The Spurs will face the Timberwolves in their first road game of the series on Friday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

KSAT will livestream the excitement at 8 p.m. Friday in this article. Delays are possible; if there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.

The series is now tied 1-1 after the Spurs dominated Game 2 on Wednesday, 133-95, handing the Timberwolves their largest postseason defeat.

KSAT also joined fans for the Spurs’ home games earlier this week. Watch the full livestreams from Monday and Wednesday below:

More Spurs coverage on KSAT:

• What to know before going to Spurs watch parties at The Rock at La Cantera
• How to watch the Spurs in the NBA playoffs: Streaming options, watch parties and more
• SCHEDULE: NBA announces TV schedule, tip times for first 4 games of Spurs-Timberwolves series

The San Antonio Police Department said Joseph Haro, 37, was killed on April 24 by a hit-and-run driver. Two weeks later, SAPD still has not made any arrests.

The crash happened just before 1 a.m. near the intersection of Medina Base Road and the Loop 410 access road.

“It was a crime,” Sandra Haro, Joseph’s sister, said. “You don’t just hit a person and leave a person to die for.”

Sandra described her brother as a “loving person and a caring person.”

“He was the light of our family,” she said. “I want him to be remembered as a good brother, a good son, a good father and a best friend to everybody.”

Police said when they find the driver who struck Haro, the driver will face a charge of collision involving injury.

To report a tip to SAPD, click here.

Read also:

• Southwest ISD police corporal killed wife, then self in murder-suicide on Loop 410, medical examiner rules

Ben Stiller attracted a crowd at halftime.

No this wasn't Celebrity Row at Madison Square Garden.

The Hollywood A-listers — and yes, just your average Knicks fans — crashed Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday night to watch New York play the 76ers.

Oh, it wasn't all orange and blue and well-heeled celebrities in Philadelphia.

The Sixers still boasted the bulk of the fans — though there was a sizable contingent of Knicks supporters — and the spirited crowd included fans who received tickets donated by the franchise to community groups in the Sixers' latest attempt to keep more of their own fans in the building and avoid a New York takeover.

Lee gleefully reminisced about the time he saw the Knicks win their first NBA championship on May 8, 1970 — exactly 56 years earlier.

Most of the Knicks fans were just happy to get a chance to travel roughly 90 miles south of MSG to Xfinity Mobile Arena — no matter how hard the Sixers tried to shoo them away.

The Sixers had already tried to ward off Knicks fans in this playoff series through Ticketmaster by geographically restricting sales to fans in the greater Philadelphia area.

Knicks fan Lenny Rakhmanov of Brooklyn had a workaround to the geo-fencing barrier.

He phoned a friend.

“I bought my tickets off Ticketmaster,” he said. “I did have trouble. I have a friend in Philly and he got the tickets for me and sent them to me through Ticketmaster. They told me while I was trying to make the purchase from my office in New York, you had to be a Philly resident to purchase the tickets.”

Rakhmanov said he spent $800 per ticket for three seats in Section 123, and brought his 11- and 8-year-old sons.

“I can't even believe that they're trying to keep fans out,” he said. “It's part of sports. If their team was on the road, and they were up in the series, and they wanted their fans in the building, why would they want to stop that?”

The Sixers said 250 frontline medical personnel from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine and 250 local educators selected by Learn Fresh, Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia school district and Camden, New Jersey, school district would attend Game 3 on Friday night.

The 76ers plan to host 500 mothers and children selected by Uplift Center for Grieving Children, Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia, La Liga del Barrio and Apologues for Sunday's Game 4.

The Knicks led the best-of-seven series 2-0 entering Friday.

When the teams met two years ago in the first round, Knicks fans swarmed Philadelphia, and Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid pleaded with fans ahead of this series not to let it happen again.

“Last time we played the Knicks it felt like this was Madison Square Garden East. So we’re going to need the support,” Embiid said. “Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere we’ve had the last couple games in Philly, especially the last one pushing it to Game 7, I mean, we need all of it.”

Embiid was booed when he went to the free-throw line in the first half, and Knicks fans roared when he missed the shot.

Moments later, Jalen Brunson went to the free-throw line and “MVP!” chants were quickly muffled by Sixers fans who booed the former Villanova standout.

It was that kind of night.

On the resale market, SeatGeek said buyers from New York and Pennsylvania were nearly even, with 27% of tickets sold to New York billing addresses and 26% to Pennsylvania buyers. Another 21% were from New Jersey, suggesting that Knicks fans were slightly more motivated to get to the game.

For Sunday’s Game 4, the New York share ticks up a bit further: 33% for New York vs. 17% for Pennsylvania.

Former Sixers standout Marc Jackson visited Camden’s Pride Elementary School ahead of the game and surprised teachers with Game 3 tickets.

That seemed like a big win, no matter which team fans rooted for in Philly.

___

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

A child was originally hospitalized in critical condition, but a University Health spokesperson later told KSAT the child is now in fair condition.

The hospital’s trauma unit is treating the child for burns suffered in the first explosion.

Crews responded to the initial fire around 6 p.m. Tuesday in the 15000 block of Preston Hollow Drive, which is located near Thousand Oaks Drive.

Around 8:30 p.m., however, KSAT crews heard a loud “boom” and saw flames shooting out of a second home nearby.

CPS Energy sent KSAT an updated statement just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, where a spokesperson for the utility said for the first time, “Electric and gas services in the Preston Hollow subdivision are clear and safe.”

Marc Whyte, the District 10 councilman, said his office and the city are currently working on creating a website to give out updates on the investigation as they become available.

CPS Energy will keep its customer response unit at the Northeast Senior Center through Sunday.

In an updated statement sent on Sunday, the utility said its CPS Energy Customer Response Unit and gas team members are helping customers relight gas pilot lights and answering questions about natural gas service upon request.

CPS Energy is also arranging debris cleanup in the area and has assisted more than two dozen customers since Tuesday.

CPS Energy said if any customers at any point smell gas, they should leave the house immediately and call CPS Energy at 210-353-HELP (4357) or 911.

North East ISD teacher, pastor among those injured

Two adults and one child suffered burns and were hospitalized after the first explosion. Two additional adults were hospitalized as a result of the second explosion.

One of those hospitalized is a teacher at MacArthur High School. A North East Independent School District spokesperson told KSAT that the injured educator is Kimberly Nowell, who teaches math at the school.

Nowell’s husband, Tim, is a pastor at Wayside Chapel, a North Side church located in the 1700 block of Northwest Loop 410.

On Tuesday, May 5, a hospital spokesperson said Tim and Kimberly Nowell are in critical condition.

The couple’s teenage daughter also attends the school, according to a letter sent Wednesday to MacArthur High School parents and guardians.

“I have already met with our staff to inform them of this tragic situation,” MacArthur High School Principal Joaquin Hernandez wrote in the letter obtained by KSAT. “Additionally, Ms. Nowell’s classes are being supported with the assistance of our counselors and administrative team. Our priority is to ensure students have immediate access to support.”

According to Wayside Chapel, Nowell is a “student pastor” who has served in that ministry for more than 17 years.

Jason Uptmore, the church’s lead pastor, released a statement to KSAT on Wednesday afternoon.

“We are grateful that Tim, Kim, and Ali (the couple’s daughter) are stable,” Uptmore said, in part. “Tim and his family are deeply woven into the fabric of who we are as a church. We recognize that the road ahead will be long, but we are committed to walking with them.”

A Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) spokesperson identified the other two explosion victims to KSAT as Mayte Reeves and Jose Ochoa.

Reeves was previously in critical condition, but is now listed as “serious.” Ochoa is in good condition, the BAMC spokesperson said.

SAFD’s response

The first fire was extinguished “very quickly” and was likely related to a natural gas buildup, the fire department said.

The first house sustained significant damage and will likely be demolished.

In all, 10 homes along Preston Hollow Drive were evacuated following the explosions, SAFD Chief Valerie Frausto said.

Some residents can return home

Whyte told KSAT all residents except for six households on Preston Hollow Drive can return home Wednesday night, April 22.

The six households who cannot return include the two homes where the explosions occurred and immediate neighbors on that side of the street.

Police said the residents on the other side of Preston Hollow Drive are on a different power grid, but the ones where the explosions happened are not.

Affected residents being housed in temporary accommodations

In a Facebook post from Whyte, impacted residents are being housed in Airbnbs temporarily as crews work to continue clearing the homes under evacuation orders.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the utility said its unit has “connected with more than two dozen residents.” Any additional impacted customers are encouraged to call 210-353-2783.

A CPS Energy spokesperson said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into both explosions. Going forward, the utility will “coordinate any updates” with NTSB, the spokesperson said.

According to the agency’s statement earlier Wednesday, it shut off power in the area to keep customers safe.

Click here for the latest update on power outages.

In a statement Tuesday night, District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte, whose district includes Preston Hollow Drive, said, “CPS will work with all displaced people on hotel costs.”

“Any displaced residents should call our office tomorrow and we will help them be reimbursed,” Whyte said.

In a follow-up statement on Wednesday afternoon, the councilman said he is standing “with those affected as they begin the recovery process.”

“We are deeply grateful for the swift and professional response from our first responders, as well as the continued support from the Red Cross, CPS Energy, and the Northeast Senior Center,” Whyte said on Wednesday. “Their efforts have been critical in ensuring public safety and assisting those in need.”

Whyte also said anyone impacted by Tuesday’s explosions are asked to contact the District 10 office.

If anyone thinks they smell gas in their homes, CPS Energy said they should leave their house immediately and call CPS Energy at 210-353-HELP (4357) or 911.

Lawsuits filed against CPS Energy

Jose Ochoa and Mayte Terrie Reeves filed a joint lawsuit on Monday, April 27, in Bexar County district court, accusing CPS Energy of negligence after they were injured in the explosions.

Two days after the April 27 filing, court records show Reeves and Ochoa nullified the suit and sought a different law firm to represent them.

The residents officially filed their new lawsuit on May 5, according to documents obtained by KSAT Investigates. Lyons & Simmons, LLP, a Dallas-based law firm, now represents Reeves and Ochoa.

Lyons & Simmons, LLP is the same firm that took on the lawsuit of an East Side family injured in a 2021 house explosion.

Last year, a Bexar County jury ordered CPS Energy to pay the family $109 million in damages. A CPS Energy spokesperson later said the utility only paid the East Side family $3 million.

On April 21, Ochoa and Reeves’ home was the second to explode in the 15000 block of Preston Hollow Drive.

According to the lawsuit, Ochoa and Reeves were evacuated after the first explosion but were then told it was safe to return home.

Their lawyers claim the explosion at their home was “entirely preventable.”

“Though Plaintiffs (Reeves and Ochoa) survived, the Explosion and resulting fire left them catastrophically injured and permanently scarred,” the suit alleges. “They face a long, painful road ahead and their lives have been irreparably altered.”

As a result of the explosion, the victims are requesting a jury trial and are seeking $1 million each in damages.

Lawyers are also accusing CPS Energy of being negligent by “failing to hire, equip, and train competent and skilled workers” to safely operate its natural gas system around the home.

“CPS Energy had actual, subjective awareness of the risk but proceeded with a conscious indifference to the rights, safety, or welfare of others,” the new lawsuit states. “CPS Energy’s conduct, acts, and/or omissions, singularly or in combination with others, constituted gross negligence which proximately caused the Explosion and Plaintiffs’ injuries and damages.”

A CPS Energy spokeswoman told KSAT after Ochoa and Reeves’ April 27 lawsuit that the utility does not comment on active litigation.

Timothy Nowell, Kimberly Nowell and their daughter — who were all injured in the first house explosion — filed their own lawsuit alleging accusing CPS Energy of negligence on May 8.

The Nowell family, who is also represented by Lyons & Simmons, LLP, is seeking more than $1 million each in damages following the blast.

NTSB takes role of lead investigator

In a statement to KSAT on Thursday, April 23, the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that it is investigating the natural gas-fueled explosions on Preston Hollow Drive.

The NTSB said its investigation will be centered around witness statements, available incident footage, the weather around the time of the explosions, pipeline operating practices and procedures, pipeline maintenance records, the extent and path of released gas or hazardous liquid and other information.

The federal agency expects to release a preliminary report in approximately 30 days, which will “contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation.”

A probable cause of the explosions, as well as any contributing factors, will be released in a more comprehensive report in approximately 12 to 24 months, the NTSB said.

When the homes were built

Bexar County property records show one of the homes involved in the explosions was built in 1993.

The other home was built in 2000, according to records.

More coverage of this story on KSAT:

• 5 hospitalized, 3 in critical condition, after home explosions on North Side, SAFD says

The two-time Cy Young Award winner is set to rejoin the rotation sooner than anticipated after teammate Tyler Glasnow left a start early this week because of back trouble. Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with low back spasms, and Los Angeles recalled right-hander Paul Gervase from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Snell missed most of the 2025 regular season because of a lingering shoulder injury, making just 11 starts after signing a $182 million, five-year contract in November 2024. But the left-hander went 3-2 in six postseason games to help the Dodgers win their second consecutive World Series title.

Snell has been on the IL since late March with left shoulder fatigue. He had been scheduled to make one more minor league rehabilitation start for Class A Ontario on Saturday, but instead will face the Braves at Dodger Stadium.

Glasnow exited after one inning against the Houston Astros on Wednesday. He had an MRI that showed “nothing really significant,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday before the opener of a three-game series against Atlanta.

The 32-year-old Glasnow is 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA in seven outings this season.

The 6-foot-10 Gervase, 25, is 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA in nine games for Oklahoma City this year. He made one appearance for the Dodgers last season, striking out two batters in two innings. He also pitched in five games for Tampa Bay, compiling a 4.26 ERA.

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

Grace Carol Brown, 22, was indicted this week on a federal charge of actual and attempted malicious damage by fire to property involved in interstate or foreign commerce, according to U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.

Brown broke a window of the building in the 200 block of Landa Street on Jan. 14 and threw a backpack inside, according to the news release. She then allegedly lit a rolled magazine on fire and threw it into the building. Brown also allegedly left a note at the scene.

New Braunfels police officers and fire officials had responded to the scene around 1:15 p.m. that day. Employees found that someone had broken windows and started a fire that left minor damage to the building.

Brown was arrested Jan. 22 and charged in Comal County with burglary of a building and arson. She now faces federal charges as well. If convicted on the federal charge, she faces five to 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the New Braunfels Police Department and the New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Mangels is prosecuting the case.

More Courts coverage on KSAT:

• Immigrant found guilty after ramming ICE vehicles outside North Side Walmart
• North Side family seriously injured in house explosion files lawsuit against CPS Energy

The early declaration elicited backlash from the top two candidates and the community.

“While this failure is unacceptable and extremely regrettable, it is not a result of deceit or dishonesty,” the City of New Braunfels said in a Friday news release. “It is a significant mistake that is being felt by the community, candidates, the City Council, and the entire organization.”

Following Saturday’s municipal election, city officials sent out a statement announcing challenger Michael French (49.18% of the vote) as the winner over incumbent Mayor Neal Linnartz (38.25%) and two other candidates.

State law vs. New Braunfels law

A 1958 amendment to the Texas Constitution states that any office term longer than two years “must be elected by a majority vote (50% of the vote + one vote).”

The city said French was initially declared victorious last week, because according to a city charter measure passed in 1995, he was the candidate who earned the most votes (plurality) in the mayoral race.

Before 1995, New Braunfels City Council selected its mayor “from one of the three Councilmember-At-Large positions,” the city said in a news release.

While the plurality rule was in effect, the city also noted that every mayoral election since 1995 was won by a candidate who earned the majority vote.

Each February, the City Council approves an ordinance recognizing the State Legislature’s dates for municipal elections, which is typically the first Saturday in May.

In the news release, the city acknowledged that the city secretary “discovered that previous ordinances stated the Mayor would be elected by majority and was inconsistent with the City Charter.”

After a discussion with the City Attorney, this year’s ordinance was “written to be consistent with the City Charter,” officials said.

“The ordinance (#2026-05) stating that the 2026 Mayoral election would be decided by plurality was approved by City Council on February 9, 2026 as part of the Consent Agenda,” according to the news release.

When the ordinance was approved, the city said Linnartz, City Council and City Staff were not aware that New Braunfels’ charter was “in conflict with” the Texas Constitution.

Saturday’s election was the first time a majority vote was not achieved in New Braunfels’ mayoral race.

‘You have been cheated’

On Monday afternoon, an “outside legal counsel” for the city informed officials about the discrepancy between the town charter and the Texas Constitution.

Later that night, the city reversed course in a new statement. In order to be compliant with state law and reflect the lack of a majority vote, the city said a runoff must be held between the top two vote earners.

French reacted to the reversal on his campaign’s Facebook page.

“The city did not give me the common decency or courtesy to ever give me a phone call,” French wrote late Monday night. “The people of New Braunfels you have been cheated!”

In a Tuesday night social media post, French described the city’s “level of incompetence” as “massively unacceptable,” but he agreed with following “the laws of our (Texas) Constitution ... with the runoff.”

Linnartz vented his own frustrations in a separate letter released on Wednesday.

“We owe everyone in New Braunfels accurate, transparent, and competent representation,” Linnartz wrote. “I am extremely frustrated and deeply disheartened that the confusion created by the City Attorney’s Office in the recent mayoral election has undermined those efforts.”

The incumbent also pointed out that the City Attorney’s Office was tasked with reviewing the city charter to ensure it was compliant with state law as far back as 2020.

Two weeks before the May 2 election, according to Linnartz, “the City Attorney was asked whether the office of mayor is elected by majority or plurality vote.”

“A legal opinion was issued by the City Attorney’s Office stating that the election was to be decided by plurality vote,” Linnartz wrote. “It has become evident that no outside legal opinion was sought and that applicable state law was not researched or analyzed in reaching that incorrect conclusion.”

Statement From the Mayor - Letter Regarding Election 05062026 by nkotisso

What’s next in New Braunfels

French and Linnartz are heading to a runoff, but the official date has yet to be determined.

A city spokesperson told KSAT on Friday that council members will decide on Monday if the official mayoral runoff date will be June 13.

“The City understands that this mistake has caused mistrust and anger,” city officials said in their Friday news release. “We recognize that it will take time for the City to regain your trust and we are committed to taking the steps to do that.”

The council meeting is expected to start at 6 p.m.

More recent news coverage on KSAT:

• Man with apparent gunshot to head dies inside South Side home, authorities say
• Immigrant found guilty after ramming ICE vehicles outside North Side Walmart
• North Side family seriously injured in house explosion files lawsuit against CPS Energy

In addition to GAESA and its leader, the sanctions announced Thursday included Moa Nickel, a Cuban joint venture with Canada's Sherritt International, which immediately announced it would withdraw from the business, ending a 32-year presence on the island.

The May 1 executive order and the new designations announced May 7 significantly expand the legal authority through which the U.S. government can levy sanctions on third-country nationals and firms, explained Lee Schlenker, a research associate at the Quincy Institute’s Global South program.

“Not only are they subject to having their assets frozen but their U.S. accounts as well as their travel to the U.S., that of their shareholders, investors or employees,” said Schlenker. “This is bound to have an extremely significant impact of the presence of foreign companies” in Cuba.

Economist Pavel Vidal, a Cuba expert at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, told The Associated Press that the measures are “very concerning” for an economy already “practically paralyzed.” The U.S. has blocked fuel shipments to Cuba since January, further escalating the island's yearslong economic crisis. Vidal noted that the new sanctions would likely deter GAESA’s remaining partners, saying that “very few will risk defying them.”

The new measures amount to “total isolation,” said Vidal, driven by the fear they instill in international banks, insurers and corporations.

As an expert who has analyzed GAESA’s internal documents, Vidal noted that the conglomerate’s deep reach into nearly every sector of the Cuban economy makes any connection to the island a potential liability under the new U.S. rules.

According to reports analyzed by Vidal, GAESA commands nearly 40% of Cuba’s gross domestic product. As of early 2024, the conglomerate held $14.5 billion in liquid reserves, with annual revenues triple the size of the entire Cuban state budget.

Family ties with the Castros

Established in the 1990s under military control, GAESA was the Cuban Armed Forces’ strategic response to the economic collapse that followed the Soviet Union’s fall and the tightening of U.S. sanctions in place at the time.

Despite being state-owned, GAESA’s accounts are exempt from audits by the Office of the Comptroller General. Gladys Bejerano, the entity’s director, admitted to this lack of oversight in a 2024 interview; shortly thereafter, she retired.

For years, until his death in July 2022, Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja served as GAESA's general manager. As the son-in-law of former President Raúl Castro, he was a pillar of the family — a legacy continued by his son, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. While the younger Castro officially serves as his grandfather’s chief bodyguard, he has recently emerged as a pivotal intermediary in sensitive discussions with the U.S.

This week's sanctions also added Ania Guillermina Lastres to the U.S. blacklist. As the successor to López-Calleja, she currently serves as GAESA’s executive president, overseeing the conglomerate’s vast international financial interests.

Based on the limited information available, GAESA oversees dozens of retail outlets — selling everything from food and clothing to home appliances — as well as a sprawling service network that includes car rentals and travel agencies. Notably, it also manages Cuba’s financial institutions, currency exchange bureaus, and the administration of the country’s major hotels.

In remarks to the press Friday, Rubio said the sanctions were not on the Cuban people and he referred to GAESA as a company that “is taking anything that makes money in Cuba and illegally putting it into the pockets of a few regime insiders.”

Cuban authorities maintain that the sanctions constitute “collective punishment” designed to strangle the island’s economy, arguing the Trump administration’s policies show a disregard for the welfare of the Cuban people in favor of political leverage.

The new sanctions on Havana come under the weight of U.S. energy blockade that has caused sweeping water and power outages along with severe gas and water shortages.

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

The reversal was prompted by a letter from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, which determined the city was in violation of state law.

In a March 5 letter sent to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, the attorney general’s office said it had received citizen complaints about the exclusion of handgun license holders from City Council meetings.

The letter said the city’s policy violated the Texas Government Code, which prohibits state agencies and political subdivisions from taking any action that implies a licensed handgun holder is prohibited from entering or remaining on government-owned or leased premises, unless specifically prohibited by another law.

While the Texas Penal Code lists open meeting rooms as places where weapons are generally prohibited, the letter noted it provides an exception for people who have a valid license to carry issued under Texas Government Code chapter 411. Handguns must be carried in a concealed manner or in a holster.

“Therefore, licensed handgun holders cannot be excluded from an open meeting because they are carrying a handgun in a concealed manner or in a holster,” Assistant Attorney General Lauren McGee wrote.

The city updated its policy on April 29. Both A and B sessions will now be held in the council chambers, according to the city.

“We will continue working to ensure city meetings remain safe, orderly and accessible to the public,” a city spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

The San Antonio Police Department has increased safety protocols in response to the policy change, according to the city spokesperson.

“The San Antonio Police Department has increased safety protocols to address this change and is working to ensure a safe environment for everyone,” a department spokesperson said.

Read also:

• Veterans’ housing vouchers get new protections in San Antonio, but supporters say it’s not full victory
• San Antonio City Council approves Project Marvel contracts worth millions of dollars
• KSAT Q&A: Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones discusses North Side home explosions, staff departures

However, in the Middle East, the shaky ceasefire in the U.S. war with Iran is being strained even further.

The U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated against Iranian military facilities. Hours later, U.S. Central Command said its forces disabled two more Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade on Iran’s ports.

Washington, meanwhile, awaits a response from Tehran in negotiations to end the war.

And in U.S. politics, Republicans are moving quickly to try to capitalize on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. Alabama lawmakers passed a plan Friday for new congressional primaries if courts allow different districts this year, while Virginia’s top court struck down Democrats’ redrawn U.S. House maps, giving Republicans a win.

Here's the latest:

Justice Department sues to block ban on local immigrant detention agreements in New Mexico

The lawsuit says termination of a county agreement for the Otero County Processing Center would drastically limit the state’s capacity “to detain illegal immigrants.”

The county-owned facility — one of three privately operated immigrant detention centers in New Mexico — includes four immigration courtrooms and space for more than 1,000 detainees.

Federal prosecutors said the state and city laws infringe on federal authority by trying to regulate immigration policy and preventing longstanding cooperation between local and federal officials.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the Legislature was within its right in responding to “inadequate medical care, deaths in custody, and conditions that fell well below acceptable standards” at immigration detention facilities.

The Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits targeting state or city policies seen as interfering with immigration enforcement, including those in Los Angeles, New York City, and Minnesota and cities there.

UN chief calls on all parties to abide by the ceasefire

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern at the reported exchange of fire between Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, his spokesperson said.

“He underscores that this is a critical moment for de-escalation and urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday.

Guterres calls on all parts to refrain from action “that could lead to renewed escalation or undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts,” Dujarric said.

Iran’s envoy urges UN to ‘condemn unequivocally’ the US blockade and attacks on 2 Iranian oil tankers

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the “unlawful” U.S. actions “constitute a grave and dangerous escalation that further destabilizes an already fragile region and poses a serious threat to international peace and security.”

The Iranian envoy warned in letters Friday to the U.N. Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the consequences of U.S. actions in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz “could be catastrophic” and extend far beyond the Middle East.

The U.S. “would bear full responsibility,” Iravani said. The U.S. military said Friday that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports, part of U.S. efforts to get Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

He called on the secretary-general and Security Council to urge the U.S. “to comply with its obligations under international law and refrain from further provocative actions.”

Global food prices hit highest level in three years due to Iran war, UN says

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday its food price index was up 2% in April from the prior year, hitting its highest level since 2023. The index tracks international prices for commodities like grain, rice and sugar.

The FAO said vegetable oil saw the biggest increase. Higher crude oil prices are increasing demand from the biofuel industry for seed oils. Concerns about lower production in Southeast Asia is also raising prices, the FAO said.

Wheat prices were up 0.8% due to concerns about drought in the U.S. and Australia as well as high fertilizer prices tied to the war. The FAO said farmers may shift from wheat to less fertilizer-intensive crops this year, which would tighten wheat supplies and raise prices.

Qatar’s top diplomat and the US vice president discuss Mideast negotiations

The tiny, gas-rich Gulf Arab state of Qatar — which hosts the biggest U.S. military base in the Middle East — has a long track record as a mediator between Iran and its regional adversaries.

In March, the kingdom said it was not directly mediating between the U.S. and Iran, however it voiced support for all diplomatic channels to end the war.

In Friday’s meeting in Washington with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is both Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, expressed the need for all parties to engage with the ongoing mediation efforts that would eventually lead to a “comprehensive agreement that achieves lasting peace” in the region.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Al Thani and Vance reviewed Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at de-escalation, without providing further details.

Vance’s office did not immediately comment on the meeting.

US won’t say whether Iran oil spill was caused by airstrikes

The Pentagon declined to comment Friday on whether there had been recent strikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export terminal.

Based on the imagery taken earlier this week, the spill occurred before the most recent round of U.S. strikes in the region. Kharg Island is on the other end of the Gulf from the Strait of Hormuz, hundreds of miles away.

Satellite images show oil is still spilling from an Iranian terminal

Satellite images taken Friday show an apparent oil spill covering about 71 square kilometers (27 square miles) off Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export terminal, said Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward AI.

The slick was first spotted on satellite images Tuesday.

Although the spill’s origin is unknown, cleanup efforts will probably not be launched in waters where the U.S. and Iran have been trading fire, Daniel said.

Nina Noelle, an international crisis operations expert with Greenpeace Germany, said it appears unlikely the spill will impact land, though it could still possibly affect some sensitive marine habitats.

Trump administration appeals court ruling against new global tariffs it imposed after a stinging Supreme Court loss

On Thursday, a split three-judge panel of the Court of International Trade in New York found that Trump’s 10% global tariffs were illegal after small businesses sued.

In a filing Friday, the Justice Department said it would appeal the 2-1 decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. The trade court had ruled that the tariffs are “invalid’’ and “unauthorized by law.’’

At issue are temporary 10% worldwide tariffs the Trump administration imposed after the Supreme Court in February struck down bigger double-digit tariffs the president had imposed last year on almost every country on Earth. The new tariffs, invoked under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, are set to expire July 24.

Trump’s Greenland envoy is expected to make his first visit to Arctic island this month

Later this month, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who is doubling as the president’s special envoy to Greenland, is expected to make his first visit the Danish territory that Trump has said the United States must take over for national security reasons, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Landry is scheduled to attend Future Greenland, a business conference, in the capital city of Nuuk, but did not provide any further details about the governor’s itinerary.

Trump announced earlier this year he was levying new tariffs against eight European nations to press for U.S. control over Greenland. But he quickly backed off the threat after global markets tanked.

The president has paid scant attention, at least publicly, to Greenland in recent months as he’s focused on the Iran war, Venezuela, and Cuba.

Greenlandic media outlet Sermitsiaq first reported on Landry’s expected visit.

—By Aamer Madhani in Washington

Alabama lawmakers pass plan for new US House primary if courts allow different districts

Republican state senators gave final approval to the legislation on Friday, sending it to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey.

The action in Alabama came on the same day that the Virginia Supreme Court dealt a major setback to Democrats by overturning a redistricting plan that could have helped Democrats win as many as four additional House seats.

The Alabama bill could set aside the results of the May 19 primaries, if courts lift an injunction requiring it to use a map with two districts that have large Black populations.

Trump says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to his request for a 3-day ceasefire and a prisoner swap

The U.S. president said Friday that such a halt to hostilities could be the “beginning of the end” of the long war between the two nations.

Trump announced on social media that the ceasefire would run Saturday through Monday. Saturday is Victory Day in Russia, a holiday that commemorates its victory over Nazi Germany 81 years ago in World War II.

Trump says he’s “pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE.” The Republican president said the ceasefire includes a suspension of all kinetic activity and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners by each country.

Democrats had hoped to win as many as 4 additional US House seats under Virginia’s redrawn map

Don Scott, the Democratic speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, said Democrats respect the court’s opinion while noting the voters of the state had approved of the new congressional map.

“We gave this decision to the voters — exactly where it belongs — and they spoke loud and clear,” he said in a statement. “They voted YES because they wanted to fight back against the Trump power grab.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticizes recent US military actions against Iran

He said “every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”

In a post on X, Araghchi said “Iranians never bow to pressure” and questioned whether the U.S. actions were a crude pressure tactic or the result of “a spoiler once again duping POTUS.”

Araghchi also boasted that Iran’s missile inventory and launch capacity was at “120%” of prewar levels, attaching a screenshot from a U.S. newspaper report that said the CIA had found Iran managed to retain more of its weaponry after the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign than previously thought.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the US strikes were a ‘clear violation’ of the ceasefire

The violence came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran in negotiations to end the war. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he expects to hear from Iran later Friday.

“I hope it’s a serious offer,” Rubio told reporters. “I really do.”

US military shows smoking oil freighters in latest confrontation with Iran

The U.S. military posted video of two Iranian oil tankers as their smokestacks were struck by an American fighter jet Friday, marking the latest confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.

Both countries exchanged fire off Iran’s coast on Thursday as U.S. Navy warships passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also disabled another Iranian ship earlier this week.

“U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the leader of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.

Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redistricting plan, dimming party’s midterm hopes

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down the voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year’s midterm elections.

The court ruled the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment April 21, but the court’s ruling renders the results of that vote meaningless.

“This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,” the court said in its opinion.

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US forces disabled two more Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade

That’s according to U.S. Central Command in a social media post.

In the social media post on Friday, it says a U.S. Navy fighter jet fired into the smokestacks of ships in the Gulf of Oman after they tried to pull into an Iranian port.

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The newly unveiled website housing documents on UFOs has a decidedly retro feel

It features black-and-white military imagery of flying objects displayed prominently on the page, with statements displayed in typewriter-like font.

The first release includes 162 files, such as old State Department cables, FBI documents and transcripts from NASA of crewed flights into space.

One document details an FBI interview with someone identified as a drone pilot who, in September 2023, reported seeing a “linear object” with a light bright enough to “see bands within the light” in the sky.

“The object was visible for five to ten seconds and then the light went out and the object vanished,” according to the FBI interview.

Another file is a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, showing three dots in a triangular formation. The Pentagon says in an accompanying caption that “there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly” but that a new, preliminary analysis indicated that it could be a “physical object.”

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Rubio defended Trump after weeks of his criticisms of the pope

And Rubio said the U.S. believed it could still have a “productive and fruitful and important relationship” with the Catholic Church.

Rubio spoke to reporters in Rome, a day after his meeting with Pope Leo XIV during a fence-mending visit to Italy and the Vatican.

He was asked if he would recommend that Trump stop criticizing Leo’s position on the Iran war.

“The president will always speak clearly about how he feels about the U.S. and U.S. policy,” Rubio said. “The president of the United States is always going to act in what’s in the best interest of the United States.”

