Bank of America said on Wednesday that first-quarter stock trading revenues were $2.8 billion, a 30% jump from last year, while Morgan Stanley's much larger trading desk saw its equity trading revenues rise 25% to $5.15 billion. Morgan Stanley also had a very strong performance on its bond-trading desk, posting a 29% jump in revenues to $3.36 billion.

Morgan Stanley had a record quarter across its entire business. The bank reported net income of $5.6 billion and earnings per share of $3.43, a 30% jump in both of those metrics from the previous year.

The results from BofA and Morgan Stanley reflect the results posted by the other big banks this week, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. While market gyrations can be nauseating for average investors, high-speed Wall Street trading desks can take advantage of such market movements. Further, wild market swings tend to increase activity on trading desks, which leads to commissions and fee revenue for the banks.

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said that, despite the strong quarter, the bank is “watchful of evolving risks,” noting the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere, plus the sudden rise in energy prices.

In a call with reporters, Bank of America executives said that despite the quarterly volatility, the bank did not post a single daily loss on its trading desk during that time. It was also the bank's biggest quarter for equity sales and trading in its history.

Like their counterparts, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley had strong performances in their investment banking businesses as well. Advisory revenues at Morgan Stanley nearly doubled from $563 million to $978 million, year over year. Both banks are advising some of the largest public companies set to go public this year, including Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Bank of America's consumer banking business, historically the bank's biggest revenue and profit center, posted a profit of $3.1 billion. Deposits and loans grew in the quarter, and its customers spent 7% more on their credit and debit cards compared to last year. Notably the bank also noted that it saw double-digit increases in debit card spending on gasoline and energy, similar to what Wells Fargo executives shared with reporters on Tuesday.

Despite the rise in energy prices, Bank of America executives said they are seeing no deterioration in the U.S. consumer.

“The main thing that we’re always looking for is unemployment, and that remains at 4.3%," said Alastair Borthwick, the bank's CFO. ”So that’s supporting the consumer at this point."

Many of the families have disabilities or medical conditions that require electricity. Concern is growing that the U.S. will abandon them as chronic power outages persist and the Atlantic hurricane season officially nears — it runs from June 1-Nov. 30.

“For them in particular, whether they get a (solar) system or not is something that is really life or death,” Charlotte Gossett Navarro, Puerto Rico chief director for the Hispanic Federation, said in a phone interview.

The nonprofit group is among the organizations that signed a letter released Wednesday to Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The Hispanic Federation is one of seven organizations that were going to help install the solar systems and educate families about their use. Some of those groups are now formally objecting to the cancellation of the funds or negotiating with the U.S. Department of Energy.

González has said that her administration “had no choice,” because the federal government decided it wouldn't give Puerto Rico those funds. The money is expected to now be invested in the island's crumbling power grid, which was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 but was already deteriorated given a lack of investment and maintenance.

Installations of rooftop solar panels have grown in the past three years across Puerto Rico, with an average of 3,850 systems installed per month in 2025, for an overall total of nearly 192,000 by year's end, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Meanwhile, more than 171,000 households and businesses have distributed battery storage systems.

But not everyone can afford such systems on the Caribbean island of around 3.2 million people with a more than 40% poverty rate.

Gossett Navarro said that they haven’t received any answers to pending questions about the funding as a May 9 deadline approaches, marking the end of the program that for some hasn’t even started.

Crews had already installed solar systems in more than 6,000 households as part of the program, but another 12,000 families now remain in limbo.

Yvette Rodríguez, 61, is among them. She needs a sleep apnea machine, and her husband, Luis Soler, a 67-year-old veteran and double amputee, relies on an electric adjustable bed.

“There’s a big need for those solar panels,” said Rodríguez, who resides on the small Puerto Rican island of Culebra with her husband. He needs air conditioning because he has heart problems and lives in a region where heat warnings are common.

She also lamented that ongoing outages force them to throw out food.

“We’re affected economically in a big way because we have to spend what little money we have so that we can eat,” she said.

María Pérez, 80, and her 88-year-old husband, have also been hit by the cut in federal funding. She has high blood pressure and heart problems that have led to several hospitalizations. She also has eyedrops for her cataracts that required refrigeration.

“I put them on ice, but it’s not the same,” she said. “They have us suffering with that money that they took away from us. It’s not fair.”

Pérez gets $364 a month via a Social Security check, but like many Puerto Ricans, her power bill is often the same amount.

Gabriela Joglar Burrowes, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Statewide Independent Living Council, was among those who signed the letter to the governor and Wright.

She said that having solar panels not only would have provided constant electricity, but also peace of mind.

“If you’re a person who depends on equipment like a ventilator, a dialysis machine or medicine that requires refrigeration, the lack of consistent energy represents a risk that could lead to even death,” she said.

Joglar Burrowes, who is disabled, said that thousands of families had been waiting a long time for the solar systems and shouldn’t be forgotten.

“It seems like sometimes we’re disposable, and we’re not,” she said.

Some of the 12,000 families have received the initial eligibility screening, while others have already received a home visit or started repairing their roofs in preparation for a solar system.

Most families live in rural communities, including mountainous towns like Adjuntas, Jayuya and Orocovis.

“It’s even more concerning,” Gossett Navarro said. “It’s hard to get out of the mountains when there’s a disaster.”

The U.S. Department of Energy states on its website that some people will get a system, but officials haven’t said who or when.

In an interview that aired Wednesday, Trump said the war in Iran was “very close to over.” He has declared a U.S. victory repeatedly since mere days after the war started — even as the reality on the ground has been far more complicated.

U.S. Central Command said it has achieved “maritime superiority” and that the blockade on Iranian ports had been “fully implemented” within 36 hours of its launch, according to a statement on social media late Monday.

Mediators’ efforts to extend a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have made progress as the warring sides are expected to return to the negotiations table, regional officials said. Mediators aim to extend the ceasefire, which is due to expire on April 22, for at least another two weeks to allow diplomacy another chance.

Here is the latest:

Iranian and Emirati officials discuss de-escalation efforts

UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf discussed regional developments on a phone call and ways to de-escalate tensions, UAE state-run news agency WAM reported, without further details.

US Bishops’ chairman on doctrine defends Pope Leo

The chairman of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine is defending Pope Leo XIV’s comments on the church’s “just war” doctrine.

The statement doesn’t directly refer to the Iran war, President Trump or Vice President Vance. But it cites “recent public comments” regarding church teachings on war and peace. It comes after Trump blasted the pope on social media. Vance, a Catholic convert, said Leo should be “careful” addressing such matters.

Bishop James Massa said the Catholic Church has long taught that “a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.’”

That, said Massa, is the basis of Pope Leo’s comment that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’”

The pope is “not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ,” Massa said.

UN allocates $12M for Iran aid

UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher said $12 million has been allocated for humanitarian support in Iran.

“Thousands of civilians killed. Infrastructure destroyed. Essential services disrupted. This funding will help our partners deliver life-saving assistance at scale,” he wrote on X.

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump and Vance’s swipes at Pope Leo

“If you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response,” the Republican leader said at the Capitol. “The pope’s received some of that.”

Johnson insisted he’s not one to criticize clerics or religious leaders, but he leaned into what he called the just war doctrine when it comes to the U.S. military action against Iran. “The stakes are so high,” he said.

“I don’t want to engage in a theological debate with the pope,” he said. “These are matters that people of good faith and good sense can debate.”

Johnson a day earlier at the Capitol said that he had asked Trump to take down a social media post that was interpreted as the president depicting himself as Jesus.

Israel to convene security cabinet to discuss developments with Lebanon

An Israeli official said the meeting would be held Wednesday evening. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The meeting comes a day after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington, following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

—- Melanie Lidman

No ships have made it past U.S. naval blockade, military says

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that no vessels have made it past U.S. naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports.

Central Command also said nine vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or Iran’s coastal area.

First crude tanker passes Strait of Hormuz since US blockade

A Malta-flagged vessel is the first crude oil carrier to head west through Strait of Hormuz since the United States blocked Iranian ports, according to a global shipping tracking monitor.

The Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I is expected to arrive on Thursday to Basra, Iraq, where ports are not under U.S. blockade. Marine Traffic said the vessel attempted again a transit after anchoring in the Gulf of Oman for nearly two days.

US called on Iran to halt uranium enrichment for 20 years

The negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance called for Iran to agree to a uranium enrichment moratorium as part of a potential deal to end the war, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts and a person briefed on the matter.

The Iranians rejected the U.S. plan laid out during last weekend’s talks in Islamabad and came back with a counteroffer to suspend enrichment for five years, the regional official and a person briefed on the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the negotiations.

The White House rejected the Iranian proposal that was conveyed by Tehran’s negotiators earlier this week.

The White House and the vice president’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the proposals.

The U.S. and Iranian proposals were first reported by the New York Times.

Democrats grill US envoy in first opportunity to question Trump administration on Iran

Attending a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on reforms to the United Nations, ambassador Mike Waltz unintentionally became the highest-level U.S. official to testify before Congress since U.S. and Israeli strikes started a war against Iran.

Democratic senators, including Chris Coons, Chris Murphy and Tim Kaine, took that opportunity to express their frustration with the Trump administration’s decision not to consult or further brief Capitol Hill on military action it is taking against Tehran.

“Those of us on the Democratic side do find it amazing that we still have not had an open hearing on this committee or the Armed Services Committee on this conflict,” Murphy, who represents Connecticut, told Waltz.

Asked several times about Trump’s threats last week to end Iranian civilization, Waltz defended it as “tough talk” and a “mean tweet” that yielded diplomatic results.

“They clearly got the message, and they clearly came back to the table,” he said.

Germany’s foreign minister: Strait of Hormuz opening is in interest of ‘entire global community’

Johann Wadephul said it is “unacceptable” that the strait is being controlled by a single state and that tolls are being collected.

“We will demand that a complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed once again,” the foreign minister told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. “This is not just in the interest of the Gulf states, this is not just in the interest of the immediate Asian neighboring states, but it is in the interest of the entire global community.”

Referring to the Iran war, Wadephul reiterated that “this conflict can’t be solved through military means, it must be solved through negotiations.”

He also stressed that “the demands of the U.S. president are right — that the result of negotiations must be that there is no nuclear threat coming from Iran in the future.

3 different teams of paramedics were struck, Lebanese health ministry says

The attacks in southern Lebanon killed three paramedics, wounded six others and left a fourth medic missing in the town of Mayfadoun, the health ministry said.

The ministry said Israel struck the first team of paramedics on Wednesday as it was heading to rescue wounded people, killing one paramedic. Another medical worker on that initial mission remains “missing,” the ministry said, without elaborating.

Israel struck the second team as it rushed to rescue the first, wounding three more paramedics.

In the third and final rescue attempt, Israel again hit ambulances heading to the site, killing two paramedics and wounding three more.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes.

Lebanon’s health ministry denounced Israel’s attacks as “a flagrant crime” and warned that “paramedics have become direct targets, pursued relentlessly in a blatant violation (of) … international humanitarian law.”

Pakistan’s prime minister arrives in Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday and is set to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, following recent Pakistan-hosted talks between the United States and Iran.

A statement from Sharif’s office in Islamabad said the prime minister was received at the airport by senior Saudi officials.

Sharif is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and the prime minister’s spokesman, Mosharraf Zaidi.

Children killed in Lebanon as Israeli strikes hit homes far from the front lines

Jawad Younes, 11, and his cousins were playing soccer in the lot between their houses, as they often did. His little brother, 4-year-old Mehdi, had joined them but grew tired, so Jawad took him home and handed him off to their mother before returning to the game. Minutes later, an Israeli strike came.

The target was Jawad’s uncle’s home. The blast shook neighboring buildings and threw Jawad’s siblings at home to the ground. As their mother, Malak Meslmani, scrambled to help them up, she could think only of Jawad.

“I was pulling my children off the floor in the house, but as I was running to pick them up, I screamed, ‘Jawad,’” she said. ”My heart told me.”

Her son was instantly killed in the March 27 Israeli strike in Saksakieh. So was one of his cousins — so close they were more like brothers. Several other children were wounded.

▶ Read more

Pakistani military chief arrives in Tehran, military says

Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran on Wednesday in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the region and facilitate a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, two Pakistani officials said.

The military said the visit is “part of the ongoing mediation efforts” and gave no details.

UN nuclear chief urges strict Iran checks in any deal to end war

The head of the U.N. General Assembly’s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that “very detailed” measures to verify Iran’s nuclear activities must be included in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for a thorough verification regime for Iran’s nuclear program, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks could happen over the next two days.

The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn’t developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear program.

▶ Read more

Mixed feelings in Lebanon over talks with Israel

Lebanese were divided on Wednesday over their government’s decision to pursue rare, direct negotiations with Israel in hopes of ending the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Some forced to flee their homes and communities in southern Lebanon say they believe Israel’s ground invasion can only be stopped through military force, not diplomacy.

“We stand with the young men, the fighters, and those stationed on the border, and with whatever decision they make,” said Mustafa Alaa Al-Din, now living in Beirut after being displaced from a southern border village. “These negotiations do not represent us … it’s as if they never existed.”

Others said they support any initiative that promises to hasten the end of the war.

“The negotiations are more in our interest than in Israel’s interest, because we are the ones whose country is being destroyed, we are the ones suffering losses,” said Mohamed Saad, a resident of Beirut, the Lebanese capital. “We are the ones out in the streets.”

British leader defends King Charles III’s visit to US, despite criticism

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended sending King Charles III to the U.S. for a state visit later this month despite Trump’s threat to tear up a trade agreement with the U.K.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked Starmer in Parliament how he could allow Charles to travel to the U.S. after Trump threatened to punish the U.K. “for us not joining his idiotic war in Iran.”

“This must be the last straw,” Davey said Wednesday. “Surely the prime minister can’t send our king to meet a man who treats our country like a Mafia boss running a protection racket.”

Starmer says the visit is to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and the bond between the two countries that is more important “than anyone who occupies any particular office at any particular time.”

Lebanon lodges complaint with UN over Israeli attacks

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has filed an official complaint with the U.N. Security Council over Israel’s intense barrage on the country last week that it says killed over 300 people and wounded 1,150 others.

In less than 10 minutes last Wednesday, Israel struck 100 targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon without warning during rush hour, marking one of the deadliest single bombing campaigns in the country’s history. The ministry said in its letter on Wednesday that the majority of casualties were unarmed civilians.

Israel says it targeted Hezbollah militants and infrastructure, but has offered few details on what was hit.

The foreign ministry also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanese medical facilities as violations of international law. It said Israel has launched 17 attacks on hospitals and 101 attacks on emergency response teams in its latest war against Hezbollah.

Iran open to discuss matters about enrichment, official says

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” Iran’s state media reported.

US official says no agreement yet to extend Iran war ceasefire

A senior U.S. official said Wednesday that the United States has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire and that “engagement” with Iran continues.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive negotiations.

___

Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

British PM won’t buckle to pressure from Trump to join Iran war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not alter his stance to stay out of the war in Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to tear up a trade deal with the U.K.

Trump told Sky News on Tuesday night that the U.K. had not been there when the U.S. needed their help. Trump said the so-called special relationship between the allies had been better.

“It’s been better, but it’s sad,” Trump said. “And we gave them a good trade deal. Better than I had to. Which can always be changed.”

Starmer said a lot of pressure had been put on him to change course, including Trump’s latest remarks.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” Starmer said. “I’m not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war, and we will not do so.”

Trump claims China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran

Trump on Wednesday claimed that China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran, as reports circulate that Beijing has considered transferring arms.

Trump wrote in a social media post that China is “very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz.” He said, “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.” He seemed to suggest the two are linked.

The president had told an interviewer on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had denied sending weapons to Iran.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokespersons have repeatedly denied in recent days that the country is providing any form of military support to Iran.

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

Iran says it would block Gulf trade if blockade continues

Iranian state media reported that the commander of Iran’s joint military command warned that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if the United States does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports.

“Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” said Ali Abdollahi.

He added that the U.S. blockade is “a prelude to violating the ceasefire.”

Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz when Israel and the United States launched strikes against it more than a month ago. The United States on Monday began blockading ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports and said it would not impede the freedom of navigation of other vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Trump says China’s president denies sending weapons to Iran

Trump said in the Fox News interview that Xi Jinping issued the denial in a written response letter to Trump, after the U.S. president wrote him following reports that surfaced about China supplying Iran with weapons for the war.

“I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that. And he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said.

Trump is scheduled to meet Xi in Beijing in early May.

Trump now says oil prices will drop ‘very big’ after he ends Iran war

In an interview Sunday with Maria Bartiromo of Fox News, Trump had said fuel prices could be the same or “maybe a little bit higher” by the November congressional elections.

But in a separate interview with Bartiromo, which was taped on Tuesday at the White House and broadcast on Wednesday, Trump claimed he’d been misquoted and tried to overcome the blowback from his previous comments.

He said he’s happy with oil costing about $92 per barrel. “It’s going to come dropping down very big as soon as this is over,” he said, referring to the war. “And I think it can be over very soon.”

Later in the interview, he predicted that gas prices, now averaging slightly above $4 a gallon, will be “much lower” by the elections.

Speaking again about the war, Trump said, “When that’s settled, gas prices are going to go down tremendously.”

Israel hits more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Israel’s military said on Wednesday that it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as it presses ahead with its aerial and ground war there despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling in multiple southern Lebanese locations on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.

The fighting in the south has continued after Israeli and Lebanese officials concluded their first direct talks in decades. Lebanese officials want a ceasefire to halt fighting that has displaced more than 1 million people in their country, while Israel wants the Lebanese government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah.

The legislation arose in a state that isn't necessarily a destination for the computer-stocked warehouses that power artificial intelligence, but a couple of proposals there generated intense community backlash and helped propel a measure quickly through the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature. Lawmakers on Tuesday approved sending the bill to Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who is running for U.S. Senate.

It's the latest sign that increasingly stiff opposition at the local level is gaining a foothold higher up the political ladder. Tech giants and the data centers they are building have high-level support from President Donald Trump's administration and many governors, who see them as economic engines and essential for winning the artificial intelligence race with China, even as voters raise concerns about the enormous amount of power data centers use. Analysts also warn of the possibility of blackouts in the mid-Atlantic grid in the coming years.

Proposals to slap a moratorium on data centers have been introduced in at least a dozen states, but none have passed a legislative chamber, even as some states struggle to meet clean energy goals and the centers emerge as a barrier.

Maine's legislation would institute a moratorium for more than a year on data centers above a certain size, and create a special council to help towns vet potential projects. Mills’ office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on whether she plans to sign the bill.

“It's not that there's no place for data centers in Maine,” said Democratic Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the measure. “Frankly, the tradeoffs have not been shown to be of benefit to our ratepayers, water usage or community benefit in terms of economic activity.”

Why Maine?

Despite Maine's relatively low profile among developers of massive data centers, called hyperscalers, supporters of the projects said the moratorium will still matter long into the future to all sorts of industries.

“It says that the state is willing to essentially put a blanket ban on you if it decides that you may be politically unfavorable,” said Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition, a trade association that includes tech companies and developers.

They said it could deter data center developers from going to Maine and deprive the state of a long-term economic development anchor that attracts other industries. It also means local builders and labor unions won't develop the skills necessary to build the facilities and might leave them lagging behind other states, they said.

“We think that these data centers could bring good jobs, good opportunities to these regions,” said Montana Towers, a policy analyst with the free market Maine Policy Institute. “And a lot of these concerns about them are luddite in nature.”

Nonetheless, several communities in Maine have raised concerns about a lack of transparency in potential data center projects. The Maine moratorium is largely about getting those communities to have input in the development process, said Joe Oliva, a spokesperson for the Maine Broadband Coalition and GrowSmart Maine, which both supported the moratorium.

“If this is going to come, we want to be in early and often on the conversation," Oliva said.

Growing opposition

Since last summer, community opposition has become a serious concern for data center developers, with numerous municipalities defeating their proposals in planning and zoning board votes before packed rooms of angry residents.

A handful of counties and municipalities in the U.S. have imposed a moratorium, and some bills emerged in states where development is brisk such as Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin. Voters in Festus, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, replaced half of their city's eight-member city council this month amid a backlash over a data center project.

Some bills died without action, like one in Georgia, a data center hotspot. Other states have explored other ways to rein in data centers, such as by imposing tougher standards around water and energy use, transparency and protection of ratepayers and communities.

In Ohio, residents are trying to bypass the Legislature and get a measure on the ballot in November that is designed to permanently ban hyperscale data centers. They'll need to gather more than 400,000 voter signatures by July 1 in what is perhaps the strictest measure of any under consideration.

Public officials, developers and other interests could otherwise “make this state a virtually unbroken field of data centers,” said Austin Baurichter, a Cincinnati-area lawyer who is helping organize the effort.

In South Dakota, a one-year moratorium bill failed in a state Senate committee amid opposition from power plant owners and data center developers. The governor also opposed it, telling senators that such planning is best done at the local level and that a statewide moratorium holds back municipalities that want a data center.

The sponsor, Republican Sen. Taffy Howard, told senators that “citizens are asking for this” and that the opponents are all lobbyists, "billion-dollar corporations" and government officials.

"Are you going to listen to the people or the paid lobbyists?” she asked.

___

Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

___

Follow Patrick Whittle on X at https://x.com/pxwhittle and Marc Levy at https://x.com/timelywriter

Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, both announced within hours of each other Monday that they were leaving Congress. Their decisions came the day before the House returned to Washington and as both faced the prospect of being expelled from the chamber by their colleagues.

It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since the careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the heights of the #MeToo movement. Yet some congresswomen said that the pair of resignations took too long and proved what they've long been saying: that more must be done to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation.

“Today was an important turning point,” said Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “That it should — that abuse of power — should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this is an important resetting point for the institution.”

A bipartisan group of congresswomen had threatened on Tuesday to file resolutions that could have forced votes on expelling Swalwell and Gonzales. Their moves forced the two men to act and came swiftly after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN had reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her.

The initial allegations against Swalwell date back to 2019 and 2024; they were followed with other allegations of inappropriate behavior made by other women. Swalwell has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct but acknowledged mistakes in judgment. Gonzales for months had resisted calls for his resignation after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.

“Accountability can happen. We can hold men accountable when they abuse women, and we’re going to do more of it,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, who chairs the Democratic Women’s Caucus.

House rules forbid relationships with staff

It is against the House Code of Conduct for any member to have a sexual relationship with their staff members.

Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require annual trainings on sexual harassment and discrimination for members. The House also approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for harassment complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force lawmakers to personally pay any penalties they’re required to make.

Former Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who led the movement for reforms around sexual assault, told The Associated Press that problems still persist after those reforms.

“What we do in Congress is basically look the other way,” she said, adding that she was calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to “really tighten the rules and create a safe environment for these women to report.”

While Johnson said he did not talk with the lawmakers before they announced their resignations, he told reporters that the episode had played out “appropriately.”

“This is the right thing for the institution," he said.

How the push for accountability has grown

Sexual abuse has been top of mind for lawmakers as they investigate the actions of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. A handful of Republican women, mostly hailing from the right wing of their party, played crucial roles in forcing Congress to take up the issue.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, alongside Rep. Lauren Boebert and then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, rebuffed pressure from President Donald Trump and Johnson last year as they joined with Democrats and forced a vote on a bill mandating the release of many of the case files on Epstein.

Mace, who in 2019 shared her own account of surviving rape, has continued an outspoken campaign advocating for victims of sexual assault. She and Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had repeatedly called for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign.

Mace has also extended that demand to Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who is facing an ethics investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct and violence against an ex-girlfriend. Mills has said he will disprove the allegations.

Meanwhile, Mace and Luna are also calling for the resignation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat. The House Ethics Committee found evidence that she broke campaign finance law related to a mistaken overpayment of $5 million from the state of Florida to her family's health care business. She has said she did nothing wrong.

“Clean house. Expel them. Hold every last one accountable,” Mace said on social media. “The American people are watching.”

At the same time, Mace herself is under investigation by the ethics panel for allegations she improperly claimed housing reimbursements. She has denied wrongdoing.

Swalwell allies are facing close scrutiny

As accusations of sexual abuse continued to land against Swalwell, some Democrats found themselves in a moment of reflection and contrition, especially those who kept close company with him.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a close friend of Swalwell’s who chaired his presidential campaign, called reporters to his office on Tuesday for an emotional press conference.

“I messed up. I’m human. I trusted this man,” a teary-eyed Gallego said.

Under intense questioning from reporters, Gallego acknowledged that he had heard rumors about Swalwell being “flirty,” but contended that he trusted him as a close family friend.

“I definitely look at the world in a different way now,” Gallego said. “I personally am going to make sure that I’m going to take personal steps and office steps to make sure that we don’t even get close to a gray line.”

Policing behavior in Congress presents challenges

Speier, who entered politics by first working as a congressional aide and experienced harassment from a supervisor, said that part of the problem in Congress is that members are given wide latitude to run their offices. All 535 lawmakers are bosses of their own hand-selected staff.

“There’s really no one overseeing you," Speier said. "There’s a sense of entitlement that kind of overtakes many of these members.”

Speier, alongside then-Rep. Bradley Byrne, led the effort to pass legislation to make it easier to report sexual harassment and discrimination, including banning nondisclosure agreements to protect members of Congress.

Since the 2018 reforms began requiring the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to report awards and settlements related to formal complaints, there have been eight payments made by House members' offices, totaling just over $400,000. Those payments cover all types of violations of workplace rights, not just sexual harassment, and the violations could have been committed by other congressional staff in the office.

Speier said that it was crucial to keep making it easier for survivors to report sexual abuse.

"Unless someone comes forward, you know the conduct continues,” she said.

___

Associated Press Chief Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

The Pakistani military said the delegation also included the country's interior minister and other senior security officials. The group is “part of the ongoing mediation efforts,” the military said, but it gave no details.

Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict after it hosted rare direct talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad, a move authorities said helped narrow differences between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on an official visit to discuss regional issues. A statement from Sharif’s office said he was received at the airport in Jeddah by senior Saudi officials. Sharif was accompanied by Pakistan's foreign minister and information minister.

Officials say US and Iran are making progress

The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats strained the week-old ceasefire agreement, but regional officials said they were making progress, telling The Associated Press that the United States and Iran had an “in principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

But even as mediators worked for peace, tensions simmered. The commander of Iran’s joint military command, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt trade in the region if the U.S. does not lift its naval blockade.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, announcing the incoming Pakistani delegation, said Islamabad “has held discussions with the Americans and has also heard our stances. During this visit the views of both sides are to be discussed in detail.”

A senior U.S. official said the United States has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire and that “engagement” with Iran continues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive negotiations.

Mediators seek compromise on sticking points

Before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 22, mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the mediation efforts.

Baghaei said Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” Iran’s state-media reported.

The negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance during last weekend's talks in Islamabad urged the Iranians to agree to a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment as part of a potential deal to end the war, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts and a person briefed on the matter.

The Iranians rejected the U.S. plan and countered with an offer to suspend enrichment for five years, the regional official and the person briefed on the matter added. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the negotiations.

The White House rejected the Iranian proposal. The U.S. and Iranian proposals were first reported by The New York Times.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Trump says Iran wants a deal

The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region. Oil prices fell on hopes for an end to fighting on Wednesday, and U.S. stocks surged close to records set in January.

Yet the future of the fragile ceasefire still hung in the balance as the U.S. pressed ahead with its blockade, which threatens to sever Iran from economic lifelines it has relied on since the war began nearly seven weeks ago, and Tehran threatened regional trade.

“I think they want to make a deal very badly,” U.S. President Donald Trump said in an excerpt from an interview with the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that aired Wednesday. He added: “I view it as very close to over.”

Trump claimed Wednesday that China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran as reports circulated that Beijing has considered transferring arms.

Trump wrote in a social media post that China is “very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz.” He added: “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.” He seemed to suggest the two are linked.

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

US military says no ships got past blockade

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that no ships made it past the blockade in the first 48 hours, while nine merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and reenter Iranian waters.

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil, mostly to Asia, since the war began Feb. 28. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits that evade sanctions and oversight, providing cash that’s been vital to keeping Iran running.

Since the war began, Iran has curtailed maritime traffic, with most commercial vessels avoiding the waterway. Tehran's effective closure of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.

Strikes continue in Lebanon after Washington talks

Elsewhere, Israel pressed ahead with its aerial and ground war in Lebanon. The country's National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled fighters with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The fighting continued after Israeli and Lebanese officials concluded their first direct talks in decades.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said Israel struck three different teams of paramedics Wednesday in southern Lebanon, first hitting one team and then two more that rushed to help. The attacks killed three paramedics, wounded six others and left a fourth missing in the southern town of Mayfadoun, the ministry said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An Israeli official said a meeting of the country's security cabinet would be held Wednesday evening to discuss developments with Lebanon. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Lebanon remains deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.

___

Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, Ahmed from Islamabad and Corder from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press Writers Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and was on track to eclipse its all-time high set in January. After falling nearly 10% below its record in late March, a drop steep enough that Wall Street calls it a “correction,” the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts has since roared roughly 10% higher.

The rally has been mostly because of expectations for calming tensions to come in the war and a resumption of the full flow of oil from Persian Gulf producers to customers worldwide through the Strait of Hormuz. Hopes remained high Wednesday as mediators moved closer to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and restarting negotiations before the agreement expires next week.

To be sure, stocks could easily resume their fall if those expectations get undercut, which has happened before in the war. Oil prices drifted up and down Wednesday and showed that caution remains in financial markets. Stock indexes around the world also made only modest movements following their big gains in recent weeks.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, added 0.9% to $95.64. That’s still well above its roughly $70 price from before the war, though it’s down from its $119 peak when worries about the fighting have been at their heights.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 215 points, or 0.4%, as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.1% higher.

But if U.S.-Iran talks do happen and if they are successful, the war could end up being only a temporary setback for the global economy instead of a new normal of very high oil prices and inflation. And that in turn could allow investors to return their attention to what matters most for stock prices: money.

Through all the day-to-day noise that can affect investors’ opinions, stock prices tend to move with the direction of corporate profits over the long term. And positive trends there had stock markets doing well before the war began. Analysts also see continued growth ahead, for now at least.

Bank of America rose 1.3% Wednesday after saying it made $8.6 billion in profit during the first three months of the year. That’s up 17% from a year earlier and more than analysts expected. CEO Brian Moynihan also said the bank saw signs of a “resilient American economy,” including solid spending by U.S. consumers.

Morgan Stanley jumped 4.2% after the investment bank likewise delivered a better-than-expected quarter of results.

Companies hurt earlier in the year by worries about artificial-intelligence technology also rose to recover more of their losses for 2026. Some of the concerns were about companies potentially spending too much to build out AI capabilities, while others focused on businesses that may go obsolete because of AI-powered competition.

The worries got so deep that they shook private-credit companies that have lent money to software businesses and others potentially under threat because of AI.

ServiceNow climbed 6.3%, Oracle rose 4.2% and Ares Management gained 6.3% for some of Wednesday's bigger gains in the S&P 500. All are still down between 12% and 40% for the year so far.

With stock prices overall back to where they were in January, and with analysts' expectations for upcoming profits from big U.S. companies only rising since then, optimists say many stocks look cheaper than they did a few months ago.

“Today, we see compelling opportunity potential” to shift into areas of the market that look like better buys than earlier this year, such as technology stocks, said Mason Mendez, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The stock price of Allbirds surged more than 700% to top $20 after the company said it's shifting gears and moving into the AI compute infrastructure industry, while changing its name to NewBird AI. The Allbirds name will stay with the shoe brand that the company has already agreed to sell to American Exchange Group.

Nike rose 3.3% after CEO Elliott Hill and Tim Cook — a Nike director and the CEO of Apple — disclosed that they purchased a combined 48,000 shares of the athletic shoe maker at a cost of about $1 million each. Nike shares are still down nearly 29% this year.

On the losing end of Wall Street was ASML. The Dutch company, whose machinery helps make chips, fell 5.4% after giving a forecasted range for upcoming revenue whose midpoint fell below analysts' expectations. Its stock is nevertheless still up nearly 36% for the year so far.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following modest gains in Asia.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.28% from 4.26% late Tuesday.

___

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

___

This version corrects the last name of Nike's CEO, which is Hill.

More than 53 million filers claimed a deduction under one of those provisions from Republicans' massive tax and spending law, a Treasury official told reporters Tuesday before the deadline, with 6 million people claiming no tax on tips, 21 million claiming the overtime deduction and 30 million older Americans claiming the enhanced deduction.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the numbers, said the 2026 filing season was a success from the administration's perspective.

Still, the latest data comes as most Americans, or 7 in 10, still think their taxes are too high, according to recent polling, despite the passage of the Republican tax law which promised big savings for taxpayers.

As the tax season kicked off in January, the White House boasted that average refunds were projected to rise by at least $1,000. But currently, the average refund amount is $3,462, according to the latest IRS data, which is up 11% or about $350 from last tax year’s $3,116 average refund payment.

In an interview that aired on Wednesday, President Donald Trump claimed much bigger results. “People are getting refunds of $5,000, $8,000, $11,000 that they had no idea they were getting,” he told Fox Business News. “It’s turned out to be better -- as good or better than I said it would be.”

Treasury says tax refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average of refunds before Trump took office.

The White House has been trying to promote Trump's tax cuts as a way to get voters more enthusiastic about the way he's handling the economy before November's midterm elections, but the message has been overshadowed for weeks by higher gas prices caused by the war in Iran.

Republicans on Capitol Hill took advantage of Tax Day to focus on the tax breaks.

