Tensions were evident as Ukrainian artists stood by a truck that had brought a statue of an origami deer from the war-ravaged eastern front to the Biennale's storied Giardini, or gardens. Just meters (yards) away, a handful of participants in the Russian Pavilion danced to house music played by an Argentine DJ.

At the same time, a group of Palestinians marched through the Giardini wearing the names of artists who have been killed in Gaza. More protests were expected as the preview week continued.

The developments have put pressure on the Biennale’s structure — with 100 national pavilions showing alongside a curated exhibition featuring 110 artists and artist groups — and raised old questions: Is the representation of nations outmoded in a globalized system where artists often operate internationally, and does it give states an undue platform for propaganda?

Divisions shake the Biennale

Marie Helene Pereira, one of the five curators of the main exhibition “In Minor Keys,” said she believes the turmoil surrounding the Biennale shows that "the existence of the nation state within the space of the exhibition’’ is now contested.

“We can see how much that can bring tension, especially in the midst of the political chaos we find our selves,” Pereira said.

Pereira, one of five curators who have taken up the mantle of Koyo Kouoh who died a year ago as she was preparing the exhibition, said that it was “important to be able to rethink structure, rethink institutions, in a way that allows for them to cater more to artists and artmaking.”

That didn’t mean that art should be devoid of politics, she added.

Ahead of its resignation, the jury had said it would not award prizes to countries whose leaders were under investigation by the International Court of Justice, which singled out Russia and Israel.

Some participants welcomed the resignation. Israeli artist Belu-Simion Fainaru said he thought it was “a fair one.”

“I should be treated as an equal artist, and I should not be discriminated because of my race, that I am a Jew, and not because of my nationality or passport. I have to be seen as I am. I am an artist that wants to show my art, and I have the right to be evaluated,” he said standing in front of his installation rooted in the Kabbalah.

The Biennale, he said, should be “a place where you can feel safe to create and do whatever you believe in.”

Giardini on the front lines

Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadryova created “The Origami Deer” to take the place of a nuclear-capable Soviet fighter jet that had long stood in a park in Pokrovsk, in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

Curators of the Ukrainian Pavilion — its third since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion — evacuated the statue from the park in 2024, with the front line just 5 kilometers (3 miles) away.

Co-curator Ksenia Malykh fiercely opposed the Biennale’s decision to allow Russia to open its pavilion, calling it “a false attempt to stay neutral.”

“You can’t stay neutral in these times. You can’t be neutral when people are dying every day because of Russians,’’ Malykh said.

“Nobody is talking about their art,” she added. “They are only talking about the statement that they are here, and I am absolutely sure this was their goal.”

The Russian Pavilion will only be open to visitors during previews that run through Friday and will not be open to the public after the Biennale opens for its 6 ½-month run on Saturday. The pavilion has organized a series of performers for this week, and had an open bar upstairs near a flowering tree.

Curators were not available for interviews.

Russia’s opening cost the Venice Biennale 2 million euros ($2.3 million) in EU funding over three years. The Biennale has defended the decision, saying that any country with relations with Italy was free to open a pavilion, a position that has put it at odds with the government in Rome.

Still, the official catalog had a place-saving entry where the Russian text should have been, noting that Russia’s participation was “under review” at the time of publication.

No jury, no Golden Lions

Without a jury of peers, there will be no Golden Lion for best national pavilion or best participant in the main curated exhibition — a highly prestigious prize has led some to liken the Biennale to the Olympics of art.

Instead, visitors to both the Giardini and Arsenale sites will choose two winners, for best national participant and best main show participant, to be awarded Nov. 22, the closing day of the Biennale.

The Ukrainian artist Malykh said that lack of professionally awarded prizes damaged the Biennale.

“It’s an important moment. If the prize is given by the public... It’s not a professional institution after that,” Malykh said.

The S&P 500 rose 0.9% and was on track to top its all-time high set at the end of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 300 points, or 0.6%, as of 2:06 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was heading toward its own record after climbing 1.1%.

Stocks got a boost after oil prices gave back some of their big jumps from Monday. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 3.7% to $110.19 after briefly topping $115 on Monday, though it’s still well above its roughly $70 price from before the war with Iran.

U.S. military leaders said Tuesday that a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect, even though Iran was blamed for attacks against the United Arab Emirates the day before. The U.S. military is meanwhile trying to force open a path in the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow oil tankers to resume shipments from the Persian Gulf and hopefully bring down the price of crude.

Even with the war ongoing, the U.S. stock market has remained remarkably resilient on its record-setting run. That’s in large part due to the strong profits that U.S. companies have reported for the start of 2026 despite the rise in oil prices since the end of February.

“This has been a ‘why ask why’ market,'” according to Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. “You just have to go with it.”

Even though many risks are still weighing on the market, “investors are looking at earnings” and how much companies are spending on AI data centers and other investments, he said.

DuPont’s stock rallied 7.6% after the chemical giant led another cavalcade of companies reporting better-than-expected profits for the latest quarter.

DuPont said its water technologies business felt some impact from the war due to logistics disruptions in the Middle East. But it nevertheless raised its forecasts for financial results over the full year.

Other winners included American Electric Power Co., which rose 3.1%, and Cummins, which added 2.2%, after they likewise made more money during the first three months of the year than analysts expected.

Pinterest soared 9.2% after the online bulletin board topped Wall Street’s first-quarter sales and profit targets as its number of active monthly users jumped 11% to 631 million.

AB InBev likewise topped analysts’ profit forecasts, and it credited growth for its Corona, Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra brands outside of their home markets. “Cheers to beer,” CEO Michel Doukeris said, as the company’s stock that trades in the United States jumped 9.2%.

They helped offset a drop for Palantir Technologies, which fell 6.6% even though it reported stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its stock has struggled this year with worries about increased competition, like many software companies have. Its stock is also coming off a huge run where it more than doubled in each of the last three years.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe. The CAC 40 rose 1.1% in Paris, but the FTSE 100 fell 1.4% in London. Many Asian markets were closed for holidays, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.2% after the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate to 4.35%, saying conflict in the Middle East had sharply increased fuel and commodity prices that were already adding to inflation.

In the U.S. bond market, Treasury yields eased after oil prices gave back some of Monday’s gains and reports on the U.S. economy came in mixed.

One said that growth for U.S. services businesses unexpectedly decelerated last month, with some companies saying the war is slowing spending. A separate report said U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of March than economists expected, an encouraging signal for the job market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.42% from 4.45% late Monday. That’s still well above its 3.97% level from just before the war began. That rise has made mortgages and other kinds of loans for U.S. households and businesses more expensive.

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AP Writers Chan Ho-him, Matt Ott and Rod McGuirk contributed.

On Tuesday afternoon, powerful Russian glide bombs smashed into the eastern city of Kramatorsk, the southern city of Zaporizhzhia and the northern city of Chernihiv, killing at least 17 civilians and wounding 45 others, officials said.

Attacks the previous night killed five people and wounded 39, according to authorities.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuked Moscow for what he said was its “utter cynicism” in launching the attacks after Russia announced a unilateral ceasefire over two days later this week while it marks the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

“Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”

The Russian Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday, but said that it would strike back at the country, if it tries to disrupt the festivities on Victory Day, which Russia marks annually on May 9.

Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire beginning at the end of Tuesday and would respond in kind to Russia’s actions from that moment on. He didn’t put an end date on the move.

Moscow's proposal to stop fighting follows a familiar pattern of Russia declaring short unilateral ceasefires during the war timed to various holidays, most recently Orthodox Easter. Those suspensions of combat don't produce any tangible results amid deep mistrust between Moscow and Kyiv more than four years after Russia launched an all-out invasion of its neighbor. U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war have come to nothing.

Ukrainian leader expands Gulf cooperation

Zelenskyy was in Bahrain on Tuesday where he met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, proposing a bilateral drone defense partnership amid the Iran war.

The Ukrainian leader said that he offered to share Ukraine’s air defense expertise with Bahrain, drawing a parallel between Iranian attacks on Gulf states and Russia’s daily aerial strikes on Ukrainian territory, which often use Shahed drones initially developed by Iran.

Zelenskyy said last month that Ukrainian officials are helping Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan with drone expertise and air defense.

Ukraine's power grid targeted again

Russian forces fired 11 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 164 strike drones at Ukraine overnight from Monday to Tuesday, including a jet-powered Shahed drone variant, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

Air defense units stopped 149 drones and one missile, but others got through, it said. Two ballistic missiles failed to reach their targets, the air force said without elaborating.

Russia has repeatedly hammered Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. It hit natural gas production facilities in Ukraine’s central Poltava and northeastern Kharkiv regions, state energy company Naftogaz Group said.

Since the start of the year, Naftogaz facilities have come under attack 107 times, the company said.

Zelenskyy said that the Poltava attack was “especially vile,” because Russia launched a second missile at the same target when emergency rescuers were working at the scene.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that Russia’s main targets were energy facilities, oil and gas infrastructure, railways and industrial sites, although the attacks also damaged homes, businesses and the transportation network.

Russia’s ceasefire proposals “remain only statements,” Svyrydenko said.

Russian territory hit by Ukrainian cruise missiles

Ukraine also kept up the pace of its long-range attacks on Russian rear areas, apparently aiming at more oil facilities in an effort to further disrupt Moscow's war economy.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces destroyed 289 Ukrainian drones overnight in 18 Russian regions. Drones were also intercepted over the occupied Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and over the Azov Sea, it said.

During the night, Ukraine launched its F-5 Flamingo cruise missiles at targets, including military-industrial complex facilities in Cheboksary, located more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) away, Zelenskyy said.

The plant supplied navigation components for the Russian navy, the missile industry, aviation and armored vehicles, he said.

The regional health ministry said that a Ukrainian drone attack wounded three people in the city of Cheboksary.

Ukrainian drones also attacked the Kirishi oil refinery in the Leningrad region close to St. Petersburg, sparking a blaze in the town’s industrial zone, regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko said.

Drozdenko said on social media that 29 Ukrainian drones had been shot down during the attack. No casualties were reported.

Ground robot operations

Ukraine doubled its midrange strikes on Russia in April compared with March and quadrupled them compared with February, according to a monthly battlefield report from Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov published Tuesday.

The midrange attacks were focused on enemy warehouses, command posts, air defense systems and supply lines up to about 100 miles (160 kilometers) behind the front line.

Also, Ukrainian ground robots completed 10,281 resupply and evacuation missions in April, an average of almost 343 per day, according to Fedorov.

It wasn't possible to independently confirm the claims.

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

In Ohio Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown is running to reclaim his old job. Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, faces auto-racing engineer and internet personality Casey Putsch for the Republican nomination for governor.

In Indiana President Donald Trump’s push to gerrymander districts across the country hit a snag last year in Indiana when half of the state’s Republican senators sided with Democrats to defeat the plan. Now the president has endorsed primary challengers against seven of those state senators,

Here is the latest:

YouTube provocateur Casey Putsch hopes he’s a spoiler in Ohio governor contest

An engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy,” Putsch is making a long-shot bid for Ohio governor against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

After the last-minute disqualification of another candidate’s ticket, the 44-year-old from northwest Ohio ended up as Ramaswamy’s only primary opponent.

Putsch has attracted fans and critics with his provocative YouTube videos, which often — subtly or overtly — take aim at Ramaswamy’s Indian heritage or Hindu faith.

On the campaign trail, he’s also been critical of President Donald Trump, energy guzzling data centers and national Republicans’ support for Israel and handling of the Epstein files.

How Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is helping Trump go after Republicans

Trump is throwing his name behind Republican challengers to GOP senators who opposed redistricting. But Braun is carrying out much of the work.

After Trump’s pledge last year to rally against GOP senators who blocked the effort and are seeking reelection, Braun picked the candidates.

Frustrated by Rodrick Bray, the Senate GOP leader who opposed redistricting, Braun recruited the seven Republicans challengers on the pledge that they oppose Bray for leader.

In his break with party orthodoxy, Braun has also committed $3 million to advertising from his American Leadership PAC attacking those incumbents on the wishes of the president, according statistics collected by the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

That includes almost $900,000 alone in ads attacking Republican state Sen. Spencer Deery of West Lafayette, the first Republican senator to oppose redistricting and a protege of former GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is an opponent of the redistricting measure.

What happened after Indiana said no to redistricting

The Republican-controlled Indiana Senate in December rejected the measure that would have shaded all nine of the states congressional districts as favorable to the party, and halted progress on the party’s effort nationally.

The move defied months of urging by the White House led by Vice President JD Vance, who traveled twice to Indianapolis and hosted many in the caucus in Washington, where Trump phoned in to address the group.

While Indiana was considering the measure, voters in Democratic-leaning California approved Proposition 50, which allowed the state Legislature to bypass the independent commission to redraw districts for the next three biennial elections.

Republicans think they could win up to nine more seats under revised districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. But Democrats think they could win as many as 10 additional seats under new districts in California, Utah and Virginia, though legal challenges remain in both Missouri and Virginia.

Trump’s involvement turned off some voters in Indiana

Emily Bohall Board, 37, an occupational therapist in Columbus, Indiana, said she had never voted in a Republican primary before Tuesday. But the issue of redistricting compelled her to cast a ballot for Sen. Greg Walker.

“Greg Walker is the only option not supported by Donald Trump, and I have been very upset about everything Trump has done,” Board said.

Madison Long, 28, an attorney, who also voted for Walker, criticized Michelle Davis, Walker’s opponent, for her ties to Trump.

“She doesn’t have any promises of her own or any agenda of her own. Her goal is to just follow Trump,” Long said. “I find that extremely concerning given the nature of the nationwide politics.”

What's at stake in the Michigan special election

The race will determine whether Democrats maintain a majority in the state Senate for the final months of the year.

Democrats currently control the state Senate 19-18. If Democrat Chedrick Greene wins, Democrats keep their majority.

If Republican Jason Tunney wins, the Senate would be tied, making it tougher for Democrats to advance Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s agenda. While Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II would serve as the tie-breaking vote, Republicans could effectively block any measure from passing by not having all members vote.

There’s another reason people are watching the race: The swing district in a battleground state could give clues to what will happen in November’s midterms..

Vice President JD Vance casts ballot

Vance backed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor and Jon Husted for Senate. Husted was appointed to fill Vance’s seat after he became vice president.

“Well, I think Jon’s going to do a great job. He’s a good guy, and he’s been good for Ohio,” Vance said.

Vance was with his son Vivek, who filled out a paper ballot for children.

“He voted for the Easter bunny over the tooth fairy,” the vice president said.

Sherrod Brown attempts a comeback

The Democrat is fighting to get back to the U.S. Senate.

The former three-term U.S. senator, long one of Ohio’s most electable Democrats, briefly left politics after losing a reelection bid to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024.

Brown, 73, faces first-time Democratic candidate Ron Kincaid in his quest to unseat Husted this fall. Husted was appointed to the chamber in January 2025 to fill a seat formerly held by Vice President JD Vance.

Before entering the Senate in 2007 after a surprise victory over now Gov. Mike DeWine, then the incumbent, Brown was a seven-term U.S. representative and a two-term secretary of state. Prior to that, he was the youngest person elected to the Ohio House, where he served eight years.

Brown is married to Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Connie Schultz and has two grown children. The couple lives in suburban Columbus.

Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, wearing an orange jail uniform, did not speak as his attorney entered the pleas during his arraignment in state court. The 20-year-old also faces federal charges.

Moreno-Gama, of Spring, Texas, hurled the flammable bomb at Altman’s home last month, setting an exterior gate alight before fleeing on foot, authorities allege. Less than an hour later, he went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away and threatened to burn down the building, they say.

After an initial court appearance last month, his lawyer, Diamond Ward, said Moreno-Gama was experiencing a mental health crisis and had been excessively charged. Ward, a San Francisco deputy public defender, said it was a “property crime, at best” and that prosecutors were trying to curry favor with Altman.

On Tuesday, Ward requested a mental health evaluation for Moreno-Gama. The judge granted the request and scheduled another hearing for later this month.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said last month that Moreno-Gama carried out a “targeted attack on Mr. Altman” and that prosecutors had evidence to substantiate the charges.

Moreno-Gama’s parents said in a statement shortly after the attack that he has never harmed anyone and recently began having mental health issues.

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.

Officials haven't said whether Altman was home at the time of the attack.

The state charges carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.

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This story was updated to correct the spelling of Moreno-Gama’s last name.

The artwork itself faced an unknown future in 1942, when it was acquired in Paris for Adolf Hitler, one of countless works swept up in the Nazi plunder of European Jews.

On Tuesday, it went on permanent display in a new room at the city's Musée d’Orsay as part of France’s long-delayed reckoning with Nazi-era looting. The gallery is the first in the museum's history given over to the orphaned masterpieces of the Nazi era.

It is also the first such display in France where the paintings are hung so visitors can read the backs. The stamps, labels and inventory marks map how each piece of art moved from private homes into Nazi hands.

The painting by Belgian artist Alfred Stevens was originally earmarked for the Führer’s planned museum in Linz, Austria. But by 1943, it was reassigned to Hitler’s mountain home in the Bavaria region of Germany. The museum was never built following Germany's defeat.

Allied recovery teams — the Monuments Men made famous by the 2014 George Clooney film — finally found the painting after the war.

No heir came forward, and no one knows who owned it before 1942.

A collection of unclaimed art

The 1891 Stevens painting is not unique. It is one of 2,200 such artistic orphans in France — known as MNR, short for Musées Nationaux Récupération, or National Museums Recovery. These artworks were retrieved from Germany and Austria after 1945 and entrusted to French national museums in the early 1950s.

They were never claimed. The state does not own them but holds them in trust for heirs who may yet appear. The Musée d’Orsay holds 225 such pieces.

Marie Duboisse, a retired schoolteacher from Lyon, paused Tuesday in front of the Stevens painting.

“I have seen those three letters — M, N, R — at the Louvre. I never knew what they meant. I thought it was a donor,” she said.

Last month, the museum launched its first research unit dedicated to tracing the orphans’ rightful heirs, file by file. The effort involves six Franco-German researchers led by Ines Rotermund-Reynard, the Orsay’s head of provenance research.

The new gallery displays 13 such works.

France’s long-delayed reckoning

France is reckoning, in plain sight, with one of the longest silences in its postwar memory: the looted, sold and lost art of the Nazi era — and the French hands that helped move it.

Starting in the late 1960s, documentaries and historians began naming what France had done under the Vichy government that cooperated with the Nazis, including helping to send 80,000 Jews from France to their deaths and presiding over a Paris art market that grew rich on the property of the dead.

In July 1995, President Jacques Chirac stood at the site of the Vél d’Hiv roundup — the 1942 mass arrest in Paris of Jews who were then deported to Nazi camps — and said, for the first time, that the French state itself bore responsibility. In 1997, France launched a national inquiry into the plundering of artwork from Jews.

About 100,000 cultural objects were declared looted from France during the war. Some 60,000 were recovered. About 45,000 went home.

Roughly 15,000 had no identified owner. The 2,200 MNR artworks were chosen from that remainder.

For four decades, they were largely a dormant file. Between 1954 and 1993, France returned only four.

Chirac’s mea culpa, and the country’s slow reckoning with its own role, changed that.

The Orsay has returned 15 since 1994.

The market that fed the plunder

The most recent pieces of art to be returned — by Alfred Sisley and Auguste Renoir, given to the heirs of Grégoire Schusterman — went home in 2024.

Inside the new gallery, the histories hang on the wall.

There is a piece by Edgar Degas, a copy he made of a Berlin ballroom scene around 1879. The Jewish collector Fernand Ochsé bought it in 1919. Ochsé was deported to Auschwitz and killed.

There is another Renoir, a portrait of the writer Alphonse Daudet’s wife, sold to a Cologne museum in November 1941. No record names the seller.

There is also a painting by Paul Cézanne that was dismissed as a fake by a Louvre curator in the 1950s. Recent study suggests it may be real.

Daniel Lévy, a software engineer visiting from Strasbourg, stood at the Cézanne, looking at its back.

“You walk past these labels your whole life and you do not read them. Now I will read them," he said. "My grandmother lost some of her family in the camps. Some of these paintings were probably hanging in homes like hers.”

Paris was Western Europe's richest art hub in the early 20th century.

The Hôtel Drouot, the city’s main auction house, reopened in autumn 1940 and ran briskly through the Nazi occupation.

French dealers were among the conduits. German museums sent buyers, and Hitler’s agents took the best.

“The most important art market in Europe was concentrated in Paris,” Rotermund-Reynard said. “The moment the Nazis arrived in occupied territory, they had enormous buying power. They threw themselves at the market.”

Germans were eager buyers

Almost every museum in Nazi Germany, Rotermund-Reynard said, sent buyers to Paris to expand its collections. Those buyers drew on a market thick with looted and forced-sale property.

“Hitler himself wanted to build the world’s largest museum, in Linz, the city in Austria where he grew up,” she said.

Hermann Göring, Hitler’s deputy, traveled 21 times to Paris during the occupation to help himself to works taken from Jewish collectors.

“There was an enormous thirst,” Rotermund-Reynard said, “both for the possessions of Jewish collectors, and for acquisitions to expand the German museums.”

For Rotermund-Reynard, the works cannot be separated from the genocide.

“All of this is part of the history of the Shoah,” she said, using the Hebrew word for the Holocaust. “When you try to understand this drive to take from Jewish families, it is part of the terrifying Nazi ideology to erase Jewish life.”

Antisemitic acts in France — home to Europe’s largest Jewish community — hit 1,320 in 2025, according to the French Interior Ministry. Those near-record levels followed a sharp surge after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

The gallery was not built to fight antisemitism, said François Blanchetière, the Orsay’s chief sculpture curator and co-curator of the gallery. But the consequences of the Holocaust must be repaired, he said.

“There is no statute of limitations on these crimes," he said.

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A previous version of this story had the wrong first name for Degas.

Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton took questions Tuesday at LIV Golf Virginia after LIV CEO Scott O'Neil spoke to reporters about his efforts to court investors for a league that is losing its chief financial backer, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, at the end of the season.

Both players declined to speculate on their future and noted that they remain under contract with LIV for years to come.

“As of right now I have several years on my contract left, and I’m pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that, so I don’t see many ways out,” Rahm said.

Asked whether Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund had committed to honoring contracts beyond 2026, O'Neil said, “I don’t even know how to think about answering.”

The Saudis have spent $5 billion on LIV Golf over five years without achieving profitability, including $1 billion on player contracts. Players compete for $30 million purses at each event on the LIV schedule, an amount that could be reduced next year without Saudi funding.

The PGA Tour does not allow players to compete on both circuits. However, LIV players have been welcomed back to the European tour after paying fines for playing in conflicting events.

Rahm refused to pay the fines and the resulting standoff put at risk his participation in next year's Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland.

“There is no longer a standoff. We were able to reach an agreement. There were some concessions on both sides, and I offered some, they extended an olive branch,” Rahm said. “So that will not be a stress anymore.”

Rahm said he plans to play European tour events this fall, including the Spanish Open, unless family considerations get in the way. He and wife Kelley are expecting their fourth child.

The two-time major champion has played only six European tour events since joining LIV in late 2023. LIV has no events on its schedule between the U.S. Open and the British Open, and Rahm's settlement would allow him to play the Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour, the week before the year's final major.

Speaking in Spanish at the end of his availability, Rahm said he knew there was risk in coming to LIV and compared his situation to a soccer team knowing its coach was leaving at the end of the season.

“You know you have to play, but there is ambiguity because maybe you are not going to follow the same system,” Rahm said before making a reference to PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, known as “His Excellency,” who has stepped down as LIV's chairman.

“It was a surprise for everyone. We didn't expect it, after the support that His Excellency has given us.”

O'Neil makes a pitch for LIV's value

O'Neil took questions from a LIV media official for 28 minutes inside the tennis building at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington before answering reporters' questions for 17 minutes.

Behind him was a screen with the names of six sponsors, four of which are owned or backed by the PIF: Maaden, Riyadh Air, Roshn Group and Aramco.

O'Neil mentioned sponsorships, ticket sales, television contracts and the league's global footprint as reasons for optimism that it could secure funding. The league plans to take its 13 franchises to market, and O'Neil said those teams would be offered to potential buyers with players in place.

“The way the process will typically work — I may be getting ahead of myself — is that we're going to create a business plan, we're going to lock arms with the players, we will go to market and raise money on a top level, and then we will get investors in teams in that order,” O'Neil said. “The players on the team should be locked in.”

Rahm acknowledged that players might have to accept less money to keep the league going.

“I do believe that for the business plan to change, whatever they're coming up with, there will need to be some concessions on (players') part, yeah,” he said.

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This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Tyrrell Hatton's first name.

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

Dean DelleChiaie, 35, of Nashua, was expected to make an initial court appearance Tuesday on a charge of interstate communication of a threat against the president. According to federal prosecutors, he sent a message April 21 using his personal email account in which he identified himself and said he was going to “neutralize/kill” the president.

That came nearly three months after police and U.S. Secret Service officers questioned DelleChiaie about searches made on his computer at the FAA, where he was employed as a contractor involved in mechanical engineering.

According to court documents, DelleChiaie used his work computer in January to search for information about how to get a gun into a federal facility, the percentage of the population that wants the president dead, the location of the vice president’s home and the names of his children. He later asked the FAA’s information technology department to delete his search history, but the department instead reported the request to authorities, and DelleChiaie was suspended.

When interviewed at his home Feb. 3, DelleChiaie admitted to making the searches and was remorseful, Secret Service Special Agent Nathaneal Gamble wrote. He also told investigators he owned three guns, was depressed and that while he was upset with the Trump administration, he had no interest in assassinations.

DelleChiaie, whose attorney did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment, was arrested Monday, just over a week after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives. Cole Tomas Allen has been charged in that incident, in which a Secret Service officer who was wearing body armor was shot but not seriously injured.

Twenty-one Republican senators voted against redistricting in December, including eight running for reelection this year. Trump has endorsed primary challengers against seven, and the president's allies have spent millions of dollars on races that rarely get much attention from Washington.

It's become a costly and unprecedented intraparty battle that has exacerbated tensions among Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said the primary is about how far the party will go to get an edge over Democrats — a contest between “the Republicans who tend to want to avoid the fight and the Republicans who feel like we need to fight."

“So the only question is, ‘Will you fight or will you get trampled by the other side?’” said Beckwith, who is supporting the Trump-backed challengers.

Indiana rejected Trump on redistricting

Trump began leaning on Republican-led states last year to redraw their congressional maps to make it easier for his party to hold its thin majority in the U.S. House. Although redistricting is normally done once a decade, after a new census, Trump wanted to abandon tradition to gain a political edge.

Texas was the first to follow through, and the White House pressured Indiana to go along too. Vice President JD Vance met with state politicians in Washington and Indianapolis, and Trump weighed in by conference call.

However, Indiana senators rebuffed the effort, one of the president's first significant political defeats of his second term.

The redistricting fight divided Republicans in Indiana, a state Trump won three times by no less than 16 points. Republican Gov. Mike Braun, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and organizations such as Turning Point Action have worked alongside Trump to unseat the incumbents.

Jim Bopp, a prominent Indiana attorney who leads a political action committee aligned with Braun, predicted that Trump’s support will carry the day for the challengers.

“Republican voters overwhelmingly support Trump, and when they find out Trump has endorsed a particular Senate candidate, they swing their support behind them,” he said.

Indiana opposition came from constituents, former governor

Opposition to the effort came from anti-Trump Republicans and those wary of the president reaching so deeply into state decision-making. Former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who had stepped away from politics after leaving the governorship in 2015, reemerged to help raise money for targeted incumbents.

The senators who broke with Trump said they were listening to constituents who were overwhelmingly against his redistricting plan. Some said they didn’t like Trump's aggressive tone in pushing the plan.

“We hate to be told what to do,” said Mike Murphy, a former Republican state representative. “We’re very independent-thinking people. So when Donald Trump and his goons come in and try to tell us that we need to redistrict to help his political future, that’s the worst thing you can do.”

He said Trump and those spending big money to take out the incumbents don’t understand Indiana politics.

“There’s just so many misjudgments on people’s part because they tend to fly at the 50,000-foot level, and they don’t go to the barbecues and the church fish fries and the things that make Indiana politics,” Murphy said.

Bopp, who supports the Trump-backed challengers, said the primary is a chance for Indiana Republicans to express how important it is to redraw the congressional lines there.

“It’s not a matter of Trump’s power,” Bopp said. “It’s about Republican primary voters who support his agenda and don’t want a Democratic House that will be hugely destructive to the Trump presidency and the country.”

International Youth Service, the agency that matched us up 40 years ago, has long since folded, but other pen pal programs have survived — or even began during — the internet age. And even though New Zealand's postal system has reduced home delivery days, Denmark has stopped delivering letters altogether and Canada is moving in that direction, some see signs of a letter-writing resurgence.

“The hunger is there,” said Rachel Syme, a writer for The New Yorker magazine who created a pen pal program during the COVID-19 pandemic and later published a book encouraging others to take up handwritten correspondence.

More than 15,000 people signed up for Syme’s Penpalooza project in 2020, and she still gets hundreds of takers when she coordinates a new round of matchmaking every few months. She also gets requests for pen pals at book signings for “Syme’s Letter Writer – A Guide to Modern Correspondence,” and the stationery stores she frequents in New York City are always crowded with customers.

“People are very interested in physical, analog things right now,” she said. “I think it really has an appeal especially to a younger generation who grew up with a phone glued to their hand, to do something that’s more tactile, slower, more intentional, more mindful, but also just disconnected from the internet in every way.”

“Yours (hopefully)”

I was still 10 years away from connecting to the internet when I opened my first aerogramme from New Zealand, a sheet of pale blue paper that served as both writing surface and envelope adorned with a 45-cent stamp. That missive ended with a formal “Yours (hopefully) Molly Nunns,” but within a year, she was signing off with “Lots and lots of love” or “Your friend forever.”

In letter after letter, Molly drew little hearts on the tails of y’s in both of our first names, asked for updates on my middle school crushes and shared stories about her classmates and family. I could clearly picture her life, though it was hard in snowy New Hampshire to imagine celebrating Christmas during the summer.

“I am thinking of you heaps and I wonder what you are doing because you’re a SUPER pen friend and I hope that we never stop writing to each other and that one day we will get to meet each other,” she wrote in early 1986.

Julie Delbridge, 65, fostered similar friendships after joining International Pen Friends as a teenager in 1979. Writing to pen pals in more than a dozen countries from her home in Australia was such a positive experience that she began working for the organization as an adult and took over as its president in 2001. While she loved sharing photos, postcards and treats with her pen friends, it also was a therapeutic experience at a time when her parents were going through a bitter divorce.

“It was a pastime that I totally immersed myself into in a positive way and gained a lot of enjoyment from,” she said. “There was an abundance of non-judgmental friendship, fun and different perspectives.”

Over its 59-year history, IPF has provided pen pals to more than 2 million people ages 8 to 80+, she said. Membership peaked in the late 1990s but surged again during the pandemic, and this year, there’s been an increase in people ages 21-26 joining.

Pen pals in the classroom

In 2021, the U.S. Postal Service sent cards and envelopes to 25,000 elementary school classrooms for a pen pal project, but older students also are putting pen to paper.

In Texas, a group of medical students created an anonymous pen pal program to promote peer support and personal reflection. At Villanova University, professor Kamran Javadizadeh requires students to send letters to each other as part of a literature class called “Letters, Texts, Twitter” that examines different forms of epistolary communication in literature.

“I make them put pieces of paper in envelopes and take them to the post office and send them to each other even though they could just as easily hand it to the person in class,” he said. “Something is lost when you have instantaneous communication. So I’m interested in the relationship between synchronous kinds of intimacy and asynchronous forms of intimacy.”

Gordon Alley-Young, dean of communications at New York’s Kingsborough Community College, believes letters are like vinyl records — they’re coming back into fashion as young people explore a tangible medium from the past. He has both studied the history of letter writing and used it to teach students empathy.

In an interpersonal communication class, he noticed that students analyzing case studies about relationship problems offered matter-of-fact, almost insensitive diagnoses. But when he re-wrote the case studies in the form of letters from friends and had students respond in kind, they began sharing their own feelings and offering more open-ended advice.

“We really want students to connect to what they’re looking at,” he said. “And letter writing encourages that.”

Pen pals in the digital age

An app called Slowly seeks to combine modern technology with the old-fashioned anticipation inherent to the pen pal relationship. Users send messages digitally, but delivery is delayed from an hour to several days to mimic snail mail.

“This delay naturally encourages longer, more thoughtful messages because you wouldn’t just say ‘hi’ if you know you have to wait days for a reply,” said cofounder JoJo Chan.

Since 2017, the app has gained 10 million users in more than 160 countries, most in their 20s and 30s. One user said he was curious about pen pals after hearing about them from his grandparents, Chan said.

“Slowly offers a convenient way and a modern way for them to try that experience,” she said.

Syme, however, is all about the tangible aspects of letter writing. Her book includes advice on paper and pens plus all kinds of goodies that can be tucked into envelopes.

“There is joy to be had once you fully embrace the medium’s outdated extravagance,” she writes.

But letter writing, she said in an interview, is like a swimming pool, both shiny and deep. The frippery and embellishments don’t matter in comparison to what you actually put on the page.

“That’s where I think it can get very real, very quickly,” she said.

A special connection

Molly and I had been writing for 15 years by the time we met in person, spending a day together in New York when she toured the U.S. in May 2000. We crossed paths in London a few years later, and in 2018, she and her family visited New Hampshire.

“Who would have thought when we started writing in 1985 that one day you’d be sitting here? It’s quite amazing,” she said during my recent visit. “We’ll always have a special connection, I’m sure.”

In addition to the sunglasses, I also gave Molly a bound book of 200 pages of her letters that I scanned and printed. At age 13, I never could have imagined that someday I’d have searchable PDFs of our teenage scribblings that could be summarized in 10 seconds by artificial intelligence. But what amazes me more is the depth of the connection I felt during our tearful airport goodbye.

We will for sure meet again. Until then, lots and lots of love, Holly.

“The Lost Boys,” an adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller, and “Schmigadoon!,” an adaptation of an Apple TV series that gently mocks Broadway musicals, were followed by a revival of “Ragtime,” a big, soaring musical celebrating early 20th-century America, with 11 nominations, and “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s masterpiece that looks at the unraveling of the American Dream, starring Nathan Lane, which nabbed nine nods.

Twenty-four shows got at least one nomination across the 26 Tony categories, a revival of “Chess,” the Cold War-set love triangle between two chess grand masters and the woman who loved both, and “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic feline musical into a celebration of queer ballroom culture.

“I'm over the Jellicle moon about this!” said Bill Rauch, who secured his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined “Cats.” “I’ve spent my whole career trying to connect the dots between classics and the place and time we’re living in, and so to have ‘Cats’ have this life on Broadway right now just really feels like an affirmation of everything I’ve been trying to do for decades.”

Best new musical and play nominees

The best new musical crown will be between “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Titanique,” a camp musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 megahit movie “Titanic,” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” an opposites-attract rom-com set during a New York City weekend.

Ali Louis Bourzgui, nominated for best featured role in a musical playing a seductive vampire in “The Lost Boys,” took a bite on why his show was so well received: “I think that people, including myself, love a villain that they can care for,” he said. “Some of my favorite performances are technically villains on paper, but the person who’s playing them actively makes them a full 3D person that you can root for. I think that’s the most interesting kind of character.”

The best new play nominees are the John Lithgow-led “Giant,” which explores accusations of antisemitism against children’s author Roald Dahl; “Liberation,” about a consciousness-raising women’s group in 1970s Ohio that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama on Monday; “The Balusters,” a wry comedy about a small-town neighborhood association that descends into chaos over whether to install a stop sign; and “Little Bear Ridge Road,” about a struggling writer who returns to his rural hometown to settle his dead father’s estate.

Playwright Mark Rosenblatt conceived of “Giant” in 2018 and started writing it in 2020, and it seems remarkably relevant in 2026, following the fallout from the war in Gaza and the spotlight on antisemitism in America.

“The ideas in the play, the concerns in the plays, the pain in the play, is perennial,” he said. “But I could never have imagined that it would, when it finally was produced, would be playing against the backdrop of what’s happening now.”

“The Fear of 13,” the true story of a man who spent more than two decades on death row, didn't get any acting nods, despite starring Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson in their Broadway debuts. Former “Glee” star Lea Michele will still be seeking her first Tony nomination after having missed out for her work on “Chess.”

Squibb is now the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history, besting the record set by Lois Smith, who was 89 when she was nominated in 2020 for “The Inheritance.” Squibb's Broadway resume reaches back to a stint in the original production of “Gypsy” in 1960 with Ethel Merman, and she recalls rehearsing a musical by dancing on a concrete floor. It is her first Tony nomination.

In Jordan Harrison’s play “Marjorie Prime,” a widow played by Squibb is brought an artificial companion who looks precisely like her dead husband. Premiering in 2014, the work in 2026 capitalizes on the recent frenzy over technological advancements like ChatGPT. Squibb said she saw the original, but only now fully comprehends the implications of things like AI.

As for her age, she said she doesn't really think about it: “I can’t ignore my body is different than it was when I was young. And when I read a script now, I have to think can I physically do what they’re asking me to do. And that’s about it,” she said. “As long as it’s not dancing on concrete floors.”

Burstein becomes the most-nominated male actor in Tony history with nine nods after his work in “Marjorie Prime,” beating the record set by Jason Robards. Kelli O’Hara got her ninth career nomination for a revival of the comedy “Fallen Angels,” tying her with Rosemary Harris for third on the all-time acting nominations list.

Who lost out?

A trio of actors from the hit TV series “The Bear” struck out in their Broadway debuts this season — Ayo Edebiri in a revival of “Proof” and Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach who both appeared in “Dog Day Afternoon,” an adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s 1975 bank robbing drama.

Others who missed out this year include Bobby Cannavale, Byrne’s partner, who starred in a revival of “Art” with Neil Patrick Harris and James Corden that was snubbed by the nominators. “Bill & Ted” stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winters reuniting for a revival of “Waiting for Godot,” were also left off, although Brandon J. Dirden was nominated for a featured role. Laurie Metcalf was in a position to earn two but will have to settle with a featured role nod for “Death of a Salesman.”

