The Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days and potentially salvaged their season in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that included President Donald Trump.

>> Where to score free food, coffee and more after every Spurs NBA Finals win

The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of their first championship since 1973.

Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped. Now they can tie the series Wednesday night and are guaranteed another game at home, with Game 5 scheduled for Saturday. KSAT is the official broadcast station for all the NBA action.

Castle finished with 23 points as the Spurs got started in their quest to become the first team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two at home.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and OG Anunoby had 28 for the Knicks, who lost for the first time since April 23 in Game 3 of their first-round series against Atlanta.

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

Chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” echoed through the arena as Avery Wilson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner," but they they gave way to boos moments later as Trump was displayed on the jumbo screens giving a military salute. The jeers ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited vociferous boos.

The president was unfazed. “It was, I think, mostly cheers,” he told reporters after the game before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. “It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”

Trump watched Game 3 from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum. He sat next to Dolan for the first quarter and spent part of the second talking to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman.

Trump’s Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying “Trump must go.”

He settled into Dolan's suite shortly afterward.

During the afternoon before Trump's arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year’s Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game.

They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with going through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security.

New Yorkers forced to adjust

After traveling from his home in Florida for the game, Knicks fan Greg Weldon said the main inconvenience faced so far has been the lack of information.

“We’ve asked so many cops, secret service, guys with machine guns, what to do, where should we go,” he said. “Nobody knows.”

Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump.

“There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,” Johnson said.

With security stepped up, a watch party outside was canceled, and ticket-holders were not allowed to bring bags inside the Garden. Fans had gathered near the arena to watch games during this playoff run, during which the Knicks have won 13 games in a row to reach the final for the first time since 1999 and move two victories from their first NBA title since 1973.

“We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Monday. "But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden.”

The Knicks’ streak was broken Monday night, with the Spurs winning 115-111. Game 4 will be played Wednesday night at the Garden.

Incidents heighten attention to Trump's security

This is the latest major sporting event Trump has attended during his time as president, and the security measures have created major hassles for fans.

Thousands of fans missed the start of last year’s U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner because of lengthy security lines. Even though the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still couldn’t get in because added measures meant that they had to go through screening not only when they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite.

Federal law enforcement officials have been reexamining Trump’s security in light of three incidents in the past two years: a shooting at a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the discovery of a man armed with a rifle as Trump played golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, later that year; and the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Asked Sunday his thoughts on Trump attending, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said: “Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries were also at the game, as were Yankees Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning of the Giants.

It was already hard enough for Knicks fans to get inside Madison Square Garden because of astronomical ticket prices. The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, surging over $5,000.

The best seats were listed for tens of thousands of dollars. Mamdani said he bought his ticket, which he said was standing-room-only, for about $1,000 directly from Madison Square Garden.

The difficulty of seeing the game in-person has prompted fans to crowd bars, streets and watch parties all over the city. The watch party near the Garden has become a major event all through the playoffs, but with Trump attending, that event was moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at Bryant Park.

“We improvise,” said Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who is a New York native. "We're New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”

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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.

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

Since 2023, the Scandinavian country’s center-right coalition government has pursued a policy prioritizing more reading time and less screen time, particularly among preschool students, by favoring books and other traditional learning tools.

Lawmaker Joar Forsell, chairperson of the Swedish parliament's education committee, said officials have seen a decline in the general ability to read and write in Sweden, especially among younger students.

“We’re rolling the screens back because we believe that books and more traditional ways of learning are better for kids,” Forsell said.

Sweden’s plans are part of a broader shift and a digital reckoning against smartphones in schools internationally after countries outfitted their campuses with laptops, tablets and learning apps for their students. Classrooms have become saturated with screens and a growing number of parents, teachers and school districts say it is time to scale back.

In the Nordics, Denmark looks set to implement a similar ban to Sweden, and a law restricting use of mobile devices in schools in Finland came into effect last August. Other countries from Spain to South Korea have taken a variety of steps that range from a ban of mobile phones in classrooms to limits on screen-based homework.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the U.S., has said it will ban screens until second grade, require daily caps for screen time per grade, ban YouTube and require an audit of all education technology contracts.

Backing away from screens

Tech-savvy Sweden, which is home to music streamer Spotify and telecoms giant Ericsson, has one of the most digitally advanced education systems in the world. But the mobile ban aims to foster learning environments with fewer distractions by building on restrictions on phones already independently implemented by many schools in the nation of over 10 million.

Alongside the ban, the government this year set aside 555 million Swedish krona ($59 million) as part of a new grant for purchasing textbooks and teachers’ guides.

The back-to-books policy was triggered by falling reading levels. In the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, the latest study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 24.3% of Swedish ninth graders did not reach a basic level of reading comprehension. That figure is only slightly better than the European Union average of 26.2%.

Magnus Haake, an associate professor of cognitive science at Lund University in southern Sweden, said learning with physical materials engages the motor sensory part of kids’ brains and “boosts the whole system.”

Sweden also is taking steps outside of school: Its public health agency has provided advice to parents about being better role models on use of screens, like having the same “screen-free zones” at home as their kids do.

Removing mobile phones removes distractions

At the Malmö Borgarskola high school in southern Sweden, mobiles are already banned during classes. Students place their handsets in a box — nicknamed a “Mobile Hotel” — and pick them up at the end of class.

“When you have a phone, there’s always something to look at,” student Melina Sallahi, 17, said. “It’s less of a distraction.”

Classmate Vasilije Stjepanovic, also 17, said apps like games or social media are “more fun than learning,” adding that students can learn better by taking away the phones.

At the same time, every student is given a laptop computer. But Deputy Headmaster Patrik Sander said students are now discouraged from using them in class, unless teachers say so.

“Nowadays, we see the push going in the other direction,” Sander said. “We have pushed back, learning that writing with your hands and a pencil helps you remember.”

Starting last summer, Swedish children under 2 years old could use only nondigital materials such as books, and preschoolers in general face no requirement to use digital learning tools. A new curriculum to prioritize book-based learning is expected in 2028.

Divisions over digital reckoning in classrooms

Not everyone in the Nordic nation supports the shift away from digital learning.

Trade association Swedish Edtech Industry said in a report that 90% of all future jobs are expected to require digital skills. A lack of this knowledge could cause a skills shortage among young Swedes, a lack of innovation in the public sector and even increased unemployment, the report warned.

Peter Carlsson, CEO of Malmö-based startup Imvi Labs, which uses virtual reality headsets to train brain-eye coordination in children and adults, said not all screens disrupt learning and some software is “critical” to help children with learning or reading difficulties.

“By having good tools, the teaching can become more efficient,” he said.

But at Malmö Borgarskola, there is little concern over learning digital skills. One morning in May, students clutched textbooks and discussed Russian history as they prepared for end-of-year exams.

“Everyone uses digital devices during their free time, so I don’t think that’s something that should be taught in school,” student Melina Sallahi said. “It’s nothing I’m worried about.”

Classmate Aslan Özhan Kilicasan added, “We learn much more easily when we use books.”

After each Spurs victory, businesses are offering deals and freebies to fans across the city.

Here’s where to score deals and freebies for food and drinks:

Alamo Biscuit Company & Panadería

According to a news release, Alamo Biscuit Company & Panadería’s River Walk location is offering free homemade conchas the night after every Spurs playoff win.

The free food will be provided under the Alamo Biscuit Company sign on East Commerce Street to fans who honk.

Big Lou’s Pizza

The day after a playoff win, people can get a free one-topping medium pizza with the purchase of a large pizza. The pizza joint is located at 2048 S WW White Road.

Eightball Coffee

Eightball Coffee, which is located at 1432 S. St. Mary’s St., partnered with San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson to provide free coffee the following day after each San Antonio win from 8-10 a.m.

Fischer’s Neighborhood Market

Fischer’s Neighborhood Market is offering customers free hot coffee from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. the morning after every Spurs playoff win.

The deal is valid at participating San Antonio-area locations, according to a news release, and no purchase is necessary.

MAAR’s Pizza & More

The restaurant is giving away a free half order of garlic knots from 2-5 p.m. the day after a Spurs playoff win.

It is located at 14218 Nacogdoches Road. The limit is one per person per order.

Mural Roasters

At Mural Roasters, they are giving away a free 8-ounce drip coffee the morning after every Spurs playoff win, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Customers must show the final score at the register. Mural Roasters is located at 1333 Buena Vista St.

La Panadería

La Panadería will give out mini conchas for free after every Spurs win during the NBA Finals.

The promotion is available for the first 100 customers at each location who purchase an additional item.

La Popular Bakery

Multiple La Popular Bakery locations are offering one free glazed doughnut on each day after a San Antonio playoff win from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

The locations participating in the free doughnut offer include 2505 West Avenue and 1318 Cupples Road.

La Michoacana Meat Market

All La Michoacana Meat Market locations in San Antonio are handing out one free breakfast taco from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. after every Spurs win in the playoffs.

Taco Palenque

Taco Palenque will give out a free breakfast taco after every Spurs playoff win, according to a news release. Customers must use the coupon code “SPURSWIN” in the Taco Palenque app or present it in the restaurant.

The Taco Palenque offer is available at all of its locations from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., even outside of San Antonio, the release said.

Non-food freebies

Animal Care Services

Also, after every Spurs “W” throughout the playoff season, Animal Care Services is offering $0 adoption fees the next day for all available dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. ACS is located at 4710 State Highway 151.

Read more Spurs coverage from KSAT:

• Spurs gear gets you free food, deals at these San Antonio spots
• Former Spur Tiago Splitter to face San Antonio in 2026 NBA Playoffs
• NBA announces tipoff times, TV networks for first 4 Spurs-Trail Blazers playoff games
• NBA playoff odds show Spurs as No. 2 favorite to take home title

The Spurs defeated the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, 115-111.

In true Alamo City fashion, fans couldn’t wait to celebrate the “dub.”

As the final buzzer sounded, Spurs fans started to flock to Southwest Military Drive on the South Side and Commerce Street downtown for a round of honking, NBA Finals edition.

In the livestream above, TransGuide traffic cameras provide a live look at traffic conditions around the city as Spurs fans head home, gather for celebrations and continue the excitement following the team’s Finals opener win.

Drivers should also expect heavier-than-normal traffic as thousands of fans hit the streets following the game.

Additional congestion is possible near bars, restaurants and other venues hosting NBA Finals watch parties across San Antonio.

Stay with KSAT for continuing coverage of the Spurs’ NBA Finals run, including traffic updates, fan celebrations and postgame reaction from across the Alamo City.

Read also:

• From the Alamodome to the Frost Bank Center: How Spurs basketball has changed since 1999
• Free options to watch Spurs against Knicks in NBA Finals

Knicks fever reached a new peak Monday night, with New York hosting Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Shouts of “Let's go Knicks!” and “Knicks in four!” were heard throughout midtown Manhattan, with spirits up even as tight security measures for the presence of President Donald Trump caused hours-long lines to get in.

The excitement extended until just about the final buzzer, when the Spurs finished off a 115-111 victory that ended New York's 13-game postseason winning streak. San Antonio trimmed its series deficit to 2-1 and avoided getting pushed to the brink of elimination.

With the Knicks in the finals for the first time since 1999 and leading the best-of-seven series 2-0, their first home game this round was a hot ticket. The get-in price exceeded the average cost of rent in the biggest U.S. city.

“This is my son here, so taking him to the finals, you can’t really put a price on the experience,” said Greg Weldon, who flew in from Florida to attend a finals game as he did when New York won it all in 1970 and '73. “It’s like that commercial: The tickets, ridiculous; the hassle getting in, ridiculous — the experience, priceless.”

The cheapest upper-deck seats available were going for over $5,000 on resale platforms like StubHub, SeatGeek and VividSeats. The experience of being courtside carried a $75,000 price tag.

“I don’t care who you are, that’s a lot of money for a ticket,” said guard Jose Alvarado, a New York native who was planning a viewing party in Brooklyn and pointed out his Queens high school also is hosting one. “People that could afford it, we’re grateful with them coming out, and it just shows you our team is really special and we’re doing something here that hasn’t been done in a long time.”

The hoopla for Game 3 included the appearance by Trump, booed by fans when he was shown on arena video screens, as well as Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Yankees Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, Giants two-time Super Bowl-wining quarterback Eli Manning, actor Daniel Radcliff and more.

Trump's presence led to the cancellation of a planned watch party outside the arena. There was instead one a few blocks away in Bryant Park, which included police intervening in at least one altercation among people gathered, according to video from the scene.

Officers also shut down an unauthorized viewing party when the game was projected onto the side of a building on 33rd Street not far from The Garden.

The possibility of a sweep drove ticket prices up to more than $10,000 apiece over the weekend, and the price is about the same for an if-necessary Game 6, which is more likely now after San Antonio guaranteed a Game 5 back in Texas.

Fewer than 20,000 people will get the opportunity to attend each night in the Big Apple. Alvarado knows far more will be watching on television all over.

“The people that can’t afford it, we improvise,” he said. "We’re New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”

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Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo contributed to this report.

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

Wembanyama had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists, carrying the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-111 victory on Monday night that cut the Knicks’ lead to 2-1.

San Antonio is trying to make a first-of-its-kind NBA Finals comeback, and the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, with his array of skills, makes anything look possible.

“I’m sure Victor has numerous sources of motivation,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I don’t think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance.”

The Spurs handed the Knicks their first loss in 46 days and potentially salvaged their season in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that included President Donald Trump.

The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, snapped and missed a chance to move to the brink of their first championship since 1973.

Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox hit big shots late as the Spurs avoided falling into a 3-0 hole, which no NBA team has escaped. Now they can tie the series Wednesday night and are guaranteed another game at home, with Game 5 scheduled for Saturday.

Castle finished with 23 points as the Spurs got started in their quest to become the first team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two at home.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and OG Anunoby had 28 for the Knicks, who lost for the first time since April 23 in Game 3 of their first-round series against Atlanta.

Fans who endured long lines to get in with the extra security measures in place — and some who paid five-figure sums for the chance to do so — were treated to a back-and-forth game in the NBA Finals’ first trip to Madison Square Garden since 1999.

Wembanyama, whose turnover late in Game 2 ended the Spurs’ hopes, didn’t make many mistakes Monday. He had 10 points in the final quarter, helping the Spurs build just enough of a cushion to withstand another Brunson comeback attempt.

Minutes after Trump was loudly booed while shown during the national anthem, the Spurs got off to an ideal start. Wembanyama dunked for their first two baskets and they had a double-digit lead 4 1/2 minutes into the game. San Antonio made nine of its first 11 shots, with the Knicks and their fans frustrated by the referees and the home team’s sloppy play, and led 33-22 after one.

The Garden crowd didn’t really start to rock until Anunoby’s 3-pointer capped an 11-2 surge that cut it to 40-38. The Knicks got their first lead of the night on Brunson's 26-footer as part of a big burst to finish the half. New York led 64-57 at the break.

But the Spurs went back ahead in the third quarter and led 111-104 on Castle's 3-pointer with 1:53 to play. Castle then closed the scoring with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Anunoby's 3-pointer cut it to two.

The Knicks had piled up massive scoring margins while romping through the Eastern Conference playoffs, then were just good enough in the two games in San Antonio. This time, a horrible start to the fourth quarter put them too far behind.

A star-studded crowd that included Derek Jeter and Eli Manning, champions of New York teams in other sports, was hoping to see the Knicks move closer to what would be their third title. But with Karl-Anthony Towns limited to 11 points and Mikal Bridges saddled with foul trouble, a team that had been so potent in the postseason struggled for long stretches.

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

The list, updated and published Monday by the Pentagon, now sanctions well-known, non-state-owned Chinese companies that are not traditionally considered to be in the defense or security sector. It reflects growing wariness of Beijing’s strategy of tapping the strength of non-state businesses for military purposes.

Created in 2021 by a congressional mandate, the list seeks to identify Chinese companies that the Pentagon considers to have links to the Chinese military — not only those directly controlled by the Chinese military and security forces but also those contributing to the country's defense industrial base.

When updating the list last year, the Pentagon said the Chinese military sought to acquire advanced technologies and expertise developed by Chinese companies, universities and research programs that “appear to be civilian entities.”

The Chinese Embassy on Monday accused the U.S. of “overstretching the concept of national security and making discriminatory lists to go after Chinese companies.” It said Chinese companies observe the laws and regulations of the countries where they do business. “The U.S. should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies,” the embassy said in a statement.

Alibaba and Baidu said there is no basis for including them on the list. “Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy,” a statement from the leading e-commerce company said. Baidu, which has expanded into artificial intelligence and self-driving taxis, said the suggestion that it is a military company is “entirely baseless.”

This year's list has grown to 188 Chinese entities, up from last year's roughly 130 named by the Pentagon. It already had covered companies such as DJI, a major maker of consumer drones. While a company on the list can still do business in the U.S., it faces reputational damage and could be subject to more restrictions.

After the Pentagon released the updated list, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party called it “a warning to American businesses, all levels of government, and the American people." It said the companies on the list that are traded publicly on U.S. exchanges should be delisted and no American company should do business with those on the list, “otherwise they are enabling China's military ascendance.”

In naming Alibaba, the Pentagon said the tech giant helps boost China's defense industrial base because it is affiliated with the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Alibaba is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Pentagon said BYD and Baidu are affiliated with the same ministry, which oversees China's technology and industrial policies. BYD is dominant in the global electric vehicle market, and President Donald Trump said in January that he would welcome Chinese carmakers such as BYD if they built plants in the U.S. and hired American workers.

However, a number of U.S. lawmakers have said they will seek a ban on Chinese electric vehicles.

Another addition is the Chinese robotics company Unitree, whose dancing robots impressed Simon Cowell on NBC's “America’s Got Talent.” The Pentagon said the company “knowingly received assistance” from the Chinese government through its designation as a small or medium-sized company that is highly innovative, highly competitive globally and critical to the country's supply chain.

BYD and Unitree did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Some businesses around San Antonio are offering deals exclusively for fans decked out in Spurs gear during the NBA Finals run.

Click here to view a list of dates, times and how you can watch all the action on KSAT 12.

>> Spurs announce free watch parties, pep rally and fan events ahead of NBA Finals

Fans can also share photos of their Spurs game-day gear on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air and online.

Check out which places will offer deals to fans wearing Spurs gear during the NBA Finals:

• Bali Ayu Day Spa: The business, located at 5811 Worth Parkway at The Rim, is giving customers $10 off any service when they wear Spurs gear to their appointment and allow a photo to be posted to the spa’s social media. The offer is valid through the end of the NBA Finals run. The offer can’t be combined with any other specials or promotions. More details can be found here.
• Pluckers Wing Bar: Fans who wear Spurs gear on game days will score five free wings with the purchase of an adult entree at participating San Antonio locations. The deal is not valid at the Frost Bank Center. More details can be found here.
• Take 5 Oil Change: Customers who wear their Spurs gear to Take 5 Oil Change will score 25% off their oil change. For more information, click here.
• Wok Inn: When customers wear their Spurs gear on game days or the day after a game at any location, the restaurant will offer guests a $6 single lemon chicken meal or a free egg roll. More information can be found here.

This list will be updated as more places announce promotions.

More Spurs coverage on KSAT:

• Share your photos celebrating Spurs in the NBA Finals on KSAT Connect!
• Free options to watch Spurs against Knicks in NBA Finals

He said friends for years have jokingly referred to him as senator and asked if he has ever thought about running. He said he’s been considering it for more than a decade.

“This is my choice,” Sullivan, who lives in the small fishing community of Petersburg, said in a telephone interview Monday.

Last week, Sen. Dan Sullivan accused the challenger Sullivan of “trying to trick” voters to help his main rival in the race, Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The senator suggested the other Sullivan's entrance in the August primary was part of a coordinated effort by Democrats and Peltola's campaign to confuse voters, an accusation they deny. He threatened litigation to get to the bottom of it.

Late Monday, Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican who oversees elections in the state, announced she was opening an investigation into the candidacy of the challenger Sullivan.

‘I have every right to run’

The issue is of national concern to Republicans because they are seeking to hold onto their majority in the U.S. Senate in what is expected to be a difficult midterm election year for the party in power. Sullivan, the challenger, dismissed claims that his candidacy is a merely a ruse to undermine the senator's reelection chances.

He said he has had no contact with Peltola's campaign — “zero, none, zilch” — and said “no” when asked if anyone from the state Democratic Party or any national Democratic operatives had contacted him to run.

A Peltola spokesperson, Harry Child, has said the campaign “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.” The executive director of the Alaska Democratic Party, Jenny-Marie Stryker, said her organization “is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan.” A Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson, Monica Robinson, replied “no” when asked if the group had been involved in urging the challenger Sullivan to run.

Sullivan called sharing a name with the Alaska's incumbent U.S. senator “a matter of fate” and said he had done nothing wrong.

“I have every right to run for whatever office I'm qualified for, and I’m qualified for this office,” the challenger said, adding: “I think I’m doing what most Americans would think would be a patriotic thing to do when you’re unsatisfied with the status quo. You stand up and say, I’m going to fight for things I believe that are going to make my community better.”

Like Murkowski, but with 'touches of a Rand Paul Republican’

Ballots in prior years in Alaska have not identified the incumbent, but the Alaska Division of Elections’ current candidate list online does. It also distinguishes the candidates using a middle initial — Dan S. Sullivan for the senator and Dan J. Sullivan for the challenger.

Alaska has open primaries in which the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the ranked choice general election in November. Sen. Sullivan's campaign worries having two Dan Sullivans on the ballot could confuse voters.

Sen. Sullivan's campaign, in a statement Monday, said, “Alaskans deserve a fair and honest election — not political games meant to manipulate the ballot and benefit Democrats.”

The challenger said he was registered with the limited government-leaning Alaskan Independence Party for decades, until the party's dissolution late last year. Election officials had said voters registered with the party could change their affiliation but if they did not, they'd be shown as “undeclared.” Sullivan said he then was listed as undeclared until filing to run for office, when he registered as Republican.

He said he was motivated in part by his late father, whom he described as a “true, compassionate, conservative Republican.” He said if he had to label himself, it would be “a pragmatic Republican centrist” — similar to Alaska's senior U.S. senator, Lisa Murkowski, but “with touches of a Rand Paul Republican in there.”

He said he grew up in the Chicago area but was drawn to Alaska and put down roots nearly 50 years ago in Petersburg. The fishing community of about 3,400 in southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest is known as “Little Norway” for its many residents with Scandinavian roots. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service before changing careers and becoming a teacher. He has since retired.

Candidate ponders how to run a campaign

Like most communities in Alaska, Petersburg isn't connected to the state's main road system and is accessible only by air or water. Juneau, the nearest city, is about 45 minutes away by plane.

Petersburg sits on Mitkof Island, which is distinguished by mountains, thick stands of forest and boggy areas called muskeg. Sea lions hauled up on buoys and humpback whales and orcas are common sights off its shores.

Sullivan, who will turn 69 this weekend, passed on an interview request last Friday, he said, because the king salmon were running and he wanted to fish.

As far as his run for office, the challenger said he plans to do some fundraising and hopes to campaign in the state's larger cities, including Anchorage and Juneau, but he so far has no firm plans to do so and is working on the details.

He finds the current dustup over his Senate run — and the incumbent's reaction — a bit surprising.

“I guess my thought would be, ‘Dude, why don’t you just run your campaign?’ If you’ve got a strong record, run on your record. People will love you for it and you’ll be swept back into office,” he said Monday. “Why would he be concerned that a guy out of Petersburg is this huge threat?”

It's extremely difficult to independently verify reports released by state-controlled media outlets of North Korea and China. But their dispatches on the meeting touted a joint push for greater cooperation while not mentioning North Korea's banned pursuit of nuclear weapons. This implies the summit produced outcomes both leaders could portray as gains; Xi reaffirms influence on North Korea and Kim wins some economic and political benefits.

It was Xi's first visit to North Korea in seven years. Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September after viewing a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders.

Xi was given pomp-filled, extravagant welcome ceremony

Upon arrival at Pyongyang's international airport on Monday, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were greeted by Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju, who broadly smiled and clapped.

Xi later arrived at Pyongyang’s main square, where a military honor guard and thousands of people, including children carrying balloons and hopping, staged a welcoming ceremony. Buildings surrounding the plaza were draped in the two countries’ flags, giant portraits of Kim and Xi and red-and-yellow banners welcoming the Chinese leader and celebrating the nations’ “friendship and unity.”

In the evening, Kim threw a banquet for Xi and his delegation.

Kim calls North Korea-China ties ‘most important’

In a summit later Monday, Xi expressed China’s willingness to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade, agriculture, construction and technology, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said in an online report.

Xi said the two countries should strengthen strategic cooperation and firmly safeguard their respective sovereignty and security interests, according to the report.

Kim, for his part, affirmed that North Korea and China will maintain their friendship as “the most important top-priority strategic work," the official Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday. Kim called Xi “the greatest state guest,” saying he views the fact Xi chose North Korea as a destination for his first foreign travel this year as “the most encouraging support” to North Korea, according to KCNA.

Kim also reiterated Pyongyang’s support for Beijing’s “one-China principle,” a reference to Beijing’s official position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Kim and Xi also discussed international and regional issues and reached broad agreement on strengthening strategic coordination to safeguard their shared interests, KCNA said.

Sway over North Korea could help Xi's dealings with US

China has long been North Korea’s economic lifeline and main diplomatic backer. Experts say China has avoided fully enforcing U.N. sanctions on North Korea and sent clandestine aid to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat. This year marks 65 years since the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty.

But there have been questions about their ties in recent years, with North Korea prioritizing cooperation with Russia by supplying troops and weapons to support its war against Ukraine. In return, North Korea has received economic and military assistance from Russia.

Restoring an exclusive influence over North Korea would give Xi leverage in dealings with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to restart diplomacy with Kim. Xi and Trump met in Beijing last month and are to meet again in the U.S. in September.

Xi's trip was meant to demonstrate China’s “sway over the Korean Peninsula” and “a leadership role in entire Northeast Asia in the age of strategic competition with the U.S.,” said Kwak Gil Sup, the head of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korea affairs.

“Implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforcing sanctions do not appear to be priorities for China,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Kim needs Xi's support for his nuke ambitions, economy revival

A key takeaway from the Chinese and North Korean reports was that they didn't touch upon North Korea's nuclear program at all. No public mention of the subject by Xi was crucial for Kim, who is desperate to win international recognition as a nuclear weapons state as a way to call for lifting of U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

That stands in contrast to Xi's trip to North Korea in 2019, when he was quoted by Chinese media as saying that Beijing was willing play a constructive role in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Xi's 2019 trip came after Kim's nuclear diplomacy with Trump collapsed earlier that year.

After last month’s summit between Trump and Xi, the White House said the two leaders confirmed their shared goal to denuclearize North Korea. But China only said the leaders discussed the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Ahead of Xi’s trip, North Korea made it clear again that it’s advancing nuclear program is non-negotiable. Kim unveiled a new plant to produce nuclear ingredients and vowed to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.” His sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, also dismissed as an “anachronistic dream” a U.S. push for the denuclearization of North Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told reporters Monday that North Korea is producing enough nuclear ingredients annually for about 10 to 20 bombs and is close to perfecting intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

“Chinese officials have taken the position of not speaking publicly about denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula while still maintaining it as a long-term goal. Kim appears to want Xi to accept North Korea as a nuclear neighbor,” Easley said.

Xi could have offered economic aid packages such as shipments of rice and fertilizers and a resumption of Chinese group tourism to North Korea as well, analysts said.

“North Korea can’t solely rely on Russia. It needs to align with China,” Kwak said.

Two-way trade volume between China and North Korea last year recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Earlier this year, the countries also resumed direct flights and passenger trains that were stalled since the pandemic. Xi said Monday that both nations should use the reopening of flight and train services as a chance to expand people-to-people exchanges.

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Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press writer E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing contributed to this report.

National media attention surrounding Games 1 and 2 brought celebrities, analysts and basketball fans to San Antonio. Among the comments drawing attention was a remark from an ESPN personality who questioned the area surrounding the Frost Bank Center, reigniting debate over where the Spurs should play in the future.

The discussion is hardly new. For more than a year, community leaders, residents and Spurs fans have weighed the potential benefits and drawbacks of Project Marvel, a proposed downtown development that could include a new arena for the franchise.

Supporters often point to examples such as Madison Square Garden in New York City, where restaurants, bars and businesses surrounding the arena contribute to a vibrant game-day atmosphere and draw visitors year-round.

By contrast, critics of the Spurs’ current home note that dining and entertainment options near the Frost Bank Center are limited and generally require a drive rather than a short walk.

The proposed downtown arena site, near the former Institute of Texan Cultures property, would place fans within walking distance of existing restaurants, bars and attractions in the city’s urban core.

The issue was put before voters last year and Project Marvel received approval. Since then, the Spurs’ return to the NBA Finals has generated renewed interest in whether public opinion has shifted as excitement around the team continues to grow.

Some fans interviewed said a downtown location would make games more accessible.

“I feel like it’s closer, more central for everyone,” one resident said. “The only thing I can think that would affect anything is the traffic, but there’s traffic all over San Antonio.”

Others remain cautious, saying they want more information about how the project would affect infrastructure and surrounding neighborhoods.

“I’d be curious to know what the infrastructure changes would be in the area of the new stadium,” another resident said.

Questions also remain about parking, transportation and the potential impact on housing affordability near the proposed arena site.

Several elements of the original Project Marvel proposal have already been scaled back or removed, leaving uncertainty about what the final development could look like and whether it will ultimately move forward.

Read also:

• Spurs’ postseason push renews conversations over Frost Bank Center, future downtown arena
• Project Marvel hotel plans change as SAWS says downtown plant too expensive to relocate

FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS

• HIGH PRESSURE: Takes over for rest of the week, quiet into weekend
• HEAT INDEX: Likely 95°+ during the afternoons

FORECAST

SUMMER DOLDRUMS

It appears we are making our annual transition to a quieter, more summer-like pattern. A ridge of high pressure will build this week, keeping us rain-free and warm. The pattern of morning clouds and afternoon sun will be the norm.

HEAT INDEX

It’s no surprise that we’ll be dealing with heat and humidity in June. But, now is the time for our annual reminder regarding the heat index. While temperatures are not expected to get out of control, heat index values will consistently top 95° in the afternoons this week. Stay cool!

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• 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.

BreAnn Halcumb, 34, was arrested June 1 in Panola County and accused of having an improper relationship with a student, records show. The charge is considered a second-degree felony.

In a June 2 statement to KSAT, Randolph Field ISD (RFISD) acknowledged Halcumb’s arrest. However, the school district said she “tendered her resignation prior to the end” of the 2025-2026 school year and is “no longer employed by RFISD.”

Halcumb named head volleyball coach in Bastrop ISD

On June 2, KSAT found an April 27 Facebook post that identified Halcumb as the newest head volleyball coach at Cedar Creek High School, a school in the Bastrop Independent School District.

The post, which was made on a page managed by the school’s “Home Court Booster Club,” served as a notification for the school’s volleyball parents to meet Halcumb during a meeting scheduled for May 18.

KSAT also found a second Facebook post, which was made May 18, that thanked Halcumb for leading the meeting.

In a June 2 phone call with KSAT, Bastrop ISD Executive Director of Communications Evan Moilan initially said the district was aware of the “developing situation” regarding Halcumb. When asked if Halcumb was under investigation by Bastrop ISD, Moilan said the district had “no further comment” and hung up the phone.

In a follow-up response to KSAT, Moilan said Bastrop ISD was “reviewing the matter in accordance with district policies.”

“The safety of our students, staff, and community is always our highest priority,” Moilan said on June 2.

As of June 3, both Facebook posts that mentioned Halcumb by name were deleted.

Halcumb’s termination

In a June 4 letter to parents and staff obtained by KSAT Investigates, Bastrop Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Kristi Lee announced Halcumb’s firing.

“Earlier this week the district became aware of information that had not been disclosed during the selection process. Upon learning this information, district administration immediately reviewed the matter and took appropriate action,” Lee wrote. “As a result, the individual (Halcumb) will not be joining Bastrop ISD.”

Lee also wrote that the district did its “due diligence” while completing the process that led to Halcumb’s hire.

“We want to assure you that the district followed its established hiring procedures and conducted appropriate due diligence throughout the selection process, including a background check and references from their previous school which included her previous Principal, Athletic Coordinator, and Assistant Athletic Coordinator,” Lee wrote. “The information that prompted this action came to our attention only after the hiring process had concluded.”

The allegation

According to an arrest warrant obtained by KSAT Investigates, Randolph High School staff reported to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office late last month that Halcumb and the student were “spending excessive time together and appearing ‘hip to hip.’”

A school administrator told BCSO that staff discovered more than 160 messages between Halcumb and the student sent between February and April.

The administrator described the messages as “teenage flirting” that violated school policy. The last message sent in April had Halcumb’s personal phone number, records show.

The student’s father told school administrators that Halcumb gave his daughter a ride home after a school sporting event. Records show Halcumb and the student ended up at a park where they were kissing and fondling.

In a separate incident, Halcumb went to the teen’s house to get her nails done. Records show the teenager told her father that kissing and fondling between Halcumb and the teen happened again.

Halcumb told the teenage girl not to tell anyone about their relationship, records show.

The teenage girl told investigators that she was 18 and still a student when the physical contact happened, according to the warrant.

The teen’s parents called Halcumb in May. Records show that Halcumb knew the contact was wrong, but placed the blame on the teen, who Halcumb said, “pushed up on her and tried to kiss her first.”

In its statement, Randolph Field ISD said it could not “comment on the specific allegations or provide additional details” due to the “active law enforcement investigation.”

“The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority,” RFISD’s statement to KSAT continued. “Randolph Field ISD is cooperating fully with law enforcement and will continue to do throughout the investigation.”

Records show Halcumb is expected to make her next Bexar County court appearance on Aug. 31.

More KSAT Investigates’ coverage of this story:

• Records: Ex-Randolph High School volleyball coach arrested for improper relationship with student

The screwworm is actually a fly larva that eats living flesh instead of dead material. The flies lay their eggs in open wounds of animals like cattle, but wildlife, pets and occasionally even humans can be infested. The government has a program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, which kept screwworm contained at the southern end of Panama for decades.

So far, there are five confirmed cases: three calves and a goat in Texas and a dog from neighboring Lea County, New Mexico. The small dog, which the USDA initially reported as a Texas case, lives in New Mexico and was reclassified as the first in that state.

The dog had not traveled to Mexico or Texas, so authorities were investigating around the property where the pet lived. If they find infected flies, animal inspections in the area will increase, New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck said during a virtual news conference Monday.

Screwworm cases continue to climb

The first two screwworm cases were discovered last week in calves a few miles apart in south Texas. A case was announced Monday in a calf in La Salle County, southwest of San Antonio, and in a goat in Gillespie County, west of Austin.

In each case, officials have set up a 12-mile (20-kilometer) quarantine zone to try to slow the parasite's advance.

Along with cattle and other warm-blooded livestock, scientists worry screwworms could devastate the millions of wild white-tailed deer in Texas.

Scientists expect new cases could pop up in the coming days and weeks, but it doesn't mean screwworm is spreading rapidly, said Edward Burgess, a University of Florida entomologist who studies the fly.

“When that first case is seen, everyone is being vigilant and their eyes are on it more intensely,” Burgess said. “And when you are looking for something, you are more likely to see it.”

A race to stop the screwworm now moves to Texas

Screwworm gets its name from the maggots’ habit of burrowing — or screwing — into a wound, according to the USDA. The pest eats the flesh of the animal, further opening wounds and increasing the risk of deadly bacterial infections. Animals can die within a few weeks if not treated. There are a dozen government-approved medications to treat livestock.

The agency and the U.S. cattle industry have been racing to prevent an outbreak since screwworm was detected in Mexico late in 2024. The USDA has been dropping sterile flies in south Texas since February and is working to both increase sterile fly production in plants outside the U.S. and build a $750 million fly factory in Texas.

