iran.

US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany in next 6-12 months after feud over Iran war

Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from its NATO ally earlier this week as he continues to feud with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S-Israel war against Iran. Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the “decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.”

The U.S. has several major military facilities in Germany, including the headquarters for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. The number of troops leaving Germany would be 14% of the 36,000 American service members stationed there.

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Court restricts abortion access across the US by blocking the mailing of mifepristone

A panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is requiring that the pill — one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. — be distributed only in-person at clinics.

Judges have long deferred to the Food and Drug Administration’s judgments on the safety and appropriate regulation of drugs. FDA officials under Trump have repeatedly stated the agency is conducting a new review of mifepristone’s safety, at the direction of the president.

Since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed enforcement of abortion bans, prescriptions by mail has become a major way that abortions are provided — including in states where bans are in place.

“This is going to affect patients’ access to abortion and miscarriage care in every state in the nation,” said Julia Kaye, an ACLU lawyer.

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Trump opens event with older Americans in Florida by referencing shooting at Washington dinner he attended

Trump is visiting The Villages in central Florida, a community for older Americans, to talk about how his policies are helping them.

He said he loves Florida and was “thrilled” to be among the “great American patriots” of The Villages.

“Now, you know I shouldn’t be here,” Trump said, referencing what law enforcement authorities have said was an attempt on his life during a gala dinner in Washington last weekend.

Trump said he should be “indoors at a secure facility” and asked, “What’s more secure than The Villages?”

EPA says oil and gas producers can continue routine flaring at new oil wells

A Biden-era rule had set a May 7 deadline to halt routine flaring of planet-warming methane at new wells. However, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it won’t make that change in response to concerns from energy companies.

Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota hailed the new guidelines, which she said will allow continued production of up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day in her state.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat far more efficiently than carbon dioxide over the short term and is a major driver of climate change. Energy companies routinely flare, or burn, excess methane produced by oil wells because it’s less valuable than the oil.

Chinese envoy says ‘world is big enough’ for both US and China ahead of Trump’s visit to Beijing

Asked if the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S. will overshadow the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, China’s U.N. ambassador Fu Cong said the relationship between the two world powers “goes beyond” the issue of reopening the critical waterway.

“I think it is in the interest of both countries and both people — and I may say, to the entire world, of the people of the entire world — that China and U.S. maintain a steady and sound and sustainable relationship,” he told reporters at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Fu added that there’s room for both on the world stage and that “it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game between the two countries.”

Trump contends hostilities with Iran have ‘terminated’

The White House asserted to Congress in a letter Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated” despite the continued presence of U.S. armed forces in the region.

The message from Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline for gaining approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers, who are deferring to the president.

The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump’s war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago.

He also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over.

“Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” the Republican president said.

US military reaches deals with 7 tech companies to use their AI on classified systems

Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX will provide resources to help “augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments,” the Defense Department said.

The use of AI can help the U.S. military reduce the time it takes to identify and strike targets on the battlefield, while aiding in the organization of weapons maintenance and supply lines, according to a report in March from the Brennan Center for Justice.

Friday’s announcement comes after concerns raised by a company not on the list, Anthropic, whose battle with the Pentagon to put up AI guardrails has spilled into court.

The tech company said it wanted assurances in its contract that the military would not use its technology in fully autonomous weapons and the surveillance of Americans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the company must allow for any uses the Pentagon deemed lawful.

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Trump says after CENTCOM briefing that he has two options for Iran

Discussing a Thursday briefing with Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, Trump said the U.S. has just two options in Iran.

“I mean, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” Trump said.

Asked if he wanted to pursue the former, Trump said: “I’d prefer not. On a human basis, I’d prefer not, but that’s the option.”

Trump said he believes Iran’s leadership has made some progress toward unifying around a resolution.

“They’ve made strides, but I’m not sure if they ever get there,” he said. “There’s tremendous discord, they’re having a tremendous problem getting along with each other in Iran.”

Trump dismisses war powers law as ‘unconstitutional’

Friday marked the 60th day since the White House notified Congress of its military operations in Iran, meaning Trump would have to withdraw forces or seek formal approval from Capitol Hill.

But the president said his predecessors have similarly not sought congressional approval for military action abroad, and he wasn’t going to be any different.

“Every other president considered it totally unconstitutional, and we agree with that,” Trump said at the White House as he departed for Florida on Friday.

He also agreed with an argument advanced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week that ceasefire days should not count as hostilities and thus not toward the 60 day limit.

A senior administration official says the U.S.’s military actions in Iran have effectively “terminated” since the April 7 ceasefire.

Meet Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump’s third pick for US surgeon general

Trump dropped his pick for surgeon general Dr. Casey Means this week after it became clear she didn’t have enough Senate votes.

His new pick Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, has promoted much of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda, including cutting ultraprocessed foods from diets and encouraging exercise.

But she has been a more vocal advocate for vaccination than Kennedy. She’s also criticized the administration’s handling of some issues as “embarrassing.”

“The more vaccine confusion we create, the more preventable disease we will see,” she said in September, urging the administration to get itself in order on the issue.

Trump sounds open to putting former 2024 GOP rival Ron DeSantis in his Cabinet

When asked Friday if he’d consider a Cabinet role for the Florida governor, who is term-limited and will be out of office in 2027, Trump responded by saying, “Well, I like him a lot.”

Trump’s team in 2024 was considering DeSantis as his defense secretary when then-nominee Pete Hegseth’s path to Senate confirmation seemed shaky.

Trump says he’s still looking at a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines

“We’re looking at it. If we could do it, we’ll do it. But only if it’s a good deal,” Trump told reporters on Friday as he prepared to leave the White House for a trip to Florida.

He didn’t offer any details about what proposal he was considering but said he’d like to save jobs at the airline. Trump said his administration gave Spirit “a final proposal” and would make an announcement Friday or Saturday.

“We’re looking at Spirit and if we can help them, we will. But we have to come first,” he said.

Trump says he’s ‘not satisfied’ with Iran’s latest proposal in negotiations to end the war

“They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Friday at the White House.

Asked about what he sees as the proposal’s shortcomings, Trump said, “They’re asking for things I can’t agree to.”

The president said negotiations have continued by phone after he called off his envoys’ trip to Pakistan last week. He expressed frustration with Iran’s leadership, which he described as fractured.

“It’s a very disjointed leadership,” he said. “They all want to make a deal, but they’re all messed up.”

Some background on the 2025 trade deal between the US and EU

The 2025 deal was first cast into doubt after the U.S. Supreme Court this year ruled the Republican president lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency and charge tariffs on EU goods.

The initial agreement had been a tariff ceiling of 15% on goods from the EU, but the Supreme Court ruling reduced that to 10% as the Trump administration launched a new set of import taxes based on other laws. The Trump administration is in the middle of investigations on trade imbalances and national security risks to impose a new tariff regime, which could ultimately put the agreement with the EU in risk of violation.

The EU had said it expected the bilateral deal would save European automakers about 500 million to 600 million euros ($585 million to $700 million) a month.

The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

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Trump says he’ll place 25% tariff on autos from EU, accusing bloc of not complying with trade deal

It’s a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment.

Trump said in a post that the EU “is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal,” though he did not flesh out his objections in the post.

Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had agreed to the trade deal last July. It set a 15% tariff on most goods.

Bessent wants Americans to avoid easy-money traps and invest in financial literacy

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent winces at the allure of easy money — whether it’s lottery tickets, buy now, pay later loans or the promise of a crypto windfall — warning that the get-rich-quick mindset often leads Americans farther from financial stability, not closer to it.

“There are a lot of young people, mostly young men, going to blue-collar construction jobs, playing the lottery. It drives me crazy,” Bessent said in an interview.

“The best thing you can do is not play the lottery,” he said — rather, people should invest and “then watch it grow.”

Bessent spoke about the basics of building a workable budget and saving for the future at the tail end of Financial Literacy Month, an initiative the billionaire hedge fund manager has made a priority since joining Trump’s administration, driven by a childhood marred by poverty.

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King Charles III wins praise for deft handling of Trump on his US state visit

President Trump sang the praises of King Charles III after the monarch’s state visit this week. He even lifted some tariffs on Scotch whisky as a favor to the British monarch.

The king delivered a diplomatic master-class on the trip, mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism. It’s unclear, though, whether it will make a major difference to a trans-Atlantic relationship troubled by divisions over issues including the Iran war.

“In the short term probably yes, in the long term probably no,” said Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history. But he said Charles had “definitely clawed back some of the prestige of the monarchy” in his homeland with his assured performance.

“He’s done us proud,” Allerfeldt said.

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Joe Biden endorses a former Atlanta mayor and White House adviser for Georgia governor

The former Democratic president is wading into the midterms, making his first political endorsement of the 2026 cycle by backing Keisha Lance Bottoms for the state’s top job.

Bottoms served as Biden’s senior adviser for public engagement after her tenure as Atlanta mayor.

In a one-minute video promoting her candidacy, Biden praised her track record as mayor and said “those same qualities that made her a great mayor made her invaluable to our administration — smart, focused, gets things done.”

“She handled it all with steady and thoughtful leadership,” Biden said in the video. “That’s the definition of battle-tested.”

After major enforcement operations, the Trump administration recalibrates its immigration crackdown

When Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was questioned by senators during his confirmation hearing about his vision for implementing President Trump’s mass deportation agenda, he said his goal was to keep his department off the front pages of the news.

To some degree, he has. Gone are the social media video clips of now-retired Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino clashing with protesters. Mullin’s predecessor, Kristi Noem, made her first trip as secretary to New York City to make arrests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In contrast, Mullin went to North Carolina to review hurricane recovery efforts.

The Republican administration appears to be recalibrating its approach to a centerpiece policy that helped bring Trump back to the White House, moving in many ways away from aggressive, public-facing tactics toward a quieter approach to enforcement. Despite that shift, the administration insists it’s not backing down from its lofty deportation goals.

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In a Monday statement announcing his death, Marvel described Conway as a legendary comic book writer with a prolific career. He died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday in Thousand Oaks, California, his wife, Laura Conway, told The Associated Press.

“From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Gerry Conway has deftly written almost every character in the Marvel Universe,” Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski said. "Gerry Conway’s legacy has made an undeniable and indelible impact on the Super Hero stories we know and love. He will be dearly missed.”

Tributes were also shared on social media.

“While many know his Marvel accomplishments ... Gerry’s contributions to DC were equally impactful and significant: shaping Batman, Superman, the Justice League of America, and co-creating Firestorm, Jason Todd and Power Girl and so many more,” Jim Lee, chief creative officer and president of DC Comics, said in an Instagram post. “Thank you, Gerry, for the worlds imagined and the heroes created.”

Conway was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 10, 1952. A lifelong fan of comic books, he started writing comic book stories as a teenager, and by the age of 19 he landed work on “The Amazing Spider-Man" — which Marvel's statement described as "the job that would change his life — and the comic book industry at large — forever.”

Conway's writing featured "pivotal moments” that redefined the series, Marvel said, such as the death of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker's girlfriend. He also co-created the Punisher, a vigilante antihero known for the skull logo on his chest.

The skull imagery has been used by law enforcement in recent years, sparking controversy at times. Nearly a decade ago, Conway objected to police departments putting Punisher decals on their vehicles, saying in a social media post that the character was “a complex morally compromised anti-hero, not to be emulated by cops,” as reported the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Conway had a way of imbuing characters with nuance and emotional depth, Marvel said in its statement.

“Gerry Conway brought real stakes to his writing, able to weave together sensational super heroics with the human and relatable, and in doing so created some of the most memorable stories and characters of all time,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said.

Beyond the Spider-Man comics, Conway wrote for several other major Marvel titles, including “Fantastic Four,” “Thor” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

In a 1981 interview with The Comics Journal, Conway noted how comic books can appeal to both younger and older audiences.

"I'm writing for the youthful part of myself, the primitive part of myself,” he told the magazine. "If an adult likes the books it's because of a nostalgic feeling for that primitive, easy conceptualization of heroic purpose.”

He and his fans loved meeting each other, his wife Laura Conway said. At his last public comic book signing in February, “he was tired and in a lot of pain as the cancer was spreading, but he stayed an extra two hours to make sure every fan in line could get their book signed and have a moment to talk with him about comics,” she said.

“That’s the kind of person he was.”

Conway is survived by his wife and two daughters from previous marriages.

“Being separated from a soulmate is a unique kind of pain. But I’m grateful we found each other and for the time we had together, which changed both our lives,” his wife said.

“I know Andy well, and he is always a Vote we can count on because he knows what it takes to GET THINGS DONE,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Barr is facing former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the May 19 Republican primary, and would have faced entrepreneur Nate Morris. In a Truth Social post just before his endorsement of Barr, Trump announced that he'd asked Morris to “step aside” from the race to join his administration as an ambassador.

“Nate is a terrific businessman and strong MAGA Warrior,” Trump wrote, adding that he'll announce Morris' specific role soon. Shortly after, Morris posted on X that he was proud to be part of the Trump administration and, in another post, endorsed Barr.

All three Republicans coveted the president's endorsement — and boasted frequently of their Trump loyalty — in the conservative state, where Trump won 64% of the vote in the 2024 presidential race.

It isn’t the first Senate primary where Trump has endorsed or teased an endorsement, and he’s been using his influence to continue shaping the Republican Party.

In Louisiana, Trump backed Sen. Bill Cassidy’s challenger, Rep. Julia Letlow. Cassidy voted to convict the president during his 2021 impeachment trial after the Jan. 6. attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In Texas, the president has dangled a possible endorsement in the primary between Sen. John Cornyn and challenger Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, but he hasn’t announced anything.

In Kentucky, Barr said he was honored to have Trump’s endorsement, adding in a statement that he’ll stand with Trump “100% to deliver for Kentucky and to keep Making America Great Again.”

A consultant for Cameron’s campaign, Brandon Moody, said in a texted statement, “Congrats to Mitch McConnell for getting his guy,” but did not explain further.

The Democratic field in Kentucky includes former state lawmaker Charles Booker and former Marine pilot Amy McGrath. Booker narrowly beat McGrath in the 2020 Democratic primary to face McConnell.

Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race in Kentucky since 1992.

The Texans didn’t release terms of the deal when they announced it Friday, but it is reportedly worth $54 million.

“Truthfully, I just wanted to be authentically myself and I always felt like if I got the opportunity to be at a place and show everybody who I was, then things would go well for the team and myself,” he said. “I’m grateful for that.”

His deal comes on the heels of defensive end Will Anderson signing a three-year, $150 million contract extension with the Texans that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history

Al-Shaair has spent the last two seasons with the Texans, appearing in 27 games with 173 tackles, eight tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 passes defensed, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Last season, he was selected for his first Pro Bowl after making 16 starts for a defense that allowed the fewest yards in the NFL (277.2 per game) and averaged the second-fewest points allowed (17.4) in the regular season.

Al-Shaair joined the Texans after spending the 2023 season with the Titans. He was an undrafted free agent who spent his first four seasons in San Francisco, where he appeared in 56 games and had 199 tackles and 11 tackles for losses.

Al-Shaair was honored for his off-field work last season when he was named Houston’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award recipient. He supports numerous charities that support homeless youth after experiencing homelessness growing up after his family’s home was destroyed in a fire.

Al-Shaair said Friday that his mother didn’t want him to play football as a child because she didn’t want him to get hurt. He begged her and made a promise that he has since fulfilled.

“We were staying in a motel at the time, (and I said) ‘I promise you, if you let me play football I’m going to make it to the NFL, I’ll take care of our family one day,’” he said. “I had no clue if I was ever actually going to be able to do it or not. I never saw it done. ... So, to sit here years and years later, to be actually living that out, is absolutely amazing.”

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

Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from the NATO ally earlier this week after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the “decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.”

Germany hosts several U.S. military facilities, including the headquarters of its European and Africa commands, Ramstein Air Base and a medical center in Landstuhl, where casualties from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were treated. U.S. nuclear missiles are also stationed in the country.

The number of troops leaving Germany would be 14% of the 36,000 American service members stationed there.

News of the troop withdrawal drew swift pushback from Democrats in Congress as well as a hawkish Washington think tank. They said the move will benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin and weaken U.S. security interests.

The withdrawal “suggests American commitments to our allies are dependent on the president’s mood," said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"The president should immediately cease this reckless action before he causes irreversible consequences for our alliances and long-term national security,” Reed said.

Bradley Bowman, a scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the U.S. military's presence in Germany and elsewhere in Europe “not only strengthens deterrence against additional Kremlin aggression but also facilitates the projection of American military power into the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa.”

Trump ignored questions from reporters about the withdrawal on Friday as he boarded Air Force One in Ocala, Florida, following a rally to tout his economic agenda.

Trump made a similar threat in his first term, saying he would pull about 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 U.S. troops who were then stationed in Germany, but he didn’t start the process and Democratic President Joe Biden formally stopped the planned withdrawal soon after taking office in 2021.

The mercurial U.S. leader has mused for years about reducing the American military presence in Germany, and has railed against NATO for its refusal to assist Washington in the war, which began on Feb. 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Trump wrote Wednesday on social media that the U.S. was reviewing possible troop reductions in Germany, with a “determination” to be made soon. On Thursday, he was still thinking about Merz, posting that the German leader should “spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine” and “fixing his broken Country” than concerning himself with Iran.

American allies in NATO have braced for a U.S. troop withdrawal since Trump took office, with Washington warning that Europe would have to look after its own security, including that of Ukraine, in the future.

Depending on operations, exercises and troop rotations, around 80,000-100,000 U.S. personnel are usually stationed in Europe. NATO allies have expected for more than a year that the U.S. troops deployed after Russia launched its all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022 would be first to leave.

Ed Arnold, an expert in European security at the Royal United Services Institute, or RUSI, in London, said Europe is more concerned about issues like a U.S. redeployment of Patriot missile systems and ammunition from Germany to the Middle East.

In October, the U.S. confirmed that it would reduce its troop presence on NATO’s borders with Ukraine. The move to cut 1,500-3,000 troops came on short notice and unsettled NATO ally Romania, where the military organization runs an air base.

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Madhani reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.

Michel reported to prison Thursday, a spokesperson said, with federal records listing him as an inmate at a low-security correctional institution in Arizona.

“Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice. Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence,” said Erica Dumas, a spokesperson for Michel, adding that his legal team is still contesting his charges.

“This chapter is difficult, but it is not his final one,” Dumas said.

Michel, 53, was convicted in 2023 on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He was sentenced late last year.

Prosecutors said he obtained over $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho — also known as Jho Low — and steered some of that money through straw donors to Obama’s campaign. Michel also tried to end a U.S. Justice Department investigation of Low, tampered with two witnesses and perjured himself at trial, prosecutors said. Low has maintained his innocence.

Michel was a founding member of the Fugees along with childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, with the group going on to win two Grammy Awards and selling tens of millions of albums.

Korda only took advantage on two of the four par 5s at El Camaleon, and she had to scramble on the par-5 18th coming out of the right rough. But she had the right touch on a gap wedge from just over 50 yards to 4 feet to close out her round with a birdie.

That allowed her to catch Do, who had a fairway metal for her second shot into the par-4 ninth and finished with a bogey for a 69.

They were at 9-under 135,having faced a stronger wind than the morning wave from the day before on the course along the coast of the Caribbean Sea.

“Drive it straight, hit it close and make putts,” Korda said of the key to playing El Camaleon, the rest course that previously hosted PGA Tour and LIV Golf events.

Melanie Green, who shared the 18-hole lead with Do, had a slow start until making three birdies over her last six holes for a 70. She was one shot behind.

Minami Katsu of Japan had a 69 and was two shots behind.

Korda hit only seven of the 14 fairways, though she was rarely out of position and at times went with a fairway metal off the tee to avoid the bunkers. But she putted for her birdie on all but two holes and was steady over a few 4-foot par putts.

She also had a big following, only partially related to being the No. 1 player in women's golf with her wire-to-wire victory last week in The Chevron Championship for her second win this year, and her third career major.

She was playing alongside Gaby Lopez of Mexico, who shot 71 and was four shots behind.

“Playing with Gaby the crowds have been amazing to see the local support for her, ” Korda said. “And not complaining about where I am on the leaderboard. Playing some solid golf and playing in front of fun crowds, hometown crowds for Gaby is fun to see. Hopefully I can continue playing well, good golf going into the weekend.”

Do, the 36-year-old American, managed her 69 without making birdie on the par 5s. But her iron game gave her plenty of good looks for birdie, and she converted four of them.

She tied for ninth at the Riviera Maya Open a year ago, her only top 10 on the LPGA Tour.

“I put myself in that position last year here and so I think I’m going to be a little more prepared for it this year,” Do said. “I don’t think you’re ever very comfortable being in contention and leading, and so I’m going accept it and kind of just play within myself and feel the feels and kind of see what happens — just accept what happens.”

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

Young shot a 5-under 67 on Friday to get to 13 under and take a five-shot lead at the midway point of the $20 million signature event at Trump International Doral.

Young's lone blemish: a bogey at the par-4 14th, where his chip from an awkward sidehill lie didn't reach the putting surface. Otherwise, he was flawless — just as he was Thursday when he had a bogey-free 64 to grab the lead.

He got the stroke he dropped at the 14th back two holes later, when he drove the green at the par-4 16th and coolly two-putted for his 14th birdie of the week.

“There's a lot of golf to be played on a difficult golf course," Young said. “But so far, I've played well.”

Young played with Scottie Scheffler; the world's No. 1 player had a bogey-free 67 but ended the day exactly where he started it — seven shots off the lead.

Nick Taylor (70), Alex Smalley (71) and Jordan Spieth (71) were tied for second. Gary Woodland (69) was alone in fifth at 7 under and Scheffler was in a logjam of players — Alex Fitzpatrick among them — at 6 under.

“I definitely need to not get further away,” Scheffler said. “No, it depends on how the golf course is playing. All I can do is go out there and be committed to what I need to do and that’s pretty much it.”