Nominations include a return

The best play revival category is stacked with well-received work: “Every Brilliant Thing”; “Death of a Salesman”; “Oedipus,” a modern retelling of Sophocles’ classic tragedy set on election night in a modern campaign office; “Becky Shaw,” Gina Gionfriddo’s dark comedy about a newlywed couple who decide to play matchmaker; and “Fallen Angels,” Noël Coward’s alcohol-fueled competition between two upper-crust ladies over the attention of a former lover.

Daniel Radcliffe secured a nomination for “Every Brilliant Thing,” a one-person show that explores the antidotes to depression.

Rose Byrne, the “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” star who plays one of those upper-crust ladies in “Fallen Angels,” secured a nomination for best actress in a play, becoming the 22nd actor in history to be Oscar- and Tony-nominated in the same year. In addition to Byrne and O’Hara, Lesley Manville secured a nod for “Oedipus,” Susannah Flood for “Liberation” and Carrie Coon for her work in her husband Tracy Letts' play “Bug.”

O’Hara — winner for the 2015 “The King and I” revival — said there will be no chill descending between her and her co-star: “I’m moving with great bravery because of someone who’s brave right next to me. And if she takes home that prize, it would mean we both win.”

Lithgow, who has two Tonys already, will get his third if he beats leading actor in a play nominees Lane, Radcliffe, Mark Strong in “Oedipus” and Will Harrison from “Punch,” which looks at restorative justice following the death of a man from a physical punch.

Best actor in a musical nominees include Joshua Henry and Brandon Uranowitz, both from “Ragtime,” Sam Tutty in “Two Strangers,” Nicholas Christopher in “Chess” and Luke Evans from “The Rocky Horror Show.”

On the women’s side, the nominees are: Caissie Levy from “Ragtime,” Marla Mindelle for “Titanique,” Christiani Pitts from “Two Strangers,” Sara Chase from “Schmigadoon!” and Stephanie Hsu in “The Rocky Horror Show.”

The nominations also seemed to be an official welcome back to producer Scott Rudin, who scored nods for “Death of a Salesman” and “Little Bear Ridge Road.” In 2021, Rudin said he was stepping back after allegations of bullying.

The Tony Awards will be handed out June 7 at Radio City Music Hall during a telecast hosted by Pink. The awards will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

Last year’s show — hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — drew 4.85 million viewers to CBS, its largest broadcast audience in six years, according to Nielsen.

“In a very classist country, Oprah's club was one of the very first things that said books are for everyone. It was a powerful thing,” the 49-year-old author told The Associated Press during a recent interview at a hotel lounge in downtown Manhattan.

Stuart has since ascended high into a culture he once thought wanted no part of him. Best known for “Shuggie Bain,” he's a bestseller, winner of the Booker Prize and Dayton Literary Peace Prize and he has seen his novels translated into dozens of languages. A few months ago, he found himself in unexpected conversation with the celebrity who had helped inspire him to read: Stuart was the recipient of what people refer to as “the call,” when Winfrey notifies an author that she has chosen their work for her club.

On Tuesday, Winfrey announced the selection of Stuart's “John of John.” Published this week, it's his third novel, and returns to the country and themes of “Shuggie Bain” and its successor, “Young Mungo.” The setting is an isolated community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, where art school student John-Calum “Cal” MacLeod returns from Edinburgh to live with his troubled father and beloved, but ailing grandmother. He re-encounters the conflicts that helped convince him he needed to leave: Catholics vs. Protestants, parents vs. children, traditional gender roles vs. the forbidden and sometimes dangerous love between men.

“I felt transported,” Winfrey said in a statement Tuesday. “I could feel every aspect of this remote community where tradition and judgment quietly shaped everyone’s life. Douglas Stuart brilliantly weaved a layered, compelling and yet so intimate a story of identity, what it means to belong, and the courage to claim your own truth.”

Stuart's book club interview can be seen on The Oprah Podcast and other podcast outlets.

A sense of perspective

A longtime New Yorker, Stuart knows he's upholding a tradition of artists who leave their place of birth, but revisit it in their minds long after. Like Cal, he is an art school graduate who needed more space than his hometown could offer. But Stuart has otherwise proved more fortunate. While Cal struggles to support himself, Stuart had a long and successful career in design before finding even greater success as a novelist. He draws upon firsthand memories in “John of John” but also upon the perspective gained from setting abroad.

“I love the Salman Rushdie quote that you cannot see a painting until you’re outside the frame,” he said. “Leaving filled me with a huge homesickness, but it also gave me the ability to see things from a distance. I was able to understand that I wasn't the only person with pain in my life. All the people around me were also carrying pain.

Stuart, born in 1976, was raised by a single mother who died from alcoholism and poverty when he was 16, a tragedy revisited in “Shuggie Bain.” Discouraged by teachers to pursue a literary career, he attended the Scottish College of Textiles (now Heriot-Watt University) and received a master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in London. He moved to New York in his mid-20s and within a few years had risen to senior director of design at Banana Republic. He was a great success to those who knew him, but not to himself. By age 30, he was quietly carving out a new path.

A fateful party

Like so many of his peers, he became a writer because he had to. His week was mostly filled by his job at Banana Republic, but the story which became “Shuggie Bain” so compelled him that for a decade, he devoted much of his free time to it, recalling the “joy” of having even moments to think and reflect. He had no real publishing connections, but he did have the luck of a well-placed neighbor — Tina Pohlman, an industry veteran who has worked as an editor, agent and consultant. She and Stuart lived in the same building in Greenwich Village and met during a holiday party. Both remember Stuart telling her that he had written a book and was hoping she would look at it, the kind of request Pohlman rarely wanted to hear.

“I was immediately filled with dread,” Pohlman says. “Anytime that anyone at a party tells you they have a novel, it's tricky. You have to be polite. I told him I would look at it, but that it will take a long time. I guess I was trying to make it as difficult for him as possible.”

But Pohlman decided to give the manuscript a quick look, loved it from the opening page and helped Stuart find an agent. After dozens of publishers turned him down, some, apparently believing that the public wasn't ready for the occasional passage of local dialect, Grove Atlantic vice president-deputy publisher Peter Blackstock signed it up. “Maybe because I’m from England, or maybe it’s also because I'm gay, it resonated with me,” Blackstock told the AP.

“Shuggie Bain” was released on the eve of the pandemic in 2020 and steadily gained attention even as bookstores worldwide were shut down. By the fall, his novel was a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Booker, an unusual achievement for a debut novel. It has since sold more than a million copies worldwide and helped convince Stuart that he could no longer regard himself as an outsider,

Stuart's imagination often resides in Scotland, but he calls himself an American and feels very much a part of his adopted country, living in the Greenwich Village with his husband, Michael Cary. While long past the illusion that the U.S. has been spared the class system of the United Kingdom, he still finds a spirit of optimism and possibility.

“I love the feeling that success is not being something to be ashamed of,” he says. “I love that I got to start over here. Nobody knew who I was. Nobody knew where I came from. I got to completely reinvent myself.”

A study released Tuesday by the nongovernmental organization Amazon Conservation, in partnership with Brazilian nonprofit Instituto Socioambiental, found illegal mining sites drove clear-cutting inside three conservation areas in the Xingu region, one of the world’s largest expanses of protected forest, spanning the states of Para and Mato Grosso. The analysis combined satellite imagery with ground research.

The Terra do Meio Ecological Station recorded its first cases of illegal mining in September 2024. By the end of 2025, mining-related deforestation there had spread to 30 hectares (74 acres). At the Altamira National Forest, illegal mining accumulated 832 hectares (2,056 acres) of deforestation between 2016 and September 2025. A new mining front that opened in 2024 expanded to 36 hectares (89 acres) by October 2025, accounting for nearly half the mining-related deforestation recorded in the unit during that year.

Satellite monitoring also detected a clandestine airstrip used by illegal miners at the Nascentes da Serra do Cachimbo Biological Reserve last year. Illegal mining in the reserve grew from 2 hectares (5 acres) to at least 26.8 hectares (66 acres) in 2025.

Most deforestation from mining is illegal, group says

In 2023, Amazon Conservation teamed up with Earth Genome and the Pulitzer Center to develop the Amazon Mining Watch, a platform that uses satellite imagery to track mining across the Amazon since 2018. About 496,000 hectares (1,225,640 acres) of rainforest have been cleared for mining since then, including approximately 223,000 hectares (551,045 acres) in the Brazilian Amazon. Amazon Conservation estimates that 80% of mining-related deforestation in Brazil carries a high risk of taking place illegally.

Mining remains a relatively small driver of deforestation in Brazil, where forest loss is largely linked to agribusiness expansion. In 2025, for example, some 579,600 hectares (1,432 acres) of the Brazilian Amazon were cleared, according to official data. About 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) were related to mining, according to the Mining Watch.

“What makes mining particularly problematic is that it targets protected areas and Indigenous territories,” said Matt Finer, director of Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andes Amazon program.

Protecting Indigenous territories is widely seen as an effective way to curb deforestation in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate. Researchers warn that continued forest loss could accelerate global warming.

Enforcement is often a ‘cat-and-mouse’ game

In 2023, Brazilian authorities launched a major crackdown on illegal gold mining in the Yanomami Indigenous territory in Roraima state, along the border with Venezuela, after a surge led to a humanitarian and health crisis. Annual growth in newly mined areas there fell sharply after that year, according to Amazon Conservation data. Although mining has not been fully eliminated, nearly all deforestation inside the Yanomami territory — about 5,500 hectares (13,590 acres) — had taken place by 2023.

Still, localized enforcement has not curbed illegal mining across the Amazon. When authorities destroy dredges and equipment in one region, miners often relocate or resume operations once officials leave. Federal prosecutor André Luiz Porreca, who investigates illegal mining in the western Brazilian Amazon, described enforcement as a “cat-and-mouse game.”

“Last year, I took part in an operation that destroyed more than 500 dredges on an Indigenous land,” Porreca said. “The following week, Indigenous people showed me photos proving the miners had already returned.”

Porreca said illegal gold mining is financed by Brazil’s largest criminal organizations, including the Red Command and the First Capital Command, or PCC, which operate in about a third of the cities in the Brazilian Amazon. “They have the money to bankroll these operations. Some dredges cost as much as 15 million reais."

While enforcement eased pressure in Yanomami territory, illegal mining has intensified elsewhere, particularly across Indigenous lands in the Xingu River basin. The most critical situation is on the Kayapo Indigenous land, where roughly 7,940 hectares (19,620 acres) of rainforest have been cleared by illegal mining, the largest such area in the Brazilian Amazon.

Gold has driven mercury contamination

Record-breaking gold prices, driven largely by investor demand for safe assets amid rising global risks, have provided a strong incentive for illegal mining.

“It’s basic market logic. With more buyers, there are more people exploiting gold,” Porreca said. He said Brazil’s mineral export control system remains weak, allowing laundering schemes that give illicit gold the appearance of legality.

Environmental damage extends beyond deforestation. Illegal mining operations dump mercury into rivers, contaminating waterways and accumulating in fish consumed by riverine and Indigenous communities.

In April, Porreca submitted a report to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights describing widespread mercury contamination in the Amazon. The report cited a study by Fiocruz, a state-run research institution, which found that 21.3% of fish sold in public markets across the Amazon exceeded mercury limits set by the World Health Organization. Children ages 2 to 4 were consuming mercury at levels up to 31 times higher than the recommended maximum.

Mining an increasing concern among environmentalists and Indigenous

Under Brazilian law, mining is prohibited on Indigenous lands. The Ministry of Indigenous peoples said in a statement that combating illegal mining on Indigenous lands is a priority of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration. The ministry said mining invasions are sustained by criminal networks and confronting them requires dismantling those economic and logistics chains.

The Ministry of Environment said mercury contamination from illegal gold mining remains a persistent problem in the Amazon, adding that it is expanding scientific monitoring while supporting enforcement efforts.

Brazil’s Federal Police did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

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Years later, she did it on her own.

“Getting out as a single mom, my son was 2. I decided school was the way to go because that seemed like the next natural progression,” McCoy said. “Entrepreneurship — it wasn’t even on the radar because I didn’t know that that was an opportunity."

McCoy said she started her business from home within a six-month timeframe.

“It was really lonely,” McCoy said. “It was very ambiguous because I didn’t know where to start (or) what to do.”

Though McCoy’s consulting business took off, she wished there had been a program to help her.

Many programs have been developed to find career paths and company jobs for new veterans, but there are none locally catered solely to entrepreneurship.

When District 9 Councilwoman Misty Spears came to her with an opportunity, McCoy said she had to take it.

McCoy started another venture 15 months ago, a nonprofit called Supply SA, which will partner directly with the city to offer veterans a direct pathway to entrepreneurship.

“This is an accelerator that really puts them at the front of the line for small business generation,” Spears said.

Spears’ Small Business Accelerator program involves partnering veterans with mentors and companies that can help with business models, financial management, marketing and securing capital.

Organizations and companies already involved include:

• Launch SA
• VelocityTX
• UTSA SBDC
• UTSA APEX Accelerator
• The Veterans Business Outreach Center
• Workforce Solutions Alamo

The program will also include an annual “Demo Day” pitch competition featuring judges from local government, business leaders and corporate partners such as USAA, H-E-B and Frost Bank.

“When we were meeting with our Veterans Affairs Department, they were expressing to us the challenges that their families face, and it just became really top of mind for our office,” Spears said.

Her team got into contact with people like McCoy, who are passionate about veteran relationships and small business success.

“And we’re a pilot, so this has never been done in any other city,” McCoy said. “This is building something really important and unique and special that others could replicate in the future.”

The program is not just for veterans, but also for veterans’ spouses and adult children.

“My son is 26 now, and there are not that many benefits for him as a child,” McCoy said.

McCoy said having veterans help lead the program is crucial because military members understand each other’s backgrounds better.

“We are different from the rest of the population in a lot of ways because of the experiences that we’ve had,” McCoy said. “You have this bond that you can take with you in your journey because entrepreneurship is hard, and growing a small business is hard. So, to have people that you trust and that you connect with and that you can keep them going — they can keep you going — is really important.”

The secondary effect will be keeping those veterans and businesses in San Antonio.

“Seventy-five percent of our economy is small business and when you hear that number, it’s staggering,” Spears said. “And then you realize how important it is.”

The program idea already got the green light from the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Committee. The whole program should be developed and ready within six months.

The program is estimated to cost $350,000, which the District 9 office said will come from the existing Launch SA contract. The contract will be up for renewal in late September.

Read also:

• ‘Carrots and a stick’: Veteran housing voucher proposals advanced by San Antonio council committee
• Historic VFW Post 76 secures $2M to remain open for future generations
• San Antonio nonprofit drives new connections for veterans, first responders on the pickleball court

Justin Gutierrez, 32, was taken into custody in the 700 block of Stratton Oaks with the help of tips from the community, the sheriff’s office said in an updated statement.

GCSO deputies and Seguin police officers safely located the three children Gutierrez had barricaded himself with at his home Monday on Old Seguin Luling Road, the sheriff’s office said. None of the children were injured.

Gutierrez faces aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing bodily injury and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, the statement said.

Additional charges could be filed against Gutierrez as the investigation is ongoing.

ORIGINAL STORY: A road rage shooting suspect at the center of a Seguin standoff has escaped, according to the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office.

GCSO deputies identified the suspect as Justin Gutierrez.

In a news release issued early Tuesday, deputies say Gutierrez fled the home where he had previously barricaded himself with his three children.

It is unclear at this time whether the children are with him or have been located safely.

The shooting stemmed from a suspected “road rage incident” that started along Interstate 10 on Monday, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities received the first 911 call around 4 p.m. Witnesses said a male had followed Gutierrez and his wife from San Antonio to the suspect’s home on Old Seguin Luling Road.

When they arrived at the home, Gutierrez discharged a firearm multiple times at the male’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. The male was hospitalized after sustaining a graze wound to the head.

After the shooting, Gutierrez dropped his wife off at the home, took his three children and barricaded himself in the 200 block of East Pine Street, about five miles away, GCSO said.

In Tuesday’s news release, deputies said that after searching the East Pine Street home, GCSO determined Gutierrez escaped with his three children.

He is at large and wanted on multiple charges, including aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to GCSO.

Deputies said the area is secure with no threat to the public.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 830-379-1224 or submit an anonymous tip to Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-403-8477 (TIPS).

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Read also:

• Former IDEA Public Schools employee accused of online solicitation of female student, officials say
• Axe-wielding man charged with aggravated assault against 4 police officers, SAPD says
• Suspect accused of injuring off-duty officer booked on 2 charges, SAPD says

Officers responded to the scene at approximately 8:45 a.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of Leroux Street, which is located near Southwest 24th Street.

In a statement to KSAT, the department said the woman was taken into custody.

Police said the siblings were involved in an altercation, but it is unclear why they were arguing.

At some point, SAPD stated that the woman stabbed her brother in his left thigh with a kitchen knife. She told police she stabbed her brother in self-defense.

The brother was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the department.

The suspect’s identity has not been released.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

More crime coverage on KSAT:

• 18-year-old man arrested in connection with Northwest Side murder, SAPD says
• Peeping Tom suspect taken into custody, Olmos Park police say

• TOMORROW: Morning clouds, afternoon sun, 80s
• FRONT EARLY THURSDAY: Brings a small chance for rain, cooler weather
• FRIDAY RAIN CHANCE: Another system brings shot at a storm
• MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND: Hot & humid
• • RAIN?: Wildcard storm chance early Saturday and late Sunday

FORECAST

REST OF TODAY

Skies are clearing, and it’ll be a warm and humid afternoon. Highs in the upper-80s.

WEDNESDAY

Similar weather! Clouds will hang on until lunch, then skies will clear and it’ll be warm -- in the mid-80s.

THURSDAY

A cold front will slowly seep south into the area by Thursday morning. Along the front, a stray storm is possible. A 30% rain chance will continue behind the front, while cooler air funnels into South Texas. Highs will only be near 70°.

FRIDAY

Another system will arrive from the west on Friday. As it moves through, isolated showers and storms are possible. The system will clear the area by Saturday morning.

MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND

Expect mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures both Saturday and Sunday. For Mother’s Day, high temperatures could rise above 90. Both Saturday and Sunday, there is a small chance for a few storms. We’ll continue to keep you posted!

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The latest state to jump on the redistricting bandwagon is Tennessee, where a special legislative session is to begin Tuesday, a day after a similar session kicked off in Alabama. In Louisiana, lawmakers also are making plans for new U.S. House districts after the Supreme Court last week struck down the state's current map.

The high court’s ruling said Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The ruling significantly altered a decades-old understanding of the law, giving Republicans in various states grounds to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats.

It could lessen congressional representation for Black Americans and other minorities, reversing decades of gains in minority voting rights.

President Donald Trump has been encouraging more states to join in redistricting as Republicans seek to hold on to their narrow House majority in this year’s elections.

Tennessee plan targets Memphis district

Republican Gov. Bill Lee called Tennessee lawmakers into a special session to consider a plan urged by Trump that could break up the state’s lone Democratic-held U.S. House district, centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis.

On the first day of the session, a Republican-led rules committee brushed aside a Democratic attempt to slow down the process. A group of protesters in the room stood up and began singing the “Star Spangled Banner” while some shouted obscenities at committee members.

Martin Luther King III sent a letter to Tennessee legislative leaders expressing “grave concern” about the plan to divide Memphis’ congressional representation.

“This decision undermines the work that my father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., carried out to help secure passage of the Voting Rights Act,” he wrote, noting that his father was assassinated in Memphis. He added: “Do not dismantle the only Congressional district that provides Black voters in Memphis a fair opportunity to have a voice in our democracy. Do not take this nation back to the days of Jim Crow.”

The candidate qualifying period in Tennessee ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6.

Alabama looks at setting a new primary

Alabama legislative committees swiftly advanced legislation Tuesday that would allow a special congressional primary, if the Supreme Court clears the way for the state to change its U.S. House districts.

In light of the court's ruling on Louisiana's districts, Alabama officials have asked the high court to set aside a judicial order to use a U.S. House map that includes two districts with a substantial number of Black voters and instead let the state revert to a map passed in 2023 by Republican lawmakers. That map could help the GOP win at least one of those two seats currently held by Democrats.

Alabama's primaries are scheduled for May 19. If the Supreme Court grants the state's request after or too close to the primary, the legislation under consideration would ignore the results of that primary and direct the governor to schedule a new primary under the revised districts.

“This is an opportunity for the voters to vote in the districts drawn by legislators in 2023,” said Republican state Rep. Chris Pringle, the bill's sponsor.

During a House committee hearing, several Black residents urged lawmakers not to change the current congressional districts.

“Representation matters — not just politically but in access, in power and in who gets to be heard,” said Eliza Jane Franklin, of rural Barbour County.

Democrats denounced legislation as a Republican power grab that harkens back to the state’s shameful history of denying Black residents equal rights and representation.

Republicans are “working to secure an electoral victory by taking Alabama back to the Jim Crow era, and we won’t go back,” Democratic U.S. Rep Terri Sewell told a crowd gathered outside the Alabama Statehouse.

Advocates urge Louisiana voters to cast ballots

After last week’s Supreme Court decision, Louisiana moved to delay its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts.

Louisiana state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, a Republican who chairs a Senate committee tasked with redistricting, told The Associated Press that his committee plans to hold a public hearing Friday. Kleinpeter said lawmakers are still weighing their options, including bills that would eliminate one or both of the state’s two majority-Black Congressional districts.

Democrats and civil rights groups have filed several lawsuits challenging the suspension of Louisiana's congressional primary. They are encouraging people in Louisiana — where early voting already is underway — to go ahead and cast votes in the congressional primaries in case courts later allow them to be counted.

A national redistricting battle expands

Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn only once a decade, after a census, to account for population changes. But Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same, and then other states joined in.

Florida became the eighth state to enact new House districts when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday he had signed a redrawn map passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature. It could help Republicans win as many as four additional House seats. The new map was immediately challenged in court as a partisan gerrymander that violates a Florida constitutional provision against drawing districts that favor one political party over another.

All told, Republicans think they could gain as many as 13 seats from new congressional districts in five states, while Democrats think they could pick up as many as 10 seats from new districts adopted in three states. The newly proposed redistricting in Southern states could add to the Republicans’ tally.

___

Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama, and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Jack Brook in New Orleans and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

Three passengers have died and at least four people are sick in what health officials say is an outbreak of hantavirus, which usually spreads by inhaling contaminated rodent droppings. The World Health Organization said passengers are isolating in their cabins and that the vessel — in the Atlantic off Cape Verde — might be moved to Spain’s Canary Islands. But Spanish officials said Tuesday that they were monitoring the situation and haven't made a decision.

The MV Hondius, a Dutch ship on a weekslong polar cruise, departed April 1 from Argentina for Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic.

“Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution,” passenger Qasem Elhato, 31 — who sent AP the video footage — said via WhatsApp. “But morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks and that kind of things.”

Helene Goessaert, another passenger, told Belgian broadcaster VRT that everyone onboard is “in the same boat, literally.”

“You don’t embark on a trip with the idea that one of your fellow passengers won’t make it,” she said.

“We receive information at regular intervals. It is accurate. For the rest, it is a waiting game,” she added. “Today we received fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. That was very important to us.”

Evacuation plans are still unclear

Authorities in Cape Verde have said they sent teams of doctors, surgeons, nurses and laboratory specialists to the Hondius. They were seen in Elhato's video footage — wearing white overalls, boots and face masks as they disembarked to a smaller vessel.

Officials in Cape Verde’s capital of Praia, a city of less than 200,000 people, said they have stepped up safety protocols, particularly near the port, as a precautionary measure against the rodent-borne illness — which doesn't usually spread person to person, though health authorities say it might be possible.

Elhato said passengers were wearing masks and social distancing — practices that became hallmarks of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions said it had implemented its highest level of response plan, with isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.

WHO said late Monday that sick passengers would soon be evacuated to the Netherlands for medical care. But it remained unclear Tuesday when any evacuations would happen.

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the ship would “continue on to the Canary Islands.”

“We’re working with Spanish authorities, who will welcome the ship,” Van Kerkhove said, emphasizing that sick passengers would first be moved.

But Spanish health officials said in a statement that they were monitoring and that "the most appropriate port of call will be decided. Until then, the Ministry of Health will not adopt any decision, as we have informed the World Health Organization.”

WHO notes 7 cases in all in its latest update

WHO said Tuesday that it's looking at seven cases in all — three people who have died, one critically ill passenger who was previously taken off the ship, and three onboard reporting mild symptoms.

Two of the cases — a woman who died and the evacuated man — tested positive for hantavirus.

A Dutch man was the first death, on April 11. His body was taken off the vessel nearly two weeks later, on the British territory of St. Helena, some 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) off the African coast, according to South Africa’s Department of Health.

His wife traveled by plane from St. Helena to South Africa; she collapsed at a Johannesburg airport and died at a hospital on April 26, according to WHO and the South African Department of Health.

The ship sailed on to Ascension Island, an isolated Atlantic outpost about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) to the north, where a sick British man was taken off the ship and evacuated first to Ascension Island and then to South Africa by plane. He is in intensive care in a South African hospital, according to WHO.

Van Kerkhove said that WHO is investigating possible human-to-human transmission on the ship, and that officials suspect the first infected person likely contracted the virus before boarding. She said officials have been told there are no rats on board.

Officials in Argentina — where hantavirus led to 28 deaths nationwide last year, according to the health ministry — said they confirmed no passengers had symptoms when the Hondius departed. Symptoms can appear up to eight weeks after exposure, officials have said.

In South Africa, authorities said they have started contact tracing — another practice used extensively in the coronavirus pandemic. But officials have emphasized that the chance of a major public health threat is low.

___

Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria; Risemberg from Dakar, Senegal. AP journalists Suman Naishadham in Madrid; Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg, South Africa; Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands; and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

They also released a new single, titled “In The Stars.”

To celebrate, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will attend an album announcement event in Brooklyn Tuesday afternoon.

The Stones' last album was 2023's “Hackney Diamonds.” It was their first album of original material in 18 years — since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang.” It was also their first full-length release since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021. He appeared posthumously on two of that album's 12 tracks.

According to press materials for the album, “Foreign Tongues” will also include a special appearance from Watts from one of his final recording sessions before his death, as well as contributions from Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith.

“I love doing these recording sessions in London at Metropolis. It was a very intense few weeks recording Foreign Tongues,” Mick Jagger said in a statement. “We had 14 great tracks and we went as fast as we could. I like the room there as it’s not too big so you can feel the passion in the room from everyone.”

The Stones worked closely with Oscar-winning pop producer Andrew Watt (known for his work with Post Malone and Justin Bieber, to name a few) on “Hackney Diamonds,” and that continues with “Foreign Tongues.”

A taste of 'Foreign Tongues'

Speculation surrounding a new Stones album has been going around for weeks. First, posters appeared around London with the band name “The Cockroaches,” a pseudonym the Stones' have used in the past, along with a QR code. The code led to ‘thecockroaches.com’ and a sign-up page. Once a user had signed up, they received a confirmation message from Universal Music — the Stones' label. Representatives did not provide The Associated Press with comment or confirmation at the time.

Eventually it led to a white label, vinyl-only release of the track “Rough and Twisted” using The Cockroaches name — the first true tease of “Foreign Tongues” decipherable only by their most dedicated fans.

Then, in the week leading up to their announcement, billboards with the band's iconic mouth and tongue logo began appearing in major cities around the world with the words “Foreign Tongues” in various languages: “Fremmede Sprog,” “Vreemde Tongen,” “Dayuhang Dila,” “외국어,” and “Langues Étrangères” among them. Around the same time, the Rolling Stones' official website was updated to feature video clips stylized to look like surveillance footage of them in the studio.

On Sunday, the band shared a slide puzzle graphic fans believed to be the album artwork, depicting a cartoonish collage of the members' faces. (They were correct; it was the official album cover.) There was also a short video clip, just 10-seconds long, that appeared to tease a new song.

Charles, who had 4,262 rebounds in her career, also finished as the league's No. 2 all-time scorer behind Diana Taurasi. The 15-year veteran scored 8,396 points in the regular season.

“Today, I officially announce my retirement from basketball. Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game," Charles wrote in her post. "I’ve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and I’m thankful for all of it. Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up. That’s the New Yorker in me, where resilience is built, not talked about.”

Charles was the No. 1 pick by the Connecticut Sun in 2010 after helping the UConn Huskies win consecutive NCAA championships in 2009 and 2010. She was the AP Player of the Year in 2010.

She played with the Sun until 2013 before a blockbuster trade sent her home to New York.

“She is undeniably one of the most impactful players to ever wear a Liberty uniform and one of the most accomplished athletes our league has ever seen,” Liberty CEO Keia Clarke said. “Her excellence on the court, her leadership in the locker room and her unwavering commitment to pouring so much into the New York community, the city that raised her will endure for generations.”

Charles starred in her hometown through the 2019 season. She sat out the WNBA bubble season the next year before playing in Washington, Phoenix, Seattle and Atlanta. Charles came back to Connecticut last season and started 42 games while averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.

“Tina Charles has been one of the most prolific scorers and rebounder our league has ever seen and her impact in the community has been just as powerful as her impact on the floor,” Atlanta Dream GM Dan Padover said. “Tina had a historic career and was a cornerstone player during an important time of our league's growth.”

The 37-year-old center helped the U.S. win three Olympic gold medals as well as three World Cup championships. She earned WNBA MVP honors in 2012 and was the league's top scorer in two seasons. The one thing Charles never had a chance to do was play in a WNBA Finals.

“This game gave me everything, and I’ll miss it deeply,” Charles said. “But my mom always taught me, don’t stop at what you’ve done, keep going toward what you still see. And I still see so much. There are still dreams in my heart waiting to be lived, and I can’t wait to share that journey with you all.”

Besides her impact on the court, Charles has left a lasting one off of it, helping to save countless lives for more than a decade with her charity — Hopey's Heart Foundation. She's donated 500 AEDs (automated external defibrillators) through the organization that started in 2013 and is named in honor of her aunt.

It's dedicated to curbing deaths in the United States from sudden cardiac arrest. The organization works to ensure schools and public places have lifesaving equipment such as defibrillators on hand.

Charles said that before she started the foundation she didn’t realize how common and deadly sudden cardiac arrest could be until she read about Wes Leonard, a high school basketball player who suffered a heart attack and died after basketball practice in 2011.

And when her aunt died a few years later from organ failure, Charles committed herself to helping to solve the problem.

In 2017, when Charles was playing for the New York Liberty, she was surprised by the team by a man who was saved by one of the AEDs that the star had donated.

“Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments, Tina has represented the very best of the WNBA throughout her career," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "Through her leadership and dedication to giving back — including her work with her Hopey’s Heart Foundation — she has made a meaningful impact far beyond the game, earning the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award twice.

"Her legacy will be defined not only by her excellence on the court, but by the standard she set as a leader, a teammate, and a champion for the communities she touched.”

___

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

ICE detained Maria Betania Uzategui-Castillo, of Venezuela, and her children. DHS said all three are in the United States illegally.

A flyer circulating through an Alamo Heights neighborhood following the arrests says the family is in the country seeking asylum. It said the two children are Alamo Heights Independent School District students who attend Cambridge Elementary.

“They illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico on December 4, 2021,” a DHS spokesperson said. “This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law.”

Alamo Heights ISD could not comment on the situation because of federal privacy laws.

Parents in the pickup line at Cambridge Elementary on Monday had concerns.

“My question is, why did they stop at a stop asking for immigration status?” Leo Tapia said. “It’s kind of sad, because they went after the kids, you know, at a bus stop.”

A protest over the weekend spoke out against the detainment of the two children.

One grandparent spoke on camera but did not want to identify herself.

“I do not think it’s correct,” the woman said. “I don’t think they’re following the right guidelines. I would like to see them look at more hardened criminals instead of people that are actually working for a living.”

A parent named Autumn said she found out what happened through social media.

“I didn’t see anything from the district or anything like that,” Autumn said. “How I found out was Instagram. ... That doesn’t make me feel safe at all. You know, these children are trying to go to school, they’re at a bus stop to go to school and then they get detained.”

Both Autumn and Tapia said they are not sure about student safety after what happened.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, along with several other members of Congress, are expected to visit an ICE family detention facility in Dilley and host a subsequent news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The no-confidence vote was a blow to Bolojan, who came to power with the aim of ending one of Romania’s worst political crises in its post-communist history.

The Social Democratic Party, or PSD, and the nationalist opposition Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party, or AUR, jointly submitted the motion to Parliament on April 28. PSD withdrew from the coalition last month. On Tuesday, 281 lawmakers voted in favor and four voted against.

Lawmakers from Bolojan’s National Liberal Party, or PNL, and coalition partners, Save Romania Union party and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party, abstained.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan called for calm on Tuesday, saying that while it is “not a happy moment … it is a democratic decision by Parliament,” and that negotiations and informal consultations to form a new government are underway.

“We will have a new government within a reasonable time,” Dan said. “I exclude the scenario of early elections. And I emphasize: at the end of these procedures, we will have a pro-Western government — we will calmly get through this.”

Unrest grips the EU member country

Romania has faced a long period of instability after the annulment of a presidential election in December 2024. The country has also grappled with one of the highest budget deficits in the European Union, rampant inflation, and a technical recession. In June, when the coalition was voted in, it pledged to reduce the budget deficit, marking it a top priority.

The PSD had often found itself at loggerheads with Bolojan over austerity measures, including tax hikes, public-sector wage and pension freezes, and cuts to state spending and public administration jobs.

Last week, the party accused Bolojan of “failing to implement any genuine reform” in his 10 months leading the government, and said Romania needs a leader who is “capable of collaboration.” Bolojan said that he took tough but necessary fiscal measures that effectively “regained the trust of the markets in the Romanian government.”

Bolojan also called the no-confidence motion “cynical and artificial” and said before the vote that it “seems to be written by people who were not in government every day and did not participate in all the decisions.”

“It is cynical, because it does not take into account the context in which we find ourselves,” he said. “I assumed the position of prime minister, being aware that it comes with enormous pressure and that I would not receive applause from the citizens. But I chose to do what was urgent and necessary for our country.”

PSD calls for an interim president

The PSD party's president, Sorin Grindeanu, said Bolojan should appoint an interim prime minister until one is voted into office by lawmakers. He also said he expected Romanian President Nicusor Dan to consult PSD.

“I would like us to quickly find a solution … together with the other parties and move forward,” Grindeanu said. “All options are open.”

The secretary-general of Bolojan's party, Dan Motreanu, posted on social media, saying PSD and AUR “have a duty to take over the government, to come up with a prime minister candidate and a clear program,” accusing the two parties of “playing political theater.”

“You cannot overthrow a government and then run away from accountability,” Motreanu wrote, adding that “any signal of political chaos” negatively affects the country's economy and people.

The PSD would be needed to form a pro-European parliamentary majority. The party has previously ruled out forming a government with AUR, whose leader, George Simion, said Tuesday that voters had “supported and wanted water, food, energy,” but had “received taxes, war and poverty.”

Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, said the crisis will likely lead to a stalemate, since “no one has a majority, or a coalition, and it will take the president ... weeks to find such a majority and name a new prime minister, prolonging the indecision.”

“At this moment, there are two tentative options for a new Cabinet, both difficult to achieve; either a reshuffled coalition, without Bolojan, in the same formation ... or a minority Cabinet, rather led by PSD and satellites from populist parties, like AUR, or other small groups,” he said. “A PSD-AUR official Cabinet is not a possibility today because the president will not endorse it.”

The prime ministerial position was set to be rotated in 2027 from Bolojan to a PSD premier as part of a power-sharing agreement. A general election is scheduled for 2028.

___

McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.

As of Tuesday, AAA is reporting the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in San Antonio sits at $4.07. That’s slightly higher than the Texas statewide average of $3.98 and below the national average ($4.48).

Despite the higher prices, some San Antonio stations are standing out for offering significantly lower rates.

One location that continues to appear on GasBuddy’s list of cheapest gas is a Murphy’s Express on Palo Alto Road, where Tuesday prices were spotted at $3.49 per gallon.

Drivers said the savings are worth the extra effort.

“It is the cheapest over here. I don’t know really why, but I have gone up north or even just on the West Side or the East Side,” one driver filling up said. “And, for some reason, this place in particular, only this store is the cheapest.”

Another driver, Anthony Milburn, said he shops around and takes advantage of rewards programs to save even more.

“Just typically cheaper, and then I have the Walmart Plus, so I get an extra 10 cents off the gallon,” Milburn said. “I use that between here and Valero. Whatever one is cheaper is the one I try to go towards.”

Experts said gas prices can vary widely depending on location, demand and competition, which is why motorists may benefit from comparing prices before filling up.

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Macron was joined by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on drums and celebrated jazz musician Vahagn Hayrapetyan on piano on Monday night in Yerevan. In addition to “La Bohème,” which was recorded by Armenian-French musician Charles Aznavour in 1965, Macron also sang “Les Feuilles Mortes" by Yves Montand.

The event at Armenia’s presidential residence on Monday night was held in Macron's honor. The French leader was in town for a state visit that coincided with a gathering of the European Political Community and a historic European Union summit.

Pashinyan, who took office in 2018, more regularly flexes his musical prowess as part of his musical group Varchaband. It held its debut concert in Yerevan at the end of January.

The Armenian leader is also well known for posting videos of himself listening to music on Instagram, with his musical taste seemingly spanning from Taylor Swift to Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the forces prefer a peaceful effort to “guide” the more than 22,500 mariners stuck on more than 1,550 vessels out of the Persian Gulf, but are ready if needs change. “This is a temporary mission for us,” Hegseth said. “We expect the world to step up.”

It is unclear what will follow. The U.S. Central Command said Iran earlier launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at civilian ships under the U.S. military’s protection, and that U.S. helicopters sank six small boats involved in the attacks. It denied Iranian reports that American vessels had been struck. Caine and Hegseth said the ceasefire is not over. Shortly thereafter, the United Arab Emirates said it was defending against more Iranian strikes.

Trump Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome and Vatican City this week in a bid to ease rising tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, Trump has lashed out at the pope again, misrepresenting the pontiff’s laments about the Iran war and accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics.”

Here is the latest:

Trump offers an optimistic take on China’s position on Iran

The president in an exchange with reporters said that China hasn’t “challenged” him as he continues to press Iran even as Beijing has repeatedly criticized the U.S. and Israel military action against Iran.

“You know, in all fairness, he gets, like, 60% of his oil from (the Strait of) Hormuz,” Trump said of President Xi Jinping.