So far, screwworm's reappearance hasn’t greatly affected beef prices, which are already near record levels because there are fewer cows in the United States. Although the parasite attacks live cattle, it does not infest meat or fruit.

Canada temporarily stopped importing cattle, horses or other livestock from Texas on Friday. The parasites prefer humid areas where temperatures are at least 77 F (25 C), making them more of a summer problem up north.

Fighting screwworms with sterile male flies

Burgess said the long-term solution — breeding sterile male flies — is months away. Since wild female flies mate just once, if that encounter is with a sterile male, outbreaks can eventually be halted as the flies die out.

The goal is to have enough sterile flies to stop the pests from returning in 2027 after the winter kills off most of them, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a news conference at the U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville, Texas.

Scientists are also working on ways to sterilize only male flies to make the program even more effective.

Texas officials encouraged ranchers to keep a close eye on their herds and local wildlife. There's now a 24-hour screwworm hotline and a website and map for reported cases.

“This is a highly treatable condition if you act on it immediately,” Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said.

However, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller — who lost the recent Republican primary to a candidate backed by Abbott — said the federal response will take too long and risks crippling the cattle industry.

Instead, he says a poison bait could eliminate the screwworm problem in a few months, even if the USDA and other experts say the bait hasn’t been proven effective and could poison other flies, animals and even humans.

“What the hell is a good fly?” Miller said in an interview.

___

This story has been updated to reflect that the USDA revised the dog screwworm case to New Mexico, not Texas as the agency initially reported, and to correct the spelling of Kerrville.

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

The outcome means Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former reality television personality from “The Hills,” is out of the running. His candidacy had drawn national attention because of his celebrity and willingness to challenge liberal governance in a city dominated by Democrats, but the buzz did not translate into enough votes to make the runoff.

Raman made a last-minute entry into the race, after she had endorsed Bass for reelection. She was elected to the council with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America, and the election will test whether voters in the heavily Democratic city want to move further to the political left to address long-running problems of homelessness, buckled streets and sidewalks and climbing rent and home prices.

The race also has historical markers. Bass is the first Black woman to hold the post, and Raman could be the first South Asian woman in the job.

“If you’re as frustrated by the broken status quo as I am, I hope you’ll join our movement to build a city that works for everyone,” Raman said in a statement. "For too long, City Hall has prioritized giving political advantage to powerful interests that fund elections. Meanwhile, working people pay the price in higher rents, depleted services and a city that has stopped working for them.”

“A campaign against Nithya Raman, who allows encampments near schools and cuts the police force, is one Mayor Bass looks forward to winning,” said Bass campaign strategist Douglas Herman.

Raman gained votes on Pratt in every vote update since Election Day as Los Angeles continued to process additional mail ballots and release results. Raman moved past Pratt and into second place on Sunday and extended her lead over Pratt on Monday to nearly 22,000 votes.

The mayoral matchup sets the field in one of the state's two marquee races. In the other, the California governor’s race, Democrat Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election but it's not yet clear if he will face Republican Steve Hilton or fellow Democrat Tom Steyer. Hilton has more votes than Steyer, but Steyer cut into his lead by nearly a third in Monday’s vote updates.

The mayoral race was technically nonpartisan, so the candidates appeared on the ballot without party identification next to their names.

The election was not a vote of confidence in Bass, who according to incomplete returns received under 35% of the vote, a vulnerable position for an incumbent.

Bass represents the Democratic establishment as the incumbent mayor, and she’s backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with influential labor unions. She served in the state Legislature and Congress before becoming mayor in 2022 and was under consideration to be former President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020.

Raman — in her first run for citywide office — has promised to speed up housing construction, bring back entertainment industry jobs and improve services in a city known for dirty streets, gridlock and homeless encampments that are commonplace in many neighborhoods.

“What we are doing right now is just not working,” Raman says. “LA’s primary strategy for homelessness has been to move encampments from one block to another, from your block to your neighbor’s block and back again. ... It’s political theater.”

California’s vote count takes a long time

It took nearly a week to determine who would face Bass in November due to California’s notoriously slow vote-counting process. Ballots are mailed to every eligible voter and they are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive at an election office within seven days.

Los Angeles, like other counties in California, processes and counts mail ballots in roughly the order they are received, so the last ones returned are the last ones counted.

On Tuesday night after polls closed, Los Angeles released results from mail ballots that had been returned early and already processed as well as votes cast that day. Those votes put Bass in the lead with Pratt running in second and Raman behind in third. Since then, the county has been processing and releasing results from mail ballots that arrived later.

Election data shows that large numbers of Democrats held onto their mail ballots and returned them in the race’s final days, which helps explain why Bass and Raman have been doing better than Pratt in the votes counted since primary day.

Raman’s political positions have shifted

Born in India, Raman moved to the United States as a child and earned degrees from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she studied urban planning.

She has opposed efforts to prohibit homeless people from setting up tents within 500 feet (152 meters) of schools and daycare centers. However, she appears to have softened her opposition to no-camping zones, which were intended to curb the spread of encampments and clear streets. She voted against dozens of them on the council but later said she would not block them if elected mayor.

Raman’s positions on policing in the city have also changed.

She once talked of a department that would be much smaller and posted “defund the police” on social media in 2020. She did not support the mayor’s 2023 police contract, which she said was too expensive for the financially strapped city.

More recently, she said the Los Angeles Police Department should remain at its current size, about 8,600, down from about 10,000 in 2020. The police union has taunted her in ads, calling her “Flip Floppin’ Raman.”

In diverse Los Angeles, mayors are elected by building coalitions, ethnically and geographically. And to surpass 50% of the vote and win, Raman will need to find more supporters.

“I don’t think it’s impossible, but she is going to have to expand beyond her ideological base,” said Democratic consultant Bill Carrick, who sees Bass as vulnerable.

“The people who didn’t vote for Nithya weren’t voting against her, they were voting for somebody else. Karen (Bass) had a good number of people who were voting against her,” Carrick added.

Though Raman and Pratt are political opposites, both have attracted voters who aren’t happy with the city’s status quo.

Tanika Vickers, who works for a housing nonprofit in Los Angeles, said that she felt like she was part of a group of people who work and pay taxes but have been “forgotten.” She said she was frustrated with the way tax dollars were being spent, especially “throwing” more money toward homelessness without results.

She said she voted Raman for mayor because she was most qualified to execute her plans and fulfill what the city needs.

“I think that we are all looking for change,” she said.

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Associated Press journalists Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington contributed.

The state first used nitrogen for capital punishment in 2024, and the ruling could upend Alabama’s next scheduled execution on Thursday. The method involves strapping a respirator to the person’s face and replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen, causing death from lack of oxygen.

The three-judge panel on Monday night reversed a judge’s May finding that the nitrogen method does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment and remanded the case for additional consideration. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed last year by Jeffery Lee, a man on death row who is scheduled to be executed with nitrogen on Thursday at a south Alabama prison.

The panel stopped short of staying Lee’s planned execution. However, the panel asked the judge to consider whether his proposed alternative of a firing squad was feasible.

The U.S. Supreme Court requires a two-prong test for people challenging the constitutionality of an execution method. They must show the method provides a substantial risk of superadded pain and that a feasible alternative method is available. The appeals court said Lee met the first test but sent it back to the trial court to consider the second.

The appeals panel raised concerns about the nitrogen method and how long it might take the subject to lose awareness.

“In our view, the overall suffering described by the district court, which lasts for one to three minutes, presents a substantial risk of serious harm over and above death itself," the panel wrote. “Counting to 60 or 180 seconds is not a quick exercise, and constitutionally speaking, that timeframe is intolerable given the suffering that would likely take place under Alabama’s nitrogen hypoxia protocol.”

The Alabama Attorney General’s Office did not immediately issue a comment on the decision. The state has maintained the method is constitutional.

Opponents of the method cheered the decision.

“For the first time a court has acknowledged what I and so many others have seen with our own eyes. Nitrogen executions are a unique form of horror,” said the Rev. Jeff Hood, who was the spiritual adviser at two nitrogen executions.

Nitrogen has been used in eight executions nationally — seven times in Alabama and once in Louisiana. Lee’s attorneys argued it causes excessive suffering. Alabama’s last nitrogen execution took more than 30 minutes to complete.

Lee was convicted of two counts of capital murder for killing Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson while robbing a pawn shop on Dec. 12, 1998. Prosecutors said Lee entered Jimmy’s Pawnshop with a sawed-off shotgun and shot Ellis, the owner of the store, and Thompson, a store employee.

A jury voted 7-5 that Lee should receive a sentence of life imprisonment. However, a judge overrode that recommendation and sentenced Lee to death. Alabama in 2017 ended the practice of judicial override and no longer allows a judge to disregard a jury’s sentencing decision in death penalty cases.

The ruling came several hours after a vigil was held at the Alabama Capitol urging the governor to reduce Lee’s sentence to life imprisonment.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he opposed the clemency request.

“The people of Alabama have not forgotten Jimmy and Elaine. I have not forgotten them," Marshall said. “Anything short of carrying out the sentence imposed by the court falls short of justice for the victims, and that is not what victims of this state deserve.”

Russell, the No. 10 amateur in the world, survived a bogey on the first playoff hole and grabbed the fourth and final spot from the Florida qualifier. Charlie Woods is one of his close friends who has the same commercial agent and is following Russell to Florida State.

“It kept it so light,” Russell said. “It's the first time I've had a buddy on the bag. I really like it, not talking much golf, just having a good time.”

Russell smiled when asked if he would have Woods at Shinnecock Hills, saying only, “We'll see what he's doing. To be determined.”

The medalist from the Florida qualifier was Giuseppe Puebla, who ranks second behind Russell in the American Junior Golf Association ranking.

They were among 715 players at 10 sites from coast-to-coast and into Canada, all of them vying for 43 spots available for the 126th U.S. Open.

Previous qualifiers were held in England, Japan and Dallas.

Vaughn Harber, who just finished his sophomore year at Ohio State, played his final five holes at The Lakes in 5-under par — including an eagle — and then advanced in the 4-for-3 playoff in one of the two Ohio qualifiers. Jackson Van Paris birdied his last two holes to qualify without extra holes.

That qualifier also produced the first player from Iceland to play in the U.S. Open, Arni Sveinsson, who plays for LSU.

In the other Ohio qualifier, Billy Horschel found a happy note in an otherwise tough season when he was among five who made it through. Tony Finau missed out by two shots and will not be at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2017.

Here's how the other qualifiers looked (a-amateur):

Ohio-Springfield

QUALIFIERS: Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel, Nick Hardy.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Brandt Snedeker, Tony Finau, Cam Davis.

DIVOTS: Shipley, who finished his college career at nearby Ohio State, has missed the cut in nine of his 12 starts in his rookie year on the PGA Tour. ... Snedeker was the first alternate.

Florida

QUALIFIERS: a-Giuseppe Puebla, Ben Silverman, a-Ryder Cowan, a-Miles Russell.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Matt Kuchar, Matthieu Pavon, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Luke Clanton, Luke Poulter.

NOTEWORTHY: Three of the four qualifiers are amateurs. ... Kuchar hasn't played in any major since the 2024 U.S. Open.

Canada

QUALIFIERS: Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, William Mouw, John Parry, Max McGreevy.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Max Homa, Matt Wallace, Garrick Higgo, Seamus Power.

NOTEWORTHY: The final three spots were determined by an eight-man playoff. ... Homa missed out in a playoff for the second straight year in U.S. Open qualifying.

Maryland

QUALIFIERS: Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, a-Logan Reilly, Jake Sollon.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Blades Brown, Michael Thorbjornsen, Karl Vilips.

NOTEWORTHY: Sollon earned the final spot in a playoff over Bryan Lee. He was scheduled to leave for Bogota, Colombia, for a PGA Tour Americas event. ... Kohles was coming off a victory Sunday on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Ohio-Columbus

QUALIFIERS: Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes, a-Vaughn Harber, a-Arni Sveinsson.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Lucas Glover, Jhonattan Vegas, Bud Cauley, Austin Eckroat, Denny McCarthy, Erik van Rooyen.

NOTEWORTHY: Sam Udovich bogeyed his last two holes and was the odd man out in a 4-for-3 playoff. He will be the first alternate. ... What used to be the main qualifier for PGA Tour players only had a 51-man field.

North Carolina

QUALIFIERS: a-Jackson Ormond, Carl Yuan, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Aaron Wise, Ryo Ishikawa, Bill Haas, Troy Merritt.

NOTEWORTHY: Ormond, an 18-year-old who will play at Florida next year, birdied five of his last seven holes for a 63 to go from outside the number to be the medalist. ... Haas, the son of Jay Haas, had his son caddying for him.

New York

QUALIFIERS: Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Ben James, James Nicholas.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Matt Jones.

NOTEWORTHY: James makes his pro debut this week in the Canadian Open. He finished atop the PGA Tour University ranking. ... Roy makes his U.S. Open debut in his native New York.

Georgia

QUALIFIERS: Chris Kirk, Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Robbie Higgins, a-Chase Keys.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Jason Dufner, Patton Kizzire.

NOTEWORTHY: Keys birdied the last hole in near darkness to avoid a 3-for-1 playoff for the final spot. ... Potgieter can still get in the U.S. Open if he wins the Canadian Open this week, which would give him two PGA Tour victories since the last U.S. Open.

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

Cantu, who was accused of breaking into the home of his child’s mother in December 2025, was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication Monday. The sentencing, which was handed down by Judge Stephanie Boyd in Bexar County’s 187th Criminal District Court, means he will not serve any additional time behind bars.

Records show Cantu, 21, was indicted June 1 on the burglary of a habitation charge, which is considered a second-degree felony. According to an arrest affidavit, Cantu allegedly stole the tablet of Emily Proulx, his child’s mother, and used the device to message her friends.

Cantu was seen on a live surveillance feed outside Proulx’s front door before she received a notification that her tablet was moving away from her apartment and toward his residence, the affidavit states.

A witness also reported seeing Cantu on Proulx’s second-floor patio before the burglary, according to records. Proulx told police that her friends began receiving messages from her tablet before Cantu began calling and sending her messages.

Monday’s court proceedings

Jury selection in this case was scheduled to begin Monday. However, Cantu elected to take a plea deal and pleaded no contest before jurors were seated.

In a statement Monday, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office told KSAT that the state “opposed his (Cantu’s) application for deferred adjudication/probation.” Prosecutors argued Cantu should “be sent to prison,” a Bexar County DA’s Office spokesperson said.

“The judge ultimately sentenced him (Cantu) to two years deferred adjudication,” the DA’s office statement concluded.

The following are the terms of Cantu’s plea deal, per court records:

• Cantu is required to complete 300 hours of community service
• Cantu’s movements will be tracked via GPS device
• Cantu has been ordered to remain at least 1,000 feet from Proulx and is not allowed to communicate with her in any way
• Cantu cannot drive for the next 2 years
• Cantu is required to pay $1,290 worth of fines and court fees

Recent release after April sentencing

On April 1, Cantu was sentenced to two years in prison after Boyd found that he violated probation on two evading arrest charges — both third-degree felonies. The sentence also included more than 300 days worth of time served.

After he was sentenced to deferred adjudication on those charges, Cantu was caught driving a vehicle, a violation of the ruling. A judge sentenced Cantu to probation, and he was ordered to spend time at a treatment facility.

Upon his release, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office filed a 2024 Class A misdemeanor assault charge against Cantu and arrested him again.

According to Bexar County jail records, Cantu was designated as a parolee in absentia on the evading arrest violations and was released from custody on May 22.

While he was out on bond for the 2024 assault charge, Cantu was arrested and accused in connection with the December 2025 burglary.

Regarding the misdemeanor assault charge, Judge Mary Roman in Bexar County’s Court at Law No. 8 sentenced Cantu to time served on April 20. Ultimately, Roman decided the “time served” sentence was adequate due to the two-year sentence Cantu received from Boyd.

What’s next for Cantu

In all, Cantu has been arrested six different times since he was shot by a now-former San Antonio police officer.

James Brennand, 31, has been charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, a first-degree felony.

In October 2022, police records showed Brennand fired multiple shots at a BMW driven by Cantu, who was 17 at the time. Proulx was a passenger in Cantu’s car at the time of the shooting. Brennand was fired from the department three days after the shooting.

The shooting drew national attention. Cantu suffered serious injuries and spent months recovering.

Judge Joel Perez, who is presiding over Brennand’s case in Bexar County’s 437th Criminal District Court, tentatively scheduled jury selection for July 21.

At this time, it is unclear if Cantu will be asked to testify during Brennand’s trial.

If found guilty of the charge, Brennand could face up to life in prison.

More Erik Cantu coverage on KSAT:

• Judge allows SAPD files to be turned over to ex-officer James Brennand’s defense team
• Erik Cantu receives time served sentence stemming from 2024 misdemeanor assault case
• Trial for former SAPD officer accused of shooting Erik Cantu multiple times set to start in July
• Erik Cantu sentenced to 2 years in prison following probation violations

The San Francisco-based company said Monday it has filed confidential paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“We expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it,” the company said in a statement. “We have not decided on timing yet; it may be a while because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company. But it’s a complicated set of tradeoffs and this gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best.”

OpenAI's move follows its rival Anthropic's June 1 disclosure that it is also moving toward an initial public offering of shares. Both are now following Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX, which has started an IPO roadshow pitching itself as an AI-focused space company.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman first publicly floated the possibility of an IPO last fall, describing it as the “most likely path” for the company given its size and the need for vast amounts of capital to advance its technology.

OpenAI began in 2015 as a nonprofit dedicated to developing AI for the common good and is now a company valued at $852 billion.

The filing comes at a “precarious moment” for OpenAI as it appears to be losing ChatGPT’s strong early leads with consumers and businesses to Google and Anthropic, said Emarketer analyst Nate Elliott.

“But OpenAI doesn’t have a lot of other places to look for the enormous capital required to support its costs,” Elliott said.

Paving the way for going public was OpenAI’s decision last year to reorganize its business structure and convert itself into a public benefit corporation even as it remains technically under the control of a nonprofit.

OpenAI cleared another obstacle last month with its victory against Musk in a federal jury trial. Musk, an OpenAI co-founder and early donor, had sued the company seeking to oust Altman from its leadership and unravel its conversion to a for-profit business. A judge dismissed the case after the jury found Musk filed his lawsuit too late.

OpenAI has not yet publicly disclosed how much money it is making or when it plans to turn a profit. Much like Anthropic and SpaceX, the company has been losing more money than it makes because of the huge costs of building out the venture. OpenAI faces fierce competition from Anthropic, maker of the increasingly popular chatbot Claude, and Google's AI assistant Gemini.

In an April interview, OpenAI’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar declined to give a timeline for a potential IPO but said the company was already “acting with the good hygiene of a public company,” such as by measuring its revenue in the way a publicly traded firm would have to report earnings to the SEC.

“I want us to be ready,” she told The Associated Press. “I think it’s good to be able to tap the public markets. They’re much bigger than the private markets."

She said OpenAI’s current valuation would make it one of the 15 biggest companies in the S&P 500.

She also said there is a “credentializing moment of being a public company.”

“At that point, people are checking your balance sheet, the SEC is governing you and so on,” she said.

In a separate statement Monday published around the same time as the announcement of the confidential filing, Altman outlined a broad vision for OpenAI including three big goals: building an automated AI researcher, accelerating economic growth and giving “everyone on Earth a personal AGI,” which stands for artificial general intelligence or a form of AI that surpasses humans at many tasks.

Altman said OpenAI started out in AI research and moved into commercial product development but is now moving into its third phase involving a “broad distribution of power” as the economy reshapes around AI technology.

He said OpenAI is “working to ensure the gains are widely shared. Everyone should have an opportunity for a meaningful share in the prosperity AI creates.”

The remarks follow Altman’s visit last week with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is pushing a plan for the public to take a 50% ownership stake in AI companies such as OpenAI, as well as comments from President Donald Trump embracing giving the public a stake in AI’s growth.

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AP Technology Writer Kaitlyn Huamani contributed to this report.

It appears that as many as seven vehicles parked at the Candlewood Suites on Portland Road, not far from San Antonio International Airport, were targeted at some point between Sunday night and early Monday morning, based on debris left behind.

One man told KSAT 12 that the burglars broke out the back window of his rental car, stealing the tools he uses for work.

Another woman said they smashed the side window of her husband’s work truck.

“I don’t think anything was taken out of it. All his tools were still under his seat, so I don’t know what they were looking for,” she said. “I’m going to have to spend all this money to fix my window.”

According to officers who responded to the victims’ calls, recent car burglars appear to be looking for guns left behind by their owners.

A sergeant on scene said criminals will target vehicles, especially pickups, which they suspect may have weapons inside them.

The break-in could not have come at a worse time for the woman who spoke to KSAT 12 News anonymously.

She found out the truck had been broken into after her husband suffered a medical emergency and had to be rushed to a hospital.

“They admitted him, and I’ve been up all night long,” she said. “(I) came back to the hotel to take a nap and go back up there, and the cops were here.”

She tried to start her other car, but the battery was dead.

The woman and her family were visiting the city, in town from north Texas.

She said in spite of all the bad surprises, she does not blame San Antonio for any of it.

Read more:

• Thieves target A/C units and trailer at West Side church hours before Sunday service

BreAnn Halcumb, 34, was arrested Monday in Panola County on a felony warrant out of Bexar County, records show. The charge is considered a second-degree felony.

In a Tuesday statement to KSAT, Randolph Field ISD (RFISD) acknowledged Halcumb’s arrest. However, the school district said she “tendered her resignation prior to the end” of the 2025-2026 school year and is “no longer employed by RFISD.”

According to an arrest warrant obtained by KSAT Investigates, Randolph High School staff reported to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office late last month that Halcumb and the student were “spending excessive time together and appearing ‘hip to hip.’”

A school administrator told BCSO that staff discovered more than 160 messages between Halcumb and the student sent between February and April.

The administrator described the messages as “teenage flirting” that violated school policy. The last message sent in April had Halcumb’s personal phone number, records show.

The student’s father told school administrators that Halcumb gave his daughter a ride home after a school sporting event. Records show Halcumb and the student ended up at a park where they were kissing and fondling.

In a separate incident, Halcumb went to the teen’s house to get her nails done. Records show the teenager told her father that kissing and fondling between Halcumb and the teen happened again.

Halcumb told the teenage girl not to tell anyone about their relationship, records show.

The teenage girl told investigators that she was 18 and still a student when the physical contact happened, according to the warrant.

The teen’s parents called Halcumb in May. Records show that Halcumb knew the contact was wrong, but placed the blame on the teen, who Halcumb said, “pushed up on her and tried to kiss her first.”

In its statement, Randolph Field ISD said it could not “comment on the specific allegations or provide additional details” due to the “active law enforcement investigation.”

“The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority,” RFISD’s statement to KSAT continued. “Randolph Field ISD is cooperating fully with law enforcement and will continue to do throughout the investigation.”

Halcumb takes job at Bastrop ISD

On Tuesday, KSAT found an April 27 Facebook post that identified Halcumb as the newest head volleyball coach at Cedar Creek High School, which is in the Bastrop Independent School District.

The post, which was made on a page managed by the school’s “Home Court Booster Club,” served as a notification for the school’s volleyball parents to meet Halcumb during an upcoming meeting scheduled for May 18.

A follow-up Facebook post, which was made on May 18, thanked Halcumb for leading the meeting.

KSAT first requested comment via email from Bastrop ISD Executive Director of Communications Evan Moilan just after 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. Without an emailed response, KSAT called Moilan by phone just after 3 p.m.

During the phone call, Moilan told KSAT the district was aware of the “developing situation” regarding Halcumb but offered no further comment. When asked if Halcumb was under investigation by Bastrop ISD, Moilan reaffirmed the district’s “no further comment” stance and hung up the phone.

In an emailed response to KSAT’s original email, Moilan said Bastrop ISD is “reviewing the matter in accordance with district policies.”

“The safety of our students, staff, and community is always our highest priority,” Moilan said.

According to Panola County jail records, Halcumb was released from the county’s custody earlier Tuesday.

A BCSO spokesperson told KSAT Investigates that Halcumb was transported back into Bexar County custody. Jail records show Halcumb was released on bond Tuesday afternoon.

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.

The person said Knight will first sign a foundational contract with Las Vegas as part of Phase 2 of the league’s expansion signing process. Las Vegas in turn has reached an agreement to trade Knight to Detroit for the team’s first-round pick in the draft next week, the person added.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the trade. The deal won’t become official until the PWHL’s trade freeze lifts on June 16, a day before the draft.

The 36-year-old Knight is a five-time U.S. Olympian and one of the most decorated players in her sport. She is coming off captaining Team USA to a gold-medal victory at the Milan Cortina Games in February, in which Knight deflected in the championship game-tying goal late in the third period of a 2-1 overtime win against Canada.

Though Knight said the Olympics in Milan would be her last, she planned on continuing her pro career.

Knight is on the move for a second straight PWHL offseason. After spending her first two PWHL seasons in Boston, she left the Fleet to sign with the expansion Seattle Torrent to be closer to her offseason home in Idaho.

Now, it’ll be the Chicago-area town where she grew up that she’s closer to.

As much as Knight and the Torrent would have preferred she remain in Seattle, the team under the expansion rules was restricted to protecting three players. The Torrent chose to protect forward Alex Carpenter, defender Anna Wilgren and goalie Hannah Murphy.

Knight at least gets the benefit of signing a foundational offer, which guarantees her at least $100,000 per season. She made $106,090 last year.

Each of the PWHL’s four expansion teams were allowed one foundational contract offer. Las Vegas still had its foundational slot open, while Detroit used its offer to sign Toronto forward Daryl Watts last week.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, lands an additional first-round pick in a draft class stocked with young talent and led by five U.S. national team members, including defender Caroline Harvey and defender/forward Laila Edwards. The PWHL has yet to set the draft order, with the exception of Vancouver picking first.

Knight counts toward one of the five players Las Vegas must add in this expansion phase, which closes on Monday. The team filled its final two slots by signing Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire teammates forward Hayley Scamurra, a two-time U.S. Olympian, and defender Erin Ambrose, a two-time Canadian Olympian.

San Jose rounded out its initial five-player roster by signing New York forward Maddi Wheeler to a two-year contract. Wheeler is the third Sirens player to join the team, joining Anne Cherkowski and Kristin O’Neill.

Phase 2 of the expansion process closed with Vancouver not losing a player, and Boston losing just one, with forward Alina Muller signing with Hamilton.

In Detroit, Knight joins a team that already features three U.S. gold medal-winning teammates in forwards Britta Curl-Salemme, Hannah Bilka and defender Cayla Barnes, who were signed in the expansion process. She also is reunited with newly hired Detroit coach Josh Sciba, who was an assistant on the U.S. Olympic team.

And Knight joins a team headed by one of women's hockey's trailblazers in GM Manon Rheaume. The 54-year-old Rheaume was a goaltender, and the first woman to appear in an exhibition game of any of North America’s four major sports.

Earlier in the day, Detroit filled its fifth expansion spot by signing Toronto forward Jesse Compher to a three-year contract. Compher won a silver medal representing the U.S. at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Knight finished last season with five goals and 14 points in 22 games, while missing the final two months of the season with a lower-body injury. A year earlier, she finished tied for the league lead with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists). Overall, she ranks 12th in the PWHL with 54 career points (26 goals, 28 assists) in 76 games.

The trade caps an eventful stretch for Knight. A day before winning gold, she became engaged to American speedskater Brittany Bowe. Her goal against Canada was her 15th and 33rd point of her Olympic career, U.S. records for both categories.

In 2024, Knight was the International Ice Hockey Federation's female player of the year. She has won two Olympic gold and three silver medals since making her Team USA debut at the 2007 world championships. She has won 10 gold medals at worlds and holds the career tournament records for goals (67), assists (53) and points (120).

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. While the CBP statement didn’t mention the person by name, Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia.

FIFA confirmed later Monday that Artan wouldn't be able to train and officiate at the World Cup, then released a statement on the referee's behalf.

“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career," Artan said in the statement. “I would like to thank FIFA and (the African federation) for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future. I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

In its own statement, FIFA said it was not involved in the immigration processes and was informed by authorities that Artan's “status will not be changed at present.”

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country," soccer's governing body said.

CBP issued a release explaining why Artan was denied entry.

“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in its statement. “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”

CBP noted that all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. — including athletes, coaches and staff — are subject to CBP inspection and vetting.

“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP statement said. “CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Kevin Griffin, a San Antonio native living in New York City, didn’t hesitate when asked what it’s been like repping the Spurs in enemy territory during the 2026 NBA Finals.

In an interview with KSAT, Griffin said the two-game deficit isn’t enough for him to count the Spurs out.

KSAT: So what is it like being a Spurs fan in New York City right now?

Griffin: So, you know, just as I was walking down the street a few minutes ago, there were some people making comments, you know, ‘Oh, he’s wearing a Spurs jersey, you know, down 0-2.’ But then their friend goes, ‘But it’s a Duncan jersey.’

KSAT: How are you feeling? We’re down 0-2.

Griffin: It’s tough. Young team. They’re trying to do things that we’ve never seen before. We get one. We get one here. Knicks are going to be rattled. I think the Spurs have a good opportunity. Dylan Harper’s been playing incredible. Jalen Brunson’s really good, but Dylan Harper was the best player on the floor the last two games. We have the best player on the floor this series, and Wemby’s the best player in the world. So, we’re in a good spot.

KSAT: How do you feel on game days? Are there gameday jitters for you as a Spurs fan? Do you get nervous?

Griffin: Oh, for sure. You know, we generally, each morning, somebody in the group chat, you know, says, ‘Gameday, boys.’ Or, you know, like what (former Spurs guard) Patty (Mills) used to say, ‘Gameday, Bala.’ And so, yeah, there’s a little bit of that. You know, I’m thinking about it all day, and especially with the finals here, because, you know, I’m walking around and seeing people with their Knicks stuff. I kind of want to make comments, but I generally don’t. And, yeah, definitely some game day jitters as though I’m on the team.

KSAT: So you’re feeling confident if we (Spurs) get one here?

Griffin: We get one here, the Knicks are going to be rattled. Bring it back to San Antonio, and I’ll be there. I’m flying down Saturday, right before Game 5.

KSAT: Tell me about your San Antonio connection.

Griffin: So I’m from San Antonio, so I grew up there (and) became a Spurs fan in kindergarten. My kindergarten teacher at Broccoli Elementary — she was a big Spurs fan. Took us to a game the year before Tim Duncan got drafted. So, you know, a ton of cheap tickets at that point in time.

And so I became a Spurs fan from there. And then, like I said, it’s easy being a Spurs fan. You know, staying dedicated with the team is maybe not as easy for some people, but for me, I was fortunate. You know, first grade, whatever age that is, maybe seven years old, Tim Duncan gets drafted, and from there, it’s, you know, greatest organization in sports. Legacy begins.

KSAT: So the San Antonio question: what high school did you go to?

Griffin: OK, so I went to Communications Arts High School — played sports for Taft High School on the same campus.

KSAT: Any message for anybody back in San Antonio?

Griffin: Shout out to all my friends, my family, who are huge Spurs fans. The people that stay locked in with me when we’re celebrating, when we’re struggling a little bit. Being down 0-2, and we’re upset yesterday, didn’t even go outside. Shout out to everybody who keeps the energy up. Love my city.

More recent Race for Seis coverage on KSAT:

• Spurs’ postseason push renews conversations over Frost Bank Center, future downtown arena
• San Antonio Zoo surprises Spurs-loving Salesian Sisters with 200 tickets, new basketball hoop

Justin Cline, 31, was shot to death while sitting in his vehicle in the 1500 block of Center Street on April 1.

Authorities believe several people in an unknown vehicle ambushed Cline, firing more than 80 rounds from several different weapons. Cline was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police previously said witnesses reported seeing a black sedan flee the scene after hearing the gunfire.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867 (STOP). To text a tip, text “Tip 127 plus your tip” to CRIMES (274637).

Anyone can also leave a tip on the P3 Tips app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers website.

Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to felony arrests in this crime.

Read also:

• San Antonio attorney sentenced to 20 years in prison following guilty plea in $540K theft case
• Affidavit: Man repeatedly slammed kitten on counter inside business on Northeast Side

Angel Puente, 20, is accused of capital murder by terror threat/other felony in the shooting death of Jon Perez, 26, the affidavit states.

On the morning of Feb. 8, officers found Perez with gunshot wounds to his upper body in the back of an after-hours bar in the 1600 block of Rigsby Avenue, near Elgin Avenue, according to the affidavit. Perez was pronounced dead at the scene.

San Antonio police previously said five people fled in two vehicles after the shooting.

Investigators determined there “were multiple witnesses and suspects involved,” the affidavit states. Authorities obtained multiple videos from the bar, including one that showed the suspects arriving around 4:30 a.m. the day of the shooting.

A witness who was at the bar with Perez said their group was approached by the suspects, “who acted friendly,” the affidavit states. After their interaction, the suspects went back to their table, and Perez’s group started to leave.

As Perez was leaving, the affidavit states witnesses saw multiple people assault him and one person shoot him multiple times. Other witnesses told police Perez had necklaces on before the assault, which were missing after the shooting.

Witnesses told police Perez was not involved in any disturbance with the suspects before the shooting, according to the affidavit.

Multiple people identified Puente as the one who pulled the trigger, the affidavit states. One witness said Puente was bragging about robbing and shooting Perez.

While speaking with investigators, Puente said he was at work during the time of the murder. Investigators showed Puente videos they obtained of him at different locations before and after the shooting, which he acknowledged were of him, the affidavit states.

Puente was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Monday, jail records show.

Read also:

• San Antonio attorney sentenced to 20 years in prison following guilty plea in $540K theft case

Now, one of those politicians has pleaded guilty to being an illegal agent of the Chinese government. Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang's plea, entered in federal court Friday, continues a saga that some residents of the area worry could bring unfair scrutiny on the broader Chinese and Asian American community.

Arcadia has gone under rapid demographic change in the last two decades as immigrants from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong flocked to the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles. After Wang's case was made public May 11, the news made national headlines and filled the unassuming suburban city with anger, disappointment and murmurs of quiet concern. On social media, fears about spies and Chinese Communist Party influence abounded.

“We cannot allow this moment to become an excuse for people to paint entire communities with one brush or weaponize ethnicity for political gain,” acting Mayor Paul Cheng said in a statement.

Shock in heavily Chinese community

Wang agreed in April to plead guilty to doing the bidding of Chinese officials by sharing articles favorable of Beijing on a news website she ran, without notifying the U.S. government as required by law.

The 56-year-old was elected in November 2022 to a five-person City Council, from which the mayor is selected on a rotating basis. She was born in Chengdu, China, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1995.

The San Gabriel Valley is home to the largest concentration of residents of Chinese and Taiwanese descent in the United States. Beginning in the 1970s, real estate developers marketed the region as “Chinese Beverly Hills” to woo affluent immigrants. As the population grew, it became a haven for newer immigrants who could go about life without needing English, access business opportunities, and avoid putting their children through China’s intensely competitive education system. Arcadia's population of about 53,000 is majority Asian, like many other cities in the region.

Ted Tseng, 52, arrived in Arcadia from Taiwan nearly 40 years ago with his parents, who emigrated because they feared potential conflict between Taiwan and China.

Tseng was concerned Wang's indictment would deepen animosity against Asian Americans and discredit their contributions to the region. Fears of anti-Asian racism, though hate crimes are down since the COVID-19 pandemic, still linger.

“I'm just worried our image has been damaged,” Tseng said.

Feds crack down on Chinese espionage

The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated efforts in recent years to combat Chinese espionage. In April, a man accused of running a secret Chinese spy outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood was convicted of acting as an illegal foreign agent.

Wang has suggested that she was misled by her former fiance, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, who pleaded guilty to the same charge last year and is now serving a four-year prison sentence. Sun was the treasurer for Wang’s 2022 election campaign.

A statement shared by Wang's lawyers references her "trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray.”

April Verlato, a former City Council member who served with Wang, said Wang and Sun lived together, and Sun accompanied Wang wherever she went.