Young even had mistakes work out for him. He hated the birdie putt he hit on the par-4 13th, starting to walk toward the hole with the ball about halfway there.

Some guys do that when they know they've just made a putt.

Young wasn't in that mindset. He gave an almost-apologetic wave when the ball wound up dropping into the cup.

“I was absolutely disgusted about halfway there,” Young said. “I think my read netted out to be OK, but I just thought it was going to go a little bit left and then a little bit right and it ended up going six inches left and six inches right. ... When you’re putting well, some of those, they tend to wobble into the hole and that one did.”

Spieth rolled in a birdie at the par-4 18th, an absolute rarity through the first two rounds at Doral. The 18th on the Blue Monster course is a serious test, with water lining the left and seriously narrowing the fairway for all but the biggest hitters.

Spieth's birdie was the sixth on the 18th through the tournament's first two days.

“It’s just a really hard tee shot for most guys,” Taylor said.

The 18th even gave Young some trouble. Or tried to, anyway.

Young’s second shot at the finishing hole bounced off the base of the bleachers, coming to rest in the middle of a nest of cables on the ground well behind the green. He took a drop, didn’t get a great lie of out that, and still chipped to veritable tap-in range to save his par.

“I may have a two- or three- or four-shot lead starting tomorrow, but it just goes away so fast out here,” Young said. “There's no sense really playing like you have a four-shot lead. You might as well play like you’re four back.”

He took note of what happened to start the second round, using that as his proof that the leaderboard might be a whole lot tighter before he tees off in Round 3 on Saturday afternoon.

Kurt Kitayama and Sudarshan Yellamaraju — the first group off the tee Friday morning — took full advantage of very calm conditions. They both soared up the leaderboard; Kitayama had the round of the day with an 8-under 64 (which included a bogey on 18) and Yellamaraju was 9 under for the round through 16 before dropping three shots on his final two holes and finishing with a 66.

They're both at 4 under for the week.

“It definitely helps when you’re both playing,” Kitayama said. “The rhythm, being first off, helps. We didn’t have to wait for anyone, kind of going at our own pace, not worrying about being behind or waiting on a group. And so, when you’re both playing well, it’s nice to feed off each other’s energy.”

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

The two-time All-Star left midway through the second quarter of Toronto's 125-120 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday night. He scored one point in 11 minutes before departing.

Guard Jamal Shead started in Ingram’s place in Game 6.

The Raptors are already without guard Immanuel Quickley, who has missed the entire series because of sore right hamstring.

After averaging 21.5 points per game in the regular season, his first with Toronto, Ingram has struggled in the playoffs, averaging 12 in the five games against the Cavaliers. He's shooting 19 for 58 overall and 5 for 13 from 3-point range.

Cleveland leads the series 3-2 and can advance with a win Friday. The home team has won each of the five games in the series.

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

Judge Dale E. Ho in Manhattan extended the status temporarily while a lawsuit seeking to preserve the protections plays out. In an emergency order, he wrote that people granted the status are ordinary, law-abiding people who the U.S. government had determined could face threats to their safety if they were returned to a country facing an ongoing armed conflict.

Amid its immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status for people from nine countries, including Haiti, Venezuela and Ethiopia. Before Ho’s ruling, protections for Yemeni refugees were set to end on Monday, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

People with Temporary Protected Status are eligible to remain in the U.S., may not be removed from the country, and are able to receive work and travel authorization.

In his ruling, Ho criticized former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying Congress had established a process for Temporary Protected Status to be altered or rescinded, but she had not followed it.

He was particularly critical of a social media message she sent out in early December in which she said she had just met with President Donald Trump and was recommending a full travel ban “on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”

On Feb. 13, he noted, Noem announced in a news release that Temporary Protected Status would be terminated for Yemen, finding that letting them stay in the U.S. was “contrary to our national interest.”

“TPS holders from Yemen are not ‘killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,’ ” Ho wrote at the start of his conclusion in his 36-page decision.

He noted that among 2,810 Yemenis who hold TPS status and another 425 who have applied were a pregnant 33-year-old Detroit woman due to give birth this month whose unborn child has a congenital heart condition that is not treatable in Yemen and a 50-year-old former human rights worker in Brooklyn who is a target of Houthi-aligned militias in Yemen.

“Temporary means temporary and the final word will not be from activist judges legislating from the bench," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

“Allowing TPS Yemen beneficiaries to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interest," the department’s statement said, emphasizing that the Trump administration is “returning TPS to its original temporary intent.”

Razeen Zaman, director of immigrant rights at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, applauded Ho's ruling, saying that “the court has made clear that humanitarian statutes like TPS cannot be used as a deportation pipeline."

Zaman said in a release that Homeland Security had determined that it was unsafe for Yemeni refugees to return to their country “but terminated their protection anyway.”

Zaman said Ho's ruling "affirms that protection must be based on facts and conditions on the ground, not on the political appetite to end it.”

Noem announced her decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Yemen in February. The Department of Homeland Security on Friday said she had reviewed conditions in the country and consulted with government agencies before determining that Yemen no longer met the legal requirements for temporary status.

Yemenis praise ruling

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund included comments from several lawsuit plaintiffs in its press release heralding Ho's ruling.

One plaintiff identified by a pseudonym to protect his safety wrote that the people fighting to preserve protections for Yemenis were “doctors, engineers, and pilots like myself, and also drivers, deli workers, and countless other people who contribute meaningfully every day, supporting not just our own families but the broader fabric of society.”

He added that their presence "represents resilience, skill, and dedication — values that strengthen the nation as a whole.”

A woman also identified by a pseudonym called Ho's decision “a lifeline for my family.” She added: "It is the moment we finally breathed a sigh of relief after months of existential anxiety,”

Yemen was initially designated for Temporary Protected Status in 2015, about a year after the country’s civil war began.

As the war persisted, the Obama and Biden administrations extended the designation multiple times, most recently in 2024, when officials estimated that 2,300 Yemenis were eligible to reregister for protected status and that 1,700 Yemenis were newly eligible.

Ho cited other instances in which courts have recently permitted those who have fled other countries under various circumstances to stay in the U.S.

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Associated Press writer Larry Neumeister contributed to this report.

The street, located near 23 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue, is riddled with crater-like potholes.

The Macomb County Department of Roads says crews patched the road as recently as April 22, but neighbors say those repairs barely scratch the surface.

“To send two kids out with a pickup truck and two shovels, and they are just throwing patches in randomly, is not going to fix the problem,” said Bob Clogg, who has lived on Brumar Street for 30 years. “They don’t even fill the deepest holes. They only fill random holes.”

‘No one wants to take responsibility’

Residents say they have gone in circles trying to get someone to take ownership of the problem.

“We have called the county, they tell us it’s the roads. We call the roads, they tell us it’s the county,” said neighbor Catie Szlachtowicz. “So, no one wants to take responsibility for it and help us get it fixed.”

Szlachtowicz says the road is so bad that she cannot walk her daughter or her dogs down the street with a stroller.

“We moved out of the country to have this type of neighborhood,” Szlachtowicz said. “I want all the kids to enjoy it, and we just can’t right now.”

Larry Benoit has lived on Brumar Street for 65 years and says he has been trying to get the road fixed for the past five years.

“This is the worst I’ve ever, ever seen it,” Benoit said. “When it rains, the water pours right down my driveway and fills my garage up.”

Benoit owns a classic Road Runner, but says the condition of the road keeps it parked.

“They don’t maintain it. They haven’t maintained it in 30 years,” said Benoit.

County: Subdivision roads require resident funding

According to the Macomb County Department of Roads, Brumar Street is classified as a subdivision road.

Under Michigan state law, road agencies are required to obtain matching funds from townships or other sources before paving or reconstructing residential roads.

In a statement, MCDR said: “Based on the condition of the road and the number of service requests received, the road most likely requires work beyond maintenance measures.”

The county offers two cost-sharing programs for subdivision roads, the Subdivision Reconstruction program and the Subdivision Preservation program, both of which require an application and involve funding contributions.

The process needs to start with the local government. In this case, that would be Chesterfield Township.

Neighbors tried to fix it themselves — county said no

Warren Hood, who has lived on the street for 50 years, says the road’s drainage has gotten dramatically worse over the decades.

“When we first moved in here, the road was concaved, and the water ran off the road into the ditches and out,” Hood said. “Now, it’s a basin. The water stays in the middle of the road.”

A few years ago, Benoit said neighbors offered to purchase asphalt millings and repair the road themselves. The county told them they could not do that.

They also attempted to gather enough signatures to establish a special assessment district, but the effort fell short of the required support.

“Half the street has the problem, the other half doesn’t,” Hood said. “It’s hard to get everyone on the same page and help foot the bill.”

Now, residents say they are out of options and looking to the county for a real solution.

“With the taxes we pay around here, we shouldn’t have to pay for this,” Benoit said.

“We are not complainers,” Hood said. “We have been here for a lot of years, but we are just watching two scoops and the back of a shovel on these holes, and that’s not going to cut it on this road.”

Steps to Pave Your Road in Macomb County:

1. Contact Your Township Offices: Notify them that you are interested in having your road paved. Townships administer the SAD process.
2. Request a Project Estimate: Property owners can request an informal cost estimate from the MCDR to establish the project cost.
3. Submit a Petition for an SAD: A petition signed by owners representing 51% of the road frontage within the designated area must be submitted to the township to begin the process.
4. Township Approval: The township board reviews the petition and decides on approving the SAD for the project

More information on MCDR’s community programs is available here.

The plane towed a banner with big red letters reading: “FIRE CRAIG! SELL THE TEAM!”

The banner was aimed at Craig Breslow, Boston's chief baseball officer, and Red Sox principal owner John Henry.

Boston enters Friday game against the Astros in last place in the AL East, with a 12-19 record.

Breslow fired manager Alex Cora on April 25 after a 17-1 road victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

The small plane circled the ballpark for over an hour. Fans outside the park were seen looking up and trying to read the banner.

With the Red Sox off to such a poor start this season, chants of “Sell the team!” have been heard at Fenway. Last week, those chants grew louder after the Red Sox were swept at home by their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees.

The 50-year-old Cora was the manager of Boston’s last World Series team in 2018, which won a club-record 108 regular-season games. And, Cora was a member of the team’s 2007 World Series-winning club. Cora was 620-541 as Red Sox manager, and the first manager to be fired this season.

Henry also owns the Liverpool soccer team. Last week, fans protested against rising ticket prices.

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

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

But too often, people feel alone in their grief.

“We live in a society that doesn’t teach us how to grieve,” explained Marla Ruhana, a clinical social worker and grief therapist. “We don’t want to hear about it after the funeral, and we have expectations people will get over it.”

It was that experience that inspired playwright and producer Elizabeth Coplan.

“A lot of people I loved were dying, or had just died, and I found that when I wanted to share that story to my friends and other members of my family, they really didn’t want to talk about it. And I started to write about it,” said Coplan.

Those writings lead to an award-winning play and ultimately moved Coplan to found Grief Dialogues, a non-profit arts initiative dedicated to transforming conversations about dying, death, and grief

“In the Wake of Life: An Immersive Experience” has been performed across the country and arrives at The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms on May 4th and 5th.

The free, one-hour event features a blend of theater, poetry, music, and storytelling. The audience is invited to move through the performance space.

“We gather in one room together, the audience, and the first play, everybody shares and watches,” said Coplan. “We also have kind of an activity area. We have beautiful colored ribbons. We have note cards for people to write to their loved ones. And then there will be plays, short plays going on in various other rooms at the War Memorial. And you can go to whichever room you want.”

People can also just sit and listen to live music. A grief facilitator will be available throughout the event to support participants.

Coplan said the plays range from intense to humorous.

“It’s actually a mixture of every emotion you can possibly think of, quite frankly. In fact, one of our audience members said, we put the ‘motion’ back in emotion,” said Coplan.

The Detroit show features a host of local performers, including Xydee Alexander, Phil Elam, Jacquie Floyd, Tayler Jones, David Popa, Jeff Priskorn, Nick Szczerba, and Detroit Symphony cellist Una O’Riordan, as well as storyteller, author, and playwright Dwight Stackhouse, veteran advocate Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar (Doc Q), and community leaders Pastor Corey L. Kennard and Ruhana.

The production is creatively shaped by Emmy Award-winning, Tony-nominated director Dani Davis.

Support for the Detroit presentation is provided by INELDA (International End of Life Doula Association) and No Negative Energy.

The goal is to create a safe space to remember -- with people who understand.

“They will feel seen and heard and validated, and they won’t be interrupted when they’re talking about their person,” said Ruhana. “I think a lot of people feel isolated on their grief journey, and I think those could really benefit from this event. But then again, anyone is welcome.”

In the Wake of Life: An Immersive Experience

The War Memorial — Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan

Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: Free (advance registration required)

Reserve tickets here.

There’s more than a few up-and-coming talents to get excited about in the movies this summer. The Associated Press spoke to 11 ones to watch.

Catherine Lagaʻaia, “Moana”

Catherine Lagaʻaia (“lung-uh-aye-uh”) found out she got “Moana” on a school day. It was around 8:15 a.m. and she’d just heard the best news of her life after a very stressful year of auditioning. But the celebration would have to wait: It was swimming carnival day and she was on deck for the 400-meter backstroke.

“I guess, like, the water vibes carried through,” said Lagaʻaia, 20, laughing.

Lagaʻaia, who is one of eight children, grew up around acting in Sydney, Australia. Her father played Captain Typho in the “Star Wars” prequels, she went to a performing arts high school and a lot of her siblings are in theater. Two of her sisters even auditioned for “Moana” alongside her, but she was just the right age at the right time, she said.

The animated film meant the world to Lagaʻaia, who is of Samoan heritage, and she’s acutely aware of the big expectations for the live action film (out July 10) — she has them for herself too.

“I felt a fair bit of impostor syndrome stepping into it,” she said. “I think we’ve made some great changes, and we’ve kept a lot of the stuff that holds the heart of the film the same.”

Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen, “Leviticus”

Teenage boys Ryan (Stacy Clausen, 21) and Naim (Joe Bird, 19) are drawn to one another in their backwater Australian community in “Leviticus,” the “conversion therapy” horror that broke out at the Sundance Film Festival. It hits theaters on June 19.

“It is about growing up queer and how the fear of growing up queer can block someone mentally from acting on their desires, and physically,” Clausen said. “But I think that there is something in it for everyone, like whether you’re LGBTQIA or not, it’s about love.”

They knew they had made something special, but it’s been affirming to see it resonate with audiences. When the trailer posted on YouTube, Bird noticed one commenter who wrote that they wished they’d had this film when they were younger.

“It just takes one person to be inspired, or you know say, ‘Oh, I wish I had a film like this’ to know that you’ve kind of done your job,” Bird said. “It’s all about connecting.”

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson, “Is God Is”

Aleshea Harris chose a two-time Tony-winner, Kara Young, and a relative newcomer, Mallori Johnson, to anchor the big screen adaptation of her Obie-winning play “Is God Is.” The story is centered on twin sisters searching for their abusive father, who burned and scarred them as babies.

Young plays Racine the Rough One; Johnson is Anaia the Quiet One. After fending for themselves their entire lives are set on an epic road trip and a journey of revenge and reckoning. It’s in theaters on May 15.

“Anaia depends a lot on Racine to protect her,” Johnson said. “I think that they’ve set up a dynamic since they were children … they have this kind of codependent relationship.”

And although both Young and Johnson are in different phases of their careers, their enthusiasm for the material, and getting to be part of it, is identical.

“Getting into the world of ‘Is God Is’ feels like an ancestral calling in some wild, beautiful, almost like indescribable way,” Young said. “It’s an epic road trip. It’s a Greek tragedy. It’s a love story between two sisters …. I lost my train of thought because I just got so hyped.”

Kane Parsons, “Backrooms”

Kane Parsons was a teenager when he was signed to direct his first feature, based on his viral YouTube series “Backrooms.”

The concept was inspired by an internet creepypasta that imagined never-ending expanse rooms and hallways full of fluorescent lights, old carpet and monotonous yellow paint; He took that idea and ran with it, creating unnerving videos from his bedroom with the help of the open-source 3D graphics software Blender. Soon both James Wan and Shawn Levy’s companies were interested in taking it to the next level.

In the film, out May 29, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a struggling furniture store owner who seemingly slips out of reality. Renate Reinsve co-stars.

“I don’t think of this as inherently horror-driven; it’s definitely not a building full of monsters,” Parsons, 20, said. “I’ve always been more interested in the sort of man looking in the mirror version.”

The bachelors, “72 Hours”

“SNL” cast members Kam Patterson, 27, and Ben Marshall, 30, play a couple of Gen Z guys on a bachelor trip, with Marcello Hernández, groom-to-be Mason Gooding and a middle-aged ad exec (Kevin Hart) who was accidentally added to the group chat in the new Netflix comedy “72 Hours” (streaming July 24).

“It was the most fun you could possibly have shooting a movie,” Marshall said.

Between goofing around in a mansion in New Jersey and hanging in Miami with Hernández, it was, Patterson said, like summer camp. And Hart was their de facto counselor. They teased Gooding about never having his shirt on, Marshall for being so uniquely bad at jet skiing and Patterson for that time someone left him with one of the production assistant’s walkie talkies and for 5 minutes he had an open mic to the entire crew. That energy continued when the cameras were on too.

“I don’t think we said one word that’s actually in the script,” Marshall laughed.

Patterson chimed in: “Not at all. We take that script and threw it out the window.”

The new assistants in “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

Call them the new Emilys. Or, maybe don’t. But there’s a new batch of smart, young things manning the desks at “Runway” in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” (now in theaters).

Simone Ashley, of “Bridgerton” fame, is Miranda Priestly’s first assistant Amari, who screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna didn’t want to be Emily 2.0.

“With Amari the comedy comes from, like, flick of the wrist kind of sassiness and her quiet confidence,” Ashley, 31, said. “Me and Aline kind of had this inside joke that Amari is like secretly the next Miranda.”

Comedian Caleb Hearon, 31, is Miranda’s second assistant, Charlie, who is not allowed to leave his desk. Ever. But he’s not mad about it: This is literally the dream.

“I really thought a lot about a guy like Charlie and what it would mean to him to be in this office and why he wouldn’t mind staying at the desk all day,” Hearon said.

And finally, there is Helen J Shen, 26, who after breaking out on stage in “Maybe Happy Ending” makes her big screen debut as Andy’s assistant, Jin.

Shen said she “was excited to see that the dialogue was so silly to me, but Jin doesn’t find it silly.”

“I felt like that was a fresh take on someone who knows exactly what they’re trying to do,” Shen added. “She has a lot of wonderful things under her belts, intelligence wise, and she’s just trying to like, show that and be as helpful to Andy as possible.”

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For more coverage of this summer’s upcoming films, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

However, after a March 18 New York Times story unearthed claims of decades of sexual abuse by Chavez, who died in 1993, against women and teenage girls, including Dolores Huerta, his longtime partner in the labor movement, the mural has taken on a different light.

“It makes us reassess our human need to place someone on a pedestal,” Mary Carmen Muñoz, La SED’s executive director, said on Friday. “I think this made us reevaluate our own actions and how responsible leaders are to not only themselves, but their community.

“To help them understand that your personal lives, although they are personal, do affect other people,” Muñoze said.

The nonprofit has been a vital part of Southwest Detroit since its founding in 1965.

They help with everything from job placement to answering immigration questions to housing and food assistance.

“We address issues pertaining to simple things like trying to find apartments, although we don’t have apartments ourselves,” Muñoz said. “We are able to have other organizations to be able to refer them to.”

“We try to assist in helping people that are qualified for benefits receive the necessary benefits to perhaps sign up for unemployment, or if someone is sick in their family, and they need to find out how to address their medical bills,” she said. “We would like to think of ourselves as an anchor in this community. We are the organization that people come to when they don’t know where else to go.”

“This community is just not one voice”

The Chavez mural is the work of Detroit artists Mary and Lisa Luevanos, and it was made with the help of seniors and other young artists back in 2010.

It was, at the time, no different than a mural of any other important civil rights figure.

Chávez’s stature among Latinos and Hispanics was often compared to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He became the face of the Farm Workers’ Rights movement, even as he shared much of the work with Huerta.

The fallout from the scandal has been swift, with cities and institutions across the country, from Los Angeles to New York, canceling or renaming planned Chavez celebrations and eliminating his name from buildings, streets, schools, and foundations.

Michigan State University removed Chavez’s name from a planned celebration, switching it to the “Farmworker Appreciation Commemorative Celebration.”

On Tuesday in Lansing, State House Bill 5836 passed nearly unanimously, 103-2. The bill was introduced by Republican State Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, and would repeal the March 31 State Holiday named in Chavez’s honor.

It still has to go through the Democratic-led State Senate before going to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A Democratic amendment that would have renamed the holiday “Farm Workers Day” was rejected.

In the city, there’s the Cesar Chavez Academy, a K-through-12 group of charter schools in Southwest Detroit.

It’s run by the Okemos-based Leona Group and chartered through Saginaw Valley State University.

No change to the name has yet been announced.

As for the Mural next to La SED, Muñoz says that taking it down is not an option, but adding context is.

“We are working with other artists to bring a modification to the mural that will shed light that La SED and this community is just not one voice,” Muñoz said. “The main artist, Lisa Luevonos, unfortunately, has health issues, and this was her last big piece.

“Mary Luevanos, who assisted on the project, has given us her thoughts and inputs on how we should modify,” Muñoz added. “We are working with other artists to bring a modification to the mural that will shed light that La SED and this community is just not one voice, it’s a voice of many.”

Workers were measuring the mural on Friday afternoon, but there’s no timetable on when the modifications would be made.

Muñoz says that this will be a chance to address the elephant in the room and move forward.

“La SED is more than one person,” Muñoz said. We couldn’t have existed 61 years and thrived for 61 years if we relied on just one.”

“We cannot thrive as a community with just one voice,” Muñoz added. “We are the voice of many.”