China, in fact, imported about half of its crude oil and almost one-third of its liquefied natural gas from the Middle East, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

Trump offered a more measured take than Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who a day earlier said the administration wants to see Beijing “step up” and pressure Iran to open the strait. Bessent in an interview with Fox News said Iran would be high on Trump’s agenda when he travels to Beijing next week for a summit with Xi.

Pakistan military urges restraint as US-Iran tensions rise

Pakistan’s top military leadership on Tuesday urged restraint to help ease rising tensions between the United States and Iran.

The call came during a Corps Commanders Conference chaired by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Munir since last month has been in contact between the U.S. and Iranian officials as part of Pakistan’s efforts to end the conflict.

In a statement, the military said participants reviewed the evolving security environment amid Pakistan’s outreach to Washington and Tehran, adding that lasting peace depends on collective restraint, responsibility and respect for sovereignty.

French president says Trump’s tariff threats are wasting time

Europe and the United States have more important things to do, Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday, after Trump announced higher duties on European vehicles.

Trump said on Friday that he would increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union this week to 25%, a move that could further harm the global economy as it reels from war in the Middle East. EU and U.S. trade officials were due to meet in Paris on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

“Especially in the geopolitical period we are experiencing, allies like the United States of America and the European Union have much better things to do than to stir up threats of destabilization,” Macron told reporters in Armenia, adding that he hopes “reason will prevail soon.”

JD Vance woos Republican voters, including farmers who want the war to end

Vice President JD Vance heads to Iowa on Tuesday, his first visit since taking office to the state where Republicans in less than two years will cast the initial votes to pick their party’s next presidential nominee.

Seen as one of the GOP’s strongest potential candidates for president in 2028, Vance stopped first in Cincinnati to vote in the primary, saying he picked Vivek Ramaswamy for governor. He’s also holding a fundraiser in Oklahoma City as finance chair of the Republican National Committee.

Higher prices for gas and fertilizer and Trump’s tariffs have been hitting voters hard, and Vance’s political prospects are complicated by the war in Iran. Vance has seemed a reluctant defender of the 9-week-old war, for which Trump has struggled to find an off-ramp.

Iowa’s farmers have steadfastly supported the president, but they’ve been looking for assurances that the troubles won’t last.

Rubio to brief at White House with press secretary on maternity leave

The secretary of state is putting on yet another Trump administration hat — White House spokesperson.

Rubio is scheduled to fill in Tuesday for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on leave awaiting the birth of her second child. His briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT.

The nation’s top diplomat already doubles as Trump’s national security adviser and for a while was the acting archivist of the United States and the acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

His last formal briefing for reporters was at the State Department briefing room in December.

Scuttlebutt around the White House has been that Rubio will be among a handful of high-level administration officials leading the press briefings while Leavitt is away.

Proposed UN resolution demands Iran halt attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz and stop `illegal tolls’

The proposed Security Council resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Gulf nations, threatens Iran with sanctions or other measures if it doesn’t restore freedom of navigation and immediately disclose where sea mines have been placed in and around the vital waterway.

The draft, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, also demands that Iran “immediately participate in and enable the United Nations efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor in the strait” to enable vital aid, fertilizer and other goods to transit.

The proposed resolution was drafted under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which can be enforced militarily. It threatens “effective measures that are commensurate with the gravity of the situation, including sanctions” if Iran doesn’t comply.

A previous resolution aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the world’s crude oil had transited, was vetoed by Russia and China.

Oracle is one of 8 firms providing AI capabilities to the US military

Software behemoth Oracle really is among the tech firms providing artificial intelligence capabilities to the U.S. military over classified computer networks.

The Defense Department has been ramping up its use of AI to fight wars and to more efficiently perform other operations. The Pentagon announced Friday that it’s contracting with seven companies to use their infrastructure. Oracle was not initially on the list. The others are Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX.

Oracle, now based in Texas, said the military’s use of its AI over classified systems will “enhance situational awareness and strengthen warfighter decision-making in complex operations.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on why Oracle was left off Friday’s news release announcing the contracts. The news release was later updated to include Oracle.

Former military officers say reopening the strait remains a daunting task

Former military officers who have served on the Strait of Hormuz have said opening it would be dangerous and highly challenging, even with military escorts, which the U.S. isn’t providing now.

There’s little room to maneuver in the narrow waterway, and Iran can reach all of the strait and its approaches with anti-ship cruise missiles. It also can target vessels with longer-range missiles, drones, fast attack craft and naval mines.

Experts say reducing the threat would involve targeting offensive installations on the ground inside Iran and having constant surveillance and patrols.

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Insurance broker says it’s too early to know how US military effort will affect shipping through the strait

Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh Risk, said it would take a few days to see how the insurance market reacts.

“We just have to see what happens, whether the Iranians keep the peace, whether the Americans keep the peace, and exactly what that’s going mean for shipping,” he said.

“There’s rhetoric from both sides on this, and we’ve just got to be mindful of that,” he added. But he said “anything that starts to increase certainty around safety has got to be a good thing.”

One of the world’s largest container shipping companies says Hormuz transits not yet possible

“At this point in time our risk assessment remains unchanged,” the Hamburg, Germany-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd AG said in a statement. “Transits through the Strait of Hormuz are for the moment not possible for our ships.”

With another boat strike, death toll in Latin American waters reaches 188

The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September.

Despite the Iran war, the strikes have ramped up again in recent weeks to stop what the administration calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

In the latest attack Monday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames.

UAE is under Iranian attack again, defense ministry says

The United Arab Emirates is “actively engaging” with missile and drone attack from Iran, the country’s defense ministry said on X Tuesday evening.

It said sounds heard in parts of the Gulf federation are related to the interception of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

US job openings were unchanged at 6.9 million in March but hiring improved

U.S. job openings were essentially unchanged at 6.9 million, another sign the American labor remained sluggish even before the full impact of the Iran war hit the economy.

The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war has clouded the outlook for the economy and hiring.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs rose in March. But hiring improved, and more people quit their jobs — a sign of confidence in the economy.

Trump’s drugmaker deals may save economy $529B over 10 years, White House says

White House economists estimate the deals with pharmaceutical companies to drop some U.S. prescription drug prices to what they charge in other countries could save $529 billion over the next 10 years.

The analysis obtained by The Associated Press includes the first economy-wide projections behind a policy at the core of Trump’s pitch to voters going into November’s elections for control of the House and Senate. Democratic lawmakers have doubted Trump’s claims, and these new numbers are likely to trigger additional questions about the data.

Cost-of-living issues are at the forefront of voters’ concerns and higher energy prices tied to the Iran war have deepened the public’s anxiety. Few of the details of the deals struck by the Trump administration and 17 leading pharmaceutical companies have been made public, making it hard to independently verify the projected savings.

Death toll in Lebanon reaches 2,702 since Israel-Hezbollah war began

The Health Ministry in Beirut said Tuesday that 8,311 people were wounded during the same period.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war started on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the U.S. and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

A ceasefire has been in place since April 17 but both Israel and Hezbollah have been carrying out daily attacks since then.

Analyst: the situation around the Strait of Hormuz remains highly uncertain

That’s because Iran still clearly intends to attack ships that try to transit without going through the Iran-approved route near the Iranian coastline, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.

“This initiative alone isn’t something that looks like it’s going to open the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. Shipping and insurance companies “still have to wait and see how this plays out.”

Taking the northern route involves going through vetting by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and payment, in at least some cases. The U.S.-guided “Project Freedom” route goes through territorial waters of Oman to the south.

Reopening the strait “can really only be done through either an agreement between the United States or Iran,” or if the U.S. significantly diminishes Iran’s ability to attack using drones, missiles and small boats, he said.

French president says Iranian president asked to talk

“I will be speaking with the Iranian president shortly at his request,” Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

″France has maintained a consistent position from the start. We call for the cessation of all hostilities, the return to diplomatic negotiations, and respect for all countries in the region,” Macron said. “Tthe only possible option is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz ... and the absence of any tolls or coercive measures.”

“Any unilateral escalation against tankers, container ships, or third countries is a mistake that fuels war and leads to escalation,” Macron said.

Hegseth says Iranians still had ‘will’ to develop nukes

After the bombing of nuclear sites last summer, Hegseth says U.S. forces participated in new strikes this year alongside Israel because the Iranians’ “will was still there to seek a nuclear bomb.”

The secretary was asked about intelligence reports showing that, despite the initial bombing in Operation Midnight Hammer, the timeline for Iranian nuclear weapon development remained at 9 to 12 months.

“The obliteration of those facilities set back their program,” Hegseth said. “Hopefully Iran chooses a deal that they give up those ambitions, give up those capabilities.”

Hegseth also says ceasefire is not over

The defense secretary confirmed that the ceasefire remains in effect despite some Iran strikes and the ongoing U.S. blockade.

“No, the ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said, reaffirming Caine’s earlier statements.

Caine lays out US forces manning Strait of Hormuz

Saying that more than 100 U.S. military aircraft are patrolling the skies “24 hours a day,” Gen. Dan Caine said Tuesday marked a “quieter” period in the Strait.

Caine added that there were 22,500 mariners on more than 1,550 vessels in the Persian Gulf, unable to transit.

He went on to commend the troops of the 82nd Airborne Division, who he said were using “next generation tactical networks” to “seamlessly synchronize” efforts in support of military activity.

Joint Chiefs Chairman says Iran attacks do not necessarily mean they violated ceasefire

Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that Iran’s recent acts of aggression are below the threshold of “major combat operations.”

That means Tehran, in the Trump administration’s view, has not violated the tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

“Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships, and they’ve attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times – all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point,” Caine said.

The administration has cited the ceasefire in asserting that the president does not have to give a formal update to Congress on the war under the War Powers Resolution. That law typically requires presidential updates on war activities 60 days after beginning military action.

Defense secretary says US forces remain ‘locked and loaded’ to safeguard Strait of Hormuz

Hegseth said in a Pentagon briefing Tuesday that U.S. military forces would prefer the new effort to “guide” stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz to be peaceful — but are ready if needs change.

“This is a temporary mission for us,” Hegseth said, adding that the intent remains to hand control of the strait back to countries that need the waterway “a lot more than we do. … We expect the world to step up.”

Iran has denounced the move as a ceasefire violation.

Trump says Pope Leo is ‘endangering Catholics’

Trump is renewing his criticism of Pope Leo XIV even as Rubio prepares to visit Vatican City, ostensibly to ease tensions between Washington and the Holy See.

The president misrepresented the pontiff’s laments about the Iran war in an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, while saying Leo is aiding Tehran and making the world less safe.

“The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “And I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”

Leo has not said Iran should obtain nuclear weapons. He’s called for more peace talks, criticized war generally and lambasted Trump’s specific threats of mass civilian strikes.

The pope also has emphasized that he’s reflecting biblical and church teachings, not speaking as a political rival to Trump.

Rubio plans to visit the Vatican this week as tensions between Trump and the pope rise

Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome and Vatican City this week in a bid to ease rising tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV over U.S. policies, particularly the Iran war.

The State Department said Monday that Rubio, a Catholic who with this trip will have visited Italy or the Vatican at least three times as the Republican president’s top diplomat, would be in Italy on Thursday and Friday. The Vatican announced that Rubio would meet with Leo, the first American pontiff, on Thursday.

“Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere,” the department said. “Meetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment.”

The trip comes as Trump has criticized Leo for his stances on the Middle East and elsewhere and as the president has drawn pushback for posting a social media image likening himself to Jesus Christ.

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Negotiations make little progress

Iran’s latest proposal for ending the war calls for the U.S. to lift sanctions, end the blockade, withdraw forces from the region and cease all hostilities including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security apparatus.

Iranian officials over the weekend said they were reviewing the U.S. response. Tehran has claimed its proposal does not include its nuclear program and enriched uranium, long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.

Iran wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire. Trump expressed doubt over the weekend that the proposal would lead to a deal.

The GOP bill released late Monday would designate the money for the U.S. Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the ballroom project, which Trump and Republicans have been pushing since Cole Tomas Allen allegedly stormed the April 25 media dinner at the Washington Hilton with guns and knives. The legislation says the money would support enhancements to the ballroom project, “including above-ground and below-ground security features,” but also specifies that the money may not be used for non-security elements.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised Republicans for including the money for the “long overdue” project, saying it would “provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex, in addition to the many other critical missions for the USSS.”

The money is part of a larger bill to pay for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, as Democrats have been blocking funds for both agencies since mid-February. Congress passed bipartisan legislation to fund the rest of the Homeland Security Department on April 30 after a record-long shutdown, but Republicans are using a partisan budget maneuver to push through the ICE and Border Patrol dollars on their own. The House has not released its bill yet, but the Senate is expected to start voting on its version of the legislation next week.

It is unclear exactly how the $1 billion would be used, and the amount far exceeds the proposed $400 million for construction of the ballroom. The White House has said in court documents that the East Wing project would be “heavily fortified,” including bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom. Trump has said it should include bulletproof glass and be able to repel drone attacks.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to block construction of the project, but a federal appeals court said last month that it can continue in the meantime.

The White House has said that private money would pay for the construction but public money would be used for security measures. Some Republicans have suggested that public money pay for all of it, arguing the security breach at the dinner shows the president needs a secure place to host events.

“It would be insane” to hold the dinner at a hotel again, said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who introduced a bill to pay for the ballroom’s construction with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.

Democrats have said they will oppose any efforts to pay for the ballroom.

“While Americans are struggling to make ends meet as a result of President Trump’s failed policies, Republicans are focused on providing tens of billions of dollars for the President’s vanity ballroom project and cruel mass deportation campaign,” said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the U.S. Secret Service.

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Beyoncé left the cowboy hat at home and dazzled in a custom Olivier Rousteing sculptural skeleton dress with a cream and dust blue feathered train fitted with a diamond crown for “Queen Bey.” The Grammy winner and her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy stopped to pose together on the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps.

Osaka stunned in a edgy Robert Wun white sculptural fitted dress featuring exaggerated shoulders and adorned with red feathers and a matching headpiece. To complete her show-stopping look, Osaka wore two-toned red gloves. A similar look by Wun sits inside the Met's Costume Institute exhibit, “Costume Art.”

On the carpet, Osaka opened her dress and removed her headpiece for a grand reveal underneath. She wowed in a sleek red beaded gown embellished with the human anatomy.

Chamberlain arrived in a breathtaking Mugler by Miguel Castro Freitas hand-painted dress. The star was dipped in a rainbow of colors from her décolletage down to the spiral train of her body-hugging dress with fringe falling down the cuffs of the long-sleeve gown.

With all the fanfare around “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Met Gala co-Chair Anna Wintour opted for a cool mint ensemble — not the trendy cerulean blue from the first film. Wintour’s look featured a feathered cape and a beaded dress by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel that she classically paired with her signature bob and oversized sunglasses.

Other co-Chairs of the evening Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams chose more subdued glamorous looks. Williams wore a sparkling black off-the-shoulder gown with a dazzling Swarovski neckpiece in homage to a painting of herself done by Robert Pruitt for the National Portrait Gallery. Event sponsor Lauren Sánchez Bezos arrived in a form-fitting Schiaparelli gown, which she told Vogue was influenced by John Singer Sargent’s 1884 painting “Madame X.”

Artistic references

When guests were not wearing art, they were making references to it. Head of Editorial Content for US Vogue Chloe Malle wore an apricot orange Colleen Allen dress inspired by Sir Frederic Leighton’s “Flaming June” painting. Actor and author Lena Dunham collaborated with Valentino designer Alessandro Michele for her red feathered dress to depict his interpretation of “Judith Slaying Holofernes.” As a child, Dunham told Vogue, she would visit the Met museum on Sundays and admire the paintings in the Renaissance section.

“One of my favorite painters from that era is Artemisia Gentileschi, who was one of the only women painting professionally in that moment,” she told Vogue. “So I sent some of the images to Alessandro, and because he’s a genius, instead of dressing me like her, he said, ‘You are actually the blood spatter as … Judith cuts the neck off a man.’”

Stars also celebrated the dress code with their accessories. Actor and fashion muse Gwendoline Christie playfully covered her face on the carpet with a mask of her own face while pop star Katy Perry opened and closed her fencing-like mask on the carpet to smile at the cameras.

Venus Williams was not the only guest to break the fourth wall with an artistic reference to herself. It was a trend of the night, with gala host committee members Amy Sherald in a Thom Browne look inspired by her own work of art and singer Sabrina Carpenter wearing a Dior dress designed with film strips from the 1954 movie “Sabrina.”

Fashion as canvas

Some guests brought out their artistic side as they transformed their dresses into works of art. TikTok followers watched along as Jessica Kayll, who designs colorful silk robes, finished painting her dress in the days leading up to the gala. Kayll painted her own take on the famous Monet water lily scene right on top of her dress for the gala.

While her “The Devil Wears Prada 2” castmates kept it classic in black, Anne Hathaway made a statement in her custom Michael Kors Grecian-inspired strapless dress, which was hand-painted with a dove of peace.

“She is the goddess of peace,” Kors told Vogue.

Performance art

Madonna makes any carpet her stage. A group of women circled around her in colorful dresses as they held onto sheer fabric wrapped around her pirate ship headpiece on the carpet.

Janelle Monáe also knows how to stand out. The performer delivered a message with her sculptural art piece that featured cords overtaken by moss wrapped around her form with moving animatronic butterflies.

“Remember what made you human,” Monáe told The Associated Press. “Nature is talking to us.”

Dressed body

Rather than wear art, models showed off their toned bodies as part of the “Costume Art” exhibit's theme celebrating artistic representations of the body. Supermodels Gigi Hadid and Irina Shayk both wore revealing looks on the carpet.

Bad Bunny went full costume, carrying a cane and dressing up as an older version of himself with gray hair and special effects makeup to add years to his face. The artist joked with Vogue that it took 53 years to finish the look. Supermodel Heidi Klum, known for taking her Halloween costume to new heights, brought that same dedication to the Met Gala as she arrived as a draped statue.

Instead of opting for a body-hugging gown, Kim Kardashian wore a bright orange metallic body plate from the '60s designed by Allen Jones.

The physical form was modeled throughout the night with body parts draped over gowns or overlaid on garments in printed form in a trompe l’oeil. Theater producer and performer Jordan Roth had a 3D figure looming behind him as part of his velvet Wun getup while other celebrities had carefully placed sculpted hands attached to their gowns.

For her first Met Gala, Chase Infiniti donned a colorful sequined Thom Browne gown with the female form embellished with sequins on the front and back of her dress.

In typical fashion, singer and fashion powerhouse Rihanna shut down the carpet as the final guest to arrive, much earlier than in years past. Dressed in a metallic jewel-encrusted cocoonlike dress, Rihanna emerged onto the carpet with her partner A$AP Rocky.

“I feel like a pearl out of an oyster,” Rihanna said to reporters on the carpet.

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AP reporter John Carucci contributed to this report live from the carpet.

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This story has been updated to correct that Infiniti wore Thom Browne, not Alexander McQueen.

Gates and a lock on the front of the former temple in the Whitechapel area of east London had minor damage, but no one was injured, Metropolitan Police said.

The incident is the latest since four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity were torched in March. Since then, a synagogue was firebombed and other Jewish sites have been targeted in attempted arson. Last week, two Jewish men were stabbed in what police have called an act of terror.

“It is part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left our Jewish communities feeling frightened, angry and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them,” Starmer told community leaders. “These disgusting attacks are being made against British Jews. But, make no mistake, this crisis — it is a crisis for all of us.”

The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust charity. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.

Hate-crime prosecutions will be fast-tracked to deal with the spike in antisemitic incidents, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said.

The attacks have occurred since the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war and police are looking into whether they are the work of Iranian proxies.

A pro-Iran group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia — or Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right — has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks. It has also acknowledged being behind incidents in recent months at places of worship, business and financial institutions across Europe, all of which appear to be linked to Jewish or Israeli interests.

“One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents,” Starmer said. “Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.”

Starmer promised to take action to tackle antisemitism, including requiring universities to publish the scale of the problem and take steps to stop it. Arts funding will be withdrawn from anyone promoting antisemitism.

Britain raised its terror threat level from substantial to severe — the second-highest on a five-point scale — after the stabbings. The rating means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.

The change was not solely due to the knife attacks but also “from Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the U.K,” the government said.

Still, the fragile truce reached nearly a month ago appeared to be holding as U.S. forces pressed ahead with efforts to reopen the strait, a vital waterway for global energy. On Monday, the U.S. said it had opened a lane and sunk six small Iranian boats that had threatened commercial ships.

So far, only two merchant ships are known to have passed through the new U.S.-guarded route, with hundreds more bottled up in the Persian Gulf. Shippers are still wary, and it's unclear whether U.S. military action can reassure them without reigniting the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which major oil and gas supplies passed before the war, along with fertilizer and other petroleum products, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy. Breaking Iran's grip would deny its main source of leverage as U.S. President Donald Trump demands a major rollback of its disputed nuclear program.

Iran says new US effort violates ceasefire

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the U.S. military’s top officer, told a news conference Tuesday that Iran’s renewed attacks hadn’t reached the threshold of what Caine called “major combat operations.” He said Tuesday marked a “quieter” day in the strait.

“No, the ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said, affirming Caine’s assessment. They spoke before the latest attacks on the UAE.

Iran has said the new effort does violate the ceasefire. Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, signaled that Iran has yet to fully respond to the U.S. attempt to reopen the waterway.

“We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet,” he said in a post on X. His statement did not mention negotiations with the U.S. that are now in the form of passing messages via Pakistan.

Disputing Washington’s claim of sinking six boats, an Iranian military commander said two small civilian cargo boats were hit on Monday, killing five civilians, Iran’s state TV reported.

Caine, the top U.S. general who serves as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more than 100 U.S. military aircraft are patrolling skies around the strait.

The Trump administration has cited the April 8 ceasefire in asserting that the president does not have to give a formal update to Congress on the war under the War Powers Resolution. That law typically requires presidents to seek formal approval from Congress for war activities 60 days after beginning military action.

Shippers remain wary

So far, just two civilian vessels, both U.S.-flagged merchant ships, are known to have passed through the strait as part of the lane the U.S. says it has created. Shipping company Maersk said one of them, a vehicle carrier that it operates, exited the strait safely with U.S. military assistance on Monday.

Former military officers who have served on the strait have said opening it would be dangerous and highly challenging, even with military escorts, which the U.S. isn’t providing now.

There’s little room to maneuver in the narrow waterway — just 21 miles (34 kilometers) wide — and Iran can reach all of the strait and its approaches with cruise missiles. It also can target vessels with longer-range missiles, drones, fast attack craft and mines.

“At this point in time our risk assessment remains unchanged,” Hapag-Lloyd AG, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, said in a statement. “Transits through the Strait of Hormuz are for the moment not possible for our ships.”

Ship tracking data showed a Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker heading toward the center of the strait Tuesday after leaving an anchorage in the Persian Gulf, though it was unclear if it would try to pass through.

Iran has attacked ships that try to transit without going through its own route in the northern part of the strait along its coastline. That involves being vetted by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and payment in some cases.

The U.S.-approved route goes through territorial waters of Oman to the south.

“For shipping companies and for insurance companies, they still have to wait and see how this plays out,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.

“This initiative alone isn’t something that looks like it’s going to open the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

The UAE bore the brunt of Iran’s retaliation

The United Arab Emirates said Monday its air defenses had engaged 15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran. Authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE, also on Monday.

On Tuesday, the UAE's Defense Ministry said it was responding to another Iranian drone and missile attack.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the targeting of UAE civilians and infrastructure “unacceptable.” Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also condemned the strikes.

Tehran did not confirm or deny the attacks. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday on X that the U.S. and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.”

Strait of Hormuz closure has far-reaching consequences

Closing the strait has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.

The U.S. has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13. It also has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions if they pay Iran for transit of the strait.

The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy. U.S. officials have expressed hope the blockade will force Iran to make concessions in talks on its nuclear program and other longstanding issues.

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Finley reported from Washington and Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Lebanon; Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.

The June 5 event put on by Heritage Auctions will benefit the Matthew Perry Foundation, which works to destigmatize addiction and aid in recovery from substance abuse.

“Matthew believed addiction should be met with compassion and science, not stigma and silence,” the foundation’s CEO Lisa Kasteler Calio said in a statement. “This auction fuels the Foundation’s work to expand access to evidence-based care and confront stigma. It is one more way we ensure that no one has to fight this disease alone.”

Items from Matthew Perry's collection that will be sold

— A collection of 26 of Perry’s “Friends” scripts from key episodes, including “The One With Ross’s Tan,” “The One Where Joey Speaks French” and the two-part series finale.

— Scripts from the pilot and part one of the series finale signed by Perry and co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, donated by Warner Bros., which produced the series.

— A 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award, which Perry won for best performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.

— Perry's personal replica of the yellow peephole frame from Monica and Rachel's apartment on “Friends.”

— Perry's “Friends” photo album, titled “The One With the Last Supper.”

— Works of art by Banksy and Mel Bochner that Perry owned.

About the Matthew Perry charity auction

The auction site opened Tuesday. Items will be on display from May 18 to May 29 in Beverly Hills before the June 5 auction that will be held at Heritage Auctions’ Dallas showroom and online.

Net proceeds will go to initiatives supported by the foundation. They include the Matthew Perry Fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, grants to organizations that work directly with recovering addicts, and Healing Appalachia, a recovery-focused sober music festival.

Perry played Chandler Bing for a decade from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s culture-changing sitcom “Friends.” It made him one of the biggest television stars of his generation.

Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Hollywood home at age 54 on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner determined that the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine were the primary cause.

Five people have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the investigation of his death, including two doctors and an admitted drug dealer. His personal assistant and a friend who acted as a middleman are still to be sentenced later this month.

Defense attorneys pressed Jamila “Mila” Adams about money she said she was owed after working as a live-in chef. She testified she was paid about $2,000 a week and believed she had not been fully compensated after being sent home. They pointed to a $19,000 demand and said the amount increased over time, with her attorney later seeking $5.5 million.

Diggs has pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from a December incident at his home.

When asked about the $5.5 million claim, Adams said, “I can’t speak on that,” and at other points told jurors, “I don’t understand the question” and “I don’t know how to answer the question.”

Defense attorneys also questioned Adams about a public statement she issued Feb. 13 in which she said, “I have never sought money to settle this matter,” and about hiring a lawyer by mid-April. Adams said she retained an attorney for a workers’ compensation claim, saying she believed she had been injured on the job.

They challenged her accounting of what she was owed, presenting records of payments and suggesting she had sought compensation for weeks she did not work. Adams said she had been confused about the amount and “sent the incorrect amount,” maintaining she believed she was owed money.

Prosecutors pushed back on the defense’s financial-motive argument— Adams testified the dispute was about wages, not a settlement. She said her statement that she had “never sought money to settle this matter” referred to the criminal case and that she later retained an attorney for a workers’ compensation claim after she was injured on the job.

At times during her second day on the stand, Adams was instructed by the judge to answer questions directly and not include additional details beyond what was asked. Portions of her responses were struck from the record as nonresponsive, with jurors told to disregard them.

“This is not an opportunity for you to interject your own narrative,” Judge Jeanmarie Carroll, told her at one point, warning that continued nonresponsive answers could result in her testimony being stricken.

Kenneth Ellis, the Dedham police officer who took Adams’ initial report about the assault, testified that she arrived at the station visibly upset, telling jurors she “sat down on the bench and she was crying.” The officer said Adams initially asked to speak with a female officer before later agreeing to give a statement and identifying Diggs as the person involved.

The officer said he did not observe visible injuries, collect photographs or speak with other witnesses, and that his investigation relied largely on Adams’ account and text messages she provided.

The testimony followed sharply conflicting accounts presented to jurors a day earlier.

Adams testified Monday that Diggs “smacked me with an open hand” before wrapping his arm around her neck and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe. She described what she called a “complicated” relationship, saying it had previously been sexual but was not at the time of the alleged assault. She said she lived in his home, preparing meals and snacks, and had known him for more than four years.

Defense attorneys told jurors the alleged attack never happened, pointing to a lack of medical records, photos or video documenting injuries and saying no one else in the home reported seeing or hearing anything unusual. They also suggested Adams had a financial motive.

Prosecutors say the case centers on what happened on Dec. 2, when they allege Diggs entered Adams’ bedroom, slapped her and put her in a headlock that made it difficult to breathe.

A jury was seated Monday in Norfolk County District Court in Dedham.

Sabalenka and fellow No. 1 Jannik Sinner were among leading players — most of them ranked in the top 10 — who issued a statement on Monday expressing “deep disappointment” over the French Open prize money.

“Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage,” Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, said on Tuesday at the Italian Open.

“I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights,” Sabalenka added on her 28th birthday.

The players are also seeking better representation, health options and pensions from the four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

French Open organizers announced last month they were increasing overall prize money by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount up 5.3 million euros from last year. But the players’ statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming they will receive a smaller share of tournament revenues.

The players claim their share of Roland Garros revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026.

Gauff, the defending French Open champion, cited a landmark new WNBA collective bargaining agreement reached in March as an example of the benefit of working together.

“From the things I’ve seen with other sports, usually to make massive progress and things like this, it takes a union,” Gauff said. “We have to become unionized in some way. ... We definitely can move more as a collective."

Regarding a boycott, Gauff said, “If everyone were to move as one and collaborate, yeah, I can 100% see that.” But she added she hasn't heard of any discussions about a walkout.

“I definitely think there’s a consensus around that this needs to be addressed for all players of all levels, especially the lower-ranked players, too,” Gauff added. "I want to leave the sport better than I found it. If I can say I played my part when I retire, that’s something I can be proud of.”

Rybakina, a two-time Grand Slam champion who won the Australian Open this year, would follow the other players.

“If the majority say we are boycotting, we are not playing, then of course I’m up for it,” Rybakina said. “It’s not only on the Grand Slams and it’s not only about raising the prize money. A lot of people are not aware that there is taxes which are big. You even make more prize money, but you giving it all to the taxes.”

Paolini, the Italian who reached the final of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, also believed in a boycott option.

“If we’re all in agreement and I think we are — the men and the women are united right now — it’s something we could do,” Paolini said.

Paolini added that the WTA and ATP Tours — which organize all of the other tournaments — have done more than the Grand Slams to provide players with benefits, such as maternity leave, and retirement plans.

“There’s a lot of things that the Slams are not doing,” Paolini said, “that the WTA and I think the ATP are doing.”

Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, said “the most important thing is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate.

“Hopefully before Roland Garros there’s going to be opportunity to have these type of meetings and we’ll see how they go,” Swiatek added. “But boycotting the tournament, it’s a bit extreme kind of situation.”

The players' statement said Roland Garros generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%.

“With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events,” the players said.

French Open organizers did not respond to a request for comment after the players issued their statement.

The Australian Open this year increased the players’ compensation by 16%, and the U.S. Open prize money last year went up by 20%.

The French Open starts on May 24 and the singles champions will each receive 2.8 million euros and the runners-up 1.4 million euros. Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros.

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

Today on Texas Eats NOW:

STERNEWIRTH AT HOTEL EMMA

136 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78215

Sternewirth at Hotel Emma offers a refined yet welcoming tavern experience inside the historic Pearl Brewery complex. Known for its dramatic industrial design, the space features soaring ceilings, repurposed fermentation tanks, and cozy seating areas that blend history with modern luxury. The bar specializes in craft cocktails, curated wines, and local beers, paired with elevated small plates that make it a popular destination for both locals and visitors.

The venue also plays host to special events, including Pearl’s inaugural Tequila Weekend in partnership with Goodjuice. The celebration includes a multi-course distiller’s dinner, a cocktail competition across Pearl, and the Goodjuice Agave Spirits Festival, with proceeds benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank. With its rich history and sophisticated atmosphere, Sternewirth continues to stand out as one of San Antonio’s premier gathering spots.

DUCK & DUMPLING

3003 Thousand Oaks Dr, San Antonio, TX 78247

Duck & Dumpling brings authentic Chinese flavors to San Antonio’s North Side, specializing in traditional Peking duck and freshly made dumplings. Since opening in 2025, the restaurant has gained attention for its crispy-skinned duck, served with pancakes, cucumbers, and house sauces, along with a variety of dumplings prepared daily. The menu reflects a focus on quality and authenticity, offering a range of dishes that highlight classic techniques and bold flavors.

Guests can enjoy pork soup dumplings, pan-fried buns, and steamed options, as well as noodle dishes and Sichuan-inspired plates. The restaurant’s inviting, family-style atmosphere makes it a great spot for sharing meals, though its popularity often means arriving early is recommended. With its dedication to traditional recipes and fresh preparation, Duck & Dumpling is quickly becoming a go-to destination for Chinese cuisine in San Antonio.

ANGEL’S MEXICAN HAVEN

2302 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78203

Angel’s Mexican Haven is a longtime East Side favorite serving authentic Tex-Mex in a warm, family-oriented setting. Established in 2004, the restaurant has built a loyal following with its homemade dishes, friendly service, and welcoming atmosphere that feels like dining at a relative’s home. Known for its vibrant yet modest decor, the space reflects its roots as a true neighborhood staple.

The menu features standout items like the famous pork chop taco, along with carne guisada, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and freshly made tortillas. Generous portions and affordable prices add to its appeal, making it a go-to spot for both regulars and newcomers. With more than two decades of serving the community, Angel’s Mexican Haven continues to deliver comforting, flavorful meals that highlight the heart of San Antonio’s Tex-Mex tradition.

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Vance, who is seen as one of the GOP’s strongest potential candidates for president in 2028, is making the trip to campaign on behalf of Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who faces a competitive race to keep his Des Moines-area seat in the November midterms.

Vance, a former U.S. senator who represented Ohio and became vice president before the end of his term, departed Washington accompanied by one of his young sons. He stopped first in Cincinnati to vote in Ohio's primary elections and told reporters he was voting for Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor's race. Asked about U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who's running in a special election to serve out the remainder of Vance’s term, Vance said he thinks Husted's “going to do a great job” and has been “good for Ohio.”

His 6-year-old son, meanwhile, filled out a ballot for children, which the vice president showed to the poll workers when he cast his own ballot. “He voted for the Easter bunny over the tooth fairy,” he said of his son, who's also named Vivek.

Before arriving in Iowa, Vance also was set to appear in Oklahoma City to hold a fundraiser in his role as finance chair of the Republican National Committee.

But the visit to Iowa offers Vance an opportunity to test his reception before Iowa’s voters, whose leadoff caucuses give them an outsized role in determining the next presidential nominee. Campaigning for a local congressman in his role as the sitting vice president gives him an opening chance to make an impression on Iowa Republicans, seasoned evaluators of those who seek the nation’s highest office before the campaign begins in earnest.

Vance’s appearance comes days after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is also considered a possible 2028 candidate, spoke to a group of evangelical Christians who are influential in Iowa’s GOP contest.

Des Moines-based Jimmy Centers, a Republican political consultant, said the 2028 contest is “light-years away” but said the Republicans who hear Vance speak on Tuesday will be evaluating how he might measure up in an election for the White House.

“I certainly think, as of right now, Vice President Vance would probably be a straw-poll winner of Iowa Republicans for 2028. But I don’t think anyone is saying, ‘We won’t consider anybody else,’” Centers said.

Vance's visit comes as higher prices for gas and fertilizer hit Iowans

Vance, who has not said whether he will run for the presidency in 2028, is scheduled to appear with Nunn at a manufacturing facility in Des Moines. His office did not comment on the trip's impact on Vance's political future.

The vice president’s visit follows a trip President Donald Trump made in January to tout the administration’s tax cuts, part of a string of stops they’re making this year on economic issues before midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

But Vance’s visit comes when his own political prospects — and the message he’s expected to deliver on the economy — have been complicated by the war in Iran.

The vice president, who has long been skeptical of foreign military interventions, has seemed a reluctant defender of the 9-week-old war, for which Trump has struggled to find an off-ramp. Iowans, like much of the rest of the country, are grappling with higher gas prices because of the conflict. But the state’s farmers are also feeling the pinch of high fertilizer costs from the war and have been hurt by tariffs Trump has imposed.

While Iowa’s farmers have steadfastly supported the president, they have been looking to the White House for assurances that the current troubles won’t last.

Vance’s visit to Iowa was originally scheduled for last week, but the timing shifted because the House moved to pass a sweeping farm bill that Nunn was due to vote on.

The vice president also had been slated to appear last week at an Iowa State University event with Turning Point USA, but the organization said it was not able to reschedule the event with the university until the fall.

It's ‘awfully, awfully early’ in the road to 2028

Kim Schmett, a longtime Iowa GOP activist, said the presidential cycle starts “deceptively slow.”

Republican figures testing the waters often drop by the Westside Conservative Club, which Schmett hosts, but he said it's still too far out from the caucuses, which are typically held in January of the presidential election year.

He said Trump’s Make America Great Again political movement “is very alive and going here” in Iowa, which would benefit Vance — as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also thought to be a potential candidate.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of MAGA support,” he said. “And Vice President Vance and Marco Rubio seem to be the recipients of where that is going at the moment.”

But Schmett cautioned, “it’s awfully, awfully early in the process.”

On the Democratic side, at least half a dozen presidential prospects have been making visits to the states with the earliest presidential primary contests, including recent visits to Iowa by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Michigan U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

Meanwhile, potential Republican presidential candidates “are treading very lightly,” said GOP strategist Alex Conant, who worked on Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign.

“I think Republicans are going to be very reluctant to get in Trump’s way until Trump gives the green light for the campaign to start,” Conant said.

That means much of the groundwork to meet with donors or activists or recruit political staffers might happen slowly and subtly – for now.

After the midterms? Conant said: “It’ll be irresistible.”

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Price reported from Washington.

Lawyers for the county filed a motion on Monday night to quash a grand jury subpoena that asks for the names and personal contact information of county employees and volunteer poll workers. This latest action comes after the FBI in January went to a Fulton County elections warehouse and seized ballots and other documents from the 2020 election, which Georgia’s certified totals showed Trump lost in the state to Biden by 11,779 votes out of nearly 5 million cast. Trump, a Republican, still insists the election was stolen from him even though judges and his own attorney general concluded otherwise.

Monday's court filing says the subpoena is meant to “target, harass and punish the President's perceived political opponents.” The request is “grossly overbroad and untethered to any reasonable need,” the county's lawyers argue. It “cannot yield any evidence that could result in a criminal prosecution," they wrote, arguing that the statute of limitations on any federal crime related to the 2020 election has already expired.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts, in an emailed statement, called the subpoena “yet another act of outrageous federal overreach designed to intimidate and chill participation in elections.”