Verlato said Wang should have stepped down as soon as she came under investigation.

“She was being selfish, getting sworn in as mayor and not resigning when she knew she was going to be pleading guilty to something,” Verlato said.

Gene Sun, a long-time lawyer in Arcadia, agreed.

“I don't understand how she could have continued being a City Council member,” he said.

Beijing seeks influence overseas

It is not surprising that the Chinese government would attempt to exert political influence in the region, especially given the increased political tension and economic rivalry between China and the U.S. in recent years, said Wei Li, a professor of Asian Pacific American Studies at Arizona State University.

“A lot of countries, if they have the will and if they have the means, will try to influence their diaspora,” Li said.

According to his federal criminal complaint, Sun was in contact with John Chen, who also pleaded guilty to being an illegal agent of the Chinese government, regarding local politicians that Beijing could influence. In reports to Chinese officials, Sun and Chen called Wang a “New Political Star” and bragged about her contacts with mainstream U.S. politicians.

They also wrote of combatting “anti-China forces” such as Taiwan independence and the Falun Gong, an exiled anti-communist spiritual movement.

In a January 2023 message from Chen to Wang referenced in Sun’s criminal complaint, Chen said: “You are doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud.”

Some fear political repercussions for Asian Americans

Not only was the news of her guilty plea like a “slap in the face," the reaction from some community members has also been painful, said Cheng, the acting mayor.

Some residents at a May 19 City Council meeting blamed remaining council members for enabling Wang and called for their resignations.

“I’ve been called more names, been told to go back to China although that’s not where I’m from,” said Cheng, who came to the U.S. from Taiwan at age 2.

For many Arcadia residents and workers, life was as usual the day after the news broke. Many smiled apologetically when asked about the issue, saying they don’t pay attention to politics.

Aliza Mo, who emigrated from China six years ago for her children's education, said she first thought the headlines must be exaggerated.

“A lot of people wondered if it was discrimination," she said.

When she learned what Wang pleaded guilty to, she changed her mind.

“I think it would be improper for anyone to be doing something like that,” she said.

Separately, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Roman Abramovich acted as a go-between for messages between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelenskyy told Sky News that the former owner of Premier League team Chelsea traveled to Kyiv with a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy said Abramovich brought the message that the Russians “want to understand what we are ready to do,” and had offered to take a reply to Putin.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said a new proposed round of sanctions against Russia includes 80 listings targeting Russia’s “military industrial complex, human rights violators and propagandists.”

Kaja Kallas told a news conference after a meeting of EU defense ministers Monday that Western sanctions have already cost Moscow an estimated $1.2 to 1.5 trillion.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 310 Ukrainian drones overnight into Monday, including over the Moscow region, western and southwestern Russia, Russian-occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.

Russia targeted Ukraine with 155 drones, of which Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 124, according to its air force.

Ukraine strikes Russian energy sites

Ukraine’s General Staff said Ukrainian forces had struck Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region overnight, hitting the Grushovaya oil transshipment base near Novorossiysk. The complex is one of the largest transshipment hubs in southern Russia for oil and petroleum products.

Russian regional authorities confirmed a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at the facility, adding that there were no casualties. While they did not comment on the extent of damage, they said 130 rescue workers were involved in putting out the blaze.

Asked whether the Kremlin is worried about the fuel crisis in Crimea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Energy Ministry and other agencies are working on a set of measures to respond to the situation.

“There are indeed certain problems at the moment,” Peskov said. “Measures are being taken.”

The Krasny Yar “linear production and dispatching station” in the Volgograd region was also hit, the General Staff said. A fire broke out at the site, according to the statement. Russian Gov. Andrei Bocharov didn’t specify what the facility produces, but said there were no injuries.

Ukraine also carried out strikes overnight in the Semykolodezkaya oil base in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula on Sunday night, sparking a fire at the facility. The base is used to store fuel reserves supplying the Russian military, according to the statement posted on Telegram.

Ukrainian forces also struck an oil depot near Feodosia in Crimea, the General Staff said.

Zelenskyy sent message to Putin

Zelenskyy said his message was that he would meet Putin “any time” in any location other than Russia or Belarus, and either bilaterally or with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders.

But he said Ukraine would not surrender the Donbas region, currently part-occupied by Russia.

“It was the key message. I said we will not leave and we will not go out from our territory,” Zelenskyy told Sky News.

Putin said last week that a Russian businessman, who he didn’t identify, traveled to Kyiv last month and met with Zelenskyy to hear his offer of a personal meeting. The Russian leader rejected the idea of a meeting, saying he saw no point in it.

Drone strikes civilians

Two people were killed and at least 18 injured, including four children aged 5, 10, 13 and 12, by a Russian drone attack in the central Zaporizhzhia region that damaged residential buildings and vehicles and destroyed market kiosks, said the regional military administration head, Ivan Fedorov.

In Nikopol. a Russian attack killed a 49-year-old woman and injured four other people, according to the State Emergency Service.

The service also reported that four people were injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region when strikes hit residential buildings. In Odesa, three people were wounded after a Russian drone struck a public transport stop.

Russian drone strikes overnight also injured civilians and damaged buildings and businesses in the Kharkiv, Odesa and Chernihiv regions, regional authorities said.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone overnight struck a passenger train traveling from Moscow to Simferopol in occupied Crimea, injuring the driver and killing the driver’s assistant, Kremlin-installed regional leader Sergei Aksyonov reported early Monday.

Akysyonov added that no passengers were hurt. But all passenger train traffic in Crimea was halted following the attack, with passengers evacuated and replacement buses provided, Russian operator Grand Service Express reported on Telegram that same morning.

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

At a press preview on Monday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was pleased that the mostly emptied-out Berlin residence was being opened to art and to the public.

“We need art," Steinmeier said. “A democracy without free art loses its capacity for self-criticism, and art without freedom loses its social relevance.”

The former Prussian royal palace, built in the 18th century, is set to undergo extensive renovations, including a repair of the roof, a new air conditioning system and upgraded offices. The work is expected to last eight years, meaning Steinmeier is not expected to return to the residence. His second and final term ends next year.

The pop-up show Freiraum Kunst, which roughly translates as “free art space,” was organized by the city’s Academy of Arts.

The president of the academy, Manos Tsangaris, thanked Steinmeier for the opportunity to use “these wonderful spaces."

“An opportunity like this to truly bring art to life is something we greatly appreciate,” he said.

It opens to the public Friday and runs until June 28. During this time, the president's residency, which is normally not freely accessibly, will be open to anyone who manages to book a free ticket online.

People’s interest in getting a glimpse inside the official presidential residence was so great that the website crashed just a few hours after it went live last month.

The temporary art show is also certain to attract a lot of interest with works by well-known artists Katharina Grosse, Wolfgang Tillmans and Monica Bonvicini, among others.

Upon entering the building, visitors will be able to see two paintings by artist El Bocho. The first one is an oversized portrait of a young woman with bright orange hair called “Die Bundespräsidentin,” or The Female President.

Across from it hangs a painting of three faceless men in suits called “Die Alten” or “The Old Ones.” The question the artists wants to raise, said curator Anh-Linh Ngo, is why Germany has never had a female president so far.

In general, all artists were given a free hand in what messages they wanted to convey to the public and many used the opportunity to interact with the normally political space, the organizers said.

Artist Karin Sander created a miniature sculpture of Steinmeier which she placed on a pedestal in the “political speeches room” — the only space the artists were asked to not alter as it has to stay untouched until moving day — in case the president needs to give an ad hoc political speech.

So now, a 36-centimeter (14-inch) tall sculpture of the president made of plaster stands on a pedestal in the center of the room under sweeping chandeliers and framed by light-blue silk curtains. It will keep that position until the real Steinmeier, whose role is largely ceremonial, either needs to give a speech or officially opens the president's interim residency near Berlin's central train station.

The overall move, which has already started, is expected to be finished by the end of the summer.

Before visitors finish their art tour, they pass through the former lobby, where film screenings, dance and music performances and readings will take place. They will also be able to meet with the artists.

As a result, the New York Police Department warned fans that watch parties near Madison Square Garden had been canceled and that anyone attending the game on Monday should arrive at least two hours early as part of enhanced security measures.

Here's the latest:

Trump and his granddaughter Kai are in Dolan’s suite

The president was spotted with Knicks owner James Dolan in his suite high above the court. His granddaughter Kai Trump was also in the suite, as well as his personal adviser Boris Epshteyn.

Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum were also nearby.

Trump clapped, waved and gave a thumbs up as he looked out from behind a pane of glass onto the court.

Crowds stream into Bryant Park for watch party

Fans started grabbing seats on the lawn in front of a giant screen Monday evening at the New York park.

The watch party is typically held near Madison Square Garden, but with Trump attending, it was moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at the park.

A voice blaring out over the crowd listed the many rules, including that chairs, plastic sheets, dogs and yoga mats were not allowed on the grass. Visitors also had to have their bags inspected.

Evette calls Trump’s endorsement ‘huge positive’ for her South Carolina governor campaign

Speaking with reporters after her final primary eve rally, Evette said voters across the state had stopped her to say they were backing her because the president had.

“I think we’re going to do really well tomorrow,” Evette said in Greer. “It’s a momentum, I feel it.”

If no candidate wins a majority in Tuesday’s vote, a runoff will be held two weeks later, and Evette said she was ready if needed to “make sure I win everybody’s vote.”

Trump is arriving at Madison Square Garden

Trump’s Marine One helicopter landed near Wall Street in lower Manhattan. His motorcade drove past throngs of people lining metal racks.

There were a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying, “Trump must go.”

Trump heading to Spurs-Knicks game

Trump was on his way to Madison Square Garden Monday for NBA Finals Game 3.

A line of police and an armored vehicle with flashing lights was making its way up FDR Drive in New York. A helicopter could be heard overhead.

Fans in Knicks gear wait in long queues

A sea of blue-and-orange Knicks jerseys filled the streets around Madison Square Garden on Monday evening as thousands of fans crowded into lines that stretched for blocks around the arena and Penn Station.

The queues wrapped around corners and spilled down sidewalks, with fans slowly inching toward entrances while checking tickets, taking photos and soaking in the atmosphere ahead of the Knicks’ first NBA Finals home game in 27 years.

For many arriving fans, the wait had become part of the spectacle, with some standing shoulder-to-shoulder for blocks before reaching the Garden.

Knicks fans make their way to NBA Finals Game 3

Greg Weldon was in the stands rooting for the Knicks when they made it to the championships more than half a century ago. Now he’s back with his son to cheer them on.

Standing in line outside Madison Square Garden in his New York jersey, he said, “You can’t really put a price on the experience.”

After traveling from his new home in Florida for the game, he said the main inconvenience he’s faced so far has been the lack of information.

“We’ve asked so many cops, Secret Service, guys with machine guns, what to do, where should we go,” he said. “Nobody knows.”

Security ramps up for NBA Finals Game 3 ahead of Trump’s anticipated arrival

An extensive security operation was underway around Madison Square Garden on Monday ahead of Trump’s expected attendance.

Hundreds of police officers lined streets surrounding the arena in Midtown Manhattan as fans wound through a maze of barricades and sanitation trucks positioned to block vehicle traffic. Thousands passed through an exterior security checkpoint before entering the secured perimeter around the Garden.

The heightened security footprint extended well beyond the arena itself, transforming several blocks around neighboring Penn Station into a tightly controlled security zone.

Trump holds primary eve telerally with South Carolina’s Graham and Evette

During a telerally late Monday afternoon, Trump wished his chosen Senate and governor’s race candidates “good luck,” urging South Carolina voters to support Sen. Lindsey Graham and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the next day’s primary.

Last year, Trump endorsed Graham’s bid for a fifth term. He didn’t weigh in on Evette’s candidacy until less than two weeks before Tuesday’s votes.

As he has done in social posts endorsing Republican candidates in the state, Trump also reminded listeners of his general election victories in South Carolina in all three presidential campaigns.

The telerally was piped into a Greer event for Evette, with several people in the audience filming on their phone as the three Republicans spoke.

DHS secretary calls on sheriffs to sign agreements to assist ICE

While speaking at the National Sheriffs’ Association’s annual meeting in his home state of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin pitched sheriffs on signing a 287g agreement that allows them to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Mullin said the Department can help pay deputies’ salaries or for equipment in those jurisdictions that have signed 287g agreements with ICE.

Under the Trump administration, the number of jurisdictions that have signed agreements with ICE has skyrocketed.

They essentially make law enforcement agencies in states and cities around the country an arm of immigration enforcement.

“We can do all that through the 287g program, and then we’re not in the streets arresting these individuals. You guys are simply picking them up for a traffic stop,” Mullin said.

Trump formally nominates Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general

Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump, has been leading the Justice Department in an acting capacity since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April.

It’s unclear whether Blanche has enough Senate support to be confirmed. A key vote on the Judiciary Committee, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, has not said whether he will back Blanche’s nomination.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the committee, said Blanche is “well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country.”

Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, said: “Donald Trump has been engaged in the most corrupt enterprise in the history of the Presidency,” adding, “Todd Blanche apparently has not noticed.”

Blanche said last week that he was “honored and humbled” by the nomination.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy has call with Trump envoys ahead of G7

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media he spoke by phone with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner earlier on Monday.

The call comes a week before Trump heads to the Group of Seven summit in France in which Russia’s war on Ukraine is expected to be on the agenda. While Ukraine is not a G7 nation, Zelenskyy has been invited to attend next week’s summit.

Zelenskyy in his statement on X also alluded to the conflict becoming more of a backburner issue as Trump looks to find an endgame to the three-month old Iran conflict.

“We understand how much of the world’s attention is focused on the situation around Iran,” Zelenskyy said in a post. “But our shared goal of peace in Europe remains on the agenda.”

Dems call Trump’s refugee approach ‘shameful’

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and California Sen. Alex Padilla said in a letter Monday to the president that there are “multiple legal defects” with the administration’s decision to lift the refugee cap, but only for white South Africans.

The Democrats, who criticized the “shameful efforts to gut the refugee admissions program,” argued there is no “unforeseen refugee emergency” that requires a mid-year adjustment to the refugee levels, which is typically done in September.

“By contrast, there are numerous forced displacement crises and conflicts worldwide that would justify an emergency increase in the ceiling, including, for example, in Sudan, Burma, and Haiti,” the senators wrote.

They also said the administration’s legally-required consultation process with Congress was insufficient, in that it sent deputy officials to meet with lawmakers, not Cabinet rank. The Democrats said the decision to admit solely Afrikaners was a “betrayal of our nation’s longstanding bipartisan commitment to serve as a safe haven for those fleeing persecution.”

State Department to offer expedited visa interviews at select embassies and consulates for $750

The State Department will soon offer a “premium” expedited service for foreigners seeking business or tourist visas that will set applicants back $750 on top of the initial fee of $185.

In a notice to be published in the Federal Register this week, the department will unveil a pilot program that will allow visa applicants to pay the $750 to schedule an appointment for an interview within 10 days of the payment at select U.S. embassies and consulates. The embassies and consulates at which the service will be available were not identified.

Wait times for visa interviews for citizens of countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program can be several months, if not longer. But paying the fee for the “optional premium add-on service” does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.

The program would run from July 1 to December 31, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and a department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the program has not yet been announced.

—- Matthew Lee

Iran’s UN envoy hopes US-Iran talks ‘will reach a conclusion’ by the end of June

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the United States and Iran are “providing and exchanging the views to reach to a conclusion” through Pakistan.

“We have not received to a final document, but we are pursuing to receive it,” he said in response to a question from The Associated Press after he spoke at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on Monday.

Does he think this is going to happen by the end of the month? “We hope so. We hope so,” Iravani replied.

He stressed that the ceasefire was comprehensive and applied to the region, including Lebanon, which Israel rejects. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel will continue striking Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants on Monday, even as it backed off of further strikes with Iran.

“And just, I think, all sides returned to the ceasefire,” Iravani said.

Pentagon includes Alibaba on its list of Chinese military companies

The Pentagon has added the tech giant Alibaba, electric-car maker BYD and the search engine Baidu to its list of Chinese military companies, preventing them from getting U.S. defense contracts.

The list updated and published by the Pentagon on Monday now sanctions some of the best-known, non-state Chinese companies that are not traditionally considered to be in the defense or security sector.

It comes at a time when Washington has become wary of Beijing’s strategy of tapping the strength of non-state businesses for military purposes.

The list was created in 2021 to identify Chinese companies that the Pentagon considers to have links to the Chinese military. It already covers companies such as DJI, a major maker of consumer drones.

Defense Department updates its list of faith traditions after LDS senators complain

The Pentagon updated its recognized religious affiliations Monday, three days after it released a streamlined list.

Utah Republican Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis had complained because the Pentagon’s Christian categories did not include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Whether members of the LDS Church, often called Mormons, are Christian is a long-running debate.

The latest rubric does not categorize the LDS Church as Christian. Rather, it removes the Christian label from 20 other traditions, including Catholic, Lutheran and Pentecostal.

The Defense Department posted on social media that the original list “included redundant and unnecessary labeling, and the mistake has been fixed.”

US hits more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and family members with travel ban

The United States has placed travel bans on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and their family members as part of a broader campaign to punish the current government for alleged human rights abuses.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Monday that the new sanctions were, in part, imposed because of the death of indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera and the policies of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president Rosario Murillo.

“The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua,” he said.

The U.S. has now barred more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and family members from entering the United States. The identities of the most recent targets were not released.

US stocks claw back some of the ground they lost on Friday

Wall Street is recovering a bit from its beat-down from Friday, as stocks swept up in the artificial-intelligence boom bounce back.

Oil prices are higher following fighting between Israel and Iran, but they’ve come off their peaks from overnight.

The S&P 500 rose 0.9% early Monday following its 2.6% drop Friday, which was its worst since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 215 points, and the Nasdaq composite added 1.5%.

Some of the best performers were companies that sell computer chips and other products fueling the AI boom. They had plunged Friday amid worries that their prices had shot too high.

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Donald Trump, Knicks fan, heads back to New York to root for his team

There was a time when Donald Trump was just another celebrity sitting courtside at New York Knicks games. He was famous, but not yet flanked by Secret Service agents or defined by the politics that have left him deeply unpopular in his hometown.

Now, more than a decade after attending his last Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, Trump is making a rare trip back to New York City as president to cheer for them in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. Invited by Knicks owner James Dolan, he’ll be the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.

The Knicks are seeking their first championship since 1973, when Trump was 26 and a relative newcomer to the family real estate business that vaulted him to wealth and fame. Two years after that triumph, the team’s owners at the time hired him as a consultant as they looked to sell the arena.

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As America 250 approaches, fewer Americans see their country as exceptional, AP-NORC poll finds

As the U.S. prepares for an extravagant celebration of its founding principles, fewer Americans see their country as exceptional, a new poll finds.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans’ feelings of unease over the future of its representative government — particularly among young people. It presents a jarring contrast as communities around the country commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, the new poll found, while 44% say it’s one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others. About 3 in 10 say there are better countries than the U.S., an increase from 19% in an AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2016.

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Lawsuit seeks to stop the UFC fight on the White House South Lawn for Trump’s birthday

A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the June 14 event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.

The White House said in a statement that the legal challenge was “an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was “no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.”

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Trump issues pardon to former Republican congressman convicted of insider trading

Trump has issued a pardon to Stephen Buyer, a former Republican congressman from Indiana who served nearly two years in prison for making illegal stock trades based on inside information after he left office.

Buyer was sentenced to 22 months in prison in 2023 for trades made while working as a consultant and lobbyist. He was ordered to forfeit more than $350,000, representing the amount of the illegal gains, and pay a $10,000 fine. He was released in 2025.

The Supreme Court in May rejected Buyer’s appeal without comment or noted dissent.

In granting “a full, complete, and unconditional pardon,” Trump cited Buyer’s career as a judge advocate general in the Army and in the House that was “distinguished and highly productive.” The pardon was dated Thursday and released by the White House late Friday.

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No watch party at Madison Square Garden with Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals

Police scuttled an NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks warned fans to get to Monday’s matchup at least two hours early as part of enhanced security measures with Trump attending the game.

Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. He already has attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.

Part of the fallout from Trump’s visit was the cancellation of a Game 3 watch party outside MSG. The New York Police Department said in a statement Sunday the decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service.

“There will be no watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only,” the statement said. “This was done fully in coordination with the Secret Service because of the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4.”

Trump dismisses idea that Iran betrays his ‘no new wars’ campaign message

Trump is dismissing the idea that launching the war with Iran this year betrayed his refrain of “No new wars” that he made repeatedly as he campaigned again for the White House.

Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said he “didn’t guarantee” there would be no wars if he were back in office.

“First of all, I didn’t guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” Trump said.

It came just hours before Israel and Iran traded fire in retaliatory strikes that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a full-scale regional war. It was the first exchange of fire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached.

Trump also defended plans for a now-scrapped $1.8 billion fund that would have compensated allies of the Republican president and he repeated his baseless claims of mass fraud in California’s drawn-out vote count from Tuesday’s primary. He ended the interview abruptly when he became frustrated with pushback from NBC’s Kristen Welker.

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The decision sent shock waves across college sports since bans for gambling are a bedrock rule of the NCAA and many professional sports.

The NCAA said it strongly disagrees with the ruling and “is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome — which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports.” The NCAA said it would appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo.

Sorsby, whose school said he has a gambling problem that he is addressing through treatment, will miss the Red Raiders’ first two games next season under a judge-approved penalty that had been proposed by his attorneys. The NCAA, which usually handles such punishments, was not involved.

The ruling by Judge Ken Curry prevents the NCAA from being able to block the transfer QB's eligibility for what will be his final college season with a team among the favorites to win the Big 12 Conference and return to the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the ramifications of the ruling “could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership.” He called a meeting this week of his league's athletic directors and executive board, and been in touch with NCAA President Charlie Baker.

Texas Tech opens the season on Sept. 5 at home against Abilene Christian. The Red Raiders then play Oregon State before their Big 12 opener at home on Sept. 18 against Houston.

“I’m very grateful for the endless support I have received throughout this entire process,” Sorsby posted on social media. “I am also grateful for the chance to rejoin my teammates. This opportunity comes with the responsibility to remain focused on my personal growth, the ability to learn from this experience, and to be able to use my situation to help others going forward.”

The judge's ruling

Curry held a two-hour hearing last week in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, where Texas Tech is located. In his decision, he wrote that he agreed Sorsby would suffer “a probable, imminent and irreparable injury” if he cannot practice or play for the Red Raiders.

The injunction comes with conditions that Sorsby must continue counseling for his gambling and to participate in peer support through Gamblers Anonymous or a similar group. He also must continue treatment to address “the underlying anxiety that served as the primary driver of (his) gambling behavior.”

Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said a comprehensive support structure, including clinical care, monitoring and compliance checks, will remain fully in place for Sorsby during his time at the school.

“As we have said before, we do not believe that the circumstances of Brendan’s case warranted permanent ineligibility,” Hocutt said. “As he returns to our football program, we remain committed to supporting Brendan’s recovery and ensuring his compliance with the court’s order.”

Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor told Yahoo Sports he was disappointed by the ruling.

“It is absolutely devastating for him to be able to play when every other sport, no matter the level, deems an athlete ineligible or they are punished severely for betting on their team,” he told the outlet.

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen confirmed to The Associated Press that his coaches have been told to not schedule Texas Tech in any sport, as first reported by Yahoo Sports. Georgia also will not schedule Texas Tech in any sport, according to multiple media outlets.

“This may be one of those seminal moments we've all been waiting for,” Dannen said in a text to the AP.

A significant setback against the NCAA

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew had said during the hearing that allowing Sorsby to play another college season would provide “reputable harm” to the governing body.

“Saying the NCAA is now the first league in America that allows you, without punishment, to bet on its own contests, that’s a reputable harm to the NCAA,” Askew told the court. “This would be the first league in America that does that. ... We should not say for the first time serial gambling is OK.”

Court records show that Sorsby has acknowledged making thousands of impermissible bets totaling at least $90,000 during his time at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. That included 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on any of the games he played in with the Hoosiers.

While some guidelines for penalties related to gambling have changed in recent years, NCAA rules still call for a permanent loss of eligibility for any player who wagered on his own team.

Sorsby was at Indiana for two seasons before the past two at Cincinnati.

The Texas native transferred in January to Texas Tech for a reported multimillion-dollar deal. The Red Raiders brought him in to be the starting quarterback when trying to defend their first Big 12 title and return to the CFP.

What led to the NCAA investigation

According to court filings, on March 11 the NCAA received a tip about Sorsby’s gambling activity from an online sportsbook, which had been informed by law enforcement. Texas Tech was notified April 14 that an investigation was underway by the NCAA.

Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney who negotiated the $2.8 billion House settlement against the NCAA and now represents Sorsby, told the court that the 22-year-old quarterback has a diagnosed addiction and anxiety-driven compulsion. Sorsby recently completed a monthlong stay in a residential treatment program in Arizona that he entered after the start of the NCAA’s investigation.

According to a clinician who treated Sorsby, Kessler said, not allowing the quarterback to play would hurt his mental health and hamper his recovery.

The NCAA in its statement Monday said it is “committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity, such as betting on one’s own sport.”

The lawsuit and NCAA appeals

The injunction came in Sorsby’s lawsuit filed May 18 against the NCAA seeking the restoration of his eligibility. That case was initially assigned to District Judge Phillip Hays, a Lubbock native and Texas Tech graduate who later recused himself. Curry is a retired judge from Tarrant County, nearly 300 miles away.

Since the filing of that lawsuit, the NCAA has twice denied Texas Tech’s petition to restore the quarterback’s eligibility.

When the school on May 26 revealed the first denial and its intent to appeal, university president Lawrence Schovanec wrote in a letter to the Texas Tech community that the school felt “the NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified.”

That comment illustrates the difficult landscape for the NCAA, which has lost multiple court cases challenging rules that were put in place by the very schools that make up its membership. Many focus on eligibility, with athletes contending they should be allowed to play and continue to earn money that was made available under the House ruling.

The NCAA is on the verge of approving a new eligibility model following meetings among stakeholders and even President Donald Trump. The NCAA continues to also seek limited antitrust protections from Congress in hopes of eliminating or at least smoothing the state-by-state rulings that have thrown the industry into chaos.

“There is no better example of why targeted intervention from Congress is necessary,” Baker said on social media after the ruling. “When you have schools and deep-pocketed supporters willing to look the other way on the glaring integrity threat of betting on your own team — and judges whose rulings effectively strip away our ability to stop them — only Congress can equip the NCAA to apply this common sense rule to everyone fairly and consistently. The Protect College Sports Act would empower the NCAA to enforce rules including the gambling restrictions — it’s needed now more than ever.”

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AP College Football Writer Eric Olson contributed to this report.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounded the alarm in a letter over the weekend after a failed procedural vote to extend the program.

The senators urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also acts as the president's National Security Advisor, to prepare “for a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection” if the authority expires. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, set to lapse June 12, allows agencies including the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.

In a response obtained by The Associated Press, Rubio replied to the senators that he understands the “political challenges” but said he is “deeply disappointed” that Democrats are opposing the legislation.

“Allowing Section 702 to expire would have dire impacts on our ability to keep the nation secure,” Rubio wrote.

Efforts to secure a long-term extension of the program already faced hurdles because of bipartisan concerns that the program can incidentally collect Americans’ communications. Privacy advocates and some lawmakers have been pushing to create a new warrant requirement before those communications can be searched.

Senate leaders from both parties appeared to be nearing bipartisan agreement on a long-term extension, but the effort collapsed after Trump selected federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence.

Democrats and several Republicans registered their opposition to Trump’s selection of Pulte, arguing the federal housing finance regulator lacks the experience needed to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and has used his current position to investigate some of the president's perceived political rivals.

“Why the president would throw this live hand grenade of Bill Pulte in 10 days before this is due to expire, I'm not sure," Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on ABC's “This Week.”

Pulte pick upends bipartisan deal

Even as they say it is critical, Democrats have said they won't have the votes to renew the surveillance authority unless Pulte's appointment is withdrawn. Republican leaders tried to start the process last week, but seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in blocking a long-term extension.

“The White House bears the responsibility to fix this,” Warner said. “They have the power to do it. They can do it today. Let’s see what happens.”

Trump has said that Pulte won't be his permanent pick, but has not announced a nominee to be confirmed by the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday that there are “conversations” around the White House nominating a permanent pick for the job before the surveillance authority expires. But he said he wasn't sure what they would decide to do.

“We have a deadline ahead of us. We need Democrat votes,” Thune said. “The naming of Pulte to that position, although the timing arguably wasn’t the best, I still don’t think it ought to derail something that’s this important."

Thune has also expressed concern over Pulte's pick, saying the nation’s top intelligence post should not be “weaponized” and that the job should be filled by “professionals.” Cotton, who rarely strays from supporting Trump and is a leading advocate for the surveillance authority, declined to endorse Pulte last week, saying only that he had “no observations on the matter.”

“He’s not qualified for the long-term position,” Republican Sen. James Lankford, another member of the Intelligence Committee, told “Fox News Sunday.” “That’s been clear on this. He has no national security background.”

Both Republican and Democratic senators skeptical of Pulte pointed to his record at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In the role, he's been linked with criminal referrals over allegations of mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; and Lisa Cook, a board member of the Federal Reserve.

“Clearly to get to good-faith negotiations the effort to elevate Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence should be reversed. Immediately," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

A key surveillance tool

The current reauthorization debate is hardly the first time that lawmakers have grappled with the fate of the surveillance program, particularly after a flurry of revelations about government misuse of the vast trove of intelligence it collects.

The topic in recent years has scrambled predictable partisan alliances, with Democratic critics of the Trump administration uniting with skeptics of government power on the right in voicing concerns about Section 702’s renewal.

In 2024, for instance, those divisions nearly caused the program to lapse. The Senate barely missed its midnight deadline that year before approving by a 60-34 margin legislation to reauthorize Section 702 that was subsequently signed by then-President Joe Biden.

In a post on X, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche urged Democrats “to come back to the table with their Republican counterparts.”

The authority is “one of our nation’s key tools for finding and stopping foreign terrorists," Blanche said.

Cotton and Grassley said they believed Democratic leaders would not support another short-term extension of the surveillance authority and urged Rubio to prepare contingency plans. They said Trump should consider an executive order to prevent a disruption in intelligence collection.

Democrats and Republicans have said they were close on a bipartisan deal on a long-term extension and could still move quickly should a change occur before Friday. Still, the bill would likely need to go through the House — and the two chambers so far have disagreed on a separate issue regarding central banking digital currency.

Republicans are already warning of the consequences if Congress fails to act.

“If it goes dark, then it would be a calamitous situation for the country,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

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Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

A KSAT Connect user has previously shared a video of flying insects in San Antonio.

The video appears to show a “ton” of little flying insects in their backyard.

High humidity creates favorable conditions for insects to thrive while also attracting them to sources of water.

When San Antonio receives multiple inches of rain and has lingering humidity and moisture in the air, it can lead to an increase in the bug population.

Molly Keck, an entomologist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County, previously told KSAT the insects are desert termites.

There’s no need to worry; desert termites, also known as agricultural termites, are not the kind of insects that eat up your home.

“They do not cause damage to plants or structures. They feed on dead and stressed forbes, grasses, and roots,” Keck said. “Sometimes cause some damage to turf, but usually because the grass isn’t well watered and the roots are too short as a result of shallow watering.”

Desert termites are native to the San Antonio area, and many can be seen due to a combination of the right weather conditions and the insects’ biology.

Keck said desert termites will typically decide to swarm in large numbers.

The reproductive forms of desert termites fly out of their colonies to mate in the spring and summer months when it’s hot and very humid.

The winged versions are called swarmers or alates. They leave the colony to find locations for new colonies.

They may not cause any damage, but large swarms can leave behind a mess of discarded wings.

If you have desert termites, there’s no need to call a pest control service.

According to the AgriLife Extension website, desert termites play a crucial role in ecosystems by regulating carbon and nitrogen flow.

The insects process up to half of the dead roots and litter in grass lands, the website states.

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The 56-year-old is facing allegations of sexual misconduct with a female aide, in a scandal that has dragged on for more than two years. He has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.

A final decision on Khan's fate is now up to the Assembly of States Parties, the body that oversees the ICC, which will hold a special session to decide if Khan can remain in his job at the global court.

The Bureau of the Assembly of States parties — the executive committee of the court’s oversight body — said in a statement that it based its decision “on the report of an investigation undertaken by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the underlying evidence, the advice of an ad hoc Panel of judicial experts, and written submissions.”

It added that Khan's suspension pending the assembly meeting “is not an indication of the final outcome.”

The U.N. investigation found evidence that Khan had “nonconsensual sexual contact with (the aide) in his office, at his private residence, and whilst on mission,” according to a copy of its report seen by The Associated Press. However, a three-judge panel selected by the executive committee for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.

When contacted for comment, Khan’s legal team said a statement would be issued Tuesday.

Khan had already temporarily stepped down in May 2025 pending the outcome of the investigation. The process is unprecedented for the ICC, and the Assembly of States Parties has had to repeatedly create new rules to accommodate the situation.

The allegations against Khan were first reported to the court’s independent watchdog more than two years ago. An AP investigation revealed that Khan was alleged to have seen the woman working in another ICC department and moved her into his office. She later became a regular presence on official trips, according to whistleblower documents.

On one foreign trip, Khan allegedly asked her to rest with him on a hotel bed and then “sexually touched her,” the documents said. Other alleged nonconsensual behavior cited in the documents included locking the door of his office and sticking his hand in her pocket. He also allegedly asked her several times to accompany him on a vacation.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the authority to remove Khan from office, a move that would require a majority in a secret ballot of its 125 member states. Sixty-three countries would need to support a measure to remove him.

No date was immediately set for the session, but the assembly said it would be convened as soon as possible.

Jones, who spent six years with the Sun before coming to New York in 2023, received a standing ovation from the crowd in a pregame ceremony.

“I want to say thank you to this organization for taking a chance on me and bringing me here,” Jones told the crowd. “Thank you to the fans. Even though it's the ”Sunset season" there are a lot of memories here. A lot of winning that happened here. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Jones didn't end up playing in the game as she was a late scratch because of an illness.

Connecticut, which is playing its last season in the state before moving to Houston next season, will honor six former Sun members of the franchise during this season.

“It’s an honor. It means a lot, a lot of great memories there,” Jones said. “It’s an organization that saw a lot of me before I proved myself to the WNBA. I said it before, but (Connecticut) decided to move players that were really solidified in this league."

Connecticut acquired Jones on draft night in 2016 from the Los Angeles Sparks in a deal for Chelsea Gray that worked out well for both teams.

“They saw me as someone that could come in and really contribute before I ever stepped on the court in the WNBA. That means a lot to me,” she said. "It’s kind of cool to say you’re honored while you’re still playing in the WNBA as well. Definitely new territory. Something I’m looking forward to, and something that I’m really excited about.”

Jones, who won the league's MVP award in 2021, helped the team reach the WNBA Finals in 2019 and 2022. She is sixth in franchise history with 196 games and fifth in points scored, totaling 2,657. She's first in blocks with 270 and third in rebounds with 1,633. She was traded to New York before the 2023 season.

“It was important to us that Jonquel's legacy be permanently recognized,” Sun president Jen Rizzotti said. “Raising her number into the rafters is a tribute to one of the greatest players in franchise history and a lasting reminder of everything she has meant to this organization and to our fans.”

Connecticut will also honor former players Jasmine Thomas, Alyssa Thomas, Tina Charles as well as coaches Curt Miller and Mike Thibault.

Jones joined other Connecticut greats Margo Dydek, Katie Douglas, Nykesha Sales, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Lindsay Whalen and Asjha Jones in the rafters at the arena.

___

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

The meeting, which followed in the tradition of popes meeting with abuse survivors during their foreign trips, lasted about an hour and took place at the Vatican embassy in Madrid, the Vatican said in a statement.

