Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit.

Trump swore in Todd Blanche, his old personal lawyer, as attorney general Monday. Meanwhile, Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States lifts its blockade on the strait, pays compensation for months of war damage, lifts economic sanctions and releases Iran’s frozen assets. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejected Trump's proposed exit strategy for Gaza.

Here’s the latest:

Trump did not provide new evidence of a claimed link between vaccines and autism

The National Institutes of Health started funding research teams over a year ago charged with unearthing the cause autism, a portion of them assessing vaccines’ claimed role.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the head of the institute, spoke at Trump’s executive order signing and said that “science takes time” and “you don’t get answers immediately.”

Still, Bhattacharya was more tentative about claiming an evidence-based link between autism and vaccines, generally avoiding the suggestion altogether.

“What we’ve done in this administration,” he said, “is we’ve given permission to scientists to honestly answer this question, to find the link for the first time.”

12 medical groups previously endorsed the childhood influenza vaccine. Trump’s executive order did not

In January, the American Academy of Pediatrics put out their 2026 childhood vaccine guidance, which included a jab for influenza, that got the green light from groups including the National Medical Association and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

The AAP said in a press release at the time that over 80% of childhood deaths related to influenza were with unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated patients, adding that children under 5 years old are particularly vulnerable.

Trump said the vaccine is “no longer recommended for all children.”

Trump says Iran can still cause trouble but argues that it’s feeling financial squeeze

The president was dismissive of Iranian officials’ demands after Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stressed that Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. meets its conditions, including paying reparations for the five-month-old war.

Trump during an Oval Office exchange with reporters claimed that the U.S. has “100% control” of the strait, but that the situation remains complex. He made the case that the U.S. Navy’s blockade of the strait is preventing Iran from selling its oil on the international market, a move that is effectively choking the Iranian economy.

“Now, can they make trouble? Yeah, they can make trouble, but they’re broke,” Trump said. “They have no money. You know, Iran is broke, totally broke. And they’re not paying their soldiers.”

With measles raging, vaccine proponent said it’s no time for an ‘anti-vaccine agenda’

At a time when the U.S. is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, “we should be making it easier to protect children from preventable disease, not harder,” said Northe Saunders, president of American Families for Vaccines.

He said “RFK’s anti-vaccine agenda” shouldn’t pressure state leaders to abandon protections that work for their communities.

“States have long played a central role in setting school immunization requirements,” he said. “and parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and state leaders should be able to make decisions about protecting children without political interference from the federal government.”

In late July, the number of measles cases in the U.S. has surpassed the record-breaking tally for all of 2025. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has logged more than 2,318 cases of measles this year.

Trump’s childhood vaccine recommendations contradict medical establishment

The president, at an executive order signing on new childhood vaccine recommendations, said that, “very importantly,” jabs for hepatitis B, COVID-19 and influenza “are no longer recommended for all children.”

Those vaccinations, however, are still recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among other medical groups.

While the latter organization recommends childhood vaccines for 18 diseases, Trump’s executive order limits that to prioritizing just 11.

Public health officials have raised concerns over some of Trump’s recommendations

That includes the presidents recommendation announced Monday to space out childhood vaccine shots instead of getting all of them on the same visit.

Public health officials say that could lead to children becoming infected with a vaccine-preventable disease in the periods between jabs.

Doctor urges parents to listen to medical experts about shots

Michael Osterholm, executive director of the Vaccine Integrity Project, said parents should continue to rely on vaccine recommendations developed by trusted medical and public health experts, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, when making decisions on shots for their kids.

“Today’s Executive Order does not change the underlying scientific evidence supporting childhood immunization. That data has been built over decades — through large clinical trials, real-world effectiveness studies and continuous safety monitoring involving millions of children,” he said in a statement.

“Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidance about how to protect their children, not competing recommendations issued through political processes. When families receive conflicting messages, confidence in vaccination suffers, and children ultimately bear the consequences.”

Trump overstates dangers of vaccines

In announcing his executive order on vaccines, President Donald Trump said “bad things happen” when children get the combined MMR vaccine.

“I’ve seen proof of it, where they have a vaccination that looks like the size of a bottle of soda poured into a little child’s body, and bad things happen in, many cases-in too many cases,” he said.

But experts say the risk of serious side effects is extremely low and years of real-world data proves the vaccine is safe and effective. Common side effects include soreness and a mild rash or redness at the injection site, a fever, and temporary pain or stiffness in the joints.

Decades of studies have concluded there’s no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Decades of autism research have found no single cause

Besides genetics, scientists have identified various possible factors, including the age of a child’s father, the mother’s weight, and whether she had diabetes or was exposed to certain chemicals.

Any concern that vaccines could be linked to autism has been long debunked, according to scientists and leading advocacy groups for people with autism.

Childhood vaccines — and how and when to give them in combination — go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.

Trump proposes new childhood vaccine recommendations, though power in schools rests with states

Trump, who suggested connections between autism and vaccines despite a scientific consensus that their isn’t a link, issued new guidance for childhood vaccines that space out shots and limit the number of recommended routine jabs.

Still, the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren rests with state governments.

Trump to sign executive order calling for spacing out childhood shots

President Donald Trump on Monday will sign an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations that promote his long-held belief that shots should be spaced out into separate medical visits, according to a White House fact sheet.

The order will recommend administering each vaccine in its own visit and separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots and direct the nation’s health department to improve vaccine research, says the fact sheet, first reported by The Daily Caller. Separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for children are not available in the U.S.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit.

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CBO says this year’s deficit will be larger than previously predicted, mostly because of smaller-than-expected tariff revenue

The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that this fiscal year’s deficit will be $2.1 trillion, about $200 billion more than what it predicted in early February.

The major reason for the change has to do with less revenue coming into the Treasury than projected as a result of the Supreme Court finding that the tariffs President Donald Trump imposed under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional.

The fiscal year runs through September 30.

Revenue totaled $4.5 trillion through the first 10 months of the fiscal year. That’s about 3% more than during the same period a year ago.

Meanwhile, spending increased about 5% from last year, rising to $6.3 trillion. Spending in the federal government’s major health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid, each increased by about 8%.

Trump signs waiver letting foreign trips carry oil and other goods among US ports for 90 days

Trump on Monday extended a waiver for 90 days for foreign ships to transport goods, including oil, fertilizers and other fossil fuel products, among U.S. ports.

The president first waived the Jones Act on March 17 so that it would be easier to transport oil and refined fuels among ports, reducing price pressures after the start of the war with Iran.

The extension will take effect on August 17.

Unlike previous extensions, the Pentagon will consult with the Maritime Administration to decide which voyages are exempt from the 1920 law containing the Jones Act. The waiver will only apply to cargo are sources of energy and commodities related to agriculture and food, such as soybean oil.

Ex Air Force secretary talking to lawyers after Trump admin revokes security clearance

Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday that he’s talking to lawyers after the Trump administration revoked his security clearance last week.

Kendall, who has been critical of the administration, said in a post on LinkedIn that he’s “talking to lawyers and will have more soon.” He said he’s had his clearance for 60 years and was careful to say nothing classified.

The Pentagon revoked Kendall’s “eligibility” to access classified information and barred him from holding “any sensitive position,” alleging Friday that he disclosed sensitive information about Air Force One’s capabilities to the media.

It follows reporting last month, including from The New York Times, on security concerns over the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, including that it lacked the advanced antimissile capabilities of its predecessor.

US military base in South Carolina renamed after late Sen. Lindsey Graham

A U.S. military base in South Carolina was renamed after the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham Monday, with Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth praising Graham’s dedication to the military and for “taking on a radical leftist ideology” in the armed forces.

Joint Base Charleston is now Joint Base Lindsey Graham, which includes an Air Force base and a Naval Weapons Station. Graham, who died last month, served in the Air Force, Air National Guard and reserves.

Hegseth praised Graham’s support of President Donald Trump’s historic $1.5 billion defense budget proposal. In praising Graham, Hegseth also employed the Trump administration’s strategy of linking Democrats to communism.

“The hard left declared war on our own military,” Hegseth said, adding that “it seems that many people have forgotten the reality of what communism looks like.”

Trump dismisses Iran’s call for war reparations

Trump is scoffing at the Iran’s call for reparations for devastation caused to the country by the U.S. and Israeli bombardment over the last five months, a demand he said hadn’t been raised by Tehran’s negotiators until now.

The Republican president, in a social media post, added that in response to the Iranian demand he’s directing negotiators to include “compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts.”

The U.S. government says Iran-backed militants have been responsible for the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Americans over the last several decades, including the 1983 bombing on a Marine compound in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. military personnel, the 1996 truck bombing of a U.S. Air Force housing complex in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. troops and wounded hundreds more, and the deaths of at least 603 U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

Trump announces staff secretary Will Scharf will be his new White House counsel

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that his new White House counsel will be Will Scharf, the staff secretary who as the Trump-appointed head of the National Capital Planning Commission helped secure approval for the $400 million ballroom project.

Trump said that, beginning Sept. 1, Scharf will be replacing David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the Supreme Court.

“Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”

The shakeup in the White House counsel’s office comes at a critical juncture — just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump’s Republican Party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress. Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they are successful in November.

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Trump officials propose new scrutiny of food additives and ingredients

U.S. health officials on Monday proposed a rule change that would require food manufacturers to notify regulators before introducing new ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods.

The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply.

Under the proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration, companies would have to document and submit their safety findings for new ingredients, giving regulators the opportunity to investigate if they see a potential safety risk. Currently companies can decide for themselves if an ingredient or additive is “generally recognized as safe” and there is no requirement for companies to notify or submit evidence to the FDA, although some do.

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State Department says it has revoked more 175,000 visas since Trump took office

The revoked visas had been granted to more than 175,000 foreigners who have endangered American citizens, broken laws or threatened U.S. national security, according to a statement issued Monday by the State Department.

The statement says most were revoked “due to law enforcement encounters for a range of criminal activity,” including assault, child abuse, drunken driving, drug violations, and embezzlement. It doesn’t say how many of those visa holders had been convicted of such crimes.

Some of the revocations involved “foreign nationals who celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, including one who stated ‘when fascists die, democrats don’t complain’ and another who said he ‘died too late’, the statement said.

Veteran Democrats face strong challenges in Connecticut’s primary

Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s try for a third term must first clear a challenge by state Rep. Josh Elliott. And U.S. Rep. John Larson faces his first primary challenge in nearly 30 years, from former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.

Both contests could help redefine the Democratic brand by replacing old guard figures with younger alternatives. Tuesday’s primaries also could extend a progressive winning streak in New York City, Colorado and the Michigan U.S. Senate primary.

Larson turned 78 in July. Concerns over his health and age arose last year after he suffered a seizure while delivering a speech on the House floor.

Iranian leadership makes display of unity against US

Iran’s president says the country’s supreme leader is calling for “unity and cohesion” as its war with the United States brings more economic hardships to the Islamic Republic.

President Masoud Pezeshkian described a nearly seven-hour meeting with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in an interview Monday with Iranian state television that aired amid apparent tensions among the Islamic Republic’s leaders.

He told IRIB they discussed people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, people’s housing and problems resulting from U.S. sanctions. Most important, he said, was Khamenei’s emphasis on unity.

“All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from emerging.”

He didn’t say when or where they met. Khamenei is believed to have been wounded in the U.S.-Israeli strike that killed his father and has not appeared in public since he was appointed in March.

Judge cancels release hearing for 1st person ever charged in 30-year-old Alien Terrorist Removal Court

A federal judge has canceled a release hearing this week for Afghan woman who is the first person ever charged in a 30-year-old deportation court that was recently activated by the Trump administration.

A Tuesday hearing had been set in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court’s inaugural case against Nazira Haji Zada, who is accused of supporting the Islamic State group. But the court’s chief judge agreed Monday to give her lawyers more time to prepare and gather information. A new hearing date wasn’t immediately set.

The court received its first-ever petition when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Haji Zada’s removal, opening an untested new front in Trump’s deportation campaign. Haji Zada, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, wants to be released from custody while the court case is pending.

Democrats face tougher reelection fights in redrawn districts

The court-inspired actions in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee, as well as earlier legislative actions in other states to redraw boundaries through unusual mid-decade redistricting, were part of a nationwide Republican effort championed by Trump to maximize the party’s chances of holding its slim U.S. House majority this year.

Candidates in Tuesday’s special primaries in Alabama are running under the new Republican-backed boundaries, which go into effect in January 2027. Both Democratic representatives are unopposed in their party primaries, but facing tougher odds in November.

Rep. Shomari Figures, for example, was elected in a district where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris beat Trump 53% to 46%. In his newly drawn district, Trump would have beaten Harris 57% to 42%.

A spokesperson for the Meta CEO also said the crew didn't immediately hear the radio call for help and by the time it did, another nearby ship had already rendered assistance.

The Aug. 3 incident gained attention in recent days after a passenger on the cruise ship posted on social media that the captain had said Zuckerberg’s yacht “refused” to respond.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the 21-foot Hewescraft vessel first hailed it for assistance at approximately 9:32 p.m., using a radio frequency all boats are expected to monitor. About 25 minutes later, the Coast Guard determined the vessel was not in distress and issued an assistance request. The skiff was able to make it safely to Farragut Bay after the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship towed it there, and helped it refuel.

When another ship is in distress, everyone in the area is obligated to respond as long as doing so doesn't put their own ship at risk. But maritime law expert Ian Ralby said this situation appears different, and the crew of Zuckerberg's yacht wouldn't face that legal obligation.

“It’s the difference between calling AAA and 911. You need an ambulance on site, that’s a distress call. You need somebody to give you a jump or to tow your car, you call AAA,” said Ralby, who is president of the nonprofit Auxilium Worldwide that focuses on promoting sustainable development and ocean governance, among other goals. It is a big difference in terms of the emergency type, he said. "Both concerning, both needing assistance, but the legal obligations to respond are very different.”

Zuckerberg and his family were not on the 387-foot Launchpad yacht when this happened, according to his spokesperson.

“As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe," Zuckerberg's spokesman Brian Baker said.

The Alaska Beacon first reported on what happened after Michael Love, who said he was a passenger on the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship, posted on Bluesky on Aug. 5.

“Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht — which was closer — and they repeatedly refused to respond. (There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this),” he said.

The Coast Guard said in a statement that they determined within half an hour of when the skiff radioed in that the small ship wasn't in distress. A marine assistance request was broadcast on their behalf, and the Wilderness Legacy responded, reaching the 21-foot vessel about an hour later.

It's a little unusual that the Launchpad crew missed the call for help because it is common practice for ships to always be monitoring channel 16 on their radios and keep it as the default frequency. That's where this call for help was transmitted, but it is also where the Coast Guard would broadcast warnings about any hazards in the area whether that's a brewing storm or anything else.

“The situation was resolved without any harm to life," said Ralby, who is a maritime lawyer with experience in more than 100 countries. "It does not seem that there was any immediate issue in terms of threat to life of mariners or concerns for the marine environment, which are the two main things that lead to that urgent distress call where all mariners no matter who they are are legally obligated to try and respond.”

July averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree. Records go back to 1895.

“It’s not good when you’re breaking records from the Dust Bowl, which we are in this case,” said meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections. “And that was a crazy sort of situation where you put tens of millions of people in motion. You had this great migration because of the drought and the heat that hit the center of the U.S. — just a cataclysmic event in U. S. history. If we’re exceeding records from The Dust Bowl, that says that we’re in deep trouble.”

Although it was unusually cool in Alaska, hotter-than-normal conditions blanketed the Lower 48, with the most excessive heat in the Mountain West, Southwest, Northern Plains and Southeast. The heat was so widespread that every one of the Lower 48 states was at least 1 degree Fahrenheit (nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average, said Russ Vose, chief of monitoring at NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information.

The heat in the Dust Bowl years was more concentrated in parts of the Midwest and was aggravated by agricultural practices at the time, Vose said.

What's happening now is due to the burning of coal, oil and gas, scientists said.

"Extremely high temperatures across the continental U.S. this summer, along with intense drought and fire conditions, are absolutely consistent with the climate change signal,' said Katharine Jacobs, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona.

The biggest driver of the record heat was nighttime lows that smashed the old mark for hottest minimums by 0.7 degrees, NOAA said. Hotter nights are a classic sign of human-caused climate change, according to scientists and several studies in peer-reviewed literature. NOAA's calculation is based on averaging 24 hours of temperature, not just highs or lows.

“If you’re talking heat waves, that nighttime low is incredibly important for determining total heat stress,” Masters said. "So if it doesn’t cool off at night, your body doesn’t have time to readjust to all the heat.”

As nighttime temperatures increase, more people die and lose sleep, studies show.

The years 2021 and 1936 tie for America's hottest summer, which is June through August. Through July, 2026 is a shade cooler than 2021, which was powered by record heat in June.

Because of climate change, Masters said, “this may be one of the coolest years we’re gonna experience for the rest of our lives.”

What's needed, Masters said, is "to stop burning so many fossil fuels. We also need to be spending money to adapt to the new climate that we’ve put in place.”

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

Legislators voted 468-88 in favor of the measure that would only come into effect after Turkish authorities have verified that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has fully disarmed.

The PKK announced last year that it is ending its decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish state, declaring a decision to dissolve itself as part of the peace effort. The move came in response to a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

The group then staged a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq, where it is based, and announced that it was withdrawing fighters from key locations in Turkey to Iraq.

Law could have regional implications

The measure, which is a step toward ending a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, could have implications beyond Turkey’s borders, leading to closer Turkish-Iraqi ties. It could also support the Syrian government’s efforts to integrate areas that were under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, affiliated with the PKK.

It also offers Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the opportunity to court the support of the pro-Kurdish DEM party to help him remain in office beyond the presidential two-term limit. Erdogan could run again if parliament calls an early election during his current term.

The 12-article legislation outlines the procedures for the group’s disarmament and the rehabilitation of thousands of PKK members.

It will suspend some prison sentences for convicted PKK members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials against others for five or 10 years, depending on the severity of the alleged offenses. If no terror-related crime is committed within the time frame, the cases will be dropped.

Militants convicted of intentional killings and those sentenced to life terms before 2005 are excluded from the bill’s provisions. This applies to Ocalan and other senior PKK figures.

The proposal also sets up ministerial and parliamentary committees to monitor the disarmament process. The measures will come into effect only after Turkey’s National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered all weapons.

Those wanting to benefit from the law will have six months to apply after the National Security Council’s decision is published in the official gazette.

Media reports have said exiled PKK members and those in Iraq and Syria are expected to benefit.

“With the armed organization laying down its arms and dissolving itself, we will build a new era in which peace, brotherhood, and solidarity will prevail,” Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus told reporters following the vote.

PKK says the legislation is a start but many things are missing

The PKK-linked ANF news outlet carried a statement from the group in which it said that the Turkish legislation is a “beginning” to resolving the outstanding issues but has “serious shortcomings and deficiencies.” It called for Ocalan’s release from prison, saying that the peace process can move forward only if he “lives and works freely.”

It also said that the legislation failed to address demands for democratic reforms and Kurdish rights, adding that PKK fighters would not give up their weapons and return to Turkey “if, upon returning to Turkey, they are unable to engage in democratic politics on the basis of freedom of thought and freedom of association, and if they are prosecuted and imprisoned because of their views or the organizations they establish.”

“The people of Turkey, who have paid a heavy price for many years, now have an opportunity to consolidate peace and build democracy,” Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, told parliament.

“Of course, the proposal has shortcomings, and we now have a responsibility to address these shortcomings,” she added, in an apparent reference to demands for greater rights for Kurds and for democratic reforms.

Musavat Dervisoglu, the leader of the center-right nationalist Good Party, which opposes the bill, said it “would pave the way” for Erdogan to stay in power.

Ocalan's release is not in the cards, but conditions might improve

DEM has lobbied for Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, to be granted official status to coordinate the transition process, leading to his release.

The current proposal, however, makes no mention of Ocalan’s status or possible release.

Media reports have suggested, however, that Ocalan’s conditions in his island prison off Istanbul will likely be improved, giving him broader visiting conditions and communication with the outside world.

The PKK has waged an armed insurgency since 1984 that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and spilled into Iraq and Syria. It has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The group initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted to demands for autonomy and expanded rights in Turkey.

Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have failed, most recently in 2015.

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Stella Martany contributed from Irbil, Iraq.

But a mission that seemed temporary has been extended through January 2029. Residents and a new cadre of local officials see in it an unacceptable attempt by the federal government to restrict the heavily Democratic city's autonomy and, a year in, still question why having troops on the streets of the nation's capital is necessary.

“There’s a deep irony that here we are in the capital of the free world, and our president is treating it like a police state,” said Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. “D.C. residents have lived with our National Guard troops in our neighborhoods for about a year, despite the absence of any genuine emergency and really any reason for them to be here.”

The continued deployment will be a major test for a new batch of political candidates expected to take office after the midterms this fall. Residents will look to them to push back on the Republican president's encroachment into the city's affairs — although they're limited in what they can do to counter it.

Temporary deployment goes on and on

On Aug. 11, 2025, Trump announced he was launching a federal law enforcement surge in Washington aimed at fighting crime. As of Aug. 4, more than 4,600 military personnel from D.C. and 24 states and territories were still deployed alongside unknown numbers of less visible federal law enforcement officers. Some are expected to be withdrawn toward the end of the summer.

Small groups of armed guard members have become a routine presence on the streets. They have supported arrest operations but are also seen patrolling tourist areas, such as along the Tidal Basin during the Cherry Blossom Festival and in neighborhoods such as Georgetown where violent crimes are rare. They've helped with medical emergencies, snow removal and beautification projects — initiatives that have received support from some residents.

Extending the deployment into 2029 will cost about $1.4 billion, the Defense Department estimates. Exact figures on what's been spent so far are unavailable, but the Congressional Budget Office projected in a report earlier this year the total cost for the first year of the deployment would be around $660 million, based on a monthly troop level of about 2,900, a figure that's fluctuated throughout the mission.

“President Trump has transformed D.C. from a crime-ridden city into a safe and beautiful haven for residents and visitors alike,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an email.

Figures released Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service showed over 16,000 arrests have been made since the surge began, including 35 homicide suspects and 3,200 narcotics arrests. Authorities also have seized nearly 2,000 illegal firearms.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the arrests and weapons seizures "mean safer neighborhoods and lives protected."

Crime, which was falling before the surge began, continues to drop. Metropolitan Police Department statistics show overall crime was down 20% through Friday, compared with the same period in 2025. That includes a 32% drop in homicides, from 97 to 66.

But there’s a debate over how much of that success is owed to Trump’s mission or to yearslong local efforts to chip away at the crime rate.

What's certain is locals feel the weight of the deployment and don't see a clear way to push back against it. National Guard deployments to other cities have been blocked by courts, and a lawsuit challenging the deployment is pending, but critics of the surge aren't hopeful.

“The fact that we still have the National Guard walking our streets a year later with no end in sight is really demoralizing,” city council member Brianne K. Nadeau said.

Autonomy is a top priority for newly elected candidates

Because Washington is a congressionally established federal district, Trump has much greater influence over the police and D.C. National Guard, which he controls directly, including its commander.

The Home Rule Act, passed in 1973, allows residents to vote for local leaders, including the mayor and council members. Congress has oversight over the local budget and review authority of all laws passed and the ability to summon district officials to the Capitol routinely to explain themselves. The D.C. delegate to Congress is a nonvoting position.

The city’s governmental structure under home rule made it easy for Trump to do what he has done, Nadeau said.

“There isn’t really any political liability for national leaders to mess with D.C. because nobody really cares,” outside of those directly impacted, she said.

The law enforcement surge played a major role in Democratic primary elections in June, which elevated candidates who have made Washington's autonomy and statehood top priorities.

Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist who in the overwhelmingly Democratic city is likely to be its next mayor, has already rankled Trump. He threatened to put the city under federal control if she wins.

Robert White Jr., another pro-statehood candidate, won the Democratic primary for the city's seat in Congress.

And while they are hamstrung by the city's status, both hope they have strategies that can help fight back against the president and the deployment.

White told The Associated Press he plans to build “an army of residents” and allies to target swing districts and work at “un-electing" people critical of the district and “electing those who do support D.C.”

The action is similar to one a former D.C. congressional delegate, Walter Fauntroy, successfully pursued in 1972, mobilizing Black voters and allies against a South Carolina Congress member who had long opposed D.C.'s independence.

“He didn't deploy that strategy a bunch of times, but it sent a signal to people to lay off of D.C.,” White said.

The city's outgoing mayor, Muriel Bowser, avoided the kind of biting rhetoric and personal attacks typical of other high-profile Democratic leaders, despite the unprecedented intervention into her city. A major part of that was to avoid raising Trump’s ire and threaten what independence the city has.

In a statement Monday, Bowser called the surge an “unprecedented federal intervention" that highlighted D.C.'s lack of "statehood and autonomy.”

She credited her actions during the surge, including working with the federal government, with protecting home rule and keeping the federal emergency that gave control of the local police to the president from being extended.

“Still, unmitigated ICE activity in American cities and out-of-state National Guard troops in D.C. remain problematic," she said. "Like all Americans, Washingtonians deserve local control and accountability. My North Star remains clear: protect Home Rule, protect D.C.’s autonomy, and protect D.C. residents.”

Concerns over troops in the city during elections

Donna Powell, who is living part time in the city, said she and her husband walk and metro everywhere. “We’re already safe and beautiful,” she said. “We don’t need all these National Guard here.”

The money could be better spent “on healthcare and food for families that need it.”

The National Guard deployment has raised concerns among some over what the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election will look like with troops on the streets.

“The last time this president was supposed to come out of power, Jan. 6 happened," said Alex Dodds, co-founder of FreeDC, an activist group that has protested the deployment by following and filming National Guard troops in quiet areas of the city far away from crime concerns. "Imagine if that happens again but this time he has 5,000 troops standing at the ready to be part of that situation. You know, that’s our worry.”

The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots administered in separate appointments, and directs the nation's health department to improve vaccine research, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for children are not currently available in the United States, and vaccines are already extensively researched.

Speaking about the order at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump repeatedly suggested the number or timing of vaccines could play a role in rising rates of autism spectrum disorder, even as scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link. He also touted several changes to the childhood vaccine schedule that his health department has already attempted, but that have been blocked by a federal judge.

The renewed focus on vaccines marks a departure from his administration's recent efforts to emphasize less controversial health policies related to healthy eating, drug price negotiations and medical fraud crackdowns ahead of November's midterm elections.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit. Childhood vaccines — and how and when to give them in combination — go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.

Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases, said parents should continue to rely on vaccine recommendations developed by medical and public health experts such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Today’s Executive Order does not change the underlying scientific evidence supporting childhood immunization. That data has been built over decades — through large clinical trials, real-world effectiveness studies and continuous safety monitoring involving millions of children,” he said in a statement.

Who's in charge of vaccine policy?

Even as the order calls for revised vaccine recommendations, states, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. The order advises states with school vaccine mandates to consider updating their laws to reflect the administration's preferred schedule, the fact sheet said.

Last December, Trump ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising U.S. guidance accordingly. The department responded by cutting the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, a move that has since been blocked in court.

Changes to federal childhood vaccine recommendations customarily require approval from the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The newly Senate-confirmed CDC director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, oversaw policies promoting vaccination of service members while in a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

However, public health law expert Lawrence Gostin at Georgetown University said the Supreme Court's interpretation of Trump's power may allow him to supersede Schwartz if she does not agree to new recommendations.

“This is clearly the first test for Dr. Erica Schwartz,” Gostin said in an email. “The President is placing her in an untenable position.”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist before he entered politics, set out to overhaul immunization guidance at DHS in the first year of Trump’s term. He fired an entire 17-member vaccine advisory committee, installing replacements who made far more restrictive recommendations that have since been halted by a federal judge. He also personally directed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism, without supplying any new evidence to support the change.

In the months leading up to Monday's announcement, Trump’s administration had largely pivoted away from talking about vaccine policy in favor of less polarizing topics like healthy eating and efforts to lower drug prices ahead of November’s elections. Polls show most Americans still support school vaccine requirements, though Republicans are less likely than Democrats to see them as important.

Still, Trump has been fixated on connecting autism to vaccines. He has recently ramped up pressure on Kennedy to identify the cause of autism, something Kennedy had pledged to do with new research unveiled last year. Trump publicly prodded the health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month.

“How are you doing on the autism research?” Trump asked.

“We will have an answer for you,” Kennedy said.

Scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between childhood vaccines and autism. On Monday, Kennedy repeated his assertion that he believes an unknown environmental factor is to blame for rising autism diagnoses and said that his department will deliver research findings “as soon as they are ready.”

Monday's order comes as students are returning to classrooms around the country and the nation contends with a measles outbreak that experts say could result in the U.S. losing its measles elimination status.

Doctors have raised concerns that Trump's falsehoods on vaccines could stoke vaccine hesitancy. Federal data shows U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have been dropping, with the share of children with exemptions rising to an all-time high in the 2024-25 school year.

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Associated Press writers Laura Ungar and Mike Stobbe contributed to this report. Swenson reported from New York.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% from its record set on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 60 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%.

Momentum slowed for stocks following a rally powered by soaring profits for big U.S. companies. Reports are on track to show earnings per share leaped 50% in the spring from a year earlier for companies in the S&P 500, according to FactSet. That would be the best growth since five years ago, when the economy was roaring out of the chasm created by COVID.

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the latest companies to deliver a stronger profit for the last quarter than analysts expected, and the company built by legendary investor Warren Buffett said over the weekend that it’s also invested some of its massive pile of cash into stocks under its new CEO, Greg Abel.

Berkshire Hathaway has been famous for buying stocks at what it considers low prices, and criticism has been high that U.S. stocks generally look too expensive. But when they report strong profits, it helps them look less pricey.

Berkshire Hathaway’s stock rose 1.5%.

MarineMax jumped 46.1% after the retailer, marina operator and superyacht services provider said it agreed to sell itself for about $1.5 billion in cash to a portfolio company of Blackstone.

Varex Imaging leaped 48.8% after Teledyne Technologies said it would buy the maker of X-ray imaging components for $18.90 per share in cash.

But Intel helped offset such gains and fell 4.1% after saying it may sell $15 billion of its stock. Such a move would dilute the ownership stakes of shareholders, and Intel said it would likely use the cash for investments to take advantage of the huge spending underway on artificial-intelligence technology.

All told, the S&P 500 slipped 4.53 points to 7,753.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 60.95 to 53,975.98, and the Nasdaq composite sank 85.26 to 26,605.36.

In the oil market, the price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 5% to $87.72. It had swung between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach an agreement that would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Middle East again to deliver crude worldwide.

But hopes are turning toward caution again, and the price of Brent is back to where it was earlier this month, as well as in mid-July, mid-June and in the first week of the war in March.

Higher oil prices push inflation upward, and the main event for Wall Street this week will likely be Wednesday’s update on how bad inflation was last month. Economists expect it to show inflation slowed to 3.4% from 3.5% in June.

A slowdown would mean less pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

Higher rates would help keep a lid on inflation, but they would also slow the economy by making it more expensive for U.S. households and companies to borrow money. They would also undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

A report on Friday showing unexpectedly weak hiring across the United States lowered Wall Street’s expectations for an upcoming hike to interest rates. But traders still see a nearly 52% chance the Fed will raise its main interest rate at its next meeting in September, according to data from CME Group.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.70% from 4.65% late Friday. That’s up from 3.97% before the war with Iran, and the climb has already sent rates for mortgages and other kinds of loans significantly higher.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe after rising in much of Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.1% for one of the world’s bigger moves.

