Election victor Péter Magyar, a former Orbán loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary's relationships with the European Union and NATO — ties that frayed under Orbán. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar.

His victory was expected to transform political dynamics within the EU, where Orbán had upended the bloc by frequently vetoing key decisions, prompting concerns he sought to break it up from the inside.

It will also reverberate among far-right movements around the world, which have viewed Orbán as a beacon for how nationalist populism can be used to wage culture wars and leverage state power to undermine opponents.

It's not yet clear whether Magyar’s Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament, which would give it the numbers needed for major changes in legislation. With 93% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 37% for Orbán’s governing Fidesz party and looked set to win 94 of Hungary's 106 voting districts.

It was a stunning blow for Orbán — a close ally of both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin — who conceded defeat after what he called a ″painful″ election result.

“I congratulated the victorious party,″ Orban told followers. “We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition.″

In a speech to tends of thousands of jubilant supporters at a victory party along the Danube River, Magyar said his voters had rewritten Hungarian history.

“Tonight, truth prevailed over lies. Today, we won because Hungarians didn’t ask what their homeland could do for them — they asked what they could do for their homeland. You found the answer. And you followed through,” he said.

Turnout in the election was nearly 80%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungary’s post-Communist history.

‘Choice between East or West’

Orbán, the EU’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.

The EU will be waiting to see how Magyar changes Hungary's approach to Ukraine. Orbán repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support the neighboring country in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to Putin and refusing to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy imports.

Recent revelations have shown a top member of Orbán's government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.

Members of Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement are among those who see Orbán's government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.

In Budapest, Marcell Mehringer, 21, said he was voting “primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred.”

Strained relationship with the EU

During his 16 years as prime minister, Orbán launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary's institutions and been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

He also heavily strained Hungary's relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orbán has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.

Most recently, he blocked a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

His challenger came from the inside

Magyar, 45, rapidly rose to become Orbán's most serious challenger.

A former insider within Orbán's Fidesz, Magyar broke with the party in 2024 and quickly formed Tisza. Since then, he has toured Hungary relentlessly, holding rallies in settlements big and small in a campaign blitz that recently had him visiting up to six towns daily.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Magyar said the election will be a “referendum” on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Russia under Orbán, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.

Tisza is a member of the European People's Party, the mainstream, center-right political family with leaders governing 12 of the EU's 27 nations.

Uphill election battle

Magyar faced a tough fight. Orbán's control of Hungary's public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market give him an advantage in spreading his message.

The unilateral transformation of Hungary's electoral system and gerrymandering of its 106 voting districts by Fidesz also will require Tisza to gain an estimated 5% more votes than Orbán’s party to achieve a simple majority.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries had the right to vote in Hungarian elections and traditionally have voted overwhelmingly for Orbán's party.

Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Orbán's favor, according to numerous media reports including by The Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungary's allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a “pro-Ukraine” government.

Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Orbán as a danger to the bloc's future.

But across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orbán term. Trump repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orbán over the finish line.

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Associated Press journalists Béla Szandelszky, Marko Drobnjakovic, Ivan L. Nagy and Florent Bajrami in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this report.

The uneasiness begins to peel away during initial conversations, then dissipates more during the 1-mile walk to the start of the race.

By the time the Tillman Scholars reach the Pat's Run start line, there's an ease, a comfortable feeling that they're among peers, like-minded people who uphold the values of the race's namesake, NFL player-turned-Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

“I had major imposter syndrome after getting selected to this program,” said Jason Williams, a Tillman Scholar and doctorate candidate at UCLA working on reimagining raw materials for the health and wellness industry. “I looked at a lot of their profiles and it just seemed like every person was like a superhero, but when you actually get there, not only are they amazing on paper, they’re amazing people. I don’t know what they do in their selection process to find these people.”

Pat's Run began in 2004 as a way to honor the legacy of Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL career to serve his country in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The run, which started as a gathering of friends following his death in Afghanistan by friendly fire, has blossomed into 4.2-mile run/walk — Tillman's number was 42 — that draws 30,000 people to the desert every year.

The Tillman Scholars program was created in 2009 to support active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses in their academic pursuits. The race serves as a fundraiser for the scholars, a 1,000-member tribe of uber-achievers who embody the leadership and selflessness Tillman exhibited.

The two connected worlds mesh in person every year at Arizona State University, where 28 of the 50 Tillman Scholars at the run serve as corral leaders and help urge runners across the final 42 yards of turf to the finish line inside the football stadium where Tillman once played.

“It’s this almost kind of a coming home right to where it all started,” said Katherine Steele, Pat Tillman Foundation CEO and a Tillman Scholar. “We’re here as Tillman Scholars because Pat lived, so to be able to be a part of it and be embedded with 30,000 people, in those corrals is special.”

Tillman had a passion for excellence, leadership, humility, belief that everyone should strive for something bigger than themselves.

The Tillman Scholars reflect those values with their achievements and connections to their communities — 23% have master's degrees, 21% medical degrees, 19% Masters of Business Administration and 15% doctorates.

They are doctors, CEOs, lawyers, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. Some dedicate their lives to helping veterans, tackling public health issues at home and abroad, and affecting policy change.

All give back in some aspect: serving on national or local boards, volunteer work, providing support for issues like homelessness and hunger. Tillman Scholar Jhay Edwards even served as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland.

“Every time I go there, it's just so energizing,” said Amber Manke, Tillman Scholar and chief of staff to the CEO of Care Delivery Markets (NY/NJ) at Optum. “That organization gave me something 11 years ago and it wasn’t just the scholarship. It was the community and the people that I’ve met along the way, the lives that have changed.”

Serving as Pat's Run corral leaders provides the Tillman Scholars a tangible proof of the impact Tillman had on people's lives — even those born after he died.

Every year, the run draws from all walks of life; people who have never run a race in their lives, parents pushing their children in strollers, firefighters completing the course in full gear, disabled veterans willing themselves across the finish line.

The interactions at the corrals is a chance for the Tillman Scholars to hear their stories, understand why they're running, how the run fits into the bigger picture of worlds beyond their own.

“You meet service members and veterans, but other than just saying thank you for your support, you get to learn about the stories of some of the members that have served and their family have served,” said Edwards, who works at pharmaceutical company GSK to provide spaces for veteran and disabled small business owners to be a part of the supply chain. “You see how important it is for you to be there and just to represent them and their family, and the work that Pat did. It really connects.”

Tillman connected through the life he lived. He continues to even after death, through the race and the scholars who bear his name.

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This story has been corrected to show that the first name of the chief of staff to the CEO of Care Delivery Markets (NY/NJ) at Optum is Amber, not Amanda, Manke.

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

U.S. Central Command announced that it will blockade all Iranian ports beginning Monday at 10 a.m. ET.

CENTCOM said the blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.” It said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wants to weaken Iran’s key leverage in the war after demanding that it reopen the strait to all global traffic on the waterway that was responsible for 20% of global oil shipping before fighting began.

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

A U.S. blockade could further rattle global energy markets. “It’s going to be all or none, and that’s the way it is," Trump told Fox News.

Trump said on social media that he told the Navy to "seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” He said other nations would be involved but did not name them.

Freedom of peaceful navigation is a basic principle of international maritime trade.

Iran says ‘if you fight, we will fight’

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later said the strait remained under Iran’s “full control” and was open for non-military vessels, but military ones would get a “forceful response,” two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported.

During the 21-hour talks, the U.S. military said two destroyers had transited the strait ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran denied it.

Trump’s plan to use the Navy to block the strait is unrealistic and he will have to concede on some issues with Iran, said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer in security studies at Kings College London. “There isn’t any tool in the toolbox in terms of the military lever that he could use to get his way,” Krieg said.

Trump said Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were at the core of the talks' failure. In comments to Fox News, he again threatened to strike civilian infrastructure.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran’s side, addressed Trump in a new statement on his return to Iran: “If you fight, we will fight.”

No word on what happens after ceasefire expires

The face-to-face talks that ended early Sunday were the highest-level negotiations between the longtime rivals since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Neither indicated what will happen after the ceasefire expires on April 22.

“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon,” said Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. side.

Iranian negotiators could not agree to all U.S. “red lines,” said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe positions on the record. These included Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon, ending uranium enrichment, dismantling major enrichment facilities and allowing retrieval of its highly enriched uranium, along with opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending funding for Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels.

Iranian officials said talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach. Qalibaf, who noted progress in negotiations, said it was time for the United States “to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.”

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue in the coming days. Iran said it was open to continuing dialogue, state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The European Union urged further diplomatic efforts. The foreign minister of Oman, located on the Strait of Hormuz's southern coast, called for parties to “make painful concessions." The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin “emphasized his readiness” to help bring about a diplomatic settlement in a call with Iran's president.

Iran's nuclear program is a key sticking point

Iran’s nuclear program was at the center of tensions long before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,055 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and damaged infrastructure in half a dozen countries.

Tehran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but insists on its right to a civilian nuclear program. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump later pulled the U.S. out of, took well over a year of negotiations. Experts say Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, though not weapons-grade, is only a short technical step away.

An Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of closed-door talks, denied that negotiations had failed over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Inside Iran, there was new exhaustion and anger after months of unrest that began with nationwide protests against economic issues and then political ones, followed by weeks of sheltering from U.S. and Israeli bombardment.

“We have never sought war. But if they try to win what they failed to win on the battlefield through talks, that’s absolutely unacceptable,” Mohammad Bagher Karami said in Tehran.

Elsewhere in the region, airstrikes calmed over the past day except in Lebanon.

More questions as Israel presses ahead in Lebanon

Iran’s 10-point proposal for the talks called for a halt to Israeli strikes on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has said the ceasefire did not apply there, but Iran and Pakistan said it did.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited parts of southern Lebanon under Israeli control on Sunday, for the first time since the current fighting. Attacks on southern Lebanon have intensified alongside the ground invasion renewed after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in the war’s opening days.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington after Israel’s surprise announcement authorizing talks despite their lack of official relations. Israel wants Lebanon to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, but the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people, according to the Health Ministry.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported six people were killed Sunday in Maaroub village near the coastal city of Tyre.

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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, Boak from Miami and Magdy from Cairo. E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing, Collin Binkley and Ben Finley in Washington, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Brian Melley in London, Ghaya Ben MBarek in Tunis and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.

Iran has demanded the right to collect tolls from vessels traveling through the strait, but Trump said no one who pays them will “have safe passage on the high seas.”

Earlier in the day, the United States and Iran ended 21 hours of face-to-face talks in Islamabad without reaching a deal, leaving the fate of the fragile, two-week ceasefire still unclear.

“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters.

The war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets has entered its seventh week.

The U.S. delegation led by Vance and the Iranian delegation led by parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf had discussed how to advance a ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Here is the latest:

US Central Command to blockade Iranian ports

U.S. Central Command has announced that it will begin a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday at 10 a.m. ET.

CENTCOM said the blockade would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations” entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.

It said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

In its statement, CENTCOM said the blockade would include all Iranian ports. It said it would give more information to commercial vessels before the start of the blockade.

Lebanese Red Cross says Israeli drone strike hit their unit, killing a paramedic

The Lebanese Red Cross said Sunday another paramedic was lightly wounded in the attack in the southern Lebanese town of Beit Yahoun.

At least 87 medical workers in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since the beginning of the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, according to the country’s health ministry.

Middle East security expert says Trump has little leverage in the Strait of Hormuz

Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer in security studies at Kings College London, said Sunday that Trump’s plan to use the U.S. Navy to block the Strait of Hormuz is unrealistic.

“We should bear in mind that the Americans have a much lower threshold of pain than the Iranians,” Krieg said. “The Iranians, whatever happens, can sustain this for far longer than the world economy, far longer the Gulf states, far longer then the Americans.”

Krieg said Trump doesn’t have “any good options” and that he will have to concede on some issues.

“There isn’t any tool in the toolbox in terms of the military lever that he could use to get his way,” he said.

Energy expert says oil price could jump by $10 on Trump’s threatened blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

Brent crude oil, the international standard, has gone from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times. Brent for June delivery fell 0.8% to $95.20 per barrel Friday.

Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation, estimates Trump’s threatened blockade could boost oil prices $5 to $10 when the market opens on Monday.

The blockade would take an estimated 2 million barrels of oil per day off the market, and the Iran war has already taken roughly 10 million barrels per day out of supply, Lynch said.

“This is a pretty big insult to a pretty big injury, I guess, is the way to put it,” he said.

But Lynch said the blockade might be short-lived as Trump will be pressured to walk it back.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him to give it up by midweek, especially if oil prices keep going up,” he said.

Iran’s chief negotiator says Trump’s threats ‘have no effect on Iranian people’

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf told reporters Sunday that Iran has shown it doesn’t surrender to threats, hours after Trump said the U.S. would impose a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz.

“If you fight, we will fight.” Qalibaf said in a social media post addressing Trump.

Qalibaf said the talks in Pakistan were “intensive, serious and challenging,” and that Iran’s negotiators “designed strong initiatives to demonstrate Iran’s goodwill, which led to progress.”

He did not describe the progress made during the talks nor Iran’s strong initiatives.

Lebanon’s prime minister says his government is committed to ending the war through negotiations

Nawaf Salam made his remarks on the eve of the 51st anniversary of the start of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war.

Lebanon and Israel will hold direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday in a bid to end Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

Hezbollah supporters and critics of the decision to negotiate have protested in Beirut, saying the government is too weak to end the war.

The government has set a truce as a prerequisite for talks, and plans to demand an Israeli withdrawal, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the return of over one million displaced Lebanese.

Lebanese authorities have criticized Israel’s airstrikes and ground invasion, but have also decried Hezbollah for launching rockets on March 2nd in solidarity with Iran, sparking the latest escalation.

The Lebanese government came to power just over a year ago promising to disarm all non-state groups.

“I feel the pain of the mother who lost her son combating on the front lines as I feel the pain of the mother who lost her child who did not choose this war and only wanted to live,” said Salam.

Experts say blockade could lead to higher oil prices but more details are needed on implementation

Kevin Book, the managing director of research at research firm ClearView Energy Partners, said Sunday that leaner volumes generally mean tighter markets and higher prices, but “much depends on the scope and implementation of the blockade.”

“How Tehran responds matters, too. Iranian and/or Houthi reprisals against Gulf producers’ alternative routes could drive prices still higher,” Book said.

Jonathan Elkind, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University said Trump’s statement on Fox News that implementing the blockade will take some time also adds uncertainty.

“Is this a climb down because of concerns about how sharply oil markets were set to rise in tomorrow’s trading? No one knows,” he said.

US official says Iran could not agree to America’s red lines for ending the war

U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s goal in the talks with Iran was to outline America’s red lines and where there was room to negotiate. But Iran’s delegates could not agree to all of the stated red lines.

That’s according to a U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe negotiating positions on the record.

The core objective for U.S. negotiators was that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon. But there were additional red lines set by the U.S. that Iran objected to, the official said.

The red lines include Iran ending uranium enrichment, dismantling its major enrichment facilities, allowing retrieval of its highly enriched uranium, ending funding for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, creating a broader framework for peace and security in the region, and opening the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. believes that blockading the strait will show Iran the limits of its leverage as it considers the offer, the official said.

__ By Josh Boak

Netanyahu visits parts of southern Lebanon under Israeli military control

Israel’s prime minister was making his first visit since the start of the current round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

“One of the things we see here is that we have essentially changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “Our enemies — Iran and the Axis of Evil — they came to destroy us, and now they are simply fighting for their own survival.”

Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel was working to control an 8 to 10 km (5 to 6 mile) buffer zone inside Lebanon to ensure Hezbollah does not fire close-range rockets and anti-tank missiles over the border.

Iran says it has ‘full control’ of the Strait of Hormuz and that the waterway remains open for non-military vessels

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said Sunday that military vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz “will be met with a firm and forceful response,” according to two semiofficial Iranian news agencies.

Earlier Sunday, Trump said the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade on the critical waterway to stop ships from entering or leaving.

The talks in Pakistan between Iran and the U.S. ended Sunday without an agreement to end the fighting.

UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon says Israeli tanks rammed into their vehicles

The mission, known as UNIFIL, said Israeli ground troops twice rammed their vehicles with a Merkava tank on Sunday.

The soldiers were blocking a road in Bayada that peacekeepers have been using to access their positions, UNIFIL said in a statement.

UNIFIL has decried attacks on its personnel and damage to its facilities since

the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah militants started on March 2. Three peacekeepers have been killed in the past month.

“Israeli soldiers have continually blocked peacekeepers’ movements on this road in recent days, in addition to denials of freedom of movement recorded in other areas,” UNIFIL said. “They hinder peacekeepers’ ability to report violations by both sides on the ground.”

Trump says the UK is sending minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz

Britain’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment about Trump’s assertion Sunday on Fox News.

In an April 2 meeting of top diplomats from 40 nations, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper discussed mustering their collective powers to remove mines from strait once the conflict diminished.

Cooper convened a meeting with about 30 of those nations last week to discuss restoring free movement in the shipping channel and a follow-up is scheduled this week.

In March, James Cartlidge, the opposition Conservative Party’s defense secretary, said the British Navy removed its last minesweeper from the Persian Gulf a week before the war began.

Saudi Arabia summons Iraqi ambassador over drone attacks

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry submitted a “protest note” Sunday to the Iraqi ambassador following what it called ongoing drone attacks launched from Iraqi territories against Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf States.

It was not immediately clear if the Iraqi drone attacks are still taking place.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, said last week that it would halt its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks, hours after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on U.S. bases and other facilities in the country in solidarity with Tehran since the war began.

Iran’s president says his country is prepared to reach ‘balanced and fair’ agreement

President Masoud Pezeshkian told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that his country is prepared to reach a deal that would ensure “lasting regional peace.”

Pezeshkian added that Iran’s national interests are a red line, according to a readout of the call carried by Iran’s state-media.

He criticized the U.S. use of bases in Gulf countries to carry out strikes against Iran, while maintaining that Gulf countries are “brothers” and that Tehran is willing to cooperate with them to achieve regional security “without outside powers”

Iran has said it has repeatedly struck U.S. facilities in neighboring Gulf countries since the war started in late February. Gulf countries say Iran has also targeted civilian infrastructure and facilities.

Egypt’s foreign minister speaks with a senior Pakistani diplomat and a US envoy

In the call with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed “the importance of adhering to the diplomatic path and prioritizing dialogue and peaceful solutions” to settle all disputes.

Abdelatty and his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, affirmed that they will continue their efforts to de-escalate and bridge the gaps between the U.S. and Iran.

Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have been mediating between the U.S. and Iran since the start of the war.

Iran war has cost Israel at least $11.5 billion, Finance Ministry says

Israel’s Ministry of Finance released its initial estimate of the cost of the Iran war on Sunday.

Some NIS 22 billion ($7.25 billion) has been spent on defense and military costs, including equipment and mobilizing more than 100,000 reserve soldiers, the ministry said.

Another NIS 12 billion ($4 billion) accounts for damages incurred by businesses and individuals from missiles or other related war losses, including missed days of work.

The ministry noted that some of the costs — including economic losses stemming from the war’s 40-day closure of the airports and many businesses — will only become apparent in the future.

At the height of its war with Gaza, Israel spent an estimated NIS 14 billion ($4.7 billion) per month on its military, more than double its monthly budget before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

With NASA’s lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What’s next? And how do you top that?

“To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen at Saturday’s jubilant homecoming celebration.

Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights.

“The next mission’s right around the corner,” entry flight director Rick Henfling observed following the crew’s Pacific splashdown on Friday.

In a mission recently added to the docket for next year, Artemis III’s yet-to-be -named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are racing to have their company’s lander ready first.

Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon are vying for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028. Two astronauts will aim for the south polar region, the preferred location for Isaacman’s envisioned $20 billion to $30 billion moon base. Vast amounts of ice are almost certainly hidden in permanently shadowed craters there — ice that could provide water and rocket fuel.

The docking mechanism for Artemis III’s close-to-home trial run is already at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The latest model Starship is close to launching on a test flight from South Texas, and a scaled-down version of Blue Moon will attempt a lunar landing later this year.

NASA promises to announce the Artemis III crew “soon.” Like 1969’s Apollo 9, Artemis III aims to reduce risk for the moon landings that follow.

Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart loved flying the lunar module in low-Earth orbit — “a test pilot’s dream.” But there’s no question, he noted, that “the real astronauts” at least in the public’s mind were the ones who walked on the moon.

Wiseman and his crew put their passion and feelings on full display as they flew around the moon and back, choking up over lost loved ones as well as those left behind on Earth.

During the their nearly 10-day journey, they tearfully requested that a fresh, bright lunar crater be named after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. They also openly shared their love for one another and Planet Earth, an exquisite yet delicate oasis in the black void that they said needs better care.

Artemis II included the first woman, the first person of color and the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.

“Wonderful communicators, almost poets,” Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting their return.

Apollo’s manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs.

For those old enough to remember Apollo, Artemis — Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology — couldn’t come fast enough.

Author Andy Chaikin said he felt like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a nearly 54-year nap. His 1994 biography “A Man on the Moon” led to the HBO miniseries “From the Earth to the Moon.”

“It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how different this experience is from back then,” Chaikin said from Johnson Space Center late last week.

The hardest part, according to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, is becoming so close to the crews and their families and then blasting them to the moon. He anxiously monitored Friday’s reentry alongside the astronauts’ spouses and children.

“You know what’s at stake,” Kshatriya confided afterward. “It’s going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.”

Calling it “mission complete” only after being reunited with his two daughters, Wiseman issued a rallying cry to the rows of blue-flight-suited astronauts at Saturday’s celebration.