Spain’s Catholic hierarchy has only recently begun reckoning with its legacy of abuse and cover-up after long dismissing the severity of the scandal that came to light thanks to reporting by the newpaper El País.

In 2023, the Spanish government’s ombudsman delivered a damning 800-page report estimating there were hundreds of thousands of possible victims in Spain over decades — based on a survey of 8,000 people. The report also examined 487 known cases.

Spain’s bishops rejected the estimate, saying its own investigation had uncovered 728 sexual abusers within the church since 1945.

During Monday’s meeting, the survivors told the pope their stories and recommendations for how the church should better respond, the Vatican said. Victims in Spain and elsewhere have long complained that the church’s response to the scandal was often retraumatizing, with victims often accused of only seeking money or to harm the church.

“The pope listened with affection and attention, assured them of his closeness — and that of the entire church community — and pledged his commitment to ensuring that the suggestions received serve as a foundation for further efforts, so that the church may truly be a safe and spiritually healthy place where wounds find comfort and healing,” said a statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

The encounter marked the first known time Leo had met with victims while on a foreign visit, but it by no means was his first time hearing first-hand from survivors.

As a bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, the former Robert Prevost was in charge of listening to victims as the point of reference for the Peruvian bishops conference. In that capacity, he became intimately aware of the abusive practices in the powerful Peruvian group, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, which Pope Francis formally suppressed last year.

As pope, Leo has insisted on the need to listen to victims but he has also demanded that the rights of accused priests be upheld.

In his recent encyclical, he said the journey for justice for victims included “just reparation” and he included not only victims of sexual abuse but also spiritual, economic, institutional and power-based abuse, as well as abuses of conscience.

Ahead of the expected meeting with Leo, several groups representing survivors that were not included said they were left in the dark about the encounter, and held a small protest outside the Vatican’s embassy in Madrid.

“Our associations are pleased that a group of victims from the reparation plan can be heard by the pope, but they do not represent all the victims, and deep down they are being used by the church, by the bishops conference, to clean up the image of a Spanish church that has never been able to live up to its victims,” said Juan Cuatrecasas, a spokesperson for the Robbed Childhood association.

Leo addresses abuse to bishops and parliament

Before the meeting, Leo told Spanish bishops that they must offer reparations to survivors and that the entire church community should have an "ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care.”

“Faced with this scourge, the ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation," Leo said. “Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection and real paths to healing.”

Amid public outrage over the abuse crisis, Spain launched a reparations system earlier this year for clerical abuse cases too old to be prosecuted that requires the participation of the Catholic Church and the Spanish government.

Other countries and churches have set up reparations mechanisms to compensate survivors and provide therapy, but the Spanish one is unusual in that it gives the government a strong role in the process and the final say in payouts.

The system, which is not legally binding, has drawn praise and some skepticism from advocacy groups and survivors. It gives people a year to apply.

Leo reaffirms church’s right to confessional secrecy

Leo also reaffirmed the right of the Catholic Church to maintain secrecy involving the sacrament of confession, amid efforts in Europe and elsewhere to force Catholic priests to report abuse that they learn about during the one-to-one conversations.

Independent investigations into clergy abuse around the world have identified the seal of confession as a major impediment to exposing and preventing abuse, and called for it to be abolished. The investigations have documented how abusers used the confessional to solicit sex from minors and then relied on the seal of confession to keep it secret.

In his speech to the Spanish parliament Monday, Leo framed the right of the church to keep priest-penitent conversations confidential as a matter of freedom of religion.

“To protect it legally, as is done in a similar way in some professions, means preserving a sacred space of inner freedom, where the believer can open his or her soul to God without fear of external pressures,” he said.

Several mostly low-rise buildings collapsed or sustained heavy damages in the hard-hit city of General Santos. Tsunami damage was reported in at least one southern coastal village. Smaller waves were measured in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan.

The quake also triggered a landslide in Glan, a municipality in the province of Sarangani, that killed 13 villagers, Rene Punzalan, a provincial disaster-mitigation official, told the DZBB radio network. Four other villagers died in Sarangani, he said.

The major earthquake was the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, Teresito Bacolcol, the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said. He warned people to seek advice before returning to damaged buildings and houses, which could collapse due to aftershocks.

The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, said it was coordinating with Manila and was ready to support Philippine response efforts. France, Japan and New Zealand also expressed support.

“Our pickup truck suddenly jerked and I thought we had a flat tire,” Rod Sosmeña, a regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, told The Associated Press from General Santos, where he was traveling when the quake struck at 7:37 a.m.

“The shaking was very strong and people dashed out of houses into the streets,” Sosmeña said.

Epicenter in sea off Mindanao

More than 100 students in uniforms and a dozen teachers had gathered for a flag-raising ceremony in a coconut tree-ringed grade school compound in the rural town of Malita in Davao Occidental province when the ground shook, turning the first day of school after a two-month summer break into chaos.

“Their excitement on the first day of school turned to trauma,” school principal Rosavel Cachuela told the AP.

Some of the young students screamed in panic and wept but most remained seated and still, preventing any injuries, Cachuela said, adding that a motorcycle was damaged when a shed crumbled to the ground.

At least four people remained missing in General Santos, a port city of more than 700,000 people and a regional hub for the tuna export industry. Search and rescue teams worked to find people who may have been trapped in a supermarket, a warehouse, a grade school, and other small buildings that either collapsed or were severely damaged, officials said.

The international airport in General Santos was temporarily shut due to the earthquake and 17 domestic flights were canceled, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said.

The quake was centered at sea off Mindanao, the second most populous island in the Philippine archipelago. According to Bacolcol, the quake occurred at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province.

Assessing damage and casualties

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the cancellation of classes and directed disaster-response agencies to immediately get to work in quake-hit provinces, saying “the national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind.”

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat of a tsunami largely passed about five hours after the quake. Philippine officials also lifted a tsunami warning by mid-afternoon. Six shanties on stilts were damaged in a coastal village in Zamboanga del Sur province due to the quake and taller waves, officials said.

Aside from the landslide in Sarangani, most of the other deaths were caused by collapsing buildings and falling debris, including in a damaged mosque, in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island, according to Sosmeña and another disaster-mitigation official, Ednar Dayanghirang.

The DZRH radio network in Manila reported that a four-story commercial building where its provincial station was located partly collapsed and staffers dashed to the ground floor without injuries.

Tsunami waves near 3 feet measured

Waves of 1 meter (3 feet) were monitored in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani. A 1.4-meter (4.6-foot) wave hit at one time in Kiamba town, Bacolcol said.

The quake was also felt in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island. Sabah is just a boat ride away from southern Philippines. An 83-centimeter (2.7-feet) tsunami was measured by a gauge off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, and the PTWC said 30-centimeter (1-foot) waves were measured in Palau.

Waves up to 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) were detected on the remote Japanese island of Chichijima and the central Japanese town of Kushimoto, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The Philippines is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

The archipelago is also battered by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.

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Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines. Associated Press writers Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and global executive producer Kiko Rosario in Bangkok contributed to this report.

The administration announced the much-higher fee as a way of preventing foreign workers from taking American jobs.

But U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston sided with 20 states and struck down the visa policy, concluding that the executive branch exceeded its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

“The Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress,” Sorokin wrote.

H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that are difficult to find American workers to fill. Deep-pocketed technology companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to workers from India. The states argued that using the H-1B program to fill vacancies for much-needed doctors and teachers was already difficult before the higher fee.

Most H-1B visa applications cost several thousand dollars before the announced increase set off a wave of panic among confused employers, students and workers in the United States and abroad and led to several lawsuits, including in Boston.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also sued, in federal court in Washington, D.C., and has appealed a denial of a summary judgment against the fee hike. That left the higher fee in effect, at least until September 2026, when it is scheduled to expire. Monday's ruling is also a summary judgment, to the opposite effect. Still another lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco, by religious groups and labor organizations, setting up the possibility of divided rulings in three appellate court circuits.

In the Boston case, the states argued that the policy impedes their ability to hire primary and secondary school educators and to staff public colleges and universities, will stymie academic research and will lead to a decline in medical workers.

“Today’s victory protects the integrity of the H-1B visa program as a tool to address severe labor shortages in vital industries like education, healthcare, and medical research," Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement. "In Massachusetts, this win will ensure we can fill critical vacancies and hire world-class faculty and researchers at colleges and universities across the Commonwealth."

Bobby Mukkamala, the president of the American Medical Association, called the ruling “a victory for patients.”

“At a time when communities across the country face physician shortages and growing barriers to care, we should be removing obstacles — not creating new ones — to attract talented physicians and other highly skilled professionals,” Mukkamala said. “International medical graduates play a vital role in caring for patients, particularly in underserved and rural areas.”

A Department of Homeland Security statement said the agency disagrees with “this blatant judicial activism dismantling President Trump’s historic efforts for immigration reform.”

“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, our immigration system is being reformed to serve American citizens, American workers, and American families and to preserve our national identity — not to rapidly import foreigners who take American jobs, commit crimes, burden our welfare system, and erode our cultural and social fabric," the statement said, referring to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

In a separate statement, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the administration "is confident this order will be reversed on appeal.”

The Comal County Sheriff’s Office, the American Humane Society and the Texas Livestock Protection Association seized 23 horses on June 5, the spokesperson said. Officials said the investigation began after 28 welfare-related calls were made to CCSO regarding the property.

A licensed veterinarian evaluated the animals and determined they were being neglected and “cruelly treated,” the spokesperson said.

All 23 horses were safely relocated to a secure location, the spokesperson said, though authorities have not disclosed where the animals are being housed. The American Humane Society and the Texas Livestock Protection Association assisted in the investigation due to the number of animals involved.

Officials said a hearing will be scheduled to determine what will happen to the horses and whether their owners will face charges. The investigation is ongoing.

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Since conflict erupted in the Middle East earlier this year after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, much of the shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil transit route bordering Iran — has remained effectively halted, pushing up the price of oil and jet fuel.

In an effort to contain costs, airlines around the world have raised airfares and fees, cut other perks and canceled flights or trimmed schedules.

U.S. carriers spent nearly $6.5 billion on fuel in April, compared with about $3.6 billion a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Fuel consumption in April totaled 1.573 billion gallons, down slightly from 1.575 billion gallons a year earlier.

The latest figures came as the International Air Transport Association released a report on Sunday saying it now expects airlines worldwide to earn a combined $23 billion in net profit in 2026, far below its previous forecast of $41 billion and down from $45 billion in 2025.

“Airlines are bearing the brunt of the fuel price shock,” said Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, which represents most of the world's carriers. “While airfares are rising, airlines are still absorbing part of the hike in their bottom lines.”

The group said jet fuel prices are expected to average $152 a barrel in 2026, nearly 70% higher than in 2025, pushing the global airline fuel bill to about $350 billion from $252 billion a year earlier. IATA said that fuel is forecast to account for more than 31% of airline operating expenses in 2026, up from about 25% last year.

In the U.S., the cost of a gallon of jet fuel in April was $4.11, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said. Last April, it cost $2.31.

In a sign of the conflict’s ongoing repercussions for travel, American Airlines said last week it was suspending some of its routes this summer. In April, Lufthansa Group said it would cut 20,000 short-haul flights through October and Air Canada announced it was suspending its service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June until late October.

Other airlines, ranging from U.S. carriers like United and Delta to Air France-KLM, Philippine Airlines and Cathay Pacific in Europe and Asia, have either cut flights, readjusted their schedules or halted plans to add more seats and routes this year.

The S&P 500 added 0.3%, coming off a drop of 2.6% from Friday that was its worst since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 80 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.9%.

Some of the best performers were companies that sell computer chips, memory and other products fueling the AI boom. They had plunged Friday amid worries that their prices had shot too high due to AI euphoria. Such worries dragged South Korea’s Kospi index down 8.3% early Monday, pummeling tech stocks there like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

But prices recovered as trading moved westward through Europe to New York. Micron Technology rose 9.9% after sliding 13.3% Friday for the largest loss in the S&P 500. That resumed a run where its stock has more than tripled so far in 2026.

Marvell Technology climbed 9.6% in its first trading after S&P Dow Jones Indices said the semiconductor company’s stock has grown enough to join its widely followed S&P 500 index. Marvell’s stock has also more than tripled so far this year, aided by a 32.5% surge in one day last week. That was its best day since it began trading in 2000, and it came after Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, suggested at a conference in Taiwan that Marvell could be “the next trillion-dollar company.”

That such a comment could add billions of dollars to a company’s value in an instant suggests to critics that AI stocks are running too hot. Chip and memory companies are indeed reaping big growth in revenue and profit because of the AI boom, but their stock prices have been soaring at astounding speeds. A widely followed index of semiconductor stocks surged nearly 85% for the year so far through Thursday, for example.

Now, the question is whether Friday’s drop was the start of a downturn or just a pause that helps shake out excessive optimism.

Michael Wilson, a strategist at Morgan Stanley, is relatively optimistic. “Markets rarely move in a straight line at the pace seen since the March lows,” he wrote in a report. “In our view, a correction was inevitable and ultimately healthy if this bull market is going to extend into year-end” and pull the S&P 500 to his baseline target of 8,000. That would be an 8.3% rise from Friday’s close.

Corning climbed 5.6% after Amazon announced a multibillion dollar deal where Corning will produce optical fiber, cable and other products for its data centers across the country.

That helped offset a 0.9% dip for Campbell’s, which reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected but also a worse decline in revenue. The company’s stock is also set to drop out of the S&P 500 index when Marvell Technology’s stock joins it.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 21.99 points to 7,405.73. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 80.77 to 50,786.01, and the Nasdaq composite gained 220.23 to 25,929.66.

In the oil market, prices jumped after Israel and Iran launched strikes against each other, threatening to drag the region back into full-scale war. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, briefly topped $98 overnight.

But it later regressed after Israel and Iran appeared to back away from further strikes. Brent’s price settled at $94.25 per barrel, up 1.2% from Friday.

High oil prices caused by the war with Iran have already sent inflation higher, which increases not only bills for households but also yields in the bond market. High yields worldwide recently have threatened to slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments.

On Monday, Treasury yields ticked a bit higher following their jump on Friday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.56% from 4.55%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes edged lower Europe following sharp losses in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 3.8%, while stocks fell 1.7% in Shanghai and 1.2% in Hong Kong.

___

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

The relative, who spoke to KSAT 12 News off camera, said Patrick Jaysen Hernandez, 22, had been friends with Quintin Tribune, 19, since they were children.

According to an arrest affidavit, Hernandez allegedly stabbed Tribune during a fight Monday afternoon at a home on Tampke Place, not far from Nacogdoches Road.

The affidavit states the two men were hanging out with other people, drinking, when the fight broke out.

Documents show Hernandez told police at some point during the fight that Tribune began swinging a skateboard and hit a woman in the face.

Hernandez then stabbed Tribune and left the area in a car, according to the affidavit.

A person described as a witness drove Tribune to an urgent care hospital on Nacogdoches Road where it was determined he was dead.

Meanwhile, according to documents, Hernandez created a series of temporary posts on social media that mentioned the stabbing and saying he did it in self-defense.

Officers found Hernandez later at a different hospital where the woman injured by the skateboard was being treated.

He was arrested on a charge of murder.

A series of mug shots from the Bexar County jail shows Hernandez has been arrested multiple times, dating back at least to 2021.

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Karmelo Anthony, now 19, is charged with murder in the death of Austin Metcalf, 17, at a school stadium in Frisco, a Dallas suburb, in April 2025.

After a midday break that lasted three hours, the prosecutor and defense lawyers said they had no more evidence to offer on the fourth day of trial. Anthony did not testify in his own defense, and closing arguments were set for Tuesday.

Prosecutors say the stabbing of Metcalf was an unjustified attack related to a dispute over whether Anthony could be under the tent of Metcalf's team during a rainy track meet. Defense attorneys insist Anthony felt threatened and believed he needed to defend himself when physical contact was made.

One of Anthony’s teammates, testifying Monday for the defense, said Anthony was “distraught” after the stabbing.

“I was hearing him say, ‘I told him not to touch me,’” the witness said.

Judge John Roach Jr. has said young witnesses can’t be publicly identified.

Metcalf's death drew wide attention, in part because of social media posts that amplified the case in racial terms. Anthony, who attended Frisco Centennial High School, is Black, while Metcalf, who attended Frisco Memorial High School, was white.

Prosecutors rested their case Saturday in Collin County court. Jurors last week heard from a number of people who were at the track meet, including students who said Anthony had been asked to leave the tent and was the aggressor in the confrontation.

The courtroom was packed again Monday with spectators, including the parents of Anthony and Metcalf, and younger people.

The jurors will be sequestered in a hotel if they don't reach a verdict Tuesday and return to court Wednesday. The judge told them not to discuss the case with anyone, and “for God’s sake do not go on social media."

The renewed hostilities raised concerns that the Middle East could plunge back into a full-scale war.

Since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict.

The new attacks prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to call for an immediate stop to fighting between Israel and Iran.

Soon after, the Iranian military’s joint command issued a statement that said it was halting offensive strikes. The statement said further “aggression and hostile acts” by Israel and its supporters, including in southern Lebanon, would be met with “much more severe and crushing measures than before.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking in a videotaped statement, implied that the current round of fighting was over. But he also warned that if Iran “makes the mistake and returns to attacking us, we will respond with force.”

Netanyahu said Israel is continuing to operate in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, and that Israel “has full right to self-defense, and we will exercise it to the full extent necessary.”

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the village of Zefta killed seven people Monday, including a Syrian child. Eight people were wounded. Another strike on the coastal city of Tyre killed five and wounded eight, some of them members of the Lebanese Red Cross, the ministry said.

Both countries lift restrictions

Both countries lifted restrictions they had imposed as safety precautions. The Israeli military said most schools in Israel that closed Monday would reopen. Iran's official Mizan news agency reported that the Islamic Republic had lifted airspace restrictions affecting civilian flights.

During the truce, Iran has maintained its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas whose closure was the primary reason global fuel prices skyrocketed. Israel has continued to strike Hezbollah, Iran’s ally in Lebanon, and pushed deeper into that country.

The U.S. military continues to impose a blockade on Iranian ports. U.S. Central Command said its forces on Monday fired on and disabled a Palau-flagged oil tanker, the M/T Marivex, in the Gulf of Oman after the ship attempted to breach the blockade.

Officials in India said the tanker’s crew of 24 Indian sailors were all reported safe after a fire broke out on the vessel. It was the seventh commercial vessel the U.S. military has disabled to enforce its blockade, which began in mid-April.

Diplomats race to save the ceasefire

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern Monday over the surge in violence. In a post on X, Sharif urged all parties to “exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance.”

Two regional officials said Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and Qatar had all urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to halt strikes on Iran and Beirut.

Those countries also pushed for Iran to stop attacking Israel, the officials said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said Monday that Iran and the U.S. are still working to negotiate a peace deal. After speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting, Amir Saeid Iravani told The Associated Press he was hopeful that “very soon” the two sides would reach “a conclusion.”

Explosions sound in Tehran and central Israel

Iran launched waves of attacks on Israel on Monday, and Israel launched strikes on central and western Iran.

Iranian state media reported at least 15 people were wounded after explosions sounded in Tehran and other cities. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.

The semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical factory in the city of Mahshahr. They did not elaborate on any damage. The Israeli military confirmed the strike on the plant, saying it targeted sites that produce materials for ballistic missiles. Israel said it also targeted truck-based missile launchers.

Israel said its strikes were in response to an Iranian missile attack. Tehran warned Sunday that it would retaliate after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs without warning. When Israel struck back, Iran fired again.

Explosions could be heard in central Israel as air defenses sought to intercept incoming Iranian fire. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted two military bases in Israel.

Iran blamed the United States for the escalation.

“No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists in Tehran.

Tensions appear to grow between Trump and Netanyahu

Trump and Netanyahu launched the war in a closely coordinated attack, with Israeli officials proudly boasting of unprecedented “shoulder to shoulder” cooperation.

The conflict reached 100 days on Monday, and the two leaders have moved in opposite directions, with tensions sometimes spilling out into the open.

Netanyahu appears to have openly defied Trump with the strike Sunday in Beirut and subsequent attacks in Iran. Trump has voiced his displeasure with Israel, including belittling Netanyahu by declaring to the Financial Times that “I call all the shots.”

Their differences appear to be rooted in each leader's domestic considerations. Netanyahu faces elections this fall and is under public pressure to strike back against ongoing Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. He also is wary of appearing too subservient to Trump.

The U.S. president also faces elections — for Congress in November — and is eager to end a war that has jolted the global economy and raised prices for consumers.

The Houthis claimed an attack on Israel

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed an attack on Israel on Monday and said Israel-affiliated vessels would again be a target in the Red Sea, putting the waterway in danger along with the Gulf of Aden and the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting them. The statement from Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree was broadcast on the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel.

The Houthis made a similar threat during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and launched attacks that killed at least nine mariners and sank four ships. They often targeted vessels with tangential or no ties to Israel.

The assaults upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed each year before the war.

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This story has been updated to correct the day the Iran war started to Feb. 28.

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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. AP journalists Munir Ahmed in Islamabad; Matthew Lee in Washington; Michelle L. Price in Bridgewater, New Jersey; Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.

Today on Texas Eats NOW:

CRAWFISH KING

8142 Shin Oak Dr, Live Oak, TX 78233

Crawfish King is a veteran-connected, Lao-Asian fusion restaurant in Live Oak that has been serving up fresh seafood and bold, pan-Asian flavors for eight years. Co-owner Jet Chan built the concept out of a food truck before settling into a brick-and-mortar location, learning his craft from his father and the home cooking traditions of Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine.

The crawfish are boiled in a deeply seasoned pot loaded with lemons, oranges, onions, celery, and jalapeños, then finished with a garlic-forward house sauce that loyal customers have repeatedly tried to purchase by the bottle. The menu extends well beyond the signature boils, featuring Goldband oysters, Thai yuk rye New York strips, and a whole deep-fried fish topped with tamarind, peanuts, and bell peppers.

TWANG

6255 Wt Montgomery, San Antonio, TX 78252

Twang is a San Antonio-based flavored salt and seasoning company that has been producing Southwestern-inspired products since 1986, when founder Roger Trevi​ño began blending citrus salt packets and distributing them to local convenience stores. Today the family-owned operation — now led by CEO Elysia Trevi​ño-Gonzales — manufactures and ships its products to stores across 48 states and internationally. The product line spans beer salts, fiesta shakers, and michelada mixes, all developed in-house.

ROSARIO’S

722 S St Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Rosario’s is a longstanding Southtown institution serving bold, scratch-made Mexican cuisine from a spacious multilevel space in the heart of the neighborhood. Owner Lisa Wong has built the restaurant into one of San Antonio’s most recognized Tex-Mex destinations over more than three decades.

In the kitchen, Executive Chef Richard Pichon and his team produce dishes rooted in tradition and finished with distinct touches. The Griselda Callejeros, chile relleno, and cheese enchiladas are all standouts that exemplify San Antonio Tex-Mex cuisine. Upstairs on the rooftop, the bar menu includes a prickly pear macalito — a non-alcoholic take on a mojito — and the top-selling watermelon mint margarita made with Patrón barrel select, both of which will blow you away.

Follow Texas Eats and David Elder on Facebook and Instagram for more food info, pictures, videos and giveaways.

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Siri AI, which was introduced at the start of Apple's annual World Wide Developers Conference, has been highly anticipated by users and developers. While Siri was launched in 2011, it fell behind other voice assistants and was derided even by Apple fans.

It is the last WWDC featuring CEO Tim Cook before he turns his post over to John Ternus in September. Cook received an extended standing ovation and told the audience he is “deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you” and said “the energy around Apple platforms has never been stronger.”

The conference, which drew developers from some 65 countries to Apple’s Silicon Valley headquarters, focuses on software, in contrast to the fall unveiling of the latest iPhones.

Apple steps up its AI game

Apple has sought to distinguish itself from its peers by stressing a privacy-centered approach and integrating AI across its devices and apps. There was no mention of AI superintelligence or companion chatbots. Rather, Apple sought to demonstrate how its AI tools can make life easier.

Apple software chief Craig Federighi took some swipes at AI companies — without naming them — that seem to be “pursuing AI for the sake of AI” without clear regard for the people it is supposed to serve. At Apple, he said, “we believe that truly helpful AI should be centered around you and your needs,” which means integrating AI into the products people use every day, with a focus on privacy.

The conference unveiled updates to Apple Intelligence, which was first announced in 2024. It now uses Google’s Gemini AI model to help power its features and processes users' requests and interactions on their own device and privately on the cloud, making them inaccessible to anyone else.

At the center of it is the new Siri, which Apple said is now a “much more capable assistant” that can help users find what they need and get things done across various Apple devices. For instance, it can create a menu and gather recipes from the web or from your own text messages for a World Cup viewing party and invite friends from a group chat. Siri mode on your camera, meanwhile, can tell you what you are looking at and give you relevant information, such as the nutritional details of a plate of food.

Siri's visual intelligence also works with images on your screen. For example, it can tell you whether a backpack you are thinking of getting will work as a carry-on for a flight or whether a pair of bulky hiking boots will fit inside it.

Apple also announced improvements to its popular AI photo editing tools, including spatial reframing that lets you adjust how a photo is framed after it was taken — as if you had moved the camera to a better position while you were snapping the picture.

A standalone Siri AI app will launch later this year, though Apple said it will not initially be available in Europe and it won't be available in China while the company works out regulatory issues.

Tim Cook's last WWDC

Cook announced his retirement in April, ending a 15-year run that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $4 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity. Ternus has been with Apple for the past quarter century, including the past five years overseeing the engineering underlying the iPhone, iPad and Mac — a role that made him a prime candidate to succeed Cook.

Ternus did not take the main stage during Monday’s event.

The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple. Artificial intelligence has unleashed the most upheaval within the industry since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.

Cook called his time at Apple “the honor of a lifetime.”

“I truly believe the best is still ahead.”

The Clearwater Police Department released a 72-page report on Friday summarizing an exhaustive review of statements, medical records, surveillance footage and a visual inspection of the body. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died last July 24 at age 71.

“There has been no evidence to indicate the death of Terry Bollea was anything other than natural,” the report said. “Through the course of the investigation, there has been no evidence to indicate any criminal wrongdoing related to his death. This case will be closed, and will be considered solved, non-criminal.”

According to the report, Hogan's wife, as well as a home health aide and an occupational therapist, were all with Hogan at his home when he stopped breathing. His wife, Sky Daily Hogan, called 911, and then the trio performed CPR on Hulk Hogan until firefighters and paramedics arrived.

Family members told investigators that Hogan had been suffering from multiple heath issues in the weeks before his death, including leukemia, an irregular hearth rhythm, pneumonia and kidney failure. He had also undergone many hospitalizations and surgeries in the years before his death.

Early statements made by the occupational therapist to police led to speculation that Hogan's death was related to damage done to his phrenic nerve during a recent surgery. But the occupational therapist later said that he was still rattled from performing CPR and was speaking out of turn.

The local medical examiner had concluded Hogan died from a heart attack and declined to perform a full autopsy. A private autopsy paid for by the family backed up the initial assessment, finding “no reasonable traumatic or terminal toxicologic contributions.”

Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history, known for both his larger-than-life personality and his wrestling exploits. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.

Hogan won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and reinstated there in 2018. He had been removed from the Hall of Fame in 2015 after he was recorded making racial slurs against Black people, for which he apologized.

A well-attended but private funeral service was held several weeks after Hogan's death at a church in Largo, Florida.

Judge Kirsten Cohoon, who presides over Kendall County’s 451st Criminal District Court, sentenced Karen Kay Hogan, 69, to 20 years in prison on June 1, according to a June 5 news release from the Kendall County District Attorney’s Office.

On March 20, Hogan took a plea deal by pleading guilty on charges of misapplication by a fiduciary of $300,000 or more (a first-degree felony) and exploitation of a disabled individual (a third-degree felony), court records obtained by KSAT Investigates show. The oldest of the children has a developmental disability, according to Hogan’s arrest affidavit.

The plea agreement’s punishment ranged from a minimum of probation to a maximum of 20 years in prison. Punishment for both charges are running concurrently.

2021 murder-suicide

On Dec. 31, 2021, Kendall County deputies were dispatched on a disturbance call to a Boerne residence in the 100 block of Ridge Lane.

When they arrived, deputies found Jason Marcus Evans and Emily Elizabeth Fulton Evans dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators determined Jason Evans was the shooter.

The Evans had five daughters and a son, who were inside the home at the time of the shooting. At the time, the couple’s children ranged in age from 4 to 15 years old.

The children are the heirs to the Evans’ estates.

More than $540K taken out of estate accounts

Hogan was appointed as temporary administrator for the estates of Jason and Emily Evans on Nov. 15, 2022, and later appointed dependent administrator for the estates by a Kendall County judge.

On Jan. 9, 2023, a savings and checking account in the name of “ESTATE OF JASON MARCUS EVANS” was opened at a bank with Hogan listed as a joint account owner.

A similar savings and checking account was opened in the name of “ESTATE OF EMILY ELIZABETH FULTON EVANS” at the bank on Nov. 15, 2023 with Hogan listed as a joint account owner.

The opening account balance was slightly more than $400,000 for Jason Evans’ account and slightly more than $24,500 for Emily Evans’ account, according to the affidavit.

On Aug. 5, 2023, Hogan transferred $40,000 from Jason Evans’ account into her business checking account without permission from the court, her arrest affidavit states.

“(Hogan) is not an heir to the Evans estate and is not entitled to these funds in any capacity; said funds are designated for the Evans children,” the affidavit states.

Two days later, Hogan electronically wired $20,000 from her business checking account into an unknown account. On Sept. 8, 2023, Hogan wired another $20,000 from her business checking account into an unknown account, arrest records show.

“(Hogan) has refused to explain the purpose for or the destination of these funds belonging to the Evans children,” the affidavit states.

Hogan continued to misapply funds from estates, according to the affidavit. By November 2023, the remaining balance on Jason Evans’ account was less than $100. By March 2024, Emily Evans’ account had a remaining balance of $9, according to records.

From August 2023 to February 2024, Hogan misapplied $541,550 in total from the estates, the affidavit states. In its June 5 news release, the district attorney’s office said an outstanding balance of $189,678.50 is still owed to the Evans’ estates.

A ‘sweetheart scam’

During the June 1 sentencing hearing, a Kendall County probation officer was called to the stand to tell the court about conversations he had with Hogan after her March guilty plea.

When the probation officer asked Hogan about her finances, he said she was “unwilling or unable to provide clear information about her finances,” the news release said. Hogan had a San Antonio home in the Monte Vista neighborhood valued at approximately $575,000.

Hogan, according to the probation officer. “accepted guilt for the most part.” However, she also blamed her decisions on multiple factors including:

• the deaths of loved ones
• her mental decline due to a brain tumor

According to Kendall County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Thomas “Butch” Matjeka, Hogan said she fell victim to a “sweetheart scam” by someone she met online and developed a romantic relationship with.

Matjeka told the court the money was stolen and transferred to “places and individuals in California and other places” not connected to the Evans’ estates. The sheriff’s office attempted to track down where Hogan said she sent the money, but investigators were not able to find the person she was romantically linked to.

Prosecutors asked Matjeka if Hogan expressed any remorse for her actions or concern for the children. Matjeka said she didn’t express remorse and “seemed more concerned for herself,” the news release said.

Closing arguments and sentencing

During the state’s closing argument, Kendall County Prosecutor Nicole Bishop asked Judge Cohoon to give Hogan the maximum 20-year prison sentence.

“If she really cared about those kids, she would have paid the restitution immediately, and she did not. I have zero confidence, and I don’t believe this court should have any confidence, that she will pay that money back,” Bishop told the court, according to the release. “She’s playing games. And you know what the prize is for playing those games? Go to prison.”

In addition to the 20 years in prison and the order to pay $189,678.50 in restitution, Cohoon assessed Hogan an additional $5,000 fine.

“This is the hardest case I’ve presided over because I can’t understand such a break of trust to your clients and to the whole system we work for,” Cohoon told Hogan during sentencing. “You haven’t made any attempts thus far to make the children somewhat whole. I’m disgusted because the first thing that should have been done was to try in some form to right a wrong against kids who have suffered immensely, and then one more event of suffering from a person they should trust. Mrs. Hogan, make these children whole again.”

Bishop later apologized to county residents for Hogan’s plea deal.

“If I had known then what I learned at the sentencing hearing, that deal would never have been made,” Bishop said in the news release.

Texas State Bar records show Hogan previously surrendered her law license.

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.

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.

More recent coverage of this story on KSAT:

• Attorney pleads guilty in $540K theft from children whose parents died in murder-suicide
• Attorney arrested, accused of stealing $540k from children whose parents died in murder-suicide

Ranging in age from seven to 17, some in jeweled jumpsuits, they took the stage at the Tupelo Elvis Festival's youth tribute artist competition last week.

In contrast to their peers, who may never have heard of Elvis, the competitors have dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to embodying the king's singing voice, mannerisms and style.

They are careful to specify they are Elvis tribute artists. Unlike impersonators, who pretend to be Elvis and sometimes present a characterized version of the king, tribute artists strive for authenticity. Some wore costumes created by B&K Enterprises Costume Co., a company licensed to recreate Elvis' outfits and provide costumes for Elvis movies, musicals and TV shows.

“We're not trying to be him,” said Tucker Gladden, 17, from Madison, Mississippi. “We want to recreate the experience as much as we can for people that maybe didn't get to see Elvis in their lifetime.”

As for their fascination with a long-dead musician, several of the tribute artists credited the 2022 “Elvis” movie with sparking their interest. A couple said their admiration began after discovering they were distantly related to Elvis. Others said it was Elvis' faith and charity that inspired them. Some said they had been performing Elvis songs since they were 3 years old.

For 16-year-old Ayden Maloy from Logansport, Indiana, it was the way Elvis' music helped him during a difficult time in his life and motivated him to begin performing as an Elvis tribute artist three years ago.

“I just broke down in tears because it healed me,” Maloy said. “I think Elvis is the healer.”

In an afternoon of dazzling outfits and daring dance moves, the performers got the audience clapping, singing and swaying along to their Elvis covers. Ultimately, RJ Hursey, a 14-year-old from Bloomington, Illinois, won the competition.

Hursey, who inherited his love of Elvis from his grandfather, said he practices his tributes every day, and when he's too sick to sing, he researches. He performs at nursing homes and assisted living facilities and hopes to someday star in a remake of an Elvis movie.

“It's humbling,” Hursey said. “It makes you feel good because we know that he died thinking he'd be forgotten, and we're just so glad he's still around."

While in Tupelo, the tribute artists also toured the Elvis Presley Birthplace, a sprawling complex that includes the home where Elvis was born and the church where he was first exposed to Southern gospel music.

“It feels so surreal to pay tribute to Elvis in his hometown,” said 15-year-old Charles Session from Morrilton, Arkansas. “I hope that he’s looking down and smiling at all these young performers.”

The New York Knicks announced that was the winning bid in an auction for two seats for Game 3 on Monday night, the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999.

The winning bid was split by the law firm Gibson Dunn and private equity firm Veritas Capital. The fundraiser benefited the Garden of Dreams Foundation, and the Knicks said it was the largest single donation in the history of the foundation, which works with MSG’s companies to assist children at need in the tristate area.

The seats are located in section VIP 10, row AA, seats 25 and 26, right off center court. It’s impossible to know what they would usually cost, because the team doesn’t sell them. Instead, they are given to the celebrity fans such as Tracy Morgan and Timothée Chalamet who are courtside fixtures.

Seats everywhere in the building are expensive. The cheapest upper-deck seats available Sunday night were going for more than $6,000 on secondary markets like StubHub, SeatGeek and VividSeats. The experience of being courtside went for more than $75,000.

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

Frankie Castro has been cutting hair for more than six years at The Exclusive Way on the South Side. He recently began offering Spurs-themed haircut designs for $5 to $10 more than a standard cut.

Castro said his love for art has always driven his career path.

