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--> Detroit Lions release cornerback Terrion Arnold following arrest in Florida kidnapping, robbery case

Forecasters cite 'dangerous' conditions as heat scorches Midwest while on its way to the East

Ed White, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:10:14 +0000

Nature's oven was on high Tuesday for millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes states as intense heat and humidity baked the regions with no immediate relief before the misery shifts to the eastern U.S.

The National Weather Service was blunt: Conditions were “dangerous” as the heat index, a combination of air temperature and humidity, exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) in some areas. It warned about a risk for heat-related illnesses, especially among people without air conditioning.

Detroit's air temperature was in the high 90s, the Weather Service said, and could even reach 100 at some point through Thursday. The city said a dozen recreation centers were open, some until 11 p.m., for people to cool off. Big chunks of Michigan, as well as Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and much of Iowa, were under an extreme heat warning.

The Northeast, including New York City and Boston, will next feel major heat through the Fourth of July holiday. Norristown, Pennsylvania, 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Philadelphia, canceled a Saturday parade because of the weather.

Philadelphia declared a heat emergency, Wednesday through Saturday, and said 50 cooling centers will operate with extended hours. The city said visitors will find misting tents, water refill stations and medical stations at the free World Cup fan festival at East Fairmount Park.

When the heat's on, people adjust

The Chicago History Museum offered free admission to state residents who wanted a cool space Tuesday. Roads in a few places in Illinois buckled under the heat. When the surface has no room to expand in the heat, it can rise and crack.

At 9:15 a.m., window washer Stephen Mason, 72, was wiping mayflies off glass at a Detroit convenience store. He got an early start to avoid the worst conditions of the day, but it was already 85 (29.4 C).

“It's the only way to beat it. But it's already starting to cook out here,” Mason said.

Adam Schubatis, 36, a runner who was shirtless in Detroit's Indian Village neighborhood, said he was cutting his route to 6 miles (9.6 kilometers).

“I know where all the drinking fountains are,” he said. “My wife thought I was crazy. She offered to pick me up if I got tired or if there was anything I was doing that wasn't safe.”

A dog's day can be ‘miserable’

In Milwaukee, more than 100 firefighters spent hours controlling a fire at a school in the extreme heat. Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said crews were rotating and shedding their thick coats while they rehydrated.

Overnight low temperatures were in the 70s (21-26.7 C) in many places, which doesn't give the body a chance to cool down naturally, said Dr. Kisha Davis, health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland.

“The heat stress will compound day after day,” said Davis, who added that alcohol and soda, popular holiday drinks, are dehydrating.

In Jackson, Mississippi, where the afternoon heat index exceeded 100 F (37.7 C), massive fans tried to keep about 100 dogs cool at an old mattress warehouse that serves as a shelter for Community Animal Rescue and Adoption.

“It’s miserable. … We try to keep everybody hydrated back there. Dogs and people,” said kennel manager Raquel Burney.

Cooling it forward

George Liller, 64, was a hero in Grosse Pointe Park, a Detroit suburb. He added air conditioning to his home, so he offered a window unit for free on Facebook — extension cord and remote control included.

“It was probably on my porch maybe 15 minutes,” Liller said. “That air conditioner was given to me. I thought, ‘Somebody needs it.’ I know how it feels to be in an old house when it’s this hot.”

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Associated Press reporters Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi, Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, and Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H., contributed.

Former Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold released from jail after posting $1M bond following Florida arrest

Brandon Carr — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:46:15 +0000

Former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was released from the Hillsborough County jail after posting a $1 million surety bond, according to jail records.

Arnold, 23, was released at 3:09 p.m. Tuesday (June 30), six days after he was booked into custody on June 24, records show.

The former Lions first-round draft pick faces eight felony charges stemming from a Tampa Police Department investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred on Feb. 4.

The charges include:

Four counts of robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon involving property valued at less than $750.
Four counts of kidnapping with intent to harm or terrorize.

Court records show a judge set bond at $100,000 per robbery charge and $150,000 per kidnapping charge, for a total of $1 million.

Jail records indicate Arnold was released after posting a surety bond.

Arnold was arrested by the Tampa Police Department on a warrant and booked into the Hillsborough County jail on the evening of June 24.

The case is filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court under case number 26-CF-010977-A.

Investigators have not publicly released additional details about the allegations that led to the charges.

The Tampa Police Department has also not announced whether any additional suspects have been arrested.

Arnold, a Florida native born in Tallahassee, was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft before later being released by the organization on June 29, 2026.

The criminal case remains pending.

Lions announced today that they have released CB Terrion Arnold.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 29, 2026

Mercury's Thomas says she has received online abuse following suspension for Caitlin Clark incident

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:39:00 +0000

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said she has received death threats and been called racial slurs in the aftermath of her one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat in last week's matchup against Indiana.

Thomas also criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect the league's players when she spoke with reporters on Tuesday at the team's practice facility.

“It's unfortunate that it's come to this over basketball," Thomas said. "A lot of us — myself included — didn't even know the play took place until after the game. Now we're being painted as thugs. There's death threats out on us. It's really unacceptable. It's something that needs to change in this league and I'm just really sick and tired of it.”

Thomas called the play a “complete accident," but said her main concern wasn't the suspension. The six-time All-Star said she didn't know she was being suspended until 10 minutes before it was released on social media.

“It’s not even about the suspension,” Thomas said. “If that’s what they felt was necessary in that moment, then so be it. But I think there’s a lot of other plays that you can say the same about. The biggest thing is about our safety. We’re so concerned about the safety on the court, but time and time again, we’re having people threaten our lives. Leaking addresses out there. Putting crazy pictures that have nothing to do with basketball.”

The play happened with 6:52 left in the second quarter in a game against Clark's Indiana Fever on Wednesday and was deemed to be a non-basketball act. The league gave Thomas a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty for it.

No foul was called on the play by officials in the moment. The WNBA is allowed to review a game to reclassify a Flagrant foul or to classify as Flagrant any foul not called as such during a game.

"People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff,” Thomas said. “There's a difference between trolling and there's a difference between hatred. The hatred that we're experiencing over a play that, honestly, was a complete accident, no one even knew it happened. It's just unfortunate. The league has to do better in this instance.”

Thomas added: “We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy (Engelbert),” Thomas said. “It’s no surprise. You could see what’s being said on social media. Yeah — it’s unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That’s unfortunate when our lives our being threatened.”

Thomas served her suspension on Saturday when the Mercury visit the Toronto Tempo.

The Fever renewed their call for player safety in a statement on Thursday.

The two teams had played a few days before the Thomas-Clark incident and there were six technical fouls called and one ejection. Clark picked up her fifth technical of the season in that game. The team petitioned the league to have it rescinded, but the WNBA confirmed that the technical will stand.

“It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call … You got to call it,” Fever coach Stephanie White said after the game. “You’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago and that (expletive) still happens? Absolutely unacceptable.”

The Mercury and Fever play again on July 9 in Phoenix.

___

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

Trump administration seeks to stomp out all fires quickly, reviving policy that has been discredited

Martha Bellisle And Matthew Brown, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:31:19 +0000

The deaths of three U.S. government firefighters in a Colorado wildfire are casting a spotlight on the Trump administration’s creation of a new federal fire service and its revival of a previously discredited policy to stomp out all wildfires quickly.

One of the killed firefighters worked for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, created this year without customary congressional approval by drawing personnel from four agencies within the Interior Department. The victims were part of an elite, helicopter-based crew that got trapped Saturday in a fast-growing wildfire near the Utah border as they attacked the blaze on the ground.

Authorities say they were among five firefighters who tried to shield themselves by deploying tentlike emergency shelters as flames overran their position. Two survivors were hospitalized with burn injuries.

The consolidation of thousands of personnel into the fire service has sown confusion among some firefighters about who their bosses are and what their responsibilities should be, according to former government officials.

And the administration’s focus on “full suppression” of new fires marks a sharp reversal from a decades-long trend toward embracing flames as a tool — to burn off old vegetation and growth that acts like fuel and lessen the risk of catastrophic blazes being stoked by a warming planet.

The changes benefit private fire aviation companies that are key to hitting blazes fast.

Federal officials have not released details on the circumstances preceding the weekend deaths, including the firefighters’ objective at the site where they were overrun.

“The question is, why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”

98% of fires are extinguished

Wildfires ignited over the past week all across the West following months of dry weather and a record lack of snow in some places.

Acting under an order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the Wildland Fire Service will use full suppression “for every wildfire under its management,” federal officials said in a statement to The Associated Press.

“Any wildfire that represents a threat to life, property, infrastructure or the environment should be extinguished as quickly as possible,” the statement said. “Our experienced fire managers retain the authority to select the safest and most effective tactics based on conditions on the ground.”

But critics say the administration is trying to fix something that isn’t broken: The four agencies the firefighters were drawn from — the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Park Service — have a record of extinguishing 98% of the fires they handle.

The new agency and policy won’t eliminate catastrophic wildfires that occur due to dense forests where people are increasingly moving and extreme weather caused by climate change, said Steve Ellis, who retired as a Bureau of Land Management deputy director. Land managers must be a part of the solution, he said.

“Severing forest management and forest managers from fire suppression will make firefighting less safe and put communities at greater risk,” Ellis said.

The two other wildland firefighters killed in Colorado worked for the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, which handles most U.S. wildfires and is also operating under a full suppression policy. Trump had wanted the new agency to include Forest Service firefighters, but Congress blocked that part of the plan.

Fire aviation companies pushed for the consolidation

Under Trump, federal officials have been bringing in aircraft more quickly once fires ignite, said Austin Moeller, senior aerospace analyst for Canaccord Genuity group, an investment firm.

“Anyone that has an air tanker benefits from this more aggressive contracting activity,” Moeller said.

A chief beneficiary is Bridger Aerospace, a Montana-based company founded by U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy. Before his 2024 election, Sheehy hired lobbyists in a failed attempt to persuade the Montana Legislature to create a statewide fire service analogous to the one just created at the federal level. Within a month of taking federal office, he sponsored a bill to codify the consolidation of federal firefighters into one agency.

Sheehy stepped away from his company during the 2024 campaign and put his Bridger assets into a blind trust, said Sheehy spokesman Tate Mitchell.

Mitchell said Trump was behind the idea to create a new fire agency, but Sheehy supports it.

“One of Senator Sheehy’s top priorities in the Senate is using his experience to stop the catastrophic fires destroying American communities and he won’t apologize for it,” Mitchell said.

Bridger describes itself as one of the nation's leading aerial firefighting companies. CEO Sam Davis has said the company's fleet of Super Scooper aircraft, its surveillance aircraft and its fire observation technology make it “uniquely positioned” to respond to the renewed emphasis on attacking fires to put them out.

New full suppression policy dates back decades

The aircraft will help the administration's new full suppression policy, which harkens back to a 1935 policy known as the 10 a.m. rule because it required agencies to put out new fires by 10 a.m. the following day.

Michael Dudley, a retired director of fire, aviation and air management at the Forest Service, said that old policy is why forests today are overgrown.

Wildfires serve a purpose — they clear out the small and dead material. But officials became so good at putting out fires that the forests kept growing and more fuels built up, so when a fire hits now, it's easy for it to get out of control, he said.

Scientists who study wildfires say trying to stop all fires is unrealistic since some of the most destructive blazes in recent years have evaded efforts to put them out. Some fires simply grow too fast, are too remote, or result from multiple ignitions that makes them impossible to stop.

“The narrative that if we just try harder, we’re gonna make these fires go away isn’t true,” said former Forest Service wildfire researcher David Calkin. “The fire paradox is not beatable: The more you make fire go away, the more fuel accumulates. The more fuel accumulates, the harder it is to make fires go away.”

Firefighters: New agency needs work

Firefighters in the consolidated agency are working under newly appointed Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy, who had served as chief of California's Orange County Fire Authority since 2018.

“There’s a level of confusion as everyone’s trying to sort out responsibilities and who’s in charge and who do you report to,” Dudley said.

An Interior spokesperson said Fennessy was highly respected with decades of experience, including managing some of the nation's most complex fire challenges in densely-populated southern California.

Luke Mayfield, a founder of the group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, said he believes the consolidation will better serve firefighters, but significant work remains to get the new agency fully running.

“Everyone was aware of the potential fuel and fire conditions we face this fire season,” Mayfield said. “Those conditions are surfacing and have resulted in firefighter fatalities with weather conditions that won’t let up in the near future.”

Penalty shootouts at the World Cup are a drama of 'inhumane' pressure

Jim Vertuno, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:33:27 +0000

The World Cup is in the lose-and-go-home stage of the tournament and the pressure keeps rising with every minute of every match.

The biggest pressure cooker of them all: the penalty kick shootout. Exhausted players and goalkeepers face off in a tense one-on-one confrontation that carries the hopes and dreams of entire nations.

Two of the first four matches in the round of 32 were settled by shootouts: Morocco beat the Netherlands and Paraguay bested Germany.

A miss can mean humiliation. A goalkeeper's save or the final bulge of the ball in the back of the net can bring tears of joy to millions.

That kind of pressure can reach “inhumane” levels, almost all of it focused on the penalty takers, said Geir Jordet, a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and author of the book, “Pressure: Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shootout.”

“In our research, the only emotion everyone agrees is present is anxiety,” Jordet said.

Expect more shootouts, more pressure, more anxiety.

A record five games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar were settled by penalty kicks, including the final when Argentina beat France.

“As you go into knockout football it’s something that becomes more prominent in the games,” England winger Noni Madueke said. "So like every part of our game we want to be at the highest level when it comes to that.”

The physical and mental distance from spot to goal

This tense battle of wills is fought over a 12-yard (11-meter) distance between the penalty spot and the goal line. The shootout was added to the game in 1970 and has settled several of the world's biggest tournaments.

The first World Cup final to be settled by penalty kicks was Brazil’s 1994 victory over Italy. That shootout also produced one of the most infamous misses in soccer history when Italy great Roberto Baggio sent the final kick over the crossbar.

e penalty taker

Techniques vary.

Some take the kick quickly. Others pause, taking deep, calming breaths before they approach. Some run and strike it hard. A popular variation is the stutter-step, waiting for the goalkeeper to commit to which way he's going.

The penalty taker faces the most pressure in the moment because he's expected to score, Jordet told The Associated Press by email.

Research shows that the players who start toward the ball almost immediately after the referee's whistle more often miss than those wait between two and five seconds, he said.

“We suspect this is because those who (wait) extremely short sometimes do so because they, understandably, just want to get this stressful situation done and over with,” Jordet said.

It takes guts to be in that moment, United States forward Christian Pulisic said.

“For the people that go up and shoot, it takes a lot of courage. It’s not easy,” Pulisic said. “Goalkeepers get better and better every single year."

The view from goal

Standing between the posts, goalkeepers have three basic choices. Dive left, dive right or stay in the middle in a guessing game of anticipation.

Morocco keeper Yassine Bounou did something critically different. On the decisive save against the Netherlands, he moved to his right while standing up.

By staying upright, Bounou used his left hand to easily swat away the kick from Crysencio Summerville, who was shooting for the upper corner. Had Bounou dives, the ball would have easily found the net.

The best goalkeepers are “creative, deliberate and volatile” in their attempts to disrupt the shooter, Jordet said.

Tactics can include throwing the ball away, verbal insults and physical confrontation at the penalty spot. The mind games can get so hostile they can result in a yellow card for the goalkeeper.

He noted Bounou's well-timed body twitches and hand fakes to disrupt shooters' timing. The “master” of the mind games, Jordet said, is Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez, who has won his last six penalty shootouts, including the 2022 World Cup final.

Picking the lineup has its own pressure

Selecting the lineup for a shootout has its own rhythms and risks for a coach and a team. It is a delicate balance between analytics, experience and gut feeling.

Some players will be automatic choices. Imagine France in a shootout without Kylian Mbappé or Argentina without Lionel Messi with the World Cup on the line.

“The guys who feel the most confident to go up and shoot will want to go shoot. I think that’s normal," Pulisic said. “We haven’t been in many shootouts with these guys, but like I feel it’s a pretty brave, courageous team.”

A shootout lineup should be decided and discussed well beforehand, and not a call for volunteers in the moment, Jordet said.

After Germany and Paraguay were still even after five penalty attempts each, Germany captain Joshua Kimmich asked his teammates who wanted to take the sixth. Jonathan Tah stepped up for the first penalty attempt of his career and launched the ball over the bar.

Players should rehearse the critical moment months ahead of time, Jordet said.

“Make sure that when you are called to take a kick, you have a strong and robust penalty technique, and you have a rehearsed and stable pre-shot routine that can help you lock your attention,” Jordet said. “With that type of focus, you have done what you can, and the outcome will be what it will be.”

___

AP Sports Writers Josh Dubow, Steve Douglas and James Robson contributed to this report.

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The mental health petition, records show, was filed in May 2023 out of Macomb County.

Florida Panthers bring back goaltender Jacob Markstrom in trade; Rangers sign Dorofeyev

Stephen Whyno, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:44:45 +0000

The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky's storied run in South Florida.

The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agent Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank. Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.

“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”

Markstrom at 36 returns to Florida, where he started his NHL career a decade and a half ago. He was one of the top prospects at the position after getting taken with the 34th pick in the 2008 draft and played his first 43 games in the league with the Panthers during their down years, long before becoming a contender again.

Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23. He is expected to be among the top players available when free agency opens Wednesday.

Markstrom is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed in late October by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April. Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.

Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.

The Devils also re-signed forward Arseny Gritsyuk to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. The 25-year-old Gritsyuk is from Russia, and had 13 goals and 31 points in his rookie season last year, and was a pending restricted free agent.

In other moves around the NHL:

— The New York Rangers agreed to a seven-year contract with newly acquired Pavel Dorofeyev, the high-scoring forward acquired in a trade with Vegas. Dorofeyev is a fifth-year NHL veteran, and was a pending restricted free agent. He had career-highs with 37 goals and 64 points and scored 12 goals in the playoffs.

— The St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.

— Utah signed goalie Sebastian Cossa to a two-year, $4 million contract after trading a first-round pick to Detroit for his rights.

— Fresh off winning the Cup, Carolina reacquired defenseman Kyle Masters' rights from Anaheim for forward Noah Philp. The Hurricanes sent Masters to the Ducks on Saturday along with a sixth-round pick for the rights to pending free agent John Carlson.

— Vegas, which lost to Carolina in the final, made a one-for-one defenseman swap with Pittsburgh, sending Kaedan Korczak to the Penguins for Parker Wotherspoon. Pittsburgh is retaining half of Wotherspoon's $1 million salary in a cap-saving deal for the Golden Knights. ___

AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed.

___

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

Missing nonverbal 7-year-old Harbe Nagi, nephew of Hamtramck mayor, found dead

Brandon Carr, Samantha Sayles — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:22:04 +0000

Harbe Nagi, a 7-year-old boy with autism who is the nephew of Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi, has been found dead, according to the mayor on Tuesday.

Authorities in upstate New York searched for Harbe Nagi and previously said he may need medical attention.

Harbe was reported missing on June 28 in the village of Menands, near Albany. Police said the child was nonverbal and believed to be barefoot.

Authorities described Harbe as approximately 3’7” tall. His clothing description was not immediately available.

Police and emergency crews used multiple search tactics to locate the boy, including deploying an ice cream truck in the hope that its familiar music would draw him out if he is hiding nearby.

Officials have not released additional details about his disappearance.

On June 30, Alharbi said on Facebook that Harbe was found dead.

“Thank you to everyone who helped in the search,” he said on Tuesday.

The circumstances surrounding the child’s death are not known.

Previous report

Records show prior mental health petition for man accused of killing grandmother in Farmington Hills

Erika Erickson, Jason Wilger — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:18:18 +0000

Records show a petition was filed over three years ago seeking court-ordered mental health treatment for the 34-year-old man accused of killing his grandmother inside the home they shared in Farmington Hills.

Police say three people were inside the home at the time: the grandmother, the suspect, and another grandson, who was not injured.

The situation unfolded around 7:40 a.m. Tuesday (June 30), when Farmington Hills police were called to the home on Middlebelt near Northwestern Highway for a reported felonious assault in progress and a domestic assault complaint.

Officers arrived to find a 78-year-old grandmother with what appeared to be severe injuries to her head.

She was unconscious inside the home.

“Officers were able to pull the woman to safety and call for medical attention,” Chief John Piggott said.

She was taken by Farmington Hills fire medics to Corewell Hospital in Farmington Hills, where she later died from her injuries. Police said the suspect, the 34-year-old grandson, then barricaded himself inside a bedroom.

Officers said they then spent time attempting to de-escalate the situation and convince him to surrender peacefully before deploying less-lethal pepper ball rounds through a bedroom window.

The grandson eventually surrendered and was taken into custody without incident, police said. Police also told Local 4 he was not armed at the time of his arrest.

Investigators have not said what led to the violence and said the suspect has not offered many answers so far.

“It’s just very early on in the investigation to know exactly what led to this, whether it was an argument or some past dispute that spilled over until today,” Chief Piggott said. “We just don’t know that yet. Certainly, our detectives want to learn that part of it.”

What appeared to be loved ones gathered outside the home throughout the day, embracing one another and shaking their heads in disbelief as details continued to come out.

Some neighbors told Local 4 they were shocked and “blown away” by the news, while others seemed less surprised.

Others told Local 4 that police had been called to the home before for issues including fighting, but not specifically for the suspect. Neighbors only described the suspect as “quiet.”

Police have not released the identities of those involved pending arraignment and notification of next of kin.

Police have also stressed that the grandmother’s exact manner and cause of death have not yet been determined and that “the investigation remains active.”

They said the FBI’s evidence response team is assisting.

“This is a senseless crime, a grandparent and grandchildren - all living in the same house… and one of them is killed. Our hearts go out to the families,” said Chief Piggott. “And I hope if there’s other people out there, they seek resources and don’t let things get to this point.”

EB lanes of I-96 in Wayne County reopen following severe multi-vehicle crash

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:37:28 +0000

The eastbound lanes of I-96 in Wayne County have reopened following a severe multi-vehicle crash.

Michigan State Police closed all eastbound lanes of I-96 near Telegraph Road following the crash in Redford Township on Tuesday (June 30).

According to the police, the crash occurred around 12:40 p.m., and injuries have been reported.

Aerial footage from Sky 4 showed that two badly damaged vehicles and a semi-truck were involved.

Traffic was being diverted off the freeway at Beech Daly Road while the crash investigation is underway.

All lanes of eastbound I-96 are closed at Telegraph Road for a crash investigation.

No additional details about what caused the crash or the extent of the injuries sustained by those involved have been shared.

Detroit power outage: Extreme heat pushes DTE grid to the limit, leaving hundreds without power

Lauren Kostiuk, Erik Yettaw — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:06:46 +0000

A brutal stretch of hot weather is pushing DTE Energy’s power grid to its limits across southeast Michigan, and for hundreds of Detroit residents, it already hit home overnight.

Customers near 7 Mile Road and Schaefer Highway on Detroit’s west side lost power in the middle of the night, with DTE’s outage map citing “high electricity demand” and “equipment problem” as the cause.

By 11:30 p.m., more than 200 homes were without power.

Waiting in the heat

Detroit resident Ralph Donaldson spent hours waiting for power to return. At one point, the temperature inside his home climbed to 84 degrees.

“On a good day in winter, we would be excited to be in there, but today the dog is laying on the tile in the kitchen. Everybody wants to stay cool,” said Donaldson.

When the power finally kicked back on, homeowners like Donaldson were relieved.

“Oof. How bout that? Somebody give God some praise,” Donaldson said.

What caused the outage

DTE Energy confirmed the outage was caused by equipment damage resulting from increased strain from high energy use during the heat.

Jerry Tullio, DTE Energy’s director of operations, said the company has been preparing its grid throughout the year.

“Over the spring and summer, we have been investing in multiple pockets throughout our entire service territory, and we are ready to go,” Tullio said.

But Tullio cautioned that extreme heat naturally strains the infrastructure.

“Just like your home or your air conditioning, when it gets this hot, the grid gets strained, but we have people here at the system operations center monitoring it. We are going to be rerouting power as necessary, and we have crews in the field also standing by in case they are needed,” said Tullio.

How to help ease the strain

Residents can take several steps to reduce pressure on the grid during a heat wave:

Close blinds or curtains to keep heat out
Close doors and registers in rooms that aren’t being used
Set the thermostat higher when away from home
Run large appliances, like washing machines, during off-peak hours

Vance and Rubio take different approaches as Iran tests their 2028 prospects

Matthew Lee, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:06:50 +0000

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appear to be staking out differing approaches to carrying out President Donald Trump’s national security agenda as the possible 2028 presidential rivals jostle for position in a divided Republican Party.

With vastly different backgrounds and policy experience, they have moved along separate paths to stake out territory: Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants with a long history in the Senate and major interest in Latin America, and Vance, a child of the Midwest and Marine Corps veteran who served in the Senate for only two years before being tapped as Trump's 2024 running mate, with a message of opposing foreign wars.

While deferential to each other — and with the White House and State Department denying any suggestion of a rift — Vance and Rubio appear the most divergent on the Middle East.

In discussing Iran, Vance has several times been critical of Israel and its actions in Lebanon, saying Trump has been frustrated by Israeli actions against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah that have angered Iran and made negotiations with Tehran more difficult.

Rubio, meanwhile, has remained supportive of Israel or held his tongue, particularly over the situation in Lebanon — an issue he has taken the lead on and resulted in a preliminary framework agreement last week.

Vance takes the lead on Iran negotiations and Rubio on Lebanon

"The talk about differences is not idle speculation," said Dan Fried, a former assistant secretary of state and ambassador to Poland who is now with the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank. “There is definitely something to it.”

The White House fired back at any suggestions of a rift.

“Why is the legacy media obsessed with driving a wedge between Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio that does not exist? There is one camp — President Trump’s camp — and the entire administration is fully behind the president’s efforts to ensure Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott added that "Rubio and the entire administration is 100% in lockstep behind President Trump.”

Yet, according to Trump administration officials familiar with the matter, Rubio was so skeptical of obtaining an acceptable deal with Iran that he declined to head the U.S. delegation to the first ceasefire negotiations in April in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Vance, however, seeing an opportunity to burnish his foreign policy credentials, jumped on it, asking Trump twice to take the lead before Trump agreed, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.

Vance did lead the U.S. delegation to the inconclusive meeting in Pakistan, then again this month to talks in Switzerland, which followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran. The truce agreed to in that document is very fragile, tested by repeated exchanges of fire between the sides in recent days.

“It’s rather unusual for the VP to be given the lead role in a negotiation, but it’s quite possible that Rubio is happy to let him. It’s a pig in a poke. It’s a loser job,” said Ian Kelly, a retired career diplomat and ambassador during the first Trump administration.

He added that both men seem to “have equal ambitions to replace” Trump, but that the president’s semi-joking comments this month that he would blame Vance if the Iran talks do not succeed appeared to suggest that he was being “set up for failure.”

Vance and Rubio deny any division between them

Vance has talked up the chances of success for a broad agreement with Iran, albeit with caveats, while Rubio, although publicly supportive, has repeatedly taken a more agnostic line while denying any division.

“We’re all focused on the jobs in front of us. I think the president loves to stir the pot a little bit and loves the entertainment of it,” Vance said.

“I love Marco,” he said. “I think he’s a great secretary of state. He’s become a very, very dear friend. I think both of us are very much focused on accomplishing the American people’s business right now.”

Rubio also has rejected that there is any schism.

“When it comes to foreign policy and national security, we have no drama. We have no games,” Rubio told reporters last week during a trip to Bahrain, the last of a three-nation tour of the Arab Gulf countries that have been most directly affected by the Iran war.

“We have a group of people that work very well together and closely to execute on the president’s directives, which is why I think we’ve had good outcomes and good achievements, and we’re going to continue to have good outcomes and good achievements,” Rubio said. “Everyone has an important role to play, and everyone is playing that role and doing it in a collaborative process.”

That has not stopped Trump from fanning the flames of potential rivalry, repeatedly asking crowds of supporters who they would prefer to succeed him and suggesting at one point they might be an unbeatable ticket.

There is little doubt that the men do not share the same worldview, however.

“Rubio speaks within the rubric of the Ronald Reagan construct of the free world and its importance,” Fried said. “Vance is not interested in the free-world construct. He speaks in the language of not wanting to fight what he believes are abstractions.”

Fried said it is impossible to predict how that would translate into policy but warned that “we’re headed toward a bad place in Iran, which is giving up any support for Iranian civil society and not being terribly good at containing Iran.”

“Instead, we seem to be allowing ourselves to be backed into a ‘sphere of influence’ situation where Iran is weaker but ends up better off than before. I can’t imagine Rubio agreeing to that,” Fried said.

Aides to Rubio point out that he has said several times he would defer to the vice president should Vance choose to run for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.

At the same time, Rubio has used his dual perch as Trump's top diplomat and national security adviser to make over the National Security Council, installing several close allies in top White House positions in recent weeks.

Those include his former State Department counselor, Mike Needham, who is now deputy national security adviser. Also, Jeremy Lewin, who oversaw the dismantlement of the U.S. Agency for International Development for Rubio and took charge of foreign assistance last year, is soon to join the NSC as a deputy for the Western Hemisphere. The head of NSC communications, Dylan Johnson, also serves as assistant secretary of state for public affairs.

US stocks rise and trim their losses for June

Chan Ho-Him, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:42:26 +0000

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday and trimmed their losses in what had been a rocky June.

The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, though it still fell to its first losing month following two fabulous ones. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 136 points, or 0.3%, to its record, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5%.

The main reason for the past month’s weakness was a fall to Earth for stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry. After soaring to tremendous heights in the frenzy around AI, such stocks came under pressure because of worries that they shot too high. That’s a big deal for all investors because AI stocks have grown into some of Wall Street’s largest and most influential, pulling indexes behind them.

AI stocks were firmer Tuesday, and Nvidia was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500 after rising 2.6% and trimming its loss for the month. That was even though the majority of stocks within the index fell Tuesday.

Microsoft, which is investing heavily in AI, rose 1.2% to cut its loss for the month to 17.2%. Oracle, though, slipped 0.8% to widen its drop for June to 35.1%. It’s another company contending with concerns that AI may not yield enough productivity and profits to make all the big spending worth it.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 58.93 points to 7,499.36. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 136.46 to 52,319.20, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 393.58 to 26,213.72.