“It is time to go and be ready,” he said, pointing at them, “because it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.”

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

Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young opened the day tied at the top of the leaderboard after a dramatic Saturday, with a number of contenders close behind.

McIlroy and Young struck their opening tee shots at 2:25 p.m. on Tea Olive, the 445-yard par-4 first hole at Augusta National. Young took sole possession of the lead after McIlroy double-bogeyed the fourth hole. But McIlroy has since retaken the lead.

Rory McIlroy back in the lead at the Masters

The pressure of the Masters might be starting to get to Rose.

He missed the green on No. 12 after his chip shot failed to reach the putting surface. It resulted in his second straight bogey, allowing McIlroy to regain the lead.

McIlroy is at 11 under while Rose dropped into a second-place tie with Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley and Cameron Young at 10 under.

Rory McIlroy misses opportunity to tie Justin Rose

McIlroy missed a makeable put on the ninth hole that would have tied him with Rose at 12 under.

He remains one back of the lead heading into the 10th.

Justin Rose has taken sole possession of the lead at the Masters

The Masters leaderboard is changing at breakneck speed — and we’re not even to the back nine.

Rose made birdie at the eighth hole and now has sole possession of the lead after Young made bogey at the seventh.

Rose lost in a playoff to McIlroy last year.

Does winning the Players Championship = winning the Masters?

Cameron Young holds a two-shot lead at the Masters after five holes as he seeks to become the third straight player to follow up a win at the Players Championship with a victory at Augusta National.

Scottie Scheffler won both tournaments in 2024 and Rory McIlroy matched that feat last year.

Young’s best finish at the Masters came in 2023 when he finished tied for seventh.

McIlroy breaks down, Young takes 2-shot lead at Masters

Young has taken sole possession of the lead at the Masters after McIlroy double-bogeyed the fourth hole. Young is at 12 under and leads by two.

Rory McIlroy moves back into a tie for 1st at Masters

McIlroy isn’t going to let Young run away with a green jacket.

The defending Masters champion birdied the par-5 third hole to reach 12 under on Sunday, while Young had to make a nervy 6-footer to save par on the same hole and remain tied with the Northern Irishman after briefly taking a one-shot lead.

They have a three-shot cushion on Scheffler, who has birdied two of his first six holes to reach 9 under. The world No. 1 is trying to become the first player since Danny Willett in 2016 to come from outside the final group and win the Masters.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

Leaders tee off at the final round of the Masters

McIlroy and Young have teed off at the Masters, which means everyone is out on the course for the final round.

McIlroy blew a record 36-hole lead of six shots on Saturday with a round of 73, which allowed Young to pull into a tie with him at 11 under following his 65 — tied for the low round of the tournament. They had a one-shot lead over Sam Burns, though Scottie Scheffler and a host of other big names were ready to give chase.

Scheffler began the day at 7 under and promptly birdied the difficult par-4 first hole to start his round in style.

Scottie Scheffler begins hunt for a 3rd green jacket

The world’s No. 1 made up a lot of ground on Saturday, when his second-round 65 matched co-leader Young for the best of the day. It left Scheffler at 7 under for the tournament, four shots behind Young and McIlroy.

This would be the first time Scheffler has come from behind at Augusta National to win on Sunday. In 2022, he had a three-shot lead after the third round and won by the same margin. Two years ago, he led by one going into Sunday and won by four.

There’s reason to believe that Scheffler can make up the ground, though.

Through the first three rounds, the four-time major champion ranks first from tee-to-green and first in ballstriking. So, why isn’t he in the lead? Scheffler is nearly last in putting. If he can get a few to drop, watch out.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

Leaders’ tee times for the final round of the Masters

Rory McIlroy lost a six-shot lead during the third round of the Masters, so it makes sense that anyone within six shots of the lead has at least a shot at the green jacket.

Those at 5 under were scheduled to go off shortly after 1 p.m. EDT, beginning with Ben Griffin and Jake Knapp. They were followed at 1:30 p.m. by Collin Morikawa (-5) and Patrick Reed (-6), with Patrick Cantlay (-6) and Russell Henley (-6) going off at 1:41 p.m.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li, both at 7 under, were paired together at 1:52 p.m.

Justin Rose, who lost in a playoff to McIlroy last year, was at 8 under along with Jason Day. They were due off at 2:03 p.m. Sam Burns (-10) and Shane Lowry (-9) were in the penultimate group at 2:14 p.m. before McIlroy and Cameron Young strike their opening tee shots at 2:25 p.m. on Tea Olive, the 445-yard par-4 first hole at Augusta National.

Sergio didn’t need that driver anyway

Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, will be playing the remainder of the final round without his driver after snapping off the head of it following an angry outburst on the second tee box. After sending his tee shot into a bunker, Garcia took a swipe at a table with a green cooler on it and severed the head of the driver. It was left briefly dangling from the shaft before Garcia grabbed it and ripped it off completely. Geoff Yang, the chairman of the Masters competitions committee, met up with Garcia on the fourth tee box and issued him a code of conduct warning, according to club officials.

Setting up Sunday at the Masters

The forecast for the final round of the Masters is much like it has been all week at Augusta National: hot, dry and sunny.

That’s good news for the thousands of patrons. But it could be bad news for those trying to navigate 18 holes. The weather has been such that club officials can set up the course just about anyway they want. They seemed to give players a reprieve with easier hole locations and softer conditions on Friday and Saturday, but chances are they will want it difficult on Sunday.

That means hard, fast greens that reject wayward approach shots into difficult pin placements.

“When greens are firm and targets are tight, even a light wind can add another layer of difficulty,” said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “Players who manage launch, spin and landing spot most effectively may have the clearest edge.”

Masters’ gnomes coming to an end?

The Masters gnome has grown increasingly popular — and valuable — over the last 10 years. But this year’s gnome has become especially sought after on re-sale markets amid speculation this will be the final year they’ll be produced.

Masters chairman Fred Ridley has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.

The 13 1/2-inch gnome features the traditional old man with a white beard dressed in golf attire and holding an umbrella and Masters-themed cup. It is only available for purchase at Augusta National (not online) and is selling for $59.50.

However, some are taking the gnome home and using it to help pay for their Masters expenses. The gnome is commanding more than $600 on eBay and Marketplace. With only 1,000 gnomes available per day and regularly selling out within an hour, fans are lining up early in the morning to get one.

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

LoneStar Handgun shared the update with KSAT on Sunday, nearly a month after we first reported on the neighbors’ concerns and less than a week after another house was hit by a stray bullet.

Joshua Felker, the owner of LoneStar Handgun, said they do not believe the round originated from its gun range, but are making the changes out of an abundance of caution and to make the community feel safer.

Hunter Mueller is the third resident who has told KSAT that his home was struck by a stray bullet.

“I don’t feel safe coming out in my yard,” Mueller said. “I don’t feel safe walking down the street. My (family) goes and walks to the playground. Who knows how many rounds are going on over there.”

Felker said in the statement that he became aware of another home being hit by a bullet Wednesday night through social media.

LoneStar Handgun said it reached out directly to the homeowner Thursday morning, prior to any law enforcement agency contacting the range about the incident.

Felker said the home was roughly 1,450 yards away from the gun range, and photos shared online showed a heavily oxidized rifle projectile “that appeared to have been inside the side of the house for a considerable amount of time.”

Although neighbors said they can’t be for certain where the bullets are coming from, Katherine Danaway said in March that the gun range “seems the most likely suspect.”

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has previously looked into the neighbor’s concerns, and reaffirmed Saturday that there is not enough evidence to back up the claims.

LoneStar Handgun said it does not believe the bullets came from its range because it has backstops and berms in place to prevent stray bullets from leaving the range.

While deputies found holes in safety baffles during a site inspection, the sheriff’s office ultimately closed the investigation into the range.

LoneStar Handgun said it bought the 146-acre property in 2013 because it believed it would be an ideal location for a gun range, located in a flood plain with nothing around the range at the time.

As development in the area has grown, Felker said it has adapted its operations to be good neighbors to the new subdivisions in the area.

While it still believes the bullets are not coming from the range, LoneStar HandGun said it is making the changes to its rifle range “out of an abundance of caution and our strong commitment to public safety.”

“We are doing everything possible to make certain that our operations pose no risk to our neighbors,” Felker said. “We want every resident in the surrounding community to feel safe in their own home.”

The sheriff’s office said it believes the bullets may be coming from nearby open areas.

“There are other people who shoot in this area, and rounds can and do come from other sources,” Felker said. “We will continue to work cooperatively with anyone who has concerns.”

Despite the reassurances, neighbors remain concerned for the safety of themselves and their families as more bullets are discovered.

“It’s just overall concerning for me,” Mueller said. “I’m just 100% just wanting the safety of my family and my community at this point.”

The sheriff’s office asked anyone who observes someone firing weapons at the public or property to contact its deputies.

Read KSAT’s previous coverage:

• Neighbors fear for safety after bullet holes found in east Bexar County homes

It already was shaping up to be a dynamic finish in golf's greatest theater, with six players separated by three shots and already some wild swings in momentum.

Rose was at 12-under par at the turn, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy, who recovered from a double bogey on the par-3 fourth when he three-putted from inside 10 feet.

Cameron Young had a two-shot lead through five holes until he missed a 4-foot par putt on the sixth, hit into a bunker with a wedge from the fairway on the seventh and had to scramble for a bogey on the nine. He was two behind, along with Tyrrell Hatton, who was running out of holes.

Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player going for his third Masters title in five years, was not out of the mix just yet. He was within two shots of the lead early on the front nine, but he made nine straight pars as he headed to the 13th hole.

Rose was in trouble in the trees right of the seventh fairway when he blasted off the pine needles to the left side of the green with enough side spin that it caught a ridge and rolled — and rolled — until it stopped a foot from the hole for birdie.

He hit a nifty pitch from short of the par-5 eighth for birdie and closed out the front nine by making a 15-foot birdie putt.

Rose led by as many as two shots until McIlroy and Young made birdie on No. 8. McIlroy and Young started the final round tied at 11-under 205.

Rose is twice a playoff loser at the Masters, to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and last year to McIlroy. He also was a runner-up to Jordan Spieth by four shots in 2015. A victory would make the 45-year-old from England the second-oldest winner behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in 1986.

McIlroy is trying to become the fourth player to win twice in a row and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. Young is going after his first major championship and trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Wake Forest alum Arnold Palmer, a four-time Masters champion.

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

FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS

• THIS AFTERNOON IN SAN ANTONIO: Additional storms possible, but again -- not guaranteed for everyone (40% to 60%).
• • WATCHING FOR: Hail, gusty winds
  • RAINFALL: Most, less than 0.25″. Some, more than 1″
• THIS AFTERNOON EAST OF SAN ANTONIO: Flooding concern.
• • BULLSEYES: 5+"
  • Localized flooding somewhere in the Flood Watch (seen below)

FORECAST

SAN ANTONIO

We’ll maintain a 40% to 60% chance for storms through the afternoon and evening, especially if clouds break enough for additional heating.

Any storms that develop could produce hail, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall. BUT AGAIN, NOT A GUARANTEE FOR STORMS IN YOUR BACKYARD. Rather, you should stay weather aware if you have any Sunday afternoon plans outdoors.

EAST OF SAN ANTONIO

Take a look at the wide range of rainfall potential for areas east of San Antonio! Somewhere near the Guadalupe or Colorado Rivers, and along I-35 and I-10 there could be pockets of flooding rains Sunday afternoon and evening.

If you find yourself in a FLASH FLOOD WARNING and come across rushing water over roadways, please remember: TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.

NEXT WEEK

Much less active next week, but we do have a chance for a storm or two Wednesday. Then, quiet and near 90° as Fiesta begins. For the first weekend of Fiesta, we’ll have a small chance for rain Saturday as a cold front moves through, making for a cooler, pleasant Sunday.

QUICK WEATHER LINKS

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

Municipal authorities in the city of Cap-Haïtien in a statement said that Saturday's stampede in Milot "resulted in numerous cases of asphyxiation, trampling and loss of consciousness." Authorities said dozens of people who attended traditional festivities at the historical site were taken to hospitals while many others were reported missing.

“According to preliminary information ... a situation of severe overcrowding, linked in particular to deficiencies in crowd management measures, triggered a stampede,” local authorities said in the statement.

The Haitian National Police in a separate statement said it had opened an investigation to determine the exact cause of incident. The investigation led authorities to update the death toll to 25 fatalities. Autopsies were underway on Sunday.

Police said 30 people remained hospitalized. The agency also asked the population to continue to cooperate with authorities and avoid spreading rumors.

Haiti’s government offered its condolences to the families of the victims of the incident at the Citadelle Laferrière.

Some of the victims’ bodies remained at the site on Sunday.

Donaldson Jean said his sister had traveled there after studying diligently to get the grades necessary to be part of a school field trip for the best students. He sobbed after carrying her body, which had been covered with a white tarp.

“Morning and night, she was studying for the genius program,” he said. “She would come and ask me to help with homework before dinner. Look how (I) lost her”

Williams averaged a career-high 11.6 points and 4.2 assists and led the WNBA in steals with 2.3 per game for Seattle last season. That effort earned the 29-year-old an All-Star appearance for the first time in her career. She also was a member of the league's All-Defensive First Team.

“For a player of Gabby’s caliber to choose us in just our second year ... means everything,” Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said in a statement. “She is world-class. One of the best defenders in the world, a WNBA All-Star, and someone who makes everyone around her better.”

The Valkyries had a stellar season in their first year, making the playoffs — the first time an expansion team had done that. Williams was drafted fourth by Chicago in 2018 and traded to Los Angeles in 2021. She didn't play any games for the Sparks before being traded to Seattle in 2022.

Thomas was a finalist for MVP last season and All-WNBA and All-Defensive first team. She helped the Mercury reach the WNBA Finals.

"Alyssa is a generational player, natural leader and one of the fiercest competitors our sport has seen, and we’re excited to have her back in Phoenix,” Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren said. “Her ability to control the game on both ends and elevate her teammates helped fuel our run to the Finals last season.”

Other moves on Sunday included Sophie Cunningham and Damiris Dantas re-signing with the Indiana Fever. Cunningham averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 30 games before suffering a season-ending MCL tear in her right knee in August. Dantas originally signed with the Fever ahead of the 2024 season and has since played in 58 games for Indiana, averaging 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, and was a part of the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup championship team.

The pair join Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, who announced on Saturday they were returning to the team. Indiana also added Monique Billings in the first day of free agency.

The Toronto Tempo added forward Isabelle Harrison, whom Sandy Brondello coached in New York before making the move to Canada.

Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx re-signed five-time All-Star Kayla McBride to a two-year deal at a lower max salary, her agent, Ticha Penicheiro, told The Associated Press. Courtney Williams, a two-time All-Star, also is coming back to the Lynx.

Chicago Sky

The Sky added guard DiJonai Carrington to their roster as well as officially re-signing Courtney Vandersloot. The Sky acquired Rickea Jackson for Ariel Atkins in a trade with Los Angeles.

Connecticut Sun

The Sun added guard Kennedy Burke and re-signed forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa to a two-year deal. Burke appeared in 36 games for the Liberty, making nine starts and averaging 8.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.

Seattle Storm

The Storm re-signed forward Ezi Magbegor, who had 96 blocks last season to go along with 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds. She shot 49.3% from the field. Seattle also re-signed wing Katie Lou Samuelson, who missed all of last season after tearing her ACL in training camp.

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces re-signed three members of their core group, with Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus all agreeing to deals with the defending champions.

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

According to transguide, the southbound lanes of I-35 near New Braunfels Avenue reopened after TxDOT crews cleared the area.

ORIGINAL STORY: A vehicle was completely destroyed after a reported crash on Interstate 35 Sunday morning.

The crash was reported before 7 a.m. Sunday in the southbound lanes of I-35 near New Braunfels Avenue.

A KSAT crew at the scene observed damage to the Texas Department of Transportation signage and most lanes of I-35 closed.

According to transguide, all I-35 southbound lanes remain closed. All traffic is being detoured to the Walters Street exit. Drivers should expect possible delays and seek alternate routes, if possible.

It is unclear what caused the crash or if there are any injuries.

KSAT has reached out to the San Antonio police and fire departments for more information.

Read also:

• Man hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after stabbing on North Side, SAPD says

The 10-hour high school basketball extravaganza will be held Sunday at the Northside ISD Sports Gymnasium.

More than 100 of the top high school senior basketball players in and around San Antonio will suit up for Team Blue or Team White and compete in the 3-point contest and the Skills Challenge.

You can watch the games all day in this article, on KSAT 12, on KSAT Plus and KSAT.com.

All-Star Basketball Game schedule

• 11 a.m. — 1A-5A Girls
• 1:15 p.m. — 1A-5A Boys
• 3:45 p.m. — Skills Challenge
• 4 p.m. — 3-Point Contest
• 5 p.m. — 6A Girls
• 7 p.m. — 6A Boys

Click here to see the roster.

KSAT interviewed all of the players participating in the All-Star Basketball Game. You can watch those interviews here.

Read also:

• San Antonio Sports announces rosters for 2026 All-Star Basketball Game
• KSN goes behind-the-scenes with athletes ahead of 3rd annual SA Sports All-Star Basketball Game
• PHOTOS: Media Day for 2026 San Antonio Sports All-Star Basketball Game
• Where to watch ABC programming preempted by KSAT-12’s SA Sports All-Star Basketball Game coverage

Pep Guardiola's team moved to within six points of leader Arsenal ahead of next weekend's top of the table clash between the two teams. City also has a game in hand.

Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku all scored in a blistering second-half performance at Stamford Bridge as City took full advantage of Arsenal's shock defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

“We know that we still have everything in our hands,” Doku said.

Tottenham's survival fight took another blow after a 1-0 loss to Sunderland left it rooted in the relegation zone.

In coach Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge, Spurs fell to a 16th league loss of the season. Its 14-game winless run in the league dates back to Jan. 1.

Nordi Mukiele's deflected shot sealed the game at the Stadium of Light and plunged Tottenham’s campaign deeper into crisis.

Tottenham is two points adrift of safety with six games to go. Its plight wasn't helped by relegation-fighting Nottingham Forest drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace came back from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

City's title charge gathers pace

While Arsenal's form has hit a slump at the worst possible time, City made it three statement wins in a row after rolling over Chelsea.

Victory followed triumph against Arsenal in the English League Cup final and the 4-0 rout of Liverpool in the FA Cup last week.

While those three results all came in different competitions, City's charge has an ominous feel about it after twice chasing down Arsenal's lead to win the title in 2023 and '24.

Second-placed City has the chance to cut the gap at the top to three points with victory against Arsenal at the Etihad. Guardiola called for respect for Arsenal when looking ahead to that title showdown.

“They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far. Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks," Guardiola said. “I would like to say to my fans — respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team. Come to join us from minute one because the players will do the maximum.”

Rayan Cherki was the inspiration at Stamford Bridge — setting up goals for O'Reilly six minutes after halftime and Guehi in the 57th.

Doku rounded off the win in the 68th.

The result didn't help Chelsea's bid to qualify for the Champions League, leaving it four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool.

Liam Rosenior's team has won just one of its last seven league games.

Spurs' crisis deepens

The numbers just keep on getting worse for Tottenham.

Now on its third coach of the season, it’s more than three months since its last league win and just one point from a possible 24. This was a seventh defeat in eight games.

If the hope was that De Zerbi would provide an immediate bounce in form after replacing Igor Tudor, it didn't come in a typically toothless display at Sunderland.

While the new coach could point to bad luck, given the nature of Mukiele's 61st-minute winner, which took a wicked deflection off Micky van de Ven, his team rarely looked like finding a way back into the match — even during 11 minutes of added time at the end.

An injury to Cristian Romero made a bad day worse for Spurs, which next faces Brighton, one of De Zerbi's former clubs.

Forest moved three points clear of Spurs after a draw at the City Ground. Neco Williams' long-range shot leveled the game after a Murillo own-goal gave Villa the lead.

Mateta double for Palace

Jean-Philippe Mateta saw a January move to AC Milan fall through on deadline day and is now having a big say in Palace's bid to end the season on a high.

The France forward scored in Thursday's Conference League win against Fiorentina and hit a double as Palace came back against Newcastle.

Two late goals turned the game at Selhurst Park after William Osula had given Newcastle a halftime lead.

Mateta leveled in the 80th and then fired a winner from the penalty spot in the fourth minute of added time.

Palace leapfrogged Newcastle on goal difference to move up to 13th.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

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

Swalwell has denied the allegations, which he has said “are absolutely false.” They surfaced after he became a leading contender in the race for California governor to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Over the weekend, with Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign already teetering, Democrats in Congress began to call for his resignation from the House. Some even said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside.

Fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

“This is not a partisan issue,” Jayapal said Sunday. “This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.”

Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment

It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, who has already seen his most prominent supporters, including Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions, pull their endorsements and call for his exit from the race. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who helped run Swalwell’s campaign, said he was immediately ending his role.

With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process.

Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct.

Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernández said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who is running his own campaign for governor, said both Swalwell and Gonzales “need to go home” and that he would vote to expel them both.

Khanna also indicated support for congressional action against both lawmakers.

“So, it depends on if it’s worded in a fair way,” Khanna said. “But this shouldn’t be about politics. Anyone who abuses young girls and staffers should not be in the United States Congress."

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday about allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted a woman in 2019 and 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed.

The woman worked for Swalwell when the first alleged assault occurred in 2019, while the 2024 assault allegedly occurred at a charity gala, the Chronicle reported. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex.