“I had grew up doing a lot of art as a kid, and my biggest thing was I wanted to find a job that allowed me to keep that freedom of being creative,” Castro said.

It was a client’s request that first sparked the idea for the Spurs designs.

“He was like, ‘Do you do designs by chance?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, what do you want?’ He was like, ‘Can you do a Spurs logo?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, sure. We’re going to do it today,” Castro said.

A full appointment — including a Spurs design — takes about 30 minutes. Castro said that a person’s hair type plays a role in how bold the finished design looks.

“Some people could come in with thinner hair and like a design won’t stick as much, but some people can come like real dark hair, and it’ll be real bold,” Castro said. “Doing big designs like this is fairly easy. It’s if you just take it line by line, shape by shape. It’s all the same thing.”

Client Makaveli Gutierrez said he has full confidence in Castro’s skills.

“I feel like I’ve had enough good cuts by Frankie that I honestly trust anything he’s going to do. I know it’s going to come out good,” Gutierrez said.

Boerne barber goes beyond the logo

Over in Boerne, RJ Martinez at Buena Gente Barbershop is also getting in on the Spurs spirit.

Martinez, who has been cutting hair for more than 25 years, is offering designs that go well beyond a simple team logo.

His designs include Hemisfair, the Alamo and even an alien to represent Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Pricing at Buena Gente Barbershop varies depending on the complexity of the design. A simple fade starts at a lower price point, while a full logo or custom design can run up to $80.

Both barbers can be found on Instagram at Frankie Castro and RJ Martinez. Clients are encouraged to bring a photo of the design they want and call ahead to schedule an appointment.

More Spurs coverage on KSAT:

• San Antonio Zoo surprises Spurs-loving Salesian Sisters with 200 tickets, new basketball hoop
• Myra, Ernie and Larry go to NYC: Watch KSAT’s coverage ahead of NBA Finals Game 3 between Spurs-Knicks
• Victor Wembanyama says he’s ‘built for’ the pressure of the NBA Finals with the Spurs down 2-0

Talarico on Monday drew attention to his campaign winning the endorsement of Houston attorney Dan Cogdell, who was part of Paxton's defense team during the Republican's historic impeachment trial in 2023 that ended in acquittal.

The legal troubles that shadowed Paxton in public office in Texas are a central attack line of Talarico's campaign, though in his endorsement, Cogdell didn’t cite concerns about his client's past.

Cogdell said he didn’t dislike Paxton as a person and felt that Texas lawmakers were right to eventually acquit the attorney general. But as a politician, Cogdell said, Paxton is too focused on appeasing President Donald Trump.

“I worked my ass off for the man for nine years,” Cogdell said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But that’s a different inquiry. My obligation to Ken ended at the courthouse steps and my obligation as a citizen is to do what I think is the right thing.”

Cogdell said Texas needs a lot of work, pointing to education and health care, “and to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.” He also recently spoke to Talarico at length on Cogdell's podcast.

Asked for comment, an aide to Paxton’s campaign said Cogdell is a Democrat and called the endorsement unsurprising.

The lead defense attorney in Paxton's impeachment trial, Tony Buzbee, reiterated that on X. Buzbee added that he was supporting Paxton in the race.

Cogdell described himself as a registered Democrat, although voters in Texas do not register by political party. He added, however, that he considers himself a moderate who has given more campaign contributions over the years to Republican candidates than Democrats.

Talarico has given Democrats hope of flipping the statewide seat in Texas blue as the party scrambles to retake control of the U.S. Senate in November.

Paxton’s insurgent campaign beat Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary runoff last month, helped by a Trump endorsement in the final days of the race.

With 94% of ballots tallied, the figures showed Sánchez earned 8.79 million votes, or 50.015%, while Fujimori received 8.78 million votes, or 49.985%.

The winner will be the South American country's ninth president in 10 years. Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff’s ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support. Electoral authorities took more than a month to declare them winners of that contest.

Roberto Burneo, the country’s chief electoral authority, asked voters and political organizations to “act with democratic responsibility” as the tallying process continues. He said the outcome will be available within 30 days.

In the capital, Lima, voter turnout throughout the day appeared lower than in the previous contest, with practically no lines in many voting centers, despite voting being mandatory. The slow counting pace is due to a law that requires each ballot and each tally sheet, which summarizes the votes from each polling station, to be taken to one of more than 100 offices to be tallied. Additionally, ballots and tally sheets must arrive in Lima from 63 countries to be counted.

Many voters associate candidates with controversial politicians

Crime, particularly extortion, was the overarching concern for voters. A 2025 national survey carried out by the state’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics found that 84% of respondents in urban areas feared becoming victims of a crime in the following 12 months.

Experts attribute the increasing power of organized crime in Peru to the profits that decades-old criminal groups are earning from illegal gold mining in the Andes and the Amazon.

And the candidates' crime-fighting proposals were not enough to make inroads with voters, many of whom associate each aspiring president with controversial Peruvian politicians.

Fujimori is linked to the authoritarian and corrupt legacy of the government of her late father, Alberto Fujimori, in the 1990s. She became Peru's first lady in 1994 after her parents’ separation.

Sánchez is one of the closest allies of imprisoned former President Pedro Castillo, whom many perceive as corrupt and chaotic. Castillo’s 16-month term saw more than 70 Cabinet changes.

Official results from April’s election showed Fujimori received 17% of the vote and Sánchez got 12%. A nationwide poll conducted a week before the election by the firm Ipsos found that similar shares of voters were supporting the candidates, with about 3 in 10 saying they were undecided.

Food vendor Magali Quiquia said she cast a blank ballot because she did not find either candidate convincing,

“Five years ago, I was disappointed by Castillo with his corruption, and ... Roberto Sánchez is the same," Quiquia, 44, said. She added that she believes “Fujimori hasn’t done anything either” despite her party having multiple seats in Congress.

Voting is mandatory for Peruvians aged 18 to 70. Failure to do so results in a fine of up to $32.

More than 27 million people are registered. Of those, about 1.2 million were expected to cast ballots from abroad, mainly in the United States and Argentina.

Proposals include prison labor and a police purge

For most of her fourth presidential campaign, Fujimori promised to crack down on crime. Her proposals included implementing technology to track extortion, militarizing borders and increasing the presence of police and military personnel in high-risk areas. Fujimori, 51, also said that prisoners will be required to work and “repay society” should she win.

In the only debate before the runoff, Fujimori defended her father’s government and promised to defeat crime just as he defeated the Shining Path, a violent extremist group. After the vote counting began, she told her supporters to remain calm.

Fujimori on Monday told her more than 100 legal representatives throughout Peru that they would have to “fight” and “analyze” any ballot under dispute, but that she would respect “the results, whoever the winner may be.” She said results show a great division among voters, adding that party leaders must “build bridges” after the election is over.

Meanwhile, Sánchez, a former minister now popular with rural voters, during the campaign pledged to combat corruption within the police force and promote reforms that would enable the military to support security efforts. The 57-year-old, who wears a wide-brimmed peasant hat gifted by Castillo, told debate viewers that he would be open to “all options to generate jobs and progress” but also emphasized his support for Chinese investments.

He appeared on a Lima hotel balcony on Sunday and thanked the Indigenous communities, farmers and other supporters “who have decided to come and reclaim the government for the people.”

The runoff’s winner will be sworn in to a five-year term on July 28.

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Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.

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

Wood, a professor emeritus at Brown University, died Sunday after being struck by a car in a supermarket parking lot in East Providence, Rhode Island, according to police.

Author of dozens of books and essays, Wood never gained the mass audience of historians like David McCullough and Doris Kearns Goodwin, but his findings became standard references for discussions about the formation of the U.S. and the legacy of the revolution that continue as the country approaches its 250th anniversary. Many peers regarded the white-haired, mild-looking Wood as the embodiment of the learned, traditional historian, guided by facts rather than ideology.

In 2011, President Barack Obama presented him a National Humanities Medal “for scholarship that provides insight into the founding of the nation and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.”

In recent years, younger academics increasingly alleged that Wood was too well-established, the epitome of the old-school historian who minimized the lives of slaves, women and Indigenous people. John L. Brooke, a history professor at Ohio State University, would fault him for “a distinct avoidance of interpretative paradox and complexity,” even as he cited Wood’s “scale and scholarly enterprise.”

In an email to The Associated Press, filmmaker Ken Burns praised Wood as a “teacher of generations of students and other historians.”

Woody Holton, an author and historian who clashed at times with Wood, told the AP that he admired his “willingness to encourage even a younger scholar like me who viewed the American revolutionary era very differently from him.”

“The tragic accident that killed him is especially heartbreaking in denying him, by less than a month, the chance to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday,” added Holton, a history professor at the University of South Carolina.

His success was immediate and lasting. His first book, "The Creation of the American Republic," won the Bancroft Prize in 1970 and lived on with generations of students who embraced and contended with Wood's findings that the Constitution was unintentionally subversive, a document devised by elites that led to “the destruction of the very social world they had sought to maintain.”

His "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" won the Pulitzer in 1993 and the epic "Empire of Liberty" was a finalist in 2009.

Silver screen moment

Wood's name also was familiar to moviegoers through the Academy Award-winning "Good Will Hunting," released in 1997. The lead character, a pugnacious, self-taught genius played by Matt Damon, taunts a Harvard undergraduate: "You're gonna be in here regurgitating Gordon Wood, talking about, you know, the pre-revolutionary utopia and the capital-forming effects of military mobilization." (Ideas, Wood would point out, that he did not endorse).

A few years earlier, Wood received an unexpected and uncomfortable compliment from then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who listed "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" as an essential work of history. Wood would remember how the Georgia Republican's blessing was a "kiss of death" among his many liberal peers and perceived as an affirmation of conservative policies.

Regarding himself as neither radical nor reactionary, Wood claimed a middle ground between conventional "great man" narratives and the more egalitarian scholarship that emerged in the 1960s.

He acknowledged that historians had overlooked the contributions of women and minority groups, but worried that "headline political events" were being ignored entirely. He disputed Progressive era historian Charles Beard's influential portrait of the U.S. Constitution as a cynical triumph for the rich, but didn't regard the founders as infallible sages above looking after their own interests.

"I don't think our history should be seen as a moral tale, either good or bad," he once wrote. "I think historians should try to understand where we came from as honestly as we can, without trying to say this was a great celebration or that this was a disaster. I don't think either of those extremes is true of our history."

Battles with the past

Wood did welcome scholarly breakthroughs, notably Annette Gordon-Reed’s “persuasive contextual case” that the enslaved Sally Hemings bore some of Thomas Jefferson’s children. In “Empire of Liberty,” which covered the years 1789 to 1815, he included lengthy passages on slavery and called it a cancer “eating away at the message of liberty and equality.”

At other times, Wood angrily resisted new approaches. He was a prominent critic of The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize winning 1619 Project and its contention — later amended — that maintaining slavery was a key motivation for the American Revolution. He alleged that the project encouraged a sense “victimhood” and feeling “aggrieved," even as he acknowledged he hadn't read most of it. He would counter that the founders, including such plantation owners as Jefferson and James Madison, believed — mistakenly — that slavery would die a natural death and the revolution itself energized the American abolitionist movement.

“We all want justice, but not at the expense of truth,” he wrote in 2019, adding, in a widely disputed statement, “I don’t know of any colonist who said that they wanted independence in order to preserve their slaves.”

In "Radicalism" and other books, Wood rejected conservative and liberal theories that the American Revolution did not immediately lead to any substantial new freedoms and was essentially a political event — a mere "mental shift" — that otherwise reinforced the status quo.

The new country's early years, Wood stated, were a time of transformation and democratization in everything from how people dressed to the way they greeted each other in the streets. The shifts were so profound that even the revolution's leaders didn't expect or want them.

"One class did not overthrow another; the poor did not supplant the rich," Wood wrote. "But social relationships, the way people were connected one to another — were changed and decisively so. By the early years of the 19th century the Revolution had created a society fundamentally different from the colonial society of the 18th century. It was in fact a new society unlike any that had existed anywhere in the world."

Fellow historian and Pulitzer winner David Hackett Fischer would later write that Wood's scholarship "altered the way historians thought about their field."

Wood's other books included "Revolutionary Characters" and "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin" and his essays and reviews appeared frequently in The New York Review of Books, The New Republic and other publications. Wood also appeared in Burns' PBS documentary about the American Revolution, consulted on Burns' film about Jefferson and chaired an advisory panel for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Wood married Louise Goss in 1956. They had three children, two of whom became history professors.

Gordon Wood was a self-described "simple hedgehog" who stuck to writing about the revolution, which he regarded as "the most important event in American history, bar none." He was unhappy that students attending college knew far more about the Civil War, noting that it was impossible to understand any U.S. conflict without understanding the country's birth.

"We Americans have such a thin and meager sense of history that we cannot get too much of it," he once wrote.

High school boredom, college passion

Wood was born into history: His hometown, Concord, Massachusetts, had been the residence of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott among others. But his passion for the subject he later mastered did not arise until college. Wood found his high school history education unbearable, suffering through classes in which the teacher simply read from a textbook.

Wood did admire his Latin instructor, who encouraged him to attend Tufts University, from which he graduated summa cum laude. He received a master's and Ph.D. from Harvard University and studied under a celebrated Revolutionary War historian Bernard Bailyn, whose documentation of the intellectual forces behind independence in his landmark “The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution” Wood would build upon in “The Creation of the American Republic.”

In his introduction to "The Idea of America," published in 2011, Wood looked back on his own work and the evolution of scholarship in his lifetime. He noted the many errors of the country's founders but warned against scolding historical figures because of mistakes which seem obvious now, what he and others call “Presentism.”

"The drama, indeed the tragedy of history, comes from our understanding of the tension that existed between the conscious wills and intentions of the participants in the past and the underlying conditions that constrained their actions and shaped their future," he wrote.

“If the study of history teaches anything, it teaches us the limitations of life. It ought to produce prudence and humility.”

___

AP writer Michael Casey contributed to this report from Boston.

Pashinyan was looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course that includes distancing Armenia from Moscow and deepening cooperation with the West. “The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation, and we will continue that path,” Pashinyan said as he cast his vote on Sunday.

European election observers said the election was divisive but “well-run," while noting concerns that Russia had sought to sway the outcome with economic pressure and suggesting that Pashinyan's incumbent government had sought to stifle the largely pro-Russian opposition.

Pashinyan's Civil Contract party came in first with 49.82% of the vote, according to the latest preliminary results on Monday.

His main opponent, Samvel Karapetyan, is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and is under house arrest, accused of advocating for the government’s overthrow. Karapetyan, whose Strong Armenia bloc was the runner-up with 23.28% of the vote, rejects that charge as politically motivated.

Armenian investigators said they also issued six arrest warrants for members of Strong Armenia the day before the election, accusing them of buying votes. The party seeks to develop close business ties with Moscow and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with the Kremlin.

While the Central Election Commission says it has counted ballots from all electoral precincts, full results are not expected until Sunday. This is to give parties time to lodge complaints about any perceived irregularities.

‘Referendum on the future of the country'

Richard Giragosian, who heads the Regional Studies Center think tank in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, said that despite concerns that Russia was trying to sway the election, the vote had been “genuinely free and fair” and “stands as a referendum on the future of the country.”

“Much of the Russian efforts at interference fell flat and were ineffective,” Giragosian told the AP on Monday.

Russia has warned Armenia it would suffer economic consequences if it continues moves toward the EU. Moscow controls a significant portion of Armenia’s energy and infrastructure, a point that has been driven home by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his meetings with Pashinyan.

Russia recently banned the import of a number of Armenian products, including, flowers, wine and fish. Moscow has cited violations of import rules, but the European Commission has called the measures “economic coercion.”

Putin and other Russian officials also have made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia’s path to that already taken by Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia.

Pashinyan's party set to rule on its own

Armenia’s National Assembly must consist of at least 101 members elected for five-year terms. Parties must win at least 4% of the vote to enter, while blocs made up of three or more parties must hit 8%.

The Hayastan (Armenia) bloc led by former President Robert Kocharyan is also set to take seats, receiving 9.93% of the vote. The Prosperous or Blossoming Armenia party, led by pro-Russia businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, has hovered around the 4% threshold.

Turnout stood at 58.94%, according to the latest announcement by the election commission.

Preliminary results from the election commission suggested the governing party has won 61 seats in the National Assembly.

According to Giragosian, the analyst, this will allow Pashinyan's party to rule on its own and pass most laws independently, but not to secure constitutional amendments without a referendum.

PM vows to continue peace process with neighboring Azerbaijan

Opposition parties have strongly criticized the government for attempting to normalize relations with neighboring Azerbaijan. Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initialed a document on moving toward a peace deal at the White House alongside U.S. President Donald Trump in August.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were locked in a decades-long conflict over Karabakh, a breakaway region that had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Yerevan. Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region during a rapid offensive in 2023.

Pashinyan announced on Monday that Armenia intends to move toward “institutionalizing” a peace deal, and ratifying an agreement with the White House that would create a major transit corridor through Armenian territory to be named after Trump.

“This is a truly transformative project, as Armenia is becoming a crossroads of the world,” Pashinyan said.

International observers say the election offered genuine choice

Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament said in a joint statement that the election had offered voters genuine alternatives “in a well-run process.”

The observers noted concerns about pressure from Russia, while also noting that the campaign domestically was “highly confrontational” and marked by allegations of electoral violations that led to many criminal cases against opposition candidates, raising a perception of “selective justice."

"This, along with pressure on public sector employees to attend ruling party events, and recently introduced social and economic measures, raised concerns about the equality of opportunity to campaign,” the statement said.

Responses from Brussels and Moscow

Top officials of the EU, which is preparing an economic support package for Armenia, congratulated Pashinyan following the tightly contested race.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media that the EU deeply values the partnership with Armenia as it draws “ever closer to Europe.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Armenia's elections were held “amid unprecedented pressure on the opposition and interference from the West, primarily the EU.”

The ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, did not give examples of such interference, but said the elections "demonstrated that Armenian society is extremely polarized.” She added that Moscow's approach to future relations will “take into account actual steps taken by the Armenian leadership."

Giragosian said that Russia is not necessarily surprised at the election outcome and that its lack of direct support for the Armenian opposition indicates that it is open to continue working with the Pashinyan government while also increasing pressure on it.

——

AP writers Sam McNeil in Brussels and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus contributed.

——

An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that according to an earlier announcement by Armenia's election commission, turnout in the general election on Sunday stood at 97%. The correct figure at that time was 59.97%.

Schuyler Clark, 36, was taken into custody Saturday on the Northeast Side, SAPD said.

According to a police report, Clark was walking in and out of a business on Nacogdoches Road, not far from O’Connor Road, causing a disturbance. He had been told to leave on multiple occasions.

The report said Clark returned to the business and slammed a kitten on the counter.

When officers arrived, Clark had already left the scene.

Officers later found Clark at a different business, also causing a disturbance there, but he tried to run away.

As Clark allegedly ran from officers, SAPD said he was swinging the kitten back and forth.

Officers quickly caught Clark and arrested him on several charges, including animal cruelty, police said.

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Kepler can start a minor league assignment Wednesday, when the suspension is scheduled to have 15 days remaining. If no Arizona games are postponed, he would be eligible to play for the Diamondbacks on June 25 at St. Louis.

If Kepler returns to the major league roster on June 25, he would receive $396,257 in salary for the remainder of the season. He would earn a $100,000 bonus for 35 days on the active roster and $200,000 each for 55 and 75.

Kepler remains on the restricted list for the remainder of the suspension and will not occupy a spot on the 40-man roster during the ban.

He is ineligible to appear in the postseason this year.

Kepler was suspended in January for a positive test for Epitrenbolone, a metabolite of Trenbolone that's contained in some products used in body-building stores and has been used in products to promote cattle growth. Kepler was the first player suspended by MLB for the substance since public announcements of the penalty details began in 2005.

The 33-year-old hit .216 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs with Philadelphia last year after agreeing to a $10 million, one-year contract. He was slowed in 2024 by left patellar tendinitis and had core surgery after the season to repair a sports hernia.

Kepler grew up in Germany and signed with the Twins at age 16 in 2009. He has a .235 average with 179 homers and 560 RBIs during an 11-year big league career.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Kepler is eligible to play on June 25, not report to the team then, and that he was suspended in January, not tested positive then.

___

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

Three more cases of the New World screwworm were confirmed in Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to five.

One new case is in Andrews County, nearly 400 miles north of Zavala County, where the first case was reported last week.

The two new cases are in different animals. In La Salle County, about 80 miles northwest of Zavala, a calf has been infected. In Andrews County, a veterinarian submitted the samples from an infested dog. According to the Andrews Veterinary Clinic, the case was seen on Saturday, and neither the dog nor its owner is local to Andrews. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a USDA service, said the dog is from a household in Lea County, New Mexico, making it the state’s first screwworm case.

The APHIS said the dog’s travel history and exposure history is unknown. The USDA is inspecting additional animals in the household and increases outreach.

The third case is in a goat out of Gillespie County, about 170 miles north of Zavala County.

The screwworm is a parasitic fly that infests living mammals, especially cattle. State and federal officials are racing to contain the insect that has been on a northern migration track since at least 2023. Agriculture leaders fear if the fly is not contained, it could cost the state’s cattle economy at least $1.8 billion.

Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs with the USDA, urged animal owners to stay vigilant, check their animals closely, and report anything that looks suspicious.

“We need the partnership of animal owners across the region,” Hoskins said in a statement. “Together, we can protect our livestock, our communities, and the health of animals nationwide.”

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also announced Monday that President Donald Trump appointed John Bellinger, a member of the Texas A&M University Board of Regents, to be the new senior adviser for New World screwworm preparedness. Bellinger is expected to help explore all available technologies to combat the screwworm. Bellinger was appointed to the A&M board in 2023, where he serves as chair of the committee on research.

Rollins and Gov. Greg Abbott are expected to hold a news conference about the screwworm later today.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio, names Stephen Findeisen and his company, Coffee Break Productions LLC, as defendants. Findeisen operates a YouTube channel called “Coffeezilla.”

Paul is seeking actual and compensatory damages in excess of $75,000, along with punitive damages, the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Findeisen published a three-part YouTube series in December 2022 titled “Investigating Logan Paul’s Biggest Scam,” which has since accumulated millions of views.

Paul’s legal team argues the series falsely framed the crypto scheme as a deliberate fraud conceived and carried out by Paul, while omitting internal communications showing Paul was deceived by two of the project’s key advisors.

The suit identified the advisors as Eddie Ibanez — who allegedly lied about his credentials — and Jake Greenbaum, known online as “Crypto King.”

According to the suit, both Ibanez and Greenbaum secretly sold ZOO Tokens for personal profit, with Greenbaum and Ibanez netting more than a million dollars each.

Paul, by contrast, never sold a single ZOO Token and ultimately lost well over $1 million on the project, court documents state.

In January 2023, Paul announced a buyback program for disappointed CryptoZoo NFT holders, pledging up to $2.3 million of his own funds.

The buyback was completed in March 2024, distributing more than $1 million in Ethereum to eligible holders.

Despite the buyback, the suit alleges Findeisen continued publishing content accusing Paul of fraud.

The lawsuit states in a June 2023 post on X, Findeisen said “Logan Paul really is the type of dude to thank you when you expose his scam, then block you when you remind him to pay up.”

That post has been viewed 6.5 million times, the lawsuit states.

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The truce in the Iran war that was reached in April has not spread to Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. Israel says it is defending its northern communities that face Hezbollah drone and rocket fire.

Iran sees Israel’s ground invasion, with thousands of troops, and airstrikes in Lebanon as a ceasefire violation. It insists that any deal with the United States must end the fighting there. Israel disagrees.

Here’s a timeline of key events.

Feb. 28

The United States and Israel attack Iran. War begins.

March 2

Hezbollah enters the war by firing rockets at Israel. Israel retaliates.

April 7

A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war is announced, with talks to continue. Israel is not included in negotiations.

April 8

Israel bombards Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, killing over 300 people in a 10-minute attack.

April 14

Lebanon and Israel hold their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington.

April 17

A fragile ceasefire is announced between Israel and Lebanon, but Hezbollah plays no part. Fighting soon resumes from both sides.

May 31

Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon makes its deepest incursion in over a quarter-century as Hezbollah continues to pound northern Israel and Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon with drones and missiles.

June 1

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks against Israel don’t stop. U.S. President Donald Trump says Israel and Hezbollah agree to calm the fighting.

June 3

Israel and Lebanon say they agree to renew the fragile ceasefire and create security zones that exclude Hezbollah.

June 4

Hezbollah’s leader rejects the ceasefire agreement and demands that Israel withdraw from Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Israel continue firing at each other.

June 5

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says “there will be no calm in the region ” if Israel doesn’t withdraw from Lebanon. The fighting since March 2 had killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon. Almost 30 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor were killed in or around southern Lebanon, and two civilians were killed in northern Israel.

June 7

Hezbollah continues firing at Israel. Israel strikes Beirut’s southern suburbs. Iran fires at Israel.

June 8

Israel launches airstrikes in the early morning targeting central and western Iran in response to Iranian missile fire. By evening Israel and Iran both appear to have backed down. Netanyahu threatens to resume strikes if Iran launches any more missiles, and says Israel will continue operating against Hezbollah.

Ariella Lopez, who attended the celebration at Commanche Park with her husband and two small children, said someone she believed to be a park staffer waved her family’s vehicle through to make their way to a pavilion around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

At that point, Salado Creek was already elevated.

“The water was kind of, it was already covering the bridge, but it wasn’t moving,” Lopez said. “It was like a standstill. So, we were able to drive our vehicle over the bridge just fine.”

Lopez said everyone was enjoying themselves until some of the young guests who were throwing a football noticed that the bridge was completely covered by moving water.

“I was like, oh my god, like the water, it was rushing,” Lopez said. “It was pretty high.”

Fortunately for the attendees, a constable’s deputy was at the park at the time.

“Thank God we had someone on location,” Bexar County Precinct 4 Constable Kathryn Brown said.

When the guests contacted emergency dispatchers, they were able to get in touch with constable deputies at Navajo Civic Center, just yards away from the pavillion.

Deputies began taking action, and calling in those equipped to handle water rescues.

Brown said roughly 50 people were assisted by her deputies and the San Antonio Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team.

Lopez said that there were a few older adults and young children who were frightened, and was grateful for how firefighters were able to comfort them.

“They were like trying to cheer the kids (up) like, ‘yeah, we’re going on a boat,’” Lopez said. “It was cool.”

Firefighters initially used their truck’s ladder to bring guests across the moving waters, Lopez said, but eventually evacuated most of the guests using a boat.

Lopez said she was glad everything ended well, but expressed frustration that the guests were put in that situation.

“They should have never let anybody down there,” Lopez said.

As a result of the raised water level in Salado Creek on Friday, some pavilion reservations were closed for the remainder of the weekend.

Brown said Bexar County Parks and Recreation officials are monitoring the creeks and other waterways in county venues and keeping law enforcement informed.

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The center disclosed the list Monday in an email sent to members, who were offered packages ranging from $99 for a seat reservation to $1,500 and more for seating and admission to pre- and post-show receptions. The announcement also marks a notable change in how the center is identifying itself: The news came from the Kennedy Center, not the "Trump Kennedy Center," a switch that also appears on the center's home page.

Last month, a federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump's handpicked board of trustees had acted illegally when they voted to add Trump's name to the venue, which Congress in 1964 named for the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

“The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” wrote U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper.

Although a Kennedy spokesperson suggested the venue might appeal the decision, the center received an email last week from its general counsel that laid out steps for cooperation, including the removal of Trump's name. After mostly ignoring the Kennedy Center during his first term, Trump soon made the center a key part of his overall mission to purge federal cultural institutions of so-called “woke” influences. He ousted the leadership, filled the board of trustees with supporters and presided over such signature events as the Kennedy Honors ceremony.

In response, numerous performers cancelled planned appearances at the center, including Issa Rae, Bela Fleck and Renée Fleming.

Maher is the 27th recipient of the Twain Award, which has previously been given to Leno, Steve Martin and Tina Fey among others. Trump and Maher have publicly feuded in recent years, but the HBO host is otherwise the kind of comedian that many Republicans have found palatable — a self-styled independent who regularly attacks Hollywood as “woke” and has interviewed everyone from liberal stalwarts like Jane Fonda to conservative commentators like Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk to such “cancelled” cultural figures as Woody Allen.

Other guests expected at the Twain ceremony include the comedian Louis C.K., who has been touring regularly since allegations of sexual misconduct briefly upended his career after they were reported in 2017, and the controversial ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, whose blunt comments on sports and beyond have led to fierce exchanges with NBA star Jaylen Brown and commentator Keith Olbermann among others.

Monday’s Game 3 tips off at 7:30 p.m. from Madison Square Garden, with the Knicks leading the series 2-0.

>> Where to watch the Spurs-Knicks Game 3 of the NBA Finals

Anchors Myra Arthur and Ernie Zuniga, and sports anchor Larry Ramirez, are in New York City providing the latest coverage on the Silver and Black, as well as the pandemonium and security measures outside “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Watch their report on security measures below:

KSAT 12 is the official broadcast home for all of the NBA Finals action. KSAT will host live pregame coverage with our Race For Seis special live at 6:30 p.m. Monday on KSAT 12 and KSAT Plus.

Another livestream previewing Game 3 will air at 7 p.m. exclusively on KSAT Plus.

If necessary, Games 5 and 7 would return to San Antonio, with Game 6 in New York.

Watch the rest of KSAT’s coverage ahead of Game 3 in the video players below:

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In a recent episode of “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective,” ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon appeared to throw some shade at the Frost Bank Center.

“I wish (Tim) Duncan would have picked a better neighborhood,” MacMahon said while discussing the Frost Bank Center.

Future plans for a downtown sports and entertainment district include a new Spurs arena, a mixed-use development, an expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center and more.

The Spurs’ deep playoff run has reignited excitement across San Antonio — and renewed discussions about their potential new home at Hemisfair.

Has your opinion changed?

• Are you more supportive of a new arena now that the Spurs are back on the NBA Finals stage?
• Do you still have concerns about the cost, location or transportation impacts?

Share your thoughts with us by commenting below. Your feedback could be featured in a future story examining how fans feel about the proposed arena district.

More recent Race for Seis coverage on KSAT:

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• San Antonio Zoo surprises Spurs-loving Salesian Sisters with 200 tickets, new basketball hoop

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, appeared in court for jury selection wearing a white shirt and blue tie, having pled not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, and it burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up on Jan. 7.

The Palisades Fire ultimately killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes as it incinerated hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and the city of Malibu. Rinderknecht faces at least five years in prison if convicted of charges that also include malicious destruction by means of a fire.

Lead defense attorney Steve Haney has said Rinderknecht is being made as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the Jan. 1 blaze. The trial is likely to take about two weeks.

A group of more than 80 potential jurors were sworn in Monday. Jurors will fill out a questionnaire and return to the courthouse Tuesday, where attorneys on both sides will have the opportunity to question them and dismiss ones they believe are unsuitable to be on the jury.

News of the trial drew mixed reactions from residents of the Pacific Palisades, who have spent the last year and a half tussling with insurance claims and red tape for building permits as they try to regain normalcy in their lives.

“It drums up all of the emotions over this past year and makes me think about all of the suffering and chaos of all of our neighbors and friends’ lives,” said Meghan Wald, whose home was among the few left standing in her block.

Palisades streets are now crowded with construction vehicles and workers, and charred trees have recovered their luscious green. But vacant lots abound, filled with weeds and wildflowers and the skeletal frames of homes. Of the more than 450 construction projects, only 17 homes have been certified for occupancy.

Wald and her family now live in nearby Brentwood, but she visits weekly to support the handful of businesses that have reopened, including her hair salon, her usual CVS pharmacy and the Palisades Garden Cafe, where her kids used to grab snacks after school.

“It’s great to see the shops that we know and love coming back,” Wald said. “It’s also hard to imagine what it’s going to be like. It will never be the same.”

The fire has been a central theme in incumbent Mayor Karen Bass 's reelection bid as she defends the city's recovery process. Bass was in Ghana as part of a presidential delegation when the flames ignited. One of her challengers, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, lost his home in the blaze and has made what he calls municipal ineptitude a central campaign message. It's not yet clear if Pratt won enough votes in the primary to face Bass in November's runoff election.

Judge Anne Hwang has ruled that the defense can't introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the fire department, saying it was irrelevant and could confuse the jury.

Defense attorneys had planned to include testimony from a firefighter that the earlier fire was visibly smoldering when first responders left the scene. That was gathered as part of a lawsuit filed by fire victims against the city.

Haney said he also plans to argue that the government lacks solid evidence or witness testimony linking Rinderknecht to the first fire, and that first responders heard fireworks in the vicinity of where the blaze started.

Prosecutors say geolocation data from Rinderknecht's phone shows that he was in the area of the fire as it rapidly grew, and investigators later seized a Bic barbecue lighter from his car that he admitted to having with him on the trail. They will claim he was upset about a failed relationship as well as thwarted plans for New Year's Eve, and that he ranted to his Uber passengers that evening about being angry at the world, according to an April 29 pretrial memo filed by the U.S. attorney’s office.

Lena Loh, who opened a skin care clinic in the Palisades three months before the fire, said Rinderknecht’s prosecution gives her no sense of relief. She has been struggling to reopen and is looking to leave because she can't sustain the business financially anymore.

“I don’t necessarily think putting him on trial is gonna fix anything,” she said. “This is a city issue. The city needed to manage that small speck of fire better.”

It is the first time the finals have been held at Madison Square Garden since 1999, when the Spurs defeated the Knicks 78-77 on the road in Game 5 to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back home to San Antonio.

Of course, the 2026 Spurs are entering a much different scenario.

In 1999, the Spurs traveled to New York with a 2-0 lead after winning the first two games of the series at the Alamodome. This time around, the Spurs lost both home games to open the NBA Finals.

Luckily, Victor Wembanyama said the pressure does not bother him, and he’s “built for” this kind of adversity.

KSAT 12 is the official broadcast home for all of the NBA Finals action.

Myra Arthur, Ernie Zuniga and Larry Ramirez will be live from New York City covering all the action during our Monday newscasts, leading up to the Race for Seis special at 6:30 p.m. on KSAT 12 and KSAT Plus.

Another livestream previewing Game 3 will air at 7 p.m. exclusively on KSAT Plus. ABC will carry exclusive live coverage of Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. live on KSAT 12.

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Wood, a professor emeritus at Brown University, died Sunday after being struck by a car in a supermarket parking lot in East Providence, Rhode Island, according to police.

Author of dozens of books and essays, Wood never gained the mass audience of historians like David McCullough and Doris Kearns Goodwin, but his findings became standard references for discussions about the formation of the U.S. and the legacy of the revolution. Many peers regarded the white-haired, mild-looking Wood as the embodiment of the learned, traditional historian, guided by facts rather than ideology.

In 2011, President Barack Obama presented him a National Humanities Medal “for scholarship that provides insight into the founding of the nation and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.”

In recent years, younger academics increasingly alleged that Wood was too well-established, the epitome of the old-school historian who minimized the lives of slaves, women and Indigenous people. John L. Brooke, a history professor at Ohio State University, would fault him for “a distinct avoidance of interpretative paradox and complexity,” even as he cited Wood’s “scale and scholarly enterprise.”

His success was immediate and lasting. His first book, “The Creation of the American Republic,” won the Bancroft Prize in 1970 and lived on with generations of students who embraced and contended with Wood’s findings that the Constitution was unintentionally subversive, a document devised by elites that led to “the destruction of the very social world they had sought to maintain.”

His “The Radicalism of the American Revolution” won the Pulitzer in 1993 and the epic “Empire of Liberty” was a finalist in 2009.

Wood did welcome scholarly breakthroughs, notably Annette Gordon-Reed’s “persuasive contextual case” that the enslaved Sally Hemings bore some of Thomas Jefferson’s children. In “Empire of Liberty,” which covered the years 1789 to 1815, he included lengthy passages on slavery and called it a cancer “eating away at the message of liberty and equality.”