Rubio came to Rome after Trump repeatedly criticized Leo’s calls for peace and dialogue. The back and forth that ensued riled Italian leaders who came to Leo’s defense.

“The president’s perspective is clear. He thinks that Iran is a threat, and it needs to be addressed. And that position remains unchanged,” Rubio said.

US employers added a surprising 115,000 jobs last month despite economic shock from the Iran war

Hiring was better than the 65,000 forecasters had expected, though it decelerated from the 185,000 jobs created in March. The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%.

The Iran war has caused the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history and sent average U.S. gasoline prices surging past $4.50 a gallon this week. But the conflict hasn’t done much damage to the American job market so far.

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Pentagon begins releasing new files on UFOs and says the public can draw its own conclusions

In addition to the Pentagon, the effort is led by the White House, the director of national intelligence, the Energy Department, NASA and the FBI.

The Pentagon said Friday in a post on X that while past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, Trump “is focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files.”

The Pentagon says additional documents will be released on a rolling basis.

▶ Read more

Rubio says Iran’s reported plan to create an agency to control Strait of Hormuz is ‘unacceptable’

And he warned that if Tehran attacks U.S. Navy ships “they’re going to get blown up.”

Rubio fielded questions at the end of a two-day fence-mending visit to Rome and the Vatican after sharp disagreements over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.

He was asked about reports from a shipping data company that said Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the strait.

“Is the world going to accept that Iran now controls an international waterway?” Rubio asked. “What is the world prepared to do about it?”

He also warned Tehran against attacking American maritime assets in the region. The U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The red line is clear. They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,” he said.

Rubio says US expecting Iran response Friday

The secretary of state, traveling in Italy, said the U.S. is anticipating a response from Iran on the ongoing diplomatic discussions sometime later Friday.

“We should know something today,” Rubio, who doubles as the White House national security adviser, told reporters.

He added: “I hope it’s a serious offer. I really do.”

Judge rules Trump administration’s cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional

The Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants to scholars, writers, research groups and other organizations was unconstitutional, and the Department of Government Efficiency had no authority to end the funding, a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in Manhattan sided with The Authors Guild, several other groups and several people who had their grants canceled and sued DOGE and the National Endowment for the Humanities. McMahon permanently barred the administration from terminating the grants and criticized DOGE’s use of artificial intelligence in nixing the funding.

Government lawyers had argued that the cuts of more than 1,400 grants of congressionally approved funds were legal moves to implement President Donald Trump’s directives, eliminate grants associated with diversion, equity and inclusion and reduce discretionary spending under the administration’s priorities.

The White House and Department of Justice, which defended against the lawsuit, did not immediately return emails seeking comment Thursday evening. It was not immediately clear if an appeal was planned.

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Federal court rules against new global tariffs Trump imposed after loss at the Supreme Court

A federal court ruled Thursday against the new global tariffs that Trump imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court.

A split three-judge panel of the Court of International Trade in New York found the 10% global tariffs were illegal after small businesses sued.

The court ruled 2-1 that Trump overstepped the tariff power that Congress had allowed the president under the law. The tariffs are “invalid″ and “unauthorized by law,” the majority wrote.

The third judge on the panel found the law allows the president more leeway on tariffs.

If the administration appeals Thursday’s decision, as expected, it would first turn to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, based in Washington, and then, potentially, the Supreme Court.

At issue are temporary 10% worldwide tariffs the Trump administration imposed after the Supreme Court in February struck down even broader tariffs the president had imposed last year on almost every country on Earth. The new tariffs were set to expire July 24.

▶ Read more

Trump drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect new blue coating he’s putting on it

Trump on Thursday went on an unannounced trip to the Lincoln Memorial to see the Reflecting Pool after he had it coated in a color he calls “American flag blue.”

The Republican president was driven across the new coating before he got out of his SUV to make a statement and answer questions from reporters who had been taken there to await his arrival before the sun set.

The new blue coating will hide the pool’s gray stone, a color Trump said was “never good.” The project cost nearly $2 million, he said.

“It never had the color people wanted, but now it’s going to have the great color,” he said, standing in the pool surrounded by some of his Cabinet secretaries, including Doug Burgum of Interior and Markwayne Mullin of Homeland Security.

▶ Read more

Maria Tellez, the mother of 19-year-old Gregorio Ricardo Cordova-Mejia, and Jesica Martinez, mother of 15-year-old Angelray Garcia, said they are still searching for answers in the case, which remains unsolved.

San Antonio police have not identified or arrested a suspect.

“It’s still hard, it’s still difficult,” Tellez said. “I just hope and pray that we find who did this already.”

For Tellez, the night her son was killed still haunts her.

Instead of receiving a phone call or a knock at the door, she said she learned about the shooting after seeing KSAT’s coverage. From there, she began putting the pieces together herself, knowing her son often spent time at the apartment complex where the shooting happened.

“I actually found my son myself,” she said. “Me and my (other) son went out there and I told my son, ‘That’s Greg’s car right there.’”

In that moment, she said, before any official confirmation from investigators, she already knew.

Martinez said her son Angelray was just two weeks shy of his 16th birthday when he was killed — a milestone he never got a chance to reach.

“It’s devastating, it’s heartbreaking, it’s something I never expected,” Martinez said.

She said the grief has not eased with time, adding the loss still feels as heavy as it did in 2022.

Both mothers said the moment they learned their sons had been killed is something that will shape their lives every day.

Over the years, the families have tried to keep attention on the case, including a billboard placed in hopes of generating new leads.

Still, they said there have been no arrests and few answers.

Despite that, both mothers refuse to stay silent.

“Angelray and Greg aren’t forgotten. They are still loved and we are still trying for them,” Martinez said.

San Antonio police are actively investigating what happened that night in July 2022.

Even after three years, Tellez and Martinez continue speaking publicly about what happened to their sons.

When asked to describe their sons, both mothers shared memories that reflect who they were in life.

“He was so loving, He was good in school. He has a big family that he very much loved. I do miss him a lot,” Martinez said of Angelray.

Tellez described her son Gregorio as “funny and caring.” Gregorio also leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter.

As the anniversary of their deaths approach, both families said they continue to honor their sons privately, often through candlelight vigils and time with close family.

For them, the goal has remained the same since 2022.

“We just want justice for the boys so they can rest in peace,” Martinez said.

The San Antonio Police Department asks anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP (7867). Tips can remain anonymous, and a reward may be available for information that leads to an arrest.

Read also:

• Man with apparent gunshot to head dies inside South Side home, authorities say
• Family member stabs man multiple times with kitchen knife on Northwest Side, SAPD says
• SAPD: 1 dead, 1 in critical condition after shooting outside apartment complex on Northwest Side

Last month, more than 200 vendors were left scrambling after Painted Tree Boutiques abruptly closed its locations, leaving many without storefronts and facing unexpected financial losses.

Now, some business owners are turning to online sales, pop-up events and the city’s growing playoff excitement to stay afloat.

Jasmine Luevano, owner of Conchassmine, sells mini conchas decorated with Spurs themes, while Angel Contero, owner of Que Bonita Crafts, creates Spurs-inspired candles, stickers and custom handmade jean jackets.

Both women said the closure forced them to quickly rethink how they sell their products.

“I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me,” Contero said, “but no, I’m still looking for a home.”

Luevano said many vendors lost money tied up in booth rentals and merchandise.

“A lot of us lost a lot of money, of course, because it was an investment,” Luevano said.

Since losing their storefronts, both women have relied heavily on social media, online orders and pop-up markets to connect with customers.

Luevano said support from the San Antonio community has helped many vendors continue operating despite the setback.

“Thankfully, San Antonio, it’s really amazing,” she said. “Everybody stepped up. Everybody started supporting us.”

The Spurs’ playoff success has also fueled demand for team-themed merchandise across the city.

Luevano’s Spurs-themed mini conchas have become especially popular, while Contero said she has struggled to keep Spurs candles and stickers in stock.

Contero joked that her Spurs candles may even be bringing the team luck.

“These are for luck,” she said. “We light them when we want our team to win. We lit all four of them the other day, and luckily they won.”

Both women said they hope the Spurs continue their playoff run as business remains strong.

“Thank God they’re winning because they are definitely keeping a lot of small businesses in business,” Contero said.

Customers can find updates on where the vendors will appear next through the Que Bonita Crafts and Conchassmine social media pages.

Read also:

• How, where to watch San Antonio Spurs playoff games this weekend
• Spurs guard’s wife Anissa McLaughlin’s posts brings fans inside NBA family life, motherhood

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser, both confirmed the agreement.

“I asked and, President Putin agreed. President Zelenskyy agreed -- both readily," Trump said as he departed the White House to attend a dinner at his Virginia golf club. " And we have a little period of time where they’re not going to be killing people. That’s very good ”

Trump earlier Friday had announced on social media that the ceasefire would run Saturday through Monday. Saturday is Victory Day in Russia, a holiday that commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote. “The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II.”

The Republican president said the ceasefire includes a suspension of all kinetic activity and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners by each country.

Russia had announced a ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, but it quickly unraveled, with both sides blaming the other for the continued fighting, just as they had when Ukraine’s own unilateral ceasefire had swiftly collapsed earlier in the week.

Trump said he made his request for the ceasefire “directly” to the two presidents. “Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War," he said.

Trump added that talks continue over ending the war that began in February 2022 “and we are getting closer and closer every day.” Trump has gone back and forth over whether the war will end, at times expressing optimism and at other times saying Russia and Ukraine should be left to fight it out to the bitter end.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s decision on how to engage with those discussions was shaped in part by the prospect of freeing its prisoners. Ukraine has made the return of prisoners of war a central demand throughout the conflict.

“Red Square matters less to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can be brought home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Red Square is where Russia holds its traditional military parade to celebrate Victory Day, one of the biggest holidays of the year.

After releasing his statement, Zelenskyy issued a formal presidential decree “authorizing” Russia to hold the parade, declaring Red Square off-limits for Ukrainian strikes for the duration of the event. The framing of the decree appeared designed to underscore Kyiv’s claim that it holds effective targeting reach over the Russian capital, while publicly tying Ukrainian restraint to the ceasefire terms.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later shrugged off Zelenskyy’s decree as a “silly joke.”

“We don’t need anyone’s permission to be proud of our Victory Day,” Peskov told reporters.

Zelenskyy said the deal for a ceasefire was reached through a U.S.-mediated process and thanked Trump and the American team for what he called effective diplomatic engagement. He said Ukraine expected Washington to hold Russia to the terms of the agreement.

“We are counting on the United States to ensure that Russia fulfills its commitments,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said he had instructed his team to prepare everything necessary for the exchange without delay.

Trump's announcement came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a much more somber tone about negotiations to halt Russia’s 4-year-old war in Ukraine, saying U.S. mediation efforts have not led to a “fruitful outcome” so far.

“While we’re prepared to play whatever role we can to bring it to a peaceful diplomatic resolution, unfortunately right now, those efforts have stagnated,” Rubio told reporters at the end of a visit to Rome and the Vatican. “But we always stand ready if those circumstances change.”

—-

Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.

The point of contention: The popular show “The View," and whether it's subject to equal time rules.

ABC’s filing to the Federal Communications Commission, made public Friday, came in a dispute involving one ABC station in Houston, KTRK-TV. But the wording indicated the network was embarking on a broader battle with the administration.

“The Commission’s actions threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly,” said the filing on behalf of both KTRK-TV and ABC.

The commission replied, in a statement emailed to The Associated Press, that equal time law “encourages more speech and empowers voters to decide the outcome of elections. The FCC will review Disney’s assertion that ‘The View’ is a ‘bona fide news program’ and thus exempt from the political equal time rules.”

The ABC filing appeared to be the latest volley inside and outside the legal arena between the U.S. media and the Trump White House over what journalists perceive as the president’s attack on free speech and the media’s ability to do its job. Trump has been critical of media outlets whose journalism runs counter to his agenda and sensibilities.

Among legal battles in the courts: a dispute between the Pentagon and The New York Times over access; a battle between the White House and The Associated Press over how to refer to the Gulf of Mexico; and Trump’s anger at The Wall Street Journal over reporting about Jeffrey Epstein.

The dispute concerns content on “The View,” ABC’s long-running morning talk show, which combines entertainment and political interviews and often features commentary critical of Trump. The filing referenced the FCC’s revisiting, with legal action, the question of whether “The View” should fall under equal time rules. The rules require granting equal airtime to competing candidates for office.

At issue: Whether ‘The View’ is subject to equal time rules

News programs are exempt from the rules. Trump’s FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, has indicated he intends to argue that “The View” is not a so-called “bona fide news program.” The issue could affect other shows that similarly combine entertainment and politics.

In its filing, ABC argued that “‘The View’ has been broadcasting under a bona fide news exemption granted to it more than twenty years ago, consistent with longstanding Commission interpretations designed to minimize the serious First Amendment problems inherent in the equal time regime.”

The network also argued that the decades-old equal time doctrine was not attuned to the realities of the present day, when “the broadcast airwaves account for a slice of the numerous media options through which Americans get their political information. Indeed, the marketplace of ideas has never been more robust, and people can hear virtually any brand of political commentary by listening to a podcast, watching cable, scrolling social media, or streaming on a phone, computer or connected TV. The free flow of ideas flourishes on these non-broadcast platforms even though the equal opportunities rule does not apply there.”

ABC argues that free political discourse is needed now more than ever

Narrowing the FCC’s longtime approach to so-called “bona fide news exemptions,” it said, “would risk restricting political discourse exactly when it is needed most.”

The administration’s criticism of “The View” echoes its displeasure with late-night news hosts who criticize Trump – especially ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.

Donald and Melania Trump recently both called for ABC to fire Kimmel for a joke in which the comic described the first lady as having “the glow of an expectant widow.”

The joke came two nights before the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which was cut short when a man armed with guns and knives tried to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps were gathered along with much of the nation’s leadership and Washington media. Kimmel said the joke was a light roast about the couple’s age difference — and certainly not a reference to assassination.

In a footnote, ABC noted that “The View” has long featured a panel including women of different backgrounds to discuss issues of the day.

“Although the lineup of the co-hosts has changed over the years, ‘The View’ has consistently prioritized having a panel of women from different backgrounds in order to facilitate interesting discourse and the exchange of divergent perspectives,” it said.

"I grabbed three of them,” Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said.

Shakur was raised in New York and Baltimore before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1980s. He lived in Oakland, California in the early 1990s, which made Friday's matchup between the Orioles and Athletics an appropriate time to honor the rap icon, who was killed in 1996. The familiar riff from “California Love” was played while the starting lineup for the A's — who left Oakland before last season — was being announced.

Albernaz mentioned “Pain” when asked his favorite Tupac song.

“This is back on — I'm dating myself — Napster or LimeWire, trying to download that,” Albernaz said.

He also said “All Eyez On Me” best encapsulates the current Baltimore team.

Everyone on the Orioles' active roster was born in 1989 or later, so it wasn't immedately clear if the players were familiar with Shakur's music.

“I hope so,” Albernaz said. “I probably should ask around about that.”

Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, Tupac's sister, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

___

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

ACS Director John Gary said the owner is “uncooperative” and could face jail time over their American Staffordshire Terrier‘s attacks that sent an 80-year-old woman to the hospital and a child to a medical provider.

“We are working with (SAPD) to pursue what charges may be filed at this point,” Gary said. “We will be pursuing attack by dog in this incident,” — a third degree felony.

Gary mentioned the owner could also face charges like serious bodily injury.

Reports of the dog date back to April 2025, according to Gary.

“Last April and last May, we received calls for this dog in the particular area,” Gary said. “Nothing came of those reports (because) we weren’t able to confirm the incidents with the residents, other than speaking to the owner on more than one occasion.”

Dogs are considered personal property in the United States and require an arrest warrant for them to be taken into custody. To get to that point, ACS requires proof of the incident reported, Gary stated.

Gary said the dog’s reports from 2025 were anonymous: “We couldn’t do anything unless we had a witness to come forward or the dog was confined by the time an officer was there.”

The dog was taken into ACS custody on Thursday for a quarantine period, but its future is unknown, Gary said.

Read also:

• Neighbors say dog that bit 80-year-old woman’s face has attacked before
• Woman, 80, hospitalized after pit bull bites her face outside home on Northwest Side, SAPD says
• San Antonio Animal Care Services offers $0 adoptions after every Spurs playoff win

• STORM CHANCE TONIGHT: Scattered storms 10pm-4am
• CLEARING SATURDAY: Mostly sunny, random pop-up afternoon storms 3pm-7pm
• MOTHER’S DAY: Sunny and hot, storms likely after 7pm

FORECAST

THIS EVENING/TONIGHT

An upper-low will bring scattered storms to the forecast. Initially, storms will develop along the Rio Grande and push east overnight. Severe weather is possible, especially south of Highway 90. Pockets of heavy rainfall is also possible.

SATURDAY

Most of the day will be sunny and dry, but from about 3pm to 7pm, random pop-up storms are possible.

MOTHER’S DAY

The daytime hours will be sunny and hot with high temperatures in the lower 90s. A cold front will sweep through after sunset and is likely to generate storms after 7pm. Any rain should clear the area by Monday morning.

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Raymond Epps, a former Marine, was falsely accused by Fox of being a government agent causing trouble near the Capitol that day so that it would be blamed on Trump fans. He said he and his wife sold an Arizona ranch where they lived and moved into a recreational vehicle because of the harassment they faced after Fox's reports.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall in Delaware granted Fox's motion to dismiss the case, finding Epps failed to show enough evidence to prove that Fox knew its statements were false.

The judge previously dismissed the case in 2024 but gave Epps a second chance to file his case. Her Friday ruling said he still fell short.

Epps had named Tucker Carlson, who was fired from Fox in April 2023, as being the most active promoter of the conspiracy theory. At the time, Carlson hosted Fox’s most popular show. Epps was featured in more than two dozen segments on Carlson’s prime-time show, the lawsuit said.

“In the aftermath of the events of January 6th, Fox News searched for a scapegoat to blame other than Donald Trump or the Republican Party," lawyers for Epps wrote in their lawsuit. "Eventually, they turned on one of their own.”

In a statement Friday night, Fox News said it was "pleased with the federal court’s ruling, further preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment.”

Epps pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to the Jan. 6 riot and was sentenced to a year of probation. He was later pardoned by Trump alongside 1,500 others who received clemency for their roles in the insurrection.

Federal prosecutors have backed up Epps’ vehement denials that he was a government plant or FBI operative. They say Epps has never been a government employee or agent beyond serving in the U.S. Marines from 1979 to 1983.

Some students with disabilities will be required to move campuses next school year where they will learn in a “contained” setting, Houston ISD Deputy Superintendent Kristen Hole announced earlier this week. It is part of an effort to centralize special education services, so programs spread across several campuses could be consolidated into one site. The majority of special education students will not be affected.

Hole said the changes will mean better instruction for children with disabilities with more small-group settings for individualized attention.

However, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is examining whether the move runs directly counter to the federal law that says students with disabilities should learn alongside classmates who do not have disabilities as much as possible.

“Schools cannot exclude students with disabilities simply because of their disability status. Placement decisions must be made individually, based on each student’s needs, rather than by blanket policies that segregate students by disability category,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey wrote in a statement. “The allegations described here are alarming.”

Houston ISD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the investigation. The district’s website notes that student services will still closely follow individualized education plans, or IEPs, which is a written plan of each students’ needs.

Federal officials cited concerns from Houston families that their children will lose out on a chance to improve their social skills in general education classrooms. Parents also worry that longer transportation times to these alternative campuses will be challenging for children with medical and behavioral needs.

Houston ISD previously has struggled to provide supports to the more than 20,000 students who qualify for special education services. In 2020, special investigators with the Texas Education Agency found HISD in “systemic and widespread” noncompliance with special education law.

About a decade ago, federal officials found Texas failed to properly educate many students with disabilities.The state had quietly capped the percentage of students that schools could identify as in need of special education services.

Houston ISD has been under state control since June 2023 due to chronic poor academic performance. For the district to regain local control, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath has said, in addition to improving academic outcomes, HISD must get its special education programs in compliance with state and federal law.

The Alabama legislation, which was signed quickly into law by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, is part of an effort by Republicans in Southern states to capitalize on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.

At the Alabama Statehouse, a chaotic scene erupted as one protester was dragged from the packed House gallery by security officers. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana and South Carolina also faced staunch opposition from civil rights activists and Democrats as they presented plans Friday to redraw their congressional districts.

The action came just a day after Tennessee enacted new congressional districts that carve up a Democratic-held, Black-majority district in Memphis. The state Democratic Party sued on Friday, seeking to prevent the districts from being used until after this year's elections because of the tight time frame

Even before last week's Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case, Republicans and Democrats already were engaged in a fierce redistricting battle, each seeking an edge in the midterm elections that will determine control of the closely divided House. That battle tilted further toward Republicans when the Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that Democratic lawmakers had violated constitutional requirements when placing a redistricting amendment on the ballot.

Since President Donald Trump prodded Texas to redraw its congressional districts last summer, Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from new districts in several states while Democrats think they could gain up to six seats. But the parties may not get everything they sought, because the gerrymandering could backfire in some highly competitive districts.

Alabama primaries could be in flux

Demonstrators outside the Alabama Statehouse on Friday shouted “fight for democracy” and “down with white supremacy.”

“I was out there in 1965 marching for the right to vote, and now we are back here in 2026 doing the same thing,” Betty White Boynton said.

During debate inside the statehouse, Black lawmakers said the Republican legislation harks back to the state’s shameful Jim Crow history. The new law would ignore the May 19 primary results for some congressional seats and direct the governor to schedule a new primary under revised districts, if a court allows it. Lawmakers also approved a similar bill related to state Senate districts.

“What happened here today is that we were set back as a people to the days of Reconstruction,” Democratic state Sen. Rodger Smitherman said after the vote.

Senate Democrats shouted “hell no” and “stop the steal” as senators voted.

The special primary would happen only if the courts agree to lift an injunction that put a court-selected map in place until after the 2030 census. That order required a second district where Black voters are the majority or close to it, resulting in the 2024 election of Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who is Black. If a court lifts the injunction, Republican officials want to put in place a map lawmakers drew in 2023 — which was rejected by a federal court — that could allow them to reclaim Figures’ district.

“With this special session successfully behind us, Alabama now stands ready to quickly act, should the courts issue favorable rulings in our ongoing redistricting cases," Ivey said in a statement.

Virginia ruling centered on timing of election

Democrats had hoped to gain as many as four additional U.S. House seats under new districts narrowly approved by voters in April. But the state Supreme Court invalidated the measure because it said the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements.

To place a constitutional amendment before voters, the Virginia Constitution requires lawmakers to approve it in two separate legislative sessions, with a state election sandwiched in between. The legislature’s initial approval of the redistricting amendment occurred last October — while early voting was underway but before it concluded for the general election. The legislature’s second vote on the amendment occurred after a new legislative session began in January.

The state Supreme Court said the initial legislative approval came too late, noting that more than 1.3 million ballots already had been cast, about 40% of the total votes ultimately cast.

Louisiana lawmakers look at map options

A Louisiana Senate committee considered several redistricting options Friday from Republican state Sen. John “Jay” Morris that would eliminate either both or one of the current Black-majority U.S. House districts.

“Every one of these maps reduces Black voting power in every one of the districts. And I think that’s a problem,” Democratic state Sen. Sam Jenkins told Morris.

Morris denied that the proposed redistricting maps were racially discriminatory. He said his goal was to be “respectful of the traditional boundaries” of the state’s six congressional districts.

“I don’t think we should care that much about race,” Morris said.

The only four Black congressmen who have represented Louisiana since the end of the Reconstruction era appealed to state senators to keep two majority-Black districts in a state where one-third of voters are Black.

Leona Tate said she was escorted as a 6-year-old girl by federal marshals through a racist white mob trying to prevent her from desegregating a New Orleans elementary school. She told lawmakers she felt they were taking a step backward in time by reducing Black political power.

“You have a choice in front of you: You can draw a map that reflects what Louisiana actually is -- a state where Black voices belong in the halls of Congress," said Tate, 71. "Or you can draw a map that tells my grandchildren that their votes don’t count, that their faces don’t matter and that the progress I helped build with my own two feet as a 6-year-old can be erased at will.”

South Carolina considers a House map

South Carolina lawmakers held a rare Friday meeting to discuss a proposed new congressional map intended to allow Republicans a clean sweep of the state’s seven U.S. House seats.

The House hearing was the first step in redistricting. But its future remains murky. The state Senate has yet to agree to consider new districts later this month, an action that requires a two-thirds vote.

The new map has some Republicans nervous. Breaking up the 6th District, represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, makes the other six districts less Republican.

At Friday’s subcommittee meeting, lawmakers heard hours of testimony, almost all against the new map. The hearing included a consultant who reviewed the map, saying it appeared to be legal under the Supreme Court's decision in the Louisiana case.

“I agree if the law allows us to do it, then we can do It,” Democratic state Rep. Justin Bamberg said. “But I can slap somebody’s mama and it’s not the right thing to do.”

Some absentee ballots already have been returned for the state's June 9 primary elections. The legislative subcommittee advanced a plan to delay the congressional primary to August and reopen a candidate filing period, if a new map is approved.

___

Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina; Brook from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. AP reporter Travis Loller contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.

The No. 2 player in the world heated up on the back nine Friday at Quail Hollow and finished with a 4-under 67 to climb into contention at the Truist Championship, four shots behind 36-hole leader Sungjae Im, who was at 9-under 133.

Playing his first tournament since winning the green jacket for a second time on April 12 at Augusta National, McIlroy was 1 under and buried on the leaderboard eight shots back when he made the turn.

But birdies at No. 10 and 11 got him rolling and he seemed to feed off the energy from the crowd, just as he’s done in his previous four wins in Charlotte, where he has a large following.

McIlroy’s approach shots got closer and closer, and he added birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 16. He shot 32 on the back nine despite lipping out his par putt on the par-4 18th hole after finding a greenside bunker.

“It was a good day to get myself back in the hunt, and feel like I have a real chance going into the weekend,” McIlroy said.

At one point, McIlroy hit 14 straight greens in regulation — a personal course record.

“I started to make some good swings, especially with the irons,” McIlroy said. “I played one tournament in seven weeks, so I think just getting the reps under my belt a little bit and getting a scorecard in my hand. I feel like your patterns on the golf course are always a little bit different than your patterns on the range, or it is for me anyway.”

McIlroy isn’t the only big name in contention.

Tommy Fleetwood shot 67 for the second straight day and trailed Im by one shot. Justin Thomas was two back along with PGA Tour newcomer Alex Fitzpatrick, the brother of Matt Fitzpatrick.

Rickie Fowler vaulted into the mix with the day’s low round of 8-under 63, which included nine birdies.

Cameron Young, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, shot 70 and was five shots back.

Fleetwood said he scored well despite not having his best stuff.

“It’s just nice to even get a couple of days where you have something to show for your work, I guess,” said Fleetwood, who will play in the final pairing with Im on Saturday. “Just a nice reminder that it will come good at some point if you keep doing the right things. So that’s been great. I just hope it continues.”

For Im, the season hasn’t gone as well he’s hoped. He’s battled through a wrist injury and has only one top-40 finish.

Now healthy, that may be about to change.

The South Korean followed an opening round 7-under 64 with a 69 as he looks for his first tour win since 2021 in Las Vegas.

“I know this course very well, so I’m taking advantage of that,” Im said. “And then the scrambling, because of the play with the Presidents Cup, I know where to miss the greens, I’m very familiar with this golf course. But I didn’t putt very well today, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

Thomas won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in 2017 and said this is the best he’s felt physically since having surgery to treat a herniated disk in his lower back in November.

He would have posted back-to-back 67s had he not missed a birdie putt on his final hole Friday.

“I felt like I’m close,” Thomas said. “I’ve really been pleased the last couple weeks.”

Chandler Blanchet had the shot of the day, a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole. It was the fourth ace on No. 17 in tournament history and the first since Mark Hubbard in 2023.

___

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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Friday that authorities boarded eight cruise ships in late April and determined that 27 people, mostly from the Philippines, were involved in “the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing” of child sexual abuse images.

The agency canceled the visas of those involved and returned them to their home countries, the statement said.

The agency did not say if any passengers aboard the ships were believed to be victims. It also did not say which ships agents boarded, why those ships were targeted or where the operations took place. The statement said no additional information was available.

At least some of the ships had docked in San Diego.

Disney Cruise Line in a statement said the company has a “zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement. While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company.”

Immigrant and workers' rights groups said they had been trying, without success, to obtain information about the status of the workers and the reason behind the enforcement action. Benjamin Prado, with one of the groups, Unión del Barrio, said they held a news conference Tuesday in San Diego after previously receiving a generic statement from Customs and Border Protection.

The statement the agency subsequently released to news organizations this week did not appear to be on the agency's website, he said. That information should be readily accessible, he said.

Prado said his group wants to better understand what kind of monitoring or surveillance might have been occurring ahead of the workers being detained and whether due process rights were followed. He acknowledged skepticism around information released by agencies like Customs and Border Protection.

“At this point, we doubt, we question their claims and so we do want to follow up with some of these workers to find out exactly what took place,” Prado said.

Customs and Border Protection has said that a criminal charge is not required for someone's visa to be revoked.

Tyler Robinson's attorneys argued potential jurors could be biased by slanted news reports and online comments that depict the defendant as unremorseful based on how he looks and acts in court. They said live broadcasts were fueling those stories and interfering with Robinson's right to fair proceedings.

State District Judge Tony Graf said some news outlets have used courtroom footage as “a springboard to discuss out-of-court commentary” by public officials, opine on the existence of evidence that has not been presented in court and “generally vilify the defendant," but he declined to ban cameras.

“Electronic media coverage provides a means to facilitate the public’s right of access to court proceedings for those who cannot physically occupy the limited space available in a courtroom," Graf said. "Livestreaming in particular allows as many people as are interested to observe the justice system at work and hold our branches of government accountable.”

Media organizations, prosecutors and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, had urged the judge to allow cameras. They said transparency is the best way to guard against conspiracy theories that have circulated since Kirk's assassination on Sept. 10, when the 31-year-old conservative activist was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem.

The defense and prosecution did not immediately respond to requests for comment after Graf read the ruling via video call.

Graf has said repeatedly that he cannot control the spread of misinformation outside court, but he has taken steps to protect Robinson’s rights during hearings. He tightened rules for cameras after members of a media pool violated a courtroom order by showing Robinson’s shackles and capturing close-ups of him talking to his attorneys. Graf relocated cameras to the rear of the courtroom, behind Robinson, making it harder to get images of him.

The judge also approved a defense motion to push back Robinson’s preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for mid-May. Prosecutors during that hearing, now set for July 6-10, must show they have enough evidence to proceed to trial. Graf said he set a time frame that balances Robinson’s rights with those of Erika Kirk, who is entitled to a speedy resolution.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Robinson, 23, is convicted. He is charged with crimes including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea.

Prior to his death, Kirk and the conservative youth movement he founded, Turning Point USA, emerged as a major force in U.S. politics that was considered instrumental in getting President Donald Trump elected to a second term.

Authorities have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle. Robinson’s attorneys have argued his preliminary hearing should not take place until federal law enforcement agencies turn over more details about their DNA analysis.

Prosecutors say they have sufficient proof beyond DNA, including surveillance video and a handwritten note Robinson allegedly left for his romantic partner confessing to the crime.

Accusations that Robinson targeted Kirk over his political views have amplified interest in the case, which in turn has stoked the long-running dispute over cameras inside major cases.

Photos and videos have exposed the inner workings of some of America’s most spectacular criminal cases, from the Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial to O.J. Simpson’s double murder trial. They've also created tensions between advocates for transparency and defense attorneys eager to shield clients from bad publicity.

The stakes are especially high in death penalty cases such as Robinson's, where a jury can consider the defendant's character as part of its determination. Footage of Robinson apparently smirking while talking to his attorneys during a December hearing elicited comments on Fox News that he treated Kirk “like a trophy.”

The Constitution gives greater weight to a defendant’s rights to a fair trial than the public’s right to know what’s happening in a case. Nevertheless, cameras have become much more common in state courts in recent years.

They are generally barred in federal criminal trials. Under a New York state law, Trump’s trial and 2024 conviction in a hush money case was famously closed to cameras while court was in session. Media organizations used sketch artists to capture the scene.

Judges typically retain broad discretion over which parts of a case can be broadcast and who can be filmed or photographed. ___

Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Armando Hernandez and Elia Zereth Hernandez, both 46, died from multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiner’s office determined.

Armando Hernandez was a Southwest ISD police corporal, according to the district and online licensing records. He worked for the department for more than 15 years.