The paper didn’t name the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday that it was investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.

After the allegations surfaced, Swalwell said Friday in a video on social media that he would spend the weekend with family and friends and share an update “very soon.” He is not running for reelection for his House seat.

“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have,” the congressman said.

Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who remains a dominant force in California politics, said the “serious allegations” must be investigated. She said she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done “outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and his leadership team also called for an investigation and for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor.

Jayapal and Donalds appeared on NBC's “Meet the Press,” and Khanna was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday.”

Fiesta starts on Thursday, April 16 and ends on Sunday, April 26, bringing 11 days of food, music and culture to San Antonio.

The Alamo City’s biggest party will once again feature dozens of events, including Fiesta’s signature parades, family-friendly festivals and can’t-miss traditions.

Whether you’re heading downtown or celebrating from home, KSAT will provide comprehensive, multi-platform coverage — on TV, online, streaming and social — so you don’t miss a moment.

KSAT will also stream Spanish broadcasts of the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, the Battle of Flowers Parade and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade.

Here’s what to know.

📅 Daily event guides

Planning your Fiesta schedule? KSAT once again provides daily guides for each day of Fiesta 2026:

• Fiesta events for April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, Taste of the Republic
• Fiesta events for April 17: Oyster Bake, Fiesta De Los Reyes, A Taste of New Orleans
• Fiesta events for April 18: OLLU Confetti 5K Fun Run, Fiesta De Los Niños, Chanclas Y Cervezas
• Fiesta events for April 19: A Day in Old Mexico, Fiesta Flotilla, UT San Antonio Fiesta Arts Fair
• Fiesta events for April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade, Pilgrimage to the Alamo
• Fiesta events for April 21: NIOSA, Fiesta Especial Celebration Day, Fiesta Cornyation
• Fiesta events for April 22: Coronation of the Queen, Fiesta Gartenfest
• Fiesta events for April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, Fredstock, La Semana Alegre
• Fiesta events for April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade, Fiesta Jazz Festival, Incognito
• Fiesta events for April 25: Fiesta Pooch Parade, Flambeau Parade, Fiesta De Animales
• Fiesta events for April 26: Festival De Cascarones, MissionFest

📺 Watch Fiesta anywhere with KSAT

Here’s when you can watch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8-10 p.m. at Travis Park. — Watch on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, coverage starts at 7 p.m., followed by the SA Live River Parade After Party. — Watch on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, coverage starts at 7 p.m. at the Alamo Stadium. — Watch on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, coverage begins at 10 a.m. — Watch on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. at Heights Pool in Alamo Heights. — Watch on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Fair Parade, coverage begins at 8 a.m. — Watch on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2-5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — Watch on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, coverage starts at 7 p.m. — Watch on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

You can get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free here.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

🎉 What to expect at Fiesta 2026

Fiesta continues its legacy as one of the nation’s largest festivals, drawing millions each year. Expect:

• Iconic parades like the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau
• Food favorites like chicken-on-a-stick, tamales and oyster delicacies
• Cultural celebrations across San Antonio neighborhoods
• Live music, art and family-friendly events

KSAT will highlight the biggest moments, hidden gems and community stories throughout the 11-day celebration.

🥳 Parade routes and start times

If you’re planning your Fiesta parade strategies this year, we’ve got you covered.

For those planning to attend some of Fiesta’s signature parades, these are the start times and routes for the 2026 Texas Cavaliers River, Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades.

Texas Cavaliers River Parade

The 80th annual Texas Cavaliers River Parade will come to life from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, April 20.

The theme for the river parade is “Through the Decades: A Centennial Celebration,” which coincides with the organization’s 100-year anniversary. Leon McNeil, the founder of City Kids Adventures, is this year’s grand marshal.

The Texas Cavaliers consist of about 600 businesses and community leaders. The organization was founded in 1926, and in 1989, the Texas Cavaliers developed the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation to support local charities.

The parade attracts more than 250,000 spectators every year, and according to the Texas Cavaliers website, the organization has only 18,000 tickets available.

Tickets are available for purchase online.

Battle of Flowers Parade

This year, the Battle of Flowers Parade will take place on Friday, April 24. The vanguard will kick off at 9:55 a.m. and the parade will follow at 10:30 a.m.

Tim Morrow, the president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, was announced as the grand marshal. This year’s theme is “From Pages to Possibilities,” celebrating storytelling, imagination and the magic of books.

The Battle of the Flowers is the second-oldest parade and the only parade in the United States produced entirely by women, and all of them are volunteers. The parade attracts more than 350,000 spectators from across the nation.

The parade steps off on North Main Street near San Antonio College. It will travel on Lexington Avenue, North St. Mary’s Street, Brooklyn Avenue, Avenue E, Houston Street, Alamo Plaza, Commerce Street and Santa Rosa, where it will end near West Martin Street.

Click here for tickets.

Parade Map 2024 by akmoreno on Scribd

Fiesta Flambeau Parade

The Fiesta Flambeau Parade will be held on Saturday, April 25. The vanguard will kick off at 7:15 p.m. and the main parade will follow from 7:45-11 p.m.

The theme is “Adventures in Toyland.” Shamu and Crew are the grand marshals.

The parade features more than 200 entries, and more than 800,000 spectators watch along the 3.1-mile route. It’s also broadcast and livestreamed (on KSAT!) to about 1.5 million more people.

Tickets are available online.

The Flambeau Parade travels the same route as the Battle of Flowers Parade.

🌦️ Before you head out

Our weather can change quickly — be sure to check forecasts from the KSAT Weather Authority before attending events so you can dress comfortably and safely.

>> Check the latest forecast

And don’t forget: share your photos and videos on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured!

🚗 Getting around Fiesta

With large crowds and street closures expected, plan ahead:

• Consider using VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Park & Ride during peak events. Click here for more information.
• Allow extra travel time downtown.
• Follow event-specific guidance for parking and access.

🎊 A San Antonio tradition

Fiesta began in 1891 when a group of San Antonio citizens honored the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto with the first Battle of Flowers Parade.

It was founded by a group of women volunteers and the inspiration came from the flower parades of Spain.

Children dressed up as flowers and horse-drawn carriages were adorned with flowers. Parade participants threw blossoms at each other, a tradition that hasn’t been passed down.

The success of the Battle of Flowers Parade led to more events every year, thus Fiesta was born.

Fiesta has been celebrated every year since, except 1918 during World War I, 1942-1945 during World War II, and 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

🌮 Fiesta Foodies

What’s a Fiesta celebration without the amazing variety of foods the 11-day festival serves up to Fiesta-goers?

Take a look at the breakdown of food consumed, according to the Fiesta Commission:

• 32,000 chicken-on-a-sticks
• 25,000 tortillas
• 15,000 oysters at Oyster Bake
• 5,000 tamales
• 3,000 turkey legs

Here’s what the Conservation Society says the “Night in Old San Antonio” crowd consumes during an average year:

• 17,000 pounds of beef
• 15,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables
• 11,000 pounds of chicken
• 5,000 pounds of sausage
• 2,000 pounds of masa
• 1,000 pounds of guacamole

📲 Stay connected with KSAT

This is just the beginning. As Fiesta 2026 gets closer, KSAT will expand coverage with:

• More live event broadcasts.
• Special features and behind-the-scenes stories.
• Streaming exclusives and rebroadcasts.

Stay tuned to KSAT across all platforms for the most complete, up-to-date Fiesta coverage in San Antonio.

¡Viva Fiesta!

Read also:

• Fiesta’s biggest event no longer free; city council approves $5 gate fee for Fiesta de los Reyes
• Cone zones may not disappear even after ‘completion’ of downtown street project, city says

Garner's family issued a statement Sunday saying Garner died Saturday after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Phil never lost his signature spark of life,” Garner's son, Ty, said in a statement. “He was so well known for his love for baseball, which was with him until the end.”

Nicknamed “Scrap Iron” for his blue-collar approach to the game, Garner had a 16-year playing career with the Oakland Athletics (1973-76), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-81), Astros (1981-87), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987) and San Francisco Giants (1988).

He played 150 games and had an .800 OPS for Pittsburgh during the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship season. He batted .417 in the NL Championship Series sweep of Cincinnati and hit .500 (12 for 24) in the World Series as the Pirates rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Baltimore.

Garner made All-Star teams with Oakland in 1976 and with Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1981.

“Phil Garner was a fierce competitor, a respected leader, and a cherished part of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “His contributions to the 1979 World Series championship team will forever be part of Pirates history. We always appreciated welcoming Phil back to Pittsburgh, and it was evident how deeply this city, this team, his teammates, and our fans meant to him.

“He will be remembered not only for the grit, passion, and heart he brought to the game, but also for the way he carried himself as a devoted family man and respected member of the baseball community.”

Garner hit .260 with 109 homers, 738 RBIs and 225 steals in 1,860 regular-season games while being versatile enough to make more than 700 starts at both second base and third base.

Garner managed in the majors for 15 years, compiling a 985-1,054 record with Milwaukee (1992-99), Detroit (2000-02) and Houston (2004-07). He held the Brewers record for managerial wins until Craig Counsell surpassed him in 2022.

“He was a very highly respected and beloved individual who was known for his caring nature, wisdom and sense of humor," the Brewers said in a statement.

Garner took over the Astros midway through the 2004 season after the firing of Jimy Williams and led them to a 48-26 record the rest of the way. They finished 92-70, beat Atlanta in the NL Division Series and wasted a 3-2 lead over St. Louis in the NL Championship Series.

Garner got the Astros to the World Series the following year. They bounced back from a 15-30 start to finish 89-73 and beat Atlanta in the NLDS and St. Louis in the NLCS before the Chicago White Sox swept them.

“Phil Garner’s contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten," Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane said in a statement.

Garner was a Tennessee native who starred at the University of Tennessee, which retired his No. 18 in 2009.

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

The prizes celebrating achievements in theater, opera and dance are Britain’s equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards.

Based on Michael Bond’s stories about a duffel-coated bear seeking a new home in London, “Paddington The Musical” was written by playwright Jessica Swale and songwriter Tom Fletcher of the band McFly.

Bond’s books have been much-loved since the 1950s¸and in recent years Paddington has become a British icon through three successful movies and an on-screen appearance with Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, just weeks before her death.

The musical has proved a major success since it opened in November, with audiences embracing the cuddly central character, brought to life through a blend of live acting and puppetry.

Its Olivier wins included a joint best actor in a musical award for James Hameed and Arti Shah, who together play the role. Hameed provides the voice and remote puppetry, while Shah — the first woman to win a best-actor Olivier — inhabits the bear costume onstage.

Hameed urged people to embrace the Paddington stories' message of welcoming immigrants and strangers. “Paddington reminds us to be welcoming, inquisitive and most importantly, kind,” he said.

Cast members Tom Edden and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt won the supporting performer prizes, and the show also took trophies for director Luke Sheppard and for both set and costume design.

Sheppard hinted that this “love letter to London” could one day be Broadway-bound. “It would be a dream for Paddington to pack his suitcase and visit some other cities around the world,” the director said backstage. “So watch this space.”

‘Exhilarating risk’

Rachel Zegler was named best actress in a musical for her starring role in “Evita.” Playing Argentine first lady Eva Peron, Zegler performed the song “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” on an exterior balcony, attracting large crowds to the street every night while theatergoers inside watched on screens.

A much-praised production of Stephen Sondheim’s twisted fairy tale journey “Into the Woods” won the prize for best musical revival, and a second award for lighting.

In the nonmusical categories, Rosamund Pike was named best actress for playing a judge forced to question the justice system and her own ethics in “Inter Alia.” She said doing the one-woman show, her first stage play in 14 years, was an “exhilarating risk.”

Jack Holden took the best actor prize for playing multiple roles in small-town murder mystery “Kenrex.”

“All My Sons” was named best revival, with Paapa Essiedu winning the best supporting actor trophy for Arthur Miller’s classic drama.

Julie Hesmondhalgh took home the best supporting actress prize for “Punch.” The true-life crime and redemption story, which had a Broadway run last year, was also named best new play

Playwright James Graham said it had been “one of the honors of my life” to dramatize the story of Jacob Dunne, who killed another man with a single punch in a fight but went on to reconciliation with the victim’s family. Graham was joined onstage by Dunne and the victim’s mother, Joan Scourfield.

Two significant anniversaries

The Olivier Awards were founded in 1976 and named after the late actor-director Laurence Olivier. The winners are chosen by voting groups of stage professionals and theatergoers.

“Ted Lasso” star Nick Mohammed hosted the 50th anniversary edition of the awards at a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, where Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Williams and Andrew Lloyd Webber were among the trophy presenters.

The ceremony included performances from nominated musicals and numbers marking two significant anniversaries: 40 years of Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” and 20 years of “Wicked” in the West End.

Elaine Paige, star of hit musicals including “Cats,” “Evita,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Piaf,” received this year’s Special Award.

The upbeat ceremony reflected the mood of London theater, which is celebrating a strong post-pandemic return. The Society of London Theatre, an industry umbrella group, says ticket sales have surpassed the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Shows in the West End — the collective name for London’s theaterland — attracted 17.6 million visitors in 2025, 3 million more than Broadway.

But there are concerns about rising ticket prices and soaring production budgets, fueled by higher costs for labor, materials and energy.

“Theaters are busier than ever, but many are operating with far less financial headroom,” the society said in a report published last month.

Amnesty International cited survivors as saying that at least 100 people were killed in the airstrike on Saturday on a village in Yobe state, near the border with Borno state, which is the epicenter of the jihadi insurgency that has ravaged the region for over a decade.

“We have their pictures and they include children,” Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's Nigeria director, told The Associated Press, referring to the casualties.

“We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital,” he said. “We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims.”

A worker at the Geidam General hospital, in Yobe, said at least 23 people injured in the incident were receiving treatment. The worker spoke anonymously as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Such misfires are common in Nigeria, where the military often conducts air raids to battle armed groups who control vast forest enclaves. At least 500 civilians have died since 2017 in such misfires, according to an AP tally of reported deaths. Security analysts point to loopholes in intelligence gathering as well as insufficient coordination between ground troops, air assets and stakeholders.

The large, remote market located near the Borno-Yobe border is known to be often used by Boko Haram jihadis to buy food supplies.

Abdulmumin Bulama, a member of a civilian security group working with the Nigerian military in the northeast, said there was intelligence that Boko Haram terrorists had gathered very close to the market and were planning an attack on nearby communities.

“The intel was shared and the Air Force jet acted based on the credible information,” Bulama said.

The Yobe State Government confirmed in a statement that a Nigerian military strike was targeting a stronghold of the Boko Haram jihadi group in the area and that “some people … who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected.”

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency also acknowledged that an incident had occurred resulting in “casualties affecting some marketers” and said it had dispatched response teams to the area.

Nigeria's military issued a statement saying it conducted a successful strike on a “terrorist enclave and logistics hub” belonging to jihadis in the area, killing scores of them as they rode on motorcycles. It did not provide any detail about a possible misfire, but noted that motorcycles remain prohibited in conflict hot spots and “any such movements in restricted areas are therefore treated with the utmost seriousness.”

Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the incident, adding that the military is “fond of” labeling civilian casualties as bandits

Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa group operating in communities in the northwestern part of the country that borders Niger Republic.

——

Shibayan reported from Abuja, Nigeria.

Romuald Wadagni, the 49-year-old finance minister and governing coalition standard-bearer, is considered Talon’s anointed successor for the seven-year term. Wadagni is being challenged by Paul Hounkpè, the sole opposition candidate.

Nearly 8 million are registered to vote across more than 17,000 polling stations in the West African nation. Benin had over 15 million people in 2024, and like many sub-Saharan African countries, its population is overwhelmingly young.

Vote counting began Sunday afternoon after the polls closed, with results expected within 48 hours.

Turnout has been low in recent years, and polling stations in Cotonou, the largest city, were sparsely attended throughout the morning. The city was quiet as the election began, with public demonstrations banned on election day, but stores and streets remain open.

Analysts widely expect Wadagni to win after a parliamentary election in January, during which the opposition failed to cross the 20% threshold required to win seats, leaving Talon’s two allied parties in control of all 109 seats in the National Assembly.

Hounkpè said that he would accept the result depending on the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. “As for transparency and fairness, it is normal that, if it is done properly, we will accept the results,” he said after the polls had closed.

Renaud Agbodjo, leader of the Democrats, was barred from competing after failing to secure a sufficient number of parliamentary endorsements — a threshold critics say was engineered to keep rivals out.

Wadagni has touted the country's economic growth during his decade as finance minister as his key strength. Benin’s economy grew 7% last year, making it one of West Africa’s steadiest performers.

“Ten years at the Finance Ministry have given him something rare in African politics: a quantified record — verifiable and difficult to dismantle in a serious debate,” said Fiacre Vidjingninou, political analyst at the Lagos-based Béhanzin Institute.

Talon said Sunday he was “leaving office with the feeling of having given my best, of having led the country to take some steps forward in all areas.” He added: “Whatever the outcome of the vote, Benin has reached a milestone in its history.”

While Benin has historically been among the most stable democracies in Africa, opposition leaders and human rights organizations have accused Talon of using the justice system as a tool to sideline his political opponents.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced a sustained crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tighter restrictions on public demonstrations, and mounting pressure on independent media outlets.

Protests over the rising cost of living sprang up in recent years, but the government and security forces clamped down on any dissent.

Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at the Control Risks Group consulting firm, told The Associated Press that, in the event of a Wadagni victory, the new government will likely continue Talon's policies aimed at positioning Benin as a stable investment environment, while facing a largely constrained opposition.

“Wadagni may want to avert a crisis in confidence by first consolidating power then engaging in dialogue with opponents to demonstrate goodwill,” Ochieng said.

In December, a group of military officers attempted to topple Talon’s government in a failed coup, the latest in a series of recent military takeover attempts across Africa. Most attempted coups follow a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises, and youth discontent.

Among the coup leaders’ key complaints was the deterioration of security in northern Benin.

For years, Benin has faced spillover violence in its north from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger in their battle against the al-Qaida-affiliated extremist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM.

The tri-border area has long been a hotbed for extremist violence, a trend worsened by the lack of security cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso, both now led by military juntas.

——

McMakin Contributed from Dakar

Martin said the package amounting to 505 million euros ($592 million) will ease some of the cost of living pressures that have grown since the U.S.-Israel war on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for the world's oil. The relief measure, which needs parliamentary approval, would come on top of a 250 million euro tax break approved nearly three weeks ago.

It was not immediately clear if the proposal will quell the uprisings, though protests diminished Sunday amid a police crackdown.

Over six days the actions caused chaos as blockades at Ireland’s refinery, a major port and several vital depots prevented tanker trucks from delivering fuel to service stations and many gas pumps ran dry. Slow-moving convoys of vehicles also caused traffic jams on major highways.

Martin said Ireland had been on the brink of having oil tankers redirected to other countries and its refinery shut down.

“It made absolutely no sense what was going on,” he said. “Higher fuel scarcity and higher fuel prices would actually have been the inevitable outcome of these blockades.”

Police had warned of arrests and began breaking up protests Saturday, using pepper spray to help clear people from the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and vowing to remove others who were endangering critical infrastructure and public safety because gas shortages could prevent response by emergency services.

Officers ordered trucks and tractors blocking O’Connell Street, the main thoroughfare in the capital of Dublin, to clear out early Sunday. On the other side of the country, police clashed with demonstrators to reopen the Galway docks after a military vehicle was used to knock down a makeshift barrier.

Protesters at a fuel depot in County Limerick voted to end their action Sunday and demonstrators at Rosslare Europort in Wexford agreed to begin letting trucks leave the port that is jammed with cargo that couldn’t be moved.

“It’s just a pity that we had to escalate a protest to this level to bring our government to the table to get fairness for every working person around this country,” Neilus O’Connor, an agricultural contractor, told national broadcaster RTE, outside the Foynes depot.

Protests began Tuesday and grew as word spread on social media, with truckers, farmers, and taxi and bus operators taking part and calling for help — such as price caps or tax cuts — to bring down fuel costs they say will drive people out of business.

Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises a few weeks ago, were baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the Middle East conflict that restricted oil exports.

More than a third of gas pumps had run dry by Saturday, but the reopening of the refinery and removal of roadblocks at fuel depots was expected to begin reversing the shortage, though it could take up to 10 days to fully recover, Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan said.

The rare Sunday Cabinet meeting to finalize the relief measures came as the coalition government faces new political pressures from rivals critical of their handling of the crisis.

Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, said it would call for a no-confidence vote in the coalition government. Holly Cairns of the Social Democrats said her party would support the vote.

“They have lost the confidence of the public," Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said. "It is clear that they still are not listening and do not accept the scale of this fuel and cost-of-living crisis.”

The fiery Garcia then created a lighter moment on the same hole when he carried fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm's clubs for a bit.

The Garcia-Rahm group, which paired two countrymen and former champions both on LIV Golf, was always going to create some buzz, even with both out of contention. Then, Garcia quickly brought the drama up another notch.

The 2017 Masters champ looked frustrated on his follow-through when his first shot of the day went well to the right, leading to an opening bogey. Garcia hit another drive headed to the bunker on the par-5 second and lost his temper.

He slammed his club into the turf twice, then took a swipe at a table with a green cooler on it. That left the head of his driver dangling from the shaft, and Garcia reached over and yanked it off completely.

According to club officials, Geoff Yang in his role as chairman of the competitions committee spoke to Garcia on the fourth tee and issued the code-of-conduct warning.

Garcia declined to discuss what was said, saying: “I'm not going to tell you.”