At other times, Wood angrily resisted new approaches. He was a prominent critic of The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize winning 1619 Project and its contention — later amended — that maintaining slavery was a key motivation for the American Revolution. He alleged that the project encouraged a sense “victimhood” and feeling “aggrieved,” even as he acknowledged he hadn’t read most of it. He would counter that the founders, even such plantation owners as Jefferson and James Madison, believed — mistakenly — that slavery would die a natural death and the revolution itself energized the American abolitionist movement.

“We all want justice, but not at the expense of truth,” he wrote in 2019, adding, in a widely disputed statement, “I don’t know of any colonist who said that they wanted independence in order to preserve their slaves.”

Wood was born into history: His hometown, Concord, Massachusetts, had been the residence of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott, among others. But his passion for the subject he later mastered did not arise until college. Wood found his high school history education unbearable, suffering through classes in which the teacher simply read from a textbook.

Wood did admire his Latin instructor, who encouraged him to attend Tufts University, from which he graduated summa cum laude. He received a master’s and Ph.D. from Harvard University and studied under a celebrated Revolutionary War historian Bernard Bailyn, whose documentation of the intellectual forces behind independence in his landmark “The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution” Wood would build upon in “The Creation of the American Republic.”

In his introduction to “The Idea of America,” published in 2011, Wood looked back on his own work and the evolution of scholarship in his lifetime. He noted the many errors of the country’s founders but warned against scolding historical figures because of mistakes which seem obvious now, what he and others call “Presentism.”

“The drama, indeed the tragedy of history, comes from our understanding of the tension that existed between the conscious wills and intentions of the participants in the past and the underlying conditions that constrained their actions and shaped their future,” he wrote.

“If the study of history teaches anything, it teaches us the limitations of life. It ought to produce prudence and humility.”

___

Associated Press writer Michael Casey contributed to this report from Boston.

The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Watson as the body discovered in the Guadalupe River last Tuesday, near the 700 block of Rusk Lane.

Watson was reported missing on May 26, police said, leading to several searches along the Comal and Guadalupe rivers. Her body was discovered as part of one of those searches.

Her cause of death has not yet been determined, but police said there are not currently any signs of foul play.

Read more:

• Woman’s body found in Guadalupe River, City of New Braunfels says

As Congo battles an Ebola disease outbreak that has killed nearly 100 people out of the more than 500 confirmed cases, local authorities have raced to slow the disease with strict measures, including by limiting public gatherings and enforcing social distancing.

For Jean Claude Érable and his bride Solange Hahati, celebrating their wedding on Saturday in such conditions meant having some family members and friends absent on one of their happiest days.

“We had planned 300 guests (but) only 50 people were allowed to enter,” Hahati told The Associated Press. “It was really difficult because we wanted to celebrate with our friends.”

The latest Ebola outbreak, which is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, is concentrated in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri. There have been 515 confirmed infections so far, including 91 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities. The number of cases is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed weeks late, and the response has been challenging also because the virus has no approved vaccine or treatment.

To help slow the spread, local officials have urged people to limit physical contact, wash their hands regularly and report suspected cases quickly.

At the Catholic Church in Bunia, the capital of Ituri, where Érable and Hahati celebrated their love story, the Mass featured a number of couples who were present for their weddings.

The precautions, though not always adhered to, are reshaping social life in a country where weddings are typically vibrant, daylong celebrations bringing together hundreds of relatives, friends and well-wishers.

As the choir chorused and as brides in white gowns walked down the aisle, the handful of relatives and friends present inside the church maintained social distance, cheered and snapped photos. Outside, a crowd sang excitedly.

“We are adhering to the preventive measures and respecting social distancing,” said Érable. “I must say that there is no problem, no obstacle, because we are doing our best to respect all the measures dictated by the state.”

His bride smiled as he slipped a wedding ring onto her finger. Outside, after the wedding Mass, she proudly displayed the ring as her husband walked her to the car.

The couple moved part of their reception outdoors, where guests could spread out more easily.

Church leaders say adapting has become essential.

Some families have already postponed their scheduled weddings in light of the new health measures, said the Rev. Aimé Lokanabego, the priest who officiated their wedding Mass.

The church is not holding other religious events that involve higher risks of exposure, such as baptism, he said.

“This is, in a way, how we are dealing with this Ebola epidemic at our level. The situation is critical,” said Lokanabego.

Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union warned its members that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

“We’ve seen a surge in really the more sophisticated impersonation scams where our members are getting calls from what appears to be RBFCU based on the caller ID,” said Brian Munsterteiger, the credit union’s Senior Vice President of Central Operations.

Scammers can manipulate caller ID information to make it appear as though the call is coming from a legitimate phone number, even when it is not.

Victims are often told there is suspicious activity on their account or that their money is at risk, according to fraud experts.

Once trust is established, Munsterteiger said scammers attempt to create a sense of urgency.

“They’re typically validating some type of transaction, which is not a real transaction,” Munsterteiger said. “They’re gaining the member’s trust by, of course, making it seem like it’s coming from the RBFCU phone number and by saying they’re an RBFCU employee.”

In some cases, Musterteiger said victims are persuaded to provide usernames, passwords or one-time security passcodes. In other cases, scammers convince victims to transfer money or withdraw cash and hand it over to a courier under the guise of protecting their funds.

Fraud experts said artificial intelligence is making these scams even more convincing.

“The spoofing that they’re doing, the impersonation that they’re doing, they’re able to use real people’s voices,” Munsterteiger said. “It sounds real. I’ve heard some of these phone calls. They’re very good.”

The warning comes as voice-cloning scams continue to gain attention nationwide.

AI tools can now generate copies of a person’s voice using only a small amount of audio, making it easier for criminals to impersonate just about anyone.

Americans lost approximately $893 million to AI-related scams in 2025, according to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Report.

The agency received more than 22,000 complaints involving artificial intelligence, including voice-cloning schemes, AI-generated phishing attacks and other frauds.

The FBI mentioned some of those scams involve “distress” calls, where criminals use voice-cloning technology to mimic a loved one in an emergency and request money immediately. Victims reported more than $5 million in losses from those scams in 2025.

Munsterteiger said that no one is immune to these scams.

“(A) misconception is this only happens to unintelligent people. That’s not true,” Munsterteiger said. “I know a lot of smart people that this has happened to.”

Warning signs of a phone impersonation scam

RBFCU and federal investigators recommend watching for several red flags:

• A caller claims your account has been compromised and demands immediate action
• You are asked to provide passwords, usernames, one-time passcodes or multifactor authentication codes
• A caller instructs you to transfer money, withdraw cash or move funds to a “safe” account
• The caller pressures you to act quickly without verifying the information
• The call appears to come from a trusted organization, but the caller asks for sensitive information

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself, RBFCU recommends members to:

• Stop, think and verify before responding to unexpected requests
• Never share passwords, security codes or one-time passcodes with anyone, including bank employees
• Do not trust caller ID alone. Hang up and call the institution back using a verified phone number
• Slow down and question urgent requests involving money or personal information

“If someone’s calling you and asking you for any kind of personal information, it’s almost 100% a scam,” Munsterteiger said. “Hang up and call whatever they’re posing to be and call the actual institution or the actual company.”

How to report a scam

If you receive a suspicious call, voicemail, text or email requesting money, account credentials or personal information, end the conversation and verify it independently. There are several ways to report a scam:

• Contact the financial institution directly. Use a phone number, website or email address you know is legitimate. If you’re unsure, check your statements or the back of your cards for contact information. Do not rely on caller ID or contact information in an unexpected call or message.
• Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov . This helps investigators track trends and warn the public.
• Report it to the FBI at IC3.gov if you shared information, sent money or believe you were targeted.

Read also:

• Bexar County warns of scammers posing as county officials who charge assistance program fees
• ‘I feel like I’m getting robbed’: SA family shocked by $22K A/C bill after years of payments

Join KSAT 12 Meteorologist Justin Horne on Monday, June 8th, for a fun, fast giveaway sponsored by Espinoza & Brock.

• 📍 Location: Espinoza & Brock, 10202 Heritage Blvd.
• 📅 Date: June 8
• ⏱️ Line starts: 8:00 a.m.
• 👕 T-shirt giveaway starts: 9:30 a.m.
• 🎟️ Cost: FREE to the first 100 people in line, ages 18+

Giveaway details (read this part!)

• First 100 KSAT viewers/Spurs fans in line get a shirt
• Limit one (1) T-shirt per person, while supplies last
• Recipients must be 18 years of age or older
• Sizes are subject to availability and not guaranteed; recipients will receive the size available at the time of distribution
• No exchanges

Bring your Spurs energy, be ready to “Honk the Horne,” and let’s show up strong for our silver and black as the playoffs continue.

GO SPURS GO — and don’t forget to watch Larry, Mary and Ashley for the latest in Spurs news!

You can read the Official Rules & Regulations here.

The recently released report provides the first official accounting of the scale of the IRS-ICE information transfer and documents security concerns surrounding an arrangement that has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and significant controversy inside both agencies.

Also known as TIGTA, Treasury’s inspector general found that the controversial 2025 data-sharing agreement crafted between ICE and the Treasury, which allowed ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records, resulted in inconsistent formatting in ICE’s data and the IRS’ matching criteria which led to errors.

The deal led the then-acting commissioner of the IRS to resign.

The report states that after the agreement was signed, ICE requested address information on more than 1.2 million people, and the IRS ultimately provided last-known addresses for about 47,000 people.

TIGTA concluded that the IRS’s automated matching process was flawed. Inconsistent formatting in ICE’s data led to questionable matches, including in cases where incomplete or inaccurate addresses were labeled as valid, the report says.

Representatives from Treasury and the IRS did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

The plan to cross-verify tax and immigration data is part of President Donald Trump’s agenda to secure U.S. borders and his larger nationwide immigration crackdown, which has resulted in deportations, workplace raids and the use of an 18th century wartime law to deport Venezuelan migrants.

However, this is not the first time it's been revealed that tens of thousands of taxpayers' information was revealed to ICE.

In February, a federal judge said that the IRS broke the law by disclosing confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, referring to the same 47,000 disclosures that TIGTA points out.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly found that the IRS had erroneously shared the taxpayer information of thousands of people with the Department of Homeland Security as part of the agencies’ controversial agreement to share information on immigrants for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.

No recommendations were made in the new TIGTA report, according to a letter written by Nancy A. LaManna, deputy inspector general for inspections and evaluations.

“However, we plan to share some concerns we identified during our review with the DHS Office of Inspector General,” her letter states.

Iran fired at Israel after warning against Israel's attacks in Lebanon, including strikes on Beirut on Sunday. Israel says it is targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. Its Beirut strike defied Washington’s request days ago to stand down.

The Israeli strikes against Iran came after U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he didn't think Israel needed to respond further.

Here's the Latest:

Netanyahu says Israel to strike ‘with force’ if Iran strikes again

The Israeli prime minister’s brief statement added that “right now, the fire has been halted.” It was his first public statement since Iran fired missiles at Israel late Sunday. They were intercepted.

Netanyahu asserted Israel’s right to self-defense, “and I say this with appreciation and respect in my good conversations with my friend President Trump.” He appears to have openly defied Trump with a strike in Beirut on Sunday and then retaliatory attacks against Iran.

Israeli defense minister warns against attacks on Israel’s northern settlements

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday night that any attack on Israel’s northern settlements will immediately prompt an attack on Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburbs.

Katz warned Iran that any attempt to use Israel’s attacks against Hezbollah as an excuse to launch missiles against Israel would be “met with great force, as happened yesterday.”

Turkey will push for an end to the war in the Middle East

Turkey is pressing ahead with its contacts with both the United States and Iran to end the war while also consulting with countries in the region, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

“It is essential to leave behind this war that has brought our region and the world to the brink of disaster,” Fidan said during a news conference following meetings in Istanbul with his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts.

He added: “Turkey will continue to support diplomacy and dialogue during this critical period.”

Turkey, together with Egypt and other regional partners, is backing Pakistan’s initiative to mediate an end to the conflict.

Israeli strikes on Iran wound 15

Israeli strikes on Iran Monday wounded at least 15 people, the National Emergency Medical Organization said in a statement published by the Iranian official news agency.

No fatalities have been reported so far, the organization said. The statement did not specify whether the wounded were civilians or military personnel, noting that 14 of the injured were from Mahshahr in the province of Khuzestan, while one was from Tehran.

Pakistan’s prime minister calls for restraint

Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed concern over the recent surge in violence in the Middle East and urged all parties to “exercise restraint.”

In a post on X, Sharif said the latest escalation was “a stark reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to.”

Sharif also called for diplomacy over further escalation.

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 5 people, including a child

Israeli strikes on Monday killed at least five people, including a child, across Gaza, according to hospital officials.

A strike killed two people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday morning, according to Nasser Hospital, while another left three people dead in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, including Jad Soleiman, an 8-year-old boy, according to Shifa Hospital. Several were also wounded.

Jad’s father, Yusuf, clutched his son’s backpack and kissed his face as the child’s body, wrapped in a white burial shroud, lay before him.

“He was coming home from school,” Soleiman said. “I ran to him and found him lying down with his bag still on. It’s covered in his blood. He was wounded and bleeding from the neck. He was taking his last breaths."

Gaza City and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza were also hit. Casualty figures were not immediately available.

The Israeli army said it struck some Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, adding it would give further details later.

The attacks were the latest in a series of strikes that have hit homes and shelters across Gaza since October’s fragile ceasefire that sought to halt the more than two-year war.

US tells Iran no more Israeli attacks if Tehran halts strikes, official says

The U.S. told Iran there would be no more attacks by Israel if Tehran halted its missile strikes, and that Israel has agreed to halt attacks for now, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The White House and Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli army says 3 projectiles fired at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon

The army said two projectiles were intercepted, while one landed near the soldiers, adding there were no injuries.

The launches triggered air raid sirens in northern Israel.

Schools across Israel will remain closed for a second day

Education Minister Yoav Kisch said in a post on X Monday afternoon that schools would not open on Tuesday.

On Sunday evening, Israel’s military updated its guidelines for civilians, limiting large gatherings and canceling school across the country for the first time since the earlier round of fighting with Iran in April.

Kisch said the Ministry of Education aims to reopen classrooms on Wednesday under guidelines that would ensure students have access to close shelter.

Iraq reopens its airspace

Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that the country’s airspace has reopened after earlier announcing a 72-hour closure in response to the renewed exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.

Syrian man finds a missile partially buried in his field

A missile lay partially buried in a field on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday, surrounded by scorched earth after overnight exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran sent projectiles across the region.

The missile’s impact left a blackened patch of ground where a fire broke out, according to the field’s owner, Mahmoud Ataya. He said residents heard a loud explosion during the night but did not immediately know what had happened. When they went to put out the fire, they found half of the missile protruding from the ground. No casualties were reported.

State media in Syria reported explosions in the skies over Damascus Sunday night, attributing them to Israeli air defenses intercepting missiles fired from Iran. Associated Press journalists in the Syrian capital also reported hearing loud explosions overnight

US ambassador to Lebanon says Washington does not want Israel-Hezbollah war to expand

Ambassador Michel Issa made his comments after meeting President Joseph Aoun Monday, a day after Israel struck a southern Beirut suburb.

Issa also hinted at disagreements between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Lebanon.

He described the Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s suburb and Iran’s missile attack on Israel as a “political message,” adding that “we in the United States decided that the confrontation does not expand more.”

Issa later met Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and, after the meeting, told reporters Trump follows Lebanon’s news daily, adding in Arabic that Trump “almost got into a fight with Netanyahu over Lebanon.”

Iranian military’s joint command says it is halting its offensive operations

The Iranian military’s joint command said Monday it was halting its offensive operations after Israel and Iran exchanged fire in their first attacks since the U.S. struck a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago.

The joint command said that if Israel or its supporters carried out any further “aggression and hostile acts,” including in southern Lebanon, then “much more severe and crushing measures than before will follow.”

EU approves sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities

The European Union’s foreign policy chief said the 27-member bloc approved sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities involved in disrupting transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Kaja Kallas said after a meeting with EU defense ministers on Monday that this is the first time the EU has applied a new freedom-of-navigation sanctions system “and where necessary will apply it again.”

“Ministers were clear today that Iran’s actions are unacceptable,” Kallas said.

Trump claims negotiations are ongoing

Trump later posted again to his Truth Social website, insisting that both Israel and Iran were “looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE!”

He claimed negotiations were ongoing, “subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.”

Israel says it targeted Iranian petrochemical facilities

The Israeli military said it targeted petrochemical facilities in Mahshahr to hit sites used to produce “unique materials that serve as critical components for the development of ballistic missiles.”

Trump says Israel and Iran must stop shooting

In his first comments since Iran and Israel traded fire, Trump wrote online: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting.’”

Iraq closes airspace for 72 hours

Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday said the closure was a “precautionary measure” to preserve the safety and security of civil aviation.

It added that the decision will be subject to continuous review and reassessment and airlines and relevant sides will be notified of any new developments.

29 Lebanese army members have been killed in Israeli strikes since March

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos released the toll Monday, two days after an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed three members of the Lebanese army, including a brigadier general and a captain.

Morcos said that since the Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, three police, one member of the General Security Directorate and 13 state security members have been killed in Israeli attacks. Also killed was a member of the parliament’s security.

A total of 3,613 people have been killed, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The Israeli military has said it operates against Hezbollah and not against the Lebanese army.

▶ Read more

Syria temporary closes Damascus airport as Iran and Israel trade fire

Damascus International Airport will remain closed until 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) Monday.

Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation closed the country’s southern airspace, which includes Damascus. The measure is related to the latest exchange of fire between Iran and Israel, it said.

Air defenses in Tehran and other cities open fire

Just before noon, air defense systems around Tehran and multiple Iranian cities opened fire, with some claims of attacks ongoing.

Oil prices rise sharply

Oil prices surged as Israel launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire.

Brent crude, the international standard, jumped $4.40 to $97.49 a barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude surged $3.95 to $94.49 a barrel.

The latest spate of attacks was straining efforts to end the conflict as a tentative deal reached last week to extend a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has not yet been finalized.

▶ Read more

Israel says it targeted Iranian missile launchers

Israel’s military said it targeted truck-based surface-to-air missile launchers in its strikes Monday on Iran.

It said Iran had deployed the systems across the country in a bid to restore its capabilities that were degraded earlier in the war.

Iran says US responsible for any escalation caused by Israel

An Iranian official warned Monday that the United States is “responsible for the consequences of any escalation” in the Middle East caused by Israel.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made the comment in a briefing with journalists on Monday in Tehran.

“No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States,” Baghaei said. “The United States bears responsibility for the Israeli regime’s aggression, and it will also be responsible for the consequences of any escalation in tensions.”

Israeli rescue services say no injures so far from Iranian missile attack

Israel’s rescue services said there were not any known injuries from the latest round of missiles from Iran.

Rescue services are searching a number of sites for possible fragments from interceptions.

Iran launches third wave of missiles at Israel

The Israeli military urged people to take shelter. Similar alerts sounded in neighboring Jordan.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim missile attack on Israel

The Iran-backed rebels also said that Israel-affiliated vessels would again be a target in the Red Sea.

The statement from Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree was broadcast on the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel.

It’s another new escalation as the nominal ceasefire in the Iran war is being challenged by crossfire between Israel and Iran.

Iran claims attacks, says it targeted military bases

Iran claimed the attacks on Israel, saying their fire targeted two military bases in Israel.

The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard described the attack as being part of Operation Nasr, or “Victory.” The Guard said it launched the missile fire after Israel targeted radar sites in three areas of Iran, without elaborating.

The Israeli military says it hit petrochemical complex in Iran

Israel’s military says it him a petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran. It did not provide details.

The semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical factory in city of Mahshahr in Khuzestan province. It did not elaborate on the damage done.

Israel issues all clear after a second wave of Iranian missiles

Israel issued an all-clear after warning of a second wave of inbound missiles from Iran.

It was the second alert without any interceptions being heard in the country.

The Iranian fire comes after Israel launched strikes on Iran early Monday in the most-serious crossfire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached in the Iran war.

Sirens sound near Israel’s main nuclear research site

Israel said it detected a barrage of missiles from Iran toward central and southern Israel on Monday morning. Loud explosions were heard over central Israel, and missiles also targeted southern Israel, near the city of Dimona and Arad.

The remote desert city of Dimona houses Israel’s main nuclear research center, which opened in 1958. Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, though its leaders neither confirm nor deny this.

Iran targeted Dimona and Arad during the last round of conflict, injuring more than two dozen people.

No impact or casualties in Israel from Yemen missile launch

Israel’s rescue services said there were no reports of casualties or impacts from the launch from Yemen.

Israel cancels school nationwide as conflict escalates

Israel’s military updated its guidelines for civilians on Sunday evening, limiting large gatherings and canceling school across the country.

It is the first time school has been canceled across Israel since the earlier round of fighting with Iran in April, though schools in Israel’s northern border had been closed for much longer due to the threat of Hezbollah fire.

Israel says missile launched from Yemen

Israel said Monday that it detected a missile launched from Yemen targeting the country. Sirens sounded across Israel after the Yemen missile fire warning.

Yemen is home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel during the Israel-Hamas war and later, but haven’t been fully involved in the Iran war.

Saudi Arabia sounds missile alerts

Saudi Arabia sounded missile alert sirens Monday morning in an area home to an air base that hosts U.S. forces. Saudi state media reported the alert around its Al Kharj governorate, home to Prince Sultan Air Base.

It did not elaborate. The alert came after Israel launched strikes targeting Iran.

Trump had urged Israel not to respond

Speaking to The Financial Times, Trump before the Israeli strike on Iran insisted he dictated terms to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on how the war should be prosecuted.

“He won’t have any choice,” Trump told the newspaper in a telephone interview. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He (Netanyahu) doesn’t call the shots.”

White House has no immediate comment

The White House did not respond to messages Sunday about the strikes and whether they were done in coordination with the U.S.

Iran closes airspace around its main airport following Israeli strikes

Iran closes airspace around Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, country’s main airfield, after Israeli attack.

Israel strikes central and Western Iran

Israel says it strikes central and Western Iran after missile fire; Tehran says explosions heard in several cities

Officers responded to the shooting just before 1:50 a.m. Monday in the 400 block of Old Highway 90, which is located near Southwest 34th Street.

The man was walking to a taco truck after leaving a nearby bar when a vehicle approached him, SAPD said.

A person exited the vehicle and started to argue with the man for unknown reasons, police said.

Police said the victim was then shot multiple times in the torso. The suspected shooter fled the scene in a truck.

Officers later found the truck on South San Augustine Avenue and surrounded a home to find out if the shooter was there, SAPD said.

Further information was not readily available. This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Read also:

• Several arrested after man shot at north Bexar County home, sheriff’s office says
• Thieves target A/C units and trailer at West Side church hours before Sunday service

In the first-ever papal address to Spanish lawmakers, the American pope said a “moral renewal” was necessary in legislatures and public life to ensure respect for the inherent dignity of all people, including migrants, the unborn and the most vulnerable.

“The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile,” Leo said.

Speeches by popes to foreign legislatures are rare, since they can imply recognition of a religious leader by lawmakers. Pope Francis addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress in 2015, and Pope Benedict XVI addressed his native German Bundestag in 2011.

That Leo was invited to speak to Las Cortes Generales showed a level of acceptance for the Catholic Church in a political setting that might have been unthinkable even a few years ago. The Catholic Church was a pillar of Gen. Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, enjoying broad control and influence over Spanish society, but that waned after democracy took root in the 1970s.

While many Spaniards still identify as Catholic, religious observance has dropped sharply amid secularizing trends seen in other once-staunchly Christian countries.

And yet lawmakers gave Leo a 7-minute standing ovation with chants of “Viva el Papa!” — “Long live the pope!”

Leo's weeklong visit to Spain — the first since Benedict visited in 2011 — has drawn large crowds, with an estimated 1.5 million people turning out for Mass on Sunday in a downtown plaza and 600,000 young people for a prayer vigil.

Pope calls for peace as Israel and Iran trade strikes

Leo's speech came Monday as Israel and Iran traded fire, threatening to drag the Middle East back into a full-scale regional war. The pope repeated his demand for dialogue, “diplomatic courage” and the "the obligation of states to resolve their disputes through the peaceful means offered by international law.”

He also lamented that European defense budgets were being built up as countries confront the threat posed by Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Trump administration’s threats to reduce financial and military support for the continent.

“It is therefore a cause for concern that, in various parts of the world — and in Europe as well — rearmament is once again being presented as an almost inevitable response to the fragility of the international situation,” Leo said.

He repeated his demand for “rigorous ethical oversight” of automated weapons systems created by artificial intelligence “so that decisions regarding life and death are never left to automated systems nor removed from the moral responsibility of the human person.”

Pope urges dignity, acceptance and integration for migrants

Spain’s Socialist-led government has bucked a trend in Europe and the United States by defending immigration on economic and humanitarian grounds, launching a legalization push earlier this year for hundreds of thousands of immigrants without authorization. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has highlighted the benefits to the economy with an aging workforce and low birth rate.

Leo called for strengthened international efforts to prevent the smuggling of migrants and create conditions where they can choose to stay home.

For those who flee conflict, poverty and climate change, he called for welcome and integration. Pope Francis made the plight of refugees reaching Europe a hallmark of his papacy, and Leo has insisted especially on the dignity of migrants in his native United States amid the Trump administration’s crackdown.

“This gives rise to a twofold demand for social justice: to offer safe and legal pathways, a respectful welcome and real opportunities for integration; and, at the same time, to promote the right to remain in one’s own land, working to ensure that no one has to leave their home due to a lack of peace, security or decent living conditions, including economic inequalities and the effects of the climate crisis,” Leo said.

Leo references the Spanish conquest and the slave trade

Leo cited the 16th century Spanish intellectual tradition, known as the School of Salamanca, that gave rise to concepts of international law and inherent human rights after Spain’s colonial conquests of the Americas.

He praised the theologians involved in the movement who “understood that reason could not be invoked to legitimize whatever force or self-interest that seemed convenient” and that there were “moral limits of power.”

“It must be acknowledged that society and the church herself did not always live up to these insights found in their own Christian tradition,” Leo said.

It was a reference to the Catholic Church’s own role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonial conquest, and recalled Leo’s recent apology for the role the Holy See played in legitimizing slavery.

Pope visits at a delicate political moment

Leo's visit comes at a delicate time for Sánchez.

Sánchez’s Socialist Party has been hammered by corruption scandals, though none have directly implicated him. Probes have touched some of Sánchez's closest confidants, as well as his wife and brother.

As they play out in the courts, Spain is increasingly frayed by political polarization. Sánchez's minority government has been unable to pass legislation, including a budget for the past three years.

Leo, in an apparent reference to polarization, warned that “political pluralism should not degenerate into the constant disparagement of one's adversary."

Spain's progressive leader, who is an atheist, and the pope have converged on major issues including opposing the war in Iran. Both have been outspoken critics of the Trump administration.

Last month, after visiting Leo in the Vatican, Sánchez called the pope's voice “a moral compass in the fight against injustice."

Traditionally, the Catholic Church in Spain has been closer to the conservative Popular Party than the Socialist Party, which championed social issues including same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

However, by placing issues of justice at the center of their public discourse, Pope Francis and now Leo have narrowed the gap between the Vatican and progressive governments, said Rafael Ruiz Andrés, a sociology professor at Complutense University of Madrid who specializes in religious dynamics.

___

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.

Dan Cogdell, a veteran Houston attorney who represented Paxton in his long-running felony securities fraud case and his 2023 impeachment, announced his support for Talarico in an interview with the attorney general’s Democratic opponent on the lawyer’s podcast.

“I defended Ken Paxton for years in the impeachment trial and in state criminal cases,” Cogdell said on his podcast. “But in my view, respectfully, I think Ken has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas. And unlike Ken, I believe to my core, James, that you believe in unity over division and that you know how to assemble not only Democrats, but independents and Republicans — and we need that right now.”

The news was first reported by NOTUS.

Well-known in Texas courtrooms, Cogdell helped steer Paxton through legal battles for nearly a decade. The attorney general first hired him in 2015 after he was indicted for securities fraud, a case that went on until 2024, when prosecutors dropped the charges in exchange for Paxton taking legal ethics courses, completing 100 hours of community service and paying six figures in restitution. And he served on Paxton’s defense team in his 2023 impeachment trial, which ended in an acquittal by the Republican-controlled Texas Senate.

Cogdell said on his podcast that unity in politics is needed today more than at any point in his lifetime, and that he believed Talarico could achieve it.

In a statement, Talarico said he was grateful for Cogdell’s support and that it was evidence of the broad coalition he wants to build.

“If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign,” Talarico said, reprising his message the night Paxton locked up the nomination. “If you’re a Republican tired of the corruption you’re seeing in government, you have a place in this campaign. Even if you’re Ken Paxton’s impeachment lawyer, you have a place in this campaign. We are building a people-powered movement that welcomes Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike.”

Talarico is hoping to be the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in over 30 years — a difficult task that the party is nonetheless enthused about because they see Paxton, given his legal and ethical baggage, as a uniquely compromised candidate.

Paxton defeated U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a 24-year incumbent, in a primary runoff last month, after a brutal campaign in which about $130 million was spent, mostly to boost Cornyn and bash the attorney general. But Paxton has strong support among the Republican grassroots, which powered him to a landslide victory in the runoff.

Polling has indicated a close race between Paxton and Talarico, with a slew of statewide surveys showing the Democrat with a narrow lead — a rare sight.

The Paxton campaign dismissed Cogdell’s endorsement as a predictable development.

“Dan is a Democrat and voted in the Democratic primary in 2024,” an aide close to Paxton told the Tribune. “Why is anyone shocked?”

Harris County vote rosters from 2024 confirm Cogdell voted in the Democratic primary that year.

The longtime trial lawyer has donated to both Paxton and Talarico this cycle. He gave $6,500 to Paxton’s Senate campaign nearly a year ago, then donated $1,000 to Talarico’s campaign in March, after he won the Democratic primary.

Cogdell’s endorsement of Talarico is not the first time his name has come up in the U.S. Senate race. The Cornyn campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backed Cornyn, attacked Paxton over his ties to Cogdell, noting the Houston attorney’s past anti-Trump comments and that he represents the East Plano Islamic Center, or EPIC City, in legal proceedings. The housing development has come under attack from members of the Texas GOP, including both Cornyn and Paxton, during the campaign amid a broader surge in anti-Islam rhetoric on the right.

In a since-deleted ad and social media posts from the primary, the NRSC bashed Cogdell as a “Trump-hating Democrat” and attacked Paxton for his affiliation with him.

Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, who also served on Paxton’s defense team before becoming a state representative, said Cogdell is a Democrat.

“I love Dan, but he is a Democrat, and he doesn’t vote very much,” Little said. “This impeachment defense lawyer is 100% behind Ken Paxton.”

Officers responded to the crash around 2:35 p.m. on U.S. Highway 281 northbound near Evans Road.

According to an SAPD preliminary report, the driver of another vehicle merged into a lane and struck the motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist, identified as a 36-year-old man, suffered serious injuries. Officers said he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The driver, a 50-year-old man, cooperated with SAPD’s investigation, police said.

SAPD said its investigation is ongoing. Further information was not readily available.

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The relationship is so significant that health care providers now use a specific term to describe it: cardio-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome.

CKM syndrome describes the interconnected relationship between cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders. When one condition develops or worsens, it can place added stress on the others, accelerating disease progression throughout the body.

How CKM syndrome affects the body

“Type 2 diabetes is extremely common in our community and affects more than blood glucose,” said Dr. Shweta Bansal, a nephrologist with University Health. “In one in three patients, diabetes damages kidneys, injuring the blood vessels that filter excess water and waste. Diabetes also significantly increases the risk of heart disease, and when all three conditions occur together, they’re not operating in isolation -- they make each other worse.”

A patient with diabetes may develop kidney disease, which can increase the risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular complications. Obesity and metabolic disorders can further accelerate the progression of both kidney and heart disease.

Because these conditions influence one another, treating a single diagnosis without considering the others does not fully address a patient’s overall health risks.

Why coordinated care matters

Despite how closely linked these conditions are, treatment has traditionally been divided among multiple specialists.

A patient might see a cardiologist for heart disease, a nephrologist for kidney disease and an endocrinologist for diabetes management. While each specialist plays an important role, coordinating medications, treatment plans and follow-up care across multiple providers can be challenging.

A team-based approach to treatment

“We call it cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome,” Bansal said. “But very often, we treat these conditions separately, resulting in fragmented care and delayed treatment. That’s why we created the Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Clinic, where specialists work together to treat patients as a whole.”

University Health’s recently established Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Clinic combines expertise from cardiology, nephrology and endocrinology to develop integrated treatment plans. The multidisciplinary team also includes clinical pharmacists, dietitians, social workers and care coordinators who help address both medical and non-medical factors that can affect health outcomes.

For patients with complex chronic conditions, that collaboration can be especially important because treatments that benefit one system can negatively affect another.

Looking beyond the diagnosis

The clinic focuses on helping patients manage heart failure, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, obesity and diabetes while reducing the risk of complications, hospitalizations and disease progression.

In addition to medical treatment, the clinic addresses barriers that can make chronic disease management more difficult, including medication access, transportation, insurance and nutrition needs.

The approach reflects a broader shift in medicine toward treating CKM syndrome as a connected disease process rather than a collection of separate diagnoses.

When to talk to your doctor

For patients living with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or multiple related risk factors, experts say understanding those connections is an important first step.

“Talk to your primary care physician if you might have cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome,” Bansal said.

Patients who need specialized care can work with the multidisciplinary team at University Health’s Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Clinic to develop a coordinated treatment plan designed to support long-term heart, kidney and metabolic health.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans' feeling of unease over the future of its representative government — particularly among young people. It presents a jarring contrast as communities around the country commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, the new poll found, while 44% say it’s one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others. About 3 in 10 say there are better countries than the U.S., an increase from 19% in an AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2016.

Americans remain divided about whether diversity is an essential feature of the U.S.'s identity, and agreement about other aspects of the country's underlying character appears to be eroding, the survey found. Americans are less likely to see a democratically elected government as “extremely” or “very” important to the United States’ identity as a nation than they were just a few years ago. About two-thirds of U.S. adults now say a democratically elected government is highly important to the U.S.’s identity as a nation, down from 80% in 2021.

“It’s not that the democracy part is not working," said Derricka Wall, 24, of Chickasaw, Alabama. "It’s the people that are actually being put in office that is the problem.”

Wall believes politicians have damaged America’s governing system, which was designed to ensure representation and guard against government misuse.

America, she said, “is not what it used to be. I feel like our founding fathers would be kind of disappointed with how it is now.”

Rising belief that democracy is not essential to American identity

Young adults are much less likely than older Americans to believe the U.S. is special, compared with other nations, the poll found.

About 4 in 10, 44%, of U.S. adults under 30 say there are other countries better than the U.S., compared with 22% of U.S. adults ages 60 and older.

Fewer, too, see democracy as a key element of the U.S.’s identity. Only about half of Americans under 30 believe this, compared with 81% of those 60 and older.

Wall said the people who established the government with co-equal branches thought they were erecting safeguards to keep any one person or group from attaining too much power. But she believes they didn’t foresee how easily those guardrails would crumble if the people in the system stopped enforcing them.

“I feel like they would actually roll out of their graves," she said. "I feel they would be very disappointed in us.”

The belief that politics isn't working for everyday people extends beyond the youngest generations. Kent Stage, 62 and a retired senior enlisted man in the Army, is a registered Republican in Indiana. He does not think the current political system addresses the country's problems. He’d like to see term limits on politicians and more working-class people serving.

“I’ll trust the ambulance-chasing lawyer and a shady used car salesman before I trust the politician,” he said.

Stage, who is also a former Marine, believes public servants make self-serving choices for their families “while mine and yours still got to hit the old grindstone."