“Lower taxes, bigger refunds and more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on the Capitol steps, flanked by Republican lawmakers and Americans he said are benefitting, including a restaurant server, a farmer, and small business owners.

“We don’t believe you should send it all here to Uncle Sam,” Johnson said. “We want you to keep it.”

But Democrats said Americans are reeling from inflation and the high cost of living as Trump focuses his attention on the Iran war. “Hardworking families are watching as the Trump administration spends billions to bomb Iran, yet they can’t seem to find any funding for health care, housing or food for hungry children,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the Democratic caucus chairman.

The 2026 season comes as the IRS has gone through a leadership turnover and reduced its workforce by 27% over the past year through cuts brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency.

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano testified to the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, extolling the IRS' implementation of the Republican tax law.

However, Democratic lawmakers have been zeroing in on IRS disclosures of confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an agreement between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to share information for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.

___

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed.

Russian strikes hit more than a half-dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line on Tuesday and Wednesday. An 8-year-old boy was killed in the central Cherkasy region and a woman who was in a kiosk near a bus stop that was hit in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Zelenskyy and local officials.

“Every day we need air defense missiles — every day Russia continues its strikes,” Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

With no plans announced for further U.S.-mediated talks with Russia, Zelenskyy was visiting three European capitals in 48 hours to try to secure promises of further military and financial support from Germany and Norway ahead of his trip to Italy on Wednesday. Germany and Ukraine agreed a defense package valued at 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion), and Norway has pledged 9 billion euros in assistance, Ukrainian officials said.

After more than four years of fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine possesses battle-tested drone interceptor expertise and has developed groundbreaking air defense technology, but it lacks the money to scale up production to levels that would press its advantage.

Zelenskyy said he is asking European countries to keep adding money to a fund that allows the purchase from the United States of American-made weapons for Ukraine, especially the Patriot air defense system that can stop Russian cruise and ballistic missiles hitting civilian areas.

Between November and March, Russia launched 27,000 Shahed-type drones, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

Zelenskyy is also championing joint weapons production agreements, including for drones and missiles, while pushing for the European Union to move quickly on providing a promised 90 billion euro ($106 billion) loan.

‘Unpredictable consequences’

Defense leaders from about 50 nations who regularly gather to coordinate weapons aid for Kyiv held an online meeting Wednesday chaired by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also attended.

Ahead of the meeting, Britain announced it will send 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year, its biggest delivery of the weapons so far. Officials didn’t say how soon they will be sent.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the European nations's decision to ramp up drone production for Ukraine was a “deliberate step leading to a sharp escalation of the military-political situation across the entire European continent and the creeping transformation of these countries into Ukraine’s strategic rear area.”

The ministry warned that attacks on Russia involving the drones manufactured in Europe for Ukraine are fraught with “unpredictable consequences.” “Instead of strengthening the security of European states, the actions of European leaders are increasingly drawing these countries into a war with Russia,” it said.

It published a list of branches of Ukrainian drone producing factories in the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic as well as factories producing components in Germany, Spain, Italy the Czech Republic, Israel and Turkey.

“The European public should not only clearly understand the true causes of the threats to their security but also know the addresses and locations of “Ukrainian” and “joint” enterprises producing drones and components for Ukraine on the territory of their countries,” the ministry said.

Ukrainian deep strike operations

Ukraine’s war effort has gained momentum in recent weeks, according to Western officials and analysts. Its short-handed troops have disrupted Russia’s spring offensive, thanks in part to drones and ground robots, and its long-range strikes have dented Russian oil exports and some manufacturing output.

Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Wednesday that last month Ukrainian troops recaptured nearly 50 square kilometers (20 square miles) of territory from Russian forces. Also in March, Ukrainian deep strike operations hit 76 Russian targets, including 15 oil refining facilities, he said.

But clouds have also gathered, as the Iran war drains stockpiles of advanced air defense missiles that Ukraine needs, and Kyiv’s money is running short.

“We cannot lose sight of Ukraine” amid the Middle East conflict, NATO chief Rutte said.

Russia and Ukraine continue strikes

Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said, in its biggest barrage in almost two weeks. Air defenses intercepted 309 of the drones.

Russia also fired a powerful FAB-1500 glide bomb, weighing 1.5 metric tons, at the central part of Sloviansk before dawn Wednesday, the Sloviansk City Military Administration head Vadym Liakh said. The blast destroyed a children’s sports facility that was a city landmark, he said.

In a strike on the southeastern city of Dnipro, Russian hit two universities overnight, damaging academic buildings, dormitories and nearby homes, Mayor Borys Filatov said. The blast wave shattered more than 1,000 windows in surrounding buildings, he said, adding that there were no military targets in the area.

Ukraine proceeded with its long-range drone attacks, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted 85 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Ukrainian drones targeted an industrial facility in Sterlitamak, a Russian city about 1,300 kilometers (roughly 800 miles) east of the border with Ukraine, local authorities said.

Radiy Khabirov, governor of the Bashkortostan region where Sterlitamak is located, said in an online statement Wednesday that several drones were shot down over Sterlitamak’s “industrial zone,” and debris fell on one of the facilities there, starting a fire. One person died in the attack, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

___

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

The home of Michigan’s men’s ice hockey team on campus received some damage to its roof, and crews on April 15 are working to repair it.

Sky4 flew over campus on Wednesday to get a better look at the damage.

You can watch aerial footage in the video at the beginning of this article.

The recipe is simple: warm, moist air near the ground, colder air above, a front to lift the air, and strong changing winds with height. Michigan had all of that before spring even arrived.

On March 6, a supercell rode a warm front near the Indiana-Michigan line, with temperatures in the 70s, good moisture, strong wind shear, and enough instability to produce four tornadoes, including an EF-3 near Union City, the earliest EF-3 or stronger tornado on record for Michigan.

March 2026 also gave storms extra fuel. NOAA says the Lower 48 had its warmest March on record, and Michigan had nearly twice its normal March precipitation -- its third-wettest March on record. That means more warm air, more moisture, and wetter ground, so storms could produce both tornadoes and flooding.

Then, April kept the pattern going. On April 4, Southeast Michigan had an EF-1 tornado in Van Buren Township, caused by storms using strong low-level wind shear near a warm front and lake-influenced boundary.

Then last night, April 14, the Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch for much of Lower Michigan, warning of a couple tornadoes, 70 mph wind gusts, and hail up to 2 inches in diameter.

The National Weather Service issued multiple warnings overnight and will be surveying the damage over the next couple of days for confirmation of tornado activity.

This is early, but not impossible. Michigan’s tornado season usually peaks later, especially around June in Southeast Michigan. Our changing climate adds background heat and moisture, but one outbreak cannot be blamed on climate change alone.

The direct cause was a repeated storm-track pattern: warm fronts, cold fronts, Gulf moisture, strong jet-stream winds, and enough instability arriving unusually early. All are reasons to have a severe weather plan in place for what could be a long, dangerous severe weather season.

Authorities were just beginning to assess the damage left behind by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which first hit the islands Tuesday night local time and continued with a barrage of fierce winds and relentless rains for hours Wednesday.

Power was out and many of the roads were impassible across Saipan, a U.S. territory that's the largest of the Mariana Islands and home to about 43,000 people, according to local officials.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said water outages were reported on some of the islands. The agency planned to send more personnel to the region and ramp up shipments of supplies.

The storm also battered Guam, another U.S. territory and the site of several American military bases, with tropical force winds.

The typhoon — the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth this year — was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph) when it made landfall on the islands, the National Weather Service said.

The monster storm still had winds of 125 mph (200 kph) late Wednesday night as it pulled away to the north from the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota, the weather service said. Sinlaku is expected start curving toward sparsely populated volcanic islands in the far northern Marianas.

It was still very windy and rainy roughly 24 hours after the typhoon rattled the islands, but much better than the previous night, said Jaden Sanchez, spokesperson for the Saipan mayor’s office.

Preliminary reports include a lot of flooding, uprooted trees and downed power lines, but no deaths, he said.

Images from Saipan showed residential lots littered with debris and mangled trees. Winds crumbled metal bleachers at a sports field.

Resident Dong Min Lee shot video of a car sitting on top of two others in his apartment building’s parking lot. The winds tore off part of his balcony railing.

The American Red Cross and its partners were sheltering more than 1,000 residents across Guam and the Northern Marianas, agency spokesperson Stephanie Fox said.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu; and Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego contributed to this report.

Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

The visit underscores that the Trump administration is not backing down from its investigation of the Fed and its chair, Jerome Powell, even though the probe has delayed the confirmation of a new chair nominated by President Donald Trump. The investigation is focused on cost overruns and brief testimony about the project last summer by Powell. Trump confirmed in an interview that aired Wednesday on Fox Business that he wants to continue the probe.

Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from Pirro’s office conceded that they hadn’t found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the headquarters project.

Robert Hur, an attorney for the Federal Reserve board of governors, sent an email to Pirro’s prosecutors about their visit and their request for a “tour” to “check on progress” at the construction site. Hur’s email, which The Associated Press has viewed, noted that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg concluded that their interest in the Federal Reserve’s renovation project was “pretextual.”

“Should you wish to challenge that finding, the courts provide an avenue for you; it is not appropriate for you to try to circumvent it,” Hur wrote.

Republican Tillis is key vote

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is a key member of the Senate Banking Committee, has vowed to vote against Kevin Warsh, Trump's nominee to replace Powell as Fed chair, until the investigation is dropped. With the committee closely divided on partisan lines, Tillis' opposition is enough to block Warsh.

The Banking panel said yesterday that it will hold a hearing on Warsh's nomination April 21. Powell's term as Fed chair ends May 15, but Powell said last month he would remain as chair until a replacement is named.

Powell is serving a separate term as a member of the Fed's governing board that lasts until January 2028. Chairs typically leave their posts as governor when their terms as chair end, but they can remain on the board if they choose. Powell has said he won't leave the Fed's board until the investigation is completed.

Late Tuesday Tillis posted a link on social media to The Wall Street Journal’s article on the visit below an image of the Three Stooges and wrote, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. at the crime scene.”

The investigation by Pirro’s office centers on an appearance by Powell before the Senate Banking Committee last June, when he was asked about cost overruns on the Fed’s extensive building renovations. The most recent estimates from the Fed suggest the current estimated cost of $2.5 billion is about $600 million higher than a 2022 estimate of $1.9 billion.

“It is probably corrupt, but what it really is, is incompetent,” Trump said on Fox Business. “Don't you think we have to find out what happened there?”

The president's support for the investigation threatens a timeframe set out by Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican who chairs the Banking Committee. Scott said Tuesday on Fox Business that he believed the investigation would be “wrapped up in the next few weeks,” allowing Warsh to be confirmed soon after.

Threat to fire Powell

News of the unannounced visit by prosecutors comes as Trump has again threatened to fire Powell, if the Federal Reserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank's governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

“Well then I’ll have to fire him, OK?” Trump said when reminded that Powell has said he won’t leave the Fed while the Justice Department investigates a $2.5 billion renovation project at the bank. Powell has also said he will remain as chair of the Fed's rate-setting committee until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, following the precedent of previous chairs.

Trump has for months wanted to remove Powell as chair of the Fed, saying he has been too slow in orchestrating interest rate cuts that would give the U.S. economy a quick boost. Powell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed's independence to set rates.

Powell's term as Fed governor expires May 15, but his term as a Fed board member lasts until January 2028.

Supreme Court weighing another Trump removal

Trump’s threat to fire Powell comes as the Supreme Court is weighing the president’s effort to remove another central bank governor, Lisa Cook. Lower courts have so far allowed Cook to remain in her job while her legal challenge to the firing continues. The Supreme Court also seemed likely to keep her on the Fed when the court heard arguments in January. A decision could come any time.

The issue in Cook’s case is whether allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied, is a sufficient reason to fire her or a mere pretext masking Trump’s desire to exert more control over U.S. interest rate policy.

The Supreme Court has allowed the firings of the heads of other governmental agencies at the president’s discretion, with no claim that they did anything wrong, while also signaling that it is approaching the independence of the nation’s central bank more cautiously, calling the Fed “a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity.”

___

AP Writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

Neither did the young women she was hired to lead.

Yes, there was a jolt of excitement. There was also a dash of anxiousness. One of the most decorated programs in the history of NCAA gymnastics had fallen off considerably since winning the last of its record 10 national titles in 2009.

The worry that Landi might lean heavily into the transfer portal in search of a quick fix was real. It also turned out to be fleeting.

Minutes into the first meeting that Landi and co-head coach Ryan Roberts had with the team, Landi made it clear she had no interest in blowing everything up and starting over.

“Gymnastics is not rocket science,” Landi said. “It’s about consistency and being fair and working hard and working smart.”

A lifetime in the sport — from competing for her native France at the 1996 Olympics to two-plus decades in coaching — had taught her the value of dreams and the empty feeling that comes when they are taken away. Several college-bound athletes Landi mentored at WCC saw their opportunities altered or pulled outright when a new coach took over. Landi wanted no part of that.

The talent to get the program back to being a factor on the national stage was in the room, she told them. We can do this, and we can do this together.

“I wanted to give everyone a chance and embrace the change and follow the culture we were building,” she said. “I was not going to bring in 10 kids. The kids who committed two years prior, they had that goal. I've had athletes at the club level who had that taken away. It was really, really hard.”

Less than two years after that initial sit-down, the Bulldogs will walk onto the floor at Dickie's Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday for the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 2019 with legitimate hopes of reaching Saturday's finals.

A more level playing field?

They will do it with a roster that has largely remained intact since Landi's arrival, led by senior floor specialist Eryn Williams and senior Ja'Free Scott. And they will do it with a sense of confidence they lacked a year ago, when a resurgent season ended early after a jittery performance in regionals.

Those days appear over. Georgia advanced to nationals by having perhaps its best meet of the season at regionals, finishing second to a powerhouse Florida team loaded with former elites that will look to spoil Oklahoma's bid for its fourth NCAA championship in five years.

While the Sooners have been dominant, the playing field in women's college gymnastics may be starting to level out. The eight-team field at nationals includes the Bulldogs, ninth-seeded Arkansas and 13th-seeded Minnesota, a close runner-up to star-laden UCLA at regionals.

The programs that didn't make it to Fort Worth include longtime NCAA fixtures Utah, runner-up a year ago, as well as Alabama and California.

“It's not going to be the same eight every year like it used to be,” Landi said. “I like that it gives an opportunity to other teams. But it makes it harder because we always have to be better. It also makes it more exciting because you know you can have that chance, you can be there.”

Arkansas rebounds

It's a belief that Arkansas coach and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber instilled in her program after the Razorbacks didn't advance out of regionals a year ago, ending an eventful season that included Wieber publicly calling out the NCAA for not allowing Arkansas to schedule a late-season dual meet with Oregon State after it failed to qualify for the SEC championships.

“It was just about the unfairness to our athletes and wanting them to have another competitive opportunity and them to say no for maybe not the best reason,” Wieber said. “We're grateful we’re on the other side of that for sure.”

There were no such scheduling issues this time — the SEC adjusted its parameters to allow all nine schools to compete for a league title — and Arkansas advanced out of the competitive Lexington regional by holding off Missouri with a steady performance on beam in the final rotation, proof of just how far the Razorbacks have come.

“I just feel like we’re building to peak at the right time,” Wieber said. “And their performance at regionals was remarkable.”

Having Morgan Price helped. The senior, who spent the first three years of her career competing at Fisk University — the first Historically Black College and University to field a women's artistic gymnastics team — joined Arkansas to compete alongside older sister Frankie.

All she's done over the last four months is record the first perfect 10 in program history with a dazzling performance on vault in a meet against Kentucky in February.

“She’s a great competitor, she’s got swagger and she knows how to put up great scores,” Wieber said. “What people don’t see is who she is on a daily basis. She’s one of the most consistent workers and teammates and strives to be a great leader.”

Price's journey will end this weekend. Just as it will for Williams and Scott and the other seniors at Georgia, who have spent years competing underneath the banners at Stegeman Coliseum that beckon to the program's run of greatness, wondering when their time will come.

Turns out, that time is now.

“We were this amazing team with this legacy so many years ago,” Williams said. “I think for a while, it got lost. People forgot about us. ... I think a lot of them need a reminder of who we are."

___

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

Health systems in the continent of 1.5 billion people face growing uncertainty following the U.S. pullback from global health funding under President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, alongside disruptions linked to the war in the Middle East that are straining aid budgets and supply chains.

Announcing its first-ever comprehensive analysis of immunization in the region, the WHO said more than 500 million children have been reached through routine vaccination since 2000, preventing over 4 million deaths each year.

Overall, it said vaccines have saved more than 50 million lives in Africa over the past five decades, “gaining an estimated 60 years of life expectancy for each infant life saved” during that period.

In 2024 alone, vaccines saved nearly 2 million lives, the agency said, pointing to key milestones including the eradication of wild poliovirus in 2020, “a historic milestone for Africa,” and the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in most countries.

Vaccines against malaria, a disease that kills more than 400,000 people annually, most of them children under five in Africa, are now being introduced in 25 countries. Mohamed Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, called that “a major scientific and public health breakthrough” during an online press briefing.

But he also warned that “progress is uneven and in some places really slowing,” after the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of children who have never received a single vaccine.

Ten countries account for 80% of children who haven’t received any vaccine in the region, he said, describing it as “a profound equity issue.”

“These immunization outcomes reflect very different realities, and we have more work to do to ensure we are consistently able to reach children, even in the most fragile and remote contexts,” said Sania Nishtar, chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which partners with WHO in vaccination efforts.

Aid cuts since Trump returned to the White House in 2025 have been devastating, Janabi said. The U.S. withdrawal from WHO in January resulted in the loss of about 40% of the agency’s overseas development funding, he said, and urged African governments to increase domestic health financing to mitigate the impact.

The U.S-Iran war, which has disrupted supply chains and increased gas prices, is concerning for a continent where “many of our facilities depend on generators,” said Adelheid Onyango, the WHO Africa director for health systems and services. She said the agency is yet to quantify the war's impact.

Health experts such as Shabir Madhi, a professor of vaccinology and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, say funding is emerging as the “biggest threat” to Africa's immunization efforts as the U.S. and other Western donors tighten aid to poorer countries.

In many countries, aid-funded programs have already scaled back or shut down, reducing access to basic health services, including clinics, health workers, cold-chain infrastructure and outreach services that vaccination campaigns rely on.

“It can’t be that we continue relying on the likes of Gavi Vaccine Alliance, which has done a tremendous amount of work in terms of ensuring that there’s increasing uptake of new vaccines,” said Madhi. “The Gavi Vaccine Alliance itself is already experiencing a financial crunch. What we need to start putting on the table is what percentage of the immunization program should be funded by countries ... to ensure that not just a few children are getting vaccinated.”

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Leo spoke to journalists en route to Cameroon as he continued his Africa visit.

He made no mention of Trump’s latest social media post or the suggestion by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, that he should “be careful” when speaking about theology.

Leo took no questions. Rather, he focused on his first stop in Algeria and the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the inspiration of his religious order and his own spirituality.

But Leo spoke in terms that suggested the Trump administration's criticism of the pope's calls for peace in the Iran war hadn't gone unnoticed. He spoke exclusively in English.

Trump has issued repeated broadsides this week against history’s first U.S.-born pope, accusing him of being weak on crime and a captive to the left, and asserting that Leo owed his papacy to Trump. Trump also posted, then took down, an artificial intelligence-generated, Christ-like image of himself that drew widespread condemnation, even from many supporters.

Trump’s attacks on Leo began after the pope amplified criticism of war and asserted that God doesn’t bless those who drop bombs. Leo also called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”

Overnight, Trump posted “Not good!!!” in response to a post citing social media posts by Leo before he was pope that were critical of Trump. And he wrote: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable.”

Leo points to St. Augustine and ‘search for truth’

Leo drew attention to his visit Tuesday to Annaba, the ancient city of Hippo where St. Augustine, the theological and philosophical giant of the early church, lived as a bishop for more than 30 years.

“His writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today, a message that is very real for all of us today as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people,” Leo said.

By going to Hippo, Leo said that he wanted to offer the church and the world a vision that St. Augustine offers in terms of seeking "unity among all peoples and respect for all people in spite of the differences.”

He recalled that the vast majority of Algerians are Muslim, but that they respect and honor St. Augustine as “one of the great sons of their land.” Such an attitude, he said, helps to build bridges between Christians and Muslims and promote dialogue.

And he recalled his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, where he stood in silent prayer.

“I think the visit to the mosque was significant to say that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshiping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace,” he said.

“And so I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today.”

While being on the receiving end of Trump's criticisms online, Leo pointed to the respectful way that the Algerian government had received him on the first-ever papal visit — with a full military airborne escort through Algeria's airspace.

“It’s a sign of the goodness, of the generosity, of the respect that the Algerian people and the Algerian government have wished to show to the Holy See and to myself,” Leo said.

A debate about ‘just war’

The Vatican's editorial director, Andrea Tornielli, was more pointed than Leo in his rebuttal of Vance, who had argued that the Catholic Church had a long tradition of endorsing so-called “just wars,” when war can be morally justified.

Tornielli noted that the “just war” theory was developed centuries ago, when wars were fought with swords, not machine-guided drones.

“This teaching has gradually been enriched and deepened, to the point of recognizing how increasingly difficult it is to claim that a ‘just war’ exists,” Tornielli wrote on Vatican Media. Modern warfare poses a "reality that raises moral questions of dramatic intensity.”

“There has been a growing awareness that war is not a path to be followed,” he wrote.

U.S. Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, has said the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran failed to meet the minimum criteria for the war to be considered morally just. Such criteria would have included that it was a response to an imminent threat, that the U.S. and Israel had clearly articulated their intentions or that the benefits would outweigh the harm.

___

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.

Meta's attempt to resolve the bloc’s antitrust investigation of WhatsApp by charging third-party AI companies for access is unsatisfactory, the European Commission said Wednesday.

The commission, which is the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, opened the investigation last year over concerns that WhatsApp was blocking competing artificial intelligence companies from offering their AI assistants on the platform.

Officials said Meta's decision in March to start charging third-party AI providers for access was essentially equivalent to the ban it had in place.

“Replacing the legal ban with pricing that has a similar effect does not change our preliminary view that Meta’s conduct appears to be an abuse of its dominant position, that may seriously harm competition on the market for AI assistants,” Teresa Ribera, the commission’s executive vice president overseeing competition, said in a statement.

When Brussels opened its investigation in December, officials said they were scrutinizing new terms and conditions that blocked providers of AI chatbots from using a tool to communicate with customers.

The bloc said it intends to issue its order to reinstate access for third-party chatbots under previous terms until it reaches a final decision on the case.

Meta said the commission’s decision means that the company will have to provide its service for free and would amount to subsidizing select companies rather than clearing the way for more competition.

It could mean, for example, that “a small bakery in France paying to use the service to take croissant orders will be picking up the tab for OpenAI,” Meta said of one of its competitors in a statement. "Small European businesses shouldn’t foot OpenAI’s bill.”

National Weather Service crews were surveying damage in places including Ann Arbor to determine if one or more tornadoes touched down, but none had been confirmed as of Wednesday morning. Instead, the damage appears to have been caused by a line of thunderstorms that moved into Michigan from Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois, meteorologist Sara Schultz said.

A 70 mph (112.6 kph) wind gust was reported at 1:49 a.m. Wednesday at the university's football stadium, while gusts of 69 mph (111 kph) and 62 mph (99.7 kph) were reported at Willow Run Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Schultz said, and another round of strong storms with potentially damaging winds was moving into the area Wednesday from states to the West.

Streets and neighborhoods in many southeastern Michigan communities also were left flooded Wednesday.

Some public school buildings in Ann Arbor suffered structural damage and many lost power. “Safe passage for walkers and buses is compromised across much of the city due to downed power lines, flooding, water main breaks, gas leaks, and felled trees and debris,” the district said Wednesday on its Facebook page.

District schools and offices were closed Wednesday due to what officials say is a fiber outage impacting fire, phone and camera systems, and building access. It wasn’t immediately clear if the fiber outage is related to the storm.

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor said structural engineers were assessing damage to a wall at the city's Veterans Memorial Park Ice Arena. Part of the roof was torn from the university's Yost Ice Arena.

Two blocks from where utility workers were dealing with the twisted pieces of metal littering the ground outside Yost, Seungjun Lee was feeling fortunate. A hulking tree outside the rented home he shares with six others barely missed his upstairs bedroom when the storm uprooted it.

“If the tree fell down a couple more feet, I would not be standing here,” said Lee, a 20-year-old junior at U-M. “I’d be in the hospital. So, I’m feeling very lucky that … the roof stopped it.”

Lee and his roommates were awakened by a siren, then an alert blasted from their phones between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., urging them to take shelter.

“As soon as I came out, everyone else was coming out of their rooms and everyone’s like, ‘What’s going on? This is crazy,’” said Lee, of Ridgewood, New Jersey. “And then we looked out the window: This tree just fell down. So, we’re like, ‘Oh, crap.’”

A friend across the street then walked over to check in.

“He was like, ‘Did you hear about Yost?’ We went, ‘No.’ We were worried about our house. So, we walked over and we checked it out and we were like, ‘That’s crazy,’” said Sam Zaruba, a 20-year-old junior from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

As for classes on Wednesday, Zaruba said he’s not going. But roommate Gautam Nigam, a 21-year-old junior, also from Grand Rapids, has to.

“I have a final presentation later today,” he said.

The storms dumped as much as 2.5 inches (6.3 cms) of rain across parts of southeastern Michigan, bringing flood watches to a big chunk of the eastern Lower Peninsula, southeastern Michigan, northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio.

An evacuation notice was issued late Tuesday to low areas in northeastern Michigan’s Cheboygan County following a levee breach in the Little Black River watershed. The breach, in an area northwest of Cheboygan and west of Lake Huron, is not related to efforts to force flow from the Cheboygan Dam toward the lake as water continues rising following days of rainfall and winter snow melt, the county's emergency management office said on its Facebook page.

___

Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.

House Democrats launched Wednesday what they call a task force to overhaul ethics rules and protect access to the ballot. They also want to highlight the Trump family's business dealings and the president's transformation of the federal government.

The task force, which will include a mix of progressive and moderate members, could become a central part of Democrats' messaging as they try to claw back control of Congress from Republicans.

Rep. Joe Morelle, top Democrat on the House Administration Committee and a longtime ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will spearhead the effort. He said Jeffries “fears that we’re losing Americans' faith and trust in government and institutions” because so often "decisions are made based on the personal interests of the members or the president and with little regard for Americans.”

Morelle floated a ban on stock trading for all members of the executive branch, Congress and federal courts as a policy. He added that a code of ethics and term limits for Supreme Court justices were other possible proposals.

Democrats have frequently accused Trump's second term of being “the most corrupt administration in American history," a characterization the White House denies.

“President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public," said Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson. “President Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children. There are no conflicts of interest.”

A little over a year into the president’s second term, his family’s Trump Organization has conducted deals in eight foreign countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Vietnam. All the deals are ostensibly in compliance with the Trump company's self-imposed rule not to do business directly with foreign governments.

But it's not sure that matters, given that many such authoritarian and one-party states rarely take a hands-off approach in private business deals, especially when the business belongs to a sitting president.

Anti-corruption pledges have been heard before

Promises to clean up Washington are nothing new. Trump campaigned in 2016 and 2024 on a vow to “drain the swamp.” Democrats won back control of the House in 2018, at the midpoint of Trump's first term, with an anti-corruption message.

“I don’t know that we start with people’s trust. I certainly think that’s probably not the case,” said Morelle. “The question is, will we earn it? Can we earn it? And we’re prepared to place significant emphasis on this.”

Reps. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, respectively, are on the task force.

So are Reps. Greg Casar, D-Texas, leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Brad Schneider, D-Ill., head of the moderate New Democrats. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., one of the caucus' most prominent members, is a member as well.

The group's regional and ideological diversity could ensure a broad base of support for the new initiative, or it could make it harder to find a unifying message and agenda.

“The challenge is almost there’s too much to do, and they are going to need to focus on a couple of things,” said Justin Florence, co-founder of Protect Democracy, a group that says it combats authoritarianism in the U.S. and is consulting with Democrats on their strategy.

The group believes the Hungarian elections offer a successful model.

“It just shows that this messaging has to be loud, it has to be colorful, it has to be engaging,” said Ben Raderstorf, a strategist with Protect Democracy, on how Orbán’s opponents spread their anti-corruption message. “It can’t just be staid hearings, it’s about breaking through attention cycles.”

While Democrats debated after the 2024 election whether their warnings that democracy was imperiled resonated with Americans, many in the party say Trump's actions have shifted public opinion.

Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., one of the task force’s co-chairs, said the president is “actively meddling in our elections and attempting to impose a Jim Crow 2.0 era through intimidation and suppression." She vowed the task force will “hold Trump accountable for his corrupt schemes, expose them to the American people, and present the alternative they deserve.”

Anti-corruption groups are hoping the messaging effort will transfer to a meaningful plan to curb corruption in Washington.

“The hope is that it’s broad, and that it’s serious policymaking and not just talking points,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a watchdog group that has been in talks with the task force.

The goal, he said, is to address "not just the Trump administration’s extreme abuses, but the systemic rigging of the political process in Washington.”

___

Associated Press writer Bernard Condon contributed from New York.

The layoffs announced during a call with staff are the biggest in more than a decade at the U.K. national broadcaster.

"I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” interim Director-General Rhodri Talfan Davies said in a staff email.

Davies said that the reductions were driven by inflation, pressures to license fee and commercial income and a turbulent global economy.

The BBC said earlier this year that it faced “substantial financial pressures” and wanted to cut about a tenth of its budget by 2029. The bulk of the cuts are to be made in the next fiscal year beginning April 1, 2027.

The cuts come as former Google executive Matt Brittin is scheduled to take over as director-general next month.

He will fill the vacancy left after Tim Davie, and head of news Deborah Turness resigned over a misleading edit in a documentary about U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech on Jan. 6, 2021, before his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion for defamation.

The BBC is both a beloved and oft-criticized cultural institution funded by an annual license fee, which recently rose to 180 pounds ($244), paid by all U.K. households who watch live television or any BBC content.

Opponents of the fee, including rival commercial broadcasters, have grown louder in an era of digital streaming, when many people no longer have television sets or follow traditional television schedules.

The center-left Labour government has vowed to ensure that the BBC has “sustainable and fair” funding, but hasn't ruled out replacing the license fee with another funding model.

The BBC was founded in 1922 as a radio service to “inform, educate and entertain.” It now operates 15 U.K. national and regional television channels, several international channels, 10 national radio stations, dozens of local radio stations, the globe-spanning World Service radio and extensive digital output, including the iPlayer streaming service.

In a wild sequence, Ball avenged two critical mistakes just seconds earlier by scoring on a driving right-handed layup with 4.7 seconds left, and Charlotte prevailed after Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s layup attempt on the other of the court as time expired. That set off a wild celebration on the court involving players, coaches and fans as the team earned its first home postseason win in a decade.

Ball celebrated at midcourt, flexing after the winning layup. Local television station WBTV caught video of the hyped point guard delivering two seemingly playful blows at Hugo before embracing teammate Coby White in a bear hug. Hugo simply walked away.

Ball was the center of attention all night, and it remained uncertain if he could face disciplinary action from the league ahead of Charlotte's next play-in game on Friday night after it appeared he took a swipe at the leg of Bam Adebayo early in the second quarter, causing the Heat center to fall on his back.

Ball was not called for a foul and play continued. Adebayo did not return because of a lower back injury, playing just 11 minutes.

Afterward, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said Ball should have been ejected.

Ball apologized after the game and said he was disoriented on the play after getting hit in the head seconds before on a drive to the basket.

The ninth-seeded Hornets play on the road against the loser of Wednesday’s night game between Orlando and Philadelphia as they look to snap a 10-year playoff drought.

“We drew up a good play, I feel like. Just orchestrated it and it worked," Ball said of the winning shot.

Ball was not asked about punching the mascot after the game; the video of it had not surfaced at that point.

“The crowd was amazing," Ball said of the sold-out crowd. "Everyone who came out today was real loud, so it was a good crowd.”

Charlotte was able to get to overtime after White hit an off-balanced 3-pointer from the corner with 10.8 seconds left to tie the game, and Miami's Tyler Herro missed a jumper at the end of regulation.

The Hornets surrendered a five-point lead in OT behind two Ball blunders.

After Herro drained a turnaround 3 in the corner, Ball turned the ball over at midcourt and then fouled Herro on a 3-point attempt. Herro made all three free throws to briefly give Miami a 126-125 lead, setting up Ball's theatrics on an inbounds play.

“We just stayed together throughout it all, it was an up-and-down game. But that’s what the play-in is about," Bridges said. "... We did a great job executing on offense, LaMelo did a great job getting a layup, and then we executed on defense on the other end.”

___

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

It's a clever way of connecting the past iconic musical theater show with its reimagined, cooler sister now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre. But there's an even more thrilling connection between these two shows:

That DJ? He starred in the original cast.

Ken Ard is making a triumphant return to Broadway after being away for 25 years in the same show where his career exploded in the early 1980s, now dancing with performers 40 years his junior.

“It’s amazing to have this full circle moment in my life,” he says from his dressing room. “I knew it was right for me then and I knew it was right for me now.”

‘The most spectacular reinvention’

Ard's return to “Cats” is a story of redemption and resilience, echoing the recovery of New York after the 2001 terror attacks. Ard lived close to ground zero, and the horror of that day left him with PTSD and dented his confidence. He went from an It boy to deeply shaken. “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is his first Broadway show since the attacks.