“I’m not doing too good right now, so I’m really trying to remember,” Jessica Mann said as a defense lawyer resumed scrutinizing her communications and get-togethers with the former movie magnate after the alleged 2013 rape. She added: “I feel like I said a lot, and I’m trying to get through this.”

But Mann went on to respond to hours of questions, at times seeming exhausted or asking for queries to be repeated. By the end of the day, as prosecutors took their second turn asking questions, she was slumped with her head propped on her left hand, weeping as she said she was being “as truthful and transparent as I can possibly be."

Mann, 40, and Weinstein, 73, are in the midst of the third trial about her accusation that he forced himself on her in a New York hotel room. Weinstein's lawyers say everything that happened between the two was consensual and part of a four-year, caring relationship.

He was initially convicted in 2020, but an appeals court overturned that verdict, and jurors at a retrial last year stopped deliberating on the rape charge when the foreperson refused to participate further. That left the case unresolved and led to the ongoing re-retrial.

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

Weinstein was a high-flying film producer until allegations about him fueled the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct in 2017. He has said he “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.”

He and Mann met in early 2013, when he was a studio boss and she was a 27-year-old hairstylist and actor trying to build a movie career. She has testified that he soon started making advances, and although she was taken aback, she decided to embark on a relationship with the then-married Weinstein.

She alleges that in March 2013, he trapped her in a midtown Manhattan hotel room, angrily ordered her to undress as he loomed over her, ignored her protests and raped her.

Weinstein's lawyers have seized upon a reflective note she wrote to herself two days later. In it, she talked about her emotional attachment to a man she didn't name and her conflicted feelings about their nonexclusive relationship, asking herself: “Do I love him or the idea of him?” The note, which wasn't mentioned at Weinstein's previous trials, doesn't mention any alleged sexual assault.

Asked Friday why it didn't, Mann paused and said: “I don’t have to write that down.”

Her relationship with Weinstein continued, on and off, for years afterward. Mann has testified that she loved “a part of him” and “always tried to see the good in him,” and that she was wary of crossing a well-connected man who flexed his power. He boasted that his “enemies don’t step a foot in this town,” she said.

On Friday, Weinstein lawyer Teny Geragos took Mann back through various friendly and complimentary emails that she sent to or about Weinstein over the years. In one May 2013 text, she told a friend that “I like the Harvey we know. I feel some sense of protection.”

Mann told jurors he helped her navigate the movie industry, and “there was a time when I felt he did protect me.”

Through testimony that spanned five days and centered on events 13 years ago, Mann often said she couldn't recall various events and particulars, especially dates. As questioning came to a close, prosecutor Nicole Blumberg sought to cement that Mann had accurately remembered the alleged rape.

“Are those details clear in your mind as you sit here today?” Blumberg asked.

“I remember,” Mann said, and was told there were no more questions. She walked, sobbing, from the room.

The stickers, discovered Tuesday evening at Beverly Elementary School, included one that had anti-Zionist rhetoric and another depicting a gun.

They were found on a table during an event celebrating diversity. School officials said the stickers were not present during the principal’s walkthrough beforehand.

“Which have no place in our school system at all,” said Steven Ingber, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, who called the stickers antisemitic.

Ingber said he plans to ask district leaders multiple questions during their upcoming meeting: “How’d we get here? What went wrong? And how do we prevent it from happening again?”

“It’s gotta stop. Hate has got to stop,” Ingber said. “We’re not born with hate, we’re taught hate.”

He said he is notified about incidents like this at schools or workplaces at least once a week.

Ingber said the district has been responsive from the start of this incident, publicly condemning it and launching an investigation.

People who live near Beverly Elementary expressed anger and disappointment.

“They should rethink their life goal,” said neighbor Eileen Michalak, who lives behind the school and has family members who attended Beverly. “Because their future could be destroyed real easy.”

Local 4 reached out to the school district for comment.

They sent us the same statement they sent to parents at the school:

Dear Birmingham Public Schools Families,

At Birmingham Public Schools, we welcome and celebrate all cultures and backgrounds to foster a learning environment where every student is respected and valued. We do not tolerate intimidation, bullying, threats, discrimination, or antisemitism in our schools.

I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred during Beverly Elementary’s Multicultural Night on Tuesday evening. This event was intended to bring students and families together to learn about and celebrate the many cultures represented in our community.

During the event, a table in one room included stickers that were inappropriate and offensive, including a sticker with an image of a gun and a sticker that stated “(expletive) Zionism.” These materials were not on display during the principal’s walkthrough prior to the event, and they do not reflect our district’s values.

As soon as the situation was brought to the attention of the school administration, we took prompt, thoughtful steps to address it and keep the Beverly school community informed. We are handling this matter carefully and in line with our district policies.

We recognize that incidents like this are hurtful, and we are sorry for the impact on our community. It is not what we want for our students or our families. We remain committed to ensuring that our schools are places where all feel safe, respected, and supported.

We are also reviewing our processes and planning to strengthen safeguards for future events. Our goal is to continue providing opportunities for our community to come together in ways that reflect care, respect, and a commitment to one another.

Sincerely,

Dr. Embekka Roberson

Superintendent

It sits straight beneath their children’s bedroom.

The park had it tested, but the family says they won’t share the results

The Sanford family moved into their home at Oak Hill Estates in 2023.

In 2024, they decided to buy their house.

The parents of three kids hadn’t had many issues until late March, when they removed part of the siding and found a tree stump covered in growths.

“We didn’t know sooner, so we didn’t do anything, because of how sick our kids have been,” mom Alexa Sanford said.

They discovered it on March 30.

“They cut a tree down and then cut a piece of it off, so that the frame of the house could sit there, and it’s growing a lot of things,” she said. “Once you open this, it’s just the smell punches you in the face.”

Feeling worried, she immediately emailed, and the community’s maintenance team came out to check.

The Sanford family cameras caught it.

They say the maintenance team said the stump might be causing mold on the underbelly of their home.

The community tested it, but the Sanfords say they have not been able to see those results.

“In like so many words, if we wanted to know what was under there, we had to pay for it ourselves,” Sanford said.

That’s what they did; they tested on their own.

“In my son’s room, the one that was on oxygen, there were hyphal fragments. From what I’ve looked up, that’s pieces of actual fungus or a growth,” Sanford said.

The community says they will remove the stump, but they are waiting for the right part, and it’s been over a month.

Local 4 went to the community’s office to ask about the stump removal and the test results.

We were asked to email or call the corporate line and did both.

Local 4 had previously reached out to the company’s online corporate portal.

“Why? I think it was just something so simple,” Sanford said. “Like, you guys could have just pulled it out.”

Watch the video above to hear what movie reviewer Greg Russell has to say about “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX will provide their resources to help “augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments,” the Defense Department said.

Notably absent from the list is AI company Anthropic, after its public dispute and legal fight with the Trump administration over the ethics and safety of AI usage in war.

The Defense Department has been rapidly accelerating its use of AI in recent years. The technology can help the military reduce the time it takes to identify and strike targets on the battlefield, while aiding in the organization of weapons maintenance and supply lines, according to a report in March from the Brennan Center for Justice.

But AI has already raised concerns that its use could invade Americans' privacy or allow machines to choose targets on the battlefield. One of the companies contracting with the Pentagon said its agreement required human oversight in certain situations.

Concerns about military use of AI arose during Israel’s war against militants in Gaza and Lebanon, with U.S. tech giants quietly empowering Israel to track targets. But the number of civilians killed also soared, fueling fears that these tools contributed to the deaths of innocent people.

Questions about military use of AI still being worked out

The Pentagon's latest contracts come at a time of anxiety about the potential for over-reliance on the technology on the battlefield, said Helen Toner, interim executive director at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

“A lot of modern warfare is based on people sitting in command centers behind monitors, making complicated decisions about confusing, fast-moving situations,” said Toner, a former board member of OpenAI. “AI systems can be helpful in terms of summarizing information or looking at surveillance feeds and trying to identify potential targets.”

But questions about the appropriate levels of human involvement, risk and training are still being worked out, she said.

“How do you roll out these tools rapidly for them to be effective and provide strategic advantage?” Toner asked, “While also recognizing that you need to train the operators and make sure they know how to use them and don’t over trust them?”

Such concerns were raised by Anthropic. The tech company said it wanted assurances in its contract that the military would not use its technology in fully autonomous weapons and the surveillance of Americans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the company must allow for any uses the Pentagon deemed lawful.

Anthropic sued after President Donald Trump, a Republican, tried to stop all federal agencies from using the company’s chatbot Claude and Hegseth sought to label the company a supply chain risk, a designation meant to protect against sabotage of national security systems by foreign adversaries.

OpenAI had announced a deal with the Pentagon in March to effectively replace Anthropic with ChatGPT in classified environments. OpenAI confirmed in a statement Friday that it was the same agreement it announced in early March.

“As we said when we first announced our agreement several months ago, we believe the people defending the United States should have the best tools in the world,” the company said.

One company's agreement with the Pentagon included language that said there should be human oversight over any missions in which the AI systems act autonomously or semiautonomously, according to a person familiar with the agreement who was not authorized to speak about it publicly. The language also said the AI tools must be used in ways that are consistent with constitutional rights and civil liberties.

Those resemble sticking points for Anthropic, though OpenAI has previously said that it secured similar assurances when it made its own deal with the Pentagon.

The Pentagon's point of view

Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, told CNBC on Friday that it would have been irresponsible to rely on only one company, an acknowledgment of the friction with Anthropic.

“And when we learned that one partner didn’t really want to work with us in the way we wanted to work with them, we went out and made sure that we had multiple different providers,” Michael said.

Some of the companies, including Amazon and Microsoft, have long worked with the military in classified environments, and it was not immediately clear if the new agreements significantly altered their government partnerships. Others, such as chipmaker Nvidia and the startup Reflection, are new to such work. Both companies make open-source AI models, which Michael has described as a priority to provide an “American alternative” to China's rapid development of AI systems in which some key components are publicly accessible for others to build upon.

The Pentagon said Friday that military personnel are already using its AI capabilities through its official platform, GenAI.mil.

“Warfighters, civilians and contractors are putting these capabilities to practical use right now, cutting many tasks from months to days,” the Pentagon said, adding that the military's growing AI capabilities will “give warfighters the tools they need to act with confidence and safeguard the nation against any threat.”

In many cases, the military uses artificial intelligence the same way civilians do: to take on rote tasks that would take humans hours or days to complete, said Toner, of Georgetown University.

AI can be used to better predict when a helicopter needs maintenance or figure out how to efficiently move large amounts of troops and gear, she said. It can also help determine whether vehicles on a drone's surveillance feeds are civilian or military.

But people shouldn't become overly dependent on it.

“There's a phenomenon called automation bias, where people can be prone to assume that machines work better than they actually do,” Toner said.

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O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

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Follow the AP's coverage of artificial intelligence at https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence.

More than 40 search warrants have been issued, authorities in North Carolina say, focusing on a married couple who allegedly knew Biffle and his wife Cristina. The suspects did “a lot of planning in an attempt to make a financial gain” off their deaths, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said. The Associated Press is not naming the pair because no arrests have been made.

Biffle, his wife and his two children, along with three others, died in the Dec. 18 crash, which remains under investigation by the NTSB. Some survivors of those killed are suing the estates of Biffle and the pilot for millions of dollars.

According to a search warrant affidavit, the husband being investigated met Biffle when the former driver used his private helicopter to deliver aid after Hurricane Helene. The woman attended a Christmas party at the Biffles' home in Mooresville, North Carolina, weeks before the crash.

Authorities reported a break-in at the home on Jan. 8, saying $30,000 in cash, two Glock handguns and NASCAR memorabilia were stolen. Search warrants were later executed at two sites, one near the Biffles’ residence and another in a nearby county.

A person seen on surveillance video, identified as a woman, appeared to be familiar with the large home's layout, including the locations of cameras, closets and a safe room, a detective wrote in a search warrant affidavit. The intruder spent nearly six hours inside the house the night of Jan. 7 into the following morning.

Evidence showed a cellphone and multiple devices were active on the property during that time, according to the warrant. The only people allowed to be there would've been the administers of the estate, but they weren't present.

Authorities say they linked the woman to someone who attended Biffle’s celebration of life, and said license plate readers placed her husband’s truck near the home that night.

The warrants also describe alleged financial crimes. Investigators say that bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts tied to the Biffles were accessed online using personal information, with phone numbers and email addresses changed to gain control of funds. Money was then allegedly transferred to accounts not belonging to the family and used for purchases, according to the warrant.

At least one fraudulent check tied to Biffle’s business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. The activity occurred across multiple states. The sheriff would not say whether the same suspects in the break-in are being investigated for the financial crimes, saying the department is waiting for more evidence.

Meanwhile, the plane crash sparked lawsuits against the estates of Biffle and the pilot Dennis Dutton, who was killed along with his son.

On April 17, the estates of Dutton and his son sued Biffle’s estate for at least $15 million each, alleging Biffle failed to properly maintain the plane and operated it in a defective condition. The claims include lost income and “pre-death pain and suffering.”

In February, Biffle’s ex-wife, Nicole Biffle, filed a notice of claim against Dutton’s estate on behalf of the couple’s 14-year-old daughter’s estate, seeking at least $10 million for wrongful death.

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Associated Press writer Allen G. Breed in Wake Forest, North Carolina, contributed to this report. ___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing

Jurors found Republican David Rivera and an associate, Esther Nuhfer, guilty on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Department and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of their work for former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government.

Much as he did throughout the trial, Rivera looked stone-faced as the jury delivered its verdict.

Rivera, 60, had been out on bond, but Judge Melissa Damian ordered him taken into custody, finding that he posed a flight risk because he has access to sizable funds, faces a potentially long prison sentence, and faces additional federal charges in Washington, D.C., in a related foreign lobbying case.

The seven-week trial offered a rare glimpse into Miami's role as a crossroads for foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America, one highlighting the city's reputation as a magnet for corruption and anti-communist crusaders among its sizable exile population.

It included testimony from Rubio, Texas Congressman Pete Sessions and a top Washington lobbyist — all of whom testified that they were shocked to learn belatedly of Rivera’s consulting contract with a U.S.-based affiliate of Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA.

“These convictions expose a simple truth: the defendants sold access and influence to a hostile foreign regime for money,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “In South Florida, where so many families fled communist oppression, that kind of betrayal carries real weight.”

Attorneys for Rivera said they plan to appeal.

In an indictment unsealed in 2022, prosecutors alleged that Rivera was tapped by then Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez — now Venezuela’s acting president — to work Republican connections from Rivera's time in Congress to get the first Trump administration to abandon its hard-line stance and ease crippling sanctions on Venezuela.

As part of the charm offensive, prosecutors alleged, Rivera and Nuhfer, a political consultant, manipulated influential friends, including Rubio and Sessions, like “pawns on a chess board." The goal: to try and normalize relations with the new Trump administration at a time when the Maduro government was buffeted by serious accusations of human rights violations.

“As long as the money kept coming in, they didn’t care from where,” prosecutor Roger Cruz said of the defendants during closing arguments.

‘Massive secret’ threatened to damage Rivera's political career

But the two held onto the “massive secret” and didn't disclose their lobbying work as required, for fear it would have ended Rivera's political career as an anti-communist stalwart, Cruz said.

To hide his work, prosecutors allege, Rivera also set up an encrypted chat group called MIA — for Miami — with his main conduit to the Maduro government: Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, who was subsequently charged in the U.S. with bribing top Venezuelan officials.

Members of the group used playful code words to discuss their activities: Maduro was the “bus driver,” Sessions “Sombrero,” Rodríguez “The Lady in Red,” and millions of dollars “melons,” according to copies of text messages presented to the jury.

“It was all about La Luz,” Cruz said, referring to the Spanish word for light, which Rivera and others repeatedly used to discuss payments from Caracas.

Attorneys for Rivera and Nuhfer said the two acted in good faith and believed they were under no requirement to disclose their work. The three-month, $50 million contract with Rivera's one-man consulting firm, they say, was focused exclusively on luring oil giant ExxonMobil back to Venezuela — commercial work that is generally exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Wholly distinct from that consulting work, they say, were Rivera's meetings with Rubio and Sessions, which occurred after the consulting contract had expired and was focused on ushering in leadership in Venezuela that would be less hostile to the U.S.

“He was working every possible angle to get Nicolás Maduro out,” defense attorney Ed Shohat said during closing arguments. “There was not a word in the chats about normalizing relations.”

Nuhfer's attorney, David Oscar Markus, likened the government's case to the 17th century Salem witch trials, presuming ill intent that was belied by the flimsiest of evidence.

“My client does not have a dark heart,” he said.

Exxon meetings for Rodríguez

Prosecutors said Rivera used the contract with New York-based PDV USA as cover for illegal lobbying.

Once exposed, the partners tried to hide the work — backdating documents and coming up with sham agreements like one to justify a wire transfer of $3.75 million to a South Florida company that maintained Gorrín’s luxury yacht.

The political activity included setting up meetings for Rodríguez in New York, Caracas, Washington and Dallas. As part of the effort, the two roped in Sessions, who later tried to broker a meeting for Rodríguez with the CEO of ExxonMobil that had succeeded Trump’s then-secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. After a secret meeting in Caracas with Maduro, Sessions also agreed to deliver a letter from the Venezuelan president to Trump.

The outreach quickly unraveled, however. Within six months of taking office, Trump sanctioned Maduro and labeled him a “dictator,” launching a “maximum pressure” campaign to unseat the president.

However, nearly a decade later, Rodríguez has emerged as the second Trump administration's trusted partner after the U.S. military's ousting of Maduro.

Before being elected to Congress in 2010, Rivera was a high-ranking Florida legislator. During that time, he shared a Tallahassee home with Rubio, who eventually became the Florida House speaker.

Rivera has previously faced controversy, including allegations that he secretly funded a Democratic spoiler candidate in a 2012 congressional race. Last year, federal prosecutors dropped the case after an appeals court threw out a sizable fine imposed by a lower court. Rivera was also investigated — but never charged — for alleged campaign finance violations and a $1 million contract with a gambling company while serving in the Florida Legislature.

The alarms began blaring in the arena during Magic coach Jamahl Mosley's pregame media availability in advance of Game 6 of the series on Friday night, doing so while he was being asked if injured forward Franz Wagner might be able to play in a Game 7.

And as that question was being asked, the horns started.

“That's not a good sign,” Mosley said.

Mosley went on to answer the question, explaining that it all hinges on how Wagner responds to treatment. He did that while a computerized voice gave instructions on what people who were in the building should have been doing at that moment.

The alarms returned again a few seconds later, and Mosley decided that was his cue to end the talk.

“All right, that's good, thank you, appreciate it,” Mosley said.

For the record, a team official confirmed that the alarms were false. And Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff's pregame media session, which started about 10 minutes after Mosley's ended, went off without any alarms.

The Magic took a 3-2 lead into Game 6 of the series on Friday.

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

The win almost certainly guarantees top tier football at Elland Road next season. Leeds moved nine points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, the team occupying the third and last relegation spot.

Daniel Farke’s men improved to 14th place, above Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and West Ham, all of whom have a game in hand. The bottom two, Wolves and Burnley, are already going down.

The Leeds players celebrated in front of a delirious home crowd at the final whistle and although they were not taking their survival for granted yet the win was clearly a relief.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” one of Leeds' stars Dominic Calvert-Lewin said. “Leading from the front, high up the pitch, and we executed the game plan really well. They’ve come in playing with nothing to lose and that can be dangerous sometimes, but pleased with and proud of the boys with how we’ve performed.”

Anton Stach put the home side ahead in the eighth minute with a low shot from 30 meters out that somehow sneaked inside Martin Dubravka’s post.

The second came seven minutes into the second half thanks to sloppy defending by Burnley’s Bashir Humphreys. His pass was intercepted by Calvert-Lewin, whose neat backheel created more space in the Burnley defense and allowed Noah Okafor to fire home.

Calvert-Lewin got the third himself four minutes later when he was on hand to prod home in a crowded penalty box after Dubravka could only parry Ao Tanaka’s long-range effort.

Loum Tchaouna got Burnley’s consolation goal.

The Lancashire club fired manager Scott Parker after two years in the role on Thursday and interim coach Mike Jackson was appointed for the last four games of the season.

“I knew this game could go one of two ways with what’s happened in the last 24 hours," Jackson said. “The shock of it to the group. I had a feeling it could go a little bit like that. First half, first 25 minutes, we looked a little bit shellshocked in a way. We grew into the game a little bit more. We started the second half I thought pretty well, and then we can’t make those errors. And then you’re always up against it.”

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

Arkansas announced a week ago it would drop its men's and women's programs and Saint Louis followed Monday with the same announcement. Illinois State said Tuesday it would end its men's program, and North Dakota said Thursday it would shut down its men's and women's teams. Gardner-Webb announced in February this would be the last season for the men's and women's programs.

Arkansas and Gardner-Webb are among the 64 teams in the men's NCAA Tournament.

The number of Division I schools sponsoring tennis in 2024-25 was 237 for men and 304 for women. An NCAA spokeswoman said Friday that numbers for 2025-26 were unavailable.

Dozens of schools across all divisions shut down programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since revenue sharing with athletes started last year, Division I schools have chosen to redirect resources to fund direct payments to athletes in football, basketball and a few other sports.

Brian Vahaly, chairman of the board and president and interim co-CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association, said in a statement to The Associated Press on Friday that visibility of the college game needs to be elevated, the pathway for players to continue competing beyond juniors needs to be strengthened and tennis leaders need to work more directly with athletic departments.

“A strong collegiate tennis landscape is fundamental to the future of our sport,” Vahaly said, “and we will continue to look for ways to support its growth and long-term sustainability.”

Arkansas' decision to drop the sport caught the tennis community off guard.

“We in the tennis world have sort of been battling this at the lower levels of college tennis, but not the big, bad SEC,” ESPN tennis analyst and former college and pro player Patrick McEnroe said on the WholeHogSports podcast. "The Division II schools and some of the smaller Division I programs over the years, you're always sort of on the lookout in the tennis community to fight and protect as many programs as possible."