The medical examiner’s office also said Armando Hernandez’s manner of death was suicide, while Elia Zereth Hernandez’s death was ruled a homicide. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Elia Zereth Hernandez was the wife of Armando Hernandez, according to records obtained by KSAT from the Bexar County Clerk’s office.

San Antonio police officers first responded to a call for a crash around 3 p.m. Wednesday on Southwest Loop 410 near Valley Hi Drive. In an initial statement, SAPD confirmed two people were killed.

In a preliminary report released Thursday, police said the occupants of the vehicle appeared to have gunshot wounds and their deaths were being investigated as a murder-suicide.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a list of resources on its Domestic Violence webpage, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse.

If it’s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap-around services, including the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 733-8810.

You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center, which also provides wrap-around services at (210) 631-0100.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.

You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.

More coverage of this story on KSAT:

• SAPD: Murder-suicide investigation underway after 2 found dead at Southwest Side crash scene
• At least 2 dead in Southwest Side crash, SAPD says

According to the lawsuit obtained by KSAT Investigates on Friday, Timothy Nowell and Kimberly Nowell — as well as their child — are listed as plaintiffs in the suit.

The family is being represented by Lyons & Simmons, LLP, a Dallas-based law firm.

Lyons & Simmons, LLP is the same firm that took on the CPS Energy lawsuit filed by an East Side family injured in a 2021 house explosion. Last year, a Bexar County jury ordered CPS Energy to pay the family $109 million in damages.

A CPS Energy spokesperson later said the utility only paid the East Side family $3 million.

Days after rescinding their initial lawsuit, Mayte Terrie Reeves and Jose Ochoa, who were injured in the second April 21 house explosion on Preston Hollow Drive, refiled their suit on Tuesday and hired Lyons & Simmons, LLP to represent them.

In addition to seeking more than $1 million each in damages, the suit states the Nowell family is also requesting a jury trial.

What’s in the lawsuit

Similar to Reeves and Ochoa lawsuit filed earlier this week, the firm representing the Nowell family accuses CPS Energy of being negligent by “failing to hire, equip, and train competent and skilled workers” to safely operate its natural gas system around the home.

Attorneys also accused the utility of gross negligence due to CPS Energy having “actual, subjective awareness of the risk but proceeded with a conscious indifference to the rights, safety, or welfare of others.”

“Like those that preceded and followed it, this Explosion was entirely preventable as it was the result of the same root cause: CPS Energy’s poorly maintained, leaking, and deteriorating natural gas system, a dangerous problem of which CPS Energy is well aware,” the suit alleges.

Lyons & Simmons, LLP also referred to the second house explosion on Preston Hollow Drive, which happened approximately two-and-a-half hours after the explosion at the Nowell family’s home.

“These two events, connected by both time and proximity, demonstrate the severe and ongoing danger CPS Energy’s defective gas distribution system poses to the citizens of San Antonio, a danger that will persist unless and until CPS Energy acts,” the suit states.

Reeves and Ochoa, who were injured in the second house explosion, remained hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC).

Family background

Timothy Nowell is a pastor at Wayside Chapel, a North Side church located in the 1700 block of Northwest Loop 410. His wife, Kimberly, teaches math at MacArthur High School in North East ISD.

According to Wayside Chapel, Nowell is a “student pastor” who has served in that ministry for more than 17 years.

Jason Uptmore, the church’s lead pastor, released a statement to KSAT one day after the explosions.

“We are grateful that Tim, Kim, and Ali (the couple’s daughter) are stable,” Uptmore said, in part. “Tim and his family are deeply woven into the fabric of who we are as a church. We recognize that the road ahead will be long, but we are committed to walking with them.”

The couple’s teenage daughter also attends MacArthur High School, according to an April 22 letter sent to MacArthur High School parents and guardians.

“I have already met with our staff to inform them of this tragic situation,” MacArthur High School Principal Joaquin Hernandez wrote in the letter obtained by KSAT. “Additionally, Ms. Nowell’s classes are being supported with the assistance of our counselors and administrative team. Our priority is to ensure students have immediate access to support.”

As of Friday, Timothy Nowell and Kimberly Nowell remain in critical condition at BAMC.

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.

More recent coverage of this story on KSAT:

• What we know about the North Side home explosions that hospitalized 5
• KSAT Q&A: Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones discusses North Side home explosions, staff departures
• North Side house explosion survivors pull original lawsuit, refile new suit against CPS Energy

Officers responded at approximately 1:30 p.m. to the 8900 block of Prairie Hill Street after a neighbor told 911 someone inside the house may have been shot.

The victim is believed to be a man in his 30s. A San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson told KSAT that the man was later pronounced dead.

An officer on scene said no weapon or additional victims were found at the home. SAPD is investigating the shooting as a homicide.

No information on a suspect is known at this time.

The department said its investigation is ongoing.

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

More recent news coverage on KSAT:

• Immigrant found guilty after ramming ICE vehicles outside North Side Walmart
• North Side family seriously injured in house explosion files lawsuit against CPS Energy
• SAPD: 1 dead, 1 in critical condition after shooting outside apartment complex on Northwest Side

Robyn Argote-Brooks, 25, faces up to 10 years in prison after he was convicted on a damaging government property charge.

Argote-Brooks was acquitted of forcibly assaulting a federal officer, which would have carried a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

His sentencing date has been set for Sept. 1. Argote-Brooks will remain in custody “not only for total conviction, but because I suspect an immigration detainer,” U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery said.

Argote-Brooks’ trial began on Wednesday. Prosecutors rested their case on Thursday morning after calling six witnesses to the stand over the course of two days. The witness list included multiple ICE officers.

On Thursday, Argote-Brooks explained what was going through his mind during his encounter with the ICE officers on Jan. 13 in the 12600 block of Blanco Road.

Federal authorities previously said officers attempted to make contact with Argote-Brooks after running his license plates and discovering his parole status — which had allowed him to remain in the United States — was terminated.

Video shown in court on Thursday captured the confrontation that prosecutors said led to the two federal charges against Argote-Brooks.

Testifying through a translator, Argote-Brooks said he was working for a delivery service and waiting for an order in the Walmart parking lot while watching videos on his phone when several men approached him.

“I told him, ‘I don’t speak English, and that I didn’t understand,’” Argote-Brooks told jurors.

He later told jurors that he became frightened after seeing masked men approach his vehicle.

“I was scared because I see somebody who is coming with a face mask covering his face and asking for my keys,” Argote-Brooks said in court on Thursday. “They haven’t identified themselves or told me what I did wrong.”

Argote-Brooks turned on the vehicle’s ignition and reversed into a government vehicle, then drove forward and crashed into another government-owned vehicle parked in front of his car, according to an arrest affidavit.

An ICE officer told jurors that he had parked his vehicle in front of Argote-Brooks but did not have time to get out before the collision. The officer testified that he suffered injuries that kept him out of work for about a week.

Argote-Brooks told the jury he never intended to hurt anyone.

During cross-examination on Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Marie Walker questioned Argote-Brooks about whether he knew his immigration status had changed and whether he had received notice that his legal status in the United States had been terminated.

Argote-Brooks repeatedly testified that he never received any notice and did not believe he had done anything wrong.

According to documents discussed in court, his parole status — which allowed him to remain legally in the United States — was terminated in May 2025.

Read also:

• Man accused of ramming ICE officers says he panicked after being approached by ‘masked men’ outside San Antonio Walmart
• Immigrant rams into ICE vehicles in San Antonio, injuring officer, agency says
• Records: Immigrant who rammed ICE vehicles on North Side charged with destruction of government property
• Immigrant who rammed ICE vehicles on North Side to remain in custody
• Man charged after ramming ICE vehicles on North Side was in the US legally, father says

Whether it works will depend on how fast three-time defending race winner Alex Palou and the other starters adapt — and, naturally, how much risk they're willing to take on the first lap of the race.

The move comes in the wake of last month's software failure at Long Beach, where a dozen drivers illegally used extra turbo boost during a midrace restart. That led series officials to make the modification that allows drivers to use their push-to-pass on all restarts once the race has started and they've reached the alternate start-finish line in Turn 11 on the first lap. An early push will result in a penalty, even if there is another malfunction.

And that's caused confusion in Gasoline Alley.

“If I push it and it works because someone else does a mistake, it’s my fault? Yes?” Palou asked, jump-starting a minutes-long debate among the top five drivers in the standings. “I didn’t read the rule, sorry.”

Drivers will still get 200 total seconds of green-flag racing to give their cars a boost of about 60 horsepower throughout the race, though the button is not supposed to be operable until they pass the alternate start-finish line, potentially making the race into Turn 11 as harrowing as the first turn of the race. Then drivers can allocate their turbo boost however they choose around Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course.

The change essentially eliminates a possible repeat of the 2024 controversy that cost two-time series champ Josef Newgarden a season-opening victory at St. Petersburg when officials determined he used push-to-pass on a restart.

At Long Beach, nearly half the field took advantage of the software error. Others insisted they weren't even aware the push-to-pass button was working on the restart.

During last week's test session on Indy's 2.5-mile oval, Santino Ferrucci told reporters he realized the button worked only when he tried to fend off Marcus Armstrong's pass on a Lap 61 restart. Ferrucci said he tried it and continued using it. Neither Armstrong nor Ferrucci was penalized and Palou wasn't either, even though he said he used it three times on the restart. Palou wound up winning his third race of the season.

“Let’s set the record straight,” Kyle Kirkwood said. “Everybody would have used it if they’d known it was active. Every driver would have. I wish I’d have known it was on. I would have used it.”

On Saturday, everyone has — or should have — a strategy for how to deal with the new rule.

Palou, the four-time series champ from Spain, begins race weekend as the favorite. He has a 17-point lead over Kirkwood, an American, after winning the last two races, has six straight top-five finishes at Indy including last year's sweep of the grand prix and Indianapolis 500, and is trying to become the second driver in Brickyard history to win the same race four straight times.

The only other driver with four straight wins is seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher. He won the U.S. Grand Prix every year from 2003-06 and his son, Mick, is scheduled to make his Indy debut Saturday albeit on a differently configured road course.

Palou had the fastest lap in both of Friday’s practice sessions, posting a top speed of 124.953 mph in the morning and a best lap of 124.632 in the afternoon before rain arrived, forcing qualifying to be moved to Saturday. Kirkwood had the second-fastest lap in the afternoon, 124.443, as he tries to change his road-course reputation.

“So why do I suck on road courses?” Kirkwood joked Thursday. “That’s a good question. Appreciate that. Quite honestly, we just haven’t been that good on road courses. That’s been across all of our cars in recent years. But Barber was much better. I can’t say there’s been any other ones, but I feel like we’re constantly improving.”

And getting a little power boost on Saturday's restarts certainly won't hurt.

“You might want to save it a little bit more and maybe not use it as much on in-and-out laps, trying to overtake people knowing if a restart comes at any point, you need to have it, or else you’re going to get passed,” Kirkwood said. “So people might be hoarding it a little bit more.”

___

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

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said the Trump administration was no longer planning to construct the wall within the national park following pushback from residents, the Examiner reported this week. CBP officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the cancellation.

“Big Bend National Park has some just, like, unbelievably huge granite cliffs. It would be kind of silly to put like a 30-foot border wall on top of a 90-foot granite cliff,” Scott said in an interview with the Examiner. “So what we’re trying to convey is that we are going to have meaningful border security in that entire area.”

Instead of a wall, federal officials will pave roads along the border in the national park and make use of drones and other digital surveillance equipment, Scott said. News of the cancellation comes after weeks of upheaval in Texas as elected officials from both political parties and residents asserted that construction in the park would be a waste of resources.

In February, Trump administration officials waived over two dozen environmental laws to clear the way for a 150-mile-long border barrier through West Texas, including Big Bend National Park.

Then in early April, an interactive map on the CBP website showed the agency planned to instead install “virtual wall” technology in the region that would alert Border Patrol agents when people cross the border. CBP officials took down the map in late April, and it is not currently available on the agency’s website.

Local residents near Big Bend sued the Trump administration in mid-April, arguing that federal officials waived the regulations illegally in pursuit of the construction project.

Funds acquired through the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” President Donald Trump’s key spending package, direct CBP to construct a multifaceted barrier system, or a “Smart Wall,” across the southern border with Mexico. The proposed barriers would include bollard walls and patrol roads, as well as surveillance technology and floating buoys placed in the Rio Grande.

The vessel is expected to arrive Sunday at the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, and passengers will be taken to a “completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” said the head of Spain's emergency services, Virginia Barcones.

Both the U.S. and the U.K. have agreed to send planes to evacuate their citizens from the cruise ship.

While three people have died since the outbreak, and five passengers who left the ship are known to be infected with hantavirus, cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said Friday there were no people with symptoms of a possible infection on board the Dutch-flagged ship, the MV Hondius.

The World Health Organization considers the risk to the wider public from the outbreak as low.

On Friday, the WHO said a flight attendant on a plane briefly boarded by an infected cruise passenger has tested negative for hantavirus. Her possible infection had raised concerns about the virus’ potential transmissibility.

The flight attendant’s negative result should ease concerns among the public, said Christian Lindmeier, a WHO spokesman. “The risk remains absolutely low,” he said. “This is not a new COVID.”

Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn’t easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

Health authorities across four continents were tracking down and monitoring more than two dozen passengers who disembarked the ship before the deadly outbreak was detected. They were also scrambling to trace others who may have come into contact with them.

Passengers on the ship worry about how people will treat them

In interviews with The Associated Press, two Spanish passengers — speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears they’ll be ostracized once on land — said that despite the outbreak, their days aboard have passed with relative tranquility. Some people are bird-watching, and others are gathering in common areas to read or attend talks, while wearing masks and social distancing. Both passengers told AP they’re worried about how they’ll be treated in Spain and once home.

“We’re scared by all the news that’s coming out, by how people are going to receive us, by how people see us,” one said. “We’re just normal people. We’ve heard that this is a millionaires’ cruise, and it’s the complete opposite of reality. And we’re scared by this.”

Officials sought to reassure the public in the Canary Islands about possible exposure to the virus among the general population.

Once the ship reaches Tenerife, passengers will be evacuated in small boats to buses only after their repatriation flights are ready to take them, Spanish officials said Friday. Passengers will be transported in isolated and guarded vehicles, officials said, adding that the parts of the airport they travel through will be cordoned off.

Countries scramble to track passengers who disembarked

On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first passenger had died on board, more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing, Dutch officials and the ship's operator said Thursday.

It wasn’t until May 2 that health authorities first confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger, the WHO said.

The KLM flight attendant who tested negative for the virus was working on a flight headed from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25, and had later fallen ill.

The cruise passenger briefly aboard that flight — a Dutch woman whose husband died on the ship — was too ill to stay on the international flight to Europe and was taken off the plane in Johannesburg, where she died.

The Dutch public health service is undertaking contact tracing on passengers who had contact with the ill woman before she left the plane.

On Friday, U.K. health authorities said a third British national who had been a passenger on the ship is suspected of being infected with hantavirus. The U.K. Health Security Agency said the person is on the island of Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory in the south Atlantic where the ship stopped in April. There was no word on the condition of the person.

Spanish health officials said Friday a woman in the southeastern Spanish province of Alicante has symptoms consistent with ‌a hantavirus infection and is being tested.

She was a passenger on the same flight as the Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg after traveling on the cruise ship, Secretary of ⁠State for Health Javier Padilla told reporters.

Two other Britons who were on the ship have been confirmed to have the virus. One is hospitalized in the Netherlands and the other in South Africa.

Authorities in South Africa are working to trace contacts of any passengers who previously got off the ship. They have focused mainly on an April 25 flight from the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic to Johannesburg, the day after some passengers disembarked on the island.

Some state officials across the U.S. said they are monitoring a small number of residents who were on the ship and already went home, as well as people who may have come into contact with ship passengers. None has symptoms.

Health officials in the US detail plans for American passengers

The U.S. agreed to send a plane to repatriate about 17 Americans who are still on the ship. Those passengers will be quarantined at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, the hospital said Friday. None have symptoms.

Doctors will determine how long the quarantine will last after assessing the passengers.

The dedicated biocontainment and quarantine unit in Omaha previously was used to treat Ebola patients and some of the first COVID-19 patients. Nebraska Medicine is one of a handful of hospitals in the U.S. with specialized treatment units for people with highly dangerous infectious diseases.

“We are prepared for situations exactly like this,” Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement.

The British government said it will charter a plane to evacuate the nearly two dozen British nationals onboard.

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Associated Press writers Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, David Biller in Rome and Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this report.

Today on Texas Eats NOW:

MCADOO’S SEAFOOD COMPANY

196 N Castell Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130

McAdoo’s Seafood Company brings Texas Creole and Cajun flavors to the heart of downtown New Braunfels inside a beautifully restored 1915 federal post office building. Known for its historic charm and lively atmosphere, the restaurant combines upscale-casual dining with fresh seafood, handcrafted cocktails, and Southern hospitality. Guests can dine in intimate dining rooms, relax at the popular Treasury Bar, or enjoy live music in the covered outdoor courtyard.

The menu features a variety of seafood favorites, including fresh oysters, seafood fondoo, Cajun enchiladas, shrimp and cheese grits, and blackened pasta dishes packed with Gulf Coast flavor. Signature appetizers like crab cakes and coconut shrimp are complemented by house cocktails and decadent desserts such as crème brûlée and blueberry lavender cheesecake. With its unique setting and flavorful menu, McAdoo’s Seafood Company continues to be a destination dining spot in New Braunfels.

SOUTH BARBECUE

2100 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212

South Barbecue offers a modern take on South Texas barbecue under the direction of James Beard-nominated pitmaster Andrew Samia. Located near downtown San Antonio, the restaurant has earned a strong reputation for smoked meats, flavorful sides, and a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere. The renovated Monte Vista space features a polished yet relaxed design with green booths, a full bar, and a pet-friendly patio that gives guests a comfortable place to enjoy barbecue throughout the day and into the evening.

The menu highlights classic Texas barbecue staples like brisket, pork ribs, turkey breast, and jalapeño cheddar sausage, alongside standout sides including creamed elote, borracho beans, and mustard potato salad. Unlike many traditional barbecue spots, South Barbecue stays open until 10 p.m., making it a convenient option for lunch, dinner, or late-night cravings. With its balance of quality smoked meats and modern comfort food, South Barbecue continues to stand out in San Antonio’s competitive barbecue scene.

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The court ruled 4-3 that the state's Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, but the court's ruling renders the vote’s result meaningless.

Writing for the majority, Justice D. Arthur Kelsey wrote that the legislature submitted the proposed constitutional amendment to voters “in an unprecedented manner.”

“This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,” he wrote.

Democrats had hoped to win as many as four additional U.S. House seats under Virginia's redrawn map as part of an attempt to offset Republican redistricting done elsewhere at the urging of President Donald Trump. Later Friday, Virginia Democrats said in a filing that they intended to file an emergency appeal of the state high court's decision with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Friday's ruling, combined with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that severely weakened the Voting Rights Act, has supercharged Republicans' congressional gerrymandering advantage heading into this year's midterm elections.

“Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia,” Trump said about the decision on his social media account.

Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the ruling was another sign of GOP momentum heading into the midterms.

“We’re on offense, and we’re going to win,” he said in a statement.

Don Scott, the Democratic speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, said Democrats respect the court’s opinion but lamented that it overturned the will of the voters: “They voted YES because they wanted to fight back against the Trump power grab.”

Suzan DelBene, chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, criticized the court majority for what she said was a decision that “cast aside the will of the voters,” but she said the people will have the final say.

“In November, they will, and they’ll power Democrats to the House majority,” she said in a statement.

A longshot Democratic appeal

Democrats are taking a legal longshot in asking the nation’s highest court to reverse the Virginia ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court tries to avoid second-guessing state courts’ interpretations of their own constitutions. In 2023, it turned down a request by North Carolina Republicans to overrule a state Supreme Court decision that blocked the GOP’s congressional map.

Still, even an unsuccessful appeal would let Democrats try to blame their failure on the conservative majority that dominates the nation's highest court, which has already infuriated the party and civil rights groups by neutering the Voting Rights Act.

Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade after each census to account for population changes. But Trump sparked an unusual flurry of mid-decade redistricting last year by encouraging Republican officials in Texas to redraw districts in a bid to win several additional U.S. House seats and hold on to their party's narrow majority in the midterm elections.

California responded with new voter-approved districts drawn to Democrats' advantage, and Utah's top court imposed a new congressional map that also helps Democrats. Meanwhile, Republicans stand to gain from new House districts passed in Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. They could add even more after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Voting Rights Act case, which has prompted some other Republican states to consider redrawing their maps in time for this year’s elections.

Virginia is currently represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans, all elected from districts imposed by a court following a bipartisan redistricting commission’s failure to agree on a map after the 2020 census. The new districts could have given Democrats an improved chance to win all but one of the state's 11 congressional seats.

The state Supreme Court's majority was critical of the state’s redrawing of the congressional maps to benefit one political party. Those justices noted that 47% of the state’s voters supported GOP congressional candidates in 2024, but the new map could result in Democrats making up 91% of the state’s House delegation.

What was in the Democrats' map

Under the Democratic-drawn map, five districts would have been anchored in the Democratic stronghold of northern Virginia. Revisions to four other districts across Richmond, southern Virginia and Hampton Roads would have diluted the voting power of conservative blocs in those areas. And a reshaped district in parts of western Virginia would have lumped together three Democratic-leaning college towns to offset other Republican voters.

The state Supreme Court’s seven justices are appointed by the state legislature, which has toggled back and forth between Democratic, Republican and split control over recent years. Legal experts say the body doesn’t have a set ideological profile.

The case before the court focused not on the shape of the new districts but rather on the process the General Assembly used to authorize them.

Because the state’s redistricting commission was established by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers had to propose an amendment to redraw the districts. That required approval of a resolution in two separate legislative sessions, with a state election sandwiched in between, to place the amendment on the ballot.

The legislature’s initial approval of the amendment occurred last October, during early voting for the general election, before it concluded. The legislature’s second vote on the amendment occurred after a new legislative session began in January. Lawmakers also approved a separate bill in February laying out the new districts, subject to voter approval of the constitutional amendment.

Arguments over the definition of ‘election’

Judicial arguments focused on whether the legislature’s initial approval of the amendment came too late, because early voting already had begun.

Attorney Matthew Seligman, who defended the legislature, argued that the “election” should be defined narrowly to mean the Tuesday of the general election. In that case, the legislature’s first vote on the redistricting amendment occurred before the election and was constitutional, he told judges.

But in its ruling, the Supreme Court said, “this view appears to be wholly unprecedented in Virginia’s history.”

An attorney for the plaintiffs, Thomas McCarthy, argued an “election” should be interpreted to cover the entire period during which voters can cast ballots, which lasts several weeks in Virginia. If that’s the case, he told justices, then the legislature’s initial endorsement of the redistricting amendment came too late to comply with the state constitution.

The Supreme Court agreed with that argument, writing: “The General Assembly passed the proposed constitutional amendment for the first time well after voters had begun casting ballots during the 2025 general election.”

By the time lawmakers initially endorsed the amendment, voters already had cast more than 1.3 million ballots in the general election, about 40% of the total votes ultimately cast, the court said.

The Supreme Court’s ruling affirms a decision by a judge in rural Tazewell County, in southwestern Virginia. The court had placed a hold on that ruling and allowed the redistricting vote to proceed before hearing arguments on the case.

In the dissent to Friday's ruling, Chief Justice Cleo Powell said the election for the purpose of considering the amendment does not include the early voting period.

“The majority’s definition creates an infinite voting loop that appears to have no established beginning,” she wrote, “only a definitive end: Election Day.”

Those are some of the details in a new batch of files on UFOs that the Pentagon began releasing on Friday as President Donald Trump taps into the public's long-held curiosities about "unidentified anomalous phenomena” in the broader universe. Though the Pentagon has been working on declassifying the documents for years, Trump put attention back on the topic months ago by teasing a major UFO document dump.

“Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?’ Have Fun and Enjoy!” Trump wrote Friday in a Truth Social post.

Trump's Republican administration says the public can draw its own conclusions with the information in the files, which includes old State Department cables, FBI documents and transcripts from NASA of crewed flights into space. A new Pentagon website housing the documents on UAPs has a decidedly retro feel, with black-and-white military imagery of flying objects displayed prominently on the page, with statements displayed in typewriter-like font.

The files reflect cases that the government deems unresolved, meaning that for a variety of reasons they couldn’t be explained with certainty. The Pentagon described the files as new and “never-before-seen,” though some had been made public years ago.

Experts urge caution around the release of the new files, warning that UAP videos are often misinterpreted and mischaracterized by those unfamiliar with military technology. A 2024 Pentagon report rebutted claims that the U.S. government has recovered alien technology or confirmed evidence of alien life.

Files describe numerous sightings of UAPs

The initial release is a trove of videos, other imagery and testimony that is sure to stir more speculation among those who believe we are not alone in the universe.

For instance, a State Department cable from the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan in 1994 details how one Tajik pilot and three Americans saw a brightly lit UAP while flying a jet over Kazakhstan. The object, according to the cable, was “making 90 degree turns, doing corkscrews and maneuvering in circles at great rates of speed.”

That's not the only instance of erratically moving objects cited in the document release. A military report from the Aegean Sea in 2023 cited a UAP flying just above the surface of the ocean and making “multiple 90-degree turns at an estimated 80 mph" (129 km/h).

One interview with a U.S. intelligence official details an incident last year in which the official, doing a search on a helicopter, encountered a “super-hot” orb hovering over the ground, traveling about 20 miles (32 kilometers) at a speedy clip, then spotted four or five more orbs that flared up and down.

In a 1969 debriefing of Apollo 11 crew members, the astronaut Aldrin recalled spotting several unusual sights, such as a “sizeable” object close to the moon and a “fairly bright light source” that the crew felt could be a laser.

One document details an FBI interview with someone identified as a drone pilot who, in September 2023, reported seeing a “linear object” with a light bright enough to “see bands within the light” in the sky.

“The object was visible for five to ten seconds and then the light went out and the object vanished,” according to the FBI interview.

Another file is a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, showing three dots in a triangular formation. The Pentagon says in an accompanying caption that “there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly” but that a new, preliminary analysis indicated that it could be a “physical object.”

The documents include more than 20 video files showing unidentified objects captured by military sensors in locations from Syria and Japan to North America. The objects range from fast-moving specks captured in the distance to a football-shaped object spotted over the East China Sea in 2022. The most recent video is from Jan. 1 of this year and appears to show two circular lights flying against an inky black backdrop in North America.

Several files include military videos from the past several years that showed small ambiguous dots moving above the landscapes of Iraq, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The white objects sometimes streaked across the screen in less than a second, while others slowly glided through the air or were followed by the camera.

Other files include written reports from U.S. military service members who were surveilling locations in the Middle East. One report described an object that was “shaped as a bouncy ball” and traveling 483 mph (777 km/h) consistently for at least seven minutes over Syria in 2023.

The object was later determined to be benign.

Among the files are hundreds of pages detailing reported sightings dating to the 1940s. A 1948 report from U.S. airmen in the Netherlands raised concerns about recurring flying saucer sightings. Swedish counterparts saw them, too, and believed they did not come from “any presently known culture on earth,” the report said.

One military video that quickly caught attention on Friday appears to show an aircraft shaped like an eight-pointed star weaving through the air. The video, from 2013 in the Middle East, is probably nothing more than a hot jet engine producing a diffraction pattern in the camera, said Sean Kirkpatrick, a former director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which investigates UAP.

Kirkpatrick said there’s nothing unexpected in the release and warned that without analysis it will “only serve to fuel more speculation, conspiracy and arm-chair pseudoscience.”

Some call for even more transparency on UFO files

Trump has previously released records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. that revealed little beyond what was already known.

The Pentagon has been working on declassifying documents related to UFOs for years, and Congress created an office in 2022 to declassify material. Its 2024 debut report revealed hundreds of new UAP incidents but found no evidence that the U.S. government had ever confirmed a sighting of alien technology.

A small group of Republicans in Congress has pressed for further transparency, accusing the Pentagon of holding documents back. A March letter from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., demanded 46 UAP videos identified by whistleblowers. Luna said Friday those videos will be released later by the Pentagon.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., thanked Trump for “keeping his word” on transparency and disclosure.

“I would like to remind people that transparency won’t all happen at once, it will take some time,” Burchett said in a statement.

Others used Friday's release to urge further transparency into what the government knows about UAPs. The Sol Foundation, a research group focused on UAPs, pushed for passage of legislation that would force a “thorough” review of classified UAP records "with the aim of providing Americans with the full truth about longstanding government knowledge and programs concerning technologies and vehicles not of human origin.”

“While today’s new step toward a full disclosure of government knowledge concerning UAP is welcome, many more need to be taken to bring an end to the decades of secrecy by which the American people were kept in the dark,” said Peter Skafish, the foundation's executive director, and retired Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, a former acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency.

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Associated Press writer Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.

The local and regional elections were widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he led the center-left Labour Party to power less than two years ago.

Voters have grown impatient for economic growth and dramatic change after 14 years of Conservative government, and many Labour lawmakers have become despairing at the government's failure to deliver.

Starmer said he took responsibility for the “very tough” results, which saw his party lose more than half the seats it was defending, but would not quit.

“The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved,” he said. “I was elected to meet those challenges, and I’m not going to walk away from those challenges and plunge the country into chaos.”

Reform UK, led by the veteran nationalist politician Nigel Farage, won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas in England’s north, such as Sunderland, that were solid Labour turf for decades, and also made gains from the Conservatives in areas like the county of Essex, east of London. Reform, which ran on an anti-establishment and anti-immigration message, did particularly well in areas that backed the U.K. to leave the European Union in the historic Brexit vote in 2016.

Farage said the results in England, as well as those in Scotland and Wales, where elections to their semiautonomous parliaments were held, marked a “historic change in British politics.”

Labour also lost ground to the Green Party, whose popularity has risen under self-described “eco populist” leader Zack Polanski. The Greens beat Labour to win the mayoral race in London’s Hackney borough and gained hundreds of council seats in urban centers, including in London and Manchester, as well as university towns, such as Cambridge. The Conservative Party also lost ground, with the centrist Liberal Democrats making some gains.

A handful of Labour lawmakers urged Starmer to quit but Cabinet ministers cautioned the party not to topple the prime minister, while acknowledging the results were a wake-up call for the party.

Results reflect fragmentation of UK politics

Tony Travers, professor of government at the London School of Economics, said the elections show established parties struggling “to respond to populists on the left and right who appear to provide painless and simple solutions to intractable political and economic problems.”

The results reflect a fragmentation of British politics after decades of domination by Labour and the Conservatives, and make the outcome of the country's next national election hard to predict.

John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, said Britain is entering a new political era.

“Even Reform are probably not quite at 30% of the vote, so the fracturing of British politics is underlined by these results,” he told the BBC.

Scotland and Wales go their own way

In Scotland and Wales, nationalist parties came first in elections to the Parliaments in Edinburgh and Cardiff, which have an array of powers, including on health and tax.

In Scotland, the Scottish National Party, which has governed since 2007 and campaigned on a promise to hold another referendum on Scotland leaving the U.K., won the most seats. Because it fell short of a majority, analysts said it's less likely it will push for one during the coming five-year parliamentary term. With just a handful of seats remaining to be allocated, Labour is vying with Reform for second.

And in Wales, Plaid Cymru secured a historic breakthrough, bringing an end to Labour's unbroken 27-year run in power since the legislature was formed. The party, which has an ambition for Wales to leave the U.K. but no plan to do so anytime soon, fell short of a majority but will likely form the new government.

The huge reverse for Labour in Wales, which saw its leader lose her seat and the party drop to third behind Reform, is perhaps the party's most striking reverse and the one that may hurt the most.

“Welsh Labour has today suffered a catastrophic result,” said outgoing Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan. “It ends a century of Labour winning in Wales and the party will have to take a really hard look at itself.”

Starmer's future is under threat

Starmer’s popularity has plunged after repeated missteps and policy U-turns such as welfare reform. His government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living — tasks made harder by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has choked off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The prime minister has been further hurt by his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

The election results could trigger a challenge from a high-profile rival such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner or Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Alternatively, Starmer could face pressure from the party to set a timetable for his departure.

“I don’t think Keir Starmer should survive these results,” said Labour lawmaker Jonathan Brash, who represents Hartlepool in Parliament. “We have to be bolder, and we have to go further. And quite frankly, we need new leadership in order to achieve that.”

Even if Starmer survives for now, many in the party doubt he will lead the party into the next national election, which must be held by 2029.

The expansion of March Madness and the $300 million in extra revenue that comes with it through opening sponsorships to beer, wine and liquor companies offered a brief reprieve from the steady drip of headlines that underscore big-picture problems confronting college sports in an era of tightening budgets and revenue sharing with athletes.