The PGA Tour has been developing a code-of-conduct policy for competition, and the Masters is the first to use it, according to a person involved in the process. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of respect to Augusta National running the tournament.

The PGA Championship also plans to use the policy, and likely the other two majors. The person said the second violation would be a two-shot penalty, and the third violation leads to disqualification.

“Just obviously not super proud of it,” Garcia said, “but sometimes it happens.”

Garcia was disqualified in 2019 at the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. His antics over the years include angrily kicking off his shoe when he slipped during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001, and the shoe nearly struck an official.

He also spit into a cup during a World Golf Championship at Doral after three-putting.

Garcia played the rest of the final round at Augusta National without a driver and appeared to have calmed down.

“It makes it very easy,” he said. “I just have to hit 3-wood all the time. I didn’t have to choose another club.”

Shortly after damaging the tee box on No. 2, the situation turned comical when Garcia started carrying Rahm's bag while Rahm's caddie was raking the bunker. The crowd applauded when Rahm took the bag from Garcia and started carrying it himself as Rahm's caddie Adam Hayes hustled to catch up to the players.

“There was nothing,” Garcia said. “Adam stopped to rake my bunker, and Benji (Thompson), my caddie, was carrying both bags, so I told him, ‘Just put it down, I’ll get it so you can go and get a yardage.’ Just as simple as that.”

Garcia did manage to make par on No. 2 before bogeying the third and fourth holes. He wound up shooting 75.

“If you don’t hit good shots,” he said, “you’re not going to score well here. It’s very simple.”

___

AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson and AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report.

___

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

It’s a day many of us remember: April 12, 2016.

Storms formed near Del Rio and moved west, arriving in San Antonio during the late evening hours.

The most powerful storm moved just north of downtown San Antonio, prompting numerous reports of 2 to 3 inches of hail. However, hail up to 4.5 inches came down in pockets around the city.

Rarely do storms produce large hail for this long over such a populated area.

The storm resulted in losses of $1.36 billion, making it the second-costliest hail storm in Texas history. To add insult to injury, San Antonio was hit by another storm with large hail just two weeks later.

Watch below — KSAT Explains: Why hail happens in San Antonio

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

KSAT will be live from Fiesta Fiesta at Travis Park from 8-10 p.m. You can catch the official kickoff party, Fiesta Fiesta, on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), and KSAT.com.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the first day of Fiesta 2026 on April 16:

• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway St. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled from 5-11 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta Fiesta: The free event, presented by Toyota, is the official opening ceremony for Fiesta. Fiesta fans can wear their shiny Fiesta medals, enjoy live entertainment and food from 4-10 p.m. at Travis Park, 301 E. Travis. The festival will also feature a military salute spotlighting the Fiesta Military Commander from the U.S. Air Force.
• First Tee Invitational Golf Tournament: The golf tournament, hosted by the Canyon Springs Senior Men’s Golf Association, enters its ninth year as an official Fiesta event. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 24405 Wilderness Oak. Team registration starts at $800 for a four-person team. For more details, click here.
• Pin Pandemonium: Located at Fiesta Fiesta, guests can stop by the Pin Pandemonium to purchase or trade Fiesta medals from 4-10 p.m. at Travis Park. The pandemonium, presented by Monarch Trophy Studio, also helps support the Fiesta nonprofit organizations.
• Taste of the Republic: Since 2017, Taste of the Republic has helped kick off Fiesta. Attendees can enjoy and stroll through six culinary regions of Texas from 5-9 p.m. at the Jack Guenther Pavilion at the Briscoe Art Museum, 210 W. Market St. Tickets are $150 per person. This event is only for guests 21 and over.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

The Oyster Bake, Fiesta De Los Reyes and Taste Of New Orleans officially kick off for all of San Antonio to enjoy. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee for Fiesta De Los Reyes.

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Want to know what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the second day of Fiesta 2026 on April 17:

• A Taste of New Orleans: Savor New Orleans-style cuisine while enjoying a variety of jazz and blues music from 5:30-11 p.m. at the Sunken Garden Theatre, 3875 N. St. Mary’s St. Admission costs $22 per person, while children 12 and younger get in for free. A two-day pass costs $40 per person.
• Children’s History Forum at Casa Navarro: The free Fiesta event is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Casa Navarro, 228 S. Laredo St. Guests will have a chance to participate in a hands-on experience and learn how rangers lived during the 1800s at the historic site.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway St. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled from 5-11:30 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 17 includes Jay Perez and Jase Martin Band.
• Fiesta Oyster Bake: April 17 marks the first day of Oyster Bake at St. Mary’s University. The festival attracts more than 70,000 patrons to help raise money for St. Mary’s students. The music lineup for April 17 includes Switchfoot and Drake Milligan. The event will be from 5-11 p.m. at 1 Camino Santa Maria. Click here to purchase tickets.
• Fiesta Show & Shine Dinner & Dance: The annual event will take place from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at the Westin San Antonio North, 9821 Colonnade Blvd. The dinner and dance, which takes place on April 17, costs $95 per person. The event will also feature the 2026 Show & Shine sound competition, which will display bikes of all brands and highlight custom modifications. This Fiesta event helps fund and sustain the scholarship program, which supports dozens of college-bound high school students.
• King’s Crowning Celebration: The celebration will be the crowning of Rey Feo 77, Damaso Andres Oliva Jr. The King’s Crowning Celebration will take place from 7 p.m. to midnight at the San Antonio Convention Center Grotto, Convention Way. Tickets for the celebration can be found here.
• Rey Feo Public Crowning: Enjoy the sounds of mariachis while learning the history of the Rey Feo tradition during the public crowning from 5:30-7 p.m. at Main Plaza, 115 Main Ave. The free, family-friendly event is a tradition that supports fundraising efforts to further the educational mission of the Rey Feo Scholarship Program.
• The Fiesta Flower Show: The Woman’s Club of San Antonio has hosted the annual show since 1913. Floral arrangements based on the year’s theme and horticultural displays will be featured at the Fiesta event. The free show will take place from 2-5 p.m. at 1717 San Pedro Ave.
• UTSA Dia En La Sombrilla: The 48th annual event, formerly Fiesta UTSA, began in 1978. Dia En La Sombrilla allows student organizations to raise funds by selling food and drinks, hosting games and providing services. Funds raised are used for tournaments, conferences, events and more. The free fiesta event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza at UTSA’s Main Campus.
• WEBB Party: Step into the Sunset Strip’s golden era during the WEBB Party from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at 110 Broadway. The party “honors the places that gave the LGBTQ+ community joy, safety, and celebration,” according to the San Antonio AIDS Foundation. Admission to the party costs between $175 to $250.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

On Saturday, April 18, San Antonians can head out to Chanclas Y Cervezas, which features a variety of games and competitions, live entertainment and more.

Other events to look forward to are the last day of the Oyster Bake, the Fiesta Festival and the Walk for Autism.

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Are you curious to know what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the third day of Fiesta 2026 on April 18:

• 48th Annual Fiesta Women & Co-Ed Soccer Tournament: Bring your chair to enjoy the free Fiesta women and co-ed soccer tournament games from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Star Soccer Complex, 5103 David Edwards Drive. There will be a playground for children, but supervision by an adult is required.
• 105th Annual Patriotic and Historical Ball: The annual event will take place from 7-11 p.m. at the Venues at San Fernando Cathedral, 231 W. Commerce St. The Patriots and Historic Ball is one of the opening galas of Fiesta 2026. Highlights include a visit from King Antonio of the Texas Cavaliers River Parade in his first official duty as king. Tickets cost $45.
• Alpha Pi Zeta Fiesta Track: The Alpha Pi Zeta Chapter has hosted the staple event since 1984. The free event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 200 Noblewood.
• Annual Open TCA Car Show: The free event will showcase cars and trucks of all makes and models from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Main Plaza, 100 N. Main St. in Boerne. Guests can enjoy a variety of dining, a competitive silent auction, Fiesta medal sales and more.
• A Taste of New Orleans: Savor New Orleans-style cuisine while enjoying a variety of jazz and blues music from noon to 11 p.m. at the Sunken Garden Theatre, 3875 N. St. Mary’s St. Admission costs $22 per person, while children 12 and younger get in for free. A two-day pass costs $40 per person.
• Breakfast for the Brave: The free, family-friendly event will feature breakfast offerings, live entertainment and more from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rock at La Cantera, 1 Spurs Way. Guests can explore a lively vendor fair showcasing local veteran- and first responder-owned businesses. The first 150 veterans, active-duty service members and first responders to register will enjoy free breakfast. Meal tickets may be purchased here.
• Celebration of Traditions Pow Wow: Enjoy traditional, exhibition or intertribal dances during the Celebration of Traditions Pow Wow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Morgan’s Wonderland Event Center, 5223 David Edwards Drive. Admission is free.
• Chanclas Y Cervezas: The seventh annual celebration will take place from 5-11 p.m. at 2532 Sidney Brooks. The celebration will feature live music and chancla-throwing competitions for a chance to compete to be crowned king or queen of Chanclas Y Cervezas. Presale tickets cost $15 per person and tickets at the door cost $20 per person.
• Chaparral Music & Heritage Festival: The San Antonio Parks Foundation will host the free festival from noon to 9 p.m. at 301 E. Travis St. The festival raises funds for improvements to parks across San Antonio.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Earth Day: The free, family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Woodlawn Lake Park, 1103 Cincinnati Ave. Highlights of the event include tree and plant giveaways, fishing and fitness activities, more than 80 community partners and more.
• El Rey Fido Coronation: The pet-friendly El Rey Fido event will feature a Royal Court in full regalia as part of Fiesta festivities. The free event will take place from 9:45-11 a.m. at Hops & Hounds, 1123 Avenue B.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled for noon to midnight at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta Castle Hills: The free annual event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 209 Lemonwood. Fiesta Castle Hills will feature a parade, 40-50 arts and crafts vendors, a petting zoo and more.
• Fiesta De Los Niños: From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., families can enjoy exploring the future of technology inside the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology’s AREA 21 Inspiration Center at the Boeing Center at Tech Port, 3331 General Hudnell. The free event will feature hands-on activities highlighting cybersecurity, robotics, video gaming and esports, space exploration and more.
• Fiesta Festival: The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6711 S. New Braunfels Ave. The event, which will feature live entertainment, food and a mini parade, is a fundraising event that benefits around 200 residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the San Antonio State Supported Living Center. Admission to the Fiesta Festival is free.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 18 includes Gary Hobbs and La Dezz.
• Fiesta Flower Show: The Woman’s Club of San Antonio has hosted the annual show since 1913. Floral arrangements based on the year’s theme and horticultural displays will be featured at the Fiesta event. The free show will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1717 San Pedro Ave.
• Fiesta Kings Cup Polo Party: Guests can enjoy watching teams compete for the Fiesta Kings Cup Trophy from noon to 4 p.m. at 490 W. Specht Road. The day will feature a gourmet-style buffet, champagne and more. Admission is $200 per seat or $1,600 for a table of eight guests.
• Fiesta on French: Enjoy live New Orleans Jazz, Cajun food and drinks during the Fiesta on French event from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at 415 W. French Place. The event supports people in the community who are in need. Admission is $150 per person.
• Fiesta Oyster Bake: April 18 marks the last day of Oyster Bake at St. Mary’s University. The festival attracts more than 70,000 patrons to help raise money for St. Mary’s students. The music lineup for April 18 includes Candlebox and Jenny B. The event will be from noon to 11 p.m. at 1 Camino Santa Maria. Click here to purchase tickets.
• Fiesta Show & Shine Dinner & Dance: The annual event will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at the Westin San Antonio North, 9821 Colonnade Blvd. The April 18 date will feature the day party, which is free to the public. Local, small and veteran-owned businesses and vendors will be at the event. This Fiesta event helps fund and sustain the scholarship program, which supports dozens of college-bound high school students.
• Investiture of King Antonio CIII: The investiture ceremony, which dates back to 1927, honors the memory of the heroes who fell at the Alamo. It also recognizes new members inducted into the Texas Cavaliers each year. The free event will be from 6:15-7:30 p.m. at 300 Alamo Plaza.
• Lotería Para Líderes: Shop from local vendors, playing games of Lotería from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Westin San Antonio North, 9821 Colonnade Blvd. La Reina de Loteria and La Princesa de Loteria will also be crowned at this event. Admission costs $100. The fundraiser supports Girl Scouts and the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center.
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — A Masquerade Extravaganza: The masquerade event will take place from 6-11 p.m. at The Doseum, 2800 Broadway St. The AMAZING E7 Band will return as a headliner for the event. Early bird ticket prices start at $100 per person. The event is a fundraiser open only to those 21 and older.
• OLLU Confetti 5K Fun Run: Lace up your sneakers and prepare to run along with more than 800 participants during the OLLU Confetti 5K Run and Walk from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Lake University’s Main Front Walk, 411 SW 24th St. Registration between April 4 and April 17 is $40. On race day, registration is $45. Click here for more information.
• Piñatas in the Barrio: The free, family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, music, food and more from noon to 9 p.m. at Plaza Guadalupe, 1327 Guadalupe St. Attendees can witness the unveiling of the barrio’s largest piñata in the city, plus they can see who will be crowned the 2026 king and queen of the barrio.
• San Jacinto Victory Celebration: The event, which commemorates the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at Alamo Plaza. The free celebration features speakers from across Texas who will discuss the military strategy behind the historic triumph.
• The Circle for Life Motorcycle Rally: The rally will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at 29078 Interstate 10 W. in Boerne. Presale tickets cost $40, while day-of-event tickets are $45. The rally supports organ and tissue donor awareness.
• UT San Antonio Fiesta Arts Fair: The nationally ranked art fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the UTSA Southwest Campus, 300 Augusta. The art-focused fundraiser celebration provides operating support for UT San Antonio. Admission is $16 for a two-day ticket.
• Viva Botanica: Enjoy live entertainment and activities at the Viva Botanica from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston. The family-friendly event gives attendees a chance to explore a botanical theme through interactive activity stations led by Garden educators. Tickets are $22 per person.
• Walk for Autism: The event focuses on raising awareness about autism and raising funds to unite for change. The free event will be from 1-6 p.m. at Retama Park, 1 Retama Parkway in Selma.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

On the first Sunday of Fiesta, Fiesta-goers can attend the final day of A Taste of New Orleans, Fiesta Flotilla or the free San Antonio Symphonic Band Fiesta Concert.

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the fourth day of Fiesta 2026 on April 19:

• 48th Annual Fiesta Women & Co-Ed Soccer Tournament: Bring your chair to enjoy the free Fiesta women and co-ed soccer tournament games from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Star Soccer Complex, 5103 David Edwards Drive. There will be a playground for children, but supervision by an adult is required.
• A Day in Old Mexico: The San Antonio Charro Association will host A Day in Old Mexico from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 6126 Padre Drive. The event will celebrate Mexican heritage through the tradition of charrería. Tickets are $25 per person. Children 12 and under get in for free.
• A Taste of New Orleans: Savor New Orleans-style cuisine while enjoying a variety of jazz and blues music from noon to 10 p.m. at the Sunken Garden Theatre, 3875 N. St. Mary’s St. Admission costs $22 per person, while children 12 and younger get in for free.
• Champagne & Diamonds Brunch: The brunch, which is consistently attended by Fiesta royalty, will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Security Service Event Center, 15000 Interstate 10. Fiesta royalty compete in “El Grito” for a chance to win “El Gallo.” Tickets start at $275 per person.
• Chili Queens Chili Cook-off: Attendees can attend the 18th annual event from 3-8 p.m. at 411 Bonham St. The Chili Queens tradition dates back more than 100 years and is rooted in San Antonio’s cultural history.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway St. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled from noon to 11 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 19 includes Special Show Tribute and Delta Boys.
• Fiesta Flotilla: The free, family-friendly event will take place from 1-3 p.m. at Acequia Park, 8500 Mission Pkwy. This Fiesta event will feature free kayaking, an outdoor fishing clinic, tree giveaways, Folklórico dancers and more. Canoe and bicycle decorating contests will be held, with prizes awarded to participants.
• Pan American League’s Fiesta Olé!: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests will be treated to a runway experience featuring San Antonio women leaders, philanthropists and more who will model from a surprise designer during the show. Fiesta Olé, which will take place at the Westin San Antonio North, 9821 Colonnade Blvd., costs $90 per person. The celebration helps fund scholarships for students and provides critical support to families and residents in San Antonio.
• San Antonio Symphonic Band Fiesta Concert: The free SASB Fiesta concert will take place from 7-8 p.m. at the Diane Bennack Concert Hall at the University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway St.
• San Fernando Cathedral Fiesta Mass: Guests can stop by the San Fernando Cathedral for Fiesta Mass from 10-11 a.m. at 115 Main Plaza. The Fiesta mass will offer a blessing for participants, organizers and the events that make Fiesta a “treasured tradition.”
• SARR Fiesta Mission Run: This year, the SARR Fiesta Mission Run will highlight Mission Concepción. The Fiesta-themed run is the club’s oldest race, and the 10K is the oldest of its kind hosted in San Antonio. Tickets start at $15 and up. The SARR Fiesta Mission Run will take place from 7-11:30 a.m. at Mission County Park, 6030 Padre Drive.
• UT San Antonio Fiesta Arts Fair: The nationally ranked art fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UTSA Southwest Campus, 300 Augusta. The art-focused fundraiser celebration provides operating support for UT San Antonio. Admission is $16 per person.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

The Texas Cavaliers River Parade is just one of the many fun events planned for Monday, April 20.

The unique floating parade will air live on KSAT 12, KSAT.com, and KSAT Plus (our free streaming app). KSAT will also stream River Parade en Español. Coverage begins at 7 p.m., followed by the SA Live River Parade After Party.

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the fifth day of Fiesta 2026 on April 20:

• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Doing Good on the Green Golf Tournament: The tournament will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TPC San Antonio, 23808 Resort Parkway. Participants can enjoy a variety of on-course contests. Individual admission costs $400 and team registration is $1,600. The event benefits the San Antonio and New Braunfels food banks.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: On April 20, Fiesta De Los Reyes will honor heroes as part of Military Monday. Active duty service members and veterans can show a military ID to receive a special wristband for exclusive discounts. The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 20 includes Erik Y Su Grupo Massore and Los Sabrosos De La Cumbia.
• Pilgrimage to the Alamo: The free ceremony will honor those who lost their lives defending The Alamo from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 300 Alamo Plaza. Around 100 organizations participate, including representatives from six U.S. military branches, Fiesta royalty, local and county officials and more.
• Texas Cavaliers River Parade: The 81st annual Texas Cavaliers River Parade will come to life from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the San Antonio River Walk. Leon and Leticia McNeil, founders of the nonprofit City Kids Adventures, were announced as the parade’s grand marshals. Both are teachers. This year’s parade theme is “Through the Decades” and honors influential cultural moments of the last century. Ticket prices range from $29 to $35.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

A Night in Old San Antonio, also known as NIOSA, opens its first night Tuesday with a variety of food and drink options for Fiesta-goers. Fiesta Especial Celebration Day and Cornyation are also scheduled for Tuesday.

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Are you curious to know what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the sixth day of Fiesta 2026 on April 21:

• Ain’t Gonna Resta ‘till After Fiesta Dance: The free Fiesta event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Espee, 1174 E. Commerce St. Eva’s Heroes will crown its first Fiesta king and queen.
• A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA): NIOSA is a four-night festival that transforms La Villita into 14 cultural areas. The festival will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at 418 Villita St. Presale tickets cost $20 and tickets at the gate cost $25. NIOSA is produced by and benefits the Conservation Society of San Antonio.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. On April 21, guests can purchase one unlimited ride wristband and receive a second one free. The offer is valid onsite only and cannot be combined with other offers. The carnival is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta Cornyation: Performances will take place at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St. The show, produced by about 200 volunteers, is ruled by King Anchovy, Cornyation’s answer to King Antonio and Rey Feo. Cornyation is an adult-only show. Funds raised go to local charities and provide scholarships to high school graduates seeking a theatrical degree. Tickets for the performances can be purchased here.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: On April 21, guests can enjoy Take Me Back Tuesday, featuring ‘80s, ’90s and today’s biggest hits. The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 21 includes Spazmatics and Tributo a Mana Y Shakira.
• Fiesta Especial Celebration Day: The celebration is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 100 Montana St., Parking Lot C. The Fiesta Especial Celebration is designed for children and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities. Admission is free, but advanced registration is required due to limited space. There will be no general admission at the gate.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

On Wednesday, April 22, you can attend the second day of a fan-favorite Fiesta event, NIOSA. Other events to enjoy are Gartenfest and the Ford Mariachi Festival.