Outside of AI, the economy seems to be rumbling along, even though U.S. households are still feeling sour about it. A report released in the morning said that U.S. employers were advertising many more job openings at the end of May than economists expected, the latest signal that the job market remains resilient.

But a second report said that confidence among U.S. consumers improved by less than economists expected. More Americans are saying it’s hard to get a job, according to a survey by the Conference Board, even with data suggesting continued hiring.

Tuesday’s relatively quiet trading came as companies closed their books for the quarter running from April through June. Investors want to see strong growth in profits to justify the big gains stocks made early in the quarter. Despite June’s drop, the S&P 500 still recorded its best quarter since six years ago, when stocks rocketed out of the crash caused by the COVID pandemic.

Concentrix tumbled 11.2% after the technology company reported profit and revenue for the latest quarter that were just shy of analysts’ expectations.

In the oil market, prices eased after two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar for talks with mediators about the implementation of an initial deal to end the war in Iran. The Americans will not be having direct negotiations with Iranian diplomats while in Doha.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, erased an early, modest rise and fell 1.3% to $72.95. The hope is that an end to the war will restore full access to the Strait of Hormuz, allowing oil tankers to move more crude and lower its price.

Expensive oil has already sent inflation jumping around the world, which in turn has raised worries that the Federal Reserve and other central banks may have to raise interest rates. Higher rates would keep a lid on inflation, but they would also slow economic growth and hurt prices for investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.44% from 4.38% late Monday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.

Germany’s DAX returned 1.5%, and South Korea’s Kospi climbed 1% for two of the world’s bigger gains.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.9% as the value of the Japanese yen dropped near its lowest level against the U.S. dollar in 40 years.

U.S. government bonds are paying much higher yields than their Japanese counterparts, and the possibility of rate hikes by the Fed is putting more pressure on the yen. Speculation is rising that Japan’s government may try to prop up the yen’s value, but Japan’s finance minister said only that the government was ready to “respond appropriately whenever necessary.”

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The divided Supreme Court's birthright citizenship decision exposes sharp rifts among justices

Fatima Hussein, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:56:15 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court's divided ruling that children born in the U.S. are citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment — even if their parents are in the country unlawfully or only temporarily — exposed deep fissures in the justices' views on the issue and toward each other.

The court's two Black justices notably had very different views on U.S. citizenship in the context of Reconstruction after the Civil War.

Tuesday's decision rejects an order President Donald Trump issued at the start of his second term, declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

The majority, composed of Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, determined that birth on U.S. soil plus being subject to U.S. law is enough for citizenship.

Several dissenters, including Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, say birth alone is not enough — the child's parents must have a deeper political allegiance or relationship to the U.S.

Jackson’s direct disagreement with Thomas' dissent highlights a major rift between the legal minds. Here are the justices in their own words:

Chief Justice John Roberts

Much of Roberts' opinion was a history lesson on English common law, in which he concluded that birthright citizenship has always depended primarily on birthplace — not on parents’ immigration status or domicile.

“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court, citing congressional debate over the amendment, “We keep that promise today.”

“We break no new ground today,” Roberts said on the bench as he read the court's majority opinion.

Justice Clarence Thomas

Thomas, who wrote the main dissent, disagreed with the majority's opinion and argued that American-born children are not automatically American citizens.

The basis of his argument, among other things, is that the court ignored evidence from Reconstruction debates that suggested citizenship depended on a deeper relationship to the country. After the Civil War, the U.S. underwent a series of political and constitutional battles over how to define the civil rights and citizenship status of formerly enslaved Black Americans.

“The Citizenship Clause was enacted for people who were born in this country and called it home. It was enacted for freed slaves such as Dred Scott, who had ‘a domicile’ here and therefore were entitled to sue as citizens,” Thomas wrote in his dissent, concluding that Reconstruction was a targeted remedy for freed slaves to restore citizenship to a wrongfully excluded group.

“In my view, the Citizenship Order is not facially unconstitutional,” Thomas wrote, referring to Trump's executive order. “The Order is consistent with the original meaning of the Citizenship Clause, at least insofar as it applies to children born to parents, here lawfully or unlawfully, who are not domiciled in the United States.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed with the opinion in full, but wrote to respond to Clarence Thomas' dissent, arguing that Thomas fundamentally misunderstands what the Reconstruction Amendments — the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments — are trying to accomplish.

“Despite his longstanding endorsement of a ‘colorblind’ Constitution, Justice Thomas, now surprisingly suggests that the Citizenship Clause was a race-conscious remedial measure, relating only to ‘freed slaves such as Dred Scott’ — but that narrow vision of the Fourteenth Amendment bears little relationship to the history of its ratification.”

“The Reconstruction Amendments were an anti-caste, anti-subordination reset for the Nation, not a mere spot treatment for the dark stain of slavery.”

“The Court’s conception of a color-blind Constitution and the Government’s (and principal dissent’s) cramped, group-specific reading of the Citizenship Clause are two sides of the same coin, stemming from a basic misunderstanding of the relevant history.”

Book that Tupac Shakur murder suspect wrote is clear for use in the trial, judge rules

Jessica Hill, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:35:04 +0000

A book co-written by the man who prosecutors allege ordered the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur can be used in trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.

The defense attorney for Duane “Keffe D” Davis tried to bar the 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend” from being used in trial, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 10, as well as statements Davis had made to police in 2008 and 2009.

Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in the drive-by shooting of the rapper in Las Vegas.

Shakur was in a black BMW on Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas with Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip, and gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot multiple times and died six days later, while Knight survived with minor injuries.

Shakur’s death is considered one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the United States. The case had gone cold until Davis began making public statements about it, including in a book he co-wrote in which he said he was in the Cadillac and provided the weapon used to shoot Shakur. The book revived detectives’ investigation, and Davis was arrested in September 2023. Davis pleaded not guilty.

The state’s case hinges on the book Davis co-authored about his time in the gang South Side Compton Crips and statements he made in YouTube interviews.

Michael Sanft, his attorney, argued that the book was fictionalized to make a profit, and that it was unclear which parts — if any — Davis actually wrote. He also argued that statements Davis made to police in 2008 and 2009 should not be used in trial because Davis thought he had immunity due to a proffer agreement that allowed him to speak to detectives without being prosecuted.

Judge Carli Kierny determined that Davis adopted the statements in the book as his own, regardless if he wrote the whole book. She said he made multiple statements describing the book as the “real truth.” She also found the statements he made to law enforcement to be voluntary, but expressed concern that Davis was told in 2008 that he would not be prosecuted for what he said in the interview.

Marc DiGiacomo, chief deputy district attorney in Clark County, said those interviews were no longer considered inadmissible when Davis chose to write and speak about the events. The state has the right to prove that what Davis wrote is true by using those interviews, he said.

“Had he decided to never write the book, he would not, probably, have ever been prosecuted for the crime,” DiGiacomo said.

Egg producers will pay $3.3M and donate 53 million eggs to settle price fixing claims

Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:42:06 +0000

The U.S. Justice Department and 17 states reached settlement agreements with three major egg producers this week to resolve allegations that the companies illegally colluded for years to raise prices, including when the cost soared to record highs last year.

The states and federal government accused Cal-Maine Foods, Versova and Hickman’s Egg Ranch of a behind-the-scenes arrangement to “artificially inflate the daily price quotations for eggs" between June 2022 and March 2025. In particular, their investigation found that the companies coordinated on what bids they would submit to Urner Barry Publications, a company that runs an index key to determining how much grocery stores, restaurants and others pay for billions of eggs each year.

In turn, that meant “higher prices for eggs sold to consumers,” alleged the complaint, which was filed in Iowa on Monday, the day the settlement terms were announced.

“When powerful corporations collude behind the scenes to raise prices, working families suffer the costs,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped lead the investigation, said in a statement. “These egg producers manipulated the market to squeeze even more profit out of consumers and businesses."

None of the companies admitted wrongdoing under the settlements. But to settle the states' claims, Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman's will collectively be on the hook for $3.3 million and 53 million eggs, James and others said. Those eggs would be donated by the companies and make their ways to food banks and nonprofits. The money will be distributed to the states.

The Justice Department and the states also outlined actions the companies will need to take, including adopting antitrust compliance programs and banning communicating with competitors on pricing and bidding strategies.

The settlements would still need court approval. The Justice Department's Omeed A. Assefi said Tuesday that the proposed settlements “resolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans’ finances and their everyday lives.”

Average U.S. egg prices soared to a record high of about $6.23 per dozen in March 2025, amid a bird flu epidemic that forced farmers to slaughter millions of egg-laying chickens. Egg producers blamed price spike on the outbreak, but critics accused big companies of taking advantage of their market dominance and the government began its investigation.

Monday’s complaint notes that price quotations “dropped significantly” after Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman’s learned of the Justice Department’s investigation and were instructed to preserve documents in March 2025. Consumer egg prices also later tumbled — to under $2.20 per dozen as of May 2026 — as replenished flocks caught up despite the ongoing outbreak.

Cal-Maine maintained Monday that allegations of price manipulation were “baseless” and that it believes its conduct has been legal. It also noted that while it was part of a cooperative with the other egg producers, it left the group in May 2024.

Still, Cal-Maine CEO Sherman Miller said the company's settlement agreement “enables us to move forward so we can devote our full attention to what matters most: delivering affordable, high-quality eggs and egg-based prepared foods to consumers nationwide.”

Miller added the period the Justice Department reviewed “was a particularly challenging time” — noting that, beyond avian flu, the COVID-19 pandemic, weather and other market conditions have contributed to temporary supply shocks and high prices in recent years. He said Cal-Maine “took numerous steps to protect and grow its hen flock” in that time.

Versova echoed a similar sentiment, particularly pointing to the toll the bird flu has had on its farmers, who it noted “don’t set the wholesale price of eggs.” Instead, Versova said the price of most of its eggs depends on cost fluctuations of grain used in hen feeds.

Meanwhile, Hickman's owner Mantiqueira USA, which acquired the egg producer in November, said the “conduct referenced in the complaint predates our acquisition," noting that it is committed to complying with the law.

Some advocacy groups say the proposed settlements aren't enough.

“Consumers paid record prices while dominant egg producers reported extraordinary profits, yet the result is another settlement that corporations can treat as the cost of doing business rather than meaningful accountability,” said Angela Huffman, president of Farm Action.

Cal-Maine — the only of the three companies that is public and reports quarterly financials — reported a profit of $1.22 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. Under its settlement agreement with the states, the company would pay $1.5 million and donate 30 million eggs.

Meanwhile, per court documents, Versova would provide 20 million eggs and $800,000, and Hickman's would be on the hook for 3.25 million eggs and $1 million.

In addition to New York, these states were party to the settlement agreements: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

The Latest: Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s restrictions

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:08:47 +0000

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

The decision, in line with the longstanding judicial interpretation of the 14th Amendment, comes on the final day of a Supreme Court term that has centered on Trump’s expansive claims of presidential power — and largely ruled in his favor.

In its other Tuesday rulings, the court upheld laws in roughly half the states that prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on their public school and college sport teams and struck down limits on party spending in federal elections.

Here's the latest:

Justice Department instructs prosecutors to crack down on ‘birth tourism’ schemes

In a memo circulated hours after the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding birthright citizenship, the deputy attorney general’s office directed prosecutors to “prioritize the investigation and prosecution” of fraudulent “birth tourism” schemes.

In seeking to end birthright citizenship, the Trump administration pointed to “birth tourism” networks that arrange for non-U.S. citizens to come to the country solely to give birth.

The memo says that while many of such cases are charged as visa fraud, prosecutors should also consider whether other laws apply, including wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.

“Together, we will bring illegal birth tourism to an end and those responsible to justice,” the memo says.

‘A very narrow decision’

A lawyer representing trans female athletes in pending litigation in multiple states described the Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams as “a very narrow decision.”

Susan Cirilli, whose clients include former Swarthmore College cross-country runner Evie Parts, reiterated that there remains no federal law in the country that prohibits transgender women from participating in sports and argues that President Trump’s executive order cannot supersede state law.

Venezuelan woman who is part of another birthright lawsuit received court decision in tears

“I feel a great sense of tranquility,” said the woman, one of the five plaintiffs in the lawsuit at the Maryland district court. “It is a triumph for our children; I fought hard for this day,” said the asylum seeker.

The woman, who asked not to be identified from fear of being detained, said she filed the lawsuit Jan. 21, 2025, the day after President Trump announced his executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. She was pregnant with her first child, who was born in August 2025.

As an asylum seeker, she did not believe she could request the Venezuelan citizenship for the baby and wondered what citizenship the child would have.

“There was a lot of uncertainty and fear. I wondered: if my son wasn’t going to be from here, then where would he be from?” said the woman, who was a doctor in her country and arrived to the U.S. in 2019 after receiving death threats in Venezuela.

On Tuesday, she said she felt a “sea of emotions” when she saw the news on TV.

ACLU celebrates the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling

“This should have been a unanimous decision,” attorney Cody Wofsy, deputy director at the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, told reporters after the decision was announced. “The text of the Constitution is clear, the history is clear, and the precedent is clear.”

“That said, regardless of what the vote count may have been, this is a rejection of the Trump administration’s extreme attempts to rewrite the Constitution and to exclude entire portions of American-born children from our country.”

Birthright could become a powerful wedge issue in US politics, critic of decision says

“The president was never going to win, in the sense that his executive order was going to be overturned,” said Mark Krikorian, the director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank favoring restrictive immigration policies. “The question was if the Supreme Court would accept the ACLU’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment.”

The ruling “constitutionalized the question” of birthright citizenship, he said, requiring changes through a constitutional amendment.

That, he argued, is highly unlikely: “Congress can’t rename post offices, let alone do anything else.”

But, he said, birthright could now become a powerful political wedge issue, similar to the court’s 1973 abortion ruling, which was overturned in 2022.

“It’ll distort our politics the way Roe vs. Wade did in energizing a political movement,” he said.

Could pregnancy now be a question on visa application?

Mark Krikorian, a prominent Washington voice favoring restrictive immigration policies, said he expects the ruling to result in new U.S. visa applications, with potential visitors being asked if they are pregnant.

“It’s something that visa officers are often reluctant to ask about — it’s awkward,” said Krikorian, the director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

“But if it’s on the application then you have the answers, and if you lie you’ve committed a felony,” he said.

The Trump administration says birthright citizenship has created what it calls a birth tourism industry.

“It is unacceptable for foreign parents to use a U.S. tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain citizenship for the child,” the State Department said in a post on X. “Those who abuse our immigration system through birth tourism may be ineligible for future visas or travel to the United States.”

Justice Thomas says the majority misunderstands the 14th amendment

He insists the majority opinion perpetuates a misunderstanding and misapplication of the 14th amendment.

The citizenship clause and related Reconstruction statutes granted citizenship “to persons born and domiciled in the United States regardless of their race,” he wrote. But “neither guaranteed citizenship to persons who were not domiciled in the United States.”

He continued: “Blacks were entitled to citizenship because they were Americans. They had no other homeland, owed no allegiance to any foreign power, and were subject to no other authority.”

That highlights the argument over what it means to be “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S.

The majority holds that, with exceptions like foreign diplomats, being on U.S. soil makes a person subject to U.S. laws. Thomas and dissenters reason that no one who is separately subject to another foreign government should be considered “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S., at least when conferring citizenship.

Justice Jackson takes issue with Thomas in citizenship reasoning

Justice Clarence Thomas’ dissent in the birthright case argued the 14th amendment’s citizenship clause applied only to formerly enslaved people and not more broadly.

That prompted Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to pen a concurrence to Roberts’ majority opinion.

“Despite his longstanding endorsement of a ‘colorblind’ Constitution, Justice Thomas now surprisingly suggests that the Citizenship Clause was a race-conscious remedial measure, relating only to ‘freed slaves such as Dred Scott,’” she wrote, calling that a “narrow vision” of Reconstruction’s intended expansion of democracy.

“This alternative account pitches Black Americans against immigrants when the advocates who promoted the Fourteenth Amendment did no such thing,” Jackson wrote. “Freed Blacks fought for the shared humanity of all people.”

Jackson is the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Thomas is the second Black man, succeeding Thurgood Marshall, who argued the Brown v. Board case that struck down segregated schools.

Trump says Congress should end birthright citizenship and calls court ruling ‘too bad’

The president said the Supreme Court’s decision upholding that anyone born in the United States automatically becomes an American citizen was “too bad for our Country,” but that Congress could “easily” address it with legislation.

Trump declared that “No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary!”

But the Supreme Court’s ruling Tuesday makes it clear that it would be necessary to amend the Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the court, pointed to the Fourteenth Amendment in the Constitution in ruling that anyone born in the country, with very limited exceptions, is a citizen.

Justice Department reacts to the ruling on birthright citizenship

The Justice Department said in a statement that it’s “committed to tackling illegal birth tourism schemes by working diligently with U.S. Attorneys across the country to uphold the law.”

“Actors seeking to exploit loopholes to obtain automatic citizenship for their children pose a national security threat and will be brought to justice,” the department said in a post on X.

Dred Scott case featured in the justices’ birthright citizenship writings

U.S. Supreme Court justices have long distanced themselves from the pre-Civil War decision that declared Black people — enslaved and free — were not U.S. citizens.

The 1857 Dred Scott case was featured again Tuesday, being mentioned 48 times in 194 pages of the birthright citizenship opinion, concurrences and dissents.

Roberts’ majority opinion explained how U.S. birthright citizenship originates with English common law: Anyone born in the monarch’s realm was considered a “natural-born subject.”

The “odious” Scott case, Roberts said, deviated from that once-accepted understanding and “was met with shock.”

In response, he detailed, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause restored common law understanding, with lawmakers making clear they were explicitly rebuking the Scott decision.

Yet, Roberts wrote, “the Government and the principal dissent propose a return to its core tenet,” that “for certain people, being born on American soil will not suffice to confer citizenship.”

Supreme Court denies report that Justice Samuel Alito is retiring

The Supreme Court’s public information office is denying a published report, since retracted, that the court announced Alito’s retirement Tuesday.

The unusual statement followed a story from NPR saying the court had announced that Alito was stepping down. NPR pulled the story a short time later. Chief Justice John Roberts announced the retirement of several court employees Tuesday, as he customarily does after the court’s final opinions are out. Alito was not among them.

Speculation had swirled about the justice’s future plans earlier this year, but Fox News and CBS reported this spring that he planned to remain on the bench.

NPR’s editor-in-chief released a statement saying the story had been incorrectly reported and that correspondent Nina Totenberg would appear on “All Things Considered” Tuesday afternoon to explain what had happened.

Court will consider striking down assault weapons bans in Connecticut and the Chicago-area

A Supreme Court that has expanded gun rights will consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles, often called assault weapons, violate the Second Amendment.

The justices said Tuesday they will take up appeals asking the court to strike down bans on the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic firearms in the Chicago area and Connecticut.

Similar laws are in place in about a dozen states, covering major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Congress allowed a national assault weapons ban to expire in 2004, but Democrats have supported renewing it in response to a series of mass shootings and states have continued to pass their own laws.

The cases are the latest high-profile disputes over guns to reach the court since its conservative majority handed down a landmark ruling in 2022 that expanded Second Amendment rights and spawned challenges to firearm laws around the country.

The case is expected to be heard in the fall.

▶ Read more

More reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision on campaign spending

The conservative-leaning Institute for Free Speech hailed the decision as “a landmark victory for the First Amendment.”

“More than half the states have operated for years without restricting coordinated party expenditures, and there is no evidence of the corruption the federal government fears,” institute senior attorney Brett Nolan said. “The Court corrected a two-decade-old mistake.”

Meanwhile, Jacquelyn Lopez and Rachel Jacobs, partners in the Elias Law Group, which represents Democrats in voting rights cases and election contests, said the decision “needlessly” destroyed “a long-standing pillar” of federal campaign finance laws.

However, they also said Republicans have “pushed the boundaries” of the limits to help weak candidates. They said the Elias Law Group had anticipated the outcome for months.

“In the long run, Democratic campaigns will benefit from the level playing field this ruling provides,” they said. “Now, both parties are free to offer unlimited support to their candidates, not just the party willing to ignore the law to do so.”

From a descendant of the man at the center of the 1898 birthright citizenship ruling

Norman Wong, the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, the Chinese American cook at the center of the landmark 1898 Supreme Court decision establishing birthright citizenship, applauded Tuesday’s ruling.

“My great grandfather, Wong Kim Ark, never set out to become a symbol. He was one man, only a cook, and yet he stood up for what was right, and I believe that it has made a difference,” Wong said in a statement. “As a result, he stood up for the rights of all of us Americans — it just so happens that I am related to him. Today’s ruling shows that his victory remains as important now as it was in 1898.”

‘By the grace of God, the president does not manage to do everything he wants’

For a Mexican mother with six children born in the United States — ranging in age from 18 years to 18 months — the Supreme Court’s decision brought happiness.

“I am happy for our children,” the 38-year-old woman said in a telephone interview. “I am happy because they don’t face any risk like we do.”

The woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of being detained and deported, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2007 in search of a better life. She has not applied for asylum or any other immigration status.

She works at a plant nursery in South Florida, where her children attend school.

The woman said one of her children called her as soon as he found out about the decision to share his joy with her.

“By the grace of God, the president does not manage to do everything he wants,” the mother said. “I was confident that, with God’s help, he would not succeed.”

Birthright citizenship survived racist eras, and now Trump, Global Refuge leader says

The head of Global Refuge said the Supreme Court averted a catastrophe with its 6-3 opinion upholding the 14th Amendment and rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to overturn a Reconstruction era amendment.

“Birthright citizenship survived the Chinese Exclusion Act, Jim Crow, and today, it survived an executive order that would have essentially turned the maternity ward into a customs checkpoint,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refugee.

“The Justices rightly recognized that the U.S. Constitution is clear and unambiguous: if you are born in this country and subject to its jurisdiction, you are a citizen of this country,” she said. Vignarajah said a different outcome would have denied citizenship to more than 250,000 children born in the U.S. each year.

“This was a constitutional stress test.”

Trump says Republicans won ‘big’ on Supreme Court’s party spending ruling

The president applauded a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal election law and made it easier for major donors to avoid caps on individual contributions to candidates by going through the party.

“A BIG WIN FOR REPUBLICANS and, more importantly, The First Amendment!” Trump posted on social media.

House Speaker Mike Johnson ‘very disappointed’ over birthright citizenship ruling

The Republican leader’s news conference was interrupted by the ruling as reporters instantly sought a real-time reaction.

“Oh dear,” Johnson said as a reporter read out the decision.

Johnson said he believes it will subject the country to “serious challenges going forward and we’ll have to deal with that.”

Johnson, who has worked as a constitutional lawyer primarily on religious issues, said the 14th Amendment is being abused by people who are coming to the U.S. to have children in a “birthing tourism trend.” It’s not illegal but is a practice the Trump administration has tried to reduce.

Republican senator calls for constitutional amendment restricting birthright citizenship

Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri called the Supreme Court’s decision “wrong, dangerous, and disastrous for American sovereignty and the American people.” He denounced the decision’s majority, including “squish conservatives,” in a post on X.

Schmitt added that Congress may need to act to restrict birthright citizenship following the court’s ruling.

“I will be announcing a forthcoming constitutional amendment to restore the sacred bond between American citizens and their government,” Schmitt wrote.

He said the amendment “will ensure that citizenship once again reflects allegiance, permanence, and membership in the American nation.”

Nation’s largest Latino civil rights group touts victory in birthright citizenship case

“This decision confirms a truth that generations of Americans have lived by: a child born on this soil is a citizen of this nation,” Roman Palomares, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said in a statement. “The Court has made clear that no president can override the Constitution by decree.”

LULAC was one of the plaintiffs in the birthright citizenship case. The organization sued the Trump administration last year over the president’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship.

In transgender sports dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor says details matter

In her dissent on the West Virginia transgender athlete case, Sotomayor emphasized that Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, identified as a girl at a young age and started hormone therapy before going through puberty as a male.

That matters, Sotomayor said.

The justice did not argue that West Virginia could not set policies that set restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ sports to ensure safety and fairness. Such a policy, Sotomayor argued, could conceivably allow Pepper-Jackson to compete as she wishes. Meanwhile, the justice wrote, an absolute ban could violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause.

But the immediate issue, Sotomayor said, is that courts haven’t resolved the factual question of whether Pepper-Jackson’s circumstances put her on the same competitive level with other female athletes. Sotomayor said justices should have returned the case to lower courts to settle that question.

US set for a round of 32 World Cup game with Bosnia-Herzegovina as knockout play begins

Josh Dubow, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:41:42 +0000

The U.S. team spent Monday like millions of other interested followers of the World Cup, watching thrilling games from other venues that included a major upset with Germany falling to Paraguay, three games that went down to the wire and two nervy shootouts.

Then the reality quickly set in that they would soon be back in the spotlight themselves, with a round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday that will go a long way to determining how successful this World Cup will be.

“In the moment you’re a fan, and then afterward you realize that this is also the same tournament that we’re playing. I think it’s a weird dynamic,” U.S. defender Chris Richards said Tuesday before the team's final practice ahead of the knockout round. “But we saw an upset yesterday, so it’s making sure that we don’t allow that to happen to us.”

After starting the tournament with convincing wins over Paraguay and Australia that clinched the top spot in the group before a meaningless loss to Turkey last week, the Americans enter this knockout round as the favorites to advance for a change against a Bosnian team that has never made it past the group stage before this year.

US has only one World Cup knockout round win ever

But history is against the team as the U.S. men have had little success in the past in the knockout round of the World Cup or against European opposition.

While the Americans made it to the semifinals at the inaugural tournament in 1930 by winning their group, their only win ever in a knockout round came in 2002 when they beat rival Mexico 2-0 in South Korea before losing to Germany in the quarterfinals.

In the eight other tournaments since the U.S. returned to the World Cup in 1990 for the first time in 40 years, the U.S. lost its first knockout game — the round of 16 instead of the round of 32 — four times, failed to make it out of the group three times and failed even to qualify in 2018.

Christian Pulisic said the approach doesn't change in this round and that mood around the team remains light even with the high stakes in this part of the tournament. Pulisic said he's healthy and ready to start after missing one game with a calf injury and playing the last game as a second-half substitute.

“You just want to extend it as long as you can, because some of the best memories I have in my life was last World Cup in Qatar,” Pulisic said. “Now being here, it’s just special to be here. You just don’t want it to end. So there’s definitely a lot of enthusiasm within the team.”

US has struggled against European teams

The U.S. lost its knockout game four years ago to the Netherlands 3-1. That came after a 2-1 loss to Belgium in 2014 and is part of a long run of futility against European teams.

The U.S. is 1-13-7 against European teams at the World Cup since 1990, with the only win coming in 2002 in the opener against Portugal. The Americans are winless in their last 13 matches against European squads at the tournament since then.

While Bosnia, 61st in the FIFA rankings, lacks the pedigree of many of those past European opponents, the Americans know this matchup won't be easy. The Bosnians secured a spot in the World Cup for the second time ever by winning penalty shootouts against Wales and four-time World Cup champion Italy in the European playoffs and then advanced out of the group thanks to a draw in Toronto against host Canada and a 3-1 win over Qatar.

“Every team brings different challenges,” Richards said. “Ultimately the Bosnia team, they were good defensively and good going forward. It’s making sure that we take care of business on both ends. They have a very experienced attack so it’s making sure we do our best in the back to take that away from them.”

With a victory on Wednesday, the U.S. team would advance to the round of 16 next Monday in Seattle against the winner of Wednesday's game between Belgium and Senegal.

It only gets tougher after that with powerhouses like Spain still alive in their half of the bracket, but the results so far in this tournament with teams like Germany and the Netherlands getting knocked out early show what's possible.

“It’s our chance to go farther in this tournament,” Richards said. “We’ve seen two big boys fall. So it’s just a matter of us getting through this game and putting in a good performance and hopefully we continue that. It’ll start to open up. So it is very exciting for us.”

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here.

Aid groups warn Venezuela’s healthcare system is near its limit after earthquakes

Juan Pablo Arráez And Isabel Debre, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:39:21 +0000

Aid groups warned Tuesday that Venezuela's fragile healthcare system is being pushed to its limits nearly a week after two powerful earthquakes, with damaged and understaffed hospitals getting overwhelmed by the injured and infectious diseases flaring in the disaster zone.

Meanwhile, the number of official rescues has dropped dramatically in the last three days, the government said, from 5,380 people saved in the first two days after the quakes to just four people found alive Monday by authorities. The prime window for finding earthquake survivors is typically 48 to 72 hours, but it is possible to survive longer depending on factors such as temperature and access to water or food.

The sole survivor rescued by Tuesday afternoon was a toddler who had been trapped for six days under a collapsed building, said Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly.

Those numbers do not include the many rescues carried out across the country by volunteer groups that, frustrated with the government's sluggish response, scrambled to save their trapped loved ones days before the arrival of expert international teams.

The government puts the death toll at over 1,900. Experts say that is a significant undercount as more bodies are hauled from the rubble every day and morgues struggle to handle the influx.

Among the living, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. United Nations agencies expressed concern about the health effects of thousands of displaced people sleeping for days in the open or in crowded, unsanitary shelters.

A healthcare system in crisis

The Venezuelan healthcare system, strained by decades of underinvestment and years of economic crisis is “under extreme pressure now, with facilities operating beyond the capacity of the surge of the trauma cases,” said World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier at a media briefing in Geneva.

Venezuelan officials say that more than 15,800 people have been affected by the earthquakes — a figure that reflects the official number of displaced people, U.N. refugee agency spokesperson Carlotta Wolf said Tuesday. Newly homeless Venezuelans are sleeping in cars, parks and elsewhere.

Wolf said that number would continue to rise. Many of those displaced in the hardest-hit state of La Guaira, just outside the capital of Caracas along the coast, are suffering from widespread food shortages, she said.

Without access to toilets, showers or soap, displaced Venezuelans have also become increasingly vulnerable to the outbreak of preventable diseases like measles, given the population’s low vaccination rates, Lindmeier said, adding that conditions are ripe for waterborne infections such as dengue, yellow fever and malaria to spread.

According to the government, last week's earthquakes damaged or otherwise compromised 38 hospitals nationwide. WHO said it so far has evaluated 21 of those facilities, three of which are no longer operating. Another six have sustained damage and the rest are now buckling under the influx of injuries.