“Let me be crystal clear. Fulton County will not be intimidated,” said Pitts, a Democrat who’s running for reelection.

Since the 2020 election, Trump “has obsessively propagated the debunked conspiracy theory that Fulton County ‘stole’ the 2020 election from him,” the county’s lawyers wrote. “And he has made it clear that he seeks retribution against those who refuse to indulge his baseless claims.”

Trump has already targeted individual poll workers like Ruby Freeman, who was attacked by him and his supporters after the election. Freeman, who's Black, has said she was forced to flee her home after false claims of election fraud against her led to racist threats and strangers showing up at her home.

The grand jury subpoena, dated April 17, was served on the county's director of elections on April 20, the county's court filing says. It seeks the “name, position/function, residential and email addresses, and personal telephone number(s)” for thousands of election workers “ranging from county employees who assisted on election day, to bus drivers who operated a mobile voting location, to volunteers and temporary poll workers,” the filing says.

The subpoena “is a chilling escalation in the campaign to terrorize Fulton County election workers," the county's lawyers wrote, adding that threats arising from the current political environment have caused election workers to “fear for their physical safety.” That and other stresses “including the likelihood of being scapegoated by public officials” are causing election workers to leave their jobs “in unprecedented numbers,” they wrote.

The county's lawyers note that the subpoena directs the county to provide the records not to the grand jury but to an out-of-state Justice Department lawyer or to the FBI agent who wrote the affidavit used for the seizure of the county's 2020 ballots in January.

The January seizure of the ballots and other records from Fulton County was one in a string of moves by Trump's administration to obtain past election records from critical swing states. The FBI in March used a subpoena to get records related to an audit of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County in Arizona. And the Justice Department in April demanded that Michigan’s Wayne County turn over its ballots from the 2024 election, which Trump won against Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris.

The Justice Department is also fighting numerous states in court for access to voter data that includes sensitive personal information. Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.

Employers posted 6.87 million jobs in March, compared to 6.92 million in February, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war, which began Feb. 28, has clouded the outlook for the economy and hiring.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs rose in March. But hiring improved: Employers added 5.55 million gross jobs, most since February 2024. More Americans also quit their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects.

Job openings have come down more or less steadily since peaking at a record 12.3 million in March 2022 as the U.S. economy bounded back from COVID-19 lockdowns. High interest rates, a response to an outburst of inflation in 2021-2022; uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s policies; and, potentially, the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence have discouraged robust hiring.

Last year, employers added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002. So far in 2026, job creation has bounced around — strong in January (160,000 new jobs) and March (178,000) but weak in February when employers slashed 133,000 jobs.

The Labor Department issues its job report for April on Friday. According to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet, it is expected to show that companies, nonprofits and government agencies added a steady 57,000 net jobs last month and that the unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%.

Partly because of Trump's immigration crackdown, fewer people are competing for work. That means the economy doesn't need as many new jobs to keep the unemployment rate from rising. A year ago, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimated that the "break-even'' rate of monthly hiring was 153,000. In an update published in March, St. Louis Fed economist Alexander Bick calculated that it could be as low as 15,000 jobs a month.

Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a commentary that Tuesday's JOLTS report showed a “steady labor market.'' But he cautioned that ”this picture of the labor market will change as the economy adjusts to $100+ a barrel oil, higher inflation, possibly tighter monetary conditions and global recession starting in Asia,'' which is dependent on disrupted supplies of oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf.

Authorities were continuing to search for suspects Monday in the shooting that critically injured at least three of those hurt. No arrests have been made.

It wasn’t clear how many of the injured had been shot, police said Monday in a statement. It provided few answers about what had happened.

The shooting broke out Sunday night at a public park near a campground at Arcadia Lake, a popular swimming and boating spot in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City, said Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward.

Jeremiah Braxton estimated 250 people showed up at the party. He said the trouble began when a group of girls started arguing over boyfriends. “It just started a whole bunch of chaos,” he said.

“Everybody got scared, dudes was panicking, women was panicking, people seeing their friends fight,” Braxton said.

The 18-year-old said he heard shots ring out in different directions for several minutes as he ran toward the lake. Those hit included two of his friends, he added.

At least 18 people were treated at hospitals in the Oklahoma City area. One healthcare system said the victims it treated ranged in age from 16 to 30. It said three people were in critical condition and four were listed as serious.

Police in Edmond said Monday that the party had been promoted across social media, drawing a large crowd of mostly young adults from across the Oklahoma City area.

Edmond Mayor Mark Nash said the shooting took place at a public park where spaces can be reserved for large gatherings. “To our knowledge, there was no reservation through the parks department,” he said.

Nash declined to answer questions about the shooting, saying police were handling the investigation.

“We’re already taking steps to review and strengthen park operations, permitting processes and security measures,” the mayor said.

Some of those injured were transported for medical attention while others sought treatment on their own, authorities said.

Integris Health said it treated 13 people at its hospitals in Edmond and Oklahoma City. Seven remained in Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, including three in critical condition.

OU Health said it received five people at its trauma center but didn't elaborate.

While police did not provide more details about the party, a flyer circulated on social media after the shooting suggested that an event called Sunday Funday was scheduled at a pavilion near the lake until midnight.

It advertised food, drinks, music and “good vibes, good people.”

Arcadia Lake is dotted with picnic pavilions, campgrounds, a fishing pier, and swimming beaches. Built in the 1980s for outdoor recreation and flood control, the lake also provides water to the city of Edmond, a suburb of about 100,000 residents.

Forty years ago, Edmond was the site of one of the deadliest workplace shootings in U.S. history. On Aug. 20, 1986, postal worker Patrick Sherrill shot 20 co-workers, killing 14 of them. He then killed himself.

Over the weekend, another shooting at a party in the Texas Panhandle left two teens dead and 10 other people wounded. Police in Amarillo said two persons opened fire at an apartment complex early Saturday.

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This story was first published on May. 4. It was updated on May 5 to correct the last name of Jeremiah Braxton, who was erroneously referred to as Jeremiah Smith

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Associated Press reporters Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Corey Williams in Detroit, Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

The analysis obtained by The Associated Press includes the first economy-wide projections behind a policy at the core of Trump’s pitch to voters going into November’s midterm elections for control of the House and Senate. Democratic lawmakers have been doubtful about the savings claimed by Trump and these new numbers are likely to trigger additional questions about the data.

Cost-of-living issues are at the forefront of voters’ concerns and higher energy prices tied to the Iran war have deepened the public’s anxiety. Trump has tried in part to address affordability concerns by focusing on his efforts to cut deals with companies so that the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. would no longer be dramatically higher than in other affluent nations.

“Now you have the lowest drug prices anywhere in the world,” Trump said at a Friday rally before a crowd of seniors in Florida. “And that alone should win us the midterms.”

The analysis was done by administration officials for the White House Council of Economic Advisers. They also estimated that federal and state governments could save a combined $64.3 billion on Medicaid during the next decade because of what Trump calls his “most favored nation” policy on drug prices.

Few of the details of the deals struck by the Trump administration and 17 leading pharmaceutical companies have been made public, making it hard to independently verify the projected savings. The White House analysis sought to estimate the prospective savings as more medications come onto the market and fall under Trump’s framework — with one model in the report tallying the possible savings at $733 billion over a decade.

Trump and his Department of Health and Human Services have touted his drug-pricing deals as transformative and urged Congress to codify their principles into law. Democratic lawmakers have challenged the administration’s claims of savings. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and 17 Senate Democrats in April proposed a measure requiring the administration to disclose the terms of the agreements signed by pharmaceutical companies.

“If these deals are so great, why is the Trump administration afraid of showing them to the public?” Wyden said when announcing the measure. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his team would share details that didn’t include proprietary information or trade secrets.

The White House said it has not shared the text of the agreements because they include highly sensitive data that could move financial markets.

The potential savings estimated by the Trump administration would be substantial as Americans spent $467 billion on prescription drugs in 2024, according to the most recent government data available. The analysis is premised on the idea that foreign countries would also pay more for their prescription drugs, which would diversify drugmakers’ sources of revenue and preserve their ability to innovate with new treatments.

Outside economists have caveated that any savings might not flow directly to patients, many of whom already pay discounted prices for their drugs through their insurance coverage.

The Congressional Budget Office in October 2024 estimated that a plan similar to what Trump ended up adopting could reduce prescription drug prices by more than 5%, though the decrease “would probably diminish over time as manufacturers adjusted to the new policy by altering prices or distribution of drugs in other countries.”

The scope of the savings claimed by the Trump administration are likely to intensify the scrutiny by Democrats, who counter that any price reductions would be offset by higher costs for prescription drugs not covered by the “most favored nation” framework. One of their main critiques is that pharmaceutical companies have increased their profit margins while working with the administration.

In April, staff working for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., released an analysis that looked at 15 of the companies that have agreed to this drug-pricing plan and found that their combined profits jumped 66% over the past year to $177 billion. The report noted that the tax cuts Trump signed into law last year “exempted or delayed many of the most expensive drugs” from price negotiations with Medicare.

The Trump administration has countered that they consider Sanders’ critique to be flawed, saying that it’s based on the list prices for pharmaceutical drugs instead of the actual price that patients pay.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are on a historic heater.

The NBA playoffs continue Tuesday with a pair of Game 1s in the second round, with the Lakers-Thunder and Cavaliers-Pistons getting their series started.

The Thunder and Pistons are the top seeds in their respective conferences, though they had very different experiences in the first round. Oklahoma City crushed the Phoenix Suns in a four-game sweep while the Pistons were pushed to seven games before getting past the Orlando Magic.

The Knicks get a day to rest after becoming the first team in NBA history to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points. New York routed the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Monday's Game 1.

Tuesday's schedule

— Game 1, Cleveland at Detroit, 7 p.m. EDT (Peacock/NBCSN)

Odds: Detroit by 3.5.

Both teams are coming off seven-game grinds in Round 1, and will have to refocus quickly. At least it won't be a long trip for the Cavaliers; by air, their flight to Detroit is only 96 miles.

— Game 1, LA Lakers at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)

Odds: Oklahoma City by 15.5.

A team with LeBron James, as a 15.5-point underdog, in a playoff game? The only thing that has come close to that in the last 15 years is when James and Cleveland were 12.5-point underdogs to Golden State in an NBA Finals game in 2018.

Wednesday's schedule

— Game 2, Philadelphia at New York, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Odds: New York by 6.5.

Jalen Brunson scored 35 points in the opener as the Knicks rolled in Game 1. The 76ers — who had a gritty effort to overcome the Celtics in the first round — will need to bounce back with a similar performance.

— Game 2, Minnesota at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Odds: San Antonio by 9.5.

Anthony Edwards made an unexpected return from a knee injury for the Timberwolves and helped the team to a Game 1 win. The Spurs will need a little more offense in Game 2 to supplement Victor Wembanyama's monstrous defensive presence.

Monday recap

— Knicks 137, 76ers 98 for a 1-0 New York series lead. Philadelphia tries to respond after a beatdown.

— Timberwolves 104, Spurs 102 for a 1-0 Minnesota series lead. Anthony Edwards to the Spurs: “I'm back!”

Awards watch

A breakdown of this season's NBA awards:

— Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year: DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans.

— Hustle Award: Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte.

— Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio.

— Clutch Player of the Year: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City.

— Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio.

— Sportsmanship Award: Derrick White, Boston.

— Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta.

— Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas.

— Executive of the Year: Brad Stevens, Boston.

Among the announcements still to come:

— Most Valuable Player: Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver's Nikola Jokic.

— Coach of the Year: Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio's Mitch Johnson or Boston's Joe Mazzulla.

Betting odds

Defending champion Oklahoma City (-140) is favored to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.

The Thunder were followed by San Antonio (+350), New York (+900), Detroit (+1700), Cleveland (+2000) and the Los Angeles Lakers (+2500). Philadelphia (+3500) is next, followed by Minnesota (+10000).

Some neighborly rivalries are underway

Expect plenty of fans of visiting teams in the stands around the NBA during Round 2, especially in the Eastern Conference.

By car, it's only 100 miles between the arenas in Philadelphia and New York and only 168 miles between the arenas in Detroit and Cleveland. That means it'll be relatively easy for fans who want to hit the road to do some cheering.

The West series aren't exactly drive-able. It's 1,248 miles between arenas in San Antonio and Minneapolis, and 1,330 miles between the ones in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City — but Lakers fans are everywhere, so it surely won't be all Thunder fans in OKC.

Key dates

— May 10: NBA draft lottery.

— May 10-17: NBA draft combine.

— May 17 or 19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC.

— May 18 or 20: Western Conference finals begin on NBC and Peacock.

— June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10, June 13, June 16 and June 19).

— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft

— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft

Quote of the day

“Same as last series. They don’t get any extra points for going up big tonight,” 76ers veteran Paul George said after their lopsided loss to the Knicks. “We’ll be ready for Game 2.”

Stats of the day

— Wembanyama had 11 points and 15 rebounds and set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks in San Antonio's Game 1 loss. He’s the third player to get a triple-double in the playoffs including blocks since the league began tracking blocks in 1973-74.

— The Knicks shot 63% from the field in their Game 1 win, including a blistering 51% (19 of 37) from 3-point range.

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

The Real Madrid and France forward is sidelined by a left hamstring issue which is casting doubt about his availability for Sunday's clasico in Barcelona, the biggest match in Spanish soccer.

During his time off, Mbappé reportedly traveled to Italy with actress Ester Expósito last weekend, prompting criticism in Spanish media that he may not be taking his rehabilitation seriously. Madrid fans also questioned why the league's best striker was on holiday ahead of the clasico.

Mbappé denied any wrongdoing through a statement from his representatives sent to The Associated Press.

“Part of the criticism is based on an overinterpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club, without reflecting the reality of Kylian’s commitment and the work he puts in every day for the team,” the statement read.

Unhappy Real Madrid supporters believe Mbappé is saving himself for the World Cup that begins in five weeks.

He also drew criticism earlier this season when he couldn't play because of a knee ailment.

Madrid has little to play for in the final stretch of the season. It has been eliminated in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, and is virtually out of contention in La Liga as it trails Barcelona by 11 points with four rounds remaining. Barcelona could clinch on Sunday.

Madrid has yet to say whether Mbappé will be fit and available for the clasico. Spanish media say Mbappé went to Madrid’s training center on a day off to continue his recovery.

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AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni in Madrid contributed.

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

Hedman, in a statement released by the Lightning, did not provide specifics about what he has been dealing with. He didn't play in Tampa Bay's final 22 games of the season, including the seven playoff matchups in a first-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Hedman, 35, had been around the team in recent weeks, even taking part in some skates. But the defenseman's last game was in mid-March.

“Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health,” Hedman said. "It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.

“I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.”

Hedman missed significant time earlier in the season with an elbow injury that required surgery in December. He returned before the Olympics and played for Sweden until tweaking something in pregame warmups before the quarterfinal against the U.S., which kept him from participating.

He told reporters at Tampa Bay's exit-interview day that he leaned on best friend and former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, as well as Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark, who also spent time away from the Senators to address his mental health.

Hedman — the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft — has been with the Lightning for all 17 of his NHL seasons, helping the franchise win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in the 2020 pandemic “bubble.”

He played in only 33 games this season, by far the fewest of his career, because of the injury and this subsequent absence.

Hedman thanked his teammates, the Lightning organization, his family and his therapist for their support and said he’s “in a much better place today.”

“This is something that exists in our game more than people see,” Hedman said. “If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters.”

___

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

Industrial-leaning synth-pop strains might seem incongruous with such a vista, but it was the alternative rock band's homage to Route 66 that seduced David J. Schwartz. With camera in hand he has made 42 trips over two decades along the celebrated highway, qualifying himself for the job of creating postage stamps commemorating the Mother Road's centennial.

The U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday is releasing eight stamps marking significant parts of the road in each of the states it traverses, passing by vintage diners, gas stations and motels — many since preserved or restored — along with breathtaking vistas and wide horizons of the open road.

Route 66 is paved with history, from its early days as an escape from the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, through serving as a vital supply route during World War II, to its mid-century role as an antidote for wanderlust. A symbol of freedom and mobility, it has evolved into a time capsule of Americana, steeped in nostalgia and neon.

‘Road trips, big cars, neon signs’

As teenagers in 1988, Schwartz and his best friend had planned a road trip after girlfriends introduced them to Depeche Mode, where they discovered a cover of Bobby Troup's 1946 pop standard, “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Schwartz's mother nixed his participation, delaying his first taste of the open road until 2004.

To Schwartz, the road — stretching 2,448 miles (3,940 kilometers) — represents a significant piece of a newly mobile 20th century America, from its debut in 1926 to its decommissioning in 1985: “Road trips, big cars, neon signs.” Though retired from the federal highway system, vast stretches of the route are still in use and a favorite of road warriors and tourists to this day.

“So much to explore. You start here in Illinois on 66 and you’re cruising through prairie land,” Schwartz said during a recent interview in Springfield. “By the time you get out west, you're in the desert or you’re in mountains through hairpin turns. It’s just an incredible journey and you just get such a beautiful slice of America going through it.”

Tired of retail management, Schwartz went back to school to study photography and had the idea of Route 66 stamps as early as a decade ago. He was tapped for the project in 2023. He recalls thinking, “Here is my moment to bring Route 66 to the masses.”

Greg Breeding, a USPS art director for stamp design, was working on a graphic showing a map of the road when he discovered Schwartz’s photos. They were beautifully photographed, not commercial and slick.

“They’re as if you were there,” he said, “which makes them especially useful for stamps.”

The USPS plate contains 16 stamps, two of each one representing Route 66 host states. A ninth photo serves as selvage, or the image surrounding the block. It's the scene of that empty Arizona highway, shot in 2023 near Seligman, Arizona, when Schwartz and his high school friend finally took that trip 35 years in the making.

‘Feel the land as you’re traveling'

But a road is a road, isn't it? Why can't a traveler get the same view standing on one of the interstate highways that ultimately bypassed Route 66?

“You'd probably get run over,” Schwartz said dryly.

“Interstates are designed to move traffic quickly. They cut through the sides of mountains, they do not follow the contour of the land ...,” he added. “On Route 66, you’re actually part of the landscape as you move through it. You feel the land as you’re traveling.”

Breeding and Schwartz steered clear of the fabled highway’s most popular spots, not only because those are tougher to get permission to use, but also because they wanted to give people a “fresh look,” Breeding said. The stamps are devoid of people, he said, in part to create a sense of allure rather tourist trap vibes.

To that end, the blocks capture both the continuing commerce and the roadside relics that hint at their former vibrancy. Take for example the Conoco Tower Station and U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas, a neon-adorned Art Deco beauty whose luminous lights come alive at dusk.

In Yucca, Arizona, Schwartz photographed the dilapidated “Motel” sign in the relentless noonday sun, revealing desert desolation but also “the enduring pulse of the open road.”

Among his favorites is the Illinois entry, a friend's 1929 Model A Ford rumbling down the only remaining section of Route 66 composed of hand-laid brick in Auburn, just south of Springfield. The goal? Create an image that would make viewers feel as if they were there for the birth of Route 66.

“We wanted to show it to be colorful. We wanted to show the quirkiness. We wanted to show the age,” Breeding said. “It’s like a sort of show, the idea that Route 66 is a living history of the United States, from the past to the present.”

Schwartz said he's amazed that the stamps boasting his work will “travel all over the United States and end up in people's mailboxes.”

He added: “I hope they really inspire people to get out there and travel the road and support the Mom and Pop businesses and keep Route 66 alive for another 100 years.”

Jose Roberto Medina is accused of voyeurism, indecent exposure and burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony, police stated.

Medina was wanted in connection with multiple incidents that took place in Olmos Park and on the University of the Incarnate Word’s campus.

In a May 1 news release, Olmos Park police said Medina followed two women who were out for a run in their neighborhood.

Medina allegedly peered into one of the women’s homes and started to masturbate, authorities said. He fled the scene when the woman confronted him, police stated.

The University of the Incarnate Word Police Department said Medina unlawfully entered into two student apartments on campus and exposed himself to additional victims.

Multiple detectives worked with the Texas Rangers to take Medina into custody, police said.

Court records show that Medina has been on probation since February, stemming from another incident last year.

Detectives believe that there are more victims of Medina. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Olmos Park Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 210-829-3241 ext. 314.

More recent crime coverage on KSAT:

• Road rage shooting suspect escapes after barricading himself with 3 children in Seguin, deputies say
• Alamo Heights community reacts after ICE detains mother, 2 children

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The statewide survey, conducted by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs, found Paxton garnering 48% of the vote to Cornyn’s 45% among likely GOP runoff voters. Fielded from April 28 to Friday, the poll surveyed 1,200 voters and yielded a margin of error of +/-2.83 percentage points.

Since the March 3 primary, when Cornyn finished narrowly ahead of Paxton, virtually all polling of the overtime round has come from groups with partisan ties. Most have found either a close race or a single-digit Paxton lead, much in line with the Hobby School poll.

The two Republicans are locked in a runoff after neither secured a majority of the vote in March. Cornyn won 42% of the vote to Paxton’s 40.5%, with U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, coming in third with 13.5%.

The UH poll found Hunt supporters breaking toward Paxton by a 19 percentage point margin, 54% to 35%.

Whether Hunt voters come back for the runoff — and whom they back if so — is an open question with the potential to swing the race. On the trail, Hunt was highly critical of the 74-year-old Cornyn, whom he criticized for both his age and role in crafting a bipartisan gun safety bill. Hunt sought to portray himself as a younger Paxton — without the ethical and legal baggage the attorney general has accumulated over his years in office. But since finishing third, Hunt has resisted overtures to endorse in the contest, saying he would follow President Donald Trump’s lead.

Trump has notably stayed out of the Senate contest despite pledging to weigh in, reportedly for Cornyn, the day after the primary.

In any case, the UH poll is the latest to find that Cornyn and Paxton each have a solid lock on their respective bases, with few voters changing their mind since March and all but a fraction of the electorate still on the fence. Paxton’s coalition from March is slightly more durable, the survey found: Of the likely runoff voters who pulled the lever for him in round one, 95% plan to back him again this month — compared to 91% who plan to stick with Cornyn.

But among the 7% of respondents who are still undecided in the contest — the majority of whom dislike both candidates — Cornyn is viewed favorably by nearly a quarter of that bloc, a bit ahead of the 19% who voiced a favorable view of Paxton.

That suggests that, after 2.14 million voters cast ballots in the March GOP contest, the runoff result will be shaped by which candidate turns out more of his existing base of supporters.

Cornyn is preferred by Republican voters with four-year college degrees, 52% to 42%. Paxton dominates with voters who lack a degree, 55% to 38%, and voters of color, among whom he leads by the same margin.

In addition, Paxton voters are more likely to report immigration and border security or election integrity as their top issue this cycle, while Cornyn voters are more concerned with inflation and the cost of living.

Two recent polls found state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee, leading both Cornyn and Paxton — a highly unusual poll result that has raised the stakes for the Republican runoff. In a November midterm that’s expected to be challenging for Republicans, the Cornyn camp has long argued the senior senator is best-positioned to win the general election. Cornyn has historically overperformed fellow Republicans over the course of his career, and he and his allies have argued that he can beat Talarico without the financial help of Republican groups in Washington while raising the floor for down-ballot candidates, especially for the U.S. House.

Paxton’s campaign believes that in a national environment that favors Democrats, his bona fides with the Trump-aligned base means he will be able to turn out the low-propensity voters who powered Trump’s victory in 2024 but are less likely to vote when the president isn’t on the ballot.

The UH poll found that likely runoff voters are evenly divided, at 43% for both Cornyn and Paxton, in assessing who would be a stronger candidate against Talarico.

Beyond the Senate race, Republican voters are also picking their nominee for attorney general and railroad commissioner in the May 26 runoff.

State Sen. Mayes Middleton is leading U.S. Rep. Chip Roy by nine points among likely voters in the race to succeed Paxton as the GOP’s attorney general nominee, the Hobby School survey found.

Middleton, a Galveston lawmaker and oil and gas businessman, has invested more than $15 million of his own money into the race, pushing his name and conservative record to voters via television, radio and social media ads.

Roy is an Austin-based conservative U.S. House member best known for clashing with GOP leadership, including the president at times, in the name of spirited stands for spending cuts and federalism. While he entered the race with the highest name recognition, Roy came second in the March 3 primary. He has recently launched a spate of television ads scrutinizing Middleton’s limited legal experience.

Middleton picked up a chunk of support from supporters of Aaron Reitz, the former Justice Department lawyer and Paxton deputy who finished fourth in the primary. More than half of Reitz voters plan to vote for Middleton, whom Reitz has endorsed, while just 38% plan to vote for Roy. Supporters of state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, who came third, are split between the two candidates.

For the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates oil and gas in Texas, incumbent Jim Wright is leading conservative firebrand Bo French by seven points, according to the UH poll. But more than a third of voters are unsure who they will vote for.

Wright, president of an oilfield waste services company, has been on the three-member commission since 2021 and has been endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott, among others. His campaign is focused on cutting red tape, including what he calls “unnecessary federal delays” for energy infrastructure.

French is an energy investor who has a family oil business in Midland, and recently served as chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party. French has come under fire for his incendiary stances, including a social media post where he asked his followers whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to the country and comments he made about wanting to deport close to a third of the country. He has focused his campaign on culture war issues, like the “Islamic invasion” of Texas and diversity, equity and inclusion, vowing to return the commission to “merit-based decision-making” in awarding contracts.

Disclosure: University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The comments by Zambia’s foreign affairs minister, Mulambo Haimbe, on Monday brought into the open simmering tensions over President Donald Trump’s “America First” strategy, which is reshaping aid to Africa into transactional agreements.

Some African leaders and health experts have criticized the new U.S. stance and its demands for sensitive health data in exchange for badly needed support for health systems strained by the Trump administration's dismantling of foreign aid. Some say they would not receive access to health innovations like vaccines in return.

The U.S. is also seeking to challenge China, a dominant player in Zambia and much of Africa, whose minerals are critical to the green energy transition, including inputs for solar panels, electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.

Zambia says talks stalled over data-sharing demands

In a statement, Haimbe described the accusations of Zambian graft and negotiation inertia by outgoing U.S. ambassador Michael Gonzales as “mischievous” and “deeply regrettable, undiplomatic and inconsistent with the spirit of mutual respect.”

Haimbe also accused the U.S. of tying access to critical minerals to the conclusion of the health deal, which Gonzales earlier dismissed as “alarmist allegations” that he called “disgusting” and “absolutely and patently false.”

Negotiations have continued for months to conclude the deal, one of dozens the Trump administration is pursuing in some of the world's most aid-dependent countries.

Gonzales in late April said Zambian leaders had “abdicated their responsibilities, letting the United States pay for healthcare while officials diverted government funds to their own pockets.” He said Zambian authorities had “ignored” U.S. overtures to conclude a new deal.

But Haimbe said negotiations had stalled over “unacceptable” data-sharing demands “in violation of our citizens’ right to privacy” and “the insistence on preferential treatment of U.S companies over Zambia’s critical minerals.”

Zambia "takes the view, first and foremost, that Zambians must have a say on how her critical minerals are used, and second that no one strategic partner is to be treated preferentially to others,” he said.

The U.S. Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US says its approach aims to reduce donor dependency

The U.S. approach replaces decades of engagement anchored in the now-dismantled United States Agency for International Development and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR.

In their place, U.S. officials are negotiating country-by-country agreements that recast aid as a transaction, tying funding to conditions including commercial provisions, domestic financing commitments, disease surveillance, pathogen sharing and even religion.

Since late last year, the U.S has signed agreements with about 30 countries, many in Africa. Washington says the approach is meant to reduce donor dependency, promote local ownership and safeguard American interests, including against an aggressive China that dominates trade in Africa but contributes less aid.

There has been pushback.

Ghana last week said it had rejected a proposed deal over provisions granting broad access to sensitive health data without safeguards. Zimbabwe walked away from a $367 million package over similar concerns. In Kenya, a $2.5 billion agreement signed in December has been put on hold after a court challenge arguing it violates data protection laws.

In Lesotho, draft U.S. proposals sought 25 years of access to health data and biological samples before local officials secured a shorter five-year deal.

Health experts say data would largely flow one way

Critics say the data-sharing demands tilt toward U.S. interests and warn the information-sharing would largely go in just one direction: toward Washington.

The new agreements aim to ensure the flow of disease surveillance data and biological samples, but through bilateral channels, after the U.S withdrew from the World Health Organization in January, said Asia Russell, executive director of advocacy group Health GAP.

Countries currently report disease outbreaks primarily through the WHO, which coordinates responses and is negotiating new frameworks on pathogen-sharing and equitable access to vaccines.

The U.S, now outside those talks, is pursuing direct access instead.

“They (the U.S.) want to understand what’s actually happening,” said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the Washington-based non-profit KFF. “But they are trying to do it in a very different way.”

Health advocates say this risks creating a parallel global health system. In Zimbabwe, a government spokesperson in February said the government terminated negotiations because the U.S. was not offering a “corresponding guarantee of access to any medical innovations — such as vaccines, diagnostics, or treatments — that might result from that shared data.”

“That raises serious concerns about who benefits,” said Atilla Kisla of the Southern Africa Litigation Center.

Advocates point to the harsh experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, when African countries contributed data and samples but were largely last in line for vaccines.

Experts warn against health as a ‘bargaining chip’

The agreements with the U.S. are drawing criticism for closed-door negotiations and limited public scrutiny.

“Secrecy is at the center of this. That puts accountability for results at risk,” said Health GAP's Russell. “It’s impossible to evaluate these deals properly without seeing the full terms. Part of what made PEPFAR successful was transparency. Now that’s been taken away.”

The deals also come with tighter financial conditions. Many include reduced funding compared to previous levels of U.S. assistance, while requiring countries to increase domestic health spending, with aid at risk if targets are not met.

“These are going to be very heavy lifts,” said KFF’s Kates. “Countries are already under strain.”

Critics say some agreements also advance U.S. commercial and political interests, blurring the line between aid and transactional diplomacy.

“When health becomes a bargaining chip, everyone becomes less safe,” Russell warned.

___

Keketso Phakela in Maseru, Lesotho, contributed to this report.

___

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.

Jake Gomez, 16, says he’s learning to stay grateful while his family rebuilds stability through SAMMinistries’ transitional housing program in San Antonio.

Gomez, his four siblings and his dad are part of the program, which provides families a place to live while they work toward permanent housing.

The family’s caseworker, Sydney Goldberg of SAMMinistries, said the organization houses up to 40 families at a time. It is a two-year program, she said, allowing families to stay up to 24 months.

For now, families have their own rooms and access to educational and mental health services.

Goldberg said teenagers can feel the strain of housing instability more acutely as they grow older.

“Teenagers … become more self-conscious, more aware of their situation,” she said, adding that frequent school changes can be especially difficult.

Gomez said daily routines can take extra effort, including long commutes.

“We have to take three different buses,” he said. “But I really don’t mind it. But I don’t want them to be taking three buses.”

Despite the challenges, Gomez said he wants other teens to recognize what they have.

“I feel like teenagers my age, they’re lucky because they get to have a home,” he said.

He added that his family’s situation limits what he and his siblings can do compared with other teens.

Still, Gomez said being together matters most. “I would just realize that we don’t have a home, that we’re living here,” he said. “But that I’m with my family, so I’m pretty happy about that.”

Another teen, 17-year-old Dominick Apaez, said his outlook changed after moving into a two-bedroom apartment supported through a public-private partnership backed by SAMMinistries at 425 San Pedro Ave.

Apaez said he and his dad spent years cycling through shelters and staying with others before landing in the apartment.

“I first walked into Haven … the first time, I didn’t like it at all,” Apaez said. “The second time, I hated it more, because I was back here. This is the one place I didn’t want to be.”

Now, he said, having his own room has been a major shift.

“It looks all brand new. I get my own room,” Apaez said. “There’s a balcony, which is amazing. The kitchen is awesome.”

Apaez said he doesn’t take the change for granted and remains thankful to those who helped along the way.

“I thank them — everyone who ever let us stay at their house — just let us get back on our feet,” he said. “I don’t know, man. It’s just really hard to talk about.”

The difficult years, he said, also strengthened his bond with his dad. Apaez said his message to others facing instability is simple: “Always find hope. It’s the best thing you can do. And just keep on pushing … and you’ll be like me, getting here.”

Resources

• Rental Assistance: If you are facing eviction or need rental assistance, click here for a list of the available resources.
• Utility Assistance: For additional utility assistance, visit the City of San Antonio Utilities Assistance page here.
• Veteran’s Assistance: If you are a veteran or the spouse of a veteran, you can use the following links to get assistance.
• • Texas Veterans Commission
  • City of San Antonio Veterans Affairs
  • American GI Forum
• Long-Term Housing Assistance: If you are homeless and living on the street or in a shelter and are in need of long-term re-housing assistance, please refer to the Homelink information found at this link – HERE – for steps you will need to follow for long-term housing program assistance. You may also call 2·1·1 or the City of San Antonio’s Homeless Hotline at 210-207-1799.
• Food and Meal Assistance: If you need help with obtaining food, there are resources available to help.
• • San Antonio Food Bank
• Job Training and Career Assistance: If you need help with obtaining food, there are resources available to help.
• • City of San Antonio Ready To Work 
  • Workforce Solutions
  • Dress for Success (professional clothing for women)
  • American GI Form (for veterans)

Read also:

• Feeling overwhelmed or burned out? You’re not alone, Google data shows

“I think it’d be a nice little tip of the cap to John and what he meant — so much to this franchise and this fan base. I think it would be pretty cool,” Judge said after the Yankees routed Baltimore 12-1 on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep on the day of their famous broadcaster's death.

Following the final out, Sterling's familiar call that punctuated Yankees wins was played over the ballpark’s public-address system.

After a pregame tribute to Sterling, who died at age 87, Judge put New York ahead in the first inning with his major league-leading 14th homer and added a two-run single in the eighth for a four-RBI night.

Sterling called games on radio broadcasts from 1989 to 2024. As Judge circled the bases after his two-run drive off Shane Baz, he thought of the home run call Sterling coined for him: “A Judgian blast! All rise! Here comes the Judge!”

“Definitely seeing that tribute hit home because he loved the Yankees,” Judge said. “He loved this team. He loved this franchise. He loved the fans. He loved everybody he talked to on a nightly basis. So to do that there in the first, just kind of was chuckling around the bases thinking what he was probably saying.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed before the game he's been paying tribute to Sterling in the dugout for a couple of years by yelling “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!” before starting handshakes.

This time, fans also bellowed along as the PA system sounded Sterling's baritone at raised decibels.

“It drowned me out a little bit, happily,” Boone said.

Like Judge, he hopes Sterling's voice at the end becomes routine.

”Yeah, I'd love it," the manager said. “Right on into Frank.”

Judge leads the majors with six first-inning homers this year and has 91 in his career, trailing only Babe Ruth’s 126 and Mickey Mantle’s 103 among Yankees. The home run was Judge’s 53rd in 124 games against the Orioles.

“It’s a pretty good advantage to have that guy coming up in the first inning for you,” Boone said.

Judge, who was tied for the major league home run lead by Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox later Monday, is batting .272 with 27 RBIs.

Coming off his first batting title last season, when his average was .427 through April, Judge slumped early this year and was hitting .212 with three homers and seven RBIs after his first 14 games. Since then, the three-time AL MVP is batting .329 with 11 homers and 20 RBIs in 21 games.

“Even if I’m hitting .400 in April, I’m tinkering with something new every single day. It could be something subtle with hands or feet, the sights, approach," Judge said. “When you stink, you’re trying to get better. When you’re doing well, you're also trying to get better.”

Like all Yankees, Judge had a cap with Sterling's “JS” initials stitched onto the back. At the behest of the Yankees front office, a Bronx vendor quickly sewed the tribute.

“I thought it was a nice little touch for John,” Judge said.

___

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

Jadan Gutierrez was taken into custody on Monday on murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges, jail records show.

Gutierrez is accused in a deadly shooting that happened around 12:35 a.m. on March 15 in the 5900 block of White Cloud Street.

Upon arrival, SAPD said its officers found a 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man with gunshot wounds.

The girl, later identified as Josielynn Cordova, was pronounced dead. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said she died from a gunshot wound to the torso.

The 22-year-old man was taken to a local hospital with serious bodily injuries, police said. At this time, his condition is unknown.

Witnesses told SAPD that Gutierrez allegedly entered the location and retrieved a gun before shooting Cordova and the man, authorities said.

Gutierrez was taken into custody with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals, SAPD said.

According to jail records, Gutierrez was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on a $350,000 bond.

READ ALSO:

• 1 killed, another seriously injured after shooting on Northwest Side, SAPD says
• Northwest Side neighbors shaken after woman killed in shooting

Mi Familia at the Rim is going all-out for Cinco De Mayo. We check out some of the must-try dishes plus, they’re celebrating with a tasty deal.

Preserving culture through dance, Today we meet Belinda Menchaca, Director of education with the Guadalupe Dance Company. We hear about her mission to teach Folklorico traditions here in San Antonio.

The SAAACAM Film Club presents “In Our Mother’s Gardens” - a film that celebrates the strength and resiliency of Black women and Black families. This free event is a perfect outing for Mother’s Day.

Among those taking the TribFest stage this year are former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves; Texas state Rep. and Democratic nominee for Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa; Erin Harkey, CEO of Americans for the Arts; U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin; Jazmine Ulloa, author of “El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory”; Rothko Chapel President Abdullah Antepli; and Julie Scelfo, journalist and founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction. 

Hear about the forces remaking American politics and why all eyes are on Texas with November’s midterms. And dig into the defining issues of the moment: immigration and the border, the future of public schools, raising kids in a digital world, and the role of pluralism and the arts in our civic life.

Emanuel, most recently U.S. Ambassador to Japan, is a leading Democratic voice on both domestic politics and foreign affairs. Under Reeves, Mississippi has posted nation-leading K-12 gains now known as the “Mississippi Miracle.” A longtime public education advocate first elected to the Texas House in 2016, Hinojosa is now running for Texas governor. Harkey leads the country’s top arts advocacy organization at a moment when support for the arts faces deep challenges. McCaul, who represents Texas’ 10th Congressional District, is chair emeritus of both the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, placing him at the center of the country’s national security debates. In her new book, El Paso native Ulloa offers a sweeping human history of America’s most storied border city, told through the violence, power and privilege that shaped it. The newly appointed president of Houston’s Rothko Chapel, Antepli is a globally recognized scholar and leader in cross-religious and cross-cultural dialogue. And Scelfo, an award-winning journalist, founded Mothers Against Media Addiction, a grassroots parent movement now spanning 50 chapters across 23 states.