Among them:

— A title-contending tennis program at Arkansas is disbanded, while golf teams at Wichita State also get the ax as part of the purge of multiple sports programs nationwide.

— The Big 12 taps into private equity for loans, while Duke cuts a streaming deal with Amazon expected to bring millions more to the Blue Devils.

— The College Sports Commission, which is in charge of making sure everyone follows the rules regarding the hundreds of millions of dollars now being paid to players, gets challenged in court and in arbitration while waiting for schools to sign off on a long-awaited agreement that cements its authority.

All of those issues have one thing in common: money. The NCAA's move to expand its tournament brackets to 76 teams is about that, too. Of the $300 million in extra revenue projected over the next six seasons, about $131 million will be distributed to the conferences whose schools make the tournaments.

“The NCAA and conferences and schools generating revenue in responsible ways is important in the current environment with revenue sharing,” said Dan Gavitt, who oversees Division I basketball at the NCAA. “That wasn't the sole reason, I can assure you that. But it was an important consideration.”

Is a tennis program more valuable than a wide receiver?

One of the most trenchant questions sports attorney Gabe Feldman asked North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham during a recent podcast was if Arkansas, after cutting its tennis programs, “can't find a way to make it work, how can Arkansas State and everybody else?”

Cunningham's basic answer was that the ultimate solution will involve a system in which the money flows in both directions.

“One is you will be paid to play your game and other is you’ll have to pay if you’re going to play your game,” he said.

If recent headlines are any indication, tennis and golf players will be among those who will be paying to play.

The tennis programs at Arkansas joined those at North Dakota, Saint Louis and Illinois State (men's only) that were discontinued this season. The cuts at Arkansas stood out because this involves a team in the Southeastern Conference, the second-richest conference in college sports behind the Big Ten.

The Razorbacks' tennis programs cost about $2.5 million — around the cost to sign a high-profile wide receiver — men's coach Jay Udwadia told Front Office Sports.

“My initial reaction was, ‘That’s funny. April fools, right?'" Udwadia said of his reaction upon hearing the news.

Turns out, his was one of about 20 programs eliminated this year across all college sports — a cutback that figures to hit Olympic sports, and the U.S. Olympic pipeline, the hardest.

“You want to see Olympic sports survive and thrive,” said Paia LaPalombara, a former college administrator who is now partner at the Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim law firm specializing on college sports deals. “But those are going to be the ones generally on the chopping block.”

Schools are tapping into different ways to expand revenue

Schools and conferences are showing an endless willingness to discover new ways to make ends meet.

Last week, Duke signed a landmark deal to stream three of its basketball games on Amazon — a deal believed to be worth millions and one that could be a sign of things to come.

When Georgia and Florida State abruptly canceled their home-and-home football series set for 2027 and ‘28, they said they were seeking to reschedule a neutral-site game. Reporting emerged that the schools were looking to cut a deal with a streamer, as Duke had done. It’s the sort of arrangement a smaller school could never make, and one that further separates the haves from the have-nots in college sports.

“Ultimately, it’s about revenue generation,” said James Strode, a professor of sport management at Ohio University who focuses on changes in college sports. “We're now in a situation where the separation and divide between big programs, Power Four programs, and Group of Six programs is even getting wider."

In another move that felt novel a mere three years ago but now seems like business-as-usual, the Big 12 inked a deal with private equity firms that availed its 16 schools of up to $30 million each in a line of credit.

Texas Tech was among the Big 12 schools not interested. The school's regent chair, Cody Campbell, is a billionaire who last year said equity deals were not a permanent solution and basically amounted to a “payday loan.”

NIL regulator off to a bumpy start with more questions looming

Who's keeping track of it all?

That's supposed to be the College Sports Commission — the entity formed out of the House settlement that is tasked with vetting most of the payments going from schools and their affiliates to the players.

The CSC has introduced an approach that LaPalombara said “has growing pains at the moment.” The difficulty comes in two places:

— Schools' reluctance to sign a “participation agreement” that was intended to cement the CSC's status as the main regulator when it comes to NIL compensation.

— Arbitration cases stemming from deals the CSC has rejected. The most important one involves 18 football players at Nebraska over whether the CSC can exercise oversight over third-party NIL deals cut through schools' multimedia-rights holders, the likes of which are an increasingly popular way to execute the deals. A ruling in favor of the CSC could trigger litigation.

“That's the true test of the efficacy of the CSC as an actual governing body,” LaPalombara said. “If an institution or a student-athlete doesn't receive the outcome they desire, it's whether they sue and what the outcome of the lawsuits will be. That will be the true test of whether the CSC can continue in its current form.”

___

AP March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes in Phoenix on Friday accepted an agreement in which Preston Henry Tolth pleaded guilty to robbing Begay. Under the agreement, Tolth was credited with three years’ time served and prosecutors dropped an assault charge and agreed not to prosecute him in the future if Begay’s case develops.

The sentencing effectively closes a yearslong case that has been troubled by a lack of physical evidence and the suppression of a confession from Tolth, who also is Navajo.

During Friday's hearing, family members urged Rayes to reject the agreement. Begay's niece tearfully reiterated that they didn’t want Tolth released without him leading investigators to Begay.

“A 62-year-woman is still nowhere to be found. No amount of time is enough if he won’t tell us where she is,” said Seraphine Warren, who later left the courtroom when it was apparent the judge was moving forward with the sentencing.

A beloved grandmother of nine and talented weaver of Navajo-style pictorial rugs, Begay was 62 when she vanished from her home in Sweetwater, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation in June 2021. Tolth’s sentencing comes amid a week of awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples movement, which highlights the disproportionate number of Native Americans who are missing or have been killed.

In the years since Begay went missing, her family members have organized searches, pushed law enforcement for answers and even walked across the country to keep a public spotlight on her case. Advocates have compared Begay’s case to that of Gabby Petito, a young white woman whose disappearance the same summer drew a frenzy of news coverage, social media attention and law enforcement action that ultimately led to the discovery of her remains in Wyoming.

Navajo Nation police and FBI agents identified Tolth as a suspect within days of her disappearance. Tolth, whose father was dating Begay’s sister, initially denied any involvement. In a later interrogation, an FBI agent lied to Tolth, telling him police found Begay’s truck and were processing evidence that would implicate him. In response, Tolth waived his right to remain silent and confessed to stealing Begay’s pickup truck, beating her and leaving her for dead on the side of the road.

It is typically legal for U.S. law enforcement to fabricate evidence during interrogations. But Rayes ruled that in this instance, the FBI agent failed to “scrupulously honor” Tolth’s initial refusal to speak and threw the confession out. A panel of appellate court judges agreed.

In the absence of that confession, U.S. Attorney Tracy Van Buskirk said Friday that the plea agreement was the government's best attempt at securing a reasonable sentence. Speaking about Tolth’s effort to help investigators find Begay, Van Buskirk said Tolth wasn’t familiar with the Sweetwater area and had been drinking alcohol on the night when he robbed her.

In court Friday, Begay’s son Gerald Begay called the agreement a “failure.”

“It shouldn’t be that way,” Gerald Begay told the judge.

Jane McClellan, a lawyer for Tolth, said her client acknowledged robbing Begay, showed officers where he thought he might have left her on the night of the crime and doesn't have further information.

“He is remorseful for his actions,” McClellan said. “He has taken responsibility for his actions.”

In an unusual move, Rayes rejected a previous plea agreement that called for Tolth to be released after three years of time served, saying it was overly lenient. Begay's family members had presented anguished testimony and said they would prefer to the case went to trial.

Navajo Nation public safety director Michael Henderson said finding Begay is still a priority for tribal law enforcement.

“One of the hindrances is that the federal investigation is still pending,” Henderson said.

Once federal law enforcement officially close the case, Henderson said, Navajo Nation police may gain access to information that will aid their search.

April Curley, a former Google employee, had sued the tech giant for racial discrimination, saying it engages in a “pattern and practice” of unfair treatment for its Black workers. The suit claimed the company steered them into lower-level and lower-paid jobs and subjected them to a hostile work environment if they speak out. Other former Google workers also joined the suit, which later received class action status.

“This case is about accountability, plain and simple,” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the plaintiffs, in a statement. “For far too long, Black employees in the tech industry have faced barriers that limit opportunity. This settlement is a significant step toward holding one of the world’s most powerful companies accountable and making clear that discriminatory practices cannot and will not be tolerated.”

The settlement was announced in May 2025 and granted final approval this week. Google said when the settlement was reached that it strongly disagrees with the allegations that it treated anyone improperly and remains "committed to paying, hiring, and leveling all employees consistently.”

The lawsuit, echoed years of complaints from Black employees at the company. That includes prominent artificial intelligence scholar Timnit Gebru, who said she was pushed out in 2020 after a dispute over a research paper examining the societal dangers of an emerging branch of artificial intelligence.

The 2022 lawsuit claimed that Mountain View, California-based Google viewed Black job candidates “through harmful racial stereotypes” and claimed that hiring managers deemed Black candidates “not ‘Googly’ enough, a plain dog whistle for race discrimination.”

In addition, according to the suit, interviewers “hazed” and undermined Black candidates and hired Black candidates into lower-paying and lower-level roles with less advancement potential based on their race and racial stereotypes.

The settlement, which does not constitute admission of liability by Google, also includes a commitment to pay equity analyses, pay transparency measures, and limits on mandatory arbitration for employment-related disputes through at least August 2026, according to Crump.

Elizabeth Polo was in a creative writing class at the University of Maryland late Thursday afternoon when a classmate shouted, “Canvas got hacked.” A message from a hacking collective flashed on her computer screen.

“Our whole class just like was like freaking out about it,” said Polo, a junior. “Our poor professor was trying to get everyone to calm down but it was just kind of chaos.”

Across academia, the outage set off panic and confusion as students and faculty members found themselves locked out of a platform they rely on to manage grades and access course notes and assignments. Colleges scrambled to reschedule final exams as students lost any way to access materials they needed to study.

Instructure, the company behind Canvas, said in an update late Thursday that the system was available for most users.

“Instructure discovered the unauthorized actor involved in our ongoing security incident made changes to the pages that appeared when some students and teachers were logged in,” Instructure said Friday in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately took Canvas offline to contain access and further investigate.”

Instructure also said it confirmed that the unauthorized actor exploited an issue related to its Free-For-Teacher accounts. The company has temporarily shut down those accounts.

Instructure did not say whether it paid a ransom nor has it said what happened with the compromised data.

Rich in digitized data, the nation’s schools are prime targets for far-flung criminal hackers, who are assiduously locating and scooping up sensitive files that not long ago were committed to paper in locked cabinets. Past attacks have hit Minneapolis Public Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Hackers breached data days before the outage

A hacking group called ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Canvas, said Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed, Connolly said.

The message that flashed on Polo's computer screen urged individual schools to reach out directly to the hacking group to negotiate a settlement and threatened to leak data if they didn’t. She said that Canvas later took that message down, replacing it with a message saying the site was undergoing scheduled maintenance.

Just before 1 a.m. Friday, Polo was able to submit an assignment on Canvas, but she now worries personal data has been compromised.

Canvas went down just as deadlines were hitting

The outage happened just as a deadline arrived for semester-long projects in one of Gwyneth Doland’s journalism classes at the University of New Mexico.

“They were a little hyperventilating,” recalled Doland, who extended the deadlines. “None of these platforms are fail-proof. I’m glad that they got that lesson.”

That the attack came with finals looming came as no surprise to Huseyin Can Yuceel, the security research lead at Picus Labs.

“Timing is everything, because they want to inflict pain as much as possible,” he said, “so they can extort money out of it.”

Teachers said they had to find workarounds to help students study for exams and submit final assignments. Some schools, such as the University of Texas at San Antonio, announced they were pushing back finals scheduled for Friday in response to the outage.

Rod Uzat, a professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Texas Permian Basin, pushed back the posting of grades by a day.

“The concern is for those of us who were doing the grading if there’s anything left,” Uzat said.

Rhongho Jang, a computer science professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, was finalizing grades for a class of 94 students when the system went down. He keeps paper copies of the student exams, but all of the semester assignments, which make up half of the final grade, are done online.

If those assignments and grades could not be recovered, Jang would have given his students full credit.

“I didn’t want to penalize them,” he said. “We cannot judge based on the data we don’t have. The final responsibility is still on the server.”

A reliance on tech makes schools vulnerable

The breach underscored how much schools depend on outside companies' digital platforms to keep their operations running.

“What it boils down to is concentration risk,” said Joseph Blankenship, a vice president and research director at Forrester. He said any space, including education, is particularly vulnerable when there’s only one or maybe two key providers hosting essential technology.

Allan Liska, of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, said the outage did appear deliberate, not a glitch, and that Instructure was trying to figure out how widespread the problem was and make sure the hackers were no longer inside its system.

“There’s no indication at this point that any ransom has been paid,” Liska said. “And it likely is still a little too early for a ransom to have been paid. You know, normally these negotiations kind of drag on for a while.”

Connolly described ShinyHunters as a loose affiliation of teenagers and young adults based in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The group also has been tied to other attacks, including Live Nation’s Ticketmaster subsidiary. ShinyHunters posted online that it was not commenting on the Canvas incident.

ShinyHunters, or an offshoot, also was behind a previous smaller breach of Instructure, Liska said. Sometimes small breaches reveal weaknesses that threat actors later exploit in future leaks, said Yuceel, who likened it to a leak in a boat.

“You fixed it, but you already have the water in the boat,” he said.

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This story has been updated to correct the name of the cybersecurity company to Emsisoft, not Emisoft. ___

Associated Press writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report.

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

The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to an all-time high after a report said U.S. employers added 115,000 more jobs than they cut last month, even though the war with Iran is raising fuel costs and uncertainty for everyone. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up by 12 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.7% to its own record.

While hiring slowed from March’s level, it was still nearly double what economists expected. And it helped the S&P 500 close out a sixth straight winning week, its longest such streak since 2024. The U.S. stock market has been blasting higher since late March, in part on hopes that the war will not mean a worst-case scenario for the global economy and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to allow oil tankers to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf again.

It’s still to be determined if those hopes are warranted or just wishful. U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. It’s the latest flare-up in fighting to raise doubts about the tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 1.2% to settle at $101.29 following the latest volleys of fire. That’s below its heights above $119 during the war, but it’s still much more expensive than its roughly $70 level from late February before the fighting began.

One big factor helping to support the U.S. stock market despite the war’s uncertainties is the strong profits that companies have been reporting for the start of 2026.

Monster Beverage jumped 13.6% after the energy drink maker joined the parade of companies topping analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue for the latest quarter. It benefited from strong growth outside the United States, and total net sales from there made up about 45% of its total, the highest percentage ever for the company.

Akamai Technologies leaped even more, 26.6%, after its results squeaked past expectations. It announced a $1.8 billion deal to provide cloud infrastructure services to an unnamed client over seven years. The cybersecurity and cloud computing company is benefiting from the surge in investment in artificial-intelligence technology.

Voracious demand for AI helped CoreWeave report revenue for the latest quarter that was more than double what it was a year earlier, but its net loss was worse than analysts expected. It also gave a forecasted range for revenue in the current quarter whose midpoint fell below analysts’ expectations. The stock of the company, which offers AI computing power to customers over the cloud, fell 11.4%.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 61.82 points to 7,398.93. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 12.19 to 49,609.16, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 440.88 to 26,247.08.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia. Germany’s DAX lost 1.3%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.9% for two of the bigger losses.

South Korea’s Kospi was an exception, and it inched up 0.1% to another all-time high.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased and remained lower after a preliminary report suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is stuck near its lowest level since 2022. Consumers told the survey from the University of Michigan they’re concerned about both high gasoline prices and tariffs, though their expectations for inflation in the coming year softened by a bit.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.36% from 4.41% late Thursday and from 4.45% early this week.

Lower yields can bring down rates for mortgages and other kinds of loans going to U.S. households and businesses, which in turn can give the economy a boost. Lower yields also tend to push upward on prices for stocks and other kinds of investments.

The 10-year Treasury yield, though, remains well above its 3.97% level from just before the war.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The attacks cast more doubt on a tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect. Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes to receive “a serious offer” from Iran later Friday.

The U.S. military said Friday that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.

Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, causing a global spike in fuel prices and rattling world markets. The U.S. has imposed its own blockade of Iran's ports.

The UAE’s Defense Ministry meanwhile said three people were wounded after air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran. It was not clear if all were successfully intercepted.

US says it responded to an attack in the strait

The U.S. military posted video of the two Iranian tankers as their smokestacks were struck by an American fighter jet on Friday. Earlier in the week, an American military jet shot out the rudder of a tanker the U.S. military said was attempting to breach its blockade.

Late Thursday, the U.S. military said it thwarted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian military facilities in response. It said no American ships were hit.

“They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,” Rubio told reporters Friday.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “hostile” U.S. military action, saying it violated the ceasefire. “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X.

A U.S. strike overnight killed at least one sailor and injured 10 others aboard a cargo vessel that caught fire, a news agency affiliated with Iran's judiciary reported. It was not clear if the ship was one of the two tankers the U.S. acknowledged striking.

U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted the ceasefire is holding. He also has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn’t accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country has been in contact with the U.S. and Iran “day and night” in an effort to extend the ceasefire and reach a peace deal.

Images show apparent oil slick off Iranian terminal

Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show what appears to be an oil slick in the Persian Gulf emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export terminal.

Images taken Friday show the slick covering about 71 square kilometers (27 square miles) and appear to show oil still leaking from the terminal, said Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward AI.

Daniel estimated that the equivalent of roughly 80,000 oil barrels has spilled from Kharg Island since the slick was first detected by satellite images Tuesday. It’s unknown whether the spill was caused by a malfunction, an airstrike or something else.

“This is the risk of fighting in an oil-rich area,” said Daniel, adding that it’s unlikely any cleanup efforts will be launched in Gulf waters that have become an active war zone.

He said the spill appears to be spreading southwest and within the next two weeks could potentially reach the shores of the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

Nina Noelle, an international crisis operations expert with Greenpeace Germany, said Friday that preliminary assessment and recent images show the spill beginning to disperse and it appears unlikely that it will impact land. She said depending on wind, waves and current conditions, parts of the slick could still possibly affect some sensitive marine habitats.

“More likely, it will dissipate offshore under prevailing conditions,” Noelle said.

The Pentagon declined to comment on whether the U.S. military was tracking the spill or whether there had been recent strikes on the Iranian island. Based on the imagery taken earlier this week, the spill occurred before the most recent round of U.S. strikes.

Rubio says `unacceptable' for an Iranian agency to control strait

Rubio said Friday that it's “unacceptable” for Iran to have a government agency that vets and taxes ships seeking passage through the strait.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a shipping data company, reported Thursday that Iran has created such an agency, known as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea.

“Is the world going to accept that Iran now controls an international waterway?” Rubio said. “What is the world prepared to do about it?”

Iran has effectively closed the strait, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products, while the U.S. is blockading Iranian ports.

A Chinese-crewed oil tanker was attacked near the strait. China has continued to import oil from Iran despite the effective closure of the waterway.

China's Foreign Ministry expressed concern, saying the tanker was registered in the Marshall Islands with Chinese crew on board. There were no casualties reported.

An oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz in mid-April arrived off South Korea’s coast on Friday with 1 million barrels of crude. South Korea, which last year imported more than 60% of its crude through the strait, has capped prices of gasoline and other petroleum products.

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Finley and Biesecker reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Giada Zampano and Nicole Winfield in Rome, Seung Min Kim in Washington, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, and Simina Mistreanu in Bangkok contributed.

Even as unilateral ceasefires declared by Ukraine and Russia earlier this week failed to hold, with both parties blaming each other, Trump said Friday that the leaders of Russia and Ukraine agreed to his request for a ceasefire running Saturday through Monday and an exchange of prisoners. Trump added that the break in fighting could be the “beginning of the end” of the war that has dragged into a fifth year.

Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Russia has accepted Trump’s initiative for a three-day ceasefire and an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war on each side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's consent to the U.S.-brokered agreement was driven by the prospect of freeing its prisoners. At the same time, he issued a decree mockingly allowing Russia to hold its Victory Day celebrations on Saturday, declaring Red Square temporarily off-limits for Ukrainian strikes.

“Red Square matters less to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can be brought home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shrugged off Zelenskyy’s decree “authorizing” the Red Square parade as a “silly joke.”

“We don’t need anyone’s permission to be proud of our Victory Day,” Peskov told reporters.

Earlier, a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine that Russia announced for Friday and Saturday quickly unraveled. Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for the continued fighting, just as they did when Ukraine’s own unilateral ceasefire swiftly collapsed earlier in the week.

The accusations reflect the deep-seated lack of trust between the two sides more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. That has thwarted U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to find a peace settlement.

Ukraine's new drone and missile technology has helped it hit deep inside Russia frequently and accurately in recent months, especially major oil facilities.

Meanwhile, rumblings of unhappiness with some of the Kremlin’s wartime policies have put the spotlight on Putin, who is due to make a speech on Saturday to mark Victory Day, commemorating victory over Nazi Germany 81 years ago.

The Russia-Ukraine war rages unabated

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that its forces in Ukraine “completely ceased combat operations and remained at their previously occupied lines and positions” from midnight, when Putin’s unilateral ceasefire came into force.

But it accused Ukrainian forces of continuing to strike Russian positions as well as civilian infrastructure in border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions.

Air defenses shot down 390 Ukrainian drones and six Neptune long-range guided missiles aimed at Russia after midnight, according to the ministry.

A Ukrainian drone strike hit the administrative building of the Southern Russia Air Navigation branch in Rostov-on-Don, forcing 13 airports in the south of the country to suspend operations, Russia’s Transport Ministry said. Flights resumed Friday afternoon, but officials said it would take up to three days to fully restore air travel in the area.

Speaking during a meeting of Russia's Security Council, Putin called the strike a “terrorist” attack and hailed traffic controllers for helping to avoid tragic consequences.

Zelenskyy had a different story. Russian forces continued attacking on the front line overnight, he said, while Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 56 Russian drones.

“All this clearly shows that there was not even a pretense of a ceasefire attempt from the Russian side,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine also claimed Friday more long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities. Zelenskyy said one hit the Yaroslavl region, more than 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the border, although he didn’t specify when the attack happened. Ukraine’s Security Service said a separate strike hit a major Russian oil refinery and pipeline pumping station in the Perm region, more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away.

Difficulties mount for Putin

Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, has used the USSR’s victory in World War II to rally support for him and the war in Ukraine, as well as to project Russia’s global clout.

That made it surprising that the traditional parade will take place without tanks, missiles and other military equipment, aside from war planes in a traditional flyover, for the first time in nearly two decades. Officials put the move down to the “current operational situation,” without elaborating.

Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army has been engaged in a slow, hard slog in Ukraine, while Ukraine’s long-range attacks deep inside Russia targeted Russian oil production as well as manufacturing plants and military depots, rattling the Kremlin.

Some Russians are disgruntled about internet censorship and government control over online activities, including the blocking of the popular messaging app Telegram.

All mobile internet access and text messaging services will be restricted in Moscow on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. It said the drastic measures were to ensure public safety.

“A military parade is intended as a demonstration of strength and bravery, but if it is held furtively … and with the internet jammed (to reduce the chances of a Ukrainian attack drone being able to navigate to the site), it demonstrates nothing but fear and weakness,” Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, a Berlin-based think tank, wrote in an analysis this week.

Russia warns of heavy retaliation if Moscow is attacked

Russian officials have repeatedly warned that Moscow would take decisive action — including a potential mass strike on Kyiv — if Ukrainian attacks disrupt official events scheduled for Saturday.

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko were due to attend Victory Day celebrations in the Russian capital.

Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, a European Union member, laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls after arriving in Moscow on Friday. He was set to meet with Putin but will stay away from the Red Square parade.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry advised foreign embassies and international organizations located in Kyiv to evacuate their offices in case such a strike did take place, and the Defense Ministry urged civilians to evacuate, too.

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Associated Press writer Hanna Arhirova contributed to this story from Kyiv, Ukraine.

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

The agreement, which was approved by the union's board of directors and ratified by a vote of the membership, runs through the 2032 NFL season.

“We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better. It is good to get these negotiations behind us so we can focus on preparing for the 2026 season,” union President Carl Cheffers said.

The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with the referees association had been set to expire on May 31, and the two sides began negotiating in the summer of 2024.

The league began the onboarding process for replacement officials last month because negotiations weren’t progressing. But they won’t be necessary.

The league and the union said in a joint statement that the deal covers a wide range of issues including economics, performance and accountability.

“This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations. “It also speaks to the game officials’ relentless pursuit of improvement and officiating excellence. We look forward to working together for the betterment of the game.”

Detailed terms weren't released.

The NFL had sought increased access to officials in the offseason, a practice squad or bench of officials, a new formal training program and control of playoff assignments based on performance. A person with knowledge of the new deal told The Associated Press those priorities were met in the agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details weren't publicized.

A stalemate in 2012 resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used.

That led to several high-profile mistakes, including the Fail Mary when Russell Wilson completed a desperation pass to Golden Tate in the closing seconds to lift Seattle over Green Bay in a Monday night game. Tate pushed off so he should’ve been penalized for offensive pass interference. He appeared to wrestle the ball away from a Packers defender and was given credit for a catch even though two officials had called it differently.

There weren’t as many glaring errors when the NFL also used replacement officials for one week of exhibition games and the opening week in 2001 before the labor dispute was resolved shortly after 9/11, and the regular officials returned in time when the season resumed following a one-week break.

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

South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust Moïse and replace him with someone of the conspirators’ choosing, U.S. prosecutors alleged.

Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages were found guilty of conspiring to kill or kidnap Haiti’s elected leader and providing material support for the plot. They were also convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Act and could face possible life sentences.

“These defendants pursued power, influence, and profit through violence," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement. "They supported a conspiracy that crossed borders, destabilized a friendly nation, and ended with the murder of a sitting president. The jury has spoken, and the rule of law has answered.”

Prosecutors argued that the men had their own leader in mind and had hoped to enrich themselves with a new government.

Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, when about two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly from Colombia, attacked his home near Port-au-Prince. Moïse’s wife, Martine, was wounded during the attack and flown to the U.S. for treatment. In Haiti, meanwhile, gang leaders have grown increasingly violent and empowered.

Martine Moïse was the first witness at trial, which began in March in Miami's federal court, describing through a Creole interpreter how she awoke to the sounds of gunfire after midnight. She told jurors that she turned to her husband in bed next to her to ask what was going on.

“Honey, we are dead,” Jovenel Moïse replied, according to his wife's testimony.

Ortiz and Intriago were principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security, collectively known as CTU, and Veintemilla was a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group. Both companies were based in South Florida.

Christian Sanon is a dual Haitian-American citizen whom investigators say was initially favored by the conspirators to replace Moïse. Solages was a CTU representative in Haiti who coordinated with Sanon and others, officials said. Sanon will face trial at a later date.

Defense attorneys argued at trial that the investigation into the assassination was a mess and that the four were manipulated into taking blame for an internal coup. They said the men believed they had a legitimate warrant signed by a Haitian judge and that they were liberating Haiti from Moïse, who had overstayed his term as president.

At least five others have pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences.

Separately, 20 people, including 17 Colombian soldiers, face charges in Haiti. Gang violence, death threats and a crumbling judicial system have stalled an ongoing investigation.

Before he was deported, José Contreras Díaz — whose mother raised him in the Rio Grande Valley — lived in Edinburg as a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. If approved by federal officials, DACA recipients get protection from deportation and two-year-renewable work permits as long as they keep a clean criminal record.

In a statement on Thursday, Contreras, who was most recently detained for about a week, said he is ready to move forward with his life and rejoin his 2-month-old son and wife in the Rio Grande Valley.

“I would not wish what I’ve been through on anyone. They detained me, sent me to a country I barely remember,” Contreras said. They “gave me hope — the hope that I could come home, see my family, and hold my son again. Then that hope was taken away.”

Even after releasing Contreras, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday referred to him as “an illegal alien” and said it still plans to deport him.

The agency said Contreras will have to check in periodically with immigration officials while he is on supervised release.

“The end result will be the same — he will not be able to remain in the U.S.,” the statement said.

In December, Contreras received an appointment notice to an immigration office for the following month to discuss his case, he said. At the immigration office, agents arrested and deported him weeks before his son was born in late February. He said agents told him he had a deportation order since he was 8 years old.

In an interview, Contreras said that when his mother brought him and his sisters to Texas, she had turned herself in to an immigration agent at the Texas-Mexico border. She and her family were released but missed an immigration court appointment, which led to her and her children’s deportation order.

After he was deported to Honduras, he contacted Stacy Tolchin, an immigration attorney. Tolchin sued the Trump administration, which led to a federal judge’s order to return 42-year-old Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez, another DACA recipient, to the U.S. after being arrested at an immigration appointment and later deported.

In Contreras’ case, Tolchin wrote a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing that deporting Contreras was illegal because his DACA status was still valid at the time of his arrest. Tolchin included in the letter the judge’s ruling in Estrada’s case, which said that deporting her was a “flagrant violation” of DACA protections.

Immigration officials notified his lawyer that they would facilitate his return. But as soon as he landed in Harlingen on April 29, immigration agents arrested him and held him in custody at the Port Isabel Detention Center.

Since returning to office, President Trump’s administration has cracked down on immigrants, including many DACA recipients, saying that it doesn’t recognize DACA as a form of legal status in the U.S.

From January 2025 to November 2025, at least 261 DACA recipients have been arrested — 75 of them in Texas. And between 86 and 174 DACA recipients have been deported, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (The agency gave different figures to two different Democratic members of Congress who requested the information).

Canvas is used to manage grades, course notes, assignments, lecture videos and more. It is developed and published by Salt Lake City-based Instructure Holdings.

>> Cyberattack hits Canvas system used by thousands of schools as finals loom

Across the country, institutions reported a ransom note located on the homepage of their school’s Canvas sites, according to reporting by CNN.

According to the Associated Press, hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the attack, demanding ransom payment to prevent further data leaks.

Instructure said in a statement to KSAT that someone exploited an issue related to the company’s free-for-teacher accounts.

The company said it immediately took Canvas offline and has since restored access while temporarily shutting down the free account program.

These are the San Antonio-area and Texas universities affected by the breach so far:

University of Incarnate Word

University of Incarnate Word confirmed to students it was among thousands of institutions impacted by the breach, according to communication obtained by KSAT on Thursday.

“Deadlines for finals impacted by the outage are extended through Friday, May 15. Grade deadlines for faculty are extended through Tuesday, May 19,” a letter from the university to the Cardinal community states. “The Provost will communicate directly with deans, faculty and students regarding logistics surrounding updated exam and assignment schedules for impacted courses.”

The letter went on to say UIW commencement ceremonies scheduled for Saturday, May 9, will not be impacted.

The university urged students who are concerned about their academic record to contact the Office of the Registrar at 210-829-6006.

University of Texas at San Antonio

According to an online statement posted by the University of Texas at San Antonio, the Canvas login link has been temporarily disabled as Tech Solutions (UTS), Academic Innovation and Canvas vendor support teams work to resolve the situation.

“We understand that Canvas contains class notes, lectures, and other important information that you need to take your finals and complete your courses,” the statement reads. “To help minimize disruption to students during final exams, all assignments and exams that are due on or before Friday, May 8 on the academic campus will be rescheduled for a near future date.”

The university said it will continue providing updates as more information becomes available and encouraged anyone with questions to contact Academic Innovation or Tech Cafe by email or phone at 210-458-5555.

UTSA added that scheduled commencement ceremonies will go on as planned.

Alamo Colleges District

The Alamo Colleges District confirmed to KSAT that it is aware of the global cybersecurity incident.

“We immediately began working with Instructure to assess potential impact and protect our systems and users,” a portion of the district’s statement reads.

“The Alamo Colleges District remains committed to the security and privacy of our students and employees and will provide additional updates as more information becomes available.”

Texas State University

In an Instagram post, Texas State University said they are working to mitigate the impacts of the outage.

The university states Canvas is back online and exams and assessments will continue as scheduled.

Baylor University

In an online statement, Baylor University said Canvas is unavailable university-wide.

“Users should not attempt to engage with or respond within the Canvas system until further notice,” the university said online. “Our teams are actively monitoring the situation and working with the vendor toward resolution.“

The university said additional updates will be shared as more information becomes available and directed people to visit Baylor’s system status website for updates.

San Antonio Independent School District

In a statement to KSAT, a San Antonio Independent School District spokesperson said access to Canvas has been temporarily disabled for cautionary reasons.

The district said its technology team is working to evaluate the situation and restore access soon.