Many specialist doctors are missing in the ruins, including officials in charge of maternity care in La Guaira, WHO said, compounding the challenges to health care in a country that 8 million people, including many doctors and nurses, have fled in recent years.

“Findings reveal chaotic service delivery and patient flow, marked by overcrowding, growing surgical backlogs ... and a breakdown in biosafety measures,” Lindmeier said.

An increased presence of nongovernmental organizations was noticeable Tuesday in La Guaira and adjacent communities, with tents from the Red Cross, the World Food Program and other organizations set up on sidewalks, waterfront esplanades and athletic facilities. People lined up throughout the day under the blistering sun to receive free toiletries, food, medications and face masks.

A struggle to grasp the true toll

With the government tight-lipped about victims and survivors and offering no official count of missing people, ordinary Venezuelans are struggling to find relatives. Many have turned to WhatsApp groups and nongovernmental digital databases to report their loved ones as missing. One such registry listed at least 43,220 people as missing.

In his daily televised casualty update, Jorge Rodríguez, brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, said that the official toll stood at 1,943 people killed and 10,571 injured as of Tuesday, urging the public to share only government information.

But his numbers left thousands of Venezuelans unaccounted for. He said the government estimated there were around 30,000 people in the hardest-hit parts of La Guaira state at the time of the earthquake, and that around 20,000 of them managed to escape the area or were later rescued.

NASA estimates that nearly 59,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes, which would put the number of people affected by the quakes in the hundreds of thousands. The U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, on Tuesday said 680,000 children are in need of humanitarian assistance nationwide.

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DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press writers Regina Garcia Cano and Jorge Rueda in Caracas, Venezuela, and Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.

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

Grandson reportedly killed grandmother in Farmington Hills homicide, police say

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:04:27 +0000

A Farmington Hills man in his 30s is in custody after police say he killed his grandmother during a domestic dispute at their home Tuesday morning.

Update: Records show prior mental health petition for man accused of killing grandmother in Farmington Hills

Police responded to the home in the 31000 block of Middlebelt Road — located at the entrance of the Franklin Knolls neighborhood near Northwestern Highway — around 7:39 a.m. after receiving a 911 call from inside the residence.

Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott identified the victim as the suspect’s grandmother, who resided at the home with her two grandsons, both of whom were home at the time.

The victim was found unconscious when police arrived and taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. The suspect was reportedly barricaded in one of the bedrooms.

After failing to negotiate with the suspect to get him to surrender, responding officers resorted to breaking the bedroom window and engaging him with PepperBall rounds to get him to comply.

The suspect was reportedly not armed and was taken into custody without incident, Piggott said. The incident is being investigated as a homicide and police are expected to be on scene for several hours as they work to obtain search warrants to process the crime scene.

“At this point we’re receiving conflicting reports as to what caused the injuries,” said Piggott, who called the incident “a senseless crime.”

Identities of the victim and the suspect are not being released at this time.

Local 4 is on the scene. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Takeaways from Supreme Court term: Trump's power is enhanced, but he lost some high-profile cases

Mark Sherman And Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:18:24 +0000

President Donald Trump didn't get what he wanted in some of the biggest Supreme Court cases this year: tariffs, birthright citizenship and the attempted firing of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook.

But he also emerged from the term with even greater power.

His immigration crackdown was largely upheld, his call to redistrict for partisan advantage marched ahead and his ability to control federal regulatory agencies expanded dramatically when the court overturned a 90-year-old precedent. The court's conservative majority also seemed willing to look past Trump’s invocation of racial tropes and boundary-pushing moves as it handed down decisions in line with its own conception of a powerful presidency.

The conservative majority seems fully behind the unitary executive theory

The court's ruling Monday gave the president effective control over independent regulatory agencies by allowing him to fire their leaders at will.

Several federal laws, some more than 100 years old, sought to protect agency independence by requiring the president to identify a cause, like negligence, before firing the leaders. The court struck down those provisions as unconstitutional limits on presidential power.

The decision could give the president the ability to reshape agencies Congress created to operate independently of the executive branch. It also could be a threat to the federal workforce, well below top executives, that has been covered by the civil service system, if future decisions allow the president to fire lower-level workers.

One agency that still appears beyond Trump's reach is the Federal Reserve. Though many experts have said there is no principled distinction, the court ruled Monday that the Fed's leadership can't be fired at will. It said Cook can remain in her job while she challenges efforts to oust her over allegations of mortgage fraud, which she denies.

The Voting Rights Act has been hollowed out

It was the crown jewel of the Civil Rights Movement: the 1965 federal law that finally opened the ballot box to Black Americans and other minorities and eventually led to the election of thousands of Black officeholders across the country.

But since 2013, the court has systematically and severely cut back on the ability of minority voters to invoke the law's protections to challenge election changes, saying the need for those protections had largely passed.

In April, the court made it much harder for minority voters to challenge electoral districts that result in reduced opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing, unless they can effectively prove intentional racial discrimination.

The decision meshed with Trump's call for Republicans to redraw as many districts as possible to try to hold on to their slim majority in the House.

Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee eliminated largely Black districts in response to the decision, including an Alabama district that was created in response to a Supreme Court ruling three years ago.

The immigration crackdown has been at the center of Trump's agenda

The Trump administration notched a series of wins on immigration this term: The justices allowed the Department of Homeland Security to end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians and to employ a restrictive policy limiting the number of people seeking asylum each day at the southern border.

They also allowed border officers wider latitude in cases of green-card holders accused of crimes, in a case that started during the Obama administration.

In the birthright citizenship case, Trump pushed for limits no president had sought before, and certainly not through an executive order that would bypass Congress. In the end, six justices ruled he had gone too far.

But four justices adopted the administration's reading of the 14th Amendment that it would permit denying citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

Trump's crude racial and religious stereotypes get a pass from the court

Conservative justices have repeatedly discounted or taken the best possible view of Trump’s words and actions. Critics call it sanewashing.

In last week's decision stripping protections from Haitian migrants, Justices Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan sparred over the role of race in Trump's statements depicting Haitians as “poisoning our blood” and amplifying false rumors of them eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio, among other graphic comments.

“None of the cited statements by either the President or the Secretary was overtly racial,” Alito wrote, contending they could have neutral explanations.

Kagan countered: “The statements fairly shout, in their racial undertones and overtones alike, that race entered into the President’s resolve to remove Haitians from this country.”

The findings echo the 2018 travel ban case where Chief Justice John Roberts said Trump's comments about Muslims were beside the point in the court's review of a “Presidential directive, neutral on its face, addressing a matter within the core of executive responsibility.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor saw things differently. “The full record paints a far more harrowing picture, from which a reasonable observer would readily conclude that the Proclamation was motivated by hostility and animus toward the Muslim faith,” she wrote.

The court also looked past the allegations against Trump when it ruled for him in the 2024 case that helped him avoid prosecution. Two of Trump's appointees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, had little interest in discussing Trump's effort to undo the 2020 election results and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol that followed. “We’re writing a rule for the ages," Gorsuch said. Kavanaugh added later: “I’m not focused on the here and now of this case. I’m very concerned about the future."

The court rejected Trump's global tariffs

A six-justice majority of three liberal and three conservative justices ruled in February that an emergency powers law doesn’t let Trump bypass Congress. No president had ever tried the tactic before.

Trump responded to the loss by sharpy criticizing the justices who ruled against him, referring to those he nominated as an “embarrassment to their families.”

Meanwhile, he has continued threatening tariffs under other authorities. And new tariffs he imposed in response to the high-court ruling remain in effect even as they, too, have been challenged.

Gun rights get a modest boost

The justices backed Second Amendment rights in a pair of rulings. One found that people can't be barred from owning firearms just because they regularly use marijuana. While the federal ban wasn't often enforced in broad terms, the court's decision recognized that cannabis is now used by millions of people and said it can't automatically be considered dangerous.

Another decision struck down a Hawaii law that had required people to get permission to carry guns into stores and hotels. A handful of other states have similar laws, some of which have already been blocked in court.

They're the latest in a line of gun cases to reach the court since the justices expanded Second Amendment rights in a landmark 2022 decision.

And a major new case on gun rights is looming. The court also announced Tuesday it will decide whether state and local bans on semiautomatic rifles commonly known as assault weapons violate the Second Amendment.

Rio bus drivers and workers throughout Brazil demand shorter work week as lawmakers examine proposal

Eléonore Hughes And Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:12:27 +0000

Hundreds of bus drivers on strike protested in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, demanding better conditions, increased pay and an end to the six-day working week. They are also part of a broader movement of workers pushing to guarantee Brazilians two days off a week.

“You can’t spend quality time or go out with your family, give attention to your children, visit relatives, or have a day like going to a restaurant to have lunch together," said Alexandre Garrido, 49, who has been a bus driver for 20 years.

A proposal to limit the working week to five days is currently in the hands of the Senate after approval from a lower house in May, and is backed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as part of his reelection bid in October.

Currently, many Brazilians work five eight-hour days and another four hours on a sixth day. Others have two days off but still work a total of 44 hours per week. The constitutional amendment seeks to establish a 40-hour weekly limit without reducing pay.

If approved, it would transform the lives of millions of mostly poor Brazilians and likely give a boost to Lula’s campaign. Other Latin American countries have made similar reforms, while Argentina has moved in the opposite direction.

“Those who support working six days a week are in favor of modern slavery,” said Rick Azevedo, a city councilor in Rio who attended the protest Tuesday and who founded the movement Life Beyond Work, one of the driving forces behind the measure.

In addition to the bus drivers' strike called by a local union, which emphasizes increased pay as their main demand, Azevedo's movement also organized protests across Brazil on Tuesday.

Lower income workers most affected

About 14 million Brazilians work six days a week, including 26-year-old Fernanda Sousa. Every day except Tuesdays, she makes her way down the sprawling Rocinha favela at around 5:30 a.m., drops off her 6-year-old son at his godmother's, and takes the metro to the wealthy neighborhood of Gavea to serve Brazilian cheese bread and other snacks in a bistro.

“Going to work on a Sunday when everyone is with their families breaks my heart,” Sousa said, as she made her way home on a recent Friday night, her son in tow. She said she also struggles to balance employment and housework — a predicament shared by many women around the world but accentuated by the longer workweek.

Different studies in Brazil show workers of lower income and in lower-skilled jobs are more often bound to the grueling 44-hour schedule.

Matheus Paulo Costa da Silva, 28, works as a home furnishings store supervisor in Rio. He recently tried to attend an evening IT course, but fatigue stopped him.

“I can’t see my family, I can’t go to the gym, I can’t study. I live to work,” said da Silva.

Businesses are reluctant

Lawmaker Erika Hilton, who led the way for Brazil's lower house to approve the amendment in May, said even some of her conservative adversaries now support the changes, though other opponents seek to kill the move in the Senate.

“Ending the six-day workweek allows us to care for workers who are under attack since Brazil’s slavery days,” said Hilton, in a reference to a period of almost 400 years that ended in 1888.

Workers should be able to travel, go to the beach, attend church or spend time with their friends in their spare time, she added.

Brazil's businesses, however, are sounding the alarm. The country’s National Confederation of Industry argues the annual labor costs could jump by up to 267 billion reais ($52 billion), an increase of up to 7%, if the current workweek is reduced. That alone could slow the South American nation's economy by 0.7%, the confederation says.

Experts say small businesses could be hit hardest. Sebrae, an institution that supports them, says they make up about 97% of enterprises in Brazil, providing half of the country's formal jobs.

Marcelo Pierini, the 52-year-old owner of a pie restaurant in downtown Sao Paulo, is already worried. He employs five people, closes only on Sundays, and has thin profit margins.

“This change could mean one of two things: closing on Mondays and losing some profit or sharing my bill with the customers,” Pierini said. “It is hard. I want some rest too, but I can't afford it.”

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.

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

Trump administration suspends funding for New York's Medicaid fraud unit

Ali Swenson And Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:42:24 +0000

The Trump administration on Tuesday said it would freeze federal funding for New York's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a state agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting fraud in the safety-net government healthcare program.

In a letter sent to New York officials, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Thomas March Bell accused the state of not securing enough criminal indictments and convictions and said millions of dollars in funding would be suspended through at least Sept. 30.

The move is the second suspension of a state Medicaid fraud unit this year by the Republican Trump administration, and part of a barrage of anti-fraud actions it has aggressively promoted in the healthcare sector. They have included the creation of a new task force, targeted investigations, funding deferrals and demands for revalidation of healthcare providers that have touched all states but focused largely on Democratic ones.

The pulled funding also comes after the administration admitted a glaring error in figures meant to help justify a fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program earlier this year, a mistake critics said revealed a Trumpian tendency to attack first and verify the facts later.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, immediately vowed to fight Tuesday's funding freeze.

“During my time as Attorney General, my office has recovered over $627 million for Medicaid and was recognized by this very administration for leading the nation in anti-fraud efforts,” she wrote. “We are considering all legal options to stop this outrageous action.”

Letter accuses New York of low performance

Bell's letter to James and New York MFCU Director Amy Held argues that the unit is moving too slowly on cases and amassing too few indictments and convictions for wrongdoing in the Medicaid system. It notes that compared to four similarly-sized units in other states, it secured the lowest number of criminal fraud convictions between 2023 and 2025.

The letter acknowledges that one reason the state has fewer criminal convictions than other states is that it made a deliberate choice to focus on “high impact, complex fraud cases” rather than smaller-scale individual cases, but says that tradeoff didn't produce sufficient results.

“Enough is enough,” Bell wrote. “The New York MFCU has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of its MFCU grant award.”

Bell said in the letter that the funding suspension could be lifted before Sept. 30 if New York takes corrective action, “showing it has remediated concerns that formed the basis for this suspension.” He said if the state doesn’t fix the problems, the freeze will continue.

New York officials dispute the Trump administration's claims

New York's attorney general's office said in a statement that it has “long been recognized as a national leader in effectively investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud schemes,” including by the HHS inspector general's office. A 2025 report from the office notes that New York is one of four states that made up half the total civil recoveries in that year.

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said most of the unit’s criminal convictions focus on company owners, executives and corporations that would return large amounts to Medicaid.

“Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State has taken concrete steps to root out waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid," said New York health department spokesperson Cadence Acquaviva. “We look forward to the day when these disingenuous attacks end.”

The funding cutoff follows a similar move in Hawaii. In early June, Bell told Hawaii officials that Medicaid fraud funding would be cut off there, saying that it had a three-year stretch without a Medicaid fraud indictment or conviction.

Joan Alker, executive director and co-founder of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, said there's an irony in the federal government cutting off money intended for prosecuting fraud when its stated goal is to do just that.

“If you want to fight fraud, don't take away money from states' fraud control units,” she said. “I chalk this up to more political theater to distract voters from historic Medicaid cuts before the midterms.”

The Department of Justice named the MFCUs in both Hawaii and New York as prosecutorial partners in a news release about a national Medicaid fraud takedown last week.

Move follows months of federal warnings and deferrals

For months, the Trump administration has contended that states — especially some Democratic-led ones — have been lax about fraud in social safety-net programs, including Medicaid.

It has demanded at least five states, four of them governed by Democrats, share information about how they identify, prevent and address Medicaid fraud.

The federal government has also withheld some Medicaid funding from Minnesota and California over fraud concerns. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who was Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, accused Trump of making cuts because of retribution.

The fraud-busting efforts have also targeted Medicare programs. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, announced a six-month moratorium on new enrollments for providers of hospice and home care nationally.

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Associated Press writer Anthony Izaguirre contributed to this report. Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Explosion in Monaco reportedly wounds Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:29:22 +0000

An explosion at an apartment building entrance in Monaco reportedly wounded a Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia and two other people, the chief prosecutor in the exclusive Mediterranean country said Tuesday.

A search was underway for a suspect who fled on foot after the blast late Monday, Prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said, adding that the motive was unclear.

Media reports identified Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev as being among the injured. He has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, and he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russia. A woman and a child were also hurt.

“It appears that the family was specifically targeted,” said Christophe Mirmand, the minister of state for Monaco. He said the suspect “had walked around the area several times while waiting for the victims,” according to surveillance footage.

It was not clear why the family was targeted or by whom.

Russia has a long history of targeting its enemies abroad, and Western intelligence officials have recently said that a campaign of targeted killings has ramped up since President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine is also believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said its embassy in France, which is also responsible for Monaco, was in touch with local authorities. Ukrainian diplomats were at the scene providing assistance, it said.

Attack shocks glamorous Monaco

The attack shocked the country on the Mediterranean coast, one of the world’s smallest sovereign states known for its high concentration of wealthy residents. Monaco’s Prince Albert II described it as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.

Monaco police opened an attempted murder investigation, but they did not describe it as a terrorism investigation, Thibault told reporters.

The family members are “regular” residents of Monaco, and authorities did not yet know whether they had been threatened in the past, Mirmand said.

The blast occurred around 9 p.m. Monday at the entrance of a residence near the French border.

Silvano Ippolito, who lives across from the building where the explosion happened, described hearing it and seeing a little boy on the ground being attended to by other people. He then called his wife, a doctor, who provided first aid to the badly wounded woman.

“She intervened very quickly, before the emergency services arrived, to apply tourniquets and perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as the woman was losing consciousness,” Ippolito said.

A man came out of the building covered in blood and staggering. As he tried to go down the stairs, the staircase collapsed, and he fell on Ippolito’s wife and a firefighter, he said.

The woman’s injuries were “a real disaster," Ippolito said. "I’m telling you, she had no foot.”

The woman was in life-threatening condition, Thibault said. He did not provide the identities of the people who were hurt.

The woman was being treated at a hospital in Nice, Mirmand told French news broadcaster LCI. Her partner and the 13-year-old child suffered less severe injuries but were still hospitalized Tuesday, he added.

The suspect got away via steps to a small street to the neighboring French town of Beausoleil, according to surveillance footage.

In a picture captured by surveillance cameras and published by French media, the suspect could be seen in a street wearing a black jacket, light-colored pants, white shoes and a black bucket hat that partly concealed his face.

The three people were “apparently returning home peacefully,” Mirmand said, citing surveillance footage. “They were caught in the explosion as they crossed the threshold of their apartment building."

Ukrainian tycoon is a well-known real estate developer

Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian-born businessman originally from the city of Dnipro, built his fortune through the Alef Group, a diversified business that includes commercial real estate, manufacturing and agriculture. He became one of the country’s best-known property developers, leading projects that reshaped parts of Dnipro’s city center. He has regularly appeared in rankings of Ukraine’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.

In an interview with Forbes Ukraine, Yermolaiev said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and became a Cypriot citizen in 2017.

In December 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on Yermolaiev as part of a broader package targeting individuals and companies Kyiv said had business links to Russia or Russian-occupied territories.

The Cyprus Registrar of Companies lists a man called Vadym Iermolaiev as the director of Vespano Ltd., a company in the Cypriot city of Limassol first registered in January 2019. Cyprus’ Interior Ministry told The Associated Press it could not provide information about the man’s citizenship status due to confidentiality rules.

A coastal playground for the rich and famous, Monaco is renowned as much for its tax-friendly incentives and Formula 1 Grand Prix as its glamorous royal family. The small principality is widely regarded as one of the safest places in the world, in part because of its network of thousands of surveillance cameras covering most public spaces.

Monaco’s population of 38,000 is multinational, with only a fifth of the population actually citizens of the principality.

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Associated Press journalists Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

Supreme Court upholds state laws banning transgender girls and women from school athletic teams

Mark Sherman, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:06:10 +0000

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people.

The court’s six-justice conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year, ruled that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution. The court unanimously agreed that barring transgender girls and women also doesn’t run afoul of the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court that, “states may maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females” to address safety and competitive fairness concerns. “The Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women’s and girls’ sports throughout America.”

More than two dozen other Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes, and the decision seems certain to extend to them as well.

Left unresolved by the outcome are lawsuits challenging state laws and regulations in Connecticut, California and elsewhere that permit transgender athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, saying from the bench that the majority opinion was wrong to reject an equal-protection claim from 16-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson.

With the science still evolving, transgender students shouldn’t automatically be shut out of team sports, she said. “We just simply do not know scientifically that transgender students pose dangers,” she said, reading from a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues.

Pepper-Jackson, a high school sophomore in Bridgeport, West Virginia, has been taking puberty-blocking medication, has publicly identified as a girl since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls sports in West Virginia.

Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to statewide champion in the shot put. She beat the second-place finisher by two feet in last month’s West Virginia championship meet.

In the Idaho case, Lindsay Hecox sued over the state’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad because “she was too slow,” her lawyer, Kathleen Hartnett, told the court during arguments in January, but she competed in club-level soccer and running.

Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes.

Kavanaugh, who has coached girls’ basketball, underlined the importance of women’s sports and athletes’ dedication. “No student-athlete on either side of the issue, whether a biological female or transgender, deserves to be ostracized or vilified,” he wrote.

In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.

But last year, the six conservative justices on the nine-member court declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argued there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX.

Idaho’s law, state Solicitor General Alan Hurst said, is “necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same.”

Republican President Donald Trump applauded Tuesday’s decision, calling it a “BIG WIN” in a social-media post.

Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argued that such distinctions generally make sense but that their client has none of those advantages because of the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox’s case, her lawyers wanted the court to dismiss the case because she had forsworn trying to play on women’s teams.

NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress in 2024 that he was aware of only 10 transgender athletes out of more than half a million students on college teams. But despite the small numbers, the issue has taken on outsize importance.

Baker’s NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women’s sports after President Donald Trump, a Republican, signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation.

The public generally is supportive of the limits. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to compete only on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.

About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people ages 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

“While we are deeply disappointed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today regarding transgender athletes and the impact it will have on transgender athletes across the country, it does not mean that Michigan school districts are required to ban transgender girls from playing sports.
Michigan’s state civil rights laws explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression in school, employment and housing.
Today’s ruling also does not apply to other school programs or activities, including gender-neutral bathrooms and respecting student names and pronouns.
Michigan already has a mechanism in place that addresses concerns about competitive advantage, and there is no need for a ban on transgender athletes in school sports.
It is simply unfair to deny a child the many benefits of teamwork and dedication because of who they are, along with the friendships and leadership development that playing sports cultivates.
We should remove barriers for everyone in sports such as unequal pay and harassment, not create new ones. Opponents have spent millions to advance sports bans that target a handful of children instead of making sure that everyone – transgender or not – is able to have good jobs, fully funded schools, an affordable cost of living, and the healthcare we need.
Transgender people are our neighbors, friends, and family, and they deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity as anyone else.
Every day we see attempts to deny transgender people control over their bodies, identities and lives, and we will continue to fight for the freedom of all people to be their authentic selves, without fear or political interference."
ACLU

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LeBron hits free agency: James not returning to Lakers, plans to play 24th season elsewhere

Tim Reynolds, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:55:18 +0000

LeBron James is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, which means another decision awaits.

A mere 16 years after his first famed “decision” — the one that saw him leave Cleveland for Miami — James is getting ready to change uniforms once again. He has told the Lakers that his eight-year run with them is over and that he'll play a record-extending 24th NBA season elsewhere.

James has made clear many times in recent years that more championships are his motivation, which means it's almost certain he'll pick a team that he believes can contend for an NBA title in 2027. Golden State is believed to be on his list, though there are certainly some who will wonder if reunions with Cleveland and Miami are possible. Or, perhaps, a new landing spot awaits such as San Antonio, where he could partner with 7-foot-4 global megastar Victor Wembanyama.

“I’ve done it all. I’ve seen it all,” James said when the Lakers' season ended in May — after what was his last game with the franchise. “Just being able to compete and trying to win championships, I think that’s a motivating factor.”

The first half of his decision is complete: He's back for at least one more year, which means his family agreed to that part of the plan — James had said his wife Savannah and 12-year-old daughter Zhuri would have big says in whether or not he continued to play.

His next decision — where to play — is among the biggest dominoes that will fall during the NBA's offseason player movement window, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded by Milwaukee to Miami.

The Lakers released a statement Tuesday thanking James for his eight seasons with the club.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” said Jeanie Buss, part of the Lakers’ ownership group. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers, including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances, and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

ESPN, citing James’ longtime agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, first reported James’ plans.

What happens now

James can begin talking officially to new clubs after 6 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, when the league’s free agent period opens. He will not be able to sign with a new team until the league’s offseason moratorium is lifted on July 6.

The momentum toward Golden State seemed to pick up when longtime Warriors forward Draymond Green did not exercise his $27.6 million option for this coming season earlier this week in large part to allow his team flexibility to make other roster moves. It doesn't mean Green won't be back in Golden State — all indications are that he will — but it gives the team options.

“Personally, I’m always willing to work with the team on whatever is best, especially at this point in my career,” Green said on the latest episode of his podcast, which was released Tuesday. “So my decision to opt out was for a few reasons. As you all know, I’ve always taken the approach of working with the organization. I’ve been in one place for 14 years. It’s more of a family to me than anything.”

Golden State is a franchise James faced four times with Cleveland in the NBA Finals. He also has close relationships with Green, Stephen Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr; Curry was his teammate and Kerr was his coach for USA Basketball's run to the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

James spent eight seasons with the Lakers, the longest he spent in one stint with one NBA team and led them to the 2020 NBA championship. He became the NBA’s all-time points leader while wearing a Lakers uniform and surpassed a slew of other records while in purple and gold.

He spent the first seven years of his career in Cleveland, then left for four years in Miami where he won the first two of his four championships. That was followed by another four-year stint with the Cavaliers (so he had 11 years there total), and in 2018 he joined the Lakers.

A career like none other

James is the NBA’s oldest active player; he turns 42 in December. He was the first player in league history to log 23 seasons; he’ll add at least one more to that this season. He also became the first player in the league to have a son as a teammate, with Bronny James playing alongside him with the Lakers.

The list of James’ accolades to this point are beyond comparison.

He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. He’s coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, and for his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

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

Republican Tom Kean Jr. reveals depression diagnosis after his four-month absence from Congress

Mike Catalini, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:09:59 +0000

New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. disclosed Tuesday that he was being treated for depression during his unexplained four-month absence from the House, suggesting in a brief floor speech that he remained silent about his condition until now because he is a “private person by nature.”

Depression, Kean said, “is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

Kean’s reappearance came weeks after his victory in an uncontested primary on June 2 and months after he last cast his vote in the House. His speech ended the silence on his condition, yet left questions unanswered. Kean said he first entered the hospital due to health concerns and underwent testing, but offered no further details.

After the speech, Kean left the Capitol quickly without answering questions from reporters.

Kean last voted in the House on March 5. His absence had complicated matters for House Republican leaders, who have been struggling to pass bills with their threadbare majority.

Kean said he was diagnosed for depression and that doctors recommended he remain in the hospital. Addressing his earlier statement that he expected to return to work in a matter of weeks, Kean said he believed that at the time and it was his doctors’ best estimate then.

“But as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover there is no timeline for healing," Kean said.

“Today I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love."

A second-term lawmaker and scion of a New Jersey political family, Kean represents a battleground district that includes President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club.

What the House speaker says about Kean’s return

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he would leave it to Kean to decide whether his remarks Tuesday provided sufficient transparency.

“He spoke to it," Johnson said. “It’s his personal issue, and, you know, I thought the speech on the floor was, well, I thought he explained it.”

Johnson said he had “encouraged him all along to be as transparent as possible” and was “glad he finally has” been.

The mystery over Kean's absence had potential political implications, given the competitive district he represents and the Republican Party's narrow control of the House. His office has said he is still running for reelection and is set to face Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, in New Jersey's most high-profile contest in November.

Democrats have targeted the district as a prime pickup opportunity, given that the seat has changed hands in the last two midterm elections. Kean won in 2022 by defeating Democrat Tom Malinowski, who had defeated Republican Leonard Lance in 2018.

Johnson added Tuesday he is confident Kean would be “easily” reelected in November. Trump has endorsed Kean’s reelection, without mentioning his absence.

Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.

Kean's great-grandfather was a senator, his grandfather was a congressman and his father is the former two-term governor, Tom Kean Sr.

Absent from public view

Lawmakers vary in how transparent they are about extended absences.

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history, was hospitalized more than two weeks ago, and his office has released few details about his condition since.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment for clinical depression weeks after being sworn into office in 2023. Fetterman, who has dealt with the effects of a stroke he suffered in May 2022, disclosed the hospitalization the day after he was admitted.

Fetterman has talked openly about his struggle with depression and urged people to get help.

“There are people who are suffering with depression in red counties and blue counties," Fetterman said in 2023 after a six-week inpatient treatment. “If you need help, please get help,.”

Kean and House Republican leaders kept the public in the dark about his condition for months. He missed more than 100 House votes this year and was not seen publicly in Washington or his district.

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat who has spoken openly about living with depression, wrote on social media after Kean's remarks that he has “deep sympathy for anyone struggling with mental illness.”

“At the same time, public office carries a duty of transparency," Torres wrote. “When a public official is absent for an extended period, the public has a right to an honest explanation.”

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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

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

Collin Binkley, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:39:11 +0000

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

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

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

“It’s like a detective story,” Loeb said in an interview. “It’s a lot of fun, as long as you don’t pay too much attention to the critics.”

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

His theories have won praise in UFO circles but often put him in conflict with academic peers. Other astronomers accuse him of making exotic claims with little evidence. Some chafe at his habit of skipping the peer review process and bringing claims directly to the public.

Steve Desch, an Arizona State University astrophysicist who has challenged some of Loeb's theories, said Loeb uses flawed methods to reach wild conclusions about alien life — all while shunning a more established branch of science searching for life beyond Earth.

Loeb's role on the White House panel casts doubt on the entire endeavor, Desch said.

“I don’t know what’s going to come of this, but we’re not going to get any closer to answering these questions with him in charge,” Desch said.

The team includes scientists, UFO activists and a billionaire

Loeb brushes his critics aside, saying they lack the imagination to consider new ideas. He's promising a grounded approach to his work for the White House. As he analyzes UAP, he's starting with the assumption that they're the work of humans, he said, approaching it from a national security perspective.

Nonetheless, he envisions an outcome where his work could lead to something bigger. If the government invests in better data collection on UAPs, Loeb said, it could settle the alien debate once and for all.

His hand-picked team includes more than a dozen scientists and UFO activists. Among them is Timothy Gallaudet, a retired rear admiral who has warned about UAP controlled by “nonhuman intelligence,” claiming the United States has recovered crashed aircraft. Also on the team is Ben Lamm, a billionaire working to revive extinct species.