At TribFest, you’re at the center of the conversations shaping our future, grounded in the questions Texans are asking about education, the economy, health care, energy and climate, technology, arts and culture, and more.

Get your tickets today and join us in downtown Austin this September. 

Each year at TribFest, educators and students can join us at a steep discount, and students enjoy a special experience just for them, including exclusive events and networking opportunities. Tickets for students, faculty and staff are $65.

Now both are within reach, starting with the second leg of their semifinal at home against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

The first leg ended 1-1 in Madrid last week after offsetting penalties for two teams looking for a first European Cup title. Arsenal will be hoping its home field advantage at Emirates Stadium makes the difference in the return.

“After 20 years to be in this position again,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. "We are so hungry to get the game that we want (Tuesday) and go through to that final.”

Arsenal routed Atletico 4-0 at home in the league phase in October, but expect Diego Simeone's side to be a lot more solid defensively in the return to London.

“I’m going to try to tell the team to play like they did in the second half (in Madrid)," Simeone said. "If it’s that easy it would be great. We have a lot of faith in what we’re doing.”

Both teams have been boosted by injury returns as forward Julian Alvarez is expected to play for Atletico and Arteta said captain Martin Odegaard and forward Kai Havertz are both available.

Atletico reached the final twice under Simeone, in 2014 and 2016, losing both times to crosstown rival Real Madrid.

Arsenal lost its only final in 2006 to Barcelona. This time, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich will await the winner. Those two play their second leg on Wednesday after a pulsating 5-4 win for PSG in the first leg.

Arsenal's quest for a first Premier League title was also boosted on Monday by Manchester City drawing at Everton 3-3, meaning the Gunners can clinch the trophy by winning their last three games.

Atletico is only fourth in La Liga, 25 points behind leader Barcelona.

___

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

This might have been the most movement by All-Stars during an offseason in WNBA history. Not that it comes as a huge surprise. More than 80% of the players in the league were free agents after last season, knowing a huge pay day awaited with the new collective bargaining agreement that was signed in March.

With the money about the same, moving closer to home was one factor in players' decisions.

Ogwumike returns to Los Angeles

The 2016 MVP has long considered Los Angeles home after getting drafted No. 1 by the Sparks in 2012. She helped the franchise win a championship in 2016. The 10-time All-Star left the Sparks for Seattle in 2024 and spent two seasons with the Storm before returning to L.A.

The Sparks are trying to get back to the top of the league.

“It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon…” Ogwumike wrote on social media when announcing her decision to return to Los Angeles.

Ogwumike joins a strong core in Los Angeles, including Kelsey Plum, Ariel Atkins, Dearica Hamby and Cameron Brink.

Diggins gets fresh start close to home in Chicago

Diggins grew up in South Bend, Indiana — a 90-minute drive from Chicago. The six-time All-WNBA player and seven-time All-Star is still looking for her first championship in the league and may be hard-pressed to get it in the Windy City. The 35-year-old guard spent the last two seasons in Seattle.

She'll provide veteran leadership for the Sky and eventually pair in the backcourt with Courtney Vandersloot, who is recovering from an ACL injury.

Griner moves to Connecticut with eye on Houston

The No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft will be playing for her third team in three seasons. Griner spent the first 12 years of her career in Phoenix, which selected her with the top pick. She moved on to Atlanta last season and now is in Connecticut. The Sun will be moving to Griner's hometown of Houston next season.

Griner, a 10-time All-Star, was excited for the chance to be a veteran leader for the Sun before eventually getting to play back home in Houston next year.

“Coming here for the one year with hopes of next year being in Houston and having that opportunity to potentially play in front of my family, play at home, it means a lot to me, means a whole lot to me,” Griner told The Associated Press.

Sabally lands in New York, gets ‘closer to my own home’

Sabally was born in New York, so joining the Liberty was a homecoming for her. Her family moved to Germany when she was young. Being on the East Coast makes it easier for the German star to get to Europe than it was while playing in Phoenix. It also puts her in a time zone that is more friendly for talking to her family in Germany.

“Phoenix was very far away from home for me as an international player. Like, nine-hour time difference. I could only talk to my little brothers before practice,” Sabally said. “So I think it was a personal decision just to get closer to my own home.”

The three-time All-Star played with Sabrina Ionescu in college at Oregon. Their senior season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the duo will try to win a WNBA championship together with the Liberty.

Fresh start for Reese with the Dream

Atlanta acquired Reese from the Sky on April 6 for draft picks. One of the WNBA’s most recognizable stars, Reese led the league in rebounds in each of her two seasons with the Sky. The Dream hope she's the missing piece that can get them back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013.

“I am not satisfied with what I am as a player and I felt like being around these kinds of players would help me be better," said Reese, who added she is happy to be with an organization “that really cared” about its players.

“I can help them in different ways to ... win, and that’s all I ever wanted,” Reese said. “I don’t care about anything else. ... I want to win.”

___

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

Guillermo Ramos remembers seeing few elected leaders who looked like him while he was growing up in the 1980s in Farmers Branch, a fast-growing affluent suburb northwest of Dallas.

Over the years, Latino representation continued to lag, he said. In 2015, after he had become a lawyer, he decided to do something about it.

Ramos stepped forward as the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, alleging that its at-large system of electing board members violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by denying Latino voters the right to elect representatives of their choice. At the time, Latino voters made up 56% of the district, but every Latino school board candidate had lost since at least 1995, the lawsuit said.

The case settled, and as part of the agreement, Ramos was appointed as the board’s first Latino trustee. The settlement also replaced the at-large system — in which every seat was filled by districtwide vote — with what’s known as cumulative voting. The new system lets voters cast as many votes as there are seats on the board, but allows them to stack their votes on a single candidate or spread them across multiple candidates.

Ramos, now 51, won the next election to keep his spot on the board, which he said created a ripple effect that drew in more Latino candidates.

“They felt at this point that if they throw their hat in the ring, that they’re going to have actually a shot at getting elected. And that’s what happened,” Ramos said.

Changes like those in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District played out over decades on local governing bodies all over Texas, enabling representation of Latino and Black voters. Those changes were a direct result of claims brought under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or electoral maps that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or language minority status.

But a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last week weakened that key provision, and Ramos and others say it could make it harder and more uncertain for other candidates of color to follow the path he took to local office.

The effects of the decision, which struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, are reverberating around the country and setting off a new cycle of redistricting for partisan advantage. Experts say there is still a lot of uncertainty about how the decision will play out, especially at the local level and when it comes to nonpartisan local governmental bodies such as Texas school boards and city councils.

“The judges in the opinion are discussing congressional elections, not school board elections, even though that’s where Section Two has been applied probably more frequently,” said Christian Grose, director of the Democracy and Fair Elections Lab at the University of Southern California.

But whether it’s after the 2030 Census or sooner, he added, “I do think there are going to be challenges, even in nonpartisan elections, saying that Section 2 doesn’t need to be enforced anymore.”

Prior to the decision, plaintiffs could prove a claim under Section 2 by showing evidence of a disparate impact on minority voters, regardless of whether the mapmakers intended it. Now, they must be able to show a “strong inference that intentional discrimination occurred,” the high court’s conservative majority declared.

With the court having previously authorized maps to be drawn for partisan aims, dissenting Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the new standard under Louisiana v. Callais gives plaintiffs virtually no recourse under Section 2, as long as a mapmaker declares a partisan motive and leaves “no smoking-gun evidence of a race-based motive.”

Going back in time

The decision could quickly become a factor in ongoing litigation.

Though most local elections in Texas are nonpartisan, county commissioners courts are an exception, and last week’s opinion will likely give a boost to counties that are already citing partisan motives in defending their maps. Last year, for example, the Republican-majority commissioners court in Tarrant County redrew its district lines, prompting a challenge from a group of voters who alleged the new map illegally diluted the power of Black and Latino voters by packing them into a single precinct. But Republican commissioners argued they’d drawn the lines for partisan gain, and earlier this year, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the maps.

But Bill Brewer, the Dallas lawyer whose firm handled Ramos’ case in Farmers Branch, said he believes the ruling could actually help advocates win some challenges involving nonpartisan races.

Brewer, whose firm has filed at least 18 lawsuits against school districts and city councils in Texas under the Voting Rights Act, is representing a parent who sued the Keller Independent School District under Section 2, claiming the school district’s at-large system dilutes the votes of Latinos. The lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year and Brewer filed an appeal hours after the ruling to renew his push for a switch to cumulative voting. Brewer said the Callais ruling’s emphasis on intentional discrimination strengthens his claim for access to emails, meeting recordings and other evidence that could show intent.

“If they’re refusing to change because they intend to dilute opportunities for Hispanics or Blacks or Asians at the voting box, well, then you still have a claim under Section 2,” he said.

Keller ISD did not respond to a request for comment.

Ramos’ suit against the school board wasn’t the only Section 2 case brought in Farmers Branch. Its city council, too, was forced to switch from at-large to single-member districts in 2012, and the first Latino council member was elected in 2013. Council Member Elizabeth Villafranca, who was first elected last year, eventually became one of many Latino candidates to win a seat. The impact of the Voting Rights Act in the city has been “immeasurable,” she said.

But after the decision from last week, “I’m just horrified at the thought of having to go back in time,” Villafranca said. Still, she believes the community has come too far to revert to its old system. “You can see the incredible pride that there is when our residents see someone that looks like them, that speaks like them, that can represent them, and ultimately, that benefits everyone.”

Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. Natalia is based in Corpus Christi. Contact her at ncontreras@votebeat.org.

Mealer and Cain finished atop a nine-person field in the March 3 Republican primary, but neither cleared the 50% threshold to win the nomination outright. Whoever wins the May 26 runoff will face Leticia Gutierrez, a community organizer and the Democratic nominee.

The district is one of five previously blue seats Texas Republicans redrew last summer to favor the GOP. Democrat U.S. Rep. Al Green currently represents the 9th District; with the new lines encompassing almost entirely new territory, Green is running instead in the neighboring 18th District. 

The new 9th District includes parts of Houston’s heavily Hispanic East End, and cities in the eastern part of Harris County. Dark-red Liberty County was also drawn into the district. 

The seat’s new representative will be tasked with advocating for local residents and some of the region’s biggest economic engines, including the Houston Ship Channel and the numerous refineries and petrochemical production facilities nearby. 

Mealer has won the support of many Washington power players, including President Donald Trump, and vastly outraised her opponent. Cain, meanwhile, has leaned into his roots in the district and won support from numerous Texas elected officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and dozens of his state House colleagues. Both are running on their conservative, Trump-aligned bona fides.

• Population race/ethnicity: 62.1% Hispanic, 25.1% white, 10.4% Black, 1.9% Asian

• 2024 presidential results in district: Trump +20 (Trump 59.5%, Harris 39.6%)

• Counties in district: Harris, Liberty

• Cities in district: Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte

Campaign site

Alex Mealer

Republican

💰 Campaign finance:

• Total raised: $1.6 million
• Total spent: $1.1 million
• Cash on hand: $534,000

💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:

• Veterans Duty Fund , a super PAC: $887,000
• Club for Growth Action , a super PAC: $441,000
• Win It Back PAC , a super PAC: $421,000
• American Liberty Foundation , a super PAC: $383,000

Experience:

• Former U.S. Army captain
• West Point and Harvard graduate
• Former public safety chair for Harris County METRO
• 2022 Republican nominee for Harris County judge

Endorsements: 

• President Donald Trump
• National Border Patrol Council
• U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio

Policy stances:

• Locking in more funding for the Houston Ship Channel and Port Houston
• Strengthening border security by expanding funding for law enforcement
• Securing U.S. elections through election integrity legislation
• Obtain state and federal funds to complete flood mitigation projects around Lake Houston
• Support America as a technological leader by securing sensitive data and investing in infrastructure and energy

In the news:

• Briscoe Cain, Alex Mealer lead crowded pack vying for Houston’s new red congressional district
• AI-aligned super PACs are pouring millions into Texas congressional races
• GOP Harris County judge candidate contesting her loss after Election Day problems at polling sites

How to contact or learn more:

Alex Mealer for Congress
P.O. Box 1007
Pasadena, TX 77501
info@alexandramealer.com 
Link to campaign site

Campaign site

Briscoe Cain

Republican

💰 Campaign finance:

• Total raised: $522,000
• Total spent: $394,000
• Cash on hand: $127,000

💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:

• Citizens for American Strength , a super PAC: $117,000
• Mayes Middleton, state senator and GOP candidate for Texas attorney general
• Numerous Texas House GOP colleagues
• Elisabeth Burrows, wife of House Speaker Dustin Burrows

Experience:

• Texas House member since 2017, representing District 128
• Attorney
• Texas State Guard captain

Endorsements: 

• Gov. Greg Abbott
• Oil & Gas Workers Association
• National Rifle Association

Policy stances:

• Strengthening border security, including by fully funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expanding deportation operations and finishing construction of the wall
• Supporting Texas’ oil and gas industry, including by fighting against policies that favor wind and solar energy and by investing in the Port of Houston
• Defending the Second Amendment, including by allowing firearms in places of worship, reducing license to carry fees, banning red flag laws and advancing permitless carry
• Supporting cryptocurrencies by establishing a national Bitcoin reserve and promoting stablecoins

In the news:

• Briscoe Cain, Alex Mealer lead crowded pack vying for Houston’s new red congressional district
• Meet the Texas House impeachment managers who are taking aim at Ken Paxton
• Houston-area state rep in Pennsylvania helping President Trump’s legal team in challenge to election results
• Texas Republican lawmaker to Beto O’Rourke: “My AR is ready for you”

How to contact or learn more:

Briscoe Cain for Congress
P.O. Box 7 Deer Park, Texas 77536
Briscoe@BriscoeCain.com 
Link to campaign site

Wembanyama had 11 points and 15 rebounds and set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks. He’s the third player to get a triple-double in the playoffs including blocks since the league began tracking blocks in 1973-74.

San Antonio cut the deficit to 104-102 on a steal by Devin Vassell and layup by Dylan Harper with 31 seconds remaining. Following a miss by Minnesota’s Julius Randle, Julian Champagnie couldn’t connect on a 3-pointer at the buzzer as San Antonio suffered only its second loss in its last 17 series openers at home.

Randle finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Harper scored 18 points and Champagnie and Stephon Castle had 17 each for the Spurs.

Edwards was expected to miss at least the first two games of the series after suffering a bone bruise and hyperextending his left knee on April 25 during Game 4 of Minnesota’s opening-round series against Denver. Instead, Edwards worked diligently to return with guards Donte DiVincenzo (torn right Achilles tendon) and Ayo Dosunmu (right calf soreness) out with injuries.

___

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

The blast occurred at a fireworks plant in the city of Changsha in Hunan province on Monday afternoon, China’s official news agency Xinhua said.

State media China Daily said that the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. in the Changsha-administered, county-level city of Liuyang, a prominent fireworks powerhouse in the country.

Changsha mayor Chen Bozhang said at a media briefing that a search and rescue operation at the scene largely has been completed, but verification of the casualties and identification of the victims was still underway.

Chen said that the local government expressed condolences for the victims and apologized to society, including the families and injured people.

“We feel extremely pained and deeply remorseful,” he said.

Ding Weiming, the Changsha Emergency Management Bureau's party secretary, said that the site had a large amount of products or semifinished products catching fire, causing continuous, sporadic blasts.

Large quantities of gunpowder stored in the warehouse area also threatened the safety of rescue teams, while the collapse of walls, columns and the roof in the factory area created ruins, with people trapped and routes blocked, he said.

All fireworks and firecracker manufacturers in Liuyang have been ordered to halt production, local media reported said.

Aerial footage from state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday showed white smoke billowing in certain areas of the site, with facilities collapsed or damaged.

Hundreds of rescuers were deployed to the scene and residents in danger zones were evacuated by authorities, citing high risks from two black powder warehouses near the explosion site, the Xinhua report said.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the blast and police have detained the person in charge of the company, Xinhua said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged “all-out efforts” to search for people who are still unaccounted for and to save the injured. He called on authorities to investigate the cause swiftly and pursue serious accountability, the report said. Xi also ordered effective risk screening and hazard control in key industries and the strengthening of public safety management.

To prevent other accidents during the operation, rescuers adopted measures such as spraying and humidification to eliminate potential hazards.

They also deployed several robots to help with the search and rescue operation.

Liuyang has a long history of fireworks production. The Guinness World Records organization said that the first accurately documented firework, the Chinese firecracker, was attributed to Li Tian, a monk who lived near Liuyang during China’s Tang dynasty dating to around 618 to 907 C.E.

Li discovered that putting gunpowder in enclosed hollow bamboo stems created loud explosions and bound crackers together to create the traditional new year firecrackers to drive out evil spirits, Guinness said.

In February, China reported two deadly explosions at fireworks shops around the Lunar New Year period.

___

Leung reported from Hong Kong. Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.

The EU-Armenia summit in Yerevan follows the eighth gathering of the European Political Community, or EPC, which brought dozens of European leaders to the Armenian capital on Monday to address European defense issues and the Iran war.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's bilateral meeting saw Armenia and the EU sign a connectivity partnership to strengthen economic ties and deepen security cooperation.

The two events underscore how Armenia is seeking to turn westward and shed Russia's influence. Armenia’s relations with Moscow, its longtime sponsor and ally, have grown increasingly strained since 2023, when neighboring Azerbaijan fully reclaimed the Karabakh region and ended the decadeslong rule by ethnic Armenian separatists.

Armenian authorities accused Russian peacekeepers who were deployed to the region of failing to stop Azerbaijan’s onslaught. Moscow, busy with the war in Ukraine, rejected the accusations, arguing that its troops didn’t have a mandate to intervene.

The war was “a belated demonstration that Russia is dangerously unreliable as a partner,” Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan, told The Associated Press.

Pursuing ties with Europe

Since then, the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pursued closer ties with the West, a move welcomed by the 27-nation EU.

The opening ceremony of the EU-Armenia summit on Tuesday saw European Council President António Costa walk the red carpet side by side with Pashinyan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while a military band played in front of Armenian and EU flags.

In her opening statement, von der Leyen said that Europe was ready to aid Armenia in becoming a regional hub for global trade routes, including the building of physical infrastructure.

“We’re ready to invest in the local energy production and the energy links across the Black Sea, and we are ready to connect your booming digital scene to Europe’s digital market and turn Armenia’s position at the heart of this region into a motor of growth,” she said.

The new EU-Armenia connectivity partnership will focus on strengthening transportation, energy and digital links. Meanwhile, EU investments in Armenia are expected to reach 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) under its global gateway infrastructure program, both sides said in a joint statement.

“Today’s EU-Armenia summit sends a clear signal of the EU’s firm commitment to deepen our relations with Armenia, and to strengthen cooperation across many new areas,” Costa said. “Bringing Armenia and its people closer to the European Union.”

Symbolic moves

The EU, rather than the United States, has stepped into the vacuum left by Russia, Giragosian said.

“EU engagement is much more prudent and much more productive than the U.S. becoming involved, simply because European engagement is less provocative to Russia over the longer term,” he said.

In 2025, Armenia's parliament passed a law formally declaring the country’s intention to seek EU membership.

However, Giragosian described Tuesday’s summit as “a focus on deepening the preexisting relationship” rather than a step toward candidacy, referencing the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement that has governed EU-Armenia ties since fully taking effect in 2021.

“The symbolic significance is much greater as a message to Russia,” he said.

Armenia has also taken other symbolic steps. It joined the International Criminal Court in 2023, a move that Moscow condemned as an “unfriendly step.” The court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Armenia also froze its participation in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization in 2024.

However, Armenia remains a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, or EEU, a single market allowing the free movement of goods, capital and labor. The organization also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan — and Putin has made the trade-offs plain.

Speaking at talks with Pashinyan in Moscow earlier this year, Putin warned that Armenia couldn't simultaneously belong to both the EEU and the EU, noting that Yerevan currently receives Russian natural gas at prices far below European market rates. Pashinyan acknowledged the incompatibility, but said that Armenia could, for now, combine EEU membership with deepening EU cooperation.

Pashinyan, who has been in office since 2018 and faces a parliamentary election in June, stands to benefit politically from the international profile of the European meetings. Giragosian said that Pashinyan's government is likely to be reelected largely by default, with the opposition unable to offer a credible alternative program.

But Giragosian warned against framing Armenia’s foreign policy as purely a pivot from Russia to the West.

“Armenia is also pivoting beyond the black and white zero-sum game paradigm,” he said, pointing to significant diplomatic investment in Asia, including with Japan, South Korea and China. “This is not about replacing Russia with the West. This is much more innovative, much more sophisticated.”

Heightened tensions

The summit also comes at a moment of diplomatic strains between Azerbaijan and the EU. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the EU ambassador last week to protest a European Parliament resolution demanding the release of Armenian prisoners of war and criticizing the treatment of Armenians in Karabakh. Lawmakers in Azerbaijan subsequently voted to suspend all cooperation with the European Parliament.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who addressed the EPC conference via video link, accused the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe, or PACE, of “double standards” for placing sanctions on Azerbaijan's delegation.

There were also protests outside the EPC summit venue, which was surrounded by tight security. Demonstrators held photos of Armenian prisoners being held in Azerbaijan.

Opposition leader Aram Sargsyan, head of the Democratic Party of Armenia, told the Armenian Press Agency that the European officials were voicing support for Pashinyan before the election and have “forgotten about the Armenians in prison in Azerbaijan.”

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Elise Morton reported from London. Avet Demourian in Yerevan, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.

The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the strait on Monday as part of a new initiative.

The UAE Defense Ministry said its air defenses had engaged 15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran. Authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE.

Tehran did not outright confirm or deny the attacks but early on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that both the U.S. and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.”

In similarly vague terms, Iranian state television earlier quoted an anonymous military official as saying Tehran had had “no plan” to target the UAE or one of its oil fields.

"The incident resulted from U.S. military adventurism to create an illegal passage,” the official said about the oil facility attack, apparently referring to U.S. President Donald Trump 's latest efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy.

Breaking Iran’s chokehold on the strait would ease global economic concerns and deny Iran a major source of leverage. But such efforts also risk reigniting the full-scale fighting that erupted when the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran on Feb. 28, prompting it to close the strait.

Shipping companies, and their insurers, are unlikely to take such a risk, given that Iran has fired on ships in the waterway and vowed to keep doing so. Iran has said the new U.S. effort is a violation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.

US says it has reopened a lane through the strait

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, which runs between Iran and Oman, has caused a spike in worldwide fuel prices and rattled the global economy. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center had advised ships Monday to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it had set up an “enhanced security area.”

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that American forces have successfully opened a passage through the strait that is free of Iranian mines. He said Iran launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at civilian ships under the U.S. military’s protection.

U.S. military helicopters sank six of the small boats, Cooper said, adding that “each and every” threat had been defeated.

“The U.S. commanders who are on the scene have all the authority necessary to defend their unit and to defend commercial shipping -- as we saw and demonstrated earlier today,” Cooper said.

Trump had warned Sunday that Iranian efforts to halt passage through the strait “will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

He described “Project Freedom” in humanitarian terms, designed to aid stranded seafarers on hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began.

Missile alerts in the UAE for the first time since ceasefire

The UAE condemned what it called “renewed treacherous Iranian aggression” and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.

Four missile alerts were issued Monday urging UAE residents to find shelter — the first such alerts since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago. Commercial planes bound for the UAE — home to the global travel hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi — turned around midair.

The extent of the attack on Fujairah was unclear, but it is the terminus of a pipeline the UAE has used to avoid shipping some of its oil through the strait. The emirate on the Gulf of Oman is home to extensive oil storage facilities and is the UAE’s main sea access outside the strait.

“These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable violation,” the UAE’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

In Oman, authorities said a residential building near the strait “was targeted,” resulting in two foreign workers wounded, four vehicles damaged and nearby windows shattered. The report carried by state-run media did not provide further details.

Iran seeks to maintain its grip on the strait

Iran’s military command has warned that ships passing through the strait must coordinate with them.

“We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB.

South Korea said Tuesday that a fire on a South Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz has been fully extinguished and that none of the 24 crewmembers were hurt.

Officials earlier said an explosion and fire broke out Monday evening on the Panama-flagged ship operated by South Korean shipping company HMM and that the cause was not immediately known. The vessel had been anchored near the United Arab Emirates in the Strait of Hormuz, and the fire affected its left-side engine.

Trump said in a social media post that Iran had “taken some shots” at vessels including a South Korean cargo ship, without elaborating. South Korean officials have not yet commented on Trump’s call for Seoul to “join the mission” in the strait.

The UAE has accused Iran of targeting a tanker linked to its main oil company with two drones as it navigated the strait. It did not say when the attack occurred. No injuries were reported.

The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.

The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran for transit of the strait.

The U.S. has meanwhile enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, telling at least 49 commercial ships to turn back, according to Central Command.

The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy. U.S. officials have expressed hope that the blockade will force Iran to make concessions in talks on its disputed nuclear program and other longstanding issues.

Little progress seen in negotiations

Iran’s latest proposal for ending the war calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions, ending the blockade, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security apparatus.

Iranian officials said they were reviewing the U.S. response, though Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters Monday that changing demands made diplomacy difficult. He did not give details.

Iran has claimed its proposal does not include issues related to its nuclear program and enriched uranium — long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.

Iran wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire. Trump expressed doubt over the weekend that the proposal would lead to a deal.

___

Finley reported from Washington and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Fatma Khaled in Cairo; Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv; Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul; Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

The Timberwolves guard made an unexpected return 10 days after hyperextending his left knee, leading Minnesota to a 104-102 victory Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

After hitting his first 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter, Edwards turned to the Spurs bench and screamed: “I’m back! I’m back!”

They were already fully aware.

The four-time All-Star had 18 points, including 11 in the final quarter as the Timberwolves held on to hand the Spurs just the second loss in their past 17 series openers at home.

“That’s kind of who he is,” San Antonio guard Dylan Harper said. “Superstar in this league. He’s going to come back and have games like that even though he hasn’t played for a little bit.”

Edwards, who averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in three games against the Spurs this season, has stated previously that he enjoys competing against San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama.

They had another duel in Game 1.

Wembanyama had 11 points, 15 rebounds and set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocked shots.

“I don’t think me coming back was because of nothing they got going on,” Edwards said. “It was more so I want to be out there with my brothers. Yeah, just that simple.”

Edwards was expected to miss at least the first two games of the series in San Antonio, but the 6-foot-4 guard expedited his rehabilitation to play in the opener. He was cleared to play 90 minutes before the scheduled tipoff Monday night when Minnesota coach Chris Finch simply said: “He's in.”

“He loves to play the game,” Finch said. “We dodged a bullet when it happened. He’s done an incredible job. Our medical staff has done an unbelievable job of getting him to this point. And he was super motivated by the fact that we were able to get that first series. I think that was kind of a little bit of an inspiration for him, too, just gave him something to work towards.”

Edwards suffered a bone bruise, in addition to hyperextending his left knee, on April 25 during Game 4 of Minnesota’s opening-round series against Denver.

“I think I got the best physical therapist in the world with David Hines," Edwards said of the Timberwolves' vice president of medical operations and performance. "So, just trusting him and working through all the pain that I felt throughout the first two days, three days, and just getting in the pool, running on it. Band work. Just a lot of resistance. So, yeah, he got me right.”

Edwards did not start, but played 25 minutes off the bench, including 9:52 in the final quarter.

“Everybody in the arena is against us,” Edwards said. “Yeah, I think that’s the best thing about it. You start on the road, everybody got on pink, blue, and whatever color shirts there is, chanting ‘Go Spurs Go,’ and doing all that. I’m with Minnesota. I got Minnesota back at all times.

“I’m out there with my brothers and we’re going to war.”

It was uncertain if Edwards will start Game 2 on Wednesday or if his minutes restriction will be lifted, but he is ready regardless.

“I felt great,” Edwards said. “I don’t think I’m limited at all. And just whatever coach needs from me.”

Edwards averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 games during the regular season. He averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds in three games against San Antonio this season.

“We figured he would want to play,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said. “So, we went over him as if he was playing. There was no difference in the strategy. There was no difference in what we were trying to do. This is what he wants to do. This is what we’re going to do to counter it. May the best man win. That’s just what it was. We’ll just go back to the drawing board.”

The Timberwolves were 2-1 against the Spurs during the regular season.

___

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

The Timberwolves guard made an unexpected return 10 days after hyperextending his left knee, leading Minnesota to a 104-102 victory Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

After hitting his first 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter, Edwards turned to the Spurs bench and screamed: “I’m back! I’m back!”

They were already fully aware.

The four-time All-Star had 18 points, including 11 in the final quarter as the Timberwolves held on to hand the Spurs just the second loss in their past 17 series openers at home.

“That’s kind of who he is,” San Antonio guard Dylan Harper said. “Superstar in this league. He’s going to come back and have games like that even though he hasn’t played for a little bit.”

Edwards, who averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in three games against the Spurs this season, has stated previously that he enjoys competing against San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama.

They had another duel in Game 1.

Wembanyama had 11 points, 15 rebounds and set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocked shots.

“I don’t think me coming back was because of nothing they got going on,” Edwards said. “It was more so I want to be out there with my brothers. Yeah, just that simple.”

Edwards was expected to miss at least the first two games of the series in San Antonio, but the 6-foot-4 guard expedited his rehabilitation to play in the opener. He was cleared to play 90 minutes before the scheduled tipoff Monday night when Minnesota coach Chris Finch simply said: “He's in.”

“He loves to play the game,” Finch said. “We dodged a bullet when it happened. He’s done an incredible job. Our medical staff has done an unbelievable job of getting him to this point. And he was super motivated by the fact that we were able to get that first series. I think that was kind of a little bit of an inspiration for him, too, just gave him something to work towards.”

Edwards suffered a bone bruise, in addition to hyperextending his left knee, on April 25 during Game 4 of Minnesota’s opening-round series against Denver.

“I think I got the best physical therapist in the world with David Hines," Edwards said of the Timberwolves' vice president of medical operations and performance. "So, just trusting him and working through all the pain that I felt throughout the first two days, three days, and just getting in the pool, running on it. Band work. Just a lot of resistance. So, yeah, he got me right.”

Edwards did not start, but played 25 minutes off the bench, including 9:52 in the final quarter.

“Everybody in the arena is against us,” Edwards said. “Yeah, I think that’s the best thing about it. You start on the road, everybody got on pink, blue, and whatever color shirts there is, chanting ‘Go Spurs Go,’ and doing all that. I’m with Minnesota. I got Minnesota back at all times.

“I’m out there with my brothers and we’re going to war.”

It was uncertain if Edwards will start Game 2 on Wednesday or if his minutes restriction will be lifted, but he is ready regardless.

“I felt great,” Edwards said. “I don’t think I’m limited at all. And just whatever coach needs from me.”

Edwards averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 games during the regular season. He averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds in three games against San Antonio this season.

“We figured he would want to play,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said. “So, we went over him as if he was playing. There was no difference in the strategy. There was no difference in what we were trying to do. This is what he wants to do. This is what we’re going to do to counter it. May the best man win. That’s just what it was. We’ll just go back to the drawing board.”

The Timberwolves were 2-1 against the Spurs during the regular season.

___

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

“It’s … BIG,” the Olympic skater finally said with a grin.

But what Liu, dressed in a blood-red custom Louis Vuitton gown with a full skirt and huge ruffles, couldn’t quite get was how big SHE had become. Even at a party full of very, very famous people, everyone wanted to greet her.

Some Met Gala guests have been famous for many years. Others have achieved fame with dizzying speed. For Liu, all it took was a gold-medal performance that charmed the whole world.

“Everybody recognizes me!” she said, with genuine surprise, of the crowd packed into the airy Charles Engelhard Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “It’s crazy. Imagine that overnight, suddenly everyone knows who you are!”

And then America’s skating sweetheart was off, soon to be spotted laughing with Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry,” another star of the night who also arrived from an ice rink.

Some more scenes from inside the Met Gala:

Under a full moon, the strains of harp music

After guests made their way up the carpeted steps to the museum, they entered into the Great Hall, which had been transformed into “a Northern Italian garden,” in the museum’s words. There was a huge moon hanging and swaying from the ceiling, and below it a floral centerpiece surrounded by cypress branches.

A half dozen harpists serenaded the guests, who waited to shake the hands of the gala co-chairs — Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and honorary chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos — but not, for now, the late-arriving Beyoncé.

The receiving line was a long wait, reported Sarah Paulson.

“I waited 45 minutes,” the actor said, explaining why she hadn’t made it yet to the Conde M. Nast Galleries to see the fashion exhibit, “Costume Art,” which examines the dressed body through centuries of art history. Her feet hurt. “You could cut my legs off at the ankle,” she said.

Lobster crostini and tomato-mozzarella pillows

As the Engelhard court gradually filled, guests milled about snacking on lobster crostini or tomato and mozzarella “pillows.”

Zoë Kravitz, who headed the host committee, greeted Storrie — did we mention he was a top attraction? — and complimented him on his work. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid sat quietly chatting on the sidelines, hand in hand.

Near them, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster did the same. Jackman stood up when skier Lindsey Vonn came by, giving her a hug. Vonn, who suffered a traumatic leg injury at the Winter Olympics, used only a cane and sparkled in a Thom Browne gown.

Billionaires, he’s seen ‘em before

Ever since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos had been announced as honorary chairs, there had been anti-billionaire backlash in liberal New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not come. A group called Everyone Hates Elon — a reference to Musk — had plastered posters at bus stops, like one on the East Side saying “Dress code: Willful ignorance,” and on subways.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, though, had a different take. He'd attended a few Met Galas, and said billionaires were nothing new.

“There have always been billionaires here,” Sharpton said. “I may not agree with everything Bezos does, but do I abandon Beyoncé and Venus Williams?” He also praised Wintour for paying attention to diversity. “I opted to come.”

He said the gala “brings a cultured meeting space” for people who haven't yet met.

A date night for Jon Batiste

At previous galas, Jon Batiste has performed, sometimes leading a musical band with his melodica to get crowds to head to dinner. This time around, he had no gala responsibilities — and he was happy.

After all, he said, “it’s date night” with his wife, Suleika Jaouad. “A night in the museum,” he quipped. The couple were dinner guests of Wintour herself.

Batiste wore a look by Eli Russell Linnetz that he said echoed the work of late Black portraitist Barkley L. Hendricks — a long white coat and white ensemble underneath. Hendricks often juxtaposed Black skin with white clothes, Batiste noted. Jaouad wore a sumptuous Christian Siriano gown.

Progress in the fight for diversity

Sinéad Burke, the Irish disability activist, said that when she was first approached to be on the host committee, “I said no.”

Unless, she says she told organizers, they made the gala fully accessible.

They did, Burke says, arranging for a step-free entrance for guests who need it, south of the main entrance.

Burke ended up working closely with the museum for 18 months before the gala. She made sure there was room for disabled press to cover the gala carpet. She and her organization, Tilting the Lens, also helped train guides who will assist the public when they view “Costume Art,” which has a large section on the disabled body.

And Burke herself, who was born with dwarfism, agreed to pose for a custom mannequin; two outfits are displayed on mannequins created in her image.

“I’m proud of the small moments,” she said.

But a step backward, elsewhere

Model Lauren Wasser, also on the host committee, attended in a custom Prabal Gurung ensemble all in gold, including her trademark gold prosthetic legs.

She said she was glad the museum was shining a light on diversity in body types. But she cautioned that in the outside world, things are looking bleaker. (Research has found that designers are starting to turn away from using plus-size models, for example.)

“I want to see it in real life, too,” Wasser said of such diversity. “We had a moment. But we’ve taken a step back.”

Wearing silver, feeling golden

The songwriter who won an Oscar for “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” was wearing, well, silver. But she said she was feeling golden.

In fact, EJAE, part of the team that won best original song for the impossibly catchy tune, said she was trying to channel a specific lyric with her gown, a Swarovski number dripping with crystals.

“I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be,” the song goes.

“I wanted to literally be shining,” EJAE said. Mission accomplished.

Sarah Paulson has the Met’s secrets — remember?

This wasn’t the first rodeo for Paulson. In fact in was her sixth Met Gala, she said.

But Paulson has more after-hours experience at the Met. She shot the movie “Ocean’s 8” there, a film about a heist during … the Met Gala.

“I spent a lot of time here — I know the secrets,” Paulson said. “They should watch out!”

Asked if six Met Galas got a little tiresome, Paulson said they did not.

“You can’t really believe the people here and the oxygen you’re sharing,” the actor said. “People from all the great talents of the world.”

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are Heidi Klum fans

Dinner was under way. Beyoncé had arrived, with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy.

But the assembled media on the carpet and various staffers in the museum lobby weren’t breaking for the night. There was one more big arrival to come. Yes, Rihanna.

When she and partner A$AP Rocky arrived in the Great Hall, they stopped for photos quickly and then headed toward the Temple of Dendur for dinner. But then they ran into Heidi Klum, who knows her way around a costume, virtually unrecognizable as a marble statue.

The couple spent 10 minutes or so laughing with Klum and complimenting her.

“This is the coolest outfit tonight, ain’t gonna lie,” A$AP Rocky noted.

“Oh my god, I can’t stand you!” Rihanna said admiringly.

“How much did they pay you to just stand here for the rest of the night?” the singer asked the statue. They all laughed.

She is among a number of Mexican American business owners who've become more vocal about also honoring Mexican history and the significance of the holiday, as a way to combat anti-immigrant sentiments amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts that have targeted Latino communities.

Mendoza, owner of Cuernavaca’s Grill in Los Angeles, said she prefers a celebration that reflects “everything that as a community we’re enduring today.” So, Mendoza will host Cinco de Mayo festivities at her restaurant that, along with traditional mariachi and Mexican cuisine, will include a nod to Mexican perseverance over the French in the Battle of Puebla over 160 years ago.

“Just looking at how much they did with very little resources,” she said. “It just showed resilience. So, on Cinco de Mayo we always make it a testament of our resilience.”