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AP Business Writers Michelle Chapman and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, who reported the death toll, said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed. He declared an emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery while saying he would visit the disaster zone.

“We aren’t going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination,” he said.

The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake also was felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, though minimal damage was reported there.

The quake ravaged cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo, Cali and Manizales.

In the country's third-largest city, Cali, search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble down a long line of volunteers. The desperate scene brought memories of the searches still ongoing in neighboring Venezuela weeks after that country was devastated by two powerful earthquakes.

Most powerful quake recorded in Colombia this century, authorities say

Colombia’s Geological Service said Monday's quake was the strongest recorded in Colombia “in the 21st century,” and that it was followed by 21 less powerful aftershocks.

Colombia’s Pacific region around the quake's epicenter lies along the “Ring of Fire," the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. The Pacific, particularly the Choco region, is one of the poorest regions in the country. Nestled in the dense jungle, much of Choco is only reachable by boat or plane, which may pose a problem for authorities in assessing the wider toll.

Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, said he saw plumes of dust shoot up across the city as buildings collapsed. Residents and rescue workers were searching the rubble for survivors.

“My entire house shook. I've never lived through such a powerful earthquake,” he said. “We're thanking God we're alive."

Local authorities said the death toll included at least 40 people who were killed in the Risaralda region, where the hard-hit city of Pereira is located, as well as 27 people in the Valle del Cauca region, where Cali is located, including three children. Authorities also confirmed nine people killed in Choco, two in the Caldas region and a 73-year-old in the Antioquia region. It was not immediately clear where the other 32 people died.

Authorities said flights were suspended in the airports of Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira as they assessed damage.

The earthquakes left many in the Andean nation unnerved after two back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.

Little was known about the extent of the damage in Choco, a remote region where officials reported dozens of injured people and damaged buildings but few other details. Phone signals were out in many parts of region's capital, Quibdo. The town closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, San Jose del Palmar, has no airport, and is located on top of a mountain ridge along a highway linking the cities of Cali and Pereira.

In Pereira, further south in the coffee-producing mountains of Colombia, photos and videos published by local media showed pieces of the airport ceiling falling down on travelers taking shelter and screaming. In the city, people were shown running through rubble and plumes of dust. Pereira's mayor, Mauricio Salazar, told a local radio station that more people were trapped under “a massive quantity of collapsed buildings.”

In nearby Manizales, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas asked residents to stay outside in case of aftershocks.

In Cali, a city of 2 million people, Mayor Alejandro Eder said that residents were trapped in at least 19 buildings that had collapsed.

Powerful quakes are rare in Colombia, smaller quakes are common

Small earthquakes, known as “temblores,” are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake near the city of Armenia killed more than 1,100 people.

Colombia’s newly inaugurated president said Monday that he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the emergency.

“You are not alone. The state is present and taking action,” he said.

Response to the earthquake presents the first major challenge to de la Espriella, a Trump ally who was sworn in as president over the weekend.

Messages of support rolled in from leaders across the Americas, including Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador and the United States.

“The Trump administration is closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a post on X.

A number of countries offered aid, and the U.N. deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said “we stand ready to help as needed.”

——

Suárez reported from Bogotá and Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalists Manuel Rueda in Bogotá, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

Brosnan succeeds Val Ackerman, who announced her retirement in April after serving as commissioner for 13 years. Brosnan brings years of experience in media, sports and business. His tenure begins on Sept. 1.

St. John's president, the Rev. Brian J. Shanley, led the charge as the head of the search committee. He said in a statement that the conference prioritized finding someone with extensive experience in revenue generation.

“Over the course of his career, Tim Brosnan has shown to be a smart, highly-respected leader with high personal and professional values rooted in his dedication to the service of others," Rev. Shanley said in a statement. "His track record of forging highly successful partnerships will be critical in this new era of college athletics.”

Brosnan has significant experience in the professional ranks, bringing a 24-year stint with Major League Baseball from 1991-2015. He served in various executive roles as well as CEO of Major League Baseball Enterprises before leaving to run a sports media consultancy.

“The Big East is one of the most iconic brands in college sports, and I am grateful and deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead the conference into its next chapter,” Brosnan said in a statement.

Brosnan's ties to the Big East date back to his college years, where he was a four-year letter winner on Georgetown's baseball team.

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

Manuel Hernandez, 46, wiped his eyes with his hand as he arrived for his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court. He was not required to enter a plea and was released on bail.

Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, died after the 22-foot Yamaha speedboat overturned late Saturday near the Statue of Liberty. Twelve others were rescued and are in stable condition, authorities said.

The vessel was pulled from the water and taken to the New York Police Department’s harbor unit facility on Randall’s Island.

After state charges were lodged against Hernandez over the weekend, prosecutors said Monday that he will be tried in federal court, not state court.

Capt. Doreen McCarthy, the Coast Guard Sector New York commander, credited the rescue of survivors to “heroic, swift actions” by those who responded from various agencies, along with a good Samaritan vessel.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign that began Sunday to help Andres Garcia pay for the funeral and other expenses for his partner, Sanchez, and their daughter had topped $25,000 by Tuesday afternoon.

Antonio Russo, general manager at Il Punto Ristorante, said Garcia is an “amazing guy” who has been working long hours each week as a waiter, driver and food-runner, to provide for his family here and in Colombia.

Diego Naranjo, a neighbor of Sanchez in Queens, said he first met her last spring when her son threw a ball into their backyard. After recovering the ball, Naranjo invited her son to play on a trampoline with his children.

“They were really nice people. You can see when a person is noble,” Naranjo said.

He said he last saw Sanchez last Tuesday as she brought groceries into her home. He said he was shocked by the deaths.

___

This story was updated to correct that the boat was a Yamaha, not a Bayliner.

___

Turbay reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. Associated Press reporter Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.

Another former Trump attorney — Emil Bove, now a federal appeals court judge — administered the oath of office to Blanche at the White House following early Saturday's Senate confirmation vote by the narrowest of margins. Shortly after, the newly sworn-in attorney general arrived at Justice Department headquarters to cheers from employees lined up along the entrance.

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor in New York, is officially taking command of a Justice Department he has been leading in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi's firing in April.

With the confirmation battle behind him, Blanche now faces the challenge of having to navigate the demands of a president who has made no secret his desire to use the law enforcement agency to target his political foes. Blanche will do so with an agency that has been hollowed out by resignations, firings and voluntary departures while also confronting mounting pushback from the courts.

Blanche was confirmed in a 50-49 vote, opposed by two Republicans who cited concerns about what they described as increased politicization of the department under Trump.

Under deputy attorney general and later as acting attorney general, Blanche has overseen the investigations of numerous Trump foes, including former FBI Director James Comey, whom the Justice Department indicted in April for a second time since Trump returned to the White House last year.

Blanche has strongly defended the Trump administration against accusations that it has weaponized the Justice Department. Blanche has said he feels no pressure to placate Trump and insists he sees no problem with the president's interest in Justice Department matters, calling it the president's “right” and “his duty.”

Blanche entered the president's orbit when he left his law firm in 2023 to represent Trump against multiple criminal cases, including two brought by the Justice Department under Democratic President Joe Biden. Blanche has said that experience afforded him a firsthand look at what he contends was the weaponization of the criminal justice system against Trump.

Blanche's defenders say the close relationship he developed with Trump as his defense lawyer can make him more successful than Bondi was at pushing back on the president's demands.

Blanche's nomination was almost scuttled over bipartisan concerns about Trump's controversial settlement of his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. His nomination only moved forward after he confirmed in writing, under pressure from Republicans, that the administration was rescinding plans to create a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they were wronged by the department.

In questioning Dr. Jennifer Tufts, defense lawyer Kevin Reddington spotlighted her use of 25-minute video appointments with limited time for talk therapy, the computerized forms that documented her observations, and the series of pharmaceuticals she recommended as Clancy reported various side effects, symptoms and concerns about taking medications.

Reddington portrayed Clancy’s care not as common practice in U.S. mental healthcare, but rather as inadequate and indifferent treatment, at one point implying that the doctor was a box-checking “robot.”

“What did you do? You had a woman who was telling you she felt hopeless,” he asked as they discussed an appointment about two months before the killings.

“I told her that this was something we could address, that there was hope, that there are treatments, that there are different types of programs,” Tufts said, “so she knew that she still had options and a reason to hope.”

“Did you ever suggest to her that ‘maybe you should come in and see me, rather than on the computer?'” Reddington asked.

“Talking to her over the video didn’t seem like an issue. It didn’t seem like there was something I was missing,” Tufts replied.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Clancy, 35, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. They were found in the basement of the family’s home in coastal Duxbury, Massachusetts, and their mother was found lying in the yard. She had jumped out a second-story window and remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Prosecutors argue that the former labor and delivery nurse was an intentional killer who connived to get her husband out of the house by sending him out on errands, then strangled the children with exercise bands on Jan. 24, 2023. In an opening statement last month, prosecutor Shannan Buckingham urged jurors not to view the trial as “a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women.”

Clancy's attorneys don't dispute that she killed the children. But they that say she shouldn't be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill, believing that she heard voices ordering her to take the children's lives and her own.

The defense contends that she was in the grip of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis, a rare postpregnancy condition that can alter women's sense of reality. A forensic psychiatrist diagnosed her with those conditions after the killings.

Her attorneys say Clancy did everything she could to seek help: She turned to multiple outpatient providers, tried various drugs they prescribed, called a suicide hotline, went to an emergency room, and approached but wasn't accepted into a hospital-based, full-day treatment program for women with postpregnancy mental health problems. Clancy then even checked herself into a psychiatric hospital for several days.

Rather than improving, her condition worsened on the ever-remixed cocktail of psychiatric medications, some of them problematic for bipolar patients, her attorneys and family say.

Tufts saw Clancy, via video, from September 2022 until the day before the killings. Her diagnosis: generalized anxiety disorder and an adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

The psychiatrist testified that Clancy never told her about manic episodes, a criterion for a bipolar diagnoses, nor about hearing voices or having other signs of psychosis.

Clancy at times said she was “close” to feeling suicidal, hopeless or like she was going to die, Tufts recalled. But she said Clancy denied having a plan to take her own life or harm anyone else and never revealed — as the defense says she did to her husband — that she had thoughts about harming the children.

“I would have be very concerned if I had heard that,” Tufts said.

Clancy is suing Tufts and other practitioners in civil court.

“I do not believe that I’ve been negligent,” Tufts testified in the criminal trial Monday as Reddington questioned how much experience she had treating postpregnancy conditions before Clancy came to her. Tufts had finished her psychiatric residency training in July 2022 and joined a private practice the month before Clancy's first appointment.

If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

In a post on X, Castro said Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers pulled over Jesús Bracho as he was arriving to work.

When troopers stopped him, Castro said Bracho told his daughter, Katherine, to go inside his employer’s home.

“DPS called ICE and took Jesús,” Castro wrote. “ICE agents came back and then forced him to lure his daughter out so they could take her too.”

A spokesperson for Castro’s office said the family members were detained on July 1, 2026, on the far West Side near Loop 410 and U.S. Highway 90.

According to Castro, Katherine was a student at Bonnie Ellison Elementary School — which is in San Antonio’s Northside Independent School District.

The congressman said Katherine was frightened in the encounter and Bracho is a mechanic with no criminal record.

“She was scared and didn’t know where she was going,” Castro said.

The father and daughter have been held at the Dilley detention facility in South Texas for more than a month, Castro stated.

The Trump administration has been clear that border security is a priority. Gov. Greg Abbott previously said DPS troopers and special agents will assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in “targeting and removing illegal immigrants.”

Castro blamed Abbott’s recent initiative directing DPS troopers to assist ICE.

“Governor Abbott has ordered DPS troopers to help ICE arrest hardworking folks and children in our community,” Castro wrote.

Castro called on ICE to immediately release Bracho and Katherine, adding that he wants authorities to “stop fueling Trump and Abbott’s mass deportation machine.”

DHS provides statement

KSAT has reached out to DHS for additional details on the detention of Bracho and his daughter.

An agency spokesperson said in a statement that Bracho entered the U.S. after Border Patrol officers encountered him on June 1, 2022. On Feb. 5, 2024, an immigration judge issued Bracho and his family a final removal order, DHS said.

“He (Bracho) will remain in ICE custody along with his minor daughter pending approval,” the spokesperson said.

The agency’s entire response can be read below:

On June 30, ICE arrested Jesus Rafael Bracho-Carvajal, an illegal alien from Venezuela. Border Patrol encountered him on June 1, 2022, and he was RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration. On February 5, 2024, an immigration judge issued him and his family a final order of removal.

He will remain in ICE custody along with his minor daughter pending removal.

The Dilley Immigration Processing Center is retrofitted for families. Children have access to teachers, classrooms, and curriculum booklets for math, reading, and spelling. All of this is generously funded the by the U.S. taxpayer. Adults with children are housed in facilities that provide for their safety, security, and medical needs.

All detainees are provided with three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries. Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Certified dieticians evaluate meals.

Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.

DHS

Read also:

• Mother finally receives response from SAPD on daughter’s 8-year-old cold murder case

The WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, told a news conference that sequencing indicated the outbreak's start. He said some cases early on were wrongly attributed to other diseases, including malaria and typhoid.

“So we are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us,” Janabi said.

Dr. Thierno Balde, WHO's incident manager for the Ebola response, said the genetic sequencing was conducted under the leadership of Dr. Steve Ahuka, head of the virology department at Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research.

Confirmed cases of Ebola in this outbreak have reached 4,200, including over 1,900 deaths, according to the latest government figures.

WHO assesses the global risk of spread as low because Ebola does not travel through the air, making it much harder to spread than respiratory viruses. Cases detected outside the affected region have so far been quickly identified and contained without leading to sustained transmission, according to the agency.

The outbreak declared on May 15 is unlike most previous ones for Ebola because the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments. Early testing was conducted for the more common type of Ebola, contributing to delays.

The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with strikes by some unpaid health workers, threats by rebel groups, anger from long-traumatized communities and misinformation asserting that Ebola isn’t real. Health teams travel remote, unpaved roads and have reported shortages of protective gear, while a vast population of displaced people struggles to find reliable water sources for washing hands.

This Ebola outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any other, including the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa that is considered the worst on record with over 11,000 deaths out of at least 28,000 cases. That one took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

Ebola is rare but highly contagious and can be contracted from bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing. The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.

Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said Ebola is spreading faster than efforts to fight it. New cases are doubling in some hot spots, Tedros said on X after meeting with officials in the capital, Kinshasa.

Health authorities have said between 60% and 70% of new cases are recorded outside of contacts being monitored, and that the outbreak is spreading at an “alarming” rate.

Access to healthcare in the region already had been challenged by years of rebel conflict in one of Congo’s most remote and vulnerable areas, near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. Now some pregnant women and others are avoiding health centers for fear of the virus, at risk to their lives.

Several past Ebola outbreaks have also been declared weeks or months late, including the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. That outbreak was declared in March 2014, although the first human case later was found to have occurred in December 2013.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

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This version corrects the second reference to the WHO director-general to Tedros.

• STRAY SHOWER: Only 10% chance this afternoon
• TRIPLE DIGITS: Temps will soar to or above 100° by midweek
• TROPICS: Atlantic wakes up, 3 systems to watch

FORECAST

BACK-TO-SCHOOL FORECAST

For those headed back to school today, it’ll still feel like summer. Highs will be in the upper-90s, rain chances will be very low (10%).

EVEN HOTTER WEATHER AHEAD

Temperatures will climb even more by midweek. Triple-digits become likely by Wednesday. Heat index values will be in the range of 100-105 during the afternoons.

ACTIVE TROPICS

Right on cue, the tropics are heating up. Three systems have been flagged by the National Hurricane Center. One, in particular, is showing signs of strengthening and has a 60% chance of development. We have plenty of time to watch and will continue to monitor.

QUICK WEATHER LINKS

• WATCH LIVE: Doppler Radar
• Hourly and 10-Day Forecast
• Download FREE KSAT Weather Authority App: Up-to-date forecast information and livestreams from trusted local meteorologists.
• KSAT Connect: Share your weather photos.

The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply.

Under the proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration, companies would have to document and submit their safety rationale for new ingredients, giving regulators the opportunity to investigate if they see a potential risk. Currently companies can decide for themselves if an ingredient or additive is “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, and there is no requirement to notify or submit evidence to the FDA, although some firms do.

“Shifting to a mandatory notification system closes a decades-old information gap, giving the FDA the comprehensive visibility needed to enhance postmarket safety,” acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas told reporters on Monday.

The FDA will take comments on the proposal for 120 days.

Susan Mayne, former director of FDA's food program, said the new requirement would give the FDA a clearer picture of the vast number of ingredients on the U.S. market, though only a small portion would actually undergo review.

“This is a reasonable first step towards a more complete inventory, but most self-affirmed GRAS ingredients will still not be reviewed for safety by the FDA, with food ingredient safety continuing to be risk-based,” said Mayne, who is now a public health expert at Yale University.

The FDA also plans to publish a list of company-submitted ingredients. Mayne said Americans should understand that “inclusion on the list would not mean FDA thinks the ingredient is safe.”

Scrutiny of ultraprocessed food continues, but with few details

In a separate move, the FDA said it has completed work on the federal government's first-ever definition of ultraprocessed food, but did not release any details or the proposed language. The agency said it submitted the definition to the White House for further review.

Health advocates consider an official definition of ultraprocessed food a key step toward bringing greater scrutiny to meals that are blamed for multiple chronic health problems afflicting Americans. A government-backed definition could pave the way for more federal research and, eventually, possible warning labels or other restrictions.

Neither of Monday's announcements are likely to immediately impact American diets, which are packed with fats, sodium and sugar and are blamed for a host of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But both initiatives are top priorities for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who entered government vowing to crack down on artificial colors, additives and other ingredients.

“These two actions will change how the federal government oversees what’s in our food and how we understand the foods that Americans eat,” Kennedy said at an event Monday at HHS headquarters.

Ultraprocessed foods are made using industrial processing and additives, colors, preservatives or other ingredients not found in home kitchens. The foods include sugary cereals, sodas, chips, frozen pizzas and other grocery items.

Scientists have been working to define and classify processed foods for well over a decade. But sweeping definitions come with downsides. They can be applied to foods like whole grain bread, yogurt and granola that are all highly processed but still considered nutritious. Some recent efforts to define ultraprocessed foods include carve-outs for foods that meet nutrition standards, despite having processed ingredients.

FDA proposal would bring new insights on additives used by food companies

In the U.S., an estimated 10,000 additives are allowed in food, including thickeners, preservatives and packaging ingredients.

Consumer advocates have long argued that many of those ingredients have never been properly vetted because of the FDA's policy allowing manufacturers to certify for themselves that additives are “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS.

FDA's Diamantas stressed Monday that the new policy would not require all new ingredients to undergo FDA review. He said mandatory reviews would need to be enacted by Congress.

“What we’re doing is requiring companies that utilize the pathway to notify us of their conclusions so that we have greater visibility,” Diamantas said.

Under the proposal, the FDA would be expected to review new ingredient submissions within 180 days. If regulators had safety concerns they could request additional information or ask the company to delay introducing the ingredient.

Consumer advocates who have long pushed for changes said FDA’s proposal should require more than giving advance notice.

“It must also include strong, science-based safety standards and thorough, independent FDA review before chemicals are allowed in our food,” said Melanie Benesh of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

Kennedy said the Trump administration would ask Congress to grant FDA additional powers over ingredients.

“Congress needs to give FDA the additional tools it needs to keep pace with the changing food supply and protect the American people,” Kennedy said.

A rule change in the 1990s created what advocates call a loophole

Any substance intentionally added to food is supposed to undergo formal review — unless the additive is considered safe. Since the late 1950s, the government recognized that many common ingredients in foods, such as spices and vinegar, were widely consumed and understood to be safe for consumption.

The FDA policed the GRAS exemption for years, but it took time and resources. Starting in 1997, the FDA began allowing companies to independently determine that a new additive is safe based on publicly available scientific evidence and the consensus of qualified experts.

However, the list of products deemed GRAS by companies grew to include many synthetic and natural additives, all incorporated into the food supply without independent review.

The process has created a “secret GRAS loophole,” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest and other health groups.

Food industry officials contend their internal reviews of additives are as rigorous as the FDA’s own process.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

SAPD arrested Noah James Davidson, 20, at the scene of the July 16 attempted burglary. Court records show Davidson has been charged with burglary of habitation with intent to commit a felony, which is considered a first-degree felony.

Officers were dispatched at approximately 6:15 a.m. in the 30 block of Fonthill Way, which is located near the intersection of Austin Highway and Harry Wurzbach Road.

According to SAPD’s July 16 preliminary report, investigators received multiple calls about Davidson “damaging a vehicle” and attempting to break into other homes in the area.

In an update sent Monday to KSAT, an SAPD spokesperson said Davidson attempted to get into another home when a 75-year-old man inside stabbed him multiple times in Davidson’s upper body.

It is unclear what kind of weapon the 75-year-old used to stab Davidson.

Police initially said first responders transported Davidson to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries before he was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.

Jail records show Davidson fulfilled his $50,000 bond six days after the July 16 attempted burglary.

At this time, it is also unclear if the resident will face any charges in connection with the stabbing. SAPD said its investigation remains ongoing.

According to court records, Davidson is expected to make his next court appearance on Oct. 15.

More coverage of this story on KSAT:

• Resident, 75, stabs burglary suspect, 20, multiple times at North Side home, SAPD says

The Supreme Court annulled the registration of Yabloko — which is Russian for “apple” — after an appeal from a pro-Kremlin party. Last month, the Central Election Commission had initially allowed Yabloko on the ballot along with 10 other parties.

Once a leading liberal voice in parliament and often critical of the government, Yabloko later lost its bloc of seats in the State Duma as the Kremlin tightened its grip on Russian politics.

In recent years, Yabloko was the only registered opposition party that opposed sending troops into Ukraine.

Its campaign slogans included “For a ceasefire agreement, diplomacy and peace!” “Our goal is to prevent nuclear war!” and “For a Russia free from fear and political repressions!”

Veteran liberal politician Grigory Yavlinsky, who co-founded Yabloko in the 1990s and chairs its political committee, deplored the ruling and said the party would appeal it.

“Barring Yabloko from the election means a refusal to engage in dialogue with those who ask questions that make the authorities uncomfortable,” Yavlinsky said in an online statement. “We hope the authorities will heed the public demand for peace, freedom, and life without fear, and change their policy.”

Yabloko's platform draws strong support

Many Russian opposition figures in exile had urged voters to back Yabloko, including Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, and politicians Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza.

“I believe it’s morally and politically right to support the Yabloko party,” Navalnaya said in an Aug. 6 statement on Telegram, noting the party’s anti-war stance.

Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov, who was in the courtroom Monday, sought to distance the party from what he described as unwarranted support from Navalnaya and other Kremlin foes living abroad in an apparent attempt to prevent its removal from the ballot.

In the meantime, social media buzzed with videos supporting Yabloko. Many didn't contain political slogans but instead showed young men and women holding apples when asked their voting preference for the Sept. 18-20 election or dancing to Russian songs that referenced apples.

Rybakov told the court the party wasn't paying for the videos, saying that people who posted it were backing Yabloko “simply because they want to live in Russia and don't want to get killed.”

The authorities likely initially allowed Yabloko on the ballot to give Russians an outlet for their discontent while also showing, through the party’s traditionally low vote count, that few people support its stand on Ukraine, said Nikolay Petrov, senior research fellow at the NEST Centre, founded by exiled Russian tycoon and opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

But Yabloko’s campaign for peace struck a chord and upended the Kremlin’s calculations.

Now “the Kremlin is facing a rather difficult task, to come out of the situation with minimal losses,” Petrov said, because kicking the party off the ballot is effectively “demonstrating that they’re afraid of what Yabloko stands for.”

Yavlinsky said the court’s ruling “speaks volumes about the importance of our platform — far more than any official election results ever could.”

He added that “the public demand for peace and freedom today has proven far stronger than the authorities anticipated.”

Kremlin-aligned parties bash Yabloko

Several Kremlin-aligned parties have assailed Yabloko for its stance on Ukraine, and some even urged authorities to investigate it.

Sergei Mironov, head of A Just Russia Party, called on the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Justice Ministry to “look closely” at Yabloko and “give a legal assessment to their actions.”

“A party that openly opposes the special military operation, promises a shameful peace, and supports foreign agents is running for the State Duma,” Mironov said, using the Kremlin’s term to describe the 4-year-old conflict.

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said Yabloko is not supporting President Vladimir Putin’s policies and has not helped “those suffering, those fighting on the front line.”

The Motherland Party filed the lawsuit with the Supreme Court demanding Yabloko’s removal from the ballot. It accused Yabloko of copyright infringement and exceeding campaign spending limits. The party also viewed Yabloko’s stance on Ukraine as unlawful and tantamount to calling for the violation of Russia’s territorial integrity.

Rybakov and lawyers representing the party in the Supreme Court on Monday rejected the accusations.

A crowd of supporters greeted Rybakov and other Yabloko representatives with applause as they entered the courthouse in central Moscow.

Yabloko members faced a Kremlin crackdown

Yabloko has faced increased pressure in recent years as the Kremlin ramped up its crackdown on dissent to levels unseen since the Soviet era.

Several prominent Yabloko members were jailed or designated as “foreign agents” — a label that brings additional government scrutiny and aims to discredit the recipient. As a result, its most prominent members were not on the ticket.

Maxim Kruglov, a deputy chairman and former member of the Moscow city council, was convicted in June of spreading false information about the Russian army and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Another senior member of the party, Lev Shlosberg, is on trial for similar charges in his native city of Pskov, facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted. It’s the third criminal case brought against Shlosberg in the last two years. He has also been designated a “foreign agent.”

That designation was also slapped on Boris Vishnevsky, another Yabloko deputy chairman, in 2024. The designation forced Vishnevsky to step down from the St. Petersburg city council after legislation was adopted later that year, barring “foreign agents” from participating in elections or holding public office.

Jones had a heart attack in his home Sunday in Washington, Virginia, as he was waiting to watch his beloved Atlanta Braves play baseball, his wife, Alma Viator, said on social media. Rappahannock County Sheriff Connie Compton confirmed his death.

Jones' fame came from his role as Cooter Davenport, the mechanic who got the Duke boys out of jams as they tried to do the right thing and fight the corrupt Boss Hogg in the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia.

After playing Cooter for all seven seasons of the series from 1979 to 1985, Jones turned to politics and was elected to the U.S. House from a district near Atlanta in 1988. The Democrat served two terms before he was redistricted out of the seat.

Jones was born in North Carolina and in college got involved in acting and civil rights, he wrote in his autobiography "Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: The Confessions of ‘Crazy Cooter.’"

Acting took over his life. Jones performed in numerous stage productions and had a few minor TV and movie roles in Atlanta during the 1970s before his life-defining break came on a TV show Jones defended as a modern-day morality tale and a fine example of Southern values.

For seven seasons, Jones was one of a small band of friends and family helping Bo and Luke Duke in “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The brothers were on probation for running moonshine and were constantly trying to clear their names and stop the crooked and powerful Boss Hogg from stealing or cheating.

The Duke boys drove a modified 1969 Dodge Charger called the General Lee with a Confederate flag on its roof. Cooter owned “Cooter's Garage” in the town square. Nearly every episode involved a car chase with jumps and stunts and a patrol car badly in need of repairs.

Cooter was often on the CB radio in his pickup truck saying “Breaker one, Breaker one. I might be crazy but I ain’t dumb. Crazy Cooter coming at you."

“The Dukes of Hazzard” was a hit for CBS and its popularity never waned. It went into syndication and later became a prominent fixture on cable's The Nashville Network.

Jones also credited the series with pulling him out of a self-destructive, alcoholic lifestyle that led to the failure of several marriages.

″It was like being in a Beatles movie,″ Jones said. ″Our lives changed.″

Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, said Jones was an integral part of making the series work.

“Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed,” Wopat wrote on Instagram.

After “The Dukes of Hazzard,” Jones went into politics. He kept his aw shucks personality, but took the issues seriously. In his four years in Washington, Jones was known as a Democrat who could buck his party. He was liberal on social issues and conservative on economics.

But even in politics, he made a splash. After losing in 1992 in his redrawn district, Jones ran for Congress again in 1994. He lost to Newt Gingrich in the elections that elevated the Republican to the Speaker's Office.

Jones would file an ethics complaint that Gingrich used tax-deductible donations to fund his partisan college course leading to a House reprimand and Gingrich's decision to leave the body.

Jones always embraced his role as Cooter. After moving to Virginia, he would open at least three “Cooter's” country stores in Nashville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and near his home. They sold plenty of T-shirts, key chains and insulated tumblers and included Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia like one of the 300 or so General Lee cars used and abused in the TV series.

The show and Cooter lived on because it was funny, had plenty of action and car chases and had a good, family-friendly heart, Jones told the Richmond Times-Dispatch at a 2001 car show where he played in a band, signed autographs and met fans.

“The show reflects the values of the heartland of America. The good guys always win,” Jones said.

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

Trump demands

Iran pay for decades of US military deaths

Trump's social media post Monday came after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stressed that Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. meets its conditions.

Tehran wants the U.S. to end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift economic sanctions and release Iran’s frozen assets. It also said the U.S. must pay compensation for war damage.

“It is up to the U.S. side to stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Baghaei said.

Trump responded that he is now demanding “compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts.”

The U.S. government has blamed Iran-backed militants for the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Americans over several decades. They include a 1983 bombing that killed 241 U.S. military personnel at a Marine compound in Beirut and the deaths of at least 603 U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

Trump said he also wants Tehran to compensate the families of Iranian protesters who were killed.

“I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump said in his post.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — has kept energy prices as a major focus of U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Iran's supreme leader is said to want 'unity' amid signs of division

Iran’s president said Monday the country’s supreme leader is calling for “unity and cohesion” as the Islamic Republic faces economic hardships and sanctions stemming from its war with the United States.

President Masoud Pezeshkian described a nearly seven-hour meeting with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in an interview with Iranian state television that aired amid apparent tensions among the Islamic Republic’s leaders.

Pezeshkian told the state-run IRIB that he and Khamenei discussed “people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, people’s housing,” as well as “problems that are now being created as a result of the (U.S.) sanctions.” He didn’t say when or where they met.

Most important, he said, was Khamenei’s emphasis on unity.

“All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from emerging.”

It is only the second time the Iranian president said he has met with the new supreme leader since Khamenei was appointed in March following a U.S.-Israeli strike that killed his father. Khamenei, believed to have been wounded in the same attack, has not appeared in public since then.

Iran names former Revolutionary Guard leader to top security post

Iran on Sunday appointed Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to its new supreme leader, to head its powerful Supreme National Security Council.

Rezaei commanded Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard from 1981 to 1997, a period that includes Iran’s 1980s war with Iraq. The 71-year-old hardliner last week threatened American forces with “serious risks and casualties” if the U.S. did not lift its blockade of Iranian ports.

Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who will become a political adviser to Khamenei.

While Rezaei appears willing to negotiate with the U.S. to “secure Iran’s maximalist aims, including control of the Strait of Hormuz,” he has also been “unwilling to present any Iranian concessions,” wrote the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think-tank.

Israel declares closed military zone in Taybeh

Israel's military said Monday it had declared a Christian-majority town in the occupied West Bank a closed military zone to keep out Israeli settlers and other non-residents.

The new tactic is designed to keep Israelis out of Taybeh, which has been subject to arson, vandalism and settlers coming onto private and village property. The army said Palestinian residents and journalists would be allowed unless soldiers determine their presence poses a threat. The army said its troops would detain suspects and disperse gatherings to keep the peace.