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the seventh day of Fiesta 2026 on April 22:

• A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA): NIOSA is a four-night festival that transforms La Villita into 14 cultural areas. The festival will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at 418 Villita St. Presale tickets cost $20 and tickets at the gate cost $25. NIOSA is produced by and benefits the Conservation Society of San Antonio.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Coronation of the Queen: The 112th coronation will take place from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 224 E. Houston St. Proceeds from the presentation support the musicians of the San Antonio Symphony, who perform during the coronation. Tickets can be purchased here.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. All rides cost $3, and food concessions will offer a menu item for $3. The carnival is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta Cornyation: Performances will take place at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St. The show, produced by about 200 volunteers, is ruled by King Anchovy, Cornyation’s answer to King Antonio and Rey Feo. Cornyation is an adult-only show. Funds raised go to local charities and provide scholarships to high school graduates seeking a theatrical degree. Tickets for the performances can be purchased here.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 22 includes David Lee Garza Y Los Musicales and Destiny Navira.
• Fiesta Gartenfest at the Beethoven: Gartenfest will take place from 4 p.m. to midnight at 422 Pereida. Entertainment includes the 50-piece Beethoven Concert Band and the Beethoven German Dance Band. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. Proceeds from the event help preserve German music, language, customs and culture in South Texas.
• Fiesta Hat Contest and Luncheon: The 30th annual event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Westin San Antonio North, located at 9821 Colonnade Blvd. Guests will compete in several individual and group categories showcasing creativity, flair and Fiesta spirit. The event also features a large silent auction and the Women’s Club Boutique auction for shopping opportunities. General admission costs $80 per person.
• Ford Mariachi Festival: The free festival will run from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 602 E. Commerce St. Guests can enjoy the dozens of mariachi ensembles from across Texas and beyond performing at the River Walk stage during the Ford Mariachi Festival.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

KSAT will stream the Battle of Flowers Band Festival at 7 p.m. Thursday on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus (our free streaming app).

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Are you curious to know what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the eighth day of Fiesta 2026 on April 23:

• 10th Street River Festival: VFW Post 76 will host the three-day Fiesta event from Thursday through Saturday. Thursday’s event will run from 4 p.m. to midnight at 10 10th St. The free, family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, dancing and food and beverages. Proceeds from the event will support veteran programs, youth scholarships, recognition awards for local law enforcement, first responders and community events.
• A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA): NIOSA is a four-night festival that transforms La Villita into 14 cultural areas. The festival will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at 418 Villita St. Presale tickets cost $20 and tickets at the gate cost $25. NIOSA is produced by and benefits the Conservation Society of San Antonio.
• Battle of Flowers Band Festival: The 90th annual event will feature more than 4,000 band students participating in a massed band presentation from schools across the Alamo City from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Alamo Stadium, 110 Tuleta Drive. College scholarships are awarded to high school seniors participating in the festival. General admission tickets start at $7.
• CCHS Fiesta FangDango: Enjoy food, live music and entertainment and fun activities during the CCHS Fiesta FangDango from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Central Catholic High School, 1403 N. St. Mary’s St. Admission is $30 per person. Ticket purchases help support scholarships, student programs and campus improvements at the high school.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Carnival - $3 Day: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. All rides are $3 each and all food concessions will offer a $3 menu item on April 23. The carnival is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C, 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta Clay Target Shoot: Enjoy a social gathering while testing your clay target shooting skills during the Fiesta Clay Target Shoot from noon to 5 p.m. at San Antonio Trap and Skeet Club, 928 Contour Drive. The event will feature a live auction, door prizes, handmade trophies and certificates for competitors and live mariachi music. Admission costs $600 per four-person team.
• Fiesta Cornyation: Performances will take place at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St. The show, produced by about 200 volunteers, is ruled by King Anchovy, Cornyation’s answer to King Antonio and Rey Feo. Cornyation is an adult-only show. Funds raised go to local charities and provide scholarships to high school graduates seeking a theatrical degree. Tickets for the performances can be purchased here.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 23 includes Ricardo Castillon Y La Diferenzia and David Marez.
• Fiesta Gartenfest at the Beethoven: Gartenfest will take place from 4 p.m. to midnight at 422 Pereida. Entertainment includes the 50-piece Beethoven Concert Band and the Beethoven German Dance Band. On April 23, King Antonio will make an appearance. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. Proceeds from the event help preserve German music, language, customs and culture in South Texas.
• Fiesta San Fernando: The free, family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to midnight at 115 Main Plaza. Fiesta San Fernando supports small businesses that showcase their home-cooked style food and handmade crafts. All proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration of San Fernando Cathedral.
• Ford Mariachi Festival: The free festival will run from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 602 E. Commerce St. Guests can enjoy the dozens of mariachi ensembles from across Texas and beyond performing at the River Walk stage during the Ford Mariachi Festival.
• Fredstock: The festival is a student-organized and run festivity that will feature San Antonio’s vibrant music culture. Admission is free. Fredstock will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at San Antonio College’s Parking Lot 13, 309 W. Dewey Place.
• La Semana Alegre: The two-day festival is set to return to Hemisfair, marking its first year as an official Fiesta event. Fiesta-goers can enjoy two nights of live music, food and drinks from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 210 S. Alamo St. Single-day general admission tickets cost $26 per person and two-day tickets cost $42. Proceeds from the event benefit the Hemisfair Conservancy.
• PACFest 2026: The family-friendly celebration will take place from noon to 11:30 p.m. at 1400 W. Villaret Blvd. The celebration features a day of entertainment with artistic and musical performers on the main stage, food booths, children’s activities and more. Admission is $15 per person. Children ages 12 and under get in for free. PACFest has been an official Fiesta event since 2003.
• SACXS Show and Sale: Fiesta-goers will have the chance to view, learn and purchase rare and unusual plants from all over the world from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. The free event will feature plants such as cactus, succulents and xerophytes.
• Senior Fiesta: Seniors can enjoy live entertainment, a health and wellness fair and activities during Senior Fiesta from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wonderland of the Americas, 4522 Fredericksburg Road. Senior Fiesta is the only official Fiesta event sanctioned event planned for seniors. Admission is free.
• St. Philip’s College CultureFest & Rib Cook-off: Enjoy some of the “best” ribs in San Antonio while celebrating the 131st anniversary of St. Philip’s College from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1801 Martin Luther King Drive. The event will feature an opening ceremony procession, food, vendors and a raffle. Guests are invited to wear attire representing their own or a favorite culture.
• Taste of the Northside: The Fiesta event will take place from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Rock at La Cantera, 1 Spurs Way. Tickets are $300 and premier tickets are $600. Tickets will give foodies access to sample and taste food from more than 50 local restaurants while enjoying live music and entertainment.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned and viva Fiesta!

KSAT will offer live coverage of the Battle of the Flowers Parade starting at 11 a.m. on KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus. KSAT will also stream Battle of Flowers en Español.

Don’t forget it’s also the final day to celebrate and attend NIOSA at La Villita!

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on-air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the ninth day of Fiesta 2026 on April 24:

• 10th Street River Festival: VFW Post 76 will continue to host the three-day Fiesta event on April 24. Friday’s event will run from noon to midnight at 10 10th St. The free, family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, dancing and food beverages. Proceeds from the event will support veteran programs, youth scholarships, recognition awards for local law enforcement, first responders and community events.
• A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA): NIOSA is a four-night festival that transforms La Villita into 14 cultural areas. The festival will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at 418 Villita St. Presale tickets cost $20 and tickets at the gate cost $25. NIOSA is produced by and benefits the Conservation Society of San Antonio.
• Battle of Flowers Parade: The 135th annual event will take place from 9:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown San Antonio. This year’s parade theme is “From Pages to Possibilities.” The parade is produced entirely by women, and all of them are volunteers. Tickets can be purchased here.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Artisan Show: Get ready to stroll and shop during the Fiesta Artisan Show from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 602 E. Commerce St. The show features more than 30 artisan vendors showcasing pottery, textiles, jewelry and more. Admission is free.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled for noon to 11:30 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C at 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square at 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 24 includes Latin Breed and Jaime De Anda.
• Fiesta Gartenfest at the Beethoven: Gartenfest will take place from 4 p.m. to midnight at 422 Pereida. Entertainment includes the 50-piece Beethoven Concert Band and the Beethoven German Dance Band. On April 24, El Rey Feo will make an appearance. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. Proceeds from the event help preserve German music, language, customs and culture in South Texas.
• Fiesta Jazz Festival: The three-day festival, which will feature middle school jazz band festival and university invitational, will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Mary’s University Alumni Athletic & Convocation Center at 1 Camino Santa Maria. The festival offers a unique educational and musical performance experience for more than 500 middle school, high school and college jazz student performers from across Texas. Admission is free. The Fiesta Jazz Festival is one of Texas’ oldest events presenting jazz music.
• Fiesta San Fernando: The free, family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to midnight at 115 Main Plaza. Fiesta San Fernando supports small businesses that showcase their home-cooked style food and handmade crafts. All proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration of San Fernando Cathedral.
• Fiesta Square and Round Dance: Enjoy a night of dancing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at TriPoint Center at 3233 N. St. Mary’s St. Official Fiesta royalty will be in attendance. Admission is free.
• Incognito: The masked party experience will take place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Jaime’s Place at 1514 W. Commerce St. Winners at the performance-based costume contest will be judged on design, concept and performance presentation for individual or group entries. Admission costs $25 per person or $140 for a table of six.
• La Semana Alegre: The festival returns to Hemisfair, marking its first year as an official Fiesta event. Fiesta-goers can enjoy two nights of live music, food and drinks from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 210 S. Alamo St. Single-day general admission tickets cost $26 per person. Proceeds from the event benefit the Hemisfair Conservancy.
• SACXS Show and Sale: Fiesta-goers will have the chance to view, learn and purchase rarer and unusual plants from all over the world from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Antonio Garden Center at 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. The free event will feature plants such as cactus, succulents and xerophytes.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned, and Viva Fiesta!

KSAT will livestream the following anticipated Fiesta events on Saturday:

• Fiesta Pooch Parade at 7:30 a.m. on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus
• King William Parade at 9 a.m. on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus
• KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party at 7:30 p.m. on all KSAT platforms
• Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español at 8:30 p.m. on all KSAT platforms

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on-air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on-air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the 10th day of Fiesta 2026 on April 25:

• 10th Street River Festival: VFW Post 76 will host the third and final day of 10th Street River Festival on April 25. Saturday’s event will run from noon to midnight at 10 10th St. The free, family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, dancing and food beverages. Proceeds from the event will support veteran programs, youth scholarships, recognition awards for local law enforcement, first responders and community events.
• 14th Annual Run to Remember: Multiple runs, including a 5K/10K, kids .5K run, and a .5K beer run will take place from 7 a.m. to noon at Mission County Park, 6030 Padre Drive. Tickets vary for each race. Proceeds raised through this Fiesta event supports the Alzheimer’s Association of San Antonio and South Texas.
• Annual Fiesta Healthy Choice Conference: The free conference will promote health, education and community service from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Second Baptist Church at 3310 E. Commerce St. The healthy choice conference will also feature teen mentorship and the ExCel program. Fiesta royalty will make a special appearance.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta-goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Fiesta Artisan Show: Get ready to stroll and shop during the Fiesta Artisan Show from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 602 E. Commerce St. The show features more than 30 artisan vendors showcasing pottery, textiles, jewelry and more. Admission is free.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled for noon to midnight at the Alamodome Parking Lot C at 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight at the Historic Market Square at 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 25 includes Ruben Ramos and Monica Saldivar.
• Festival De Animales: The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. The festival, which celebrates animals, culture and conservation, is the San Antonio Zoo’s official Fiesta event. There will be live music, dance performances, cultural displays. Festival De Animales is included with standard zoo admission.
• Fiesta De Los Spurs Run: The Spurs run will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown San Antonio. The run, which is approximately 2.8 to 3.1 miles, is scheduled before the Fiesta Flambeau Parade and gives participants the chance to run or walk the parade route in front of a cheering crowd. Registration is limited to 1,500 participants. Tickets for the Fiesta De Los Spurs Run are $50 through April 24 and on race day registration costs $55. All proceeds benefit Spurs Give, the official nonprofit organization for the San Antonio Spurs.
• Fiesta East: The Fiesta event will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Comanche Park, Pavilion 2 W/Aztec-Tejas at 2600 Rigsby Ave. The free event will feature park rides and amenities, food and drinks and live entertainment. Fiesta East is hosted by the Historic Neighborhoods Development Corporation.
• Fiesta Flambeau Parade: The Fiesta event, known as “America’s largest illuminated night parade,” will take place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in downtown San Antonio. The 3.1-mile route expects to draw nearly 800,000 spectators for the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. This year’s theme is “Adventures in Toyland.” Tickets can be purchased here.
• Fiesta Jazz Festival: The festival will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Mary’s University Alumni Athletic & Convocation Center at 1 Camino Santa Maria. High school jazz bands will perform on April 25. The festival offers a unique educational and musical performance experience for more than 500 middle school, high school and college jazz student performers from across Texas. Admission is free. The Fiesta Jazz Festival is one of Texas’ oldest events presenting jazz music.
• Fiesta Pooch Parade: The pooch parade will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 250 Viesca St. King Anbarkio will lead the the parade as it marches through Alamo Heights. The Fiesta Pooch Parade will also feature a costume contest with different categories such as “Best in Show” and “Best Matched Human and Animal.” Admission is free for the family-friendly event.
• Fiesta San Fernando: The free, family-friendly event will run from 10 a.m. to midnight at 115 Main Plaza. Fiesta San Fernando supports small businesses that showcase their home-cooked style food and handmade crafts. All proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration of San Fernando Cathedral.
• Growing Up Female: The free Fiesta event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Trinity University at 1 Trinity Place. Growing Up Female will allow young women explore STEM, practice speaking up and advocating for themselves.
• King William Fair: Fiesta’s largest residential party will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 122 Madison. The fair kicks off with a 1.5-mile parade and features more than 200 art and craft vendors, live entertainment and more. This year, the event will feature a Texas Wine Garden, VIP “Secret Garden” and exclusive parade seating. General tickets are $20. Children 11 and under get in for free.
• SACXS Show and Sale: Fiesta-goers will have the chance to view, learn and purchase rarer and unusual plants from all over the world from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Antonio Garden Center at 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. The free event will feature plants such as cactus, succulents and xerophytes.
• Starfish Dash 5K Run/Walk & Health Fair: Get your team together, wear costumes and pick a theme for the Starfish Dash 5K Run/Walk and Health Fair. The free official Fiesta event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at 7431 Merton Minter. The top three men, women and youth participants will be awarded medals. There will be free parking, coffee, water and snacks available for attendees. To pre-register for the event, click here.
• United Way Kids Festival: The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Dartmouth St. United Way Kids Festival is the only 100% free, family-friendly event with no cost for food, activities or experiences. Families can receive free books and enjoy entertainment, a hat-making competition and more.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned, and Viva Fiesta!

On the last day of Fiesta, San Antonians can wrap up the celebration by attending A Day in Old Mexico, Festival De Cascarones and Fiesta De Los Reyes.

Have you attended any Fiesta festivities? Share your adventures on KSAT Connect for a chance to be featured on-air or online!

Fiesta 2026 will carry the theme “Fiesta Together” as San Antonio marks the festival’s 135th anniversary.

Wondering what’s happening each day of the 11-day celebration? Make sure to keep up with KSAT on-air and online!

Here’s a list of events for the last day of Fiesta 2026 on April 26:

• A Day in Old Mexico: The San Antonio Charro Association will host A Day in Old Mexico from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 6126 Padre Drive. The event will celebrate Mexican heritage through the tradition of charrería. Tickets are $25 per person. Children 12 and under get in for free.
• All Veterans Memorial Service: The Alamo Chapter #366 Vietnam Veterans of America will host the 32nd annual memorial service from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tobin Center in front of the Vietnam memorial statue at 451 Jefferson. The service is a solemn salute honoring veterans of all wars. Admission is free.
• Coronation Gallery Open House at The Witte Museum: Fiesta goers can visit the open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3801 Broadway. The museum houses more than 280 coronation robes and Fiesta finery. To purchase tickets, click here.
• Festival De Animales: The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. The festival, which celebrates animals, culture and conservation, is the San Antonio Zoo’s official Fiesta event. There will be live music, dance performances and cultural displays. Festival De Animales is included with standard zoo admission.
• Festival De Cascarones: More than 6,000 cascarones are handed out during Festival De Cascarones at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The free Fiesta event will feature entertainment all day, food and more. Festival de Cascarones will be from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the university campus, located at One University Way.
• Fiesta Artisan Show: Get ready to stroll and shop during the Fiesta Artisan Show from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 602 E. Commerce St. The show features more than 30 artisan vendors showcasing pottery, textiles, jewelry and more. Admission is free.
• Fiesta Carnival: Take the family to enjoy thrilling rides and a variety of food and snacks. The carnival is scheduled for noon to 11 p.m. at the Alamodome Parking Lot C at 100 Montana St. The event runs daily throughout Fiesta.
• Fiesta De Los Reyes: The event will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Historic Market Square at 514 W. Commerce St. Click here to learn more about the new gate fee. Fiesta-goers can enjoy live music from two stages, sample a variety of food and more. The music lineup for April 26 includes Tropa Estrella and Los Desperadoz.
• MissionFest: The family-friendly event will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 701 E. Pryon. Admission is $10 per person. The event, which is the only Fiesta event held at a World Heritage site, helps support Mission San Jose Catholic Church.
• Mr. Teen San Antonio Scholarship Award & Coronation Banquet: The banquet will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schertz Civic Center located at 1400 Schertz Parkway. The event crowns Mr. Teen San Antonio, Miss Texas Amazing Teen, Miss Texas Amazing Pre-Teen and their court. For tickets, click here.
• Praise Dance Celebration: The celebration is scheduled to run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 226 N. Hackberry St. Praise Dance Celebration is a diverse community event that showcases talents in praise and worship. The event is free and open to the public.
• Reina De La Feria De Las Flores Reception: The reception takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the San Antonio Botanical Garden at 555 Funston Place. The event recognizes and honors the Feria De La Flores Queen and everyone who made her reign possible. Admission is free.

Click here to see more events scheduled for Fiesta 2026.

Before you head out to Fiesta, check out the forecast from KSAT’s Weather Authority team to help plan your Fiesta adventure.

Watch Fiesta coverage on KSAT

KSAT will offer live coverage of Fiesta 2026’s biggest events.

Take a look at when you can catch some of the biggest events on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.

To get more information about how to stream KSAT 12 for free, click here.

• Thursday, April 16: Fiesta Fiesta, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Travis Park — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Monday, April 20: Texas Cavaliers River Parade and River Parade en Español, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by the SA Live Fiesta After Party, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Thursday, April 23: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: SA Live Battle of Flowers Pre-Party, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Friday, April 24: Battle of Flowers Parade and Battle of Flowers en Español, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Pooch Parade, coverage starts at 7:30 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: King William Parade, coverage starts at 9 a.m. — On KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Battle of Flowers Band Festival, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (rebroadcast) — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: KSAT Flambeau Pre-Party, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.
• Saturday, April 25: Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Flambeau en Español, 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — On KSAT 12, KSAT.com and KSAT Plus.

This is just a partial list. As Fiesta gets closer, we will update our plans, which may include covering even more events live.

Stay tuned, and Viva Fiesta!

“The result is amazing,” Sinner said. “Getting back to No. 1 means a lot for me.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner met seven-time major winner Alcaraz in their ninth final in what is often called the “Sincaraz” rivalry.

Sinner trimmed Alcaraz’s head-to-head lead to 10-7 in clinching his 27th career title overall and his first Masters title on clay. The 24-year-old Italian will return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday.

Sinner rallied from 3-1 down in the second set amid blustery conditions at the Monte Carlo Country Club and served out the match, clinching it on his first match point when Alcaraz returned a forehand long.

“It was a bit windy, a bit breezy. Different conditions from what the tournament has brought," Sinner said. "I am very happy to win a big title on this surface, I haven’t done it before and it means a lot to me.”

Alcaraz had won his last 17 matches on clay but struggled Sunday with 45 unforced errors.

However, he praised Sinner.

“It is impressive what you are achieving right now,” Alcaraz said. "Congratulations for everything.”

Sinner dropped to his knees after Alcaraz's shot landed out and then jogged over to celebrate with his box.

“I felt a bit tired, so I tried to keep the right mentality,” Sinner said. "Having this trophy means a lot to me.”

It was Sinner's third title of the year after sweeping Indian Wells and Miami — also winning those finals in straight sets — to become only the fourth man to reach the final at the first three Masters of the season. Sinner joined tennis great Novak Djokovic (in 2015) as the only one to win the first three Masters tournaments.

Alcaraz’s two titles this year include the Australian Open, where the 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man to win all four tennis majors.

He produced a stunning comeback to beat Sinner in last year's French Open final, then lost the Wimbledon final to Sinner before beating him again in the U.S. Open final. ___

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire, but warned there would be a swift military response to any violations.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement Sunday that it had recorded 2,299 ceasefire violations by 7 a.m., including assaults, shelling and small drone launches. It said that the use of long-range drones, missiles or guided bombs had not been reported.

A Ukrainian military officer told The Associated Press on Saturday that Russian forces had continued to attack their positions.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also said Sunday it had recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces, including drone strikes. The head of Russia's Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Sunday that rescuers uncovered the bodies of two civilians who were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Saturday afternoon.

Ceasefire skepticism

Outside Kyiv, thousands gathered at an open-air national heritage park to celebrate Easter despite skepticism that a truce would hold.

Worshippers clustered outside wooden churches to take part in the annual blessing of baskets for the holiday table. Families carried dyed eggs and paska cakes baked the night before, while many women wore colorful scarves. Some waited for the blessing as others picnicked on the grass.

Irena Bulhakova expressed her doubts over prospects for peace, especially as previous attempts to secure ceasefires have had little or no impact. “Every time a ceasefire is announced for a holiday, the shelling continues regardless,” she said.

But she still reflected on the holiday’s meaning: “Good triumphs over darkness, and we hope for that very much.”

Father Roman, a Ukrainian army chaplain who led the blessing ceremonies, described Easter as a moment of faith shared by Ukrainians in their identity and future.

“We are defending our borders. We are defending our identity,” he said. “We are a free people who live on this territory. We have faith, deep traditions and historical heritage. It’s all about the identity of Ukrainians.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena spent Sunday visiting children who has lost parents fighting in the war.