“Students will not be penalized for work in Canvas while the platform is not accessible,” SAISD said.

What we know about the breach

The hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Canvas, Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emisoft, told the Associated Press.

Canvas is used to manage grades, course notes, assignments, lecture videos and more. The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed, Connolly said.

Students quickly took to social media to ask if others were unable to access Canvas, with many panicking that they could no longer view course materials housed within the platform to study for their final exams.

Screenshots Connolly provided showed that the group began threatening Sunday to leak the trove of data, giving deadlines of Thursday and May 12. Connolly said the later date indicates that discussions regarding extortion payments may be ongoing.

Read the full statement from Instructure below:

“Yesterday, Instructure discovered the unauthorized actor involved in our ongoing security incident made changes to the pages that appeared when some students and teachers were logged in.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately took Canvas offline to contain access and further investigate. We have confirmed that the unauthorized actor exploited an issue related to our Free-For-Teacher accounts. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily shut down our Free-For-Teacher accounts.

“This gives us the confidence to restore access to Canvas, which is now fully back online and available for use. We regret the inconvenience and concern this may have caused.”

Instructure, parent company of Canvas

KSAT has reached out to other universities in the area and will update this article as we learn more.

CNN Newsource’s Ramishah Maruf and Associated Press’ Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report.

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Police officers first responded to a call for a crash around 3 p.m. on Wednesday on Southwest Loop 410 near Valley Hi Drive.

In a statement on Wednesday, SAPD said that two people were killed in the crash.

However, in a preliminary report released on Thursday, police stated that the occupants of the vehicle had what appeared to be gunshot wounds.

They were pronounced dead at the scene, and their deaths are now being investigated as a murder suicide, the report states.

Police have not identified them or a motive for the shooting.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.

You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.

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The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami filed a civil denaturalization complaint Thursday that would complete the Colombian-born Rocha's fall from grace, stripping him of the citizenship he attained after moving to New York City at age 10 with his widowed mother and two siblings.

Rocha, 75, was arrested in late 2023 and later sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after admitting he worked for decades as a secret agent for communist Cuba. He was secretly recorded by an undercover FBI agent praising Fidel Castro as “El Comandante” and bragging about his work for Cuba’s communist government, calling it “more than a grand slam” against the U.S. “enemy.”

The plea to 15 federal counts averted a trial that would have shed new light on what, exactly, Rocha did to help Cuba even as he held prestigious State Department postings such as ambassador to Bolivia and top posts in Argentina, Mexico, the White House and the U.S. It’s not even clear when federal prosecutors first suspected Rocha was spying for Cuba.

As part of his plea agreement, Rocha acknowledged that he first connected with Cuban intelligence agents in 1973 — five years before applying for U.S. citizenship — while attending a student program in Chile at the end of socialist President Salvador Allende's rule. Shortly after, at the direction of Havana, he enrolled in master's programs at Harvard and Georgetown Universities on his way to getting hired by the U.S. State Department.

The government generally faces a high burden of proof in revoking citizenship, as federal law requires prosecutors to show convincing evidence that an individual attained citizenship illegally or procured naturalization by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”

Prosecutors alleged in court filings that Rocha lied under oath that he “believed in the U.S. Constitution” and had no affiliation with the Communist Party of Cuba while applying for citizenship in 1978.

“The Southern District of Florida helped take down one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job.”

The Justice Department has significantly increased its focus on denaturalization cases in recent years, and last year issued an internal memo to prosecutors directing them to prioritize cases against people who “pose a potential danger to national security,” including those involving terrorism and espionage.

The Trump administration moved this week to denaturalize 11 other people accused of crimes, including child sexual abuse and providing material support to terrorists. The denaturalization process was used in only about a dozen cases per year between 1990 and 2017.

An Associated Press investigation into Rocha found several red flags overlooked along the way, including a warning that one longtime CIA operative received nearly two decades ago that Rocha was working as a double agent. Separate intelligence revealed the CIA had been aware as early as 1987 that Cuban leader Fidel Castro had a “super mole” burrowed deep inside the U.S. government, and some officials suspected it could have been Rocha.

Over the past two years, the FBI, U.S. State Department and CIA have been working to decipher the case’s biggest missing piece: exactly what the longtime diplomat may have given up to Cuba. Rocha spent the first several months of his imprisonment being debriefed by federal officials, but it's not clear what new information was gleaned from those sessions.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said they cannot say whether the remains are those of Smart or whether authorities will seek another warrant to start digging on Susan Flores' property. Her son, Paul Flores, was convicted in 2022 of killing Smart, whose body has never been found.

The search began Wednesday after authorities served a warrant Wednesday at the home in the central coast town of Arroyo Grande more than 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. Authorities have not specified what prompted the search, but scientists specializing in human decomposition and soil took samples from the ground.

“We believe that based on what we’re looking at evidence-wise -- scientific evidence -- that a human’s remains were there at one time -- or still there. We can’t call it Kristin, but there’s evidence to support human remains,” Parkinson said during a news conference.

Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 after returning from an off-campus party. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Paul Flores, a fellow student. She was declared legally dead in 2002.

The decades-old case has captivated the public, fueled in part by a podcaster who helped investigators by bringing forward additional witnesses. Chris Lambert of the “Your Own Backyard” podcast first reported the search of the home.

“We remain hopeful that this current search will be successful and look forward to the outcome," the Smart family said in a statement, adding that they "continue to feel the amazing support of the local community which provides us with great strength to continue this journey to bring Kristin home.”

Parkinson, the sheriff, said Friday he was not sure how long they would search the property, but that Susan Flores could not return until investigators felt they were finished.

“We are not leaving that house until we are sure that we have checked everything,” he said.

Attempts to reach Susan Flores for comment this week have not been successful. She has never faced criminal charges related to the case.

Parkinson said the property has changed over the years and investigators have to move items to deploy ground-penetrating radar, which can detect anomalies. He said they might need multiple search warrants to dig, including excavating cement.

Tim Nelligan, an expert in soil vapor testing, confirmed by phone Thursday that he was on the premises, gathering samples from the yards of Flores and a neighbor. He said his team has, in general, “come up with a methodology to assess soil vapor" and its relation to “human cadaver decomposition,” but that he could not discuss the current investigation.

Soil vapor sampling, which is an evolving science, involves collecting underground gas samples to detect volatile organic compounds associated with human decomposition.

Lambert, the podcaster, said he did not know much about the search, but was optimistic investigators could locate Smart's body. He said past searches of Susan Flores' home have never been thorough.

“This property in particular has been overlooked for quite some time," he said Thursday in front of the house.

Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in 2021.

Prosecutors alleged Smart’s remains were buried on Ruben Flores’ property and later moved. He was acquitted of accessory charges. That property is different from the one currently being searched.

Paul Flores was sentenced in March 2023 to prison, where he has been physically attacked at least twice. In 2024, a judge ruled that he must pay just over $350,000 to Smart's family for costs they incurred after her death.

The family has said it would forgo restitution if Flores would tell them where the woman's body was. Flores’ attorney, Harold Mesick, said in 2024 that the defense did not know where her remains are. Flores maintains his innocence.

__

This story has been updated to correct a word in Parkinson's quote and the distance from Arroyo Grande to Los Angeles.

The 20-year-old Dino Prižmić defeated the record 24-time Grand Slam champion 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 with an ace on his first match point.

The 38-year-old Djokovic hadn’t played since March when he lost to Jack Draper in the fourth round in Indian Wells, California.

Djokovic had taping on his right shoulder that was revealed when he changed shirts between sets.

He declined to talk about any ailments, not wanting to take any focus from Prižmić. But Djokovic admitted he wanted more than one match at his only warmup for the French Open.

Djokovic didn't surprise himself in his only competitive clay-court match before the French, though he thought the second set was forgettable.

“I see what I'm missing,” he said. "Late half a step. I'm not definitely where I want to be for the highest level and to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far.

“Eventually you have to play. You have to start somewhere. I wanted to start earlier but I couldn't. The situation is as it is. You make the most out of it. I train hard. I train as much as the body allows me to. Then how it turns out on the court, that's really unpredictable.”

Asked if he was confident he'll be in good shape for the French Open which starts in 16 days, Djokovic said, “I don't know.” With a smile he added, “I hope so.”

In Djokovic’s only other tournament this year, he reached the Australian Open final and lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

The 79th-ranked Prižmić lost a four-setter to Djokovic in their only previous match at the 2024 Australian Open. Djokovic told him on Friday his forehand had improved and he'll go far if he can stay healthy. Prižmić beat No. 6 Ben Shelton at the Madrid Open last month.

“He’s my idol,” Prižmić said of Djokovic. “I just played unbelievably today.”

___

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

During the program’s first year, it will be offered at about 65 to 75 hospitals that handle about a quarter of births in the state and largely serve low-income patients, Newsom's office said. The initiative will expand to more hospitals statewide, though the governor's office did not say how many. The state has partnered with nonprofit Baby2Baby to manufacture the diapers under the label “Golden State Start.”

Newsom said the plan builds on California's effort to make living in the notoriously expensive state a little easier for families. He highlighted policies in recent years to provide students with free meals at school and make preschool free for all.

“Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life — and that means making sure parents have the basics they need from day one,” the Democrat said in a statement.

The state set aside $7.4 million in last year's budget to roll out the initiative, and this year's budget proposal includes an additional $12.5 million to implement the program for the upcoming fiscal year ending in June 2027.

It will allow each family to receive 400 diapers in sizes for newborns and babies up to 14 pounds (6 kilograms) when they are discharged from a hospital after birth. That's a little more than a month’s worth, since newborns on average require eight to 10 diapers a day.

Baby2Baby provides families in need with essential items. The nonprofit built a manufacturing system that allows them to produce diapers for 80% less than the retail price, co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof said.

“California is once again setting the standard of what it means to show up for mothers and babies,” added co-CEO Norah Weinstein.

The announcement comes two years after Tennessee and Delaware became the first U.S. states to offer free diapers to families enrolled in their Medicaid programs, which provide healthcare to low-income families. Tennessee families can go to pharmacies to pick up 100 diapers per month for children under two. The Delaware program, which began as a pilot before the state extended it in 2024, provides individuals with up to 80 diapers and up to one pack of baby wipes per week in the first 12 weeks of life.

California's Medicaid system doesn't cover diapers for newborns, but it does cover the items for enrollees ages 5 and older if they have a medical need for them.

Diapers are a large, ongoing expense for many families. They typically spend about $100 a month on the items per child, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. The cost burden can lead some parents to leave their child's diapers on for too long or reuse disposable diapers, which can result in rashes and urinary tract infections, the center says.

California officials are touting the new effort as a way to ease that financial strain.

“The first days at home with a newborn should be focused on the love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about affording diapers,” said Kim Johnson, the state's health secretary. “This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with greater stability and peace of mind.”

A National Theatre production has landed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music starring Hiran Abeysekera. There’s a movie version set in London’s South Asian community starring Riz Ahmed. Anthony Hopkins, at 88, is delighting fans on TikTok with some of Prince Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. The movie “Hamnet” — the fictionalized story of loss that inspired the creation of “Hamlet” — earned Jessie Buckley an Oscar. Taylor Swift's “The Fate of Ophelia” — that's Hamlet's ex — went to No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. Eddie Izzard is taking her one-person production of the play on a worldwide tour.

Four hundred years on, “Hamlet” — whose seemingly quite modern antihero is endlessly mulling over what to do after his uncle murdered his father and married his mother — is still giving.

Want even more? There’s even a “Hamnet” play, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s original novel, and the Royal Shakespeare Company is taking it on a U.K. tour. Shakespeare & Company will stage a “Hamlet” this August in the Berkshires. There’s a Canadian production of “Hamlet, Sweet Prince,” using a queer, contemporary lens. The Acting Company in New York will have a modern-verse version led by a woman, and the Peruvian theater company Teatro La Plaza recently presented a version off-Broadway starring eight Spanish-speaking actors with Down syndrome.

Harvard's Jeffrey R. Wilson, a Shakespeare scholar, says “Hamlet” is perfect for our era, when the crush of bad news has triggered constant, existential check-ins, like: “Hey, how’s everyone hanging in there?”

“People are exhausted from the onslaught of awfulness in the world,” he says, “and ‘Hamlet’ gives audiences both permission to ‘go there’ to explore those emotions and a tool kit of ideas to help us process angst.”

A neurodiverse ‘Hamlet’

The plethora of works are markedly vibrant and fresh, from the Hamlet in Brooklyn who wears a beanie to the one who enjoys Bollywood-style dances in London.

“Great plays survive not because they remain untouched, but because they can continue to be transformed,” says director and playwright Chela De Ferrari, from Teatro La Plaza, whose neurodiverse “Hamlet” is a visceral and urgent call from those often excluded from cultural narratives.

“Working with actors with Down syndrome and cognitive disabilities brought me back to something essential in ‘Hamlet’: that beneath its philosophical brilliance there is an exposed human being asking, in one way or another, how to exist in a world that keeps misreading him,” she said.

In one of the show’s most potent moments, an actor attempts to imitate Laurence Olivier’s delivery of Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy with an image of the famous actor projected on a screen. It takes on a new urgency when spoken by someone whose very right to be in public or artistic spaces is often questioned.

“I like to imagine a kind of continuity between our actors and all the great actors who have carried the play before. I believe Shakespeare lives in all of them,” says De Ferrari.

Shakespeare in a BMW

On school trips to see Shakespeare plays, filmmaker Aneil Karia always felt like they were an arm's length away.

“I felt like I was primarily watching an intellectual experience unfold and I had to use my brain to keep up with the plot and the language and everything like that,” he says.

He teamed up with Ahmed and screenwriter Michael Lesslie for a stripped-down, modern-day retelling of “Hamlet” that leans into the title character's unease at being complicit in a corrupt business system.

“That feels so pertinent to the moment we’re in politically and everything. It feels like the question a lot of people are asking,” says Karia. “It feels like these stories are actually a conversation through time itself.”

Hamlet here parties at a neon-drenched nightclub and delivers his soliloquy while hurtling down rain-slicked London streets in a BMW, taking his hands off the wheel as a truck approaches head-on. To be, or not to be, indeed.

“The best best-case scenario here is that it’s opening up Shakespeare to audiences who didn’t think it was for them, or who struggled with it previously,” says Karia, whose film starts streaming Tuesday. “This is a big call, but I feel like Shakespeare would approve. I feel his whole thing was like, ‘Take this stuff and do your thing.’”

A more clownish prince

The “Hamlet” in Brooklyn leans into the humor of the play for one good reason: The guy playing Hamlet is naturally funny.

Abeysekera is manic and mischievous as he pulls out the play's physical humor, addressing the audience directly in his soliloquies, sometimes sitting at the edge of the stage and making eye contact.

“It’s a very self-aware play. It sort of really knows that it’s a play, if that makes any kind of sense,” says director Robert Hastie. “Hamlet knows he’s in a play called ‘Hamlet,’ like Deadpool knows he is in a film called ‘Deadpool.’”

Abeysekera tackles his “To be, or not to be” speech as an errant thought, a wisp of an idea, instead of the traditional foot-planted, actor-y, big-thing-coming approach.

“Rather than thinking, ‘Oh, here’s the big speech coming up and that's freaking me out,’ I started thinking, ‘It’s such a thought that most of us kind of have,’” he says. “Sometimes, in front of the mirror, we just see ourselves and go, ‘Oof. Today’s a tough day.’”

Hastie believes “Hamlet” is one of those works that reveals something new all the time. Grounded in the human condition, it speaks fresh things to each audience and we discover new things that have always been there.

“One of the reasons I think why we’re still talking about Shakespeare, and this play in particular, is that whenever those words fuse with a new actor or a new group of actors, it becomes a different play,” he says. “Maybe that’s a good working definition of a classic.”

An extremely online bard

Caitlin Cardile is doing her best to keep the 400-year-old playwright alive in the TikTok era. She and her three-person troupe Mad Spirits Theatre Company are on virtually every social media platform spreading the word.

“We wanted to bring Shakespeare to a modern audience and make it understandable,” Cardile says. “We want people to feel more comfortable with Shakespeare and not think that it’s old English and such a hard thing to understand.”

They post live readings and commentary of the plays on YouTube but it's on Instagram and TikTok where the true coolness starts. They find trending audio snippets — of everything from dialogue on “The Office” to a Lady Gaga song — and assign a Shakespeare character to say them.

So Kitty Forman's popular line “I may have been a little irrational today” from “That '70s Show” is lipsynced by an actor playing Ophelia. A section of dialogue between Scar and Simba from “The Lion King” is put in the mouths of actors playing Claudius and Hamlet.

“We’re like, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we took these silly trending sounds that everybody’s doing and what if we put them to Shakespeare characters?'” says Cardile. “This has ended up being so much fun.”

The Marlins sure hope that will become a new norm for their No. 2 pitching prospect, who was called up this week from Triple-A Jacksonville to make his MLB debut Friday against the Washington Nationals.

“It's pretty surreal,” Snelling said in Miami's clubhouse Thursday before walking over to the dugout where fans yelled for his signature. “Still trying to just kind of soak it in and get acclimated with all the guys again that I was around in spring and really take it all in and not let the moment get too big.”

The left-handed Snelling, selected 39th by San Diego in the 2022 amateur draft, was dealt to Miami in a 2024 package that sent left-hander Tanner Scott and righty Bryan Hoeing to the Padres.

Snelling did not make the Marlins' initial 40-man roster despite impressing coaches during spring training. He called that both frustrating and motivating.

“I was upset and not necessarily at anybody in general,” Snelling said. "Just being told that you’re not going to get to do what you really had wanted to do as early as you wanted to do is a tough pill to swallow.

“But then you kind of come back down to earth and realize, ‘Alright, what do I need to do to get to that point where I want to be?’”

So he worked on lowering his walks, in part by improving his first-pitch strike rate. In six starts with Triple-A Jacksonville this season, Snelling went 3-1 with the second-best ERA (1.86) among qualified pitchers. He walked more than three batters only twice in those six starts.

“It’s exciting because Robby’s a great competitor," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "He’s worked really hard. He’s performing in a manner that he’s very deserving of this opportunity.”

A spot opened up in the Marlins' rotation after struggling pitcher Chris Paddack was designated for assignment on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Paddack signed a one-year, $4 million free agent deal with the Marlins in the offseason and was targeted for an end-of-the rotation role. But Paddack struggled in his seven starts, posting an 0-5 record and 7.63 ERA and completing six innings in only one of his appearances.

There were other experienced options Miami could have inserted there, including left-hander Braxton Garrett, but Snelling's recent performance showed the team he was ready for the opportunity.

“Coming into it we were certainly very high on Robby," McCullough said. “He performed incredibly well last year. This spring, he came into it in competition potentially for a spot in our rotation. Robby’s done well down there and continued to perform.”

The Jumbo Shrimp were coming off a walk-off win on Wednesday when Snelling got the news he was called up. He was summoned to manager David Carpenter's office afterward, where he was praised for his focus throughout the week with the uncertainty on whether his major league shot would come.

“I was like, 'Man, it’s really hard to keep my sanity knowing that potentially it was an option for me to go up,’” Snelling recalled telling Carpenter, who responded with a rather nonchalant question.

“He’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re still good to go on Friday right?'” Carpenter said, referring to Snelling's scheduled Triple-A start. "I was like, ‘Yeah.’ And he goes, 'Well, you’re going to be throwing in Miami.'"

Snelling described the past couple of days as a sort of reunion with players he became close with during the spring, including catcher Joe Mack, another highly-rated prospect who was called up this week. Mack scored the winning run on a throwing error in the ninth inning of the Marlins' win over Baltimore on Thursday.

It has also made Snelling grateful for the journey that brought him here.

“It was always fun competing with those guys (in the minors)," he said. “It didn’t really matter where I was in my mind. Obviously this is the goal — being up here and staying up here is the goal.”

___

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

Officers responded to the scene just after 6:30 a.m. in the 5100 block of Grovehill Drive, which is located near Hemphill Drive.

Two brothers in their 30s were fighting for unknown reasons. At some point, SAPD said one of the men stabbed the other multiple times in the back with a kitchen knife.

The man who was stabbed suffered injuries described as life-threatening, police said. He was taken to a hospital for further treatment.

The other man has since been detained and is cooperating with SAPD’s investigation. He told officers that he used the weapon in self-defense, police said.

Three family members witnessed the incident and are being questioned by officers.

SAPD recovered a weapon from the scene, though it is unclear if it was the one used in the fight.

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

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Alghoula has lived in the U.S. since 2016, and his current visa will expire in September if his application is denied.

But last week, Alghoula and doctors like him got a potential lifeline when the administration quietly made an exemption for physicians with pending visa or green card applications. It's a move physicians, organizations and immigration attorneys had sought for months, citing widespread shortages and a high proportion of foreign-trained doctors, who disproportionately work in underserved areas, according to the National Library of Medicine.

The lack of doctors is top of mind for Alghoula, a pulmonologist and Intensive Care Unit doctor who serves a mostly rural population spanning parts of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

“It is about four to five months wait to get the pulmonologist here,” he said.

Still, applicants and immigration attorneys say it's unclear how big a difference the exemption will make. The change means doctors can have their cases reviewed, but it doesn't guarantee their green cards or visas will be renewed. It is also unclear whether U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be able to process those applications in time to meet immigration deadlines like Alghoula's — especially as many doctors with pending applications still haven't heard any updates from the federal government directly since the announcement was first made.

Despite his qualifications, Alghoula said he is still concerned about his upcoming appointment, given stories circulating about immigrants being detained at appointments to renew their paperwork.

“I’m still scared to go to my interview,” Alghoula said Wednesday. That uncertainty intensified on Friday when he learned that his interview, scheduled for early June, had been canceled without any explanation. He said he doesn’t know what that means for his application.

Meanwhile, the pause remains in effect for thousands of others, including researchers and entrepreneurs from 39 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela. While they’re on hold, many can’t legally work, get health insurance or a driver’s license. If they leave the U.S., they won't be let back in.

Immigrants unable to work or see family

The Trump administration decided last year to stop reviewing green card and visa applications for people from a list of countries deemed high-risk and this year stopped reviewing visa applications for citizens of more than 75 countries over concerns they would seek public assistance. The moves came amid the U.S. government's broader crackdown on immigrants.

The pause followed the shooting of two National Guard troops by an Afghan citizen, which the administration said highlighted “what a lack of screening, vetting, and prioritizing expedient adjudications can do to the American people.”

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration officials, didn’t answer questions about the pause or recent changes to exempt physicians but said in an email it wants to ensure applicants are properly screened after determining the prior administration failed to do so.

“There are lots of bans and lots of pauses that are happening right now,” said Greg Siskind, an immigration attorney based in Memphis, Tennessee. “It is all about making life miserable for people who are here legally so they will choose other countries.”

It isn’t clear how many doctors have been affected by the pause, according to a spokesperson for the American Academy of Family Physicians, who said several doctors have reached out to the organization asking for help.

Some doctors have already been denied

Before the exemption, many immigrants filed federal lawsuits demanding that the government issue decisions on their cases.

One of them was Iranian Dr. Zahra Shokri Varniab, who came to the United States three years ago to conduct radiology research. She was waiting for a green card to attend a residency program but her application got stuck in the pause. She filed a lawsuit demanding an answer to her application and a federal judge ordered immigration officials to review her case.

They did — and denied her. The 33-year-old doctor said she believes it was in retaliation for her lawsuit.

“I feel completely confused,” Shokri Varniab said.

In court filings, U.S. government lawyers wrote that Shokri Varniab's application contained inconsistencies about whether she plans to become a practicing doctor or researcher. She said she plans to do both.

She said the exemption doesn't appear to apply to her since her case was decided but is seeking relief in court.

Immigration policy compounding war abroad

Immigrants who hold prestigious jobs in science and technology said they currently can't work due to the pause because they're waiting on employment authorization documents. Some said they are running out of money for rent and groceries and worry their careers could be thwarted if they're forced to leave the country.

Those from Iran are especially worried about returning home during the ongoing war with U.S. and Israeli forces. They said they can't regularly reach family due to the Iranian government's internet blackout or count on them for financial support.

Kaveh Javanshirjavid came to the United States from Iran seven years ago to study for his doctorate in agriculture. He was supposed to start a lab job in January but needs employment authorization and his application is on hold.

The 41-year-old said he’s borrowing from friends to pay rent and relying on his wife’s doctorate stipend for basic necessities. But he doesn’t know how long that will last because she’s also Iranian and will need work authorization to get a job after graduating this summer.

“The whole of my life is on hold,” he said.

Hiring beat the 65,000 jobs forecasters had expected, though it decelerated from the 185,000 jobs created in March. The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The Iran war has caused the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history and sent average U.S. gasoline prices surging past $4.50 a gallon this week. But the conflict hasn’t done much damage to the American job market so far. And the import taxes — tariffs — that President Donald Trump imposed last year haven't turned out to be as high and as damaging as originally feared.

“The labor market is not booming, but it is proving harder to break than` many feared,’’ said economist Olu Sonola of Fitch Ratings.

Healthcare added 37,000 jobs last month and transportation and warehousing companies 30,000. However, manufacturers cut 2,000 jobs in April and have shed 66,000 jobs over the past year despite Trump’s protectionist policies aimed at creating factory jobs.

“Businesses to some extent are viewing the conflict in Iran as temporary,'' said Gus Faucher, chief economist at the financial firm PNC. ”We’re seeing strong business investment, particularly around tech and AI. The economy continues to expand. We’ve weathered some shocks. The worst of the tariff impact is likely over.''

Still, Faucher cautioned that "the longer conflict in Iran lasts, the higher energy prices go, the longer they stay elevated the greater the drag on the economy.''

Among those worrying is Michael Cramer, co-founder and CEO of online retailer Adagio Teas. He expects to freeze hiring this year. He typically adds anywhere from five to six workers per year to help pack up online tea orders at the company’s warehouse in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Adagio Teas, which has about 50 workers, has seen a slight drop in sales after the Iran war drove up gasoline prices and squeezed shoppers, particularly those in lower-income brackets. Cramer is worried that shoppers are opting for less expensive supermarket tea to cut costs.

“You only hire when you have more orders that you can fill,” he said.“I don’t envision us being in that position for the remainder of the year. I think the remainder of this year is going to be fairly bumpy.”

Labor Department revisions shaved 16,000 jobs from February and March payrolls.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.2% from March and 3.6% from April 2025, consistent with the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation target.

The number of people in the U.S. labor force dropped last month, and the share of those working or looking for work — the so-called labor force participation rate — dropped to 61.8%, lowest since October 2021.

After the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks Feb. 28, Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. The disruption has caused a painful increase in the price of energy and led many economists to downgrade their estimates for global and U.S. economic growth.

But the job market keeps chugging along this year.

The economy is getting a boost from big tax refund checks this spring, arising from Trump’s tax cut legislation last year; the refunds allow consumers to spend more freely, giving companies an incentive to add workers in response to rising sales.

The job market is showing intermittent signs of recovery after a bleak 2025. Employers last year created just 9,700 jobs a month, fewest outside a recession year since 2002. High interest rates and uncertainty over Trump’s economic policies held back hiring.

The March and April hiring figures marked the first consecutive months of job growth above 100,000 since the end of 2024.

The recent uptick in hiring raises hopes that the job market will break out of a recent rut – in which Americans who have jobs are relatively secure from layoffs but jobseekers struggle to find work.

Angela Paniccia, 33, of Queens in New York City was laid off by an educational travel company in December. The job search can be frustrating. “You’ll never hear back or you’ll get just a generic ‘We’re moving on with someone else’ without feedback,’’ she said.

Many of the openings at colleges and other employers in her field simply don’t pay enough to support someone living in one of the country’s most expensive cities. To help with the rent, she’s been working part-time for a caterer. “I’ve always had a full-time job,’’ she said. “Admittedly, I’m struggling with the loss of daily routine.’’

U.S. hiring has been dominated by one industry: Healthcare companies, catering to an aging American population, have added 456,000 jobs over the past year; other employers have combined to cut 205,000 over the 12 months that ended in April.

Still, Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, noted that last month's job gains extended beyond healthcare. Retailers, for example, added 22,000 jobs and construction companies 9,000. “America’s hiring recession appears to be over,'' she wrote. "Average job gains in 2025 were an anemic 10,000 a month. So far in 2026, the average is 76,000.''

Simbe Robotics Inc., which deploys five-foot tall robots that scan shelves for out-of-stock items in more than 1,000 stores worldwide, is eager to hire. Co-founder Brad Bogolea started the company with a handful of workers and now has 100, many of them software and artificial intelligence engineers. Simbe has its pick of candidates. Applications more than doubled over the past year, partly because of layoffs elsewhere in the technology industry. Applications for robotics software engineer jobs are up 127% over that time period, Bogolea said.

The Labor Department's monthly jobs report consists of two parts.

For the so-called household survey, the government collects data from 60,000 households to calculate the unemployment rate and the share of people who are working or looking for work, among other things.

For the so-called establishment survey, the government gathers information from about 119,000 businesses and government agencies, representing 622,000 worksites, to calculate the number of jobs in the economy, how many hours Americans work and the hourly wages they receive.

The establishment survey is subject to revisions — sometimes big ones — because some employers submit their responses late or have to correct what they already sent in. The Labor Department — like government statistical agencies in other countries — has also been contending with a drop in the share of employers that respond to the survey, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the revisions and problems collecting the data, most economists, businesses and investors consider the monthly jobs report to be a reliable gauge of how the labor market is doing.

Friday's jobs data will likely keep the Fed on the sidelines, as it holds its key rate unchanged while evaluating the economic impact of the Iran war. Fed officials are increasingly focused on inflation, which has risen quickly since the war, driven higher by spikes in gasoline prices.

Inflation jumped to 3.3% in March, a two-year high and far above the Fed’s target. The Fed typically keeps its rate unchanged -- or even raises it -- to combat inflation, while it cuts rates to spur more growth and hiring. Early this year many Fed policymakers were worried the job market was stalling and leaned toward rate cuts. But in more recent months hiring has stabilized, undermining the case for cuts.

Friday's jobs report, PNC's Faucher said, “actually makes it less likely that we see a rate cut anytime soon because the Fed can say, ‘The job market is solid. Let’s get inflation back down to 2%. This is not the time to cut rates.’"

____

AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber in Washington contributed to this story.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the April 25 event at the Washington Hilton when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.

In a court filing late Thursday, Allen's attorneys argued that it creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.

“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder — how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote.

Ohm and Abe, who are assistant federal public defenders, suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted. They urged U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to Allen's case, to disqualify Pirro, Blanche and possibly other Justice Department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.

“Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials,” Ohm and Abe wrote.

Pirro said her office will respond to the defense lawyers' arguments in its own court filing.

“We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said in a statement.

Allen is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on charges in an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington.

The charges include attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of Pirro. Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump before joining the Justice Department last year.

Blanche, through a spokesperson, referred a request for comment to Pirro's office.

Allen also is charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the attempted assassination charge alone.

The Secret Service officer who was shot once in a bullet-resistant vest fired his own weapon five times without hitting anybody. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was injured but was not shot.

About 20 climbers had set out Thursday to ascend the nearly 1,355-meter (4,445-foot) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions, said North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu.

They became stranded when Dukono erupted at 7:41 a.m. local time, spewing a thick ash column that rose about 10 kilometers (6 miles) above the summit. The eruption was recorded on seismographs for more than 16 minutes, Indonesia’s Geological Agency said.

“They were aware that climbing was prohibited as the mountain is a restricted zone due to its high alert status, but insisted on going ahead,” Pasaribu said in a television interview.

Rescue teams were deployed after receiving an emergency signal from the mountain area. Two Singaporean men and one Indonesian woman died at the scene, Pasaribu said.

As of Friday afternoon, 17 climbers had been safely evacuated, including seven Singaporean nationals and two Indonesians who joined the rescue operation and provided information on climbing routes of the victims before the eruption, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. Five of those evacuated were reported injured.

The bodies had not yet been recovered because continued eruptions and dangerous conditions prevented rescue teams from reaching the location.

Muhari said the search and rescue operation was halted late Friday due to darkness, and would resume early Saturday.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has long banned activities within a 4‑kilometer (2.5‑mile) danger zone radius of Dukono’s crater, citing hazards such as volcanic explosions, ashfall and toxic gases. Officials believe the hikers were inside the restricted zone at the time of the eruption.

Despite warnings on social media and signs at the site, “many people remain determined to climb, driven by the desire to create online content,” Pasaribu said.

Mount Dukono is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and has been erupting almost continuously since 1933. Indonesia sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity, and is home to more than 120 active volcanoes.

Authorities also have warned of possible secondary hazards, including volcanic mudflows, especially during heavy rain, which could travel along rivers flowing from the volcano’s slopes.