Tennis has been targeted as youth participation for American boys and girls has declined and the ratio of international players at U.S. colleges has continued to grow.

In 2006, the number of boys and girls ages 12-17 playing tennis was equal, at 1.1 million, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Over the last 20 years, participation has dropped 23% for boys in that age group (849,000) and 26% for girls (811,000).

The most recent NCAA data showed that among first-year college players in 2022, 64% of men and 61% of women were international students. At Arkansas, seven of the nine men and seven of the 11 women on the 2025-26 rosters are international students.

The math didn't work for the Razorbacks anymore. They spent a combined $2.35 million on the two teams in the 2025 fiscal year; the men's team generated $3,202 in revenue and the women $82.

Arkansas' operating expense per player in 2025 was $41,772 for the men and $41,582 for the women, among the highest in the athletic department.

Tennis also ranked among the most expensive sports per player at North Dakota and Gardner-Webb, and at Illinois State the $10,224 cost per men's player was more than football and baseball. At Saint Louis, cost per player ranked third out of six men's sports and sixth out of eight on the women's side.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

WAYNE COUNTY – Spring allergies, asthma flare-ups, colds, stomach viruses, strep throat, sports & yardwork injuries

Dr. Jaime Hope -- Medical Director, Emergency Center, Corewell Health’s Beaumont Outpatient Center – Livonia

“We’ve been seeing an increase in yard work–related injuries, including falls from ladders. It’s important to make sure ladders are firmly braced on even ground, to avoid standing on the top step, and to always have someone with you so help is available quickly if you fall or are injured. People should also use caution when operating yard and electric powered tools, and always wear proper eye protection to prevent injuries from flying debris or snapping branches. In addition, sports related injuries are common this time of year, so it’s essential to follow the rules and wear appropriate protective gear. We’re also continuing to see viruses circulating, with symptoms such as fever and headaches. Using over the counter medications for symptom relief and taking steps to avoid spreading germs to others remain important. Finally, I never want to miss an opportunity to remind people that antibiotics do not treat viral illnesses. Taking them unnecessarily can lead to antibiotic resistance, diarrhea, nausea, and other potential side effects, so it’s best to avoid them unless they’re truly needed.”

Dr. Ayed Mahmoud -- Trinity Health Livonia Emergency Medicine Physician

“Over the past week at Trinity Health Livonia, we’ve seen an uptick in pediatric presentations, particularly asthma exacerbations and allergic reactions likely related to recent weather changes. Alongside this seasonal trend, the emergency department continues to manage our usual adult cases, including congestive heart failure exacerbations and a range of respiratory illnesses.”

Dr. Tiffney Widner -- Pediatrician, Children’s Hospital of Michigan

“Allergies and asthma continue to bring kiddos to the hospital, as the Spring season is underway. We’re also seeing some colds and some patients with a viral stomach bug. As a reminder, parents should be scheduling sports physicals for their kids who need them for the Spring and Summer playing seasons.”

Dr. Candace Kimpson -- Chief of Emergency, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital

“Strep is up. Most people are complaining of a sore throat with a fever and fatigue, no cough. Flu and COVID is pretty much done. And we’re seeing seasonal allergies, those itchy, watery eyes.”

Northville MinuteClinic -- Allyssa Boddy, Nurse Practitioner

• Continued cases of COVID-19 and strep throat, consistent with seasonal trends

OAKLAND COUNTY— Spring allergies, asthma flare-ups, outdoor injuries, stomach viruses, RSV, strep throat

Dr. Rena Daiza -- Primary Care Physician, Henry Ford Medical Center Bloomfield Twp.

“In primary care we are seeing combination of seasonal allergies, asthma exacerbations, and musculoskeletal injuries. Seasonal allergies are driven by the high tree pollen and typically present with sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes, while asthma symptoms may worsen due to allergen exposure, weather changes, and increased outdoor activity. At the same time, musculoskeletal injuries such as sprains, strains, and back or joint pain become more frequent as people become more active with sports, yard work, and exercise.”

Dr. David Donaldson -- Emergency Center Chief, Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital

“We have been seeing a lot of gastroenteritis lately. Also, there have been a number of extremity injuries from sports and outside activities.”

Dr. Josh Newblatt -- Pine Knob Urgent Care

“Seeing continued decline of influenza and Covid. Very few cases at this point. Having a bump of RSV and strep over the last week. Still seeing viral GI-related illnesses.”

Rochester Hills MinuteClinic -- Lisa Ramesbottom, Nurse Practitioner

• Seeing gastroenteritis, with classic symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea

WASHTENAW COUNTY – Spring allergies, asthma flare-ups, respiratory viruses, RSV, croup, stomach viruses, adenovirus, mononucleosis

Dr. Brad Uren -- Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Michigan Medicine

“We continue to see low levels of respiratory illness on the adult side. There does not appear to be a dominant infection type. For those with underlying lung problems, these viruses and seasonal allergies have caused some challenges.”

Dr. Stuart Bradin -- Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine

“We are seeing viral resp illness like RSV and several cases of human rhinoenterovirus, asthma, croup and GI illness.”

Ann Arbor MinuteClinic -- Sean Sullivan, Nurse Practitioner

• Increase in adenovirus, especially among students

• Often includes cold-like respiratory symptoms and red or irritated eyes

• Some mononucleosis cases, which can cause sore throat, lymph node swelling, and significant fatigue

Washtenaw County Health Department

“Influenza cases in Washtenaw County residents are currently elevated but appear to be decreasing. Influenza A wastewater detection is currently at low levels in both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Influenza B wastewater detection is currently at low levels in both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. According to the most recent MDHHS MI Flu Focus report, influenza A H3N2 is currently dominating the 2025-2026 influenza season. Influenza-related deaths in Washtenaw County residents have been reported this flu season. All individuals were confirmed with Influenza A.”

MONROE COUNTY – Spring allergies, asthma flare-ups, upper respiratory viruses

ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital – Emergency Center

“As weather conditions change and pollen counts increase, we are seeing more asthma exacerbations and seasonal allergies across all age groups. We recommend staying indoors when pollen levels are very high and taking allergy medications as directed. We are also seeing an increase in viral upper respiratory infections among school-aged children. We recommend frequent handwashing, maintaining distance when feeling ill, and staying hydrated.”

MACOMB COUNTY – Asthma flare-ups, spring allergies, outdoor injuries, pink eye, stomach viruses

Dr. Matthew Steck -- Emergency Physician at McLaren Macomb

“There has been a noticeable, sharp increase in asthma complications in both pediatric and adult patients, mainly due to the pollen bloom and other environmental allergens, though some cases have resulted from COPD exacerbation. More inviting weather and the increase in sports and other outdoor activities has resulted in a variety of orthopedic and soft tissue injuries reported to the trauma center. We have not yet had any patient test positive for Lyme disease, but the season’s tick forecast is concerning, so please remember to be mindful when in tall grass or near wooded areas.”

Shelby Township MinuteClinic -- Manit Pahuja, Nurse Practitioner

• We’re seeing an increase cases of pink eye and gastroenteritis

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – Influenza, Covid, outdoor injuries, tick exposures

Trinity Health Livingston Emergency Department and the Brighton Medical Center

“We continue to treat patients that are dealing with the flu and COVID. We are also seeing ticks and concern for Lyme Disease, as well as outdoor-related injuries and ATV accidents.”

Then his phone rang on Friday morning with a number from California he did not have saved. It was trainer Doug O'Neill calling to ask if he wanted to take the mount on Robusta, who got into the field when Kenny McPeek's Right to Party was scratched by track veterinarians.

“I was shocked,” Torres told The Associated Press after riding in the fifth race at Churchill Downs later in the day. “I didn’t respond for a few seconds because I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions but just very happy and very grateful.”

Torres, a native of Puerto Rico who began riding in 2019, was set to be aboard Silent Tactic in the 152nd running of the Derby. Trainer Mark Casse and owner John Oxley made the call Wednesday to scratch Silent Tactic because of a foot injury and plan for the Preakness on May 16.

Casse said it was an easy decision in the best interests of the horse but that he felt badly for Torres.

The second chance materialized with Robusta getting in off the also-eligible list. O’Neill tapped Torres for the mount because Emisael Jaramillo was already booked to ride at Santa Anita Park in California on Saturday.

“It’s been crazy,” Torres said. “But I’m very happy to be here, and I’m grateful for Doug. He called me and gave me the chance to ride Robusta. Man, just grateful. Grateful with every opportunity that comes and very happy and very excited.”

Torres is going into the biggest race of his career with limited knowledge of Robusta, who was second in the San Felipe Stakes on March 7 and seventh in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

“I’ve watched his replays, his races when he ran in California, but I’m not very close to the horse so I’m just going to watch the replays and see and talk with Doug and see what we can do,” Torres said.

Robusta was the second-to-last horse eligible for the opening leg of the Triple Crown. Dallas Stewart's Corona de Oro would draw in if there are any additional scratches to the current field of 20 horses.

In addition to Right to Party and Silent Tactic, Brad Cox scratched Fulleffort after an X-ray revealed a chip and fluid in the colt's left hind ankle.

Right to Party was a vet scratch, not a choice made by McPeek and owner Chester Broman Sr.

“The safety and well-being of the racehorses training and competing in Kentucky are the center of everything we do,” the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Commission said in a statement.

“(The commission) closely monitors data pertaining to scratches, including those based on the advice of our regulatory veterinarians,” the organization said. "It is one of the most difficult parts of the job, as we share the goal of each horse’s connections for the horse to compete safely. ... We all want what is best for the horse.”

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This story has been corrected to show that Corona de Oro is also eligible if there is another scratch.

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

“I heard screaming and asking for help,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner said he didn’t hesitate.

“I look at all the citizens like family. I look at it like it was my own mom and I just wanted to help her,” Faulkner said.

Fire officials say Faulkner made split-second decisions to reach Latashia Collins, who was trapped inside. He broke a rear window, climbed into the vehicle, unlocked the door, and, along with his crew, pulled Collins to safety.

For Collins’ daughter, Tanisha Morgan, the video is hard to watch.

“Hearing my momma scream like that was very traumatizing,” Morgan said.

Collins remains hospitalized and faces a long recovery. Her family says she suffered third-degree burns across her face and body, along with multiple fractures. They say she also had fingers removed and is now relearning how to stand.

This week, Collins was able to meet Faulkner for the first time in her hospital room and thank him for saving her life.

“You saved me. Pulled me out of that burned car, it’s the best thing ever,” Collins said.

On Friday, Collins’ family joined Detroit firefighters and her medical team at Engine 40 on Dexter, where department leaders recognized Faulkner for his quick actions and heroism.

“When you actually get to see a bad situation like that, and you get to see people recover, it gives you strength and hope,” Faulkner said. “Like, hey, this job is worth doing.”

Morgan said the recognition is well deserved.

“I feel like firefighters don’t get the recognition that they deserve,” Morgan said. “They are really the heroes. They really do sacrifice a lot to save other people.”

Collins’ family says she remains determined and inspired as she continues to heal.

She is expected to transition to a rehabilitation center soon, and her family says she has promised to visit the crew at Engine 40 once she’s feeling stronger.

Spirit Airlines, one of the most affordable carriers in the country, may be forced to shut down without a government bailout, raising serious questions about flights, fares, and jobs.

Spirit has been struggling for years.

The airline filed for bankruptcy protection in 2024 and again in 2025.

Soaring jet fuel costs tied to the Middle East conflict have creditors worried, with some warning the airline may not survive.

The financial toll has already hit Spirit’s workforce.

According to the airline’s annual reports, Spirit had 11,941 full-time employees in 2024.

By 2025, that number dropped to 9,699, a loss of more than 2,000 jobs.

Travelers at Detroit Metro Airport react

At Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, travelers are nervous.

Many rely on Spirit because of its low fares, and say flying would look very different without it.

Fiona Sampson-Farrell, a Michigan State University student traveling home to California, said the uncertainty had her second-guessing her decision to take the trip.

“I was hesitant coming today because my mom was like keep an eye out the entire time to see if it cancels,” Sampson-Farrell said.

Luecressia Dibson, who was at the airport buying tickets for an upcoming flight, was blunt about her expectations for the airline.

“I think they need to pick up and do better if they’re going to,” Dibson said.

Travel agent urges caution

Travel agent Sandra Black of Escapes by Sandra is advising her clients to avoid booking with Spirit altogether.

“Sometimes it’s best to just pay a little bit more to have that sense of security,” Black said.

For those who already have flights booked, Black says there’s no need to panic, but staying informed is key.

She recommends checking Spirit’s website frequently for any changes to flight status.

“Check it daily. Even multiple times a day to see if your flight status has changed in any way at all,” Black said.

Trump weighs bailout

President Donald Trump said he is considering a taxpayer-funded rescue to keep the airline flying.

“Well, we’re looking at it, but if we can’t make a good deal, no institution has been able to do it. I said I’d like to save the jobs, but we’ll have an announcement sometime today. We gave them, we gave them a final proposal,” Trump said.

So far, no deal has been announced. In the meantime, some travelers say they are already making other plans.

“I’m at that age. I’m 83. It doesn’t matter. I’ll go somewhere else,” Dibson said.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport told reporters that, according to Spirit, the airline is currently operating as usual.

Langdon topped the previous record of 343.51 mph set by Brittany Force last year in Indianapolis. He covered the 1,000-foot track in 3.724 seconds, not far behind Force's record run of 3.623 during that same run in 2025.

Langdon's record-breaking pass came during the NHRA debut at South Georgia Motorsports Park, one of the newest stops on the drag-racing series' 20-event schedule.

The 2013 Top Fuel champion turned heads with several 340 mph runs during preseason testing and entered the weekend second in points, trailing only Doug Kalitta after four events.

“It was special for the guys," Langdon said. “I was happy for them, especially (crew chief) Brian (Husen). We were able to do that testing, and some people had different ideas on what they thought — if it was legit or not. We kind of talked about it and Brian was like, ‘Well, we’ll just do it in the season to prove it was legit.'”

Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, racing his third full season in NHRA's top division, was second in qualifying with a 3.758-second run at 334.40 mph.

The NHRA added two new tracks to its 2026 schedule, marking the drag-racing series’ first expansion in more than a dozen years. After racing at South Georgia Motorsports Park near Valdosta, Georgia, the series will run in Mechanicsville, Maryland, for the first time later this month.

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

The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to its latest all-time high and closed out a fifth straight winning week. That’s its longest such streak since 2024. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 152 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.9% to its own record.

Apple led the way after the iPhone seller reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Because it’s one of Wall Street’s biggest stocks in terms of overall size, Apple’s rally of 3.3% was by far the strongest force lifting the S&P 500.

Stock prices generally follow the path of corporate profits over the long term, and U.S. companies have been blowing past expectations for earnings in the first three months of 2026. That’s even with the war with Iran and high oil prices souring confidence for many U.S. households.

A little more than a quarter of the companies in the S&P 500 have reported already, and 84% of them have topped analysts’ estimates, according to FactSet. The index is on track to deliver roughly 15% growth in profit from a year earlier.

Estee Lauder’s stock climbed 3.4% after reporting better earnings than expected, thanks in part to strength in China, and it raised some of its upcoming financial forecasts. Sandisk jumped 8.3% after the maker of storage for computers blew past analysts’ expectations for profit thanks in part to voracious demand from data centers.

Colgate-Palmolive added 2.2% after likewise delivering bigger results than expected, though CEO Noel Wallace said it expects “volatile macroeconomic conditions and slower category growth to continue in 2026.”

The main uncertainty for the global economy is where oil prices are heading because of the Iran war. Oil prices spurted higher early this week on worries that the war will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed for a long time. That would in turn keep oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide.

But such moves have been quick to reverse throughout the war, as hopes rise and fall for a reopening of the strait. On Friday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 2% to settle at $108.17. Brent was selling for a little more than $70 per barrel before the war began.

That rise since the end of February helped the two biggest U.S. oil companies report stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. But stock prices nevertheless fell for both Exxon Mobil, 1%, and Chevron, 1.4%, as oil prices regressed Friday and each reported drops in net income from a year earlier.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 21.11 points to 7,230.12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 152.87 to 49,499.27, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 222.13 to 25,114.44.

The fall in oil prices helped Treasury yields ease in the bond market. So did a report in the morning that said growth for U.S. manufacturing was a touch softer last month than economists expected.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.38% from 4.40% late Thursday. Such dips can make mortgages and other loans for U.S. households and businesses cheaper, and they also tend to give upward pushes to prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments.

Many stock markets worldwide were closed for May Day. Among the indexes still trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.4%, and London’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.1%.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Student Noor Hajjaj, who nominated Rodriguez, praised her for teaching beyond the curriculum and making learning an adventure.

Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the recognition, emphasizing the daily rewards of building deep connections with her students.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

Progressive groups criticized the report, saying it fails to document a pattern of discrimination, focuses on causes favored by conservative Christians and amounts to “advocacy dressed up as investigation.”

The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, created within the Justice Department by President Donald Trump last year, issued its conclusions Thursday in a 200-page report.

“When Christian beliefs about morality and human nature conflicted with the Biden Administration’s views, religious rights often suffered," the report said.

Report alleges an unfair hard line against conservatives

The task force — which included numerous Cabinet secretaries — didn't accuse the Biden administration of any large pattern of suppressing churches themselves or the right to worship. But the report did accuse it of taking a hard line against those who advocated for conservative policies on the basis of their faith in such areas as abortion, gender, school curriculum and vaccine exemptions.

“The Biden Administration generally tolerated religious beliefs that were privately held but zealously pursued actions to limit Christians’ ability to act in accordance with their faith," it said.

Critics said the report essentially equates one strand of conservative Christianity to be representative of Christians overall, then construes policy disagreements to be persecution.

The report is “advocacy dressed up as investigation,” said Jim Simpson, executive director of the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University.

He said the report falsely deems policy disagreements to be “evidence of anti-Christian bias rather than the normal functioning of a pluralistic democracy." He also said it falsely positions Christians — nearly two-thirds of Americans — as “a persecuted minority despite being the country’s largest and most politically influential religious group.”

The task force report contends that the Biden-era Justice Department sought severe penalties for anti-abortion activists who illegally blockaded clinics and took such protests more seriously than threats to pregnancy resource centers — often Christian-run facilities that seek to persuade women not to obtain abortions.

It cited a group of people convicted in federal court and sentenced to prison after invading and blockading a Washington abortion clinic. Trump pardoned them in 2025.

The report contended that the Biden administration “sidelined Christians in favor of their preferred constituencies.”

Alleged abuses related to Easter and LGBTQ+ rights

One section of the report accuses Biden of “replacing Easter" with Transgender Day of Visibility, which takes place every March 31. That event coincided with Easter on 2024. In fact, Biden issued proclamations honoring both occasions. The report accused Biden of “profound lack of consideration for the Christian faith.”

Christian groups have mixed views on LGBTQ+ issues, with some progressive churches flying Pride flags. Conservative denominations generally oppose same-sex marriage and transgender rights. The report chided the Biden administration for flying Pride flags at U.S. Embassies, including at the Vatican.

Melissa Rogers, who served as executive director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under Biden, contrasted Trump's Easter messaging this year with his predecessor's.

“President Biden spent Easter and Orthodox Easter wishing Christians worldwide joyful Resurrection Sundays, not by pretending to be Jesus, by tweeting profanities, and by attacking the pope,” she said.

She also noted that Biden is a devout Catholic, and that his administration's officials routinely met with Christian and other faith leaders to cooperate on a wide range of concerns, from the security of sanctuaries to immigration to supporting COVID-19 clinics.

The task force’s report criticized a Biden-era Justice Department memo that discussed possible efforts to prevent violence and threats targeting school boards. The discussions never led to federal action, and then-Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the effort, saying it was to curtail violence, not inhibit debates over policy.

The report did not directly say how it considered this anti-Christian bias, though many school board meetings in that time period did draw conservative Christians and other critics denouncing school policies and lessons on such topics as gender and race.

The report also criticized denials in federal agencies for Christians seeking exemptions from such things as COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

It criticized federal regulators that had told a Catholic hospital in Oklahoma to snuff its chapel candle, deemed a safety hazard because of the risk of combustion to patients with oxygen equipment. The hospital was allowed to keep the candle while putting up a barrier and a warning notice.

The report also cited what it said were disproportionately heavy fines imposed by Biden's Department of Education on two Christian universities — Grand Canyon University for allegedly deceiving thousands of students over program costs, and Liberty University for failures to comply with required disclosures of crime statistics. The Trump administration cleared Grand Canyon University of the charges and rescinded the fine.

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, criticized the report for “cherry-picked anecdotes” that don't add up to a pattern of persecution.

“To the extent that the government ever did overreach or violate the law in any of these examples, the courts of law, not a partisan political report, provide the right venue to settle any legal disputes,” she said. “Focusing government resources on this narrow issue while ignoring or discounting the much more widespread instances of anti-religious discrimination against other faith groups in the U.S. further harms religious freedom for all.”

The report comes even as the Religious Liberty Commission, another entity created by Trump, prepares a report on its findings; its hearings featured many of the same grievances cited by the task force.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Brailen Weaver is charged with armed bank robbery and firearms offenses that caused death, according to federal court records.

Weaver entered a branch of U.S. Bank in Berea on Thursday, just before 2 p.m. and “immediately shot and killed a male victim” and then fatally shot a teller, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court Friday. He checked multiple drawers in the bank and then fled, the affidavit said. Investigators have not said if any money was taken from the bank.

"While there is no longer imminent danger, we understand that the tragedy is far from over for the community," Olivia Olson, special agent in charge of the Louisville FBI office, said at a news conference Friday. “The only solace that we can offer is that this individual, who valued a stolen dollar more than two human lives, will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Friday he would pursue state murder charges against Weaver. Court records say Weaver is 18, and officials said Friday he lived somewhere in Kentucky.

Authorities identified a silver BMW sedan on surveillance video and matched it to a car for sale by Weaver on Facebook, the affidavit said. Investigators were also able to match clothing on the suspect to photos of Weaver on social media. Investigators said Weaver continued to post on social media after the robbery.