Many feel it's harder to get ahead in the US

The survey also finds widespread cynicism about America as the land of opportunity. About half of U.S. adults, 51%, say the American Dream — the idea that if you work hard, you’ll get ahead — once held true but does not anymore. About one-third say it “still holds true” while 15% say it never held true.

Jack Hermanson, a 27-year-old software developer in Denver, said his belief in the American Dream changed when he saw his engineer husband struggle to find a job. “That really shattered my impression that if you work hard, you get what you deserve,” Hermanson said.

Only 22% of Americans under 30 say the American Dream still holds true, compared with 46% of Americans ages 60 and older.

Angela Toombs, 31, works at a senior living facility in Atlanta where her clients talk about how easy it was to buy a house while working their first regular jobs in their 20s and are incredulous about the obstacles facing Toombs’ generation. Toombs recently gave up her own apartment to rent a room in order to save money.

Skepticism about the American Dream is more widespread among Democrats and independents, compared with Republicans. Most Republicans, 57%, say the American Dream still holds true, compared with about one-quarter of independents and 17% of Democrats.

Republicans are also much likelier than Democrats to see the U.S. as exceptional. About half of Republicans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, compared with only 7% of Democrats.

Quintin Sharpe, 28, lives in a resort town on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. A financial planner who is Republican, he said the American Dream remains accessible and he is proud of the country. “It's been a great experiment.”

"The opportunity is there for those who want to work for it,” he said. Sharpe believes the country is “a meritocracy, and the best ideas, the best work ethic, those with the best succeed regardless of race, skin color, any of those factors.”

He and his wife will celebrate the country's 250th anniversary watching the fireworks over the lake.

Divides on whether diversity is essential to US

Just over half of U.S. adults — 56% — say a shared American culture and set of values are “extremely” or “very” important to the country's identity, down from 65% in 2017. Younger Americans are less likely than older ones to say a singular set of values is important to U.S. identity.

But Americans remain sharply divided on the centrality of welcoming diverse perspectives: About half of adults, 51%, say the ability of people to come from other places in the world to escape violence or find economic opportunities is “extremely” or “very” important to American identity, while 55% say this about the mixing of cultures and values from around the world.

Only about 4 in 10 Republicans see the mixing of cultures and values from around the world as central to the country's identity, compared with 76% of Democrats.

Rose Nunez, 70, of San Antonio, was a small business owner but now is a caregiver for family members. Nunez, who tends to vote for Democrats, said there is an unease and tension that are just beneath the surface, especially focused on Hispanics. She said some people have started carrying their papers showing their immigration status in case they are challenged.

“It is hard to celebrate when the feelings towards immigrants and communities of color are so strong,” she said of the upcoming America 250 celebrations.

She said even citizens are questioned now. If it gets to a point where being naturalized is challenged, “guess what, my mom would be leaving. She’s been living in this country since she was maybe four years old. She’s 93.”

____

The AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Staged at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, the musical is in its third run on Broadway — and earned 11 Tony nominations, including for best revival. It's resonating the most with audiences this time, they said. “Three is the charm,” Ahrens said.

“When we originally did it on Broadway, which was 1998, I think a lot of people, if not most people, were thinking about this piece as a period piece,” Flaherty said. “I think now, people are responding to it as a contemporary story.”

Adapted from the 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow, the show's book is by the late playwright Terrence McNally. It depicts a wide swath of the American experience in New York at the turn of the 20th century, from Black Americans in Harlem to Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side to the white upper-class residents of the suburbs of Westchester County.

The story that unfolds is fiction, but features historical figures like activist Emma Goldman, educator and leader Booker T. Washington, banker J.P. Morgan, auto founder Henry Ford and illusionist Harry Houdini. The show's breadth — encompassing immense tragedy as well as great optimism — and the depth of the actors' performances has been bringing Broadway audiences to their feet, often mid-act.

It also has people returning. “They’re like, ‘I’m coming back with my parents,’ ‘I'm coming back with my grandchildren,’ ‘I’m coming back with my grandparents,’ and it’s not even like they have to see it. They want to experience it with them,” said Brandon Uranowitz, who had his own return to the show, decades after he acted as a child in the pre-Broadway production.

Now, he's nominated for best lead actor in a musical for playing the role of Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia. “I think it’s sort of speaking to this generational reckoning that we’re having with America and our national identity.”

‘Ragtime’ at the Tony Awards

The original production lost the best new musical Tony Award to “The Lion King,” but Ahrens and Flaherty took home the prize for best original score, McNally best book and William David Brohn best orchestrations in a competitive year. It also won Audra McDonald, the Tonys' most decorated performer, her third award. A 2009 revival received six nominations, but lost best revival to “La Cage aux Folles.”

This could be the year it finally wins a best show award: “Ragtime” is a front-runner for best musical revival, against strong competition from “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and “The Rocky Horror Show.” Among its other nods are nominations for all three leads, and for featured performers Nichelle Lewis and Ben Levi Ross.

Portraying a range of American experiences

Joshua Henry, nominated alongside his costar for best lead actor, plays Coalhouse Walker Jr., a celebrated Black pianist at the center of his community in Harlem. Caissie Levy, nominated for her role of Mother, is the matriarch of a wealthy white family in a suburb outside New York City.

A cast of supporting characters, and a large ensemble, flesh out the lead trio's lives, relationships and eventual connections: Lewis plays Sarah, Coalhouse’s beloved; Ross is Mother’s Younger Brother and Colin Donnell her husband, Father; Shaina Taub is Goldman, the real-life activist.

Emotions in the first act peak during “Wheels of a Dream,” Lewis' iconic duet with Henry, which draws standing ovations, mid-song, nearly every night.

“She is a person who represents women — especially women of color — who don’t have a voice, women of color who are fighting to have a voice, women of color who find strength in other ways because we weren’t allowed to have it,” Lewis said of Sarah. But above all, she said, the character represents the power of trust, love and hope as a buoying force.

That hope is also what propels Uranowitz's Tateh. “Despite everything he goes through, despite the rejection, despite the oppression, despite the othering, despite antisemitism,” it’s what persists.

In the song “Journey On,” his character arrives in New York with his young daughter just as Mother's husband, Father, leaves on an expedition to the North Pole.

“You depart on a ship from a country like this,” Tateh sings, watching Father leave. “Why on Earth would you want to be leaving?” The two men are perched on separate, moving staircases on a sparsely furnished stage, but sing from the same height, emphasizing the valley between their experiences.

Like many of the characters, Father and Tateh (also “father,” in Yiddish) are nameless. The intention, Uranowitz said, is for aspects of Tateh's journey — from immigrant artist to successful moviemaker — to reflect the experience of Jewish Americans, and to resonate with people from other backgrounds as well. “If you pan out, which ‘Ragtime’ does so beautifully, it also holds just a capital ‘I’ immigration experience. And I think that’s really important for people to see right now.”

Holding a mirror to the current moment

The musical feels so relevant to 2026 that audience members have asked director Lear deBessonet, also Tony-nominated, if the creative team rewrote the script for this production. Lyrics by Ahrens and dialogue by McNally about the discrimination and brutality that Black Americans and immigrants face can seem straight out of the current moment. There are also references to keeping the country “great,” and commentary on celebrity culture and the power of industry leaders.

But the text hasn't changed. “We, in the audience, are hearing it differently,” deBessonet said. “There’s something that actually, I think is very unifying about coming together with a community of our time to look at this other time, and to look at the promise and the wound of America right next to each other.”

A 2027 tour, with deBessonet and the Broadway run’s creative team at the helm, will bring the show to a wider audience around the country.

“It does not feel like we’re looking back. It feels like we're looking in a mirror at ourselves,” Flaherty said.

There is one small change, however. When “Wheels of a Dream” is reprised in the final number, the ensemble sings “Our son will ride on the wheels of a,” and then takes a long pause before a final, resonant, “dream.” The goal is not to prescribe a particular emotional response, but to allow viewers — and the actors themselves — space for their own interpretations.

“In that moment, every single actor, every artist on that stage is invited to fill that moment with whatever feels honest to them that night,” deBessonet said. “Sometimes you can really feel that there is exuberant hope in the air. And sometimes there is grief or rage or confusion,” she added.

Ahrens said it's been a “revelation” to see how audiences have responded to the production, before and after the 2024 presidential election — and throughout this Broadway run, which concludes on Aug. 2. “It's such a visceral thing,” she said. “I don't think we've ever experienced anything like it.”

___

This story was first published June 6. It was updated on June 8 to correct that “Ragtime” won Audra McDonald her third Tony, not her first.

Above-average temperatures could be on the books this summer, according to forecasters, and a developing El Nino event could spell out warmer weather later in the year or next summer. Sizzling temperatures are more than an inconvenience: They can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke.

Travelers can take precautions to have fun with heat preparedness in mind.

“The same way that we prepare for more extreme travel in the cold, we should start to consider those tips to keep us safe in the summer months,” said Dr. Alexander Azan with NYU Langone Health, who co-directs the Project HEATWAVE initiative.

Check the forecast and survey your travel companions

Before taking off, check the air temperatures for both day and night as well as the heat index, which takes humidity into account, Azan said.

If temperatures look scorching, stay flexible. Relocate to cooler regions along the coast or at higher elevations. Plan more strenuous outdoor activities like hiking or long walks during early morning or late evening hours, outside of peak heat windows. A midday movie, museum visit or coffee shop break may be more suitable.

Check whether your lodging will have reliable conditioning and whether the region has had recent power blackouts or brownouts. You can also search for public facilities like cooling centers, and note key phone numbers to report medical emergencies.

In addition to what you're bringing, think about who you're bringing. People with certain medical conditions or medications may be more vulnerable to heat while traveling.

“A lot of the prescription drugs that we take for common conditions like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, they actually interrupt our body’s ability to thermoregulate,” said Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University.

Older adults, those who may be pregnant, young children and infants are also especially susceptible — so adjust plans accordingly. Carrying a baby against your body can transfer additional heat, for example.

Pack a reusable water bottle and bring light-colored, breathable clothing that will keep you cool. Don’t forget sunscreen, sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and a cooling towel. A portable fan can be useful too, but avoid using it during particularly high temperatures since it’ll just blow hot air back at you.

Keep car safety in mind during road trips

If you're planning a road trip, get your vehicle inspected a few weeks before to make sure everything is in good condition, especially the engine cooling system and the car battery. If you'll be driving abroad, ask whether the rental car will have air conditioning.

Pack water and snacks to keep passengers and pets energized during the drive and take breaks to hydrate and stretch — but don't leave young children, pets or older adults alone in the car even for a few minutes.

Keep the car as cool as possible by parking in shaded areas and using a windshield protector. When entering a steamy car, turn on the air conditioning but turn off recirculation to keep stale air from cycling. Roll down the windows a bit, then close them and turn recirculation on once the car starts to chill.

To avoid getting stuck in the heat, don’t drive on less than a quarter tank of gas, said AAA senior automotive manager David Bennett. If you do get stuck and the engine is still running, you can cycle it on and off every few minutes so AC can still cool the car. Don't walk along the side of the road in searing temperatures to search for help: instead, stay in the car or nearby shade and put reflectors or cones in front of the vehicle. Bring an extra charger that plugs into the car so you can call for help if needed.

Stay flexible and recognize signs of heat illness

Travelers should be mindful of how their behavior changes on vacation. Spending long hours outdoors, participating in intense activities or consuming more alcohol than usual can increase heat-related risks.

People often get into trouble when they ignore both environmental conditions and the warning signals their bodies are giving them. “They think they can push through. That is a mistake,” Ward said.

During the day's exploring, employ the buddy system and look out for signs of heat illness like feeling dizzy, experiencing nausea or muscle cramps and sweating with cool and clammy skin. If you or a travel partner start to feel sick, get to a shaded area and take sips of water while loosening tight clothing.

If symptoms worsen to slurred speech, falling unconscious, extreme confusion or feeling hot to the touch, seek help immediately. That could indicate something more serious, like heat stroke.

If extreme heat makes a trip untenable, there are ways to recoup costs. Adding a cancel-for-any-reason benefit to your travel insurance can offer partial reimbursement if things get too hot. There are also services like Sensible Weather and WeatherPromise which reimburse travel and lodging costs for every day a trip is dashed by rain, heavy snowfall or high heat. Customers can add a weather guarantee to their cart at extra cost when booking with these organizations' registered travel and hotel partners.

As temperatures continue to climb, experts say the most important thing vacationers can do is listen to their bodies and remain flexible.

By staying aware, taking steps to cool down and adjusting plans where necessary, travelers can help ensure their trip remains both safe and enjoyable.

___

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

“The first thing I walked into is (this), before I preach. I come and see the fence is missing,” Robles said.

And things got worse from there.

He said thieves broke into the church’s large trailer, which contained athletic equipment, and stole an air conditioning unit.

Recalling what he said he saw on surveillance camera video, Robles said burglars carried out an elaborate plan around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, primarily targeting the church’s brand-new air conditioning units.

He said the burglars arrived with a truck and tools to breach the eight-foot-tall iron fence that had been built around the new units, which were anchored to a concrete slab.

According to San Antonio police, at least four air conditioning units were stolen or damaged.

“They brought tools to unscrew the whole unit off. They grinded off the locks, and then they stole, one whole unit ... and they stripped all the inside of (another unit),” Robles said. “You can see all the copper. They knew what they were doing because they pinched it off.”

Robles went to say that with the fence on the ground, the suspect was able to drive the truck up on the sidewalk and park, then load up the five-ton A/C unit.

While focusing on securing the fence and the remaining air conditioning units, the pastor says he has not yet been able to check the trailer’s contents to determine what might be missing.

He says the units are worth $10,000 a piece, and they were just installed as the congregation prepares to open Kidz Connect, the new children’s church.

It was scheduled to open next month, but he said they are now trying to determine if that will still be possible.

On top of replacing the units, the electrical panel was also damaged. A rough initial estimate to fix everything is around $40,000.

And that does not include fixing the fence.

But he said he has faith.

“In the midst of all the stuff that took place, like David, I have to encourage myself,” Robles said. “God will provide, he always does, you know.”

Church members and friends are already doing what they can.

Robles is hoping anyone who knows anything will come forward to help find those responsible.

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Boris was located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) southeast of Acapulco and 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Punta Maldonado, according to the Miami-based weather center. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was moving northeast at 2 mph (3 kph).

Boris was expected to turn to the north, bringing rainfall of 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 centimeters) to coastal areas of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca through Monday night. The storm was forecast to make landfall along the coast of Guerrero by Monday evening, the center said.

“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” the center said.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Laguna de Chacahua in Oaxaca to Tecpan de Galeana in Guerrero, with tropical storm conditions expected in the area within 24 hours.

Boris was forecast to weaken once the center reaches the coast and dissipate inland by Tuesday. The storm isn’t expected to impact Mexico’s three World Cup host cities.

Boris is the second named storm of the Pacific hurricane season, which started May 15. Tropical Storm Amanda formed June 3 far out to sea, posing no threat to land.

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1, but no cyclones have formed in that basin yet this year.

Cakes by Felicia has been one of the few local businesses to have been part of the Spurs Culinary Residency Program. She were able to sell their treats at select Spurs games, now see what she’s created as the Spurs make an NBA Finals run.

Quick Quack Car Wash has opened their newest location here in town and that mean you can get a free car wash. We check out this brand new facility & find out how long you have to get your free wash.

The Texas YES Project is a nonprofit working to make sure children get the school supplies that they need. This summer they’re kicking off their Drive Away for Education raffle. There’s a bunch of prizes up for grabs including a brand new vehicle.

Do you think your teeth are too bad to fix? Stone Ridge Dental shows us how they can help anyone get the smile of their dreams.

The zoo recently surprised the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco with 200 admission tickets and a gift basket as a thank-you for the enthusiasm, hope and sense of community they have inspired throughout the Spurs’ postseason journey.

>> The superfans known as the ‘Spurs Nuns’ aiming to bring divine intervention to the NBA Finals

The Sisters gained national attention during the playoffs for their support of the Spurs. From attending games and praying over players to hosting watch parties at St. John Bosco, their devotion to the team has resonated with fans across San Antonio.

Zoo officials said they wanted to find a meaningful way to give back after seeing the joy the Sisters brought to the community.

“When we saw how much joy the Salesian Sisters were bringing to our community, we knew we wanted to do something special for them,” said Tim Morrow, President and CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “They’ve become a symbol of positivity during this incredible Spurs playoff run. We hope these tickets give them another opportunity to bless families throughout San Antonio and create meaningful experiences for the people they serve.”

Morrow said the 200 zoo tickets are intended to be shared with families served by the Sisters.

>> San Antonio’s Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco pray for Spurs’ playoff success

Morrow and his wife also decided to personally donate a brand-new basketball goal, but when zoo staff arrived to deliver it, they learned another donor had already stepped in and provided one.

Rather than let the donation go unused, the new hoop was given to students at St. John Bosco School across the street.

The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is offering a limited-edition Spurs cap to donors who give blood at any San Antonio donor center on Spurs Finals game days. The promotion is available while supplies last.

To receive the cap, donors must use the promo code “FINALS” when scheduling an appointment.

Officials say the need for blood donations remains constant across the region, with every donation potentially helping two or more patients in need.

Appointments can be scheduled online through South Texas Blood & Tissue Center’s website or by calling 833-YOU-GIVE (833-968-4483).

Donors should bring a valid photo ID.

According to the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, blood transfusions occur every two seconds in the United States.

The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is placing special emphasis on donations from people with Type O blood, particularly O-positive, which is the most common blood type in South Texas.

About 40% of the population has O-positive blood, and roughly half of Hispanics share that blood type, making those donations especially important for meeting local hospital needs.

Type O blood is frequently used in emergency situations and remains one of the most requested blood types by hospitals.

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Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday. KSAT 12 is the official broadcast home for all of the NBA Finals action.

KSAT’s Myra Arthur, Ernie Zuniga and Larry Ramirez will be live from New York City, covering all the action during our Monday newscasts, leading up to the Race for Seis special at 6:30 p.m. on KSAT 12 and KSAT Plus.

>> Myra, Ernie and Larry go to NYC: Watch KSAT’s coverage ahead of NBA Finals Game 3 between Spurs-Knicks

Another livestream previewing Game 3 will air at 7 p.m. exclusively on KSAT Plus. ABC will carry Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. on KSAT 12.

If you’re trying to find the best spot to watch Game 3, here are some options:

Official watch parties

The Rock at La Cantera hosts official watch parties for every Finals game. Admission is free but limited, and fans are encouraged to RSVP at Spurs.com/Playoffs. Entry is first-come, first-served.

The Frost Bank Center also opens its doors for free watch parties during all away games. Tickets are required, though they do not guarantee entry.

As of Monday, June 8, the watch parties at the Frost Bank Center for Games 3 and 4 are sold out. Fans can join the Spurs Fan Club to receive alerts when tickets become available.

Restaurant watch parties and perks

Fans can also head to participating Pluckers Wing Bar locations in San Antonio and Austin to catch the action. Those wearing Spurs gear during Finals watch parties can receive five free wings with the purchase of an adult entrée, while supplies last.

River Walk viewing experience for Game 3

For a more unique setting, the Power of Preservation Foundation, GO RIO, and Mexico Ceaty will host a special River Walk watch party aboard a GO RIO barge.

It includes a large-screen broadcast of the game along with drinks and light bites from Mexico Ceaty, all on top of a barge.

Click here for more information.

Other places hosting watch parties

• Civic Park at Hemisfair
• Pearl
• • Pearl Park
  • Sternewirth
  • Otto’s Ice House
  • High Street Wine
  • Stable Hall
  • Mezcaleria + Karnes Patio at Pullman Market

If you have more restaurants, bars and venues hosting watch parties, add them in the comment section below.

Read also:

• Victor Wembanyama says he’s ‘built for’ the pressure of the NBA Finals with the Spurs down 2-0
• No watch party at Madison Square Garden with President Donald Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals

ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas called it “an unprecedented change in the pace of growth.”

Developers and speculators had been buying up land across the state, looking to cash in on a chance to construct massive warehouses filled with computers to power artificial intelligence for companies such as Meta, Amazon and Google. Older, smaller data centers ran the Internet. Artificial intelligence and cloud computing demanded much more. 

The proposals kept coming. ERCOT in the last two years received 519 requests to connect large electricity users, compared to 24 such requests the year before that, according to its records as of May. The estimated electricity that large projects could need added up to a gobsmacking 438,595 megawatts — which would equal roughly a third of all the power generation in America. 

Ninety percent of that was for data centers, most of which aimed to start operating by 2030.

ERCOT maintains that not all of those projects will come to fruition. But no one knows the real number that will ultimately connect to the grid, or how much power they’ll need. ERCOT’s board last week voted to change its policies for how it will review data center requests, partly in an effort to get to a more realistic expectation of how many will be built. 

“The projections are insane,” said Dominic Boyer, a cultural anthropologist at Rice University who studies energy politics. “Not all of that will be built, but just even the fact that that much is being proposed sort of suggests that there is this absolute sea change happening in terms of electricity demand.”

The explosion in data center projects is tied to Texas becoming “one of the national leaders in digital infrastructure,” said Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy for the industry association, the Data Center Coalition. The state’s business-friendly regulatory environment and ability for companies to build needed energy infrastructure relatively easily attracted projects. So did its strong workforce and available land, water and fiber infrastructure, Diorio said. The Dallas-Fort Worth region in particular grew as a major market.

So many of these bigger, next generation data center projects are planned for Texas that the state could surpass Virginia for the title of the world’s largest data center market by 2030, according to a report by real estate and investment management firm JLL. Gov. Greg Abbott has touted Texas as “the epicenter of AI development” and some local officials have celebrated their arrival. 

“Our competitive advantage as a state is also the source of our biggest planning challenge,” said Matt Boms, executive director for the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, which advocates for clean energy policies and represents some technology companies. “So there’s a bit of a paradox there. But it’s a good problem to have. I think a lot of other states would kill to have that kind of problem.”

Not everyone agrees. Community advocates fighting to stop data centers fear the projects will spike Texans’ electric bills and make the grid less reliable. They envision a nightmare in which data centers suck up massive amounts of water, emit constant noise and spew pollution from on-site, gas-fueled power plants and backup generators. 

Industry leaders say data centers create jobs, especially during construction of the behemoth sites. The facilities, which by the state’s count will receive billions of dollars worth of tax breaks, still pay billions of dollars more in state and local taxes. 

There are at least 248 planned data centers coming to Texas, based on a review of facilities compiled by two companies that track the industry, along with Tribune research. ERCOT does not share detailed site information publicly, and the companies’ findings only found power use estimates for less than half of the projects.

Among the new projects, 86 are planned in North Texas, 56 in Central Texas and 45 in West Texas. The vast majority are planned in urban and suburban counties with more than 50,000 people. About half are aimed at unincorporated areas, which have limited means for regulating them compared to cities. 

Some massive projects are already under construction: A sprawling facility in Abilene plans to use grid power plus on-site gas power and batteries to get up to 1,200 megawatts of electricity — enough to power roughly a third of the households in the city of Houston, according to census data. 

Another huge campus outside Amarillo planned by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s company, Fermi America, could need up to 11,000 megawatts of power — enough to power 2.75 million homes, which is more than the number of households in Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio combined. A third project in oil-and-gas-dominated Pecos County could use more than 5,000 megawatts. 

All three will build at least some on-site, gas-fueled power plants, which emit carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. Two of the project websites say they will cycle water through their systems. The project in Abilene said it will require 8 million gallons of city water to fill initially — which it said is the amount a large office uses in a year.

“Texas has been one of the best and easiest places to move those projects forward,” said Cully Cavness, co-founder of data center developer Crusoe, which is building the Abilene project, at a panel in March. “It’s never easy, but it is relatively smoother here than many other states.”

A potential strain on resources

The sudden propagation of data centers reaching every corner of the state threatens issues that matter to Texans. 

It raises triggering questions about the reliability of the grid, which failed during a 2021 winter storm when ERCOT cut power to millions in the freezing cold. It could transform quality of life, from suburban subdivisions to rural farms, where Texans want to protect their communities from construction traffic, noise pollution and industrial blight. And it renewed fears about water supply, as some parts of the state navigate an impending crisis. 

“A lot of the sentiment that I’m hearing from those that don’t want data centers… is like, ‘You’re telling me, you know, you want to build this big thing in my community that’s going to take all the energy and take the water to build the technology that’s going to take the jobs away from my kids?” said Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. “That’s what I’m hearing a lot of people are feeling, and some of that’s just because this technology is so new. We just don’t know what it’s going to do.”

Some experts warn data centers have the potential to help push the state’s fragile water supply to the brink — especially in Texas’ more arid regions. Population and economic growth are already driving more demand for water, and scientists have found climate change is intensifying droughts. 

Texas made its largest financial commitment to expanding water supply last year, dedicating up to $20 billion for water projects over the next two decades. But that amount falls short of the $174 billion needed over the next 50 years, according to a projection in the draft of the 2027 state water plan. 

Water experts say data centers will put more pressure on Texas’ water supply. One estimate shows data centers could account for between 3% and 9% of Texas’ total water use by 2040 — up from less than 1% today, according to a recent white paper from The University of Texas at Austin. By comparison, manufacturing accounts for about 7% of the state’s water use, according to the current state water plan. 

Data centers demand significant amounts of water to keep their systems cool, though the industry argues its technology is improving with time to require less water. Some are proposing to use closed loop systems — which draw a large amount of water at the start but reuse it over some period of years — but Texas does not require projects to use that technology. Others run instead on cheaper evaporative cooling systems that more consistently replenish their water supply.

How much water a project can use is governed locally by various entities such as utilities, special districts and river authorities.

“Data centers are among the most efficient water users,” Diorio said, citing research that he said found they use less water than semiconductor manufacturing, food and beverage production and annual municipal water system leaks. “Data centers will continue to deploy advanced cooling technologies that are water efficient and continue to invest in water sustainability practices.” 

Higher demand for electricity

The new data center projects are requesting considerably more power than those of yesteryear. 

A Tribune analysis found that of the planned and existing data centers that provided information about their power draw, the average facility will require five times more capacity than the average existing data center in Texas. 

Among the existing data centers in the analysis, the upper limit for power capacity is 1,200 megawatts. But among planned data centers coming online, the max is nine times that. 

Historically, developers went to regional utilities with their connection requests, and the utilities studied whether they had enough infrastructure to supply each project and communicated with ERCOT. But that process became untenable as requests piled up.

Pending approval from regulators, ERCOT now is proposing to study proposals itself in batches so it can better evaluate how much overall power demand they will represent. Vegas, the ERCOT CEO said Tuesday that projects seeking to draw about 100,000 megawatts of power would qualify to be in the first group to be reviewed by ERCOT by April. 

“It’s just this big tsunami wave (of projects) that is impending, and trying to crash down, and historically that was coming directly on the utility,” said Beth Garza, a senior fellow with the R Street Institute who also represents residential customers on an ERCOT committee. “Now with the implementation of the batch process, ERCOT is a little bit of that seawall in front of the utilities.”

Under the new rules, to be considered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, developers would first have to pay ERCOT $50,000 per megawatt proposed and prove they have leased or purchased the land for their facilities. Vegas described the new process as a potential solution to a national problem of how to balance economic benefits with grid reliability.

“This is an issue that is affecting the whole globe and certainly the country,” Vegas said. “Everybody is trying to figure out how to do this in a reliable, stable way.”

In their review, ERCOT will figure out how many more power lines and related infrastructure need to be built to meet the additional demand. Some of that cost could be added on top of what researchers found are already rising electric bills for Texas power customers — residential consumers currently pay more of those costs than industrial ones. 

It’s not clear how much of the infrastructure bill data centers will pick up, and regulators are evaluating the issue. Some experts have advocated for more of it to fall on companies to ensure affordability and support a variety of additional, local solutions such as investment in energy efficiency so people use less electricity at home.

“We can solve it,” said Margo Weisz, executive director of the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, a nonprofit that works on making electricity more affordable. “Whether we will solve it is another question.”

Other data center projects could meanwhile sit apart from the grid entirely by building their own power generation, such as gas-fueled power plants. Some projects also plan to install back-up diesel generators in case of power outages. 

ERCOT won’t be assessing whether there’s enough electricity available to serve data centers’ needs. It’s operating on the assumption that the market will meet the demand: the opportunity to make money selling power to these new customers will incentivize other companies to build more power generation, whether it’s gas-fired power plants, solar and wind farms or battery facilities. 

Legislators also passed a provision last year allowing ERCOT to direct large data centers that have backup power to cut back their grid use during emergencies.

Andrew Mahaleris, spokesperson for Abbott, said in a statement that protecting water and power needed by Texans will take priority over attracting investment. 

“Governor Abbott will continue to work with the Legislature to protect Texans and ensure their voices are heard,” Mahaleris said.

Local resistance

In February in San Marcos, just south of Austin, residents packed City Hall to protest a proposed data center that would have consumed more than 25 million gallons of water annually — in their view, threatening the city’s beloved namesake river that flowed through town.

One protester wore a blow-up salamander costume, referencing the endangered Texas blind salamander native to the river. A crowd of hundreds outside sang, chanted and held signs that read “Keep San Marcos wet” and “2 dry 4 AI.” 

Inside, residents told council members over an eight-hour meeting to reject the zoning change needed for the project to move forward. 

“All of us met at the water, and that’s what brought us here,” said Randi Finn, who was running a childcare station at the protest for parents who wanted to testify against the center. “We want these springs to be here for our kids and for our grandkids.”

Similar scenes have played out across Texas, from Round Rock to Waco to Athens. Residents aren’t willing to wait for legislators, who have vowed to look at data center issues before the next regular session begins in January.

The trouble is, when it comes to protecting quality of life, Texas gives cities and counties markedly different powers. Cities such as San Marcos have zoning powers that allow them to deny projects. San Marcos council members voted the proposal down.

But outside of city limits, counties — where a large number of the proposed data centers plan to build — have little power to control where or how projects are built.

County leaders can vote down tax abatement agreements, removing some of the economic incentive, but that wouldn’t block a company from building a data center. 

State lawmakers — many of them Republicans stuck between outcry from communities that don’t want these projects and a president who does — have not shown much interest in giving counties more regulatory power.

Roughly two-thirds of the projects are slated for counties that voted in 2024 for President Donald Trump, according to the Tribune’s analysis, creating headaches for Texas’ Republican majority.

Some county leaders have considered how to block or slow projects. But when Hood County commissioners tried to pass a moratorium on data center projects, Republican State Sen. Paul Bettencourt fired off a threatening letter to the attorney general arguing they had no right to do so. Other counties weighing moratoriums dropped the idea; one that went through with it got sued by the developer and revoked its own moratorium.

“There’s an underlying no-growth philosophy — that’s not a majority of the party but it’s there — that’s driving this,” said Bettencourt, who represents part of the Houston area. “That’s not good public policy long-term.”

In Caldwell County, where at least three data center projects plan to locate, County Judge Hoppy Haden said he’s lost so much sleep over the issue that he now has big bags under his eyes. He’s taken heat from citizens at town halls where he feels made out to look like he’s pro-data center when really he just has little authority to slow or stop problematic projects in his county south of Austin best known for Lockhart barbecue. 

“I would be a liar if I said that didn’t bother me because it does,” Haden said. “I’m just as concerned as everybody else and we’re doing what we can and certainly we’re not just sitting around hoping they go away.

“All the town halls in the world are not going to make these guys go away, unfortunately,” he added. “We have to come up with solutions to the issues that they create. Because they’re going to still come.”

In Hays County, which straddles Interstate 35 south of Austin and includes San Marcos, Judge Ruben Becerra wanted to set up his own county department to review the projects to make sure they can be run sustainably. He knew the county’s existing development services office that usually handles requests for say, an H-E-B distribution center, wasn’t equipped to understand the impacts of a data center.

“Theres no world where I’m going to sit idle, sit on my hands, and watch it happen, without at least fighting for our communities,” Becerra said, adding, “Do I have the statutory authority to do X, Y, Z? I really don’t care. I’d rather push hard and ask for forgiveness than to lay down and say, well I can’t do it, and throw my hands up in the air and say well it’s up to the [Legislature] and I’ll wait for 10 more years to see if something actually happens.”

ABOUT OUR DATA SET 

The Texas Tribune acquired information on data centers from Cleanview and Data Center Map, two companies that compile and sell data on operating and planned data centers. The Tribune joined these datasets based on location and manually identified and removed duplicates that appeared in both sources. This data was filtered to data centers that had latitude and longitude coordinates, which were used alongside Census data to determine the types of areas data centers are being built in. The data was supplemented with other data centers identified with Tribune reporting.

Paul Cobler and Alejandra Martinez contributed reporting.

Disclosure: Google, H-E-B, Rice University and the 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 28,000-acre Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge that spans Burnet, Travis and Williamson counties on Monday announced it has added nearly 300 acres, about a year after a 317-acre addition through an initiative by The Conservation Fund in partnership with Friends of Balcones.

The expansion was supported by a mix of public and private funding, including donations from the Woodnext Foundation and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a national coalition that protects national parks. Both new tracts were purchased from landowners in Burnet County.

A medley of wildlife and greenery call the refuge home. Goldfinches and wrens live within the rolling hills’ thick blanket of oaks, elms and juniper trees. Below are caves and sinkholes where tooth cave spiders and tiny pseudoscorpions crawl around.

But most people visit the refuge to catch a glimpse of a pocket-sized songbird with a striking gold head.

The 4-inch tall golden-cheeked warbler is the only bird species whose population nests exclusively in Texas; they only breed in Central Texas’ ashe juniper and oak woodlands.

“I always like to say that golden-cheek warblers are all Texans,” said Ellen Gass, Texas field representative at The Conservation Fund. “That’s why we work so hard to protect them.”

This warbler draws birders from across the nation who travel to the Hill Country just to hear its unique, buzzy song for themselves.

Nicole Sarkar, executive director at Friends of Balcones, said expanding the golden-cheeked warbler’s habitat is important because they have been on the national endangered list since 1990. Development and flooding has caused their habitat to shrink, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Securing more than 600 more acres will help protect where warblers nest, along with hundreds of other bird species that live in the refuge, Sarkar said.

In addition to expanding the refuge, which is protected and owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gass said the woodlands greenery is also a natural flood buffer.

”By protecting habitat in this area, we get this added benefit of helping flood mitigation and flood prevention,” Gass said. “Especially in an area that’s seeing really, impactful and quick development.”

The new 600 acres don’t have a public trail, but elsewhere in the refuge, visitors can trek 10 miles of trails and birdwatch from its many observation decks.

The refuge was created in 1992 to protect the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo, a small songbird with a dark head and red eyes that likes to hop between low bushes and short trees. After more than 30 years of being on the endangered species list, the black-capped vireo was removed in 2018.

Sarkar said she hopes the same happens for the golden-cheeked warbler, which she spotted for the first time in April.

“​​I’ve heard the song, I’ve listened to it, and then I’ve seen photos of the bird,” she said. “But to be able to hear it and see it at the same time while at the refuge was really exciting.”

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s unexpected departure only a few months before the November midterm election, which includes one of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate races the state has seen in years, has some local election officials and voting rights advocates worrying the transition will complicate their ability to administer a smooth election.

“It’s the unknown, the uncertainty that is scary,” said Tandi Smith, the Kaufman County elections administrator. “Are we going to continue to receive guidance? Are we going to be ensured that we’ll be prepared for any coming changes? We just don’t know.”

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, is required by law to appoint a new secretary as soon as possible. His office, in an emailed statement, said the new appointee would be announced “at a later date.”

Nelson, who has been the state’s chief election official for more than three years, last week announced that she’d be stepping down from the role effective July 17. Nelson’s departure will happen just as election officials across the state are preparing in earnest for the November general election. In the summer months, they’ll be recruiting election workers, seeking polling locations, and processing voter registration applications, among other duties.

Some voting rights advocates say a new appointee may want to direct local election officials to change election procedures, which could lead to chaos and confusion for voters. Although the secretary of state’s office has no law enforcement authority and can’t change the law, it can issue election law opinions on how to implement election and voting rules.