After its first meeting last month, the team sent a request to the Pentagon asking for more than 50 videos, images and other documents related to known UAP incidents. Loeb's group meets behind closed doors, but he has vowed to brief the public and create a website to share findings.

“At a time when science is not so much celebrated, this is an opportunity to actually do good for all sides involved,” Loeb said.

New UAP board created in response to Trump's order for transparency

Earlier this year, Trump directed his administration to provide more transparency on questions of UFOs and alien life. So far, the Pentagon has released three batches of files ranging from decades-old FBI reports to more recent military videos showing orbs darting or soaring through the sky.

Trump's directive led to the creation of a UAP Governance Board overseen by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The board met for the first time in June, and is supported by Loeb's team and several other advisory groups, the office said.

It comes as a bipartisan group in Congress pushes the White House to go further, with some Republicans amplifying claims the U.S. is hiding evidence of alien encounters. The White House has encouraged anyone with information to come forward. A Pentagon office that investigates UAP says it has seen no evidence of alien life.

Loeb said he doesn't buy into cover-up theories. “My impression is the government is baffled by not being able to infer the nature of some of these objects,” he said.

Before looking for aliens, Loeb studied black holes and galaxies

Before he became known for his alien theories, Loeb was a respected cosmologist who authored hundreds of papers, specializing in black holes and the birth of galaxies. He served as chair of Harvard's astronomy department for nearly a decade.

Loeb's career took a turn with his “light sail” theory in 2017, which he presented in a paper and later a book. He went on to found the Galileo Project at Harvard, with a stated mission to search for artifacts from alien civilizations.

His team drew attention in 2023 when they used magnets to retrieve hundreds of small spheres from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, near the possible site of a 2014 meteor crash. After analyzing the metallic “spherules,” Loeb suggested they came from a distant planet or, alternately, from alien technology.

Other scholars challenged the claim, saying it was probably volcanic rock or coal ash.

Sean Kirkpatrick, a physicist who previously investigated UAP at the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, said Loeb is “not viewed favorably” in the scientific community and lacks national security experience. He said the makeup of Loeb's team suggests the White House is more interested in fringe theories than hard science.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the criticism.

Loeb, meanwhile, said he aims to follow the science without distraction. “Let’s keep our eyes on the orbs,” he said, “not the social media.”

18-year-old accused of being armed in downtown Detroit, shot by police, faces multiple charges

Samantha Sayles — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:08:36 +0000

An 18-year-old who was shot by police in downtown Detroit after allegedly being armed with a gun and running from officers is facing multiple charges.

Alonzo Anthony Lee-Perkins, 18, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, resisting a police officer and felony firearm.

Lee-Perkins was shot in downtown Detroit on June 22, just hours before the Ford Fireworks show.

A young man is in critical condition after being shot by police following an encounter involving an assault-style rifle in downtown Detroit.

Police said the incident began when officers saw a 19-year-old with a rifle and arrested him.

Lee-Perkins, who police said was also armed, allegedly ran from officers and was eventually shot.

Detroit police said an officer feared for his safety and the safety of the public, resulting in him firing his weapon at Lee-Perkins several times.

The shooting happened near an apartment complex near Bates and Farmer streets.

Lee-Perkins was arraigned in court on June 30 and was given a $10,000 personal bond. He is expected to return to court on July 8.

Alonzo Lee-Perkins

Supreme Court will consider whether laws known as assault weapons bans violate the Second Amendment

Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:13:28 +0000

A Supreme Court that has expanded gun rights will consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles, often called assault weapons, violate the Second Amendment.

The justices said Tuesday they will hear appeals challenging bans on the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic firearms in Connecticut and the Chicago area.

It is the latest high-profile dispute over guns to reach the court since its conservative majority handed down a landmark ruling in 2022 that expanded Second Amendment rights and spawned challenges to firearm laws around the country.

Arguments are expected to be heard in the fall.

The Connecticut law was passed after a mass shooter used an AR-15 to kill 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. The state says the guns are a preferred weapon of mass shooters, and they can be banned because they are similar to military-grade weapons.

“These laws are critical public safety measures, and they are consistent with the Second Amendment," said Janet Carter, managing director of Second Amendment litigation at the gun-control group Everytown Law.

Gun rights groups, on the other hand, argue it’s unconstitutional to ban semiautomatic rifles, which are legally owned by millions of Americans.

“The Second Amendment protects arms in common use for lawful purposes, and it’s hard to argue that a type of rifle that potentially outnumbers Ford F-150 trucks in America doesn’t meet that standard,” said Adam Kraut, executive director of the Second Amendment Foundation.

Four conservative justices on the nine-member court, enough to grant review of a case, had signaled that it was only a matter of time before the court took up the issue.

The ban in Cook County, Illinois, was first passed in 1993. Lower courts have upheld both laws.

“If the Second Amendment does not protect the most popular rifles in the country, it is hard to see how it protects any firearms at all,” aside from handguns kept in the home, the challengers wrote.

Attorneys for Cook County, on the other hand, say the measure does pass constitutional muster. "The trauma that assault weapon massacres have inflicted on the public at large has been staggering,” they wrote.

The Supreme Court backed Second Amendment rights in two cases this term, striking down gun carry restrictions in Hawaii and a broad federal ban on gun ownership by marijuana users. They've previously upheld some restrictions, though, including a law barring people under domestic-violence restraining orders from having guns.

Also Tuesday, the court rebuffed a series of cases over restrictions on guns for young adults under age 21, declining to hear an issue that's sharply divided lower courts in recent years.

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How to stay cool in a heat wave even without air conditioning

Caleigh Wells And Melina Walling, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:50:48 +0000

Heat can be dangerous, but health experts say there are ways to manage the threat.

Scorching temperatures, especially combined with high humidity, pose risks particularly for children, older people and those with certain health conditions. Anyone can suffer from heat-related illness.

Climate change is also exacerbating heat waves and heat stress.

So here are some tips to stay safe:

When heat becomes dangerous

Dangers posed by hot weather depend on more than the temperature. The most detailed measurement is called the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind. The heat index, which measures temperature and humidity, is less descriptive but easier to find on weather apps. Both explain why a shaded soccer field on a 90 degree F day (32 degree C) in arid Phoenix may be less risky than an exposed park on an 80 degree F (27 degree C) day in soupy Little Rock.

Just based on heat index, NOAA has a chart that calculates how dangerous prolonged exposure can be. For example, a day in which temperatures reach 96 degree F (36 degrees C) and 45% humidity would fall into the “danger” category for prolonged exposure or strenuous activity.

The WBGT threshold isn't exact, but recent research suggests that even some young, healthy people can't endure hours of exposure to high heat and humidity.

How to cool down

Overnight temperatures can be a particularly dangerous part of a heat wave, said Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University.

“Your body needs a reprieve,” she said. “You don't get that overnight, we start the next day at a deficit.” Heat can worsen labor productivity and lead to more visits to the emergency room.

“When we have overnight temperatures that don't drop below 75 degrees" F (24 degrees C), she said, “you start to see some pretty extraordinary outcomes with respect to heat illness and heat stroke, and even mortality.”

Ward said air conditioning can help, but she acknowledged that not everyone has access.

If you can't afford to cool the whole house, Ward said, create a “cool corner" and sleep there, so your body is prepared to tackle the next day.

Evaporative or “swamp” coolers can help in dry heat, but they increase humidity and can make it more difficult to cool down. In humid places, just use a fan.

If you don't have air conditioning, find public places that do, including movie theaters, malls and libraries. Some communities set up cooling centers.

Depending on where you live, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program can help you buy a window air conditioning unit, according to the National Council on Aging. Some local nonprofits and civic organizations can also help.

Know your rights if you work outside

Knowing what workplace protections you have is important. Some states have them, including Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota and Maryland, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Other states don't have any.

If your state has work rules, try to learn them — though there are still challenges to ensuring regulations are actually enforced, said Bharat Venkat, director of the University of California, Los Angeles Heat Lab.

He notes that sometimes shaded areas are too far away for workers to take breaks without losing wages, or that management can make it impossible for workers to advocate for themselves. “Most workers don’t actually have control over their time or control over where they work," Venkat said.

Within those constraints, finding ways to stay hydrated and lower your body temperature are important. You can do this by drinking lots of fluids, wetting clothing or putting cold water or a cold rag on your hands, feet, armpits and neck. A portable handheld fan or a cooling vest can also help.

If you're exercising, avoid the hottest times of day and bring more water than you think you need.

Knowing heat illness symptoms

Heat illness symptoms can vary by person, Venkat said. Medications or existing health conditions can also make it harder to regulate body temperature or notice you're getting too hot.

Early trouble signs include heavy sweating, muscle cramps and headache. That's when you stop what you're doing and cool yourself off, for example by splashing yourself with cold water or finding an air-conditioned space.

As heat exhaustion sets in, new symptoms arrive, including faster heart rate and dizziness. Next comes heat stroke, which can include confusion, slurred words and fainting. Ward said that's when to call 911.

“Don’t be embarrassed to call 911 or go to urgent care when you think you might have overdone it in the heat,” he said.

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Walling and Wells are former Associated Press reporters.

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Monterrey turns into a sea of Mexico green, even without El Tri on the field

Maya Koluder-Ramirez And Ethan Wilcox, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:30:11 +0000

Those watching the World Cup on television may have noticed large patches of fans wearing Mexico's jersey in Monterrey, even though El Tri doesn’t play in the city.

Located in the state of Nuevo León, Monterrey is the only Mexican host city not to feature the country's national team — but this hasn’t stopped swaths of fans from wearing dark green and enjoying the World Cup spectacle in their hometown.

“It’s a good deal for the country and also for the city,” said Manuel Pérez, a resident of Monterrey who attended the round of 32 game between Netherlands and Morocco on Monday. “We are all together in this special moment."

No matter who is playing at Estadio BBVA, Mexican fans control the atmosphere through their various chants.

“It’s part of a culture, and we support each and every team that comes here,” said Sebastian Roa, a fan who traveled from Guadalajara.

During the match between the Netherlands and Morocco, Mexican fans could be heard throughout the stadium chanting “no era penal” (it wasn't a penalty) and “Mexico.”

The phrase “no era penal” was coined at the 2014 World Cup, during Mexico’s round of 16 match against the Netherlands.

In that game, the Netherlands earned a penalty in stoppage time when the referee deemed that Dutch winger Arjen Robben was clipped in the box by Mexico’s Rafael Márquez. The penalty was converted by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, eliminating Mexico. However, many Mexican fans are convinced that Robben dived and a penalty should not have been awarded.

Within the first 10 minutes of the match on Monday, which was also the anniversary of that game, the Mexican fans reminded the world of their 12-year grudge against the Oranje.

Morocco coach impressed by Monterrey fans

While local fans in the United States and Canada have also attended other nations’ matches, the Mexican fans have taken complete initiative in showcasing their country.

Their dedication toward the sport has not gone unnoticed by visiting teams.

“I’ve always said that the 1986 (World Cup in Mexico) made me fall in love with the sport,” Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. “I want to say that hopefully at the next World Cup — when it’s played in Morocco — I think (the Moroccan people) want to have Mexican fans and make them feel at home.”

The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

In addition to the round of 32, Monterrey featured five teams in the three group stage games it hosted: Sweden, Tunisia, Japan, South Korea and South Africa.

While some sets of fans were larger than others, like Japan and South Korea, there was never a game that lacked Mexican green in the crowd.

“We love watching every game,” Roa said. “Even if it’s (other teams) like Cabo Verde or Uzbekistan, you’re gonna see us.”

In Guadalajara, South Korea’s opening day win against Czech Republic was headlined by empty seats, which FIFA blamed on several fans watching the game from the stadium concourses. But Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA featured sell-out crowds of 51,243 fans in three of its four matches.

“I didn’t go to (a game in Guadalajara) because the prices were crazy high,” Roa said. “But I managed to get a ticket here.

Mexico became the first nation to host three World Cups: 1970, 1986 and 2026. But for many locals it’s the first time they’ve seen the tournament in-person.

“It’s a special moment to come to the World Cup and enjoy the match,” said Alejandro Cuellar, who attended Sweden vs. Tunisia with his brother. “We don’t know when it’s going to be here again.”

The craving for international soccer in Monterrey is not reserved only for the World Cup.

A state of the art stadium

Monterrey has drawn high attendance numbers in other international matches. Estadio BBVA held over 49,000 spectators in the inter-confederation playoff between Iraq and Bolivia.

Estadio BBVA, which was built in 2015, is considered to be one of the most modern in Mexico. Those sitting in the northwestern section of the stadium get a perfect view of a nearby mountain called “El Cerro de la Silla,” which is one of the biggest attractions for foreigners visiting the stadium.

“We already know the type of stadium that we have,” Pérez said. “It’s so beautiful to know that many people are (starting to know) this big stadium worldwide.”

Estadio BBVA regularly hosts Liga MX games as the home ground for Rayados. But the atmosphere at the World Cup is completely different.

“It’s another whole new level because here you have international people,” Roa said. “It’s pretty exciting for all of us Mexicans, because we breathe soccer and we love partying. So it’s two things combined that we just love.” __

Maya Koluder-Ramirez and Ethan Wilcox are students in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

___

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

Worker rescued after trench collapse in Oxford Township

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:29:27 +0000

A worker has been rescued after a trench collapse in Oxford Township.

Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and the Oxford Fire Department responded to a report of a worker trapped at around 9:30 a.m. on June 30 at the 3900 block of Barber Road.

According to authorities, deputies and firefighters immediately began rescue efforts and successfully extricated the worker.

Police say the Ira Township man, 35, was transported to McLaren Oakland Hospital, where he remains in stable condition and undergoing further evaluation.

Preliminary investigation indicates workers were installing field tile as part of a septic system when the man entered the trench to glue pipe together.

Investigators say while the man was inside, a trench wall collapsed, burying him beneath the soil.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau responded to the scene with an investigator from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).

MIOSHA is leading a workplace safety investigation for the incident.

Scheffler and McIlroy looking for another moment to stand out in a year of parity on PGA Tour

Doug Ferguson, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:25:09 +0000

The year is at the halfway point. The PGA Tour season is not.

Two months, and only one major, are all that remain for the PGA Tour in 2026 to find some definition. There have been good tournaments, great finishes, redemptions and breakthroughs, and Scottie Scheffler as steady as he has always been.

It's just that no one has stood out this year.

Rory McIlroy became only the fourth back-to-back Masters champion, and the first since Tiger Woods in 2002. It was an example of how much freedom he felt from finally having the green jacket and the career Grand Slam. But that's his only win this year, and except for a late rally at Riviera, he really hasn't come close.

The eight signature events were won by eight players, no different from last year when seven players won the seven $20 million tournaments. But a year ago, all seven winners were among the top 25 in the world when they won. This year that applied to only three winners — Collin Morikawa (19) at Pebble Beach, Matt Fitzpatrick (7) at Hilton Head and Cameron Young (4) at Doral.

It also is not unusual to start a season with three different major champions — that's been the case each of the past 11 years. But it's the first time since 2010 that two of the three major champions were not among the top 30 when they won.

Aaron Rai was at No. 44 when he captured his first major at the PGA Championship, and Wyndham Clark was at No. 34 when he won at Shinnecock Hills for his second U.S. Open title.

(This requires an asterisk because Brooks Koepka was No. 44 when he won the 2023 PGA Championship. He was No. 19 when he left for LIV, and his two wins came with no ranking points).

There were two multiple winners of individual tournaments last year at this point — Scheffler and McIlroy. There are four this year with Clark, Young, Fitzpatrick and Chris Gotterup.

The last two months, highlighted by the final major at the British Open and three FedEx Cup playoff events, should go a long way toward shaping the season. Scheffler and Xander Schauffele won the British Open each of the past two years, and it was their second major of the season.

Even in a game that moves slowly, outlooks can change quickly.

Scheffler looks about the same minus the trophies

Scheffler began his year with a four-shot victory in The American Express. Thirteen tournaments later, he still only has one victory.

He still leads the PGA Tour in overall strokes gained and tee-to-green, though his numbers are down from a year ago. Scheffler has nine finishes in the top 5 in his 14 starts. His playoff loss to Viktor Hovland at The Travelers Championship was his fourth runner-up of the year.

Take only the money from those four runner-up finishes — $8.9 million — and that would rank him at No. 4 on the PGA Tour money list. He hasn't been as sharp at times. He had a bad habit of giving the field too much of a head start. But he doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

The other Fitzpatrick seizes on the opportunity

Fitzpatrick leads the PGA Tour in victories this season with three because one of them was Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he teamed with younger brother Alex to win. That gave Alex Fitzpatrick a two-year exemption, seen at the time as one of the great gifts ever from big brother.

Instead of flying to Turkey for the next European tour event, Alex Fitzpatrick headed to Doral for a signature event. And he got in the next one, and the one after that. He went from that supposed “gift card” to registering four top 10s in the signature events against the strongest fields.

His world ranking has gone from No. 140 to No. 62. More importantly, he is at No. 17 in the FedEx Cup and a lock for all the big stuff next year — and all the majors if he reaches the Tour Championship.

Clark has to be the front-runner for player of the year

Clark is dangerous when he gets on a heater, and he's on a heater.

He won his first U.S. Open in 2023 a little over a month after dusting the field at Quail Hollow. He shot 60 to win at Pebble Beach in 2024, then was runner-up two straight weeks to Scheffler at Bay Hill and The Players Championship the following month.

Clark had another closing 60 to win at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, followed that with contending late Sunday afternoon in the Memorial and early Sunday afternoon in the Canadian Open, and then he stood down a hostile gallery at Shinnecock to win the U.S. Open. And then running on fumes, he got within two shots of the lead late Sunday at the Travelers and tied for fifth.

How long will it last? Two more months and it might be enough to end Scheffler's four-year run as PGA Tour player of the year.

But that depends on Scheffler.

He is the defending champion at the British Open, and a victory by him or a half-dozen others could be what it takes to bring some clarity to the season.

___

On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

This grieving father and ex-general could test the grip of Israel's longest serving prime minister

Sam Metz And Julia Frankel, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:54:47 +0000

A leading Israeli general who quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war Cabinet after accusing him of lacking a strategy in Gaza has emerged as one of the premier’s most serious challengers in elections scheduled for the fall.

His name is Gadi Eisenkot. On Tuesday in Israel, his centrist political party “Yashar!” or “Straight!” formally launched its election season campaign.

“This time it’s on us,” said Eisenkot at the launch event Tuesday. “Will we turn a blind eye to the disaster that has befallen us? Will we accept the continued division and rush to the next disaster? Or will we heal and rebuild?”

His rise from the highest ranks of the military could sharpen scrutiny of Netanyahu and his stewardship of Israel through multiple wars. Like nearly all of the prime minister’s rivals, Eisenkot has broadly supported Israeli military operations in places such as Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. He did not mention any of those conflicts in his speech Tuesday.

But he has also accused Netanyahu of strategic failure in the wake of the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and said his vision of a more isolated Israel is a threat to the future of the state.

In recent days Netanyahu, who leads Israel’s right-wing Likud Party, has fired back, saying if he had listened to Eisenkot, who was opposed to certain operations in Gaza, then “all of Hamas” would still be in control in the territory.

As a political newcomer, however, Eisenkot “looks like a front-runner because he’s everything Netanyahu is not,” said Gideon Rahat, senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank in Jerusalem.

“He’s not polarizing, he’s not a populist like Netanyahu, and he will try to unify the country,” Rahat said.

An anti-Netanyahu biography

A 66-year-old son of Jewish Moroccan immigrants, Eisenkot stands in stark contrast to Netanyahu, a U.S.-educated elite who is on trial for corruption. He comes from a working-class family. His English is unpolished. He spent four decades in Israel’s military.

He has also never campaigned on having ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. And his 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Eisenkot, was killed in combat in Gaza, while Netanyahu’s son, a podcaster, lived part-time in Florida.

Losing a son — as well as two nephews — to the war has raised Eisenkot’s profile among Israelis and given him credibility as someone who, having paid the ultimate price, won’t needlessly sacrifice soldiers.

“People trust him to be a real person and a patriot. They expect him to take care of the country and not himself,” said Rahat, who is a professor at Hebrew University.

His platform includes a pledge to strengthen Israel’s national security, including through regional cooperation, although he has said that he supports Jewish settlements that are “in line with Israel’s interests” in the occupied West Bank. He said Tuesday he would focus on establishing a state commission of inquiry to investigate the failures leading to the Oct. 7 attack, rebuild the north and south of the country and invest in education and healthcare.

He has also adopted the slogan “Service for All,” a nod to mandating military service for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox communities. For Israelis who have grown tired of war or sending their loved ones off to fight, such arguments may resonate.

“He presents as an everyman, a reflection of the ordinary Israeli,” Joshua Leifer, a columnist for Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, wrote. He is “a kind of antipolitician,” he said.

In 2024, Eisenkot resigned from Netanyahu’s war Cabinet, citing what he said was the prime minister’s lack of strategy as Israel prosecuted its war in Gaza. He sent a blistering letter to fellow Cabinet members warning that they were mistaking incremental battlefield gains for decisions that could actually neutralize Hamas and make Israel more secure.

But his qualms weren’t with the level of destruction in Gaza or the high civilian toll, both of which drew global outrage. And while at times he has emphasized diplomacy as a way to address Israel’s security challenges, Eisenkot is also credited with formulating Israel’s so‑called “Dahiyeh Doctrine,” named after the area in Beirut’s southern suburbs where the Hezbollah militant group has a stronghold.

He elaborated on the doctrine in a 2008 interview with the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, after serving as a top military official during Israel’s war with Lebanon in 2006.

“What happened in the Dahiyeh quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in every village from which shots will be fired in the direction of Israel,” he said. “We will wield disproportionate power against every village from which shots are fired on Israel, and cause immense damage and destruction. From our perspective, these are military bases.”

Despite anti-Netanyahu sentiment, challengers face difficult path to unseating him

In Israel’s fractured multi-party system, prime ministers rarely finish their four-year terms. Coalitions collapse and new alliances are formed. Because of that — and despite Netanyahu’s unpopularity — it would still be difficult for any of the prime minister’s challengers to form a coalition broad enough to unseat him.

If Eisenkot’s party wins more seats than Netanyahu’s, it will still need to form alliances with enough other parties to constitute a majority. Eisenkot has said he will not compromise on legislation mandating military service for the ultra-Orthodox, who also wield political power.

He will also need to decide whether to include Arab-led parties to get over the threshold — something Netanyahu and his far-right allies have already used as an attack line.

Barricaded situation closes stretch of Livernois in Detroit

Samantha Sayles — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:53:33 +0000

Police are at the scene of a barricaded situation in Detroit on Tuesday.

Livernois is shut down between Curtis Street and Margareta Avenue on June 30, as police surround a home in the 18200 block of Stoepel.

It’s not clear why police are surrounding the home. Law enforcement has been present in the area for hours.

Detroit police, in a statement, said there is no ongoing threat to the public, but asked residents in the area to shelter in place.

“We are working to peacefully resolve this situation and will update the community soon,” said police.

This is a developing story.

After 3 years, American bald eagle love birds have an eaglet in Shelby Township

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:15:26 +0000

After 3 years of challenges Shelby Township’s American bald eagle love birds, Peter and Sarah, have fledged an eaglet.

The eagles live in Holland Ponds Park at 50385 Ryan Road in Shelby Township.

The park’s couple of nesting bald eagles, are named in honor of Peter and Sarah Lerich, operators of an Underground Railroad stop at their Spring Hill Farm.

In 2023, more than 3,500 votes were cast in the poll to name the pair.

The love birds began nesting in Holland Ponds Park in 2023, this year marks the first successful nesting after several challenging breeding seasons.

The pair first tried for eaglet in 2023, but the eggs never hatched.

The next breeding season in 2024 the couple suffered a severe windstorm resulting in the loss of eaglets after they were blown from the nest.

For their third attempt in 2025, the pair again experienced tragedy when chicks were lost to a predator.

Despite these challenges, the eagles returned each year to rebuild and nest again.

The couple demonstrated strong site fidelity, a common trait among bald eagles in established territory.

The love birds’ persistence in 2026, lead to an addition to their family with one successful eaglet.

The eaglet is currently in it’s fledging stage.

The fledging stage means the eaglet will leave the nest and can fly for the first time.

For bald eagles, fledging typically happens when the eaglet is large enough and its flight feathers are developed enough to support sustained flight.

Once fledged, eaglets continue to rely on their parents for several weeks while they develop survival skills.

This year marks the first successful nesting outcome for the pair after several challenging breeding seasons. In 2023, Peter and Sarah laid eggs that never hatched. In 2024, a severe windstorm resulted in the loss of eaglets after they were blown from the nest. In 2025, the pair again experienced tragedy when chicks were lost to a predator.

Bald eagles hatch covered in light gray down feathers.

Once the eaglet is in their juvenile stage they gain a brown and white appearance.

Bald eagles grow their mainly recognized white head and tail feather around 5-years-old.

American bald eagles were removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007, but remain under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Local observers and photographers have been documenting the love birds’ nesting activity over multiple seasons.

Local wildlife photographer Dennis LaVergne provides the Shelby Township with regular updates.

The park was once associated with industrial impacts including federal cleanup efforts tied to its designation as a Superfund site, now the area has been restored into a healthy natural habitat.

Cuban official says talks with the US are at a standstill, announces UN debate on US oil embargo

Andrea Rodríguez, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:03:44 +0000

Talks between Cuba and the U.S. are at a standstill, despite the island recently approving a series of free-market reforms, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez announced Tuesday.

He noted that the newly unveiled reforms were neither mentioned nor discussed in earlier talks between the two nations.

“The recently announced (measures) are a matter of total and absolute sovereignty,” Rodriguez said. “We have neither listened to nor are we interested in the U.S. government’s opinion on them.”

But he said it was striking that they “were met with a new package of unilateral coercive measures ... against Cuba.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. slapped new sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel and other officials, as well as on companies key to the island’s crumbling economy.

Some of the sanctions were announced after Cuba’s Communist Party and the National Assembly of People’s Power approved 176 economic measures representing the biggest economic shift since the revolution. They align with some of the demands made by the United States, which is pressuring for a change in Cuba’s political and economic model.

The reforms include more space for private businesses, free hiring of personnel and authorization for private banks and investment by Cubans abroad.

Rodriguez added that while the conduct of U.S. government officials was “generally respectful” during earlier talks, he said it is accompanied by “constant aggressive statements against Cuba, threats of military aggression, and the imposition of additional coercive measures.”

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rodríguez made the statements during a press conference in which he announced a July 7 debate at the U.N. General Assembly on the energy embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in late January.

“The blockade and the policy of aggression and hostility of the United States government against Cuba are a threat to the existence and well-being of the Cuban people, and to the exercise of their human rights,” Rodríguez said.

He also denied that Cuba is a threat to the U.S., which he called “a major military and nuclear power.”

The oil blockade has further paralyzed Cuba’s economy, leading to prolonged blackouts, fuel rationing, internet outages, and the suspension of public transportation and flight cancellations. Basic services such as garbage collection and water delivery have been suspended, and workdays have been reduced.

NPR retracts article incorrectly reporting Justice Alito's retirement, citing 'misunderstanding'

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:01:59 +0000

On the final day of the Supreme Court's session, National Public Radio quickly retracted an article Tuesday that incorrectly reported that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring, blaming the error on “a misunderstanding.”

The article was written by NPR’s veteran Supreme Court reporter, Nina Totenberg, who planned to address the issue on air later in the day, the news organization said.

An editor's note posted by some NPR affiliates said: “Earlier today, we erroneously published a story saying that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. Neither Alito nor the court’s public information office has announced his retirement, and we have retracted the story.”

Later, a statement from Editor-in-Chief Tommy Evans said NPR regretted the error and the confusion it may have caused.

“Due to a misunderstanding, NPR’s Supreme Court and Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg incorrectly reported that Justice Samuel Alito had retired. Neither Justice Alito nor the Supreme Court Public Information Office has announced his retirement,” Evans said.

“As soon as the error was realized, the story was retracted and removed from NPR’s website and an on-air correction was broadcast. We regret the error and any confusion this may have caused,” Evans said.

He added that Totenberg would address the issue on Tuesday’s edition of “All Things Considered,” and that she had reached out to Alito to apologize.

NPR had pulled the story after the Supreme Court’s public information office denied the report earlier Tuesday.

On a busy day for the court. Chief Justice John Roberts had announced the retirement of several court employees, as he customarily does after the court’s final opinions are out. But Alito's name was not among them.

Speculation had swirled about the justice’s future plans earlier this year, but Fox News and CBS reported this spring that he planned to remain on the bench.

Alito has been on the court since 2006, when he replaced Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. He was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican.

The Latest: Trump's envoys are in Qatar for Iran war mediation

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:19:26 +0000

It’s been 123 days since the U.S. and Israel launched the Iran war, and the world again awaits another round of some sort of talks as President Donald Trump and Iranian officials disagree over what and even how they'll communicate. Trump’s special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner plan meetings with Qatari mediators.

A new AP-NORC poll shows Republicans and older, white adults are especially likely to say they fly the American flag, while younger Democrats and Black adults are more likely to say they don’t fly it, reflecting deeply divided views on what patriotism means.

And on this final day of a Supreme Court term centering on Trump’s expansive claims of presidential power, the justices have upheld the constitutionality of birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump's effort to deny the right to the children of noncitizen parents. Follow live updates on the rulings.

Here's the Latest:

Lacking tough rules, federal officials seek voluntary enforcement on cyberscams

The AP found no evidence to suggest these companies were doing anything illegal. However, the patterns of abuse AP identified raise questions about how vigorously they are enforcing their own terms of service, which prohibit illegal activity.

Some other countries have new laws imposing financial penalties if companies don’t do more to protect consumers from scams. In Washington, lawmakers and government officials have been asking American tech companies to cooperate on a voluntary basis to cut scammers off from U.S. infrastructure.

AP/‘FRONTLINE’ investigation shows how US tech is abused for global scams

The technology of American companies is being used to power a revolution in the cyberscam industry, playing key roles in the industrialization and globalization of fraud in ways that have not been clear until now, an AP/“FRONTLINE” investigation has found.