Volcanic activity at Dukono remains high, and authorities said it was at the second highest alert level. Authorities said the volcano has shown an increase in explosive magmatic eruptions since late March, with an average of about 95 eruptions a day.

“Friday’s eruption was among the strongest during this period,” said Lana Saria, who heads Indonesia's Geology Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. She added that ash clouds ranging from white to gray and black in color were being blown northward.

She warned that ashfall could affect nearby settlements, including the town of Tobelo, raising health risks and disrupting transportation and daily life.

Officials urged residents, tourists and climbers to remain calm, follow official guidance and avoid restricted areas as monitoring of Mount Dukono continues.

Speaking after meetings with Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Rubio warned that Tehran was attempting to assert control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, calling the move “unacceptable” and a threat to global security.

“Everybody says Iran is a threat. Everybody says that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon … but you’ve got to do something about it,” Rubio told reporters in Rome. “If the answer is no … then you better have something more than just strongly worded statements to back it up.”

Clear ‘red line’

Rubio said Iran was trying to normalize control over an international waterway, a precedent he warned could encourage similar actions elsewhere. He also cautioned Tehran against targeting U.S. maritime assets, saying the United States had thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the strait.

“The red line is clear. They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,” he said.

Rubio said Washington was pursuing a diplomatic track, including a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at preserving freedom of navigation. He added the U.S. was awaiting Iran’s response on Friday to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Rubio's visit comes after weeks of sharp disagreements between Washington and Rome over the Iran war, tariffs and U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of both Meloni and Pope Leo XIV.

Differences remain over Iran war

Meloni described her meeting with Rubio as “constructive, frank and productive,” focused on both bilateral relations and major international issues. She said the talks covered strategic topics, including the Middle East, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine, China and areas of Italian interest such as Libya and Lebanon.

“We both understand how important the trans-Atlantic relationship is, but we also understand that each country must defend its own national interests," Meloni stressed after the meeting.

Tajani struck a more conciliatory tone after meeting his U.S. counterpart, reaffirming the importance of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

“I am convinced Europe needs America — Italy needs America — and the United States also needs Europe and Italy,” Tajani said, adding he hoped “tensions have been calmed.”

He said discussions covered the Iran conflict and its spillover into Lebanon, as well as Venezuela and Cuba. The U.S. State Department said Rubio also raised the need to protect economic interests and end the war in Ukraine.

Despite the effort to ease tensions, differences remain over the Iran conflict. Italy has opposed the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, with Meloni calling it “illegal,” and has resisted involvement in offensive operations.

Tajani said Italy would be prepared to contribute naval forces to demine the Strait of Hormuz once a permanent ceasefire is reached, and would maintain its role in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. He also stressed the importance of continued U.S. troop presence in Europe amid concerns about possible reductions.

No final decision on NATO troops adjustments

Rubio said “no final decision” had been made on NATO troop adjustments, noting that any changes would depend on U.S. national interests and global priorities.

The U.S. has announced a decision to pull 5,000 military personnel from Germany and Trump has threatened to withdraw more troops from Italy and Spain over their stance on the war.

Italy, a key logistics hub for U.S. and allied operations in the Mediterranean and beyond, has already signaled limits to its cooperation. In March, it declined to allow U.S. bombers bound for the Middle East to use a base in Sicily without parliamentary approval, reflecting constitutional constraints and strong domestic opposition to the war.

Meloni, weakened by a recent referendum defeat and facing public unease over the conflict, has insisted that any use of Italian bases for offensive operations would require parliamentary backing.

The war has also raised economic concerns in Italy, with Meloni warning that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz risk driving up energy costs and inflation, while U.S. tariff threats weigh on the country’s export-driven economy.

An attempt to de-escalate at the Vatican

Rubio also sought to ease tensions with the Vatican following Trump’s criticism of the pope's calls for peace. After a lengthy meeting on Thursday with the pontiff and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Rubio said Washington remained committed to a “productive and fruitful” relationship with the Catholic Church.

“The president’s perspective is clear. He thinks that Iran is a threat, and it needs to be addressed. And that position remains unchanged,” Rubio said.

Rubio confirmed that Cuba was also discussed at the Vatican, with Washington hoping the church's Caritas charity organization would continue distributing humanitarian aid.

Rubio said the U.S. has provided about $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba, to be distributed through Caritas, should the Cubans allow it. He added Washington has also offered up to $100 million in additional aid, but the Cuban government has not accepted it so far. Rubio blamed Cuba’s government for blocking assistance and worsening conditions, describing it as “incompetent."

U.S. officials said the Vatican talks underscored strong bilateral ties and a shared commitment to promoting peace, even as differences over the Iran war persist.

Health officials plan careful evacuations of the more than 140 passengers and crew when the MV Hondius arrives in Tenerife this weekend.

At least three passengers have died, and several others are sick. None of the remaining passengers or crew is currently symptomatic.

The U.S. and the U.K. are arranging flights to repatriate their citizens. The World Health Organization says the risk to the wider public is low. Health authorities are tracking passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was detected.

Here's the latest:

A lot of unknowns about the illness and treatment

There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival.

Despite years of research, many questions have yet to be answered, including why hantavirus infection can be mild for some people and severe for others and how antibodies are developed. Some researchers have been following patients over long periods of time in hopes of finding a treatment.

“In the Americas, hantavirus infection is very serious, but it’s also quite rare,” said Steven Bradfute, an associate professor and associate director of the Center for Global Health at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which specializes in hantavirus research.

“And so for a time that probably led to less research into it because of funding priorities, but I know there’s been a lot of interest in funding hantavirus work of late,” he said.

What researchers do know is that rodent exposure is key.

The best way to avoid the germ is to minimize contact with rodents and their droppings. Use protective gloves and a bleach solution for cleaning up rodent droppings. Public health experts caution against sweeping or vacuuming, which can cause virus particles to get into the air.

Dutch woman's remains have been repatriated

South African health department spokesperson Foster Mogale told The Associated Press that the body left Johannesburg on a KLM flight on Thursday.

Posthumous tests on the woman's body came back positive for hantavirus.

Her 70-year-old husband was the first passenger to die on board the MV Hondius on April 11. His body was taken off the cruise ship in the South Atlantic Island of St. Helena on April 24, when she also disembarked to accompany it.

She traveled from St. Helena to Johannesburg on a commercial flight and was trying to take another flight home when she fell seriously ill at O.R. Tambo International Airport. She died at a nearby hospital on April 26.

She was one of dozens of cruise ship passengers who disembarked at St. Helena.

It’s unclear if her husband’s body, which remained on St. Helena, has been repatriated.

US will offer repatriation flight for Americans on board the cruise ship

The State Department says it is in direct contact with a number of American citizens on board the cruise ship and will offer them a special flight home from Tenerife when the vessel arrives there this weekend.

The department said Friday that U.S. diplomats will be available to provide consular services in Tenerife to the Americans on board and has arranged the special repatriation flight in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Spanish government.

Suspected hantavirus case on Tristan da Cunha was a ship passenger

The person suspected of having hantavirus on the island of Tristan da Cunha was a passenger on the cruise ship that had an outbreak of the disease, the British Foreign Office said.

A British government official indicated the patient was an island resident and was hospitalized but did not say how they may have come in contact with the virus.

Stephen Doughty, the U.K. minister of overseas territories, said in a message sent to the remote British overseas territory that his thoughts were with “the islander currently in hospital and their spouse who is isolating.”

The Foreign Office would not provide additional details, and emails from the AP seeking additional information from Tristan da Cunha officials were not returned.

Infections have been fairly uncommon

Hantavirus infections are relatively uncommon globally. The WHO reported that in 2025, eight countries within the Americas had documented 229 cases and 59 deaths.

Argentina’s health ministry said hantavirus led to 28 deaths nationwide last year. The ministry on Tuesday reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, roughly double the caseload recorded over the same period the previous year.

In the U.S., federal health officials began tracking the virus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region — the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. It was an astute physician with the Indian Health Service who first noticed a pattern of deaths among young patients.

Most U.S. cases are in Western states. New Mexico and Arizona are hot spots, likely because the odds are greater for mouse-human encounters in rural areas.

This outbreak may have come from Argentina

Detailed investigations of the cruise ship outbreak are ongoing, notably to determine its source.

Investigators in Argentina suspect that the cases were initially contracted during a birdwatching trip in Ushuaia, at the country’s southern tip, two officials told AP.

Argentina has seen a surge of hantavirus cases that many local public health researchers attribute to climate change.

Officials have found evidence of Andes virus, a version of hantavirus found in South America.

What to know about hantavirus

The virus usually spreads when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings. Hantaviruses have been around for centuries and are thought to exist around the world.

But global health officials say the risk to the general public remains low because the germ does not easily spread between people.

“This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization. “Most people will never be exposed to this.”

The disease gained renewed attention last year after the late actor Gene Hackman ’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico.

International effort to trace passengers spans four continents

Health authorities across four continents were continuing to track down and monitor passengers who disembarked the ship before the deadly outbreak was detected. They are also trying to trace others who may have come into contact with them since then.

On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first passenger had died on board, more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing, the ship’s operator and Dutch officials said Thursday.

It wasn’t until May 2 that health authorities first confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger, the World Health Organization said.

The KLM flight attendant who tested negative for the virus was working on a flight headed from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25, and had later fallen ill. She was taken to an isolation ward at an Amsterdam hospital on Thursday.

The cruise passenger briefly aboard the flight — a Dutch woman whose husband died on the ship — was too ill to stay on the international flight to Europe. She was taken off the plane in Johannesburg, where she died.

US and Britain to repatriate citizens when ship reaches Spanish island

The MV Hondius is expected to reach Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, on Saturday or Sunday.

Passengers “will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” said Virginia Barcones, Spain’s head of emergency services, on Thursday.

The MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged vessel and Dutch officials said Friday they were also in close contact with the ship’s owner and authorities of countries whose citizens are on board.

The United States has agreed to send a plane to the Canary Islands to repatriate its 17 citizens from the cruise ship, Barcones said. The British government also said it will charter a plane to evacuate the nearly two dozen British citizens on board.

According to an updated SAPD report, Sebastian Terrazas Rodriguez, 24, was taken into custody on Tuesday.

In his arrest warrant, which KSAT obtained on Wednesday, officers said Rodriguez got into an argument with an unidentified 49-year-old woman just before 8:45 a.m. on April 13 in the 8500 block of Running Horse, near Five Palms Drive.

Rodriguez became upset with the woman after she backed out of her driveway while he was driving down the street. According to the affidavit, Rodriguez blocked the woman’s vehicle and exited his own vehicle.

The woman, who also got out of her vehicle, pulled out her cellphone and began taking pictures of Rodriguez and his vehicle, which police said prompted Rodriguez to snatch her phone out of her hands.

Authorities said a 38-year-old man watched Rodriguez snatch the woman’s cellphone and intervened. He told Rodriguez to give the phone back to her.

In the affidavit, police said the woman got her cellphone back when Rodriguez returned to his vehicle.

As the 38-year-old victim began driving away from the scene a block away from the original argument, the affidavit states Rodriguez pulled up in his vehicle next to the victim and opened fire before fleeing.

According to Rodriguez’s arrest warrant, the victim suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm.

Upon arrival, officers began administering aid to the victim until emergency personnel made it to the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

How law enforcement tracked down Rodriguez

Before he was shot, the victim told police he took a picture of Rodriguez and later sent officers the photo.

After finding the license plate connected to the suspect vehicle, investigators learned that the car belonged to a relative of Rodriguez. SAPD detectives spoke with Rodriguez’s relative, who told them they sold him the vehicle “approximately two years ago.”

A search of the state’s driver license photo database for a person that looked like the photo taken by the victim also brought police to Rodriguez, according to the affidavit.

According to jail records, Rodriguez was officially booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on an aggravated assault for discharging a weapon from a motor vehicle charge — a first-degree felony — just before 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Court documents show a judge set his bond at $100,000. Rodriguez is expected to make his next court appearance on Aug. 3, records indicate.

SAPD said its investigation is ongoing.

More related coverage of this story on KSAT:

• Man injured; suspect flees scene of suspected road rage shooting on Southwest Side, police say

According to police, the thefts happened at an apartment complex on Gus Eckert Road.

In a Facebook post, SAPD identified the suspects as Bianca Trevino, 41; Elijah Davis, 31 and Ariannah Martinez, 22.

Each suspect faces third-degree felony mail theft charges, records show.

Trevino is facing three third-degree mail-related felonies from two separate incidents (April 28 and May 7). Davis and Martinez are only charged with one third-degree felony stemming from the May 7 incident.

A 911 call led to the arrests and the recovery of more than 10 residents’ mail, police said.

Officers are asking the public to report theft and suspicious activity to SAPD’s non-emergency line at 210-207-7273 or to the United States Postal Service online or at 877-876-2455.

Read also:

• Family member stabs man multiple times with kitchen knife on Northwest Side, SAPD says
• SAPD: 1 dead, 1 in critical condition after shooting outside apartment complex on Northwest Side

The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.

On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."

His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.

In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”

Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”

Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.

After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.

“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.

“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”

Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.

Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.

Chaotic end to a poor season

The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.

It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.

Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.

Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.

___

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

The U.S. Air Force announced in late April that, in conjunction with the Defense Innovation Unit, it selected JBSA as the third potential location for a nuclear microreactor. Antares Nuclear, Inc. was chosen as the company to develop and operate the JBSA microreactor, according to a news release.

>>Air Force selects JBSA as potential site for nuclear microreactor

“This selection places JBSA at the forefront of energy innovation and installation readiness,” said Brig. Gen. Randy Oakland, JBSA and 502d Air Base Wing commander. “Whether a potential cyber attack or a natural disaster, we must be capable of withstanding and recovering from any challenge.”

JBSA said it will continue its energy resilience tasks with CPS Energy throughout the duration of the project.

“CPS Energy is a proud partner with JBSA and the City of San Antonio on this cutting-edge energy resilience project,” said Rudy D. Garza, CPS Energy president and CEO. “This initiative aligns with our commitment to exploring innovative, reliable energy solutions that will power our community’s future.

Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai also said that he supports the nuclear microreactor project, which JBSA said will be a safe and renewable energy source.

“Bexar County supports this critical energy project,” Sakai said. “A secure and resilient JBSA strengthens our entire region, and we are proud to stand with our military partners in this important initiative.”

According to the release, the nuclear microreactor would not require water to cool down due to its fundamental design.

Joint Base San Antonio said it will continue to work with local, regional and state officials to develop a public engagement process throughout the project’s various phases.

JBSA is made up of four primary locations: Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, Lackland Air Force Base, and Randolph Air Force Base.

At this time, an official location for the nuclear microreactor has not been officially announced.

Read also:

• Canvas outage hits San Antonio and Texas universities as cyberattack impacts finals week

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Black-majority congressional district in Louisiana has provided grounds for Republicans in several Southern states to try to eliminate House districts with large minority populations that had been protected under the Voting Rights Act.

Meanwhile, a Virginia Supreme Court ruling invalidated a voter-approved congressional map that Democrats had been counting on to deliver as many as four additional U.S. House seats. The court said Democratic lawmakers had violated the state constitution when placing the proposal on the ballot.

Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn based on census data after the start of each decade. But an unusual spate of mid-decade redistricting broke out after President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to reshape U.S. House districts to give the party an edge in the midterm elections. Democrats in California countered with their own political gerrymandering. More states followed.

So far, Republicans believe they could win up to 14 additional seats from new districts in Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain up to six seats from new districts in California and Utah. But those tallies presume past voting patterns hold in November. Historically, the president's party tends to lose seats in the midterms.

Democrats need to gain just a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, which would give them greater power to oppose Trump.

Where new House districts are proposed

Lawmakers in several states are considering plans for new U.S. House maps.

Louisiana

Current map: two Democrats, four Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has postponed the May 16 congressional primary to allow lawmakers to revise U.S. House districts in response to an April 29 Supreme Court ruling striking down a majority Black congressional district.

Challenges: Several lawsuits have been filed in federal and state court asserting that Landry lacked authority to suspend the primary elections.

Alabama

Current map: two Democrats, five Republicans

New map: Republican state officials hope to revert to a U.S. House map passed in 2023 — but not previously used — that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: The current map was imposed under a court order and is supposed to be used until after the 2030 census. State officials have asked federal courts to set aside that order in light of its ruling in the Louisiana redistricting case.

South Carolina

Current map: one Democrat, six Republicans

New map: Republican state House members have proposed a new U.S. House map that could give the GOP a better chance at winning an additional seat.

Challenges: State lawmakers are to wrap up their regular work May 14. The House voted to allow redistricting to be considered after then, but the extension also would need a two-thirds vote from the Senate.

Where new House districts are in place

New U.S. House districts are in place in eight states. Six took up redistricting voluntarily, one was required to by its state constitution and another did so under court order.

Texas

Current map: 13 Democrats, 25 Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a revised House map into law last August that could help Republicans win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in December cleared the way for the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It has since overturned a lower-court ruling that blocked the new map because it was “racially gerrymandered.”

California

Current map: 43 Democrats, nine Republicans

New map: Voters in November approved revised House districts drawn by the Democratic-led Legislature that could help Democrats win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in February allowed the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It denied an appeal from Republicans and the Department of Justice, which claimed the districts impermissibly favor Hispanic voters.

Missouri

Current map: two Democrats, six Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a revised House map into law last September that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A Cole County judge ruled the new map is in effect as election officials work to determine whether a referendum petition seeking a statewide vote complies with constitutional criteria and contains enough valid petition signatures. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit claiming mid-decade redistricting is illegal. It’s scheduled to hear arguments in May on claims the new districts violate compactness requirements and should be placed on hold pending the potential referendum.

North Carolina

Current map: four Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval in October to revised districts that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A federal court panel in November denied a request to block the revised districts from being used in the midterm elections.

Ohio

Current map: five Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: A bipartisan panel composed primarily of Republicans voted in October to approve revised House districts that improve Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: None. The state constitution required new districts before the 2026 election, because Republicans had approved the prior map without sufficient Democratic support after the last census.

Utah

Current map: no Democrats, four Republicans

New map: A judge in November imposed revised House districts that could help Democrats win a seat. The court ruled that lawmakers had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters when adopting the prior map.

Challenges: A federal court panel and the state Supreme Court, in February, each rejected Republican challenges to the judicial map selection.

Florida

Current map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on May 4 that he had signed revised U.S. House districts that improve the GOP’s chances of winning four additional seats.

Challenges: Court challenges contend the new map violates a state constitution provision prohibiting districts from being drawn with intent to favor or disfavor a political party.

Tennessee

Current map: one Democrat, eight Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed new U.S. House districts May 7 that improve the GOP's chances of winning an additional seat by carving up the lone Democratic-held seat, a Black-majority district that includes Memphis.

Challenges: Court challenges are expected ahead of the primaries, which are scheduled for Aug. 6.

Victoria De Leon is the communications representative for the San Antonio area National Alliance on Mental Illness.

She’s also a mother of Max, 2, and talks openly about how motherhood expectations affected her emotions.

“I’ve struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember,” De Leon said.

However, events before De Leon’s pregnancy and the weight of a new role really affected her and brought new challenges.

“I was like, let me just deliver this baby, and then everything will be OK,” she said. “And then we had the baby, and then, everything was not OK.”

It took De Leon months to realize that she needed help and to begin taking care of herself. She now openly shares her story in hopes of encouraging other mothers not to live in silence.

“We weren’t meant to go through this huge life change alone and not have a village behind us,” she said.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness will host a maternal mental health panel from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, located at 1761 Northwest Loop 410

The nonprofit hosts a panel on different topics each month. Check their calendar for future panels dealing with mental health.

Read also:

• Celebrate Mother’s Day in San Antonio with these brunches, events

The Health Ministry in Lebanon said that an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Toura near the port city of Tyre killed four people and wounded eight. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported another airstrike near the southeastern village of Kfar Chouba, saying it killed a paramedic with the Lebanese Civil Defense.

The strikes came hours after the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson issued an evacuation warning to the residents of six villages in Tyre province, including Toura.

In the early afternoon, Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets toward northern Israel. The Israeli military said it shot down one rocket while the rest fell in open areas without inflicting casualties.

A ceasefire has been in place since April 17, but violence has continued, including an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday.

The Israeli military said Thursday it had killed Ahmed Balout, who it identified as a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, along with two other militants. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Israel says it has killed more than 85 Hezbollah militants and struck 180 sites used by the group in the past week, without providing evidence.

On Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a visiting delegation from the European Union that European countries should pressure Israel to commit to the ceasefire and abstain from “detonating and bulldozing ” homes in villages under Israeli occupation.

Aoun added in comments released by his office that Lebanon is committed to the ceasefire in order to start negotiations that will end the current conditions.

Hadja Lahbib, European commissioner for equality, told reporters after the meeting with Aoun that Israel and Hezbollah are taking Lebanon “hostage.”

“Hezbollah should stop its attacks and disarm, and Israel should put limits to its airstrikes that target and have targeted humanitarian centers,” Lahbib said.

Aoun later met with Simon Karam, the head of the Lebanese delegation to talks with Israel in Washington. The meeting is expected to be held in Washington on Thursday and Friday next week.

The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, two days after the United States and Israel launched a war on its main backer, Iran. Israel has since carried out hundreds of airstrikes and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, capturing dozens of towns and villages along the border.

Later, Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in more than three decades. The two countries have formally been in a state of war since the founding of the state of Israel in 1948.

A 10-day ceasefire declared in Washington went into effect on April 17. The ceasefire was later extended by three weeks.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

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This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

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

The image released this week depicts the Messier 77 galaxy 45 million light-years away in the Cetus, or whale, constellation. A light year is about 6 trillion miles.

The galaxy’s active nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole that’s 8 million times more massive than the sun. Surrounding gas is sucked into a tight orbit around the black hole, becoming so hot that it radiates in the extreme. Webb’s mid-infrared instrument captured the stunning details.

The world’s largest and most powerful space telescope has been photographing the cosmos since launching in 2021.

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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.

Home teams are 7-1 entering Friday in the conference semifinals. Detroit is up 2-0 on Cleveland, Oklahoma City is up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Lakers, New York is up 2-0 on Philadelphia and San Antonio got a 1-1 split with Minnesota.

In other words, games went largely as seedings suggested they would.

That wasn't the case last season, when home teams went 2-6 in Games 1 and 2 of the conference semifinals. This is only the third time in the last 16 postseasons when home teams went 7-1 to start Round 2.

On Friday, it's a pair of Game 3s: New York at Philadelphia and San Antonio at Minnesota.

Friday's schedule

— Game 3, New York at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime)

Series: New York leads 2-0.

Odds: 76ers by 1.5.

An overlooked part of New York's Game 2 win: After three consecutive blowout victories by the Knicks going back to Round 1, they dug deep in the fourth quarter — holding Philadelphia to 4 for 19 shooting in the final 12 minutes on Wednesday night.

— Game 3, San Antonio at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. EDT (Prime)

Series: Tied 1-1.

Odds: Spurs by 4.5.

Expect a bounceback game from Anthony Edwards, if his knee allows. He was never in rhythm in Game 2 (at least, not the way he was at times in the Game 1 win) and the Timberwolves were minus-33 in his 24 minutes.

Saturday's schedule

— Game 3, Detroit at Cleveland, 3 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)

Series: Detroit, 2-0.

Odds: Cleveland by 4.5.

The Pistons have won five consecutive postseason games for the first time since 2008 — and three of them were while facing elimination in Round 1. Cleveland is now 2-10 in conference semifinal games over the past three seasons.

— Game 3, Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, 8:30 p.m. EDT (ABC)

Series: Oklahoma City, 2-0.

Odds: Oklahoma City by 8.5.

The Lakers are furious with elements of the officiating right now, and that might go one of two ways in Game 3. They'll either come out inspired on Saturday and make this a series, or the anger could work against them.

Thursday's recap

— Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97 for 2-0 series lead.

— Thunder 125, Lakers 107 for 2-0 series lead. The Lakers are angry.

Awards watch

A breakdown of this season's NBA awards:

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

— Hustle Award: Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte.

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

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

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

— Sportsmanship Award: Derrick White, Boston.

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

— Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas.

— Executive of the Year: Brad Stevens, Boston.

Among the announcements still to come:

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

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

Betting odds

Defending champion Oklahoma City (-165) is favored to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.

The Thunder are followed by San Antonio (+325), New York (+800), Detroit (+1500), Minnesota (+5000), Cleveland (+6000), Los Angeles Lakers (+10000) and Philadelphia (+10000).

Shoutout to the underdogs

Favorites are 34-22 through Thursday in the 2026 NBA playoffs, a .607 winning percentage that might look pretty good on paper.

That is, until one looks at other recent playoff seasons.

Underdogs are on pace to have their best winning percentage in a playoff season in more than a decade. The last time underdogs won outright this often was the 2014 playoffs, when they won 44.9% of the time.

Key dates

— Sunday: NBA draft lottery.

— May 10-17: NBA draft combine.

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

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

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

— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft

— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft

Quote of the day

“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I've ever seen.” — Lakers coach JJ Redick, on how LeBron James is officiated.

Stats of the day

— LeBron James has attempted five free throws in the first two games of the series against Oklahoma City. It's the second fewest he's ever taken in the first two games of any of his 57 career playoff series. He took four in Games 1 and 2 vs. Golden State in 2023.

— The Pistons are 25-4 this season when Duncan Robinson makes at least four 3-pointers.

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

Haywire is ready for one of the biggest weekends of the year. We’re checking out their brunch menu which includes, cinnamon -orange pancakes. Book your reservations now.

Pop Fizz Clink is a mobile boutique with great gift ideas for teachers & moms. They’re making shopping simple by setting up outside a local elementary.

Whether you’ve heard of a Strata or not it’s about to be your new obsession. Beef Loving Texans shares their recipe for Beef Brunch Strata.

Think you’re a big Spurs fan? Jen interview two people who take fandom to a whole new level.

Around 7:50 p.m. Thursday, authorities were dispatched to The Stella complex in the 4800 block of Lord Road, near South W.W. White Road, where police said a male was injured by gunfire.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, SAPD said.

The male is in his late teens or early 20s, police said. He has not yet been identified.

Police are looking for a person who fled in a black SUV. While no one has been officially taken into custody, an SAPD spokesperson said Friday that four people were detained for questioning.

Police said there is no ongoing threat to the community.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Domínguez was hurt eight pitches into Thursday's 9-2 win over Texas as he caught a leadoff drive to left by Brandon Nimmo. Domínguez's MRI revealed a low grade AC sprain of his left shoulder, and initial concussion tests were negative.

“That'll put him on the IL, and that could be a few weeks,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.

New York selected the contract of Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, when it placed Domínguez on the 10-day injured list.

A 6-foot-7 outfielder, Jones was selected by the Yankees 25th in the 2022 amateur draft.

“It's a large man that hits the ball very far,” Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger said.

Jones, 24, leads the minor leagues with 41 RBIs, batting .258 with 11 homers, 18 walks and 41 strikeouts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“He's put himself in the mix,” Boone said. “The signs have been encouraging.”

Jones was hitting .195 with two homers, 10 RBIs and 21 strikeouts in 41 at-bats through April 10, but is batting .291 with nine homers, 31 RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 79 at-bats since.

“Got off to an OK start, but then hit a little snag there for about a week or so,” Boone said. ""The last three, four weeks been having a lot of consistent at-bats, the power's been there, less swing and miss."

Domínguez, 23, made a sensational debut in September 2023, hitting .258 with four homers and seven RBIs in eight games before a scan revealed a torn right UCL.

His 2024 was slowed by a strained right oblique sustained on a swing, then he struggled offensively and defensively with the Yankees last year and started this season at Scranton. He was brought up April 27 after Giancarlo Stanton strained a calf muscle.

Playing outfield for the Yankees for the second time this season after seven games as a designated hitter, Domínguez ran 81 feet to catch Nimmo's 101 mph shot. He gloved the ball 375 feet from the plate as his shoulder hit hard against a video advertising board.

Domínguez's sunglasses flew off as he fell to the warning track chest first, prompting center fielder Trent Grisham to come over as Boone jogged out to check on Domínguez along with head athletic trainer Tim Lentych, assistant athletic trainer Jimmy Downam and director of sports medicine and rehabilitation Michael Schuk.

“He seemed decent when we got out there and coherent and all that,” Boone said.

Domínguez cupped his head in his glove and sat up after about a minute. He pointed to his shoulder and craned his neck as he was being examined, then walked to a cart under his own power and was seated as the cart drove away.

“Gosh, he’s just such a good kid,” Boone said. “There’s a joy he kind of walks to every day no matter what’s going on. He’s very consistent in who he is. They love him in there. We’ve talked a lot recently about just how well he’s handled his situation here over the last four and five months.”

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

A police spokesperson identified the driver to KSAT on Monday as Maria Elena Yanez, 37. Yanez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Yanez died of multiple blunt force injuries. Her death was ruled an accident.

Police said the SUV was traveling northbound in the 800 block of Southwest 36th Street near Marbauch Avenue at a high rate of speed when Yanez lost control of the vehicle.

Yanez’s vehicle then struck a curb, rolled into a fence and a parked vehicle in a nearby driveway, the police spokesperson said. The home on the property was not damaged.

No other injuries were reported.

SAPD said it is continuing its investigation into the crash.

More recent news coverage on KSAT:

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Officers responded to the shooting around 2:45 a.m. Friday in the 800 block of Babcock Road, located near Overbrook Drive.

According to a preliminary report, a 48-year-old man and a 42-year-old man were sitting in a vehicle outside the apartment complex.

Two suspects approached the vehicle and started to fire gunshots at it, the report said.

The 48-year-old man was shot multiple times. SAPD said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the 42-year-old man attempted to escape, but he was also shot. He was later taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

The two suspects fled the scene before officers arrived, according to the report.

KSAT obtained the calls of service for the complex and discovered police received 533 calls in 2026.

Among the calls included disturbances, assaults, burglaries, shots fired, and 911 hang-ups.

Further information was not readily available. SAPD said its investigation is ongoing.

More crime coverage on KSAT:

• 1 dead after shooting at East Side apartment complex, police say
• Man accused of sexually assaulting 15-year-old girl arrested, BCSO says

The Philippines, among the worst affected by fuel price spikes caused by the Iran war, hosted the group's annual summit on the central island province of Cebu. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the summit stripped of the traditional pomp and pageantry in keeping with the economic headwinds worldwide.

ASEAN’s contingency plan calls for actions including the ratification possibly this year of an agreement that will pave the way for coordinated emergency fuel sharing, planning a regional power grid and fuel stockpile and diversifying the region’s sources of crude oil.

Promoting the use of electric vehicles and studying the use of new technologies, including civilian nuclear energy, were also part of the crisis plan.

The contingency steps will be implemented immediately but the establishment of a regional fuel stockpile and power grid is a complex matter and may take a long time, Marcos said.

“Let’s talk about the fuel reserve. Is it going to be in one single place? Is it going to be scattered through the whole of ASEAN?” he asked.

A regional power grid that allows countries to trade electricity has been considered for years but has only been realized “at a fairly small level,” Marcos said, but added the leaders were unfazed.

“They are committed to making this succeed because everyone is suffering and everyone wants to get out of this situation,” he said.

Warnings of long-term impact from Iran war

A key dilemma of the ASEAN leaders was how to carry out large-scale evacuations from the Middle East, where more than a million of their citizens work and live, if widespread hostilities flared up again.

Several Southeast Asian citizens have been killed since the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Feb. 28 against Iran. The hostilities have continued sporadically despite a month-old ceasefire, especially in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

A joint declaration issued by the leaders called on the regional bloc’s 11 state members to share information and strengthen coordination with international organizations “to ensure the safety and welfare of ASEAN nationals in affected areas.”

Marcos told fellow leaders during their summit that the Iran war exposed the weaknesses of Southeast Asian nations to external shocks and warned that recovery could take years even if the war ends now.

“Even if the tensions de-escalate in time, the damage to critical infrastructure, to vital systems and trust in general will continue to be felt for years to come,” Marcos said.

War has alarmed ASEAN states, Thai minister says

Known for their conservative and careful rhetoric, top delegates to the ASEAN summit avoided blunt expressions of their disappointment over the continuing hostilities. Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow was more emphatic, calling for the current ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran to be extended and assurances for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

“This war should not have occurred in the first place,” Sihasak told AP in a brief interview and added that all ASEAN states were alarmed. “We don’t know what the objectives are right?”

Southeast Asia will remain “in this limbo situation” until the Iran war ends, Marcos said.

“Until the fighting ends, until the bombing ends, then it is very difficult to put together any kind of solution,” he said.