The FBI located Weaver’s car on I-75, and he was pursued at speeds over 100 mph (161 kph) Thursday night. He exited the highway into Lexington, where he exceeded speeds of 130 mph (209 kph) before crashing the car and fleeing on foot, the affidavit said.

Kentucky State Police Officer Justin Kearney said in a social media post Friday that a “person of interest believed to be involved in yesterday’s Berea bank robbery has been apprehended."

The affidavit was written before he was captured so it makes no mention of an arrest.

Rawl Kazee, a Lexington attorney identified in court records as representation for Weaver, did not immediately return a phone message later Friday morning.

Jason Parman, first assistant U.S. attorney for the eastern half of Kentucky, said in his 18 years as a prosecutor, he could not recall a death related to a bank robbery. Parman said it’s not uncommon for a bank robber to be armed and to threaten violence, but deaths are uncommon in his experience.

Bank robberies nationally have declined from 5,546 in 2010 to 1,263 in 2023, a decrease of 77%, according to the FBI’s annual Bank Crime Statistics report. There were no deaths associated with bank robberies in 2022 and 2023, the most recent year available for the data.

Tom Myers, a crime historian and retired FBI agent, said the drop in bank robberies is due to experienced criminals opting to move on to easier crimes that don’t come with the risk of a lengthy federal prison sentence. Bank security technology has also evolved rapidly, he said, and tiny, powerful tracking devices can make it easier to find stolen money bundles once a robber has left the bank.

“The juice ain’t worth the squeeze,” Myers said. “There’s so many other things to do that are profitable — you can go to a big box store and walk out with the same amount in some places, and only face state charges if you’re caught.”

Law enforcement officials went door to door in search of information and surveillance video, as well as using helicopters, drones and dogs. The Lexington Police Department and county sheriff’s offices took part in the search, along with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Area schools went into lockdown for a while Thursday until campuses were deemed safe. Students were not allowed to go home on buses and had to be picked up by their parents, state police said.

U.S. Bank said it was working closely with law enforcement and committed to supporting the victims' families and bank colleagues. The small bank branch in the quiet community of Berea is located just a mile from Berea College and its campus that dates back to the 1850s.

“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees at our Berea, Kentucky branch earlier today,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our colleagues and the entire Berea community.”

Berea is about 36 miles (58 kilometers) south of Lexington.

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Rebecca Boone contributed to this story from Boise, Idaho.

A week removed from teaming with his brother Matt and winning the Zurich Classic — a victory that earned him membership on the PGA Tour — Fitzpatrick remained hot Friday. He shot a bogey-free round of 6-under 66, getting to 6 under at the midpoint of the Cadillac Championship at Trump International Doral.

It's not something he expected a few months ago. Or even a few days ago, really.

“The text messages and stuff has slowed down, but the overwhelming feeling of like joy and happiness is yet to go away,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think for me, this year, it’s going to be a whirlwind and no matter what happens it will be a success. I can’t believe how many people have come up to me and congratulated me ... players and caddies and staff. It’s been incredible.”

Fitzpatrick had a ticket for a Sunday night flight that would have taken him from New Orleans to Turkey for this week's stop on the DP World Tour, then changed those arrangements in a hurry to get to Miami and begin prepping for his first $20 million signature event.

He's called this week “the first day of school” as he gets a real taste of life on the PGA Tour.

So far, the report card has been just fine. He got through a five-birdie, five-bogey roller-coaster to shoot an even-par 72 on Thursday, then had the six-birdie, no-bogey day on Friday.

“I think the nice thing is it feels like I’m doing the right things with my golf game. I’m working towards the right things,” Fitzpatrick said. “It's exciting. I feel like my game has been good for a while now. I think for a few months it didn’t really translate on the golf course how I would have liked, but it’s really taken a turn the past two months. I feel in control of my ball, which is nice. So, hopefully I keep hitting fairways and hitting greens and we’ll see what happens this weekend.”

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

Pope Leo XIV announced Friday the appointment of the Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C., as the new leader of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which comprises West Virginia, one of the nation’s least racially diverse states.

Menjivar-Ayala, 55, fled El Salvador's civil war as a teen in the late 1980s, eventually crossing illegally into the United States in 1990, he told The Associated Press in an interview last year. But within “a couple of weeks” he gained humanitarian protection, later was granted a visa as a religious worker, and became a U.S. citizen two decades ago.

Nonetheless, he feels close to immigrants who have been caught up by raids, including last year’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, because “that could have been me,” he said in 2025.

The Catholic Church has long advocated for humane treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States and around the world. Menjivar-Ayala and other U.S. church leaders have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies while also affirming a nation’s right to control its borders and urging reconciliation.

New bishop to prioritize those on the margins

Menjivar-Ayala did not mention immigration policies nor Trump is his speech Friday, instead focusing on his desire to be accepted by West Virginians and his willingness to listen to the community. A portion of his speech was in Spanish.

“I have much to learn, but my heart is ready and wide-open,” he said. “Above all, I want to listen to the poor. Those in the margins of the church and society. To workers, to the immigrants, because as Matthew 25 says, the way we treat the least is the way we treat Jesus.”

In the Washington archdiocese, which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, more than 40% of parishioners are Latino. In West Virginia — all of which is covered by the Wheeling-Charleston diocese — only 2.4% of the population is Latino and 92.6% of its 1.77 million residents identify as white, according to the U.S. Census.

Menjivar-Ayala replaces the Most Rev. Mark Brennan, 79, who has served as West Virginia’s bishop since 2019. Brennan had taken over after a scandal over a former bishop’s sexual harassment of adults and lavish spending of church money. In a shared news conference in Wheeling on Friday, Brennan reminded West Virginians that many in America come from somewhere else.

“But he loves all the people here. He’s not going to be bishop just for one group within the diocese. He’ll be bishop for all the people. I can assure you of that.”

The new bishop, who has spent his ministerial career in the nation's capital and surrounding communities, will work in a less Catholic and more rural region, overseeing the diocese’s 61,000 Catholics and 92 parishes throughout West Virginia.

While acknowledging the beauty of West Virginia mountains and natural resources, he said many people in one of the nation’s poorest states “continue to endure hardship, marginalization and inequality.”

Lauded for his immigration advocacy

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington praised Menjivar-Ayala’s advocacy for migrants during his tenure in the capital, saying in a statement that “his passion for justice and sensitive care for the Hispanic and immigrant communities of our Archdiocese have planted seeds of grace that will yield a harvest here for decades to come.”

In an article he wrote last year for the Catholic Standard, the official newspaper of the Washington archdiocese, Menjivar-Ayala spoke out against the treatment of immigrants by Trump’s administration.

“Each day this situation is getting worse and more ominous,” Menjivar-Ayala wrote. “For weeks now, the federal government has pursued a ‘shock and awe’ campaign of aggressive threats and highly visible operations of questionable legality that go far beyond mere immigration ‘enforcement.’”

Menjivar-Ayala, whose appointment comes a few weeks after the pope’s disagreement with Trump over the U.S. war against Iran, will be installed as bishop at a ceremony on July 2. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment.

Another Latin America-born priest was also named a U.S. bishop on Friday. The Rev. John Gomez will start his tenure in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, on June 30. Gomez was born in Colombia, came to the United States on a student visa in 2002 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, according to his current diocese in Tyler, Texas. In a statement, Bishop Gregory Kelly of Tyler praised his “commitment to Hispanic Ministry.”

Pope Leo’s first American bishop appointment, two weeks after his own election in May 2025, was a former refugee: Michael Pham, who was born in Vietnam and became bishop of San Diego, California.

The number of priestly ordinations in the United States has been declining for decades, making foreign-born clergy essential to many parishes nationwide.

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Dell'Orto reported from Minneapolis.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

York's overtime goal beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 in Game 6 of their first-round series and helped the Flyers advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

York was caught up in the moment — “definitely don’t want a lawsuit,” he cracked after the long toss — and hoped the Flyers fan who retrieved the valuable piece of equipment would return the souvenir.

“I figured even if it did hit him, that he was going to still enjoy the moment and be happy,” York said Friday.

Longtime Flyers fan Jack Brod, who grabbed the stick around Section 113 in the lower level, had planned to gift the stick to a family friend. Once he learned that York wanted the stick back, Brod graciously returned it. Wearing the same Flyers sweatshirt he did in Game 6, Brod was a guest Friday at Flyers practice and got to meet York.

York said right after the game he thought, “why did I do that?”

“When my career is done and over with, I want to have some things to look back on, remember and cherish,” York said on Friday. “This was obviously a special moment for me. Super nice guy. Just met him. For me to just give it back for kind of nothing, I really appreciate that. That's one of the best things about Philly fans is, they love their players and they want their players to perform at the highest level they can.”

Brod didn't go home empty-handed. He received a new stick and a signed York No. 8 jersey. York hoped to frame the stick.

The Flyers open their second-round series Saturday at Carolina.

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

Explosions and a fire were recorded at the terminal, the statement from the General Staff said. Local officials in Russia said a Ukrainian drone attack sparked the blaze and that no casualties were reported.

The facility had been hit previously on April 16, April 20 and April 28. Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said a fire at the city’s oil refinery had also been extinguished Thursday, less than 24 hours before the latest strike.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued to strike Ukraine.

Russia attacked the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil with over 50 drones on Friday, Mayor Serhii Nadal said.

Hits were recorded in industrial facilities and infrastructure, he said. At least 10 people were wounded, he added, while some neighborhoods remain without electricity as a result of the mass attack.

Two multi-story residential buildings and port infrastructure in Odesa were damaged after Russian forces launched another overnight drone attack on the southern region, local authorities said.

As a result of the strikes, an apartment in a 16-story building was destroyed and the roof caught fire. In another high-rise residential building, a fire engulfed the 12th floor, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service.

In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least five people were wounded in the region. He said damage from overnight attacks was also recorded in the central city of Kryvyi Rih and the northeastern Kharkiv region, where railway infrastructure was hit.

“Russia continues to attack our energy infrastructure, critical infrastructure, and civilian objects. Tonight, there were 210 drone strikes, and about 140 of them were “Shahed” drones,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, has promoted several aspects of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again agenda, including removing food additives, cutting ultraprocessed foods from diets and encouraging exercise.

But she has been a more vocal advocate for vaccination than Kennedy, and at times she has criticized the Trump administration's handling of health issues as “embarrassing.”

If confirmed as the nation's doctor, Saphier would be empowered to issue advisories that warn of public health threats. Surgeons general also have used the office to advocate on vaccination issues — though the office doesn't create vaccine policy.

Means, a Stanford University-educated physician and MAHA influencer who didn’t complete her surgical residency in Oregon and has an inactive medical license, faced grueling questioning from senators of both major political parties over her experience and stance on vaccination. She told The Associated Press her failed nomination was the result of a “yearlong smear campaign."

Saphier is a mom, radiologist and former Fox News contributor

Trump's new surgeon general pick is the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, according to her profile on the institution’s website. She has a medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados, along with fellowships at the Mayo Clinic, according to her profile.

She has earned the approval of institutions including the American College of Radiology, whose president, Dr. Dana Smetherman, on Thursday called her a “tireless advocate for women's health.” Kennedy said in a social media post that her experience with breast cancer patients and early detection will help the Republican administration take on the chronic disease epidemic.

Saphier was also a longtime Fox News Channel contributor until this week — one of several of the channel's personalities Trump has brought into his administration. Trump's first surgeon general pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, was also a contributor at the network, but her nomination fell apart last year after questions arose about her academic credentials.

An author and podcaster with her own show, “Wellness Unmasked with Dr. Nicole Saphier,” Saphier frequently comments on the Trump administration's approach to health, often positively. She also used the phrase “Make America Healthy Again” years before Kennedy popularized it. It was the title of a 2020 book she wrote that criticized the government’s handling of healthcare and the Affordable Care Act.

Saphier also has dipped into the wellness product industry, creating a line of herbal supplements called Drop Rx, according to her LinkedIn profile.

A mom of three boys, Saphier has often said she is thankful she decided to keep her first son after becoming unexpectedly pregnant at age 17. She has advocated for more resources for mothers who make the same choice.

Advocating for vaccination while criticizing COVID-era mandates

Like Means, Saphier has questioned some aspects of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, including the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, a longtime recommendation that the Trump administration has been trying to weaken.

She also has aligned with Kennedy's disdain toward COVID-19 vaccination requirements in schools, saying on her podcast in September that they were “a complete disaster" and one of the reasons for declining trust in vaccination.

Saphier says she supports immunization while arguing patients should be free to make their own medical decisions. In March, she praised acting U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for posting a message encouraging Americans to get vaccinated against measles.

“The more vaccine confusion we create, the more preventable disease we will see,” she said in September, urging the administration to get itself in order "because it’s really upsetting.”

She's called the health department's mistakes ‘embarrassing’

While being supportive of the Trump administration at large, Saphier has publicly cringed at some of its health mishaps. Last summer, she decried its long-anticipated first attempt at a MAHA report, which cited some studies that didn't exist.

"There were a lot of flaws in this report," she said on her podcast. “In fact, it was pretty embarrassing."

She said Kennedy's firing of his first CDC director, Susan Monarez, after less than a month on the job was “a mess.”

"When we keep hearing radical transparency and we’re going to regain trust, I can tell you these shenanigans are taking us farther away from that mission,” Saphier said on her podcast.

In an email to the AP last year, Saphier said Trump's advice to pregnant women not to take Tylenol, which promoted unproven ties between the medication and autism, was overly simplistic. She said equally important, and missing from Trump's message, was the fact that untreated fever or severe pain can also pose serious risks to mothers and babies.

After Means' confirmation hearings earlier this year, Saphier said on her podcast that she expected Means would do a good job as surgeon general but wished she were “a little bit less involved with MAHA.”

“I’d really like to see a little bit more reaching across the aisle when it comes to public health,” Saphier said. “That doesn’t mean it has to be some Democratic nominee for surgeon general, maybe just someone a little less aligned with the MAHA movement who, I don’t know, finished their residency and has an active medical license.”

At least a few prominent MAHA influencers have suggested Saphier is no ally. Turning Point USA podcaster and anti-pesticide campaigner Alex Clark said in a post on Friday that Saphier “gets an F when it comes to all things MAHA.”

The Tigers are taking on the Texas Rangers inside Comerica Park on Friday (May 1) at 6:40 p.m., and he is expected to get to the ballpark for batting practice around 4 p.m.

McKenney, from Flint, capped off his freshman season by making clutch plays, including a late-minute three-pointer in the NCAA Tournament National Championship game vs. the UConn Huskies.

He later iced the game with some big free throws to help the University of Michigan win its first men’s basketball championship since 1989, winning 69-63 inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

As a freshman, McKenney averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists for the Wolverines, while coming off the bench as the sixth man.

McKenney was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, shooting 46.2% from the field and 39.1% from the three-point line, leading the team in made three pointers.

McKenney has vowed to come back for his sophomore season to lead the national champions back to the Final Four, which will be held in downtown Detroit inside Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions.

Trump turned back the latest proposal almost as soon as it was delivered. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.

“They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Friday at the White House, without elaborating on what he saw as its shortcomings.

The shaky three-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appears to still be holding though both countries have traded accusations of violations.

While the ceasefire has largely halted fighting in Iran, the U.S. and Iran are locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. A U.S. Navy blockade stopping Iran’s tankers from getting out to sea has Iran’s economy reeling. The world economy is also under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold on the strait.

Negotiations have continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys’ trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America’s Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.

On Friday, Trump expressed frustration with Iran’s leadership, describing it as fractured.

“It’s a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they’re all messed up.”

Discussing a briefing he had Thursday with Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, the president said the U.S. has just two options in Iran.

“I mean, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” Trump said.

Trump said he believes Iran’s leadership has made some progress toward unifying around a resolution.

“They’ve made strides, but I’m not sure if they ever get there,” he said. “There’s tremendous discord, they’re having a tremendous problem getting along with each other in Iran.”

Iran’s top diplomat sought support for plan

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a flurry of calls on Friday with many of his regional counterparts, including from Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Azerbaijan, to brief them on his country’s latest initiatives to end the war, according to his social media.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also spoke over the phone Friday with Araghchi. They discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and long-term security arrangements, Kallas’ office said in a statement. Kallas also has been in contact with the EU’s Gulf partners.

Pakistani officials have said efforts were continuing to ease tensions between Iran and the U.S.

Pakistan’s former ambassador to Washington, Masood Khan, said the continued exchange of proposals indicates that the U.S. and Iran remain engaged in seeking a diplomatic midpoint.

The proposals also come after leaders of the two countries had exchanged some of their harshest threats, Khan said, fueling fears that military hostilities could resume at any moment.

Imprisoned Iranian Nobel laureate moved to hospital

Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran after a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health, her foundation said Friday.

The Narges Mohammadi Foundation said she had two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis. She was believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March, according to her lawyers who visited her a few days after the incident.

The hospital transfer comes “after 140 days of systematic medical neglect,” since her arrest, the foundation said.

Mohammadi, 53, a rights lawyer who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 while in prison, was arrested in December and sentenced to seven more years in prison.

Explosion of leftover bombs killed 14 in Iran

An explosion of leftover bombs from strikes during the war against Iran killed 14 Revolutionary Guard members, IRNA and other Iranian media reported Friday.

A report by the Nournews website, believed to be close to Iran’s security, said the explosion happened near the northern city of Zanjan, which is northwest of Tehran.

It was the largest number of Revolutionary Guard members reported to be killed since the ceasefire began on April 7. The report said the ammunition included cluster bombs and air mines dropped during the fighting.

Since the war began on Feb. 28, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, and more than 2,600 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the war started, according to authorities.

Additionally, 24 people have died in Israel and more than 20 in Gulf Arab states. Seventeen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

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Ezzidin reported from Cairo and Binkley from Washington. Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

However, they also agreed to continue discussing alternative proposals and entertain new ones, which could change the plan substantially.

Nations met this week at the International Maritime Organization headquarters in London in preparation for potentially voting in the late fall on new, global regulations to clean up shipping, or the “Net-zero Framework." Instead of finishing the discussions, the delegates scheduled more meetings for the fall to keep working ahead of a vote, keeping the framework as a foundation for their negotiations.

A number of countries submitted alternative proposals and suggested changes, and said those should still be on the table, for inclusive, constructive negotiations. The meeting chairman, Harry Conway of Liberia, assured the group on Friday that these options could still be considered at the forthcoming meetings, and new documents could still be submitted. The document that outlines the work for these meetings was modified to make that explicit.

Australia and others expressed concerns that continuing to discuss alternatives would set the process back, when the impacts of climate change are being felt worldwide and the shipping industry is calling for certainty now to make investments in green technologies.

As the meeting closed, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said “we kind of are back on track,” while urging delegates to rebuild trust and continue talking to each another.

Em Fenton, of Opportunity Green, said the framework survived, with a majority of countries supporting it, but “survival is not a victory and we cannot end up in a cycle of open-ended negotiations.”

“We must now look forward to moving toward adoption of the framework later this year in a way that maintains urgency and ambition, and delivers justice and equity for countries on the front lines of climate impacts,” said Fenton, senior director for climate diplomacy at the U.K.-based climate change nonprofit.

The regulations would establish a pricing system which would impose fees for every ton of greenhouse gases emitted by ships above allowable limits, in what is effectively the first global tax on greenhouse gas emissions. The United States and Saudi Arabia are among those that strongly oppose a fee.

Nations agreed on the Net-zero Framework last year. Delegates met in October to adopt it, a step that was widely expected to be a formality. The U.S., with trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, and support from Saudi Arabia and others, derailed the meeting. Delegates decided to postpone the decision by a year and adjourn.

Most ships today run on heavy fuel oil that releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants as it’s burned. Shipping emissions have grown over the past decade to about 3% of the global total as trade has grown and vessels use immense amounts of fossil fuels to transport cargo over long distances. There is a lot of interest in ammonia as an alternative fuel because the molecule doesn’t contain carbon.

The framework would set a marine fuel standard that decreases, over time, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions allowed from using shipping fuels. The regulations also would establish the pricing mechanism. The fees collected would go into an IMO fund to invest in fuels and technologies needed to transition to green shipping, reward low-emission ships and support developing countries so they aren’t left behind with dirty fuels and old ships.

This will put the global shipping industry on more sustainable footing, both environmentally and economically, than where it is today, said Mark Brownstein, senior vice president, energy transition at Environmental Defense Fund. Oil prices keep going higher since the war with Iran began.

The IMO, which regulates international shipping, set a target for the sector to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by about 2050, and has committed to ensuring that fuels with zero or near-zero emissions are used more widely.

Large ships last about 25 years, so the industry would need to make changes and investments now to reach the goal around 2050. The International Chamber of Shipping, which represents over 80% of the world’s merchant fleet, has advocated for adoption of the regulations.

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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.

DPSCD’s new slogan is “We Will Because We Can.”

“It’s an affirmation for our students to build their self confidence, their self-efficacy,” explained Sharlonda Buckman, the district’s chief engagement officer. “It is also for everybody across the Detroit community to get involved with the school district. The ‘we’ being having great teachers. The unity of everybody working together for the success of our students,” she added.

The district is inviting students to help tell their stories of success through a new influencer initiative.

Student influencer Janiah Smith called the experience lifechanging.

“I’m really excited to be able to use my voice in the way that I’ve been able to lately,” Smith said.

To learn more about the influencer initiative or to follow the district’s journey, click here.

Trump said in a social media post that the EU “is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal,” though he did not flesh out his objections in the post.

Asked by reporters on Friday about the increase in import taxes as he departed the White House for Florida, Trump said the EU was not “as usual” adhering to last year's trade framework, without detailing the source of the tension. He added that he believed the shift to higher tariffs “forces them to move their factory production much faster” to the U.S.

Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had agreed to the trade deal last July. It set a tariff ceiling of 15% on most goods, though the Supreme Court this year ruled against the legal authority that Trump had used to charge that tax. This left Trump looking for substitute authorities, and his administration has imposed a 10% tax while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.