Most public scrutiny of the technology that fuels scams has focused on the social media that platforms victims see, but the infrastructure exploited to commit fraud begins much farther upstream, the investigation showed.

Watchdogs say satellite internet, AI and internet infrastructure companies along the digital supply chains that fraudsters abuse have the technical capacity to do more to protect consumers but lack the legal, regulatory and business incentives to crack down on a crime the Federal Trade Commission estimates cost Americans nearly $200 billion in 2024.

Court will consider striking down assault weapons bans in Connecticut and the Chicago area

A Supreme Court that has expanded gun rights will consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles, often called assault weapons, violate the Second Amendment.

The justices said Tuesday they will take up appeals asking the court to strike down bans on the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic firearms in the Chicago area and Connecticut.

The case is expected to be heard in the fall.

Republican Tom Kean Jr. said he was treated for depression during absence from Congress

New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. revealed Tuesday that he spent months away from Congress being treated for depression.

“It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be,” he said on the House floor.

Kean, whose battleground district includes Trump’s Bedminster golf club, missed more than 100 votes in Congress this year. His reappearance comes after he won an uncontested primary on June 2.

“Today I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love,” Kean said.

Kean’s office has said he’s still running for reelection against Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Democrats have targeted the district as a prime pick-up opportunity.

▶ Read more

Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limits

The Court ’s ruling released Tuesday upholds a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

The justices relied on a long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, and more recent federal laws in ruling that anyone born in the country, with very limited exceptions, is a citizen.

US job monthly openings hold at a surprising 7.6 million despite Iran war shock

May’s job openings were surprisingly strong in the data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showing American labor market resilience to the war’s economic shock. Forecasters had expected employers to post just 7 million openings in May.

Rebounding from a miserable 2025, U.S. employers have added nearly 114,000 net jobs a month on average this year, up from just 9,700 in 2025, the weakest outside a recession since 2002.

Because of baby boomer retirements and Trump’s immigration crackdown, fewer people are competing for work, and the United States doesn’t need as many jobs as it used to keep the unemployment rate stable. Economists say the so-called “break-even’’ rate of hiring could be as low as zero jobs a month, down from perhaps 150,000 a year or so ago.

▶ Read more

Supreme Court backs state laws banning transgender girls from sports

The Court ’s conservative majority added to its repeated rulings against transgender Americans by deciding that bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

The ruling seems certain to extend to the dozens of other Republican-led states that have banned female transgender athletes. Left unresolved are lawsuits challenging state laws and regulations in Connecticut, California and elsewhere that permit transgender athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity.

About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people ages 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

US envoys arrive in Qatar for meetings on Iran, with tensions high over Hormuz

Trump’s special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner plan meetings with mediators about the implementation of an initial deal to end the war in Iran, following more crossfire in the Persian Gulf.

They won’t directly negotiate with Iranian diplomats, instead using mediators as go-betweens, said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.

Iran was also sending a delegation to Qatar, but has no plans to meet with the American side at any level, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. His statement left open the possibility of messages being passed through the Qataris.

▶ Read more

Who flies the American flag for holidays — and who never flies one, according to an AP-NORC poll

American views of “Old Glory” are divided by politics, age and race, according to a new survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

Whether people see it as a unifying or divisive symbol tracks with other deep divisions among Americans, who see their country’s history and accomplishments very differently. About 7 in 10 Republicans and about 6 in 10 Americans ages 60 and older fly the flag at least during holidays. About 6 in 10 Democrats and independents, on the other hand, say they “never” fly the U.S. flag. That includes the vast majority, 75%, of Democrats under 45.

Only about 3 in 10 Black adults say they ever display the American flag, compared with about half of white and Hispanic adults.

The survey of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20.

▶ Read more

What the Supreme Court’s Cook ruling means for Federal Reserve independence

The Supreme Court on Monday said the Federal Reserve, unlike any other agency in Washington, has a measure of independence from the presidency and day-to-day politics. But the court didn’t define to what extent.

The case is the latest round in an unprecedented fight between the Fed and Trump. More political interference at the Fed could upend financial markets around the world, which closely follow its interest rate moves.

Trump has repeatedly demanded that the central bank cut its key interest rate to lower borrowing costs for homeowners, businesses, and even the government itself. Trump sought to fire a Fed governor, Lisa Cook, last August after accusing her of mortgage fraud — a charge she denies.

In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the president cannot fire the seven members of the Fed’s board of governors without a clear cause. The decision endorses the Fed’s independent structure even as the court eliminated such protections for leaders of other agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, whom the president can fire at-will.

▶ Read more

Trump nominates acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling as permanent chief

Trump said Monday he will nominate Keith Sonderling to be the secretary of labor, elevating him from the agency’s acting director two months after Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid abuse-of-power allegations.

Sonderling, a lawyer who has held a variety of acting positions and leadership roles across Trump’s government, was previously the deputy labor secretary and a Republican member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“Throughout his career, Keith has proven his dedication to delivering strong results for the Hardworking People of our Country, and I know he will do an incredible job in his new role,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing Sonderling’s nomination.

Sonderling’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

During Trump’s second term, in addition to his Labor Department post, Sonderling has been the acting director of U.S. Office of Government Ethics and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of several agencies Trump targeted for closure in an executive order last year.

▶ Read more

The Supreme Court it issue momentous rulings on Trump’s power

The Supreme Court is wrapping up a term that has focused on Trump’s expansive claims of presidential power.

Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship, fire the heads of most independent agencies at will and remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor are among the remaining eight cases the justices are expected to decide this week, beginning Monday.

The court also is weighing, in cases from West Virginia and Idaho, whether to uphold laws in roughly half the states that prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on their public school and college sports.

Two election-related cases remain, over state laws that allow a grace period for the receipt of mailed ballots, provided they are sent by Election Day, and limits on political party spending in support of candidates for Congress and president.

Also outstanding is a dispute over geofence warrants that collect the location history of cellphone users to find people near crime scenes. Critics say the practice is a fishing expedition that violates civil liberties.

▶ Read more

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

Derick Hutchinson, Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Who has the best Indian in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best Indian.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Ashoka Indian Cuisine in Troy
Midnight Temple in Detroit
Namaste Flavours in Canton Township
Pink Garlic Indian Cuisine in Oak Park
Star of India

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

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

Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.

Supreme Court strikes down limits on party spending in federal elections, backing Republican appeal

Mark Sherman, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:27:53 +0000

The Supreme Court on Tuesday erased limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, striking down a federal election law that is more than 50 years old.

Prodded by a Republican-led lawsuit that includes Vice President JD Vance, the court's six conservative justices were again in the majority of the latest decision that upended congressionally enacted limits on raising and spending money to influence elections. The court’s 2010 Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited independent spending in federal elections.

The limits on party spending stem from a desire to prevent large donors from skirting caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party, with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate.

The Supreme Court had previously upheld the limits, in 2001.

But Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the court, said that decision was wrong and should be overruled. “In short, constitutional text, history and precedent establish that the political-party coordinated-expenditure limits violate the First Amendment,” Kavanaugh wrote.

Justice Elena Kagan's dissent for the three liberal justices said the court “ushers in untold harm” by enabling parties to funnel large contributions to individual candidates, far in excess of what donors can give those candidates directly.

National parties now will be able to make direct contributions to candidates’ campaigns,

The decision is likely to give Republicans at least a short-term boost because they maintain a sizable cash advantage over Democrats.

The Republican National Committee and its Senate and House campaign fundraising arms have dwarfed Democrats’ in the months before congressional elections where the GOP is defending narrow majorities in both houses.

At the end of May, the RNC reported having more than $125 million to spend, its highest-ever cash on hand total, according to its most recent Federal Election Commission filing in May. Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee had more than $48 million on hand in its most recent report and the National Republican Congressional Committee had more than $81 million.

In the same period, the Democratic National Committee had $14.4 million on hand, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had roughly $37 million and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, roughly $73 million.

The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates filed the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022, joined by Vance, then a senator from Ohio, and then-Rep. Steve Chabot.

After President Donald Trump took office for his second term, the Federal Election Commission dropped its defense of the law and joined with Republicans in urging that it be overturned.

Democrats had called on the court to uphold the law, even though there is wide agreement that the spending limits have hurt political parties in an era of unlimited spending by other organizations.

Last year, the coordinated party spending for Senate races ranged from $127,200 in several states with small populations to nearly $4 million in California, the most populous state. For House races, the limits were $127,200 in states with only one representative and $63,600 everywhere else.

Entrenched divisions between liberal and conservative justices over campaign finance restrictions were on display when the court heard arguments in December.

“Every time we interfere with the congressional design, we make matters worse,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a dissenter in Citizens United and the court’s other campaign money cases.

By contrast, Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the Citizens United majority, described the decision as “much maligned, I think unfairly maligned.” The effect of the decision was to ”level the playing field,” Alito said, by expanding the right to spend freely that had previously belonged only to media companies.

___

Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

New Trump book, 'Regime Change,' has sold 300,000 copies, with more being printed, publisher says

Bill Barrow, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:25:24 +0000

It turns out readers still want to learn more about President Donald Trump after all.

“Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” the l atest book on the Trump presidency, written by political journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, has sold more than 300,000 copies in its opening week, according to publisher Simon & Schuster.

They’re the kind of sales that numerous works about Trump reached during his first term, but had been rare during his second term. Publishers had speculated that the public had tired of Trump books, believing there was little left to know.

The total figures include preorders, print book sales, ebooks, and e-audiobooks and orders that have yet to be fulfilled because of demand, the publishing house said. Simon & Schuster said the book is into its third hard copy printing, with 200,000 copies on order, after it sold out quickly in bookstores and on Amazon. It's the best first-week clip of any hardcover nonfiction book in 2026.

The book covers the first 14 months of Trump's second presidency and takes readers inside the West Wing, White House residence and Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, aboard Air Force One and on foreign trips with the president.

Trump, who has a long history with Haberman from her days covering him as a New York City business and society figure, has trashed the book as “mostly made up.” Haberman and Swan are now New York Times reporters.

Their manuscript depicts meticulous details of Trump's military decisions, how he's wielded the power of the Justice Department against his political opponents, his conversations with other power players, and the time and attention he's devoted to remaking the aesthetics and structure of the White House.

The book spells out a thesis that Trump himself believes: Had he not lost the 2020 election, he would not be as powerful in his second term as he is now — emboldening him to trample norms, dismantle established institutions and push the limits of presidential power.

Haberman and Swan have been featured regularly across news talk shows promoting the book and sharing details of their reporting, including a sit-down with Trump in which he boasted about being compared to some of history's great villains.

Sean Manning, vice president and publisher at Simon & Schuster, said the book “has entered the national conversation” and will hold up as “a work of historic importance.”

Go 4 It: Help us create a Hunger Free Summer

Derick Hutchinson — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:34:12 +0000

This month, we’re teaming up with Gleaners to help create a hunger-free summer for those who need it.

On June 30, we’ll be at the Gleaners Community Food Bank on Trolly Industrial Drive in Taylor to help sort food, and we need volunteers!

We’re looking for 20 people to sign up to help from 9-11:30 a.m., and 20 more to sign up to help from 1-3:30 p.m.

If you want to help, you can either volunteer or make a monetary donation to Gleaners, which will be used to buy needed food items.

Who: WDIV is partnering with Gleaners Community Food Bank, Henry Ford Health, and the Gilbert Family Foundation.
What: “Go 4 It: Hunger Free Summer”
Where: 21405 Trolley Industrial Dr, Taylor MI 48180
When: June 30, 2026
Why: To help create a hunger-free summer

What, like it's hard? Newcomer Lexi Minetree put in the work to play a teen Elle Woods in 'Elle'

Alicia Rancilio, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:17:30 +0000

When Lexi Minetree auditioned for the part of a teenage Elle Woods in a “Legally Blonde” prequel series for Prime Video, she went for it with the determination and creativity that the character herself used to apply to Harvard Law School in the original film.

Minetree, said “Elle” executive producer Lauren Neustadter, “actually recreated her own version of the Harvard admission video featured in the 2001 movie that starred Reese Witherspoon, "and she hit it out of the park.”

The preparation to play Elle in the series debuting on Wednesday, didn't stop there. Minetree says she watched “Legally Blonde” about “200 times at this point,” studying Witherspoon's performance, but steering clear of an outright impression of the Oscar winner.

“Reese brought her essence to the character,” Minetree said. “And that is something that no one could ever replicate. It would be a disservice if I tried to do that, so I tried to bring the parts of myself that I thought were reflected in Elle."

A fish out of water

In “Legally Blonde,” we met Elle as a sorority girl who applies to Harvard Law School, gets accepted, and is a star in her class.

“When I read the script it reminded me a lot of old Goldie Hawn movies, or ‘Working Girl,’ Witherspoon told The AP in 2001. “You think this girl is certainly not very smart because of the way she speaks and the way she looks, and then she just turns the tables on everybody and becomes smarter than everyone, and I just love that.”

Like the film, “Elle” underscores that people don’t have to sacrifice their true selves in order to achieve success.

How we meet Minetree's Elle is at her blowout 16th birthday party, shortly before her parents (played by Tom Everett Scott and June Diane Raphael) break the news that they're all moving to Seattle.

The students at her new school are less than friendly and shun Elle's sunny disposition and pink attire. This is Seattle in 1995 and both grunge music and its culture are everything. Even the cheerleaders wear flannel. It takes time for the student's to warm up to their new classmate, whose ice breaker is “I like iced coffee, the month of July and when people dress kind of tennis-y even if they don't play tennis.”

“Such an integral part of the ‘Legally Blonde' IP is not judging a book by its cover," said Chandler Kinney, who plays Kimberly, one of Elle's schoolmates who is particularly judgy — at first.

The lasting influence of ‘Legally Blonde’

The time seemed right to explore more of Elle's story when Witherspoon noticed the pressures young women feel to live up to unrealistic standards curated online. Studies have linked social media to mental health issues among teens.

Witherspoon “really saw what was happening to young women," said Neustadter of Witherspoon's desire to explore the character as a young woman. "She felt like this was the right moment to give Elle to the next generation.”

"Elle reminds us that we should feel good about being ourselves, feel proud of who we are and to be kind and good to others. It feels like a good reminder for this moment in time.”

Telling an origin story of this character just makes sense, Raphael said. We've seen prequels about all kinds of male characters — but “we rarely get to do that with the iconic female characters that we love," she said.

A surprise cast member

— James Van Der Beek

Viewers will recognize a familiar face in the first season of “Elle.” James Van Der Beek, who died in February after a diagnosis of bowel cancer, plays Dean Wilson, superintendent of Elle's new school and a mayoral candidate.

Raphael had the most scenes with Van Der Beek and says it was an honor to share scenes with him.

”It’s so special to me," she said. "His work on the show is so lovely, and he is such a lovely person. I’d never met him before, and I was so excited to work with him. I was really blown away by his charm and his charisma and mainly his ease."

More ‘Elle’ is coming

Season 2 of “Elle” wrapped filming earlier this month, and Minetree is happy viewers won't have to wait long to see a continuation to the story.

“Honestly, Season 2, it’s so good," Minetree said. “Season 1 is amazing, but season 2 might be better.”

There are also plans to make a third “Legally Blonde” film starring Witherspoon.

“Absolutely, we’re on it,” Neustadter said. "Don’t you worry. We’re in the kitchen we’re cooking something up.”

EPA approves ‘comprehensive’ groundwater cleanup plan for contaminated BASF site in Wyandotte

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:36:20 +0000

What’s being described as a “comprehensive plan” to address groundwater contamination at BASF’s site along the Detroit River in Wyandotte has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency announced Monday.

The multinational chemical producer’s North Works site occupies around 230 acres along the river and is currently being used to manufacture chemicals and other products.

Prior investigations by the EPA and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have identified several contaminants in the groundwater surrounding the site, which has been used for industrial operations since the 1800s.

Contaminants identified at the site over the years include heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, and PFAS — otherwise known as “forever chemicals.”

The latest remediation plan approved by the EPA includes a “multi-component system to prevent contaminated groundwater flow,” with construction expected to begin in early 2027.

More specifically, the project will entail the construction of perimeter barriers to limit groundwater movement across the site boundary and into the river; a groundwater collection and extraction system to capture contaminated groundwater; and an on-site water treatment facility.

Local residents and community organizations like Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, For Love of Water, and Detroit Riverkeeper have criticized the company’s long-standing pollution for decades, as well as the state’s failure to prevent continued contamination at the site — which borders the Downriver area below Ecorse Creek and sits immediately upstream from Wyandotte’s drinking water intake.

“We’re really concerned that people don’t know what’s happening right in their backyard,” Raquel Garcia, executive director of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, told Local 4 in 2024. “We see little kids fishing, we see them swimming, we see people enjoying the river and on jet skis, and I think people have a right to know the chemicals that are in the water.”

In a statement sent to Local 4 on Tuesday afternoon, BASF officials called the EPA’s latest’s approval “an important milestone.”

“This approval enables advancement of long-term solutions to address groundwater impacts from historical industrial operations, including those of prior owners at the Wyandotte North Works site,” the statement read. “...BASF remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Consent Decree and implementing measures designed to protect human health, safety, and the environment.”

The latest remediation plan will be rolled out in phases, with the project expected to be completed in 2029.

For more information about the site and copies of the phased design plans for the groundwater remedy, visit EPA’s website.

Board offers $3B settlement to restructure Puerto Rico power company debt

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:08:49 +0000

A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances announced Tuesday that it has offered a $3 billion settlement to bondholders in a new push to finally restructure more than $10 billion in debt held by the U.S. territory’s power company.

The board is proposing paying cash and offering the issuance of new bonds to bondholders that have not settled and are seeking some $8.5 billion in claims.

The proposed settlement represents $1.4 billion more than previously offered.

Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority has been trying to restructure its debt for roughly a decade, after the U.S. territory announced in 2015 that it was unable to pay its more than $70 billion debt load. That prompted U.S. Congress to create the federal board in 2016. A year later, Puerto Rico’s government filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Since then, the board and bondholders of the power company's debt have been at odds over compensation, with multiple mediation attempts failing.

“Puerto Rico must be able to close this last chapter of its fiscal crisis and move forward,” said Robert F. Mujica Jr., the board’s executive director.

He stressed that restructuring the company’s debt “is essential to Puerto Rico’s recovery — to the reliable, affordable electricity and the new investment its residents and businesses deserve.”

The board said it has not yet identified the source to finance the proposed settlement.

Some worry that the source of funds could come from an increase in power bills, which already are among the highest in any U.S. jurisdiction as chronic outages persist.

The board noted that previous agreements reached with several creditors and some bondholders in the power company’s case remain in place.

The board said that overall, it has completed 12 debt restructurings for Puerto Rico’s government, eliminating more than $55 billion in debt payments over 40 years.

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

Iran heads home after a heartbreaking World Cup knockout, but fans say players should be proud

Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:46:38 +0000

The Iranian national team left North America on Tuesday, departing from its World Cup home in Mexico following a tournament marked by repeated disagreements with U.S. officials, flashes of athletic brilliance and, ultimately, disappointment over barely missing out on advancing beyond the group stage.

The players return to a homeland still in the grips of an unresolved conflict with Israel and the United States. But their fans say they should be proud.

“I think even though they lost, it gave people a sense of hope,” said Mohammad Modarres, 38, who traveled from San Diego to bid the team farewell.

Heartbreak over missed chances

After its three group stage matches ended in draws, Iran's World Cup future depended on either Algeria or Austria winning their match on Saturday.

Watching from the lobby of their Tijuana hotel, the team erupted in celebration when Algeria took the lead in stoppage time.

“I've never seen a room explode like that,” said Kimia Ranjbar, 25, a lifelong fan of Team Melli who had driven down from the Los Angeles area. But minutes later, Austria tied the game again, leaving the lobby in dismayed silence.

It was the last of many disappointments throughout the tournament, including when a late goal by Shoja Khalilzadeh gave Iran the lead in its last match, against Egypt, before being ruled offside.

Facing challenging circumstances

Distractions abounded off the pitch before and during the tournament, beginning with questions over whether Team Melli would even be allowed to play in light of Iran's war with the U.S. and Israel. What followed was Iran's denied request to move its matches to Mexico, a relocation of its base camp from Arizona, and the U.S.'s refusal to grant visas to key members of the Iranian team's staff. The U.S. also rejected Iran's request to travel to the U.S. two days before its Los Angeles matches, though it relaxed some restrictions for Iran's last match.

During a World Cup security briefing Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the U.S. had made several accommodations for Iran's travel and repeated assertions that many of the people Iran originally requested to travel with the team to the U.S. were associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

“I'm just glad they're done and they're not coming back," Mullin said, adding that he “might have sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.”

FIFA did not respond to request for comment.

In a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, the Iranian team said Mullin's remarks showed a lack of commitment to international law and the basic standards expected to host a global tournament.

“The fact that he openly celebrates Iran’s elimination says far more about him than it does about our team. It reflects a level of pettiness that cannot even tolerate the presence of a football team competing on the world’s biggest stage,” said the team, which declined requests to interview players and staff.

Before decamping Tuesday, the team thanked Mexico and Tijuana for their “kindness” but questioned its treatment at the tournament by the U.S.

“What we experienced was a series of decisions, logistical arrangements, and circumstances that undermined the sense of fairness — an impression only reinforced by the events of the final matchday of our group,” the team said in a statement.

Members of the Iranian diaspora were also divided about whether supporting the team showed tacit backing for Iran's theocratic government, which many of them oppose. Some wanted to keep politics and sports separate.

“You don't see someone screaming at (U.S. soccer star) Christian Pulisic for something Trump does,” Modarres said.

Though the team spoke out against its travel restrictions, it avoided commenting directly on the war. But it didn't shy away from spotlighting the victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school at the start of the conflict.

Players wore pins with the number “168” when they first landed in Mexico, referencing the number of people, mostly children, killed in the attack, which was likely launched by the U.S. They left a note in the locker room at Los Angeles Stadium, calling for peace “among all nations” and with the hashtags #168 and #minab, the school’s name.

Sherry Ghaemi, an Iranian living in Los Angeles, called their stand for the young victims “honorable.”

New friendships are forged

Amid the strife, players tried to focus on the sport. There were high notes, like when goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made seven saves to hold Belgium to a scoreless draw, and when Ramin Rezaeian scored off the outside of his boot to equalize against New Zealand.

“They’re going home not as losers, they’re going home as winners," said Ghaemi. “We’re proud of them.”

Meeting some of the players was a thrill for Siavash Khosrowshahi, a 32-year-old Iranian American who drove from Los Angeles to Tijuana on Sunday, the day after the team was eliminated.

“It’s been really tough and stressful,” Khosrowshahi said of the months since the U.S. and Israel started the war. There were times during the conflict when he couldn't reach his parents in Tehran — but not Sunday, when he called his mother from the hotel and surprised her by putting Beiranvand on the phone.

“It’s a source of happiness for her,” he said.

Iranians and Mexicans also deepened a bond, as Tijuana embraced the team throughout its visit.

“Irán, hermano, ya eres Mexicano!" fans chanted in Spanish whenever they saw Team Melli: “Iran, brother, now you are Mexican!”

“Iran is taking home the best of our country, and this city, which is the way in which outsiders are received,” said Arely Ramírez, a Tijuana resident who turned up at the team's hotel Sunday hoping to meet some of the players.

The feeling was mutual.

“We’re leaving Tijuana today, but our heart and soul stay here,” head coach Amir Ghalenoei said Tuesday through an interpreter before the Iranian team left for the airport.

On Monday, many players still looked solemn as they passed their last hours in Mexico. A few signed final autographs and stood for photos with fans, their smiles more muted than the week before.

Despite the disappointment, some supporters were already looking ahead. “This whole year has been bad events, bad luck after bad luck” for Iranians, said Ranjbar. But the AFC Asian Cup is six months away, a new chance for Team Melli, she said. “I'll be watching them play for that.”

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Associated Press reporter Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed.

Man sentenced to time served in antisemitic harassment case against Bloomfield Township official

Jenny Sherman, Pamela Osborne — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:11:00 +0000

A New Jersey man convicted last month for sending threatening, antisemitic emails to a Bloomfield Township official was sentenced on Tuesday to one year in jail, with 931 days credit for time already served.

An Oakland County jury found Marc William Aisen, 50, of Hoboken, guilty on May 13 of using a computer to commit a crime — which carries a maximum sentence of four years and/or a $5,000 fine — and unlawful posting of messages, which carries a two-year maximum sentence and/or a $5,000 fine.

According to police, the charges against Aisen stem from a series of emails he sent to Bloomfield Township treasurer Michael Schostak and nearly 200 of his associates beginning in July 2023, making baseless child sexual exploitation accusations against a Boston-based Jewish organization.

When he didn’t get a response from Schostak, he reportedly began emailing other officials, as well as Schostak’s ex-wife, and posting to public message boards accusing him of covering up the alleged abuse.

Three months later, Aisen emailed more than 100 recipients —including Schostak’s children’s school — accusing him of covering up the abuse and being affiliated with Hamas, police said.

“When he went to my family and my children through their school, that’s when I went to police,” Schostak told Local 4 in 2023.

Police say it’s not clear why Aisen began contacting Schostak specifically, as he only responded once to ask Aisen to stop.

“There’s no real motive there on why he was doing it other than he stated he wanted him removed from office because of these horrible accusations that we know not to be true,” said Community Liaison Officer Nick Soley.

Aisen was sentenced to serve 365 days in jail for each of the two counts, to be served concurrently. However, with his credits for time served, he is now scheduled for release.

He was also required to pay court fees and victims rights fees and must avoid all contact with Schostak or his associates.

Ben Shelton stunned at Wimbledon with 1st-round loss to Finnish qualifier

Ken Maguire, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:54:48 +0000

Ben Shelton wasted a match point in the fifth-set tiebreaker against qualifier Otto Virtanen at Wimbledon in what the fourth-seeded American called “one of the toughest losses of my career.”

Shelton was eliminated 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9) on Tuesday, losing in the first round at the grass-court Grand Slam for the first time in his young career.

The 23-year-old Shelton led 8-5 in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker against his 140th-ranked opponent and had match point at 9-8 but made an unforced error and then lost the next two points.

“I thought I put myself in a great position to win at the end. He came up with the goods,” said Shelton, who reached the quarterfinals last year at the All England Club.

The left-handed American said he “wasn’t getting many free points.”

“The way that he was playing, hitting the ball, it definitely forced my hand. He’s playing aggressive,” Shelton said. "He wasn’t really making any mistakes. Towards the end, any ball I left semi-hanging, he was ripping a winner, especially in that last game before the tiebreak.

“In the tiebreak,” he continued, “I was trying to get to the net as much as I could, try to really rush him and not allow him to swing away from the baseline.”

The 25-year-old Virtanen came through the qualifying tournament and earned the biggest win of his career in eliminating Shelton, who is ranked No. 5.

“I had a great month. I played a lot of grass matches,” Virtanen said in his on-court interview after 4 hours, 21 minutes on No. 2 Court.

He reached the second round in his Wimbledon debut in 2024 and missed last year's tournament.

Shelton said he'll try not to dwell on the defeat.

“I’m usually the type of person that gets back on the court or in the gym the next day. This is definitely one of the toughest losses of my career, coming here at Wimbledon. First time I’ve lost in the first round here,” he said. “I didn’t even think I played a poor match today. Things just didn’t go my way. ... I’ll be right back on the practice courts in a couple days.”

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

Extreme Heat Warning in effect for Southeast Michigan through Thursday evening

Christina Burkhart — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:37:51 +0000

Under a large ridge, millions across the eastern half of the country will experience above-average heat and humidity this week.

Millions across the country are under some form of heat alert (WDIV)

Our normal high for this time of year is 83°. Southeast Michigan will be well above that, reaching the mid-90s to near 100° today, and we’ll stay very warm through the late night.

Today's forecast through midnight (WDIV)

It will be more of the same Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, it will be very humid, producing heat indices of at least 105° each of those days.

Southeast Michigan will stay hot and humid this week (WDIV)

We’ll also have little to no relief at night, with temperatures only falling into the mid-70s through Friday morning. We don’t look to return close to our normal low temperature, 64°, until next week.

Forecasted morning low temps into next week (WDIV)

Make sure you’re keeping yourself safe in this heat wave and check on those who may be sensitive to the heat or are without air conditioning.

Stay hydrated, limit strenuous activity outdoors if possible, take breaks to cool off, wear lightweight and light-colored clothing, and don’t leave kids or pets in a parked car for any amount of time.

Also try to keep dog walks shorter during the main heat of the day and try to direct them to walk on the grass. Here’s a look at surface temperatures if it’s 95° outside.

Different surface temperatures if it's 95° outside (WDIV)

On a positive note, a bit of Saharan dust is moving through the Great Lakes. This will give us beautiful, vivid sunsets tonight and Wednesday evening before it exits.

Dust in the atmosphere will help produce vivid sunsets tonight and tomorrow night (WDIV)

High temperatures will fall to around 95° Friday as we bring in a chance for rain. Rain chances linger through the weekend with highs Saturday and Sunday closer to 90°.

US Treasury cracks down on Jalisco New Generation Cartel with sanctions and a bank alert

Fatima Hussein, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:35:10 +0000

U.S. Treasury announced a series of sanctions and a new bank alert targeting the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Mexico’s most powerful criminal enterprise.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on two Mexican men and nine companies involved in transportation, financial services and real estate, accused of being tied to a cartel-linked fuel theft ring intended to evade Mexican taxes while generating tens of millions of dollars annually for the cartel.

Additionally, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network arm issued an alert to financial institutions that point out red flags of fuel smuggling from the U.S. into Mexico in schemes involving Mexican tax evasion.

“Today’s action highlights the extent to which Mexico’s cartels are expanding beyond traditional drug trafficking to generate revenue for their criminal organizations, which continue to traffic deadly drugs that kill Americans,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has acknowledged the New Generation Cartel’s presence in 21 of Mexico’s 32 states, surpassing the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, which is estimated to operate in 19 states. Last year, President Donald Trump designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and five other Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Mexican authorities have in recent years seized million gallons of stolen diesel, gasoline and petroleum distillates from states bordering Texas. Organized crime taps pipelines and diverts fuel to service stations forced to buy from cartels or sell it directly in the streets.

U.S. authorities have even accused the Jalisco New Generation cartel of operating its own service stations.