The designation comes after months of the army and police struggling to maintain order throughout the territory, where at least 87 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in 2026, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.

Yemen provides death toll on Sunday's Houthi attack on Red Sea

town

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Red Sea port town controlled by government forces on Sunday, killing seven and injuring 30 people. Yemen’s Defense Ministry — which operates under its internationally recognized government — said four military personnel and three civilians were killed.

Clashes continued Monday near the village of Taiz. The Houthi group said a 13-year-old child was killed by artillery shelling and another child was injured.

The attack on Mokha is the latest in one of the largest waves of Houthi strikes on Yemeni military positions and areas held by the Saudi-backed government since a 2022 truce. It comes as threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at its southern tip.

Benjamin Paul Flores, 47, was taken into custody by Helotes police officers and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), Bexar County court records show. The charge is considered a Class B misdemeanor.

Flores, who’s been employed with SAPD for 25 years, was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Sunday, jail records show. He was later released on a $1,000 bond the same day.

Flores has since been placed on administrative duty, the release states. At the time of his arrest, Flores was assigned to the department’s patrol division.

According to a KSAT Investigates analysis, Flores is the ninth SAPD officer arrested in 2026.

SAPD said it is conducting an administrative investigation into Flores’ arrest.

Read also:

• 1 dead, 1 injured after overnight shooting in northeast Bexar County, sheriff says

Location: Remote in one of GMG’s markets Detroit, MI; Houston or San Antonio TX; Jacksonville or Orlando, FL

About the Role

This position is responsible for all aspects of the accounts receivable functions at Graham Media Group for designated stations. Credit processing and approval, daily program log reconciliation, invoice processing, and cash application will all be maintained by the GMG Credit and Accounts Receivable Specialist team. The position is responsible for communication of discrepancies to local or national staff for resolution. This is a position that reports to the Graham Media Group VP/CFO.

Job Responsibilities:

• Process and Approve Credit Applications
• Create and Maintain Client Profiles
• Approve Orders Associated with Credit Inhibits
• Daily program log reconciliations
• Handle spot issues with Traffic Hub
• Process weekly billing, along with electronic invoicing.
• Maintain Client Payment Portal
• Initiate, Track and Post Receivable Sales Adjustments and Client Refunds
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• Credit Card, ACH, and Wire Processing
• Generating and distributing cash workbook
• Maintain and manage accounts receivable.
• Work with Collection Companies on uncollectable accounts.
• Process approved Credit/Debit Memos and Bad Debt Write Offs
• Generating Account Receivable Collections Report for Sales Management
• Review incoming Department emails for appropriate follow-through.
• Communication with Business Managers and Sales Managers, Account Executives and Sales Support
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• Special Projects as assigned.
• Providing back-up support for other Credit and Accounts Receivable Specialists

Experience:

• 5+ years of Accounts Receivable and/or Credit experience
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• Ability to work independently with little supervision to accomplish daily responsibilities and departmental goals.
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• Associate degree in accounting or business preferred or equivalent experience.

Applicants can send resumes to kparker@grahammedia.com

Additional Information:

Graham Media Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In addition to complying with the requirements of federal law, GMG will comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening, investigative background check, employment/education verifications and reference checks.

KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio provided live coverage of the first day of school at East Central ISD and Northside ISD.

East Central ISD, one of the fastest-growing districts in the San Antonio area, opened two new schools Monday: Victory Elementary STEM Academy in Elmendorf and Valor College Prep Middle School in Saint Hedwig.

Northside ISD, which includes Wanke Elementary School, said it expected to welcome back approximately 98,000 students to its classrooms this week.

More recent Back to School coverage on KSAT:

• Driving to school for the first time? What teens and parents need to know to stay safe
• What San Antonio drivers need to keep in mind before hitting the roads as children return to school
• Back-to-school start dates for districts in San Antonio, surrounding areas

The crash happened before 9 p.m. in the 1700 block of Southwest Loop 410, which is located near Marbach Road.

According to police, a 24-year-old man was traveling northbound when he was rear-ended by a Dodge Charger occupied by two people.

The man was ejected from his motorcycle and was later rushed to a hospital in critical condition, police said.

On Monday, Aug. 10, an SAPD spokesperson confirmed that the man was pronounced dead at the hospital.

After the crash, police said the driver of the Dodge Charger fled the scene. If located, they could face a failure to stop and render aid charge, officers said.

READ ALSO:

• 1 dead after two-vehicle crash involving 18-wheeler on South Side, SAPD says
• Man drives into front of East Side home, San Antonio police say

These winners were selected according to viewer votes in each category, and the love was loud and clear. From inspiring museum days to can’t-stop-dancing nights, from family fun to local music you can’t help but sing along to — this list is basically a ready-made weekend plan.

And the 2026 SA Picks winners are…

🏛️ Museums

• The Witte Museum
• DoSeum
• San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA)

💃 Dancing

• Cowboys Dance Hall
• Bonham Exchange
• Texas Pride BBQ (Adkins, TX)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Entertainment

• Santikos Theaters
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas
• Morgan’s Wonderland

🎸 Local Band/Artist

• Billy Mata & Tex Tradition
• Lone Star Pickerz
• The Experience Band

🎢 Amusement Park

• Morgan’s Wonderland
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas
• Schlitterbahn (New Braunfels)

Congrats to all our winners!

To every winner in the Arts & Entertainment Group: congratulations — and thank you for helping make San Antonio a more vibrant, creative, and fun place to live.

Now let’s show them some love

Your votes helped pick the winners — now let’s help keep the momentum going. Support the winners with a visit, bring a friend, grab tickets, plan a family day, or catch a live show. Every outing helps keep our local arts and entertainment scene thriving.

Stay tuned for more SA Picks winners, thanks again to everyone who voted, and to our sponsor Gamez Law Firm.

Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, a white officer with nearly 11 years' experience in law enforcement, fired the shots that killed Corey Ruiz on July 22, the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Baitinger-Peterson was one of four officers who surrounded Ruiz, who was on a bike, in response to calls about someone who was checking out parked cars and an alleged burglary attempt, police said.

The shooting sparked days of protests and calls from the Black community for Madison to address racial justice issues.

Baitinger-Peterson did not reply to an email seeking comment.

Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, which is the state’s largest police union and represents Madison officers, responded on behalf of Baitinger-Peterson.

“I am deeply concerned for the safety and privacy of him, his family, and the other officers involved,” Palmer said.

He said those concerns are being taken seriously and “appropriate precautions” are in place.

“I urge everyone to allow the investigation to proceed and to refrain from prejudging the officers or placing them and their families at further risk,” Palmer said.

Baitinger-Peterson and the other three officers who interacted with Ruiz that day have been placed on paid administrative leave while the state investigates the shooting.

There is no timeline for when the state Justice Department investigation will conclude. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne will review the findings before deciding whether to file charges against Baitinger-Peterson.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Ruiz's family, has called for the officer to be charged.

While bystanders captured the confrontation on video, there is no body camera footage because Madison police officers don't wear them.

The state Justice Department said two officers attempted to use a Taser on Ruiz but weren't successful. Ruiz “brandished a knife and injured” Baitinger-Peterson, it said. Law enforcement agencies haven't divulged the extent of the officer's injuries. They did release an image of a fixed-blade knife that was recovered at the scene.

The protests over the shooting led to several nearby community events being canceled or postponed.

Bieniemy was greeted by a handful of fans as he walked down the long hill to the fields at Missouri Western State University, where the Chiefs hold camp. Then he jumped right into his first practice since Mia Bieniemy was shot the evening of July 26.

“It was good to have EB back, back in full. I don't think he missed a snap he was out there,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Listen, I was talking to him several times a day. I knew when he was coming back. The primary thing is that Mia is stable, that she's doing well.”

Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, the use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been delayed pending a mental health evaluation.

Eric Bieniemy, who returned to the Chiefs earlier this year, had been staying in touch with Reid and the rest of the staff, and had been watching streams of some practices. In one case, he called Chiefs manager Brett Veach — who was sitting next to Reid — and asked him to hand over the phone, then proceeded to tell the head coach a point of instruction for a running back.

“It was great to have him back out there. Everybody was glad to see him," Reid said. “I think once you start going, then you're going. It is like a game. Once you're in the game, you're in the game. But he always brings the energy.”

Bieniemy was part of coaching staffs that helped Kansas City reach three Super Bowls and win two of them. But because Reid is the primary play-caller, Bieniemy left to serve as the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders, where he would be able to call his own plays and perhaps better position himself for a head coaching job in the NFL.

The Commanders struggled in his lone season there, though, and Bieniemy and the rest of the staff were let go. He spent a season with UCLA and last season coached the running backs with the Chicago Bears before returning to Kansas City as the offensive coordinator.

He replaced Matt Nagy, who was hired as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

“Obviously it's great to have him back. We missed him and prayed for his family when he was out,” Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton said. “But to have a guy like that come back to the field, man, a competitor — it brings out the best in us.”

NOTES: WRs Rashee Rice (knee) and Cyrus Allen (bone bruise) both participated in 11-on-11 work during the padded practice. ... DE Ashton Gillotte (hamstring), CB L'Jarius Snead (knee) and LB Drue Tranquill (back) worked off to the side. ... RG Trey Smith (hip) was still out of practice, pushing rookie OL Khalil Benson from tackle to guard. Jaylon Moore took first-team reps at tackle.

___

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

We head to Clark High School to see how the cafeteria team is is fueling young minds & get a special performance from the Top Cat Varsity Dance team.

If the school year has you finally getting back to your routine, Black Stallion Boxing Plus can help reset your fitness journey. They have classes for grown ups & the kiddos.

Starting the year off right, means starting with a good breakfast. JTA Wellness shows us how easy it is to make a complete morning meal, and they have lots of ideas for quick items & you can just grab & go.

If you want healthy kids you need to start early. The City of San Antonio Metro Health talks about the WIC program that provides lots of benefits to new mothers & families who could use a little boost.

The tech company included a “permissive” open source license for Muse Glimmer, a lightweight AI model that can run on a personal computer. Zuckerberg said the company would also would provide a way for developers to access a more powerful AI model, Muse Spark 1.2.

Meta has long been a proponent of open-sourcing its AI models, but has struggled to keep up with rivals including OpenAI, Anthropic and Google that have not taken the same approach.

In a lengthy essay published online, Zuckerberg laid out his vision for the future of AI and outlined why he thought open source is a better way for fair development of AI. He also included policy recommendations for keeping the U.S. ahead of rivals, including China.

Zuckerberg warned that if AI “superintelligence” ends up being controlled by a select few individuals, businesses, governments, or even “AI itself, then that will naturally lead to outcomes that are less favorable for everyone else."

The key is finding a balance that favors individuals and making sure that advanced AI is “broadly distributed" to empower billions of people using AI, he wrote.

Zuckerberg also made what could be a veiled reference to Meta's rivals, such as OpenAI and Anthropic, without naming specific companies.

“Most other labs are focused on building AI for companies, governments, or other institutions, so if those labs lead, then the balance of power will favor larger institutions over individuals,” he wrote.

The United States and its allies need to speed up building energy capacity and infrastructure to stay competitive with rivals like China, he said.

Zuckerberg said authorities should also reconsider their position on “ distillation,” which involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one. The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on Chinese AI companies using distillation to extract technical features from U.S. AI models. Anthropic earlier this year accused China's DeepSeek of using distillation.

"Some have tried to frame distillation as harmful, but I think it is important to protect the principle that you can learn from anything you can observe," Zuckerberg said. “This is how the world works, and the US will not be able to lead if we restrict ourselves on this front.”

The sessions follow Jones’ memo to the San Antonio City Council, where she welcomed a discussion on having San Antonio residents vote on the city’s contribution toward the arena on the November ballot.

Below is the schedule for this week’s two listening sessions:

• First session takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, at the Normoyle Community Center located at 700 Culberson Avenue
• Second session will be from 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Blanco BBQ located at 13259 Blanco Road

The listening sessions are expected to provide city residents with a chance to share their views before any further action is taken.

Read also:

• Mayor Jones lacks votes to get second Spurs arena vote onto November ballot
• San Antonio mayor pushes for new vote on city’s $489 million contribution toward downtown Spurs arena

“It’s always been fascinating to me to see the origins of things,” Dersch said. “It’s a fun challenge to debug and repair. You can understand the entire system from top to bottom.”

Dersch is part of a growing community of vintage computer collectors who are preserving the classic machines that helped launch the digital revolution. While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices and smartphones.

Where others see junk, people like Dersch see artifacts of computer history that are worthy of attention and respect. They delight in hearing the beeps and chimes of their childhood and firing up a low-def game of “Pong” or “Space Invaders.”

“The enthusiasm for the history of computers and all the stuff around it is growing,” said Erik Klein, president of the Vintage Computer Federation, which organizes an annual festival at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Vintage computer festivals bring collectors together

This year more than 3,500 people attended the two-day Vintage Computer Festival in early August that celebrated the 50th anniversary of Apple, founded in 1976 in nearby Cupertino, Calif. It featured a panel with co-founders Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne reminiscing about the company’s early days as a scrappy startup led by the late Steve Jobs.

More than a dozen such gatherings have since sprung up in cities across North America, South America and Europe.

Growing interest is reflected in more demand for vintage computers in online marketplaces, Klein said. Rare, iconic computers like the Apple-1 — the company’s first product — can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Collectors exhibited the computer systems that they have painstakingly restored to their original working condition, allowing attendees to play with the computers built long before the internet, social media and AI transformed the world.

Restoring the ‘grandfather of the modern computer’

Dersch drove down from Seattle to showcase the pride of his collection: the Xerox Alto. He spent years restoring what's considered “the grandfather of the modern computer,” which was developed at the pioneering Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s.

The Alto was one of the earliest computers to move beyond text on screen and use the mouse and graphical user interface — such as windows, icons and cursors — that became the industry standard. The model famously inspired Jobs and Bill Gates to incorporate the technologies in their early products.

Dersch’s exhibit featured a fully functioning Xerox Alto workstation with its boxy vertical monitor, chunky keyboard and mouse, as well as pizza-sized spinning disks that store tiny amounts of data by modern standards.

“It’s fun to share what I’ve done with people. It’s fun to share in what other people have done,” Dersch said. “Also, there’s a consignment area where I can buy more junk to take home with me, so that’s always fun.”

Klein, a Silicon Valley software engineering manager, was a passionate collector until his hobby overwhelmed his home and family life. He had as many as 150 computer systems — complete with accessories, documents and packaging — crammed into his closets and garage.

He said his beloved collection had become an “albatross” and he worried about burdening his family. So he started selling and giving away his machines until he only had a few favorites left at home.

Similar events for collectors spread around the world

Now Klein channels his passion for vintage computers into organizing festivals, repair workshops, swap meets and other events as president of the Vintage Computer Federation.

“So it’s really about evangelizing that history and evangelizing this hobby of maintaining, collecting and enjoying this vintage technology,” Klein said.

Sellam Ismail is thrilled to see the collector community develop and mature since he organized the first festival in 1997, drawing about 150 hobbyists to a venue east of San Francisco. He ran the events for a decade.

He later co-founded the Vintage Computer Federation, which runs festivals in the US and Canada. He’s helped other groups launch similar festivals in Argentina, Germany and Switzerland.

“The community grew up. More and more people started getting old computers, started collecting them,” said Ismail, who once had a massive collection he stored in a warehouse. “Next year is the 30th anniversary. And I expect this to continue and grow even bigger.”

Steele High School students Danielle Winkles and Aliyah McQuaker said school zones, buses and crowded pickup lines can make mornings feel hectic, especially early in the year when routines are still new.

“It’s gonna be a little stressful, especially with school zones, everyone getting dropped off,” Winkles said. McQuaker agreed, calling traffic around campus “really hectic” and saying it can take a long time just to get out of the parking lot.

Winkles earned her driver’s license this summer, while McQuaker is entering her second year of driving. Winkles said driving herself brings freedom, but also pressure. McQuaker said her first drive to school was intimidating.

“First day I got my license, my mom made me drive to school. I was not prepared. I was so scared,” McQuaker said.

At A-Plus Driving Academy on the Northeast Side, instructor Erica Johnson said families can reduce anxiety and improve safety by preparing before the first day of school. She recommends parents drive the route with teen drivers ahead of time so they can learn the signs, identify school-zone areas and see where traffic typically slows.

Johnson also urged teens to stay focused, especially in school zones.

“Stay off your phones, make sure you’re paying attention,” she said, adding drivers should be prepared to slow down and stop as needed.

Texas law also restricts teen drivers. For drivers ages 16 and 17 with a provisional license, cellphone use is banned while driving, including hands-free use, except in an emergency. Drivers are generally prohibited from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless it is for work, a school activity or an emergency. They also cannot carry more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member.

McQuaker said new drivers should be prepared for unpredictable behavior from other motorists.

“People are very inconsiderate when they’re driving,” she said. “They like to cut you off.”

Police also encourage drivers to review school-zone speed limits and watch for children walking or riding bikes, particularly during the first two weeks of school.

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And then, a cut. The documentary, which follows the Blink-182 drummer from 2017 to 2026, is a celebration of Barker's life before and after the life-altering accident, a central event in a career full of them. The film began as a mirror of his memoir, 2015's “Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums,” but became something else entirely after a producer suggested it end with the image of Barker, then still unable to fly due to post-traumatic stress disorder, walking toward a plane.

Ending on that note, “where this thing still has power over me,” didn’t sit well with him. Instead, he boards a plane at the end, but the documentary’s final images are a slide show of family photos, including his wife Kourtney Kardashian and kids.

“I almost died,” he says. It “could be helpful to share my life.”

An elastic artist

Barker's resume is long, and a two-and-a-half-hour documentary can only cover so much of it. The film hits most of the big notes, quickly establishing Barker as a rebellious kid with a supernatural drumming ability from age 4, when he got his first kit, to now, at 50.

And that's with many projects in-between: From the SoCal punks Feeble, which he joined while working as a trash collector, to his stint in the ska band The Aquabats and multiplatinum, pop-punk legends Blink-182 — the band that skyrocketed Barker into superstardom.

Also covered? His love of skateboarding and car culture, his clothing brands, side-projects Box Car Racer and +44, turntable duo TRV$DJAM, various experiments and collaborations in hip-hop (Bun B, Lil Wayne ) and beyond.

But it all began with drumming, and hilariously enough, Animal from “The Muppets” — his first drumming hero — until he discovered cross-genre greats like jazz legends Buddy Rich, Dennis Chambers and Elvin Jones as well as Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee.

“Where drumming got really serious for me was after my mom passed, so it was therapy,” he says, reflecting on his childhood. “It’s like my life. It’s like oxygen to me.”

It's also a kind of sport. Barker has long been a dedicated, athletic percussionist, and he likens it to a boxer's meditative state. “It’s like when you see a fighter and he just goes for broke the first round. There’s sometimes where I just feel like that,” he says. “Something just takes over my body.”

Many events in life threatened that euphoria, but none quite as physically as the plane crash. “I was in a burn center for six months on morphine and I had 30 surgeries,” he recounts. “Seventy percent of my body was burned.” At one point, he didn't only fear if he would be able to drum again — even walking was a question mark.

Lessons from tragedy

Even before the crash, Barker's life — as marked with musical triumphs as it has been — offered lessons in resiliency.

“Whether it was my mom passing away or my plane crash, I learned — and through watching friends of mine and just living life — I’ve seen traumatic experiences either destroy someone or define them,” he says. “Every loss I had, or every everything I took to the chin, it made me stronger. At the time, I can’t realize it, right? I can't like really wrap my head around it. But ... that’s why I went so hard and I was so determined to play music and so determined to succeed. Plan B was only making Plan A work. You know? There was no Plan B.”

The same tenacity can be applied to his sobriety and dedication to flying again — a journey emboldened by his family. “I fly all the time now and I feel turbulence and I can’t even tell you what’s going on in my head. And I just look over and my wife’s perfectly OK,” he says. “My son loves airplanes and plays with airplanes and it’s so innocent. It’s so beautiful.”

“They’ve been my greatest joy,” he says of his children, who grow up on screen across the film's near-decade of filming.

As someone who has lost a lot and thought about what it would be like to lose even more, when it comes to the topic of legacy, Barker has a simple dream. “I think I’d want to be remembered for my music and my drumming and being a great father, husband, and son and brother,” he says.

As for the doc? “Maybe my story helps somebody,” he pauses. “I don’t love how everything happened. I don’t like the losses that happened. But I like how hard I had to work. I like that I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I liked that I had to navigate and find my way. And the journey was awesome.”

Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash just before 6:30 a.m. in the 6000 block of Interstate 10, which is located near Vance Jackson Road.

According to a preliminary report, SAPD said it received multiple calls about a silver Infiniti G35 stalled in the main lanes of I-10.

A Toyota Tundra crashed into the back of the silver Infiniti, police said. According to an SAPD officer on scene, the truck driver did not see the stalled vehicle in time to stop.

The truck driver remained on scene, called SAPD and assisted with the department’s crash investigation, the report states.

Police said the driver of the Infiniti, a male, was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine his identity, cause and manner of death.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the crash shut down the I-10 eastbound main lanes for approximately five hours.

SAPD said its investigation remains ongoing.

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Deputies responded to the shooting at approximately 2:30 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Crestway Road and Waterside Drive.

Upon arrival, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said deputies found a vehicle with multiple bullet holes in it. Two of the four people in the car were shot, the sheriff said.

A man in his 30s was pronounced dead at the scene, Salazar said. The man’s mother, who’s believed to be in her 50s, was taken to a local hospital for treatment after she was shot several times, according to the sheriff.

Salazar said the driver of the vehicle, a woman, fled from the scene on foot and has not been located.

“We don’t believe she (the driver) was actually the shooter,” Salazar said. “But she did flee the scene for whatever reason.”

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is currently deploying drones in a nearby wooded area to potentially locate her and determine whether she was injured.

Investigators are questioning a third woman in the vehicle who was not struck by gunfire.

The sheriff said deputies are searching for a newer model white Volvo SUV in connection with the shooting. Salazar believes the vehicle fled eastbound on Crestway Road toward Kitty Hawk Road.

The sheriff noted that approximately 10 rounds had come from the SUV.

Salazar said the sheriff’s office does not have a motive yet. Anyone with information on the shooting is encouraged to contact BCSO at 210-335-6000.

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The Ukrainian military said it hit an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, which is about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of the Ukrainian border and has a population of about 240,000.

Russian officials didn't say what the drones targeted, but the city is home to two refineries and a petrochemical plant. Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities with long-range drones almost daily in recent months. The campaign has caused fuel shortages in Russia, eaten into its refining capacity and unsettled the population.

Previous Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil with high death tolls have come in the border region of Belgorod. In December 2023, Ukrainian shelling of the region’s capital, also called Belgorod, killed 25 people and wounded over 100, local officials said. Five months later, a Belgorod apartment building partially collapsed after shelling, killing at least 13, according to Russian authorities.

Also on Monday, several Ukrainian drones sparked a fire at an industrial facility in the Tyumen region of western Siberia, said Gov. Alexander Moor, without offering any details.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces damaged part of a petrochemical complex in Tobolsk, in the Tyumen region. The plant produces rocket fuel components, aviation fuel, composite materials for drones and high-octane gasoline, it said in a Telegram post.

Last month, Ukrainian drones hit a refinery in Tyumen, more than 2,400 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) east of the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine says its strikes aim to push Russia into peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is trying to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and stop his full-scale invasion, launched in 2022. Russia is one of the world’s biggest energy producers.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck a Taneco oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, starting a fire.

The city came under a “massive” drone attack targeting industrial and civilian facilities, according to the press service of Tatarstan’s head, Rustam Minnikhanov.

One of the drones hit a hostel, killing nine of the 13 victims, including citizens of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, officials said. Uzbekistan’s consular office in Tatarstan said seven of its nationals were killed.

A child was among the dead, along with the 75 injured, the press service said, adding that Monday was declared a day of mourning in Tatarstan.

It was not possible to independently verify either side’s claims.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged foreign governments and international organizations to condemn Ukraine for the attacks.

Russia has also regularly battered Ukraine from the air using missiles, powerful glide bombs and drones, hitting civilian areas and causing thousands of civilian casualties, according to the United Nations. In the first six months of this year, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine, the U.N. office in Kyiv said last week. That was a 37% increase from the same period last year, it said.

A Russian glide bomb struck the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, injuring 24 people, authorities said Monday. The city is the capital of a region of the same name that is partly occupied by Russian forces.

The World Health Organization’s European office said that one of its warehouses in the central Dnipro region of Ukraine was hit twice in less than 24 hours. The attacks destroyed emergency supplies worth an estimated $500,000 that were intended for front-line health facilities, it said in a statement. No casualties were reported.

Ukraine's drones have struck deeper inside Russia

Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range drones have flown increasing distances deep inside Russia, with some now reaching Siberia, around 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the border.

“We do deliver entirely justified responses, and every Russian strike will be met with our response. Russia’s war will be felt more and more at their own home -– in Russia,” Zelenskyy said late Sunday on social media.

“The only reason this is still continuing is Russia’s unwillingness to end this war.”

As part of a parallel campaign to disrupt Russian military supply lines leading to the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Kyiv's forces struck road, rail and pontoon bridges in six regions last month, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

By repeatedly striking routes for fuel, ammunition and reinforcements, Ukrainian commanders say they have made Russian logistics slower, costlier and hard to organize. That has helped stall Russian advances and enabled Ukrainian counterattacks, they say.

Repairing the stricken refineries also is complicated for Russia. Ukraine’s attacks have damaged specialized equipment that is often imported, making repairs time-consuming and expensive as workarounds or replacements are sought by evading international sanctions.

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

Scores of firefighters, backed by 43 helicopters, have been deployed to battle wildfires that have burned more than 107,000 hectares (264,000 acres) of forests and other land across the Southeast Asian nation as of Monday, said Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago. Strengthening El Nino conditions have raised the risk of more forest and land fires during the peak dry season, he said.

East Java authorities said the largest blaze is burning in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province, where about 743 hectares (1,836 acres) have been scorched. Authorities have closed the park to visitors until further notice.

It said the fire has burned large areas of dry grassland, vegetation and protected edelweiss flowers as flames have spread to the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint for tourists visiting the volcanic landscape of Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia’s best-known attractions. No injuries or evacuations have been reported.

Cloud-seeding has been ruled out because of weather conditions

Chaniago said weather-modification, or cloud-seeding, operations are considered one of the most effective ways to help firefighters combat wildfires by inducing rainfall through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds.

However, the effort would be difficult to carry out because scientific monitoring “found no rain-bearing clouds suitable for weather-modification operations through Aug. 18,” Chaniago told a news conference Monday. He spoke after a meeting with related ministers and agency chiefs dealing with wildfires in the capital, Jakarta.

With cloud-seeding ruled out because of unfavorable weather conditions, “we are relying solely on water bombing and ground firefighting teams,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni while visiting Mount Bromo on Sunday. He urged the public to avoid activities that could spark new blazes, including discarding cigarette butts and clearing land by burning.

Wildfires have been reported in several of Indonesia’s most fire-prone regions, including 48,890 hectares (120,800 acres) of peatland that have burned in the provinces of Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, and Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, forcing regional authorities deployed over 48,000 firefighters and disaster personnel, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

The blaze has scorched about 540 hectares (1,300 acres) of peatland in Jambi alone, causing choking haze in some areas and raising concerns about worsening air quality. The largest fire has been reported in the village of Sungai Gelam in the Muaro Jambi district, where dozens of hectares (acres) of palm oil plantations owned by local residents have been destroyed.

More than 5,800 firefighters have been deployed to battle the fire in Jambi. Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated efforts, even with three helicopters conducting aerial firefighting operations.

Air quality deteriorates in neighboring Malaysia

Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strain relations with neighboring countries.

Malaysia has reported unhealthy air-quality levels in parts of Sarawak state on Borneo island, with officials saying winds were carrying smoke from hot spots in neighboring areas. In Singapore, authorities have warned that prevailing southeasterly winds could carry smoke toward the city-state, with dry conditions expected to prevail.

“We must uphold the nation’s credibility by showing that we can bring these fires under control,” Chaniago said.

Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said August and September are expected to be the most critical months as dry vegetation and strong winds create favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

Wildfires in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands, are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting.

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Karmini reported from Jakarta. Associated Press writers Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

A small fly has the potential to impart a big impact on Texas’ beef and agricultural industry.

On June 3, the New World screwworm was detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since then, the agency reported more screwworm infestations in Texas.

The fly poses a multibillion-dollar crisis for the state’s cattle industry, which generates $41 billion a year. It could also increase already record-high beef prices nationwide.

It’s unclear how many cases could hit Texas. Nearly 28,000 cases have been detected in Mexico since November 2024, according to Mexican officials.

State and federal officials are working together to stop the northern migration, which they have tracked since 2023. In response to the cases, USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission have ramped up animal surveillance of animals near the confirmed detections by setting up zones around each infestation. Animals are not allowed to leave infested areas without being properly inspected.

Officials are also increasing fly traps, surveillance of wildlife and releasing sterile flies, which are used to break the reproduction cycle of the parasitic screwworm fly.

What is New World Screwworm?

New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly that is attracted to living tissue, burrowing their larvae into open wounds. After they hatch, the maggots then feed off that living flesh, causing damage to the animal. If untreated, the damage can even cause the animal to die.

Screwworm can also burrow through openings in the skin, such as the corner of an eye or through the nose.

From a biological standpoint, all mammals are vulnerable to screwworm, including pets and humans. However, livestock and wildlife tend to be the most susceptible because they spend their entire lives outdoors.

Dogs and cats are vulnerable through small wounds or scratches that break the skin. Health officials recommend pets be medicated for fleas and ticks year-round, said Casey Locklear, veterinarian and parasiticides lead for Elanco Animal Health.

“As a pet owner, if you were to notice that your dog or cat had a wound, especially if it’s foul smelling, it’s enlarging, you may actually see the maggots,” Locklear said. “If you see a wound, get treatment early. Whether that’s for yourself or your pet, early treatment is key.”

Read more about the screwworm here.

Around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, the city’s police and fire departments were dispatched to Rio Vista Park for a water rescue.

The woman, identified as Denise Scioli of Austin, was underwater diving in the river, according to the city. She was taken to a hospital in San Marcos, where she later died.

Additional information was not immediately available.

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The announcement comes a few weeks after Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to a multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the U.S.

Taylor Fresh Foods said that it was pulling some products including jalapenos from stores shelves after finding out that Coast Citrus Distributors was voluntarily recalling fresh jalapeños due to a potential salmonella contamination.

Guacamole, pico de gallo and taco dip are some of the prepared foods included in the recall. The list of recalled products were distributed by Taylor Farms in multiple states with a “Best If Used By” date up to and including Aug. 16, 2026. The products were sold at stores including Kroger, Stop & Shop, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Walmart.

Taylor Fresh Foods said that the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working with state and local partners to investigate illnesses in a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections linked to fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors. The company said that a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, a supplier to Coast Citrus Distributors, was identified as the potential source in the outbreak.

Taylor Fresh Foods said that it is no longer sourcing products from the farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers. The company is currently not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapeños.

Consumers who have any recalled product are advised to discard it immediately and not eat it. Refunds are available at the location of purchase.

Consumers with any questions can contact Taylor at 855-455-0098 Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm PT.

Every major index notched a second straight week of gains, which included several fresh records. It marks a strong start to August following several weak months.