Tariffs could hit a global economy already hurt by the Iran war

The tariffs hit at a moment when the Iran war has crushed the world economy with expectations of slower growth and higher inflation, as oil and natural gas prices have risen due to the effective closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz after strikes by the U.S. and Israel began at the end of February.

At the same time, Trump faces political pressure in the U.S. going into November's midterm elections because of rising levels of inflation. Trump, a Republican, returned to the White House last year on the explicit promise that he could quickly tame prices that jumped in the aftermath of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, but higher energy costs pushed annual inflation in March to 3.3%, which was higher than what he had inherited.

Just 30% of U.S. adults approved of Trump's handling of the economy, according to the latest poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Europe wants last year's trade deal to hold

The European Parliament has been moving slowly on finalizing last year's trade agreement but was expected to finish work on the deal next month. The EU said in a statement that it was implementing its “commitments in line with standard legislative practice” and should the U.S. “take measures inconsistent with" that agreement "we will keep our options open to protect EU interests.”

Trump administration officials have not responded to questions about the tariff increase and why Trump said the agreement had been violated. But Trump has had a testy relationship with Europe, having threatened earlier this year to take control of Greenland and later blasting NATO allies for not providing more support to the U.S. for the Iran war.

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament trade committee, posted on social media that Trump's tariff hike on autos was “unacceptable” and that the Trump administration “keeps breaking its commitments,” including on import taxes for steel and aluminum products.

Jennifer Safavian, CEO of Autos Drive America, which represents the American operations of foreign auto manufacturers, said the tariff increase “would threaten the progress that has already been made to open EU markets and grow the U.S. auto industry.”

Both the U.S. and the EU had previously confirmed their commitment to preserving the trade framework, known as the Turnberry Agreement, which was named after Trump’s golf course in Scotland.

Trump's tariff plans were already upended by the Supreme Court

The status of the 2025 deal was first cast into doubt after the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency and charge tariffs on goods from the members of the EU and other states.

The Trump administration has opened up trade investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to replace the tariffs struck down by the court. One of the investigations is looking into whether those trading partners have been lax in cracking down on forced labor. And the other is pursuing allegations that they’ve overproduced goods, driving down prices and putting American manufacturers at a disadvantage.

The alternative tariffs being explored by the Trump administration could ultimately put the agreement with the EU in risk of violation, though European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič told reporters last week that the relationship with the U.S. had become more positive over the past year.

To raise tariff rates, Scott Lincicome of the libertarian Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies said, the president would likely use Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows for duties on national security grounds.

Trump imposed 25% Section 232 tariffs on foreign autos in March 2025, but those tariffs were then lowered as part of the trade framework with the EU.

Lincicome also said Trump’s threats are “just another example of why these trade deals are vaporware. They all rely on handshakes and winks and hopes that Trump doesn’t get mad about something.’’

The EU had said it expected the bilateral deal would save European automakers about 500 million to 600 million euros ($585 million to $700 million) a month.

The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

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AP writers Paul Wiseman in Washington and Alexa St. John in Detroit contributed to this report.

Israel’s military and Hezbollah kept up their attacks despite a ceasefire in place since April 17.

Israel’s military on Friday afternoon urged residents of the Lebanese village of Habboush near the southern city of Nabatiyeh to evacuate, warning that those close to Hezbollah’s facilities would be in danger. An airstrike on Habboush that occurred around the time of the warning killed six people, including a woman and a child, and wounded eight, the Health Ministry said.

The state-run National News Agency reported that four people were killed in strikes on three other southern villages.

By Friday afternoon, Hezbollah had issued six statements saying it launched drones and rockets at Israeli military positions.

The Israeli military confirmed that Hezbollah launched an explosive drone that fell in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. Israeli media reported that a drone strike near Margaliot in northern Israel caused a fire, and that two soldiers were lightly wounded in a separate Hezbollah drone impact in the area.

Friday’s exchanges came after paramedics in southern Lebanon recovered the bodies of five people, including a man and his three sons, from under rubble in the village of Kfar Rumman, also near Nabatiyeh, a day after they were killed.

National News Agency reported that the five were killed in an airstrike late Thursday on Kfar Rumman. The agency identified those whose bodies were recovered as Malek Hamza and his sons, Ali, Fadel and Hamza. It said the strike also killed a Lebanese soldier. The Lebanese army confirmed that a soldier, Ali Jaber, was killed in the strike.

Damaged homes and overburdened hospitals

Despite the war, residents have continued to return to homes in southern Lebanon after being displaced for weeks because of the hostilities.

One of them was Umm Ali Khodor, whose apartment in the southern port city of Tyre was damaged during the previous Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024 and again in the current conflict.

“We were displaced, we rented a house, but as you know the situation is very difficult,” the woman said. “We could not continue so we returned to our home.”

At Jabal Aamel hospital in Tyre, one of the few in the area that are still functioning, director Wael Mroueh said many of the wounded they are treating are people who initially fled but decided to return and take their chances in areas facing periodic bombardment.

The dynamic was “different from all the previous wars,” he said. Many residents left the villages surrounding Tyre in the early days of the war, "but a large number did not find places and came back.”

Many of the hospital’s staff are also displaced, and the medical facility is hosting them and their families to ensure that it can continue to operate. The hospital has enough food and supplies to last for a month, Mroueh said, and is relying on international organizations to maintain its supply chain.

Official condemns targeting of Red Cross

Also Friday, a senior official with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies condemned the targeting of Red Cross volunteers during the Israel-Hezbollah war.

IFRC Under Secretary General for National Society Development and Coordination Xavier Castellanos Mosquera, who was visiting Lebanon, said that two Lebanese Red Cross volunteers have been killed and 18 others wounded by Israeli strikes. More than 100 health workers in total have been killed in Lebanon during the war, according to the country’s health ministry.

Mosquera told The Associate Press that Red Cross volunteers in southern Lebanon have described hugging each other before departing on a call “because they don’t know if they will return.”

He added that he had seen video showing “ambulances that were hit by bullets” while trying to rescue journalist Amal Khalil, who was buried in rubble when an Israeli strike hit a building where she was sheltering in southern Lebanon last month. Her body was pulled from the rubble hours later when rescuers were able to reach the scene.

The IFRC official also recently visited Iran, where he said key facilities of the Iranian Red Crescent Society had been targeted. Two chemical plants that had been their main providers of raw materials to produce plastic syringes and dialysis components were struck and destroyed. Another strike hit close to a Red Crescent rehabilitation center in Tehran that served children, elderly people and people with disabilities, causing damage.

Israel has denied that it deliberately targets health facilities and emergency workers.

The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the United States and Israel launched a war on its main backer, Iran. Israel has since carried out hundreds of airstrikes and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, capturing dozens of towns and villages along the border.

Since then Lebanon and Israel have held their first direct talks in more than three decades. The two countries have formally been in a state of war since the founding of the state of Israel in 1948.

A 10-day ceasefire declared in Washington went into effect on April 17. The ceasefire was later extended by three weeks.

The Health Ministry said Friday that the war’s death toll reached 2,618 while 8,094 were wounded.

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Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press journalist Koral Said in Abu Snan, Israel, and Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.

The message from President Donald Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the president.

The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump’s war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago.

“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Senate president pro tempore.

Yet he also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over.

“Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” the Republican president said.

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days — Friday was the deadline — or within 90 days if the president asks for an extension. This Congress made no attempt at enforcing that requirement, leaving town Thursday for a week after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.

Some GOP senators are growing uneasy about the war’s timeline, which Trump initially said would last a few weeks. But Trump's letter showed how the president continues to forego congressional approval. It contends the deadlines set by the law do not apply because the war in Iran effectively ended when a shaky ceasefire began in early April.

The Republican debate over the war

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday he did not plan on a vote to authorize force in Iran or otherwise weigh in.

“I’m listening carefully to what the members of our conference are saying, and at this point I don’t see that,” Thune said.

The reluctance to defy Trump on the war comes at a politically perilous time for Republicans, with public frustration mounting both over the conflict and its impact on gas prices. Still, most GOP lawmakers say they are supportive of Trump’s wartime leadership or are at least willing to give him more time amid the fragile ceasefire.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he would vote for an authorization of war if Trump asked for it. But Cramer questioned whether the resolution passed during the Vietnam War era, as a way for Congress to claw back its power, was constitutional.

“Our founders created a really strong executive, like it or not like it,” Cramer said.

Some GOP senators did make it clear that they eventually want Congress to have a say.

Indiana Sen. Todd Young said in a statement that lawmakers “must ensure that the people, through their elected representatives, weigh in on whether to send our military into combat.”

He added that since the Trump administration is stating that “the Iran conflict has ceased, there should be no hostilities moving forward,” and that if the conflict resumes, he expects the White House to work with Congress to pass an authorization for use of military force.

Some Republicans signal they want a vote

A handful of GOP senators have said for weeks that Congress should assert its authority over the war at some point. One of those, Maine's Susan Collins, voted for the first time with Democrats on Thursday to halt the war. She said in a statement that she wants to see a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close.

“The president’s authority as commander in chief is not without limits," Collins said, adding that the 60-day deadline is “not a suggestion, it is a requirement."

In addition to Collins and Young, Republican Sens. John Curtis of Utah, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Josh Hawley of Missouri, among others, have said they would eventually like to see a vote.

Curtis said he would not support continued funding for the war until Congress votes to authorize it.

“It is time for decision-making from both the administration and from Congress — and that can happen in league with one another, not in conflict,” Curtis said.

Thune suggested the White House step up its outreach to lawmakers with briefings and hearings if it wants continued support from Capitol Hill.

“Obviously, getting readouts from our military leadership on a somewhat regular basis, I think, will be helpful in terms of shaping the views of our members about how comfortable they are with everything that’s happening there, and the direction headed forward,” Thune said.

Administration argues the deadline doesn't apply

With the 60-day window under the War Powers Resolution expiring Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a congressional hearing Thursday, “We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means, the 60-day clock pauses or stops.”

The administration is making that argument even though Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Navy is maintaining a blockade to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.

Trump on Friday echoed Hegseth’s argument, and stressed that other presidents had similarly not sought congressional approval as laid out under the 1973 law.

“Every other president considered it totally unconstitutional, and we agree with that,” Trump said at the White House as he departed for Florida.

Democrats scoffed at the suggestion that May 1 was not the real deadline.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said on social media, “There’s no pause button in the Constitution, or the War Powers Act. We’re at war. We’ve been at war for 60 days. The blockade alone is a continuing act of war.”

The development came as little surprise to at least one House Democrat who oversees the military.

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Associated Press: "Is the expectation that the Trump administration is going to follow the law? I do not have that expectation.”

But back-to-back convincing wins by the 76ers in Game 5 and Game 6 have left a Boston team that once looked like a favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference on the brink of an epic collapse.

A loss in Saturday’s Game 7 would be the No. 2 seed Celtics’ earliest exit from the playoffs since the 2020-21 season.

They may have to do it with star Jayson Tatum dealing with a new ailment after he briefly left Game 6 in the third quarter for unspecified treatment to an apparent left calf injury. Tatum, of course, is just 22 games into his return from the torn right Achilles tendon injury he suffered in last season’s playoffs.

The Celtics downplayed the current situation, with Tatum saying afterward that his leg was only feeling “a little stiff.” He said following a quick assessment and some time on the exercise bike he didn’t return because the game was out of hand and the starters had already been pulled.

Coach Joe Mazzulla said there was no injury at all and reiterated that in a conference call Friday.

“He’ll play,” Mazzulla said.

The recent history for winner-takes-all games for Philadelphia teams isn’t exactly on the 76ers side, though.

The Flyers’ return to the NHL playoffs served as a reminder they are the last Philadelphia sports team to win a Game 7, beating, yes, Boston, in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinal.

Since then, the 76ers in 2012, 2019, 2021 and 2023 have all lost Game 7s; the Flyers lost one in 2014 and 2020; and the Phillies lost Game 7 of the NLCS in 2023.

The Phillies also lost a decisive Game 5 in the 2011 playoffs.

The Celtics have long had the Sixers’ number in the playoffs, winning the last six series. The 76ers last eliminated the Celtics in the 1982 Eastern Conference semis.

“I’ve been playing these guys for so long,” 76ers star Joel Embiid said. “I’m tired of losing to them. We have a chance to accomplish something special.”

Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics

When/Where to watch: Game 7, 7:30 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)

Series: Series tied 3-3

Betting line: Celtics by 7.5

What to Know: The Celtics are 27-10 all-time in Game 7s, the 76ers are 6-12 in such games and are 0-4 in them since 2001. It’ll be the ninth Game 7 between these two franchises, with Boston going 6-2 in the previous ones. Philadelphia is the 37th team in league history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1. Only 13 teams have overcome that deficit and won the series. If Boston is going to prevent the 76ers from becoming the 14th, its shooting must improve. The 76ers have held the NBA’s No. 2 rated offense during the regular season to under 100 points per game in back-to-back games. The Celtics also combined to shoot just 30.5% (22/72) from 3-point range, with 11 makes in each of those games. They led the league in the regular season, averaging 16 3s per game.

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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed.

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

The team has completed three races already but its biggest debut comes this weekend, on American soil, at the Miami Grand Prix. Cadillac F1 markets itself as the only true American team in the European-dominated series — Haas F1 is owned by California businessman Gene Haas — and represents the American dream.

The effort to enter F1 began with Michael Andretti, son of motorsports' most famous naturalized U.S. citizen, and its 2026 car is named after Mario Andretti. And for its first race in North America, Cadillac debuted a special livery presented by the team’s primary partner, TWG AI.

The design integrates a stars and stripes motif in Cadillac’s signature black and white color scheme, includes 50 stars on the front of the car and “USA” is emblazoned on the rear wing. There is also a splash of red inside the wheels to get red, white and blue on the car.

“Racing at home for the first time is a major milestone for this team and something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of the team and a part-time Fort Lauderdale resident. “There’s a lot of pride in representing the United States as the American team, especially in front of our home fans. We understand what that means and we’re focused on showing up and delivering for them.”

Cadillac fields cars for Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Sergio Perez of Mexico, two veterans who have won in F1 for other teams. Through the first three races their best performance was Bottas finishing 13th and Perez 15th in the second round. Expected to be the worst performing team out of 11 based solely on this being its maiden year, Cadillac heads into Sunday’s race ranked 10th ahead of Aston Martin in the constructors’ standings.

Colton Herta, who left the Andretti Global IndyCar team to race in F2 this season to earn the super license needed to compete in F1, is expected to eventually move into one of the Cadillac seats. The Californian was fastest in Friday’s practice for the junior series and the plan now would eventually make him the only American driver on the F1 grid.

An unexpected five-week layoff because of the war in Iran forced F1 to cancel two events scheduled in the Middle East, and Cadillac used that time to put together “a fairly substantial upgrade package” for Miami.

“It’s spread over different parts of the car so probably the main area is the floor, but there are also changes on front and rear brakes, front wing as well,” team principal Graeme ⁠Lowdon said. “It’s a mixture of aero and a bit of weight saving as well. It’s reasonably sizeable. We’ll be watching the performance of the upgrade with great interest because there’s an awful lot that we need to verify that other teams will be well down the route of doing.”

Most of the teams came to Miami with upgrades, but because Cadillac is so new, it might not have had the bandwidth to make so many changes if not for the break.

“I hope that we can make a bigger step than some other teams,” Bottas said. “Because we should be able to do that in theory from where we started. So that’s the goal. In the first three races I felt like every ⁠race was getting smoother and smoother, less and less issues.”

Lowdon, however, acknowledged that Cadillac is still in its teething phase as it competes against long tenured teams.

”We’re racing against teams that have done literally thousands of grand prixs,” Lowdon said. “If there is a thing such as team muscle memory how you operate, other teams have that advantage. Everything for us is new.”

That includes the attention the team is receiving.

Interest and popularity in Cadillac began even before one of its cars hit the track. Jim Campbell, vice president of performance and motorsports commercial operations, said General Motors CEO Mary Barra and President Mark Reuss will be in Miami all weekend, alongside dealers, customers and invited guests.

“It’s our fourth race, but it’s our first time to race our Cadillac F1 on American soil, it’s super special,” Campbell said. “We’ve been looking forward to this day. We have been here the last three years, really trying to learn about the F1 platform and so to be here now racing is super exciting, as opposed to being here observing.”

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

“There are a lot of young people, mostly young men, going to blue-collar construction jobs, playing the lottery. It drives me crazy,” Bessent said in an interview, giving an example of why he has prioritized meeting with community bankers, retirees and schoolchildren to talk about how to budget, save and manage debt.

”The best thing you can do is not play the lottery," he said — rather, people should invest and “then watch it grow.”

Bessent spoke to The Associated Press about the basics of building a workable budget and saving for the future at the tail end of Financial Literacy Month, an initiative the billionaire hedge fund manager has made a priority since joining President Donald Trump's administration, driven by a childhood marred by poverty.

Former Treasury Secretaries Hank Paulson and Tim Geithner were known for helping navigate the U.S. out of the global financial crisis. Steven Mnuchin made his mark designing and promoting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and Janet Yellen was the only person to also head the Federal Reserve and the Council of Economic Advisers. But Bessent's passion for promoting financial literacy is what he hopes, in part, defines his legacy.

His push to boost budgeting skills comes as Americans grapple with the cost of housing, groceries, energy and everyday items and are skeptical about the Republican administration's performance on the issue. The latest AP-NORC poll data shows Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped from 38% in March to 30% in April.

The nation is enmeshed in record levels of debt, which surpassed $39 trillion in March, and critics wonder how Bessent can persuade Americans to save for their futures when the government itself is drowning in debt.

“The Trump administration in particular has a problematic record on cutting taxes without offsets and growing spending," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

A billionaire with humble beginnings

Bessent, 63, made his money through a long career in hedge funds, including working with George Soros, a financier and philanthropist whom Trump and other Republicans have vilified. Bessent was famously involved in the Soros firm’s 1992 currency speculation against the British pound tied to Black Wednesday, which generated massive profits. Bessent later launched his own hedge fund called the Key Square Group.

But he often talks about his humble beginnings in rural South Carolina, not far from Myrtle Beach, where at the age of 9 he got his first jobs as a busboy at a cafeteria and hustling to set up chairs and umbrellas on the beach. His father, a real estate developer, had lost generations of Bessent family wealth by overleveraging his obligations.

Bessent wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979 but was barred as an openly gay applicant. That also shut the door to joining the foreign service.

He went to Yale University, where his former professor David Darst recalled teaching him about new financial instruments in capital markets. Darst described Bessent as a "guy who’s working at the highest levels, but he’s interested in people learning the ABCs of finance.”

In 2025, Bessent became the nation's first openly gay treasury secretary. “I sit here knowing that President Trump chose me because he believes I’m the best candidate, not because of my sexual preference, not because treasury secretaries with green eyes do better," Bessent said at his confirmation hearing.

After reaching public office, one of Bessent's first actions was relaunching Financial Literacy Month at the agency.

“Wall Street has grown wealthier than ever before, and it can continue to grow and do well,” Bessent has peppered into various speeches over the past year, insisting that his work in the Trump administration is "focused on Main Street.”

During a roundtable with community financial institutions at the department — one of several such events Bessent hosted last month — he listened to bankers express concerns about the a surge in sophisticated fraud schemes targeting customers and their efforts to get high schoolers interested in saving.

“It could be as simple as a 14-year-old starting a savings account and watching interest compound at 4% a year,” said Thomas Fraser, CEO of First Mutual Holding Co. in Lakewood, Ohio, who attended that roundtable.

Promoting financial literacy to young people

Bessent is not a newcomer to preaching financial literacy. Geoff Canada, president of Harlem Children’s Zone, has known Bessent for 30 years and said the treasury secretary has mentored one of the program's scholars for more than a decade. Canada said Bessent has a “deep understanding that financial literacy is essential for fostering real social and economic mobility for America’s children.”

He said Bessent “has championed this issue long before joining the administration, and I know it remains a top priority.”

A conversation with Bessent about financial literacy inevitably turns to Trump Accounts — the financial vehicle meant to give $1,000 to babies born during the Trump administration. That money is then invested in the stock market by private firms, and the children can access the money when they turn 18.

Bessent said he thinks it will encourage a generation of young people to care more about investing as it shows them “the power of compounding, because that money is locked up for 18 years."

But Bessent said people of all ages and income brackets could be better at managing their money. “There’s a narrative that doctors are famously terrible at finance,” Bessent said.

Critics of the treasury secretary’s approach argue that the problem is less about Americans not knowing how to invest and more about people not having enough spare income to do so, as the cost of living has steadily increased and the war in Iran has driven energy prices higher.

“You cannot preach penny-pinching while making it harder for Americans to pay their grocery, utility and healthcare bills,” said Emily DiVito, senior adviser for economic policy at the left-leaning Groundwork Collaborative. “If Secretary Bessent is serious about advancing financial literacy, he should focus on lowering the cost of living for working families.”

Rising debt in the foreground

Bessent's desire to see Americans invest wisely comes as the U.S. debt has reached record levels — and the trajectory of those increases is a cause for concern for budgeting experts.

The U.S. national debt hit $37 trillion in August and then $38 trillion just two months later. Now, it’s at $39 trillion and has surpassed the size of the economy.

Budget advocate MacGuineas warned that the long-term trend of borrowing more and paying more in interest will force Americans to face tougher fiscal tradeoffs ahead.

She praised Bessent for having the goal to cut deficits in half and bring them down to 3% of gross domestic product but said ”it’s going to take a combination of spending reductions, revenue increases and economic growth” to get there.

The Treasury argues that the federal deficit decreased during Trump’s first year back in office and that the provisions in Republicans' tax cuts law have put money back in Americans' pockets.

“It's hard to disagree with the fact that we need more financial literacy in this country,” MacGuineas said. “The bigger picture, of course, is that we should also probably give a financial literacy class to our lawmakers."