Trending Tuesday: Bridal trends & celebrity wedding buzz

Sydney Crenshaw — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:30:14 +0000

Local 4 Lifestyle Editor Jon Jordan shares the latest celebrity wedding buzz, including wedding dress predictions and speculation surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s possible wedding at Madison Square Garden.

Watch the Trending Tuesday segment above to see more!

Aces rule out A'ja Wilson for Commissioner Cup final vs New York after ankle tweak

Doug Feinberg, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:30:12 +0000

Las Vegas star Aja Wilson has been ruled out of the Commissioner Cup final against New York on Tuesday night because of a right leg injury.

The four-time MVP rolled her ankle in the fourth quarter of the Aces' win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. She came back into the game after a quick trip to the locker room.

“It’s when you get off the court that you realize you probably tweaked it a little worse than you originally thought," Aces coach Becky Hammon said at shootaround Tuesday.

Hammon said that it's just a tweak and that Wilson should need “a few days to move.”

Wilson, who leads the league in scoring at 25.7 points a game, has been remarkably durable in her career. She's now only missed seven games since the 2020 season.

Besides her scoring, defense and rebounding are two areas that Hammon said the Aces will need to focus on against the Liberty, who beat Las Vegas on the road last week.

“Everybody's got to be that much better," Aces guard Chelsea Gray said. “It’s no secret, she’s a big, huge part of our team. She's the best player in the world. Let’s, let’s lock in for this one game and do what we have to do.”

The Aces are no stranger to having to play the Liberty short-handed in big games. Gray and Kiah Stokes were hurt in the 2023 WNBA Finals and the Aces beat New York without them.

“Focusing on ourselves, that’s really the thing,” said New York star Breanna Stewart. “This is one game, winner takes all and you never know what’s going to happen in one game. We need to make sure that we’re our best tonight.”

New York will be missing Satou Sabally, who is in concussion protocol after unintentionally getting hit in the face by an elbow against the Aces.

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

Season 3 of “America’s Sweethearts” now available on Netflix

Sydney Crenshaw — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:29:06 +0000

The new season of America’s Sweethearts is here, offering an inside look at the dedication, challenges, and triumphs of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

We spoke with the team’s senior director, Kelli Finglass, to discuss the tough parts about picking the team and what viewers can expect to watch in the new season.

Watch the segment above to see more!

Royal Oak Taco Fest kicks off this weekend

Sydney Crenshaw — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:27:50 +0000

Get ready to celebrate all things tacos at Taco Fest in Royal Oak this weekend!

Galindo’s, a local taco food truck that will be serving at the festival, joined us on Live in the D to whip up some delicious tacos and give us a taste of what festival-goers can expect at this flavorful event.

Watch the segment above to learn more!

The largest digital camera ever built begins decade-long survey of the universe

Adithi Ramakrishnan, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:02:05 +0000

The largest digital camera ever built is starting to capture images of unseen corners of the universe.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially begun its cosmic survey, meant to capture swathes of the sky in more depth and detail. Perched on a Chilean mountaintop, the telescope will point its eye at the southern sky for the next 10 years, taking hundreds of images per night.

Researchers hope Rubin's observations will help them take a better census of the universe, mapping billions of stars in the Milky Way and billions more galaxies beyond it. It takes pictures quickly and will grab images of the same areas of sky multiple times, allowing scientists to glimpse fainter objects that previously eluded detection.

“We’re going to see large numbers of scientists across the world working with this data set, studying the universe in a way that they haven’t been able to before,” said Phil Marshall, the observatory's deputy director of operations.

Rubin released its first images last year, including colorful shots of the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas located thousands of light-years from Earth. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles (9.7 trillion kilometers).

Since then, researchers have tuned up the equipment so it's ready to take pictures at the depth and accuracy required for the decade-long survey. The images may help scientists discern how galaxies form and cluster over billions of years, and how the universe came to be.

Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy, the observatory is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first tantalizing evidence that a mysterious material called dark matter might be lurking in the universe. Researchers hope the effort may yield clues about dark matter as well as an equally puzzling force known as dark energy.

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

Why most Black Americans say they never fly the American flag, according to a new AP-NORC poll

Corey Williams, Linley Sanders And Simran Parwani, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:04:49 +0000

Jerry Esters proudly displays the American flag each day on his Detroit home. A few miles away, Yvonne Pistochini says there is no scenario under which she would allow the Stars and Stripes to cast its shadow where she lives.

Both are Black.

For Esters, the flag represents the opportunities that allowed the great-great-grandson of slaves to find success and flourish. Pistochini, 79, simply says the America identified by the flag is not the same country she saw growing up.

Americans' views of “Old Glory” are divided by politics, age and race, according to a new survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ahead of the nation's 250th birthday celebration.

Republicans and older, white adults are especially likely to say they fly the American flag, while younger Democrats and Black adults are more likely to say they don't fly it. Views of the flag — and whether it's a unifying or divisive symbol — track with other deep divisions among Americans, who see their country's history and accomplishments very differently.

“A lot of Black Americans see the flag as a symbol of both inclusion and exclusion,” said Matthew Delmont, professor of American history at Dartmouth College. “Black Americans, more so than white Americans, also understand the flag can be used to justify a version of patriotism that is rooted in exclusion, with the flag being used to say ‘you don’t belong here.’”

The survey of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20. It suggests that older white Americans, especially Republicans, are more likely to see the flag as unifying.

About half of U.S. adults said they display the flag at home throughout most of the year, or during holidays. About 7 in 10 Republicans and about 6 in 10 Americans ages 60 and older fly the flag at least during holidays.

About 6 in 10 Democrats and independents, on the other hand, say they “never” fly the U.S. flag. That includes the vast majority, 75%, of Democrats under 45.

Opportunities worth fighting for

Esters, a 64-year-old retired clay sculptor for a Detroit automaker, flies three American flags at his Sherwood Forest home on the city’s west side.

“When these homes were built, Black men like me, my mother and my family ... we couldn’t even buy these homes,” he said. “To me, that’s one reason I fly the flag. We went through a lot to be able to own nice homes, and this is what we fought for.”

The other reason is Moriah Martin, Esters’ great-great-grandmother, who was born into slavery.

“I’m kind of living out her dreams — what I did for a living, having a business, having a nice home,” he said. “I think that’s the American way, but we got to fight for it and we, as Blacks, fought for it.”

He's in the minority among Black adults, according to the survey, which found that only about 3 in 10 Black adults say they ever display the American flag, compared with about half of white and Hispanic adults.

Pistochini says current divisions over political leanings and perspectives, and inequality of opportunities for the poor and people of color are not what she believes the flag should stand for. People confuse flying it with being patriotic, she added.

“Just because you fly a flag doesn't make you a patriot,” Pistochini said. “If there was patriotism, we would not have all this. We can't look at (what's going on) and say this is America.”

For country and freedom

Ben Gaskins, chair of political science at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, says the flag is an important symbol of patriotism for many Americans.

“It is those who are older people, who are white and people who are more conservative,” Gaskins said. “They take it as more central to their identity.”

Nancy Hansen, a 73-year-old retired Customs and Border Protection clerk in Culvertson, Montana, believes “you have to be for the country, no matter what” and that the flag means “freedom.”

“Freedom to live where we want to live, travel where we want to travel, raise our kids where we want to raise our kids,” said Hansen, who is white and identifies as Republican.

Each year around July 4, the American Legion posts flags outside businesses and homes in Culvertson, including Hansen’s home.

Linda and Greg Cunningham also equate the flag with freedom.

The white, conservative Pontiac, Michigan, couple are going all out this summer. The exterior of their home northwest of Detroit is awash in red, white and blue. The flag sits atop a flagpole just feet from their door.

“It's no political thing, at all," said Linda Cunningham, 63. “It's our freedom. I love the American flag. I love the whole concept of it. I love America. I know there’s so much going on in the world, right now, and I know everyone has their own views, and I'm just sad that politics have to be brought into the flag.”

Flag as a ‘painful reminder’

Of those who took the survey, 47% see the flag as a “more unifying” symbol. About 16% call it a “more divisive” icon, while 36% say it's neither divisive nor unifying.

Only 22% of Black adults see the flag as a unifying symbol, compared with 55% of white adults and 42% of Hispanic adults.

“It’s a painful symbol. It’s a reminder of what we could be and how it’s failed to live up to that for Black people, for Indigenous people and people of color,” said Allison Wiltz, a Black author and founder of Writers and Editors of Color.

Paul Walthour, 71, occasionally flies the flag outside his Minneapolis-area home on special occasions and some holidays. Walthour says that when he’s away from home and at his cabin, the flag goes up each morning and is taken down at the end of the day.

“This is antiquated, perhaps,” said Walthour, who is white and a retired advertising agency creative director. “I feel it’s a symbol that you’re proud to be an American.”

“Unfortunately, I kind of think it’s kind of a symbol of dividing more than uniting,” added Walthour, who identifies as a Democrat. “The people who fly it on the far right have one kind of feeling about it, and the people who fly it on the left have a different kind of feeling about it.”

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Williams is a member of AP's Race & Ethnicity team. Sanders and Parwani reported from Washington.

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The AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limits

Mark Sherman, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:36:47 +0000

A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

By a 6-3 vote, the court struck down Trump’s order. A bare majority of five justices, in an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, held that the long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, makes a citizen of anyone born in the country, with very limited exceptions,

“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court, citing congressional debate over the amendment, “We keep that promise today.”

A sixth justice, Brett Kavanaugh, disagreed about the constitutional ruling, but pointed to a federal law that he said broadly conveys birthright citizenship.

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas would have upheld Trump’s proposed restrictions.

“The Court today takes the extraordinary step of holding facially unconstitutional the President’s Order excluding from citizenship the children of foreign temporary visitors and illegal aliens,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a 91-page dissent, more than three times as long as Roberts' opinion. “In doing so, the Court adds to the sad history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks but has instead been repurposed for political projects that the Reconstruction Congress did not support.”

The Republican president's restrictions had been blocked by several lower courts and had not taken effect anywhere in the U.S.

Trump said the decision was “too bad for our Country” and wrongly suggested that Congress could “easily” address it with legislation. The majority decision rests on constitutional grounds. It would take an amendment to overcome the decision.

During arguments in April, both conservative and liberal justices questioned the order’s legality in a momentous case that was magnified by Trump’s unprecedented attendance in the courtroom.

The case framed another test of Trump’s assertions of executive power that defy long-standing precedent for a court with a conservative majority and a robust view of presidential power that has largely ruled in his favor. In the notable exceptions when the court has not, Trump has responded with starkly personal criticisms of the justices.

The justices ruled on Trump’s appeal of a lower-court ruling from New Hampshire that struck down the citizenship restrictions.

The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed on the first day of his second term, is part of his administration’s broad immigration crackdown.

Birthright citizenship was the first Trump immigration-related policy to reach the court for a final ruling. The justices previously struck down global tariffs Trump had imposed under an emergency powers law that had never been used that way.

Trump reacted furiously to the late February tariffs decision, saying he was ashamed of the justices who ruled against him and calling them unpatriotic.

He also seemed to recognize the court was likely to rule against him on birthright citizenship, too, using his Truth Social platform to criticize “dumb judges and justices” and wealthy pregnant women from China and elsewhere who come to the U.S. to give birth so their newborns will have American citizenship.

Trump’s order would have upended widely held views that the 14th Amendment confers citizenship on everyone born in the U.S., excluding only the children of foreign diplomats and those born to a foreign occupying force.

The amendment was intended to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship, though the Citizenship Clause is written more broadly. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” it reads.

In a series of decisions, lower courts have struck down Trump's executive order as illegal. The decisions have invoked the high court’s 1898 ruling in Wong Kim Ark, which held that the U.S.-born child of Chinese nationals was a citizen.

Roberts, joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the three liberal justices, said the amendment's language, the historical context and the 1898 case make clear that children born to parents illegally or temporarily in the U.S. “are citizens at birth.”

But there was only a bare majority of five justices on the constitutional question.

Kavanaugh sided with the majority because of a federal law that makes those children citizens. But he joined the dissenters in finding that Trump's order does not violate the Constitution. His view would enable a future Congress to change the law to restrict birthright citizenship.

The Trump administration had argued that the common view of citizenship is wrong, asserting that children of noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore are not entitled to citizenship.

More than one-quarter of a million babies born in the U.S. each year would have been affected by the executive order, according to research by the Migration Policy Institute and Pennsylvania State University’s Population Research Institute.

While Trump has largely focused on illegal immigration in his rhetoric and actions, the birthright citizenship restrictions also would have applied to people who are legally in the United States, including students and applicants for green cards, or permanent resident status.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

10-year-old shelter dog Rigby seeks forever home as heat dangers mount for pets

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:07:08 +0000

He came in off the streets with a little arthritis, a few knee and hip issues, and an enormous heart. Now Rigby, a 10-year-old dog at Michigan Humane, is looking for a family to call his own - and his adoption fees are fully covered by the Mike Morse Law Firm.

Michigan Humane President Matt Pepper said dogs like Rigby are often passed over but shouldn’t be.

“Older dogs get overlooked sometimes in a shelter environment,” Pepper said. “When you talk about a dog that is an absolute lover and just wants to be there - this is that puppy.”

Pepper described Rigby as an ideal companion for a laid-back household. The senior dog is not running 5Ks, he said, and prospective adopters should simply be “somebody that understands he’s not going to be as active as a puppy.” Short walks, plenty of cuddles and a cool spot on the couch are all Rigby needs.

The search for Rigby’s new home comes as metro Detroit swelters through dangerous heat - conditions Pepper said pose a serious risk to dogs of all ages.

“Know your dog. When behavior and things change, something is probably not right,” he said. “Look for labored breathing, any type of respiratory distress, heavy panting, just general lethargy, acting different than they normally would.”

If those symptoms appear and don’t improve quickly, Pepper said, owners should not wait.

“Heat exhaustion can escalate quickly and can be fatal, can be very serious,” he said.

His advice for the current heat wave is straightforward: keep dogs inside as much as possible.

“If your dog doesn’t have to be outside in this heat, don’t have it outside. Limit the time outside,” Pepper said. “When the weather’s extreme, limit your time outside. Spend some time inside with the dog. Make sure they always have water, winter, summer — always have water, always have shade, and most of all, just get ‘em inside.”

For those who do need to take their dog out briefly, Pepper cautioned owners to watch for hot asphalt and cement, keep trips short, and always bring water.

Rigby is available for adoption at Michigan Humane. The Mike Morse Law Firm is covering all standard adoption fees for whoever brings him home.

Federal judge denies effort by Trump administration to get New Hampshire's detailed voter data

Michael Casey, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:06:27 +0000

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the Justice Department aimed at compelling New Hampshire to turn over its voter rolls, dealing the Trump administration another setback in its quest for detailed information about the nation's voters.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante found that the request to provide the state’s voter registration list did not comply with a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 pertaining to federal election records. His ruling, issued Monday, also found that the Justice Department failed to allege any violation under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which established standards for states’ voting systems and voter registration lists.

That prevents "allowing the Attorney General unrestricted access to New Hampshire’s (voter list) to conduct a line-by-line audit to assess a ‘possible’ violation of a federal statute,” wrote LaPlante, an appointee of former President George W. Bush.

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, a Republican, welcomed the ruling.

“I am committed to protecting the private information of New Hampshire voters to the fullest extent required by law," he said in a statement.

The dismissal in New Hampshire brings to 10 the number of states where the Justice Department has lost similar cases. The department has sued to force release of detailed state voter data — which includes dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers — in 30 states and the District of Columbia.

In addition to New Hampshire, judges have rejected those attempts in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. In Georgia, a judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit because it had been filed in the wrong city, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.

In explaining their push for the records, federal officials have said they need the voter data to ensure that states are complying with federal election laws related to maintaining voter registration lists, even though states already have detailed processes to do that. In the case out of Rhode Island, a Justice Department attorney acknowledged that the department was seeking unredacted voter roll information so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security to check citizenship status.

Democratic and some Republican officials have objected to the Justice Department requests for detailed voter data and said such a demand violates state and federal privacy laws.

At least 13 states have either provided or promised to provide their voter registration lists to the department, according to the Brennan Center for Justice and Associated Press reporting: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

Bello again: Pierre Coffin, voice of the Minions, finally understands his yellow henchman

Jake Coyle, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:04:54 +0000

Filmmaker Pierre Coffin is the creator and chief practitioner of Minionese, but it’s a dialect — like most things Minions — that’s taken time to hone.

“I have this file on my phone of Indian dishes or weird words.” Coffin says. “People come up to me and say, ‘You should say that!’ and I write it down.”

“The hardest thing,” adds Coffin, “is just to find the melody.”

It’s been 16 years since Coffin co-directed Illumination's “Despicable Me.” He has made three more movies in the franchise, directing “Despicable Me 2,” “Despicable Me 3” and “Minions.” But the Minions, like Coffin’s personal version of Frankenstein’s monster, have often remained a deviling, even mystifying force to him.

Coffin, a French Indonesian animator who lives in Paris, where Illumination productions are based, has struggled with both the dictates of Hollywood franchise-building and the strange narrative conundrums of movies based around a supervillain and gibberish-speaking henchmen.

“That’s why I kind of disappeared from the series,” Coffin said in a recent interview from Paris. “I mean, the first one was really good. A bad guy becoming a good guy after contact with three little girls, I could see it. The second one was a little bit more shady because it was like: That guy who’s no longer a bad guy falls in love and there’s a marriage at the end. That’s literally how Chris (Meledandri) pitched it to me. My French sensibility threw up a little bit.”

If you can’t tell, Coffin — the still-mischievous 59-year-old son of a French diplomat and an Indonesian novelist — is unusually candid about the franchise he helped create. Even movies that he directed, he’s highly critical of.

The previous “Minions” spinoff, 2022’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” Coffin won’t even talk about because, he says, “I don’t necessarily like it and it’s strange to me.” “Despicable Me 3,” the 2017 sequel was the last movie Coffin directed, but he says he didn't even want to make it. Afterward, Coffin told Meledandri, the Illumination chief executive, that he was done.

“I told him: I got to move on. I did my trilogy, my prequel — I’m good. I can help with the voices, no problem. But I want to move on,” Coffin says. “I worked on separate things, but I always get pulled back by the Minions.”

The Minions have a way of manipulating their bosses, Coffin included. After walking away from them, he's back for “Minions & Monsters,” the third standalone feature for the “Banana!”-shouting little guys.

“All the other ones I had doubts about. I was guided into a direction that I did not necessarily like or understand,” says Coffin of the previous sequels. “But the things were a huge success. I was humbled. OK, there has to be something I don’t understand.

“This one is horrible because I’m thinking I really like it,” Coffin says, laughing. “And I’m thinking, man, maybe I just killed the franchise.”

Making the Minions main characters

On the contrary, “Minions & Monsters,” which opens in theaters Wednesday, may be the best “Minions” movie yet. In it, the Minions turn filmmakers. Alongside Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, they try to make a monster movie in 1920s Hollywood.

The premise, suggested by Meledandri, was too enticing for Coffin to turn down. He even wanted to write the script, which he did with cowriter Brian Lynch. “Minions & Monsters” makes the yellow troublemakers something more than chaos-inducing sidekicks. They’re silent film stars who for the first time feel like actual protagonists.

“This movie has so much for people who were kids when they first encountered the Minions,” says Meledandri. “More than any previous Minion movie, it incorporates all of that wonderful silliness of the Minions but it's also a terrific story.”

Even after seven films and more than $5 billion in box office, the Minions are still revealing themselves to Coffin. They were, in the first place, a product of evolution. For “Despicable Me,” they were first designed like hulking thugs, then more like robots, then more like mole men. Coffin, Chris Renaud and art director Eric Guillon kept refining. Add in some goggles, overalls and names like Stuart and Kevin and, bingo: movie history.

How to speak Minionese

Yet given that the Minions are impossible to understood, except for a word or two, they make for tricky protagonists. Hand them over to a new boss, and you risk making the Minions second bananas again. At the same time, long sections of uninterrupted Minionese can grow tiresome without some human interpreter.

“If it’s too long and annoying to the ear, we just kill it,” Coffin says. “All of these movies, we do until we find the little formula.”

Even just writing for the Minions isn’t a clear process. Coffin, who voices all the Minions, is accustomed to improvising their dialogue back and forth. (For the first “Minions” movie, he'd begin his mornings with two hours alone with a microphone before commuting to the studio.) Putting pen to paper came less naturally.

“Brian didn’t know how to write them,” Coffin says. “He tried writing gibberish. I told him, ‘Don’t write gibberish. I don’t understand what they’re saying. Let’s write them in English.’ It took us a while to establish that dumb thing.”

Coffin can sound almost parental about the Minions. The characters he gave voice to aren’t just in the movies. They're like mascots for Illumination, generated billions in merchandising. Not every treatment nails their singular nature.

“I don’t want to criticize what the others have done with the Minions, but when someone else does something with the Minions, I feel that they’re considering them creatures,” Coffin says. “But they’re not creatures. They’re creatures with a spirit, with a personality.”

Even he’s still figuring them out. In writing “Minions & Monsters,” Coffin wanted to think about the origins of friendships. He began surveying people about how they met their best friends. Many of the replies inevitably went back to when someone was 8 or 10 years old.

“That made it very clear to us: The Minions are kids,” Coffins says. “I discovered that on this movie. It dawned on me. They’re irresponsible, they don’t listen, they make a mess, they don’t listen to authority. From that moment onward, it was very easy.”

Consumer confidence ticks up as gas prices fall but Americans remain gloomy about the economy

Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:23:23 +0000

Americans' attitudes toward the economy improved slightly this month as gas prices declined, but their outlook is still mostly negative by historical standards.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose 0.6 point to 91.2 in June, a figure that is still below its year-ago reading of 95.2. Consumer attitudes worsened after the Iran war caused oil and gas prices to spike, accelerating inflation and causing Americans' inflation-adjusted incomes to decline. Before the pandemic, the index regularly topped 120.

The report suggests that consumer confidence is recovering only slowly from the hit caused by the Iran war. Even so, Americans have continued to spend despite their dour outlook, which has kept the economy growing even as inflation accelerated. Measures of consumer sentiment have been less predictive of how Americans actually shop since the pandemic.

“Consumer confidence inched up in June as falling oil prices in recent weeks provided some relief to consumer inflation fears,” Dana Peterson, the Conference Board's chief economists said in a statement. “Consumer appraisals of current business conditions were slightly more positive compared to last month. However, perceptions of the current labor market softened measurably."

Earlier this month, a government report showed that consumers stepped up their spending in May despite higher gas prices. Analysts expect the steady consumer outlays kept the economy growing at about a 2.5% annual rate in the April-June quarter.

Falling gas prices may also help boost Americans' outlook in the coming months. On average nationwide, gas prices spiked above $4.50 after the U.S.-Iran conflict began Feb. 28. They have since fallen back to $3.85 a gallon, according to AAA.

The survey also found that consumers had a dimmer view of hiring and the job market this month. The proportion of Americans who said jobs are “hard to get” rose to 22.5% from 19.8% the previous month, a noticeable increase.

But on Wednesday the government released a report showing that the number of open jobs remained at a solid 7.6 million in May, indicating that companies are showing more interest in recruiting workers.

The Labor Department will release its monthly jobs report for June on Thursday, and economists forecast it will show that employers added 100,000 jobs, a solid gain. The unemployment rate is expected to stay at a low 4.3%, according to data provider FactSet.

False hope and schadenfreude: Familiar feelings for Germany after another World Cup flop

Ciarán Fahey, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:51:03 +0000

Another World Cup, another early exit.

Germany should be getting used to disappointment, but it doesn’t make it any less painful for a traditional soccer heavyweight that had been tentatively hoping for a fifth World Cup title to restore lost pride.

Germany did manage to survive the group stage for the first time since winning the trophy in 2014, but it’s little consolation after Monday’s loss to unheralded Paraguay on penalties sent the team home after the first knockout game.

“We messed it up,” Joshua Kimmich told reporters after the match in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

It was a familiar feeling for the Germany captain who also struggled for explanations after the team’s group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“As a child, when you watched the national team during tournaments, it was always semifinals, finals, or world champions. There was always lots of success. You grew up with that, cheering them on,” the 31-year-old Kimmich said Monday, when he apologized for the team failing to meet expectations.

“All of us who were on the pitch should feel that, rather than looking to blame someone else. We blew it,” Kimmich said in comments reported by dpa.

Coach under fire

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann is in the firing line after some contentious calls — particularly after recalling veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from international retirement just before the tournament after months of denials.

The 40-year-old Neuer failed to justify his inclusion at the expense of Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann, and was arguably at fault for Ecuador’s winning goal in the last group game.

“I gave it my all,” Neuer said.

Nagelsmann finally bowed to pressure and gave forward Deniz Undav his first start against Paraguay, but the move didn’t pay off as the Kurdish Yazidi player was unable to add to his three goals and two assists from his first two games as a substitute.

Nagelsmann was also criticized for not playing forward Nick Woltemade at all until he sent him on with extra time looming against Paraguay. Woltemade was among three players who missed in the penalty shootout.

False hope

Nagelsmann had raised expectations by saying Germany was aiming to win the title. Ultimately, his team failed to show any justification for such hopes.

Germany played four games at the World Cup, winning two against debutant Curaçao and Ivory Coast, before the losses to Ecuador and Paraguay.

While Paraguay’s win was joyously celebrated on the streets of its capital, Asunción, it was considered a major shock — few German fans knew any of the Paraguayan players before the match, and they were already looking forward to a likely Round of 16 meeting with France, which plays Sweden on Tuesday.

“You have to beat such a team,” Neuer said of Paraguay. “That’s a fact when you want to measure yourself against teams like France.”

Nagelsmann has vowed to stay on as coach, though he was also criticized for his prickly responses to questions after the game.

“I’m still convinced that he’s probably the right one to continue,” Germany team director Rudi Völler said. “It’s not only up to me.”

Serious talks ahead

Bernd Neuendorf, the president of the German soccer federation, said Tuesday he already met “at length” with Nagelsmann, Völler and sporting director Andreas Rettig, and they agreed “our performance at the World Cup fell short of our standards.”

“In the coming days, we will calmly look at the reasons why the team was unable to realize its potential and failed to meet both its own expectations and those of the German football community,” Neuendorf said. “After such a crushing blow, we cannot and do not wish to simply return to business as usual.”

Nagelsmann has a contract running through the European Championship in 2028.

Schadenfreude takes over

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz illustrated the disconnect between the German team’s hopes and reality better than most when he wrote on social media, “What a match, @DFB_Team! You thrilled our country with your commitment and team spirit at this World Cup. We’re proud of you.”

Merz was quickly mocked for his post on X, where many users asked which match he was referring to. The words “which match” began trending.

“I honestly don’t know which was worse. The match or this analysis,” FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wrote.

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Click here to view the full list of finalists.

Roof of tutoring center collapses in eastern Pakistan, killing at least 14 children, police say

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:31:40 +0000

A roof collapse at a tutoring center under construction in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday killed at least 14 schoolchildren, police and rescue officials said.

Eight other children were injured and being treated at a hospital, senior police official Faisal Kamran said, adding that the owner of the tutoring center and another person have been arrested.

Kamran said rescuers were searching through the rubble after receiving reports that more children could be trapped beneath the debris. He said the tutoring center was housed in an aging building and that the roof of an unfinished second floor apparently collapsed because of poor construction quality.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to reduce costs.

Witnesses said ambulances and rescue workers rushed to the scene after the roof collapsed. Residents also joined the search, using shovels and their bare hands to remove rubble in an effort to reach children trapped beneath the debris.

Hours later, as the bodies of the children were being handed over to their families, scenes of anguish unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighborhood on the outskirts of Lahore where the private tutoring center was located in a house. Parents wept over the loss of their children, while mothers and other female relatives cried and beat their chests in grief.

Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday.

Grief was mixed with anger as residents demanded stern punishment for the owner of the tutoring center, blaming him for operating classes in what they described as an aging and unsafe building. Dozens of mourners were seen gathering outside the victims’ homes to offer condolences.

“We don’t know whose home to visit first to offer condolences for the loss of their children,” resident Zafar Iqbal said as he moved from one bereaved family’s home to another nearby street.

Lahore is the capital of Pakistan's most populous Punjab province, where many parents send their children to private tutoring centers in the afternoon and evening.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the collapse of the roof of an evening school building in Lahore. In separate statements, they offered condolences to the families of the victims, prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured, and said effective safety measures were needed to prevent similar tragedies.

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Associated Press writer K.M. Chaudhry in Lahore contributed to this story.

Carnegie Foundation unveils 2026's 'Great Immigrants, Great Americans' list

Glenn Gamboa, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:01:40 +0000

This year’s class of “Great Immigrants, Great Americans” includes Citi CEO Jane Fraser, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Hernan Diaz and Cristina Rivera Garza, and fashion designer Gabriela Hearst. The newly renamed Andrew Carnegie Foundation announced the honorees Tuesday as immigration advocates expressed concern about the future of U.S. immigration policy following last week’s Supreme Court rulings.

Foundation President Dame Louise Richardson said the awards, launched in 2006, have never been meant to be political. Earlier this month, the foundation changed its name from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to emphasize its nonprofit status and connection to famed industrialist Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant.

“We’re not articulating it in response to this moment,” Richardson told The Associated Press. “But it seems especially important at this moment that we celebrate immigrants and their contributions and also that we present a view of immigrants different from the ones so often portrayed in the media.”

The immigration debate continues at the highest levels of power, as President Donald Trump’s administration executes his agenda to increase immigration enforcement and reduce the numbers of legal immigrants and asylum seekers in the country. On the other side, Pope Leo XIV said, “Human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border,” as he visited a once-notorious epicenter of the European migration debate in Spain earlier this month.

Richardson — a naturalized American citizen, born in Ireland — said the entire issue has “become so fraught, especially with the movement against legal immigration and, in particular, the visas for highly skilled people.”

“That just strikes me as an act of self-harm on a national level,” she added, “because so many of these people are the engines of the economy.”

CEO Iman Abuzeid wants to inspire other immigrants

Honoree Dr. Iman Abuzeid, co-founder and CEO of the artificial intelligence-driven healthcare career platform Incredible Health, sees the award as recognition not just for her accomplishments, but for everyone who helped her along the way.

“And if my story makes it feel like it’s more possible for someone else, then that’s probably the part that I care about the most,” added the native of Sudan, who now lives in San Francisco.