“My first audition after 9/11, I burst into tears and left the room because I had no idea what to do or how to feel,” he recalls. “I just was not getting booked anymore. And before that I was getting booked all the time.”

Ard, who grew up in California, studied dance and tried his luck in New York, inspired by shows like “The Wiz” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and by performers like Ken Page and Andre De Shields, the latter who is now his co-star.

He made his Broadway debut in the chorus of “Marlow” in 1981, and “Cats” was his third show. “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is actually his fourth production for Andrew Lloyd Webber, following “Starlight Express” and “Song and Dance.”

“His music does speak to me in a certain way,” he says. “There’s something about his shows that are whimsical and fun, and I guess I just have been able to fit into them.”

The original “Cats” — for which Ard played Macavity as well as Plato and Rumpus Cat — was a cultural phenomenon, attracting celebrities, soaring ticket sales and a devotion that's hard to explain. It was the “Hamilton” before “Hamilton.” Ard recalls meeting Diana Ross and Cary Grant.

Ard wasn't a big fan of the 2016 “Cats” revival — “It was a museum piece,” he says — or the 2019 movie — “a debacle,” he declares — so he didn't have much hope when he checked out “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” last year at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, which just happens to be at ground zero.

“I went in and I saw this show with my arms crossed, like, ‘What are they going to do with ’Cats?'” he says. “I had not gone back downtown in years and years and years. ‘Cats’ was what got me down there.”

What he saw was a show that transports viewers into the Black and Latino queer ballroom scene of Harlem, which was the inspiration for “Paris Is Burning” and later “Pose.”

“It’s really just the most spectacular reinvention of a show I have ever seen,” says Ard, who says he bawled his eyes out and returned to see it two more times. “All of that trauma was washed away by this show.”

No more peeling potatoes

The music remains the same — albeit with thumping house beats — but the show has a fabulous energy. It's directed by Zhailon Livingston and Bill Rauch, with choreography by Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons.

The original musical — based on poems by T.S. Eliot — is about felines competing to get into kitty heaven. Ard says the new version is about people competing for a prize. “It makes so much sense,” he says. “It’s not your grandma’s ‘Cats.’”

When he heard it might transfer to Broadway, Ard reached out and was offered the now-enlarged role of DJ Griddlebone, the ball's sort of hype man, a trickster who pops up in various costumes and dances.

“Having Ken Ard in rehearsal was a magic portal to the original production,” Rauch says. “He gave us thrilling perspective on the original staging and the artists’ intentions from 45 years ago. At the same time, Ken was completely present in every sense of the word, helping us to shape our radically new revival.”

Ard calls the show a celebration of gay and trans joy without any preaching: “I think it’s going to introduce a whole new generation to ‘Cats’ and musical theater. People who haven’t seen themselves on stage are really going to be inspired.”

The show that changed his life once has now done it again. Ard had been working in corporate kitchens for the past decade but hopes his time peeling potatoes is done.

“I think those days are over, really,” he says. “I’m going to manifest that they are because, basically, I’ve been wanting to get back to Broadway ever since my last show.”

The deal begins next season and carries through 2034, covering his final five seasons of club control and his first three years he would have been eligible for free agency. The $150 million is guaranteed and the deal includes contract escalators for the final three seasons that could raise the value to a maximum of $160 million.

McGonigle will earn guaranteed salaries of $1 million in 2027, $7 million in 2028, $16 million in 2029, $21 million in 2030, $22 million in 2031 and $23 million in the 2032, 2033 and 2034 seasons.

The contract escalators could increase his 2032 maximum base salary to $25 million, his 2033 maximum to $26 million and his 2034 maximum to $28 million.

The deal includes a $14 million signing bonus and a $5 million bonus each time the contract is assigned to another major league team.

McGonigle, 21, had four hits in his major league debut, an 8-2 win at San Diego on March 26. He is hitting .311 with one homer and has a .417 on-base percentage. He has reached base in 13 consecutive starts and 15 of 16 games. He is one of only 10 players in the major leagues with more walks (11) than strikeouts (eight) among players with at least 11 walks.

The strong start has supported McGonigle's preseason ranking as one of the game's top prospects. He has started at third base and shortstop for the Tigers.

McGonigle was selected by the Tigers in the first round of the 2023 draft at No. 37 out of Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

___

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

The Metro Detroit furniture retailer has spent more than four decades building a following not just on living room sets and appliances, but on outrageous TV commercials featuring costumes, sitcom parodies, and a recurring “uncle in the furniture business.” Owner Scott Bradley says the humor was never part of a calculated marketing strategy.

“It just started as a joke. And everybody just started calling and liking it.”

The approach stuck. Customers now show up to the store in costumes hoping to land a cameo. Some stop by just to socialize, with no purchase in mind.

“We have people that come by on the way to work just to have a cup of coffee, to sit with us,” Bradley said. “People come down just because they see the commercial, but they just leave like they’re our friends.”

Beyond the laughs, Robinson Furniture pitches itself on accessibility. The store’s signature “$40 down” financing program allows customers with a checking account to walk out with furniture the same day, with payments structured weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

“If you pay it off in 90 days, it’s the same as cash,” Bradley said.

The store also carries appliances, riding lawn mowers, e-bikes, and mopeds - a product mix Bradley acknowledges sounds unusual. “It’s like a kid’s candy store,” he said.

Robinson Furniture delivers next-day for orders placed before 3 p.m., with all items shipped from the warehouse as new with full warranties.

For more information, visit RobinsonFurnitureInc.com.

Cheering Cameroonians lined the road into the capital Yaounde from the airport, two and three deep in places, dancing and waving palm fronds as the pope's motorcade whizzed by. Many women dressed in identical bright dresses and stood behind banners announcing the name of their parish, while billboards splashed posters of the pope and Biya under the banner “Land of Hope.”

The Vatican says fighting corruption in the mineral-rich country and insisting on the correct uses of political authority are expected to be themes of Leo’s visit. Leo was traveling from Algeria, the first stop on his four-nation Africa tour.

The Vatican has made clear that Catholic social teaching disapproves of the types of authoritarian leaders that Leo is encountering on his visit, the first to the continent by history's first U.S.-born pope.

Biya is the world’s oldest leader and has led Cameroon since 1982.

Leo was meeting with Biya upon arrival at the presidential palace in Yaounde. He’ll then address government authorities, civil service representatives and diplomats before visiting an orphanage run by a Catholic religious order of nuns.

Cameroon authorities made a last-minute change to the program, the Vatican said. Biya, and not the prime minister, will deliver a speech before Leo addresses authorities and the encounter will occur in the presidential palace, not a conference center.

A call for ‘authentic democracy’

Cameroon’s opposition has contested the result of the Oct. 12 election. Biya's election rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, claims to have won and has called on Cameroonians to reject the official result.

Just this week, Leo issued an unrelated message on the correct role of political leaders and the need for “authentic democracy” to legitimize their authority and act as a “guardrail against the abuse of power.”

In a message to a Vatican academy for social science, Leo wrote that democracy remains healthy only when it is driven by morality and a vision of humanity that respects the dignity of everyone.

“Lacking this foundation, it risks becoming either a majoritarian tyranny or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites,” he warned in a message that wasn’t directed at any particular nation or leader and was dated April 1.

Gerald Mambeh, a teacher in Yaounde, said the pope’s visit needs to spark genuine dialogue and accountability to achieve lasting peace.

“This visit feels like light entering a dark room… but peace will not come from symbolism alone,” said Mambeh, a Catholic. “In a country where many feel abandoned, his presence feels like God has not forgotten us. Let the pope hear this beyond the politics: Cameroonians are not asking for miracles, we are asking for fairness, dignity, and a future.”

A peace meeting and a pause in fighting

Leo has two major events in Cameroon, with the highlight a “peace meeting” on Thursday in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, which has been plagued by separatist violence.

English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion in 2017 with the stated goal of breaking away from Cameroon's French-speaking majority and establishing an independent state. The conflict has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 600,000 others, according to the International Crisis Group, a think tank.

On the eve of Leo’s arrival, the English-speaking separatists announced a three-day pause in fighting to allow “safe travel” for his visit.

The Unity Alliance, which includes several separatist groups, said in a statement Monday the pause reflects the “profound spiritual importance” of the visit and is intended to allow civilians, pilgrims and dignitaries to travel safely.

Leo’s other big event in Cameroon, where about 29% of the population is Catholic, is a Mass on Friday in the city of Douala, where some 600,000 people are expected to turn out.

On Saturday, Leo heads to Angola for the third leg of his trip, which ends next week in Equatorial Guinea.

___

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.

The 14-year-old Pontiac boy had left his home just before 3 p.m. on March 30, and his legal guardian hadn’t seen him since then, according to the April 14 release from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said he didn’t have a cell phone or any other type of trackable technology with him.

In the morning on Wednesday, April 15, the teen was seen walking along Joslyn Avenue in Pontiac.

Deputies picked him up, and he was taken home, without incident, according to the sheriff’s office.

The teen’s information has been removed from this article.

McGonigle, 21, is just 17 games into his MLB career, but he already looks like perhaps the best hitter on the Tigers’ roster.

He’s batting .311 with a .417 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage. He’s walked more times (11) than he’s struck out (eight) and hit his first career homer off of right-handed ace Sandy Alcantara over the weekend.

McGonigle is the unanimous No. 2 prospect in baseball behind Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, who got a nine-year, $140 million deal before appearing in an MLB game.

The Tigers said McGonigle’s contract is for $150 million and eight years from 2027 through 2034. That means he’ll play 2026 on the league minimum before his extension triggers.

So the Tigers bought out the final five years of McGonigle’s pre-free agency team control, as well as an additional three seasons.

Here’s how McGonigle’s contract breaks down:

• 2027: $1 million
• 2028: $7 million
• 2029: $16 million
• 2030: $21 million
• 2031: $22 million
• 2032: $23 million (could get up to $25 million, with escalators)
• 2033: $23 million (could get up to $26 million, with escalators)
• 2034: $23 million (could get up to $28 million, with escalators)

NOTE: MLB team payrolls are calculated with the yearly average of a player’s contract, so McGonigle will count as $18.75 million on the Tigers’ payroll each season from 2027-2034 (unless the current pay structure changes in CBA negotiations).

So with the performance escalators from 2032-2034, the deal could end up being worth up to $160 million. It includes a $14 million signing bonus and a $5 million assignment bonus every time McGonigle lands with a new team.

McGonigle will be 30 years old after the 2034 season, when he’s next eligible for free agency.

McGonigle has appeared in 10 games at shortstop and nine at third base for the Tigers. Defense was a concern coming into spring training, but McGonigle proved he can handle playing on a major-league infield.

The former No. 37 overall pick in the 2023 draft spent just three seasons in the minors and skipped Triple-A completely. He slashed .308/.410/.512 in 183 minor-league games, hitting 25 homers and 51 doubles while stealing 40 bases and walking 123 times compared to 84 strikeouts.

Homegrown and here to stay ✍️

We have agreed to terms with Kevin McGonigle on an eight-year contract extension covering the 2027-2034 seasons! pic.twitter.com/YoVwwEGQ4a

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 15, 2026

Israeli settlers had installed it overnight, according to video that Palestinian residents provided to The Associated Press. Palestinians say the improvised fence is just the latest attempt by settlers to expand control in part of the occupied West Bank where state-backed demolitions, arson and vandalism regularly occur and settler violence, at times lethal, is rarely prosecuted.

The villagers' plight was covered in the 2024 Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land," but the publicity has done little to stem the bloodshed or curb land grabs. They say Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security.

Khalil Hathaleen, head of the village council and a member of the extended family that makes up much of Umm al-Khair’s population, said settlers were exploiting the war to seize land, cut down olive groves and raid nearby villages at night. “It was a good chance for settlers to do what they want, with no rules,” he said.

Like in Israel, Palestinian kids stayed home before last week's ceasefire, with the threat of falling missile debris leading schools to close.

Hajar, her brother Rashid and their classmates sat waiting Monday and Tuesday near Israeli flags, the barbed wire and newly felled trees as their parents and village leaders demanded they be allowed to pass. On Monday, the children were met by plumes of tear gas and sound grenades hurled by armed men in an unmarked white truck, including some uniformed soldiers, according to the video.

Israel’s military said troops used “riot dispersal means” outside Carmel, the settlement next to Umm al-Khair. It acknowledged that children were present but said the measures — which it didn't detail — were directed at adults in the area, not the children. The Har Hevron Regional Council, the settlements' local government in the area, did not respond to questions about the fence.

Bedouins and other villagers have been using the 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) path from the neighborhood of Khirbet Umm al-Khair to the village center for decades. “We are determined to keep it,” Khalil Hathaleen said.

The fence is just another way that Palestinian movement is being restricted as Israeli settlements multiply in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians say it follows a well-worn pattern in which settlers erect fences or claim farmland that Palestinians say is theirs, and then move to enforce this new reality with the backing of Israel’s military.

Hathaleen said Israeli forces sometimes restrain the settlers, but more often than not they defer to them.

“We are refused a solution,” he said.

The international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements illegal. Israel, meanwhile, views the territory as disputed and says its final status is subject to negotiations. The outposts are built without the permission of Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but other times turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.

Hathaleen said the military's civil administration unit told Umm Al-Khair to divert students to another path. But parents said the alternate route is roughly twice as long and more dangerous, requiring them to pass near Carmel.

“We have deep concerns as parents and as residents that the (Israeli) occupation and soldiers will attack students,” said Al-Mutasim Hathaleen, another parent.

On Tuesday, some students got to school on buses that took the alternate route. But classrooms sat half-empty and the playground was deserted. There was no school on Wednesday due to Palestinian Authority cuts to teacher salaries in the area. But on Thursday, kids will try again to get to school on their regular route, Khalil Hathaleen said.

Testing the settlers' resolve could be risky.

Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated. At least 35 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers across the territory in 2026. Settlers have killed eight Palestinians — an equal number to all of 2025.

The Israeli rights group B’Tselem, following the killing of a 23-year-old Palestinian man by a settler, said that what it called “daily unbridled violence” amounted to Israeli government policy, noting that many of those involved are army reservists.

“These militias are fully backed by the state of Israel and enjoy complete impunity for killing, assaulting and looting Palestinian residents,” it said.

___ Associated Press reporter Amer Abdeen contributed reporting from Umm Al-Khair, West Bank.

The Mountain Hawks broke the first-inning record of 18 runs set by Princeton and matched by Air Force, both in 1974. Lehigh's 38 total runs were a Patriot League record and the most in a game between Division I teams since New Mexico State beat Texas Southern 38-6 in 2019.

Of Lehigh's 20 first-inning runs, 13 were scored consecutively on bases-loaded walks, hit by pitches or wild pitches. Owen Walewander's grand slam accounted for the final runs in the inning. Lehigh sent 23 men to the plate, three shy of the record for an inning.

Lehigh's Aidan Quinn was walked seven times, also a Division I record.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

The guards targeted Katherine Blankenship's clients and other detainees at the facility after they complained about not having phone access on April 2, Blankenship said in a court declaration.

The phones, which weren't functioning, are the primary way for detainees to communicate with family and their attorneys while in the detention center. The guards began taunting the detainees, who were in a cell, then became “more aggressive and were yelling and threatening to enter the cage,” Blankenship wrote.

When one detainee approached a guard, he was punched in the face. The guards then started beating other detainees in the cell. One of Blankenship's clients was punched in the right eye, thrown to the floor and beaten by several guards. He was kicked in the head and his shoulder and arm were injured. A guard put his knee on the detainee's neck while restraining him, according to the attorney's declaration, which included a photo made during a video call almost a week later showing the detainee with a bruised eye.

“The officers beat several people during this incident and broke another detained individual’s wrist,” Blankenship wrote. The detainee whose wrist was broken is not one of her clients.

Phone service was restored the next day without any explanation for why it was cut off.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management didn't respond to questions emailed Wednesday about the incident.

Blankenship's declaration was included in a court filing accusing state and federal officials of failing to comply with a federal judge's preliminary injunction last month ordering detention center officials to provide access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored and unrecorded outgoing legal calls. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell in Fort Myers, Florida also said facility officials must provide at least one operable telephone for every 25 people held in the facility.

The judge's order came in a response to a lawsuit that claimed detainees' First Amendment rights were being violated.

State officials have denied restricting detainees' access to their attorneys and cited security and staffing reasons for any challenges. Federal officials who also are defendants denied that detainees’ First Amendment rights were violated.

The Everglades facility was built last summer at a remote airstrip by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to support President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Florida also has built a second immigration detention center in north Florida.

During a visit last week to the detention center, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, said she wasn't given the chance to talk to detainees. She described conditions at the detention center as “inhumane.”

“The way the detainees are housed is cruel and unnecessary,” she said.

---

Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

After chastising Pope Leo XIV, Trump turned his ire on Meloni, long one of his closest European allies, for calling his papal broadside “unacceptable” and not backing the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

“I thought she had courage,’’ Trump said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “I was wrong.”

Meloni has not directly responded to Trump’s attacks. But they may be to her advantage as she recovers from a decisive referendum defeat last month and as she seeks to dull the impact of the deeply unpopular Iran war, including higher energy prices.

“I actually think this is a godsend for her,’’ said Nathalie Tocci, a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and the director of the International Affairs Institute. “Trump has become completely toxic across Europe, across much of the world, including Italy.”

Trump doubled down on Wednesday, saying their bond had frayed. “She’s been negative,” Trump told Fox News. “Anybody that turned us down to helping with this Iran situation, we do not have the same relationship.”

The Meloni-Trump arc

The only European Union leader invited to Trump’s second inauguration, Meloni was expected to leverage her strong ties with him once he returned to office 15 months ago. The two had a perceived natural alliance, with nationalistic tendencies and similarly hard-line stances on immigration.

But Italy was not spared the pain of Trump’s tariffs, and some may argue she has gotten little out of the relationship. When asked if they had spoken this month, Trump told Corriere, “No, not in a long time.''

After an uncomfortable appearance in the Oval Office a year ago when she avoided directly confronting Trump on tariffs, the distance grew over the Iran war. Meloni has stated Italy will not participate in the war and the country last month refused U.S. bombers the authorization to land at a pivotal air base in Sicily.

Meloni’s statement this week calling Trump's attack on the pope “unacceptable” was the most direct criticism of the president yet.

“It's been building up over time, not so much because she is moving away from him but because he has become increasingly unhinged,’’ Tocci said.

Alliance strained but standing

Cabinet minister Adolfo Urso, a member of Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy, said U.S.-Italy relations would not be shaken by the flap.

“Italy and the United States are allied countries and maintain their relationship and alliance within international institutions, starting obviously with the Atlantic Alliance,’’ he told Radio 24, adding that the church’s moral teachings “cannot crack relationships consecrated in alliances signed a few decades ago.”

Mariangela Zappia, president of the ISPI think tank and a former Italian ambassador to the U.S., said Trump’s “hot-blooded” reaction could be attributed to his frustration with Europe, not just Italy. Besides not getting support for the Iran war, Trump lost a strong ally with Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat in the Hungarian elections this weekend.

Still, she said Trump's personal outburst aimed at Meloni should not be construed as damaging the alliance as a whole.

“Europe absolutely considers the United States its historic ally, but in some way wants to be involved in the decisions that are taken,’’ Zappia said.

Trump, on the other hand, is realizing “this European Union is not easy to dismantle,” she said. “We are different, we react differently. Some are clearly anti-Trump, some are pro-Trump but in the end, destroying the European project, separating us on the things on which we see as our future, that is very difficult.’’

Meloni focused on Italy

Meloni has sought to shore up support after the referendum loss, which became a de facto confidence test of her leadership. She made a two-day whirlwind solo tour of three Gulf states to shore up Italy’s gas and oil supply from the region during a growing energy crisis but returned home without any formal deals.

On Tuesday, she announced Italy would not automatically renew a defense agreement with Israel, after warning shots hit an Italian convoy that is part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, a move that analysts say is driven more by domestic politics than a strategic shift.

“The Gulf tour was a way to show public opinion that she was being proactive. The fact it didn’t actually lead to anything is beside the point,’’ Tocci said. The Israel move “substantively is rather meaningless because there is not much in this agreement but symbolically it helps because Israel has become just so unpopular in Italian public opinion.”

No matter what damage control she has done after the referendum loss, Roberto D’Alimonte, a professor at the LUISS school of government, predicts a difficult last year and a half of her mandate before elections due in 2027, largely due to the economic impact of the Iran war.

“People want to see their gas bills go down, not just see Meloni talk about gas. What matters are the bills you get every month,’’ he said.

While details remained sketchy, Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Sabbir Alam Suzan told The Associated Press on Wednesday that nine people, including three Rohingya and six Bangladeshis, were rescued on April 9. Suzan said that the Bangladesh flag carrier M.T. Meghna Pride rescued the nine people when the crew found them floating at sea after the capsizing.

The status of any search on Wednesday or when the boat sank weren't immediately clear.

UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, and the International Organization for Migration, or IOM, said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the southern Bangladeshi district of Cox’s Bazar carrying a large number of passengers to Malaysia.

The IOM said Wednesday in a new statement that the boat reportedly sank on April 9.

Overcrowding, strong winds and rough seas caused the vessel to lose control and sink, the agencies said.

A Rohingya woman who survived the capsizing and was rescued narrated her ordeal on Wednesday. The survivor said that she set out for Malaysia on April 4, and about 20 women were on board when the boat sank.

“I drifted in the sea for two days and one night," said Rahela Begum, who was brought to a refugee camp. "There were many people on the trawler, but after it sank, I have no idea what happened to them or where they went,"

“After drifting in the sea for two days and one night, the piece of wood I was holding onto also flipped over and I lost it. At that point, I lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, I saw that Allah had sent a ship. The ship rescued me," she said.

Shari Nijman, a UNHCR communication officer in Cox’s Bazar, said Wednesday that the agency had no other updates.

Another coast guard media official told the AP by phone Wednesday that the rescued people, eight men and one woman, were all safe, after being handed over to the coast guard, which brought them to the police in Teknaf.

The official said that the rescue wasn't part of any official search operation, because the area is outside Bangladeshi territory, and that the crew of the M.T. Meghna Pride saved the people while it was on its way to Indonesia from Bangladesh's Chittagong.

The official spoke by phone on condition of anonymity in line with official policy.

UNHCR and IOM said that the disappearance reflected the protracted displacement of Rohingya people and the absence of durable solutions.

They said that ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has made the Rohingya’s safe return to Myanmar uncertain, while limited humanitarian assistance, as well as restricted access to education and employment in refugee camps, continue to push vulnerable Rohingya refugees to choose risky sea journeys, often based on false promises of higher wages and better opportunities abroad.

“This incident is a stark reminder of the grave risks people continue to face when undertaking dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and better opportunities,” IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela said in a statement on Wednesday. “No one should have to choose between remaining in situations of profound hardship or embarking on a journey that may cost them their lives.”

UNHCR and IOM urged the international community to strengthen funding and solidarity to ensure lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which has sheltered more than 1 million Rohingya from Myanmar.

In 2025, more than 6,500 Rohingya refugees embarked on dangerous maritime journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar, almost 900 of whom lost their lives, the IOM said. On the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal specifically, deaths and disappearances increased by more than 40% compared with 2024 figures, the U.N. organization said.

___

Suzauddin Rubel reported from Cox's Bazar.

This is the famed “Saturday Night Live” set at New York City's 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and Anitta is running through two new songs — “Choka Choka” featuring Shakira, and “Varias Quejas,” a Spanish-language version of an Olodum classic, a cultural group from Bahia, Brazil — during rehearsal last week.

Both songs are standouts from her forthcoming album, “Equilibrium,” an eclectic mix of Brazilian funk, samba, bossa nova, semba, reggae, electronic pop, Portuguese, Spanish and English — the kind of release that could only be made mainstream by Brazil’s most globally popular musician since Astrud Gilberto sang “The Girl From Ipanema” over six decades ago.

“I think this is the most Brazilian thing I've ever, ever done on television in America,” Anitta told The Associated Press in the NBC offices shortly thereafter.

And “Equilibrium?” “100% my most Brazilian album,” the artist born Larissa de Macedo Machado says. “I really wanted to do an album honoring my roots.”

An evolving sound

“Equilibrium” is a sonic jump from her last release, 2024's “Funk Generation.” That was a full-on tribute to Brazilian funk — what is frequently referred to as funk carioca or baile funk and is heard in working-class neighborhoods known as favelas around Rio de Janeiro. It's a combination of Brazilian rhythms, African and electronic music and rap that has been stigmatized like hip-hop and reggaetón before it. The genre still exists on “Equilibrium,” but so does a myriad sounds — and beliefs — from her homeland.

“Some of the songs are honoring some entities from Yoruba culture, from Orishas,” she says, referring to the religion that originated in West Africa and its divine spirits, like on the track “Nanã.” “One of the songs talks about God and how do I see God in life.”

It should come as no surprise to Anitta fans: In 2024, she released a music video for the song “Aceita,” which featured a video depicting rituals of the Afro-Brazilian faith Candomblé, sparking controversy in a country where religious intolerance is all too common. Elevating marginalized populations, religious groups and also women, residents of favelas, LGBTQ+ and Black people has always been a core feature of Anitta's public persona.

Going global by going home

Naturally, “Equilibrium” is also a full-on embrace of community. The album is stacked with Brazilian collaborators, like the rising songwriter Melly, Liniker's award-winning samba rock-and-then-some, the Brazilian reggae band Ponto de Equilíbrio and countless others. Even “Choka Choka,” the assertive single with Colombian superstar Shakira, is a love letter to Anitta's culture: The “She Wolf” singer performs in Portuguese.

“Anitta wanted to create something for Brazil, but with an international touch,” said “Choka Choka” co-producer Daramola in a press statement. Its Brazilian funk percussion “has a lot of energy, a lot of intensity. And who better to represent that sound than Anitta and Shakira?”

The song, like the rest of “Equilibrium,” seeks to deliver a universal message with regional sounds. Where she could've leaned into conventional, commercial music trends, she doubled down on what makes Anitta, Anitta instead. Clearly the world — and “Saturday Night Live” — are paying attention.

In the past, “If I wanted to reach certain audience, I would do more English or Spanish or whatever,” she says. “And I just think … I don't know if people are accepting better. I don’t care that much as I used to.”

She still sings in three languages, but Portuguese takes a front seat. That may be because this is the freest Anitta has sounded on record. Consider a song like the syrupy “Vai Dar Caô” featuring rapper Ebony and producer Papatinho, with its sample of DJ Mandrake and MC Tikão's “A Pedido,” built over a late-night-at-the-club interpolation of Art of Noise's 1984 New Age classic “Moments In Love.” Anitta's raps are earned show boasts, something that doesn't feel out of place next to the nylon-string classical guitars of a softer song, like “Ternura.”

On “Equilibrium,” specificity and storytelling is key. “The last song, we also bring a mantra from the God Tara, which is a female God, from another type of religion,” she says.

Anitta is referring to “Ouro,” a collaboration with the Brazilian duo Emanazul who describe their work as medicine music. She calls the song a “meditation.”

“I don’t want people to think this is one type of thinking, one direction. I like to join forces," she says. "I think that’s what this album is about: honoring Brazilian roots, honoring everything that I think can make us feel elevated.”

If she sounds self-actualized, that's because it is her ambition for the album. “I think the main message is, like, we are all one. We live in a planet, Mother Earth. It’s our home. We’re supposed to just live in harmony with each other, respect each other’s flavors, decisions, ways of communicating. We should be just, like, admiring our differences,” she says.

It's a deep message but one delivered in a pop package. “I think the album brings a lot of fun instruments, percussions, all that, but also brings like moments for us to … find the balance, the middle term, the middle way of doing things,” she smiles. “That’s the secret.”

The meeting announcement Wednesday follows repeated pledges by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to loosen regulations on peptides, which are often pitched as a quick way to build muscle, heal injuries or appear younger. There's little research behind those claims and most peptides have not been reviewed for safety by the FDA.

Kennedy has discussed using peptides for his own injuries. And some major supporters of his Make America Healthy Again movement are big proponents of them, including Gary Brecka, a self-described “longevity expert" who sells various peptide formulas through his website.

The FDA said in a federal notice Wednesday it will ask a panel of outside advisers to review seven peptides at a meeting in July, specifically whether they should be removed from a restrictive category reserved for risky, customized drugs. The peptides under discussion will include some of the most popular among influencers, such as BPC-157, which is marketed to heal injuries and reduce inflammation.

“The Wild West is about to become wilder,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who now leads the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In an interview, Lurie said allowing peptides on the market without clinical testing poses a “profound threat” to FDA's decades-old system for vetting drugs.

“I don’t see why one would take the path of a proper drug approval if there is now this less rigorous, alternative path to market,” he said.

Under President Joe Biden, the FDA added nearly 20 of the most popular peptides to the federal list of substances that should not be produced by compounding pharmacies — businesses that mix medications that aren't available from drugmakers.

At the time, the FDA's panel of pharmacy advisers voted overwhelmingly that the peptides did not meet the criteria for a list of drugs that can be safely compounded. And FDA regulators agreed, saying later that the substances “present significant safety risks,” because most have not been extensively tested in humans.

Many of the FDA advisers and internal staff who oversaw those decisions no longer work for the agency. The FDA's pharmacy panel currently has a number of vacancies, which Kennedy could fill before the July meeting.

At the FDA meeting in July, panelists will consider whether BPC-157, TB-500 and five other peptides should be permitted for routine compounding. The FDA notice cites several possible medical uses for the substances, such as using BPC-157 to treat ulcerative colitis.

Kennedy previewed the move in an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan. Both men have repeatedly spoken about peptides and claimed to have benefited from their use.

RFK Jr. claims personal benefit from peptides

“I’m a big fan of peptides,” Kennedy told Rogan. “I’ve used them myself and with really good effect on a couple of injuries.”

Given Kennedy's statements, Lurie said it was doubtful the drugs would receive real scrutiny from FDA.

“Everybody knows the outcome that the secretary wants,” Lurie said. “I don’t believe for one moment that what’s going on here is an honest investigation of whether these products should be compounded.”

Scott Brunner of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding said the coming meeting will be the start of a “protracted process.” Even if the panel votes to make the peptides available, and FDA agrees, the agency will still have to draft and publish rules on the change, he noted.

Peptides are essentially the building blocks of more complex proteins. Inside the human body, peptides trigger hormones needed for growth, metabolism and healing.

In recent years peptides have become widely known through the blockbuster success of GLP-1 medications, which the FDA has approved for treating obesity and diabetes. Other FDA-approved peptides include insulin for diabetics and hormone-based drugs for several medical conditions.

But many of the peptides promoted online have never been approved, making them technically illegal to market as drugs. Several peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, are banned by international sports authorities as doping substances.

But that has not stopped them from gaining a foothold in the burgeoning marketplace for new wellness hacks and alternative remedies.

In a related move, some dietary supplement makers have begun mixing peptides into capsules, protein powders and gummies. At a recent FDA meeting, the industry argued for expanding the federal definition of supplements to permit the use of newer ingredients like peptides in their products.

Safety risks were cited previously

When the FDA added a number of injectable peptides to its list of restricted substances in 2023, it cited safety risks including cancer and liver, kidney and heart problems.

That triggered pushback from wellness entrepreneurs, compounding pharmacies and their allies in Washington.

Last year several members of Congress, including Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, sent letters to Kennedy asking him to lift limits on peptide production.

The compounding industry has argued for years that FDA's restrictions have given rise to an illicit market of imported chemicals from China and other countries, which are not subject to U.S. drug standards.

Kennedy has echoed those concerns.

“With the gray market you have no idea if you’re getting a good product,” Kennedy told Rogan. “And a lot of this stuff that we’ve looked at is just very, very substandard.”

___

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.

Although Israeli strikes on Beirut have eased since last week's shattering 10-minute bombardment without warning killed over 350 people across the country, southern Lebanon remains under attack.

The Israeli military has periodically issued warnings urging residents to flee wide swathes of southern Lebanon as it targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, but tens of thousands of people have stayed — either because they don't want to leave their homes or because they have nowhere to go.

Tyre, too, is under Israeli evacuation order, but many displaced families had seen it as a refuge of last resort, removed from the heaviest clashes closer to the Israeli border. Increasingly, though, residents say nowhere even in Tyre feels safe.

Across the city, the war was visible in shattered buildings, mounds of rubble and debris-strewn streets. Residents moved cautiously along wreckage-lined roads.

Mourners gathered for the funeral of 19-year-old Ghadir Baalbaki, killed overnight in an Israeli drone strike just outside Tyre’s city center. It was not immediately clear who was targeted, but witnesses said Baalbaki had been sitting outside her house when the drone hit nearby.

“I hugged Ghadir because I thought she had fainted. I kept trying to wake her up," Mariam Hamoud, her aunt, recalled from the temporary graveyard where Baalbaki was buried. Many families can't return to home villages to bury their dead because they are too close to the front lines.

Baalbaki’s father, Mohammed Baalbaki, stood beside the grave in tears.

“We cannot adapt to life without her," he said.

Across southern Lebanon, Israeli forces said they had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets over the past 24 hours. Hezbollah claimed rocket attacks on military targets in northern Israel and on Israeli forces in the town of Khiam near the border, which has seen intense fighting in recent weeks.

Tuesday's talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington have drawn backlash from Hezbollah and its supporters.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Wednesday castigated Lebanese authorities for what he called the “disgraceful image” of direct negotiations with Israel “at a time when it is killing Lebanese people and committing massacres." He called on the government to hold a popular vote on the future of Hezbollah's arsenal rather than decide its fate in talks with Israel.