Restaurants owners aren't the first Latino community leaders to reclaim Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. — moving away from a flattening of Mexican culture toward highlighting history and community. This year, the celebrations are noticeably embracing traditional Mexican culture and focused on preservation, said Sehila Mota Casper, director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation.

“These are just incredible moments of educating and knowledge sharing,” Mota Casper said. “The more we educate, the more knowledge we share, the better a community and people we become.”

Restaurants emphasize authenticity over tequila shots

Hispanic-owned firms accounted for 8.4% of 5.9 million U.S. employers in 2024, according to the Census Bureau's annual survey of businesses. They also were approximately 18% of all restaurant businesses in the United States last month, according to the National Restaurant Association, which uses census data.

U.S. revelers hoping to crowd restaurants and toss back shots of tequila may find more wholesome and intentionally planned offerings, said Raul Luis, who owns the Birrieria Chalio Mexican Restaurant, with locations in Los Angeles and Fort Worth, Texas. On Cinco de Mayo, he wants his customers to eat and drink the types of “guisados” — traditional Mexican braises or stews served as taco filling — that one would eat when invited into a Mexican family's home.

Well-made, traditional cooking will keep customers coming back, even if they aren’t Hispanic, Luis said.

“It’s the ultimate opportunity for restaurants to take advantage of that moment and bring them in and entice them to authentic Mexican food,” Luis said.

What Cinco de Mayo celebrates

Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over much larger French troops who were better-equipped was an enormous emotional boost for Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.

In Mexico, historical reenactments are held annually in the central city of Puebla to commemorate the victory. Participants dress as Mexican and French troops and as Zacapoaxtlas — the Indigenous and farmer contingent that helped Mexican troops win.

In the U.S., May 5 is seen as a day to celebrate Mexican American culture, stretching back to the 1800s in California. Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions and baile.

Folklórico, or folkloric ballet, features whirling dancers in bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons.

The day often is mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, which is on Sept. 16.

Latino activists and scholars say that disconnect in the U.S. is bolstered by the hazy history of Cinco de Mayo and marketing that plays on stereotypes that include fake, droopy mustaches and gigantic, colorful sombreros.

A testament to Mexican resilience

Since returning to the White House in 2025, President Donald Trump has continued to label Mexican immigrants as criminals and gang members, and Latino communities have been a target of his hard-line immigration tactics. Memes shared from official White House social media accounts perpetuate negative stereotypes about Latinos, while a federally led English-only initiative and ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs all seem to target communities of color.

All together, it's generated a great deal of fear in Latino communities.

Mendoza, the Los Angeles restaurant owner, said it’s also been a hard time for the restaurant industry because of rising costs. But in spite of it all, Cuernavaca’s Grill will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

As part of the restaurant's Cinco de Mayo festivities, she'll invite customers to contribute to a food and toy drive meant to support those who are struggling in the current climate.

“This is a testament of our resilience,” Mendoza said. “It’s a testament of our hard work. It is pride to our community and everything that we’ve accomplished.”

The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 188 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Despite the Iran war, the series of strikes have ramped up again in recent weeks, showing that the administration’s aggressive measures to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are not letting up. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

In the latest attack Monday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

Barbashev took advantage after officials did not call icing, which didn't sit well with Ducks coach Joel Quenneville. It was Barbashev's pass from behind the red line to teammate Jack Eichel, who was battling Anaheim's Jackson LaCombe for the puck, that linesman Bevan Mills waved off for icing.

Officials declined to comment to a pool reporter.

“Clearly, I disagreed with the call,” said Quenneville, who said he did not receive an explanation from the officials. “Their guy stopped skating, which really made me annoyed.”

Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said he couldn't see the play from his spot behind the bench. Barbashev kept skating once no call was made as Ducks players appeared to slow up.

“I tried to put the puck deep and I thought I saw Jack on the far side going deep and I thought for a second he (beat LaCombe) and that's why they waved it off,” Barbashev said. “Jack put pressure on him, they turned it over and Pav made a great play.”

Vegas' Brett Howden extended his goal streak to a career-best four games, his fifth during that span. Mitch Marner, who assisted on Howden's goal early in the second period, added a 162-foot empty-net goal with 6 seconds left, and Carter Hart stopped 33 shots for the Golden Knights.

Mikael Granlund scored for Anaheim, and Lukas Dostal made 19 saves.

The Golden Knights prevailed despite being outshot 34-22.

“They were the better team tonight,” Tortorella said. “I thought as the game went on, we started finding our game, but we couldn't find it completely. ... It's a find-a-way league. We found a way to win, and I'm certainly not going to apologize for the win.”

Vegas’ penalty kill continued to shine, extending its stretch to 14 straight without giving up a goal by keeping the Ducks off the scoreboard on four chances. Anaheim converted 8 of 16 power plays in the first round against Edmonton. The Golden Knights are 19 of 20 on penalty kills.

Golden Knights center William Karlsson, out since sustaining a lower-body injury Nov. 8 against the Ducks, returned to the lineup. The crowd roared when Karlsson was shown on the video board after taking the ice less than three minutes into the game.

The Ducks dominated the early action, outshooting Vegas 11-6 in the first period and then controlling the puck to open the second. But the Golden Knights scored first with their first shot on goal in the second when Marner made a pinpoint pass from the right circle to Howden, who scored easily from the left side of the net.

It didn’t appear the lead would last long when Ducks top-line center Leo Carlsson made a dazzling spin move to set up LaCombe with an an open net. LaCombe, however, inexplicably passed up the shot for a pass, and the Golden Knights avoided what appeared would be a sure Ducks goal.

Just as time was starting to run out on the Ducks in the third, they didn’t waste their next opportunity. LaCombe made up for his previous gaffe by walking in on Hart before delivering a pass to Granlund, who was open in the right circle and scored at 13:57.

The tie didn’t last long, with Dorofeyev passing to Barbashev to put the Golden Knights ahead 2-1 just 65 seconds later.

___

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

Edwards was expected to miss at least the first two games of the series after suffering a bone bruise and hyperextending his left knee on April 25 during Game 4 of Minnesota’s opening-round series against Denver. But he had 11 points in the fourth quarter as Minnesota held on to hand San Antonio only its second loss in its last 17 series openers at home.

“Nobody expected him to play,” Timberwolves veteran Mike Conley said. “It was just his level of commitment to the game. Not just to the game, but to his teammates. It showed a lot.”

Wembanyama had 11 points and 15 rebounds and set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks. He's the third player to get a triple-double in the playoffs including blocks since the league began tracking blocks in 1973-74.

San Antonio cut the deficit to 104-102 on a steal by Devin Vassell and layup by Dylan Harper with 31 seconds remaining. Following a miss by Minnesota's Julius Randle, Julian Champagnie couldn't connect on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“We have to be better,” Wembanyama said. “It shows up on the stat sheet. We need to figure out before 48 hours what we can do better and I’ve got no doubt that we will. I trust us.”

Randle finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Harper scored 18 points and Champagnie and Stephon Castle had 17 each for the Spurs.

Edwards worked diligently to return for Minnesota with guards Donte DiVincenzo (torn right Achilles tendon) and Ayo Dosunmu (right calf soreness) out with injuries.

“I know for a fact, just me being out there, it calms everybody down," Edwards said. “Not saying there’s any pressure on any of my teammates, but it takes pressure off of everybody just knowing that I’m out there, I’m available to play, yeah. And just doing what I do best, just trying to put the ball in the hoop.”

After draining a stepback 3-pointer early in the game, Edwards looked toward the Spurs bench and screamed: “I’m back! I’m back!”

He definitely was.

Edwards did not start, entering the game with 6:53 remaining in the first quarter and the Timberwolves trailing 11-8. He finished 8 for 13 in 25 minutes.

Game 2 is Wednesday in San Antonio.

Wembanyama had seven blocks in the first half. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year opened the game by blocking a pair of driving layups from Terrence Shannon Jr. on consecutive possessions. Two minutes later, he blocked Gobert’s driving layup just under the rim.

Wembanyama finished 5 for 17 from the field.

___

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

The MV Hondius, a Dutch ship on a weekslong polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic, had requested help from local health authorities after making its way to the island of Cape Verde, off the West Africa coast. But no one has been allowed to disembark, Netherlands-based operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.

Cape Verde's Health Ministry said Monday that for now, it will not allow the ship to dock because of public health concerns and that it would stay in open waters close to shore.

Hantavirus is a rodent-borne illness spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings. WHO says that while it is rare, hantavirus may spread between people.

It was unclear how an outbreak could have started, and WHO said it was investigating while working to coordinate the evacuation of two sick crew members. Another sick person — a British man evacuated to South Africa on April 27 — tested positive for the virus, authorities said. He is in critical condition and isolated in intensive care, health officials said.

The body of one of the passengers who died — a German — remains on the ship, according to an Oceanwide Expeditions statement. A 70-year-old Dutch man died onboard April 11, and his 69-year-old wife died later in South Africa after leaving the ship, officials said. Her blood later tested positive for the virus, making two confirmed cases, South Africa's health minister said.

Among the 87 remaining passengers, 17 are Americans, 19 are from the U.K. and 13 from Spain, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. Sixty-one crew members also are onboard.

Cruise operator says 2 ill crew members urgently need care

Two sick crew members — one British, one Dutch — have respiratory symptoms and need urgent medical care, Oceanwide said in its statement.

Cape Verde has sent a medical team of two doctors, a nurse and a laboratory specialist to the ship over three trips, said Dr. Ann Lindstrand, a WHO official in Cape Verde.

She told The Associated Press in an interview that they were planning for medical evacuations, in which passengers would be taken from the ship via ambulance to an airport.

“It’s been very tricky for Cape Verdean authorities,” Lindstrand said. “What they have to deal with is a public health event. And of course, they have been thinking about the protection of the population here.”

Oceanwide said it would consider moving to one of the Spanish islands — Tenerife or the port of Las Palmas — if it can't evacuate passengers in Cape Verde.

WHO said it was working with local authorities and Oceanwide on a “full public health risk assessment.”

“Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations,” WHO said. “Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew.”

Lindstrand told AP there was a possible new case on the ship, in a person showing mild fever symptoms, but health workers were still assessing.

The cruise started in Argentina

The ship left Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1, according to Argentine provincial authorities. Health officials there said they confirmed no passengers had hantavirus symptoms when the Hondius departed.

But because symptoms can appear up to eight weeks after exposure, “the passengers could have been incubating the disease if they acquired it within the country or elsewhere in the world,” Juan Facundo Petrina, director of epidemiology for Tierra del Fuego province, told AP in an interview from Ushuaia.

He noted that the province hasn't historically seen hantavirus cases, but infections have broken out in other Argentine provinces, leading to 28 deaths nationwide last year, according to the health ministry.

For the rest of the Hondius' trip, Oceanwide Expeditions didn’t specify an itinerary. The company advertises 33-night or 43-night “Atlantic Odyssey” cruises on the vessel.

It has 80 cabins and a capacity of 170 passengers, and it typically travels with about 70 crew members, including a doctor, the company said.

The Dutch man was the first victim, and he presented with fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea, officials said. His body was taken off the vessel nearly two weeks later on the British territory of Saint Helena, some 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) off the African coast and was awaiting repatriation.

His wife was transferred to South Africa; she collapsed at a Johannesburg airport and died at a hospital, the South African Department of Health said. On Monday, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told national broadcaster SABC that her blood was tested posthumously, with a positive hantavirus result.

The ship sailed on to Ascension Island, an isolated Atlantic outpost about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) to the north, where the sick British man was taken off the ship and evacuated April 27 to South Africa.

South African officials have started contact tracing but say there's no need to panic

There was no information from authorities on a possible source of the suspected outbreak. A previous hantavirus outbreak in southern Argentina in 2019 killed at least nine people. It prompted a judge to order dozens of residents of a remote town to stay in their homes for 30 days to halt the spread.

South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases was conducting contact tracing to identify whether people were exposed to infected cruise passengers. The 69-year-old woman who died was trying to catch a flight home to the Netherlands at Johannesburg’s main international airport, one of Africa's busiest, when she collapsed.

But the health department urged people not to panic, saying WHO was “coordinating a multicountry response with all affected islands and countries to contain further spread of the disease.”

Hantavirus has no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase chances of survival.

“While severe in some cases, it is not easily transmitted between people,” Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement Monday. “The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions.”

———

AP journalists Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands; Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg; Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Annie Risemberg and Mark Banchereau in Dakar, Senegal contributed.

In neighboring Ohio, primaries for U.S. Senate and governor will lock in the candidates for two major races with national implications.

And in Michigan, voters in a bellwether district will fill a vacancy in the state Senate, a race with implications for the balance of power in a battleground state.

Here's what to watch for.

How strong is Trump's grip on the Republican Party?

Trump is taking aim at seven Republican state senators in Indiana who opposed his plan to redraw congressional district boundaries to help the party gain seats in the U.S. House.

Groups allied with the president have spent millions on advertising, an extraordinary flood of cash and attention into races that are typically low profile.

The races are a test of Trump's enduring grip over his party as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the midterm elections in November.

The results will signal to Republicans everywhere about how big a price they'll pay with their voters if they distance themselves from Trump even as his popularity fades. And it will show the president whether he can still credibly threaten consequences for Republicans who cross him.

The Trump-targeted state senators all represent districts he carried in 2024, mostly by 20 percentage points or more.

The key races to watch are districts 1, 11, 19, 21, 23, 38 and 41.

Ohio races get started in earnest

The state's primary is the wind up to the big show. Although Ohio has become increasingly conservative, Democrats believe their path back to a U.S. Senate majority runs through the state.

They're putting their hopes behind former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost Ohio's other Senate seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024.

He's expected to face off with Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president.

The race is a special election to fill the last two years of Vance's term.

In the campaign for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with Trump into a record fundraising haul. He's largely ignoring Republican rival Casey Putsch, focusing his rallies and television ads on the general election.

An engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy,” Putsch has attracted fans with provocative YouTube videos that troll Ramaswamy and criticize national Republicans over their handling of the Epstein files, positions on energy-guzzling data centers and support for Israel.

Amy Acton, Ohio's former public health director, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She played a key role in the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Will Democrats sweep another special election?

The special election for a state Senate seat in central Michigan carries outsized importance.

It's another test of enthusiasm in a series of special elections that have swung almost universally toward Democrats since Trump returned to the White House. It also could affect the balance of power in the Michigan State Capitol. A Democratic victory would give the party a firm majority in the state Senate, while a Republican win would deadlock the chamber in a 19-19 tie.

The district is closely matched. Democrat Kamala Harris beat Trump there by less than 1 point in the 2024 presidential election.

The seat has been vacant for more than a year, since Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned to take a seat in Congress.

Democrats are showing surprising strength in special elections and off-year contests across the country, winning races in unexpected places and significantly narrowing the gap, even when they fall short.

There's no guarantee the trend will continue through the midterms, when turnout will be much higher, but it has nonetheless energized Democrats and spooked Republicans worried about keeping their congressional majorities.

The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points, continuing a wave that began midway through the first round against Atlanta by shooting 63% from the field and leading by 40 points.

“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So, we've just got to stick to the task at hand.”

OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Towns and Mikal Bridges both had 17, with Towns adding six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes.

After trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, the Knicks have won four straight games by a total of 135 points. They are the first team since detailed play-by-play began in 1996-97 to lead three straight playoff games by at least 30 points, according to Sportradar.

Brunson said the Knicks' focus and attention to detail have been better since they fell behind.

“Yes, it’s turned into obviously big wins, but those attention to detail things are going to help us in the close ones as well,” Brunson said.

Game 2 is Wednesday night before the series shifts to Philadelphia — with Joel Embiid already pleading with 76ers fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks fans when it does.

But the 76ers didn't exactly give their fans much reason to want to keep them Monday.

Paul George scored 17 points for Philadelphia. Embiid shot just 3 for 11 for his 14 points and Tyrese Maxey had just 13, not making his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter.

The 76ers had just one full day off after winning in Boston on Saturday night to complete the NBA's 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit. But they looked more like the team that lost twice by 32 points in the first four games to fall into that deficit.

The Knicks had a much easier first round — and finished it with one of the easiest games in NBA playoff history. They crushed Atlanta 140-89 on Thursday in Game 6, setting a postseason record by building a 47-point halftime lead.

There were long stretches Monday that looked similar.

“They were obviously picking us apart, moving a lot better than we were,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

The Knicks scored eight straight points midway through the second quarter to extend a 10-point lead to 57-39, and Brunson scored their final 11 points, capped by a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining, to make it 74-51 at halftime.

Towns' 3-pointer made it 90-60 about five minutes into the second half and it was mostly reserves from there. Brunson played only 31 minutes, perhaps the only reason he didn't reach 40 points for a fourth straight playoff game against the 76ers.

He averaged 35.5 points in a first-round series against the 76ers in 2024 and closed it with three straight 40-point games, including a franchise playoff-record 47 in Game 4.

The 76ers still haven't figured out a way to stop him.

___

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

Friday’s ruling from a federal appeals court restricted mail access to mifepristone prescriptions, one of the most common abortion methods around the country, in the biggest shift to federal abortion policy since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision allowing states to enforce abortion bans.

The Supreme Court then temporarily restored broad access to the drug on Monday while it further considers the case, setting the stage for a potential decision that could have wide-ranging consequences for patients and providers.

It’s too early to say whether the latest rulings will affect the outcome of races this year, when issues around affordability are expected to take top billing for voters. But advocates on both sides of the issue are hoping it will sway voters their way.

Some abortion rights groups already are strategizing ways to reach voters they think may be more motivated to turn out for Democrats because of the possibility of further restrictions. Meanwhile, abortion opponents who say the GOP-led federal government hasn’t done enough to ban the pills are warning their typically loyal Republican voters could sit out future elections, with a leading anti-abortion advocate calling it “a five-alarm crisis” for the GOP.

Democrats say the abortion issue presents an opportunity

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, several states voted to enshrine abortion rights into their own constitutions, driving historic turnout that sometimes contributed to Democratic wins elsewhere on the ballot.

But Democratic pollster Celinda Lake believes the issue had lost some of its potency among voters, not because Democrats don’t care, but because they have a sense that the “damage has been done.”

Though Friday’s ruling has been temporarily halted, it reminded voters that their access to abortion medication through telehealth isn’t guaranteed, even in states where abortion rights are, Lake said. That created a tremendous but “horrific” opportunity to tell voters what could be at stake in this year’s midterms, she said.

Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of the abortion rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, said outreach to voters about the volatility of abortion access will be part of her group’s strategy in the midterms. That includes contacting voters who supported Trump but also abortion rights in their state elections in 2024.

“The only way for us to really stop this back and forth is to have abortion access be legal in all 50 states,” she said. “The only way we do that is through federal legislation, which makes the midterm elections even more urgent.”

Republicans face fracturing over abortion politics

The Republican coalition, meanwhile, is contending with an increasingly agitated right flank of abortion opponents who expected Trump to fulfill his promise to be the “most pro-life president in history” but say they haven’t seen it yet.

Most urgently at issue is a Food and Drug Administration safety review of mifepristone that anti-abortion groups hope will result in further restrictions, including blocking its prescribing via telehealth platforms. Anti-abortion groups have urged FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary to complete the review sooner, while the administration says it “is taking care to do this study properly and in the right way.”

On Monday, the anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America further ratcheted up its messaging, calling for Makary's firing over the issue.

“This is a five-alarm crisis for the pro-life movement and for the GOP,” the group's president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “The GOP cannot win without its base and simply will not get the enthusiasm that drives turnout without leadership from the top.”

Trump, whose first-term nominations set the stage for the Supreme Court that voted to overturn Roe, has taken some steps that abortion opponents have cheered, including an effort to withhold funds from Planned Parenthood and launching investigations into states that require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover abortion.

But he has also often sought to steer clear of the abortion issue, saying he thinks it should be left to the states. The president publicly supported abortion rights until he entered politics in 2015, and his wife, Melania Trump, announced her broad support for abortion rights in 2024.

Abortion opponents say they have no plans to let Trump avoid the issue for the remainder of his term. Marc Wheat, general counsel at former Vice President Mike Pence’s political advocacy group Advancing American Freedom, said his group will increase pressure on the administration. That will include urging the FDA to speedily release documents about mifepristone that it owes the group through a lawsuit.

“President Trump thinks that pro-life is a loser,” Wheat said. “He might see that the pro-lifers may not turn out in the numbers that he needs.”

Americans largely oppose a nationwide ban on mifepristone

Even as Trump and the Republican-led Congress face mounting pressure from the right to restrict access to medication abortion, Republicans around the country are far from united in taking that position.

About two-thirds of Americans opposed nationwide bans on mifepristone, according to a KFF poll conducted late last year. Most Democrats and independents objected to such bans, while Republicans were more split.

Americans’ overall opinions on abortion remain complex, with about two-thirds of U.S. adults saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to AP-NORC polling. Relatively few think abortion should be illegal in all cases.

At least one abortion opponent, Americans United for Life CEO John Mize, said he is focused on incremental victories over the sweeping changes that some of his allies are calling for. While he wishes the FDA would move faster on its safety review, he recognizes that not all Americans are in the same place that he is.

“I think there is advancement being made in a positive direction,” he said. “While it might not meet the pace that many in the pro-life movement want to see, I think it meets the acceptable place of where we're at culturally."

___

Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.

The Election Commission of India released partial results Monday showing the Bharatiya Janata Party won at least 124 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly and was leading in 83 others.

Modi’s party has never governed West Bengal and had tried for years to dislodge the All India Trinamool Congress government led by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She is one of Modi’s most prominent critics and has held power in the politically influential state since 2011.

Opposition parties have sharply criticized the polls in West Bengal after the Election Commission removed millions of voters from electoral rolls.

Governments were ousted in two other states and Modi's party retained power in another that held elections in April.

India has more than 1.4 billion people in 28 states and eight federal territories, and elections are staggered with several states and territories voting each year.

India’s opposition faces a setback

The outcome in West Bengal was expected to boost Modi’s standing and strengthen his position midway through his third term in office. The 2024 national election forced his ruling party to rely on regional allies to form a government. He is expected to run for a record fourth term ​in 2029.

Addressing supporters at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Modi said the results pointed to the party’s widening appeal in a state where it had historically struggled.

“A new chapter has been added to Bengal’s destiny," Modi told a cheering crowd.

India’s opposition has struggled to mount a unified and sustained challenge to the BJP’s dominance nationwide.

Banerjee had emerged as one of Modi's most prominent national rivals, particularly after positioning herself as a key leader to unite regional parties against the BJP. Her defeat was likely to weaken her leverage within an opposition bloc already divided by regional power struggles.

Film star-turned-politician scores breakthrough win

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, who launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party only two years ago, ousted the ruling DMK party. Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most developed states, has a history of electing movie stars to the top office.

In Kerala, another southern state, the Indian National Congress-led opposition defeated the ruling communist government, ending leftist rule in one of its last remaining strongholds.

Modi’s party also returned to power in the northeastern state of Assam for a ​third consecutive term.

Hall took a short feed from Sean Walker and carried the puck in on the left side before being knocked to his knees near the top of the crease. But Hall hopped up as Jackson Blake battled for the loose puck, corralled it and beat Vladar to cap a night that saw the Hurricanes fall behind 2-0 quickly for their first deficit of the postseason.

Afterward, Hall said he didn't even realize he had fallen down until he watched a replay afterward.

“When you score in overtime, it seems like parts of your memory kind of go,” Hall said, adding later: “I was in another time zone there for a second.”

The series shifts to Philadelphia for Thursday’s Game 3.

Seth Jarvis had the third-period goal that forced overtime for Carolina, while Nikolaj Ehlers also scored. Frederik Andersen finished with 34 saves to help the Hurricanes improve to 6-0 in the postseason.

Still, this one was anything but easy compared to the smothering first-period that paved the way to a 3-0 win in Monday's Game 1. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet had talked about the need for his players to react quicker against Carolina's aggression and speed, and carry the puck more into the tough areas of the ice.

The Flyers did that early, with Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier scoring in a 39-second span of the first period for the Flyers. And they outshot Carolina 15-8 in the overtime in a much more assertive showing, but the Flyers couldn't beat Andersen again after that flurry in the first 5 minutes.

Vladar had 40 saves, including twice stopping Carolina's Eric Robinson on second-period breakaways. He also got a timely bit of help in that period from Travis Sanheim, who cleared a loose puck that had slipped behind Vladar in the crease to deny Carolina a tying score.

Tocchet felt more energy from his Flyers — in their first postseason since 2020 — in the aftermath of the Game 1 loss.

“I thought the young guys competed,” he said. “I'm really proud of these guys. They just made the play at the end, that's it.”

Ehlers' one-timer on the power play got Carolina on the board in the first. Then Ehlers fed a trailing Jarvis to beat Vladar from the right side midway through the third period, ultimately forcing OT.

It was a penalty-filled night with the teams combining to go 2 for 13 with the man advantage, which derailed either team from getting in much of a 5-on-5 rhythm and leaving Vladar and Andersen to come up with big stops the entire night.

“Goaltending was not the issue tonight for any team,” Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said.

Philadelphia played a second straight game without regular-season goals leader Owen Tippett due to an undisclosed injury, while Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin took warmups but didn't play as he continues his recovery from a concussion suffered in the clinching game of the first-round sweep of Ottawa.

___

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

If you can’t get a ticket to a home playoff game, you’re in luck. There are plenty of spots around town to watch the Spurs for free.

The Rock at La Cantera

Dubbed the Spurs’ “official watch party hub,” The Rock at La Cantera (1 Spurs Way) features a massive 40-foot outdoor screen along with DJs and interactive fan zones to keep the energy up throughout the game.

Organizers said all playoff games will be shown here. Both admission and parking are free.

KSAT’s Ernie Zuniga was with Spurs fans Monday night at the watch party at The Rock at La Cantera ahead of the game. Watch the full video below:

McIntyre’s locations

Another popular option are the McIntyre’s locations in Southtown (1035 S. Presa Street) and at North Star (90 NE Interstate 410 Loop).

Both locations offer plenty of TVs and large screens for viewing. The North Star spot also boasts a giant outdoor LED display. Entry is free at both venues, which make them convenient choices on either side of town.

City Base Cinema

For fans who want to enjoy the game in a theater-style venue, City Base Cinema (2623 Southeast Military Drive) is hosting free playoff watch parties inside its theaters.

Guests can enjoy the game with surround sound, reclining seats and a big-screen experience. Admission is free; only thing that’ll cost money are snacks.

The Friendly Spot Ice House

Known for its laid-back atmosphere, The Friendly Spot Ice House in Southtown features two large LED screens and multiple backyard viewing areas.

The bonus: the venue is also kid-friendly, dog-friendly and free to get in the doors.

KSAT’s upcoming ‘Race For Seis’ coverage

The Spurs will open the series at the Frost Bank Center on Monday night. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6. Game 3 will be on Friday, May 8.

Fans can also catch KSAT 12’s expanded Spurs coverage with KSAT Sports Now’s “Race for Seis” specials at 6:30 p.m. ahead of Game 1 (Monday), Game 2 (Wednesday) and Game 3 (May 8) live on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and streaming live on KSAT Plus.

More recent Race For Seis coverage on KSAT:

• SCHEDULE: Spurs at home to start second round of playoffs
• San Antonio Spurs draw Minnesota Timberwolves in second round of NBA playoffs

Madelyn Jeffery, who would have been in sixth grade this year, was among those killed in the floods.

Classmates, teachers, and family members honored Madelyn on campus with emotional tributes, sharing memories of a girl they described as kind, courageous and full of life.

“She is no longer with us in person. She’s living her best life,” one classmate said during the ceremony.

Others remembered Madelyn as “such a courageous soul” and “such a great person.” Students took turns speaking through tears, addressing a crowd gathered in remembrance.

Madelyn’s mother, Alicia Jeffery Baker, also spoke, urging attendees to focus not only on the loss but on her daughter’s life.

“There is not a moment that goes by when I don’t wish we could hear her voice or see her smile again,” Baker said. “But today is not only about our loss — today is about her life.”

The school unveiled a mural in Madelyn’s honor, along with upgrades to the campus soccer field, including freshly painted goalposts and new nets. Organizers said the tribute reflects her love for the sport.

“Soccer wasn’t just a sport to her — it was a part of who she was,” Baker said.

In addition to the athletic tribute, a middle school choir performed in her memory, a nod to Madelyn’s plans to join the group.

Baker told those gathered that her daughter’s legacy will endure through the community.

“We carry her with us in our hearts and our stories and the way we choose to love one another,” Baker said. “She will never, ever be forgotten.”

Read also:

• San Antonio mother of Camp Mystic camper killed during Hill Country floods testifies
• Alamo Heights playground named in honor of Camp Mystic camper who died in Hill Country floods

• TUESDAY: Morning fog, afternoon heat
• FRONT THURSDAY MORNING: Brings small rain chance, cooler weather
• SMALL RAIN CHANCE: Thursday through weekend
• AQUIFER/LAKES: Aquifer continues to rise, lakes slow to respond

FORECAST

TUESDAY

Morning fog and cloud cover is likely, then expect a partly cloudy afternoon. Temperatures will spike near 90 by the late afternoon.

MIDWEEK FRONT

Wednesday should be warm, too, before a front slides through early on Thursday. The front will give us a cool-down and bring some rain into the picture. Rain chances will stay on the low-end, but do stick with us into the weekend.

AQUIFER/LAKE CHECK

The aquifer continues to see a good bump. It’s up more than a 13 feet since April 17th. We’ll still need about 10 more feet to get to what we’d consider a “healthy” level.

Our lakes and reservoirs, which tend to take more time to fill up, are only slowly reacting the rainfall. We’ll need quite a bit more rain to see a real change in these numbers.

QUICK WEATHER LINKS

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The Pulitzer board recognized AP journalists Dake Kang, Garance Burke, Byron Tau and Aniruddha Ghosal, along with contributor and independent journalist Yael Grauer, for what it called “an astonishing global investigation into state-of-the-art tools of mass surveillance” that also included a story about the expansion of license plate surveillance of drivers in United States by the U.S. Border Patrol.

AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Julie Pace said “this complex and difficult reporting, done by journalists across several continents, embodies the true spirit of the AP: leveraging our global footprint and deep expertise to tell important, impactful stories. It comes at a critical time when the immense and growing power of U.S. tech companies — and their increasingly complex relationship with governments — is in the spotlight and of immense public interest.”

The AP's investigation spanned three years, thousands of pages of documents and numerous interviews. It found that the foundations of the system used by the Chinese government to monitor and police its citizens over recent decades was laid down with the help of American companies. Some of the companies went so far as to use their tech's surveillance capabilities as a selling point.

“This was sweeping and deeply impactful reporting, the kind of work that highlights the unique strengths of AP’s global, multiformat newsroom,” Pace said in an email to staffers. She is among the Pulitzer Board’s new members.

Other stories included a look at how across presidential administrations, the U.S. government allowed tech companies and China to skirt regulations intended to bar that country from access to certain materials like advanced computer chips.

A piece looking at surveillance in the United States found that the Border Patrol was secretively using an intelligence program that used license plate information to track drivers' travel patterns, and not just for border crossings. Drivers whose patterns were deemed suspicious by an algorithm could then find themselves stopped and even arrested.

The AP highlighted the difficulty of undertaking the project, and said in its statement that journalists dealt with harassment and off-the-record pushes to keep the project from publishing.

The visually compelling project included multiple photographic and video elements, with notable contributions from AP photographer David Goldman and visual journalists Marshall Ritzel and Serginho Roosblad.

Other contributors included Michael Biesecker and Sam Mednick on a story that focused on how U.S. tech giants quietly empowered Israel to track and kill many more alleged militants more quickly in Gaza and Lebanon through a sharp spike in artificial intelligence and computing services. And it fueled fears that these tools contributed to the deaths of innocent people.

Global investigations editors Mary Rajkumar and Jeannie Ohm led and edited the “Made in America, Watched Worldwide” project. Investigative editor Tom Berman also contributed.

Fisher died on Saturday surrounded by her family, a Gap spokesperson confirmed on Monday. The San Francisco-based company did not specify a cause of death.

The couple co-founded The Gap after a frustrating shopping experience when Don Fisher couldn’t find a pair of jeans that fit, according to the retailer. The Fishers opened one small store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco. Initially men’s Levi’s jeans and record tapes were the only items for sale. But the brand became the foundation for a global retail empire and reshaped American fashion with a focus on simple casual looks from khakis and jeans to T-shirts and sweater sets.

The chain eventually expanded to other nameplates — Banana Republic and Old Navy — and now generates more than $15 billion in sales globally.

Fisher was the company’s fashion merchandiser for nearly four decades, while her husband focused on the business side. The company said that she came up with the company’s name, specifically to bridge the “generation gap” between parents and children. Don Fisher died in 2009.

“There is simply no equal to Doris Fisher,” Gap's CEO and President Richard Dickson said in a statement issued Monday. “In Gap-speak, she was a true original. Doris was a full partner in Gap Inc.’s founding and a path-breaking entrepreneur at a time when that was highly unusual for women. She understood firsthand the value of self-expression, diversity, and inclusion.”

Dickson, who has been spearheading a turnaround after several years of a sales malaise, also said that Doris Fisher “worked tirelessly to ensure that Gap Inc. always did more than sell clothes.” Gap hired Dickson in July 2023.

Gap noted that Doris Fisher’s influence extended beyond merchandising and store design. She helped shape the cultural tone of Gap advertising and product development, while maintaining a “steadfast” presence in the company’s expansion and pushing the company to focus on the customer's needs. Gap went public in 1976.

The Fishers also were involved in philanthropic endeavors. The couple amassed one of the largest private collections of modern and contemporary art in the country, Gap said. In 2009, the family pledged more than 1,100 works to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one of the largest gifts of its kind.

Doris Fisher was also an advocate of educational opportunities for disadvantaged students. She served on the board of Knowledge Is Power Program, known as KIPP, a network of high-performing charter schools aimed at creating opportunity for underserved students.

Born in San Francisco in 1931, Doris Feigenbaum grew up in a family “steeped in values of enterprise, culture, and community service,” according to Gap. She graduated from Stanford University in 1953, where she studied economics.

She is survived by her three sons — Robert, William, and John — all of whom have carried forward the family’s business and philanthropic commitments with San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, KIPP, Stanford University, The Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the San Francisco Symphony, and The Gap Foundation.

She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, the company said.

The Pentagon announced last week it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday the U.S. plans on “cutting a lot further.”

Trump offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO. But his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the U.S. has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war it launched with Israel on Feb. 28. Trump has also expressed anger over European allies’ reluctance to get involved in the conflict.

European leaders meeting at a summit in Yerevan, Armenia, sought to both downplay the impact of 5,000 fewer troops in Germany while acknowledging that it provides a useful nudge for the continent to step up its role within NATO.

“I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “there needs to be a stronger European element in NATO, I have no doubt about that.”

Tensions within NATO have mounted since the second Trump administration came into office last year warning that European allies would have to defend themselves and Ukraine in the future. Talks on ending the war there, now in its fourth year, have bogged down as the U.S. focuses on Iran.

Taken by surprise

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the timing of Trump's announcement came as a surprise, even though there has been “talk about withdrawal of U.S. troops for a long time from Europe."

Asked whether she believes Trump is trying to punish Merz, Kallas said: “I don’t see into the head of President Trump, so he has to explain it himself.”

Merz did not attend the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, which included about 30 European leaders, plus Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

At a military exercise in northern Germany, the country's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said Berlin has not yet received “official confirmation of when and how this is supposed to happen, on what scale.” The reduction of U.S. troops “would not put into question NATO’s deterrence capability," he added.

European countries and Canada have increased defense spending and military recruitment efforts over the last year in response to Trump’s threats.

NATO seeks clarity

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also played down the significance of fewer U.S. troops in Germany, while acknowledging U.S. “disappointment" about the level of European support for the Iran war.

France and the U.K. have given U.S. forces limited use of bases on their territories to attack Iran. Spain has outright denied U.S. forces the use of its airspace and bases.

Rutte, who has championed Trump’s leadership at NATO despite the U.S. president’s criticism of a majority of the allies, said: “I would say the Europeans have heard a message.”

European allies and Canada have known since early last year that Trump would pull some troops out of Europe — and some were pulled out of Romania in October — but U.S. officials had pledged to coordinate any moves with NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said over the weekend that officials at the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”

Iran and trade trouble

With the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran looking shakier, Rutte said European nations “have decided to pre-position assets, key assets, close to the theater for the next phase.” He provided no further details.

European leaders have insisted their countries would not help police the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war is over.

“If the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. That’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning,” said French President Emmanuel Macron. But he underlined that Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation “that does not seem clear.”

___

Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

Most journalists said they could enter the Casa Rosada — or the Pink House, Argentina’s equivalent of the White House — for the first time since April 23. But authorities denied entry to two credentialed TV channels without explanation and introduced new restrictions on reporters' physical movement within the Casa Rosada, shuttering corridors and installing frosted glass on windows.

Last month's closure of the press room used for decades by reporters with credentials to cover the president added to a list of attacks and reprisals against news organizations by Milei, whose hostility toward the press mirrors the aggressive approach of his ally and powerful backer, U.S. President Donald Trump.

Journalists and their advocates rebuked the move as an attack on press freedom in Argentina. Condemnation poured in from business chambers, the Catholic Church and politicians across the spectrum.

Milei's government defends itself

Milei’s Cabinet chief Manuel Adorni fired back at critics in a rare news conference on Monday in which he said he aimed “not to welcome anyone, but to restore the (press) room’s operations.”

“We are fully in favor of press freedom ... but we will not in any way allow acts endangering national security to be committed behind its back,” he told reporters.

Authorities justified the restrictions for the roughly 60 members of the Casa Rosada press corps as a necessary security measure after they accused a local TV channel of espionage for using smart glasses to film parts of the headquarters without authorization.

The channel, Todo Noticias, insists it received official permission to capture the footage and that the images of corridors and meeting spaces aired in the TV segment have long been accessible to the public.

When asked why colleagues from Todo Noticias and Channel 13, another leading network, were still blocked from the Casa Rosada on Monday, Adorni said that he wasn't aware of the issue and that, “in principle, there shouldn't be any limitations."

On the new restrictions, which included extensive security checks at the entrance, hastily erected barriers blocking stairwells and hallways, frosted glass obscuring views of the balcony and the insistence that journalists hand over their press passes with authorities upon leaving the building, Adorni said the government was “simply enforcing the regulations.”

“This is not censoring freedom of expression,” he said.