Abuzeid said she specifically chose to emigrate to the United States after living in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and completing medical school in England.

“It is the best country for what I’m trying to do,” she said. “I think if you’re ambitious and you’re willing to work hard and you’ve got some skills, it is probably the best country in the world for you.”

Being an immigrant, Abuzeid said, has given her the drive to take on risk and bet on her own abilities. It has also influenced her to build Incredible Health in a way that balances the needs of employers looking to hire health care workers with the career needs of the workers, about 20% of whom are immigrants.

“I think being from Sudan does make me a little bit more attuned to topics like bias and diversity,” she said. “Because we’re operating a marketplace at scale, we can see these patterns in our data where workers of certain last names were seeing bias against them. … So when we removed that, we were able to improve that part of the marketplace.”

Conductor Cristian Măcelaru sees immigration as ‘opportunity’

Honoree Cristian Măcelaru, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, said immigration offers both the immigrant and their new home country a chance to improve their lives.

“This is an opportunity we should hold dear,” the native of Romania said. “It really makes for a unique kind of country.”

It also creates a unique artistic point of view, said Măcelaru, who moved to Michigan to study music at Interlochen Arts Academy when he was 16.

“I’ve met so many incredible people that were supportive of my arrival to the United States and embracing of who I was,” he said. “But, at the same time, there is that nostalgia for what you’ve left behind that accompanies you on a daily basis. … The immigrant experience never leaves you.”

Măcelaru, who conducted the Orchestre National de France during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony viewed by more than a billion people in 2024, said culture becomes stronger when it appreciates the strengths of others.

“I think all of us actually love the cultures of different places,” said Măcelaru, who makes a point of diversifying the music presented by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. “It doesn’t matter where we are on the planet, you end up loving music that is from a different place. You end up loving food that is from a different country.”

Harvard's Gregory Nagy ‘awestruck’ by influx of new cultures

Honoree Gregory Nagy, Harvard University’s Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and a professor of Comparative Literature, takes it a step further.

“To have an influx of new cultures and new ways of looking at things — that variety is the human fabric,” said the native of Hungary who emigrated with his family as a boy following World War II. They first went to Canada, and then to the United States when his father was invited to become a professor of classical piano at Indiana University. “I’m just awestruck by how important the melting pot is.”

Nagy, who prides himself on being “a friendly Midwesterner” after spending his formative years in Bloomington, Indiana, uses the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s thoughts on repetition — how a person changes an idea even if they only repeat it — to back up that belief.

But he also supports it with his ongoing teaching. Nagy’s class on “The Ancient Greek Hero,” which he has taught for more than 50 years and is currently the longest-running class at Harvard, continues to change with the times, while remaining true to its subject matter.

He has studied how “The Oath of the Ephebes,” from more than 2,400 years ago, connects the importance of environmentalism to being a good citizen. He says the ancient Greek idea of heroism is closer to modern comic book heroes than to the idealized, perfect versions many Americans hold dear.

That evolution is driven by young people, as reflected in the election of Péter Magyar as prime minister of Nagy’s beloved Hungary in April, the social changes that followed, and the new perspectives brought by immigration, Nagy said.

“I was very fortunate to become an immigrant,” he said. “And I was lucky enough to achieve puberty in Indiana, so that Americanizes you very well.”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Man facing weapon charge as investigation continues in shooting that left 1 dead, child injured in Detroit

Samantha Sayles — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:36:09 +0000

A man is facing a weapon charge as the investigation continues to find the suspect who killed a man and injured a child in a shooting on Detroit’s west side.

Robert Irvin is facing a federal charge of felon in possession of a firearm.

A criminal complaint, filed by a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), was unsealed on June 29, detailing how investigators found that Irvin was allegedly possessing a weapon.

Background

A man was killed, and a child was injured after a shooting in Detroit. The victims were cousins, according to police.

The shooting happened on Burgess near Outer Drive W and Lyndon Street just after 9:30 p.m. on June 24.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

Police search home

During the investigation to find a suspect in the shooting, police executed a search warrant at a home in the 20000 block of Plymouth Road in Detroit on June 26.

Irvin was in the home during the search and was detained. According to the criminal complaint, officers recovered multiple items, including Irvin’s phone.

Later that day, Irvin was interviewed by detectives about the homicide. Irvin gave the detective consent to search his phone during the interview.

On June 27, police found a video of what appeared to be Irvin holding an AR-style rifle.

Investigators provide a screenshot of the video of who appears to be Robert Irvin holding an AR-style rifle.

Based on the cellular extraction, the video was created on April 21, 2026, around 5:50 p.m., and was deleted on June 25, 2026.

Police also found a photo of a Radical Firearms, model RF-15, multi-caliber rifle that was taken on June 24, 2026, at around 4:51 p.m. Investigators determined Irvin took the photo based on the phone’s location at the time it was taken.

Investigators provided a photo that was reportedly taken on Robert Irvin's phone on June 24, 2026.

According to an ATF special agent in the criminal complaint, the rifle seen in the video and photo is capable of shooting 5.56 caliber ammunition, noting that the same caliber of shell casings were recovered from the scene of the shooting on June 24.

On June 28, an ATF special agent traced the rifle and determined that the gun was originally purchased in 2022 in Eastpointe from someone who was not Irvin. Officials also found that the gun was manufactured outside the State of Michigan.

Criminal history

According to the criminal complaint, Irvin has a history of criminal activity.

On March 12, 2013, Irvin was convicted of carjacking, third-degree police officer fleeing and felony firearm. On May 2, 2014, he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Another charged

Federal prosecutors also filed a criminal complaint against 32-year-old Lonnie Moore, a convicted felon, accusing him of possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, Moore allegedly FaceTimed a witness just hours before the shooting in Detroit and threatened to kill the victims if his chain wasn’t returned within 24 hours.

Agents tied social media posts and the alleged FaceTime threat to Moore.

Best Ice cream in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Derick Hutchinson, Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Who has the best ice cream in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best ice cream.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Gilly’s Ice Cream in Troy
Holy Cow! Creamery in Wyandotte
Modern Cone in St. Clair Shores
Ray’s Ice Cream in Royal Oak
Smoothies On 7 Mile Dairy Bar in Redford Township

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

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

Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.

Pope issues plea to breakaway traditionalist group to back off bishop consecrations

Nicole Winfield, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:07:16 +0000

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday issued a plea to a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics to call off its plan to consecrate new bishops without his consent, describing the move as a schismatic act and a “sin of extreme gravity.”

“I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!” Leo wrote in a letter to the Rev. Davide Pagliarani, the superior of the Society of St. Pius X.

Leo issued the last-ditch appeal a day before the society plans to consecrate four new bishops at its seminary in Econe, Switzerland. Under church law, the consecrations constitute a schismatic act, or an intentional rupture of the unity of the Catholic Church, and incur automatic excommunication for the four bishops and the bishop administering the consecration.

Pagliarani responded by writing a formal letter to Leo asking him to take time before deciding any penalty.

“Far be it from us to separate ourselves from the Roman Church. We desire, on the contrary, to serve her by means that are extraordinary, as one would assist a mother in distress who requires particular help, even if such help is not understood by everyone,” Pagliarani wrote.

SSPX asks pope for more time

The ceremony poses the first major crisis for the American pope, who has stressed the need for church unity since the start of his pontificate. He has worked especially hard to heal tensions with traditionalist Catholics who prefer the old Latin Mass, that worsened in some ways during the Pope Francis pontificate.

The society was founded in opposition to the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council. Among other things, the council revolutionized the Catholic Church’s relations with other religions and the laity, and allowed Mass to be celebrated in vernacular languages rather than Latin.

Its members celebrate the ancient Latin Mass and have accused the modern church of being rife with heresies and errors. The society insists that only the SSPX is upholding the true faith of Christ and has justified the consecrations, citing a “state of necessity” to minister to its faithful.

In response to the pope’s letter, Marc-André Mabillard, media manager for the society, expressed “great sadness to not be understood by our leader,” and added: “We are changing absolutely nothing in our plans.”

Asked by phone about the prospect of excommunication, Mabillard said: “We don’t fear it. It pains us immensely, but we believe that the good we seek is greater than the pain that will be inflicted upon us.”

Previous excommunications and outreach

In 1988, SSPX founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal consent. The Vatican promptly excommunicated Lefebvre and the four other bishops, and the group today still has no legal status in the church.

The Vatican in 2009 lifted those original excommunications as part of its outreach to try to bring the group back under its wing. But the Vatican has warned that a similar fate awaits the new bishops if Wednesday's consecrations go ahead.

In his letter, Leo repeated the Vatican's offer of dialogue and said that going through with the consecrations would be counterproductive for the SSPX faithful.

“I urge you to consider carefully the spiritual good of the faithful, because the schismatic act you are about to undertake would deprive them of the licit, and in some cases, even valid reception of the sacraments,” he wrote.

Despite the original 1988 schismatic act, the group has continued to grow and today poses a threat to the Holy See as a parallel, ultra-Catholic, pre-Vatican II church. The SSPX counts two bishops, 751 priests, 264 seminarians, 145 religious brothers, 88 oblates and 250 religious sisters representing 50 nationalities, according to SSPX statistics.

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Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

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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.

UK boosts military spending by $20 billion but critics say it's not enough

Jill Lawless, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:29:25 +0000

Self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines and drones will be at the center of Britain’s future military under a defense plan announced Tuesday that includes a 15 billion pound ($20 billion) spending boost.

Like other NATO countries, the U.K. is under pressure to increase defense spending to counter a more aggressive Russia and less reliable United States. But its Defense Investment Plan has been repeatedly delayed as military leaders and Treasury officials wrangled over the cost.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan reflects a world of conflicts transformed by technology and will keep Britain safe in “a more dangerous and volatile world."

“When the world is arming and aggression is rising, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it," he said.

But the blueprint does not commit to spending 3% of U.K. GDP on defense by 2030, one of the factors that spurred John Healey to resign as U.K. defense secretary on June 11. Healey accused the government of underspending on the military at a time of “rising threats," citing a British intelligence assessment that Russia could attack a NATO member country by 2030.

In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Healey said that “with European security at stake,” Britain needs "to develop a clear, credible funding plan that will hit 3% and that will meet our NATO commitment of 3.5% by 2035."

Starmer said Healey’s successor, Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis, had worked to “sharpen and strengthen" the plan. Its 15 billion pounds in new spending is more than the 13.5 billion pounds ($18 billion) Healey was offered by the Treasury, but far less than the 28 billion pounds ($37 billion) that defense officials had called for.

UK faces pressure to hit NATO target

Under the plan, defense spending will hit 2.7% of GDP by 2029. Starmer said the 3% target will be reached “in the next Parliament,” a period that could extend to 2034. The U.K. remains committed to hitting NATO’s 3.5% target by 2035, though it's unclear how it will get there.

The government said the new funding will boost spending on defense to almost 300 billion pounds ($400 billion) over the next four years. Big-ticket items include 5 billion pounds ($6.6 billion) for drone technology, 8 billion pounds ($10.6 billion) to build new stealth fighter jets alongside Japan and Italy, and 11 billion pounds ($14.5 billion) to increase weapons stockpiles. The U.K. will also spend 64 billion pounds ($85 billion) modernizing its nuclear weapons.

Starmer said some road and energy projects would be scrapped to help pay for the military.

The U.K. military is seeking to reverse years of decline in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, which invaded its neighbor Ukraine in 2022 and increasingly tests the defenses of European nations with overt and covert activity.

The U.K. has watched how drones have transformed war in Ukraine, which uses 200,000 of them a month to defend against Russian forces. Britain plans to invest billions in drone systems across all branches of the military. Instead of a planned fleet of new destroyers, the Royal Navy will get hybrid vessels that will act as command hubs for drones.

“The very nature of conflict is changing before our eyes,” Starmer said during a speech at a drone manufacturer near London. He said that, armed with cutting-edge technology, Ukrainian forces have destroyed Russia’s Black Sea fleet, “struck deep into Russian territory and stopped the advance of one of the biggest armies in the world.”

Critics say more money is needed

Britain and other NATO member nations have faced pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to increase military spending. Trump has long questioned the value of the military alliance and complained that the United States provides security to European countries that don’t pull their weight.

The resignations of Healey and junior Defense Minister Al Carns were among a series of blows that prompted Starmer to announce last week that he will resign. A NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8 may be his final overseas trip as prime minister.

His replacement, likely the former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will be under pressure to stick to the commitments in the defense plan.

“It is a platform on which I know my successor will build," Starmer said.

Opposition Conservative Party defense spokesperson James Cartlidge said the plan was “too little, too late.”

And retired Gen. Richard Barrons, who helped lead a defense review in preparation for the investment plan, said “we have to find more money for defense sooner.”

“We’re not keeping up with our allies, we’re certainly not keeping up with our enemies, and we know that the U.S. is no longer going to come and save European security in the face of a Russian threat,” he told the BBC.

1 dead after motorcycle and minivan crash in Oakland County

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:33:55 +0000

A man driving a motorcycle died after crash with a minivan in White Lake Township.

White Lake Township Police and Fire Departments responded to the area of White Lake Rd near Teggerdine Rd on June 29 at around 5 p.m. after reports of a crash.

According to authorities the Dodge Caravan was traveling west on White Lake Rd when it collided with a Harley Davidson motorcycle traveling east on White Lake Rd.

Police say, the driver of the motorcycle, from Holly, 70, sustained severe injuries from the crash and was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Police say, the driver of the Dodge Caravan, from Highland, 54, was transported to a local hospital for injuries.

Authorities say the Highland man was arrested after being cleared by medical staff.

The case was referred to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for official charges.

Blake Lively wants $8 million in legal fees from Justin Baldoni after 'It Ends With Us' dispute

Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:33:48 +0000

Blake Lively is seeking $8 million in legal costs from actor and director Justin Baldoni after resolving their dispute over the acrimonious production of their 2024 film “It Ends With Us."

Lively's lawyers disclosed the amount, covering nearly $7.5 million in attorney’s fees from two law firms that represented her and about $500,000 in other expenses, in a court filing Tuesday.

Lively and Baldoni settled last month just before a trial was to start in federal court in Manhattan on Lively’s claims that he engineered an effort to damage her public reputation and credibility after she accused him of sexually harassing her while shooting the movie.

Baldoni, who directed the dark romantic drama and starred in it with Lively, denied her claims.

Lively received no money in the settlement, but a judge subsequently ruled that she is entitled to recover some legal costs she incurred after Baldoni filed a countersuit against her. The judge must still approve the amount she is seeking.

One of Lively’s lawyers, Michael Gottlieb, wrote in a court declaration that he charged her an average hourly rate of $2,187 — a discount from his usual $2,795 per hour. He said he billed 224 hours for work on her defense to Baldoni’s countersuit, totaling $457,000 in fees.

Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, “employed scorched-earth litigation tactics designed to drain Lively’s resources,” her lawyers wrote in their filing.

“They could have ended it (and offered to reimburse Lively) at any time. Having refused to do so, they should be ordered to reimburse Lively for all of the costs, attorney’s fees, and expenses they improperly forced her to incur,” they wrote.

A message seeking comment was left for Baldoni’s lawyer.

Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, 42, and Wayfarer Studios in December 2024, accusing them of conspiring with publicists to preemptively destroy her reputation after she privately accused him of sexual harassment on the “It Ends With Us" set.

Weeks later, Baldoni sued Lively, accusing her, her husband — “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds — and their publicist of defamation and extortion.

Baldoni denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. He claimed the complaints about his behavior were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie.

Judge Lewis J. Liman threw out Baldoni’s countersuit last year and then dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claims, saying she could not bring them because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the movie set.

In allowing Lively to recover legal costs, the judge cited a California law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits meant to intimidate and silence victims.

Liman said the law requires that the plaintiff must pay the defendant’s legal fees and costs if a defamation claim made in response to a lawsuit is dismissed, even if the facts of the case have not been developed through the gathering of evidence.

Liman said an exception would be if Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, could prove malice fueled Lively’s claims, but that they had produced no evidence to show that.

In their court filing, Lively's lawyers said $4.5 million should be paid to Gottlieb’s firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and about $3 million should go to the firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.

The judge rejected Lively's claims to triple any damages and pursue punitive damages as well under the California law, saying that they did not fall within “carefully crafted federal procedural rules designed to protect the rights of the parties.”

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel about a relationship devolving into domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations.

Lively appeared in the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including “The Town” and “The Shallows.”

Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart” and wrote “Man Enough,” a book challenging traditional notions of masculinity.

3 years ago, Michigan’s hands-free driving law went into effect. Now a survey reveals the impact

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:30:49 +0000

Three years ago, Michigan’s hands-free driving law went into effect; now a survey reveals the law’s impact.

The Michigan State University survey found 96,000 fewer Michigan drivers are on their phones while driving.

According to the survey, drivers under 30 remain twice as likely to be on their phones than older drivers.

Before the law passed, you could legally hold your phone behind the wheel; now your phone must be mounted or connected to your car.

The rule applies to red lights too; even if your car is stationary, you cannot hold your phone.

A first violation fine is $100, a second is $250; after three in three years, drivers are required to attend a driving improvement course.

Drivers who crash while holding a phone have their fines doubled.

Steve Kiefer, of The Kiefer Foundation, joined Local 4 Live to tell us more about the impact.

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

Higher heat, higher AC bill -- here’s what you can do and how the state could help you

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:29:36 +0000

As Michigan goes into an uncomfortable heatwave, Michiganders might see a higher energy bill, here’s what you can do.

Michigan offers State Emergency Relief to help residents with their energy bills.

The program has roughly $10 million for state residents.

Evette Hollins, Vice President and chief customer officer at DTE joined Local 4 Live to tell us more on how Michiganders can handle their next energy bill and how DTE is preparing for the heat wave.

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

US envoys arrive in Qatar for meetings on Iran, with tensions high over Hormuz

Jon Gambrell, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:19:37 +0000

Two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for talks with mediators about the implementation of an initial deal to end the war in Iran, an official said.

The visit by Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, comes after a weekend of crossfire in the Persian Gulf over efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic.

The envoys won’t be having direct negotiations with Iranian diplomats while in Qatar’s capital, Doha, said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. Instead, mediators are working for the time being as go-betweens for the talks, which won’t include any high-level officials, he added.

The U.S. and Iran have held indirect negotiations before. However, the two previous rounds collapsed and preceded the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in 2025 and this year's war, launched jointly by the U.S. and Iran on Feb. 28.

Iran is also sending a delegation to Qatar this week. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tuesday that Iran has had no plans for a meeting with the American side at any level in the coming days.

“What will take place in Doha tomorrow is a discussion with the Qatari side about implementing parts of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s blocked assets,” Baghaei told journalists at his own briefing.

It is possible the two sides could exchange messages through the Qatari mediators.

The U.S. and Iran agreed to an interim deal earlier this month that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium. It also waives U.S.-backed oil sanctions on the country, calls for free traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and gives each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that Qatar plans to release $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive negotiations, confirmed the release amount, saying it would be used to buy U.S. food products for the Iranian people.

A fifth of the world's oil was shipped through the Strait of Hormuz before the war began. Iran’s attacks and threats stopped cargo ships and tankers from moving through the strait, creating a global energy crisis.

The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite being in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters.

Both sides traded strikes amid efforts last week to open Oman’s territorial waters in the strait to both inbound and outbound ship traffic from the Persian Gulf. That raised concerns that negotiations to formally end the war could be disrupted.

Iran twice attacked vessels in the strait — including a tanker filled with Qatari crude — and drew retaliatory American airstrikes. Iran also launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday.

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AP reporter Josh Boak in Washington contributed.

Denmark urges IOC to recognize Greenland and Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:17:22 +0000

Denmark asked the IOC to recognize its territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams, the national parliament said Tuesday.

The parliament published a letter urging the International Olympic Committee to recognize the semi-autonomous territories as “independent National Olympic Committees and to participate in the Olympic Games under their own flags.”

The revival of a longstanding Olympic proposal previously made 20 years ago comes weeks after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formed a new coalition government. She has pledged support for Greenland against U.S. President Donald Trump’s wish to acquire the island.

The IOC recognizes 206 national Olympic bodies, which is 13 more than the United Nations has member states, and is unlikely to support Denmark’s request.

The Olympic body's policy since 1996 has been to recognize only independent states, such as Kosovo in 2014 and South Sudan the next year. The Olympic Charter defines “country” as “an independent state recognized by the international community.”

Two biathletes from Greenland competed for Denmark at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.

The Faroe Islands has competed in qualifying games for international soccer tournaments since the 1992 European Championship and 1994 World Cup.

The Danish parliament said its presidium’s June 18 letter to the IOC would “reflect a clear and current political commitment by Denmark to support enhanced and more equal international participation for both the Faroe Islands and Greenland.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Job openings stayed at a surprisingly strong 7.6 million in May; U.S. labor market proves resilient

Paul Wiseman, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:12:53 +0000

U.S. job openings stayed at a surprisingly strong 7.6 million in May as the American labor market remains resilient in the face of the economic shock from the Iran war.

Forecasters had expected employers to post just 7 million openings in May.

The job market is sturdy but not exactly booming. Layoffs rose in May, and the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — ticked up only slightly. That's according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Tuesday.

Employers are advertising openings, but they aren't actually doing much hiring. Gross hiring — before counting people who lost or quit their jobs — dipped to 5.17 million in May from 5.26 million in April. When the job market was booming from mid-2021 to mid-2023 after COVID-19 lockdowns, gross monthly hiring regularly topped 6 million.

“The hiring switch needs to fully turn on for the labor market to feel alive again,” ZipRecruiter economist Nicole Bachaud said in a commentary.

After the United States and Israel attacked Feb. 28, Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes. Energy prices soared, squeezing Americans already frustrated by the high cost of living.

But the American job market has chugged along, continuing to rebound from a miserable 2025. In the first five months of the year, U.S. employers have added an average of nearly 114,000 net jobs a month. That is up from just 9,700 a month in 2025, the weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002.

High interest rates and President Donald Trump's unpredictable economic policies discouraged employers from making hiring decisions last year. Trump's tax cuts and the fact that the United States is an energy producer have limited the economic damage from the war this year.

When the Labor Department releases its jobs report for June on Thursday, it is expected to show that companies, nonprofits and government agencies added another 100,000 jobs and that unemployment stayed at a low 4.3%.

Because of baby boomer retirements and Trump's immigration crackdown, fewer people are competing for work, and the United States doesn't need as many jobs as it used to keep the unemployment rate stable. Economists say the so-called "break-even'' rate of hiring could be as low as zero jobs a month, down from perhaps 150,000 a year or so ago.

A man claims after DNA testing, the Bigfoot body he found is 58% Neandertal and 41% human

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:09:16 +0000

A man claims to have found the first scientifically verified Bigfoot specimen, he claims after DNA testing the body has 58.5% Neanderthal and 41.5% human DNA.

Known as “Snake the Bigfoot Hunter”, Snake Stuart claims to have found the body while camping.

Snake claims after DNA testing at the Cornell’s Veterinary DNA Lab, his specimen is the first scientifically verified Bigfoot specimen.

Michigan ranks as one of the top in the nation for bigfoot sighting with more than 220 encounters listed in the Bigfoot field researchers organization database.

Most reports in Michigan come from the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.

Snake Stuart, Bigfoot hunter and author joined Local 4 Live to tell us what he found.

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

Man arrested after making alleged threats against Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:47:37 +0000

One person has been arrested for allegedly making a threat against the American Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights on Monday.

According to Madison Heights police, an investigation into the threats made against the Islamic Center in the 27000 block of Dequindre Road revealed the individual’s identity.

“The Madison Heights Police Department takes hate crimes very seriously and remains committed to supporting and protecting all religious and ethnic groups within our city,” the department wrote in a statement. “As such, membership of the Islamic Community Center has been updated on this development.”

No further details have been released as the investigation is ongoing, and charges are being submitted to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Too pushy? Coco Gauff brought to tears by interaction with anti-doping tester

Ken Maguire, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:27:15 +0000

Coco Gauff said she was brought to tears by a “pushy” anti-doping tester. Serena Williams called the system “ grueling.”

Protocols designed to protect tennis from doping are in the spotlight as players open up about their experiences navigating the system in the aftermath of a four-year ban handed to 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova — not for testing positive but for refusing to take a test.

Players are required to provide a 60-minute time slot each day to be available for testing, plus the International Tennis Integrity Agency says that if a doping control officer "locates and notifies a player outside of that hour, they must complete the test.”

Naturally, there's a need for communication between players and testers.

“I’m not going to lie, some of them can be pushy, make you feel like you’re doing something wrong,” Gauff, the No. 7 seed, said after her first-round victory at Wimbledon.

“One time she came outside my time slot. But the way she was speaking to me on the phone, it literally made me cry afterwards," the 22-year-old American said. "I found out I was in the right, and I didn’t have to do anything.”

Ahead of her first-round match Tuesday, Ajla Tomljanovic described her close calls.

“I’m very scared of the system because it feels broken," she said. "I’ve had a few experiences of my own where it was about technicalities and when I speak to people in charge they’re not helpful — I don’t want to say they don’t care — but they weren’t very helpful at all to explain things or just show some sort of compassion when I was nowhere near missing a test or testing positive.”

The Australian player said she was seeking help about how the app works.

“I was new to the whole system. And I was at two fails for a month and I knew if I get a third one accidentally I would be out for at least two, three years,” she said. “It’s in a way, I won’t say no fault of my own but it’s not to the degree of being banned and smearing your name. In that sense, I think there’s so much to improve on.”

Williams, who makes her Wimbledon return on Tuesday, said the testing system was “a big reason why I didn’t want to come back either, because it’s just so hard."

The Vondrousova case

The 27-year-old Czech player, who became Wimbledon’s first unseeded female champion when she beat Ons Jabeur in the 2023 final, refused to take a test in early December 2025 after a doping control officer rang her apartment's intercom at 8 p.m.

This month, following a hearing by an independent tribunal, Vondrousova received the maximum four-year ban for a first offense.

ITIA published a video explainer of the case, saying Vondrousova on the night in question challenged the timing of the test because it was outside her designated time slot.

The agency noted: “If a Doping Control Officer, or DCO, locates and notifies a player outside of that hour, they must complete the test.”

Vondrousova had described the tester as “aggressive” and said the frequent ringing of the intercom “triggered a state of distress," the ITIA video says.

The tribunal's June 22 decision confirmed that Vondrousova refused the test and that the evidence “provided no compelling justification for doing so.”

The ITIA added that under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, “test refusals can be sanctioned as severely as positive tests." One rationale is an athlete who is doping could simply refuse a test and seek a lighter punishment.

Last year, the ITIA said it conducted over 8,000 tests both in and out of competition “and received a handful of complaints. We take all feedback on board and encourage players to share their views with us.” Other organizations, such as the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, also conduct player testing.

On possible changes to the system, the ITIA noted that tennis follows WADA rules and processes, which "will be refreshed in 2027. As part of this process, WADA consults with athletes from across global sport.”

“We understand the system can seem challenging," the ITIA said, “but it is there to protect players, not to trip them up. If players are ever unsure about a test, have questions, or would like to provide feedback on their experience, we want to hear about it.”

Some players say a 4-year ban is harsh

Jessica Pegula, the No. 4 seed, said she didn't know the full details of Vondrousova's case but that “I feel, like, for Marketa.”

“For something like that, for four years, you’re ruining someone’s career over something that could have really just been a complete misunderstanding, and I just don’t think that’s fair. I think the sentencing is so harsh," Pegula said.

“I don’t quite understand the difference between that and then obviously what happened with (Jannik) Sinner and Iga (Swiatek),” she said. “They justified what the rules were and why it was the way it was.”

Top-ranked Sinner, the defending men's champion at Wimbledon, accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with WADA in early 2025 following his two positive doping tests from the prior year. WADA had challenged ITIA's decision not to suspend Sinner for what it judged was accidental contamination — entering his system through a massage — by a banned anabolic steroid.

Swiatek, Wimbledon's defending women's champion, accepted a one-month suspension in 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication. The ITIA accepted her explanation that the result was unintentional and caused by the contamination of a nonprescription medication, melatonin, that Swiatek was taking for issues with jet lag.

___

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

Congo bans gatherings in areas far from Ebola outbreak. Some say it limits dissent

Jean-Yves Kamale And Monika Pronczuk, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:26:10 +0000

Opposition and civil society groups are protesting Congo’s new ban on public demonstrations and mass gatherings in the capital and other areas far from the country’s deadly Ebola outbreak, alleging that the decision aims to limit freedom of speech.

The decision announced over the weekend came as the outbreak of a type of Ebola with no approved treatment or vaccine continues to grow, with 1,307 people infected and 377 dead across three provinces in eastern Congo. It could be the worst Ebola outbreak yet.

Congo’s ministry of interior on Saturday said gatherings and demonstrations were forbidden in the provinces of Kinshasa, Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele as fears grow about the outbreak spilling into new areas. None of the provinces have any confirmed cases.

Separately, the mayor of Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city and now under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, also banned public gatherings and demonstrations, including celebrations linked to sport events, on Monday. Congo is in its first World Cup in over half a century.

Congo’s political opposition has denounced the ban as unconstitutional. Prince Epenge, the spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, has said the ban aims to prevent a planned demonstration in the capital, Kinshasa, early next month. The protest is against proposed constitutional changes that would allow Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi to run for a third term.

Civil society organizations also condemned the ban in a statement on Monday, citing freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

In a televised address on Monday evening, Tshisekedi announced a $319 million response plan to the Ebola outbreak, and called on people to respect health guidelines, report suspected cases and not give in to misinformation. He did not directly address the bans.

“Ebola is neither a rumor nor a source of shame,” Tshisekedi said. “It is a health emergency that demands responsibility, solidarity, and truth.”

Health workers have reported some skepticism and attacks over Ebola from residents in the affected areas of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

Cases also have been confirmed in neighboring Uganda, as well as one in France in a doctor who returned from Congo.

The United Nations warned in a report on Tuesday that if the virus spreads into other neighboring countries including Rwanda and Angola, it could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion and result in 328,000 job losses.

More than a month into the outbreak, officials believe it continues to outpace response efforts and no one knows its true scale. They are yet to identify patient zero and struggle to trace contact cases.