Lebanon's government seeks the disarmament of Hezbollah, but the group has long defied such efforts.

“If it truly wants to prove it reflects the aspirations of the Lebanese people, then (the government) should accept a public referendum. We are ready for a referendum on these choices,” Fadlallah told reporters, saying he expected the results to show that a majority of Lebanese people support Hezbollah's militant activities.

On the streets of Beirut, Lebanese were divided on the talks. Some agreed with Hezbollah that Israel can only be stopped through military force.

“These negotiations do not represent us … it’s as if they never existed," said Mustafa Alaa Al-Din, who was displaced from southern Lebanon.

Others welcomed the talks, expressing support for any initiative that promises to hasten the end of the war.

“The negotiations are more in our interest than in Israel’s interest because we are the ones whose country is being destroyed, we are the ones suffering losses,” said Mohamed Saad, a Beirut resident.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began when Hezbollah fired missiles across the border days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Israel responded with an intense aerial campaign and ground invasion.

At least 2,167 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday, including 260 women, 172 children and 91 medical workers. More than 1 million Lebanese have been displaced.

___

Associated Press writers Fadi Tawil and Isabel DeBre in Beirut contributed to this report.

Tauheed Salik Wilder, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Brandy R. McMillion, according to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Wilder filed hundreds of fake unemployment insurance claims across multiple states, including Michigan and California, using real people’s identities without their consent.

He then used, or had others use, ATM cards issued in the victims’ names to withdraw the stolen funds in cash, according to the release.

In total, the fraudulent unemployment claims cost $1.8 million in actual losses to state benefit programs.

Wilder also applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program loans in his own name during the COVID-19 pandemic, totaling roughly $84,000. Combined, his scheme caused approximately $1.9 million in losses.

“Fraud against the government is itself a pandemic,” Gorgon said. “One that hurts the American taxpayer and undermines the strength of our economy. Each of these prosecutions is a dose of justice.”

IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd said the case is part of a broader crackdown on pandemic-era fraud.

“This guilty plea is an important victory for America’s taxpayers who play by the rules and don’t use assistance programs as a cash slush fund,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Today’s plea is also part of a much larger and coordinated effort by the IRS-CI and Department of Justice to aggressively find and crack down on fraudsters misusing taxpayer dollars. For those still hiding in this shadowy world, know that we will find you and hold you fully accountable.”

Wilder is set to be sentenced by Judge McMillion on July 30, 2026.

Kent Syverud, chancellor at Syracuse University, said he received the diagnosis after not feeling well last week.

“I am currently undergoing treatment at the University of Michigan. ... I am aware that I am one of many, many people who face a diagnosis like this — people who show up each day with courage,” Syverud said. “I take inspiration from all of them.”

Syverud was hired in January and was set to become president in May.

The University of Michigan's interim president, Domenico Grasso, will stay in the job while the school's governing board searches for another leader.

Instead of being president, Syverud will be a professor at Michigan's law school and serve as an adviser to the Board of Regents, the board said.

Santa Ono was university president until 2025, when he was in line to become the head of the University of Florida. But the move backfired when the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s universities, voted 10-6 against him in June.

Political conservatives had criticized Ono for his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and other initiatives they viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology.

Times have “ radically changed," Hochul said, since 2019, when the state set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030.

She's proposed giving the state years more to comply, saying pursuing that goal now by imposing planned fees on polluters would lead to crushing energy prices.

“I cannot in good conscience — knowing the moms and dads and the seniors and the families that are struggling, paying their bills now — I cannot do something I know at this very moment that’s going to raise those prices,” Hochul said at a recent rally.

Hochul, who is running for reelection this year, is among several Democratic leaders trying to balance the party’s traditional support for clean energy policies with the current political imperative to deliver “affordability” agendas.

Several states — particularly in the Northeast — are reassessing clean energy targets. Others are looking at shaving extra charges on utility bills that help fund efficiency programs.

The shifts have alarmed environmentalists, who call them shortsighted. They note that other states, including California, have remained committed to similar policies designed to lessen dependence on fossil fuels.

“She’s looking to, ultimately, keep New Yorkers on gas longer when it’s the very fuel that’s causing their bills to rise,” Liz Moran of the environmental group Earthjustice said of Hochul's proposals.

Hochul insists she isn’t abandoning efforts to fight climate change. But she and other Democrats complain that cuts to clean energy grants under President Donald Trump’s administration raised the cost of meeting state climate goals. The Republican president has been hostile to some clean energy sources, particularly offshore wind farms, which his administration has sought to block.

Affordability concerns edge out climate worries

Meanwhile, U.S. residential electricity prices rose 27% on average from 2019 to 2024, with some of the most pronounced increases in California and Northeast states, according to a study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Analysts cite multiple reasons for higher prices, among them increased demand from data centers and the price of natural gas, which often is used to generate electricity.

Power bills were a key issue in the governors’ races won by Democrats last year in New Jersey and Virginia. And that was before the Iran war sent gasoline prices soaring.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has proposed pushing a 2033 deadline to reach 100% renewable energy sources to 2050, part of his plan to lower energy costs by $1 billion over five years.

Last year, Connecticut lowered its 40% renewable energy goal for 2030 to 29%. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said at the time that “electric bills are too damn high.”

Massachusetts and New Jersey are among the states looking at lowering charges on utility bills that help fund efficiency programs.

“It is hard to talk about climate at times, because everyone is very laser-focused on affordability and customer bills,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director for the Acadia Center. “So climate, while still important, is getting kind of pushed aside, unfortunately.”

Cap and invest in practice

One of New York's key mechanisms for reducing emissions was supposed to be a “cap-and-invest” system, in which polluters buy allowances for their emissions and the revenue is invested in things like clean technology and renewable energy.

In California, cap-and-invest is crucial to achieving goals that include reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. The state has used proceeds from cap-and-invest to direct billions of dollars to things like public transit and clean-vehicle incentives.

California regulators on Tuesday proposed cap-and-invest changes in response to concerns from lawmakers about electricity prices and economic worries from industry. Business incentives and electric bill relief would be increased under the proposals.

The program costs Californians an extra 24 cents a gallon at the pump and slightly more on their utility bills, though the state provides a regular “climate credit” on their bills, said Kyle Meng, associate professor of economics at UC Santa Barbara.

“When you make things more expensive, people conserve. It’s like Econ 101 and that’s the basic idea behind a cap-and-trade program,” Meng said.

New York officials, however, missed a 2024 deadline to create regulations detailing how such a system would work in their state. Without those rules in place, the system never launched. Environmentalists successfully sued the state over its failure to meet the deadline, which Hochul has mentioned in seeking a delay.

The governor’s new proposal, currently under consideration by legislative leaders, would give the state until 2030 to come up with regulations. And the state would set new targets for 2040 emissions levels.

Environmentalists dispute cost claims

If those deadlines are not moved, consumers will pay a cost, Hochul has said. Her administration estimates that implementing a cap-and-invest system now would pass along costs of more than $4,000 a year for some households.

Environmental advocates say the governor is estimating what an “extreme” version would cost, and that the analysis ignores the benefits of incentivizing polluters to move away from fossil fuels.

They also point to Washington, where voters in 2024 decided to keep that state’s cap-and-invest program by a wide margin.

“The sky has not fallen,” said Caitlin Krenn of Washington Conservation Action, “and the program is working as intended.”

Bruce Blakeman, a Republican county executive running for governor against Hochul, said he’d get rid of the state’s plan altogether if he wins this fall.

“Delaying the pain won’t make it disappear — it just leaves bigger bills down the road,” Blakeman said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the pop superstar announced she'll release a new album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II,” on July 3 via Warner Records — 21 years after the original.

It's exciting for a number of reasons: The album is a sequel to her 2005 release, “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” and her first full-length in seven years, since 2019's “Madame X.” The Associated Press characterized the latter album as a misstep, however, the original “Confessions” has been widely regarded as a return to the top of her pop powers. The critically acclaimed release, which produced such hits as “Hung Up,” “Sorry,” “Get Together” and “Jump,” was dance-pop disco for a new era of clubgoers. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and won a Grammy for best electronic/dance album in 2006.

Madonna has previously teased a second “Confessions” work. In December 2024, she shared an Instagram video of herself in the studio with the original album's producer, Stuart Price.

In the official press announcement, Madonna shared a manifesto that she and Price had for the album.

“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies. These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” she wrote. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions, pulling us into a trancelike state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”

The 14-year-old gunman was killed. He arrived at the school armed with guns believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. He was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The motive of the attack wasn't immediately known. It was not clear whether the gunman was killed by police or killed himself.

Six of the 13 people wounded were in serious condition, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.

The attack came a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself.

Until this week, school shootings were rare in Turkey.

State-run broadcaster, TRT, identified the latest shooter as Isa Aras Mersinli and said his father was detained for questioning.

Turkish authorities imposed a ban on the broadcast of “traumatic” images from the shooting, warning media organizations to limit coverage to statements from officials.

Parents rushed to the school in Kahramanmaras’ Onikisubat district after hearing reports of an armed attack, NTV television reported.

The possible change is alarming environmental advocates who say it would lead to more dangerous pollution spewing into communities, with fewer or no checks at the federal level. The plastics industry disputes that, saying it would clear up confusion while still controlling emissions.

The world is pumping millions of tons of plastic pollution into the environment every year. While dozens of countries and many environmental groups have urged caps on production, industry and several big oil-producing countries have resisted, arguing instead for improvements in reuse and recycling.

Chemical recycling uses heat or chemicals to break down plastics. The main method, a process known as pyrolysis, has long been regulated as incineration by the Clean Air Act. The EPA limits emissions from incinerators of nine air pollutants, including toxic particulates, heavy metals and dioxins.

The agency says a potential new rule could instead recognize pyrolysis as manufacturing.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, has long argued for such a change.

“The definition of incineration is to destroy it, right? You’re literally trying to make it go away,” said Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, who leads ACC’s plastics advocacy. “That’s not what they’re doing here. They are trying to preserve it and recover the materials, which is recycling, which is manufacturing.”

Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator who now heads up Beyond Plastics, opposes what she said would be a “much weaker level of environmental protection.”

“Chemical recycling companies know that if they want to operate, they need to get this essential Clean Air Act permit and they don’t like it,” she said. “They have spent decades trying to convince EPA to change the rules of the game. Republican and Democratic administrations have declined to do this. But they have hit the jackpot with the Trump administration.”

Alarm over changing how pyrolysis is regulated

The EPA regulates pyrolysis under section 129 of the act, which reduces air pollution from four categories of solid waste incineration units. The agency told The Associated Press that a final rule in 2005 that included “pyrolysis/combustion units” under that section was vague and caused confusion for the industry.

EPA said it's taking public comment for a potential rule that could recognize pyrolysis as manufacturing under a different section, 111, of the Clean Air Act.

John Walke, who leads the Natural Resources Defense Council’s national clean air advocacy, said Section 111 doesn't regulate as many pollutants as 129. He also argued that EPA's plan is skipping crucial steps in a lengthy, required rulemaking process.

Walke also said the EPA move would amount to the immediate deregulation of these facilities under the act. He said it would take several years to follow the legal process to regulate the industry under another section, leaving a gap where no federal emissions standards would apply.

“You could have a facility that was controlled on a Monday, preventing those hazardous air pollutants from being emitted into the atmosphere, and on Tuesday, the facility would have legal permission to turn off installed pollution controls to allow the unlimited release of hazardous air pollution into the same community that was better protected on Monday,” he said. “Why would they do that? Why would they turn off an installed pollution control device? Because it costs money to operate them.”

Eisenberg disputed that. He said other sections of the Clean Air Act would still apply, and facilities get state permits, so the emissions would still be controlled and surrounding communities would be safe. They are “so heavily regulated,” Eisenberg said.

Recycling rates for plastic waste are tiny

More than 90% of plastics aren't recycled, according to the American Chemistry Council. It promises that chemical, or advanced, recycling can change that. As a complement to traditional mechanical recycling, chemical recycling can help dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills while generating a diverse range of products, the ACC says.

The process breaks plastics down into liquid and gas to produce an oil-like mixture or basic chemicals, that can be used to make new plastics or fuels. It's like “unbaking a cake,” Eisenberg said.

Environmental groups say advanced recycling is waste disposal, not recycling, and a distraction from real solutions like producing and using less plastic.

There are six pyrolysis plants, operating in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Indiana and Georgia, plus one under construction in Arizona and another in West Virginia, and a small test project in Maryland, according to the American Chemistry Council. The ACC has been lobbying states and Congress to pass laws to regulate chemical recycling as manufacturing. Twenty-five states now do, and legislation is pending in Congress.

Despite that legislative success, Eisenberg said the number of proposals to build these plants has dwindled in recent years, in part because of the permitting process.

“I often ask people to take a step back,” he said. “Do you want more recycling? If the answer is yes, then we should do what we can to make sure that you can bring more recycling online.”

Eisenberg said they've made clear to the Trump administration that revising the Clean Air Act is a priority. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin toured ExxonMobil's Baytown, Texas, facility to see chemical recycling in person last year.

Critic says notice of possible change was buried

In March, the EPA published a notice requesting comment on a proposed rule to consolidate regulations for another type of incinerator, with a small section soliciting comment on removing the reference to pyrolysis. The EPA mentioned it at the end of its press release on air curtain incinerators, too.

Enck said it was a bombshell paragraph, buried in a rulemaking notice. The EPA dismissed the criticism, highlighting the press release.

At a public hearing last week, many people urged the EPA to keep pyrolysis units regulated as incinerators, including about a dozen speakers from the nonprofit Moms Clean Air Force. Kiya Stanford, the group's Georgia state organizer, said in her testimony that changing it “feels like a move to prioritize polluters over people,” offering the plastics industry a cheap way to make waste disappear from sight by spewing it into the air as toxic pollution.

The agency proposed a similar change in 2020, during President Donald Trump's first term. The Biden administration withdrew the proposed modification.

Walke said that if the EPA finalizes the rollback now, the NRDC would plan to challenge it in court.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Nearly 13 years ago, it was a headline that shocked the world, but for Detroit, it had been coming for a while.

On July 18, 2013, the city of Detroit became the largest city in American history to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

At the time, the city was drowning in $18 billion of debt.

40% of its streetlights didn’t work. Across the city, you could find more than 78,000 abandoned buildings.

After failing to get creditors, unions and pension boards to accept cuts, emergency manager Kevyn Orr filed for bankruptcy with the support of then-governor Rick Snyder.

But look at where Detroit stands today -- the city’s credit score has gone up, billions of dollars of investment have poured in, the new Hudson building, a new Henry Ford tower, new green space and affordable housing, a large chunk of abandoned houses have been demolished, and the city is growing.

Recent census data shows Detroit gained more than 7,000 residents -- reversing a 60-year trend.

April 15, 2026, could be the day it all officially comes to a close.

Last week, the city began its final distribution -- about $10 million in accrued interest to creditors. These are the final court-supervised distributions in the entire case.

Attorneys could file a motion Wednesday to officially close the case. But to talk about how far Detroit has come, and what still needs to happen, Nathan Bomey, who covered the bankruptcy for the Detroit Free Press and now reports for Axios, joined Local 4 Live.

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

Bomey also authored the award-winning documentary “Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit.”

A key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. It incidentally sweeps up the conversations of any Americans who interact with those foreigners targeted for surveillance.

The program expires Monday, and critics want changes, including a requirement for warrants before authorities can access the emails, phone calls or text messages of Americans. They also want limits on the government's use of internet data brokers, who sell large volumes of personal information gleaned online, offering the government what critics say amounts to an end-run around the Constitution.

Despite bipartisan criticism, the chances of significant changes dropped when Trump announced his support for the program's renewal, saying it had proved its worth in supplying information vital to recent U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran.

“The fact is, whether you like FISA or not, it is extremely important to our military,” Trump said on social media Tuesday.

Trump calls for another extension of the program

U.S. authorities say the program, known as Section 702 of the law, is essential to national security and has saved lives by uncovering terrorist plots. Critics question what they say is a dangerous infringement on civil liberties and privacy.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said a different FISA provision was used to spy on his 2016 campaign but that he supported Section 702's renewal despite misgivings that political adversaries could use parts of the law against him in the future. He urged lawmakers to extend the foreign surveillance program for 18 more months.

“My administration has worked tirelessly to ensure these FISA reforms are being aggressively executed at every level of the Executive Branch to keep Americans safe, while protecting our sacred Civil Liberties guaranteed by our Great Constitution,” Trump wrote.

The Republican president is a longtime critic of the nation's intelligence services and was once opposed to Section 702 before he reversed himself. His director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, sponsored legislation to repeal Section 702 as a Hawaii congresswoman but now supports it. She says new protections added since her time in Congress helped change her mind.

Greater protections are sought

for Americans' communications

In addition to a requirement for a warrant to access Americans' data, critics also want greater protections on how the FBI or other agencies can search communications and how that is reported to the public.

“Journalists, foreign aid workers, people with family overseas, all could have their communications swept up in this surveillance merely because they talked to someone outside of this country,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. He is pushing for changes that he said will ensure the government is not violating civil rights in secret.

Several Republicans also have suggested changes, such as the warrant requirement.

“National security and civil liberties are not mutually exclusive,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. “We can give our intelligence professionals the tools they need to target foreign threats while ensuring that Americans are not subjected to unconstitutional surveillance.”

Gabbard's office releases an annual report showing the number of foreign surveillance targets and number of searches likely to identify an American. For 2025, the number of foreign surveillance targets increased to nearly 350,000 from almost 292,000 in 2024. Searches using terms likely to identify an American decreased slightly to 7,724 from 7,845 in 2024.

The totals are incomplete because agencies such as the FBI have found ways to access the data without reporting the searches publicly, said Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.

FBI officials repeatedly violated their own standards when searching for intelligence related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol and racial justice protests in 2020, according to a 2024 court order.

“It’s reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover's tenure at the FBI,” Goitein said, referring to the FBI's founding director who used illegal surveillance to harass and spy on Americans. “They can pretty much target anyone."

There's little time to make changes to the law

Despite bipartisan concerns about the law and its implications for civil liberties, time is running out for Congress to make any changes before Monday's expiration.

Trump's support also reduces the odds that enough Republicans will break ranks and join Democrats to push for an overhaul.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, announced a proposal Tuesday night that would require the Department of Justice to seek a court order before the FBI could access search results involving Americans. Himes said in a statement that he wants to see Section 702 renewed with new protections.

He said it “is too critical to allow it to expire, but the legitimate concerns about the possibility of abuse also demand that we consider additional reforms.”

The best chance for inserting changes likely is the House, where a large number of lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns.

But Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican who leads the House Intelligence Committee, is backing Trump's call for an 18-month renewal.

Crawford has said he believes the government can empower spy agencies while also holding them accountable.

Mark J. Bernstein, chair of the Board of Regents, shared the announcement in a video on April 15, 2026. He said that Syverud is receiving treatment for a form of brain cancer and will no longer be able to serve as the university’s next president.

Syverud also shared a message to the community, saying he wasn’t feeling well last week and went to a hospital in Syracuse before seeing specialists at the University of Michigan.

“I am currently undergoing treatment at the University of Michigan. As I shared with the community back in January, I have a deep and personal affiliation with Michigan Medicine,” Syverud said. “I am where I need to be and I am in excellent hands. I am deeply grateful to the outstanding teams at University of Michigan Medicine and Crouse Hospital and for their extraordinary care. I also want to thank the Michigan Board of Regents and Syracuse University Board of Trustees for the support and compassion they have extended to me and my family.”

Although he will be unable to serve as the university’s president, Syverud said he is looking forward to keep contributing as a professor.

“While my diagnosis and treatment will prevent me from serving as the 16th President of the University of Michigan, I am deeply moved by the generosity of the Regents, who have invited me to continue contributing as a professor in the Law School and as a special advisor to the Board. My wife Ruth and I look forward with great anticipation to rejoining this remarkable community,” Syverud said.

Bernstein said that Domenico Grasso will continue serving as president, and the board will restart the search process for a new president soon.

More information is expected to be released within the coming days.

Full message from President-elect Kent Syverud

“Dear University of Michigan Community,

I know this is one of the most vibrant and demanding times of the academic year — with final exams, end-of-semester celebrations, and the excitement of commencement just around the corner. I am also aware many of you are currently working on leadership transition plans. I am grateful for a few moments of your time, because I want to share something personal with you.

Last week, I wasn’t feeling well, and I sought care at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. After further evaluation, I traveled to the University of Michigan to receive additional assessment from their specialists. I want to be straightforward with you: I have been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer. 

I am currently undergoing treatment at the University of Michigan. As I shared with the community back in January, I have a deep and personal affiliation with Michigan Medicine. I am where I need to be and I am in excellent hands. I am deeply grateful to the outstanding teams at University of Michigan Medicine and Crouse Hospital and for their extraordinary care. I also want to thank the Michigan Board of Regents and Syracuse University Board of Trustees for the support and compassion they have extended to me and my family.

I am aware that I am one of many, many people who face a diagnosis like this — people who show up each day with courage. I take inspiration from all of them. I want you to know that I am ready to meet this challenge. I am approaching this with optimism, with determination, and with full confidence in the people who are caring for me. I believe in the road ahead, and I intend to walk it with everything I have.

I also find myself reflecting on what this moment has made so vivid to me: the extraordinary gift of great research universities. These institutions, places like Syracuse, like Michigan, exist not only to educate and to discover, but to translate that discovery into care for people when they need it most. I am fortunate, in ways I do not take lightly, to be receiving treatment at one of the finest academic medical centers in the world. That is what research universities make possible. I have spent my career believing in that mission deeply, and I believe in it more than ever now.

While my diagnosis and treatment will prevent me from serving as the 16th President of the University of Michigan, I am deeply moved by the generosity of the Regents, who have invited me to continue contributing as a professor in the Law School and as a special advisor to the Board. My wife Ruth and I look forward with great anticipation to rejoining this remarkable community."

University of Michigan President-elect Kent Syverud

Full announcement from Board of Regents Chair

“Today, on behalf of my colleagues on the board, I am sharing with you an update about our presidential transition that I wish I didn’t have to give.

We recently celebrated Kent Syverud’s selection to serve as our next president.  It was a joyous and historic homecoming. 

So it is with a heavy heart, and with Kent’s permission, that I share with you that Kent is currently receiving treatment at Michigan Medicine for a form of brain cancer.

As a result, Kent will not be able to serve as our next president.

Our first priority is helping Kent and his family address this challenge. And we will do so with every resource we have.

Kent will serve as a Professor of Law at our Law School and a special advisor to the board – because we want him to have every opportunity to serve our university, even under these difficult circumstances.

Domenico Grasso will continue to serve as president until the next president begins their service. The board plans to re-engage a search process as soon as possible. We will share details about this in the coming days. We have no doubt that outstanding candidates will seek an opportunity to lead our great university because, as Kent said earlier this year, “Michigan has been, is now, and must remain the best public research university anywhere.”

Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Kent, his family and those who care for them.

We know how deeply Kent loves Michigan.  And we love him.  His decency.  His integrity.  His intellect, and his values. 

We are committed to honoring these values as we move forward together."

Mark J. Bernstein Chair, Board of Regents

According to the DTE outage map, about 15,000 residents in Southeast Michigan are without power as of 6:30 a.m.

Local 4 has been tracking the damage the storms left in Metro Detroit. Full coverage of storm damage can be seen in the video at the top of this article.

I-96 between Exit 137 and Latson Road in Livingston County is closed due to flooding. Southbound I-75 at Clay in Wayne County was also closed due to flooding, but has since reopened to traffic.

What to do if you find downed power lines

Stay at least 20 feet away from downed power lines and keep children and pets inside.

DTE Energy said you should assume that all downed power lines are energized and dangerous.

You can report downed lines to DTE Energy by calling 800-477-4747 or to Consumers Energy by calling 800-477-5050.

If you believe the downed power line poses an immediate danger to the public, you should call 911.

Energized wires that have fallen may whip around, spark, or arc as they look for a ground. Energized wires that have found their ground might not move at all or make any sound, but they are still dangerous.

Click here to learn more about electrical safety from DTE Energy.

Their lawyer, Marco Mellone, argued before the Cassation Court that the law should apply only to people born after it took effect, potentially opening a pathway to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States and parts of Latin America. Another lawyer represented Italian descendants from Venezuela.

A decision by an expanded panel, which makes the ruling binding in lower courts, is expected in the coming weeks.

A decree by the conservative government in March 2025 put the brakes on previous rules allowing anyone who could prove ancestry after Italy’s formation in 1861 to seek citizenship. Italy’s constitutional court last month ruled the new law is valid, but Mellone said the supreme court has the power to clarify the scope of the law.

“The families involved in this case are simply descendants ... from an Italian ancestor who emigrated in the late 19th century to the United States, like millions of other people, of other Italians,’’ Mellone said before the hearing. "Today they are invoking their right to Italian citizenship.''

Mellone’s case would clarify the citizenship rights of the descendants of some 14 million Italians who emigrated between 1877 and 1914, according to Foreign Ministry statistics, and beyond.

While Mellone’s case involves two families, another dozen people whose citizenship claims were stopped by the law were present outside the courthouse in solidarity.

Karen Bonadio said she hopes one day to move to Italy on the strength of her ancestry. She brought photos of her as a young girl alongside her Italian-born great-grandparents, who emigrated from Basilicata in southern Italy to upstate New York, along with their birth certificates.

“The new law says, ‘all these great-grandchildren didn’t know their great-grandparents.' This is from 1963, I think I was 3 ½,’’ she said, showing the photograph.

At least one of Mellone’s cases had been rejected in lower courts before the new law, hinging partially on rulings that Italian emigrants who took on another citizenship before having children cannot pass on Italian citizenship.

Jennifer Daley’s case has been working its way through the Italian bureaucracy for nearly a decade. Her grandfather, Giuseppe Dalfollo, immigrated to the U.S. in 1912 from the northern province of Trento when it was under Austro-Hungarian control. He later married an Italian woman and brought her over, and at some point became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Daley said she always had a strong Italian identity that transcended her last name anglicized by U.S. immigration officials. She petitioned for citizenship because “it is truly a recognition of who I am, where I am from. It’s so much more than citizenship. It’s everything,'' Daley, a historian, said by phone from Salina, Kansas.

Outside the courthouse, Alexis Traino said great-grandparents on both her maternal and paternal sides had come from Italy, where she now lives, mainly in Florence.

“My entire life, I grew up knowing — and my parents always emphasized — that I was Italian. I had a very, very strong connection with Italy," said Traino, 34, who was waiting for documents from Italy and the U.S. when the law passed, blocking her case.

“I want to be Italian. I want to contribute to Italy and be a citizen,’’ she said.

___

Barry reported from Milan.

———

This story was updated on Apr. 15, 2026 to correct the spellings of the names of a U.S. citizen seeking Italian citizenship and her grandfather. It is Jennifer Daley, not Jennifer Daly, and Giuseppe Dalfollo, not Giuseppe Dallfollo. Daley is a historian, rather than a retired history professor.

“I can't blow my nose for six weeks, because one of the fractures is kind of like where my orbital bone is,” he said before a 4-3 loss to Arizona. “If I blow my nose, it's going to go up into my eye.”

Albernaz said he has more than a half-dozen fractures in his cheek area and a broken jaw, but he was relieved to avoid surgery and said he doesn't need his jaw wired. Albernaz joked that he might grab a Ravens helmet from his desk to wear in the dugout.

Albernaz, in his first season as Baltimore's manager, was in the part of the dugout closest to the on-deck circle when Jeremiah Jackson's foul ball struck him in the fifth inning Monday night. He returned to the dugout an inning later when Jackson hit a grand slam, but he ultimately ended up listening to the game on the radio en route to a hospital, where he says he remained until about midnight.

“I was trying to get back out there after my concussion protocol was fine, but they wanted me to get a CT scan,” Albernaz said. “I was trying to get it after the game, but obviously the medical team has better judgment than I do.”

He was back in the dugout Tuesday, but the healing process could take time.

“Six weeks of soft foods,” Albernaz said. “Can't do anything strenuous.”

Including argue with umpires?

“Medically speaking, yeah I probably shouldn't,” he said. “I think everything gets thrown out the window when that first pitch happens.”

The Orioles also announced that infielder Jackson Holliday was recalled from his rehab assignment Monday because of mild right wrist soreness. The team said that's not uncommon following hamate surgery. He will be shut down for a few days.

Albernaz has been loath to give timelines on players returning from injury so as not to create added pressure.

“I said I don't believe in timelines, and this is a perfect example of that. It all depends on the player,” he said. “It's great to see Jackson being communicative and open at every turn.”

___

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

If you're worried that you still might not be able to finish your taxes in time, you also can file for an extension, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's deadline — and a few tips to keep in mind.

What do I need to file my tax return?

Generally, every tax-filer needs the following at hand

— your Social Security number

— W-2 forms, if you're employed

— 1099-G forms, if you're unemployed

— 1099 forms, if you're self-employed

— Savings and investment records

— A sense of any eligible deductions, such as education expenses, medical bills or charitable donations.

— A sense of relevant tax credits, such as the child tax credit or a retirement savings contributions credit.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

Tax professionals recommend gathering all your documents in one place before you start your tax return — as well as having documents from the year prior, if your financial situation has changed drastically. Experts also suggest creating an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

How do I file for an extension?

If you run out of time to file your tax return, you can file for an extension to take more time by using your preferred tax software, with the IRS Free File tool, or via mail.

However, it’s important to remember that the extension is only to file your tax return, not to pay owed taxes. If you owe taxes, you should pay an estimated amount before the deadline to avoid paying penalties and interest. If you expect to receive a refund, you’ll still receive your money when you file your taxes.

The deadline to file for an extension is Wednesday, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

The IRS notes some taxpayers — including members of the military and people who live and work outside of the U.S. — get an automatic, two-month extension to file until June 15. But again, most payments are still due April 15.

How can I avoid mistakes filing my taxes?

Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. To avoid common errors:

— Double check your name on your Social Security card.

You'll want to make sure the name on your tax return matches what's on your Social Security card. Some people may have taken a new last name after marriage, for example, but if that hasn't been updated with the Social Security Administration yet, the IRS notes you'll need to use your former name to avoid delays.

And if you get a W-2 from an employer with a name that no longer matches your Social Security card, the IRS says you should contact your employer to fix it.

— Search for tax statements if you've opted out of paper mail.

While many important tax documents are still sent out on physical paper, people increasingly are opting out of snail mail these days. If you're not seeing it in your mailbox, check your online accounts.

“If you didn’t get anything in the mail doesn’t mean that there isn’t an information document out there that you need to be aware of and report accordingly,” Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, previously told The Associated Press.

— Report all of your income.

If you had more than one job in 2025, you need the W-2 forms for each.

What resources are available?

For those who made $89,000 or less last year, IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation that does the math for you. And if you have questions while working on your tax forms, the IRS also offers an interactive tax assistant tool.

Beyond TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two types of programs that offer free tax help: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program (TCE). People who earn $69,000 or less a year, those who have a disability, and those who speak limited English all qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations that host VITA and TCE clinics.

If you have a tax problem, there are also clinics around the country that can help you resolve these issues. Generally, these tax clinics also offer services in other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

____

AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

But instead of showcasing the youthful energy that the organization harnessed to return President Donald Trump to the White House less than two years ago, there was a mostly empty arena, awkward questions and unusually sharp criticism.

The event affirmed Trump's difficulty selling the war and how much he’s complicated his own political fortunes by assailing Pope Leo XIV and posting a social media meme that depicted himself as Jesus.

“I did vote for Trump. I am not a Trump supporter anymore,” said Joseph Bercher, a Catholic who said he was glad that Leo has expressed opposition to the war with Iran.

Bercher said the Jesus meme, which the president took down Monday after a rare conservative backlash, was a “red flag” indicating Trump's true character.

“He sees himself as like a demagogue or someone to be worshipped," Bercher said.

C.J. Santini, a recent graduate of Liberty University, an evangelical school in Virginia, said he didn't have an opinion on whether Iran was truly close to manufacturing a nuclear weapon and thus needed to be attacked. But he laughed and shook his head when asked about Trump attacking Leo.

“It’s just stupid. Stupid,” he said, calling it a “distraction” from Trump’s agenda in Iran and at home.

Mostly empty arena contrasts with 2024 rallies

Many of the college-age attendees donned Turning Point attire, Trump hats and red-white-and-blue paraphernalia for the event. Yet they were outnumbered more than 2-to-1 by empty seats in what is not even the largest arena on this sprawling campus that sits about a 90-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.

A Marine veteran who served in Iraq, Vance acknowledged that not all young conservatives are enamored with another U.S. war in the Middle East.

“I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue,” Vance told the young crowd. “What I’m saying,” he added, “is don’t get disengaged.”

The vice president took questions from Turning Point executive Andrew Kolvet instead of Erika Kirk, who began leading the organization after the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk. Kolvet said Erika Kirk canceled her plans to be on stage because of unspecified threats she had received.

Vance, whose presence ensured significant Secret Service and other law enforcement protection around the venue, said he’d been worried that the event would be canceled altogether.

Kolvet asked Vance directly about the war and Trump’s back-and-forth with Leo. Audience questions were more aggressive. Vance jousted with at least one heckler over the war in Gaza, and he was pressed by another person over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

In the audience, even some of Vance’s sympathetic listeners offered caveats and critiques.

“The pope needs to stay out of politics,” said Jessie Williams, a Methodist. But he noted his mother is Catholic, and he said he understands why Catholics recoil at Trump calling the pope “weak” and suggesting that the first U.S.-born pontiff was chosen only as a counter to Trump.