The S&P 500 rose 47.68 points, or 0.6%, to 7,757.64. That topped the all-time high it set on Tuesday. The benchmark index has been on a record run throughout the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 151.83 points, or 0.3%, to 54,036.93. That put it just short of the record it set on Wednesday. The Nasdaq composite rose 342.26 points, or 1.3%, to 26,690.62.

Technology stocks, with their big market values, did much of the heavy lifting for the broader market. They are often the heaviest weights determining the market’s direction. Nvidia jumped 2.3% and Broadcom rose 1.7%.

The bond market reacted more strongly to the weaker signal on the jobs market, which can be seen as allowing the Federal Reserve more time before raising interest rates to fight inflation.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.64% from 4.67% just prior to the jobs update. It was as low as 4.60% before recovering a bit.

The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action on interest rates, fell to 4.20% from 4.22% prior to the report's release. It was as low as 4.15% before edging back up.

“Although the stock market is likely to welcome the dovish implications of the report, investors should be wary of the future growth potential of an economy where fewer people are working,” said Peter Graf, chief investment officer at Amova Asset Management Americas, in a research note.

Overall, the report paints a dimmer picture of the jobs market, which has been one of the brighter areas of the economy amid rising inflation and worries about household spending. It included a revision to the figures for June and May that involved slashing a combined 103,000 jobs from payrolls for those months.

Eyes on the Fed's next move

The Fed has been holding interest rates steady amid worries about hotter inflation, fueled by a rise in oil prices because of the U.S. war with Iran. Wall Street expects at least one rate increase by the end of the year, with forecasts shifting for the next meeting. Expectations for a rate hike in September are down to 42%, from 55% on Thursday and from 67% a week ago, according to CME FedWatch.

A weakening jobs market could make matters more complicated for the Fed, which has to balance supporting job growth with fighting inflation. Raising interest rates can help tame inflation by slowing economic growth. A weaker jobs market, though, could become even shakier under higher interest rates as businesses find it more difficult to expand under increased borrowing rates.

Businesses, and Wall Street, prefer lower interest rates because it can help boost investments. That might bolster a weakened jobs market, but it could worsen already stubborn inflation.

Wall Street will get several important inflation updates next week. The most closely watched will be the consumer price index, or CPI, which measures costs for consumers. Wall Street expects it to show that inflation in July rose at a 3.4% rate, which would be a slight easing from the 3.5% rise in June. Inflation has held stubbornly above 3% for most of the year.

“Today’s weak payrolls print may ease the pressure on the Fed to raise rates at its September meeting, but next week’s inflation data will still likely be the deciding factor,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, in a research note.

The earnings picture

The jobs report caps a week dominated mostly by corporate earnings and concerns about the ongoing U.S. war with Iran.

Corporate earnings for the second quarter are on track for the strongest growth since 2021. Nearly 90% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported their results and analysts expect profit growth of 50% overall. That has helped allay some concerns on Wall Street about whether big gains for stocks in 2026 are justified. Strong profits help support those gains in stock values.

It was a light day for earnings as companies near the close of the latest round of reports.

Airbnb jumped 17.4% following the vacation-rental company's report late Thursday that showed stronger profit and revenue for its most recent quarter than analysts expected.

Oil prices gained ground. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.3% to $83.55 a barrel.

Rising oil prices have been behind hotter inflation. Prices were as high as $113 per barrel at one point during the now five-month U.S. war with Iran. That raised prices for gasoline and shipping for a wide range of products. The U.S. and Iran have both said they are working on deals that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas once passed through.

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Associated Press Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The meteor shower's peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade — though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality.

As many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour may be visible under ideal conditions, according to NASA. The American Meteor Society estimates 30 to 50 meteors per hour could be seen from rural regions.

Random meteors are visible in dark skies on any given night. Meteor showers tend to put on dazzling celestial shows and happen at predictable times every year when the Earth plows through trails of debris left behind by comets and, sometimes, asteroids. Those remnants collide with Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds, producing streaks of light known as shooting stars.

The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn't scheduled for a return visit until 2125. Observations of this meteor shower date back over 2,000 years.

The Perseids are a perennial favorite because they tend to produce brilliant fireballs. Summer temperatures also make this shower popular.

“We don't have to suffer through a cold winter night to get a good view of meteors,” said astronomer Zach Vanderbosch with McDonald Observatory in Texas.

The moon will be in its new moon phase during the Perseids' peak, making viewing conditions even better.

“The moon is beautiful, but it’s such a diva,” said astronomer Aparna Venkatesan with the University of San Francisco. “New moon means we don’t have moonlight flooding the sky, and you tend to see way more meteors as a result.”

To spot the meteors, go outside after dark, away from clouds and city lights. Venkatesan plans to drive to the Sierra Nevada.

The best views will be between midnight and dawn when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky. The meteors will appear to radiate from that constellation.

Look up and give your eyes a half hour to adjust to the darkness. Vanderbosch recommends picking a patch of sky to focus on until a quick, bright streak passes by — even in your peripheral vision — and to avoid looking at your phone.

“There's just something magical about it,” Vanderbosch said.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

National weather agency Météo-France is warning about temperatures approaching 40 C (104 F) from Tuesday onward in southeastern France. And in the U.K., an amber heat health alert for most of England will be in place beginning Tuesday as temperatures are forecast to climb to 36 C (96.8 F) later this week.

Across Europe, the extreme heat began in May and has contributed to major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.

Globally, so far this is the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But 2026 still has time to catch up. Thanks to the one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Nino — a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that leads to temperature variations around the globe — there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could become the hottest year on record, scientists said.

Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extrapolar oceans, or the oceans free of seasonal sea ice, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.

That was partially fueled by developing El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific, the service said. The new average record for July is 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), which beat the 2023 record of 20.89 C (69.60 F).

But last month’s average surface air temperature globally was 16.90 C (62.42 F), making it only the joint second warmest July on record, tied with July 2024, Copernicus reported.

Western Europe sets new record

In Western Europe, meanwhile, the average temperature record for the June-July period hit 21.62 C (70.92 F), Copernicus said, toppling the 2022 record.

“Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

“This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.”

In France alone, heat wave alerts were issued for the first time on record in May, when more than half the country recorded new monthly temperature highs. The heat intensified in June, a period during which at least 5,700 more deaths than usual were recorded, according to France’s public health agency.

Météo-France said June 23 was the hottest day ever recorded in the country. Temperatures climbed as high as 44.3 C (111.7 F) in the southwest.

Two other heat wave episodes were recorded in July, amplifying a historic wildfire in southwestern France that forced 220,000 people to flee their homes in one of the continent’s biggest evacuation efforts since World War II.

Spain battles wildfires

Temperatures were slightly cooler in the U.K. on Monday but the country readied for its fifth heat wave in an exceptionally hot and dry summer, with half of England and all of Wales plunged into drought.

Provisional data show that England and Wales have had their driest July in records dating back to 1836, with 19 counties of England seeing no rain for the entire month.

The heat alert warns that significant impacts on health services, including a rise in deaths among older and vulnerable people, are likely.

Two record-breaking heat waves in May and June led to more than 2,800 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures.

An 18-year-old died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Camber Sands beach in southern England on Sunday, the latest of dozens of deaths recorded in open waters in recent months.

In Spain, firefighters were battling multiple blazes, including one that broke out on Friday in Tírig, Valencia, that has burned more than 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) and has involved more than 300 personnel and 21 aircraft to combat it.

A separate wildfire in the southern Huelva region had affected a similar sized area since it broke out on Thursday. While temperatures across Spain remained high, some parts of the country were expecting thunderstorms Monday afternoon that could bring strong gusts of wind.

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Dazio reported from Berlin. Sylvia Hui in London and Suman Naishadham in Madrid contributed to this report.

The primaries come a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s divisive and costly U.S. Senate primary. El-Sayed's victory has energized the left while stoking fears among Democratic Party leaders that the shift to the left, particularly in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, will make it more difficult to win in November.

Wisconsin's chaotic primary pits progressive against governor's pick

In Wisconsin, democratic socialist Francesca Hong is trying to win a four-way Democratic primary for governor where her top opponent has been endorsed by popular Gov. Tony Evers, who isn't seeking a third term.

Evers got behind Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on July 18, the same day Crowley reentered the race after dropping out 10 days earlier. Crowley rejoined after the candidate he backed, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, ended her candidacy amid a campaign finance scandal.

Evers and Crowley were crisscrossing the state together in the last days before final ballots are cast Tuesday.

Evers and more establishment Democrats were hoping to finally coalesce around Crowley in the final days of the chaotic primary that saw two other candidates drop out, most notably former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes on July 29.

Barnes and Rodriguez, who were both seen as potential front-runners, remain on the ballot and absentee votes already cast for them can’t be undone.

Republicans are spending to influence the Democratic primary

Republicans are putting money behind Hong, thinking she will be the better matchup for Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. The Republican Governors Association has spent nearly $3.6 million through its Right Direction Wisconsin PAC on ads contrasting Hong with President Donald Trump and playing up her liberal policies.

Crowley and other Democrats argue the ads are meant to bolster Hong's standing in the primary because Republicans see her as the easier opponent.

Evers projected confidence at a rally that attracted hundreds of people in Hong’s hometown of Madison on Sunday night, saying Crowley was the best chance Democrats had to defeat Tiffany.

“We’re going to win this thing,” Evers said, telling the Crowley supporters that Tiffany would be “the worst governor in the history of Wisconsin.”

“If Tom Tiffany wins in November that will be like electing Donald Trump as governor of the state of Wisconsin,” he said.

Crowley urged Democrats to come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.

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

Tiffany, one of the most conservative members of Congress, is endorsed by Trump.

The president called Hong a communist in remarks on Wednesday, where he mentioned a 2020 social media post by Hong calling for Thanksgiving to be canceled. Asked about the post this week, Hong reversed herself and said that Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday.

Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 and 2024, and Republicans have held majorities in both chambers of the Legislature since 2011. Holding onto the governor's office is key to Wisconsin Democrats' effort to gain full control of state government for the first time in 16 years.

In the race to replace Tiffany, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso is in a five-person Republican primary. Alfonso, who is trying to represent Duffy's old congressional district, has Trump's endorsement.

Minnesota primary comes in wake of immigration enforcement surge

In neighboring Minnesota, voters are choosing between moderate U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a Democratic U.S. Senate primary that’s playing out in the aftermath of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in the state.

The race has been shaped by the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, confrontations that were caught on camera and fueled a backlash to Trump’s immigration policies.

Both Craig and Flanagan spent the weekend traversing the Twin Cities metro area.

In a driveway in suburban Eagan on Sunday, Craig spoke to the angst among Democratic primary voters who feel that Washington isn’t working for them. Members of Congress need to stop trading stocks and becoming lobbyists when they leave office, she said, and the U.S. needs to restrict the flood of corporate campaign spending.

“But the only way we pass any of the progressive policies that all of us here support is by winning elections and taking damn majorities,” she said.

Unlike in Wisconsin, where the incumbent governor has endorsed a candidate in the race to succeed him, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has not gotten involved in the Senate primary. But his wife, Gwen Walz, has endorsed Craig and campaigned with her on Sunday.

Flanagan campaigned Saturday with U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, who helped her make the case that Washington needs a shake-up to root out the deep-pocketed forces propping up a broken status quo.

“It is big corporations, it’s special interests who are putting their thumb on the scale in our elections across the country,” Flanagan said. “And it’s not just Republicans. It’s Democrats, too.”

The race has been one of the most expensive Minnesota has seen, with millions of dollars backing both candidates, but disproportionately falling in Craig’s favor.

Whoever wins the primary will be the front-runner to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in November. Minnesota voters haven’t elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006.

Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, is a top Republican candidate in the governor's race. He's endorsed by Trump, and he was a prominent promoter of falsehoods about election fraud. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in a six-person primary on the Democratic side.

Democratic struggles also on display in other states' primaries Tuesday

Two veteran Democratic incumbents in Connecticut face challenges from the left.

Moderate Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is running for a third term but faces progressive state Rep. Josh Elliott. The Democratic nominee will face Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio in November.

Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson, 78, is running for a 15th term and his age and health have been major issues in the four-person race.

Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin narrowly won the party's endorsement at its state convention in May. Other candidates are Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.

In Vermont, two Democrats are running in for a chance to take on Republican Gov. Phil Scott.

Former child advocacy organization CEO Aly Richards boasts endorsements from former Democratic Govs. Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. She faces economist Amanda Janoo.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Maj. Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, one of Ukraine’s most prominent commanders among a new generation of soldiers, said his forces could strike seven times more military targets in Crimea if the money pledged by Western allies came faster.

“Crimea falls within the key conceptual pillars on the path to ending the war,” Brovdi told The Associated Press in an interview.

Despite that shortfall, Ukraine’s summer campaign in Crimea has already inflicted significant damage: striking rail bridges, oil depots and power infrastructure to disrupt supply lines and blind Russian air defenses as drones fly in.

Brovdi said his forces are equipped at just 14% of what they would need to carry out the Crimea campaign at full capacity.

A firm believer in numbers since his past life running an international grain trading business, Brovdi joined Ukraine’s territorial defense as a volunteer in the war’s opening days. He rose quickly, commanding one of the country’s most effective drone brigades before being tapped to lead a force with no precedent before this war — Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

“It’s not that the production capacity of Ukrainian manufacturers doesn’t allow us to make the necessary quantities” of drones, Brovdi said. “It’s the banal problem of untimely financing, which our partners do allocate, but which moves significantly slower than our plans.”

A lover of the arts

A devoted patron of the arts, Brovdi's underground command post resembles a museum, with pieces of Ukrainian art on display, including by renowned painter Maria Prymachenko — each with small placards noting their titles and a QR code linking to more information. “Please don’t touch the sculpture,” reads a sign beneath one piece.

The artwork sits against a backdrop of dozens of screens streaming live footage from the front, along with real-time data that drives decisions on the battlefield. Soldiers can grab good coffee, pick a book, work out or rest in sleeping pods — a culture that feels closer to a Silicon Valley office than a war room.

They work around the clock to try to prevent Crimea from functioning as a staging ground for the Russian military, said Brovdi, whose call sign, Magyar, nods to his ethnic Hungarian roots in Zakarpattia, the western Ukrainian region bordering Hungary.

He pointed to one sign of progress — in four recent large-scale Russian missile barrages from the peninsula, only five missiles were launched in total, a drop he credited to the systematic destruction of Russian air defenses there. The AP couldn’t independently verify the claim.

To open that “window” for drones to strike the peninsula without being shot down en masse, his forces destroyed more than 300 air defense assets over recent months — surface-to-air systems, radar stations, electronic warfare equipment.

The window metaphor sends him into a sidetrack about something personal — he loves sleeping with one open, a pleasure he rarely gets anymore as one of Russia’s most hunted men, who spends most of his time in underground bunkers.

Forcing Russia out of Crimea

Much of Russia's Soviet-era air defense hardware runs on the power grid, which is one of the reasons Crimea's electrical infrastructure has become a recurring target. Russian soldiers become “blind,” left with just machine guns and rifles, he said. The tactic has also impacted access to power for civilians, and Brovdi said he has twice publicly apologized to Ukrainians living in Crimea for the disruptions.

Wherever Starlink connectivity reaches across Crimea, his forces can now destroy even the most heavily defended target using an average of just three drones, mixing munitions with different characteristics and warheads depending on what’s being hit. He described the strikes as deliberately calibrated — different munitions for a bridge pier than for a fuel truck or a moving train — and said his forces avoid hitting civilian infrastructure.

“Creating conditions that make it impossible for any kind of military capability … to remain there will make Crimea uninteresting ... as a military staging ground,” he said.

Ukraine is also working to dismantle Crimea’s role as a naval base — a blow to Russia’s presence near NATO’s borders, he added.

The campaign’s early results have not been made public, Brovdi said. But roughly two weeks into the offensive that began in late June, he said Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russian authorities had ordered all military commands and security services to relocate off the peninsula, along with a covert order to remove secret archives and artworks. The AP could not independently verify the account.

Threats from Russia

Meanwhile, Russia is working to counter Ukraine’s edge. It is installing jamming systems at a scale that will, to some degree, degrade Starlink connectivity, Brovdi said.

Russia is also building its own satellite communications system to rival Starlink, he said. “This is a risk for the entire planet,” Brovdi said, “because a dictatorship will gain access to information across the whole globe.”

He also pointed to other threats facing Ukraine. The concentration of jet-powered Shahed drones, which are much harder for Ukraine to shoot down, has increased two and a half times in recent weeks, he said.

Russia's military can currently fire a simultaneous salvo of 77 ballistic and cruise missiles, he said, and plans to increase that to 200. That is one of Ukraine’s most vulnerable points, since the country is running short of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot — the only system Ukraine has in its arsenal against ballistic missiles — meaning dozens fired by Russia during mass barrages get through and hit their targets.

“Even if they only manage half of that, it will all be flying at us,” Brovdi said. The only way to bring the number down, he said, is by striking every facility involved in producing those missiles — underscoring the importance of Ukraine’s long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Ukraine's plan for Russia's Wildberries

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace sometimes described as the country’s answer to Amazon, and Brovdi named it as a target.

“Wildberries is, first of all, a supply platform — it’s the war’s quartermaster,” he said, noting the company runs a dedicated section selling goods for Russia’s military.

The Kremlin has denied the site supplies the Russian military and has accused Ukraine of striking civilian targets. Russia regularly attacks Ukrainian logistics and retail facilities.

At the same time, Brovdi said, the strikes on Wildberries are meant to make ordinary Russians feel the war directly, in hopes the resulting desire to end it could weigh on Russia’s ability to keep fighting.

Brovdi declined to give a timeline for the Wildberries campaign, saying only that the strikes will continue “until it becomes impossible for it to recover quickly.”

“Ultimately, Wildberries is, forgive the expression, a consumer gambling addiction,” he said, arguing that losing access to it — like restrictions on social media — creates an intrusion on one's personal life that most Russians feel.

“It turned out to be a sensitive sensor of the comfort of Russia’s massive population — people who consider themselves completely untouched by the actions of the aggressor country,” he said.

———

This story was updated to clarify that Russia can fire salvos of both cruise and ballistic missiles. An earlier version mentioned only ballistic missiles.

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AP reporters Vasilisa Stepanenko in eastern Ukraine and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv contributed.

These are bioplastic pellets. CJ Biomaterials ferments sugar to make plant-based polymers that microbes will consume. These alternatives to traditional plastics made of fossil fuels are seen by some as one of many solutions needed to confront global plastic pollution.

At the company's Woburn research facility, lab technicians recently poured pellets into a molding machine to make forks. The test forks were thin enough for home composting, though too bendy for stabbing a steak. Other batches have been rigid, similar to a typical plastic fork. The technicians melted pellets to roll out flexible films for food packaging, like a bag for baby carrots. The film was quite strong but not stretchy like cling wrap.

They are figuring out how their biopolymers can make products with attributes similar to conventional plastics, but that can go in a composting bin instead of a trash can. Forks and films are breaking down in the lab's compost bin. Straws that were added are long gone. A recently tossed-in knife showed pitting on the surface as bacteria colonized it, starting to consume the material.

Plastics have never really fundamentally been disrupted. Now, interest in bioplastic is growing because of concern over microplastics. It’s the new “wild card” in this market, said the company’s marketing director Leah Ford.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and the compostability has always been a really strong driver. But with the greater understanding of microplastics, I think, that’s going to change how people think about materials,” she said.

Traditional plastics last for decades or even centuries as they fragment into harmful microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics. Microplastics have been found in the ocean and the air, in our food and water, and in a wide range of body tissues. The Trump administration, while rolling back many environmental regulations, says it will address contamination from microplastics.

The most common use for bioplastics is packaging

Bioplastics are biobased, meaning they are made completely or partially from a renewable resource, commonly corn or sugar cane; or they are biodegradable, meaning that they break down completely via a natural process. They can also be both, like the polymers made by CJ Biomaterials. It’s a leader in manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs, as a polymer that is marine and soil biodegradable.

CJ Biomaterials is trying to replace conventional plastics that are single use or can’t be recycled when contaminated with food scraps. Food waste decomposing in landfills emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas that warms the planet. A container made of pellets from CJ Biomaterials with food scraps could be sent to a composter, unlike a traditional plastic container.

The Woburn lab's shelves display the company’s successes: compostable cutlery; straws; coated cups for hot beverages and frozen food pouches used in the United States; sushi trays; ramen containers; and reusable paper towels. Lab employees dine with compostable cutlery, drink from compostable cups and make coffee with compostable pods. These products last on shelves because they are not exposed to microorganisms in water or soil.

CJ Biomaterials feeds sugar to microbes that convert it to PHA for energy. The company collects the PHA and turns it into granules. Pellets of this are then sold to other companies that can melt them down and mold them into products. These same bacteria will consume PHA in a compost pile, breaking it down within six months, Ford said.

CJ Biomaterials is part of the $32 billion South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. It has been producing PHA at a manufacturing facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, since 2022.

One solution with potential to help address the plastic pollution crisis

World Wildlife Fund sees biobased plastics as part of a suite of solutions that are needed. They can reduce the world’s dependency on fossil fuels that cause climate change, said Erin Simon, a WWF vice president. She said the world needs to reduce the amount of plastic being produced, then make the rest sustainably.

Nations are trying to confront the spiraling plastic pollution crisis by crafting a landmark treaty. They have yet to agree on any effective methods to stop plastic pollution, though negotiators plan to meet again early next year.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has held congressional hearings on plastic pollution, including one exploring alternatives for single-use plastics. He also views bioplastics as one option with potential, among many that are needed. But, he said, more information is needed about how they break down and impact ecosystems and health.

Environmental groups, including the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, argue that bioplastics maintain the single-use paradigm and distract from real solutions. Some say farmland shouldn't be used to grow crops for plastic instead of food.

Bioplastics are a small, but growing, share of the market

Globally, biobased plastics represent roughly 0.5% of the more than 400 million metric tons (440 million tons) of plastics produced annually, according to the industry group European Bioplastics. Production is projected to double by 2030 due to rising demand and the emergence of more advanced applications and products, it said.

China, Sweden and the United States are major exporters of natural polymers.

Large sports stadiums and major restaurant chains such as McDonald's are experimenting with biobased packaging and utensils. The Tous les Jours bakery, part of the CJ Group, uses PHA straws.

There are obstacles to widespread adoption. Bioplastics typically cost more than conventional plastics. Major cities have municipal composting programs, but they are limited elsewhere. A growing number of composting facilities accept compostable bioplastic products, though some refuse out of concern about degraded soil quality. And because bioplastics and conventional plastics often look and feel identical, they can be mixed up and cause problems for composters.

Thirty minutes from the Woburn research lab, Black Earth Compost accepts certified compostable materials. On Monday, compostable cups, cutlery and bin liners were mixed in with a delivery of food scraps and lobster shells. Accepting bioplastics increases the amount of food scraps they receive because people can put an entire compostable container into an organics bin, instead of scraping food out.

Research organization tests biomaterials

The 5 Gyres Institute tested 22 items made of traditional plastic, biobased and biodegradable materials and other alternatives, such as paper and bamboo. Straws, utensils, thin film and bottles were put in different environments across Florida, California and Maine. By the end of the 64-week study, many of the biodegradable materials were gone, or were pitted and cracked as they fragmented. Traditional fossil fuel-based plastics persisted.

Marcus Eriksen, the institute’s co-founder and a researcher, said the synthetic plastic spoon was almost the same as when he first put it in the ocean, but little was left of the spoons made from biodegradable materials.

The California-based nonprofit released the results in 2023. It's currently repeating the study to evaluate end-of-life scenarios for the new generation of packaging.

Eriksen thinks people should use biodegradable options, especially for packaging. Otherwise, he said, “we’re going to flood the entire biosphere with micro- and nanoplastics.”

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

BELLS — Last year, Mason McCallister saw survey markers on a property near his home in a rural community about an hour north of Dallas. He suspected it might be for a new data center he’d heard about from a neighbor.

But information hasn’t come easy. He found no project announcements and saw nothing on county agendas. Several local officials told him they knew nothing of the project.

The 34-year-old realtor searched property records. He knocked on neighbors’ doors to ask what they knew. His wife, also a realtor, asked the surveyors who was buying the land, and his grandma chased a neighbor down at church to ask if he sold his property.

Eventually, McCallister mapped companies contracting with landowners all around him including Black Mountain, an energy and digital infrastructure group based in Fort Worth. He dug up a permit for a power plant from a company with the same address as Black Mountain, indicating the data center could build its own power source.

Mason McCallister goes over a map he made designating what he believes is land that could be developed into a data center, marked in orange, in Bells on March 10, 2026. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Heather McCallister kisses her horse, Delilah, at her home in Bells on March 10, 2026. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Then in March, after months of searching for answers, McCallister drove 100 miles to a town hall in the Fort Worth area where he learned Black Mountain’s CEO, Rhett Bennett, would be speaking about a different project.

After the presentation, McCallister confronted the CEO and got his confirmation: Yes, Black Mountain was exploring a data center near his home.

“Deep down I was always hoping that I was wrong,” said McCallister, after getting his answer.

Helen Collins Epps asks attendees at a town hall to raise their hands if they live within the neighboring areas of the Black Mountain data center project the company is pursuing in the Fort Worth area. The meeting, held in March, was designed to show the current site plan to Forest Hill and Fort Worth residents. Many residents said they left with their questions and concerns unanswered. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Mason McAllister speaks to CEO of Black Mountain Power LLC Rhett Bennett after a town hall at a Best Western Plus hotel in Forest Hill on March 11, 2026. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

As data center proposals are popping up across Texas, local residents have grown increasingly frustrated by how difficult it can be to get information about the projects that they say threaten to disrupt their communities. Armies of concerned neighbors, such as McCallister, have become their own private detectives in search of signs or confirmation about data center plans in lieu of public disclosures, pestering local officials at meetings or in the grocery store and sharing their findings across Facebook groups with thousands of members.

“Knowledge is power, right?” said McCallister, whose family has owned the property in Bells for roughly 150 years. “Everyone’s being so quiet about it, and everyone’s being so secret about it. If it was so good for the community, they would be screaming it from the rooftops.”

Black Mountain officials declined comment.

Homeowners aren’t the only ones operating in the dark. Local officials say they’ve been blindsided by data center projects or asked to consider approval without adequate information. For example, The Texas Tribune reported that Hood County was sued by a data center developer after they rejected a concept plan, citing lack of information about where the facility would draw its water from.

In other cases, nondisclosure agreements prevent local officials who are negotiating deals with companies from sharing what they know. In other cases, tech giants use shell companies to shield their identity in public filings.

Oftentimes, locals and even county officials say they don’t learn of the project until it’s too late to try to stop it. Indeed, officials with Crusoe, a developer building a massive data center in Abilene, shared in a presentation to state electric grid officials this year that local outreach typically begins after securing land, contractor selection and financing begin.

At least 34 Texas counties have formally called on the state to make more information available, including Grayson County where McCallister lives, according to a tracker kept by Public Citizen, an advocacy organization which has worked with grassroots data center opposition groups.

“Nothing in no way, shape, form or fashion has ever been presented to the government of Grayson County,” said county Commissioner Art Arthur. “I don’t know that there has to be. That’s the scary part.”

Residents spoke at a Taylor City Council meeting in June about a data center project they worry will overconsume water and power and cause air and noise pollution. An organizer of the opposition group, Halt Taylor Data Centers Coalition, has said they need easier access to water and power information. Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

Community members gathered for a potluck hosted by Halt Taylor Data Centers Coalition at Heritage Park across from Taylor City Hall before the June meeting where they presented a petition opposing the data center. “Because they’re just going to take, if no one puts a limit on them,” said Sarah Winters, an organizer with the Halt Taylor Data Centers Coalition. Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

Meanwhile, state leaders are calling for tougher laws in the coming legislative session to make data centers report more information.

Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott called to halt approvals for data centers seeking to connect to the state’s grid until state regulators and the grid operator can audit them.

In an Aug. 3 letter that reinforced how even the state is struggling to get information from data centers, Abbott said proposals should be denied unless they provide details on tax breaks the data center companies will receive, power use and generation, water use and cooling operations, efforts to reduce impacts on local communities and ownership of the facility.

This comes as Texas is rivaling Virginia as the new national leader in data centers fueling an artificial intelligence boom. The Texas Tribune reported there are at least 248 data center projects planned in the state. Those projects were identified in part by combining databases compiled by companies that track the industry, as the state does not publicly track data center development.

Data center companies say they are sharing information and trying to make it easier for the public to see their environmental impact. Google publishes site-specific water consumption for its data centers annually. Microsoft has a Texas fact sheet touting its creation of more than 500 jobs, commitment to renewable energy and efforts to lower light pollution. Crusoe in a statement said it was investing in “earlier and more consistent community engagement,” such as through blog posts, local liaisons and open houses.

Data center developers say they are taking steps to communicate with the public. Developer EdgeConneX holds a third town hall in June in Bastrop County regarding data centers under construction in the county, at the Bastrop County Community Center on June 18, 2026. Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

The EdgeConneX Cedar Creek Campus under construction in Cedar Creek on June 18, 2026. Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, the largest industry trade group, said their main concern when it comes to transparency measures is market rivalry.

“This is a very competitive industry, and the technology moves very fast,” Diorio said. “Your technology, related to cooling, related to electricity use and efficiency, is going to be your competitive edge in the marketplace.”

Tracy Hester, an environmental law professor at the University of Houston, said data centers don’t appear to be more secretive than any other major private industry. But transparency has become a heightened issue because of the nature of how new the industry feels and how widely the resource-intensive facilities are proliferating all at once.

He compared it to the fracking boom in the 2010s, when the industry faced heavy blowback from environmental activists and local residents over water usage and pollution concerns. The industry ultimately made concessions such as agreeing to disclose what chemicals they use but not the exact concentrations.

“The velocity and the scale is what’s the issue; it’s not the nature of the operation,” Hester said. “That does make the seams show, but that’s not just because it’s a data center, because they have a special ticket, it’s just they’re moving really fast, and the system’s straining to keep up.”

NDAs and Shell Companies

Julie Waters, a Dallas attorney, felt alarmed to learn of a data center planned in her hometown of Crowell, a 600-person town in North Texas where her parents still live. The local utility is already at Stage Four water restrictions for her area, meaning each resident must decrease their daily use by 40% and refrain from using sprinklers, washing cars and filling pools.

“We need to know how they are going to affect our water, how they’re going to affect our electricity, how they’re going to affect our health, and what’s going to happen to our agricultural land,” said Waters, who created a Facebook group called “Texans United Against Data Centers” that boasts more than 35,000 members. “You know, what’s going to happen to the cattle, what’s going to happen to the crops. So that’s why transparency is so key.”

Data centers can consume millions of gallons of water per year, necessary to cool their equipment. But publicly available information about their water consumption is often difficult to find.

There is no uniform reporting system for data center water usage in Texas, so a resident in search of information about a data center’s water use would have to know which entity has oversight. That could be a local utility, river authority, groundwater district or city.

Even then, entities might not disclose what they have. Municipal water providers have declined requests in some instances, citing a section of the Texas Utilities Code that allows it to shield an individual customer’s account.

In Crowell, Waters learned that the water agency called the Red River Authority in February signed a nondisclosure agreement with one potential developer, a copy of which was reviewed by the Tribune. The agency’s general manager, Fabian Heaney, said it’s rare that he’s asked to sign those, but the company had argued it was necessary because their proposal contained “proprietary technical information,” so he agreed.

Heaney said the authority denied the developer’s application in May because it did not have enough water available, but if the proposal had moved forward, it would have gone before the board in a public meeting.