Despite the focus on the Middle East, the leaders took up major regional flash points, including the South China Sea territorial disputes involving Beijing, a five-year civil war in Myanmar and a recent border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Aside from the Philippines, ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. East Timor was accepted as a full member in October last year.

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AP writers Aaron Favila and Syawall Zain in Cebu, Philippines contributed to this report.

Alex Jenkinson, 39, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court following accusations of threatening behavior toward Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor near the former royal's home earlier this week.

The denial came after reports that Mountbatten-Windsor was threatened by a masked man while walking dogs near his home.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that a man wearing a ski mask ran toward the former royal while shouting abuse on Wednesday.

Mountbatten-Windsor, 66 moved to the king’s private Sandringham Estate, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of London, after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle following revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

He was stripped of all his honors and titles and banished from public view by the royal family after years of scandal over his money woes and links to questionable characters, including Epstein.

One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, alleged that she was forced to have sex with the then-prince three times, starting when she was 17. He denied it, but eventually settled the case for an undisclosed sum and acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41.

In February, he became the first senior British royal in almost 400 years to be arrested when he was held for hours by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office in a case related to his links to Epstein.

Police had previously said they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor and convicted sex offender, in 2010, when the former prince was the U.K. special envoy for international trade.

Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.

The attacks were carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces overnight from Wednesday through Thursday afternoon, according to Charité Banza, the leader of the Ituri civil society group and Kinos Katua, a member of the group who lives in the area.

The Allied Democratic Forces, which has roots in Uganda and which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2019, has long operated in the border region.

Banza told The Associated Press that 25 people were killed in border villages in the Beni territory of North Kivu while 15 others were killed in Ituri province.

The death toll may rise because several residents were still missing after the attacks, Katua said.

In a recent report this week, Amnesty International accused the Allied Democratic Forces of “war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The ADF is one of the numerous groups operating in Congo and it routinely attacks civilians. In July 2025, the group killed 66 people in eastern Congo in what the United Nations called a “bloodbath."

The country also faces attacks from roughly 100 other rebel groups, most prominently the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which has seized key cities in the eastern region.

Lamine Yamal is out for the rest of the season and so is Brazil star Estêvão.

There was also a scare when Mohamed Salah hurt his hamstring recently.

Injuries to some of soccer's biggest names are mounting ahead of the World Cup which starts in five weeks.

Mbappé is expected to play again for Real Madrid this month and there is no suggestion his issue will rule him out of the World Cup. But every setback to France's best player will be of concern to the national team.

Barcelona's teenage sensation Yamal — recuperating from a leg muscle injury — is also expected to be part of Spain's squad and appear at his first World Cup.

And initial fears about Salah have been dispelled.

Others, however, have not been so fortunate.

France's Hugo Ekitike sustained an Achilles injury in April that could take more than six months to fully recover, ruling him out of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and possibly the start of next season.

Brazil stars Rodrygo and Éder Militão are definitely out. So is Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry after injuring his adductor in training.

Meanwhile, the absence of Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri in recent weeks because of a groin injury is also worrying after he missed the majority of last season due to ACL damage. City manager Pep Guardiola has given positive updates about Rodri's recovery in recent days and the former Ballon d’Or winner should play again this season.

Players and coaches have increasingly warned about the impact of an ever-packed playing schedule, and the expanded World Cup comes a year after the relaunched, supersized Club World Cup. The Champions League has also been expanded in recent years.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta describes the demand on players as “an accident waiting to happen."

Players definitely ruled out of the World Cup

Argentina: Joaquín Panichelli (ACL)

Brazil: Éder Militão (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL)

France: Hugo Ekitike (Achilles)

Germany: Serge Gnabry (adductor)

Netherlands: Xavi Simons (ACL)

United States: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Patrick Agyemang (Achilles)

Ones to watch

Algeria: Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France icon Zinedine Zidane, is a doubt after a facial injury during an on-field collision last month.

Argentina: Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. It has not yet been confirmed if he is out of the World Cup, with Tottenham not giving a timeframe for his recovery.

Brazil: Teenage sensation Estêvão will not play again for Chelsea this month after a hamstring injury. There are conflicting reports as to whether he will recover in time for the World Cup.

Canada: Star left back Alphonso Davies injured his hamstring with just over a month to go before the tournament starts when he was hurt during Bayern Munich's exit to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.

Croatia: Veteran midfielder Luka Modrić broke his cheekbone last month but is expected to be available for the World Cup. Defender Joško Gvardiol returned to training for Manchester City in earlier May after four months out with a broken leg.

Morocco: Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been sidelined with a right thigh injury.

United States: Defender Miles Robinson hasn’t played since April 18 because of a leg injury. Midfielder Johnny Cardoso sprained his right ankle five weeks before the World Cup while training with Atletico Madrid.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

Exeter Chiefs — recently an English and European champion — voted to approve a proposed takeover by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, an investment group that already counts Premier League team Bournemouth in its expanding portfolio.

That development comes days after Cornish Pirates, which plays in English rugby's second tier, announced a deal with Pittsburgh-based firm Stonewood Capital Management that marked, according to the team, “the first known U.S. investment into an English professional rugby club.”

With English billionaire James Dyson securing a 50% stake in Bath Rugby in March and energy drink giant Red Bull taking full ownership of Newcastle Falcons last year, money is starting to flood into English rugby after years of financial uncertainty made worse by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish have been banished from England's top league for financial reasons, reducing it to a 10-team competition. The 2023-24 season was the third straight year that no top-tier club made a profit, according to the Leonard Curtis Rugby Finance Report.

However, it was announced in February that automatic promotion and relegation between the top two tiers of English rugby would be scrapped and replaced by a criteria-based expansion and demotion model, with a plan to add up to two more clubs to the Prem — the newly named top league — in the 2029-30 season.

English rugby leaders said this development would “create investable, globally competitive leagues,” saying the previous system “was not delivering financial sustainability (and) discouraging long-term investment.”

There is already huge U.S. investment in English soccer, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool among the heavyweight teams with American owners. Wrexham is also co-owned by Hollywood celebrities Rob Mac and Canadian-born Ryan Reynolds.

Big-business investors from the United States have also bought stakes in England's newest cricket competition, The Hundred, over the past year.

Bournemouth soccer owners turn to rugby

Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, which is part of American investment company Cannae Holdings, took full control of Bournemouth in 2022 and the team is currently sixth in the Premier League with a chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

The Black Knight consortium, fronted by American businessman Bill Foley, owns the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL and has other soccer clubs in its portfolio, in Lorient (France), Moreirense FC (Portugal) and Auckland FC (New Zealand).

Exeter's members voted by a majority to permit the sale of the club, which was European champion in 2020 and English champion in 2017 and '20, and are expecting an offer to follow from Black Knight after financial checks.

The Cornish Pirates said they had positioned themselves “at the forefront of rugby’s globalization” by welcoming U.S. investment, at a time when the country is preparing to host the Rugby World Cup in 2031.

Kenn Moritz, one of the investors in Stonewood Capital Management, said the group saw a "compelling opportunity in Cornish Pirates," adding: "Rugby is entering an exciting global phase, and we believe this investment places us at the heart of that journey.”

Pittsburgh is among the U.S. cities bidding to host matches at the Rugby World Cup in 2031.

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AP Sports Writer Ken Maguire contributed to this story.

___

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

But the world’s most famous wildlife presenter is likely to be uncomfortable with all the attention as he celebrates his 100th birthday on Friday, said Alastair Fothergill, the producer of some of Attenborough’s most well-known documentaries and the director of Silverback Films.

“He’s always been very clear to all of us that work with him: ‘Remember, the animals are the stars, I’m not,’’’ Fothergill told The Associated Press. “So, yes, surprisingly for one of the most famous men on the planet, he doesn’t like being famous at all.”

Glorious gorillas

But Attenborough has had to accept the accolades this week as scientists, politicians and conservationists celebrated the man who has brought frolicking gorillas, breaching whales and tiny poisonous frogs into living rooms around the world for more than 70 years.

Through BBC programs such as Life on Earth, The Private Life of Plants and The Blue Planet, Attenborough has illuminated the beauty, ferocity and sometimes downright weirdness of nature in a hushed melodic voice that conveys his own awe at what he is witnessing.

Viewers who might never leave their hometowns were transported to the Himalayas, the Amazon and the unexplored forests of Papua New Guinea. But behind the stunning images was an attention to scientific accuracy that helped teach people about complex subjects like evolution, animal behavior and biodiversity.

And as the evidence mounted, he began to sound the alarm about climate change, ocean plastic and other human-caused threats to the planet.

That helped people understand not only how life evolved but, more importantly, why we have to protect it, said Professor Ben Garrod, an evolutionary biologist at the University of East Anglia and himself a broadcaster who has worked alongside Attenborough.

Attenborough, Garrod believes, initially saw himself as a neutral observer but was compelled to speak out when he saw that politicians, business leaders and the public weren’t taking the emergency seriously.

“He is showing you the majesty, the ferocity, the fragility of the natural world. He shouldn’t have ever had to have turned to policymaking and advocacy,” Garrod said.

“I think it’s very easy for a lot of people to say, ‘He should have done it sooner. Why didn’t he act 20 years, 30 years, 40 years ago?’” Garrod then asked: “Why didn’t we?''

Fond of fossils from the start

Born in London on May 8, 1926, the same year as the late Queen Elizabeth II, Attenborough was raised on the grounds of what is now the University of Leicester, where his father was a senior leader.

His fascination with nature developed when he was a young boy, riding his bicycle into the surrounding countryside where he collected treasures such as abandoned birds’ nests, the shed skin of a snake and, most importantly, fossils.

“I’d find a fossil and show it to my father and he’d say ‘Good, good, tell me all about it.’ So I responded and became my own expert,” Attenborough told Smithsonian Magazine in 1981.

He went on to study geology and zoology at the University of Cambridge.

In 1952, Attenborough joined the BBC, working behind the scenes on “everything from ballet to short stories.” After he'd been there about two months, the capture of a “living fossil” off the coast of East Africa caused an international stir, and he was asked to produce a short piece about the coelacanth.

That story was told in the studio by Professor Julian Huxley, an evolutionary biologist, who used pickled wildlife specimens and a photograph of a coelacanth to explain the fish’s significance.

But Attenborough thought television could do more.

“I’d always wanted to do films on animals around the world,” he recalled in a 1985 interview with The Associated Press. “But the attitude was, ‘We’ve got TV cameras in the studio. What’s this about spending money abroad?’”

In 1954, he finally persuaded the BBC to let him accompany a London Zoo team that traveled to West Africa to collect specimens. That began a decade as host and producer of “Zoo Quest,” kick-starting his career in the field.

The privilege of his life

One of the most famous moments of that long career came during the 1979 series “Life on Earth,” when Attenborough encountered a family of mountain gorillas in a forest on the border of Rwanda and what was then Zaire (now Congo).

During that scene, voted one of Britain's top TV moments of all time, a young gorilla lies across his body while several babies try to remove his shoes. Attenborough grins, laughs and is speechless with delight.

“I honestly don’t know how long it was,’’ Attenborough later told the BBC. “I suspect it was about 10 minutes, or even a quarter of an hour. I was simply transported.”

“Extraordinary, really,’’ he reflected. “It was one of the most privileged moments of my life.”

A character everyone could understand

Attenborough has combined his knowledge of television, an understanding of his audience and his commitment to science to create a character who could deliver complicated issues surrounding wildlife, conservation and natural history to a mass audience, said Jean-Baptiste Gouyon, a professor of science communication at University College London.

“Basically he gave wildlife television a figure, a front of the house person … which has come to embody television discourse about nature,” Gouyon said.

And on this, his centenary, his fans made a point of finding him. In a recorded audio message he said he thought he would mark the day quietly. As if.

“I’ve been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings from preschool groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages,'' he said. “I simply can’t reply to each of you all separately, but I would like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages.”

And he isn’t planning to stop now, Fothergill said.

“He said to me recently he feels unbelievably privileged that a man in his late 90s is still being asked to work. And, you know, he will go on forever. He will die in his safari shorts.”

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Hilary Fox contributed.

Friday’s game starts at 8:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime. A membership costs $139 annually. The company is also offering a free trial.

Many fans also head to bars and restaurants to watch the game. However, those options have become more costly for businesses, which say they have to decide which streaming service to subscribe to in order to keep customers happy.

The Rock at La Cantera will show the game on a 40-foot LED screen on Frost Plaza. People must RSVP for one of the 5,000 tickets available. They offer a park-and-ride service from the Shops at La Cantera. Tickets for Friday’s game are sold out.

Outside food and drinks are not allowed at the Rock at La Cantera, only a blanket and a chair.

Sunday’s Game 4 against the Timberwolves airs at 6:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.

More Spurs coverage on KSAT:

• Spurs guard’s wife Anissa McLaughlin’s posts brings fans inside NBA family life, motherhood
• What to know before going to Spurs watch parties at The Rock at La Cantera
• Wembanyama and Spurs rebound to hand Timberwolves largest postseason defeat, 133-95, to even series

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds Ground Beef
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper pepper, divided
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 2 cups milk
• 5 large eggs
• 8 cups crust-less bread cubes (¾-inch)
• 2 cups shredded Asiago or fontina cheese
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• Thinly sliced fresh basil, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a large nonstick skillet over MEDIUM heat until hot. Add Ground Beef and cook 8-10 minutes, breaking beef into small crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and season with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Set aside. Pour off drippings from skillet.

Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Return beef to skillet. Add thyme and cook 3-5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Whisk milk, eggs, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper in large bowl until blended.

Spray 2 ½-3-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of bread cubes, ½ cup of cheese and half of beef mixture in dish. Pour half of egg mixture over top. Top with remaining bread cubes, ½ cup cheese and remaining beef and egg mixtures. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Press any dry bread cubes into egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil; refrigerate 6 hours or as long as overnight.

Bake strata, covered with foil, for 55 minutes. Remove foil. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with tomatoes and basil, as desired.

Find more recipes at Beef Loving Texans.

The killing of Casey Goodson Jr. by Jason Meade in December 2020 had provoked outrage in Ohio.

Trial jurors said they couldn't agree on the more serious charge of murder, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on that count.

Meade, who is white, said his shooting of Goodson — five times in the back and once in the side — was justified because he saw the 23-year-old holding a gun and turning toward him in the doorway of the house in Columbus. But no one else testified they saw Goodson holding the gun he was licensed to carry, and no cameras recorded the shooting.

This was Meade's second murder trial after the first one ended in a mistrial two years ago. He is now the second white law enforcement officer to be convicted in the killing of a Black man in the state since the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked national protests.

Tamala Payne, Goodson's mother, said the guilty verdict gives her family closure and peace.

“I know now Casey can rest. You know, we’ve been fighting for five and a half years, and Casey sees his family fighting. He knows the stress. He knows the pain. He knows the heartache,” she said. “And now, not only can we try to find peace and finally start truly grieving, my baby can rest.”

Meade had testified in the first trial that he pursued Goodson after the man waved a gun at him as they passed each other in their vehicles. According to his family and prosecutors, Goodson was holding a bag of Subway sandwiches in one hand and his keys in the other, and was listening to music through earbuds when he was killed.

Meade did not take the stand at his second trial.

Prosecutors also said the evidence suggests the gun wasn't in his hands, but in a flimsy holder under his belt. They added it was found under his body, its safety mechanism still engaged, as Goodson laid mortally wounded on the kitchen floor of his grandmother's house.

Meade, now 47, retired from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department in 2021. He’s also a Baptist pastor. His attorney cited Meade’s oral and written accounts of what happened, and said the shooting was justified.

Ohio law defines murder as the purposeful causing of a death, while the lesser charge of reckless murder means the defendant acted recklessly in causing a death. The former is punishable by up to life in prison, while the latter carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Judge David Young set sentencing for July 16.

Prosecutors said they were pleased with the guilty verdict on the reckless homicide charge and haven't decided yet whether to pursue a third trial on the murder charge — something Payne said she would like to see happen.

Defense attorneys Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens did not address the media afterward.

Following the verdict, Brian Steel, president and chief executive of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9, said he respects the jury but was “disappointed” with the decision. He said he hopes the prosecutor's office does not seek a retrial on the murder charge.

“This was long six years drawn out. This is the second trial. I hope they’re for the sake of not only the Meade family, the Goodson family and the community, I hope we don’t try to do a third trial on this murder charge,” Steel said.

Christopher Corne was driving nearby that day and testified for the prosecution at both trials. He said Goodson seemed to be dancing and singing in his truck shortly before the shooting. He also testified during the first trial that he did not see a gun in Goodson’s hand.

Columbus police Officer Samuel Rippey testified at the second trial that while he was administering emergency treatment to Goodson, he saw the gun, with an extended magazine, lying on the floor.

Goodson’s death provoked public outrage in Ohio as the killings of Black people by white officers increased demands for police reform following the killing of Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Banners were hung from highway overpasses in Columbus, carrying messages such as “Justice for Casey Goodson Jr.” and “Convict Murderer Meade.” The judge ordered the banners taken down during the trial.

Previous Ohio prosecutions in such cases led to only one conviction — that of Columbus police officer Adam Coy, who was indicted on charges including murder in the 2020 killing of Andre Hill.

The state health agency announced on Thursday that it reached an agreement with the 19 operators, allowing camps that maintain a redundant broadband internet service to avoid any potential license denial or revocation for not having fiber service this summer, as long as they meet other safety requirements.

“This agreement will ensure that youth camps in Texas operate with the safety provisions envisioned by the Legislature while allowing camps and families to move forward with their summer plans,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford.

The deal came after leaders of the Texas Legislature, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, released statements supporting the removal of the requirement for fiber-optic internet infrastructure at all Texas camps, citing the difficulty of meeting this requirement

“We also recognize that there may be means other than fiber to provide reliable, redundant internet access, which would satisfy the purpose and spirit of the law,” Patrick and Burrows said in the statement.

In exchange for setting aside the requirement, camps agree to maintain “redundant internet connectivity” through other means, including through cellular or satellite technology. The lawsuit will be set aside until March 1, 2027, according to the agreement.

“This agreement keeps camp doors open for children and families across Texas,” said Brian Anderson, executive director of Camp Peniel, one of the camps that filed the lawsuit. “Camps are places where kids grow, build confidence, and form lifelong friendships, and this outcome makes sure those experiences continue this summer. Camps and campers across Texas are grateful to the state for agreeing to this temporary solution.”

Summer camps in Texas can qualify for licensure through DSHS. To obtain a license, among the steps they must fulfill is submit a sufficient emergency action plan, meet all other safety requirements, and maintain a reliable communication system capable of operating during an emergency, lawmakers said on social media and in statements.

Lawmakers are expected to revisit the camp safety standards in the 90th Legislative session in 2027 while ensuring that camps operate in good faith under these new regulations.

State legislators passed the fiber optic requirement, in addition to mandating a second type of broadband connection, after the July 4 flood in the Texas Hill Country. That flood killed 25 campers, two counselors at Camp Mystic and the camp’s executive director Dick Eastland — information that emergency responders struggled to confirm as one official noted phone lines were down and there was no cell service at the camp.

In April, the group of 19 camps in Texas filed a lawsuit saying the requirement to install fiber optic internet does not make their properties safer, violates the state Constitution and state law regarding property rights, and could prevent them from opening.

The group of camps, which includes Camp Champions, Camp Longhorn and Tejas Ministries, said in the suit that companies advised them that the service either could not be supplied, could not be confirmed as “end-to-end” — a term the lawsuit said isn’t defined — or would cost an amount “that greatly exceeded their resources.”

The suit, filed in a Travis County state district court, offered examples: Camp Liberty, in one extreme, received a quote of $1 million in upfront costs plus a $3,500 monthly service fee over five years. Camp Longhorn received a quote of more than $1.2 million.

The original requirement made no exception for rural camps, where fiber optic internet might not be available or “is so costly as to make it economically infeasible or unreasonably burdensome,” the lawsuit states.

Leo spent the eve of the 1-year mark meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had come to the Vatican on a fence-mending visit. Trump’s repeated broadsides against history’s first U.S. pope created an unprecedented back-and-forth on the Iran war that strained U.S.-Holy See relations.

By the end of the visit, both the Vatican and the State Department stressed their strong bilateral ties. But the episode nevertheless pushed Leo out of his comfort zone and onto the global stage to make zingers like the one this week, after Trump's latest misrepresentation of his views. “If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth,” Leo said.

It’s all a bit out of character for Leo who — the world has come to learn in this first year — is at heart a mild-mannered, 70-year-old Midwestern missionary priest, and a reserved one at that. He likes to play the solitary game of tennis, cites the fifth-century philosopher St. Augustine from memory and insists he is merely quoting the Bible when he calls for peace, as he did again Friday in marking his anniversary.

“May the God of peace pour out an overflowing abundance of mercy, touching hearts, soothing grudges and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear special responsibilities of governance,” Leo said during an anniversary homily in the ancient city of Pompeii.

The Trump-Leo feud aside, the former Robert Prevost after his first year seems driven not by the dramatic gesture or headline-grabbing tensions that often fueled his predecessor, Pope Francis. Rather, Leo seems inspired by the calm, persistent zeal to preach the Gospel and — thanks to his Augustinian spirituality — emphasize community and harmony.

A year of learning and unifying

Leo began his improbable papacy promising to work for unity in a polarized world and church, and at the one-year mark, he seems to be delivering.

After Francis’ revolutionary and sometimes divisive 12-year papacy, Leo has brought a calming balm to the Vatican and church at large. He seems intent on healing divisions, even as new threats of schism emerge.

That has certainly been the case as he navigates some of the thorniest challenges facing the Catholic Church: tensions between traditionalists and progressives, financial problems facing the Holy See and the geopolitical crises at the heart of the Trump vs. Leo dissonance.

“I think the challenge that the Holy Father has is to strengthen the unity of the church,” said Cardinal Wilton Gregory, a Chicago native like Leo and the retired archbishop of Washington. While there have always been divisions, Gregory said social media had amplified them, and that Leo seems intent on tamping them down.

“Social communication makes it possible for people to take sides, and sometimes taking sides adds to the divisiveness that we have to deal with and that the Holy Father, as the Bishop of Rome, has to respond to,” Gregory said in an interview.

“He has to call us to our better angels,” he added.

That seemed to be Leo's modus operandi when, days into his recent Africa trip, he temporarily quelled the Trump broadsides by essentially declaring he was above the president's social media rants. While insisting he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace, Leo said it "is not in my interest at all,” to debate Trump.

“I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa,” he said.

He repeated that message at the trip's conclusion, saying the political role that comes with being pope, a head of state and global moral authority, was simply not his priority.

An English-speaking American pope

For many, the shock of an American pope, who defied the taboo precluding a Rome-based moral counterweight to the White House, still hasn’t worn off.

“It’s been the first year of an American pope who has been critical of what America is doing for the most part,” said Anthea Butler, senior fellow at the Koch Institute, Oxford University.

She stressed that Leo is doing so “not coming full-on like Francis would,” but approaching issues from the side. He's not naming names, he's merely preaching the Gospel.

That approach has certainly helped some U.S. Catholic institutions, after the American church developed an almost comically bad relationship with Francis. His criticism of American-style capitalism was amplified by U.S.-based conservative Catholic media during his papacy.

For many Vatican watchers, the Argentine pope simply didn't “get” the U.S., and vice versa. Some U.S. Catholics eventually soured on donating to the Holy See under Francis, following years of unrelenting stories of mismanagement, corruption and scandal.

But with a Chicago math major now pope, “he can’t be dismissed as being ignorant of the realities in the United States,” said Kerry Alys Robinson, chief executive of Catholic Charities USA, a national network of Catholic agencies.

Robinson said she had never seen U.S. Catholic bishops so united as now, particularly in speaking about the dignity of migrants and poor people. She credits that to many factors, including the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and funding cuts that have created a common purpose. But she doesn’t discount the unifying message from Leo, in English.

“It’s very different when you are hearing the message without it being mediated through translation,” she said.

Repairing US relationships

Ward Fitzgerald, president of The Papal Foundation, which funds the pope's charity projects in the developing world, said an English-speaking pope has been a boon especially in the U.S. and Europe, where there is anecdotal evidence of a “Leo effect” spurring new converts.

“I think there’s lots of reasons for it, but I certainly think that having a pope who speaks English helps young people understand the messages of the Holy Father,” Fitzgerald said in an interview. That also translates to donors to the church, especially from the U.S.

“When you tell a donor, ‘I really appreciate what you do’ in English — and they’re English — I think it resonates," Fitzgerald said. "And so they give a little more.”

The Papal Foundation recently announced 25 new families had joined its ranks since Leo's election, a not-insignificant number given membership requires a minimum $1.25 million pledge.

Fitzgerald and members of the foundation met with Leo last week and gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the towering figure of the U.S. Catholic hierarchy and a kingmaker in the 2025 conclave that elected Leo.

Dolan is also chummy with Trump, and is a member of his Religious Liberty Commission.

In his homily, Dolan extolled the attributes of St. Joseph, the father of Christ and a figure so beloved in the church he is the patron saint of more causes than any other saint. Dolan also revealed his feelings about Leo, whom he had watched in the Sistine Chapel become the 267th pope a year ago Friday.

St. Joseph was a man of silence, Dolan said, calm and secure in his place.

"A man who exuded a sense of depth and substance. A man who is shy, all right, a man who is focused on his mission,” he added. “A man, always attentive to God’s plan.”

Dolan then asked the Americans seated in the pews if they could think of anyone else who fit St. Joseph's description.

“I can," Dolan said. "Pope Leo reminds me of Joseph.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content

As summer approaches, a University Health skin doctor is sharing what people should know about protecting their skin.

Carlo Guadagno, 70, knows the risks firsthand. He has been diagnosed with skin cancer four times over the last several years. He said that his previous diagnosis is a consequence of years spent in the sun without protection.

“You can put sunscreen on today and protect yourself. But it’s cumulative — all your life,“ Guadagno said, in part. ”And when I was young, I would go to the beach without sunscreen every day."

For those with fair skin like Guadagno, even what feels like a tan can actually be something more serious.

“After a while, your skin tolerates the sun and you tan, and for someone light-skinned like me, it’s not that I’m really tanning, I’m damaging my skin,” he said.

Picking the right sunscreen doesn’t have to be complicated, according to Dr. Jimena Cervantes of University Health. She says any sunscreen with SPF will do the job — as long as it’s applied and reapplied consistently.

“I would recommend a minimum of 50, because really, when you apply it onto the skin, you’re really getting maybe like an SPF of 30, but the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimum of SPF 30 to be applied onto the skin,” Cervantes said.

For those with sensitive skin, Cervantes recommends a mineral-based sunscreen. Shoppers should look for zinc oxide in the ingredient list. She also recommends mineral-based formulas for children 6 months and older.

Cervantes emphasizes that sun protection should be a daily habit, not just a summer one.

“The sun doesn’t take a day off. UV damage is happening all the time when the sun’s out — and even when it’s hiding behind a cloud,“ Cervantes said. ”So every day you really should take precautions of wearing a wide-brimmed hat, an umbrella, and big old sunglasses. I tell my patients that they should be out there looking like divas."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response said his country would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and respond in kind to Russia's actions from that moment on. He did not put an end date on the truce.

The announcements on Monday come as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday with a traditional military parade on Moscow's Red Square pared down due to what officials say are concerns over possible Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has been launching drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter its more than 4-year-old invasion.

They also follow a familiar pattern of previous attempts to secure ceasefires — most recently around Orthodox Easter — that had little to no impact.

The Defense Ministry said if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Saturday's celebrations, Russia will carry out a “massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.” It warned the civilian population there and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of "the need to leave the city promptly.”

Zelenskyy responded by saying that while Kyiv has not received any official requests for a truce, in the time left until midnight on Wednesday “it is realistic to ensure” that a ceasefire takes effect. He urged the Kremlin “to take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia’s Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill.”

For years, the Kremlin has used the pomp-filled Victory Day parade to showcase its military might and global clout, and it has been a source of patriotic pride.

But this year, the parade in the Russian capital will take place without tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. Some of the smaller parades that are held elsewhere across the country have also been pared down or even canceled for security reasons.

Speaking at a summit with European leaders in Armenia on Monday, Zelenskyy said that the Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square” on May 9. “This is telling. It shows they are not strong now, so we must keep up the pressure through sanctions on them,” he said.

World War II remains a rare point of consensus in Russia's divisive history under Communist rule. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it called the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify the war in Ukraine.

Last year’s parade on the 80th anniversary drew the most global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Fico has said this year he will lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and meet Putin, but will skip the parade.

Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked cellphone internet in Moscow for several days to avert Ukrainian drone attacks.

Last week, Putin floated the idea of a ceasefire for Victory Day this year, too, in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russian media reported Monday that the country's cellphone operators have begun to warn their customers of cellphone internet restrictions in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the coming days.

—— This story was first published on May. 4, 2026. It was updated on May. 8, 2026 to correct that Fico will go to Moscow but will not attend the parade.

In a political shift Thursday, the International Olympic Committee said athletes from Belarus should once again compete with their full national identity and not be vetted for neutral status, even as the war in Ukraine continues.

“The International Tennis Federation confirms that the IOC’s announcement does not change its existing position regarding the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations’ suspensions, which remain in place,” the ITF said.

“The membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation will be considered at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the ITF’s voting member nations,” the international federation added.

Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, is a four-time Grand Slam winner. Medvedev, who is from Russia, won the U.S. Open in 2021 and is now ranked No. 9.

Since the war began, tennis players from Belarus and Russia have had to play with their countries unnamed and without flags next to their names. Both countries have also been banned from the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup and other ITF team competitions; and tennis events in the countries were canceled.

___

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

On the Republican side, state Rep. John Lujan is hoping to overcome President Donald Trump’s endorsement of his opponent, Carlos De La Cruz, by winning over voters in the subset of the district he already represents in the Texas House. For Democrats, Bexar County sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia is pitching himself as an “old-school, common-sense, law-and-order Democrat,” which he said is needed to win against a Republican. He’s up against housing reform activist Maureen Galindo, who finished ahead of Garcia in March despite a meager fundraising haul of under $10,000.

The seat’s new boundaries take in less than 10% of its current constituency. The new 35th covers parts of San Antonio and Guadalupe, Wilson and Karnes counties to the east. If the updated lines had existed in 2024, Trump would have won the seat by about 10 points.

But the GOP-led redraw also created a Hispanic-majority district, and Democrats have set their sights on maintaining control of the seat by capitalizing on what polls have shown to be a leftward shift of Hispanic voters since Trump took office.