“If the new secretary of state has a laundry list of demands that election administrators can’t meet, that’s going to throw our elections into disarray,” said Emily Eby French, policy director at Common Cause Texas. French noted that there were three secretaries of state between 2017 and Nelson’s appointment in 2023, some of whom remained in the role only for about a year before resigning.

“I am very concerned that we are going to go back to that period of instability that we were in before Jane Nelson,” she said.

In the months leading up to the March primary election, county election officials across the state navigated challenges including a rare mid-decade residistricting cycle and issues with the statewide election management and voter registration system, known as TEAM. The majority of counties in the state rely on the system, which was overhauled last summer by the secretary of state’s office, to manage elections and to maintain voter registration lists.

The Texas Association of County Election Officials has twice publicly asked Nelson’s office in the past six months to act and resolve the problems. The secretary of state’s office has said that problems with a new version of the system were expected, especially given that the system handles the data of more than 18 million voter registration records. They’ve also said the situation was aggravated by the unexpected midcycle redistricting and problems with an outside vendor that forced some counties to suddenly add large amounts of data to the state system with little warning.

But despite these tensions, state election officials have consistently remained supportive of local election officials through politically tense periods and have maintained a nonpartisan approach when interpreting the law, said Chris McGinn, the executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials.

The agency has also often promoted the idea that county election officials are the election experts in each of their communities.

“There’s a fear that that could change to where the office is dictating how counties should operate with a more political approach,” he said.

Others, including some local election officials, are less concerned about top-down interference and say that a leadership transition in the office now won’t affect election officials’ ability to conduct a smooth election in November. That’s because ultimately, the election is handled by local officials in each of the state’s 254 counties.

Nelson’s sudden departure “shouldn’t have any noticeable impact on the ability of the election officials in Texas to run free and fair elections,” said Joshua Ferrer, an assistant professor of government at American University. Ferrer has done research on the recent heightened turnover of state and local election officials across the country.

“Even when officials leave, the replacements, and the staff that are still there are able to do an equally good job,” Ferrer said.

Smith, the Kaufman County elections administrator, said she’d like to see the incoming secretary of state advocate for more funding and resources for county election departments.

“Funding is something we’ve talked about for years,” Smith said, recalling when a tornado touched down in the North Texas county during the 2024 primary runoff election and her office had to scramble to ensure polling locations stayed open. “We want to be able to provide secure facilities for our voters and to make sure that there are no delays when there are storms of that nature, but funds are limited.”

Disclosure: Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. Natalia is based in Corpus Christi. Contact her at ncontreras@votebeat.org.

That was certainly the vibe on Sunday night, where the crowd delighted in familiar Broadway heroes finally winning their Tonys, and where the biggest award went to a Broadway musical that celebrates, well, Broadway musicals: “Schmigadoon!”

There were reunions within the reunion, too. For example, the original cast of “The Book of Mormon,” including Josh Gad, Nikki M. James and Andrew Rannells, was on hand to perform a number marking the show’s 15th anniversary — a definite highlight of the night, especially seeing Gad move to the song “Man Up.”

As for the acceptance speeches, many moms and dads and spouses and kids were thanked, of course. But one winner refreshingly thanked all the babysitters that made their career possible.

Some highlights of the night:

Pink sure got that party started

In the show's first bit, new host Pink, who has not performed on Broadway, pretended she didn't know what she was doing, and dangled uncomfortably from a wire, trying to be Peter Pan. Then Neil Patrick Harris, who's hosted multiple times, came out and told her she just needed to be herself: “You’re Pink! You can do anything,”

Of course he was right. The consensus was that Pink killed it, starting with the opening number, where she led an enormous ensemble of some 170 Broadway performers in a version of “Lady Marmalade” that was a love letter to this season's shows, with current casts performing onstage and lots of actors name-checked in the audience, too. As in: “Gitchie Gitchie Lesley Manville, Gitchie Gitchie Carrie Coon."

The number was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (the duo behind “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Greatest Showman”) and Mark Sonnenblick (who co-wrote “Golden” in “Kpop Demon Hunters”), and the reaction in the theater was ecstatic.

Thank you for … canceling us?

This was a new kind of thank-you. When “Schmigadoon!” won best musical, producer (and “Saturday Night Live” creator) Lorne Michaels spoke first, saying “Sometimes singing, dancing, jokes and a happy ending are all you need.”

Then producer Christine Schwarzman spoke and thanked Apple TV for canceling the third season of the TV show it was adapted from.

“Without them dropping it, we couldn’t have picked it up and ran with it. So, thanks Apple TV,” she said, to laughs.

A voice teacher gets a deserved thank-you

There was no award that had the audience cheering louder and longer than when Joshua Henry finally won a Tony, after four nominations during a stellar Broadway career.

Henry won best actor in a musical for his career-topping turn as Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Black pianist who suffers the horrors of racism in the current revival of “Ragtime,” an adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel.

In addition to his wife and kids, Henry thanked his first voice teacher, which got huge applause from the crowd. He also thanked Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell, legendary Broadway actors who preceded him in the 1998 run of “Ragtime.”

Babysitters deserve gratitude, too

Henry’s “Ragtime” co-star, Caissie Levy, was waiting for him for a long hug backstage. Levy, who was the original Elsa in the Broadway version of “Frozen,” had just won her own first Tony, for leading actress in a musical. In her own speech, Levy thanked a lot of people, but one unusual shoutout was to her family's babysitters: “Thank you to … every babysitter who’s made it possible for me to be both a Broadway actor and a mother.”

Levy, a mother of two, plays the character called Mother.

A play about history makes some of its own

The winner for best play, “Liberation” by Bess Wohl, toggles between the present time and the ’70s, exploring the roots of second-wave feminism through a consciousness-raising group that meets in an Ohio gym.

But it was a different kind of history that playwright Wohl addressed in her acceptance speech — the fact that she was the first American woman to win the category since Wendy Wasserstein won for “The Heidi Chronicles” in 1989.

She told women and girls who were listening; “May you speak your truth and may the world be wise enough to listen.”

“Liberation” also won the Pulitzer Prize this year.

If anyone can make 'Oedipus' funny, it’s Cole Escola

There is literally not one single thing that is funny about the story of Oedipus, the Sophocles classic tragedy with a shocking ending.

But Cole Escola, the mastermind behind the hit comedy “Oh Mary,” found a way. Presenting along with Maya Rudolph, who is now playing Mary Todd Lincoln in Escola’s play, the writer-actor noted of Oedipus:

“(It’s) a play that asks the question: Can women really have it all?”

If you don't get the reference, ask Manville. The veteran British actor won for leading actress in a play for her devastating turn as Jocasta in Robert Icke's modern retelling of the tragedy — her Broadway debut. As she noted in her own speech, she plays Oedipus’ wife and, also, it turns out, his mother.

To which someone in the audience called out: “Spoiler!”

This is New York. They support the Knicks

When actor John Leguizamo introduced a segment on the show, he couldn’t resist ending his remarks with “Knicks in four!”

The crowd at Radio City Music Hall gave a huge cheer. You thought they were going to root for the other guys?

The Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs by 2-0 in the NBA Finals.

Learning some moves during commercial breaks

The audience at Radio City Music Hall doesn't just sit there in silence when the Tony telecast goes to commercials. There's usually something happening, and this time, there were opportunities to learn some moves.

During one break, the audience was instructed on how to use the paper fans that many found under their seats, meant for the number featuring “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which reimagines the 1980s feline musical as a celebration of queer ballroom culture.

And during another break, the crowd was shown how to dance to the upcoming “Time Warp” number from “The Rocky Horror Show.”

A suspect was taken into custody after the attack, which unfolded around 7 p.m. in one of the nation’s busiest transportation hubs. The sprawling rail complex beneath Madison Square Garden serves Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, NJ Transit and New York City subway lines and is used by hundreds of thousands of commuters and travelers each day.

Paramedics found one victim with serious injuries, two with moderate injuries and two with minor injuries, according to the city’s fire department. All five were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Another person, whose condition was not immediately known, was transported to a separate hospital.

Authorities did not immediately release details about what led to the stabbing or whether the victims were targeted.

By late Sunday, the immediate chaos had given way to a familiar Penn Station scene. Travelers wheeled luggage past a roped-off area near Tracks 5 and 6 where medical gloves, discarded bandages and traces of blood still marked the floor.

The violence erupted as New York prepared for one of its biggest sports events in decades. Monday night’s matchup between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs will be the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999 and is expected to draw massive crowds to the arena.

President Donald Trump has said he plans to attend the nationally televised game, prompting extensive security involving the Secret Service, New York Police Department and other agencies around Madison Square Garden and the surrounding blocks. Authorities did not immediately indicate whether the stabbing would affect security plans for the game.

Amtrak police said they were investigating the stabbing and had taken a suspect into custody. Authorities did not immediately release the suspect’s identity or provide information about potential charges.

Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. He has already attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.

Part of the fallout from Trump’s visit was the cancellation of a Game 3 watch party outside MSG. The New York Police Department said in a statement Sunday the decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service.

“There will be no watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only,” the statement said. “This was done fully in coordination with the Secret Service because of the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4.”

Such parties, where thousands of fans pack in to watch the game on a big screen, have been a point of contention for the city’s police department, even without the complication of a presidential visit.

More than two-dozen people were arrested as Friday’s watch party spilled into the streets surrounding the Garden after the Knicks beat the Spurs in San Antonio. One woman was accused of punching a police officer in the face, the NYPD said.

Heading into the NBA Finals, the city had moved to cancel watch parties outside the arena altogether because of rowdy behavior at unofficial gatherings but later reversed itself and granted a permit for Game 1 last Wednesday.

Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s New York field office, said he understood that with the Knicks on a historic run there would be some disappointment from fans.

“At the same time, our responsibility is to ensure the highest level of public safety,” he said. “After careful coordination and assessment, the Secret Service and the NYPD jointly determined that outdoor watch parties could not be accommodated in the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden due to the security requirements associated with an event of this scale and the need to maintain a secure environment for protective operations.”

Team-sanctioned watch parties will go on at Wollman Rink in Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl, the Knicks website said. Both events required advanced registration and were already at capacity as of Sunday afternoon.

Strict rules were put in place for those attending the game. The Knicks warned fans to bring as little as possible to Game 3 and encouraging them to arrive at least two hours before tipoff as part of enhanced security measures.

The Knicks said Saturday that a strict no-bag policy would be in place and there would be “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game that is scheduled to begin just after 8:40 p.m. EDT.

The Knicks said there would be no storage at MSG for prohibited items brought to the arena. A list of them is available at https://www.secretservice.gov/prohibiteditems.

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Associated Press writers Michael Sisak and Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this report.

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

Lokudu and several of his colleagues work all day at the hospital treating an influx of patients. Notifications of suspected cases come even late at night.

“I have not received my allowance (and) what happened to others could happen to me as well,” Lokudu told The Associated Press. “Despite all the infection prevention and control measures we are implementing, we do not know what may happen.”

Health authorities believe the outbreak, which took the eastern region of Congo by surprise after spreading silently for weeks without detection, started in the bustling mining area of Mongbwalu in Ituri province.

Mining conditions conducive to virus spread

Mongbwalu has emerged as the epicenter of the rare Bundibugyo type. The town attracts large numbers of laborers who work in large gold mines with muddy pools of gold deposits, narrow pits and caves. They live in low-income areas including crowded camps and have little access to proper health protocols.

The conditions increase the possibility of transmitting the disease, which spreads through close contact with bodily fluids of the sick and deceased such as sweat, blood, feces and vomit.

There also has been widespread skepticism regarding the disease, making the job of medical treatment more difficult for Lokudu and his colleagues, while some of the health workers and first responders have died from the disease.

“It is one thing to be far away and hear statistics being reported, but what is happening on the ground is enormous,” Lokudu said. “People are sacrificing their rest and comfort for this cause. There should be recognition that they deserve compensation. These workers should receive their salaries regularly.”

The Congolese government didn't respond to a request for comment from the AP.

Minimal resources available

Congolese authorities released new statistics on Sunday, saying there have been 488 confirmed cases, including 86 deaths, as of Friday. On Thursday, the Central African nation recorded 71 new cases in a day, which authorities said is a sign of “active community transmission.”

In neighboring Uganda, there have been 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.

Bundibugyo has no approved vaccines or treatment, so Congolese health workers have been targeting symptoms of the species. The government said at least five people have recovered from Ebola since the outbreak was officially confirmed by Congo's health ministry on May 15.

The disease “had a big head start,” according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Hospitals in the region couldn't test for the right type of Ebola that had begun spreading several weeks before confirmation.

Health workers are handling the disease with minimal resources, because agencies have been scrambling to bring aid into the region. Masks, gloves, boots and medications were initially all in short supply.

“There has been an erosion of the health system,” said Heather Kerr, country director for the International Rescue Committee in Congo. “There has not been investment in the health system, and this has been going on for years.”

Tough conditions for health workers

“During the first week, we did not even have time to go home and eat. The second week was the same. We only eat once a day, what amounts to breakfast in the evening,” said Alice Bamuhinga, a nurse at the Mongbwalu hospital.

Even with widespread skepticism and disregard for health protocols, many in the town are becoming aware of the outbreak's grave reality.

Asero Jeanne, 52, had five children. Two died from the disease within two weeks. When her daughter became ill, the family thought it was malaria and neighbors advised them to avoid the hospital, saying “anyone who went there would die immediately,” Jeanne said.

The daughter died after three weeks of moving between hospitals and home, followed by a son who died days after. Then Jeanne became sick.

“I saw about 20 people die,” Jeanne said. “I watched them being taken to the morgue, yet God is allowing me to leave here alive. I thank the doctors.”

UN health agency offers a plan

Tedros on Friday launched a $518 million plan to combat the outbreak, saying “containing Ebola depends on political commitment, sustained financing, and the trust and engagement of communities.”

Efforts to contain the disease also have been hindered by the conflict between the government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, in addition to attacks by Islamist militants.

For health workers on the front line of Congo's Ebola outbreak, the work has become harder as the disease spreads faster than their current treatment capacity.

“Despite the alerts we receive and the teams we have on site, we lack the means to travel into the field,” Lokudu said. “As a result, there are alerts we are unable to investigate.”

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Ope Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

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

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

The musical parodies golden-age Broadway classics like “The Music Man” and “Oklahoma!” centered on a modern-day couple finding themselves in a “Brigadoon”-like fantasyland where the wholesome townspeople keep breaking into song. The win is a redemption for creator Cinco Paul, whose TV series was canceled after two seasons. He won Tonys for the score and the book Sunday.

“Sometimes singing, dancing, jokes and a happy ending are all you need," said producer Lorne Michaels, the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” after the win.

The win for “Schmigadoon!” also completes what some unofficially call a “studio EGOT,” giving the producing company credits for winning awards at all four major ceremonies. Apple already has Emmys for comedies “Ted Lasso” and “The Studio,” the Oscar for best picture for “CODA” and a Grammy via Chris Stapleton’s contribution to the “F1” soundtrack.

Who took home the Tony Awards

The prize for the best new play went to Wohl’s “Liberation,” about a consciousness-raising women’s group in 1970s Ohio, which earlier this year also won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Wohl’s play collects stories from second-wave feminists from all walks of life as they tackle misogyny, racism and traditional gender roles. Wohl is only the fourth woman to win a best play Tony, joining Wendy Wasserstein, Yasmina Reza and Frances Goodrich.

“I want to honor women everywhere who have the courage to use their voice," said Wohl, who thanked her mom, daughters and female producers. "And to all the girls out there: May you speak your truth, and may the world be wise enough to listen.”

“Liberation” joins a list of 18 plays that have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award in the same year.

The Tony for best play revival went to “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s masterpiece that looks at the unraveling of the American Dream. It won the 1949 Tony for best new play and best revival crowns in 1984, 1999 and 2012.

It earned a leading six Tonys: “Roseanne” star Laurie Metcalf won her third Tony for playing Willy Loman’s wife opposite Nathan Lane in the revival, which also won for lighting, scenic design and sound design. Joe Mantello won best director for a play.

‘Ragtime,' ‘Giant,’ and other stand-out plays

“Ragtime” — a big, soaring musical that depicts an America being remade by immigration, racial violence, industrial wealth and political unrest — won the best musical revival.

Caissie Levy, who was Broadway’s first Elsa in “Frozen,” won her first Tony for playing the matriarch of a wealthy suburban family in “Ragtime.” She thanks all the babysitters who let her become both a mother and a Broadway performer.

Moments later, Joshua Henry, a four-time nominee, won his first Tony as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in “Ragtime.” “Even in the face of pain and tragedy, he found a way to be heard,” Henry said of his character. "Every artist in this room, every artist at home, fight — fight to be heard

Lithgow won his third Tony for best lead actor in a play for “Giant” playing children’s writer Roald Dahl in Mark Rosenblatt’s production set in 1983, when the author is facing intense backlash for his antisemitic comments. At 80, he is the oldest man ever to win a competitive acting Tony.

“Two Tony bookends with 53 years between them,” he said. “In those years, I have worked with hundreds of just fantastic theater artists. I’ve had dozens and dozens of ecstatic moments on the stage, but I have to tell you right now, this moment has got to be one of the best.”

Shoshana Bean, who won best featured actress in a musical for playing a single mom in “The Lost Boys,” echoed the themes of “Liberation” in her speech.

“This is for the mamas. This is for the single mamas. This is for my single mama. You are the wild heroes. This is for the incredible army of women that surround and uplift me," she said.

“Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which reimagines the 1980s classic feline musical as a celebration of queer ballroom culture, won for best direction of a musical by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch.

“We honor the Black and brown trans women and gay men who were ballroom’s pioneers, as well as today’s icons, and our cast of astonishing triple-threats, including people from their 20s to their 80s, and every decade in between,” Levingston said.

Lesley Manville, an Oscar nominee for “Phantom Thread,” won best lead actress in a play, making her Broadway debut in a modern retelling of Sophocles’ classic tragedy “Oedipus.”

Pink's performance as the host

Pink, the Tony's host, started the show spinning and then dangling uncomfortably from a harness over the stage, dressed like Peter Pan. Former host Neil Patrick Harris stepped in to suggest the first-time host just be herself.

“You’re Pink, Pink. You can do anything,” he told her.

After lifting Harris off the stage with her legs, Pink relented to his suggestion, added a top hat and belted out “Lady Marmalade” with contributions from dozens of performers including Lea Michele and Megan Thee Stallion — and some 170 performers.

In her opening remarks, Pink, who has not yet gotten a Broadway credit, called herself theater’s second-biggest fan after her teenage daughter, Willow. “I’m not here just to steal peoples’ wigs, although I will be doing that. I’m here to celebrate the hardest-working people in show business,” she said.

“Schmigadoon!” and “Death of a Salesman” each went into the main telecast with a lead of three Tonys after a pre-show on Pluto TV hosted by Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess that announced the more technical awards. Qween Jean became the first openly trans Tony winner ever for making the costumes for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.”

Plenty of medleys and dance sequences

After the big opening number, Pink was generally a genial, exuberant figure, popping up in new outfits for a few self-deprecating bits, but then roaring to life when leading a very convincing “All That Jazz” as “Chicago” celebrated its 30th anniversary, with the pop singer nailing the Bob Fosse-inspired choreography.

The In Memoriam section was led by Leslie Odom Jr. singing a powerful “Without You” from “Rent,” honoring such lost figures as actors Robert Duvall, Robert Redford and Diane Keaton, as well as playwright Tom Stoppard. Rachel Zegler then stunned with a version of “What I Did For Love” from “A Chorus Line,” which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Other performances included the original lead cast members of “The Book of Mormon” — Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O’Malley and Nikki M. James — reuniting to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

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For more coverage of the 2026 Tony Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/tony-awards.

Figures released by electoral authorities showed conservative politician Keiko Fujimori with a modest lead over nationalist congressman Roberto Sánchez with 58% of ballots tallied in a contest overshadowed by people’s concerns about surging crime. The outcome, expected to be tight, may not be known for days.

The figures showed Fujimori received 5.96 million votes, or 52.6%, while Sánchez earned 5.36 million votes, or 47.4%.

Unlike the first-round vote, no major incidents delayed the opening or closure of voting centers. In the capital, however, voter turnout throughout Sunday appeared lower than in the previous contest, with practically no lines in many voting centers, despite voting being mandatory.

Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff’s ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support. Electoral authorities took more than a month to declare them winners of that contest.

Crime was the top concern for voters

Crime, particularly extortion, remained the overarching concern for voters. A 2025 national survey carried out by the state’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics found that 84% of respondents in urban areas feared becoming victims of a crime in the following 12 months.

Experts attribute the increasing power of organized crime in Peru to the profits that decades-old criminal groups are earning from illegal gold mining in the Andes and the Amazon.

But the candidates' crime-fighting proposals were not enough to make inroads with voters, many of whom associate each aspiring president with controversial Peruvian politicians.

Official results from April's election showed Fujimori received 17% of the vote and Sánchez got 12%. More than six weeks later, a nationwide poll conducted by Ipsos found that similar shares of voters were supporting the candidates, with about 3 in 10 saying they were undecided.

Fujimori is linked to the authoritarian and corrupt legacy of the government of her late father, Alberto Fujimori, in the 1990s. She became Peru's first lady in 1994 after her parents’ separation.

Sánchez is one of the closest allies of jailed former President Pedro Castillo, whom many perceive as corrupt and chaotic. Castillo’s 16-month term saw more than 70 Cabinet changes.

Food vendor Magali Quiquia said she cast a blank ballot because she did not find either candidate convincing,

“Five years ago, I was disappointed by Castillo with his corruption, and ... Roberto Sánchez is the same," Quiquia, 44, said. She added that she believes “Fujimori hasn’t done anything either” despite her party having multiple seats in Congress.

Voting is mandatory for Peruvians aged 18 to 70. Failure to do so results in a fine of up to $32.

More than 27 million people are registered. Of those, about 1.2 million were expected to cast ballots from abroad, mainly in the United States and Argentina.

Proposals include prison labor and a police purge

For most of her fourth presidential campaign, Fujimori promised to crack down on crime. Her proposals included implementing technology to track extortion, militarizing borders and increasing the presence of police and military personnel in high-risk areas. Fujimori, 51, also said that prisoners will be required to work and “repay society” should she win.

In the only debate before the runoff, Fujimori defended her father’s government and promised to defeat crime just as he defeated the Shining Path, a violent extremist group.

Sánchez, a former minister now popular with rural voters, pledged to combat corruption within the police force and promote reforms that would enable the military to support security efforts.

The 57-year-old, who wears a wide-brimmed peasant hat gifted by Castillo, told debate viewers that he would be open to “all options to generate jobs and progress” but also emphasized his support for Chinese investments.

Sánchez tried to ease the concerns his candidacy is generating among investors, saying he will not nationalize any assets of transnational companies that extract minerals or gas from Peru.

Lima resident Heidi Ramírez, 41, said she was undecided until she was in line at the voting center. After talking with friends who “convinced me,” she said she chose Sánchez.

The United States ambassador to Peru, Bernie Navarro, stopped by a voting center in Lima on Sunday. Upon leaving, he told the television station Latina his visit was to “observe and ensure that there is transparency here.”

The runoff's winner will be sworn in to a five-year term on July 28.

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Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.

After three weeks of indie horror dominance at the box office, the slasher spoof “Scary Movie” topped ticket sales with $55 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, easily besting the far-from-mighty “Masters of the Universe.”

A new order has lately come to movie theaters, which have seen Gen Z ticket buyers flock to the horror hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” both made by YouTubers-turned-filmmakers. Those movies have even outshone The Walt Disney Co.’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

This weekend, comedy was the underdog champ. Though the genre has been all but left for dead in theaters, the sixth “Scary Movie” notched a franchise-best $105.5 million global launch. The Wayans brother comedy even outdid its primary satirical target, the “Scream” franchise. Earlier this year, “Scream 7” debuted with $97 million worldwide.

Both franchises are distributed by Paramount Pictures, though Miramax produced the new “Scary Movie.” Co-written by Marlon, Shawn, Keenan and Craig Wayans, the sequel marks the Wayans’ return to the franchise after their departure over creative differences following 2001’s “Scary Movie 2.”

“This is an outstanding opening for a comedy sequel this far into the series,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe. "It’s a huge bounceback after the last episode crashed in 2013 when Anna Faris and Regina Hall were excluded. The weekend figure is triple the average for the genre.”

Reviews weren’t good (26% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “B” CinemaScore) were so-so. But that didn’t stop the $30-million “Scary Movie” from dominating its much bigger-budget competition.

“Masters of the Universe,” a sword and sorcery action adventure based on the 1980s animated series and Mattel toys, failed to revive the dormant franchise. The Amazon MGM release, the second “Masters of the Universe” film following a 1987 movie of the same title, opened with $29.3 million domestically.

“Masters of the Universe,” starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, added $25 million overseas. But for a film that cost nearly $200 million to produce, a much higher launch was needed to make profitability likely.

It’s Mattel Studios’ first release since 2023’s “Barbie.” But after the extraordinary $1.45 billion success of that film, “Masters of the Universe” will be closer to a flop for the toy company.

A24’s “Backrooms,” last weekend’s top release, slid steeply on its second weekend, dropping 68% with $25.9 million. But “Backrooms,” a $10 million movie based on 20-year-old Kane Parson’s YouTube series, remains a record-breaking phenomenon. It's now A24’s highest-grossing film ever with $212 million worldwide, moving ahead of “Marty Supreme."

In a near tie for third place, Focus Features’ “Obsession” grossed $25.6 million in its fourth weekend. That marked a paltry 7% drop from the previous weekend for 26-year-old Curry Barker’s horror sensation. Not accounting for inflation, no horror movie has ever had a better fourth weekend.

“Obsession,” about a man who wishes his crush returned his affections, was made for less than $1 million. It’s now grossed $152.1 million domestically and $224.8 million worldwide — a record for Focus.

In its third weekend, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” fell all the way to sixth place with $10 million. It was even bested by Fathom Entertainment’s “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” a combination of the last two episodes of the animated series. It collected $12.7 million.

A few other movies hit milestones.

Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” became the studio’s highest-grossing film ever with $898 million globally. That puts it ahead, not accounting for inflation, of both the highest grossing entries in the studio’s “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” franchises.

And 2026 got its first billion-dollar movie. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” crossed $1 billion worldwide for Universal.

The weekend overall was up a remarkable 63% from the same weekend last year, according to Comscore. Ticket sales on the year are up more than 13%. Next weekend, Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” debuts.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Scary Movie,” $55 million.

2. “Masters of the Universe,” $29.3 million.

3. “Backrooms,” $25.9 million.

4. “Obsession,” $25.6 million.

5. “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” $12.7 million.

6. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $10 million.

7. “Michael,” $7.7 million.

8. “The Breadwinner,” $3.4 million.

9. “Pressure,” $3 million.

10. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” $2.8 million.

Leo celebrated Spain's Christian roots and culture with the huge morning Mass in downtown Madrid and an evening spectacle that featured flamenco dancers, classical guitar and a moving meditation by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas on art, faith and beauty.

In his remarks, Leo challenged Europe to consider what the continent's identity would be without the influence of Christianity. He cited its art, culture and the role played by Christians — “motivated by their faith” — to build its schools, hospitals and other institutions.

“Is it seriously possible to believe that Europe — which we deeply love — would be the same without the influence of faith?” Leo asked, in demanding that religious expression be allowed to keep its place in the public sphere.

A morning Mass and procession on floral carpets

Leo, who arrived in Spain on Saturday at the start of his weeklong visit, has been keen to highlight the long tradition of Christian culture and devotion here to encourage especially young generations to find their faith. It’s a tall order in a once-staunchly Catholic country where religious observance has largely been on the wane.

Sunday fell on the Catholic Corpus Domini feast day, which often features processions of faithful through towns and cities led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. In Spain, as in other predominantly Catholic countries, the processions often feature elaborate floral carpets arranged along the route.

During Sunday's Mass, Leo said that the floral carpets express the “spiritual sentiments of this country” through “altars erected in the streets.”

“This is not an exhibition, a remnant of folklore or a simple display of beauty,” he said. “It is a profession of faith in the presence of the risen Lord, who is alive and continues to walk among us.”

He said that the continued observance of such devotional practices points to what Spain can and should be for the world.

“Herein lies the task of Spain today and in the future: to ensure that the religiosity which has shaped and defined this country for centuries is not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today,” he said.

At the end of the Mass, Leo carried a gilded monstrance, or container, holding a Eucharistic host and walked over some of the 16 floral carpets that decorated the half-kilometer (less than half-mile) procession route, as children dropped additional petals before him and the crowd tossed petals from behind the barricades.

Huge crowds greet the American pope

Leo's visit to the country of 50 million has drawn huge crowds, with a vigil service Saturday night. drawing an estimated 600,000 young Spaniards. They knelt for several minutes in silent prayer alongside Leo, suggesting that there is indeed interest in the faith among young people, despite Spain’s heavily secularized society.

On Sunday, their numbers doubled: Organizers said that 1.2 million people had turned out on a brilliant spring morning for Leo's Mass at Madrid's iconic Plaza de Cibeles and surrounding streets, with more trying to get in.

“It’s spectacular,” said Julián Tapiador, a consultant who came to the Mass. “I’m so proud that the pope is in Spain after 15 years. Hopefully he comes again and we can all see him again.”

Octavio Puche, a retiree, thanked Leo for making the trip.

“Apparently society is not as secularized as it seems, because there are a million people here in Madrid, and I think he has shown a very human face of Christ, very close to the people, to their suffering,” he said.

Sex abuse scandal hangs over visit

Despite the warm welcome, the clergy sexual abuse scandal, which has erupted belatedly in Spain in recent years, has loomed over Leo's trip. The Catholic hierarchy has begun to reckon with its legacy after reporting in the local media.

Leo is expected to meet survivors while in Spain, but several victims groups have complained that they have been left in the dark about when the meeting is taking place and whether they are invited.

Miguel Hurtado, a prominent survivor who accused a monk at Montserrat Abbey outside Barcelona of sexually assaulting him more than two decades ago, protested outside the Vatican’s embassy in Madrid on Sunday. He said that he wrote to the Vatican requesting a meeting with Leo and for the pope to cancel his planned Wednesday visit to the 1,000-year old Benedictine monastery.

“I understand you can’t meet with all of us victims, because we are more than 400,000,” Hurtado said, speaking to a cardboard photo of Leo.

As he spoke, a crowd of nuns and others lined the street outside the Vatican embassy, waving Spanish flags and chanting slogans in favor of former dictator Gen. Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain with an iron grip for nearly four decades after the 1936-39 civil war.

The Catholic Church was a pillar of Franco’s dictatorship, and at least until the 1960s, the church enjoyed broad control and influence over Spanish society that waned after democracy took root.

“Spain is Christian and not Muslim!” the crowd yelled.

A form of popular piety dating back centuries

The tradition of laying flower carpets — and destroying them when the procession tramples them — dates back two centuries and is popular also in Latin America, where elaborate sand designs are also made. The painstaking displays are considered an offering to the Eucharist.

According to Spanish organizers, the 16 flower carpets decorating Sunday's procession route off Plaza de Cibeles were prepared by a Spanish florists association from the northern region of Galicia. Florists used more than 30,000 flowers, most the yellow and white colors of the Holy See flag, for the carpets that feature decorations such as the Holy See keys.

Poland has already had its tradition of Corpus Domini flower carpets recognized by UNESCO, and Galicia is trying to have its tradition listed along with other countries as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

Wildly popular religious processions, pilgrimages and feasts continue to be held in most Spanish regions. The most recognizable are Semana Santa, or Holy Week, processions during the final week of Lent where brotherhoods and robed penitents parade ornate statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary through cities, towns and villages alongside marching bands. Such processions draw the faithful as well as droves of nonbelievers and tourists.

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Alicia León and Srdjan Nedeljkovic contributed to this report.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

The race for governor between Sand and Republican Zach Lahn stands to be one of the most competitive in the country as Iowans face a state budget deficit, struggling agricultural economy and cancer crisis. Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles, hoping his message of unity will resonate with their fellow Iowans.

A few hundred people in Des Moines roared, waved campaign signs and snapped photos as Sand took the stage, a state flag hanging behind him.

“You might think we have a big hill to climb. I've seen bigger,” Sand said. “We're building a coalition of — not red versus blue — but of the well-fed versus the fed-up.”

Sand, who was unopposed on the primary ballot, learned who his opponent would be after Tuesday’s primary settled an unpredictable five-way Republican contest.

The rally was the first one that Tracy Schloss has ever attended. A lifelong Democrat, Schloss said he doesn't like the state's direction after nearly a decade of total Republican control, saying the leaders have “lost sight of the common people.”

“It's time, you gotta step up or the country will still keep going the way it's going," said the 62-year-old retiree from Ankeny, a suburb of Des Moines.

Schloss said he thinks Sand is a “bright spot" who can get voters excited, and he's more optimistic than he's been in recent years that the election will be a success for Democrats.

Iowa is a political battleground this year

Iowa has open races for both governor and U.S. senator for the first time since 1968, plus three battleground congressional races. National attention on the state has soared in recent months, drawing President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to Iowa.

Democrats still have a 200,000-person deficit in statewide voter registration, and they are outnumbered in every House district. Sand, along with Senate candidate Josh Turek, say they can win over independents and Republicans who are frustrated with party politics and a Republican trifecta in Washington and Des Moines that they blame for the state's challenges.

Turek will face U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who already has portrayed Turek as a liberal puppet for party leader Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Lahn has also rejected Sand's nonpartisan pitch.

“Rob Sand is not a moderate,” Lahn said in his victory speech Tuesday. “He’s a liberal career politician pretending to be someone he’s not.”

Sand says it’s time for changes

As he has during campaign events over the past year, Sand asked attendees to sing the first verse of “America the Beautiful.” And when he introduced himself, he talked about his upbringing hunting, fishing and going to church.

Even if Sand is elected governor in November, he will likely have to work with Republican majorities in the state House and Senate, which recently passed bills to restrict the executive’s power that outgoing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law.

Sand said it's good to have balance rather than a political system centered around amassing power and punishing political enemies.

“We have found ourselves in this position because we have too many people who want us to only think about red or blue,” Sand said Sunday. “Red and blue are colors.”

Neither Sand nor Lahn use their party's traditional blue or red in campaign materials, opting instead for green. They both say they aren’t beholden to their party establishments and that Iowans want a new direction, though Lahn’s Republican Party has held a statehouse trifecta for nearly a decade.

Little known before his bid for governor, Lahn made a splash as a business owner criticizing farm consolidation and tax breaks for corporate giants, a regenerative farmer who subscribes to Robert F. Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement and a former political operative who galvanized Iowa’s conservative grassroots.

Sand’s campaign has given about $750,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party already this cycle, funding that Republicans call hypocritical for a candidate who claims he is not a party man. The Sand campaign says that sum reflects his investment in a state party-run coordinated campaign that will help him get elected as governor, even as it also supports candidates up and down the ballot.

“Rob Sand loves to talk about rising above the ‘two-party system’ — right up until it’s time to campaign, cash checks, and share the stage with Democrat Party insiders," Iowa GOP spokeswoman Jade Cichy said in a statement Sunday.

Beshear brings national support as he considers his own future

Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association and a potential presidential candidate in 2028, told a cheering crowd Sunday that he's “all in” for electing Sand.

As Democrats continue to debate what went wrong in 2024 and the direction of the party, Beshear has offered up his own example as the leader of a red state for lessons on how the party can go forward.

“I am living, breathing proof that Democrats can win anywhere, and we should be fighting everywhere,” Beshear told the crowd Sunday.

In addition to rallying with Sand, Beshear also attended a “Beers with Beshear” fundraiser for congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, who wants to unseat Republican Rep. Zach Nunn in the competitive House district that includes Des Moines. Beshear told The Associated Press that he would see Turek, too.

The Democratic Governors Association, which Beshear chairs, gave the Iowa Democratic Party about $140,000 so far this cycle, according to filing reports.