“They’re trying to see if we have water available, and we’re just trying to see if we can provide it,” Heaney said. “But we’re not trying to hide anything.”

Diorio, the data center coalition official, said NDAs are “very common practice in economic development,” especially during initial phases like site selection.

“You have that NDA on the front end to say, ‘Hey, let’s protect this information now, because we’re not even sure if we’re going to develop here,’” he said, adding that local officials have reported to them that NDAs allow them to have more information in their decision-making process without compromising a company’s proprietary information.

In Hood County, county commissioners in 2025 approved a letter of support for waiving property taxes for a company whose identity and project details had not been publicly disclosed. An economic development official for the city of Granbury told commissioners that she was under a nondisclosure agreement and could not answer their questions about the company, according to county meeting minutes. The letter was unanimously rescinded in January after public outcry.

Similarly, the local incentive agreement for the enormous Meta data center in Fort Worth was approved before the tech giant’s identity was publicly known, as city and economic leaders said they were barred by a nondisclosure agreement from discussing any details.

“There’s now an incentive to conceal the fact that a project is a data center as long as that is practically possible because the sooner it’s known as a data center project, the likelier organized local opposition becomes,” said Adrian Shelley, director of the Texas office for Public Citizen.

Brandon Shelby, an economic development lawyer who frequently consults for cities, said officials need to be able to negotiate in private with companies to get the best deal for taxpayers.

“Every single economic development project in the state of Texas has some level of confidentiality,” Shelby said, adding that NDAs are common practice. “Nothing would get done without it.”

An operations engineer leads a media tour of Meta’s Temple Data Center on July 22, 2026. Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

This spring, Microsoft, one of the largest data center operators in the U.S., facing a backlash, announced it would cease the use of the agreements “to allow for greater transparency moving forward.”

Shelby added that while Texas law allows local governments to negotiate economic development and real property deals in private, they must put them on public meeting agendas and vote on them in public.

But sometimes those companies shield their identities on those public votes, and on state records, by registering under shell companies.

For example, Meta negotiated multimillion-dollar tax abatements for their massive data centers in both Fort Worth and El Paso under shell companies called Winner, LLC and Wurldwide, LLC. Both are registered in Delaware where companies are not required to disclose their owners.

Meta declined to comment on the reason for its use of such companies.

County leaders have said they feel pressure to sign tax agreements because they feel it’s the only way they can get leverage to force companies to divulge specifics.

“I don’t believe that counties or our taxpayers – I don’t believe that they should have to use … tax abatement agreements to get that information,” said Delta County Judge Tanner Crutcher, whose commissioners court passed a resolution in March opposing abatements for data centers. “That is information that we need to look at in the Legislature to understand how we can address that without having to offer financial incentives.”

Texas Director for Public Citizen Adrian Shelley waits to assist people to testify against data center water use and conservation before testifying before the Natural Resource Committee at the Texas Capitol on June 23, 2026. Aiden Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune

Jenna Madrigal and Angie Meza compare testimonies relating to data center water use and conservation before speaking to the Natural Resource Committee on June 23, 2026. Aiden Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune

State information gaps

State agencies are also facing gaps in what they know about data centers.

The Texas Water Development Board, the state agency that oversees the state’s water planning, since 2020 has asked for monthly water use information from data centers that use at least 10 million gallons annually. Although reporting is required by law, compliance has been low – less than one-fifth of 341 data centers responded in 2025, according to records.

The Public Utility Commission, the agency that oversees the state’s power grid operator, as well as its water utilities, this year conducted a separate, voluntary water use survey. The commission contacted 377 facilities but only heard from a fraction of them. The commission reopened the survey for 10 days in July. It is seeking to withhold the results from the Tribune and has requested an attorney general opinion on the matter.

Abbott said that the limited response from the industry prompted him to initiate the pause on data center approvals, writing in his letter that the lack of information “hinders your ability to make fully informed decisions.”

After previously celebrating Texas becoming a destination for AI infrastructure, Abbott in June started cracking down on the industry, calling for increased regulation, a repeal of a state sales tax break for data centers and new requirements that data centers report electricity and water usage data annually to regulators.

The Senate Finance Committee listens to invited testimony regarding previously authorized tax breaks for data centers on July 27, 2026. Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

Texas lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration at the lack of data available to them.

“If you want to do business in Texas, you say you want to be a good actor, that’s great, we invite that,” state Rep. Mary González, a Democrat from Clint, said at a panel discussion hosted by the Tribune. “But you need to be able to at least tell us how much water and how much electricity you’re going to use. Because we need to be able to plan as a state. And without that information, you just leave us with a huge gap.”

But not all information collected by the state and operators of the power grid is available to the public.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state grid operator, has a lot of information that residents want, including how much power a project could use, where it’s being built and who is building it. But ERCOT considers project-level data private. Instead, ERCOT only shares aggregate power consumption data with the public.

The state also doesn’t share data about the value of state sales tax exemptions offered to individual data centers, citing state law that allows proprietary information to be withheld. In total, the tax break will cost Texas more than $3.2 billion over the next two years.

The governor did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Tribune about whether the reporting he called for from data centers would be available to the public or just state government.

The search goes on

Mason McCallister meets with people who traveled from across the state to show their opposition to data center development at the Red River Roll Call, a Republican rally hosted by state Rep. Shelley Luther in Sherman on July 27, 2026. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Back in North Texas, McCallister is still checking records every other day to monitor new developments on the properties around his home. He receives notifications of every environmental permit approved in his and the neighboring county. He pesters politicians.

McCallister feels desperate to find the one piece of information that will reveal some way to slow the project. He wakes every day thinking, “Today’s the day I’m going to find it.”

Concern for his family’s legacy and the community’s future motivates him.

Here, on Legacy Farms, McCallister’s wife keeps her beloved horses, his young daughters ride a miniature off-road vehicle and the whole family visits mamaw next door. They fear the noise, lights and health impacts from air pollution that living by a data center could bring.

Mason McCallister attends the Red River Roll Call, a Republican rally hosted by Texas Rep. Shelley Luther, in Sherman on July 27, 2026. McAllister invited over 100 people from across the state to show Texas politicians that many Texans are concerned about the rapid growth of data centers and want to pause further development. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the Red River Roll Call, a Republican rally hosted by Texas Rep. Shelley Luther in Sherman on July 27, 2026. Nearly 100 people showed up as part of the Save Rural Texas group traveling from all over the state to show their state leaders that they want to pause further development of data centers. Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

McCallister’s advocacy galvanized others. Last month, roughly 100 people went to a local Republican rally. Many wore bright red shirts emblazoned with “SAVE RURAL TEXAS” and “PAUSE AI DATA CENTERS.” Abbott recognized them from the stage, McCallister said.

“Them doing it in secret for so long, they control the narrative,” McCallister said of data center operators. “They can get all their ducks in a row before anarchy happens.”

“I’m taking that away from them.”

Alejandra Martinez and Paul Cobler contributed to this reporting.

Disclosure: Facebook, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Public Citizen and University of Houston have been financial supporters 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 Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Deputies responded to the single-vehicle crash on Saturday at Camp Fimfo Texas Hill Country, which is located near Farm-to-Market 306 on private property in New Braunfels.

According to a preliminary report, one person was airlifted to a hospital for further treatment. Two others were also taken to area hospitals.

At this time, their conditions are unknown. Deputies did not provide additional information on what led to the crash.

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

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The Irish Air Corps plane carrying Daniel Kinahan, 49, landed at an airport on the outskirts of Dublin on Sunday evening after courts in Dubai refused to block his extradition.

Kinahan was taken to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin where he was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organization. He was ordered to remain in custody at the high-security Portlaoise Prison about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of the capital. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 5.

Ireland’s Special Criminal Court handles all organized crime and terrorism cases, as well as others where prosecutors believe the ordinary courts are inadequate to ensure the “effective administration of justice.” Cases are heard by a panel of three judges without a jury.

Large security operation for Kinahan's transfer to Dublin

Irish media reported that a huge security operation was underway to ensure Kinahan faces justice. It included armed police, members of the armed forces and the prison service — which recently acquired a bombproof escort van to transport organized crime suspects, terrorists and other high-risk prisoners, Irish broadcaster RTE reported.

The security precautions came after Kinahan's family members were linked to a bloody gang war with another Irish organized crime group. U.S. authorities said in 2022 that the feud had resulted in 18 murders as they announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the disruption of the Kinahan organization or the arrest and conviction of Daniel Kinahan.

“Since February 2016, the (Kinahan Organized Crime Group) has been involved in a gang war with another group in Ireland and Spain, resulting in numerous murders, including of two innocent bystanders,” the U.S. Treasury Department said when it sanctioned six members of the Kinahan gang and three businesses linked to it.

Irish police, with the help of authorities in Britain, Spain and the U.S., have been pursuing members of the Kinahan gang since at least 2016, when the feud led to a daytime shooting during the weigh-in for a boxing match at a Dublin hotel. Kinahan was a boxing promoter at the time.

The authorities allege the gang smuggled tens of millions of dollars in illegal drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, as well as guns into Europe, then used a network of apparently legitimate enterprises to launder the profits.

‘Large quantities of cocaine’ from South America

Kinahan is believed to have run the day-to-day operations of the gang from his base in Dubai, the U.S. Treasury said. That includes buying “large quantities of cocaine” from South America, organizing its distribution in Ireland and attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.K., Treasury said.

Kinahan has also instructed gang members to deliver money to a number of people in prison, including one who was convicted of attempting to murder someone on behalf of the organization, the agency said.

He was detained by Dubai authorities in April on an Irish arrest warrant.

During a phone interview with Scottish podcaster James English last week, Kinahan denied being an organized crime boss and described himself as the victim of a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation. While he said the extradition proceedings were expedited due to a deal between the Irish and Dubai governments, he said he hoped his trial in Dublin would help clear his name.

“I believe, in a way, I am a scapegoat,” he said in the interview posted on TikTok. "And anyone that looks into this so-called feud that they say they have created, then you will see, you will see things yourself if someone has the time to look into it.”

In March 2022, the head of the Kinahan organization in Britain, Thomas “Bomber” Kavanagh, was sentenced to 21 years in prison after he was convicted of orchestrating drug shipments into the U.K. Two other men were sentenced to 20 years and 19 1/2 years for their part in the crimes.

In the course of their investigation, police found 15 kilograms of cocaine and 220 kilograms of cannabis inside asphalt removal equipment fitted with a tracking device at the port of Dover on the English Channel, Britain’s National Crime Agency said when Kavanagh was sentenced.

Kavanagh lived in a mansion equipped with bulletproof glass and reinforced doors in Tamworth, northeast of Birmingham. When police raided the property in 2019 they seized numerous weapons and 35,000 pounds of cash in various currencies, including Emirati dirhams and euros, as well as British pounds, the crime agency said.

In a letter sent Sunday evening to the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Democrats said they will investigate whether the Pentagon and DHS are coordinating to deport military service members and their families.

“These efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’ morale, and betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives on the line for our nation,” according to the letter, which was signed by more than 60 lawmakers and provided to the AP.

The Pentagon declined to comment, stating it would “reply directly to the authors of the letter.”

DHS told the AP that it values service members' contributions and “U.S. military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”

The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In their letter, the Democrats provided an extensive list of questions to the agencies. They said the apparent collaboration between DHS and the military to deport troops’ families “raises both ethical and legal concerns.”

“Donald Trump is breaking our country’s promises to service members by tearing apart dozens of military families who were promised immigration protections,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “That’s just plain cruel, and it’s hurting our military readiness and morale.”

Warren's office is leading the probe alongside Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and several House Democrats.

The AP investigation found President Donald Trump's administration has rolled back protections for military families and departed from longstanding bipartisan consensus to carry out its mass deportation agenda. Service members have been forced to take leave of their duties, including delaying deployment, to care for their children after their spouses were detained.

The lawmakers pressed the administration on why military recruiters are still promoting immigration protections.

Citing the AP's reporting, the lawmakers urged the Trump administration to restore policies that had previously shielded military service members' families from immigration enforcement while allowing them to adjust their legal status.

“This report is appalling and shows the unbelievable cruelty at the center of the Trump immigration agenda,” said Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. “We will be demanding answers and accountability.”

The Republican chairs of the armed services and veterans’ affairs committees, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, did not respond to requests for comment.

Last week, Trump established the Military Spouse Commission, chaired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, to develop policies and recommendations for improving life for troops' spouses.

“Military spouses are intrinsically linked to the good order, readiness, and retention of our military,” Trump stated in a letter published in the Federal Register on Aug. 6. “Their support and contributions to our Armed Forces are crucial to mission success.”

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

The Defense Department said in a December letter to Democratic lawmakers, obtained by the AP, that it had not implemented any recent policy changes for noncitizen family members in the military and has not conducted analysis on how deportations impact troop readiness and morale.

Danitza James, president of Repatriate Our Patriots, an organization providing support to military families and veterans facing deportation, said troops are being betrayed.

“Our military service members are the ones that sign on the dotted line to go and defend our country and maybe not come back,” James said. “They trust our government to take care of their families, and they’re not doing that.”

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

In an “open letter to the football family” revealed on Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that “when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”

UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF does the same for North, Central America and the Caribbean, while the AFC governs the sport in Asia.

The letter was co-signed by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, AFC president Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and three general secretaries.

“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future,” the open letter said. “It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”

Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.

“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him,” the letter said. “These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”

UEFA previously issued a threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions despite the governing body abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan.

Norway’s soccer federation called for Infantino to step down, while the English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.

“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now,” the letter said. “For leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”

Last Wednesday, FIFA said it had apologized for errors made over the failed plan but that senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.

However, the nature of the meeting was also met with criticism.

“FIFA’s own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco,” the open letter said. “No FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.”

FIFA was also urged to go further than just acknowledging mistakes were made.

“It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” the letter said. “There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment — not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”

In a statement Saturday, FIFA defended Infantino against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the organization.

That statement followed a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph raising questions about an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European soccer's ruling body.

UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to the employee and said it was “in line” with regulations at the time.

Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president.

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

His parents decided not to send him to the majority-Black, F-rated campus closer to their home in Fort Bend ISD. Still, they fear their sixth grader may lose out on the community and support that come with receiving an education alongside kids in his neighborhood.

“This is a very difficult thing,” Mikole Montgomery, Jaleel’s mother, said of the choice to bypass Missouri City Middle School. “I don’t take the decision lightly.”

Black children attend schools labeled as failing by the Texas Education Agency at a far higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group. Majority-Black schools are the least likely to achieve the state’s highest academic rating.

Of the roughly 300 such campuses last year, 20 received an A. By contrast, 105 scored a D or an F.

On Aug. 14, Texas releases the next round of school accountability ratings, largely based on how well students perform on the STAAR exam. Those ratings, promoted as a tool to identify and hold underperforming schools accountable, also serve as an annual reminder of Texas’ struggles to provide Black students a high-quality education, parents say.

That leaves families like Montgomery’s weighing whether to enroll their children in schools where they may benefit from rigorous academic opportunities but see fewer kids and teachers from their communities — or keep them on high-need campuses lacking in resources but abundant in love and understanding.

About 60% of majority-Black schools scored a C or better last year, which Texas defines as acceptable performance. By comparison, nearly all majority-Asian schools met that threshold, as did 91% of majority-white schools and 79% of majority-Hispanic schools.

Texas public schools educate north of 700,000 Black children — more than any other state in the country. And negative outcomes among a disproportionate share of majority-Black schools means thousands of kids could leave without the knowledge they need to thrive, even as state leaders often say that “demographics do not equal destiny” and have passed laws restricting the consideration of race in education policy.

Education Commissioner Mike Morath acknowledges that academic gaps between Black children and their peers have long existed in the state. However, he points to the preeminent national exam showing Black students in Texas scoring higher than those in most of the country.

“That being said,” he added, “the results are still unacceptable.”

Texas must improve the quality of schools and support for all children — not just some children, Morath said.

“This is where the A-F indicators are important,” he said. “The state’s investment in this is to make sure that our local school districts are changing practices as rapidly as possible to improve these learning outcomes.”

Meredith Anderson, a native Texan who researches K-12 education for the United Negro College Fund, sees the racial disparities in the state’s accountability ratings as “alarming.”

Majority-Black schools tend to suffer from inadequate local and state funding, as well as from limited access to rigorous courses that help raise student expectations and learning, Anderson said. Schools broadly also do not employ enough Black teachers, which research shows can improve learning for all children, she added.

“We often think about it as more so academic gaps when we just look at the accountability ratings, without looking at some of the underlying causes that contribute to them and widen those gaps,” Anderson said. “Even if we have these bright spots, overwhelmingly the state isn’t serving our Black students well.”

When Black parents choose not to enroll their kids in neighborhood campuses as a result, that could also mean the students who remain end up worse off.

Texas funds schools based on attendance, which means they lose money to pay for academic supports as families leave. That also often means the loss of involved parents and students who otherwise could help usher in improvements. Meanwhile, negative perceptions of majority-Black schools can contribute to a broader narrative that students at such campuses do not deserve positive attention or investment, parents and advocates say.

“I certainly recognize the value in these kids,” Montgomery said. “I recognize me sending my son to the other side, it says something about how I feel about the kids as well — whether it’s intentional or not.”

Pressure to improve

The Texas Education Agency evaluated more than 9,000 campuses last year, with roughly 15% of schools receiving the lowest grades.

Of the 302 majority-Black schools in Texas, 35% scored a D or an F, by far the largest share of any racial or ethnic group. No majority-Asian schools received such ratings, while 8% of majority-white schools and 19% of majority-Hispanic schools did.

Texas grades schools based on three primary measures, including how well the campuses perform compared to those with similar percentages of low-income students. Schools typically receive a D or an F if only about a third of students or worse meet grade level on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR.

Alongside the reality that Black students in Texas are those most likely to face discipline and drop out and the least likely to graduate from high school, many parents see the ratings as further evidence that the education system is failing their children.

“I don’t think it takes rocket science for folks to figure out,” said Tyrone Howard, a UCLA professor who studies race and education. “It’s the fact that the original sin of this country has always been around race — structural racism — and all its remnants still remain in place.”

When a school receives five consecutive F ratings, Texas’ education commissioner must either replace the school district’s elected trustees and superintendent or close the campus. Schools that predominantly educate low-income, Hispanic and Black students trigger takeovers most often.

Morath, the state’s education chief, believes that schools consistently receiving unacceptable ratings reflects a failure by local district leaders to sufficiently focus on student learning. The A-F rating system allows his agency to identify those districts and initiate reforms where necessary, he said.

Morath views Houston ISD as evidence that it matters who runs local schools, as Black students have posted large test score gains since he intervened in 2023. Critics of the takeover often accuse HISD’s commissioner-appointed superintendent of overemphasizing test scores. The critics question the sustainability of the gains given unusually high numbers of teachers and students leaving the district, especially Black children.

Eight of Texas’ A-rated, majority-Black campuses serve children in the state’s largest district.

Morath sees the academic gains as signals that state intervention works.

“In many cases, our schools are doing very well,” he said of Texas public education. “But our schools need to get better, and they need to get better as fast as possible.”

The Texas Tribune interviewed two Black former principals of D- and F-rated schools who shared details of their challenges on the job. The administrators asked to remain anonymous because they still work in Texas education and feared retaliation for speaking candidly.

The leaders acknowledge they sometimes failed to focus enough on student instruction and helping teachers improve. But that’s because they often had to extinguish other fires, such as abrupt staff departures, funding cuts and depleted morale.

Compared with predominantly white, Asian and more affluent campuses, the Black school leaders felt they lacked autonomy to make decisions that would improve learning. They say they missed out on community business partnerships, wealthy parent-teacher groups and instructional materials that reflected their students’ interests. They also dealt with students enrolling and leaving at high rates throughout the school year, making it difficult to maintain consistent standards.

There’s also pressure to improve ratings, not necessarily to ensure learning growth but to avoid state penalties, they assert. The Black campus leaders say their schools focused heavily on students most likely to improve their test scores, which meant little time to prioritize the academic growth of children who came to school hungry or without a jacket when it was cold.

“Externally, it looks like you’re a poor leader,” said the former principal of an F-rated, majority-Black elementary school. “All you’re trying to do is serve your kids.”

School officials can make a difference by listening to their local communities and, more importantly, fostering spaces where Black parents feel they can engage, education researchers say. That includes scheduling events at times when most families can participate.

Still, even the best school systems cannot overcome unsupported teachers or a lack of money to fund the initiatives students need, the experts note. Texas leaders must also recognize that addressing racial inequality cannot happen without honest conversations about race, the researchers say.

Legislators recently passed laws targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in education. Republicans approved such measures out of a belief that schools focused more on gender and race than merit and instruction.

But some who study education contend that the unwillingness to address historical racism hurts Black students the most. Research repeatedly shows they benefit from having teachers who look like them, while many Black families place high importance on their children seeing themselves reflected in the books they read.

“That’s where I think the frustration is for a lot of parents, like, ‘OK, how can I not name what I might believe to be the primary factor in why some kids don’t get opportunity?’” said Howard, the UCLA professor. “It’s just, to me, outright tragic that that’s where we are.”

More than ratings

Having raised three children and volunteered in the community for more than two decades, Stephanie Brown considers Missouri City Middle School “the best-kept secret” in Fort Bend ISD.

What it lacks in resources, it makes up for in dedicated teachers and administrators, she said. Brown believes that if district leaders granted students access to benefits such as commercial drone classes or before- and after-school programs that other children in the district receive, Missouri City Middle School would see similar results.

Brown wants students to know that they are more than standardized tests and accountability ratings.

For the last two years, she has helped organize summer trips to a free engineering camp at Prairie View A&M University, where high school students and middle schoolers stay in dorms and learn about robotics and computer science. She wants to show Black families that they do not need to leave to find a quality education. And the community needs to realize that sometimes, it is not “better on the other side,” Brown added.

“Whatever the data is showing that we’re lacking, it needs to be on our campuses,” Brown said. “We should not have to seek outside resources in order to get it if this data has been showing this all over the country. Because think about it: God didn’t make one race smarter than the other. So what is really going on here? Where does it start?”

In a statement to the Tribune, Fort Bend ISD officials said students at all of their campuses deserve access to a high-quality education, as well as the opportunities and support necessary to succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or ZIP code.

“The district continually evaluates student needs, academic performance and campus resources to identify where additional support and intervention may be needed,” district officials said. “Fort Bend ISD remains committed to providing equitable educational opportunities for all students and will continue working alongside our educators, families and community to strengthen student achievement across the district.”

The district, located southwest of Houston, educates about 78,000 students — 28% of whom are Black. In 2025, Fort Bend ISD moved up one letter grade to a B and had fewer D- and F-rated schools than in the previous year. Missouri City Middle School was 1 point shy of a D.

When state lawmakers debated the A-F system more than a decade ago, Sen. Royce West worried that it would disproportionately penalize schools that lacked sufficient resources to achieve an acceptable rating. That aspect of the system continues to bother him, West said.

Given that Texas has fewer than two dozen A-rated, majority-Black campuses, the Dallas Democrat agrees with families who say the education system is failing Black children. But he disagrees with those who say Black parents should keep their children in schools that do not serve them.

“If they believe the best thing is to take them across the street, then fine. Let them take them across the street,” West said. “Unfortunately, the downside is that a lot of kids’ parents can’t take their kid across the street, and they’re left in a desperate situation.”

Local school leaders and teachers must do everything they can to provide a quality education for those kids, West added.

As for the failures of Texas public education, Montgomery said, “I think the goal is to keep our kids uneducated.”

That belief fueled her family’s decision for Jaleel to attend the new Amy Coleman Middle School farther away from their home. She believes Missouri City Middle School employs passionate educators who care about children, but she is concerned about how Fort Bend ISD officials distribute resources.

For example, Coleman has an aviation and aerospace program while Missouri City has one focused on first responders. Those are admirable professions, Montgomery notes, but kids already interact with police officers and firefighters. The disparity in offerings communicates to Black kids at Missouri City that they should not dream bigger, she said.

Montgomery witnessed a fight and misbehaving children while volunteering at the F-rated middle school last year, which she admits factored into her decision to enroll Jaleel elsewhere. But she also recognizes that Jaleel benefits from tutoring, summer programs and field trips that his parents can afford and have time to provide. Not all children in the community experience the same privileges, she noted.

And while Jaleel leaving his neighborhood causes her significant concern, her decision centered on providing him what she is convinced state leaders do not want him to have.

“When we think about our son’s education, we think about moving out of Texas,” Montgomery said. “I don’t think that these people have my son’s best interests.”

Disclosure: Prairie View A&M University 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 Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Sony-Marvel release has accrued $1.67 billion worldwide in just 10 days of release, putting it on a trajectory to be among the biggest blockbusters ever. Domestically, no movie has wracked up a higher total faster. In U.S. and Canadian cinemas, “Brand New Day” has grossed $655.1 million thus far. Overseas, it’s already surpassed $1 billion.

It took only seven days for “Brand New Day” to become the highest grossing movie of the year, easily displacing “Toy Story 5” ($1.07 billion worldwide). No Sony film has ever cleared $100 million in its second weekend before. It came close to toppling the best sophomore frame on record: “The Force Awakens,” with $149.2 million in 2015.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” also crossed $1 billion. In its fourth weekend, the Universal Pictures release added $31.5 million domestically to bring its global total to $1.1 billion.

Nolan’s Homeric epic is the director’s first movie to reach that threshold since 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” It now ranks as Nolan’s biggest box-office hit ever, not accounting for inflation, eclipsing both “The Dark Knight Rises” ($1.08 billion) and 2009’s “The Dark Knight” ($1 billion). Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” ($975 million) ended just shy of the milestone.

A big part of that success, of course, has been on IMAX. With $147.3 million domestically on the company’s large-format screens, “The Odyssey” now ranks as IMAX’s highest grossing domestic release of all time.

“The Odyssey” still has one major market left. It opens in China on Friday.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” have helped drive Hollywood to its best box-office year since the pandemic. Ticket sales are running 18.5% ahead of last year, according to Rentrak. There have already been five $1 billion movies — more than any year since 2019. The other two were “Michael” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

Rentrak forecasts that the overall summer theatrical revenue will reach $4 billion on Monday. That seasonal mark has long been a sign of thriving business for Hollywood. Since the pandemic, the only summer to surpass $4 billion was 2023, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” drove ticket sales.

According to Rentrak, summer revenue is just $14.8 million shy of $4 billion through Sunday.

A pair of comedies tried to provide some counterprogramming to the blockbusters but made little impact.

“One Night Only,” a Will Gluck-directed romantic comedy where premarital sex is outlawed except for one night a year, opened with $5.7 million. The Universal release, starring Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner, cost about $25 million to make. Reviews weren’t good (46% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) but audience scores (a “B+” CinemaScore) were better.

Coming in fourth was Fox Searchlight’s “Super Troopers 3,” the third in the long-running comedy series from the comedy troupe Broken Lizard. It debuted with $4 million.

Two new limited releases packed theaters. A24's “Tony,” starring Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain, grossed $348,955, good for one of the best screen-average openings of the year: $58,159 per theater. Mubi's “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” from “I Saw the TV Glow” filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, debuted with a per-location average of $50,300 across five screens.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $145 million.

2. “The Odyssey,” $31.5 million.

3. “One Night Only,” $5.7 million.

4. “Super Troopers 3,” $4 million.

5. “Toy Story 5,” $3.9 million.

6. “Minions & Monsters,” $3.5 million.

7. “Moana,” $2.8 million.

8. “Ice Cream Man,” $2 million.

9. “The Invite,” $717,568.

10. CatVideoFest 2026, $568,414.

KSAT has compiled back-to-school start dates for all the Bexar County and surrounding school districts.

The start dates span throughout August, with Comal ISD starting the latest, on Aug. 25.

Here are the start dates for the 2026-27 school year:

• Alamo Heights ISD: Aug. 19
• Boerne ISD: Aug. 11
• Catholic Schools - Archdiocese of San Antonio: Aug. 17
• Comal ISD: Aug. 25
• East Central ISD: Aug. 10
• Edgewood ISD: Aug. 11 (The start date for Gardendale Early Learning Program is Aug. 17)
• Floresville ISD: Aug. 11
• Fort Sam Houston ISD: Aug. 12
• Great Hearts: Aug. 11
• Harlandale ISD: Aug. 12
• Hunt ISD: Aug. 19
• IDEA Public Schools: Aug. 11
• Ingram ISD: Aug. 12
• Jourdanton ISD: Aug. 11
• Judson ISD: Aug. 12
• Kerrville ISD: Aug. 19
• KIPP Texas Public Schools: Aug. 10
• La Vernia ISD: Aug. 3
• Lackland ISD: Aug. 12
• Lytle ISD: Aug. 11
• Medina Valley ISD: Aug. 12
• Natalia ISD: Aug. 12
• New Braunfels ISD: Aug. 17
• North East ISD: Aug. 17
• Northside ISD: Aug. 10
• Pleasanton ISD: Aug. 12
• Poteet ISD: Aug. 11
• Randolph Field ISD: Aug. 13
• San Antonio ISD: Aug. 12 (First day of school for Third Future Schools is Aug. 4)
• Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD: Aug. 13
• School of Science and Technology: Aug. 12
• Seguin ISD: Aug. 19
• Somerset Academies: Aug. 12
• Somerset ISD: Aug. 17
• South San Antonio ISD: Aug. 10
• Southside ISD: Aug. 12
• Southwest ISD: Aug. 24
• Uvalde CISD: Aug. 10

Read also:

• Where to find back-to-school giveaways in San Antonio

Louisiana has confirmed nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections this year, the state’s health department said last week in a news release. All were hospitalized, and five died. During the same period over the previous decade, Louisiana reported an average of seven cases and one death.

“Seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored,” officials said in the release. ”Tell the health care provider about the water exposure.”

The Gulf is an ideal environment

Vibrio bacteria thrive in seawater and in the brackish mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons. Most infections are reported from May to October, and most happen in states along the Gulf Coast. Doctors say the Gulf is an ideal environment with the right amounts of salt and heat to let this organism proliferate.

The mostly deadly type is Vibrio vulnificus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as one in five of those infections are fatal, a much higher rate than other types of Vibrio bacteria.

Florida, which tends to have more infections than other states, has reported 14 Vibrio vulnificus cases and two deaths so far this year, compared with 33 cases and five deaths for all of last year. Records show more cases in years when Florida is hit by tropical storms and hurricanes.

Bacteria enters through breaks in the skin

Some people become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish — particularly oysters. But a large percentage fall ill when the person is in ocean or brackish water and the bacteria enter the body through small breaks in the skin.

Doctors say severe cases are seen more often in elderly patients, people with weakened immune systems, and those with liver disease, diabetes and certain chronic illnesses.

Scientists say climate change is helping the germs proliferate and spread northward. A 2023 study found that the northernmost case has been shifting by about 30 miles each year, and that cases overall have been rising.

Beachgoers can protect themselves

Vibrio vulnificus can enter the body through unhealed cuts and scrapes, recent piercings and tattoos, and recent surgical incisions. People should immediately wash cuts and scrapes thoroughly with soap and clean running water after coming in contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, the CDC said. They should see a doctor if they start to develop symptoms such as fever, chills, and hot red areas on the skin that start to turn dark and blister.

Oysters are a particular risk, and there is no way to tell if an oyster is contaminated just by looking at it. People should wash hands with soap and water after handing raw shellfish and wear protective gloves if they have a weakened immune system and are at a higher risk of infection.

Health officials also offer cooking instructions for clams, mussels and other shellfish. They recommend throwing away any with open shells before boiling or steaming.