Williams called Trump’s meme distasteful.

“I don’t like it, but it’s — what can we do?" Williams said. "He’s a grown man, he’s gonna do what he wants.”

Blake McCluggage, a Baptist, said he did not approve of the meme or Trump’s profane Easter Sunday message that threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure.

The threat, plus Trump’s follow up message that a “whole civilization” would die, prompted escalating criticism from Leo, with the pope calling the president’s comments “truly unacceptable.”

However, McCluggage said, “you can still be a Republican” despite disagreeing with Trump.

Vance adjusts his comments about the pope

A day before coming to Georgia, Vance tried to laugh off the meme as a joke that “a lot of people weren’t understanding.” The vice president also seemed to echo Trump’s assertion that Leo should concentrate less on global affairs.

“It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said in a Fox News interview.

On stage in Athens, he shifted his arguments, saying he welcomes Leo’s comments even if he disagrees with them.

“At the very least, it invites conversation,” said Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult.

Still, Vance questioned Leo anew, pushing back specifically at the pope’s Palm Sunday assertion that God does not hear the prayers of those who make war. Leo was quoting scripture from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Vance asked whether God was on the side of Allied forces in World War II as they liberated Jewish survivors of Nazi extermination camps.

“I certainly think the answer is yes,” Vance said. When Leo mixes global affairs and complex theology, Vance said, “it’s very important for the pope to be careful.”

The land’s transformation, documented through a network of cameras and sensors, offers a playbook for wetland restoration as cranberry farms see slimmer profits from New England to Wisconsin because of climate change and other factors. The crop requires cold winters and plenty of water, but warmer temperatures and longer droughts are challenging harvest seasons.

Settlers in Plymouth were among the first to farm this native New England crop, and since then cranberry farms have been passed down through families for centuries.

“For many of these farmers, it’s their life savings and what they want to pass on to their children,” Davenport says. “It’s very complicated.”

Land that Davenport sold for restoration, now known as Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, has set an example as the single largest freshwater restoration project in Massachusetts. Together with researchers, technologists and artists, she has created a living laboratory for wetland conservation science. The cameras and sensors provide live, publicly-available data showing how the land is recovering its natural biodiversity.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing and The Associated Press.

___

Scientists who studied the sanctuary and an adjacent town preserve that’s also on her former farmland have published peer-reviewed studies documenting the changes. Lessons learned at Tidmarsh also helped the state launch a cranberry bog restoration program to connect farmers with nonprofits, which will either buy the land to restore it or help them take on a restoration project themselves.

Nature lovers have found other creative uses for the data: Once, birdwatchers took audio data of a bird call from several microphones to triangulate a bird’s location. Some users play wetland sounds for ambience in their bedrooms or offices.

Restoring the land

To make restoration possible at Tidmarsh, over 20,000 native plant species were planted, several old dams removed and new waterways dug. Excavators sifted through sandy soil degraded by more than a century of cranberry production that formed a thick, hard layer over the natural freshwater wetlands the farms were built on.

Ecologists who believed cranberry farmland to be “ecologically dead” saw a wetland emerge instead. Within just a year of the restoration work that began in 2010, the sandy soil began to sprout.

A 2025 study of sites including the Foothills Preserve in Plymouth, land that was also once part of Davenport’s farm, by researchers at the Woodwell Climate Research Center and the University of Connecticut suggested the sand at Tidmarsh held long-dormant native seeds that just needed to be mixed with peat to germinate. Similarly, a 2021 study of Tidmarsh and other restored sites — including an earlier, smaller restoration in Plymouth known as Eel River Headwaters — found that water retention, soil health and microbial communities improved rapidly in just a few years.

“We discovered that former cranberry farms were actually highly restorable,” says Beth Lambert, director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration.

The results of the transformation are on display during tours given by Mass Audubon, the conservation organization that bought and manages most of the land at Tidmarsh. Kim Snyder, the group’s education coordinator, leads groups ranging from birdwatchers to schoolchildren on field trips.

“A lot of Plymouth residents who have been here a long time remember it as a cranberry farm,” Snyder says.

Setting an example

Lambert says Tidmarsh helped launch the state’s Cranberry Bog Restoration Program, which can provide technical assistance and connect farmers to federal funding and conservation-minded buyers. Today, the state has helped complete construction on nine restoration projects totaling around 500 acres (202 hectares) and 10 miles (16 kilometers) of stream habitat. And 11 additional projects spanning another 500 acres are currently in planning stages. Lambert says she aims to have restored another thousand acres in the next 10 to 15 years.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of retired cranberry farms in Massachusetts grew by about 40% between 2017 and 2022.

It’s not a given that farmers will choose to sell their lands for conservation purposes. They can sell to other buyers to develop. Or they could let the land languish, taking decades to return to a wild, productive ecosystem.

“If we don’t conserve, if we don’t protect these lands that … owners are walking away (from), we lose it forever,” Davenport says.

A now-retired filmmaker, Davenport believes that the more research on wetland restoration she supports, the more knowledge can be communicated to the public — which could inspire other restoration projects launching elsewhere.

That belief led her to create the Living Observatory, a nonprofit group that describes itself as a “learning collaborative” for researchers, artists and others to document how former cranberry farms recuperate.

Through the network of sensors — which monitor conditions from soil moisture to temperature — and live cameras, the Living Observatory created a trove of data on how to restore cranberry farms. The project’s website now houses data from multiple restoration sites in the state beyond Tidmarsh.

Gershon Dublon, a data and systems researcher and director of the board of the Living Observatory, said researchers were grateful for a fairly simple tool: a centralized place to access the data and add their own. After the success at Tidmarsh, ecologists from as far as the Amazon rainforest reached out to Living Observatory asking for their input on how to deploy a similar bespoke sensor network in their work, Dublon says.

Climate-resilient landscapes

Wetland restoration projects and the knowledge gained from them are important tools in the fight against climate change, says climate scientist Christopher Neill at the Woodwell Climate Center. Wetlands work as barriers that soak up water from floods and storms, Neill says. According to scientists, extreme precipitation is becoming more common in the Northeast.

At Tidmarsh, one example of that resilience is sphagnum moss growing next to a mile-long boardwalk. Snyder likes to tell visitors about its antimicrobial properties. The moss also absorbs and stores planet-warming carbon dioxide.

“It’s a great property to show … the scope of restoration work,” she says, smiling.

The changes at Tidmarsh give Davenport hope. Native pitcher plants grow in clusters in the wetlands. Insects drone over running brooks. Her boots sink on the mushy, wet ground. Those were sounds she never heard on the farm where she grew up.

“The quiet goal is, can we make a dent in the amount of land that’s put in conservation?” Davenport says.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Overnight storms leave behind path of damage in SE Michigan

Severe storms left damage across Metro Detroit early Wednesday morning.

According to the DTE outage map, about 15,000 residents in Southeast Michigan are without power as of 6:30 a.m.

Read more here.

Attorney for ex-Michigan football HC Sherrone Moore outlines probation terms, potential charge dismissal

Defense attorney Ellen Michaels said that the resolution in the case involving former University of Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore reflects “a careful legal process” and allows him to move forward with his family.

Speaking after a court hearing, Michaels said the case had been handled “with dignity and respect for all involved,” adding that the outcome was based on evidence and the law rather than “favoritism or public profile.”

Read more here.

‘You’re a selfish liar’: Pontiac mom gets prison for making kids live in ‘deplorable conditions’

The Oakland County mother who pleaded no contest in a child abuse case where her three children were living in “deplorable conditions” was sentenced to prison on Tuesday.

Teriomas Tremice Johnson, 31, pleaded no contest to three counts of second-degree child abuse after authorities said her three young children were left unattended in an apartment in Pontiac littered with rotten food and human and animal waste.

Read more here.

Dam failure fears grow in Cheboygan as water levels surge, evacuations begin

A levee break at the Little Black River prompted an evacuation order for parts of the city of Cheboygan on Tuesday afternoon.

It comes as water is rising rapidly at the Cheboygan dam, and the area braces for a possible dam failure.

Read more here.

Weather: Additional rounds of strong to severe storms across Metro Detroit

Areas across Metro Detroit are waking up to storm damage from the severe weather that rolled through overnight. We are not out of the woods, quite yet.

• More Local Headlines
• National Headlines
• World Headlines
• Sports Headlines

The Ann Arbor Fire Department said the east wall of the ice area on Jackson Avenue near N Maple Road collapsed after severe storms swept through Metro Detroit.

Yost Ice Arena was also significantly damaged by the storms.

Public works crews are working to remove fallen trees and clear roadways. Fire officials said several major streets are blocked and some traffic signals are not working.

The Ann Arbor Fire Department reported that crews have responded to more than 75 calls as of 5:20 a.m. on April 15. No injuries were reported.

According to the DTE outage map, thousands in Ann Arbor are waking up to no power on Wednesday morning.

Snap Inc. said in a regulatory filing that the job cuts will cost about $95 million to $130 million in severance payments and related costs.

“The headcount reduction is designed to further streamline our operations and reallocate resources toward our highest-priority initiatives, leveraging increased operational efficiencies to accelerate our path toward net-income profitability," the company said in its filing.

Snap had 5,261 full-time employees as of Dec. 31, 2025, the company said in its latest annual report.

CEO Evan Spiegel said in a letter to staff that another 300 open roles would not be filled.

It's not the first time the Santa Monica, California-based company has eliminated jobs. In 2024, Snap cut 10% of its workforce, or about 530 employees.

Snap cut 3% of its staff in late 2023, and in 2022 it slashed its workforce by 20%.

Snapchat, which is popular with young people and known for its disappearing photos and videos, has 474 million users every day, on average, according to the annual report.

Snap said in its latest earnings report that its net loss in 2025 narrowed to $460 million, as revenue rose to $5.9 billion.

“I’ll just basically let ChatGPT know my status, how I’m feeling,” said the 42-year-old in Mesquite, Texas. “I use it for anything that I’m experiencing.”

Turning to artificial intelligence tools for health advice has become a habit for Davis and many other Americans, according to a West Health–Gallup Center on Healthcare in America poll published Wednesday. The poll, conducted in late 2025 and backed up by at least three other recent surveys with similar findings, found that roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults had used an AI tool for health information or advice in the past 30 days.

Dr. Karandeep Singh, chief health AI officer at the University of California San Diego Health, said AI tools, many of which now incorporate web search, are an upgraded version of Google health searches that Americans have been doing for decades.

“I almost view it like a better entry portal into web search,” he said. “Instead of someone having to comb through the top, you know, 10, 20, 30 links in a web search, they can now have an executive summary.”

Most recent AI health users are looking for quick answers

Most Americans using AI tools for health purposes say they want immediate answers. In some cases, it helps them evaluate what kind of medical attention they need.

“It’ll let me know if something’s serious or not,” Davis said of ChatGPT, which she typically consults before scheduling medical appointments.

The Gallup survey found about 7 in 10 U.S. adults who have used AI for health research in the past 30 days say they wanted quick answers, additional information or were simply curious. Majorities used it for research before seeing a doctor or after an appointment.

Rakesia Wilson, 39, in Theodore, Alabama, said she recently used AI to better understand her lab results after an endocrinologist visit. She also regularly uses ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to decide whether she needs to take time off for a doctor's appointment or can simply monitor an ailment.

“I just don’t necessarily have the time if it’s something that I feel is minor," said Wilson, who said she sometimes works up to 70-hour weeks as an assistant principal.

Younger adults and lower-income users have used AI to bridge care gaps

On the whole, the findings suggest that the rise of AI tools hasn't stopped people from seeking professional medical care. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say they have sought out a doctor or other health care professional for health information in the past year, while about 3 in 10 say that about AI tools and chatbots, according to a KFF poll conducted in late February.

Similarly, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October found that about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they get health information at least sometimes from AI chatbots, while about 85% said the same about health care providers.

But there are indications that some Americans are using AI for health advice because they are struggling to obtain professional medical care, at a time when federal policy and market factors are worsening health costs and creating obstacles to access around the country.

A small but significant share of respondents in the Gallup study say they used AI because accessing health care was too expensive or inconvenient. About 4 in 10 wanted help outside of normal business hours, while about 3 in 10 did not want to pay for a doctor’s visit. Roughly 2 in 10 did not have time to make an appointment, had felt ignored or dismissed by a provider in the past or were too embarrassed to talk to a person.

The KFF survey found that younger adults and lower-income people were more likely to say they used an AI tool or chatbot for health information because they could not afford the cost of seeing a provider or were having trouble accessing health care.

Americans are divided on whether AI medical advice can be trusted

Tech experts often warn that AI chatbots don’t think for themselves — and therefore can sometimes spout false information. Those concerns have trickled down even to frequent AI users.

About one-third of adults who had recently used AI for health information said they “strongly” or “somewhat” trust the accuracy of health information and advice generated by AI tools, according to the Gallup poll. About the same share, 34%, distrusted it, and another 33% neither trusted it nor distrusted it.

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, an ear, nose and throat doctor and the president of the American Medical Association, said he loves when patients come in and have “more evolved questions than they used to have” because they used AI for research. But he said AI should be considered a tool and not a stand-in for medical care.

“It is an assistant but not an expert, and that’s why physicians need to be involved in that care,” he said.

There are also concerns about privacy, according to KFF. About three-quarters of U.S. adults said they are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about the privacy of personal medical or health information that people provide to AI tools or chatbots.

Singh, of UC San Diego Health, said most AI tools have settings users can toggle to prevent their data from being used to train future models. But that requires user vigilance — and not being careful can have consequences.

Last summer, for example, internet sleuths on Google discovered private ChatGPT conversations that had been indexed on a public website without the users realizing it.

Tamara Ruppart, a 47-year-old director in Los Angeles, said she is lucky enough to have doctors in her husband’s family that she contacts instead of turning to AI. With her family history of breast cancer, using a chatbot for health advice feels too risky.

“Health care is something that’s pretty serious,” she said. “And if it’s wrong, you could really hurt yourself.”

___

Sanders reported from Washington.

The heat is unusual for April, not only because it’s scorching much of the nation so early in the year but also for its duration. The near-record temperatures are expected to last into this weekend, forecasters say.

The potentially dangerous heat comes after severe storms tore through Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday and Tuesday. There's a possibility of more storms on Wednesday.

While it's not unprecedented to see high temperatures climb toward 90 degrees (32 Celsius) on an April day, the length of such an April heat wave is rarely seen, experts say.

“That’s borderline unprecedented as far as the duration of it this time of year,” said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at the forecasting firm AccuWeather.com.

Feerick said that starting Wednesday “we're going to have records challenged from basically Georgia all the way up through the New York City area and back towards the Ohio Valley.”

The National Weather Service is projecting a high temperature around 86 degrees (30 Celsius) for Central Park in New York City on Wednesday. The record high for the date is 87, which has stood since 1941.

Even hotter weather is expected in Philadelphia, where Wednesday's high is expected to be 92 degrees (33 C). Other likely hot spots include Washington, D.C., which could see a high of 94 (34 C); and Atlanta, where the high is projected to be 88 (31 C).

“It's really some very impressive heat for the middle of April, for sure,” Feerick said.

“The good thing about this is that the humidity is not summertime levels,” he added. That means it won't feel as hot as a sizzling July day.

However, the early-season heat can be more stressful on people's bodies since they haven't had a chance to acclimate.

“It's kind of one of those things where it’s a little more stressful to the body because you're not used to it the first time around,” Feerick said.

Heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S., the weather service warns. Infants and young children; older adults, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to heat-related injuries and death.

A strong ridge of high pressure fueling moisture into the southern plains was responsible for bringing the unusual heat to the eastern U.S., the weather service said.

Though Wednesday is a day when many records could fall, the heat wave will continue through Friday in many areas, forecasters said.

“Widespread lower to even middle 90s are expected Friday across the lower elevations of the Carolinas, which could set additional daily records and perhaps come close to some monthly records,” the agency's Weather Prediction Center wrote in a memo.

The heat wave should finally be breaking down by Sunday as a strong cold front moves toward the Eastern Seaboard, and then it should be “pleasantly cooler” by Monday with the front heading out to sea, the weather service said.

Meat raffles have been popular in pockets of the U.S. for decades, offering a fun way to raise money for charities while handing out prizes ranging from ground beef and hot dogs to chicken breasts and steaks. But while inflation has surged and meat prices have soared, Minnesota's $70 per-event prize limit hasn't changed in nearly 40 years.

The deeply divided Minnesota Legislature hasn't been able to agree on much this year, but it's almost a sure bet to respond by upping the cap to $200. That will allow charities to offer more and bigger grill packs, and thicker, fancier steaks, while funding local youth sports teams and other causes. And it will ensure that the state’s beloved if quirky tradition of gambling for meat products will remain viable.

“This is probably the best feel-good bill that we have going on in the Legislature right now,” said Republican Rep. Jim Nash, lead House author of the meat raffle legislation.

Even with the lower prize limit, Andrea “Mama” Avaloz scored with a $2 bet. Game organizers spun a wheel and landed on her number 5, making her a winner of the American Legion Post 150 in the lakeside town of Waconia, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Minneapolis.

“So I have a little fajita meat. We are set to go!” Avaloz said as she picked up her plastic-wrapped prize. “Beef sticks! Love them!”

Moments later she realized there was a surprise hidden beneath her beef and sausages.

“Oh my God, I have pork chops!” she exclaimed. “I picked a good one! I’m so excited!”

Meat raffles originated during World War II as a response to wartime rationing in the United Kingdom. They spread to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and eventually migrated to Minnesota, Wisconsin, western New York and a few other states.

Nash, who represents Waconia, said he expects a vote in the House next week to expand the prize cap and approval soon after in the Senate.

“It’s an opportunity for bipartisanship,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to do good things.”

The service organizations that run meat raffles and other charitable gambling in Minnesota put the proceeds back into their communities. The bars and restaurants that host them benefit from bigger crowds that buy more burgers and beer.

Joe Gifford, commander of Post 150, which was founded in 1920, said those sales mean even more money to support Legion baseball and softball teams, and to maintain veterans' monuments.

“Every dollar we raise here, after we pay our bills, actually goes right back into all those different services for community, veterans, and active duty military,” Gifford said. “And the meat raffle is a part of that. It’s one of the instruments where we actually draw crowds in on a Friday.”

In Minneapolis, meat raffles are held each Friday night in the 1029 Bar, a spot often patronized by police officers. Behind the bar there's a squad car door hanging that's riddled with bullet holes.

Roberta Rodriguez, site manager for the Northeast Minneapolis Lions Club, runs the charitable gambling operation at the bar, which like Post 150 also includes other games, like bingo and pull-tabs.

“We have a lot customers that come every week,” Rodriguez said. “So they get to know each other, they tease each other when someone wins too much.”

Ashley Burris hadn't heard of meat raffles until she moved to Minnesota from Virginia. Now she seeks out bars that offer them.

“It’s kinda my vibe,” she said during a break in the action.

Burris said she hadn't heard of the legislation — or the idea that prizes might be too small. She was focused more on the fun.

“It’s never crossed my mind — although you can never have too much rib-eye,” she said.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say that more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world will participate, with campaigners saying it's the biggest civilian-led mobilization of its kind against Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territory.

Nearly 40 boats were leaving Barcelona while the rest will join the fleet from other ports along the Mediterranean as they sail eastward, according to Thiago Ávila, one of the flotilla's leaders who spoke at a news conference in Barcelona on Sunday during a symbolic send-off event. Bad weather had forced organizers to delay their departure, which was originally planned for April 12.

As attention has turned to the Iran war, activists hope that their latest mission will revive attention to the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza.

“We sail because governments have failed,” said Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian activist and member of the flotilla's global steering committee.

“They want a society that feels helpless, that cannot act, that cannot mobilize," Abukeshek said on Sunday. “We refuse to be that society.”

Last week, Gaza marked six months since a ceasefire made the most intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants stop. Yet Israeli attacks have killed more than 700 people in the six months since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Much of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its rule to deploying an international stabilization force and beginning vast reconstruction. Around 2 million Gaza residents are still living in ruins with shortages of food and medicine, and only limited aid entering through a single, Israeli-controlled border post.

Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian population.

The Global Sumud Flotilla's latest efforts come less than a year after another attempt was foiled by Israeli authorities.

Last fall, dozens of boats sailed close to Gaza, with one even crossing the 12-nautical-mile line (22-kilometer line) marking the divide from international waters to territorial waters off Gaza. But they were all ultimately intercepted and seized or turned away.

Those sailing last year, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested, imprisoned and deported by Israel. They claimed Israeli authorities abused them while in detention, accusations that Israeli authorities denied.

Their interception at sea had been broadcast live by onboard cameras, sparking worldwide protests at the time. But attention on Gaza has since waned, with eyes focused now on the latest Iran war upending the Middle East and roiling global markets.

Organizers hope this mission will bring back attention to the conditions of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, which was ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war. More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.

Greenpeace Spain and migrant rescue group Open Arms, which have committed their two large vessels to sail alongside the smaller flotilla boats, are among those supporting the flotilla.

“We sail because the people of Gaza have a right to exist and to breathe and to thrive on their land,” said Eva Saldaña, head of Greenpeace Spain.

A Democratic victory in the Democratic-leaning district would further narrow the slim majority Republicans hold in the chamber.

The major party nominees to replace Sherrill are Democrat Analilia Mejia, a longtime progressive organizer and former Labor Department official, and Republican Joe Hathaway, a member of the Randolph Township Council.

Mejia, who had the early backing of progressive stalwarts U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, narrowly won the Feb. 5 Democratic special primary against a crowded field that included former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski and former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way. Malinowski was attempting a comeback after losing a neighboring House seat in 2022.

Hathaway ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas War and support for Israel has been a major issue in the campaign. A super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent more than $2.3 million to defeat Malinowski, who had questioned providing unconditional aid to the Israeli government. During a primary campaign forum, Mejia was the only candidate to indicate she believes Israel committed genocide in Gaza. She has also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal. Hathaway has said the U.S. should stand “ in lockstep ” with Israel and opposes putting conditions on aid to an ally.

Mejia had raised about $1.1 million for the special primary and special election and had about $374,000 in her campaign account as of March 27. Hathaway had raised about $525,000 for his campaign and had about $109,000 in the bank.

Democrats have held an advantage in general elections in the district. Sherrill won reelection in 2024 with about 57% of the vote, while Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried the district with 53% at the top of the ballot.

More than half of the district’s 588 precincts are in Morris County, with about 39% in Essex County and 9% in Passaic County. The district’s portion of Essex County is heavily Democratic: Harris carried the area with 64% in 2024. President Donald Trump narrowly won the district’s share of Morris County by about one percentage point. He carried the district’s small portion of Passaic County with about 57% of its vote.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

New Jersey does not have automatic recounts, but candidates and voters may request and pay for them, with the cost refunded if the outcome changes. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare a winner in the special congressional election in the 11th District. In addition to the candidates named on the ballot, voters also have a write-in option.

Who gets to vote?

Any voter registered in the 11th District may participate in the special election.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of April 1, there were about 603,000 registered voters in the 11th Congressional District. Of those, about 230,000 were Democrats, about 165,000 were Republicans and about 204,000 were not affiliated with any party. The remainder were registered with various minor parties.

More than 68,000 ballots were cast in the Feb. 5 Democratic special primary and about 16,000 in the Republican contest.

About 394,000 votes were cast in the 2024 general election, with nearly half cast before Election Day.

As of Monday, about 54,000 votes had already been cast, including about 34,000 from Democrats, about 13,000 from Republicans and more than 7,000 from unaffiliated voters.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the Feb. 5 special primary, the AP first reported results at 8:04 p.m. ET, or four minutes after polls closed. The last update of the night was at 10:30 p.m. ET with about 91% of total votes counted. The AP called the race at 5:34 p.m. on Feb. 12.

When are early and absentee voting results released?

All counties in New Jersey release most or all the results from early and absentee voting in the first vote update of the night, before any in-person Election Day results are released.

Are we there yet?

As of Thursday, there will be 201 days until this seat is up again in the 2026 midterm elections.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

The first lady began working on foster care issues after President Donald Trump's first term in office ended in 2021. Her trip to the branch of government at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue follows a similar and successful lobbying effort last year for Congress to send legislation to the president to protect women and children from online sexual exploitation.

The visit also comes a week after Melania Trump's surprise on-camera statement at the White House in which she denied ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes, and urged Congress to hold a hearing for his victims. She also demanded an end to “lies” linking her to the late financier and convicted sex offender.

The first lady said on social media that she looked forward to working with Congress to “advance new legislation designed to protect and empower individuals from the foster care community.” Their shared mission, she said, is "to strengthen America’s next generation.”

She was meeting Wednesday afternoon with members of the House Ways and Means Committee, and people who were in foster care.

Republican and Democratic members of the committee have introduced several bills to update the Chafee foster care program to improve outcomes for young people aging out of the foster care system. The measures would increase their access to housing, education and workforce training programs, among other things, to help them succeed in the transition to adulthood and independence.

The program provides support to foster youth and former foster youth, ages 14 to 21, as they leave the system. The committee said the bipartisan proposals would be the most significant update since the Chafee program was created in 1999.

The Government Accountability Office published a report in January 2025 detailing how states were returning millions of dollars in unused Chafee program funds to the federal government, despite unmet needs of foster youth.

Last November, President Trump created the “Fostering the Future” program by executive order to have federal entities, nonprofits, educational institutions and the private sector work together to improve career and educational opportunities for children raised in foster care.

The first lady, who joined her husband in the Oval Office for the executive order signing, separately spearheads a broader “Fostering the Future” initiative that is part of the “Be Best” child-focused campaign she launched during his first presidential term. The program offers scholarships to current and former foster youth.

Last month, she hosted a similarly themed summit with counterparts from more than 40 countries and called on them to work together to improve access to education and technology for children around the world.

In March 2025, Melania Trump used her first public appearance after resuming the role of first lady to join a Capitol Hill roundtable discussion of the Take It Down Act. President Trump signed the bill into law two months later, making it a federal crime to knowingly publish or threaten to publish intimate images without a person’s consent.

Last week, Melania Trump and the White House separately called attention to the first conviction under the new law after an Ohio man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to cybercrimes that included real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims.

First and foremost, we have an ongoing flood risk with rounds of heavy rainfall in the forecast through Thursday.

A Flood Watch remains in effect through Thursday night as multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms cross a stalled frontal boundary.

More Severe Storm Chances

A slight (level 2) risk for severe thunderstorms exists this afternoon and evening along and south of M-59. Whereas, north of that corridor, into the Thumb, is under a marginal (level 1) risk.

The primary hazard remains damaging wind gusts. Between the wind and flooding threats, we have extended the 4Warn Weather Alert through the day today.

Weather Whiplash

We dry out on Friday as highs stay around 70 before a strong cold front brings rain and possible thunderstorms on Saturday. There will be a chance for severe storms. We have a sharp drop in temperatures on Sunday with temperatures plunging into the 40s.

Meyer was minister of defense from 1991 to 1992 under the white minority government of former President F.W. De Klerk’s National Party. He later was a chief negotiator in the negotiations that brought an end to apartheid and led to the election of Nelson Mandela as the country’s first Black and democratically elected leader in 1994. Meyer served in Mandela’s cabinet as constitutional development minister from 1994 to 1996.

Meyer's appointment comes during a period of strained relations between South Africa and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which expelled former Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool following his criticism of Trump.

The fallout put pressure on Ramaphosa to appoint an ambassador who would be acceptable to the Trump administration while relations remain tense.

Trump has targeted South Africa and cut all financial assistance after accusing the government of allowing a “white genocide” against the white Afrikaner minority group, claiming they were being racially targeted and killed. Trump implemented a program offering migration and asylum to white Afrikaners who feel persecuted in South Africa.

“I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mr Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the US,” Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said in a message to The Associated Press.

The appointment of Meyer, himself an Afrikaner, comes a week after Ramaphosa accepted Leo Brent Bozell III as the new U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

Bozell, a conservative activist appointed by Trump, started on a tense footing after he was summoned by South Africa's foreign ministry in March. Speaking at a meeting of business leaders, Bozell challenged the South African government over its diplomatic ties with Iran and affirmative action laws that he said advance opportunities for Black people ahead of other races.

Professor John Stremlau, a U.S.-Africa relations expert at the University of the Witwatersrand, called Meyer “the right person, at the right time.”

“He is an excellent and experienced negotiator who not only negotiated in South Africa, but has brokered agreements elsewhere in various other places under very difficult circumstances," Stremlau said, adding that Meyer needs to “stabilize the relationship” between the nations.

“But it will be difficult for him because Trump’s executive orders last year laid out a racist agenda against South Africa’s Black majority, cutting all financial assistance to them and offering refugee status to Afrikaners,” Stremlau said.

The two nations also are at odds over South Africa's decision to pursue an International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Trump boycotted the G20 Leaders Summit hosted by South Africa in 2025 and has not invited South Africa to the G20 meetings being hosted by the U.S. in Miami in December.

🍇 Grapevine

🌅 Good morning! On this day in 1912, the British ocean liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada. The massive ship, which carried 2,200 passengers and crew, had struck an iceberg two and a half hours before.

Here are a few things to know about for Wednesday, April 15, 2026:

⛅ 4Warn Weather: Areas across Metro Detroit are waking up to storm damage from the severe weather that rolled through overnight. We are not out of the woods, quite yet. Check the 10-day forecast.

⚠️ Evacuations Begin: Dam failure fears grow in Cheboygan as water levels surge -- evacuations have begun for residents in Northern Michigan. Read more.

⚖️ Former Coach Sentenced: Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was sentenced after a judge told him the person saving him from harsher punishment was the very person he had betrayed. Read more.

⛈️ Storm Damage: Overnight severe storms left damage across Metro Detroit. Read more.

⚖️ ‘You’re a selfish liar’: The Oakland County mother who pleaded no contest in a child abuse case where her three children were living in “deplorable conditions” was sentenced to prison. Here’s what the judge told her.

🏊 Morning Dive

Good morning ☀️

For our April Go 4 It event, we need your help to make hoop dreams come true!

What we’re doing

We’re collecting new and gently used sneakers and new socks that will fit boys ages 11–17. Specifically, we are collecting shoes from youth size 4 up to men’s size 14.

Your donations will allow more kids to participate in a very special basketball program. Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), in partnership with the Detroit Police Department and City of Detroit Parks & Recreation Division, presents Hoopin’ with Cops, a recreational basketball league for boys ages 11–17 that uses the game as a way to build trust, connection, and mentorship between youth and law enforcement.

The program creates consistent opportunities for positive interaction, teamwork, and relationship-building both on and off the court.

Through basketball, participants strengthen their skills, confidence, and sense of belonging while getting to know officers as coaches, mentors, and supportive role models.

Having the proper shoes to play basketball is important for safety and confidence.

How you can help

You can make a monetary donation at the link below or join us at our Go 4 It event to drop off new or gently used sneakers or new socks.

Our event is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at The Corner Ballpark -- 1680 Michigan Avenue in Detroit.

Let’s help kids get the right kicks for the court!

Click here to make a donation.

• Who: We’re partnering with Detroit PAL, the Detroit Police Department, the Detroit Parks and Recreation Division, Henry Ford Health, and the Gilbert Family Foundation.
• What: Shoes from youth size 4 up to men’s size 14.
• Where: The Corner Ballpark -- 1680 Michigan Avenue in Detroit
• When: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 15, 2026
• Why: To collect basketball shoes for children who need them.

🗞️ Other headlines to know today

• Here’s how much Michiganders lost in crypto fraud in 2025
• Democrats seek to overturn Trump’s new rules for student loan forgiveness
• ‘Tired of looking at blight’: Residents demand action as trash worsens in Detroit neighborhood
• Cost to raise a child surpasses $300K nationwide, $233K in Michigan
• Flood Watch prompts overnight monitoring in Dearborn Heights, officials warn of rising water
• California woman says she was raped by Rep. Eric Swalwell in 2018
• ‘The hurt is still there’: Family gets answers as DNA leads to arrest in 1997 Southfield murder case
• An Oakland County boy has been missing for 2 weeks. Have you seen him?
• 7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its stores in North America this year
• Find more Local News headlines here
• Find more Entertainment headlines here
• Find more Health headlines here
• Check out the latest ClickOnDeals here
• Introducing the ClickOnDetroit Help Desk: How it works and how to use it

🌎 Meanwhile

News from around the world via the Associated Press:

A man linked to white supremacist movements pleaded guilty on Monday to setting a fire that destroyed an office at a historic social justice center in Tennessee, a court document shows.

Regan Prater also pleaded guilty to attempting to aid a foreign terrorist organization for efforts to provide the militant group Hezbollah “a list of personally identifiable information for individuals purportedly affiliated with the government of Israel,” according to a criminal information filed in February.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9 in Knoxville. (Read more)

----

Fatou, the world’s oldest gorilla living in captivity, celebrated her 69th birthday with a feast Monday, munching on cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks and lettuce at the Berlin Zoo.

But no birthday cake, because sugar isn’t healthy for the aging primate.

Fatou, a western lowland gorilla, arrived in what was then West Berlin in 1959. She was believed to be about 2 years old at the time, though her exact birth date isn’t known — April 13 is her designated birthday. Gorillas can live for around 35-40 years in the wild and longer in captivity. (Read more)

----

The most popular last names in the U.S might be unchanged from the previous decade, but Asian surnames were the fastest-growing at the start of this decade, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday.