Journalists in Argentina face government hostility

Over the past two years, Argentina’s ranking has plummeted on a press freedom index maintained by Reporters Without Borders, the group reported last week. It fell from 66 to 98 — among the biggest drops of any country in South America.

In a report released last week, the group said it had recorded a “rise in government hostility toward and pressure on the press” from Trump’s most vocal Latin American supporters, Argentina's Milei and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.

“Insults, defamation, and threats from Javier Milei’s administration toward journalists and media critical of his government have become commonplace since he took office,” it added.

At odds with the press to a degree unseen since the 1983 restoration of Argentine democracy, Milei has escalated his media-bashing in recent weeks as his flagship campaigns against corruption and inflation falter.

Nearly every day, he posts the slogan “We don’t hate journalists enough" on X.

Late Monday, he took to social media to castigate those who “accuse us of censorship and violations of freedom of speech.”

In an ideal free market, the libertarian leader wrote, “society itself would take care of cleaning the system by bankrupting media outlets that constantly publish falsehoods.”

___

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

Officers responded just after 1 p.m. on April 29 in the 900 block of W.W. White Road for a “disturbance,” a preliminary report stated.

A San Antonio Police Department spokesperson said officers arrived at IDEA Harvey E. Najim, located within the block, after an adult found out an employee was allegedly in communication with a student.

Jacob Benjamin Jackson, 31, was approached by police on campus and was taken into custody.

An IDEA Public Schools spokesperson confirmed Jackson’s employment on the East Side campus and stated he is no longer employed with IDEA.

Police reviewed text messages from Jackson at the scene and allegedly depict him sending explicit photos of himself to a 15-year-old girl who attends the same campus he formerly worked for, according to SAPD.

Police said Jackson admitted the alleged actions and was shortly arrested.

Jackson was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on April 30 and later released on a $30,000 bond the following day.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

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Sterling had a heart attack and bypass surgery this winter and had returned to his home in Edgewater, New Jersey, where he was cared for by health aides. He died of complications Monday at Englewood Hospital, according to his former wife, Jennifer.

“John Sterling breathed life and excitement into Yankees games for 36 years while wearing his passion for baseball and the Yankees on his sleeve,” the team said in a statement. “He informed and entertained generations of fans with a theatrical and unapologetic style that was uniquely his own. John treasured his role as the voice of the New York Yankees, and his enthusiasm for the art of broadcasting perfectly complemented our city and our fans. The symmetry between John and his audience was both undeniable and magical, and his signature calls will resonate for as long as we put on pinstripes — especially after every Yankees win.”

Starting during down years with Dallas Green and Bucky Dent in the dugout and Don Mattingly trying vainly to push the Yankees back to glory, Sterling entertained fans through the dynasty days of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and into the Aaron Judge era.

During a game against Boston on June 10, 2023, Sterling was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Boston's Justin Turner, said “Ow! Ow! Ow! It really hit me. I didn't know if it was coming back that far," and without pause continued his game commentary.

“He brought that New York theater to the ballpark,” Judge said. “He was almost a kid up there in the broadcast talking about the game.”

Sterling called 5,651 games — 5,426 in the regular season plus 225 postseason — including 5,060 in a row from September 1989 through July 2019. He retired in April 2024 just after the season's start, citing fatigue, then returned to broadcast Yankees games during the 2024 postseason.

“One of a kind,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The soundtrack for so many New Yorkers and Yankee fans over the years.”

Boone pays tribute to Sterling's mellifluous baritone at the start of each postgame celebration.

“My coaches look at me like I’m nuts,” he said. “I don’t even know if they know what I’m doing, but as soon as that final out is made and I go I get up to shake players’ hands I go: “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!”

Sterling's call for a player’s home run became as treasured a part of a Yankees identity as an initial set of pinstripes or a championship ring. As rookies prepared for debuts and former opponents arrived in trades, fans speculated how he would label the newcomer's first longball.

From “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams, to “It’s a Jeter jolt!” for Derek to “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” for Alex Rodriguez, “The Giambino!” for Jason Giambi and ”A thrilla from Godzilla!” for Hideki Matsui, Sterling created personal stamps resonating from the clubhouse to the bleachers.

“It wasn’t meant that way. I just happened to do something for Bernie Williams. He hit a home run and I said, `Bern, baby, Bern!′ And it kind of mushroomed from there," Sterling said at the time of his retirement. "But it never was intended for every player, because, frankly, I’m not smart enough to do something for every player. But I did the best I could, and it’s amazing what started out as — became so big.”

“I did say ‘A-bomb from A-Rod!′ when he hit a home run and I did say: ’Robbie Canó, don’t you know,′ and I think those were pretty good,” Sterling said of calls for Rodriguez and Robinson Canó.

Suzyn Waldman, his broadcast partner for his final two decades, had no advance word of the home run calls.

“Sometimes I’d have to turn the sound off because I’d be laughing so hard," she said Monday. “Players started to come to him and said: 'I want one.' Remember Nick Swisher? He called him once Jolly Old Saint Nick. And up comes Swisher to the back of the plane and said, `I don’t like that. I’m not Jolly old Saint Nick.' That’s where Swishalicious came from."

He also was known some viral bloopers: home run calls on balls that were caught, catches that weren't, fair balls that were foul and other foibles. Waldman said criticism stung.

“John had no guile,” she said. “He didn’t understand it when people were mean to him because he could never be mean to anybody.”

Waldman and current Yankees television broadcaster Michael Kay placed flowers on home plate during a tribute before Monday night's game against Baltimore, and stadium organist Ed Alstrom played Broadway show tunes — Sterling's favorite — throughout the game. New York players had “JS” stitched on the backs of their caps and the Bleacher Creatures included Sterling in their start-of-game Roll Call.

When Judge homered in the first inning, Kay called the action on the YES Network using Sterling's exclamation: “A Judgian blast! Here comes the Judge!”

Born Josh Sloss on July 4, 1938, Sterling grew up in Manhattan and left college to work for radio stations. He had wanted to be a broadcaster since hearing “The Eddie Bracken Show” in the 1940s.

“I didn’t want to be Eddie Bracken. I wanted to be the guy who says: 'Live from Hollywood!’” Sterling said. “And I knew that maybe a year or two later, but before puberty I knew I was going to be on the air. And it really helped me because I didn’t worry about school, because I knew what I was going to do. And it was a good thing because I was a terrible student — terrible."

He started his radio career in 1960 at a station in Wellsville, New York.

“I was preparing this all my life. It was easy,” he said. “I could always open my mouth and talk."

Sterling cited Mel Allen, Russ Hodges and Jim Karvellas as influences. He wound up joining Allen in the history of memorable Yankees broadcasters along with Red Barber, Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer.

Sterling announced the NBA’s Washington Bullets and Morgan State football in his early years and gained notoriety for shrieking “Islanders goal! Islanders goal!” during the hockey team’s games from 1975-78. He broadcast for the NBA’s Nets from 1975-80.

Sterling’s first connection with the Yankees was during WMCA pregame radio talk shows from 1971-78. He moved to Atlanta and worked for the Braves from 1982-87 and Hawks from 1981-89 before switching to the Yankees, where he replaced Hank Greenwald.

“I was his update person on WFAN in 1987 and he was doing a talk show,” Waldman said. “He stood up and he cupped his hand over his ear and he talked standing up for four hours and I said this must be a really interesting person and he could talk about anything. ... He also was a pretty nasty talk show host. People think it was nasty then —- John would really yell at people and call them stupid.”

Sterling was seldom in the clubhouse and dressed in Brooks Brothers suits even though he was on the radio. A voracious reader, he would peruse a few pages during between-innings breaks.

He partnered with Jay Johnstone (1989-90), Joe Angel (1991), Michael Kay (1992-2001), Charley Steiner (2002-04) and Waldman (2005-24). Sterling and Waldman were inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016.

He was married to the former Jennifer Contreras from 1993 to 2004. In addition to her, he is survived by triplets Bradford, Derek and Veronica, and daughter Abigail.

Sterling was proud of his unique style.

“Harry Caray told me some years ago," he recalled in 2024 of the famous Chicago Cubs and White Sox broadcaster, “and he says, 'John, all the guys are great. We just have different styles.' And no one has a more different style than I have.”

___

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

Opening statements began Monday in the three-week bench trial to decide whether the platforms of Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, pose a public nuisance.

In the first phase, jurors ordered $375 million in civil penalties against Meta, determining that it knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

Prosecutors are now asking a judge impose fundamental changes aimed at reining in addictive features, improving age verification and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and closer oversight.

Meta has vowed to appeal the jury verdict and warned that it could eliminate service in New Mexico entirely if forced to comply with impractical mandates and multibillion-dollar remedies.

“The fact that we’re having a trial on nuisance is itself a remarkable outcome,” said Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law in California. “That theory is not well accepted as applied to the internet, and that theory doesn’t really fit the internet.”

As the trial reconvened Monday, state District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid addressed concerns that the court might overreach its authority.

“I’m probably not the easiest sell on an idea where I would become a one-person legislature, judge and executive branch enforcer,” he said.

Trial could alter algorithms that define social media

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the jury verdict punctured the aura of invincibility protecting tech companies from liability for material on their platforms under Section 230, a 30-year-old provision of the U.S. Communications Decency Act.

A Los Angeles jury separately found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children, validating long-standing concerns about dangers of social media.

New Mexico prosecutors are demanding that Meta help remedy a mental health crisis among children through a series of safeguards and changes, including a redesign of algorithms that make content recommendations so they no longer prioritize constant engagement.

New Mexico prosecution attorney David Ackerman outlined a $3.7 billion proposal for Meta to remedy harm to children that “recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused.”

“Across New Mexico, across the country, children are begging for help," he said in opening statements. “It is thorough and it is necessary. There are items in this abatement plan for public education, to assist schools, to assist law enforcement, to assist mental health providers."

Prosecutors are also targeting other app features linked to compulsive use such as “infinite scroll,” which continuously loads content; push notifications; and default settings that show tallies for “likes” and sharing. Their lawsuit also seeks improvements to age verification and other steps aimed at curbing child sexual exploitation.

And New Mexico wants child accounts on Meta platforms to have an associated parent or guardian, as well as a court-supervised child safety monitor to track safety improvements over time.

Meta asserts free speech protections

Executives have said the company continuously improves child safety and addresses compulsive use and that many demands from prosecutors are redundant.

In opening statements, Meta attorney Alex Parkinson disputed the idea that there is a public right to social media under nuisance laws.

“Are bars a public nuisance because drinking alcohol is undeniably associated with car fatalities?” Parkinson said. “If individual (social media) users have been hurt, they have a remedy -- personal injury cases to cover the mental healthcare or any other care that they need. And that is what is happening in other lawsuits right now.”

The company also argues that its platforms are being singled out among hundreds of apps that teens use with less robust protections, while invoking concerns about restrictions on free speech.

“The state’s proposed mandates infringe on parental rights and stifle free expression,” Meta said last week in a statement.

Parkinson said prosecutors are making unworkable demands to change apps only for New Mexico users — an assertion disputed by the attorney general.

“To geo-fence New Mexico users into that version of the apps, new apps for New Mexico, that is not feasible, technologically,” Parkinson told the judge.

Influence could be far-reaching

The case is the first to reach trial among lawsuits filed by more than 40 state attorneys general on allegations that Meta contributes to a youth mental health crisis. Most are pursuing remedies in U.S. federal court.

Torrez said he envisions a broad public education campaign to help parents and children navigate social media safely, with new public service warnings on Meta apps.

“All of those kids need help, they need counseling, they need therapy," Torrez said at a news conference Monday, accompanied by parent advocates for social media reforms.

Parkinson said the state’s $3.7 billion plan goes too far and would reshape the way all mental and behavioral healthcare is delivered to New Mexico teens.

“The state is asking you to develop from scratch a completely new regulatory regime that far exceeds anything in Europe, in Australia, anywhere,” Parkinson said in reference to a bevy of recent and planned restrictions on children’s online activities beyond the U.S.

Goldman said prosecutors may be venturing into uncertain legal waters just in seeking age verification mandates.

“In practice a court order saying that Facebook had to impose age authentication would have no Supreme Court textual support,” he said. “The Supreme Court might bless it. We don’t know.”

___

This story has been updated to correct the wording in the quote from Judge Bryan Biedscheid.

Its departure from the air travel industry comes just as this year’s summer travel season is about to take off.

Down one budget-airline carrier, San Antonio International Airport (SAT) still has Frontier Airlines.

KSAT looked at what can be found on Google when typing in flights to Las Vegas in the search bar. The goal was to see the results for trips for Memorial Day weekend.

SAT was entered as the departure location, leaving on May 22 and returning May 25.

The results from Google included several airlines including Frontier, Southwest, American, and United Airlines.

At the time of the search, which was mid-afternoon Monday, April 4, Frontier’s prices were clearly cheaper than the major airline carriers.

The budget-friendly airline had two cheap flights, one for $225 with one stop and a nonstop flight for $239, but the prices increased when a carry-on or a checked bag was added.

The prices were also fluctuating throughout the afternoon.

Many people are aware that the longer you wait to buy tickets, the more it usually costs. But other factors are adding to the cost of tickets:

• The war in Iran has caused jet fuel prices to skyrocket.
• Competitive discount prices from Spirit Airlines do not exist anymore.
• Vacation travel season is starting.
• Time of day that you want to travel and whether or not you want a nonstop flight can impact prices.

When it comes to air travel, consumers must decide if the convenience of flying outweighs their set max budget for plane tickets.

Travel experts have said despite ticket prices going up, there are deals are still available, but you are going to have to keep an eye out for them.

They suggest you grab those deals when you see them.

Some experts have said if you haven’t in the past, you may now want to consider travel packages that combine flights and hotel reservations.

But keep in mind: If an issue arises with your flight or hotel reservations, you will have to go through the third party you booked through.

Travel experts are also suggesting if your finances will allow, buy tickets for upcoming trips now or as early as possible.

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Winners announced Monday include two books rooted in the country's founding. Jill Lepore's “We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution” won for history, and Amanda Vaill's “Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution” was the winner for biography. Yiyun Li’s “Things in Nature Merely Grow,” her blunt account of the suicides of her two sons, was cited for memoir-autobiography. “There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America,” by Brian Goldstone, won for general nonfiction.

The poetry prize went to Juliana Spahr's “Ars Poeticas,” and the music award was given to Gabriela Lena Frank for “Picaflor: A Future Myth,” a symphonic work inspired by Andean legend and California wildfires.

The 50-year-old Kraus has had a diverse and prolific career quite unlike the average Pulitzer fiction winner. He has written horror, science fiction, graphic novels and books for kids. He has collaborated with filmmakers George Romero and Guillermo del Toro, whose Oscar-winning “The Shape of Water” was conceived with Kraus' help. He has received numerous prizes over the years, including the Bram Stoker Award for horror, but had never imagined he'd win a Pulitzer. When he began receiving texts Monday — that included such messages as “Wow!” — he worried that he had somehow gotten himself in trouble.

Pulitzer officials praised “Angel Down” as “a stylistic tour-de-force that blends such genres as allegory, magical realism, and science fiction into a cohesive whole, told in a single sentence.” Kraus said that he at first used a conventional narrative but found that abandoning traditional punctuation better suited a story of war that seemingly had no end.

“It's like you have the feeling of being locked into the book forever,” he told The Associated Press during a telephone interview.

Wohl’s memory play collects second-wave feminists from all walks of life as they tackle misogyny, internalized homophobia, domestic abuse and gender roles. The play navigates between past and present, and six of the actors disrobe for the Act 2 opening scene. The win comes a day before the Tony Award nominations, when “Liberation” is expected to be named in the best new play category.

Lepore is a New Yorker staff writer and Harvard University professor whose Pulitzer helps confirm her as one of the country's most prominent historians. Her previous honors include the Bancroft Prize for “The Name of War” and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for “New York Burning.” In 2023, she contributed an introduction to Paul McCartney's book of Beatles photos, “1964: Eyes of the Storm.”

Goldstone is a journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic and other publications. Spahr is a poet, critic and editor whose prize-winning collection is a statement of poetry's vitality during the darkest times, and Frank is a Grammy-nominated artist known for combining influences ranging from Latin American folklore to Western classical music.

___

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy contributed.

The San Antonio City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on two contracts on the city’s proposed, multi-billion-dollar sports and entertainment district in Hemisfair, known as “Project Marvel.”

Though a new Spurs arena is at the heart of the vision for the district, it also includes plans for mixed-use development, a possible expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center, the conversion of the John Woods Courthouse into a live entertainment venue, and more.

The city plans to award Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects the contract to coordinate and manage development activity in the district as the “executive program manager” (EPM).

The $6 million contract is for the “first phase” through March 2027, though it can be renewed in additional one-year increments through September 2031.

The council will also vote on a one-year, $350,000 contract with MuniCap to conduct a cost-of-service study for the district.

The Maryland-based public finance consulting company would look at how much it will cost to provide core city services to the area, like police, fire, traffic, and park maintenance.

It would also be charged with forecasting how much money the district will bring to the city and new opportunities for generating revenue.

Geoffrey Propheter, an associate professor of public finance at the University of Colorado-Denver, told KSAT that’s a report that would have been helpful before the council approved a term sheet for a new arena last August.

“These are the sorts of questions you ask before you make a decision, because now in hindsight, the fact that you’re asking afterwards just kind of seems like you’re trying to play catch up with this whole transparency, accountability business, and that it was a foregone conclusion beforehand, even if that was the worst-kept secret in the room,” he said.

Both consultants were selected through a competitive process, but their contracts need council approval.

City staff are also expected to brief council members with a wider update on the proposed district.

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“A major catastrophe was avoided by feet,” said safety expert Steve Arroyo, who landed on that same short runway many times during his career at United. “Had it been another five feet lower, eight feet, I mean, no more than 10 feet, that plane would have been all over the New Jersey Turnpike.”

The driver of the bakery delivery truck was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, and the Boeing 767 flying in from Venice, Italy, with 231 people aboard was able to land safely. No one on the plane was hurt. Air traffic control audio suggests the incident may have created a hole in the side of the plane, but the airline and the National Transportation Safety Board haven't confirmed that.

The NTSB said Monday afternoon that it has reclassified the incident as an accident because of the extent of the damage to the plane, but it didn't provide any details.

Planes fly low when landing

Anyone who drives that section of Interstate 95 near the airport is likely used to seeing planes coming in low and crossing over all the lanes of traffic as the planes get ready to land, but never this low.

Dashboard camera video from inside the truck showed the driver singing happily to himself, then glancing out his window with a slight look of concern as the sound of the jet's whining engines begins on the recording.

A moment later, part of the plane zooms into view out the driver's side window. The video also shows the moment of impact. Typically, semitrucks are 13.5 feet (4.1 meters) tall, so the plane was quite low.

Chuck Paterakis, the vice president of the bakery company H&S Family of Bakeries, said the company is “relieved that everyone is safe, as that is our top priority.” The bakery is cooperating with investigators.

The pilots’ damage report wasn’t recorded because the crew opted to call the tower on the phone after landing instead of broadcasting the details over the radio.

But air traffic control audio posted by ATC.com revealed a discussion between an air traffic controller and a ground vehicle more than half an hour after the incident. “They felt something over the threshold and there's a hole in the side of the airplane,” the controller said.

Witnesses were alarmed by the sight

Patrick Oyulu, of Edison, New Jersey, was among those on the turnpike when the plane struck the truck. He posted a short video showing the aftermath of the collision as the huge plane barely cleared the road and landed on the runway.

“The plane seemed to come in almost directly over the highway,” Oyulu recounted in a message to The Associated Press. He said the truck appeared to swerve sharply and smoke could be seen coming from it after the aircraft apparently made contact.

“I never expected a plane that low, and never expected I would see the undercarriage of a plane of that magnitude bearing overhead, with such noise and gust of wind,” Oyulu said.

Investigation will look at variety of factors

NTSB investigators arrived on scene on Monday to interview the flight crew and begin working to figure out how and why this happened. But the NTSB may not offer many details about what happened until it publishes its preliminary report roughly a month from now. The agency does not plan any news conferences on this accident.

Runway 29, where the plane landed, is the shortest runway at the airport at 6,726 feet (2,050 meters), and it is generally only used when there are strong winds like there were on Sunday afternoon. The other two Newark runways are 11,000 feet (3,353 meters) long. An air traffic controller told pilots at the time that the winds were gusting up to 31 mph (50 kph).

Arroyo said that investigators will definitely look at how well the United crew planned for the contingency that they would have to land on Runway 29 and exactly what data they had entered into their flight control system and navigational aids in the cockpit. He said those systems can help keep pilots on track in the glidepath before they have to take the controls and complete the landing visually.

“It’s one of the most challenging approaches in the world,” Arroyo said. “The margin of error is extremely low.”

Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators will likely also look at whether fatigue could have been a factor after the long flight from Italy.

The NTSB directed United to preserve the cockpit voice and flight data recorders for investigators to examine. The airline said the pilots have been put on leave while the accident is investigated.

In 1985, Delta Flight 191 was coming in to land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport when a microburst of wind during a thunderstorm sent the plane down into the ground, striking a vehicle. The plane then plowed into airport water tanks. A total of 137 people died in that crash, including the vehicle's driver.

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Associated Press reporter Philip Marcelo contributed to this report from New York.

Edwards injured his knee in the first series of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.

On Day 1 of the second series, Minnesota held shootaround at the Frost Bank Center ahead of the game. Edwards participated, shooting from 3-point range and slowly warming up.

>> Where to watch the Spurs’ second round series for free in San Antonio

At the start of the day, the team listed Edwards as questionable for Game 1. But around 2:45 p.m. CT, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Edwards had been cleared to play.

With or without him, the Timberwolves are ready to face the Spurs. Edwards would certainly help.

“It was pretty amazing how fast he got to that point. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said.

He added that Edwards had been rehabbing his knee all week.

“We’re happy to have him when he’s ready. Hopefully he’ll be ready to go,” he said.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, and what he does on the court — his personality, his leadership — all that is big for our team,” Timberwolves forward Julius Randle said. “It’s going to be on me to make the right plays.”

Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CT at the Frost Bank Center.

Read also:

• SCHEDULE: NBA announces TV schedule, tip times for first 4 games of Spurs-Timberwolves series
• Wembanyama says Spurs are ‘locked in’ ahead of second-round matchup against Timberwolves
• A new era in San Antonio: Spurs, fans and prices evolve since last playoff success

I’m on the hunt to find out where Spurs fans are showing up and repping the Silver and Black as playoff excitement builds.

Whether it’s at a sports bar, your favorite restaurant or in the comfort of your own home — I want to hear from you!

Share your photos and comments of your go-to Spurs watch spots.

You can submit them on KSAT Connect, and your post could be featured on air or online in our Spurs coverage.

For a guide to posting to KSAT Connect, click here.

More Race For Seis coverage on KSAT:

• SCHEDULE: NBA announces TV schedule, tip times for first 4 games of Spurs-Timberwolves series
• Where to watch the Spurs’ second round series for free in San Antonio
• A new era in San Antonio: Spurs, fans and prices evolve since last playoff success

A special legislative session responding to the court ruling began Monday in Alabama and is to start Tuesday in Tennessee. Louisiana lawmakers, who already are in session, also are looking at how to redraw their congressional districts. The Supreme Court on Monday essentially gave them a green light to proceed by approving a request to expedite the court's formal judgment.

Civil rights activists have countered with rallies, protests and lawsuits challenging the new redistricting efforts. Several hundred protesters gathered outside the Alabama Statehouse on Monday, carrying signs declaring “No new map” and “We fight back! Black Voters Matter.”

Last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana has unleashed “a wave of nefarious actions” across states that threatens to disenfranchise Black voters, Alanah Odoms, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, said Monday.

Trump on Sunday encouraged more states to join in redistricting, saying in a social media post that Republicans could gain 20 House seats. But South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s office on Monday said the Republican would not call a special session to redraw the state’s only Democratic-occupied House seat.

The high court's ruling said Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black majority House district as it attempted to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The ruling significantly altered a decades-old understanding of the law and provided grounds for Republicans in various states to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats to Congress.

As Republicans forge ahead, U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries touted a redistricting effort in his home state of New York. But that isn’t expected to result in a new map until 2028. To adopt new districts, New York lawmakers must pass a constitutional amendment twice in two years, and voters would also have to approve it.

A national redistricting battle is expanding

Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn only once a decade, after a census, to account for population changes. But Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same, and then other states joined in.

On Monday, Florida became the eighth state to enact new House districts ahead of midterm elections, as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he had signed a redrawn map passed by lawmakers last week that could help Republicans win as many as four additional House seats. The new map was immediately challenged in court as a partisan gerrymander that violates a state constitutional provision against drawing districts that favor one political party over another.

All told, Republicans think they could gain as many as 13 seats from new congressional districts in five states, while Democrats think they could pick up as many as 10 seats from new districts adopted in three states. The newly proposed redistricting in southern states could add to the Republicans' tally.

After last week's Supreme Court decision, Louisiana moved quickly to delay its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts. But Republicans have yet to unveil their planned revisions to district lines.

Democrats and civil rights groups have filed several lawsuits challenging the election suspension, including another suit filed Monday in federal court. They are encouraging people in Louisiana — where early voting already is underway — to go ahead and cast votes in the congressional primaries in case courts later allow them to be counted.

Alabama plans for a potential primary change

Rather than canceling the state's May 19 primaries, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey called legislators into a special session to consider contingency plans for special primary elections in hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will let Alabama switch congressional maps ahead of the November midterms.

Federal judges previously ordered Alabama to use a court-selected map — with a second district that has a substantial number of Black voters — until a new map is drafted after the 2030 Census. Alabama appealed that decision and has asked the court, in light of the Louisiana ruling, to let it revert to a 2023 map drawn by Republican state lawmakers. That map would substantially alter the district now represented by Rep. Shomari Figures, a Black Democrat.

Redistricting opponents rallied Monday across the street from the historic Alabama Capitol, where the Confederacy was formed in 1861 and where the Rev. Martin Luther King addressed a crowd of thousands after the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.

“Much blood, sweat and tears was shed in an effort for us to gain the right to vote,” said Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who as a child participated in the 1965 Bloody Sunday voting rights march in Selma. “In 2026, there are still people who are still not exercising that right to vote, and we are still fighting today, even in an effort to keep our right to vote.”

Tennessee pushes for a new House map

In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced a special session starting Tuesday for the GOP-controlled Legislature to break up the state’s one Democratic-held House district, centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis.

The move comes after a pressure campaign by Trump and other Republicans to reconfigure the state’s 9th Congressional District. Previous precedent in Voting Rights Act cases had prevented Republicans from spreading the district’s Democratic voters among neighboring conservative districts and making it winnable. But the law may no longer be an impediment.

“We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters,” Lee said.

Clergy members concerned about plans to split Memphis’ congressional district came together Monday to denounce the move.

“This latest attempt at redistricting is not just about lines on a map, it is about misrepresentation,” said the Rev. Earle Fisher, a pastor at the Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church and the founder of Up the Vote 901, referring to the Memphis area code. “It’s about whether the voices of Black people in this state will be heard or hidden.”

The candidate qualifying period in Tennessee ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6.

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Loller reported from Nashville and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Jack Brook in New Orleans, Anthony Izaguirre in New York and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

“When I walked into the locker room afterward with the coaches, you are just shaking your head, thinking five more seconds, you couldn’t keep it in for five more seconds,” Auriemma said in his first news conference since then.

“You just feel dumb for the way that it played out,” he added. “We are all human and we all do dumb (stuff).”

Auriemma sparked a firestorm of criticism after he went over to Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina’s 62-48 victory at the Final Four in Phoenix and appeared to chastise her.

Coaches from both teams had to separate them. When the game finally ended, Auriemma walked off the court to the locker room without going back to shake hands with anyone from South Carolina.

Auriemma said the exchange was about the lack of a traditional pregame handshake between the coaches. He later apologized with a written statement.

“I didn’t see a lot of it, but that is to be expected,” Auriemma said of the backlash. “I think maybe some of it was warranted and some of it was people have been lying in the weeds waiting for that moment. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done for the game; it is what you just did.

"Unfortunately, that is the world that we live in today and it usually is one-sided. The people who understood what it was all about in a different light, they are not going to go on the air and say it. They are not going to write about it because now they are going against a major internet or media frenzy; they are not going to do that. I brought the criticism on myself. I didn’t bring the (stuff) that came after it on myself.”

Auriemma compared the backlash to what might have happened if social media had been around in 1998, when he arranged for an injured Nykesha Sales to make a basket so she could set the program’s career scoring record.

“Immediately, it was the worst thing to ever happen to the game of basketball and to sports in general,” Auriemma said.

“These things that happen, you take them all with a grain of salt, understand them. I did what I did, I apologized for it and I moved on.”

His focus now is on the 2026-27 season. Despite the loss of two starters, including WNBA No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, the Huskies figure to be one of the top title contenders again.

Transfers Serah Williams and Kayleigh Heckel played pivotal roles for the 38-1 UConn team in the 2025-26 season. He opted not to add any transfers and rely on the returning players, led by national player of the year Sarah Strong and two incoming freshmen.

“People have to get better,” Auriemma said. “You want your players to get better and improve from one year to the next. Blanca (Quinonez) going from playing 17 minutes a night to playing 27-30 minutes a night, I think changes the dynamic of the team. Sarah (Strong) probably getting more touches, probably playing 30 minutes per game.

Auriemma said that Strong has declined opportunities to play for USA Basketball this offseason to recover from inflammation in her leg that kept her out of most practices during the postseason.

“The new kids that are coming in are going to give us a little bit of a different look than we had. We have really good guards on our team but none of them are exactly what Jovana (Popovic) is; our big kids are going to get better. Olivia (Vukosa) is a little different than what we have right now. We will look a little different, but the core of the team is back.”

UConn also brings back Morgan Cheli, who played at least 15 minutes nine times as a freshman before missing all of last season with an ankle injury.

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Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man around 3:30 p.m. in the area near the White House complex and saw the imprint of the weapon on him. The agents followed him briefly and contacted the uniformed officers.

The unidentified man attempted to flee when uniformed officers with the Secret Service approached him. Quinn said the man fired at the officers, who returned fire.

The alleged gunman was transported to a local hospital. Quinn said he had no information on the suspect's condition.

Quinn said emergency personnel also transported a minor who was shot but not seriously injured. Quinn said he could not say definitively that the bystander, who also was taken to a hospital, was struck by shots from the suspect's gun. “We’ll let the doctors figure that out,” he said, though he noted that “investigators believe he was struck by the suspect.”

Quinn said the Washington, D.C., police would investigate the officer-involved shooting.

The Secret Service encouraged people to avoid the area as emergency crews responded to the shooting not far from the White House, where President Donald Trump was holding a small business event.

The White House was briefly locked down as authorities investigated the incident. The Secret Service ushered journalists who were outside into the briefing room, and Trump continued his event without interruption.

The incident drew a large police presence, coming just over a week after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives. Cole Tomas Allen has been charged in that incident, in which a Secret Service officer was shot, although he was wearing body armor and was not seriously injured.

Quinn said it was not known yet whether the Monday incident was related to Trump. “I’m not going to guess on that,” Quinn said. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out.”

In a year when several prize-winning projects zoomed in on the Trump presidency, the Post's coverage illuminated the administration's fast-moving, sometimes opaque drive to reshape the national government and what the cuts and changes meant for individual Americans.

The Miami Herald’s Julie K. Brown was given a special citation for her reporting, nearly a decade ago, that drew attention to Jeffrey Epstein ’s abuses. The New York Times won three of the coveted prizes, the Post and Reuters each won two, and less widely known outlets ranging from The Connecticut Mirror to the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” also were recognized in a challenging year for American journalism.

“This is always a day of celebration in our communities, but perhaps never more so than today as we face tremendous political and economic pressures,” prize administrator Marjorie Miller said in a livestream announcement.

In the last few months, the Post cut a third of its staff, CBS News announced it would shutter its nearly century-old radio service, The AP offered buyouts to over 120 journalists and some regional newspapers also publicly struggled. CBS parent Paramount’s acquisition of CNN has raised questions about what’s next for those networks. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continued to bash, and sometimes sue, outlets whose coverage he finds objectionable.

‘Sweeping and deeply impactful reporting’

Spanning three years, thousands of pages of documents and numerous interviews, the AP project found that American companies help lay the foundations of the Chinese government’s system for monitoring and policing its citizens.

“This was sweeping and deeply impactful reporting, the kind of work that highlights the unique strengths of AP’s global, multiformat newsroom,” executive editor Julie Pace said in an email to staffers. She is among the Pulitzer Board's new members.

Some of The Washington Post's winning work was by reporter Hannah Natanson, whose home was searched and devices were seized in what federal authorities say was an investigation into a Pentagon contractor’s handling of classified documents. The Post says the seizure violated the First Amendment.

Two winning entries focused on Trump's pulverizing approach to norms and constraints. Reuters, which won for national reporting, looked at how Trump has used the federal government and his supporters’ influence to expand presidential authority and target foes, the award judges noted. The Times took the investigative reporting prize for exploring the Republican president’s boundary-pushing approach to the notion of conflicts of interest.

Joseph Kahn, executive editor of the Times, said its reporters have been threatened over their work. “We have not, and will not” bow to the pressure, he said in a statement.

Reuters' reporting on scam ads, AI chatbots and the social media giant Meta — which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — won the beat reporting prize, last given two decades ago.

Reuters' wins spotlighted "fearless, deeply reported, original work that holds powerful institutions to account,” editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni said in a statement.

Visual journalism honors included a graphic novel

The prize for breaking news went to The Minnesota Star Tribune’s coverage of last year’s deadly mass shooting during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school. Judges praised the thoroughness and compassion of the newspaper’s reporting on a scene of carnage in its hometown.

“To me, it’s really a moment to appreciate the power of local journalism,” Kathleen Hennessey, the Star Tribune's editor and senior vice president, said in an interview. One Tribune reporter who lives in the neighborhood heard the gunshots and called 911 before running to the scene, she noted; an editor at the paper has children who attend the school.

“It feels really gratifying to be recognized, but for this newsroom, this is also just still a really painful event,” Hennessey said.

The San Francisco Chronicle received the award for explanatory reporting, which means work that makes a complex topic comprehensible to everyday readers and viewers. The Chronicle's series laid out how insurers, aided by algorithmic tools, undervalued and denied rebuilding claims for fire-destroyed homes, the judges said.

In visual journalism, The Times got a breaking news photography award for depicting devastation and starvation in Gaza resulting from Israel's war in the territory. The Post won the feature photography prize, for a visual essay on a family welcoming a firstborn as the child’s father grappled with terminal cancer. The award for illustrated reporting and commentary — a category that includes editorial cartoons and more — went to Bloomberg for a graphic novel about online scams that threaten “digital arrest.”

In a statement, Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait called it "deeply reported public service journalism, published in an inventive format.”

While several prizes reflected the year’s biggest news stories, others highlighted work that wasn’t pushed to everyone’s phones.

One of two local reporting awards went to The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica for a series on how towing companies profited off Connecticut laws, at the expense of poor car owners; the state soon changed the laws. The Chicago Tribune also was honored for its coverage of the Trump administration’s intense immigration crackdown in the Windy City.

A 'pioneering' live podcast investigation

Texas Monthly won the feature writing award for an editor's first-person story of flooding that killed his toddler nephew and swept his home away. Also in Texas, The Dallas Morning News' architecture critic won the criticism award; judges praised Mark Lamster's wit and expertise. The New York Times' M. Gessen won the opinion writing award for essays on authoritarianism.

The audio award went to “Pablo Torre Finds Out” for probing financial arrangements between Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard and an environmental startup in which the team owner invested. The judges called the project a “pioneering and entertaining form of live podcast journalism.” It's produced by Meadowlark Media and licensed by the New York Times Co.-owned sports site The Athletic.

The Pulitzer announcement — usually followed by a dinner later in the year — came little more than a week after an armed man rushed a security checkpoint and exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents outside another big event for U.S. journalists, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington. The man is now charged with trying to assassinate Trump, who was attending the event for his first time as president.

Separately, Monday’s awards also honored books, music and theater.

The prizes were established in newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer’s will and were first awarded in 1917. Winners receive $15,000, and the public service award carries a gold medal. Decisions are made by the Pulitzer Board, based at Columbia University in New York.

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Associated Press writer Sarah Raza contributed from Canton, Michigan.

Jamila Adams, who goes by Mila, testified that Diggs came into her bedroom at his house and “smacked me with an open hand” before wrapping his arm around her neck and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe. The alleged attack came hours after the two had exchanged a series of angry texts over Adams being left off a trip to Miami where Diggs was taking his entourage for a week.

“When I went up to block him, he took his arms and came around my neck and he began to choke me,” Adams said, growing emotional as she described what she called an “assault.”

Defense attorneys attempted to chip away at Adams' credibility, challenging her over amounts she wanted to charge Diggs for cooking and alleging she left out details in her police report. They also got Adams to confirm that there were no photos or video of the the assault and presented video of her visiting New York in the hours and day after the attack. They showed her smiling in one video and dancing in another.

Adams countered that she didn't take any video or photos showing the redness she said could be seen on her neck and chest because she was busy trying to figure out her next steps. “I was in shock,” said Adams, noting that the pair had once been in a sexual relationship, so she didn't understand how someone she loved would “put hands on me.”

In his opening statement, Diggs’ attorney, Andrew Kettlewell, insisted his client did nothing wrong and said no one in the house at the time of the alleged attack saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. He also said there were no medical records detailing the assault.

"The assault that the Commonwealth described in their opening statement never happened. It did not happen,” Kettlewell said.

The 33-year-old four-time Pro Bowl player has pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from the December incident. A jury was selected earlier Monday and received its instructions.

Kettlewell also suggested Adams had a financial motive, telling jurors they would hear evidence that she sought money from Diggs a day after charges were filed in late December. The request, he said, started at $19,000 and increased over time to “quite a bit more.”

“She was furious and she wanted Mr. Diggs to pay in every sense of that word,” he said.

Kettlewell urged the jury not to be influenced by the fact Diggs was a famous football player. “Just like any other person in this country, rich or poor, Mr. Diggs sits here an innocent man,” he said.

Diggs declined to speak to reporters as he arrived at Norfolk County District Court in Dedham, a Boston suburb. He also said nothing as he left court for the day.

Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue told jurors in his opening statement that Adams would testify that Diggs slapped her and put her in a headlock that made it difficult to breathe before throwing her onto a bed.