Twenty years ago, British driver Andy Green set the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, reaching 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Green will return to the lunarlike landscape Tuesday and try to beat that mark, this time with a hydrogen-powered car.

The retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot aims not only to win another accolade but to showcase the power of hydrogen as a clean-energy alternative. It's the “fuel of the future,” Green told The Associated Press in a July interview.

Green will be driving the 32-foot (9.75-meter) JCB Hydromax, the brainchild of British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The car is bright yellow, long and slim, resembling a pencil. It's powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, which were adapted from engines used in the company’s construction machinery. They mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.

In targeting the diesel-powered record, Green also hopes to easily clear the world land speed records for hydrogen internal combustion engines (185.5 mph/298.5 kph) and electric vehicles (341.3 mph/549.2 kph).

Green hit a new top speed of 368.347 mph (592.797 kph) in practice last week, but to officially earn the hydrogen record, he’ll have to do it Tuesday in front of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports.

“What the peak speed is, I can’t say. We just don’t know,” he said. “Part of the adventure here is we’re going to find out.”

One thing Tuesday’s attempt will assuredly not do is approach the supersonic speeds Green reached with jet power three decades ago.

Green had already been flying supersonic military aircraft when he spotted a newspaper ad that read: “Wanted: High-speed driver to break the sound barrier,” according to the Guinness World Records. In 1997, he traveled faster than the speed of sound and set the outright land speed record — 763.035 mph (1,227.98 kph) — in a car powered by twin jet engines. His runs in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert produced sonic booms that shook the nearby town of Gerlach.

Now 64 years old, Green said he thought he was done racing but came out of retirement when JCB approached him with plans for the new car. The company has invested more than $134 million into hydrogen-powered engines that it says emit no carbon dioxide from the tailpipes.

“If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen, and a land speed project is the perfect way to prove it,” JCB Chair Anthony Bamford said at the car's unveiling in May. Bamford has also argued that hydrogen can better handle the demands of heavy industries than electric power.

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

Hydrogen combustion engines also present unique safety challenges due to the high pressure and flammability of the gas.

“We're managing the risks very carefully,” Green said. The car endured rigorous testing, and Green said he spent months learning how it responds to the elements, how the engines work in tandem and how to deploy a parachute to slow the car on the low-friction salt crust.

Since the first race there in 1914, the glassy surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats has drawn generations of drivers seeking to set new land speed records. A remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, the salt flats are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City and sit atop an aquifer that cools the tires of the cars.

Spectators must stand about a quarter of a mile (400 meters) from the course's straightaway, which is 10 miles (16 kilometers) long, and often watch through wide-angle binoculars.

The expanse on the border of Utah and Nevada has also been a backdrop for movies including “Independence Day” and “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and the series finale of “Mad Men.”

Green will start about an hour before sunrise Tuesday. His attempt comes a year after a driver going 283 mph (455 kph) died trying to set a land speed record at Bonneville's annual Speed Week. Chris Raschke lost control of his rocketlike vehicle called the Speed Demon last August and died from his injuries.

___

Rico reported from Atlanta. Video journalist Serge Cartwright contributed reporting.

Bella Flemings has not yet played her first college basketball game at Duke, but the former Brennan standout is already finding ways to give back to the community that helped shape her.

“What I tell myself every day is ‘go be great’” said Bella. “Their support and them pushing me, and all my siblings, they’re who I attribute my success to today.”

Flemings was back in San Antonio this week to host a basketball camp for young athletes. The event brought together local players and some familiar faces, including her brother, Kingston Flemings, a Brennan alum and Atlanta Hawks rookie.

“We know the players we are, the people we are,” Kingston said, “so we’ll continue to try to get better going forward.”

Bella used the camp as a way to connect with the next generation of San Antonio basketball players. The message of the day centered on hard work, opportunity and “paying that forward.”

“Send the elevator back down,” father Dee Flemings said, “so when you get to the top, then you got to reach back down and help somebody up”.

For young players in attendance, the camp included a financial literacy class, a health class and offered a chance to learn from two athletes who recently came through the same gyms and neighborhoods they know well.

Read also:

• Brandeis alum Rian Forestier hosts free basketball clinic to empower San Antonio girls

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office asked drivers to be alert for pedestrians and bicyclists as they pull out of the driveway this week.

Officials stressed being deliberate about watching both sides of crosswalks for children and reminded drivers must stop for school buses that have stopped and are displaying flashing red lights and/or have a stop sign extended.

BCSO said other important safety reminders include:

• Obey posted school zone speed limits
• Avoid distractions while driving such as using cell phones
• Give yourself extra time for increased traffic congestion and construction
• Practice patience

These safety tips can help keep children safe, not just the first day of school, but all year long.

Head back to school with GMSA! Watch weekdays 5-7 a.m. on KSAT 12 and KSAT Plus, and read more of our coverage below:

• Experts warn sharing back-to-school photos online can put kids at risk
• Free VIA bus pass program aims to cut transportation barrier for San Antonio students
• San Antonio families stock up on school essentials during Texas tax-free weekend

President Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from Suu Kyi’s civilian government, has been trying to win political legitimacy since the takeover and resume relations with ASEAN.

ASEAN came up with a peace plan for the Southeast Asian country in April 2021 to end hostilities and initiate dialogue among contending parties, to be facilitated by the special envoy. Min Aung Hlaing has since been barred from attending top-level meetings for failing to comply with the plan.

In an apparent effort to placate critics, the government allowed a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit 81-year-old Suu Kyi last week, the first known contact with an outside international independent humanitarian organization since her detention five years ago.

Suu Kyi is serving her sentence under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital, Naypyitaw, on charges that her supporters and rights groups have said are politically motivated.

The current ASEAN chair, the Philippines, welcomed the meeting as a step toward dialogue and reconciliation Friday, while urging greater access to political detainees and reiterating its call for Suu Kyi’s “complete and unconditional release.”

Myanmar’s foreign ministry's statement late Saturday criticized the call.

“Although the government has commuted her sentences based on humanitarian considerations, the matter of a full and unconditional release shall only be carried out in accordance with the law,” it said.

The statement also said the government will continue working with ASEAN’s current special envoy, Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro, but doesn’t see the need to continue down that path when Singapore takes over on Jan. 1, 2027.

“At present, the government, which emerged from the multiparty democratic elections reflecting the genuine will of the people, has assumed state responsibility,” the statement said.

In a speech more than three months after being sworn in as president following the elections, Min Aung Hlaing dismissed ASEAN’s peace plan, saying some member states have discriminated against Myanmar and it would respond on a case-by-case basis.

Critics dismissed the elections, which were held in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.

Congress allocated $20 million to the Department of Homeland Security for body cameras in April. ICE said it expects all officers to be wearing them by the end of September.

According to the agency’s policy, released in February 2025, officers are required to activate their cameras during enforcement activities, including arrests, execution of warrants and removal operations. The policy also states officers should activate cameras as soon as an enforcement activity begins.

ICE told KSAT its process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras was interrupted by government shutdowns earlier this year.

The cameras are designed to capture at least 30 seconds of video before an officer presses record, a feature commonly referred to as a pre-event buffer.

ICE said the purpose of the new requirement is to improve transparency, accountability and safety during enforcement operations.

Public concern over the lack of body cameras has intensified following a series of deadly shootings this year, including two in Minneapolis, one in Houston and one in Maine. ICE officers were not wearing body cameras during those encounters.

If a body camera captures a serious bodily injury or death in custody, ICE said the footage will go through an expedited review process handled by a designated review group, which includes the agency’s deputy director.

When it comes to releasing that footage to the public, the agency’s director, along with a designee, makes the final call on whether it is in the agency’s “best interest” to expedite its release within 72 hours of the incident.

The policy also states that if there are “specific and compelling circumstances justifying an objection to public release,” then it may “withhold or indefinitely delay the release.”

KSAT asked ICE to define what the agency means by “best interest” when deciding whether to release footage, and it provided the following response:

“ICE will ensure each arrest team has an individual wearing a body camera. Ensuring all of our ICE law enforcement officers have body cameras nationwide is a top priority for DHS—especially given the increase in attacks against our law enforcement including a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks.

“This is especially needed because the media and sanctuary politicians consistently spread smears about our law enforcement.

“The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices with the remaining half expected to receive them in September.

“Footage will be available as appropriate for official purposes. Body camera footage must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis due to privacy concerns for innocent bystanders.”

DHS Spokesperson

To better understand concerns about the policy’s standard, KSAT also reached out to the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, a nonprofit organization focused on government transparency and public access to information. They sent the following statement in response:

“The standard of ‘in the agency’s best interests’ has never been an allowed argument to withhold information and creates in the agency an entity whose interests and priorities are independent from and above those of the constituent public. On its face, this standard is designed to foreclose transparency. Further, it is the opposite of the conservative ideal of limited government.

From an institutional perspective, deferring to an agency’s ‘best interests’ will be to favor it to aggregate power and defeat accountability. This is opposed to the public’s ‘best interest’ which is to ultimately that the people control their own government and ensure it is operating in, well, the public’s best interest. Under this new ICE policy, the agency’s ‘best interests’ (such as they are) overrides all other concerns and will allow complete discretion regarding what gets released. ICE is telling the public that “access to this information is on a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know.’ The public will never see body camera footage under this policy unless it is leaked.”

Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

Read also:

• Churchill High School student, father released from Dilley ICE facility, US Rep. Castro says

• BACK TO SCHOOL: Hot and humid with a few isolated showers.
• HEATING UP: Many areas reaching 100-102 degrees and potentially higher heat indices.
• STAY HYDRATED: Not just at school, but during all after school activities.

FORECAST

THIS EVENING

Shower activity is fizzling out across the area. Skies will become increasingly cloudier overnight. By the morning, dewpoints will make it feel muggy everywhere. Morning temperatures will range in the mid and upper 70s.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL: HOT AND HUMID

The first day back to school will bring more heat and humidity. Monday’s forecast looks very similar to Sunday, with afternoon highs again reaching the mid to upper 90s and possibly near 100 degrees. A few isolated sea-breeze showers could develop during the afternoon, mainly closer to the Coastal Plains, but most of the region should remain dry.

For students, parents, teachers and anyone spending time outside Monday, the bigger concern will be the heat. Plan for a hot afternoon. Make sure students have plenty of water not only for their school day, but for activities after school - even if just walking home. Take plenty of breaks from the heat when possible.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK

As the upper-level ridge shifts southeast this week, rain chances fade by Tuesday and temperatures climb to near triple digits. High humidity could push heat indices to 108+ degrees. While humidity may dip next weekend, the region will remain unseasonably hot.

QUICK WEATHER LINKS

• WATCH LIVE: Doppler Radar
• Hourly and 10-Day Forecast
• Download FREE KSAT Weather Authority App: Up-to-date forecast information and livestreams from trusted local meteorologists.
• KSAT Connect: Share your weather photos.

Those days are over. Long over.

The wide-eyed newcomer is gone, replaced by a poised and professional 18-year-old who is embracing her role as the leader of the sport's next wave as the 2028 Olympics approach.

The proof was on display during the final round of the U.S. gymnastics championships on Sunday, when Rivera — still not quite 100% while recovering from a hamstring injury sustained at the Pan Am Games in June — won her second straight national title with a poised and polished performance that solidified her status as the current face of a women's program two years out from the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Rivera’s two-day total of 111.950 was more than a point clear of runner-up Claire Pease, making Rivera the first American woman not named Simone Biles to go back-to-back since former world and Olympic champion Jordyn Wieber did it in 2011 and 2012.

Heady company to be sure, but company in which Rivera increasingly feels like she belongs. It might not have seemed like it in the summer of 2024 when she ceded the spotlight to her more accomplished teammates, but the relentlessly upbeat Texan has no problem admitting these days she wants to lead from the front.

“I am comfortable with it,” she said. “And I just love kind of being a leader in a way."

Anna Liukin, who coaches Rivera alongside her husband Valeri, called Rivera “motherly." Rivera laughed when the description was passed along because well, it's strange to hear as a teenager. Yet in many ways, it's applicable.

Lee and Jade Carey helped Rivera navigate her way through the sport's biggest stage and come out with a gold medal on the other side. She feels it's her duty to do the same to the generation of gymnasts just starting to find their way as the lure of a potentially life-changing hometown Games in Los Angeles looms.

“I think it’s just really important to give pep talks because when you’re young, you’re still learning a lot,” she said. “So I just think it's good to get positive vibes.”

Even if producing them takes a little practice. Rivera relied on that practice Thursday when a fall on uneven bars — perhaps her strongest event — sent her tumbling down the leaderboard. She shook the miscue off and found herself in fourth heading into Sunday.

A comeback still seemed somewhat unlikely when Rivera began Sunday with a gritty bars set that included her fighting through a mini-stall just before her dismount and ended with her and giving Valeri Liukin a “what are you gonna do?” shrug after a dismount that included a small step.

Yet twenty minutes later, it was long forgotten during a graceful balance beam routine that brought her to within striking distance of the lead.

“It took a few years to learn that, but I’m at a point now where it’s just like there already,” she said. “I don’t really have to think about it too much.”

Her black-and-white bedazzled leotard glittering under the lights, Rivera put on a performance that made her look every bit the star she has become.

Rivera never glanced at the scoreboard to mark her progress, too intent on trying to stay warm and focused during sometimes lengthy delays. If she was bothered, it didn't show. Every time she saluted the judges, Rivera was all business.

Now she heads into the fall hoping to make her first world championship team. Rivera was practically a lock last year before rolling her ankle during selection camp, something Liukin called “heartbreaking.”

Provided she can stay healthy, Rivera is eager to make up for lost time in the first major international team meet since Paris. Yes, her hamstring still isn't quite there, but she found her way to the top of the podium anyway.

“I think it just shows how strong I am mentally,” she said. “Because physically everything’s there. But the mental aspect of things is definitely where it’s at. You can’t really do this without having a strong mentality.”

Pease and fellow first-day co-leader Skye Blakely couldn't quite keep up. Pease led with two rotations to go, but her floor routine included one tumbling pass that ended with her stepping out of bounds and another in which she opted to keep her right foot hovering above the floor rather than set it down for a penalty.

Still, Pease's second-place finish was a marked improvement from a year ago, when she came to nationals fresh off a victory at U.S. Classic and stumbled to 10th. This time around, she finds herself in a solid position to join good friend and teammate Rivera in the Netherlands.

Blakely's bid to build off a promising opening night stalled quickly. She sat at the end of her first tumbling pass and bounced out of bounds on her final one, her score of 11.900 dropping her from contention for the top of the podium on her way to a seventh-place finish. The 21-year-old called it “irritating” but stressed she's pleased with her progress in her first elite meet competing the all-around since 2024.

Charleigh Bullock, who turned 16 last month, was third. Reese Esponda, who trains at the Houston-area gym owned by Biles' family, was fourth.

Carey, who is methodically building difficulty into her routines as she eyes a third trip to the Games, won the vault title and finished fifth in the all-around in a meet that doubled as a homecoming for the Phoenix native. The two-time Olympic gold medalist also marveled at Rivera's growth both on and off the floor since that memorable trip to Paris.

“I think Hezly did a fantastic job tonight and kind of rebounding from night one and just proving to herself and everybody else that that was just a little fluke and she’s capable of so much,” Carey said. “Back-to-back national champion is something that she should be really proud of.”

___

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

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels struck a government-held port on the country’s Red Sea coast, deepening fears over threats to strategic shipping routes and a potential return to civil war.

Here’s a look at developments across the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

Netanyahu insists no Gaza withdrawal until Hamas disarms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the deal on Gaza announced by Trump last month, saying Israel’s military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.”

Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting that “Israel rejects the 15-point document” but is still discussing plans for Gaza with Washington, after making similar comments last week. Trump had said Israeli forces would withdraw as the Hamas militant group’s disarmament is completed. Israeli forces control over half the Palestinian enclave of about 2 million people that's been largely destroyed.

There was no immediate White House comment on Netanyahu's statement.

“We remain committed to the road map,” said a member of the Hamas political bureau, Bassem Naim, adding that the group expects mediators and the U.S. to pressure Netanyahu — who also faces domestic tensions as he struggles to hold onto power ahead of the next elections scheduled for Oct. 27.

The Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparked the war in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire continues.

Houthis target Aramco refinery and Red Sea port

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked the government-held port city of Mocha late Sunday night. It was the second attack on the Red Sea coast city in less than 24 hours.

A Houthi military source told the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV that the attack targeted weapons depots and Saudi troop concentrations.

A statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces posted on X said residential neighborhoods were targeted by ballistic missiles and drones in the attack, and that air defense systems managed to intercept some of the drones.

Drones and missiles were also used during the earlier attack on Sunday. The Yemeni government-allied National Resistance Forces said at least seven people — four troops and three civilians — were killed and 15 civilians were injured in that strike.

Fayed al-Noman, the information ministry’s assistant undersecretary, said the attack severely damaged port buildings and piers as well as commercial goods and food supplies. The military later said missiles landed in several areas, including near a television station.

Mocha is a main port under Yemen’s internationally recognized government and has been renovated to handle shipping that avoids the Houthi-held port of Hodeida.

The Houthis said they targeted military forces and warehouses.

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, said they also targeted an Aramco refinery in the Saudi city of Jazan with a drone in response to Saudi drones breaching Yemen’s airspace over Hajjah and Saada provinces.

The Saudi Energy Ministry reported a fire at a facility belonging to the Aramco refinery, with no casualties. The ministry did not say the cause. The attacks threaten to reignite Yemen’s civil war after a 2022 truce.

— Samy Magdy in Cairo

Iran's top security post changes again

Iran named a new head of its powerful Supreme National Security Council, state media reported. Mohsen Rezaei had been a military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and a former Revolutionary Guard commander.

It was the latest shuffle at the top for the politburo-like body, which has a range of political opinions and rivalries and is adapting to the loss of several senior officials in the war.

Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who took up the role after Ali Larijani was killed by an Israeli strike in March. Zolghadr will become a political adviser to Khamenei.

Rezaei earlier this month said Iran will never allow an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, which was considered an international waterway before the war and Tehran's assertion of control.

Iran says negotiations ‘cannot resume’ until conditions met

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that negotiations with Oman about “new maritime routes” on the Strait of Hormuz were in the final stages but “this, however, does not mean that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.” That step requires conditions that “have been conveyed through intermediaries.”

The Supreme National Security Council on Saturday said the strait will not reopen until the U.S. “corrects its behavior.” It demanded that the U.S. never threaten Iran again, a permanent end to the war with Iran and its armed allies, a lifting of the naval blockade of Iranian ports and a withdrawal of the U.S. military from the area. The U.S. also must “completely compensate” Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and “unconditionally” release frozen assets.

The United States did not comment on the demands. Trump on Sunday asserted to Axios that “we are only semi-negotiating” with Iran and letting economic pressures take their toll.

Araghchi said an “exchange of messages through intermediaries” continues with the U.S. but that doesn’t constitute negotiations, which he said can’t resume until violations of the interim deal end and the U.S. “has remedied” provisions it violated.

Details emerge about a potential Iran-Oman deal

Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, are working to finalize a temporary deal that would reopen it, with ships entering near Iran and exiting near Oman, according to two people familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Ships would transit without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.

The agreement is designed to restore the separate interim deal between the U.S. and Iran. The two people said the agreement is endorsed by Gulf Cooperation Council members and is expected to be jointly announced by Iran, Oman, the U.S. and the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization. But they stressed the terms still could change.

The Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee approved “general outlines” of a plan to manage the strait, the state broadcaster reported, but a lawmaker said transits by vessels belonging to “hostile countries” would be prohibited. The member of parliament’s presiding board said countries that have “caused damage” to Iran cannot transit until they compensate for it. There were no further details.

— Michelle Price in Washington and Aamer Madhani in New York

“I can’t do anything about it, so you just run with it,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs used late pit strategy and held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell over the final 20 laps to win the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Iowa Speedway.

Gibbs — the 23-year-old grandson of former NFL coaching great and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs — won by 0.253 seconds over Bell for his second victory of the season and his career.

Gibbs and Bell each pitted with 60 laps remaining in the 350-lap race, but while Bell took four tires, Gibbs just went with two right-side tires, and came out ahead. And when leader Ross Chastain pitted on Lap 330, Gibbs took over the top spot and fought off a late charge by Bell.

Tyler Allen, Gibbs’ crew chief, thought taking two tires was the only chance to get ahead of Bell in that final pit cycle.

“We knew after practice the left sides weren’t wearing much and they tended to refire OK,” Allen said. “So in terms of coming into the race, it was definitely a viable option.”

Gibbs liked the aggressive call.

“I think in the position with our points situation, for sure,” he said.

Gibbs, who picked up his first career win April 12 at Bristol, came into the race ranked fourth in the season standings, and moved into second — 103 points behind JGR teammate Denny Hamlin.

Gibbs, who had an issue in the pits on his first stop of the day when his jack fell too early during the tire change, fell back to 28th before charging back.

“You’re kind of hosed after that deal,” Gibbs said. “So you’ve got to stay locked in and keep working.”

It was the seventh second-place finish of the season for Bell, who led 108 laps.

“Ty did a really good job,” Bell said. “He did a great job of managing the race.”

Pole-sitter Ryan Blaney, who won the inaugural 2024 Cup Series race at the 0.875-mile oval, was third after leading a race-high 129 laps.

Josh Berry finished fourth. It was Berry’s best finish of the season, and only his third top-10 finish. Hamlin finished fifth.

Chase Briscoe was sixth. Chastain recovered to finish seventh. AJ Allmendinger was eighth, followed by defending race winner William Byron. Austin Dillon was 10th.

Reddick’s struggles

Tyler Reddick’s summer struggles continued when he crashed into Erik Jones four laps into the race.

The rear end of Reddick’s car slid entering Turn 1, and Reddick ran into Jones before hitting the wall. Reddick finished last in the 36-car field.

“A 100% that was on me,” Reddick said. “It’s something I don’t normally do, make those kinds of mistakes. Just gut-wrenching on a lot of levels. I thought we kind of figured out what we needed to do for the race today, and made a killer mistake earlier.”

Reddick won the first three races of the season, and four of the first six, and has five wins overall. But he has had four finishes of 30th place or worse in the last six races.

No brakes, all gas for Hamlin

Hamlin had brake issues during practice Saturday, which led to the team changing brake rotors and a cooling unit. Hamlin had to go to the rear of the field, but surged back to finish fifth despite having more brake issues during the race.

“I just had white knuckles every lap, not knowing where my car was going to land when I got in the corner,” Hamlin said. “That was a crazy race to have to do it the whole time without (brakes), but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and the team did an amazing job. I would take that day a hundred out of a hundred times.”

“I’ve never seen Denny that exhausted,” Joe Gibbs said. “I think he drove his heart out.”

Up next

The Cup Series moves to Richmond Raceway on Saturday night.

AP NASCAR: https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing

Trump said that, beginning Sept. 1, Scharf will be replacing David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the Supreme Court.

“Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”

The shakeup in the White House counsel's office comes at a critical juncture — just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump's Republican Party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress. Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they are successful in November.

The White House counsel’s job is to advise on legal and policy questions related to the presidency. The office is the primary White House contact for the Justice Department, and it handles presidential pardons, works on judicial appointments and reviews legislation. The office also helps investigate and manage congressional investigations into the administration and lawsuits against the president when he is sued in his official capacity.

During Trump's first term, Scharf worked to get judges and justices confirmed for him. They included U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh — who himself served as White House staff secretary for President George W. Bush — and Amy Coney Barrett.

In the period when Trump was out of office, Scharf joined his legal team in October 2023 and was one of his lawyers in the election interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The case went before the Supreme Court, which ruled that presidents enjoy sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Scharf is among several of Trump’s lawyers who have been rewarded with spots in his second administration. Todd Blanche, who represented Trump during the Republican’s hush money trial in New York. was confirmed last week as attorney general.

As White House staff secretary, Scharf was responsible for managing the papers that cross the president’s desk. He is at Trump's side when the president signs executive orders and often provides running narration on what Trump is signing.

Trump in July 2025 named Scharf as chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, the executive branch agency with jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.

Trump's ballroom won final approval from the NCPC in April, though a divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction on the project must stop because Congress had not approved it. Trump has vowed to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The project is already well on its way and has begun to rise above ground on the east side of the White House.

Young vendors sold bracelets, stickers and other homemade goods at a North Side pop-up market, putting into practice lessons on how to be their own boss.

“They learn things about sales, about marketing, they practice their pitches, they plan out their budgets for the things that they’re making and they learn about profit and kind of what that looks like,” said Erika Radis, owner and founder of Working Moms of San Antonio.

The event also gave young vendors a confidence boost. One 10-year-old vendor, Helena, summed up the feeling of watching customers browse her table.

“I feel important,” she said.

Another young entrepreneur, Rhett, came in ready to sell.

“I actually am feeling pretty confident about selling my art,” Rhett said.

Workshop facilitator Kelly Haynie said the program is designed to sneak in real academic skills while keeping things fun.

“We’re trying to do some sneaky math, some summertime sneaky skills to get them ready for school to start again,” Haynie said. ”So we do some math and we do presentation and some writing and some art and just real fun thinking projects.”

A community built for moms

Radis said Working Moms of San Antonio started on social media in 2019 and quickly grew into a safe space for mothers and their children across the city.

“Sometimes if you don’t have a good community, it can feel lonely,” Radis said. “Just know that there are places out there like this that you know you can join up with and meet people that are going through it just like you are.”

Radis said she believes introducing entrepreneurial thinking early gives children a meaningful advantage.

“I just think from a young age to learn those skills is super-important and they get to do it among their peers, so they feel a little bit more comfortable,” she said.

Working Moms of San Antonio charges a monthly membership fee but also offers free events. More information is available on the group’s website.

Read also:

• Northside ISD’s new virtual academy to open for 2026-27 school year

In a Facebook post, the San Antonio Police Department said posting popular “whiteboard” photos with information about a child to social media could inadvertently put a target on their back for criminals.

“We don’t want to tell strangers where our child is going to be spending the majority of their time,” SAPD spokesperson Camelia Juarez said.

SAPD said photos showing what school your child attends, who their teacher is or where their bus stop is can help a stranger know where your child is for five days a week during the school year.

Child Rescue Coalition CEO Greg Schiller said even a photo with your home in the background can be enough for a stranger to find your child.

“Even if the house number isn’t visible, somebody could take a photo of that, do a reverse Google image search, and then they get your address,” Schiller said.

SAPD said even “getting to know you” details on first-day signs, such as your favorite color, favorite pet or favorite food, could be used by strangers to build false trust with a child.

“A child could think, ‘Well, they know me,’ or ‘They know my family,’” Juarez said. “We don’t want to give strangers little nuggets of information that could build trust with your child.”

What’s the risk

While SAPD said it would not speculate about potential crimes that could be committed by people with information found in these photos, Schiller said it could be used to help lure a child for sex crimes.

“Anytime we’re putting information about our children into the ether and the public social sphere,” Schiller said, “it’s dangerous.”

Child Rescue Coalition is a nonprofit that builds technology for law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute those who sexually abuse children. Schiller said the organization collects 30 to 50 million reports of child sexual abuse material being shared online every single day.

“We deal with these things every single day,” Schiller said. “I think parents think it’s never gonna be my kid. Well, let’s take the precautions necessary to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

What NOT to share

The San Antonio Police Department encouraged parents to leave the following information out of social media posts:

• Full name
• School
• Teacher’s name
• Height
• Date of birth/age

Schiller also said to consider whether the photo reveals other information, such as what the outside of your home looks like (which can inadvertently give away your house number or street name) or where your child’s bus stop is located.

“If you want to share a picture of your child, that’s going to be up to you if you feel that safe. But maybe that’s the limit as far as you go,” Schiller said. “I know it might sound like fear-mongering. Trust me, it’s not. Because there are millions and millions and millions of predators out on the internet.”

My account is “private.” Doesn’t that mean I’m protected?

Many parents assume a private social media account keeps their posts safe. Schiller said that’s not a reliable protection.

“Anything you post online, whether you think it’s in a private group or a private setting, you have to imagine the whole world can see it,” he said. “You could have one friend who reshares or reposts that image, and then someone they don’t know gets to see it.”

Schiller added that the growth of artificial intelligence means the risk of child exploitation is much greater than even a few years ago.

“I think one thing a lot of people don’t realize,” Schiller said, “is that if you have the image of a child, you could very easily, using a number of AI technologies, create a sexualized image of that child.”

Schiller said these AI-generated images could make predators more interested in your child or other children that look like the one in the photos, and can even be used as blackmail in sextortion cases.

“These things actually do happen in real life,” Schiller said. “Just because you live somewhere in Texas doesn’t mean a predator somewhere in Europe or Asia or South America — or even right next door — isn’t looking for your child because they see them online.”

So what can I post?

Neither SAPD nor Schiller said that parents should not celebrate the first day of school. Instead, they are encouraging you to reflect on how much you share those celebrations with the internet.

SAPD recommends shooting photos that will be shared on the internet against a plain wall or neutral background to avoid revealing a street, school or neighborhood.

Additionally, instead of posting photos with the popular whiteboards to display information about the upcoming school year, SAPD recommends posting images that showcase their first day of school outfit or their new backpack.

“We want people to share the memories,” Juarez said. “We just don’t want them to share the personal information.”

Schiller said parents who want to share a photo can consider showing only the back of their child’s head, or placing a heart or image over the child’s face to protect them from the threat of artificial intelligence.

“Everybody in your social circle knows who your kid is,” he said. “We don’t need to say where our child goes to school. We don’t need to say what town our child lives in. We don’t need to say what grade they’re in — because it’s pretty obvious to everyone you know.”

Share your photos on KSAT Connect

Now that you know how you can safely post photos celebrating the new school year, you are invited to consider sharing them with us on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air and on our website! Here’s how to do so:

1. Open the KSAT app, Weather Authority app, or visit the KSAT Connect web page.
2. Sign in or sign up for a free KSAT Insider account by clicking the orange button with the text “Log in to Upload a Pin.”
3. Once you’re signed in, you’ll click the orange button that now reads “Upload a Pin.”
4. Click the blue button at the top to choose the photo or video you’d like to share.
5. Select “School” as the channel and “Back to School” as your category.
6. Tell us about your photo or video by including a description.
7. The last step is to click the orange button at the bottom to upload.

Just remember to be careful about how much information you share!

Head back to school with GMSA! Watch weekdays 5-7 a.m. on KSAT 12 and KSAT Plus, and read more of our coverage below:

• San Antonio families stock up on school essentials during Texas tax-free weekend
• Free VIA bus pass program aims to cut transportation barrier for San Antonio students

Leanna Contreras was found, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

As umpires took the field and walked by the Braves' dugout on the third base side, Sale began barking. Merzel tossed him and Sale said something to crew chief Dan Bellino as the two talked near the dugout rail.

“I was by the bat rack because the game was about to start and I was getting my helmet,” center fielder Michael Harris II said after his 10th-inning single gave Atlanta a 2-1 win. “I didn’t see him talking to him, but I actually seen the motion of him throwing him out. I was kind of confused but then I saw Sale and remember what happened yesterday and I put two and two together."

Sale was called for his third career balk by Merzel during the fifth inning of Saturday’s 5-4 loss. Rookie Spencer Jones scored on the balk after getting an RBI triple and Sale began fiercely yelling at Merzel before manager Walt Weiss continued the argument and was ejected.

“I think he had some words for the umpire from yesterday, but you know what, it’s behind us," Weiss said. “Everyone had their say and we move on.”