The World Health Organization has warned that violence from rebels in eastern Congo is complicating the response to the outbreak. In Ituri, attacks by the Islamic State group-backed Allied Democratic Force have cut off access to many villages and forced people to flee their homes, adding to already overcrowded camps of people displaced by years of conflict.

___

Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Janvier Barhahiga in Bukavu, Congo, contributed to this report.

Cypriot natural gas could start flowing from ExxonMobil's discoveries by 2033

Menelaos Hadjicostis, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:34:37 +0000

Natural gas could start flowing by 2033 out of two undersea deposits discovered by ExxonMobil off Cyprus, a senior executive with the company said Tuesday, helping to turn the east Mediterranean island nation into a new European energy hub.

The largest U.S. oil company and its consortium partner, QatarEnergy, consider the most likely option for getting the gas to market would be conveying it through a pipeline to existing processing facilities in Egypt where it can be liquefied for export, ExxonMobil's Vice President of Global Exploration John Ardill said.

Other options including building onshore facilities in Cyprus or a floating one in waters over the deposits are considered too costly at this point.

“Everything you’ve seen between the government of Cyprus and the government of Egypt gives us a lot of confidence that there’s good government to government coordination, the agreements in place to leverage that eastern Mediterranean energy hub concept,” Ardill said.

He was speaking after ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy signed a deal with Cyprus declaring the two deposits commercially viable.

The deposits — dubbed Glaucus and Pegasus — are located in Block 10 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and are estimated to hold together roughly 7 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Ardill said the consortium is looking to expand its presence off Cyprus, expressing interest in exploring an area, or block, on the southwestern corner of the EEZ that is adjacent to an area where it already holds drilling licenses.

The consortium will carry out additional drilling at the Pegasus deposit around the end of this year to collect more key data for its development, he added.

“So what we should tell ordinary people is we have been working very diligently together between government and investor to make these discoveries and we’re working very diligently to get the gas flowing for the people of Cyprus,” Ardill said.

Cyprus is trying to position itself as a new energy source for Europe and beyond following the initial discovery of natural gas off its southern shore in 2011.

Apart from ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy, two other consortiums hold exploration licenses in the Cypriot EEZ.

A consortium composed of Italy’s Eni and French TOTAL holds licenses for four blocks where two deposits hold an estimated 5.6 trillion cubic feet of gas combined, while a partnership between Chevron, Dutch Shell and Israeli NewMed is licensed for one bloc where the oldest discovery — Aphrodite — holds approximately 5.6 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Earlier this year, Eni’s Chief Operating Officer Guido Brusco said the company was close to making a final decision on developing the Cronos gas field that could deliver the hydrocarbon to European markets by late 2027 or early 2028.

Morning 4: Novi dialysis center to reopen following investigation into patient death — and more news

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:00:08 +0000

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.

Novi DaVita dialysis center to reopen following investigation into patient death, hospitalizations

The DaVita dialysis center in Novi will reopen following an investigation into the death of a patient and reports of illnesses.

The center will reopen to patients on Thursday, July 2, after a precautionary closure by state and local health officials.

The center’s closure comes after an investigation into a patient’s death and multiple hospitalizations that were linked to the dialysis center located near Grand River Avenue and Beck Road.

Novi city officials previously said no foul play or criminal conduct was found in the death and illness reports.

Why whale remains have been found in Michigan several times

The remains of whales have been found in Michigan.

It’s not a hoax. It’s not a joke. And I’m not talking about the Basilosaurus that lived here 37 million years ago.

Much more recently. Not the ancient ancestors of whales, but species that are still around in the oceans today. They just happened to live here just a few thousand years ago.

The skeletal remains of a baleen whale were found in Ortonville. Sperm whale remains have turned up in both Lenawee County and Wexford County. A bowhead whale was discovered in 1927 while workers were digging a foundation for a schoolhouse in Oscoda. Finback whale remains have been found in Genesee County.

To understand how whales ended up in the Great Lakes State, it helps to understand Michigan’s history.

Here’s where you can find cooling centers in Metro Detroit

An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect from noon on Tuesday through 8 p.m. on Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees with high levels of humidity and little overnight relief.

The most dangerous conditions are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to peak and challenge long-standing records across Metro Detroit.

If you need a place to cool off during this week’s extreme heat event, there are plenty of cooling centers open to the public across Metro Detroit.

Cases of Cyclosporiasis confirmed in Monroe County -- here’s what to know

The highly anticipated rematch between Michigan native Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao has been postponed indefinitely as promoters work through a series of legal disputes, contract issues, and scheduling conflicts.

According to Ring Magazine on X, the fight, originally scheduled for Sept. 26, 2026, in Las Vegas, could not proceed due to ongoing issues involving Mayweather’s camp.

The rematch was expected to stream globally on Netflix and serve as a follow-up to the pair’s 2015 showdown, which became the highest-grossing fight in boxing history.

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

Weather: Extreme Heat Warning issued for Southeast Michigan through Thursday

A 4Warn Weather Alert goes into effect today as Southeast Michigan prepares for a prolonged and dangerous stretch of extreme heat, with an Extreme Heat Warning in effect from noon today through Thursday.

High temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-90s to near 100 degrees, while oppressive humidity will push heat index values above 105 degrees each day. The combination of intense heat and high humidity will create hazardous conditions, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses for anyone spending extended time outdoors.

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Best HVAC company in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Derick Hutchinson, Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

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

Here are this year’s finalists:

Briarwood Heating & Cooling
Mulligan Heating
R&L Heating and Cooling
Stier Heating & Cooling
Zilka Heating and Cooling

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

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

Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.

Novi DaVita dialysis center to reopen following investigation into patient death, hospitalizations

Samantha Sayles — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:23:16 +0000

The DaVita dialysis center in Novi will reopen following an investigation into the death of a patient and reports of illnesses.

The center will reopen to patients on Thursday, July 2, after a precautionary closure by state and local health officials.

“We are proud to serve the Novi community, and the safety and well-being of our patients remain our highest priority. During the temporary closure, multiple third-party entities conducted comprehensive evaluations of center operations, including biomedical equipment reviews and water quality testing. Those reviews are complete and found no issues with the center’s systems or operations. We are confident in the care provided at our center and in our ability to continue delivering safe, high-quality treatment.
Throughout the temporary closure, all impacted patients continued receiving uninterrupted, life-sustaining dialysis care at nearby DaVita centers."
DaVita spokesperson

The center’s closure comes after an investigation into a patient’s death and multiple hospitalizations that were linked to the dialysis center located near Grand River Avenue and Beck Road.

Novi city officials previously said no foul play or criminal conduct was found in the death and illness reports.

Gojek co-founder sentenced to 10 years in Indonesia over school laptops corruption case

Niniek Karmini And Andi Jatmiko, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:50:22 +0000

Indonesia's anti-graft court on Tuesday sentenced one of the co-founders of ride-hailing and payments giant Gojek to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty in a high-profile corruption case stemming from his time as education minister.

Nadiem Anwar Makarim was convicted of pushing his ministry to buy Google Chromebook laptops for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic as the American tech giant was considering an investment in Gojek's parent company. Makarim denied wrongdoing.

A panel of five judges at Jakarta’s Corruption Court ordered Makarim to repay 809 billion rupiah (about $45.2 million) — a figure prosecutors said represented the value to him of Google's investment in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa — and imposed a fine of 1 billion rupiah (about $55,870). Prosectors said the purchasing decision also caused $125 million in state losses.

“The defendant, as a minister who should serve as a role model, abused his authority. His actions were deliberate, structured and systematic,” said presiding Judge Purwanto S. Abdullah, “As a high-ranking official, the defendant exacerbated the situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the education sector was already in crisis.”

The court didn't find that Makarim's push to buy Chromebooks actually influenced Google. Three former Google executives testified during the trial that Google’s investment in GoTo was unrelated to the Indonesian government’s decision.

Following the verdict Makarim, 41, criticized what he called an excessive punishment and said he would appeal because “there is not a single part of the accusation by the prosecution that has not been refuted, that has not been proven otherwise, no form of bribery, no conflict of interest, there is no state lost.”

Speaking to The Associated Press in a brief interview after the hearing, he said the policy to select the cheapest laptop based on an operating system that is free has saved at least 3.6 trillion rupiah (about $201 million).

“It’s very disappointing decision today and was shocking because the judges in their decision didn’t mention anything about enriching myself,” he said.

“So, I believe that this trial is about the picture of justice in Indonesia and about how every honest person who wants to serve their country are not save in this country,” Makarim added.

The 10-year sentence was far below the 18 years sought by the prosecution, which had told the court that Makarim had abused his position to influence policy decisions and corporate dealings.

The three-judge panel said they reduced the penalty because Makarim is still in his productive age and the sentence imposed should not deny the defendant the opportunity for rehabilitation and a return to contributing to society. They also ordered the time he has served since he was arrested in September to be deducted from the sentence.

Makarim was detained with two former education ministry officials and a former tech consultant who were sentenced up to four-and-half years in the case, while another staff member is wanted by authorities but remains at large.

The trial, which started in January, has drawn significant public attention, often attended by hundreds of motorcycle taxi drivers showing support for the man who helped create their industry.

The judges said Makarim’s decision to use ChromeOS and Chrome Education Upgrades — products licensed exclusively by Google — was driven by a conflict of interest, disregarding advice from the ministry’s legal bureau and policies that required to prioritizing domestic products.

“The defendant maintained the Chromebook policy by systematically removing officials who opposed it during his tenure as education and culture minister,” Abdullah said.

In a dissenting opinion, a member of the panel, Andi Saputra, argued that there was not enough evidence and Marakim should be acquitted.

Nutrition apps can help build healthy habits. For some users, their gaming features carry risks

Albert Stumm, Associated Press — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:37:31 +0000

Green means go, red means stop. Trophies or confetti come with good performance, and people who fall behind get nudged to do better.

Those brightly colored engagement tactics long ago jumped from smartphone games to everything from online shopping to sports betting and classrooms. So it should come as no surprise that many nutrition-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom also use gaming features to keep users coming back.

But as nutrition apps proliferate, some researchers are raising alarms that gamification features may do more harm than good for some people.

Isabella Anderberg, a psychologist researching digital dieting behavior at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, said calorie tracking can reinforce behaviors associated with body dysmorphia and disordered eating.

“We do know that not everyone’s going to experience harm from using the apps, but there are certainly factors that might increase risk,” Anderberg said. “Approach with caution.”

The case for nutrition tracking apps

Anderberg said there is certainly a place for the apps. Health professionals she interviewed during her research reported that apps can be especially helpful as meal-planning tools for people managing chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. And physical activity apps remind people to move their bodies.

Many users report enjoying them, finding tactics like streak notifications to be motivating.

Angela Drury, an English professor in Woodstock, Georgia, began using MyFitnessPal more than 10 years ago to track protein, fat, carbohydrate and calorie intake when she started CrossFit. She has since cycled through several other apps, including Weight Watchers, Lose It and now Nourish, which is paid for by her insurance and includes blood work and weekly meetings with a dietitian.

Drury said the apps have helped her stay on track with fitness goals and have sometimes steered her away from high-calorie foods when she uploaded photos of meals she was considering eating. She feels a little boost when she gets a badge for continuing a streak for logging meals, but a notification that says she hasn’t entered lunch has the opposite effect.

“Then it felt like it was scolding me,” she said.

Be wary of what the app tells you

The way most apps work, users enter height, weight, age and other information and then set a goal. The app says how many calories or macronutrients are needed to reach that goal, using gamelike elements such as badges, streaks, rewards, points and notifications to encourage user engagement.

Many nutrition tracking apps are free but offer premium versions that users must pay for.

The Centers for Disease Control and others say that how many calories you need depends on factors including your age, sex and level of physical activity. The CDC provides a tool to calculate how many calories an individual needs.

Critics warn that food databases are often inaccurate, with estimated portion sizes and calorie counts that vary widely.

Courtney Simpson, a behavioral psychologist and director of eating disorders at the Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle, said some apps encourage people to set calorie goals that are far too low for any adult. That's not only unhealthy but can set people up for failure.

The gaming features keep people coming back to unrealistic goals, creating shame that may contribute to binge eating or other behaviors people are trying to change, Simpson said.

“It’s not that gamification itself is bad. It’s about what it is promoting,” she said. “Is that actually going to be beneficial?”

MyFitnessPal and Noom did not respond to several requests for comment.

Listen to your body

Anderberg said people who already believe that thinner is better are more likely to misuse the apps. Calorie and macronutrient tracking can then become obsessional, which creates more negative feelings when daily goals aren’t met.

She urged users to be skeptical of what the apps tell them to do and instead rely on their own intuition. If you feel the need to rest, nurse an injury or treat yourself to something delicious, do so.

“We are sort of losing that ability to read our body cues,” she said.

Simpson noted that focusing on weight as a measure of overall health, besides being inaccurate, makes it more likely to lose and regain weight. Such cycling is linked to worse health outcomes over time.

“If you really want lasting change, then you need to be doing behaviors that are feasible and sustainable for you over time,” she said.

Drury could see how the apps could be harmful for people predisposed to disordered eating, but she said the most important consideration for her is to set realistic goals and listen to your body.

“I’ve ultimately learned that you cannot starve yourself into being in the shape you want to be in,” she said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com

Here’s where you can find cooling centers in Metro Detroit

Jenny Marchi — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:01 +0000

An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect from noon on Tuesday through 8 p.m. on Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees with high levels of humidity and little overnight relief.

Full forecast -->Dangerous heat builds across Southeast Michigan; 4Warn Weather Alert begins Tuesday

The most dangerous conditions are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to peak and challenge long-standing records across Metro Detroit.

If you need a place to cool off during this week’s extreme heat event, there are plenty of cooling centers open to the public across Metro Detroit.

Check out the list here:

Wayne County

20th District Court

25637 Michigan Ave., Dearborn Heights , MI, 48127

Caroline Kennedy Library

24590 George Street, Dearborn Heights , MI, 48127

Eton Senior Center

4900 Pardee, Dearborn Heights , MI, 48125

Berwyn - Senior Center

26155 Richardson, Dearborn Heights , MI, 48127

John F. Kennedy Library

24602 Van Born Road, Dearborn Heights , MI, 48127

William Ford Senior Activities Center

6750 Troy Street, Taylor, MI, 48180

Garden City Police Department

6000 Middlebelt Road, Garden City, MI, 48185

Booker Dozier Recreation Center

2025 Middlebelt Road, Inkster, MI, 48141

Allen Park Community Center

15800 White Street, Allen Park, MI, 48101

Garden City Public Library

31735 Maplewood Street, Garden City, MI, 48185

Jefferson Barns Community Vitality Center

32150 Dorsey Road, Westland, MI, 48186

Community Center

3525 Dix, Lincoln Park, MI, 48146

River Rouge Police Department

10600 W. Jefferson Avenue, River Rouge , MI, 48218

Kennedy Memorial Building

3240 Ferris, Lincoln Park, MI, 48146

Ethel Stevenson Senior Center

4072 W. Jefferson, Ecorse, MI, 48229

Radcliff Center

1751 Radcliff Street, Garden City, MI, 48185

Westland Fire Station 3

28801 Annapolis Road, Westland, MI, 48185

Taylor Sportsplex

13333 Telegraph, Taylor, MI, 48180

Southgate Senior Center

14700 Reaume Parkway, Southgate, MI, 48195

Southgate Veterans Library

14680 Dix Toledo Highway, Southgate, MI, 48195

Westland Fire Station 1

35701 Central City Parkway, Westland, MI, 48185

Westland City Hall

36300 Warren Road, Westland, MI, 48185

Westland Police Department

36701 Ford Road, Westland, MI, 48185

Kirksey Recreation Center

15100 Hubbard, Livonia, MI, 48154

Copeland Center

2306 4th Street, Wyandotte, MI, 48192

Robert and Janet Bennett Civic Center Library

32777 Five Mile Road, Livonia, MI, 48154

Carl Sandburg Library

30100 Seven Mile Road, Livonia, MI, 48152

Romulus Public Library

11121 Wayne Road, Wayne, MI, 48174

Senior Plaza

2620 Holbrook Street, Hamtramck, MI, 48212

Westfield Activities Center

2700 Westfield Street, Trenton, MI, 48183

Canton Public Library

1200 S. Canton Center Road, Canton Charter Township, MI, 48188

Summit on the Parkway

46000 Summit Parkway, Canton Charter Township, MI, 48188

Grosse Ille Public Safety Building

24525 Meridian Street, Grosse Ile Township , MI, 48138

Flat Rock Community Center

1 McGuire Street, Flat Rock , MI, 48314

Sumpter Township Community Center

23501 Sumpter Road, Belleville, MI, 48111

The Helm 158 Ridge Road, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, 48236

Click here for more information on cooling centers in Wayne County, contact information and center hours.

Macomb County

Armada Senior Center

75400 North Ave.

Bruce Municipal Office

223 E Gates St.

Center Line City Hall

7070 Ten Mile Road

Center Line Parks and Recreation

25355 Lawrence Ave.

Chesterfield Community Center

48400 Sugarbush Road

Chesterfield Senior Center

47275 Sugarbush Road

Chesterfield Township Library

50560 Patricia Ave.

Clinton-Macomb Main Library

40900 Romeo Plank Road

Clinton-Macomb South Library

35679 South Gratiot Ave.

Fraser Public Library

15260 15 Mile Road

Harrison Township Public Library

38255 L’Anse Creuse Street – Suite A

Lenox Township Public Library

58976 Main Street

Clinton-Macomb North Library

54100 Broughton Road

Memphis Fire Department

35095 Potter St.

Memphis Public Library

34830 Potter St.

Macomb County Health Department

43525 Elizabeth Road

Macomb County Sheriff’s Office

43565 Elizabeth Road

Salvation Army – Mount Clemens

55 Church St.

Anton Art Center

125 Macomb Pl.

Ray Township Senior Center

64255 Wolcott Road

Lois Wagner Memorial Library

35200 Division Road

Recreation Authority Center

18185 Sycamore St.

Macomb County Health Department

25401 Harper Ave.

Sterling Heights Public Library

40255 Dodge Park Road

Sterling Heights Senior Center

40200 Utica Road

Sterling Heights Community Center

40250 Dodge Park Road

Sterling Heights Athletic Hub (beginning Monday, July 20)

35630 Van Dyke Ave.

Macomb County Health Department

27690 Van Dyke Ave.

Warren City Hall

Atrium & Civic Center Library

Busch Branch Library

23333 Ryan Road

Burnette Branch Library

23345 Van Dyke Avenue

Miller Branch Library

5460 Arden Avenue

Washington Township Government Office

57900 Van Dyke Ave. (1/2 Mile north of 26 Mile Road)

Click here for more information on cooling centers in Macomb County, contact information and center hours.

Oakland County

Aurburn Hills Community Center

3350 E Seyburn Dr, Auburn Hills, MI 48326

Wixom City Hall / Police Department

49045 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, MI 48393

Lathrup Village Community Room

27400 Southfield Rd. Lathrup Village, MI 48076

Robert Bowens Senior Center

52 Bagley St, Pontiac, MI 48341

Southfield Pavilion

26000 Evergreen Rd, Southfield, MI 48076

Berkley City Hall

3338 Coolidge Hwy, Berkley, MI 48072

Click here for more information on cooling centers in Oakland County, contact information and center hours.

Washtenaw County

AADL-Downtown

343 S 5th Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48104

AADL-Mallets Creek

3090 E Eisenhower Parkway Ann Arbor, MI 48108

AADL-Pittsfield

2359 Oak Valley DriveAnn Arbor, MI 48103

AADL-Traverwood

3333 Traverwood Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105

AADL-Westgate

2503 Jackson Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Chelsea Library

221 S Main Street Chelsea, MI 48118

Dexter Library

3255 Alpine Street Dexter, MI 48130

Manchester Library

912 City Road (M-52) Manchester, MI 48158

Milan Library

151 Wabash Street Milan, MI 48160

Northville Library

212 W Cady Street Northville, MI 48167

Saline Library

555 N Maple Road Saline, MI 48176

Salem-South Lyon Library

9800 Pontiac Trail South Lyon, MI 48178

Washtenaw County Human Services Building (Atrium)

555 Towner Ypsilanti, MI 48197

YDL-Superior

1900 Harris Road Ypsilanti, MI 48198

YDL-Whittaker

5577 Whittaker Road Ypsilanti, MI 48197

YDL-Downtown

229 W Michigan Ave Ypsilanti, MI 48197

All county building lobbies in Washtenaw are also available as cooling sites during normal business hours.

Click here for more information on cooling centers in Washtenaw County, contact information and center hours.

Livingston County

Salvation Army Building in Howell

503 Lake St. 48843

Open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – Noon and 1 – 4 p.m.

Monroe County

Bedford Branch Library

8575 Jackman Rd, Temperance

Bedford Senior Community Center

1653 Samaria Rd, Temperance

Blue Bush Library

2210 Blue Bush Rd, Monroe

BridgePoint Church

875 Lewis Ave, Temperance

Carleton Library

1444 Kent Street, Carleton

Dorsch Memorial Branch Library

18 East First Street, Monroe

Dundee Area Senior Citizen Center

284 W Monroe St, Dundee

Dundee Branch Library

144 East Main St, Dundee

Ellis Library

3700 South Custer Rd, Monroe

Erie Library

2065 Erie Rd, Erie

Frenchtown-Dixie Library

2881 Nadeau Rd., Monroe

Ida Library

3016 Lewis Ave, Ida

Maybee Library

9060 Raisin Street, Maybee

Milan Seniors Citizen Center for Healthy Living

45 Neckel Ct, Milan

Monroe Family YMCA

1111 W Elm Ave, Monroe

Newport Library

8120 N Dixie Hey, Newport

Opportunity Center at the ALCC

120 Eastchester Street, Monroe

Rasey Memorial Library

4349 Oak, Luna Pier

Robert A Vivian Library

2662 Vivian Rd, Monroe

S. Navarre Library

1135 East second Street, Monroe

Salvation Army Campus of Hope

815 E. First Street, Monroe

South Rockwood Library

5676 Carleton Rockwood Rd, S. Rockwood

Summerfield-Petersburg Library

60 East Center St, Petersburg

The Monroe Center for Healthy Aging

15275 S Dixie Hwy, Monroe

Click here for more information on cooling centers in Monroe County, contact information and center hours.

Extreme Heat Warning issued for Southeast Michigan through Thursday

Ashlee Baracy — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:26:33 +0000

Adding to the concern, overnight temperatures will offer little relief. Low temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-70s, with overnight heat index values hovering near 80 degrees, making it difficult for homes without air conditioning to cool down.

The most dangerous conditions are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to peak and challenge long-standing records across Metro Detroit. Highs during this period are expected to reach record territory, making this one of the hottest stretches of the summer so far.

Record High Temperatures at DTW:

June 30th: 96° (1931)

July 1st: 98° (1931)

July 2nd: 99° (2011)

July 3rd: 100° (1911)

While the Extreme Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service is scheduled to expire Thursday, the hot and humid pattern will continue into Friday and the Independence Day holiday weekend. Temperatures will remain well above average, and increasing moisture in the atmosphere will bring a growing chance for isolated afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. These pop-up storms could provide brief relief from the heat but may also produce heavy downpours, gusty winds, and frequent lightning.

Heat Safety Tips

With dangerous heat expected for several consecutive days, residents are urged to:

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
Limit strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day.
Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Take frequent breaks in air-conditioned buildings or shaded areas.
Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.
Check on elderly neighbors, young children, and anyone without adequate cooling.

🍴 Hunger Free Summer

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:39:49 +0000

We’re teaming up with Gleaners Community Food Bank today to help provide a hunger-free summer for Michigan families -- Welcome to Tuesday!

🍇 Grapevine

☀️ Good morning! On this day in 1805, an act of Congress passed on Jan. 11 of the same year which established the Michigan Territory went into effect, consisting of the entire Lower Peninsula and eastern third of the Upper Peninsula.

Here are a few things to know about for Tuesday, June 30, 2026:

☀️ 4Warn Weather: A 4Warn Weather Alert goes into effect today as Southeast Michigan prepares for a prolonged and dangerous stretch of extreme heat, with an Extreme Heat Warning in effect from noon today through Thursday. Check out the 10-day forecast.

🌡️ Heat Wave: With oppressive heat settling over Metro Detroit, some families are finding creative ways to stay comfortable, including water hoses and inflatable pools. Read more.

🧤 Nonprofit Suffers Setback: A burst pipe in the basement of Mittens for Detroit destroyed thousands of pairs of gloves and mittens intended for children and adults in need. Watch more.

🏗️ Inkster Church Demolished: The demolition has sparked mixed emotions among nearby residents who say the vacant church had become both a historic landmark and a growing hazard. Watch more.

🚨 Lions Release Arnold: The Detroit Lions released cornerback Terrion Arnold following his arrest in connection with an alleged robbery and kidnapping plot in Florida. Read more.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

Today, we’ll be at the Gleaners Community Food Bank on Trolly Industrial Drive in Taylor to help sort food, and we need volunteers!

We’re looking for 20 people to sign up to help from 9-11:30 a.m., and 20 more to sign up to help from 1-3:30 p.m.

If you want to help, you can either volunteer or make a monetary donation to Gleaners, which will be used to buy needed food items.

Who: WDIV is partnering with Gleaners Community Food Bank, Henry Ford Health, and the Gilbert Family Foundation.
What: “Go 4 It: Hunger Free Summer”
Where: 21405 Trolley Industrial Dr, Taylor MI 48180
When: June 30, 2026
Why: To help create a hunger-free summer

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

🌎 Meanwhile

News from around the world via the Associated Press:

President Donald Trump said Monday he will nominate Keith Sonderling to be the secretary of labor, elevating him from the agency’s acting director two months after Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid abuse-of-power allegations.

Sonderling’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. (Read more)

----

The San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million to settle more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials, plaintiffs’ attorneys said Monday.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will have to write an apology letter to each survivor as part of the settlement.

The settlement also requires the archdiocese to implement a series of child protection and transparency reforms, including creating a list of clergy accused of abuse, said Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing dozens of child sexual abuse victims. (Read more)

----

States that allow mail ballots to be counted after Election Day reacted with relief Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Republican effort to outlaw the practice.

A decision favoring the state of Mississippi over the Republican National Committee delivered an immediate reprieve to the 14 states with grace periods for regular mail ballots, as well as heading off what was expected to be a scramble to alter the practice and inform voters just months ahead of the midterm elections.

At least one state, Ohio, had preemptively changed its law in anticipation of a different result from the high court, and 15 other states have such grace periods specifically for military and overseas voters. (Read more)

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Impecunious / im-pi-ˈkyü-nyəs / (adjective) — defined as “having very little or no money, usually habitually.”

Example: “As an impecunious college student, I often opted for instant ramen noodles over dining out.”

🧹 Housekeeping

Hey, if you like this newsletter, let us know. We’d love your feedback. We also offer several other newsletters, including 4Warn Weather, All 4 Pets and more. Hopefully, we have one that caters to your interests —unless you’re only interested in Venus fly traps. We don’t have one for that, sorry.

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Jenny Sherman (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

🍴 Hunger Free Summer - Clone

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:38:49 +0000

We’re teaming up with Gleaners Community Food Bank today to help provide a hunger-free summer for Michigan families -- Welcome to Tuesday!

🍇 Grapevine

Here are a few things to know about for Tuesday, June 30, 2026:

🌡️ Heat Wave: With oppressive heat settling over Metro Detroit, some families are finding creative ways to stay comfortable, including water hoses and inflatable pools. Read more.

🧤 Nonprofit Suffers Setback: A burst pipe in the basement of Mittens for Detroit destroyed thousands of pairs of gloves and mittens intended for children and adults in need. Watch more.

🚨 Lions Release Arnold: The Detroit Lions released cornerback Terrion Arnold following his arrest in connection with an alleged robbery and kidnapping plot in Florida. Read more.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

Today, we’ll be at the Gleaners Community Food Bank on Trolly Industrial Drive in Taylor to help sort food, and we need volunteers!

We’re looking for 20 people to sign up to help from 9-11:30 a.m., and 20 more to sign up to help from 1-3:30 p.m.

If you want to help, you can either volunteer or make a monetary donation to Gleaners, which will be used to buy needed food items.

Who: WDIV is partnering with Gleaners Community Food Bank, Henry Ford Health, and the Gilbert Family Foundation.
What: “Go 4 It: Hunger Free Summer”
Where: 21405 Trolley Industrial Dr, Taylor MI 48180
When: June 30, 2026
Why: To help create a hunger-free summer

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

🌎 Meanwhile

News from around the world via the Associated Press:

Sonderling’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. (Read more)

----

The San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million to settle more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials, plaintiffs’ attorneys said Monday.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will have to write an apology letter to each survivor as part of the settlement.

----

States that allow mail ballots to be counted after Election Day reacted with relief Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Republican effort to outlaw the practice.

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Impecunious / im-pi-ˈkyü-nyəs / (adjective) — defined as “having very little or no money, usually habitually.”

Example: “As an impecunious college student, I often opted for instant ramen noodles over dining out.”

🧹 Housekeeping

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Jenny Sherman (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

🍴 Hunger Free Summer

Jenny Sherman — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:36:51 +0000

We’re teaming up with Gleaners Community Food Bank today to help provide a hunger-free summer for Michigan families -- Welcome to Tuesday!

🍇 Grapevine

Here are a few things to know about for Tuesday, June 30, 2026:

☀️ 4Warn Weather: Summer is turning up the heat across Southeast Michigan, with increasingly hot and humid conditions arriving today ahead of what could become one of the hottest stretches of the season. Check out the 10 day forecast.

🌡️ Heat Wave: With oppressive heat settling over Metro Detroit, some families are finding creative ways to stay comfortable, including water hoses and inflatable pools. Read more.

🧤 Nonprofit Suffers Setback: A burst pipe in the basement of Mittens for Detroit destroyed thousands of pairs of gloves and mittens intended for children and adults in need. Watch more.

🚨 Lions Release Arnold: The Detroit Lions released cornerback Terrion Arnold following his arrest in connection with an alleged robbery and kidnapping plot in Florida. Read more.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

Today, we’ll be at the Gleaners Community Food Bank on Trolly Industrial Drive in Taylor to help sort food, and we need volunteers!

We’re looking for 20 people to sign up to help from 9-11:30 a.m., and 20 more to sign up to help from 1-3:30 p.m.

If you want to help, you can either volunteer or make a monetary donation to Gleaners, which will be used to buy needed food items.