• Population race/ethnicity: 57% Hispanic, 31% white, 9% Black, 3% Asian
• 2024 presidential results in district: Trump + 10 (Trump 54.6%, Harris 44.2%)
• Counties in district: Bexar, Guadalupe, Karnes, Wilson
• Cities in district: San Antonio, Cibolo, Converse, New Braunfels, Schertz, Seguin, Universal City, among others

Campaign site

Carlos De La Cruz

Republican

💰 Campaign finance:

• Total raised: $513,000
• Total spent: $375,000
• Cash on hand: $138,000

💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:

• Defending Our Values PAC , a super PAC focused on AI safety and regulation: $480,000
• Strong PAC, a super PAC funded by Club for Growth Action : $243,000
• Billionaire Paul Singer
• Real estate developer and businessman and chair of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Ross Perot Jr.
• Hispanic Leadership Trust PAC

Experience:

• Served 20 years in the Air Force and was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S. southern border
• Opened a kickboxing gym with his wife in San Antonio in 2018

Endorsements:

• President Donald Trump
• House Speaker Mike Johnson
• U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg; Carlos De La Cruz’s sister

Policy stances:

• Strengthen border security by funding immigration enforcement and increasing border infrastructure, technology and personnel
• Improve healthcare access by supporting policies that encourage transparency for insurance companies, expand options for small businesses and train medical professionals in underserved communities 
• Support domestic artificial intelligence innovation through strategic export controls and cut regulations for cryptocurrency technology
• Make energy more affordable for consumers by rolling back clean energy regulations 

In the news:

• AI-aligned super PACs are pouring millions into Texas congressional races 
• Big money moved the needle and down-ballot chaos reigned in Texas’ action-packed primaries
• Republican Carlos De La Cruz announces run for redrawn 35th Congressional District  

How to contact or learn more:info@carlosforcongress.com Carlos De La Cruz for CongressAttn: Legal CounselP.O. Box 2072Universal City, TX 78148Link to campaign site

Campaign site

John Lujan

Republican

💰 Campaign finance:

• Total raised: $528,000
• Total spent: $448,000
• Cash on hand: $79,000

💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:

• GOPAC Election Fund , a longtime national Republican PAC: $110,000
• Charter Schools Action PAC : $24,000
• Wallace Jefferson, former Texas Supreme Court chief justice
• Former Texas Secretary of State and San Antonio mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos
• International Association of Firefighters — $5,000

Experience:

• State representative since 2021, when he flipped a Democratic-held seat
• Served for 25 years as a firefighter in the San Antonio Fire Department and was previously a deputy in the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department
• Briefly held state House seat from 2016 through early 2017

Endorsements:

• Gov. Greg Abbott
• U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie
• Deputy Sheriff’s Organization of Bexar County
• Hispanic Republicans of Texas
• San Antonio Express-News

Policy stances:

• Opposes the Dignity Act, a bipartisan immigration reform bill that would invest $10 billion in border security and offer legal status to some undocumented immigrants who arrived before 2021, because he argues it allows for amnesty on a large scale
• Provide youth support through improvements for child welfare, education and reform for the juvenile justice system, including providing pathways for at-risk youth
• Reduce government waste and support small businesses to strengthen economic development, and continue advocating for property tax cuts

In the news:

• Texas Rep. John Lujan files to run in redrawn 35th Congressional District 
• Texas Democrats went “all in” to protect a San Antonio-area House seat from flipping. The GOP still took it. 
• Hispanic GOP candidates could reshape Texas’ congressional delegation — if they can win Hispanic voters

How to contact or learn more:john@votelujan.com20003 FM 1937San Antonio, TX 78221Link to campaign site

Campaign site

Maureen Galindo

Democrat

💰 Campaign finance:

• Total raised: $9,000
• Total spent: $11,000
• Cash on hand: $2,000

💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:

• Ricardo Villarreal, Democrat who lost to Rep. Henry Cuellar in the primary

Experience:

• Housing justice activist who helped create a rental assistance program during the COVID-19 pandemic 
• Ran unsuccessfully for San Antonio City Council in 2025

Endorsements:

• John Lira and Whitney Masterson-Moyes, Galindo’s Democratic opponents in the primary
• Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption
• Bexar County Tejano Democrats
• Citizens’ Impeachment

Policy stances:

• Fully fund veterans’ disability benefits and provide access to healthcare and housing for life by taxing the arms industry 
• End for-profit detention centers and dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and end U.S. economic and political influence in Central and South America
• Place a moratorium on data center development in Texas and invest in clean energy 
• Guarantee abortion access, end for-profit reproductive care and focus on abortion prevention through education and social support

In the news:

• Redrawn to favor GOP, Texas’ 35th Congressional District attracts competitive primaries in both parties 
• Meet housing activist Maureen Galindo, who rode a shoestring campaign to a high-profile congressional runoff 

How to contact or learn more:maureengalindo@maureenforUScongress.com Link to campaign site

Campaign site

Johnny Garcia

Democrat

💰 Campaign finance:

• Total raised: $247,000
• Total spent: $205,000
• Cash on hand: $42,000

💰 Notable donors and outside spending support this cycle:

• BDA PAC, the political action committee of centrist Democratic caucus Blue Dog Coalition : $300,000
• Former Bexar County Judge and San Antonio Mayor Nelson Wolff
• Former San Antonio City Council member and mayoral candidate Manny Pelaez

Experience:

• Bexar County Sheriff’s Office public information officer 
• Served on patrol and the SWAT Crisis Negotiation Team
• Led the Inmate Worker Program, a second-chance initiative for rehabilitation, as a corrections officer

Endorsements:

• TX-15 Democratic nominee Bobby Pulido
• San Antonio Express-News
• TX-33 Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth
• Democratic Majority for Israel PAC

Policy stances:

• Increase federal grant funding for local law enforcement, including more resources for drug treatment and mental health
• End Trump’s tariffs, which he says are threatening manufacturing jobs in the San Antonio area and driving higher everyday costs
• Create pathways to higher paying jobs through apprenticeship programs and workforce development training 
• Prevent members of Congress from trading stocks

In the news:

• How Johnny Garcia rose from sheriff’s deputy to a high-profile congressional candidate
• National Democrats backing Johnny Garcia in TX-35 runoff in rare move
• Statewide battles, Latino voters and down-ballot contests: the biggest Texas political stories to watch in 2026

How to contact or learn more:

info@votejohnnygarcia.comPO BOX 14117San Antonio, Texas, 78214Link to campaign site

Unfortunately, 23 worthy projects requested a total of $4.2 billion, prompting the state to deny 13 of them — the first time the SWIFT fund had to say no to an applicant in its 11-year history.

It was lamentable timing for a state plagued by a brutal drought and aging water infrastructure.

“We have more demand than we actually have the capacity to fulfill this year,” said Marvin Cole-Chaney, director of program administration and reporting for the Texas Water Development Board, which administers SWIFT, the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas.

One of the denied projects is a desalination plant with the potential to create 100 million gallons of drinking water a day along the Coastal Bend in South Texas — an area including Corpus Christi, which is in the grips of a devastating drought.

The denial surprised John Byrum, executive director of the Nueces River Authority, which proposed building the plant as a critical source of water for Coastal Bend cities. 

Under the scoring system used to set priorities for SWIFT, the river authority’s plant ranked 11th. The top 10 proposals will next submit more-detailed applications for the money. 

“We really thought our project would rate higher,” Byrum said. “We were disappointed.” 

The river authority requested $140 million to fuel plans to build a seawater desalination plant in Harbor Island, which sits within the cities of Aransas Pass and Port Aransas. A desalination plant filters salt and other minerals out of seawater to make it drinkable.

The proposed project, which received federal permitting in September and is projected to cost $3.2 billion, would distribute water to cities, water districts and businesses across South Texas, including Corpus Christi, which is nearing a water crisis. The coastal city is one of the biggest water suppliers in the region and may be just months away from a water crisis as its main reservoirs have shriveled to below 8% capacity. 

Corpus Christi paid $2.7 million to the river authority to reserve an option to buy 50 million gallons of water a day once the Harbor Island desalination plant is running.

City leaders are bracing for a Level 1 water emergency, the point when the water supply is projected to be 180 days from falling short of demand, which could be triggered as soon as September. Commissioners in Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, voted unanimously last week to declare a county-wide water emergency, restricting residents’ outdoor watering. 

SWIFT offers low-interest loans with extended and flexible repayment plans. The water development board said the denied projects may be eligible for other funding options, such as the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, but Byrum believes the SWIFT fund should place a higher priority on an area’s need for water.

The water development board considers several factors when prioritizing projects, ranking them on a scoring sheet with a maximum score of 86. Projects can earn the most points by serving large populations, with readiness and water conservation among other factors also taken into account. 

A project’s “emergency need” carries little weight, earning a maximum five points.

None of the 10 highest-ranked projects earned any points for “emergency need,” a designation restricted to public water systems where supply is expected to fall short of demand within 180 days, federal money was sought or received to deal with the emergency, or the need for water will occur a decade sooner than anticipated by state planners.

The Harbor Island plant, despite targeting an area that critically needs water, earned no emergency need points and lost potential points because it is in rural Nueces County with a relatively low population. Its score of 62 was just one point behind the 10th-place project. 

This year’s 10 highest-rated SWIFT projects span the state, including the Riverbend Water Resources District — the top-rated project on the SWIFT scorecard. Riverbend is seeking $2.98 million to assess and expand water infrastructure to meet Texarkana’s growing population.

The North Texas Municipal Water District is asking for nearly $419 million for a pipeline and treatment plant in Leonard, a town in Fannin County. The water district is also receiving around $611 million to design a new raw water pump station. 

Money is also being directed to South Texas, where the Hidalgo County Drainage District made a pitch for $120 million for its proposed Santa Cruz Reservoir. 

Byrum said the Nueces River Authority is going to apply for the water board’s other funding programs, as well as seek private funding, in hopes of getting the Harbor Island desalination plant built. 

SWIFT was created by the Texas Legislature and approved by voters in 2013, allowing the one-time transfer of $2 billion from the state’s rainy day fund. Revenue bonds over the next 50 years, starting in 2015, will finance around $27 billion in water supply projects through SWIFT. 

To date, the water development board has committed about $17.2 billion in SWIFT money to 76 projects. The agency estimates the funding saved entities almost $2.1 billion over the life of the debt compared to market rates.

In Texas, where Republicans dominate state leadership and Democrats hold sway in many big cities, the GOP governor is turbocharging the use of financial threats to force compliance on matters that typically fall under local control.

The latest state-local clash came earlier this week after Texas conservatives protested plans to hold a Muslim-only celebration at a water park owned by Grand Prairie. Although organizers modified advertising to welcome anybody wearing modest attire to the June 1 Epic Eid event, Abbott weighed in Wednesday to demand the event be scrapped.

“That’s religious discrimination. It’s unconstitutional.” Abbott posted on X.

“The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th,” he added. If not, the governor warned, Grand Prairie would lose $530,000 in public safety grants.

Within hours, the North Texas city canceled the event, telling The Texas Tribune doing so was in its “best interest.”

More than 40 Democratic state lawmakers responded Thursday with a letter urging the governor to withdraw the threat, saying Abbott acted to improperly exclude participants from a public facility based on their religion. The event had been held without controversy in the two previous years, the letter added. 

Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said the funding hold had been lifted, “and the Governor expects full contract compliance moving forward.”

“Every Texan, regardless of their faith, is entitled to equal treatment in public spaces,” Mahaleris said in a statement. “Governor Abbott will continue to use every necessary tool to ensure local governments follow the law and do not facilitate discrimination at taxpayer expense.”

Abbott’s Grand Prairie showdown followed successful efforts last month to force Houston, Dallas and Austin to quickly change policies limiting police cooperation with federal immigration agents. The governor threatened to take back nearly $150 million in public safety grants from the three cities, and Dallas was warned that it also risked more than $55 million in public safety funding for World Cup events.

The spree of demands was not the first time Abbott has used this playbook.

The governor threatened to withhold state grants from the Dallas County sheriff in 2015 and the Travis County sheriff in 2017 to protest policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration agents. In October, Abbott warned cities and counties they could lose transportation funding if they don’t remove road markings that “advance political agendas,” including rainbow crosswalks that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

Abbott’s increasing threats of financial retribution, political experts say, are another sign of Republicans embracing the use of executive power to achieve policy goals — even in Texas, where the state’s constitution grants somewhat limited power to governors.

“This is an interesting use of executive power in a state that technically envisions the governor is weak constitutionally,” said Joshua Blank, research director with the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

Two conditions make that possible, he said.

First, Blank said, Republican lawmakers “almost uniformly support” Abbott’s goals and aren’t likely to push back.

“But the second is this overall embrace within the Republican Party of executive action that’s hard not to look at as a consequence of Trump’s approach to the presidency,” he added.

Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said the Texas governor role started evolving into a more “muscular” office under former Gov. Rick Perry, who used political appointments, executive orders and vetoes to increase the office’s impact. Abbott has “taken it even farther in some ways,” he said.

“He, more so than Perry, is the kind of true leader of the Republican Party,” Rottinghaus said. “Perry did so with finesse, and Governor Abbott’s doing so with force. … That’s a rarity in Texas. That’s a new phenomenon.”

Abbott’s recent funding threats have also produced quick wins on hot-button issues important to his Republican base — immigration and perceived threats posed by Islam — amid a tense election cycle.

Anti-Islam rhetoric has been a central issue in this year’s Republican primaries, with conservative activists pushing party leaders to take a harder line against Muslims and candidates claiming Muslim immigrants wish to impose their values on other Texans.

In addition, Blank said, Abbott’s focus on police interaction with ICE provides another inroad to Republican voters, fewer and fewer of whom now consider immigration or border security to be the state’s most pressing issue under the second Trump administration.

“It took away one of, if not the primary issue that Republicans in Texas have used to mobilize their voters,” he said. “So what we have now is a turn towards Texas cities, in this case, to raise the immigration issue.”

Disclosure: University of Houston and University of Texas at Austin 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 Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The four women and nine children, who have spent years in Roj camp in the Syrian desert, landed on two Qatar Airways flights from Doha on Thursday despite the Australian government warning they would face charges if they returned.

Kawsar Abbas, 53, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, were charged in a Melbourne court in relation to allegations that their family bought a female Yazidi slave for $10,000, police said in a statement.

Their lawyers said they would apply for both women to be released on bail on Monday. Neither woman spoke during their brief court appearance. Bail was formally denied.

Abbas, her husband and children traveled in 2014 to Syria, which was then the center of IS’s co-called caliphate, police allege.

Abbas was complicit in buying the slave, who was kept in the family home, police allege.

The mother was charged with four crimes against humanity under Australian law, and the daughter was charged with two slavery crimes. Each charge carries a potential penalty of 25 years in prison.

Both women were detained by Kurdish forces in March 2019 and have been held with other family members at Roj camp since.

The camp in northeast Syria near the Iraq border houses mostly women and children who were displaced from areas that were once controlled by the Islamic State group.

Janai Safar, 32, was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with being a member of a terrorist organization and with entering or remaining in a region controlled by a terrorist organization. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

A judge refused to release her on Friday when she applied for bail in a Sydney court where she appeared via video link from a prison.

Her lawyer unsuccessfully argued that exceptional circumstances in her case warranted her release from custody. The lawyer submitted that both Safar and her 9-year-old son were likely both suffering from PTSD and the boy knew no one else in Australia.

Police allege she followed her IS-fighter partner to Syria in 2015 and had a child there. The partner reportedly died in 2017. Australia made it illegal to travel to the former Syrian Islamic State group stronghold of Raqqa without a legitimate reason from 2014 to 2017.

The Australian government has condemned the women for supporting Islamic State militants by traveling to Syria and refused to help repatriate them.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday he had sympathy for the returned children, but none for the parents who could expect no government support.

“I have absolutely zero sympathy for these people,” Albanese told reporters. “I do have sympathy for the children, who are victims of decisions that their parents have made.”

“It is appropriate that they undergo support: children who've been subject and exposed to all sorts of horrors in those camps,” Albanese added.

Police have been investigating Australians’ potential involvement in atrocities in Syria for more than a decade.

Another 21 Australian women and children remain in Roj camp. Their supporters have told reporters they intend to repatriate them within weeks.

One of those women is banned from returning to Australia by a temporary exclusion order.

Australia can use such orders to prevent high-risk citizens from returning for up to two years.

The orders were created by laws introduced to in 2019 to prevent defeated IS fighters from returning to Australia. There are no public reports of an order being issued before.

Such orders can’t be made against children younger than 14. But Australia has ruled out separating children from their mothers.

Australian governments have repatriated Australian women and children from Syrian detention camps on two occasions. Other Australians have returned without government assistance.

Magyar's center-right Tisza party defeated Orbán's nationalist-populist Fidesz in a landslide victory last month, gaining more votes and seats in parliament than any other party in Hungary's post-Communist history.

It was an earthquake mandate that will allow Tisza to roll back many of the policies that gave Orbán a reputation among many of his critics as a far-right authoritarian, and to dig into the economic system which led to the spectacular enrichment of many his allies and family members.

But before his work of governing begins, Magyar has called on Hungarians to an all-day “regime-change” celebration on Saturday to mark his inauguration — and the end of the Orbán era.

“We will step through the gateway of regime change with a huge party. Come along, and invite your family and friends!” Magyar wrote in a social media post Sunday.

Magyar's priorities

Magyar, a 45-year-old lawyer who formed Tisza in 2024 after spending years as an insider within Orbán's party, has vowed to do away with official corruption which he argues has robbed Hungarians of economic opportunity.

One of his top priorities is unlocking about 17 billion euros ($20 billion) of European Union funds for Hungary that were frozen during Orbán's time in office over rule-of-law and corruption concerns. That money is sorely needed to help jump-start Hungary's struggling economy, which has stagnated for the last four years.

Magyar has also promised to repair his country's ties with its EU partners that Orbán had pushed to the breaking point, and to restore Hungary's place among Western democracies that had come under question as Orbán drifted ever closer to Russia.

In a sign of that commitment, Tisza officials say they will once again fly the EU flag on the parliament building's facade, beginning on Saturday, after Orbán's government removed it in 2014.

Despite wide jubilation over the end of Orbán's reign, many of the nearly 3.4 million Hungarians that voted for Tisza expect Magyar to hold Fidesz officials and their business allies accountable for the perceived misconduct of the outgoing administration.

Magyar plans to form the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, an authority tasked with investigating and seeking to recover public funds misused during Orbán’s tenure. He's also vowed to suspend the news services of Hungary's public broadcaster — widely seen as a mouthpiece of Orbán's party — until objectivity can be restored.

Tisza is also expected to conduct a major overhaul of much of Hungary’s governmental structure, and to create separate ministries for health, environmental protection and education that did not exist under Orbán.

Magyar has said he will restore competence to Hungary's government, and has nominated numerous officials to cabinet positions who are internationally recognized in their fields.

The incoming leader has tipped diplomat and foreign policy expert Anita Orbán, who is not related to the outgoing prime minister, for minister of foreign affairs, former Shell executive István Kapitány for minister of economy and energy, and economist András Kármán for minister of finance.

‘Farewell to the system’

Magyar is set to take his oath of office around 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, after which he will address the crowd outside. In an invitation to the event, he promised artistic performances and surprise guests.

The liberal mayor of Hungary's capital Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, has also announced a “system-closing” party along the Danube River, an event he said is meant to show gratitude to Hungarians who have spent years speaking out against Orbán's system.

“Teachers fired, civilians and journalists humiliated, small churches torn apart,” Karácsony wrote in a social media post. “We can finally leave this era behind us — but first, let us remember the everyday heroes and express our gratitude with a farewell to the system.”

Peter Wai and Bill Yuen, both dual Chinese and British nationals, posed as legitimate police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather information about Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy supporters, prosecutors said.

A jury in the Central Criminal Court in London found them guilty on charges they violated the National Security Act by assisting a foreign spy service. Wai was also convicted of misconduct in a public office.

“These convictions send a clear message that transnational repression, foreign interference, unauthorized surveillance, and attempts to operate outside the law will not be tolerated on British soil," said Bethan David, head of counterterrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service. “This conduct was deliberate, coordinated and carried out with full knowledge of who it would benefit.”

Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was summoned to the British Foreign Office after the convictions.

“The activities carried out by these men, on behalf of China, are an infringement of our sovereignty and will never be tolerated," Security Minister Dan Jarvis said in a statement. “We will continue to hold China to account and challenge them directly for actions which put the safety of people in our country at risk.”

Hong Kong's government said it wasn't a party to the case, but firmly opposed “unfounded allegations” against it or the London trade office.

China's embassy in the U.K. said it was a political farce orchestrated by Britain through the abuse of law and manipulation of judicial procedures. It alleged the U.K.'s aim was supporting anti-China forces who fled to Britain and smeared both Beijing and Hong Kong governments.

“We strongly condemn this and have lodged serious representations with the British side,” it said.

It urged the U.K. to stop what it called anti-China political manipulation, adding that China will take necessary measures to safeguard its interests.

Wai, 40, worked as a U.K. Border Force officer and was a special City of London constable and ran a private security company.

Yuen, 65, was formerly a superintendent in the Hong Kong Police employed in London by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, the official overseas representative of Hong Kong’s government.

Hong Kong authorities had offered up to nearly 100,000 pounds ($136,000) for the capture of, or information about, pro-democracy supporters

Yuen went beyond his job description as office manager and helped gather intelligence on the locations of and activities of Hong Kong activists and politicians who had moved to the U.K. in recent years after authorities introduced a wide-ranging national security law in the Asian financial hub, prosecutors said.

Wai, who was paid from a trade office account, was convicted of misconduct for misusing police computer systems while off duty to gather the information, prosecutors said.

Phone messages showed the two conducted surveillance of former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law and activists they referred to as “cockroaches.”

Yuen told Wai to pay special attention to members of Parliament or government employees and in 2023 provided the name of prominent politicians, including Conservative lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith, a co-chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

The plot was discovered after counterterror police, conducting their own surveillance, disrupted an operation involving nine people as they tried to break into the northern England home of a woman from Hong Kong in May 2024, police said.

The woman, Monica Kwong, had been accused by her former employer, Beijing-based Australian businesswoman Tina Zou, of committing a 16 million pound ($21.8 million) fraud. Kwong claimed it was a setup.

The group arrested at Kwong's home in West Yorkshire included Zou, Wai, and two other retired Hong Kong police officers. Yuen, who was in contact with the group, was arrested in London.

Investigators then began piecing together communications evidence to show Wai was assigned by Yuen to spy for Hong Kong and China.

The two men were charged along with Matthew Trickett, a U.K. immigration enforcement officer, who had also been arrested at Kwong's home. He was later found dead in a suspected suicide. Zou was never charged.

The panel could not reach verdicts on charges that the men committed foreign interference by breaking into Kwong's home.

___

Associated Press reporter Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

___

The age of Peter Wai has been corrected. He is 40 not 38.

Fifty active-duty service members and their families stationed in San Antonio were invited to Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“We can’t say thank you enough to our military. Families here in San Antonio, they make San Antonio an amazing place,” said Randy Termeer, USAA property & casualty insurance president.

The fun started before tipoff as Spurs legends Sean Elliott and Bruce Bowen, along with Jacob Tobey, answered questions from the crowd.

Fans also took home signed photos of Elliott and Bowen after taking pictures with the former players.

One current service member said the event was a nice change of scenery along with gratitude.

“It’s cool that the Spurs were able to give back,” said Charles Giertz, who has been with the Air Force for 16 years. “Doing stuff like this kind of rejuvenates us in what we do every day.”

More Spurs coverage on KSAT:

• Spurs guard’s wife Anissa McLaughlin’s posts brings fans inside NBA family life, motherhood
• How to watch the Spurs in the NBA playoffs: Streaming options, watch parties and more
• Where do you go to cheer on the Spurs? Let us know on KSAT Connect!

The San Antonio Police Department said the American Staffordshire Terrier bit the woman’s face and left her with serious injuries. Neighbors who live on Arch Bridge told KSAT they’ve had problems with this dog before.

SAPD said the woman’s granddaughter and her boyfriend were visiting and brought a pit bull to the home.

The granddaughter and her boyfriend were outside the home with the dog. When the 80-year-old woman stepped outside, officers said the dog attacked her face. SAPD stated that the granddaughter was able to take the dog off the woman and contain it.

The older woman was later hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the department said. SAPD and ACS located the dog inside the home.

SAPD said officers had been called to that home six times in the last year, two of those were for animal bites.

Beatrice Funderburk said her daughter was one of those cases.

Just last week, the dog “ran towards my daughter, broke off the chain and knocked her over to the street,” Funderburk said. “As soon as it knocked her over, it started attacking her.”

Funderburk shared photos with KSAT that show bite marks and bruises on her daughter from the dog. She said over the last week, both SAPD and ACS had been investigating.

Because Funderburk didn’t know the dog’s medical history, she said her daughter has been getting Rabies shots.

A spokesperson for ACS said in the Funderburk case, the “animal’s owner was uncooperative and did not comply with legal quarantine orders.”

Nancy Guevara lives down the road. She had similar concerns.

“We’ve been dealing with this for about a year,” Guevara said. “Every single time we saw (the dog), we were afraid because it’s a big dog.”

ACS did not specify what would happen to the dog or if the dog’s owner would face criminal charges or citations.

Read more:

• Woman, 80, hospitalized after pit bull bites her face outside home on Northwest Side, SAPD says

Game 3 is Saturday in Cleveland, where the Cavs were 4-0 in the first round against Toronto.

The top-seeded Pistons have won five straight games since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in the first round.

“We're going to keep swinging,” reserve guard Daniss Jenkins said. “We're still trying to prove something to ourselves.”

Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Jarrett Allen had 22 points and seven rebounds, bouncing back from a poor performance in Game 1 for the fourth-seeded Cavs.

James Harden, though, missed 10 of 13 shots and was limited to 10 points. Harden had four turnovers, including one with 33 seconds left when the Cavs trailed by just six.

“We just wear on you,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s what our objective is.”

Cleveland's Max Strus scored just three points after he had 19 in the series opener. The Cavs went 0 for 11 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, with Strus having four of the misses.

“Unfortunately, it was not a night where we shot the ball well — 7 of 32 from 3,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Detroit’s Duncan Robinson had 17 points, making 5 of 9 3-pointers, and Jenkins came off the bench to score 14 points, his third straight game in double figures.

“I don’t think people can keep up with my pace and my speed,” Jenkins said.

Cleveland made the first shot but didn’t lead again until Evan Mobley’s dunk put the visitors ahead 81-79 early in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons led by 11 points in the first quarter and 14 in the second quarter.

“I don’t know what it is with the start of games,” Atkinson said. "They came out super aggressive of course, but it’s the playoffs. Obviously, we haven’t figured that one out. Still back to the drawing board.”

The Cavs scored the first six points of the final quarter and Detroit responded with plays at both ends of the court.

Robinson had a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 9:40 left and Cunningham made a 3-pointer to put the Pistons ahead by nine points with 2:12 to go, sealing the victory.

Cavs reserve guard Sam Merrill missed Game 2 with a hamstring injury after he was hurt in in the series opener.

___

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

FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS

• TONIGHT: Cloudy and cool, stray sprinkles
• FRIDAY EVENING/NIGHT: Highest chance for storms, severe weather possible
• SATURDAY: Early morning shower, then sunny
• MOTHER’S DAY: Mostly sunny and warm

FORECAST

RAIN CHANCES FRIDAY, EARLY SATURDAY

An upper-level low will help generate storms late Friday evening starting near the Rio Grande then pushing eastward toward San Antonio.

While widespread severe weather is not anticipated, a few strong storms are possible, and locally heavy rainfall should help to put another dent in the drought. Most of the storms should be done by sunrise Saturday with a lot of sunshine most of the day.

MOTHER’S DAY

Sunny and warm with afternoon temperatures in the lower 90s, and while most of the day will be quiet, a weak front is expected to arrive by the evening and could trigger a few showers after sunset.

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 NCAA on Thursday announced a long-expected expansion of its men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams each starting next season, explaining that it made the money part work by opening sponsorship opportunities to a long-restricted alcohol category.

“I would say that expansion would not have happened without that agreement,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball.

The new, 76-team brackets will jam eight extra games — for a total of 12 involving 24 teams — into the front half of the first week of each tournament. It will turn what’s now known as the First Four into a bigger affair that will now be called the March Madness Opening Round.

The 12 winners will move into the main 64-team bracket that will begin, as usual, on Thursday for the men and Friday for the women. In all, there will now be 120 games across the two tournaments over seven days to set the table for the Sweet 16s.

“Things will look a little different, but feel very, very similar,” said Amanda Braun, the women's tournament committee chair.

Because the added games were unlikely to sell themselves, the first expansion of the men’s tournament in 15 years — when it was bumped to 68 teams, followed by the women in 2022 — will be bankrolled by around $300 million in extra funding courtesy of new sponsorship opportunities for beer, wine, spirits and hard seltzer that includes more advertising space on CBS, TNT and other partners whose $8.8 billion deal runs through 2032.

The NCAA said it will distribute more than $131 million of the new revenue to schools that make the tournament.

A ‘money grab’ for big conferences and an opportunity for Cinderellas, as well

The number of at-large selections will increase from 37 to 44, ESPN reported, most of which are expected to go to teams from the power conferences that were already commanding the lion’s share of entries in the bracket. Two years ago, the Southeastern Conference placed a record 14 teams in the men’s bracket. Last season, the Big Ten had nine.

In an interview earlier this week, UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma spelled out the bottom line.

“This is strictly a money grab for the Power Four conferences to get teams that finished 6-10 in their conference to get into the tournament,” he said.

He also questioned the need to expand the women's bracket. Only seven of 32 round-of-64 games this year were decided by single digits compared to 11 for the men.

The move is a sign of the times, which includes massive expansion — the Atlantic Coast Conference, for instance, has grown from nine to 17 teams since 1996 — and the reality that mid-major schools with talented players will often see them plucked away by programs with bigger budgets and the ability to pay them through revenue sharing. The rich get richer.

Cinderella? There will still be room for those stirring runs in the tournaments, though not a single mid-major advanced past the first weekend of either tournament the last two seasons.

“As someone who has been both David, and won some, and Goliath, and lost some, that’s what makes this tournament special,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said earlier in the week. “We can’t afford to lose that special piece of our sport.”

This is not a huge concern of the decision-makers anymore, who will point to TV ratings that traditionally spell out fans’ preference for watching the likes of Duke and North Carolina over St. Peter’s and San Diego State, especially once the Sweet 16 starts.

“The impact on everyone was considered,” said Keith Gill, the men's tournament chairman. “We actually think it's, overall, going to be positive. And we think that's for folks at the autonomy level (Power Four) and folks that are non-autonomy.”

All conferences agreed, but big conferences pushed hardest

Gavitt said none of the 32 conferences in the NCAA objected to the proposal, though it's no secret the power leagues have been pushing this the hardest.

Those schools don't want to see promising teams left out of what remains the best postseason in college sports, especially in favor of lesser conference champions who earn automatic bids.

“You’ve got some really, really good teams who are going to end up in that 9, 10, 11 (seed) category that I think should be moved" into the 64-team bracket, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said last year in discussing how he favored expansion.

The new beer and wine money will add to what the NCAA can distribute in “units” that are earned for placing teams in the bracket and then for every round those teams advance. Last year, that amounted to about $350,000 per unit for the men’s tournament.

Some of that extra money will go to the small guys, too. This gives all the 16 seeds (and some 15s) a chance to play an evenly matched game in the play-in round, then maybe win that game and the extra “unit” that comes with it.

“Also, as we continue to grow our basketball profile, additional at-large spots positions" are possible, Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistrcill said.

Leaders in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC have all acknowledged that smaller programs help make March Madness what it is, all the while steadily expanding their own power in NCAA decision-making. That brings with it the tacit threat that they could split off and fracture the single thing the NCAA does best — the basketball tournament.

This move might forestall that. What it isn't expected to do is drastically change the TV element, at least not beyond the advertising component.

Gavitt said the new games will likely be part of tripleheaders on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The NCAA will find a site to join the traditional First Four host, Dayton, Ohio, for some of the games. Then, come Thursday, there will be 64 teams in a bracket and a tournament that looks comfortingly familiar: three weeks of hoops capped off by the Final Four.

Gavitt said it was impossible to predict what might come after the current TV deal expires but that 76 teams is “maxing out the opportunity here.”

“Anything’s possible, I guess, in 2032 or beyond,” he said. “But I can say with confidence that this is the format that will be in place through 2032, and, we think, for a long time after that.”

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AP March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Canvas, said Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emisoft. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment or questions about whether the system was taken down as a precaution or because the hackers knocked it offline.

Canvas is used to manage grades, course notes, assignments, lecture videos and more. The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed, Connolly said.

Students quickly took to social media to ask if others were unable to access Canvas, with many panicking that they could no longer view course materials housed within the platform to study for their final exams.

Screen shots Connolly provided showed that the group began threatening Sunday to leak the trove of data, giving deadlines of Thursday and May 12. Connolly said the later date indicates that discussions regarding extortion payments may be ongoing.

Rich in digitized data, the nation’s schools are prime targets for far-flung criminal hackers, who are assiduously locating and scooping up sensitive files that not long ago were committed to paper in locked cabinets. Past attacks have hit Minneapolis Public Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Instructure has not posted about the attack on its social media.

Connolly said the Canvas attack is strikingly similar to a breach at PowerSchool, which also offers learning management tools. In that case a Massachusetts college student was charged.

Connolly described ShinyHunters as a loose affiliation of teenagers and young adults based in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The group also has been tied to a other attacks, including one aimed at Live Nation’s Ticketmaster subsidiary.

Universities and school districts quickly began notifying students and parents.

“This is being reported as a national-level cyber-security incident,” the director of information technology at the University of Iowa's College of Public Health wrote in announcing that the school's online system was down. “Hopefully we will have a resolution soon.”

Virginia Tech acknowledged in a notice to students that the administration was aware of the effect on final exams and other end-of-semester activities. The University of New Mexico sent a similar message to the campus community, and the University of Florida urged students to stay alert for any phishing messages that appear to be from Canvas.

Teachers say they are having to find workarounds to help students study for exams and submit final assignments.

Damon Linker, a senior lecturer in the political science department at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a post on the social media platform X that his students had been relying on Canvas to access every reading from the semester and all of his lecture slides before their Monday final exams. The outage leaves students and faculty “dead in the water here in academia right now,” he said.

The student newspaper at Harvard reported that the system there was down as well. Students at Johns Hopkins University simply got an error message when trying to view their final grades on the platform Thursday. And public school districts also sought to reassure parents, with officials in Spokane, Washington, writing that they aren't “aware of any sensitive data contained in this breach.”

Some schools, such as the University of Texas at San Antonio, announced they were pushing back finals scheduled for Friday in response to the outage.

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This story has been corrected to attribute a quote to the director of information technology at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health, not the university's broader information technology lead.

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Associated Press journalist Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.