“Smith,” “Johnson,” “Williams,” “Brown,” and Jones,” remained the top five last names in the United States in 2020, as they were in 2010, according to a tally from the last U.S. head count. Most of the fastest-growing last names from 2010 to 2020 were Asian, according to the Census Bureau.

The top three of those were “Zhang,” “Liu,” and “Wang.” In the 21st century, Asians have been the fastest-growing ethnic or racial group among the country’s largest racial or ethnic groups, and they now make up 7% of the U.S. population. (Read more)

---> Find more headlines from around the world right here <---

📝 Word Up

Today’s Word Up is: Puerile /ˈpyo͞orəl,ˈpyo͞oˌrīl/ (adjective) -- defined as “Childishly silly and trivial.”

Example: “When his old buddies came over, Jake transformed from a respected businessman into an overgrown child, giggling at puerile jokes.”

🧹 Housekeeping

Hey, if you like this newsletter, let us know. We’d love your feedback. We also offer several other newsletters, including Live in the D, All 4 Pets and more. Hopefully, we have one that caters to your interests -- unless you’re only interested in films shot in the Bahamas. We don’t have one for that, sorry.

✍🏽 Written and curated by: Samantha Sayles (Have something to say? Feel free to send an email here.)

So, which luxury SUV is the better buy? Let’s examine their specs, strengths, weaknesses and differences, along with how Edmunds’ car experts rated them overall and in specific categories.

Performance and fuel economy

Both the X5 and Q5 are available with powerful performance variants, but for this comparison, we’ll stick with the more popular standard engines. Each SUV comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The Q5’s is slightly more powerful — it makes 268 horsepower compared to the X3’s 255 horsepower — but in real-world acceleration, the two SUVs are very similar. Both have sufficient power to quickly get you up to highway speeds or pass a slow-moving vehicle without trouble.

When it comes time to fill up at the pump, the EPA estimates that the Q5 will get 24 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The X3 30 xDrive gets an estimated 29 mpg combined, so that’s a crystal-clear advantage in the BMW’s favor.

Advantage: BMW X3

Comfort and space

The Q5 and X3 both have a comfortable ride, albeit with a typically German buttoned-down feel. Keep in mind, though, that options such as the X3’s M Sport package can enhance handling performance at the detriment to ride smoothness. Your best option for a cushy ride is to get the Q5 Prestige trim, which comes with an air suspension that can also adjust the SUV’s ride height.

The Audi Q5’s back seat offers more legroom and its seatback reclines, unlike the fixed back of the X3. If you’re a rear passenger, you’re likely to prefer the Audi. Edmunds’ car experts touted both for having front seats with firm cushioning and extensive adjustments.

In terms of cargo capacity, the BMW would seem to have an advantage on the spec sheet, but Edmunds’ editors were able to fit just as much luggage behind the Q5’s back seat as the X3’s. Moreover, the Q5’s 60/40-split back seat can slide forward to increase cargo capacity even further should you be OK sacrificing some rear seat legroom.

Advantage: Audi Q5

Technology

The Audi Q5 and BMW X3 interiors both feature big touchscreen infotainment systems. Both include full integration of the climate controls into the screen, requiring more concentration to use and additional steps to make adjustments previously accomplished by pressing a simple button. Beyond that, though, Edmunds’ experts found both systems to be impressive. They even have similarly sized screens.

Connectivity to your personal devices is also excellent for both. Standard equipment includes a wireless phone charging pad, USB-C ports in each row, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both also include integrated navigation and a digital instrument panel.

Audi and BMW also offer similar standard driver assistance features, such as forward collision warning, automatic braking, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning. The Q5 also comes with standard adaptive cruise control, which is an option on the X3. But the X3 offers a hands-free highway driving assistance function intended for traffic congestion that operates at speeds up to 40 mph. Audi doesn’t currently offer a hands-free driving system on the Q5.

Advantage: tie

Value

The BMW X3’s base price is lower at $52,650 compared to $54,095 for the Q5, including destination fees. That said, the Audi Q5 comes with equipment you have to pay extra for in the BMW, including all-wheel drive, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, and a function that lets you use your phone as the car’s key. The Q5 can get more expensive than the X3 when fully loaded, however, and its styling isn’t as evocative. Overall we think you’re getting a bit more for your money with the X3.

Advantage: X3

Edmunds says

This comparison is incredibly close, as are the overall Edmunds Rating scores for both. The X3 ultimately has a slightly higher score, but we would recommend the Q5 if comfort is a priority.

_____

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. James Riswick is a contributor at Edmunds.

Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders last January in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase all the convictions for extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who didn't receive pardons last January.

The move to abandon the convictions represented a stunning reversal from the Biden administration, which hailed the guilty verdicts as a crucial victory in its bid to hold accountable those responsible for what prosecutors described as an attack on the heart of American democracy. It’s part of the Trump administration’s continued efforts to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack and downplay the violence carried out by the mob of Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured.

In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.

“The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Juries in Washington, D.C., convicted the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump's 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.

The department's dismissal request also includes the convictions of Oath Keepers members Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins and Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola.

Other extremist group members, including former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, received pardons from Trump on the first day of his second term in the White House.

Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he and several lieutenants were convicted in one of the most consequential cases arising from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.

Prosecutors said Rhodes and his followers stockpiled guns for possible use by “quick reaction force” teams at a Virginia hotel, but they never deployed the weapons.

Nordean's attorney, Nicholas Smith, said they are grateful to the Justice Department for its “wise decision" in seeking dismissal of the convictions.

“We don't want a precedent that says that any physical confrontation between protesters and law enforcement means a crime akin to treason, such as seditious conspiracy,” Smith said.

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was dragged into the mob and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun, was disappointed but not surprised by the latest milestone in the dismantling of Capitol riot prosecutions.

“I would remind Americans that these were traitors to this country," Fanone said. “They planned, incited and carried out an insurrection."

In Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, families wait restlessly for word from relatives abroad, hoping they are safe, and mourning those already lost.

What began as anguish over the war in Gaza has widened. In a city with a large Lebanese American population, the expanding conflict in Lebanon has made the crisis even more personal. That anxiety is colliding with pressures at home, including heightened immigration enforcement, a strained economy and rising tensions after a recent attack on a synagogue.

“The community now sees that it could have got worse — and it did get worse,” said Nabih Ayad, founder of the Arab American Civil Rights League. “But the community was just so desperate.”

The national spotlight that once fixed on Dearborn during the 2024 election has faded. The mass protests have quieted. But inside mosques, at vigils and around family tables, conversations reveal a city still reeling, and one beginning to reckon with what comes next.

A community reckoning

Last week, Ayad joined other Arab American leaders for a meeting with The Associated Press. Many of them had been deeply involved in conversations with both Democrat Kamala Harris' and Trump's campaigns as each courted their vote during the last presidential race.

“We get this all the time by media, okay? It’s basically, ‘How’d that decision go? How’d that work out for you?’” Ayad said.

Among the nearly dozen leaders — ranging from county commissioner to state lawmakers to business owners — there was wide agreement that life had not improved since Trump was sworn into office.

But there was little regret. Many said Democrats did not offer a viable alternative because Harris, the vice president at the time, did not distance herself enough from President Joe Biden's support for Israel's war in Gaza.

Few of them plan to support Trump or Republicans in the future.

“I think November 3rd couldn’t come soon enough,” said Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, referring to the midterm elections.

War with Iran engulfs Lebanon

After the United States joined with Israel to attack Iran, the conflict widened to include Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based.

A fragile, two-week ceasefire announced last week did not extend to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, meaning the violence continues there. The war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon and killed more than 2,000, including more than 500 women, children and medical workers. Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington.

Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, and nearly a quarter are of Lebanese descent. In Wayne County, which includes Detroit and Dearborn, about a third of the roughly 140,000 residents identified as Middle Eastern or North African in the 2020 Census are Lebanese.

For many, that means constant worry.

“I have family in Lebanon. I have an uncle with his wife and his kids and his grandkids. And to be honest with you, I’m just waiting for the call from overseas saying that he’s perished,” said Assad Turfe, a Wayne County official who was among the few Arab Americans to endorse Harris in 2024.

“This is the kind of environment that this community is living with every day,” he added. “That story is in the minds and the hearts of almost everyone that lives in this community.”

Inside mosques and outside vigils

On a Friday in Dearborn Heights, over a hundred worshippers packed into a mosque from the afternoon's prayer. An imam opened by talking about the conflict in the Middle East and deriding Trump's comments that a “whole civilization will die" if Iran did not agree to his terms.

“Political leaders are supposed to build the bridges, not promote scorched earth policies,” the imam said.

It was a reminder of how deeply the conflict has seeped into daily life, and how places of worship have become spaces not just for prayer.

That night, Peace Park in Dearborn filled with Lebanese flags as a vigil took over the main square.

Children sat on steps draped in American flags, holding photos of children killed in the war. Nearby, speakers took turns describing a conflict that has stretched across presidencies with little sign of easing.

“What we have witnessed is not just another headline. It is not distant. It is not abstract,” Suehaila Amen, a Lebanese American, said at the vigil.

“We are a community in mourning," she said, "and we have been mourning for a long, long time."

The Bavarian powerhouse holds a 2-1 lead over Madrid from the first leg of their quarterfinal last week, and coach Vincent Kompany has a full squad at his disposal with no injuries after Bayern smashed the Bundesliga goals record with a 5-0 rout of St. Pauli at the weekend.

That victory put Bayern within touching distance of yet another league title – the 13th in 14 years – while it faces Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinals of the German Cup on April 22.

Bayern’s excellence contrasts sharply with Madrid’s troubles. The 15-time European champion faces the prospect of a second consecutive season without a trophy unless it beats Bayern away by two goals in what is sure to be a hostile environment in Munich.

Madrid was held 1-1 at home by Girona at the weekend, allowing Barcelona to open a nine-point lead in La Liga, after its third straight game without a win.

Kylian Mbappé received a blow to his face at the end of that match but will be able to play as Madrid attempts a famed “remontada” (comeback) to salvage the tie and keep alive its hopes of a trophy in the competition that defines the club.

“We are the team that never gives up,” coach Álvaro Arbeloa said.

___

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

The Grateful Dead cover band Splintered Sunlight jammed out to hits from the 1970s and graybeards old enough to remember the Flyers' Stanley Cup victories swayed in their tie-dyed T-shirts. Just down the concourse, Flyers Hall of Famer Joe Watson signed copies of his autobiography and all-time great Bobby Clarke was all smiles as he filled his cup — soda, not Stanley — at the press box fountain station.

The good old days.

The Flyers remained tethered for decades to the glory days like a dog on a leash because, well, what was there to really celebrate?

At last, plenty — and an unbridled optimism that even better seasons were ahead.

The youth moment skated at full blast on the ice Tuesday night in a 4-2 win over Montreal a day after the Flyers clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first home playoff series since 2018.

Philadelphia's first goal was scored by 19-year-old sensation Porter Martone, who just weeks ago starred at Michigan State and now could be a dangerous weapon in the first-round series against Pittsburgh. Martone deflected a point shot from Matvei Michkov, the 21-year-old Russian who navigated an uneven first half of the season only to heat up as the games heightened in importance down the stretch.

Michkov scored the Flyers' third goal unassisted (20th overall) as one fan raised a “We Want More!” sign.

Architects of the lengthy rebuild, general manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones, could bask in the credit tossed their way from social media to talk radio to even the written word for never wavering from their plan to build a playoff team through the draft and shrewd acquisitions for 20-somethings over making moves for quick-fix veterans with no long-term fit.

Take a look at the clincher against Carolina: 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster, still just 24, scored the shootout winner that ignited pandemonium on the ice and in the stands.

Just how young are the Flyers?

Their last home playoff series came in the Year 2018 BG.

Before Gritty.

Gritty, the wild-haired, googly-eyed, fuzzy faced mascot, got his playoff reps in Tuesday night when he hurled a cake into the face of an unsuspecting (ahem) fan dressed in Penguins gear.

Gritty smashed dessert. Dan Vladar, the goalie who won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the team’s most valuable player, spilled the tea.

Briere, who sparked the Flyers to their last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2010, had publicly downplayed playoff possibilities all season.

He had a more upbeat message inside the Flyers' locker room.

“He told us at the beginning of the year, I hope he’s not going to get mad at me, but he said the goal is to make the playoffs,” Vladar said. “There was always a belief in this room. Obviously, we knew that, even if it was the media or outsiders who didn’t really believe in us, we always had the belief here since Day 1.”

Flyers captain Sean Couturier was once a key cog in rebuilding — back when he was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Couturier made his debut that season and has largely remained a steady presence in the lineup — save for injuries that cost him the 2022-2023 season — and is the only Flyer still here from their last home playoff series victory against, yes, the Penguins in 2012.

“You want things to turn around,” Couturier said. “I think that the management, the organization has done a great job of being patient and building assets and putting us in a great spot here for now and the future.”

The now actually seemed dire before the Olympic break when the Flyers lost 11 of their last 14 games before the shutdown and dropped one more once play resumed.

Whatever defensive adjustments coach Rick Tocchet made during the layoff worked.

The Flyers' season caught fire when they won three straight road games against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks and they ended the season on an 18-6-1 tear that propelled them to 98 points and into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Who knows, maybe it was the suburban Philadelphia family that gifted Pope Leo XIV his own customized Flyers jersey that truly the blessed the team.

The regular-season finale served more as a joyous pep rally than a game with any real consequences. The fans dancing to the Dead cover band cheered as the singer paused during “Jack Straw” after he hit the lyric “sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky” in appreciation of the NFL team across the street.

The rest of the night belonged to the orange and black.

Gritty once issued a warning to the Penguins: “Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.”

Led by one of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Flyers are going into the playoffs with eyes wide open and ready to prove to their fans, don’t you worry any more.

___

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

According to the complaint, Tracy accuses Ishbia of trying to interfere with the university’s investigation into Tucker, even giving Tucker inside information to protect his own interests.

The suit also names Ishbia’s company, United Wholesale Mortgage, as a defendant.

That filing arrived the same day that a federal judge dismissed Tracy’s separate lawsuit against Michigan State.

--> Judge dismisses sexual harassment lawsuit against former Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker

Speaking after a court hearing, Michaels said the case had been handled “with dignity and respect for all involved,” adding that the outcome was based on evidence and the law rather than “favoritism or public profile.”

“The resolution reflects the evidence and the law,” Michaels said. “This outcome is not the result of favoritism or public profile. It is the result of a careful legal process, a thorough investigation, and advocacy grounded in the facts.”

Moore was sentenced on Tuesday, April 14, in the Washtenaw County 14-A District Court before Judge Cedric Simpson to 18 months of probation.

He was ordered to pay a total of $1,345 in fines and court costs. He’s not allowed to use alcohol or drugs and must continue mental health treatment.

He’s not allowed to have any direct or indirect contact with Paige Shiver, the victim. He can’t discuss her online or go to her place of work.

Michaels said Moore and his wife, Kelli, are now focused on moving forward.

“He and his wife, Kelli, are ready to move forward with their family and focus on the next chapter,” Michaels said.

--> Paige Shiver releases statement after former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore avoids jail time

Deferred sentence

The court issued a deferred sentence tied to probation, meaning the charges would be dismissed upon successful completion of the probationary period.

“Yes, probation deferred sentence, meaning at the end of the successful probationary period, the charges are dismissed,” Michaels said in response to a question from reporters.

“Your honor, I want to thank my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, for his grace and guidance during this difficult time. I want to thank my wife, Kelli, for her support and strength in standing by me. I want to thank this court and its staff for their time and consideration. I am grateful to my attorney, Ellen Michaels, for her guidance. I’ve taken this process very seriously and worked closely with the probation department to prepare for today’s sentencing, and I am ready to proceed.”

Sherrone Moore before sentencing

Michaels declined to comment on why a detective did not disclose a prior working relationship relevant to the case, saying it was not adjudicated as part of the final disposition.

“That was never adjudicated because of the disposition that we reached,” Michaels said.

Pressed further on whether charges should have been filed at all, Michaels declined to answer directly, noting, “I’m a defense attorney. I have my own thoughts on that, which I’m not going to share at this time.”

Phone records

During her remarks, Michaels said phone records and witness statements ultimately undermined the basis for the original allegations.

She said communications between Sherrone and Shiver continued after an alleged directive to stop contact, as Shiver was his executive assistant with the Michigan Wolverines football program, and that the complainant’s follow-up statements differed from earlier accounts.

“The phone logs indicated that after that alleged directive, there were many calls between the two parties,” Michaels said.

Michaels added that the complainant later “retracted that statement,” saying the alleged cutoff in communication occurred later than initially reported.

She argued that the evidence showed no unwanted contact and therefore did not support stalking-related charges.

“There was no unwanted contact. There was no stalking,” Michaels said. “And because there was no stalking, there was no home invasion with the intent to stalk.”

Judge Cedric Simpson explained why key criminal charges fell apart in a case involving Moore and Shiver, noting that inconsistencies in phone records undermined the prosecution’s theory and ultimately led to a reduced sentence.

Simpson said investigators initially pursued multiple charges, including stalking and third-degree home invasion, based on the belief that Shiver had clearly told Moore on Dec. 8, 2025, to stop contacting her.

However, Simpson said that evidence later obtained, particularly call logs, contradicted that claim.

According to Simpson, records showed multiple phone calls between Moore and Shiver on Dec. 8, including calls in the afternoon and evening.

Those contacts, he said, directly conflicted with the allegation that Moore had been told earlier that morning to cease all communication.

“The very foundation of the stalking charge could not have been true,” Simpson said, noting that the continued contact invalidated the central element required to support the allegation.

Because the stalking charge served as a “predicate offense,” a necessary underlying charge for the more serious felony, Simpson said both charges could not legally proceed once that foundation failed.

Prosecutors, Simpson said, acted appropriately by declining to move forward after recognizing the inconsistency.

“They did the right thing, legally, morally, ethically; they could not proceed,” Simpson said.

A separate charge involving unlawful entry also faltered.

Simpson said evidence showed Moore had been given access to the residence, including a door code, by Shiver, undercutting claims that the entry was illegal.

After reviewing the evidence, both sides agreed to resolve the case based only on charges that could be supported.

“The right thing happened,” Simpson said. “No more, no less.”

In determining Moore’s sentence, Simpson said the court considered both the defendant’s conduct and its impact on Shiver, along with the full record reviewed by prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the court.

The case ultimately concluded with Moore pleading to the charges back on March 6, deemed legally sustainable after the review.

“The University of Michigan gave this man limitless power and emboldened him to do whatever he wanted for years with no accountability. December 10th was the most terrifying day of my life.

The criminal acts he committed were extremely frightening and violent. He broke into my apartment, crying, yelling, enraged, and came at me with knives. I was threatened, and I feared for my life. Today’s sentence does not reflect the harm done to me or the objective evidence in this case."

Paige Shiver

Moore’s history

Michaels also praised the judge’s handling of the case, saying the court considered Moore’s personal history and the circumstances individually.

“Judge Simpson is such a revered jurist because he sees people as people,” Michaels said.

She added that Moore’s prior history and the judge’s assessment of the evidence were central to the outcome.

Supporters for Moore

Outside the courtroom, several supporters offered Moore encouragement as proceedings concluded, with one person urging him to “keep your head up” and focus on his family and future opportunities.

The case is now considered resolved under the terms of the deferred sentence, and Moore is expected to comply with probation requirements before the charges are formally dismissed.

“Today’s sentence does not reflect the seriousness of Moore’s unlawful entry and aggressive attack on Ms. Shiver on December 10th. Following his termination from the university, this deranged 6 foot 4, 285-pound man broke into her apartment and physically threated her with knives.

For several years, the University of Michigan’s leadership looked the other way and allowed Ms. Shiver to be exploited and abused by Moore.

The university enabled Moore and others in positions of authority within the Athletic Department, fostered the ongoing and escalating abuse, and advanced a culture that cared not about the hostile environment but instead was focused only on winning football games.

It is our expectation that Interim University President Domenico Grasso, President-Elect Kent Syverud, General Counsel Tim Lynch, new Football Coach Kyle Whittingham, the Board of Regents and major donors will take responsibility for the harm done to Ms. Shiver and others and commit to building a NCAA and Title IX compliant Athletic Department.”

Andrew M. Stroth and Steven A. Hart, attorneys for Ms. Paige Shiver

--> ‘You take her for granted’: What judge said about Sherrone Moore’s wife during sentencing

Human impact

Michaels said that the court’s consideration of the support of Moore’s wife, Kelli, reflects the human element of the justice system and the way judges evaluate cases on an individual basis.

During remarks after a court hearing, Michaels said Judge Simpson’s approach highlighted the importance of personal circumstances alongside legal facts in reaching a decision.

“I think that’s human,” Michaels said when asked about the judge’s reference to Moore’s support. “He sees people as people. He recognizes that what happens in a court of law is not removed from human behavior and from emotion and from relationship.”

Michaels said the court’s handling of the case reflected broader principles of individualized justice.

“In recognizing Kelli Moore’s behavior and groundedness and kindness and willingness to open her heart, I think that shows it’s important,” Michaels said. “It’s all part of the process.”

Michaels added that judges are tasked with weighing each case on its own merits.

“We’re human beings, and this happened because we’re human beings, and that needs to be a factor,” Michaels said. “That’s why judges say every person is judged individually.”

Michaels said Moore was considered in light of his personal history and character.

“In this case, Sherrone Moore was judged by his past history of living a solid life and by doing good things,” she said, adding that the court viewed the matter as an isolated incident.

She said the outcome reflected those considerations.

“The punishment given by Judge Simpson today is a reflection of all those things, as it should be,” Michaels said.

More: Judge addresses video of former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore hugging deputy in courtroom

The find, investigators said, led to more than 200 suspected child sex abuse images.

An agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Detroit said Steven Michael Celani, 60, is a registered sex offender on supervised release for his prior conviction “for the possession of child pornography” tied to a 2018 case.

He was on probation supervision and had “a special condition of his supervised release” that allowed searches.

That condition set the stage for what authorities said unfolded on March 5, 2026.

The initial search

During a search of Celani’s Pontiac home, the FBI said probation officers found a gray Motorola cell phone in Celani’s bedroom, hidden “behind a stack of books on a bookshelf.”

In an initial review, probation officers found “images and videos which met the federal definition of child pornography.”

The material also included “dozens of sexually explicit images and videos of prepubescent girls in various states of undress.”

The FBI said at least ten of the images and videos showed the genital areas of young girls, and some depicted abusive sexual acts and sodomy.

The images and videos were dated starting in October 2024, according to court records.

When officers told Celani a phone had been found in his bedroom, Celani “apologized to the officers,” the FBI said.

Probation officers then alerted the FBI on March 11, and the phone was turned over to them the next day.

A federal judge later authorized a search warrant for the phone, and on March 19, the FBI conducted a more thorough examination of it.

What investigators later found

During a preliminary FBI review, investigators found more than 200 images “which meet the federal definition of child pornography” on the phone, court records said.

The FBI said many of the images were cataloged by Celani in an explicit folder titled ‘b*tt h**es.’”

One image, the FBI used as an example, was allegedly of a nude 9-year-old girl, “lying on her back” in a sexual position.

Another image, cited as another example in the federal complaint, was an image of a girl “approximately eight years old,” nude except for “pink socks,” and posed in a way investigators deemed sexually explicit.

The FBI also uncovered “numerous sexually explicit videos” on the phone, with at least ten “meeting the federal definition of child pornography.”

One video found was approximately one minute long and depicted an adult man sexually assaulting “an approximately 9-year-old girl,” the feds said.

The feds seek charges

The FBI argued that, despite the phone appearing hidden, Celani regularly used it.

They said the phone was found in Celani’s bedroom, “which is not shared with any other individuals,” and it was signed into Facebook and Cash App accounts in the name “Steve Celani.” They also said it had previously been signed into a Google Drive account.

Celani was charged with possession of child pornography on March 30.

He was convicted in Wayne County in August 2018 for the same charge, and his work address was listed in Oxford, according to the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.

Celani was temporarily detained on April 9 pending trial. A preliminary examination is set for 1 p.m. on April 22, 2026.

Steven Michael Celani by brandon carr

The tipster, who prosecutors said McKay had already threatened to kill, warned police that McKay was “a felon who is in possession of firearms” and was having his girlfriend purchase firearms for him.

“Mr. McKay threatened that person’s life,” a prosecutor said during McKay’s detention hearing April 13. “The threat was made… in a verbal conversation. We believe the defendant is a danger to that victim – who happens to be the mother of a couple of his kids.”

According to prosecutors, there was an unserved personal protection order (PPO) that expired before it could be served against McKay out of the state of California.

“Mr. McKay also texted the victim a picture of himself… he appears to be outdoors stuffing a firearm inside his pants.”

Defense: “What is the government suggesting? That he’s going to the shooting range to practice his aim on this person in California? That he plans on driving out west to so he can commit an assassination? I think that’s a little bit far-fetched.”

Federal Judge: “If he did in fact say, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ would you say that would be far-fetched?”

Defense: “No.”

Background on investigation

In February 2026, ATF agents learned McKay had used the shooting range at Action Impact Firearms and Training Center in Eastpointe “seven times between August of 2025 and March of 2026.”

They showed McKay checking in and presenting what “appears to be ammunition that he brought.” Another image, the feds said, captures McKay on the range, with a red circle marking a muzzle flash.

At Action Impact, federal investigators said they learned McKay checked into the range multiple times and listed a St. Clair Shores address. Surveillance footage from March 3 showed McKay arriving and leaving in a white 2019 Ford Escape. They said the SUV was registered to his girlfriend, Samantha Greiner.

By mid-March, the gun range had additional surveillance footage of McKay returning on March 15, 2026. But the gun range visits were only one part of the story.

Recorded phone calls

Agents also focused on purchasing attempts tied to Palmetto State Armory, a national firearms retailer, and a set of recorded calls.

Between August 2025 and February 2026, it appeared McKay and/or Greiner “either made or attempted to make multiple purchases,” including accessories and “two firearms that appear to have been returned… and not transferred.”

McKay was allegedly speaking with the retailer about one attempted purchase, saying his “significant other” bought a firearm but used the wrong information and ordered it in his name instead of hers. He told the operator, according to the feds, that she used his debit card and had him call to request a refund.

In another recorded call from August 2025, court records said, McKay contacted the retailer about an order flagged as fraud and said he was calling “on behalf of his fiancé.” The operator initially refused to discuss the account, and McKay then merged Greiner into the call so she could answer authentication questions. At one point, McKay responded by asking: “Okay, and you send it back to my bank?”

Agents then began watching McKay’s home over several days, documenting McKay and Greiner arriving, leaving and retrieving items. On March 28, 2026, McKay arrived as the driver and took out a suspected firearm from the passenger compartment before going inside.

Meanwhile, investigators said the ammo brands observed or purchased -- Winchester, Magtech and Sellier & Bellot -- were not manufactured in Michigan and therefore “travelled in interstate commerce.”

McKay’s criminal history includes felony convictions for burglary, vehicle theft, a parole violation and obstructing or resisting an officer.

Judge denies bond, calls him ‘agitated’

Prosecutors said during McKay’s detention hearing that he was a danger to the community and a risk of flight. He was allegedly told to stop talking over his attorney several times.

Judge: “You were very agitated. It gives me the impression that you are not someone who likes to take direction… My order is to detain Mr. McKay.”

McKay’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23 at 1 p.m.

The decision by Ye came a week after he was banned from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, following a backlash over the artist’s history of antisemitic remarks.

“After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” Ye wrote Wednesday on the social network X. “I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends."

The rapper, who changed his name in 2021, had been expected to play at Marseille's Stade Vélodrome on June 11.

French Interior minister Laurent Nuñez had pledged to explore “all possibilities” to make sure the show would not go on as planned, according to his office.

Earlier this year, Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan opposed the rapper’s visit to one of France’s most multicultural cities, which has a history of immigration stretching back centuries.

“I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” Payan said. “Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of community and home to all Marseillais.”

Ye has drawn widespread condemnation for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Ye released a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website last year. Officials in Australia canceled the musician’s visa in July after the release of the single.

The 48-year-old apologized in January with a letter published as a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”

Ye said in his latest message on X, “I take full responsibility for what’s mine but I don’t want to put my fans in the middle of it. My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows. See you at the top of the globe.”

Mikel Arteta's team faces two huge games in its pursuit of a Premier League and Champions League double this season.

Leading 1-0 against Lisbon after the first leg in Portugal last week, Arsenal is closing in on a place in the semifinals for the second successive year. Then on Sunday it faces Manchester City in a top two showdown in the Premier League.

Arteta said there was “zero fear” ahead of a potentially pivotal few days.

“We are in April, we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it,” he said.

Arsenal's form has slumped in recent weeks — losing the English League Cup final against City and then being dumped out of the FA Cup by second division Southampton. Last weekend it was beaten at home in the league by Bournemouth, allowing City to close the gap at the top of the standings to six points with a game in hand.

For now the focus is on the Champions League, a trophy Arsenal has never won.

“I said to the players, ‘guys, we are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of the club in 140 years. So that tells you the difficulty of what you are doing,’” Arteta said.

Declan Rice faced a late fitness test after missing practice on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were also doubtful starters.

Arsenal or Lisbon will face Atletico Madrid in the semifinals after the Spanish club beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

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

The latest setback was a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. They've been outscored 36-10 during their skid and are mired in the NL East cellar at 7-11.

Soto is nursing a calf injury and isn't expected back for another two to three weeks.

Francisco Lindor raised his batting average 18 points to .194 with a leadoff home run — his first RBI of the season — against World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It snapped the team's streak of 20 scoreless innings and helped the Mets avoid three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1992.

But Yamamoto promptly set down the next 20 batters in a row.

New York's only other hits were a double by Bo Bichette in the seventh and singles by Carson Benge and Lindor in the eighth.

Trailing by a run in the ninth, the Mets got overly aggressive at the plate and Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia struck out the side to end the game.

“We chase and it's hard to score in situations like that,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You really have to force those guys to come in the strike zone and right now we’re not doing that, especially at the end of the game.”

The Mets are hitting .178 during the skid, including .083 with runners in scoring position (2 for 24). They are averaging 1.43 runs per game with just eight extra-base hits.

“You’re down one run and you’re basically trying to hit one out of the ballpark and that’s when the chase comes,” Mendoza said. “If you continue to swing at pitches out of the strike zone, they’re going to continue to do that, so we have to make adjustments.”

The Mets struck out 11 times, their fourth straight game with double-digit strikeouts. Jorge Polanco, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos had two strikeouts each.

“It’s easy to put too much pressure on yourself,” Mendoza said. “You got to go back to your fundamentals, you got to go back to what got you to this level, understanding that you are a great hitter.”

If not, he said, the offensive struggles can spiral.

“I know it’s tough right now, but the last thing you could do is just panic and try to do too much,” Mendoza said.

The lone bright spot for the Mets was rookie Nolan McLean. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up one run and two hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.

“He pretty much dominated one of the best lineups,” Mendoza said. “It sucks losing when you get that type of outing.”

McLean has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his first 12 major league games.

“It was fun to watch McLean pitch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Man, he's special.”

___

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

Every Tuesday, Servín loads a van with picks, shovels, water and lunches. He commends himself to God. He picks up his three teammates for the day. Then they venture forth into areas where the ground beneath their feet may sometimes hide the bodies of the missing — the victims of foul play in a Mexican state rife with drug cartel violence.

They call themselves the Guerreros Buscadores — the “Searching Warriors." There is much to search for, and dozens of groups like theirs do: More than 130,000 people have been reported missing since 2006, according to official records.

Balancing the search efforts with daily obligations is not easy. Servín lost his job when he started looking for his missing son. Now he works as a waiter on weekends.

But the most difficult parts also offer ways forward — news that arrives via a skull, a mutilated body, evidence of closure in many respects of the word. There is even joy now and then — even if it comes from a pit.

On those difficult days, Servín, 54, comes to grips with a jarring fact: Sometimes, in the end, the worst-case scenario can become the best possible outcome.

Searching, waiting, hoping

Servín's life is filled with mixed-feeling moments not easy to witness. On a recent day, these Guerreros agreed to be shadowed by an Associated Press photojournalist to see what they do — and why it matters. They set out to cover several locations on the outskirts of Guadalajara, the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco and a World Cup host city.

Servín and the women go alone, unaccompanied by any protection. The only semblance of an authority is a “panic button” held by Servín that connects to a federal network to protect rights activists.

It is perilous work in a perilous environment. Mexico is neither at war nor under a military dictatorship, yet thousands of people disappear every year amid cartel violence. Clandestine graves are discovered on a semiregular basis; more than 70,000 unidentified remains have piled up in morgues and cemeteries.

The previous administration recognized the magnitude of the problem and launched official search commissions, but high levels of impunity and inaction persist. The current government has said missing information for one-third of those disappeared makes it impossible to search for them at all. Families remain the main driving force behind the searches and the findings.

The group heads to several locations based on anonymous tips received on the Guerreros Buscadores website. These often come from people who heard screams or gunshots or who saw something but fear going to the authorities.

On their previous outing, they dug down more than a yard (meter) at four locations. Nothing. Sometimes they find bloodstains or shell casings. They check every tip anyway. Says Servín: “There cannot be room for doubt."

He receives a call. An informant says there is a body buried in a residential area. The information seems reliable, so they change their plans. This time they won't be able to check the area in advance, a security measure to avoid encountering drug cartel lookouts or gunmen who could drive them off with shots into the sky. That has happened before.

Arches mark the entrance to the residential complex identified by the informant. It sits next to a commuter train line on the outskirts of Guadalajara, a city plastered with fliers of missing people. Jalisco state, a stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is an epicenter of disappearances.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum visited the area following the violence that erupted in February over the killing of the cartel's leader. She insisted that security for the World Cup would be guaranteed.