“It’s your job to determine what happened on Dec. 2,” Virtue said.

Judge Jeanmarie Carroll, at times, instructed jurors to disregard portions of Adams’ testimony that went beyond the scope of the questions.

Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the New England Patriots last year and was a key target for quarterback Drake Maye during the Patriots’ AFC East title run. Before joining the Patriots, Diggs was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 and played for the Buffalo Bills before a brief stint with the Houston Texans in 2024.

Diggs’ 1,000-yard season with the Patriots marked the seventh of his career. It helped complete a successful career revival after a season-ending knee injury derailed what turned out to be a one-year stay with the Houston Texans in 2024.

Diggs, who led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season with the Patriots, was released by the team in March. Diggs posted a goodbye on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season and saying: “We family forever.”

Diggs has yet to sign with another team.

__

Willingham reported from Boston.

The first awardees of more than 42,600 children included those with disabilities — and their siblings — whose families make up to 500% of the federal poverty level, which is $165,000 per year or less for a family of four. Those families began receiving notices April 22, with the comptroller recently adding about 2,000 additional families to the group.

This week, the second-priority tier awards for more than 51,000 children include families at or below 200% of the poverty level, which is an annual income of $66,000 or less for a family of four. Most of those students, 68%, previously attended a private school or home-school. Thirty-six percent are white, 28% are Hispanic and 17% are Black.

By comparison, 24% of Texas 5.5 million public school students are white, 53% are Hispanic and 13% are Black.

State leaders previously said they expect Texas to have the largest launch of education savings accounts, or ESAs, in the nation, with about 100,000 children using them. Those applicants not receiving the ESAs, which families can use for private schooling or other educational costs, go on a waitlist.

Of the first batch of students invited to join the program last month, 42% are white, and more than half come from families considered low-income, according to the state’s data. Meanwhile, 53% previously attended a public school.

The numbers released thus far do not reflect who will actually participate in the program.

Students are not accepted into the ESA program until their enrollment in a private school is confirmed, which families must complete by July 15. Families can also use the funds for home schooling. If families do not find their preferred schooling option, the funds will go to students on the waitlist.

Check back for updates as the voucher application process unfolds.

Voucher applications close

Texans’ first chance to apply for school vouchers closed March 31 after a federal judge denied a request from Islamic schools and Muslim families to extend the deadline for a second time.

They sued Texas leaders for excluding the schools over unsubstantiated terrorism allegations while accepting hundreds of other non-Islamic schools.

The lawsuit sought another deadline extension and relief for any Muslim family or Islamic school affected by the comptroller’s decision to exclude them. The Texas comptroller’s office announced on March 31 that it approved all eligible Islamic schools that applied to participate in the voucher program.

The next court hearing in the case is set for May 8.

What is the voucher program?

Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law in 2025, authorizing the creation of a statewide program that allows families to use public funds to pay for their children’s private school or home-school education.

Between Feb. 4 and March 31, virtually any family with school-age children in Texas could have applied to participate. A lottery determined who could receive the funds, pending their acceptance to a private school. Private schools interested in joining the program can apply on a rolling basis, as long as they have existed for at least two years and received accreditation.

More than 274,000 students applied, while more than 2,400 private schools have been accepted.

Fights over Texas’ voucher rollout

Hancock in late 2025requested an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, asking if the comptroller’s office could exclude schools from the voucher program based on their connections to groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations or foreign adversaries.

Hancock said schools accredited by Cognia had hosted events organized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group that Abbott designated a terrorist organization. CAIR has sued Abbott over the label, calling it defamatory and false. The U.S. State Department has not designated CAIR as a terrorist group.

Texas Republicans made anti-Muslim rhetoric a focal point during primary election season. Hancock, appointed by the governor on an interim basis, ran to serve a full term as comptroller before losing his race.

Hancock shut hundreds of Cognia-accredited schools out of the voucher program, including those that primarily serve Muslim students, Christian students and children with disabilities, which the Houston Chronicle first reported.

Paxton released an opinion in January stating his belief that Hancock can block certain schools from participating if they are “illegally tied to terrorists or foreign adversaries.”

A group of Islamic schools and Muslim families sued, arguing that state leaders “systematically targeted Islamic schools for exclusion.” The Islamic schools initially blocked from joining met the voucher program’s eligibility requirements and “have no actual connection to terrorism or unlawful activity,” according to the lawsuit.

Before the lawsuit, no Islamic schools were known to have been accepted into the voucher program while the state had approved other faith-based schools. Some Islamic schools had shown up on the approved list before that, but Hancock later removed them.

Two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited” through the critical waterway, the U.S. military said. Separately, the U.S. military denied Iran’s claims that it struck an American Navy vessel southeast of the strait.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates on Monday said an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility in Fujairah, a key pipeline hub used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Shortly after the report, the British military said a cargo ship off the coast of the Emirates was ablaze. The UAE issued its first three missile alerts on Monday since the shaky ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. took hold almost four weeks ago.

Iran handed over its latest proposal for negotiations with the U.S. to mediators in Pakistan, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently said he’s “not satisfied” with it, but did not elaborate on the proposal’s apparent shortcomings. The shaky ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has lasted for three weeks.

Here's the latest:

Tehran doesn’t outright confirm or deny the attacks

But early on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that both the U.S. and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.”

In similarly vague terms, Iranian state television earlier quoted an anonymous military official as saying Tehran had had “no plan” to target the UAE or one of its oil fields.

“The incident resulted from U.S. military adventurism to create an illegal passage,” the official was quoted as saying about the oil facility attack, apparently referring to Trump’s latest efforts to reopen the strait, a critical waterway for global energy.

UAE says over a dozen missiles, drones launched from Iran

The United Arab Emirates said it had engaged a number of missiles and drones launched from Iran on Monday.

In an update posted on X, the defense ministry said its air defense systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones. The attacks moderately injured three people.

Oman says a residential building was targeted

A residential building housing employees in Oman was targeted Monday, officials said, though did not provide details of the incident.

The defense ministry said in a statement on X, citing an unidentified security source, that the building housed workers of a company in the Tibat district of the town of Bukha. Two foreigners were moderately injured, four vehicles were damaged and windows in a nearby house were shattered.

Bukha is a town on Oman’s Musandam peninsula, an enclave on the southern edge of the Strait of Hormuz that is separated from the rest of the sultanate.

Authorities did not say whether the incident was the result of an attack or identify its source, adding that an investigation is underway.

US, Gulf states to propose diplomatic measure for safe passage over Strait of Hormuz

U.S. envoy to the U.N. Mike Waltz told reporters Monday that the U.S. will be co-drafting a Security Council resolution with Bahrain and its Gulf allies that would “hold Iran to account” for its monthslong chokehold over the critical waterway.

The unreleased draft would require Iran to stop laying sea mines in the strait and halt all tolling efforts. It would also require the disclosure of the number and locations of the mines it has placed. It’s unclear what enforcement mechanism, if any, the resolution will have to ensure any of these demands.

But it is the latest diplomatic effort by the U.S. and its Gulf allies after a similar resolution was vetoed by China and Russia hours before a temporary ceasefire was announced in early April.

Hegseth and Caine to hold news conference, Trump says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, will hold a news conference on Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post on Monday.

Trump released no other details. But the news conference will come a day after the U.S. military launched an effort to defend commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.

Trump urges South Korea to send ships to Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump has urged South Korea to “come and join the mission” in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. military is defending commercial ships from Iran.

Trump said in a social media post that Iran had “taken some shot” at a South Korean cargo ship, though did not elaborate.

UN reiterates need for freedom of navigation in Strait of Hormuz but opposes military activity

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations is “still trying to fully understand” exactly what U.S. statements saying the vital Strait of Hormuz is open.

Reports of an exchange of fire in the strait, which had carried about 20% of the world’s crude oil and the United Arab Emirates intercepting Iranian missiles are “concerning,” he said.

“There’s not much clarity at this point, but what we do not want to see is a return to outright kinetic activity in this area,” Dujarric said.

“We need to see a return of what has been centuries of practice of common law, which is freedom of navigation in these waters,” he told U.N. reporters on Monday.

Israel closely watching developments in Gulf

Israel’s military is closely monitoring the developments in the Gulf and remains on high alert, according to a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.

The official added that there are currently no changes expected in guidelines for Israel’s civilians, including limitations on the size of gatherings, that are implemented during times of war.

—- Melanie Lidman

Cooper does not offer details about whether US was protecting sites that came under Iranian attack

Asked whether the U.S. was protecting sites in the United Arab Emirates that came under Iranian attack, Cooper said he didn’t want to go into details.

The head of U.S. Central Command told reporters Monday that the “UAE has exceptional capability. They’re well-positioned to defend themselves.”

Authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said an Iranian drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military also reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE.

Cooper says the Fujairah attack was “under their national jurisdiction” and not part of the new American effort to get commercial ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

UAE airspace nearly empty as warning sirens blare

The airspace over the UAE was nearly empty Monday night as the country faced multiple sirens warning of incoming drones, according to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

Just days ago, the airport, which is among the world’s busiest, had announced it had mostly returned to full operations.

UAE condemns Iranian attacks

The United Arab Emirates condemned what it called “renewed treacherous Iranian aggression” targeting civilian sites that left three people injured, and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.

“These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable violation,” the UAE’s foreign ministry said in a statement on X, adding that the UAE reserves the right to respond in a way that protects its sovereignty and security.

Cooper says Iran ‘initiated aggressive behavior’ in Strait of Hormuz

In his call with reporters, Cooper declined to say whether the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. was over or not, but noted that it was Iran that “initiated aggressive behavior” in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Cooper said the U.S. military is serving as a defensive force “to give a very clear defense to commercial shipping, to allow them to proceed out of the Arabian Gulf.”

“That’s what we’re focused on,” Cooper said. “What we saw this morning was Iran initiating aggressive behaviors. We are simply going to respond to that.”

US military clears pathway in Strait of Hormuz that is free of Iranian mines

Cooper said the U.S. military has been able to clear a pathway in the Strait of Hormuz that is free of any Iranian mines in an effort to allow commercial vessels to transit the narrow waterway.

Cooper said U.S. military also has set up a “defensive umbrella” that includes American helicopters and fighter planes to protect the freighters leaving the strait.

US military says it sunk 6 Iranian small boats that were targeting civilian vessels

Adm. Brad Cooper, who heads U.S. Central Command, said U.S. military helicopters have sunk six Iranian small boats that were targeting civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

It is the latest test of the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.

US military says Iran has launched missiles, drones and small boats at ships the US is protecting in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at ships the U.S. military is protecting, a top commander said Monday.

Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said during a news conference that “each and every one” of the threats had been defeated.

Three Indian nationals injured in Fujairah attack, says authorities

Authorities in Fujairah said an Iranian drone that sparked a fire at an oil facility left three Indian nationals injured.

The authorities said in a statement they suffered medium wounds and were transferred to the hospital.

Cargo ship on fire off the coast of the UAE as the nation warned of incoming attacks from Iran

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center announced the fire on the ship, saying it was in the vessel’s engine room. It said the ship’s crew was accounted for.

UAE’s eastern emirate of Fujairah says an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility

Fujairah is the terminus of a pipeline the United Arab Emirates has used to avoid shipping some of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran war.

The UAE on Monday issued its first three missile alerts since a ceasefire took hold.

Iran’s military command says ships passing through the strait must coordinate with them

“We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB on Monday.

UAE issues another missile alert as tensions rise over the Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates issued the alert without saying what prompted it.

It was the second such alert Monday, after there had been none in recent weeks following the Iran ceasefire.

Authorities haven’t provided further details on either alert. An all-clear signal was issued minutes after the first alert. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

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Judge in dispute over Washington golf course tells Trump officials not to cut trees without notice

The federal judge told the U.S. government Monday not to cut down more than 10 trees without first providing notice amid a legal dispute at a historic Washington golf course President Trump plans to renovate.

U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes said during a remote hearing that she wasn’t going to issue a temporary restraining order just yet in the case brought by the DC Preservation League. She also told the National Park Service that it should first discuss any plans with government lawyers if it was going to cut down more than 10 trees.

Monday’s hearing came after the plaintiff’s emergency petition seeking to stop work at the course, citing news reports that major renovations were to begin Monday.

Kevin Griess, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks for the Park Service, said during the hearing there was no plan to begin such work Monday but added that a safety assessment was underway.

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Supreme Court restores access to the abortion pill mifepristone

The Supreme Court’s order Monday blocks a ruling that had threatened to upend one of the main ways abortion is provided across the nation.

The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor.

Those rules had been in effect for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. are obtained through medications, usually a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol. Their availability has blunted the impact of abortion bans that most Republican-led states have started enforcing since a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed for state bans.

Louisiana sued to restrict access to mifepristone, asserting that its availability undermined the ban there.

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Sen. Steve Daines travels to China, ahead of planned state visit by Trump

He announced Monday that he’ll lead a bipartisan congressional delegation on a visit to China this week, when the group of five senators will be visiting tech businesses in Shanghai and Beijing and meeting Chinese officials.

The trip will come just about a week before President Trump is scheduled to visit China for the first time since he took office. It also will be the first state visit by a U.S. president since 2017.

Traveling with Daines are fellow Republican Sens. Deb Fischer, Mike Lee and Jerry Moran as well as Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell.

Trump’s vision: DIY defense in Europe

As part of its National Defense Strategy announced in January — a sweeping document laying out a vision on everything from deterring China to defending against cyberattacks to disrupting Iran’s nuclear ambitions — the Trump administration said Europe must do more for its own defense.

While “we are and will remain engaged in Europe, we must — and will — prioritize defending the U.S. Homeland and deterring China,” it said.

Among other things, the document noted that Europe’s economic power, while shrinking in relative terms globally, remains significant, and said Germany’s economy alone “dwarfs that of Russia.”

“Fortunately, our NATO allies are substantially more powerful than Russia — it is not even close,” it said, noting a recent commitment among NATO allies to raise national defense spending to 5% of GDP in total, a push led by Trump.

What to know about the US defense posture in Europe

The U.S. European Command, created in 1947 and known as EUCOM, is one of 11 combat commands within the Defense Department, and covers some 50 countries and territories.

In addition to more than 36,000 troops in Germany, Italy hosts more than 12,000 and there’s another 10,000 in the United Kingdom, according to Pentagon numbers from December.

The Pentagon has offered few details about which troops or operations would be affected in the drawdown announced Friday.

The U.S. increased its European deployment after Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine four years ago. NATO allies like Germany have expected for over a year that these troops would be the first to leave.

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White House to hold a summit for small businesses

The event in the East Room will bring together more than 130 small business owners as the president highlights his administration’s policies benefiting them.

“Our nation’s 36 million small businesses now have the confidence to hire, reinvest and expand, unleashing an historic era of sustained growth,” Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler said ahead of the event. “America is open for business again.”

The gathering is meant to mark this year’s National Small Business Week and the owners represent manufacturing, food production, defense, energy and retail businesses, among other areas, according to the White House.

European leaders see Trump’s troop drawdown from Germany as new proof they must go it alone

European leaders on Monday said President Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany came as a surprise but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.

The Pentagon announced last week that it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters Saturday that “we’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”

He offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO, but his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and Trump’s anger over European allies’ reluctance to get involved in the conflict in the Middle East.

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Wall Street hesitates and oil prices climb with uncertainty about the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. stock market is holding tentatively near its record heights Monday, while oil prices climb with uncertainty about when oil tankers can resume crossing the Strait of Hormuz and restore the world’s flow of crude. Dueling claims about a possible Iranian strike on a U.S. Navy vessel in the strait heightened the tensions.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 216 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%.

The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 2% to $110.37 and briefly topped $114 during the morning. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to its war with the United States has kept oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf and away from customers worldwide. That in turn has sent the price of Brent soaring from roughly $70 per barrel before the war.

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Giuliani, 81, remains in critical but stable condition at a Florida hospital and is being monitored as a precautionary measure, spokesperson Ted Goodman said.

Goodman said Giuliani’s condition was exacerbated by restrictive airway disease attributed to his exposure to dust and toxins from the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Giuliani’s hospitalization, near Palm Beach, Florida, came after he was heard coughing Friday on his nightly online talk show and hoarsely told viewers that his voice was “a little under the weather.”

“This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition," Goodman said in a statement.

He described Giuliani as “the ultimate fighter” and said, “he is winning this battle.”

Giuliani’s family and primary medical provider are by his side, Goodman added. He said the former mayor’s family thanked well-wishers for an “outpouring of love and support.”

Among them: President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of Giuliani's successors, former Mayor Eric Adams and current Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“The mayor believes in the power of prayer, and we are feeling that strength today,” Goodman said.

Giuliani’s eight years as mayor of the nation's largest city was punctuated by the 9/11 attack just months before he left office. He was celebrated as “America’s mayor” for his leadership, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.

Giuliani, a Republican, later unsuccessfully ran for president and was an adviser to Trump, spearheading his efforts to stay in office after his 2020 election loss.

Last year, Trump said he was awarding Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Giuliani coughed as he began his nightly online show "America’s Mayor Live” on Friday. As he spoke, he sounded more raspy than usual. Before launching into a commentary on the Iran war, he remarked: “My voice is a little under the weather, so I won’t be able to speak as loudly as I usually do, but I’ll get closer to the microphone.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Giuliani “a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR.”

“What a tragedy that he was treated so badly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL — AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!" Trump wrote Sunday. "They cheated on the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!”

As Trump’s personal attorney and adviser, Giuliani became a vocal proponent of the president's allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.

Two former Georgia election workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets.

Giuliani ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers.

Giuliani was previously hospitalized last September after suffering a fractured vertebra and other injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire.

A native New Yorker, Giuliani was elected mayor in 1993 after serving as one of the nation’s highest-profile federal prosecutors, taking on mobsters and crooked Wall Street traders.

He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2000 but abandoned his race against Hillary Rodham Clinton after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In 2007, Giuliani ran for president. Buoyed by his post-9/11 popularity, he started as the front-runner for the Republican nomination. But that was short-lived. He withdrew from the race after struggling in the primaries amid GOP concerns about his past support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control, and questions about his personal life and business ties to the Middle East.

He toyed with running for other offices before pivoting to political commentary.

In 2016, Trump leaned on Giuliani’s political acumen and loyalty and put him to work as a surrogate leading attacks on Clinton, his Democratic rival. After Trump won, Giuliani continued as his attack dog, even traveling to Ukraine to seek damaging information about Biden’s son Hunter.

Officers were dispatched just before 11:30 a.m. to the intersection of West Martin Street and North San Saba Street.

Witnesses told police the driver had a green light when the cyclist came across the intersection before they were struck.

The cyclist, a male, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. At this time, additional information on the cyclist is not yet known.

The driver pulled over nearby and returned to the scene, officers said. The driver is not expected to face any charges.

SAPD said its investigation is ongoing.

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The costars turned courtroom adversaries settled the civil case two weeks before they were to go to trial in New York on Lively’s claims that Baldoni conspired with publicists to preemptively destroy her reputation after she privately accused him of sexually harassing her on the movie set.

“Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind," Lively and Baldoni said in a joint statement issued through their lawyers.

"It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online."

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, 42, and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, at the end of 2024. Weeks later, Baldoni sued Lively, accusing her, her husband — “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds — and their publicist of defamation and extortion.

Baldoni, who directed the dark romantic drama and starred in it with Lively, had denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. He’d claimed the complaints about his behavior were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie.

Monday's settlement came after a federal judge in Manhattan tossed some of each actors' claims.

Last June, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s defamation and extortion lawsuit. In April, he threw out Lively’s sexual harassment claims, ruling that she couldn’t pursue them under federal law because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the movie set.

In their joint statement, the parties said they recognize that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard” and that they ”remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments."

The trial, now no longer necessary, had been scheduled to begin with jury selection on May 18.

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel about a relationship devolving into domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations despite criticism that it glorified abuse. Lively and Baldoni's fractious falling out took attention away from the film, overshadowing its message and success.

“The end product — the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” Lively and Baldoni said in their statement.

Lively said in her lawsuit that during filming, Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, violated physical boundaries while filming a love scene, and pushed for nudity — against Lively’s wishes — during a scene in which her character was giving birth.

Baldoni denied doing anything outside the realm of the normal creative process of making a movie.

The judge, in the decision tossing out the sexual harassment claims, acknowledged the complexity of the matter, noting that creative artists “must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment.”

The trial was to focus on Lively’s claim that Baldoni and the studio retaliated against her sexual harassment complaints by hiring publicists to turn the public against her. Her lawyers said that campaign including hiring a “digital army” to post bogus negative content about Lively on social media platforms, and feeding “manufactured content to unwitting reporters.”

The lawsuit said the purpose was to “retaliate against Ms. Lively by battering her image, harming her businesses, and causing her family severe emotional harm.”

Baldoni’s lawyers have claimed it was Lively who was strategically manipulating Baldoni’s public image, partly by leveraging help from her famous friends.

Lively appeared in the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including “The Town” and “The Shallows.”

Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart” and wrote “Man Enough,” a book challenging traditional notions of masculinity.

Josh, 25, saw officers in South Padre Island drag Ruben out of his car that night in March 2025. They dumped Ruben’s body onto the roadway where they handcuffed him while he appeared unconscious, according to body camera footage. Law enforcement forced Josh into a police car, where he remained for more than four hours before officers moved him to a windowless interrogation room at around 5 a.m.

Ruben, police told Josh, was dead.

Three hours later and about 300 miles away, a state trooper pounded on the door of Ruben’s San Antonio home. His mother, Rachel Reyes, a 48-year-old nurse and health insurance administrator, heard the officer’s words: “On behalf of the State of Texas, we regret to inform you that your son, Ruben Martinez, passed away last night.”

There had been an accident in the Rio Grande Valley. Ruben, who had never left San Antonio on his own before, wasn’t involved in the crash. He came upon it by chance then went down a lane that he “wasn’t supposed to” and “tapped” an officer with his car, the trooper told Reyes. Another officer shot Ruben.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” exclaimed the mother, who in her shock defaulted to an apology. “Is the officer hurt?” she recalled asking. No, the trooper said, the cop was fine.

It would be almost a year later when Reyes and Josh would finally learn that the man who shot Ruben was a federal immigration officer — a revelation that stoked their grief and ignited fresh anger at the government after months of unanswered questions.

That finding, exposed by a national watchdog group’s unrelated lawsuit in February, so shocked and enraged Josh that his family believes it may have contributed to his death hours later in an alcohol-fueled car crash. For Ruben’s mother, a former Trump voter, the government’s obfuscation regarding the details of the night destroyed her trust in institutions she previously respected.

They didn’t realize it, but Ruben’s death would be the first known killing by immigration agents of an American under Trump’s second administration. By comparison, the Minneapolis slayings in January by immigration agents of Renée Good, a mother of three, and Alex Pretti, an armed nurse with a gun permit, roiled the nation. Both were white, middle-class and protesting immigration enforcement, and their killings were broadcast in almost real time to the world. Ruben, a Hispanic man born and raised in San Antonio, had never protested and few civilians have come forward about their footage of his death.

Whereas local prosecutors in Minneapolis charged at least one immigration agent there with assault for their alleged actions during that crackdown, a Cameron County grand jury declined this spring to indict officers in Ruben’s slaying.

Reyes said that the apparent reluctance of authorities to provide details and accountability for what happened has her believing that the government is trying to “cover up” its mistakes in her son’s death. She now views that as a “pattern” by the Trump administration in attempting to evade responsibility for suspected failures.

“This is a young, sweet, funny, silly boy who spent his first night outside of his home,” Reyes said in her first public interview from her home. “He did not deserve this.”

Spokespeople for the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to detailed questions. Neither did the South Padre Police Department, Cameron County District Attorney, nor the Texas Department of Public Safety overseeing the Texas Rangers investigating the shooting.

Acting ICE director Todd Lyons responded in an email that his agency stands by the grand jury’s finding that the federal agent should not be criminally charged.

“This incident was investigated from every possible angle by an independent body, and it cleared our officer,” said Lyons, declining to answer other questions, including about the involved officers’ training, history or experience.

Josh’s mother Virginia Mandujano, who has never before spoken publicly, also called for accountability, saying she believes her son perhaps wouldn’t have died in that manner if he had not been so tormented by witnessing the death of his friend. Immigration agents are there for “one purpose only and that’s to deport. Not to play cop,” said the 46-year-old home health aid in an interview.

When Josh finally made it home to San Antonio from South Padre, he was exhausted. As the eldest boy, he was not one to cry, but he was sobbing, alarming his family who had never seen him in such a state.

“They shot my best friend Ruben, like they just shot him,” his brother recalled Josh telling him. “I legit watched my friend die right in front of me.”

Later that evening, Josh posted a story of him and Ruben on Instagram: “Lost my bf last night my head fuked up but we gone meet again.”

Conflicting accounts

Josh and Ruben met in kindergarten, their families said, and instantly became friends. Neither were close to their biological fathers, who had separated from their mothers when the boys were young. As Catholics growing up in San Antonio’s largely Hispanic South Side, both knew to respect law enforcement. Their mothers had instilled that in them, a belief in part bolstered by their proximity to Lackland’s U.S. Air Force Base.

The boys shared a passion for basketball, both playing it and rooting for the city’s beloved Spurs. The two spent hours every week shooting hoops at their neighborhood Catholic church’s court. Otherwise, they were typically at Josh’s house playing video games or battling over beer pong and pool.

When Ruben suggested that they go to South Padre to belatedly celebrate his 23rd birthday, Josh agreed. They arrived late Friday afternoon and spent the evening drinking with friends, Josh later told police. Shortly before midnight, they stopped at a Whataburger. On their way back to the apartment where they were staying, they encountered a car accident that blocked the busy spring break destination’s main thoroughfare, drawing law enforcement from across the region who were attempting to redirect traffic. Footage shows several drivers confused about where to go or what to do.

Ruben slowed his blue Ford Fusion to a crawl as he tried to navigate away. He was unfamiliar with the island’s streets. At first, officers waved Ruben forward, footage shows. But then one officer spotted a bottle of Crown Royal whiskey, according to the footage.

“Pull over right there,” the officer shouted. “Open container!”

Josh, who was in the passenger seat, told investigators that he heard the commands and believed Ruben continued because he feared being arrested for driving drunk.

Compounding the chaos, at least one officer yelled instead at Ruben to “keep going,” according to the footage.

Ruben stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk to allow people to walk past, then slowly turned onto a side street. Footage shows his brake light on.

What happened next isn’t clear from the available video because neither of the federal officers had on body cameras and those by local law enforcement, who were further away from the shooting, did not entirely capture the seconds in question.

The ICE agents, Jack C. Stevens and Hector Sosa, told the Texas Rangers that Ruben didn’t heed instructions, so a few officers surrounded his car. Ruben “accelerated forward” and “drove so close” to Sosa that he “bumped his legs with the front bumper after telling him to stop.” Ruben swerved, causing Sosa to “fall onto the hood” of the car, the agents maintained.

Sosa’s colleague Stevens, assigned to the maritime unit with Homeland Security Investigations, claimed that he could smell marijuana from the car. Ruben’s eyes, the agent wrote, were “open widely, fist clenched to the steering wheel.”

“This is a behavior I have observed in my training and experience as a pre attack indicator and sign of noncompliance as the suspect is looking in the path of their intended movement and is not indicative of compliance,” Stevens wrote. “This path of movement, if left unmitigated, would, using the vehicle as a weapon, have resulted in numerous casualties.”

Stevens alleged Ruben’s car hit him slightly, causing the youth’s car mirror to break off. He wrote in a statement that he “feared for the safety and life” of himself, Sosa, other officers and pedestrians. Recent attacks in which drivers used their vehicles, including one in New Orleans three months before when a man rammed a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, remained “fresh on my mind,” Stevens wrote.

Ruben’s attorneys, however, said updated footage later released by the state police shows that at the time gunshots were fired, the car was stopping. That, attorney Alex Stamm argued, shows Ruben“didn’t place anyone in danger of death or serious injury, and that it wasn’t legally or morally justifiable to kill Ruben in these circumstances.”

Josh in his videotaped interview with officers also questioned law enforcement’s account. Ruben “panicked,” Josh acknowledged. As Ruben slowly turned, Josh saw an officer “on the hood” of the car. But Ruben didn’t hit the officer, Josh told police, rather he “caught his feet.”

Months later, in a statement to Ruben’s lawyers, Josh told them that the officer “seemed to be trying to get in front of the car, like he wasn’t moving out of the way when we tried to turn around and leave like the police officer told us to do.”

Ruben, Josh said then, “never hit the gas. The troopers were never in danger from Ruben and could have easily stepped aside while we tried to turn around and leave.”

A DHS spokesperson said that its agents are trained to use “the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers.”

Officers, the spokesperson added, are “highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training.”

The local medical examiner found that Ruben, who according to his lawyers had no previous criminal record, had a blood alcohol content of 0.12 – above the state’s limit of 0.08 – and traces of marijuana and Xanax, a painkiller.

An ambulance transported Ruben to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Sosa, the federal agent, also was rushed there for a knee injury. After a few hours, hospital staff discharged him.

Reyes grows restless

Days later, Ruben’s mother and sister, Cassandra, drove to South Padre to pick up his car. Local police had impounded it so the mother had to pay more than $600 for its release. His sister drove the Fusion back to San Antonio,the bullet casings that had killed her only biological brother still strewn about the car.

At Ruben’s funeral, his uncle read from Corinthians, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Ruben’s last communication with his beloved nephew and niece were “I love y’all, I’ll see y’all later.”

“Those words are still true,” the uncle, John Trevino, told the nearly 200 people gathered in Ruben’s honor at Mission Park Funerals, a mainstay of the city’s Catholic South Side. “It’s just going to take a little longer than expected.”

As the weeks drew on, Reyes replayed in her mind the few details officers had so far shared. It didn’t make sense. She scoured the news, finding only a brief mention days after Ruben’s death that an “officer-involved shooting” including a federal agency had occurred in South Padre.

At times, Reyes asked her husband if she should go to the media. Given the lack of documentation provided to her, she was having a hard time convincing lawyers to take on Ruben’s case. Her husband urged her to trust the process, have faith. Surely the Texas Rangers, one of the most highly regarded institutions in the land, would deliver justice.

Five months after Ruben’s death, his mother in late July received a startling letter from Amazon, where her son had worked for five years. Reyes had requested his life insurance payout, but an agent with Amazon’s insurance company wrote that the entity understood that had Ruben survived, he would have been charged with a felony, limiting her claim.

Reyes was stunned. While police had told her that her son “tapped” an officer, this was the most expansive information she had so far received alleging that Ruben was posthumously accused of a serious crime.

In her grief and confusion, she increasingly relied on Josh. He maintained that Ruben had done nothing wrong, a conviction that strengthened as time passed.

In August, Ruben’s mother found a Texas law firm willing to take on the case. Josh agreed to provide her lawyers a sworn declaration denying the government’s version of events. They wanted answers. But they hoped for justice.

“These claims are not true. I was there,” Josh wrote of the federal agents’ account. “Ruben was driving cautiously in traffic in his proper lane and certainly did not strike anyone with his vehicle.”

Josh added that Ruben’s family, particularly his mother, had been “left with no answers and no accountability. They have been denied transparency, and the official narrative conflicts sharply with the facts as I experienced them firsthand. Ruben did not deserve to die.”

“Survivor’s guilt”

Josh, like Ruben’s mother, struggled with the death. His family would often catch him lost in thought and knew that was when he was reliving his friend’s final moments.

“He couldn’t understand what happened,” said Josh’s mother. “He carried that weight with him.” He had “survivor’s guilt.”

Josh became more religious and began getting tattoos — Catholic imagery and “Ace,” a nickname for Ruben. Josh started drinking more, not every day, but more compared to before, his friends and family said. Josh abandoned his once obsessive weekly ritual of cleaning his prized Infiniti.

Josh’s family worried. His stepsister, Starleen Arriaga, who was close to him because they were the same age and had grown up together, urged, “suicide is not the way,” adding, “you will never see Ruben again if you go that route.”

He assured her, “don’t gotta worry.”

But his recurring nightmares often bolted him awake in a sweat. He told his girlfriend, 22-year-old Michaela Benavides, that he had the growing sense that he would die young.

“I could be, you know, gone too,” he reflected to his siblings. “Life is not promised.”

Last fall, Josh moved into a two bedroom rental house with Benavides, who he told family was “the one.” Meeting her lightened some of Josh’s darkness. He adored her, she said, sometimes bordering on excess, like when he offered her $1,000 to spend at the mall for her birthday present.

“Let’s pay the car note first,” she joked.

Often she awoke to his sobs.

“I just don’t understand,” he would tell Benavides, she said. “Why did they have to shoot him? Why not me? Like, he was a good person.”

“Goodbye, one last time”

In late February, a friend texted Josh a news story declaring that ICE was responsible for Ruben’s death. The information was not revealed by the government but obtained in an unrelated public records lawsuit by American Oversight, a national watchdog nonprofit.

Josh, his friends and family said, was infuriated.

It had been weeks since ICE officials had killed Pretti and Good in Minnesota, spurring nationwide protests. But Ruben’s death had made no such stir.

“ICE is crazy,” Josh responded.

Hours later, he tried to conceal his anger during the birthday celebration for his 25-year-old step sister and his 19-year-old sister. It was in the family’s backyard and they decorated it with red balloons. Josh wanted the night to be memorable so as the gathering wound down, he suggested some go to a bar.

While he waited for Arriaga to change, he sat outside with his girlfriend. As they gazed at the stars, Josh told her “life is unfair. I wish Ace was here,”Josh said, referring to Ruben by his nickname.

Josh had been drinking — “he kept doing shots, and he was like, ‘here’s to life,’” Arriaga, his stepsister, said.

“I really feel like that party wasn’t even meant for us,” she added. “I feel like it was meant for him to say goodbye, one last time.”

At about 12:40 a.m. that Saturday, roughly the same time that Ruben was killed nearly a year before, Josh barrelled down Interstate 35 near downtown San Antonio with his girlfriend in the front and his stepsister and friend in the back of Josh’s Infiniti. Another car suddenly swerved in front, they said, forcing Josh into the exit lane. His stepsister and friends said Josh wasn’t able to slow down quickly enough, hitting a utility pole that forced the car to spin before ramming into a concrete barrier.

Josh’s stepsister, Arriaga, regained consciousness as one explosion hit. She and 22-year-old Gerardo Lopez scrambled out of the back as the car partially burst into flames. They tried to break the windows to help Josh and his girlfriend, but the pressure inside prevented them.

Benavides bolted awake. Turning to Josh, she saw blood trickling out of his mouth. He was slumped over and unconscious. Arriaga and Lopez knew there were at best a few minutes before another explosion would cause the car to ignite. They tried to wake Josh, but he didn’t respond. Get out, the friends yelled at Benavides.

She tugged at Josh. “Please baby,” she recalled. “I don’t want to leave you here. Wake up.” But he didn’t move.

Finally she crawled over Josh to climb out of the driver’s window. As soon as she exited, the car exploded, the force throwing back her and Josh’s friend. They begged the arriving emergency responders to save Josh. It was too late, they said.

ICE’s first victim

For the second time in less than a year, Ruben and Josh’s mothers convened for a funeral. Despite knowing each other’s boys for years, they had first met at Ruben’s service. Now they were at the burial for Josh before the first anniversary of Ruben’s death.

That Ruben and by extension Josh, in their view, were victims of ICE didn’t immediately register for either family. When their relatives heard about Pretti and Good, they had no idea that their sons, brothers, and loved ones could also be part of such an incendiary political narrative. They were not protesters. In fact, both families largely described themselves as apolitical.

Josh had been so badly burned that officials with the local medical examiner’s office requested his dental records to confirm his identity. His mother begged to see him but an official told her, “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

At Josh’s funeral this March, his brother played a 30-minute slideshow he had meticulously worked on, adding Josh’s favorite rap artists to the soundtrack and featuring dozens of photos of Josh and Ruben throughout the years. Here they are playing beer pong. There, laughing and shooting hoops. Here being silly at a bar.

In his prepared remarks to the congregation, Paul Mandujano said Josh “wasn’t just my big brother. He was my best friend.” He recalled how generous Josh was, offering advice and helping to pay the family’s bills when his relatives fell short. Before Josh died, he promised his brother that for his 21st birthday this April he would help him to buy a car.

“There have been moments where this pain feels so heavy it’s hard to even keep going,” Mandujano told the crowd. “What put me at peace is when Josh lost his best friend Ruben he was heartbroken and in pain and came to my room and leaned on me so I know my bro is finally up there with him.”

About a month later, Josh’s family attended a vigil for Ruben outside of San Antonio’s city hall. Josh’s brother spoke on behalf of the family, saying, “We refuse to let them use my brother’s death in vain to justify their actions. Justice will be served for Ruben and my brother.”

Everyone now knew that an immigration agent was responsible for Ruben’s death. His mother started giving a few national media interviews. The statement Josh had provided her lawyers, which he wasn’t able to sign before his death, also made headlines. So did Ruben’s mother’s revelation that she had voted for Trump in 2024, mostly worrying about the economy, she later explained. This is what you deserve for being part of a cult, some commentators declared. You are an awful mother, they told her.

Josh’s mother said that although she hasn’t voted in any recent elections since choosing Barack Obama in 2008, she now feels that immigration agents should be “reined in” and focus on Trump’s deportation mandate rather than “killing Americans.” In this case, the mother argued, two U. S. citizens are dead because of the federal government’s mistakes.

Butch Hayes, one of Ruben’s family’s attorneys, said that when history revisits this moment in which he accused ICE of playing “gangster in our streets instead of protecting our communities,” Ruben will be remembered as the agency’s “first victim.”

“ICE ended Ruben’s life for no good reason, and Joshua’s death eleven months later is a further manifestation of the injustice wrought by ICE,” the lawyer said. “No amount of spin from DHS will change the reality that two decent American families have been shattered by their lawlessness.”

Ruben and Josh’s mothers often find themselves speaking aloud to their sons. Josh’s mother, at his gravesite at a South Side Catholic cemetery. Ruben’s mother, in his room, which looks mostly how he left it, except for a blanket emblazoned with his image Reyes tossed over his unmade bed.

For a while, she kept Ruben’s ashes there, too, but then it dawned on her that it might make him feel lonely so she moved the urn to a prominent living room mantle “so he could be close.”

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.