Bellino told a pool reporter after Saturday's game that Sale was called for the balk because he did not declare he was going to pitch from the windup. Bellino said Sale declared he was pitching from the windup when he struck out José Caballero but did not do so ahead of the at-bat to Austin Wells.

It was Sale’s fourth career ejection. It was his first since Aug. 3, 2019, when he pitched for Boston and was tossed by Mike Estabrook for arguing balls and strikes during the fourth inning of a 9-2 loss at Yankee Stadium.

Sale allowed three runs and five hits in six innings Saturday for his first loss since June 28. In his third season with the Braves, the veteran left-hander is 12-7 with a 2.20 ERA in 21 starts.

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

Nelson’s family confirmed the death in a statement that did not say where he died or provide a cause.

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.

Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.

“The league really hadn’t seen an offense like the one we were running, and the results were undeniable,” Nelson wrote in 2016 in The Players’ Tribune.

Nelson said that “without Red Auerbach teaching me the mechanics of running the fast break, none of it would have been possible. He deserves all the credit for Nellie Ball, and for how fast the game of basketball is played today.”

Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.

In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.

“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”

His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.

Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.

In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.

Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.

“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game."

At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.

“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”

Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”

Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.

Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.

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

The 22-foot Bayliner speedboat overturned around 10:25 p.m. Saturday near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Twelve people were rescued from the water before police arrived, and police divers later located the 27-year-old woman and 5-month-old girl in the water. Both were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. According to the Coast Guard, the others were in stable condition.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims’ family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” said Capt. Doreen McCarthy, the Coast Guard Sector New York commander. “We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water.”

Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, police said. No phone number for him could be found Sunday, and the case has not yet been entered into online court records.

The victims' identities have not been released pending notification of family, police said Sunday.

Adam Schwartz said his sightseeing company's hot tub boat, Sea the City II, was out on a cruise when the accident occurred and took the 12 survivors onboard.

“Our captain and both crew members immediately assisted, called in to the Coast Guard and ... then coordinated with the Coast Guard and NYPD Harbor units to bring them to land in Brooklyn,” Schwartz told The Associated Press on Sunday.

McCarthy said Coast Guard investigators are working with police to investigate and are committed to holding lawbreakers accountable. According to the Coast Guard, an illegal charter is any passenger-for-hire vessel operation that lacks Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment and inspection certificates.

With school starting next week for many San Antonio-area districts, time is running short for families to take action.

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) was directly affected after the U.S. Department of Agriculture changed its eligibility requirements following a new law passed by Congress that affected the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Stricter federal and state SNAP changes reduced overall program enrollment, which in turn lowered the number of students schools need to qualify for CEP.

Biggest local impact: North East ISD

One of the most significant changes is at North East Independent School District, where at least 30 campuses lost the free meals program, according to district officials.

Sharon Glosson, NEISD’s executive director of school nutrition, said the shift is being felt across the district.

“It does have a big impact because many of our families really appreciated the free meals for their students even if they didn’t qualify individually for free and reduced price meals,” Glosson said. “We saw that it helped with more students participating in the meal program. They felt comfortable because everyone qualified for the program.”

What San Antonio-area parents need to do now

For schools that lost CEP status, parents can fill out an application to regain it — and officials say it takes only minutes to complete. The form is available online and can be found on each district’s website.

NEISD’s online portal for the application can be found here.

Glosson stressed that no student will go hungry, but said it’s critical that parents apply as soon as possible.

If an application is denied, Glosson encourages parents to apply again.

San Antonio ISD announced Tuesday it will retain CEP coverage for the 2026-2027 academic year.

“All SAISD schools qualify to operate CEP and will serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge,” a district spokesperson said Tuesday. “Meal applications are not required.”

Judson ISD officials told KSAT they are “still updating some items,” and information will be available online.

No changes for these S.A. districts

The following districts told KSAT that their schools remain CEP qualified for the 2026-2027 school year and do not need to fill out an application:

• North Side ISD
• Southwest ISD
• Edgewood ISD
• South Side ISD
• East Central ISD, which also includes two new campuses that qualify: Victory Elementary STEM Academy and Valor College Prep Middle School

Parents who are unsure whether their child’s school is affected should check their district’s website and with administrators.

It was her toughest moment of the day after an ultra-dominant performance on the bike from the 2023 champion.

She secured an impressive stage win, and in doing so extended her overall lead over Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney to 1 minute, 18 seconds clear of the 2024 champion.

Vollering raised her bike in the air moments after crossing the finish line in Nice. Niewiadoma-Phinney had started Sunday’s ninth and final stage only eight seconds behind Vollering, who got a time bonus for winning it.

Finally, as the Dutch anthem ended, a lone tear trickled down the side of Vollering's face. A few more soon followed as her achievement hit home.

“It’s not only the dream of winning the Tour de France. It’s also the dream of living this life, of working hard along with passionate people," the 29-year-old Vollering said. “It all starts with dreaming. Go chase the dreams and don’t let anyone stop you."

Nobody could on Sunday.

Knowing that she was well clear, Vollering began to celebrate as the line approached, raising her arm in triumph and then tapping her head with her finger to show her mental strength.

“I was thinking about a lot of things as I was approaching the finish line. I thought that I had never won in the yellow jersey before,” Vollering said. “I thought about how much work has gone into this victory. I thought about the people who have been behind me.”

She finished the stage 1 minute, 4 seconds ahead of Spaniard Paula Blasi Cairol and Niewiadoma-Phinney, who looked tired but was all smiles later on the podium.

Former Giro d’Italia champion Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy was third overall in the Tour — 4:29 behind — after Marlen Reusser lost valuable time after crashing going downhill after the second of the day’s four climbs.

Reusser ended up 14th overall at nearly 26 minutes behind.

Vollering attacks

Niewiadoma-Phinney had it all to do on the final climb, especially with her rival sitting on her wheel, and was unable to pressure Vollering.

Vollering attacked about 800 meters from the top and dropped Niewiadoma-Phinney — as she did when winning Saturday’s eighth stage to take the overall lead from her rival.

Two years ago, Vollering missed out on Tour victory after finishing an agonizing four seconds behind Niewiadoma-Phinney on the last stage.

She made full amends this time.

Vollering has now won five Grand Tours, including two Spanish Vuelta titles and the Giro d’Italia secured in June to join countrywoman Annemiek van Vleuten as the only other female cyclist to have won all three Grand Tours.

“I still have a lot of dreams," Vollering said. "On and off the bike.”

Four climbs

Each of the first three climbs on Sunday was 7.7 kilometers long with a 5.9% average gradient. But the final ascent branched off onto a slightly different route which, even though it was shorter at 6 kilometers, had a steeper average gradient of 7.6% with one portion stretching to a grueling 12%.

It made little difference.

After winning Friday’s seventh stage with an impressive solo attack of her own up the iconic Mont Ventoux, Niewiadoma-Phinney seemed short of energy and Vollering’s lead was never under threat.

___

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

Around 2 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the shooting in the 5000 block of Crossover Road.

While deputies were en route, the sheriff’s office said multiple additional calls reported that several shots had been fired and a man was seen lying in the front driveway of a home.

San Marcos police officers arrived first and located Sergio Raynaldo Mata, 32, who had been shot multiple times, the release states. Mata was pronounced dead at the scene.

The release states Guadalupe County deputies identified Miguel Angel Marquez, 21, as the person who fired at Mata.

Marquez was taken into custody by the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office and charged with murder and deadly conduct, the release states.

During the investigation, deputies learned several rounds struck a vehicle and a home across the street, the release states.

A man who had been sleeping in the bedroom where the rounds entered was not injured, according to the sheriff’s office.

The investigation is ongoing.

Read also:

• Man found with gunshot wound to head inside West Side home, police say

The underlying tone of the social media content the 22-year-old gymnast and the rest of his five-man business team produce for Richard's growing legion of followers gives off the vibe of someone who doesn't take himself — or his sport — too seriously.

Most of that is by design. The athlete who has made it his mission to bring gymnastics to a new audience knows making it seem like fun is a vital part of that process.

It's hardly the only part. And any questions about how invested Richard is in this whole thing were answered Saturday night, when he became the second Black gymnast to win a men's all-around title.

Richard pulled away from Shane Wiskus and Danila Leykin with six polished and professional routines, offering tangible proof that underneath goofing around on TikTok, his plan to be the face of the men's Olympic program in Los Angeles in two years is very much in full swing.

“Winning matters to show that your process is working,” Richard said late Saturday.

Making a statement in more ways than one

That's even if Richard's process can sometimes be at odds with the norms of a sport that has looked a certain way since long before the Massachusetts native was born.

When Richard saluted the judges this weekend, he did it while wearing a uniform that ran afoul of the rules. And we're not talking about the singlet that featured his trademark across his chest.

Rather than don stirrup pants — long the de facto uniform on events like pommel horse — Richard opted for shorts with white compression leggings underneath. It's something he began experimenting with during the later stages of his college career at Michigan, and one he has no plans of abandoning in domestic events even if it means receiving a three-tenths neutral deduction each time.

On Thursday night, that meant his lead over Leykin was slimmer than it had to be. That didn't stop Richard from taking the same deduction at the start of the competition on Saturday, admitting he was more than willing to potentially jeopardize his shot at a national title to make a statement.

“I told you I’d laugh if that happens,” Richard said.

It didn't come to that. He put together an energetic and confident performance to win by more than two points over Wiskus, a 2020 Olympian, and the promising 19-year-old Leykin.

When Richard landed his vault during the final rotation — one that remains a work in progress as he tries to get his power under control — to seal the victory, he turned toward the crowd inside the Mortgage Matchup Center and flashed the “No. 1” sign before posing for a selfie atop the medal stand while asking the fans in the background to join in.

Hey, the brand is the brand. And Richard doesn't believe he has to choose between being a funny, charismatic and remarkably self-aware influencer and a champion. Yes, his uniform choice was a conversation starter. He doesn't think it should distract from what he does while wearing it.

“When you come to a competition, nothing else matters besides staying in your zone, focusing on the details and going for those skills,” he said. “That’s all I came here to do, get better under pressure.”

Returning to the world stage

Well, that and earn a spot on the national and world championship teams, roles he surprisingly missed out on a year ago that seemed to mute the glow from helping the American men win their first team medal in 16 years at the 2024 Olympics.

He promised in the aftermath to get back to work, and with Olympic teammates Brody Malone and Asher Hong out this week — Malone is taking a break while Hong, a two-time national champion, is recovering from an ankle injury — Richard spent his time in the desert showing he's ready to lead in something other than clicks.

The teenager who announced himself by earning a surprise bronze in the all-around at the 2023 world championships is evolving. He served as a captain at Michigan, and as the window opens on his prime, he seems ready to pick up the mantle as a U.S. leader.

“I feel like I’m not like, OK, there’s older guys that are like veterans, but I feel I’m entering that veteran territory,” he said. “It’s not my first worlds. It’s not first Olympics.”

Even if there is plenty to do to assure himself of a place on the team that will step into the spotlight only a home Olympics provides two summers from now. He knows he needs to upgrade the difficulty in some of his routines to become a legitimate medal threat in Los Angeles.

He'll get a litmus test on where he currently stacks up when the American men take the floor at the world championships in the Netherlands in October. As encouraged as he is at how things are going, he's hardly satisfied.

The man who has a team of five working for him to keep his website and social media accounts booming understands there are a lot of 30-plus-hour weeks in the gym ahead. It's a grind, one he embraces when the camera isn't on.

He's hardly the only athlete who considers themselves an influencer. But the reality is anybody with a camera can become one. Not everyone can be a champion. As Los Angeles draws ever closer, Richard is leaning into the difference between the two.

“The No. 1 trait of the most successful athletes, athlete creators, people growing their sports, people hitting icon status is winning,” he said. “And I want to keep winning and pushing myself to see how much better I can get.”

___

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

The crash was reported around 6:30 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-10 near Vance Jackson.

As of 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 had reopened, according to the Texas Department of Transportation’s website.

The San Antonio Police Department told KSAT that a silver Infiniti was stalled in the eastbound lanes when a pickup truck rear-ended it.

SAPD said it was dark at the time of the crash and the driver of the pickup truck did not see the stalled vehicle ahead in time to stop.

The driver of the Infiniti sustained serious injuries and was taken to a hospital. The driver of the pickup truck suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized, police said.

The crash is under investigation.

Read also:

• Man found with gunshot wound to head inside West Side home, police say

As U.S. immigration agents staged at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building for a monthslong deportation campaign, protesters with whistles and cellphone cameras assembled to oppose them. Two were shot and killed in the city's streets before Trump pulled back under pressure.

Months later, those confrontations remain the backdrop to Minnesota's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, which features establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and the more progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The immigration debate is an added schism in a race that otherwise echoes many of the other left versus center divides that have played out across the United States this year.

Craig voted for tighter enforcement soon after Trump returned to office last year, only to later express regret for her decision after the Republican president sent a surge of agents into Minneapolis. She backed a resolution that condemned antisemitism after a 2025 firebombing in Boulder, Colorado, and expressed thanks for law enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Those votes may turn out to be some of the most fraught of Craig's eight-year career in Congress, decisions that Flanagan has highlighted while trying to portray her rival as unwilling to fight an unpopular administration in Washington.

“I think that’s when she lost my vote permanently and that’s why I will not vote for her no matter what," said Bryce Bohne, 40, of Minneapolis. The teacher and owner of an educational tourism company is supporting Flanagan.

Around the Whipple federal building, the fences and barriers are down. The ambient soundtrack is no longer the whistles and chants of protesters, just the rumble of departing jets and passing buses.

But the signs of what happened remain. A few volunteers in bright orange vests keep vigil across the street for 12-plus hours a day, ready to help people getting released from immigration detention or leaving hearings at the immigration court inside.

A few miles away, visitors still bring fresh flowers and handwritten notes to memorials marking the spots where Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed.

Craig is no stranger to tough races, but until now the heat was from the right

Craig flipped a Republican-held seat in 2018, and every two years she overcame millions of dollars of attack ads to win tough reelection campaigns.

Until Craig's Senate run, the heat came from the right. Newly under fire from the other side, the decisions she made as a swing-seat congresswoman have become a liability as a statewide Senate candidate. At one recent event, she adopted the language of the insurgent left, though it did not always seem to come naturally.

“The working class keeps getting screwed,” she told volunteers preparing to knock on doors for her Saturday in Brooklyn Park, a Minneapolis suburb. “Folks, I don’t know about you, but it is time that we had a working folks reno— reso— renovation—"

Here, she took a breath.

"—revolution in this country.”

In Craig's view, she is well suited to the antiestablishment fervor gaining a foothold in the Democratic Party. Raised by a single mother in an Arkansas trailer park, she has known economic hardship. The lesbian mother of four grown children, she is not the archetype of a traditional member of Congress.

She was one of the House Democrats to call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race after his disastrous debate performance against Trump. As a relatively junior member of Congress, she pushed successfully to become the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, jumping ahead of long-tenured colleagues.

“I consider myself a progressive” she told reporters after her event Saturday. “Every race that I run, Republicans run ads against me saying I vote with Democrats 96, 97% of the time.”

“Of course, in the primary,” she added, “people want to point out the few votes I’ve taken against Democrats.”

‘I regret my vote,’ Craig wrote in a mea culpa

Chief among them was the Laken Riley Act, the first bill passed by Congress after Trump started his second term. It requires federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes.

Craig and nearly 60 other Democrats in the House and Senate voted for the bill early in 2025.

But at the end of the year, as immigration officers descended on Minneapolis, that vote became a liability. Weeks after Good and Pretti were killed, Craig published a mea culpa in a Minnesota Star Tribune column.

Craig explained that although she had qualms with parts of the law, it had the support of Democrats she respected, and many of her constituents were unhappy with the situation on the border under Biden.

But the “outright occupation by aggressive, unaccountable federal forces” made clear to her “that supporting any bill that gives ICE new authority in this administration was the wrong decision. And I regret my vote."

Trump's immigration operation, she says, was not enabled by her vote on the Laken Riley Act.

“Before that, people had a little bit more sensibility about the fact she was in a tough district and had to take tough votes,” said Corey Day, former executive director of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Craig has since presented herself as a strong defender of Minnesotans against Trump. She says her record of winning tough races positions her to ensure the seat stays in Democratic hands.

“Angie has experience working across demographics that we need to win over statewide, including in rural Minnesota,” said Kevin Anderson, a Hennepin County commissioner who is supporting Craig and went to one of her weekend events. “I love Peggy, I really do, she’s a great politician. But I don’t think she’s ever had to work across Minnesota.”

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has declined to endorse either candidate for the seat held by Democrat Tina Smith, who is not running again. Late last month his wife, Gwen Walz, endorsed Craig over Flanagan, his governing partner for two terms.

The Republican field includes Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter.

Flanagan supporters are suspicious of Craig

To Flanagan and her supporters, Craig’s vote for the immigration bill was not a pragmatic overture to swing voters but a betrayal.

“My primary opponent voted for Donald Trump’s immigration bill and was the only Minnesota Democrat to do so,” Flanagan told volunteers in St. Paul on Saturday. “She since then has said that she regrets that vote, and I’m glad. But it shouldn’t have taken 14 months.”

“We can stand with the immigrant community and not just when it’s politically expedient for us,” Flanagan added.

Like Abdul El-Sayed, who won last week’s Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, Flanagan supports Medicare for All and wants to curtail U.S. military support for Israel. She is running as much against the donors who have spent millions of dollars backing Craig as she is against Craig herself.

“The fact that the money is coming from us and only us makes such a huge difference, because she’s beholden to us, not some billionaire with some business or crypto interest,” said 43-year-old Flanagan supporter Justin Ropella, a customer service manager from Woodbury.

Through July 22, Craig's campaign had spent $9 million and Flanagan's $5.5 million. The disparity was even higher among outside groups, with Craig backers spending considerably more, though both have benefited from an influx of outside spending.

To help make up the difference, Flanagan has called on the support of progressive champions such as Sen. Bernie Sanders the Vermont independent who campaigned with her last month.

“If the people of Minnesota can stand up -- and I’m confident that they can -- and tell these billionaires and their lies and their 30-second ads and their super PACs to go to hell, democracy is going to reign,” Sanders said.

Large-scale Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities have become almost routine in recent weeks, with Moscow exploiting Ukraine’s critical shortage of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot systems — the sole air defense weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles.

In the latest attacks, Ukrainian drones killed five people and injured two dozen others, including a 4-year-old boy, in Russia’s border region of Belgorod, according to the regional administration.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Russian missiles struck a high-rise apartment block in the Saltivskyi district, killing two people and injuring 13, according to regional head Oleh Syniehubov. Eight more people were injured in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa after “dozens of missiles and drones” struck the city and surrounding region, according to local administration head Oleh Kiper.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has for months lobbied other countries, especially the U.S., to send Ukraine more Patriot systems made scarcer by the Iran war, arguing they are crucial for defending civilians.

Failing that, Zelenskyy wants to make Patriot ammunition in Ukraine or get approval from Elon Musk to use his Starlink satellite communications system to guide strikes inside Russia that can hit its missile launchers.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has kept up long-range drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, as well as the country’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, and other targets deep inside Russia, sparking a fuel crisis.

Russia’s defense ministry on Sunday claimed its overnight strikes hit drone warehouses in the Kharkiv region, as well as fuel depots and stores of other materiel belonging to Ukraine’s armed forces at the port of Odesa.

It said its forces had shot down 153 Ukrainian drones during the night, including over Russian-occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.

In Russia's Belgorod region, authorities said Ukrainian drone strikes damaged 29 apartment blocks and five private houses, as well as administrative buildings and unspecified “commercial facilities.”

Debris from Ukrainian drones also fell on two enterprises and a private home in the Russian city of Novorossiysk, mayor Andrey Kravchenko said on Sunday. He did not specify what the commercial sites were. Regional authorities later said falling debris had injured one person, damaged two private houses, and blew out a window in an apartment block.

A major fuel terminal is located at Novorossiysk that links Kazakhstan's oil fields to markets around the world, and which has previously been a target for Ukrainian strikes.

Moldova says blast near Ukraine border caused by drone

A “powerful explosion” believed to be from a combat drone was reported in the village of Crocmaz, in southeast Moldova near the border with Ukraine, local police said Sunday.

No one was injured by the impact, which caused a vegetation fire in the Stefan Voda district, police said, adding that “fragments of a combat drone were found at the scene” and would be examined by specialists. Police did not specify the origin of the drone.

Multiple drones have violated Moldovan airspace since Russia launched its full-scale war in neighboring Ukraine.

Bulgaria summons Ukrainian ambassador over drone incident

Bulgaria has summoned Ukraine's ambassador after a drone entered Bulgarian airspace, the country's public broadcaster BNT reported on Sunday.

The drone exploded on Saturday close to an international gas pipeline shortly after crossing the border from Romania. No casualties or damage were reported.

Bulgaria's defense ministry said the drone appeared to be the type used by Ukrainian armed forces, and that the incident was likely accidental.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said the incident was being examined, but that it did not deliberately target Bulgaria. Ukraine and Bulgaria were in “close contact” to clarify what had happened, he added.

——

AP writer Stephen McGrath contributed from Leamington Spa, England.

In the Philippines, five people were rescued and seven remained missing after a landslide that hit three houses in the northern mountain resort city of Baguio on Sunday. The landslide was set off by days of heavy monsoon rains, which had been intensified by Dolphin, officials said.

Dolphin hit the Chinese city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province and the northern parts of neighboring Fujian province, bringing strong winds, estimated at 151 kph (93 mph) when it made landfall, and massive waves to the city's coastline. Heavy rains have created a risk of severe flooding in Zhejiang, and authorities have warned of severe landslide risks.

Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled about 60% of Sunday's expected flights, according to the Paper, the city's state media.

Forecasters in China predicted that areas could see 200-400 millimeters (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall over the next few days.

The outer bands of the storm on Saturday hit northern Taiwan, including the capital of Taipei, bringing rain. Some Taiwanese airlines also canceled their flights to China on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, authorities in Zhejiang evacuated some 390,000 people in the city of Taizhou. Authorities in Shanghai evacuated more than 30,000 people from riskier areas.

Zhejiang authorities also suspended ferries and cruises.

Earlier in the Philippines, Dolphin helped intensify seasonal monsoon rains, which set off floods and landslides, including one that hit three houses on Sunday in Baguio.

Many areas of the main northern Luzon region, including the densely populated capital region of metropolitan Manila were flooded, displacing more than 12,000 people and forcing several northern cities and towns to shut down schools on Friday and Saturday, disaster officials said Sunday.

The monsoon rains were preceded by a tropical storm, which left at least six people dead last week, including four villagers. They died in a landslide and a rockslide in the provinces of Benguet and Rizal in Luzon, Philippine officials said.

The warning comes as San Antonio prepares for outdoor practices during some of the hottest time of the year. As temperatures rise, organizations dedicated to athlete safety are emphasizing the importance of heat illness prevention.

The story behind it

On Aug. 1, 2001, Minnesota Vikings lineman Korey Stringer died from exertional heat stroke during training camp.

Since then, the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) was born. The institute is a nationally recognized leadership foundation in heat safety education and research.

KSI also works alongside the University of Connecticut, which has spent decades promoting policies and procedures aimed at preventing heat-related emergencies.

“We want kids to play sports. We want band members to be able to practice,” said Christy Eason, president of sport safety and education at KSI. “We just want them to do that safely.”

According to Eason, policy changes have made a measurable difference at the professional level.

“Since Korey’s death, there has not been another athlete in the NFL who has died of an exertional heat stroke,” Eason said. “That’s because they changed their policies.”

Challenges they’re facing

Experts said one of the biggest challenges is ensuring high schools consistently implement the same safety standards that have become commonplace at higher levels of competition.

“I think some of the challenges that we’re seeing at the high school level are that they’re not always making those same modifications,” Eason said.

Those modifications include gradual heat acclimatization, environmental monitoring and access to cold-water immersion tubs. Health and sports medicine experts said these measures can significantly reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses before it becomes a life-threatening emergency.

One of the most important safety measures is allowing athletes and band members time to adjust to hot conditions before increasing the intensity of practices.

When asked whether students should spend time becoming accustomed to the heat before practices ramp up, Eason said the answer is yes.

“For heat acclimatization, we recommend seven to 10 days of heat exposure, and it is important that it is consecutive,” she said.

The first week is especially critical because athletes and band members are often asking more of their bodies while they are still adapting to high temperatures and humidity, according to experts.

As practices continue in the weeks ahead, heat safety advocates encourage students, coaches and parents to follow established guidelines, stay hydrated and pay close attention to any warning signs of heat illness.

Above all, experts say individuals should listen to their bodies. If someone begins feeling unwell, dizzy, overly fatigued or experiences symptoms of heat-related illness, they should stop activity immediately and seek assistance.

Heat safety tips

• Allow seven to 10 consecutive days for heat acclimatization
• Stay hydrated before, during and after outdoor activities
• Take scheduled breaks in shaded or cooled areas
• Monitor weather conditions and heat index values
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke
• Speak up and seek help if you do not feel well during practice or performance

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The fire was reported around 9 a.m. Saturday in the 4600 block of Alma Drive, near South WW White Road.

SAFD at the scene told KSAT that two adults outside the home told firefighters the woman was trapped inside.

Firefighters made entry and pulled the woman from the home. The fire department said the woman was found in a bedroom.

The woman was taken to a hospital for possible smoke inhalation, SAFD said. No other injuries were reported.

SAFD said the fire was brought under control within 20 minutes.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

Read also:

• Man killed in crash after vehicle flips into oncoming lanes on Loop 410, SAPD says

Police found the man inside a locked bedroom while responding to the shooting around 7:15 p.m. in the 1500 block of NW 26th Street.

Officers at the scene told KSAT the man suffered a gunshot wound to the head, though that detail was not included in SAPD’s Sunday preliminary report. No weapon was recovered at the scene.

The 24-year-old man suffered major injuries and was taken to a local hospital, according to the report.

It is unclear who might have been involved or if it was self-inflicted, police told KSAT.

The report states police have not identified anyone in connection with the shooting, and it is unknown what led up to the shooting.

The investigation is ongoing.

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• Man killed in crash after vehicle flips into oncoming lanes on Loop 410, SAPD says

Officers responded to the crash around 3 a.m. Saturday in the 14500 block of Southwest Loop 410 eastbound.

The man was traveling eastbound when he collided with the wired center median, causing the vehicle to flip into the westbound lanes, police said. The man was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Additional information was not immediately available. The investigation is ongoing.

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• Man arrested in connection with wrong-way crash on West Side, SAPD says

El-Sayed said his Friday conversation with Obama was “really warm and inspiring." The candidate did not provide details.

“I was grateful for his advice. It was very warm, very inviting, and I know that he knows the critical role that Michigan is going to play,” El-Sayed told NBC’s “Meet the Press."

Asked if he would like to see Obama come to Michigan to drum up support for Democrats before the midterm elections in November, El-Sayed said he “really” hoped so and that Obama “knows a lot about winning Michigan” after carrying the state in the 2008 and 2012 presidential races.

An Obama spokesperson confirmed the call.

The discussion came the same day that a group of Michigan nominees and other notable national Democrats tried to present a united front at a rally in Detroit. The crowd cheered loudest for El-Sayed, a former public health official who last week narrowly beat establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in a contentious and closely watched primary. A Democratic victory in the fall is crucial to the party's chances of regaining a Senate majority.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is not seeking reelection in the perennial swing state, which Republican Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, while Democrat Joe Biden carried in 2020.

El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who narrowly lost the Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024 and has tried to capitalize on lingering tensions within the Democratic Party.

Rogers has released a video message attempting to appeal to Democrats who feel their party may be moving too far to the left with El-Sayed. “You have a home with us," Rogers says in the video.

During an interview Sunday with CNN's “State of the Union,” El-Sayed acknowledged that "we aired our differences” in the heated primary. But he said the internal divisions are "so much smaller than the similarities that we share.”

“You’re seeing folks come together,” El-Sayed said, before adding of moderate Democrats, “We might see the world differently. But we also recognize the responsibility to come together.”

“We couldn’t let them in because we were so full,” Chairman Jacob Keyes said. “That’s a direct impact from the Harrah’s name.”

But a vacancy in Washington is preventing the tribe’s partnership with the gambling giant from moving beyond branding. Plans for Harrah’s parent company to take over day-to-day management of the casino in Chandler, Oklahoma, stalled after it opened in April, because no one is at the helm of the federal commission that oversees tribal gambling.

The last chairperson of the National Indian Gaming Commission stepped down from the role in January. President Donald Trump has not nominated anyone to fill the vacancy. Absent a chair, the commission is unable to perform some key responsibilities, like enforcing legal and safety violations, approving new tribal gambling laws and certifying management agreements between tribes and casino operators.

Industry leaders say the agency's inertia risks delaying business deals, weakening oversight and leaving tribes without a key advocate in Washington as they grapple with an emerging threat posed by online prediction markets.

“At this crucial time, the (National Indian Gaming Commission) is operating with one arm tied behind its back,” said Jonodev Chaudhuri, a former NIGC chair from 2013 to 2019 and a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. “That’s a very precarious position for tribes and Indian gaming."

There’s a lot at stake for tribes that rely heavily on casino revenue to fund healthcare, housing, education and other vital services. Tribal gambling brought in a record $46 billion in 2025, nearly triple the annual casino revenue of gambling powerhouse Nevada.

The commission's core powers are vested in its chair

With its Harrah’s contract stuck in limbo, the Iowa Tribe’s small government staff finds itself managing the 175,000-square-foot (16,258 square-meter) casino, a mammoth task it had intended to outsource.

“It’s discouraging. We’re paying a fee and not getting the full value,” Keyes said.

The decision to outsource management was strategic: Harrah's branding would bring in more business than existing staff could accommodate. Instead, staff has to balance management with other priorities like preparing tribal budgets and overseeing social programs, Keyes said.

The three-member gaming commission was formed in 1988 to regulate casino-style gambling and promote economic development on tribal lands. Some 250 tribal governments across 29 states now operate 545 gambling facilities, the commission said.

Under federal law, its enforcement powers are vested solely in the chairperson. Industry leaders say its inability to cite casinos for violating federal law or force the emergency closure of unsafe facilities is particularly troubling.

In a typical year, the commission issues several citations to tribes for operating casinos on unauthorized lands, failing to submit required financial statements, misusing revenues and other violations. The commission's last enforcement action was issued on Jan. 12 — the same day acting chairperson Sharon Avery's term expired. She remains on the commission.

The commission declined an interview request and said in an emailed statement that tribal officials and its field staff provide “excellent regulation" amid the leadership gap. But Steven Light, an expert in tribal gambling law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the lack of enforcement power could discourage investment in tribal gambling and slow business growth.

“Markets function best when there's stability and certainty around processes and rules,” Light said.

Prediction markets have emerged as a new threat to tribal gaming

The commission vacancy comes as the popularity of online prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket explodes. Tribal leaders fear those platforms, which allow users to wager on the outcome of virtually any event, could violate their sovereignty and take a bite out of gambling revenue.

“Every dollar generated by Indian gaming goes to fund healthcare for our people, education for our children, housing for our elders,” said David Bean, chairman of the Indian Gaming Association and a citizen of the Puyallup Tribe.

At least eight tribes have sued prediction market platforms, alleging they accept bets from tribal lands and in states where tribes have exclusive gambling rights in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which the gaming commission is tasked with enforcing.

Prediction markets argue their users are engaging in futures trading, not gambling, and dispute claims that they are circumventing regulation.