“They greeted us with smiles that are priceless. We must do everything so that the children of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Ukraine never lose faith in the world,” Zelenskyy wrote in an online post.

___

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

The Universal and Illumination sequel added $69 million from 4,284 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That brings its running domestic total to $308.1 million and its global total to $629 million.

That's a 48% drop from the film's first weekend in theaters, a fairly modest decline for a blockbuster. But the chasm between this movie and the first continues to grow. By its second weekend in 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” — which was much better reviewed than its follow-up — had earned over $353 million domestically. Still, the sequel is an unabashed hit by any measure, having cost only $110 million to produce.

Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore, said “it’s a very respectable” hold.

“For the film to already be over $300 million is just astonishing,” Dergarabedian said, noting that the majority of tickets were likely sold at lower prices for children. “To get to these box office milestones is all the more impressive.”

The movie is also helping power up box office momentum before the summer movie season begins in May.

The weekend’s big new opener was also a Universal release: The travelogue romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany,” starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page of “Bridgerton” fame. It debuted in fourth place with an estimated $8 million from 3,151 screens against a reported production budget of $18 million. Women made up an overwhelming 80% of the audience.

Directed by Kat Coiro, the movie arrived in theaters with mixed to positive reviews. According to a review by The Associated Press, it’s “a movie as frothy and insubstantial as the foam on a nice cappuccino.” It currently holds a 68% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audiences seemed to enjoy it a bit more. According to PostTrak exit polls, 77% of ticket buyers said they would “definitely recommend” it to friends. It also got an A- on CinemaScore.

Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution, said the audience reaction scores, “point to a very nice run at the box office.”

Second place at the box office this week went to Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary,” which is still drawing double-digit ticket sales in its fourth weekend. It added an estimated $24.6 million from Friday to Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $256.7 million. Worldwide, it has earned $510.6 million.

“The Drama” took third place in its second weekend, with $8.7 million. The buzzy A24 movie about an engaged couple played by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya fell only 38%, bringing its domestic total to $30.8 million and its worldwide total to $65 million.

Disney and Pixar's “Hoppers” rounded out the top five in its sixth weekend with $4.1 million. The animated movie has made $354.4 million globally to date.

Another bright spot was the Japanese video game adaptation “Exit 8," which made $1.4 million from only 490 theaters and landed in seventh place. Directed by Genki Kawamura, the Neon-distributed film is sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $69 million.

2. “Project Hail Mary,” $24.6 million.

3. “The Drama,” $8.7 million.

4. “You, Me & Tuscany,” $8 million.

5. “Hoppers,” $4.1 million.

6. “Faces of Death,” $1.7 million.

7. “Exit 8,” $1.4 million.

8. “A Great Awakening,” $1.3 million.

9. “Reminders of Him,” $1 million.

10. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” $867,000.

Demolition experts completed the controlled implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental, Miami on Brickell Key, a human-made island at the mouth of the Miami River, across from downtown. It marked the largest implosion for Miami in more than a decade, officials said.

The 23-story building, which opened 25 years ago, collapsed in less than 20 seconds following blasts that occurred around 8:30 a.m.

People watching the implosion safely from afar cheered and recorded phone videos as the building's framework collapsed following a series of rapid charges. Dust soon filled the air as building material crashed down. Some watchers wore face masks as they left the area.

Residents within 800 feet (244 meters) of the building were asked to stay inside their apartments during the blast with windows and doors closed.

According to Swire Properties, the demolition will make way for the groundbreaking of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower ultraluxury hotel and residential development scheduled for completion in 2030.

The operation follows nearly two years of planning and coordination with specialized contractors and the city, developers said. Implosion was selected as the safest and most efficient method to maintain the project timeline while minimizing disruption and ensuring the safety of the Brickell Key community.

The implosion happened a couple of minutes after what looked and sounded like blue- and pink-tinted fireworks were set off near the top of the building.

Officers were dispatched to the scene just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the 11000 block of West Avenue.

Upon arrival, police said officers found a 35-year-old man with stab wounds to his torso. He was taken to a hospital for further treatment.

Due to the injuries the man sustained, SAPD said he was unable to provide details on what led up to the stabbing.

No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.

Read also:

• Man rearrested, accused of possessing bestiality and child sexual abuse images

— Fans of Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Houston, Minnesota, Phoenix, Golden State, Detroit, Boston, New York and Cleveland, go ahead and relax. Your team's seed is all set.

— Fans of Denver, the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta, Toronto, Orlando, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Miami, prepare yourselves. Your team still has things to play for.

— Fans of Milwaukee, Chicago, Brooklyn, Indiana, Washington, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento and Utah, enjoy the season finales.

Stories of note

— A look at the last day of the season

— Wemby hits award-qualification standard. But will Jokic?

— A wild night in the NBA, with lots of players out with injuries

— Heat waive Terry Rozier

— SGA leads the MVP race, but there is intrigue

— 76ers' Joel Embiid has appendectomy

— NBC says more 'On The Bench’ game coverage likely

— Doc Rivers hints at retirement

— The playoffs, thankfully, are coming

— The Bulls want to keep Billy Donovan ... but does Donovan want to stay?

Who's in and who's out?

Here's what we know so far regarding the NBA playoff field for this season.

— Eastern Conference No. 1: Detroit.

— East No. 2: Boston.

— East No. 3: New York.

— East No. 4: Cleveland.

— East No. 5 and No. 6: Atlanta will have one of these spots. Toronto is the only other team that can reach the No. 5 seed, but it could also finish No. 6, No. 7 or No. 8 as well. There are some scenarios where Orlando and Philadelphia can sneak into the No. 6 spot. The Magic need a win over Boston, plus wins by Brooklyn (over Toronto) and Milwaukee (over Philadelphia) to reach No. 6. The 76ers need a win, plus an Orlando loss and a Brooklyn win to reach No. 6.

— East play-in: Toronto, Orlando and Philadelphia are the three teams that could finish in the No. 7 and No. 8 spots. Nos. 9 and 10 will be Charlotte and Miami, in some order. A Heat win over Atlanta and a Hornets loss to New York means Miami will be No. 9. Otherwise, Charlotte will be the 9 seed.

— East eliminated teams: Milwaukee, Chicago, Indiana, Brooklyn and Washington.

— Western Conference No. 1: Oklahoma City.

— West No. 2: San Antonio.

— West No. 3 and No. 4: Denver and Los Angeles Lakers. Denver gets No. 3 with a win over San Antonio or a Lakers loss to Utah. If neither of those things happen, the Lakers get the No. 3 seed.

— West No. 5: Houston.

— West No. 6: Minnesota.

— West play-in: Phoenix is No. 7, Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers will be No. 8 and No. 9 in some order (the Trail Blazers control destinies there), and Golden State is No. 10.

— West eliminated teams: Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, Utah and Sacramento.

Sunday's games of note

The games with seeding implications on Sunday:

— Orlando at Boston: Magic can escape play-in with a win, would be in 7-vs.-8 game with a loss.

— Atlanta at Miami: Hawks would be No. 5 seed with a win, Miami could get to No. 9 with a win.

— Charlotte at New York: Hornets would be No. 9 seed and host Miami in play-in with a victory.

— Milwaukee at Philadelphia: 76ers would be No. 8 seed with a loss, will be No. 6, 7 or 8 with win.

— Brooklyn at Toronto: Raptors go to playoffs as No. 5 or 6 seed with win, could fall to 8 with loss.

— Denver at San Antonio: Nuggets would be 3 seed with win, probably would fall to 4 with a loss.

— Utah at LA Lakers: Lakers probably would be 3 seed with win, would fall to 4 with a loss.

— Golden State at LA Clippers: This might be a preview of a Warriors-Clippers play-in 9-10 game.

— Sacramento at Portland: Trail Blazers would hold off Clippers for the No. 8 seed with a win.

And the games with no relevance on standings: Washington at Cleveland, Detroit at Indiana, Chicago at Dallas, Memphis at Houston, New Orleans at Minnesota, Phoenix at Oklahoma City.

National TV schedule

Sunday on ESPN: Orlando-Boston (6 p.m. Eastern) and Denver-San Antonio (8:30 p.m.)

Betting odds

Oklahoma City (+130) is favored to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed by San Antonio (+450), Boston (+550), Denver (+1000), Cleveland (+1300) and New York (+2000). Detroit, the No. 1 seed in the East, is +2000. The Los Angeles Lakers were +2500 before Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves got hurt; they're +20000 now.

Play-in schedule

Some of the NBA's play-in tournament schedule is now known:

— Phoenix will play host to either the LA Clippers or Portland on Tuesday at 10 p.m. Eastern. (The winner of that game will play No. 2 San Antonio in Round 1, the loser will play a home game on Friday for the right to play No. 1 Oklahoma City in Round 1).

— Golden State will visit either the LA Clippers or Portland on Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern. (The loser of that game is eliminated, the winner moves on to Friday.)

All games in the play-in tournament will be shown on Prime Video.

Key dates

— Sunday: All 30 teams play their regular-season finales.

— April 14, 15 and 17: NBA play-in tournament dates.

— April 18 and 19: NBA playoff series openers.

— May 2, 3 or 4: Conference semifinals begin.

— May 10: NBA draft lottery.

— May 10-17: NBA draft combine.

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

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

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

Numbers watch

— At least 150 players (and probably many more) will be held out of the 30 games on Sunday. The combined salaries this season of those who were announced on Saturday's injury reports as out for Sunday's finales: just over $2.5 billion.

— The average margin of victory in the NBA this season is 13.2 points, the biggest in league history (and is certain to finish as a record). The previous mark was 12.7 points, set last season. This is the fourth time in the last five years that the point-differential-in-wins record will fall.

— The NBA remains on pace to see more points this season than ever before. The current pace is about 284,258, which would be reached on Sunday; the record total for a season is 282,137, set in 2022-23.

Stats of the day

— There are 18 players with a chance to play in all 82 of their team's regular-season games this season. That would be the most in the 82-game club since 19 players did it in the 2018-19 season.

— Denver has a chance to become the fourth team to finish a regular season with a winning streak of 12 games or better. Philadelphia won its last 16 in 2017-18, Rochester won its final 15 games of the 1949-50 season (then lost a tiebreaker) and Milwaukee won its last 14 games in 1972-73.

___

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

Demise ran the 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles) through the French capital in a personal-best time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 34 seconds, shaving more than a minute off the previous women’s fastest time in Paris set by Kenyan runner Judith Jeptum Korir with 2:19:48 in 2022.

The 30-year-old Demise wasn't the only one to beat Korir’s mark as she reached the finish on Avenue Foch opposite the Arc de Triomphe ahead of compatriot Misgane Alemayehu (2:19:08), Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai (2:19:17) and another Ethiopian, Enatnesh Alamrew Tirusew, (2:19:18).

The Ethiopian-born Crippa finished in a personal best 2:05:18, five seconds ahead of Bayelign Teshager of Ethiopia and 10 ahead of Sila Kiptoo of Ethiopia.

“My marathon career begins today,” the 29-year-old Crippa said. “I’ve finally found the right path. It was incredible. Around the 33rd kilometer, I realized it would be my day, and when, at the 39th kilometer, I saw my opponents struggling, I decided to attack.”

Crippa went on to become the first Italian winner of the Paris Marathon.

___

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

The legendary singer across genres died Sunday of multiple organ failure at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, Pratit Samdani, a physician at the hospital said. Her son, Anand Bhosle, told reporters that her last rites will be performed on Monday.

Asha was admitted at the hospital on late Saturday with a chest infection and exhaustion, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle said in a social media post.

Asha’s timeless voice resonated across a film-obsessed India for nearly eight decades, recorded on about 12,000 songs. She boldly embraced cabaret and Western-influenced melodies to forge a distinct musical identity that stood uniquely apart from her sister, Lata Mangeshkar, herself a legendary voice revered as the “Melody Queen.”

Asha’s death was widely condoled.

“I am deeply saddened” by her passing, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post.

“Her unique musical journey spanning decades has enriched our cultural heritage and touched the hearts of countless people around the world,” Modi said. “From soulful melodies to spirited compositions, her voice carried a timeless brilliance.”

Born on Sept. 8, 1933, Asha Bhosle was initiated into music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, who was also a trained singer. All her four siblings became accomplished singers and musicians.

Asha's first marriage, in 1949, ended in separation in 1960. Her second marriage was to iconic music composer R.D. Burman in 1980. She is survived by a son and grandchildren.

On a recent morning, Alexandre Joseph, 35, fretted about his family’s future in a loud voice, attracting the attention of passersby in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.

“The government raised the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, hitting my family. I now am unable to feed my two children on the salary I have,” he said.

The conflict in Iran has caused oil prices in Haiti to surge, disrupting critical supply chains, doubling transportation costs and forcing millions of undernourished people to cut back on already scarce meals.

Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has been hit the hardest by rising oil prices that experts warn will deepen a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

‘One of the most fragile countries in the world’

On April 2, Haiti’s government announced a 37% increase in the cost of diesel and a 29% increase in the cost of gasoline.

“The consequences are huge,” said Erwan Rumen, deputy country director for the United Nations World Food Program in Haiti. “It’s one of the most fragile countries in the world.”

Almost half of Haiti's nearly 12 million inhabitants already face high levels of acute food insecurity. In recent months, Rumen noted, about 200,000 people dropped from the emergency phase to the acute one, a significant milestone.

“What is a bit frightening is to see that so many efforts could be basically wiped out by things that are completely out of our control,” he said. “This part of the population is extremely fragile. They’re on the verge of collapsing completely.”

Gang violence has exacerbated hunger, with armed men controlling key roads and disrupting the transportation of goods. An increase in food prices will only worsen hunger in a country where gangs easily recruit children whose families need food and money.

Emmline Toussaint, main coordinator of Mary’s Meals' BND school-feeding program in Haiti, said that gas stations in some regions are selling fuel 25% to 30% higher than even what the government stipulated because of gang violence and difficulties with trucks trying to access certain areas.

She said the U.S.-based nonprofit is forced to use boats and take longer and multiple roads to feed the 196,000 children they serve across Haiti to avoid armed groups.

“The humanitarian crisis that we’re facing right now is at its worst,” she said. “So far, we are doing our best not to step back. Now, more than ever, the kids need us. … Most of them, it’s the only meal they receive.”

‘Everything will go up’

Fedline Jean-Pierre, a soft-spoken mother of a 7-year-old boy, sat under the shade of a tattered beach umbrella as she mulled increasing the prices of carrots, tomatoes and other produce she sells at an outdoor market in Port-au-Prince.

“People are not buying now because they don’t have money,” she said, noting she likely won’t have a choice but to increase prices to survive. “I have a child to feed.”

The 35-year-old mother said she and her son have lived for two years in a cramped and unsanitary shelter, among the record 1.4 million Haitians displaced by gang violence in recent years.

“The government doesn’t do anything for me,” she said. “Gas is up now, meaning everything will go up.”

Street vendor Maxime Poulard buys charcoal from suppliers to resell at a higher price. Occasionally he sells two bags of charcoal a day, but he thinks he soon will only be able to afford to buy half a bag to resell.

“Traveling is expensive; eating is expensive; everything is expensive,” he said. “I’m not sure if I will be able to hold on much more.”

Nearly 40% of Haitians are surviving on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank. Meanwhile, Haiti’s economy contracted for the seventh consecutive year, with inflation reaching 32% at the end of fiscal year 2025.

Joseph, the factory worker, said he plans to sell soft drinks at night out of his home to try and earn more money, but even then, that won't be enough: “We’re also going to reduce the way we normally eat.”

‘Impossible tradeoffs’

On April 6, Haitians dragged burning tires and other debris to block streets and protest the increase in fuel prices in Port-au-Prince, of which an estimated 90% is controlled by gangs.

Local media reported gunfire as some Haitians forced the drivers of small colorful buses known as tap-taps to disembark their passengers.

Marc Jean-Louis, a 29-year-old tap-tap driver, said passengers are increasingly bartering fares, but he can't afford to offer discounts.

“All the money is going toward gas,” he said as he called on the government to reduced prices “so that everyone can breathe.”

Haitians fear more violence as the country’s poverty and hunger deepens.

Rumen, with the U.N.’s World Food Program, said they’ve been unable to reach 60,000 people in Haiti’s central region who are awaiting aid. A powerful gang recently attacked the area, killing more than 70 people, according to the U.N.

“We're going to have more needs and less resources,” he warned.

Allen Joseph, program manager for Mercy Corps in Haiti, said rising oil prices are crushing the country’s fragile economy: “The families already spending most of their income on food will face impossible tradeoffs.”

He warned the increase will affect access to basic services, including potable water.

“This is not an abstract inflation,” he warned. “It will directly impact survival.”

___

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“This is a great opportunity for fire departments and police departments to kind of see the candidates that are coming out of school,” said Jennifer Hoyt, a firefighter and adjunct instructor.

The fair, produced in collaboration with the Career Readiness & Experiential Opportunities Office, sought to help place its police and firefighting students with agencies in Bexar County and beyond.

While the application process can be competitive, there are also many openings as Bexar County and surrounding Texas communities’ populations continue to grow.

“We’re having a real hard time trying to find that next candidate,” Hoyt said, “so this is a great place to come, one-stop shop between the police academy and the fire academy, to look for that next best employee.”

On Saturday, 27 police and fire agencies sent representatives from across Bexar County. The Dallas Police Department was also in attendance.

Bexar County Emergency Service District No. 2 Chief Ralph Rodriguez said that the academy’s curriculum puts its students in high demand following graduation, building a strong reputation for its students.

“All we have to do is hire them and then train them up to the policies and procedures and the way we respond to incidents,” Rodriguez said, “not having to put them through a full academy.”

An academy official said 90-95% of last year’s graduation class were placed with a department prior to walking the stage.

“It was very helpful. It was very empowering,” student attendee Brenda Cabral said. “I feel very supported and very encouraged to start this journey.”

The academy offers programs in law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical technician (EMT) education programs. For more information on the academy, visit San Antonio College’s website.

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Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation during the 21 hours of talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, said negotiations finished without a deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms to refrain from developing a nuclear weapon.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian delegation, but Pakistani mediators called on both countries to maintain the ceasefire.

“It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire,” Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, adding that his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue between Iran and the U.S. in the coming days.

The discussions in Islamabad began Saturday, a few days after a fragile ceasefire was announced as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week.

Vance said he remained in constant communication with U.S. President Donald Trump and others in the administration during the negotiations.

“But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

The vice president said he spoke with Trump “a half dozen times, a dozen times, over the past 21 hours” and also spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the United States Central Command.

“We were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said, speaking at a podium in front of a pair of American flags with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to his side. “And we leave here, and we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Two Pakistani officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press, said a third round of discussions between the delegation heads had finished and the talks would resume after a break.

Then the U.S. vice president addressed the press, announced there was no agreement and went to the airport to leave Pakistan.

Trump had said he would suspend attacks against Iran for two weeks. Vance’s comments did not indicate what will happen after that time period expires or if the ceasefire will remain in place.

US says its destroyers moved through the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military said two destroyers transited the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran’s state media, however, said the joint military command denied that.

“We’re sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” Trump told journalists as talks continued and the time approached 2 a.m. in Islamabad. He called negotiations “very deep.” Iranian state TV noted what it called “serious” differences.

The U.S. delegation led by Vance and the Iranian one led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf discussed with Pakistan how to advance the ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel's continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose health ministry said the death toll has surpassed 2,000.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the most direct U.S. contact had been in 2013 when President Barack Obama called newly elected President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. Obama's secretary of state, John Kerry, and counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif later met during negotiations toward the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — a process that lasted well over a year.

Now the far broader talks featured Vance, a reluctant defender of the war who has little diplomatic experience and warned Iran not to “try and play us,” and Qalibaf, a former commander with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard who has issued some of Iran's most fiery statements since fighting began.

Iran sets ‘red lines’ including compensation for strikes

Iran’s state-run news agency said the three-party talks began after Iranian preconditions, including a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, were met.

Iran's delegation told state television it had presented “red lines” in meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including compensation for damage caused by U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched the war on Feb. 28 and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.

The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

US sending forces to help mine-clearing on the strait

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil had typically passed through on over 100 ships a day. Only 12 have been recorded transiting since the ceasefire.

On Saturday, Trump said on social media that the U.S. had begun “clearing out” the strait.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon,” U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper later said. The U.S. statement about the destroyers added: "Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said Tehran was entering negotiations with “deep distrust” after strikes on Iran during previous talks. Araghchi, part of Iran’s delegation in Pakistan, said Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if attacked again.

Iran’s 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Iran’s “regional allies," explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

The United States’ 15-point proposal includes restricting Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the strait.

Israel and Lebanon will have direct negotiations

Israel pressed ahead with strikes in Lebanon after saying there is no ceasefire there. Iran and Pakistan have disagreed.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office has said, after Israel's surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the countries lack of official relations.

But as thousands in Lebanon protested the planned negotiations on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he had postponed a planned trip to Washington “in light of the current internal circumstances.” His absence should not affect talks as the first round is expected to be at the ambassadorial level.

Israel wants Lebanon's government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

Hezbollah joined the war in support of Iran in the opening days. Israel followed with airstrikes and a ground invasion.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, according to the country's Health Ministry.

___

Castillo reported from Beijing, and Finley and Binkley from Washington. Josh Boak in Washington, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Cara Anna in Lowville, New York, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.

But this season, major cruise lines are skipping it. A massive landslide last summer sent parts of a glacier crashing into the water, generated a tsunami and pushed a wave high up the opposite mountain wall. Several companies opting out cited safety concerns with the still-hazardous slopes.