Known as America’s Summer Golf Capital, the Northern Michigan region brings together top-tier courses and resort experiences, often just a short drive apart.

“Each area of our eight resorts that are part of America’s Summer Golf Capital are in different parts of the state that also kind of give their own unique experience,” explained Caroline Rizzo from Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.

“From Thompsonville with Crystal Mountain up through Traverse City, then into Petoskey with the Boyne and Bay Harbor courses, and then you head over into the middle of the state in Gaylord and Lewiston with Garland, Treetops, so really just great, different, beautiful experiences,” she added.

“You have people coming from all over the country now to experience Northern Michigan golf, and in some areas, they are flying in and within 30 minutes they are on the fairway from the runway at the airport because we have so much great stuff right in that general area. Then you can move around and go from resort to resort and experience all of the different courses,” Rizzo said.

The fun in Northern Michigan goes beyond the golf courses, to learn about the other resort experiences or to book your stay, watch the video above or click here.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills was forced to abandon her U.S. Senate campaign on Thursday, unable to generate sufficient fundraising or enthusiasm to compete against Graham Platner, an oyster farmer who has never served in elected office. The announcement marked a stinging defeat for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who recruited Mills to lead the party's decades-long quest to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

The swift defenestration of a two-term governor by a political neophyte highlighted a stark reality that has begun to take hold at a pivotal moment — Democratic voters are rejecting their party’s establishment and embracing new risks, even as their confidence grows that a blue wave is coming in November's midterm elections.

Sometimes Democrats seem almost as angry at their own party's aging and entrenched leadership as they are at President Donald Trump.

“Rank-and-file Democrats don’t want the Democratic Party as we know it,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the Democratic resistance group Indivisible. “Rank-and-file Democrats want fighters.”

Local Indivisible chapters, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who's an independent but caucuses with Democrats, and other leaders from the party's progressive wing had already lined up behind Platner, who is now almost certain to be the Democratic nominee in one of the party’s best Senate pickup opportunities in the nation.

Platner on Friday insisted he would continue to speak out against his party's leadership, including Schumer, although he acknowledged that the two spoke privately the night before.

“The fact that we’ve been able to do all of this without the help of the establishment, it puts us in such an amazing position,” Platner said on MS NOW's “Morning Joe.” “My criticisms of the party leadership, my criticisms of the party, they have not changed, and I’ve been very vocal about that since the beginning. But we will absolutely take the help that we can get.”

Republicans, meanwhile, are giddy — and some moderate Democratic strategists are worried — that the anti-establishment shift may undermine the party’s effort to claw back control of Congress in November.

“Chuck Schumer has officially lost the first battle in his proxy war with Bernie Sanders,” said Bernadette Breslin, spokesperson for the Senate Republicans' campaign arm. “As Sanders hits the campaign trail to prop up progressives in messy Democrat primaries in Michigan and Minnesota, Schumer’s chances of getting his preferred candidates through look grim.”

The backlash is bigger than Maine

Maine is far from alone.

Prominent anti-establishment clashes are playing out in high-profile Senate races across Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa, along with House races in several states.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, continues to promote Platner and other critics of the Democratic Party's national leadership. The Vermont senator will campaign this weekend in Detroit with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who is running in a three-way Senate primary against Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.

“There’s a desire to turn the page on the old guard,” Sanders' political adviser Faiz Shakir said. “It’s not even just the Democratic electorate. There’s a populist mood in this country. You’d have to be blind not to see it.”

Indeed, McMorrow is actively working to remind voters that she would not support Schumer as Democrats’ Senate leader if given the chance.

“Frankly, I was the first person in this country to say no,” McMorrow said in a video she posted Thursday on social media. “It is a different moment. This is no longer a Republican Party we’re dealing with, it is a MAGA party that has been taken over by Trump loyalists. ... You need to respond in a very different way.”

Veteran Democratic strategists like Lis Smith, who works with candidates across the country, tied the anti-establishment shift to the party's painful losses in 2024, when President Joe Biden was forced to abandon his reelection bid and Vice President Kamala Harris went on to lose to Trump.

“After 2024, voters are sick of the gerontocracy, sick of the status quo, and Chuck Schumer has completely misread that,” Smith said.

Moderates push back

Privately, Schumer's allies downplay the impact of the anti-establishment backlash.

The Senate Democratic leader's preferred picks in North Carolina, Ohio and Alaska haven't faced the same challenges as Mills did in Maine. The four states represent the party's most likely path to a majority in the chamber, which has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats.

Mills is the oldest of the candidates and, at 78, would have been the oldest freshman senator in history. She promised to serve one term if elected. Platner is only 41.

Schumer's team is unwilling to make any apologies for backing Mills over Platner.

“Leader Schumer’s North Star is taking back the Senate," Schumer spokesperson Allison Biasotti said. "When no one thought a Senate majority was possible just a year ago, he made it a reality by recruiting great candidates across the country and laying out an agenda for lower costs and better lives for Americans.”

Some in the Democratic Party’s moderate wing are worried.

Matt Bennett, co-founder of the center-left group Third Way, said that Platner’s emergence in Maine “without a doubt” will make it harder for Democrats to defeat Collins in November. He warns that it could be the same elsewhere if Democratic primary voters rally behind anti-establishment candidates.

“Our message is if you would like to beat Donald Trump’s Republicans, you better nominate people who can win,” Bennett said.

On Dec. 21, 2025, Metcalf and the fan, Detroit Lions season ticket holder Ryan Kennedy, were seen talking to each other during a game before Metcalf threw his hand toward Kennedy’s face.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Kennedy left his seat holding a Metcalf jersey to get an autograph. As he approached the front railing of the stands, he said something to Metcalf, leading to the brief interaction.

Kennedy claims he was assaulted by Metcalf and later filed a lawsuit against the Steelers player, as well as NFL legend Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and multiple media companies over allegations of a racial slur.

Kennedy, a mortgage company CEO, filed the suit with the Marko Law Firm on Feb. 3 in Wayne County Circuit Court, seeking $100 million for defamation, negligence, and other claims after allegedly being falsely branded as a racist in the national media.

--> Detroit Lions fan fights back against racism allegations with lawsuit against NFL figures

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said Kennedy did not appear to be injured and did not need to seek medical attention at the game.

“After an extensive review of all the relevant evidence, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has determined that charges will not be issued in this case,” the prosecutor’s office said on May 1. “The warrant request is denied.”

Far more have a hand in making the opening jewel of the Triple Crown happen.

As Cherie DeVaux looks to become the first woman to train a Derby winner, she is surrounded at Churchill Downs by hundreds of influential women at the track, on the air and behind the scenes on the first Saturday in May.

“I often hear about women being involved with a male-dominated sport, but for me it feels like it’s my sport,” jockey-turned-NBC broadcaster Donna Brothers said. “Women are an integral part of it. You see a lot of exercise riders out there who are women, a lot of female grooms, hotwalkers. Unfortunately, you still don’t see a lot of women in the top names — the top jockeys and the top trainers — but I think we’re getting there.”

Brothers is joined on NBC's broadcast by Britney Eurton, who has been in horse racing her entire life as the daughter of trainer Peter Eurton. Lindsay Schanzer four years ago became the first woman to produce the Kentucky Derby, and the 152th running will be her fifth in charge.

"It’s not just a male-dominated sport but also a male-dominated industry, sports TV, so I feel great pride," said Schanzer, who is one of more than 30 women involved in the production, operation and marketing of the race for NBC Sports. “I feel honored to be in this position and to represent the team that I have as best I can.”

DeVaux, who trains Golden Tempo, earlier this week seemed to downplay her chance at history. Seeing a young girl on the backstretch near her barn made her realize in the moment just how monumental it would be if Golden Tempo puts her in the record books.

“It would be irresponsible of me to not acknowledge that what I’m doing does inadvertently make a difference, even if it’s not my intent,” said DeVaux, who grew up with seven brothers and two sisters. “My brothers are a lot bigger than me, so I think that’s what shaped me. I’ve had to fight and scrap and be heard so that I could survive growing up. And I understand that’s not the same for everybody.”

Brothers, whose mother was a jockey, started thinking about the ramifications for DeVaux after watching Golden Tempo on the track and realizing how good a chance he has. Jena Antonucci with Arcangelo in the Belmont Stakes in 2022 is the only woman to train the winner of a Triple Crown race.

The Derby adds another layer.

"Take gender out of it: She’s a phenomenal trainer," Eurton said of DeVaux. “For her, this is her life. Male or female, this is what she’s wanted to do and she’s very, very good at it. It’s just a matter of time whether it’s Cherie or another talented female trainer.”

An exercise rider for Brad Cox, Katie Tolbert would have a huge hand in the success if Commandment gets the job done on Saturday. And there are countless other women at the barns and around all the horses in the race.

“My dad has a lot of female grooms, assistants,” Eurton said. “It can always be greater, but to have that representation is where the start is. And to have so much female support, I think, is huge.”

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

Employees of Cuba’s Electric Union are working 24 hours a day as the island’s power grid continues to crumble, provoking islandwide outages worsened by a lack of gasoline stemming from a U.S. energy blockade.

“We are living through difficult times,” said Yunier Meriño Reyes, an accountant with the Electric Union who joined Friday’s march to celebrate his colleagues. “We are carrying out a very tough, arduous and relentless effort — day and night — to provide electricity to the people who need it.”

Cuba’s power crisis deepened after the U.S. attacked Venezuela in early January, halting critical oil shipments from the South American country. Later that month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.

As a result, the island spent more than three months without a single oil shipment until a Russian tanker laden with 730,000 barrels docked in Cuba in late March.

Before it arrived, Cuba was relying solely on natural gas, limited solar power and disintegrating thermoelectric plants.

“It was brutal,” Vicente de la O Levy, Cuba’s energy and mines minister, recently told reporters.

Once the Russian oil arrived, it had to be refined, a process that took roughly two weeks.

“We have been working eight hours a day without stopping,” said Rafael Martínez, a refinery worker at Cuba’s Petroleum Union.

He recalled his joy when he heard that the Russian tanker had docked.

“Our job is to push ahead, that’s all you can do,” he said as his colleagues rallied around him on Friday, playing on cowbells and a large drum as they celebrated their day.

Cuba’s Petroleum Union posted a recent video highlighting its workers, including driver José Antonio Báez.

“Our work generates the entire economy of the country. We drive the country’s economy,” he said.

Pedro Luis López Manzano, an engineer and the director of maintenance at the Cienfuegos refinery, said in the video that crews had to take several steps to ensure operability because the refinery was shut down for four months.

“It’s a challenge, but we always thought it was possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gustavo Rodríguez Cordero, an engineer and a director general at Cuba’s Petroleum Union in Villa Clara, criticized the U.S. energy blockade in a video posted by his company.

“No one has the international right to oppress a people in this manner,” he said.

After the oil was refined, de la O Levy said the government chose to prioritize vital sectors including agriculture and food production.

“This enabled the irrigation of tobacco, corn and soybeans,” he said. “There were more hours of power outages than anticipated because we diverted a portion of the energy supply toward production; we could not allow factories to remain idle.”

He said some of the petroleum was converted into approximately 6,000 tons of diesel and fuel oil that was used to power hospitals, generators and transportation.

De la O Levy said Cuba’s situation began to improve starting April 17: “not the desired one, but significant.”

He said the government distributed 800 tons of fuel a day out of the 1,600 tons needed.

“If we used 1,600 tons, there would be fewer blackouts, but the (fuel) would last half as long,” he said.

De la O Levy warned the Russian oil was expected to last only until the end of April, noting that the priority is to sustain the island’s thermoelectric plants using Cuban crude oil.

“Without this fuel, we would face a total, systemwide blackout,” he said.

Cuba produces 40% of its required fuel and depends heavily on imports.

As the island’s crises grind on, Katiusca Carreño, 53, who works at the Electric Union’s command center, said she is committed to satisfying Cuba’s people.

“Resources aren’t reaching us, but all of us workers are still here,” she said after Friday’s rally. “It’s hard, but not impossible. We work 24 hours a day.”

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

Talankin, who co-directed the best documentary winner “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” didn't expect to have to check his statuette for a flight from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport bound for Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday. But a Transportation Security Administration agent said it couldn't go on board.

“At the airport, a TSA agent stopped him and said the Oscar could be used as a weapon,” Talankin's co-director, David Borenstein, said Thursday night in a post on Instagram.

“Pavel didn’t have a bag to check it in, so the TSA put the Oscar in a box and sent it to the bottom of the plane,” added Borenstein. “It never arrived in Frankfurt.”

After Borenstein's announcement prompted an international outcry, the airline Lufthansa on Friday said it had found the lost Oscar.

“We can confirm that the Oscar statue has now been located and is safely in our care in Frankfurt,” the airline said in statement. “We are in direct contact with the guest to arrange its personal return as quickly as possible. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and have apologized to the owner.”

Lufthansa added that an “internal review of the circumstances is ongoing.”

In March, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” won the Academy Award for best documentary, and Talankin and Borenstein's acceptance speech supplied one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony.

Talankin — the “Mr. Nobody” of the film — was a teacher and activities director in a small-town school in Russia who captured on video his students’ lessons, chants and songs promoting Putin's war in Ukraine. He smuggled his hard drives out of the country to collaborate with Borenstein, who lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Talankin, speaking in Russian through a translator, said from the stage: “In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now.”

The TSA didn't immediately respond to queries Friday.

Highs will only reach the low 50s, like the last two days. Scattered rain showers are possible this afternoon.

A Freeze Watch has been issued for all of Southeast Michigan tonight as lows fall into the 30s.

Weekend Weather

Drier conditions are expected Saturday and early Sunday before rain and thunderstorm chances rise early next week. Sunday will be the pick day of the weekend due to a near ten-degree warm-up. Highs on Saturday remain in the low 50s, with low 60s on tap for Sunday.

Next Week

Seasonal sixties return next week with off-and-on rain chances much of the week. Tuesday afternoon/evening looks to bring possible thunderstorms. We will continue to monitor and tweak this as we get closer.

Beyond the shelves of great reads, there’s a special program that’s inspiring young writers in a big way, the Bookstock B.E.S.T. Awards contest.

The winner, a 4th grade student was recently awarded the prize, and joined “Live in the D,” to chat about it.

Click the video above to see the full segment.

The suit, filed April 29, alleges Dr. Oumair Aejaz repeatedly entered Goldfish Swim School’s Rochester location and used a hidden camera to record employees and customers undressing.

Attorneys for the plaintiff, Morgan Dean, say she contacted the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and later learned she and her son were among those recorded.

“Think about what you do on a daily basis, like going to the restroom or a changing room or any of these types of facilities,” Dean’s attorney, Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller, senior shareholder at Sommers Schwartz P.C., said. “Now all of that is triggered every time she enters one of these spaces.”

Dean is listed as a class representative in a class-action lawsuit accusing Goldfish Swim School of negligence and inadequate security in the community changing area.

The lawsuit claims the business lacked policies and procedures to screen who entered the facility, and that no employees were assigned to monitor traffic in and out of the changing rooms.

“We know that Goldfish didn’t have policies and procedures in place at all to check in people that were coming in and out of that facility, to make sure that they were there for legitimate purposes, to make sure that they should be in dressing rooms,” Esser-Weidenfeller said. “There were no dressing room monitors, no one monitoring that area.”

In a statement provided by her attorneys, Dean said she’s bringing the lawsuit to protect other families.

“Goldfish Swim had every opportunity to protect the families and children in its facilities, and it failed.

A man walked into a children’s swim school dozens of times with a hidden camera, and no one ever stopped him.

I’m bringing this case so that real changes are made to protect the families and children who walk through those doors every day.

I want other families to know that they are not alone.

I encourage any families who attended Goldfish Swim in Rochester with their children to reach out to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to find out if they were recorded.

Together, we can advocate to create lasting change for our children.”

Morgan Dean, plaintiff in lawsuit

Esser-Weidenfeller said investigators uncovered dozens of videos allegedly recorded at the swim school, estimating the number at roughly 60 to 100.

Aejaz was charged with secretly recording former patients and others, including minors, in multiple locations, including hospitals, private homes, and the swim school, and also faced an assault charge.

He pleaded no contest in October and was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison.

Goldfish Swim School declined to comment when contacted by Local 4, citing pending litigation. The lawsuit demands a jury trial.

Attorneys for Dean urged anyone who believes they may have been recorded at the Rochester location to contact the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, saying they are seeking reforms not only locally but across all of Goldfish Swim School’s locations.

“Goldfish has 150 locations across the nation and in Canada, and we’re hoping to make sure there’s changes put in place at not just this Goldfish facility, but all of these types of swim facilities to prevent this from happening in the future,” Esser-Weidenfeller said.

Buckle up for a few seismic changes. Shania Twain will host for the first time ever, taking over for Reba McEntire. The awards ceremony will also take place May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, leaving the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas, after three years. And women lead the nominations.

But where will the 2026 ACM Awards stream? Who is nominated? What else is noteworthy this year and who will perform?

Read on for those answers and more.

How to watch the ACMs

The 2026 ACM Awards will stream on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch as well as the Amazon Music app on May 17 at 8 p.m. EDT.

Who is nominated?

It's the emo cowgirl herself. Megan Moroney leads the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards with nine nominations.

She's followed by Miranda Lambert, the most-decorated artist in ACM Awards history, with eight, as well as Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson with seven.

Then it is Chris Stapleton with six, Zach Top with five and Cody Johnson with four.

In addition to Moroney, those competing for entertainer of the year are Wilson, Stapleton, Johnson, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen.

In 2025, Wilson took home the top prize — for a second year in a row.

In the album of the year category, Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” faces off against Top’s “Ain’t In It For My Health,” Riley Green’s “Don’t Mind If I Do,” Parker McCollum’s “Parker McCollum” and first-time nominee Carter Faith’s “Cherry Valley.”

Other first-time nominees include 49 Winchester, Avery Anna, Mackenzie Carpenter, Hudson Westbrook, Stephen Wilson Jr. and more.

What's noteworthy?

A lot! Beyond the move to Las Vegas and Twain's first-time taking a turn at hosting, it's clear that women are ruling the nominations, with Moroney, Lambert, Langley and Lainey Wilson leading the pack.

But is it a sign that the country music business is making room for more female talent?

“I think it is so cool,” country singer Ashley McBryde told The Associated Press about women leading the nods.

But the music industry pitting women against one another? She says she's not sure that will ever stop. “But I think we've managed — me, Miranda (Lambert), Carly (Pearce), Kelsey (Ballerini), we’ve been trying to build a table, and we’ve been trying for years to make the table bigger, and now it is. And I’m looking forward to operating in the environment that we built.”

Additionally, unlike last year, there isn't just one song dominating. Who could forget the year of Langley and Riley Green's “You Look Like You Love Me,” which accounted for six of her eight nods last year?

This time around, in the single of the year category, Lambert and Stapleton’s “A Song to Sing” will go head-to-head with Moroney’s “Am I Okay?,” Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” Top’s “I Never Lie” and Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo.” And that's just scratching the surface.

Who is performing?

Performers will include Lambert, Langley, Top, Faith, Wilson, Johnson, Green, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, The Red Clay Strays, Thomas Rhett, Avery Anna and Tucker Wetmore.

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For more coverage of this year’s ACM Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-of-country-music-awards

The activists, Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila, were among dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete. They are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla's steering committee, whose mission was to break Israel's naval blockade and bring some humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

In all, 22 boats and 175 activists were intercepted by the Israeli navy. Activists said Israeli forces stormed their vessels, smashed engines and detained some of those onboard. The incident occurred hundreds of miles (kilometers) from Gaza and Israel overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.

Israeli officials said they needed to take early action against the flotilla before it reached Israeli waters because of the high number of boats involved.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Friday on X that it was taking the two activists to Israel for questioning, and that Abukeshek was “suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization” and Ávila was “suspected of illegal activity," without providing evidence.

In a joint statement, the governments of Brazil and Spain condemned “the kidnapping of two of their citizens in international waters by the Government of Israel." Unlike other flotilla participants who were disembarked in Crete, the Spanish and Brazilian activists remained detained aboard an Israeli navy ship in Greek territorial waters.

“This flagrantly illegal action by the Israeli authorities outside their jurisdiction constitutes a violation of International Law, which may be invoked before international courts, and may constitute a crime in our respective national jurisdictions,” the statement added.

The governments of both nations demanded the immediate return of their citizens and immediate consular access.

Activists say they were mistreated by Israeli forces

The Global Sumud Flotilla appealed for international support to pressure Israel to release the activists. It said it was particularly concerned for Abukeshek, who was aboard an observer boat and did not plan on sailing to Gaza, and Ávila.

“We don’t know if they are still in Greek waters,” Ávila's spouse, Lara Souza, said. She added that Brazil's government told her that once the two activists were taken to international waters, it would become more difficult to achieve their release.

In an audio message released Friday, Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares demanded Abukeshek's immediate release. Around 30 other Spanish citizens disembarked in Crete and were assisted by the embassy in Greece, he said.

Flotilla organizers said Israeli authorities denied activists food and water and forced them "to sleep on floors that were deliberately and repeatedly flooded.”

When Israeli forces proceeded to take Abukeshek and Ávila away, the group resisted and were met with “sheer violence,” flotilla organizers said in a statement Friday. “Participants were punched, kicked and dragged across the deck with their hands bound behind their backs. They suffered broken noses, cracked ribs and bloody beatings. Shots were even fired at them in the chaos.”

Some 34 people, including citizens of the U.S., Australia, Colombia, Italy, Ukraine and others were injured and taken to the hospital upon disembarkation, organizers said.

Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to the accusations. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that activists “taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed.”

Of the 53 vessels that had been sailing prior to the interception, 31 reached safe waters and would continue their attempts to “break the illegal siege of Gaza,” organizers said. The flotilla set sail earlier this month from Barcelona, Spain.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it had asked Israel to withdraw its ships from the area and offered its “good services” for the activists to disembark in Greece and be repatriated.

US condemns the flotilla

Protests in solidarity with the flotilla erupted across several capitals including in Rome, Athens and Istanbul.