The commission chairperson typically serves as an advocate for the tribal gambling industry in Washington, according to former commissioners and staffers. Yet it's been conspicuously silent while the federal government weighs how to regulate prediction markets, said Joe Valandra, the commission’s chief of staff from 2005 to 2007 and a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

James Siva, who leads the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and is vice chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, said the Trump administration's support of and business ties to the prediction markets industry could explain why it hasn't filled the vacancy.

“These things are happening in conjunction with each other,” Siva said in April at a news conference with the Indian Gaming Association. “It is not a coincidence by any means.”

The leadership gap spans two administrations

The commission's last Senate-confirmed chairperson termed out under former President Joe Biden without a successor in place.

A White House spokesperson called the commission a “valued board” but did not say when a new nomination will be made.

In April, Trump appointed Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, to the commission. That's raised questions about potential executive branch influence over an agency designed to be independent.

“This crosses that threshold in an uncomfortable way,” said Shannon O’Loughlin, the commission’s chief of staff from 2015 to 2017 and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Keyes said a crucial opportunity to develop his tribe's economy hangs in the balance. He doesn't see the commission vacancy as partisan play.

“I don’t want to sound like sour grapes, but when have Native American issues ever been prioritized by the federal government?” he said.

The landmark Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on Friday by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the three countries seek to deepen security cooperation amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Sunday the agreement was “purely defensive in nature” and that other countries could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means, adding the deal reflected a shared desire to strengthen strategic security cooperation.

His post on X came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan similarly said the agreement was not aimed at Iran or any other country.

The agreement stipulates "that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” according to statements released by the three sides. Dar said in his post the stipulation was consistent with the right of individual and collective self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.

Pakistan, he said, would continue working with countries across the region toward lasting peace and stability.

“The Makkah Accord does not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between these countries, or with other countries or organizations,” he wrote.

His comments followed overnight public celebrations of the agreement. Landmarks in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad and Saudi cities were illuminated in the colors of the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani flags.

The three countries bring significant but differing capabilities to the arrangement. Pakistan has extensive military experience and is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed country; Saudi Arabia brings substantial economic resources and regional influence; and NATO member Turkey has a large military and an increasingly sophisticated domestic defense industry.

In Islamabad, defense analysts cautioned against viewing the agreement as the equivalent of NATO, despite its collective-defense provision. Abdullah Khan, an Islamabad-based defense analyst, said that although the agreement was signed during a period of heightened regional tensions, it should not be interpreted as being directed against Iran or another country.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close military ties for decades and signed a separate mutual-defense agreement in September 2025. Pakistan and Turkey also have expanded military and defense-industrial cooperation in recent years

The confirmation announced on Saturday eased concerns that the rare Bundibugyo virus might spread to the Congolese capital.

More than 200 boat passengers were placed in quarantine on Thursday in the port of Maluku, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Kinshasa, after one traveler who was previously aboard the boat died with symptoms matching the Ebola virus.

Specialist teams from the Ministry of Health were deployed to Maluku to examine all of those on board. Those exhibiting suspicious symptoms had samples taken and sent to a laboratory for analysis, the ministry said on Saturday, adding that the vessel was also decontaminated.

The National Institute of Biomedical Research, which is responsible for testing, said that all suspected cases tested negative for Bundibugyo. It urged the population of Kinshasa to remain calm.

Congo has been battling an Ebola outbreak that has been deemed the fastest in history in terms of transmission, with confirmed cases since it started in May reaching 4,200, including over 1,900 deaths.

The river boat passenger had become sick and disembarked nearly three weeks ago in Pimu, in the province of Mongala, more than 1,000 kilometers from Kinshasa along the Congo River, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said on Thursday. The capital has no confirmed Ebola case, he added.

News of the passenger’s death caused panic in Kinshasa, which is far from the eastern region hit by the outbreak, the second-largest outbreak on record, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that recorded more than 28,000 cases, including over 11,000 deaths.

Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

Health authorities say between 60% and 70% of new cases in the current outbreak are recorded outside of contacts being monitored, and that the outbreak is spreading at an “alarming” rate faster than efforts to track it.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said this week that the outbreak is still “spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate” and that the response, which has been expanding, “is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.”

“None of these folks are represented,” she said.

Chohan is the coordinator of a program that sends volunteer lawyers to immigration courts to assist people without representation and help them navigate the complicated legal system where the stakes are a future in America or deportation.

Appearing without a lawyer opens up even greater risk under the second Trump administration, with the courts playing a key role in its mass deportation agenda. Courts are increasingly denying asylum, deportation officers have arrested immigrants in court hallways, the administration has packed courtrooms to cut backlogs and reduced lead time on hearings, prompting people to miss them.

Data shows that legal representation can be vital to winning in court but many immigrants, unable to pay for a private lawyer or find a pro bono one, navigate the system without an attorney at their side.

“Folks go into immigration court not knowing what’s happening. They come out not knowing what's happening. And when there’s an attorney present," Chohan said, “it’s just so helpful.”

Immigrants aren’t provided an attorney but legal help makes a difference

Unlike criminal court, there is no guaranteed lawyer in immigration courts.

Immigrants have to hire one at a cost of thousands of dollars or hope to get represented by one of the nonprofit organizations assisting low-income immigrants. But waitlists with those organizations are long, and many parts of the country just do not have that many immigration attorneys.

Of the roughly 3.2 million pending deportation cases currently in U.S. immigration courts, people in 52% of those cases do not have a lawyer, according to an analysis of immigration court data by the Vera Institute of Justice, a think tank.

A Congressional Research Service study from 2024 found that only 19% of people who did not have a lawyer won asylum or another avenue to stay in the United States. Among those who did have a lawyer, 47% were successful.

“Having an attorney is just super critical to be able to navigate the system successfully,” said Adriel Orozco of the advocacy group American Immigration Council.

Chohan said she frequently runs into people who have been scammed by lawyers or people posing as lawyers who take their money but do nothing for their case.

“I will give him a list of attorneys who are free and we have vetted,” she told one man who said he was scammed. “They have long waitlists but he should still ask.”

Speaking later to The Associated Press, the man described how he left Guatemala after being threatened by gangs and came to the U.S. in 2024 seeking asylum. Ever since, he said he has done everything that has been asked of him while he tries to make ends meet, occasionally painting houses. He spent $4,500 on a lawyer who in the end did nothing to help him, he said.

“He turned out to be a scammer,” said the man, who did not want to be identified for fear of endangering his case. He is worried about what comes next in court after being warned by the judge that he could be deported. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.

A nonstop day of consulting with clients, shuttling back and forth into court

Outside the Sacramento building where the court is housed is a long line of immigrants waiting for appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is in the same building. Volunteers with a local anti-ICE resistance group stand ready to help.

Upstairs, two immigration judges are on the bench. One hears the in-depth individual cases of immigrants who are pursuing their claim of asylum.

The other judge has the master calendar docket, where dozens of immigrants will appear in brief hearings geared at making sure their case is ready to go to the next step.

Signs taped to the wall remind people not to videotape or record inside the court complex. A security guard makes sure no one loiters in the hallways. Most people clutch stacks of papers documenting their cases.

After immigrants file into the courtroom for their hearings, Judge Susan Phan introduces Chohan and describes the services her organization offers.

“You are not required to meet with her but it is a rare opportunity that we have someone volunteering their time,” Phan said before launching into the day's work.

The need for a detailed asylum application

Chohan, who works with the California Immigration Project, starts each hearing in the courtroom. She has a clipboard to take notes, extra copies of forms and a crate of books for restless children attending court with their parents. She spends the bulk of her time in the waiting room, talking to immigrants after their hearings and scanning their documents to flesh out what else they need.

Speaking to one young man from Mexico, she asks to see his asylum application, noting that the judge had pointed out that it was not that detailed.

“Sometimes judges can deny a claim if there isn’t enough detail,” she said through one of the organization's volunteer translators.

The organization frequently has clinics to help immigrants fill out their asylum application. Chohan said she will alert him to the next one.

Another woman holding a stack of documents is there with her son and wanted to make sure her children could come with her if she is deported. Chohan also briefed her on what to expect at her upcoming asylum hearing and said the organization will send her an asylum filing guide.

Chohan highlighted places on forms where people need to give answers or answer in more detail. It’s OK to write “none” but she advises them to not leave boxes blank.

Everything submitted in Spanish must be accompanied by a translation into English that must be done by a person, not an automatic online translator. Copies of every single page of a passport must be submitted. Documents must be sent in two weeks before the applicant’s hearing so the judge can review them.

Over and over, Chohan reminds immigrants to download their receipt showing they paid the $102 asylum application fee so they can submit it to the court.

Chohan said a lot of these procedures and forms are discussed in court but it is happening so fast and immigrants are listening through a translator that they do not always understand what is happening.

“A lot of times when they go into court, they’re just happy that they’re out of court and they’re not being arrested,” she said.

A changing immigration court system

Chohan has witnessed the upheaval in the immigration courts during Republican President Donald Trump's second term.

She was in the court hallways last summer when ICE officers waited to arrest immigrants after their hearings. Earlier this summer she watched as the administration started holding “mega masters,” hearings with dozens of respondents at a time that are meant to clear a backlog but have created chaos.

Chohan said there are not enough pro bono lawyers in the Sacramento area to help everyone who needs one so the “Attorney of the Day” program is often the next best thing. She believes everyone should have access to a lawyer.

Until that day, she said, the program "helps bridge that gap.”

It’s not about the triumph of returning heroes, but the suffering they left behind.

“The Trojan Women,” with a cast of 22, was staged at Epidaurus, the ancient open-air stone arena in southern Greece. It marked what organizers called the first fully accessible performance in the ancient theater’s 2,300-year history.

While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.

The ancient theater offered a full range of accessibility services for the Aug. 2 performance. Blind audience members received Braille programs, tactile models and live audio description, while deaf spectators followed overhead titles. Physical adaptations also improved access throughout the site.

“It’s the first time a performance at Ancient Epidaurus has been made accessible to everyone,” said Greg Polychronidis, a Paralympic gold medalist who attended the event. “Today was a celebration of equality and it should serve as an example for everyone, forever.”

For many of the performers, standing on the ancient stage was itself part of the message: a voice for those often overlooked. Eirini Kourouvani, a 58-year-old cast member who uses a wheelchair, had never set foot inside the theater before.

“It is just grand,” she said. “I feel my heart opening up as wide as this theater is.”

Ioanna-Maria Gertsou, a blind psychologist, attended with Babu, her guide dog.

“We too have the right to attend performances on an equal footing,” she said, relieved that her dog remained quiet during the play.

The National Theater of Greece produced the performance, and accessibility services were designed by the nonprofit Liminal with financial support from Greece’s Alpha Bank.

Argyro Chioti, the National Theater’s artistic director, said the production should become the norm rather than the exception.

“This was complex, not simple. It required months of planning. It cost money. And it required very specific organizational expertise,” she said. “But that’s the standard and venues we need to reach — the major stages and the major theaters.”

—— Gatopoulos reported from Athens

Taylor dominated the race, winning by 0.48 seconds.

The time also broke the championship record and gave him his second gold medal of the meet.

Taylor will next join the Texas Tech track and field team. The 2027 World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are also ahead for San Antonio’s own sprint sensation.

The district added six inductees this year:

• Debra Arzola, Jefferson High School
• Rick Bullock, Jefferson High School
• Howard Fest, Edison High School
• Ramon Richards, Brackenridge High School
• 1962 Brackenridge football
• 1997 Fox Tech boys basketball

Richards, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams, was among those honored.

“Coming from Brackenridge and going to Oklahoma State, playing ball with the Rams, in the moment, you don’t really recognize how far you’ve gone until days like today,” Richards said. “It has been a long journey and it’s been a great one. I’m just thankful.”

Since retiring from the NFL, he has continued giving back to San Antonio football by helping kids reach the college level and preaching the same mentality that helped him succeed.

“Man, don’t wait on somebody else’s permission,” he continued. “You don’t need confirmation from anybody else. As long as you got it, you go do it. And that’s what I do now in my life. I have a lot of kids that I mentor. I’ve helped kids earn over 200 Division I scholarships in the last maybe two, three years.”

Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.

“There’s a movement to get rid of it,” Guadalupe County Sheriff Joshua Ray said to the five commissioners before the vote.

Flock cameras are used to assist criminal investigations by recording license plates, vehicles, locations and time, according to Bexar County’s Flock transparency portal. The device also helps law enforcement locate missing people.

KSAT has reported on privacy concerns revolving Flock Safety cameras. Ray said those concerns have led to the destruction of multiple devices around Guadalupe County.

“There’s so much public scrutiny over it,” Ray said.

Every Flock camera in Seguin was vandalized, and the sheriff said the company “is refusing to pay the cost to replace those cameras.”

“I refuse to spend your tax dollars replacing equipment that is likely to keep getting torn down,” Ray said in a statement.

The sheriff said vandalizing the camera systems is a crime.

In a statement to KSAT on Friday, Flock Safety urged people to stop damaging public safety equipment because it could lead to negative effects on an investigation.

“When a camera is taken offline, an investigative lead can disappear, and a time-sensitive alert tied to an AMBER Alert, a missing person case, or a violent crime suspect on the move may never reach the officers who need it,” a Flock Safety spokesperson said. “These are tools agencies rely on to respond quickly and help keep people safe.”

>> ‘A game changer’: License plate reader cameras praised for crime solving, criticized over privacy concerns

Some details of the contract were made public on Ray’s Facebook page and during the meeting.

Ending the contract costs the county roughly $8,500, according to Ray. It would save the county at least $48,500, but terminating the contract hasn’t been easy, the sheriff said.

Flock Safety charges Guadalupe County a monthly fee for every camera, even for the ones not in use, Ray said during the meeting.

More fees piled up in the early stages of the contract, but Ray said the county didn’t pay them because not all the cameras were installed as advertised.

“(Flock Safety) have not fulfilled their end of the contract,” Ray said. “They ultimately waived the (fees) and we just moved forward once the cameras were installed.”

He said the company is asking for the money again.

“Now they’re claiming we have to pay them all that money that they initially waived,” Ray said.

As the sheriff awaits a response from Flock Safety, he said he’ll continue to work through the dispute and negotiate not paying the fees without ending up in a courtroom.

“Now they have buyer’s remorse because we’re terminating the contract,” Ray said.

The commissioners court voted unanimously to move forward with ending its relationship with Flock Safety, but license plate readers aren’t going away in Guadalupe County.

“There are other license plate readers systems out there that we currently have,” Ray said. “What I’d like to do in the future is put any investment we’ve had in Flock camera and put it into another system.

Cases involving public safety equipment damage are open and still under investigation, Ray said. Flock Safety discourages that movement.

“People have every right to make their voices heard, but criminal acts should never be part of that process,” a Flock Safety spokesperson said in a statement. “Damaging public safety equipment ultimately hurts the very communities this technology is there to help protect.”

Read also:

• Law enforcement agencies across San Antonio area using license plate reader system
• ‘A game changer’: License plate reader cameras praised for crime solving, criticized over privacy concerns

• HOT WEEKEND: Afternoon highs will generally be in the upper 90s, with little change through Sunday.
• ISOLATED SHOWERS: Rain chances remain low, generally around 10% to 20%, with the best opportunity near the Coastal Plains and areas east of I-35.
• THE HEAT CONTINUES: Temperatures will gradually climb as high pressure strengthens. Some locations could potentially reach 100 degrees.

FORECAST

TAX-FREE WEEKEND

Prepare for a hot, humid weekend as you head out for back-to-school shopping. Highs will reach the upper 90s on Sunday, with humidity making it feel even hotter. While isolated storms are possible near the Gulf Coast and Coastal Plains, most of South-Central Texas will stay dry. Expect heat indices to approach advisory levels in some areas, particularly near the coast.

BACK TO SCHOOL MONDAY

As students head back to school Monday, expect another hot and humid day. Afternoon temperatures will climb into the upper 90s, with a few isolated sea breeze showers possible near the Coastal Plains. Most areas will remain dry, but outdoor activities could be impacted by the heat.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK

The weather pattern will remain stagnant over the next several days, with hot, above-normal temperatures as the primary story. Rain chances will diminish by Tuesday as high pressure strengthens, causing temperatures to climb throughout the week. Expect highs in the upper 90s, with some locations potentially hitting 100 degrees or higher.

QUICK WEATHER LINKS

• WATCH LIVE: Doppler Radar
• Hourly and 10-Day Forecast
• Download FREE KSAT Weather Authority App: Up-to-date forecast information and livestreams from trusted local meteorologists.
• KSAT Connect: Share your weather photos.

The pilots were killed when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter went down Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff.

The helicopter was among those fighting a fire in the Fishlake National Forest. The crash ignited a new fire that spread to connect with the existing blaze, which has now scorched nearly 174 square miles (nearly 451 square kilometers).

Officials did not identify the pilots but said they were employed by Helicopter Transport Services, which was contracted by the U.S. Forest Service.

Initially officials said they were unable to reach the crash site because of the fire. Then, on Saturday, crews were able to enter the area and confirmed the deaths, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate once its team can examine the wreckage. It will likely take the NTSB a year or more to determine the cause.

Numerous fires also were burning in other parts of the West, including one that closed part of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington.

The National Park Service shut down access to the Sunrise and White River areas of the park after a new wildfire burned less than a third of a square mile (less than a square kilometer). Firefighters were working to gain control of it.

Larger fires near Spokane, Washington, have now burned more than 15.63 square miles (over 40 square kilometers), but firefighters constructed more than 75 miles (over 120 kilometers) of containment line to help control those flames.

Meanwhile in Oregon, hot and dry conditions helped an uncontrolled fire spread beyond 30 square miles (77.7 square kilometers).

Firefighters were still trying to identify the best places to set up containment lines around the Wrights Spring fire as they mourned the death of 47-year-old Jason Ensign, who was killed while operating a bulldozer for a timber company. The blaze grew rapidly Thursday and cut off Ensign’s escape route.

And north of the border in British Columbia, more than 20,000 people had to evacuate ahead of another fast-moving wildfire.

Here’s a look at developments across the Middle East on Saturday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran says the strait won't open until the US ‘corrects’ its behavior

Iran's politburo-like body known as the Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz will not open until the United States “corrects its behavior," issuing new demands that could shake up talks on a deal to manage the waterway.

Iran's state broadcaster published the statement by the council’s secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander in the powerful Revolutionary Guard.

The United States must never threaten Iran again, the statement said, and must permanently end the war with Iran and its armed allies in the region. The U.S. must lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw its military from the area. It must “completely compensate” Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and “unconditionally” release frozen assets.

The U.S., which has wanted an acceptable deal first on the strait before ending the blockade, had no immediate comment. According to the interim deal signed in June, a schedule to end sanctions and plan on compensation would be part of the final deal, and negotiations would address frozen assets.

Iran has said it was close to reaching a separate deal with Oman to manage the strait, which runs between the two countries.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier Saturday said they were close to reaching an agreement on navigation. But the waterway’s reopening is contingent on other conditions, he said in remarks shared on social media, and blamed the situation on what he called the U.S. violation of the interim deal.

Oman, a mediator Gulf Arab country which has said relatively little on the talks, said in a statement discussions were ongoing “in a positive and constructive atmosphere,” and condemned attacks on ships on the strait.

Details emerge about potential Iran-Oman deal

The strait, crucial to global supplies of oil and natural gas, was considered an international waterway before the war.

The deal Iran and Oman are working to finalize would be temporary, but it would reopen the strait with ships entering the strait through a route close to Iran and exiting through a route close to Oman, according to two people familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Ships would cross the strait without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.

The agreement is designed to restore an earlier, separate agreement between the U.S. and Iran and restart a 60-day clock for the two countries to negotiate over Iran's nuclear program.

During that time, Iran is expected to be able to sell oil. The current 60-day deadline to negotiate a final deal is due to end in just over a week.

According to the two people who spoke about the talks, the deal is endorsed by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and expected when finalized to be jointly announced by Iran, Oman, the U.S., and the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations. But the people stressed the terms could still change before the deal is final.

— by Michelle Price in Washington and Aamer Madhani in New York.

Iran attacks a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, the UAE says

A vessel owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned ADNOC oil and gas company was attacked while transiting the strait, Emirati authorities said. The Foreign Ministry said Iran fired the missile as part of attacks on commercial shipping.

ADNOC in a statement said there were no casualties following the early Saturday attack. The company said over a dozen of its vessels have been attacked by missiles and drones while transiting the strait since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. One crew member has been killed and 20 others wounded, it said.

ADNOC didn’t elaborate on the attack's location or any damage.

Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said a vessel east of the town of Khasab, Oman, had been struck by a projectile that caused a fire that was put out, with the vessel and crew safe. It was not clear whether this was the ADNOC incident.

A defense deal is not aimed at any third country, Turkey says

A defense agreement that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed Friday is not aimed against any third country, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. It says an attack on one would be considered an attack on all three.

Fidan told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Saturday the countries do not view any state as an adversary unless it takes hostile action against them: “We don’t have anything written down — nothing we’ve signed — that defines a common threat."

Asked how the mutual defense mechanism would work, Fidan said a member would formally request help and the two countries’ assistance could range from intelligence-sharing to logistics support or the deployment of military units. The mechanism would establish a secretariat to be based in Saudi Arabia, Fidan said.

He said other nations, which he did not identify, have expressed interest in joining the agreement, adding that he expects Egypt, which he described as a “natural partner,” to participate “at the next stage.”

Yemen's military attacks Iran-backed Houthis

The attacks were in response to the Houthis’ recent strikes in central and eastern Yemen. Col. Majed al-Nazili, spokesperson for Yemen’s military, said the attacks targeted the rebels’ “sites and capabilities” on multiple front lines, without elaborating.

The escalation between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government and its backer, a Saudi-supported coalition, threatens to reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce.

Turkey’s Kurdish peace bill wins approval in parliament

A Turkish draft law aimed at advancing a peace effort with the country's Kurdish insurgents passed its first hurdle in parliament on Saturday. A committee approved the measure. It is expected to be approved in the general assembly next week.

Last year, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, declared its decision to disarm and disband as part of the peace initiative aimed at ending the decades-long conflict with the Turkish state.

The draft legislation defines the procedures for the group’s disarmament and rehabilitation of some PKK members. The measures would come into effect once Turkey’s National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered all weapons.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since it began in the 1980s. Turkey and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization.

Cunningham, who is white, was shooting a fast-break layup in the first quarter when Carrington, who is Black, came from behind and hit her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in.

Cunningham said she thought the foul in the 90-86 Indiana win was “absolutely” intentional.

“Clearly I think it was unnecessary,” Cunningham said. “I’ve never really spoken to her and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent up stuff.”

Fever coach Stephanie White had a different view of the play.

“It was a hard foul,” White said. “I don’t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did, but it did happen, and I thought it was the right call.”

Cunningham got up immediately, charged toward Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.

“I popped up,” Cunningham said. “I’m not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that’s why she did it because she wants attention.”

The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he hadn't seen a replay of the play, but that seeing it live, he thought Carrington was making a play on the ball and that he didn't believe it warranted a Flagrant 2 foul.

“I haven’t looked at that play since, so I really don’t know if it was justified or not,” he said. “But, that’s what I thought in the moment.”

Marsh was then asked about Carrington's social media post.

“I have to get back to you on that because I’m just now hearing about that,” he said. “So yeah, we’ll handle that.”

But Cunningham had plenty to say about the post.

“I think the league is taking care of that,” she said. "This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason even to play that card.”

In the third quarter, Fever star Caitlin Clark was assessed a technical foul after she made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds. The technical was Clark's eighth of the season, triggering a one-game suspension for Indiana's next game if not rescinded by the league.

“She said I ran into her,” Clark said in a postgame television interview. “I’ve already watched it on the tape, so we’ll let the league decide. But it wasn’t intentional or anything, so I’m hoping it’s getting rescinded,”

A few hours after the game Clark got her way. The WNBA rescinded the technical foul.

Cunningham has frequently come to Clark's defense after physical play by opponents and has become one of the higher-profile players in the league this season. In an ESPN article published last month, she voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports, which led to small protests and rallies outside Fever games in Seattle and Portland.

In a memo to teams on Friday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would have ongoing discussions about the issue of transgender participation in women's basketball.

Marsh said that the controversy surrounding Cunningham didn't add anything extra to the game.

“We didn’t come into this one with any more or less juice than we’ve had in the last four since the All-Star break," he said. "Our mindset is trying to win games.”

___

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

Boston recorded a franchise record-tying 15-game winning stretch, matching a mark from 1946, before it was stopped on July 22. The team's attempt for a second streak of 10 or more games for the first time in the franchise's 126-year history fell short against the A's.

Gage Jump worked six strong innings, Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte hit solo homers, and Jonah Heim and Donovan Walton added two-run doubles for the Athletics, who snapped a nine-game skid. The A's hadn’t won since beating the Red Sox at home on July 28.

Jump (5-7) struck out a season-high 11 and allowed two runs and six hits.

Andruw Monasterio had a two-run single in the first inning for the Red Sox, whose nine-game run started the day after Jump earned a victory by pitching six scoreless innings.

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras returned after missing two games with an illness, went 0 for 4 and was booed for jogging lightly on a ground out.

The Athletics' bullpen, which entered with the majors’ highest ERA (5.64), allowed one run in the last three innings. Hogan Harris got the last four outs for his 10th save.

The Athletics erased a two-run deficit with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in sixth.

Boston's Jake Bennett (7-5) breezed through the first three innings, allowing only a walk. He was pulled with one out in the sixth and charged with four runs.

Brian Serven’s RBI single cut the Athletics' deficit in half before Heim’s two-run single in the fifth put them ahead. Walton’s pinch-hit ground-rule double off reliever Justin Slaten into Boston’s bullpen added two more runs in the sixth.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson matched the MLB record of 110 straight games without committing an error at the position. He is tied with the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Bordick (2002).

Up next

Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.51 ERA) will start Sunday. The Red Sox haven’t announced a starter.

___

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

The technical would have been Clark's eighth of the season, triggering a one-game suspension for the Fever star. She would have had to miss Tuesday's game against New York.

But, a WNBA spokesman said the technical had been rescinded a few hours after the game ended.

In the third quarter of the Fever's 90-86 win over the Sky, Clark made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds and was called for a technical foul.

After the game, Clark said the contact was inadvertent and that no words were exchanged. She was hopeful the WNBA would rescind the foul.

“She said I ran into her,” Clark said of the referee. “I have already watched it on the tape. So, we’ll let the league decide. But, it wasn’t anything intentional or anything. So, I hope it gets rescinded. And, nothing was said.”

Clark got her wish.

“That's a bad call, incidental contact when you're flying out of control,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I thought her teammates should have come up and talked to her about that as well. I think that’s really bad. that (expletive) happens all the time in the game. you know, officials have to have some awareness in those moments, and it didn’t happen.”

___

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

Shanahan has been working his way back to full speed since the car crash on July 14 that left him with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken hand and more than 40 stitches to close a cut over his eye. In his first news conference of training camp, he said he has just a few remaining symptoms from the concussion.

“I’m doing real good,” he said. “My body feels good. Just got to get this annoying cast off. My ribs feel good, except when I sneeze, and my head feels so much better. Concussions do linger a little bit. The only things I really deal with now is just headaches and fatigue. That’s why I’m not always exactly on the same routine, but pretty damn close.”

Shanahan has been at practice every day this summer and said that the loud music that bothered him at the beginning of camp is no longer an issue. He has only addressed the full team at meetings a few times and didn't feel ready to hold a news conference until after practice on Saturday.

But he said he has been doing the most important parts of his job and that he will be on the sideline for the exhibition opener against Tennessee.

“One thing I haven’t missed anything of is film,” he said. “I watch every single play with the coaches after with the players. I have had a few team meetings. Normally I do it every day. But I do lose a little when I do stuff, so I’ve just had to pick and choose a little bit more. But as far as the film and everything, being out there for all the practice periods of going against each other, those are to me the most important things in my job. I’ve been able to do those every day.”

The 49ers are entering a crucial part of the summer with a joint practice on Tuesday with the Titans ahead of the exhibition opener. The Niners are scheduled to have another joint practice the following week with the Chargers before their second exhibition game and then wrap up the preseason on Aug. 27 against Las Vegas. The team the leaves the following week for Australia, where the 49ers will open the season on Sept. 11 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Shanahan said he thought he would have been back at full strength sooner but is glad he has taken the extra time. He said being patient was easier because of the confidence he had in acting coach Chris Foerster, along with coordinators Klay Kubiak, Raheem Morris and Brant Boyer.

“It made it really easy for me not to worry about me having to do something,” he said. “Our guys are awesome. We have a pretty well-oiled machine. We’ve been here for, this is our 10th year. Those guys made it very easy for me to not do anything stupid.”

Shanahan took the blame for the crash into a car driven by a 21-year-old woman in Palo Alto last month, saying it happened when he reached for his phone. Shanahan was the only person who needed to be hospitalized and police didn't issue him a ticket for the cellphone use.

“Any time you cause an accident that can be avoided, you’d feel pretty stupid, especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else,” he said. I think you get mad when you get a ticket at yourself. So it was kind of the same."

Shanahan said he was driving about 20 mph and his Tesla was in autopilot mode when the crash happened but said he still shouldn't have taken his eyes off the road when he reached behind his seat for his phone.

“I’ve had autopilot for nine years, so I’m pretty comfortable with it,” he said. “Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off. That’s something that I don’t know yet. But regardless, that is always your fault, whether you’re in autopilot or not. You can’t take your eyes off the road. It’s a partnership driving. You don’t just turn it over to a computer. It’s a good lesson, no matter how comfortable I am with that, that I believe someday could save my life or someone else’s.”

Bosa sits with soreness

Star defensive end Nick Bosa missed his third straight practice with what the team described as “soreness.” Bosa is coming back from a torn ACL that ended his season in Week 3 last year.

He had only taken part in individual drills early in camp but hasn't been able to practice at all since Monday. Shanahan said he wasn't overly concerned.

“You wish that didn’t happen, but no, there’s no concern to where something’s happened that is a big setback or anything,” he said. "We’ll wait until the soreness goes away and evaluate why the soreness has happened, but I still feel pretty good about that.”

___

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

On the second day of the three-day sales tax holiday, shoppers at a local Academy Sports + Outdoors said they were trying to beat both the crowds and the heat.

Sofia Chaparro said she found “two hoodies and some sweats” while shopping with her mother, Selina Zertuche. The two said they originally planned a quick trip for shoes.

“Initially, we just wanted to come in for the tennies, and that was it,” Zertuche said, laughing. “We did not want to be here.”

Zertuche said they were relieved the store was not as crowded as they expected.

“I think it’s because it’s early,” she said. “After this, we are heading home.”

For other shoppers, the weekend offered a chance to buy items they need now while avoiding sales taxes.

Mary Fernandez said she and her husband were looking for work clothes.

“He’s looking for still outer gear for the hot weather, since we still got about another two months of it,” Fernandez said. “He works in air conditioning, so he needs it.”

Fernandez said they saved about $20.

“It covers lunch,” she said.

The annual sales tax holiday applies to most clothing items, shoes, school supplies and backpacks, as long as each qualifying item costs less than $100, according to the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The savings apply to eligible items bought in stores and online.

For families buying supplies for multiple children, even small savings can help.

“I just know how hard it is for families and families with more than one child when they’re back-to-school shopping,” former educator Vickie Warlow said. “You’re usually looking at $100 per student, and as a teacher we always took that in mind when we made those school supplies lists.”

During the three-day tax-free holiday, families are estimated to save $142.5 million in state and local sales taxes. The tax-free weekend continues through midnight Sunday.

Read also:

• Texas tax-free weekend returns Aug. 7-9. Here’s what shoppers need to know.
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