The search collectives want to take advantage of the world’s focus on Mexico to draw attention to their reality. “I love soccer," Servín says, “but that’s not going to stop me from going out to search.”

A lullaby for the dead

Caps and scarves shield the searchers from the sun. Each wears a personalized T-shirt with a photo of their loved one. Servín’s reads “Searcher Dad.”

The group prepares their equipment. A metal rod they call “the seer" is a must-have: For over a decade, it has been the searchers’ rudimentary yet indispensable tool. They stick it into the ground and then sniff. If there’s an organic smell, there’s a clue.

They begin digging in a small dirt area at one residential corner. They dig and dig some more. Nothing.

Then, after hours of no progress, Servín steps outside the apartment complex and walks between the wall and the tracks. The ground is soft. “I saw a hole with small rocks; it was strange.”

Years ago, his heart would have raced. Now he says, “I don’t get nervous anymore.”

He kneels and grips his shovel. A train passes. First he sees part of a skull. He begins to dig out the soil with his shovel and hands.

“We’ve got a positive!” he shouts.

The four don masks and gloves. A jawbone appears. There is no doubt: It is a human being.

Servín shows his colleagues the head, holding it with the utmost delicacy. They decide to keep digging to look for the full body. A bag of bones appears. Then a shoe. Then a pelvis. They carefully place each outside the pit. If any bone looks the same, it would be placed elsewhere because it could belong to a second person.

The women’s voices mingle like lullabies. “Hi baby, you’re going home soon.” “Your family is waiting for you.” One lights a candle at the edge of the pit.

To someone unfamiliar with violent environments, the scene might seem macabre. To those who witness it, it’s an act of tremendous tenderness and solidarity carried out by people who were re-victimized by the authorities for years. In 2021, a prosecutor handed a woman the remains of her relative in a trash bag. A photo of her with a vacant stare over the huge black bag at her feet went viral.

Criminals hide their victims because if there’s no body, there’s no crime. Nearly 20,000 missing people have been found dead since 2010. So finding a body can be dangerous.

Servín activates his panic button that many searchers carry. Since 2010, at least 36 searchers have been killed, according to civil society organizations. The latest was in mid-March.

Servín talks to the federal officials on the line, confirms his identity with a password, explains what he found and notes the location. He requests hourly monitoring, which means a call to confirm everything is all right.

Then he phones the police.

Navigating the aftermath — logistically and emotionally

One of the women prepares to go live on Facebook. It’s a way to leave a record. If they hadn’t gone live when they found a ranch used by the Jalisco Cartel, it would have been difficult to get people to believe what they discovered. It also helps people recognize things.

“There’s a pair of gray underwear that says ‘Sport’ in orange letters, some size 5 brown boots,” one of the searchers explains. “There’s the skull, it still has some hair. … There’s the pelvis.”

The phone zooms in to show the details of the shoe, of the jawbone missing a tooth. Any detail might help. One woman hopes that the “little person” will soon be with loved ones. They pray.

Servín begins answering questions online. He’s no expert, but his experience tells him the body might have been buried about 18 months ago. It cannot be his son, but hope is never entirely lost; two weeks ago, a mother found her son after seven years of searching. He thanks God that there are remains for DNA testing.

When the Guerreros find bodies “in pieces,” Servín feels like crying. “What hits us hardest is to think that our children might be in those conditions.”

But he also feels good. Because he knows there are answers there.

While waiting for the authorities, the searchers sit down to rest. It is a moment of intimate conversation among people united by grief and their mission.

A woman from the neighborhood arrives with her son. She has a missing child and wants to see if he recognizes anything. An hour later, another mother arrives. The searchers embrace her and advise to go to the attorney’s office for a DNA test. Emotion overflows.

When the police arrive, Servín answers their questions. Mistrust, though, persists because he knows some officers work for the cartel. He says that “some time ago” the authorities accused them of contaminating crime scenes, but the collectives have gradually earned respect.

As evening falls, the forensic team begins its job. In Mexico, the results of a genetic test can take days or years. The remains of one searcher's brother — a searcher who is also Servín's partner — have been at the forensic institute for six years. There has been a match, but the experts haven’t finished processing the remains from all the bags found back then. “It’s illogical,” he says. His anguish is evident.

At 9 p.m., Servín presses the panic button one more time to check in that he is home. “I arrive feeling at peace," he says, "knowing the day was fruitful."

——

Verza reported from Mexico City.

Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.

The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green's 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.

Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.

The final few minutes were white-knuckle basketball with the lead changing several times.

Jerami Grant — who returned after missing the final seven games of the regular season because of a calf injury — made a corner 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 107-106 lead with 1:54 left. Devin Booker responded with a pair of free throws for a 108-107 lead but Avdija made a finger roll at the rim for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left.

Green led the Suns with 35 points. Booker had 22.

The Blazers led 83-82 going into the fourth despite shooting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third quarter. Phoenix pushed to its first lead of the second half when Green made a jumper on the opening possession of the fourth.

It was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Suns a 93-83 advantage. Royce O’Neale’s steal and 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 98-87 lead with 7:13 remaining, but that’s when the Blazers started their comeback.

The Suns led 33-31 after one quarter, but the Trail Blazers pushed to a 55-41 advantage by midway through the second. Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play — hitting a 3 while being fouled — with one second remaining.

___

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

“860,” written and performed by the Tony- and Emmy-winner, will begin previews this October at a theater to be revealed later. The title comes from the street address for the home Crystal and his family lived in for 46 years, a house lost in last year's devastating Palisades fires.

“I invite you to come inside 860 and I’ll tell you all the funny and touching things that happened there, not only in my career but to our family,” Crystal said in a statement. “It’s a joyous and heartfelt visit, about how with the love of family and friends and your inner strength, you can get through tough times.”

This is Crystal’s first return to Broadway following his “Mr. Saturday Night,” which he premiered in 2022 and earned Tony nominations for best book and lead actor in a musical. Scott Ellis will direct his new work.

Crystal has had success with one-man shows before. He turned his memoir “700 Sundays” into a stage show — in 2004 and revived in 2013 — that won him a Drama Desk Award in 2005.

The Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in Jan. 7, 2025, killing 31 people and destroying about 13,000 homes and other residential properties. The fires burned for more than three weeks and clean-up efforts took about seven months.

At the televised fundraising concert FireAid, held at the end of January, 2025, Crystal appeared as the first host in the same clothes he was wearing when he fled his family home.

Crystal said he returned to the wreckage of his home and began to wail: “I had not cried like that since I was 15 and I was told that my father had just died.” His daughters soon found a rock in the wreckage with the word “Laughter” engraved in it.

Crystal made a name for himself first in comedy, from stand-up to TV’s “Soap” to the films “When Harry Met Sally” and “City Slickers.” Then in 1992, he got serious with the movie “Mr. Saturday Night,” which he directed, co-wrote and starred in.

Ball fell to the floor after missing a shot on a drive to the basket early in the second quarter, and appeared to reach out with his left arm and grab Adebayo's left leg, causing the big man to fall on his back.

Ball was not called for a foul, and Adebayo remained on the floor as play continued. He eventually got up and walked to the locker room under his own power but did not return.

“He should have been thrown out of the game for that,” Spoelstra said. “There is no place in the game for that.”

Adebayo did not speak to reporters.

Ball, who scored 30 points and made the go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, apologized for his role in Adebayo’s injury but said he was disoriented because he had been hit in the head on the drive.

“I apologize on that one,” Ball said. “I got hit in the head and didn’t really know where I was. But I’m going to check on him and see if he is OK and everything.”

When asked if he intentionally grabbed Adebayo’s leg, Ball said he hadn’t seen a replay and added, “Like I said, I got hit in the head and didn’t know where I was and was just playing basketball. But like I said, sorry, and I’m going to check on him.”

Ball remained in the game and was not immediately checked for a concussion.

“I don’t think it’s cute, and I don’t think it’s funny,” Spoelstra said after the loss, which ended Miami's season. “I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play and obviously our best player was out. I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch. We had opportunities to win.

“That’s a shame. He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, you know, tripping guys, shenanigans.”

Official Zach Zarba explained in a pool report why the play was not reviewed.

“The play wasn’t whistled in real time. Play continued with a fast break. And because play wasn’t stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed,” Zarba said. “Play was stopped, after a change of possession, and then a timeout. So, by rule, our window to review that play then is closed.”

Zarba said the officiating crew reviewed the play at halftime.

When asked if Ball should have been assessed a flagrant foul, Zarba said, “At this point, that goes to league operations, and they’ll make a determination on that in the coming days. So, they will make that determination and go from there.”

Ball had only one flagrant foul this season, on Feb. 5 against Houston.

Andrew Wiggins said seeing Adebayo go down was a “gut punch” for the Heat.

“To lose the leader of the team, the captain of the team, seeing him go down was definitely tough and guys had to rally around that,” Wiggins said.

Despite the loss of Adebayo, who scored 83 points in a game last month, Miami had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but Tyler Herro missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

In overtime, Herro put the Heat up by one when he made three free throws with 8.7 seconds left after getting fouled by Ball following a Hornets turnover. Before that play, Herro hit a turnaround corner 3.

But Ball's driving layup saved the day for the Hornets.

Miami's Davion Mitchell said he hadn't seen video of the play where Adebayo was hurt, but called it a “high-intensity game.”

“I didn’t grab nobody’s ankle, but I grabbed somebody’s shirt,” Mitchell said. “I just think it was just a physical game because we were both fighting for our lives just to stay in. Obviously you don’t want to see Bam get hurt, especially like that, but it was a physical game.”

___

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

The group’s endorsement by Republican governors — at least eight so far — has stirred debate about free speech in America’s schools, with critics arguing many of the same conservative leaders have sought to silence others with measures to restrict what teachers can say on sex education, LGBTQ+ issues and other topics.

Adding to the divisions has been some governors’ invocation of Christian religion in their support of the clubs.

At her news conference last month announcing a partnership with Turning Point USA, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said God had worked through Kirk to grow the conservative group and that she hoped it would spark “the exact type of civic engagement that we want to see” among high school students.

“It’s never too early to learn the values of faith and freedom that power our country,” she said.

For Fayetteville High School student Lily Alderson in Arkansas, that crossed a line. Alderson, president of the school’s Young Democrats club, said the governor’s endorsement violates the requirement that governments not favor a particular religion.

“We’re a public school,” Alderson said. “We shouldn’t be a school — or a state, even — that is telling people what they should believe in.”

At the same high school, Lukas Klaus leads the local Turning Point USA chapter. As he sees it, the Republican governors are ensuring conservative voices like his are allowed to be heard.

“I’ve heard numerous other stories from around the states of Club America chapters trying to get started where they’re having serious problems with the administration straight-up saying ‘no,’ ” said Klaus. He said he has never heard of a public school disallowing a Young Democrats club.

The push gained momentum after Charlie Kirk’s death

In recent months, the Republican administrations of Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Florida, Tennessee and Indiana have each announced partnerships with Turning Point USA to promote school chapters, called Club America, in every high school in those states.

Already, there are nearly 3,400 Club America chapters across the 50 states, according to Turning Point USA, which says it has more state partnerships in the works.

While the partnerships don’t require schools to establish the conservative clubs, they do make clear that efforts to start the clubs can’t be rejected by school administrators.

Turning Point USA got its start in 2012 on college campuses, promoting itself as a hub for young people committed to conservative values. Kirk was the co-founder and the face of the group, known best for his “ Prove Me Wrong ” events on college campuses where he invited students to challenge his conservative views on political and cultural issues. Kirk was killed by a sniper in early September while speaking on a college campus in Utah.

While Kirk was praised by conservatives as a champion of free speech, he was also criticized for comments that many other Americans found hateful toward LGBTQ+ communities, non-Christians, people of color and women.

Some of those critics faced a backlash from Republicans who saw them as dishonoring Kirk, leading to firings by universities, sports teams and media companies. Florida’s education commissioner also promised to investigate teachers over objectionable comments about Kirk. In Texas, a teachers union has sued the state’s education department, accusing it of an improper “wave of retaliation” against public school employees over their social media comments following the assassination.

Critics say governors are elevating Turning Point over other clubs

The governors’ endorsements of Turning Point USA, to the exclusion of other student clubs, has come under criticism from teachers unions and civil liberties groups.

Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said he could only imagine how Republican leaders would react if a Democratic governor announced they were calling for a democratic socialist club in every high school.

“They would be running to the press to talk about how awful that is,” Royers said. “How is this fundamentally any different?”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas said the state’s support for the clubs amount to “differential treatment based on the content or viewpoint of the clubs, and a problem under the First Amendment.”

Turning Point USA spokesman Matt Shupe called objections from the ACLU hypocritical, noting the civic organization’s mission to protect free speech rights.

“The state of Arkansas is not forming our chapters; they’re not doing our job or our students’ jobs for us, nor are they saying other groups can’t be formed,” Shupe said in an email. “They’re simply stating students cannot be blocked from forming a Club America or a TPUSA college chapter when students want to start one.”

——-

Akbarzai reported from New York. ___

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

U.S. President Donald Trump said a second round of talks could happen "over the next two days," telling the New York Post the negotiations could be held again in Islamabad.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres concurred, saying it’s “highly probable” that talks will restart. He cited a meeting he had with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar.

Meanwhile in Washington, the first direct talks in decades between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. concluded on a productive note, according to the U.S. State Department.

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the two countries are “on the same side of the equation” in “liberating Lebanon” from the militant Hezbollah group. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called the meeting “constructive” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Since March, that war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Lebanon remains deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.

First round of talks failed to end conflict

Last weekend in Pakistan, an initial round of talks aimed at permanently ending the U.S.-Iran conflict failed to produce an agreement. The White House said Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a central sticking point.

“I think they want to make a deal very badly,” Trump said in an excerpt from an interview with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria" scheduled to air Wednesday morning. He added: “I view it as very close to over.”

A U.S. official said Tuesday that fresh talks with Iran were still under discussion and that nothing has been scheduled. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive negotiations.

Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s finance minister, told The Associated Press that “our leadership is not giving up” on efforts to help the U.S. and Iran end the conflict.

Though the ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the strategic Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities and deepening the regional war's economic fallout.

The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Tankers turned around after blockade took effect

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil, mostly to Asia, since the war began Feb. 28. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits that evade sanctions and oversight, providing cash that’s been vital to keeping Iran running.

U.S. forces enforcing the blockade will operate in the Gulf of Oman, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz must cross the Gulf of Oman to reach the open sea.

The official said the move will allow the U.S. military to observe vessels subject to the blockade leaving Iranian facilities and clearing the strait before they are intercepted and forced to turn around.

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday no ships made it past the blockade in the first 24 hours, while six merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and reenter Iranian waters.

Tankers approaching the strait Monday turned around shortly after the blockade took effect, though one reversed course again and transited the waterway.

The tanker Rich Starry had been waiting off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to shipping data firm Lloyd’s List, which cited data from the energy cargo-tracking firm Vortexa. It was not immediately clear whether the tanker had earlier docked in Iran. Yet it was listed by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control as linked to Iranian shipping.

Lloyd’s List, citing ship registry and tracking data, reported that the vessel is owned by a Chinese shipping company and was ultimately bound for China with a stopover in an Omani port, south of the strait. The vessel updated its broadcast signal on Tuesday evening to no longer show it was headed for Sohar, Oman, according to tracking data reported by maritime analytics firm MarineTraffic.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Chinese tankers will not be allowed passage through the strait. "So they're not going to be able to get their oil,” he told reporters Tuesday.

In a comment seemingly seemingly directed at Trump without naming him, Chinese President Xi Jinping said nations should “oppose the world’s retrogression to the law of the jungle.”

Since the war began, Iran has curtailed maritime traffic, with most commercial vessels avoiding the waterway. Tehran's effective closure of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.

Israel and Lebanon conclude talks

The Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington were “productive,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement, adding that “all sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who facilitated the talks, had downplayed expectations for any immediate agreement.

Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S, said after the talks that both countries saw eye-to-eye in several areas.

“The Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah," he said.

Moawad, Lebanon's top U.S. envoy, said in a brief statement that she had called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and the return home of Lebanese displaced by the fighting.

After the ceasefire in Iran, Israel pressed ahead with its air and ground campaign in Lebanon. It has, however, halted strikes in Beirut, the country’s capital since April 8, after a deadly bombardment that hit several crowded commercial and residential areas in central Beirut and killed more than 350 people in one day.

The deaths sparked an international outcry and threats by Iran that it would end the ceasefire.

Lebanese officials have pushed for a ceasefire. Israel has framed the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a potential peace deal, without publicly committing to halting hostilities or withdrawing its forces.

Israel wants Lebanon’s government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much as was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades and said on Monday that it will not abide by any agreements that may result from the talks.

___

Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee, Fatima Hussein, Collin Binkley, Chris Rugaber, Will Weissert and Konstantin Toporin in Washington; Sylvie Corbet in Paris; Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo; Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem; Edith Lederer and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.

The warning is in effect until 1 a.m. EDT. At 11:48 p.m., radar indicated severe thunderstorms stretching from Oakley to near Owosso and Laingsburg, moving east at about 45 mph.

Forecasters said the storms could produce wind gusts up to 60 mph and hail up to one inch in diameter, roughly the size of a quarter.

The primary hazards include hail and wind damage to vehicles and roofs, siding, and trees.

Communities in the path of the storms include Flushing and Lennon around 12:05 a.m.; Swartz Creek and Gaines around 12:10 a.m.; and Flint, Mount Morris, and Beecher around 12:15 a.m.

Additional areas expected to be impacted include Burton, Linden, Crossroads Village, and Lake Fenton around 12:20 a.m.; Fenton and Grand Blanc around 12:25 a.m.; Davison around 12:30 a.m.; and Goodrich around 12:35 a.m.

Other locations affected include Atlas, Thetford Township, Argentine, Rankin, and Genesee.

Residents were urged to seek shelter immediately, moving to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

A tornado watch remains in effect for much of southeastern Michigan until 4 a.m. EDT.

The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Watch, covering 17 counties in southeast Michigan until 4 a.m. on Wednesday as conditions became increasingly favorable for severe storms.

The watch includes Bay, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Oakland, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties.

Cities under the watch include Ann Arbor, Flint, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy, Warren, Livonia, Dearborn, Westland, Sterling Heights, Saginaw, Monroe, Midland, and Port Huron, among many others.

Other affected communities include Brighton, Howell, Lapeer, Canton, Taylor, Royal Oak, Novi, Waterford, Farmington Hills, Lincoln Park, Ferndale, Redford, and Warren, as well as smaller cities and villages across the region.

The National Weather Service said the watch means conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall.

Residents in the affected areas were urged to remain weather aware, have multiple ways to receive warnings overnight, and be prepared to seek shelter quickly if warnings are issued.

The watch remains in effect through early Wednesday morning.

Rounds of storms are moving through Metro Detroit Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch advisory that will be in effect beginning at 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Most of Metro Detroit is under an enhanced (level 3) risk for severe weather, on a 1 to 5 scale. The tornado risk for Southeast Michigan is 5%, and the gust potential is at 30%.

Click here for the latest forecast from our 4Warn Weather team.

Here’s a list of the alerts by county.

Wayne County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Oakland County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Macomb County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Washtenaw County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Monroe County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Livingston County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Lenawee County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Lapeer County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Genesee County

• Thunderstorm Warning issued until 1 a.m.
• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

St. Clair County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Sanilac County

• Tornado Watch issued until 4 a.m. on April 15.
• A flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. on April 14 until 2 a.m. on April 17.

Christian Hill has not been seen or heard from since Saturday (March 14) in the 11700 block of Rosa Parks Blvd.

She was last seen wearing a black jacket, shirt, pants, and mismatched shoes.

According to her cousin, she has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 10 Precinct at 313-596-1040 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

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

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

Laniyah Leonard left her residence in the 16500 block of Lenore Avenue on Saturday (April 11) without permission and failed to return home.

She was last seen wearing a light pink bonnet, a white shirt, black pants, and white flip flops.

Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 8th Precinct at 313-596-5840 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

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

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

Shanique Sanders left her residence in the 19200 block of Hawthorne Street on Thursday (April 9) without permission and failed to return home.

She was last seen wearing a black shirt and black stretch pants

Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 11th Precinct at 313-596-1140 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

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

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

A Flood Watch goes into effect at 8 p.m. and lasts through Thursday, April 16 evening.

Tuesday

Now let’s talk about storms for Tuesday night.

The Storm Prediction Center upped our risk of storms tonight to a level 3 Enhanced Risk.

We are usually under at Level 1 Marginal or Level 2 Slight risk, so this is higher than what we have seen lately.

All severe weather threats are in play, including high winds, hail, flooding, and an isolated tornado risk.

Timing looks to be after 9 p.m. until about 3 a.m. for the most severe storms, but heavy rain could continue through the morning commute.

Midweek rain

Multiple chances for rain on both Wednesday and Thursday increase the risk of flooding.

Find the latest forecast from the 4Warn Weather team here

Remember to download the free 4Warn weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation. Just search your app store under WDIV, and it’s right there, available for both iPhones and Androids! Or click the appropriate link below.

• Download for iPhone
• Download for Android

Damarion Conner hasn’t been seen since Friday (April 10) in the 15000 block of Coyle Street.

He was last seen wearing a black skull cap, black hooded sweatshirt, black jogging pants, and black ‘Air Force 1’ shoes.

Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 2nd Precinct at 313-596-5540 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

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

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

The city is tracking conditions through the National Weather Service, with the mayor’s office and the communications department on standby. Officials said residents received text, phone, and email notifications Tuesday morning, along with social media alerts.

Officials warned that excessive runoff could cause flooding in rivers, creeks, and other low-lying areas. Creeks and streams may overflow their banks, and flooding is possible in low-lying areas and at low-water crossings.

In Dearborn Heights, neighborhoods near Ecorse Creek are among the most flood-prone.

“You wake up, and there is water all the way up almost to the door sometimes, and even when you go farther down, there is water that’ll come up past your knees,” said Denise Watson, who lives near the creek.

Watson said the area floods consistently each year. She said she filed a FEMA claim in 2024 after her basement flooded, receiving $250 — a fraction of what she estimated was $1,500 to $2,000 to clean up.

City officials said Dearborn Heights is working with Wayne County on cleaning and maintenance of Ecorse Creek as part of a longer-term flood mitigation effort.

The city has also secured a FEMA buyout grant to fund the purchase and demolition of flood-prone homes near the creek, with the land to be converted to green space to help reduce flooding over time.

Residents living in the neighborhood said they were split on the idea of buyouts.

“Yes, because it does seem to flood over here a lot, no, because I do feel bad for the residents that have been here a really long time,” Watson said.

After years of severe flooding, residents like Watson said they would consider leaving if a buyout offer was fair.

“I haven’t been here that long, so I would take it, yeah,” Watson said.

It comes as water is rising rapidly at the Cheboygan dam, and the area braces for a possible dam failure.

--> Cheboygan residents urged to evacuate after Little Black River Watershed breach

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a state of emergency for the area last week, and officials said in a Tuesday evening briefing that topping is expected, with no estimate of the potential economic impact if the dam does fail.

At last check, the water level at the dam is about seven inches below the top of the dam, according to officials at the briefing.

That’s up over 6 inches from Monday.

The National Weather Service says more rain is expected overnight in the area, increasing fears.

“Freaks me out because I didn’t expect the water to go up six inches last night,” Laurie Romanow, who lives directly across from the dam, said.

Romanow has lived there most of her life. She says she’s never seen anything quite like this.

“Never. I was born here in 1961. My family was at that house for 125 years. It’s never looked like this,” she said.

Local 4 spoke with the area’s DNR on Tuesday and received new information.

Tuesday, crews brought in two 24-inch pumps that arrived late Monday night. This is in addition to the six and eight-inch pumps that were there earlier.

“We are still bringing in more pumps,” Laurie Abel, the Public Information Officer for the Incident Management Team at Michigan DNR, said. “We are bringing in another four 18-inch pumps, we are bringing two 16-inch pumps, we are bringing three 12-inch pumps, and we are bringing in four 10-inch pumps.:

They’ve also removed six gates with the crane on your screen.

People have been receiving these emergency alerts all day. One saying all roads in the county are covered with water and urging people to slow down to avoid hydroplaning.

Part of the area is currently in a “Ready” zone. It’s a part of the “Ready, Set, Go” system.

“Ready” means the water is 12 inches below the top of the dam, and people should be ready with a “go” bag.

Sue Elenbaas is all packed.

“In my big bag, I’ve got two sets of clothing. I have my medication,” she said.

Consumers Energy tells Local 4 they are monitoring the situation and may proactively shut off power in parts of the area.

“If there is a breach or a failure and a rush of water, obviously for safety reasons, the power will be shut off,” Jeremy Runstrom, the Emergency Management Director in Cheboygan County, said Tuesday night.

“I would hate to see a dam breach, especially one that holds as much water behind this one, because this is gonna cause massive damage,” Romanow said. “I don’t care what they say.”

The sheriff’s office says anyone in the area should be signed up for emergency alerts.

People can also call 211 to be connected with nearby shelter resources.

The 18-year-old attacker fired randomly inside a vocational high school in Siverek, Sanliurfa province. He later killed himself with the same shotgun after being “cornered by police,” Gov. Hasan Sildak said.

The attack wounded 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee and a police officer, Sildak said. While most of them were being treated in Siverek, five of the teachers and students were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital because their conditions were more serious, the governor said.

The motive for the attack was unclear. School shootings are rare in Turkey.

The attacker did not have a criminal record, Sildak said. The school had been declared safe and no permanent police officer was assigned to protect it, he added, calling the shooting an “isolated incident.”

NTV television and other media reports said the assailant had threatened an attack on the school on social media prior to the shooting.

One student told the state-run Anadolu Agency that he and a friend jumped out of their classroom window to flee the attacker.

“He suddenly entered the classroom and fired. He fired four or five times. Two people were hit. He then went into the next classroom,” Anadolu quoted Omer Furkan Sayar as saying. “We first threw ourselves to the ground and then two of us jumped out of the window.”

Sayar continued: “He didn't say anything, he entered and started to shoot directly.”

Earlier, media reports said all students were evacuated and police special operations units were deployed after the assailant refused to surrender.

“The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself," Sildak told reporters, adding that a “comprehensive” investigation into the shooting would be carried out.

Video footage showed dozens of students running out of the school toward the gate and onto the street.

In a statement after the two-hour session ended, the State Department praised the two sides for what it called “productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.” Hezbollah opposed the direct talks and was not represented, appearing to step up its fire on northern Israel as the discussions began.

“The United States affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,” the State Department said.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter hailed what he called a convergence of opinion about removing Hezbollah’s influence from Lebanon, saying he was encouraged by a “wonderful exchange."

“The Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah," he said. "Iran has been weakened. Hezbollah is dramatically weakened. This is an opportunity.”

Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad “reaffirmed the urgent need” for an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, “underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty.” She also called for a ceasefire, the return of displaced people to their homes, and “concrete measures to address and alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis” resulting from the conflict.

Despite Hezbollah’s outright rejection, the talks are a major step for two countries with no diplomatic relations that have been officially at war since Israel’s inception in 1948. The latest round of fighting was sparked by Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel on March 2, days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Hezbollah’s key ally and patron.

Hezbollah pushes back as Lebanese government hopes for end to war

As the talks began, Rubio said the Trump administration was “very happy” to facilitate but noted that “we understand we’re working against decades of history and complexities” that will not be quickly resolved.

“But we can begin to move forward with a framework where something can happen — something very positive, something very permanent — so that the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear,” Rubio said.

The Lebanese government hopes the talks will help pave the way to an end to the war. While Iran has set ending the wars in Lebanon and the region as a condition for talks with the U.S., Lebanon insists on representing itself.

Hezbollah and other critics say Lebanon’s government lacks leverage and that it should back Iran’s position. Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of the militant group’s political council, told The Associated Press that the group will not abide by any agreements made during the talks.

On the day of the discussions, incoming fire triggered nonstop drone and rocket alert sirens in Israeli communities near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah, so far on Tuesday, has claimed 24 attacks on northern Israel and on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

At least 2,124 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the Health Ministry said, including hundreds of women and children. More than 1 million people are displaced. The deadliest day of the war took place last week, when Israel launched 100 airstrikes across Lebanon in 10 minutes, including in the heart of the capital, killing over 350 people.

The Israeli military has invaded southern Lebanon, a move some Israeli officials have said aims to create a “security zone” from the border to the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) to the north.

Israel’s defense minister says hundreds of thousands of people uprooted from southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return home until the area is demilitarized and Israel believes its northern communities are safe. Hezbollah, though weakened in its last war with Israel that ended in November 2024, still fires drones, rockets and artillery daily into northern Israel and on ground troops inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah enjoys wide influence in Beirut’s southern suburbs, as well as large swaths of the country’s southern and eastern provinces. Hezbollah-allied politicians hold two Cabinet minister positions, though the group’s ties have soured with Lebanon’s top political authorities, who have been critical of Hezbollah’s decision to enter the war last month and who have since criminalized the group’s military activities in the country.

First Israel-Lebanon talks in more than 30 years

The talks are the first between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. Both countries have relied on indirect communication, often brokered by the United States or UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s top political authorities, critical of Hezbollah’s decision to fire rockets toward Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, quickly proposed direct talks in a bid to stop the escalation, hoping that Israel would not launch its ground invasion.

Israel did not respond positively until last week, after its deadly bombardment hit several crowded commercial and residential areas in Beirut, sparking an international outcry and triggering threats by Iran that it would end the ceasefire with the United States and Israel.

Lebanese officials have pushed for a truce, which Israel has ruled out. Israel has, however, halted strikes on Lebanon's capital following the bombardment.

“Israel’s destruction of Lebanese territories is not the solution, nor will it yield any results,” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday. He came to power vowing to disarm non-state groups, including Hezbollah. “Diplomatic solutions have consistently proven to be the most effective means of resolving armed conflicts globally.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday denied having disputes with Lebanon and said, “The problem is Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah wants a return to the 2024 agreement under which talks were conducted indirectly with the U.S., France and UNIFIL as mediators.

___

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations and Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo contributed to this report.

Duran, who has spoken about his past struggles with mental health, said a fan made a personal comment that crossed the line.

“Somebody just told me to kill myself,” Duran said. “I’m used to it at this point, you know? I mean, (expletive) happens. I mean, I’m gonna flip somebody off if they say something to me, but it is what it is. I shouldn’t react like that, but that kind of stuff is still kind of triggering.”

Duran discussed bouts with severe depression and a suicide attempt in a Netflix series that debuted last year.

“Honestly, it’s my fault for talking about my mental health because I kind of brought in the haters. So I've just got to get used to it,” Duran said. “I was just trying to hold it in and not really bring that up to the team. I mean, we’re trying to win a game. I shouldn’t even bring that up to anybody. ... It just happens.”

Boston manager Alex Cora said he didn't witness the incident and hadn't reviewed video of it.

___

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

Police in the Salt Lake City suburbs of Draper City and West Jordan have been investigating claims of domestic violence in 2024 and this February from Paul's ex-partner Dakota Mortensen, the father of her 2-year-old son. Paul has also made allegations against Mortensen, but those were not addressed in the documents.

Any new charges against Paul would have violated her probation, which stemmed from a 2023 assault on Mortensen.

The pair has filed dueling petitions for protective orders against one another that will be the subject of an upcoming hearing.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the national domestic violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233 in the U.S.

___

“Several incidents that were submitted do not rise to the level of criminal offenses. The remaining incidents lack sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges,” Breanne Miller, a lawyer in the district attorney's Family Protection Unit, wrote in a memo explaining that Paul would not be charged.

She noted that some reported incidents occurred more than three years ago and fell outside the legal time frame for review.

The decline in charges does not have a direct effect on Mortensen’s protective order against Paul, which has been temporarily granted and could become long-term at an April 30 hearing. But the lack of prosecution could help Paul and her lawyers make her case to a court commissioner who at an earlier hearing ordered that she could have visits with her son only if they were supervised.

Eric Swinyard, a lawyer for Paul, argued at an April 7 hearing that Mortensen was the aggressor in a February fight that the lawyer called “the truck tussle.”

Mortensen said in his request for a protective order that Paul threw a drink at him as they argued in a truck to not wake children who were sleeping inside Paul’s home. But Swinyard said Mortensen slammed Paul’s head into the dashboard and punched her in the leg, and provided photos she took of her bruises.

A different fight between the couple in 2023 prompted ABC to make the unprecedented move of shelving an already-filmed season of “The Bachelorette” after video of the altercation leaked last month.

In the video, Paul appeared to punch, kick and throw chairs at Mortensen while her young daughter watched and cried. Paul was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty to an assault charge, which will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if Paul stays out of legal trouble for a three-year probationary period that ends in August. The other counts were dismissed.

Eleven fights between Paul and Mortensen were under examination in their protective order requests.

A court-appointed attorney for their son, Ever, said another video from May of last year shows Paul pushing Mortensen and shouting at him to get out of her house while he is holding the boy. The lawyer, Michael McDonald, said at the April 7 hearing, “that makes me very nervous about her ability to control herself.”

Paul’s attorney said Mortensen deliberately created the situation by holding their child as a “human shield.” Mortensen's attorney, Daniela Diaz, argued that Paul uses their son “as a pawn to start fights.”

The couple’s fiery relationship was heavily featured on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” from its 2024 debut, and it was central to Paul becoming a reality star. The series premiere featured police body camera footage of her 2023 arrest.