The U.S. government described the flotilla as a “pro-Hamas initiative” and called on allies to deny the vessels' port access, among other actions.

“The United States expects all our allies, particularly those who have committed to supporting President Trump’s successful 20-Point Plan, to take decisive action against this meaningless political stunt,” the State Department said.

The flotilla’s latest attempt to reach Gaza comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled a previous effort by the group. That attempt involved about 50 vessels and around 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, and several lawmakers.

Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, including Ávila, who claimed Israeli authorities abused them while in detention. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.

But this year, delays in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that has shielded her and hundreds of thousands of others from deportation, led to her missing her renewal deadline, losing her job and fearing detention in the country she has called home since she was 6 years old.

She said that as an immigrant in the U.S., fear has become her “new baseline." “But now, having a new level of vulnerability, it was a very quick increase in the fear," said Candia.

Renewal wait times for the Obama-era program that allows people who were brought to the U.S. as children to temporarily remain in the country and work have increased to levels not seen since 2016 when there were significant technical issues.

Some of the program’s more than 500,000 beneficiaries, often referred to as “Dreamers,” have waited months for an answer only to see their deadline pass without a decision. Now they’re stuck in a type of limbo in which their work authorization disappears, oftentimes along with their driver’s license, and their ability to stay in the U.S. is at risk.

“It’s not just anecdotal; it’s happening at a larger scale than we’ve ever seen before,” said Greisa Martinez Rosas, executive director of United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led network.

No numbers were available on how many people have recently missed their renewal deadline despite applying 120 to 150 days before their DACA lapses, which is what U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recommends.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, USCIS is safeguarding the American people by more thoroughly screening and vetting all aliens, which can lengthen processing times," Zach Kahler, an agency spokesperson, said in a statement.

Wait times nearly 5 times longer

DACA grants those who qualify two-year, renewable permits to live and work in the U.S. It does not confer legal status but is meant to offer protection from deportation.

From October 2025 to the end of February 2026, the median wait time for renewals was about 70 days, compared to about 15 days in fiscal year 2025, according to USCIS. This is the longest median wait time since 2016, when it was about 79 days, according to the agency’s data, which did not include 2020 because of the pandemic.

The Department of Homeland Security attributed the 2016 delays to technical issues that emerged as it transitioned to fully processing DACA renewals in its electronic immigration system.

At the end of April 2026, USCIS was reporting that the majority of renewal requests were being completed within about 122 days. That marked a two-week increase from the processing times listed earlier that month.

Federal lawmakers and immigrant groups say some applicants recently have had to wait 6 months — about 183 days — or longer.

“The delays that people are concerned about used to be sort of a matter of weeks at a time,” U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said in an interview. “Now it’s from a few months to many, many months.”

He is one of dozens of lawmakers behind letters sent to federal agencies that question the inflated wait times and whether people who have missed their renewal deadline are being targeted for arrest or deportation.

More than five months after Elsa Sanchez submitted her DACA renewal request, she is still waiting for an answer. When the deadline passed at the beginning of April, she was put on leave at her job at a healthcare IT company and now, as a single mother of a college freshman, has no income.

It's made her worried about everything from traveling to spending money on pricier household products like shampoos and detergents.

“I’m like, ‘I don’t know, maybe I can cut down on that. Maybe I don’t need this,'" she said. “Because I’m saving every penny.”

Sanchez said something similar happened about a decade ago, but this time she's scared of the possible repercussions amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda.

Since DACA's introduction in 2012, it's faced myriad legal battles, including two that made it to the Supreme Court. And now, while the government is still approving renewals, a 2025 federal court decision means it isn't processing first-time applications and has left the door open for another possible trip to the Supreme Court.

Hundreds of DACA recipien

ts arrested

In the first 11 months of 2025, more than 250 DACA recipients were arrested and 86 deported, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said earlier this year. She said the majority of those arrested had “criminal histories,” without indicating the nature of the crimes or if they were arrests, charges or convictions. In a separate response to a Democratic congresswoman’s inquiry, DHS reported conflicting numbers saying that 270 were arrested and 174 DACA applicants were removed in the first nine months of 2025.

Their eligibility is dependent in part on not having a felony conviction, a significant misdemeanor or three misdemeanors. Previously, if their status was in jeopardy, they would get a warning and still have the chance to fight it before immigration officers detained them and began efforts to deport them.

Kahler, from USCIS, said that DACA recipients are not automatically protected from deportation.

“Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons — including if they committed a crime,” he said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to questions about whether DACA beneficiaries were being targeted after missing their renewal deadlines.

But federal lawmakers have recently noted people picked up by ICE after their DACA lapsed.

Their protections may have been further eroded with a precedent decision last week in which the Board of Immigration Appeals determined that DACA status alone is not enough to stop deportation.

People from certain countries may be most at risk

Experts have suggested the longer wait times could be related to the biometric appointments, which were paused during the pandemic, being restarted. Some may also not be getting approved by their deadline because they're not sending it in by the recommended time.

Maria Fernanda Madrigal is an immigration attorney and DACA recipient who submitted her renewal application about a month and a half before the deadline because she said that’s all the processing time that’s been needed in the past. She said she was also waiting for her job to hold a DACA workshop so that she could get the more than $550 fee for renewal waived.

Earlier this month, her DACA lapsed and the mother of three was let go from her job.

“My first concern was my cases, to be honest, because I knew I was going to have to hand off everything, and my team is already overworked,” said Madrigal.

Immigration attorneys have also said that USCIS has paused processing renewals for people from dozens of countries the agency described in recent policy memorandums as “high-risk” following presidential proclamations. The National Immigration Law Center estimated that as many as 3,000 to 4,000 people could be impacted.

“This process that has no timeline is leading to people from certain countries experiencing a pause. And we don’t know how long that pause will be in place," said Ignacia Rodriguez Kmec, attorney at the National Immigration Law Center.

Every day, Candia checks on her renewal. She said she's most afraid of being locked up in bad conditions in an ICE detention facility, but also thinks about what it would be like returning to Bolivia after more than 25 years.

“If God forbid that happened, it would break my heart because I’ve been in this country since I was 6," she said. “My entire life is here.”

Click the video above to check out this historic restaurant.

Actors James Jude Courtney and Brad Loree, who both played the iconic role of Michael Myers will have a meet and greet with fans. The “Halfway to Halloween,” event is happening Saturday, May 2, 11 a.m. till 5:30 p.m., at Screamers Costume store located at 37101 South Groesbeck Highway, Clinton Township, Michigan.

Click the video above to see the entire segment.

The Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, which represented Baselitz, said the artist died on Thursday, citing his family. It said he died “peacefully,” but did not give a cause of death.

Born Hans-Georg Kern, Baselitz took his artistic name from the village of Deutschbaselitz in the eastern Saxony region, where he was born on Jan. 23, 1938, in Nazi-ruled Germany before the outbreak of World War II. After growing up in the ruins of the war, he left the then-East Germany in 1957 at a time of rising political pressure, and emigrated to the West.

“I was born into a destroyed order, into a destroyed landscape, into a destroyed people, into a destroyed society,” he told German news agency dpa before his 85th birthday.

The gallery called him “a titan of contemporary painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking" and “one of the most important artists of our time," who influenced fellow artists and the international art world.

His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings, and confiscating them.

He was often described as an “artist of rage,” and had a motto of "contradiction," according to dpa.

His works hang in some of the world's top galleries and have fetched millions at auction. In 2017, German police announced they had recovered 15 stolen paintings and drawings by Baselitz worth around 2.5 million euros ($2.9 million).

Baselitz recalled that some of his earliest recognition came in the 1960s through his series of golden-colored “Hero” paintings, based on fictional characters from Russian civil war novels. The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads. His battle-weary hero, “Der Hirte (The Shepherd)” from 1966 won international acclaim.

In 1969, Baselitz created “Der Wald auf dem Kopf,” (The Forest on its Head), his first “inverted” painting — featuring trees upside down, a theme that would become one of his trademarks.

“Georg Baselitz did not just turn his paintings upside down; he also turned our thinking routines upside down,” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. “Having experienced the destruction and suffering of the Second World War as a child, the collapse of all order forced him to question everything around him.”

Baselitz mused about his long career in a recent video, commenting that “typical painting has never appealed to me.”

“I actually wanted to be more of a black-and-white painter, and above all, I didn’t want to work spatially, perspectively, with shadows and light and such things that arise with the imitation of nature," he said while seated in a wheelchair in a paint-smudged jacket.

“I must say that throughout my life, I was not aware that I was a painter of color, even though I am constantly told that I have such wonderful colors,” Baselitz said.

Baselitz said he sought to “construct my connection to the world, to myself and to my wife,” using the most “simple and ordinary" means possible. He spoke in a video from the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice, which is hosting an exhibition of Baselitz's “Golden Heroes” works from May 6 to Sept. 27.

A “Naked Masters” exhibit at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna in 2023 spanned his half-century career and dealt with controversial themes of nudity — notably of the painter and his wife, Elke — displayed alongside oil paintings by old masters also evoking nudity.

He is survived by his wife and sons, Daniel Blau and Anton Kern, the gallery said.

It’s heavy -- war, grocery bills, gas prices -- we’re covering those stories, but it can be stressful. But not every conversation has to be stressful. Every once in a while, you need a minute, a break or something that just makes you smile.

So, we’re settling a newsroom debate: Who among the fast food mascots would win in a fight?

You can watch the chaotic debate in the video at the top of this article.

Who do you think would win? Vote below!

Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported quarterly results on Friday, with adjusted profits for both companies topping Wall Street expectations. The shares of both companies, up sharply this week, ticked higher before the opening bell.

With energy prices depressed at the start of the year, Exxon Mobil and Chevron had arranged hedges to offset volatility, a standard practice in the industry. Companies and investors through hedges lock in a price in advance to protect themselves from futures swings. That can provide them with some predictability on costs.

In the aftermath of an attack by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, however, the physical delivery of oil became impossible with the Strait of Hormuz essentially closed. Exxon and Chevron cannot book gains on those hedges until the crude is physically delivered.

The near closure of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran is a flashpoint in the war and the source of much of the economic pain being felt globally. About 20% of the world’s oil passes through the strait on a typical day, but the passage has been choked off since the war began in late February.

Exxon earned $4.18 billion, or $1 per share, for the period ended March 31. A year earlier it earned $7.7 billion, or $1.76 per share. The company lost almost $4 billion in the quarter on what it called “unfavorable estimated timing effects” of its hedges.

Removing such one-time impacts, Exxon earned $1.16 per share, 9 cents better than Wall Street projections, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research predicted. Exxon does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales.

Revenue totaled $85.14 billion, breezing past Wall Street's expectation of $81.49 billion.

First-quarter net production was 4.6 million oil-equivalent barrels per day. That’s down from 5 million oil-equivalent barrels per day in the previous quarter.

“If you look at the unprecedented disruption in the world’s supply of oil and natural gas, the market hasn’t seen the full impact of that yet," CEO Darren Woods said during a conference call. "So there’s more to come if the strait remains closed, why haven’t we seen those impacts manifest themselves fully in the market yet? Well, I think we all know there was a lot of water and a lot of oil in transit on the water, a lot of inventory on the water.”

Chevron reported a first-quarter profit of $2.21 billion, or $1.11 per share. It earned $3.5 billion, or $2 per share, a year earlier.

The company said that its quarter included a $360 million net loss related to a legal reserve and that foreign currency effects lowered earnings by $223 million.

Chevron's adjusted profit was $1.41 per share, easily beating the 92 cents per share Wall Street was calling for. Like Exxon, Chevron does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales.

The company's revenue totaled $48.61 billion, also better than expected.

Exxon and Chevron are among the big drillers reporting earnings this week. On Tuesday BP said that its first-quarter profit more than doubled.

The oil companies' results come at a time when gasoline prices in the U.S. hit new multiyear highs, a point of increasing agitation for travelers, households and also businesses that are particularly sensitive to higher energy prices.

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. hit $4.39 on Friday, according to motor club AAA, up more than 8% this week.

Inflation in the U.S. rose sharply in March, fueled by the largest jump in gas prices in six decades, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. The surge in gas prices has squeezed the budgets of lower- and middle-income families, making it more difficult to pay for necessities.

But it’s disrupting businesses as well, particularly those sensitive to higher fuel costs. Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up ticket prices.

Oil prices eased on Friday, helping to steady the relatively few stock markets open worldwide on the May Day holiday.

Prosecutors said they decided to charge Claire Freemantle, 49, with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after the Metropolitan Police reopened its investigation and discovered new evidence.

The London police force apologized for how it initially treated the crash and said it had referred its own officers to a watchdog agency looking into police misconduct.

Freemantle was originally not charged after prosecutors said she had an epileptic seizure. She had issued a statement expressing her “deepest sorrow” but said she had no recollection of what occurred.

Defense lawyers questioned why prosecutors reversed their original decision not to charge Freemantle and said she will plead not guilty when she makes her first court appearance June 16 in Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

It's not clear what new evidence police found, but the reinvestigation came after complaints by the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, who were killed in the crash outside the private Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon, south London, on July 6, 2023.

The driver plowed through a fence and into the side of the school building. More than a dozen people were treated for injuries at the scene and 10, including several pupils, were taken to the hospital for treatment.

According to authorities, Aerian Porter-Craig sold and delivered drugs to three individuals at two homes in Grosse Pointe Woods on June 9, 2023. All three victims died within minutes of ingesting the substance.

A medical examiner found fentanyl in all three victims’ systems and ruled that their deaths would not have occurred without taking the drugs. A white powder found in one of the homes tested positive for fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine -- an animal tranquilizer.

Porter-Craig reportedly distributed the drugs knowing they contained fentanyl.

Text messages revealed that the victims believed they were buying cocaine.

Porter-Craig was arrested more than a year later, in September 2024. According to an affidavit filed Aug. 22, 2025, she pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of fentanyl and cocaine.

On April 30, Porter-Craig was sentenced to 210 months, or 17.5 years, in federal prison.

Essa Suleiman was remanded into custody after appearing in Westminster Magistrates' Court to face two counts related to the attack in Golders Green. He also faces a third count of attempted murder over an incident elsewhere in the city earlier Wednesday that left a man with minor injuries.

Police have labeled the Golders Green attack an act of terrorism.

Suleiman, a Somalia-born British citizen who lives in London, did not enter a plea. His case was transferred to the Central Criminal Court for a May 15 hearing.

Prosecutor Emma Harraway said Suleiman attacked Ishmail Hussein, his friend of 20 years, in south London before taking a train to the north part of the city where he targeted Jews hours later.

Shloime Rand, 34, was stabbed in the chest outside a synagogue, puncturing his lung, and Norman Shine, 76, who was wearing a traditional Jewish skullcap, was stabbed in the neck at a bus stop.

“As Mr. Shine adjusted his kippah, Suleiman ran towards him and set upon him, launching a series of aggressive blows," Harraway said.

Rand was discharged from the hospital and Shine is in stable condition.

Police said Suleiman was referred in 2020 to the government’s Prevent program, which tries to steer individuals away from extremism. The police force said his file was closed later the same year, and didn’t disclose the reason for the referral.

The British government pledged to tackle antisemitism after the stabbings in an area in north London that is an epicenter of Britain’s Jewish community. The assault followed a string of arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in London in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that his government would increase security for the Jewish community and “do everything in our power to stamp this hatred out.”

Britain’s official terror threat level was raised from substantial to severe after Wednesday’s stabbing attack. Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.

The government said the change was not due solely to the Golders Green attack but also due to increased danger “from Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the U.K.”

That distinction can play an important role in recognizing a stroke quickly -- something that can make a life-saving difference.

“Some common symptoms like facial drooping and speech changes are possible with any type of stroke,” said Dr. Shaneela Malik, a neurologist with Henry Ford Health. “However, since the left and right sides of the brain are related to separate processes of the body, there are some differences in how these strokes present.”

Here’s what to know about how stroke symptoms can vary, and why acting fast is critical no matter what.

Signs of a left-side stroke

The left side of the brain controls language and logical thinking. When a stroke occurs here, communication issues are often one of the first warning signs.

Symptoms may include:

• Difficulty understanding conversations
• Slower thinking or delayed speech
• Slurred or garbled speech
• Trouble finding the right words

Some people may also notice changes in reasoning, such as difficulty doing basic math or making quick decisions.

Signs of a right-side stroke

The right side of the brain is responsible for spatial awareness, coordination and how we interpret the world around us. Strokes on this side can affect balance and perception.

Common symptoms also include:

• Confusion about surroundings
• Difficulty completing everyday tasks, like getting dressed
• Sudden cognitive changes
• Trouble with balance or coordination
• Vision problems
• Weakness in the arms or legs

Because these symptoms can be less obvious than speech issues, they’re sometimes missed or dismissed.

Don’t ignore subtle changes

Recognizing a stroke isn’t always straightforward -- especially when symptoms are mild or unusual. But even subtle changes in behavior can signal something serious.

“Understanding subtle changes in a family member can make all the difference in their survival of a stroke,” Dr. Malik said. “Don’t ignore a loved one that is suddenly confused or not acting like themselves. Confusion if often the most common stroke symptom, but so many people dismiss this -- risking a delayed diagnosis and brain damage.”

Why quick treatment is critical

No matter which side of the brain is affected, a stroke is a medical emergency.

If caught early -- typically within the first few hours -- doctors may be able to give a clot-busting medication called TNK to restore blood flow. In some cases, patients may need a thrombectomy, a procedure that removes the clot directly from the blood vessel.

The sooner treatment begins, the better the chances of limiting long-term damage.

What recovery can look like

Stroke recovery varies widely from person to person. Factors like the size and location of the stroke, as well as a patient’s overall health, can all affect outcomes.

Right-sided strokes can sometimes go undetected longer, which can delay care. Left-sided strokes, on the other hand, are more likely to affect speech, which can be one of the most difficult abilities to regain.

Even when physical recovery is strong, some patients continue to experience cognitive changes that are harder to measure but still impact daily life.

Rehabilitation, including physical, occupational and speech therapy, can help patients rebuild strength and function over time.

“The best thing you can do to avoid many of the lasting effects of stroke is to seek treatment immediately,” Dr. Malik said. “Then, getting into therapy can help patients improve their physical and cognitive function over time.”

Click or tap here to learn about stroke care at Henry Ford Health.

The death of Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, of St. George, last year shocked the community around Crawford Pond in rural Union, Maine. Authorities charged Deven Young of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in Stewart's death in July, about two weeks after Stewart's body was discovered.

The court system has thus far treated Young as a juvenile. Prosecutors in the state want to charge Young, who was 17 at the time of Stewart's death and is 18 now, as an adult. First, he needed to be deemed competent to stand trial, and a judge ruled this week that he is.

"The court finds that the defendant is competent to proceed based on the court’s finding that the juvenile has a rational, as well as a factual, understanding of the proceedings and a sufficient present ability to consult with legal counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding," wrote Maine District Court Judge Eric J. Walker on Wednesday.

Young is due back in court on May 7. Police have said a medical examiner determined Stewart's cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Jeremy Pratt, an attorney for Young, declined to comment on Thursday. Prosecutors in the case also declined to comment Thursday.

Authorities have not publicly stated a possible motive in the case. Court documents about the case, which were briefly made public before being removed from the state's courts website, contained little detail other than stating that Young “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being, namely Sunshine Stewart.”

Audio recordings by the Waldo County Sheriff's Office that were obtained by news agencies earlier this year provided details about Young's history of violent behavior and mental health challenges prior to Stewart's death. The Portland Press Herald reported that Young had been waiting for behavioral health services from the state.

Stewart went missing at Crawford Pond, where she was paddleboarding, on July 2 and her body was found the next day. The pond is a popular summertime attraction for swimming, boating and fishing. Stewart lived about 21 miles (34 kilometers) from the pond in the Tenants Harbor neighborhood in St. George.

Stewart's friends and family celebrated her life with a maritime service last August. The memorial included a procession of boats, some decked out with flowers, in Tenants Harbor.

On the boats were pictures of Stewart smiling and a large sign that read, “Shine On.” Over the years, Stewart worked as a fisherman, boat captain, biologist, carpenter and bartender, friends have said.

Police said the unnamed man was arrested after the attack Wednesday near David’s Tomb — a holy site outside Zion’s Gate on the southern side of the Old City — “on suspicion of a racially motivated attack,” and remained in custody.

Police video showed the nun bruised and the attacker wearing tzitzit, a fringed undergarment worn by some observant Jewish men.

Olivier Poquillon, the director of the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, said the nun was a researcher at the school. He called the attack an “act of sectarian violence" in a post on X.

The Old City in Israel-annexed east Jerusalem is a centuries-old walled enclave built atop millennia of history and home to some of the holiest sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is a flash point for tensions as access and ownership to the sites are deeply entangled with the historic and political claims that lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Religious groups have documented a rise in acts of harassment and violence against Christian pilgrims and clergy as well as Palestinian Christian residents, including assaults and spitting, often by ultra-Orthodox Jewish yeshiva students.

Wadie Abunassar, the coordinator of the Holy Land Christian Forum, called attacks targeting Christians a growing phenomenon. He attributed the quick response to the attack on the nun to the fact that it was caught on video.

He said he felt “great anger on the system and great sadness because I feel that this will not end anytime soon.” One of the problems, he said, was the deterrence against such violence.

“Many times in such cases there are no arrests and if there are arrests, sometimes after one or two days, (suspects) are released,” he added. “In some cases, the police do not recommend the prosecution to file charges or to indict them. And in some cases, when there is indictment, the indictment is mild.”

The arrest comes as Israeli treatment of religious minorities is under scrutiny, weeks after police limited access for holiday worship to Muslims as well as Christians, up to Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

Israel also drew international criticism after a soldier photographed himself having bludgeoned a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross with an ax in southern Lebanon. Israeli leaders later disavowed the incident and said he would be reprimanded.

“In a city sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, we remain committed to protecting all communities and ensuring those responsible for violence are held accountable,” Israeli police said in a social media post about the man arrested for attacking the nun.