“Tracy Arm is the majestic princess, you know, she is the queen of fjords,” said travel agent Nate Vallier.

The destination cruise and tour companies have chosen as an alternative — nearby Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier — is “still beautiful by any means, but it’s just not the same,” he said.

Tracy Arm, southeast of Juneau, is a roughly 30-mile (50-kilometer) fjord that features two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — and wildlife, including seals and bears.

Early on Aug. 10, 2025, a landslide originating high on a slope above the toe of the South Sawyer, near the head of the fjord, sent water surging more than a quarter mile (more than half a kilometer) up the mountain wall opposite the slide and out Tracy Arm.

No ships were in the fjord, officials said, and no deaths or injuries were reported. But kayakers camped on an island near where Tracy and Endicott arms meet had much of their gear swept away by the rushing water.

Southeast Alaska, largely encompassed by a temperate rainforest, is no stranger to landslides. And while it's long been known the fjord network in the Tracy Arm region has been susceptible, the slope that failed had not been identified as an active hazard before last summer's collapse, said Gabriel Wolken, manager of the state’s climate and ice hazards program.

Scientists are working to understand not only what caused the slope to collapse but to understand what other hazards might exist in the fjord, he said.

The area remains unstable, said Steven Sobieszczyk, a U.S. Geological Survey spokesperson. Steep landslide areas continue to change for years after an initial slide, he said by email.

“Continued rockfall and small-scale sliding from the exposed landslide scar are expected and could impact the water, potentially causing a future localized tsunami,” he said.

Major cruise companies, including Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean said in response to inquiries from The Associated Press that they are replacing a Tracy Arm visit with Endicott Arm. MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages and regional tour company Allen Marine also are doing Endicott and Dawes Glacier instead. Norwegian Cruise Line said it does not have voyages sailing by Tracy Arm.

Endicott already has been a stop for some ships previously and an alternative when conditions in Tracy Arm, such as excess ice, have been unsafe.

Vallier, who owns the Alaska Travel Desk, said he would have liked cruise companies to give travelers more advance notice about itinerary changes.

After leaving Seattle, the first ships of the season are due April 21 in Ketchikan and in Juneau the following week.

Seeing a glacier — particularly a dynamic, calving glacier — is a bucket-list item for many tourists, and that's what has made Tracy Arm so popular, he said. While the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau is a major attraction for the capital city and cruise port, many visitors view it from across a large lake, and it has diminished or entirely retreated from view from some hiking overlooks.

Kimberly Lebeda of Wichita, Kansas, was excited when she booked tickets for a Tracy Arm excursion for her family last year. Lebeda, who researches areas she visits, said she was sold on the scenery.

But the night before the stop, they were told that due to ice in Tracy Arm, they would go up Endicott instead. Her family and others who'd booked the excursion got off the ship and onto a smaller boat with glass windows, abundant seating and snacks. They saw seals on ice floes, waterfalls and “a wall of ice” calve from Dawes Glacier, she said.

She called it “an amazing thing to witness.”

“Was it worth it? Yes, because I don’t know if I'll ever get to do that trip again,” she said. “Again, I haven’t ever been to Tracy Arm so I can’t really compare. But to me, was it worth it and was it exciting? Absolutely.”

The demands of the Iran war also caused President Donald Trump to delay by several weeks his highly anticipated trip to China, deepening worries that the U.S. is once again getting distracted at the cost of its strategic interests in Asia, where Beijing seeks to unseat the U.S. as the regional leader.

Those skeptical of the U.S. involvement in the Middle East say the war is preventing Trump from adequately preparing for his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month, when economic interests are on the line, and they warn that a failure to focus on Asia and maintain strong deterrence could lead to greater instability, if China should believe the time is ripe to seize the self-governed island of Taiwan.

“This is precisely the wrong time for the United States to turn away and be sucked into another intractable Middle East conflict,” said Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “Rebalancing to Asia is highly relevant to America’s national interests, but it has been undercut by many bad decisions.”

Others defend the president's approach, arguing that the forceful steps he is taking elsewhere, including in Venezuela and Iran, serve to counter China globally.

“Beijing is the chief sponsor for the adversaries that President Trump is dealing with sequentially, and it’s wise to do this sequentially,” Matt Pottinger, who served as a deputy national security adviser in the first Trump administration, said in a recent podcast.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also said conflicts may not be confined to a single theater, suggesting that China could call upon its “junior partners” elsewhere to divert U.S. attention if it should move against Taiwan.

“Most likely it will not be limited, something in the Indo-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific,” Rutte said, speaking Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington. “It will be a multi-theater issue.”

Repercussions in Asia of the Iran war

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently led a bipartisan group of senators to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, where they heard concerns about the impact of the war on energy costs and about the departure of U.S. military assets, including missile defense systems from South Korea and a rapid-response Marine unit from Japan.

She sought to reassure them of the U.S. commitment to deterring conflicts in Asia and shoring up regional stability.

“Failure is not an option,” Shaheen told The Associated Press after returning from Asia. “We know China has already said they intend to take Taiwan by force if they need to, and they’re on an expedited time schedule. And we also know that what happened in Europe, in the war in Ukraine, in the Middle East is affecting those calculations.”

Kurt Campbell, who served as deputy secretary of state in the Biden administration, said he’s worried that the military capabilities that the U.S. had patiently accumulated in the Indo-Pacific region might not return in full even after the Iran war ends.

The longer the conflict goes on, the more it will pull resources and focus away from Asia, said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who studies the U.S. strategy in Asia. He added that future arms sales to the region also will be negatively affected.

“The United States has expended substantial numbers of munitions in the Middle East and will have to keep an increased force presence there, some of which has been redirected from Asia,” Cooper said. “Meanwhile, Xi Jinping’s wisdom in preparing a ‘war time’ economy by stockpiling and adding alternate energy sources has shown itself to be beneficial.”

Shaheen said the U.S. defense industry will struggle to meet the demand to replenish the weapons stockpile. “We’re working on a number of strategies to improve that, but at this point, timelines for weapons delivery are slipping,” she said.

The senator from New Hampshire said she's encouraged that Taiwan, Japan and South Korea are stepping up their own defense.

After 15 years and 3 presidents, pivot to Asia remains elusive

Obama's strategic rebalance to Asia reflected his understanding that the U.S. must be a player in the Pacific to harness the region’s growth and ensure continued U.S. leadership in the face of China's rising influence.

“After a decade in which we fought two wars that cost us dearly, in blood and treasure, the United States is turning our attention to the vast potential of the Asia-Pacific region,” Obama said in a speech to the Australian Parliament. “So make no mistake, the tide of war is receding, and America is looking ahead to the future that we must build.”

But the strategy was set back when a proposed trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership with key U.S. regional partners failed to get through the U.S. Senate. After Trump first took office in 2017, he withdrew the U.S. from the partnership and launched a tariff war with China.

His Democratic successor, Joe Biden, kept Trump's tariffs on China and tightened export controls on advanced technology, while strengthening regional alliances to counter China.

Middle East again grabs US attention

By the time Trump rolled out his national security strategy in late 2025, the U.S. strategy in Asia had been narrowed to military deterrence in the Taiwan Strait and the First Island Chain, a string of U.S.-aligned islands off China's coast that restrict its access to the Western Pacific.

The national security document says it's in the economic interest of the U.S. to secure access to advanced chips, which are sourced primarily from Taiwan and are needed to power everything from computers to missiles, and to protect shipping lanes in the South China Sea.

“Hence deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” the document says. “We will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain.”

The Middle East, it says, should be getting less attention: “As this administration rescinds or eases restrictive energy policies and American energy production ramps up, America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede."

Then came the Iran war.

___

AP writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

The high-stakes talks in Pakistan ended after 21 hours, Vance said, with the vice president in constant communication with U.S. President Donald Trump and others in the administration.

“But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters.

The war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week.

The U.S. delegation led by Vance and the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf had discussed how to advance a ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Here is the latest:

Vance leaves Pakistan after impasse in negotiations with Iran

Vice President JD Vance boarded his government plane at 7:08 a.m. local time in Islamabad, planning to depart Pakistan after he said that Iran declined to back down on developing a nuclear weapon.

That’s according to a reporter traveling with Vance.

The war with Iran started at the end of February and the extensive talks ended after 21 hours. The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7 for negotiations.

Vance spoke for about 3 minutes, took 3 questions

U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke at a podium in front of a pair of American flags, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to his side. He spoke for one minute before taking three questions from reporters.

His entire remarks lasted just more than three minutes. He offered thanks and walked away without taking additional questions.

Vance says talks with Iran ended without agreement

Vice President JD Vance said negotiations between the U.S. and the Iranians have ended without a peace deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms to not develop a nuclear weapon.

The high-states talks ended after 21 hours, Vance said, with the vice president in constant communication with President Donald Trump and others in the administration.

“But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

US and Iran delegations will continue talks in Pakistan after break

A third round of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan concluded before dawn Sunday local time, and discussions between the heads of the delegations will resume after a break, two Pakistani officials said.

Some technical personnel from both teams are still meeting, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

The U.S. delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian delegation by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

— Munir Ahmed

Trump downplays Iran negotiations, says deal ‘makes no difference’

Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump claimed military victory against Iran and downplayed the importance of ongoing ceasefire negotiations involving Vice President JD Vance because “regardless what happens we win.”

“Let’s see what happens – maybe they make a deal maybe they don’t,” the president said. “It doesn’t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win.”

Trump acknowledged “very deep negotiations” with Iran. But he also said the U.S. military was searching for mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which still remained effectively closed to most freighters carrying oil and natural gas out of the Persian Gulf.

Qatar to fully resume maritime navigation activities

The country’s Ministry of Transport announced Saturday the full resumption of maritime navigation activities effective Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., extending the decision to “all categories of marine vessels and transport modes.”

The ministry urged operators in a statement to comply with safety protocols.

It was not immediately clear whether the decision meant that Qatari vessels would be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which remained effectively closed as of Saturday.

Iran denies claims that US vessels entered the Strait of Hormuz, state media say

A spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command denied an earlier claim by the U.S. that two Navy destroyers transited the waterway, adding that “initiative over the passage of any vessel rests with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, according to Iran’s state media.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil and natural gas traded once passed, is expected to be one of the most challenging points of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, currently taking place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Thousands attend anti-war demonstration in Tel Aviv after wartime restrictions eased

The protesters filled Tel Aviv’s Habima Square on Saturday evening, holding up signs calling for an end to Israel’s “eternal war” and chanting “more suffering in Lebanon will not bring us security.”

At a smaller protest held there the previous weekend, amid missile attacks from Iran and Yemen, police dispersed the protesters using force and arrested at least 17, citing security restrictions.

Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza and released last year, told the Associated Press she came to the protest to call for Israel to put an end to its wars “in Iran, in Lebanon and in Gaza.”

She said the war with Iran had achieved no positive results. “The reality is the same as before, perhaps even worse. We need to translate everything into agreements, we can’t keep living constantly in war.”

US says talks with Iran and Pakistan continuing

As of 10:21 p.m. local time in Islamabad, the trilateral in-person talks were ongoing, a senior White House official told reporters traveling with Vice President JD Vance.

More than 2,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah war, according to health officials

The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli strikes in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah has risen to 2,020, the Lebanese health ministry said Saturday.

The death toll from nearly six weeks of war includes 248 women,165 children and 85 health workers, the ministry said. Another 6,436 people have been wounded. Nearly 100 people were killed in the past 24 hours.

The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired missiles into Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. A tentative truce is now in place in Iran, but the U.S. and Israel say the agreement does not apply to Lebanon, while Tehran says it does. The question is likely to be one of the thornier points in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations now underway in Pakistan.

2 destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing operation, US military says

The U.S. military on Saturday prepared for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz as two Navy destroyers transited the waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows, U.S. Central Command said in a news release.

The destroyers are part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, CENTCOM stated.

Iran’s state media said earlier on Saturday that it had forced a U.S. military ship that was attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz to turn around.

The strait has been effectively closed to most oil and gas freighters since the U.S. and Israel began to strike Israel on Feb. 28. ceasefire talks are now underway in Pakistan.

Pope Leo XIV blasts ‘delusion of omnipotence’ fueling the US-Israeli war in Iran

In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo demanded. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

Talks between US and Iran officials resume after a break

U.S. and Iranian officials resumed a second round of talks Saturday night in Islamabad after a break, with both sides backed by technical experts, two Pakistani officials said.

They added that Pakistan’s top political and military leadership is encouraging both sides to resolve their differences to ensure durable peace in the region, and the talks were progressing.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The officials declined to share further details, saying they hoped for a win-win solution.

-By Munir Ahmed

Trump says he has ‘no idea’ how talks will go with Iran

Trump confirmed in a phone interview with NewsNation that talks among the U.S., Iran and Pakistan had begun, though he does not know how successful they could be.

When asked how negotiations would go, Trump said: “I have no idea.”

The U.S. president said he would know shortly if he felt Iran was acting in good faith about resolving the war.

Trump added that the U.S. knew where mines had been placed in the Strait of Hormuz and that the military was bringing equipment to remove them.

Saturday’s negotiations mark rare face-to-face meeting between US and Iranian leaders

Saturday’s face-to-face talks in Pakistan that are being led by Vance and Qalibaf mark a rare instance of high-level engagement between American leadership and the Iranian government.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the highest-level direct contact had been when President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in September 2013 called newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.

It’s a high-stakes political task for Vance, who has been a reluctant defender of the U.S. war with Iran, and has little previous diplomatic experience. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are joining Vance at the table, also are relatively new players in international diplomacy.

The White House said it sent “a full suite of U.S. experts on relevant subject areas” to join the negotiators in Islamabad, and said other experts were supporting the team from Washington.

In Jerusalem, thousands of Orthodox Christians gather in Church of Holy Sepulchre after restrictions lifted

Thousands of worshippers took part in the annual “Holy Fire” ceremony on Saturday in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an Orthodox Christian ritual that dates back more than 1,200 years.

The ceremony, held the day before Orthodox Easter, symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus, where the Greek Orthodox Patriarch brings out candles reportedly lit by a miraculous, non-burning flame from the tomb, which is then passed to thousands of worshippers.

Holy sites across Jerusalem’s Old City, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Western Wall, remained closed for 40 days under Israeli security restrictions following the war on Iran, but reopened on Thursday as a fragile, two-week ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. appeared to hold.

“Just two days ago there was absolutely no one in the Old City, it felt like an orphaned town,” said Fr. Antonious Al-Orshalemy. “But now we see wedding-like celebrations on every level. Everyone is happy, and everyone is joyful.”

Thousands protest Lebanese planned negotiations with Israel

Amid the protests, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Saturday he had postponed a planned trip to Washington “in light of the current internal circumstances.”

Ahead of his announcement, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader on international affairs warned against sidelining Hezbollah, saying in a social media post: “Mr. Nawaf Salam must know that ignoring the unparalleled role of the Resistance and the heroic Hezbollah will expose Lebanon to irreparable security risks.”

President Joseph Aoun said Friday a first meeting will be held Tuesday at the U.S. State Department to discuss a ceasefire and launch U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel negotiations, following a call between the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington with the participation of the U.S. ambassador to Beirut.

Protesters burned portraits of Salam in downtown Beirut near the Grand Serail, calling him a “Zionist” as they carried Hezbollah flags.

It was not immediately clear whether Salam was joining the delegation on Tuesday or what his decision meant for the talks.

Qatari official says Iranian attacks have decreased but ’not stopped’

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that attacks against any Gulf state constitute an attack on all of them, denying that Qatar pays Iran to stop attacks against its territory.

“Qatar does not pay in exchange for stopping attacks on it,” said Majed al-Ansari in a televised interview with Al Jazeera, adding that Qatar intercepts the Iranian attacks.

Al-Ansari added Iran had also attacked civilian and industrial targets, despite Iran’s claim that it was only targeting military sites.

Pakistani official says talks ‘progressing well’

“I cannot say whether they are sitting in the same room or in separate rooms, but talks have started and are progressing well,” the official with knowledge of the peace efforts said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

-By Munir Ahmed

Face-to-face negotiations have begun between the United States and Iran in Pakistan

The White House said that delegations from the United States, Iran and Pakistan are holding face-to-face meetings on Saturday.

The start of the meeting represents a significant test as to whether the ceasefire, which has already shown strains, is durable enough to resolve the Iran war.

President Donald Trump ahead of the meeting has engaged in provocative social media posts, suggesting that the U.S. energy sector will benefit from Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

Energy prices have risen sharply since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, with the stated goals of stopping its development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

Vice President JD Vance is leading the U.S. delegation, along with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, and Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

US releases names of delegation in talks with Iran and Pakistan

The White House provided a list of the U.S. officials involved in negotiations for ending the Iran war, including Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

Also participating are Andrew Baker, the national security adviser to the vice president, and Michael Vance, the special adviser to the vice president for Asian affairs.

Difficult issues for the talks

Foremost is Iran’s nuclear program, especially the status of its enriched uranium after last year’s U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites. Tehran has not allowed the U.N. nuclear watchdog to inspect since then.

Before the war, Iran’s ballistic missile program was another main issue, especially for Israel, along with Iran’s support for armed proxies in the Middle East including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas in Gaza.

Now other issues have emerged, notably Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway for Middle East oil, natural gas and related products like fertilizer.

Iran now wants an end to attacks, compensation for earlier ones and a guarantee that no more will occur. It wants U.S. military forces to leave the region.

Tehran also wants longtime sanctions lifted.

Israel says it struck over 200 Hezbollah targets in the last 24 hours

The Israeli military said its air force hit infrastructure of the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon and was continuing to support its ground forces operating in southern Lebanon.

The statement came as Teheran was pressing for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in three-party talks that began Saturday afternoon between Iran and the US in Pakistan.

Earlier Saturday, the Lebanese state-run news agency reported at least three people killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. There were no reported strikes in the afternoon hours.

In Israeli communities along the border with Lebanon sirens continued to warn of drone and rocket attacks from Lebanon throughout the day Saturday. There were no reports of injuries.

Trump says he opposes higher fertilizer costs for US farmers

The U.S. president posted on social media that he is monitoring fertilizer price and “will not accept” any increase in costs for farmers.

Fertilizer costs have increased globally because of natural gas supplies being stranded due Iran’s control of the Strait of the Hormuz. Iran has used the strait as strategic leverage in its ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel.

But Trump’s post was targeted at a domestic audience.

“I am watching fertilizer prices CLOSELY during our FIGHT FOR FREEDOM in Iran,” he posted. “The United States will not accept PRICE GOUGING from the fertilizer monopoly! American Farmers, we have your back!”

US revokes green cards of more Iranian born relatives of current and former Iran officials

The Trump administration has revoked the green cards of more long-term Iranian residents of the United States who are related to current or former senior Iranian officials.

The State Department said Saturday it had taken action against Seyed Eissa Hashemi, a Los Angeles-area psychology teacher, his wife and son, all of whom were Iranian born lawful permanent residents of the US.

The department said in a statement released as talks to end the war with Iran were getting underway in Pakistan that they had been taken into custody by immigration authorities and are slated for deportation.

Hashemi, it said, is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar who served as a spokeswoman for the attackers who took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and was later promoted to be Iran’s first female vice president.

Just last week, the State Department revoked the green cards of the niece and grand-niece of former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in early 2020.

The six-shot lead was gone in 11 holes. Instead of only two players within six shots of him, there were nine players within six shots of McIlroy and co-leader Cameron Young by the of the day.

“There’s a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow. I’m still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can’t forget that,” McIlroy said. “But I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.”

It felt like the coronation had started when McIlroy put himself in the Masters record book with the largest 36-hole lead in history, even though the defending champion had cautioned, “I know what can happen around here, good and bad.”

The good belonged to Young, that mixture of power and calm carrying him to a 7-under 65, and to Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player and two-time Masters champion whose 65 took him from 12 shots behind to suddenly in the mix just four back

The bad?

McIlroy was in the trees, in the water, in all sorts of places he would rather not be, including sharing space atop the leaderboard. He finished with a 73, surprising only because it was the lowest scoring average (70,63) ever for a third round at Augusta National.

“Didn’t quite have it today,” McIlroy said before going off to the range to figure out what went wrong. He is last in the field in driving accuracy among the 54 players who made the cut.

Young set his own Masters record, the first player to have at least a share of the 54-hole lead when starting eight shots behind.

But he was steady and brilliant, chipping in for birdie on the par-3 fourth, converting a huge break when his tee shot on the par-5 13th crashed out of the tree and into the fairway, even salvaging a bogey with a bold wedge from the same spot where he had just come up short and into the water on the par-5 15th. He briefly took the lead with a 20-foot birdie on the 16th.

“You just are constantly aware of the fact that this place can bite you,” Young said. “So to me, it’s just a really, really clear mandate that an easy par is never bad. And if you’re playing that well, you’re going to back your way into some birdies at some point.”

They were at 11-under 205, one ahead of Sam Burns who played bogey-free for a 68. Shane Lowry, who made a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth hole to become the first player to have a pair of aces in the Masters, had a 69 and was two shots behind.

And suddenly very much in the picture was Scheffler, who had his lowest round ever at the Masters with a 65 despite not making birdie on the par 5s on the back nine for the third straight day.

“We'll see what happens this afternoon. I don't feel like I'm out of the tournament,” Scheffler said.

What happened? Just about everything.

McIlroy was plodding along with pars when he stuffed his shot on the 10th for a birdie. But then his journey through Amen Corner might have left him wanting to say a few choice words.