___

Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

“How do I check that it’s not a hoax?” said Ari Hodara, 58, after organizers called him following the draw at Christie’s auction house in the French capital.

Hodara described himself as an art amateur fond of Picasso and said he bought his ticket over the weekend after finding out about the charity raffle by chance during a meal in a restaurant.

“First, I will tell the news to my wife, who has yet to return from work,” said Hodara, a sales engineer. “And at first, I think I’ll take advantage of it and keep it.”

The third iteration of the “1 Picasso for 100 euros” lottery was for Picasso’s “Head of a Woman,” a portrait of Picasso’s longtime muse and partner Dora Maar. The gouache-on-paper was painted by the artist in 1941.

The online draw offered the chance to win a $1 million portrait by the Spanish artist in aid of Alzheimer’s research.

Organizers said all 120,000 tickets were sold worldwide, netting 12 million euros ($14 million). Of that, 1 million euros will be paid to the Opera Gallery, an international art dealership that owned the painting.

Gilles Dyan, the gallery founder, said he offered a preferential price for the painting, with the public price at 1.45 million euros.

The first raffle in 2013 saw a Pennsylvania man who worked at a fire-sprinkler business win “Man in the Opera Hat,” which the Spanish master painted in 1914 during his Cubist period.

The oil-on-canvas “Still Life” was raffled off in 2020 and won by Claudia Borgogno, an accountant in Italy whose son bought her the ticket as a Christmas present.

Painted in 1921, that painting was purchased for the raffle from billionaire art collector David Nahmad, who argued in an interview with The Associated Press that Picasso would have approved of his work being raffled. Picasso died in 1973.

The Alzheimer Research Foundation, the charity raffle’s organizer, is based in one of Paris’ leading public hospitals and says it has become France’s leading private financier of Alzheimer-related medical research since its founding in 2004.

Organizers said the two previous Picasso raffles raised a total of more than 10 million euros for cultural work in Lebanon and water and hygiene programs in Africa.

Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in regulation to send the game to OT.

Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.

The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.

Ball's driving layup put the Hornets up by five with 26 seconds left in OT. But he made two critical mistakes after that.

Tyler Herro, who scored 23 points for Miami, hit a twisting, corner 3, and Ball then turned the ball over in the backcourt and fouled Herro on a 3-point shot. Herro made all three free throws to give Miami a 126-125 lead with 8.7 seconds left.

After a timeout, Ball drove the right side of the lane and made a leaning, right-handed layup to give Charlotte the lead. Miami, without any timeouts, pushed the ball up the court and Bridges chased down Mitchell to block his layup attempt, setting off a frenzied celebration.

Ball flexed at midcourt as players mobbed each other.

Despite the loss of Adebayo, the Heat remained in control until late in the third quarter, when White banked in a 3-pointer and then added another 3 at the top of the key as part of a 10-0 Charlotte run.

White, acquired in a midseason trade with Chicago, drained another 3 in the closing seconds of the third quarter to give Charlotte a 89-83 lead.

The Heat then built a 102-95 lead in the fourth quarter behind two 3s from Wiggins.

The Hornets tied it when White caught an inbounds pass and made a unbalanced 3 from the corner. Herro had a chance to win it in regulation but hit the back iron on a 3-point try.

___

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

Authorities emphasized on Tuesday (April 14) that the situation is unrelated to current operations at the Cheboygan Dam and Lock.

--> Dam failure fears grow in Cheboygan as water levels surge, evacuations begin

Residents in affected zones are urged to leave their homes and travel south of the city of Cheboygan as quickly as possible. First responders are actively assisting with evacuation efforts.

The evacuation area includes the U.S. 23 shoreline from approximately Pries Landing south to the Cheboygan River, extending to Lincoln Street, then along Court Street to Levering Road and Inverness Trail, and back to the U.S. 23 shoreline.

Emergency officials asked residents to place a towel or other visible fabric on their door handle, facing the road, when evacuating, to signal that the home has been cleared.

Those unable to evacuate are instructed to call 911 for assistance.

No additional details were immediately available.

Previous report:

The progressive Mexican leader has walked a careful line with Trump for more than a year, addressing provocations with a measured tone and meeting U.S. requests to crack down on criminal cartels more so than her predecessors, in an effort to offset threats of tariffs and U.S. military action against the gangs.

But in the wake of mounting deaths of Mexican citizens in custody of immigration officials and the Trump administration’s decision to impose an energy blockade on Cuba — a key Mexican ally — Sheinbaum has taken a harder line.

“We’ve seen the president raise her tone,” said Palmira Tapia, an analyst for Mexico’s Center for Economic Research and Teaching. “There’s been a shift, and we’ve seen Sheinbaum be more vocal than before.”

Deaths in ICE custody

Sheinbaum's latest rebuke came on Tuesday, a day after 49-year-old Mexican citizen Alejandro Cabrera Clemente died in a detention center in Louisiana of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, the fifteenth death of a Mexican citizen in U.S. custody in little over a year.

Mexico's government quickly called the deaths “unacceptable” and the ICE detention centers "incompatible with human rights standards and the protection of life.”

During a Tuesday press briefing Sheinbaum added that she requested investigations into the deaths of the 15 migrants, and instructed Mexican consulates to visit detention centers daily.

She said her government would raise the deaths in detention centers to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and was considering appealing to the United Nations. Her government already said it would support lawsuits in the U.S. filed by detainees over poor conditions.

“We are going to defend Mexicans at every level,” Sheinbaum said, adding that “there are many Mexicans whose only crime is not having papers.”

The moves by Sheinbaum's government come on top of mounting disapproval in the U.S. of Trump's immigration enforcement. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump has “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into American cities, according to a February AP-NORC poll.

“Growing dissatisfaction around ICE activities in the United States creates a more comfortable platform for members of the Mexican government to raise concerns about the fate of Mexican citizens,” said Carin Zissis, vice president of content strategy for the Council of the Americas.

A ‘cool head’

Sheinbaum has maintained what she has described as a “cool head” to provocations by Trump, who has exerted more pressure on Latin America than any U.S. leader in decades. In just a few months, the Trump administration deposed Venezuela's president, imposed an oil blockade on Cuba and threatened military intervention against Mexican cartels.

She has to balance maintaining a strong relationship with Trump while repeatedly stressing Mexico's sovereignty to appease her own base. Her measured responses resemble that of a lawyer rather than the head of Mexico’s most powerful populist political movement.

Her government has come down harder on cartels than her predecessor and bolstered trade relations ahead of renegotiations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, free trade agreement.

While Trump has taken public jabs at Sheinbaum — at one point suggesting cartels have greater control over Mexico than her government — he's also regularly made nods to their amicable relationship.

“She is really a nice person, I like her a lot,” he said last month, proceeding to imitate the Mexican leader in a high voice.

Divide over Cuba

But shifting geopolitics in the region, and the mounting deaths in ICE facilities, have also opened the door for Sheinbaum to take a firmer stance.

The main point of contention between the two governments has been Cuba. Solidarity with the U.S. adversary has been a cornerstone of Mexico’s political ethos since the Cuban revolution, which Fidel Castro, Ernesto “Che” Guevara and a group of exiles famously planned while in Mexico City. It's a particular sticking point with her progressive Morena party, whose founder ushered Sheinbaum into office.

The relationship hit a hurdle in late January, when Trump announced he would slap tariffs on any country that sends oil to Cuba. The move directly impacted Mexico, which for years has shipped oil to Cuba.

While Sheinbaum reluctantly paused oil shipments to Cuba, she has continued to challenge the Trump administration's push for regime change.

“Mexico has every right to send fuel, whether for humanitarian or commercial reasons,” Sheinbaum said earlier this week.

She has described Trump's energy blockade of Cuba as “unjust” and accused the U.S. government of “suffocating” Cubans with sanctions. The Mexican leader has sent shipments of food and other aid, and even donated $1,000 of her own money to relief efforts in a symbolic gesture.

“This is a Rubicon issue for her," said Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican ambassador to the U.S.

Even then, the moves by the Mexican leader have raised eyebrows in Washington.

Sheinbaum recently announced that her country would continue to have Cuban doctors work in the country, diverging from other nations in Central America and the Caribbean that have ended their programs in the face of U.S. pressure.

It was met with veiled threats from the Trump administration, which pointed to visa restrictions imposed on Central American officials with ties to what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to as a “forced labor scheme.”

The White House offered no comment on Tuesday about Sheinbaum's tougher stances, nor did it comment on the rising number of deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody.

Greater leverage

Sheinbaum's recently bolder tone suggests a calculation that her administration can push back on some politically important fronts as long as they also are making progress on strengthening trade and meeting Trump administration requests on security and migration, Zissis said.

At the same time, surging energy prices due to the Iran war have made the U.S. more dependent on allies in Mexico, she and other analysts said, prompting Washington to walk back from any drastic moves against Mexican cartels or Cuba, at least in the short term.

”We’re at a moment where, due to global events, we’re facing different economic uncertainties. That gives the U.S. and Mexico more reason to work together," she said.

At the same time, former Mexican ambassador Sarukhan said that Sheinbaum will have to be careful not to put at risk upcoming USMCA renegotiations, for which her government has made painstaking efforts to build a strong foundation.

"What’s going to be interesting going forward is whether she can continue to have her cake and eat it too,” Sarukhan said.

——

Weissert reported from Washington D.C.

With Pakistan racing to bring the sides together for more talks, U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round “could be happening over the next two days.” The first round ended without an agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which the White House says is a sticking point.

Neither side has indicated what will happen after the ceasefire expires on April 22.

Lebanon and Israel opened their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington, as fierce fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah militants rocks southern Lebanon. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part, joining the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. Hezbollah opposes the direct talks and won’t abide by any agreements made as a result, a high-ranking member of its political council told The Associated Press.

Here is the latest:

US military says it has achieved ‘maritime superiority’ in the Middle East

The blockade on Iranian ports had been “fully implemented” within 36 hours of its launch, according to a social media post by the U.S. Central Command late Monday.

The statement quoted CENTCOM head Brad Cooper as saying the U.S. had halted all sea trade going in and out of Iran.

Trump says the Iran war ‘is very close to over’

In clips showing excerpts of an interview he taped with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” Trump says of the Iran war, “I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over.”

He adds, “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”

Trump has declared a U.S. victory in Iran repeatedly since mere days after the war started — even as the reality on the ground has been far more complicated.

The full interview is set to air starting Wednesday morning.

US military will operate blockade in Gulf of Oman, AP source says

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, explained that the strategy is to observe vessels subject to the blockade leave Iranian facilities and clear the Strait of Hormuz before intercepting them and forcing them to turn around.

The official said that the military relies on more than just automated tracking beacons that all merchant ships are required to carry called AIS to determine merchant ships were coming from a port in Iran but wouldn’t go into more detail, citing the need for operational security.

The official also wouldn’t go into what the military would do should they need to board and capture a ship.

— Konstantin Toropin

Vance says American conservatives are missing Charlie Kirk’s voice in Iran debate

The vice president credited the late conservative activist with being the glue within the Republican Party on divisive issues.

“Charlie would be the guy who was talking to the people who really wanted to go to war with Iran, and the people who really didn’t want to go to war with Iran,” said Vance, speaking at an event in Georgia hosted by Turning Point USA, the group Kirk found. “And he would try to find ways for those guys to work together, even if they disagreed over one issue, right. And so Charlie’s absence is a huge thing.”

Kirk was assassinated in September during a Turning Point USA event at a Utah university.

Kirk had raised concerns last year as Trump was weighing U.S. involvement as Israel launched what would turn into a 12-day war on Iran. The conservative activist made the case that direct U.S. involvement in the conflict could be seen as a betrayal to some members of Trump’s coalition and cause a schism in MAGA world.

Trump ultimately decided to launch limited strikes that badly damaged three Iranian nuclear facilities during that conflict.

Vance acknowledges that ‘a lot’ of young voters ‘don’t love’ Iran war

“A lot of young voters don’t love the policy we have in the Middle East. I understand that,” Vance said.

But, rather than offering a full-throated defense for the war, the vice president urged conservative activists who disagree with the Trump administration on top issues to avoid becoming “disengaged.”

Vance said Trump is pushing to make sure Iran never has a nuclear weapon, but added, “I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue.”

“What I’m saying is, don’t get disengaged because you disagree with the administration on one issue,” Vance said.

He added of conservatives staying united, “that’s ultimately how we take the country back.”

Vance says Trump wants a ‘grand bargain’ reached with Iran

Addressing a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, the vice president discussed the 20-plus hours of negotiations with Iran where he lead the U.S. delegation. He said that Trump “doesn’t want to make, like, a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain.”

Vance added, “That’s the trade that he’s offering,” and that Trump is telling Iran, “If you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive.”

“We’re going to make it economically prosperous, and we’re going to invite the Iranian people into the world economy in a way they haven’t been in my entire life,” the vice president said.

Pakistani official says government will ‘keep at it’

Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press that “our leadership is not giving up” on its efforts to help the U.S. and Iran negotiate. He noted the talks marked the first direct discussion between the two in nearly 50 years.

“We would very much like to see if we can continue to pursue the dialogue,” he added, speaking on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. “We’ll keep at it, and our leadership is at it.”

Aurangzeb said he also this week met with U.S. officials including Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to discuss trade and finance concerns. He plans to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday.

Treasury says US will not renew Iranian oil sanctions waiver

The Treasury Department says “the short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea is set to expire in a few days and will not be renewed,” in a post on X.

The administration allowed for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil already in transport before March 20, and would last through April 19.

Additionally, the administration allowed a waiver on Russian oil at sea to expire on Saturday.

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 6 more Palestinians, health officials say

The Israeli drone strike on a group of people in Gaza City brought the total number of Palestinians killed Tuesday to 11, according to health officials at Shifa hospital.

The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas militants in the area.

Separate Israeli strikes earlier Tuesday killed two children, including a 3-year-old, and three adults, an official at the hospital said.

Deadly airstrikes are a near-daily threat in Gaza, where more than 750 Palestinians have been killed by Israel despite a ceasefire with Hamas since October, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Lebanon praises first talks with Israel in decades as ‘constructive,’ calls for ceasefire

Lebanon’s top envoy to the U.S. says the first high-level diplomatic engagement between her country and Israel was “constructive,” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants that has displaced thousands of Lebanese.

After participating in Tuesday’s talks with Rubio and Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Nada Hamadeh Moawad said she had “underscored the need to preserve our territorial integrity and state sovereignty” during the two-hour discussion.

“I called for a ceasefire and the return of displaced persons to their homes,” she said in brief comments released by the Lebanese embassy in Washington.

US could sanction Chinese and Arab banks for doing business with Iran

The U.S. Department of the Treasury sent a letter, viewed by The Associated Press, to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, warning about the risks of doing business with Iran. The Treasury Department threatened secondary sanctions against the nations’ banks and accused those countries of allowing Iranian illicit activities to flow through their financial institutions.

The letter states that Iran processed at least $9 billion through U.S. correspondent accounts in 2024 using a series of front companies, most notably in Hong Kong and the UAE.

The Treasury Department’s account on the social platform X posted on Tuesday that financial institutions “should be on notice that the department is leveraging the full range of available tools and authorities and is prepared to deploy secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that continue to support Iran’s activities.”

Ships near Strait of Hormuz alter signaled destinations on first full day of US blockade

A Malawi-flagged oil tanker entering the Strait of Hormuz revised the destination it was broadcasting over its tracking system on Tuesday, according to maritime data. The Rich Starry was the only ship that shipping data firms and maritime analytics trackers reported as entering the blockaded waterway.

On Monday morning, it listed Sohar, Oman, a port just south of the strait, as its destination. By evening, it was broadcasting no destination, according to MarineTraffic, a maritime analytics provider.

The Rich Starry was among several tankers to change their reported destinations. So-called “shadow fleet” ships like the vessel sometimes fly flags of landlocked countries and alter signals or transmit false positions, including to evade sanctions on Iran. Other ships also adjusted their signals to avoid listing Iranian ports, according to shipping publication Lloyd’s List.

U.S. Central Command said no ships transited the strait on Tuesday and did not respond to questions about the shadow fleet vessels.

US says first Israel-Lebanon talks ‘productive,’ will continue with aim of launching formal negotiations

The State Department says the first high-level meeting between Israel and Lebanon in decades was “productive” and will continue with the aim of launching direct negotiations.

In a statement released after the two-hour session in Washington between Rubio and the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon to the United States, the department said, “All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.”

Israel has been fighting Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and demands that the group, which opposed the talks and was not represented, be disarmed.

It’s time for Lebanon and Israel to work together, UN chief says

Guterres said Tuesday’s first Israeli-Lebanese meeting in decades will be very important if the talks create a change in their actions.

“The truth is that Hezbollah and Israel have always helped each other to destabilize the government of Lebanon,” the secretary-general told U.N. reporters Tuesday while the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel were meeting in Washington with Rubio.

Whenever Israel occupies part of Lebanon, Hezbollah uses it as a pretext to say it can’t disarm and must keep up the resistance, Guterres said, and Israel uses Hezbollah rocket attacks into its territory as a pretext for massive operations against Lebanon.

Lebanon’s government is committed to having the monopoly on the use of force, which implies the disarmament of Hezbollah, Guterres said. “So, it’s time for Israel and Lebanon to be working together instead of Lebanon being the victim” of the negative actions of Hezbollah and Israel.

There needs to be a ‘complete’ separation between Lebanon and Iran, Israeli envoy says

Leiter, who was the only diplomat to come out and speak after the talks, described the meeting among the U.S., Israel and Lebanon in an extremely positive tone despite Rubio earlier describing the gathering as part of a longer “process.”

The ambassador highlighted several areas of consensus while making it clear that Israel needs to see Lebanon “completely” separate itself from Tehran and its proxy Hezbollah.

“The Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah and Iran has been weakened; Hezbollah is dramatically weakened,” Leiter said. “This is an opportunity.”

Second round of talks has not been scheduled, official says

A U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tuesday that future talks with Iran are under discussion, but no talks have been scheduled at this time.

Israeli ambassador says Israel and Lebanon are ‘on the same side of the equation’ after DC talks

In a statement to reporters Tuesday after the historic talks, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter praised his Lebanese counterparts for their cooperation in the meeting in Washington despite pressure from Hezbollah not to.

“We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with,” Leiter said. “We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.”

Israel and the Western-backed Lebanese army have both been unable to forcibly disarm Hezbollah.

The talks between envoys from longtime adversaries began at 11 a.m. EDT and lasted for two hours.

399 US troops have been wounded in the Iran war

The formal injury count, provided by Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, says three service members have been seriously wounded.

Central Command said two weeks ago in a previous update that 348 troops were wounded, six of them seriously. However, the military command does not provide any further details about the wounded, so it’s unclear whether anyone’s status improves or worsens.

Hawkins says of the total wounded to date, 354 service members have returned to duty.

Since the Iran war began, 13 U.S. service members have been killed in combat.

UN chief says it is 'highly probable’ that US-Iran talks will restart

Guterres said this was the indication he had after a phone call on Tuesday with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, who is also the country’s foreign minister.

The U.N. secretary-general expressed “enormous admiration” for Pakistan’s initiative to bring peace to the Middle East.

“I consider it essential that these negotiations go on,” Guterres told U.N. reporters, explaining that it would be “unrealistic” for long-lasting and complex problems between the U.S. and Iran to be resolved in a first negotiating session.

“We need negotiations to go on, and we need a ceasefire to persist as negotiations go on,” he said.

UN chief says international law is ‘being trampled’ — especially in the Middle East

Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday that violations of international law are fueling instability and mistrust. Speaking to reporters at the U.N. headquarters, he urged renewed U.S.-Iran talks and respect for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The secretary-general said he will travel to The Hague, Netherlands, later this week to mark the 80th anniversary of the International Court of Justice, the U.N.’s highest tribunal, and send “a message that in a world moving toward greater fragmentation and sharper power competition, international law is indispensable.”

US State Department issues $10 million reward for Iraqi militia leader

The bounty was placed on Ahmad al-Hamidawi, secretary-general of the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah. In a post on X, in which it published al-Hamidawi’s photograph, the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program wrote that the group was “responsible for attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, the kidnapping of U.S. citizens, and the killing of innocent Iraqi civilians.”

Last month, Kataib Hezbollah kidnapped an American journalist, Shelly Kittleson, in Baghdad, but released her several days later on condition that she leave the country. Officials with the group at the time told The Associated Press that in exchange, the Iraqi government would release several members of the militia who had been previously detained.

Kataib Hezbollah is allied with Lebanon’s Hezbollah but they are two entirely different groups with different leaders.

Trump says talks with Iran could resume this week

In a phone call with The New York Post, Trump said a second round of talks with Iran “could be happening over next two days.”

Trump initially told the newspaper they would likely be held somewhere in Europe but later updated that they could be held again in Pakistan’s capital.

An initial round of talks ended without an agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which the White House says is a central sticking point.

US military claims blockade success

The U.S. military claims that it has successfully begun to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports, though at least one ship with apparent ties to Tehran has transited the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that “during the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.”

While some tankers approaching the strait on Monday did turn around shortly after the blockade took effect, the tanker Rich Starry reversed course again and transited the waterway early Tuesday.

Rubio says Israel-Lebanon talks are a process but doesn’t expect an immediate agreement

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that historic Israel-Lebanon peace talks the U.S. is mediating are a “process, not an event,” downplaying expectations for any immediate or significant agreement.

Meeting at the State Department with the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon to the United States, along with the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Rubio said the Trump administration is “very happy” to be facilitating the discussions.

“This is a historic opportunity,” he said. “We understand we’re working against decades of history and complexities” that will not be quickly resolved.

Israeli fire kills 5 Palestinians in Gaza, hospital officials say

Among the killed are a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old in the two separate strikes in northern Gaza and Gaza City on Tuesday, according to a health official at Shifa hospital, where the casualties arrived.

The Israeli military said it was looking into it.

The first strike on a police vehicle in Gaza City killed four, including the 3-year-old who was standing nearby, and another in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza killed the 15-year-old, the hospital and the families said.

“What was this little kid’s fault? He was walking in the street,” said Samia al-Malahi, the grandmother of the 3-year-old.

The Gaza Strip has seen near-daily Israeli fire and strikes since a fragile ceasefire was reached in October, and more than 750 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

The audience at CinemaCon got previews of J.J. Abrams' original science fiction thriller “The Great Beyond,” with Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega, Cruise with a potbelly in “Digger,” the Owens sisters in “Practical Magic 2,” Milly Alcock’s “Supergirl” in an intergalactic fight and the first seven minutes of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three.”

Villeneuve said this third film is a “thriller” that is “more intense and definitely more emotional” than the previous films, while Chalamet spoke about how his character has become his worst vision 17 years after “Part Two.”

The studio saved “Dune: Part Three” for the epic finale, but there were highlights throughout the nearly two and a half hour showcase.

Bullock even got Kidman to say her iconic AMC Theaters line, “we come to this place for magic,” which she reluctantly did to much applause in the room of exhibitors.

“I didn’t think anyone would clap,” Kidman said with a laugh.

The two reunite for the “Practical Magic” sequel, which opens in September.

Earlier in the presentation, Cruise also got a big reception from the audience in a rare standing ovation as a devoted and vocal advocate of the big screen experience. This time he doesn’t have a “Top Gun” or a “Mission: Impossible,” but a boisterous satire in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Digger,” opening in October.

“The movie is wild. It’s funny,” said Cruise.

Iñárritu called Cruise’s performance “a high-wire act.”

“We know that he’s fearless — the stunts, the planes, the jumps — but I have to say embodying this character, this is another kind of fearless,” Iñárritu said. “This role could possibly be the most challenging.”

‘Originality is not risky’

Pam Abdy and Mike DeLuca, the co-chairs and CEOs of the studio’s motion picture group, kicked off the presentation reflecting on their successes since coming into the job in 2022 and their vision for the future with a mix of franchises and original films.

The studio is coming off a banner year, with over $4.4 billion in global box office with hits like “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie” and “Weapons,” and multiple Oscar wins, including best picture and best director for “One Battle After Another” as well as best actor for Michael B. Jordan.

“Originality is not risky,” DeLuca said. “Derivative sameness is.”

Abdy noted that not everything is going to work, either, but that just comes with taking big swings. One thing they’re especially optimistic about is Generation Alpha’s enthusiasm for the movie theater experience.

“We are at a crucial, critical moment in time with this audience,” Abdy said. “The Letterboxd generation is only growing.”

They announced that Warner Bros. will be releasing Sean Baker’s follow-up to “Anora,” “TI AMO!” under their new label Clockwork next year.

There was also a breakneck video rundown of their 2027 releases, with stars and filmmakers getting about 30 seconds each, often from set, to tease their films: Margot Robbie on her “Ocean’s” prequel set in 1962; Keanu Reeves, floating in the water in the Dominican Republic, on getting eaten by sharks in “Shiver”; Gollum being, well, Gollum; and Nancy Meyers on the set of her romantic comedy that she called “a bit of a love letter to the world of making movies.”

The Paramount question

This year is not just business as usual, with its pending acquisition by another legacy studio, Paramount, looming.

Both Villeneuve and Abrams were among the over 1,000 signers of an open letter published Monday to a website called BlocktheMerger.com. Some attendees at the convention have also been wearing #blockthemerger pins as well.

Nothing was discussed from the stage Tuesday. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav did not make an appearance during the program either. But it's something that's on the minds of many at the convention.

Greg Marcus, whose company's Marcus Theaters is the fourth largest theater circuit in the United States with 78 locations in 17 states told The Associated Press on Monday that he was concerned as well for what it means for moviegoers and the price of tickets.

“The concentration of power at the studio level has allowed them to raise the cost of going to the movies to the consumer quite significantly,” Marcus said. “Our margins are no better. We’re not making more money. And yet the cost to the consumer has far outpaced inflation.”

Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the movie theater trade organization, reiterated his group’s opposition to the merger Tuesday morning.

“Consolidation results in fewer films being produced for movie theaters,” he said. “We believe this transaction will be harmful to exhibition, consumers and the entire industry.”

O'Leary told reporters that the decision is in the hands of regulators now.

Not everyone in the business of making and releasing movies is opposed to a Paramount-owned Warner Bros. James Cameron is, in fact, a supporter. He also publicly opposed the idea of a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. because of the possible implications for theaters. But he doesn't have the same fears with Paramount.

Speaking to the AP last week on behalf of the upcoming big screen concert film “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” which is being released by Paramount, Cameron said “I’m a supporter of it. I know it’s controversial.”

Cameron worked with Paramount Skydance chair and CEO David Ellison closely on “Terminator: Dark Fate.” Ellison has promised to grow the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. slates to some 30 theatrical releases a year.

“I know David quite well. And I know that he really cares about movies. And he’s a natural born storyteller and thinks like almost an old school entrepreneurial producer that was a storyteller that loves storytelling and loved putting on spectacular shows,” Cameron said. “He’s the right man for the job to run a major studio, and now it looks like he’s going to have two of them, you know, swept under his leadership, which doesn’t bother me at all.”

Daniel Moreno-Gama made his first court appearance on state charges with disheveled hair and wearing an orange jail uniform. The 20-year-old, whose attorney said is autistic, kept his gaze down during the brief hearing and softly answered “yes” when asked by a judge whether he agreed to continue his arraignment. San Francisco Judge Kenneth Wine ordered him held without bail and set his arraignment for May 5.

Authorities say Moreno-Gama, of Spring, Texas, hurled the incendiary device at Altman’s home Friday, setting an exterior gate on fire before fleeing on foot. Less than an hour later, Moreno-Gama went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away and threatened to burn down the building, they said. They said he traveled to the city from Texas.

No one was injured at Altman’s home or the company's offices. San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward called the case a “property crime, at best,” and said that prosecutors are pursuing higher charges to curry favor for Altman. Moreno-Gama also faces federal charges.

“It is unfair and is unjust for the San Francisco district attorney and the federal government to fearmonger and to exploit the mental illness of a vulnerable, young man by turning a vandalism case into an attempted murder, life exposure case to gain support of a billionaire, and to get political points at the expense of true justice for everyone involved,” Ward said.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins disputed that he was overcharged, saying Moreno-Gama carried out a “targeted attack on Mr. Altman” and that prosecutors had evidence to back up the charges. She said prosecutors would act the same whether the victim was a “billionaire or a CEO or any average San Franciscan.”

“Regardless of a victim's status, they all deserve justice and they all deserve safety,” she said.

Moreno-Gama’s parents said in a statement he has never harmed anyone and recently began having mental health issues.

“We have been trying our best to address these issues and get him effective treatment, and we are very concerned for his well-being,” they said.

Authorities said Moreno-Gama, who works part-time at a pizzeria and is attending community college, expressed hatred of artificial intelligence in his writings, describing it as a danger to humanity and warning of “impending extinction,” according to court filings.

“This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious,” FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said during a news conference Monday.

Moreno-Gama is charged in California state court with two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson. He tried to kill both Altman and a security guard at Altman’s residence, Jenkins alleged. Officials have not said whether Altman was home at the time, prosecutors said.

Jenkins said the state charges carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.

On Monday morning, FBI agents went to Moreno-Gama’s home in a Houston suburb where they spent several hours before leaving. He has also been charged by federal prosecutors with possession of an unregistered firearm and damage and destruction of property by means of explosives. Those charges carry respective penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison.

“We will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism, and together with our partners, prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said.

The document in which Moreno-Gama discussed his opposition to AI also made threats against Altman and executives at other AI companies, officials said.

“If I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message,” Moreno-Gama wrote, according to authorities.

Advocacy groups that have issued grave warnings about AI’s risks to society condemned the violence.

Anthony Aguirre, president and CEO of the Future of Life Institute, said in a written statement Friday that “violence and intimidation of any kind have no place in the conversation about the future of AI.”

Another group, PauseAI, said in a statement that the suspect had no role in the group but joined its forum on the social media platform Discord about two years ago and posted about 34 messages there, none containing explicit calls to violence but one that was flagged as “ambiguous.”

Discord said Monday that it has banned Moreno-Gama for “off-platform behavior.”

Jury selection started Tuesday in the onetime movie mogul's latest retrial, where jurors will weigh — for the third time — whether he raped hairstylist and Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.

It's a more streamlined proceeding than the array of allegations that were aired at Weinstein’s previous trials in New York and Los Angeles. The Oscar-winning producer denies all the accusations and declared in court this winter that he had “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.”

Still, the retrial is expected to last up to six weeks. Questioned about the length of the proceeding and whether they could be fair and impartial about the much-publicized case, more than 80 people asked to be excused during initial screening Tuesday morning. The day ended with no jurors chosen.

The process is scheduled to resume Wednesday with prospective jurors being questioned individually in private about their knowledge of the case and Weinstein. Wider-ranging questioning in court should follow eventually.

A surprise move from prosecutors

In a surprise move before jury selection began, prosecutors said they had a new piece of evidence — a remark that Weinstein allegedly made to a court officer six years ago.

According to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Candace White, the officer told prosecutors last week that he was present during Weinstein’s February 2020 sexual assault conviction — which was later overturned — and heard Weinstein say: “If you had seen these girls, you would have done the exact same thing.”

Weinstein’s lawyers urged Judge Curtis Farber to keep any mention of the supposed remark out of the upcoming retrial.

“This sounds far-fetched,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, also arguing that it emerged too late.

A subject that was explored in prior trials — a claims fund for women who said Weinstein sexually mistreated them — likely won't come up again. The defense team doesn’t intend to raise the subject, Farber said.

A new defense team

Agnifilo and his partners took on the case in February, when longtime Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala stepped aside from the retrial to focus on the former studio boss’ appeals and civil matters. Both Aidala and Agnifilo are well-known New York defense attorneys, but their litigation styles differ. Aidala is folksy, while Agnifilo is more buttoned-up.

Weinstein wielded significant clout in the entertainment industry, having built his reputation on such critical and popular hits as “Shakespeare in Love,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Chocolat.” He also became a prominent Democratic donor.

Then a series of sexual harassment and sex assault allegations against Weinstein began to emerge in news media in 2017, propelling the #MeToo movement.

He was criminally charged in New York in 2018 and in Los Angeles two years later.

A tangled series of trials

Weinstein went to trial and was convicted of some — but not all — counts in both cases. His initial New York convictions were overturned, spurring a retrial last year.

The retrial verdict was mixed: Weinstein was convicted of forcing oral sex on production assistant and producer Miriam Haley in 2006, but he was acquitted of forcibly performing oral sex on model-turned-psychotherapist Kaja Sokola. The jury didn’t decide on the rape charge involving Mann because the foreperson refused to keep deliberating.

Mann has testified that she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein. But when he cornered her in a Manhattan hotel room where she was staying on a weekend getaway, she protested, “I don’t want to do this,” she told jurors. She said he kept making advances and demands until she “just gave up.”

Weinstein hasn’t testified at any of his trials. His lawyers have contended that he never had non-consensual sex.

At his trials to date, the defense claimed that his accusers accepted his sexual overtures because they wanted his help in show business. The women said Weinstein dangled his Hollywood influence to attract and victimize them.

He's appealing the Los Angeles verdict and is expected to appeal the New York conviction involving Haley. It carries the potential for up to 25 years in prison; no sentencing date has been set.

In this case, the rape charge is a lower-level felony punishable by up to four years behind bars. Weinstein, 73, already has served longer than that.

Weinstein has various health problems and uses a wheelchair. He told the judge in January that his “mental state is collapsing” in New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people without their permission if they say they have been sexually assaulted. Haley, Mann and Sokola agreed to be named.