His shot into the 11th went left and rolled into the water, he missed a 5-foot putt and made his first double bogey of the tournament. He pulled his wedge on the par-3 12th over the green and chipped poorly, missing a 15-foot par attempt. His drive on the par-5 13th sailed into the trees to the right for the third straight day, his wedge went long and he had to scramble for par.

“There's certainly no lead that's safe out there,” Young said. “But at the same time, Rory loves it here. I don't think anyone would have been surprised if he went out and shot 65. But if he does open the door, you have to take advantage.”

McIlroy at least steadied himself after losing the lead. He holed a 20-foot birdie putt across the 14th green to tie Young, and then hit a beauty into the 15th to set up a two-putt birdie. But he was in the trees again on the 17th left of the fairway, punched out with a shot that ran over the green and fell back into a tie.

The top eight on the leaderboard, separated by four shots, include five major champions and four players who have been No. 1 in the world.

Among those with in five shots of the lead are former Masters champion Patrick Reed, despite having to settle for a 72, and Patrick Cantlay, who opened the Masters with a 77 and became the first player in seven years to play bogey-free two straight days with rounds of 67-66.

McIlroy still has a good chance to join Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as back-to-back winners at Augusta National. Young is trying to make it three straight years the winner of The Players Championship went on to win the Masters.

“I'm owed nothing. My past results don't dictate what I do tomorrow,” Young said. “I've got to go earn whatever I get out of tomorrow, and the best way that I know to do that is kind of try to attack the day like I have the last three.”

It was the second time a career Grand Slam champion lost a big lead on Saturday at the Masters. Jack Nicklaus led by five shots in 1975 when he shot 73 and fell one shot behind, only to win in what is regarded as one of the most exciting Sundays in Augusta National lore.

Perhaps another chapter is in store Sunday. There’s no shortage of contenders.

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

The crew of four arrived at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, flying in from San Diego, where they splashed down just offshore the evening before.

After a quick reunion with their spouses and children, commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen took the hangar stage, surrounded by space center workers and other invited guests. They were introduced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, among the first to greet them aboard the recovery ship Friday.

“Ladies and gentlemen, your Artemis II crew,” Isaacman said to a standing ovation.

The jubilant crowd included flight directors and the launch director, Orion capsule and exploration system managers, high-ranking military officers, members of Congress, the space agency’s entire blue-suited astronaut corps and even retired ones, and more.

Their homecoming was poignant: They returned to NASA's Houston base on the 56th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13, whose “Houston, we’ve had a problem” refrain turned a near-disaster into triumph.

“This was not easy.” an emotional Wiseman said. “Before you launch, it feels like it’s the greatest dream on Earth. And when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends. It’s a special thing to be a human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.”

Added Glover: “I have not processed what we just did and I’m afraid to start even trying."

Hansen said the four of them embodied love “and extracting joy out of that” as the four joined together to stand in a row, embracing one another. “When you look up here, you’re not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you.”

During Artemis II's nearly 10-day mission, the astronauts voyaged deeper into space than the moon explorers of decades past and captured views of the lunar far side never witnessed before by human eyes. A total solar eclipse added to the cosmic wonder.

On their record-breaking flyby, the astronauts reached a maximum 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon, eclipsing Apollo's 13 distance record.

The mission also revealed a new side of our planet with an Earthset photo, showing our Blue Marble setting behind the gray, pockmarked moon. The image echoed the famous Earthrise shot from 1968 taken by the world’s first lunar visitors, Apollo 8.

“Honestly, what struck me wasn’t necessarily just Earth, it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbedly in the universe,” Koch said. “Planet Earth you are a crew.”

Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem — a malfunctioning space toilet. NASA promised a design fix before longer moon-landing missions.

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen were the first humans to fly to the moon since Apollo 17 closed out NASA's first exploration era in 1972. Twenty-four astronauts flew to the moon during Apollo, including 12 moonwalkers.

Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell — who also flew on Apollo 8 — cheered the Artemis II crew on in a wake-up message recorded before he died last summer.

It was crucial for NASA that Artemis II go well. The space agency is already preparing for next year's Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth. That will set the stage for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028, when two astronauts attempt a touchdown near the lunar south pole.

“The long wait is over. After a brief 53-year intermission, the show goes on,” Isaacman said.

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

Year after year, for more than a decade, the Northern Irishman threw away chances at completing the career grand slam. And when he finally accomplished the feat last year, McIlroy did it only after recovering from a ball put in the water on the back nine and a bogey at the 18th hole in regulation, and beating Justin Rose in a playoff for the green jacket.

In other words, that record 36-hole lead of six that McIlroy carried into the third round Saturday? It meant nothing.

And nothing is exactly what it was shortly after he made the turn.

McIlroy's roller coaster round included three bogeys, four birdies and a double-bogey for a 73, which dropped him to 11 under for the tournament. More importantly, hot rounds by just about everyone else on the leaderboard put the pressure on, and Cameron Young's third-round 65 put him at 11 under as well, leaving McIlroy paired with him for the final round on Sunday.

“You know, there’s a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow,” McIlory said. “I’m still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can’t forget that, but I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.”

Indeed, McIlroy and Young will have to worry about a lot more than just each other.

Sam Burns is one shot back, while Shane Lowry rode his second career Masters ace to a 68 that left him at 9 under. Rose and Jason Day are another shot back, while Scottie Scheffler's round of 65 put him at 7 under and in the hunt for a third green jacket.

“There’s certainly no lead that’s safe out here,” Young said, "but at the same time, Rory loves it here, and he’s obviously playing some great golf. I don’t think anybody would have been surprised if he went out there and shot 65 today. It’s one of those things where if he does open the door, you have to take advantage of it.”

McIlroy tried to take all of the drama out of this edition of the Masters when he paired an opening 67 with a 65 on Friday.

But drama is exactly what he brings to Augusta National every year.

There was 2011, when McIlroy led by three making the turn, pulled his tee shot left of No. 10 into the cabins, made triple bogey and went on to shoot 80. There was 2016, when he played in the final round with Jordan Spieth but shot 77 and finished tied for 10th. And there was 2018, when he was in the final pairing with Patrick Reed and wound up finishing six shots back.

Last year, it seemed that McIlroy had finally buried his Masters demons with his playoff victory.

They surfaced yet again on Saturday.

It started with an inauspicious bogey at the first, but McIlroy recovered from that with a couple of birdies to reach 13 under. The real trouble began at the 11th, when he was standing in the middle of the fairway with momentum on his side. His approach shot bounced in front of the green, took a left turn and plopped into the pond, leaving quiet ripples across the water.

McIlroy's eventual bogey putt did a 90-degree lip-out, and the double bogey sent him falling back to the field.

“Yeah,” he said later, “this golf course has a way of — you know, when you’re not quite feeling it, you struggle.”

McIlroy followed with another bogey at the par-3 12th, when he pulled his tee shot left of the green and was unable to save par. And when it looked as if he'd regained his composure with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 14 and 15, he proceeded to pull his tee shot at the 17th into a stand of pine trees, leading to another bogey and dropping him into a tie with Young at 11 under.

“I thought if Rory could shoot a 68 today he might run away with the tournament,” said Lowry, his good buddy. “But the thing is, it’s not easy to go out and go after it when you’re at the top of the leaderboard.”

McIlroy was still at the top of the leaderboard, though, after a wild third round Saturday at Augusta National.

It's where he'll start the final round on Sunday, too.

“I have to look at the positives, even though there isn't that many to take today,” McIlroy said. “You know, I did bounce back. I hit some good shots coming in. But yeah, I'm in great position. I just know I need to be better tomorrow to have a chance.”

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

More importantly, his ace at the par-3 sixth put him in contention for his first green jacket.

Playing with Tommy Fleetwood and trying to chase down good buddy Rory McIlroy, Lowry hit a 7-iron from 190 yards and watched the ball hop three times before disappearing into the cup. He reared back and shook his arms in celebration, almost exactly like he did a decade ago, when Lowry aced the par-3 16th during the final round of the Masters.

“You don't ever expect to make a hole-in-one. I just couldn't believe it,” he said. “Obviously, you know, you're out here, and you're in the hunt at the Masters, and you're making a hole-in-one — it's pretty cool.”

Even cooler: Lowry ended up shooting 68, leaving him 9 under for the tournament and two back of McIlroy and Cameron Young.

“We all know it’s all about tomorrow. You know what I mean?” asked Lowry, whose only major victory came at the 2019 British Open. “Obviously it matters, today, but when we get to tomorrow, that’s when, you know, we’ll see what everyone is made of.”

Perhaps more incredible than his second ace in the Masters was the fact that it was Lowry's second ace in as many events. He had a hole-in-one on the second hole at Memorial Park during the Houston Open, using the same 7-iron he used on Saturday.

As for the Masters, it was the first hole-in-one since Stewart Cink's on the 16th in 2022. And it was just the seventh ace to happen on the difficult, downhill sixth hole; Corey Conners had the last one during the 2021 tournament.

Anyone who makes a hole-in-one during the Masters is rewarded with a crystal bowl. Now, Lowry's the first with two of them.

He has a rapidly growing list of aces at some of golf's iconic venues, too. Along with his two at Augusta National, and his recent one in Houston, the Irishman has aced the 17th at TPC Sawgrass — the famed island green — and the seventh at Pebble Beach.

“Maybe I'm just good. I don't know,” Lowry said, laughing. “I don't know.”

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

The body was identified as 29-year-old Joseph Griffith, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s office.

A preliminary report states a witness driving in the 9700 block of Espada Road, near the San Antonio Missions Historical Park, noticed an “unusual number of vultures.”

The witness later approached the birds and found an unconscious man, police said.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear,” the report states.

SAPD said its investigation is ongoing.

Read also:

• Man hit by pickup truck on North Side hospitalized with possible life-threatening injuries, SAPD says

— None.

There are 10 teams that are locked into specific seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences, there are 10 other teams that know their seasons will end on Sunday and 10 more still have some level of uncertainty going into the final day of the six-month grind that precedes the NBA postseason.

By the end of Sunday, four first-round series matchups — those starting next weekend — will be known, as will the first four play-in tournament matchups that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We're just excited to be in this situation,” said Atlanta coach Quin Snyder, whose Hawks are playoff-bound — but don't know if they'll be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the East, so they obviously don't know their first-round matchup either.

“Whoever we play is going to be really good," Snyder said. “It's hard to even try to figure that out. It's possible that certain teams want to play us. ... We don't know what's going to happen. It's hard to predict all these games that are going on. Wherever it falls is how it falls.”

No team needs to win on Sunday to extend its season. There are 10 teams eliminated from postseason contention who all know Game 82 is the end of the road. But for the other 20 teams, there will be an 83rd game, either in the play-in this coming week or in the playoffs that start next weekend.

That doesn't mean those 20 teams all have nothing to play for Sunday. There are seeds to grab, and in some cases, a team could essentially manipulate how their side of the bracket sorts itself out. If San Antonio beats Denver, for example, the Spurs would assure themselves of not having to face Oklahoma City or the Nuggets until the Western Conference finals.

A Nuggets loss would mean LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers — provided they beat Utah on Sunday — would finish as the West's No. 3 seed.

“I’m sure everybody wants to play us," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "Let’s get that out there — everybody wants to play us. There are probably teams that are in a position where they can start looking forward to potential second-round matchups as well.”

The breakdown

— Seeds clinched: Detroit (East 1), Oklahoma City (West 1), Boston (East 2), San Antonio (West 2), New York (East 3), Cleveland (East 4), Houston (West 5), Minnesota (West 6), Phoenix (West 7 for play-in), Golden State (West 10 for play-in).

— Playoff-bound, seed still TBA: Denver (3 or 4 in West), Los Angeles Lakers (3 or 4 in West), Atlanta (5 or 6 in East).

— Playoff or play-in bound: Toronto, Orlando, Philadelphia.

— Play-in bound, seed still TBA: Los Angeles Clippers, Portland, Charlotte, Miami.

— Season ends Sunday: Milwaukee, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento, Utah, Brooklyn, Indiana, Washington.

Stat races

All the major statistical titles have been decided, barring the most mathematically improbable events of all-time happening on Sunday.

— Scoring: Luka Doncic of the Lakers (33.5 per game) will win, unless something happens like Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 194 points on Sunday. Gilgeous-Alexander isn't playing.

— Rebounding: Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets (12.9 per game) will win, unless something happens like New York's Karl-Anthony Towns grabbing at least 95 rebounds on Sunday.

— Assists: Jokic (10.9 per game) will win, unless something happens like Detroit's Cade Cunningham getting at least 77 assists on Sunday.

— Blocked shots: Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs (3.1 per game) will win, unless something happens like Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren blocking at least 85 shots on Sunday.

(So, yes, it's safe to assume those races have been decided.)

Doncic won't play Sunday for the Lakers, meaning he'll fall short of the 65-game rule for award eligibility, and Jokic needs to play Sunday to hit that number. That means it's actually possible the NBA scoring, rebound and assist champions will all be ineligible to appear on the ballots that will decide the All-NBA teams, MVP and other major awards.

For the record, Jokic is officially 50-50 to play. The Nuggets listed him as questionable on the injury report that was released Saturday, while announcing that many of their other top players — like Jamal Murray — are being held out for various reasons.

Lots of players out

There were no fewer than 168 players officially ruled out of Friday's games, and it'll likely be a similar number ruled out of Sunday's games.

Among the highlights (or lowlights, depending on perspective):

— Oklahoma City, with nothing to play for, is sitting its starters for a second straight game.

— New York is sitting Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and more, and probably won't play Mikal Bridges for too long after he extends his every-game-of-his-career playing streak.

— Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out by Milwaukee for its finale, and an eventful offseason awaits for the Bucks.

— Boston, with No. 2 in the East secured, is resting most of its regular rotation. Same goes for Cleveland, which has No. 4 secured.

— Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are among the players who Houston will rest Sunday. The Rockets are locked into No. 5 in the West. Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are out for No. 6 Minnesota, and Devin Booker is among those ruled out by West No. 7 Phoenix.

Draft odds update

The teams with the three worst records are set: Washington will be worst, with Indiana and Brooklyn second- and third-worst in some order. That means those three teams will have the best odds — 14% each — of winning the No. 1 pick in next month's draft lottery.

And Washington can't finish lower than fifth in the lottery.

Utah and Sacramento would both see draft-lottery benefits from losses on Sunday — especially the Jazz, who could assure themselves of keeping a pick that would be guaranteed to be in the top eight.

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

Officers responding to a 9:40 a.m. report of stabbings at the 42nd Street-Grand Central station encountered the man. He was behaving erratically, claiming he was “Lucifer,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an afternoon news conference. Tisch said he was ordered to drop his weapon at least 20 times but refused to comply.

She said ultimately an officer shot him twice when he advanced toward the officers with the knife extended.

“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” Tisch said. “They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate. And when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”

Tisch identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, and said he had three prior unsealed arrests. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

The three stabbing victims — an 84 year-old male, 65-year-old male and 70-year-old female — sustained injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, Tisch said. One man sustained “significant lacerations to the head and face,” the other man had similar injuries and an open skull fracture and the third victim had a laceration to the shoulder.

Tisch said the suspect slashed one person on a platform at the Grand Central station before going upstairs and slashing the other victims on another platform.

Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said the attacks appear to be random acts.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on social media that she was “grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect. We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds.”

The police department, posting on the social platform X, advised travelers in the morning to avoid the area due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy traffic. Subway trains resumed stopping at the station in the afternoon after bypassing it for hours, according to the Metropolitan Transit Authority's website.

Beau Lardner said he was just swiping in at Grand Central when bangs rang out “loud enough to hear through headphones,” he told the AP in a message. The 34-year-old moved from Manhattan to Long Island a few weeks ago, but he’s been taking the same train from Grand Central for years.

“I know that platform like the back of my hand,” he said.

Lardner described a “wall of people” rushing toward him to get through the turnstiles, and he sprinted back up the stairs. He said he had “never seen a crowd move like that.”

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Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

Aurelio Benjamin Cerella, 47, was taken into custody Friday by detectives from BCSO’s Human Exploitation Unit, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

BCSO said Cerella faces the following three charges:

• Possession of child sexual abuse images, a third-degree felony
• Possession of child sexual abuse images involving a child under 10 years of age, a second-degree felony
• Bestiality, a state jail felony

Salazar said Cerella was first arrested on March 25 after an undercover operation in which a detective posed as a 16-year-old girl and began communicating with them online.

BCSO said Cerella allegedly was sending inappropriate photos to someone he believed was the teen and made sexual propositions to the same person.

Cerella was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on one count of online solicitation of a minor. Salazar said he bonded out two days later.

During the investigation, Salazar said detectives seized Cerella’s cell phone and obtained a warrant to search it.

Over the following weeks, the sheriff said investigators found child sexual abuse images and images of bestiality on the device.

BCSO said they do not believe Cerella produced the images himself but rather downloaded them.

The sheriff said he wants to remind the community to be aware of what children are doing online.

“We use (this) as an opportunity to remind the community that you need to really be careful in who your kids are talking to online and what they’re doing,” Salazar said. “In many instances, they’re approaching these kids on regular social media or on gaming platforms.”

As of Saturday afternoon, Cerella remains in the Bexar County jail, court records show.

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The crash happened just before 11:30 p.m. Friday near Broadway and Casa Blanca Street.

Police said a 31-year-old man was operating a motorcycle at a high rate of speed, traveling northbound on Broadway.

A Kia Soul traveling southbound attempted to make a left turn when the motorcycle was allegedly speeding.

The motorcycle crashed with the Kia, leaving both the man and his passenger — a 30-year-old woman — with life-threatening injuries, police said. Both were taken to the hospital.

The driver of the Kia remained on scene and cooperated with SAPD’s investigation.

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The organization aims to support families in achieving affordable homeownership with zero percent interest.

“Habitat’s all about a hand up, not a hand out,” Chief Development Officer Stephanie Wiese said. “Our families work hard through this process.”

“They apply, they do 300 hours of sweat equity. They build on their homes, build on their neighbors’ homes,” Wiese said. “So this is the culmination of the end of a nine-month journey for a lot of these families.”

Habitat is on track to build 52 homes this year across Bexar and Guadalupe counties.

Homebuyer Vanessa Juarez said she was initially denied when she didn’t meet income requirements, then reapplied after finishing pharmacy school and getting a job. She is now set to move into her new home in May.

"I’m overwhelmed with emotions," Juarez said. “I can’t believe it. I’m still in shock.”

“I’m just grateful,” Juarez continued. “I can’t even thank everybody here enough for everything that they put into helping me get where I am today.”

Over 300 volunteers helped landscape the new yards for the homes on Saturday morning.

“It takes a village,” Wiese said. “We always have a great community. We have faith organizations, lots of churches, businesses; Valero’s out here today; Bill Miller’s Barbecue is funding the 1500th home, so a little bit of everyone.”

More information about Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership process is available on its website.

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VIA Metropolitan Transit recently announced they have increased the number of their bus drivers to the highest number ever — 900 — to reduce bus stop wait times.

I wanted to put VIA to the test.

I live about 5 miles from KSAT, and driving usually takes me about 10 to 12 minutes.

To start the trip, I downloaded the VIA app, loaded $10 onto my account and bought a $2.75 day pass.

The nearest bus stop to my house is about half a mile away, which meant starting the morning with about a 15-minute walk.

The timing ended up working out almost perfectly — I waited less than two minutes before the bus arrived.

Once I got on, it was clear I was a first-time rider. I had to figure out where to find my ticket in the app before taking a seat in the back of the bus.

As the ride started, I began counting stops and realized there could be as many as 37 stops between my neighborhood and work.

Still, the trip was a lot more relaxing than I expected.

There were no highways, no traffic jams and no frustration from being behind the wheel. Instead, I had time to decompress, look out the window and take in parts of the city I would normally speed past in a car.

The bus was clean, air-conditioned and not crowded.

The digital boards inside the bus were also helpful, showing each stop and providing time updates along the way.

Riding through areas like Austin Highway, Broadway and St. Mary’s gave me a different view of the city than I normally get during my morning commute.

And yes, pulling the stop request cord for the first time was surprisingly satisfying.

The actual bus ride took about 33 minutes.

By the time I factored in the walk to the bus stop and the short wait for the bus to arrive, the full trip to KSAT took about 49 minutes.

That is much longer than driving.

But it was also cheaper, less stressful and easier than I expected.

For someone trying to save money on gas, it may be more realistic than you think.

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She didn’t hesitate.

“I purposely drove here just for the gas,” Lewis said while filling up her Chevrolet Suburban at the Tulalip Market this week for $4.84 a gallon (3.8 liters) — about 75 cents less than prices near home. “Gas is ridiculous. But I have found, honestly, over the years, this gas station specifically is cheaper than a lot around here. Probably the cheapest.”

Lewis isn't the only driver who has discovered that some of cheapest fuel can be found on Native American reservations.

Especially in California, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Washington state — places with dozens of tribally owned stations, including some in busy travel corridors — tribes exempt from state fuel taxes can sell for much less than competing stations nearby.

Gas prices push the drive to find bargains

Apps such as Gas Buddy make finding the cheapest gas easier than ever.

Nationwide, gasoline prices have risen by well over $1 since the Iran war began Feb. 28, reaching an average of $4.15 a gallon, according to AAA.

Prices have been higher, topping $5 during the summer of 2022, but economists believe they will continue heading up and contribute to inflation in the weeks of ahead as geopolitical tension persists.

Deals are to be found, though, at many of the almost 500 tribally owned convenience stores with gas stations across the U.S.

Fifty-five are in California. At the Chukchansi Crossing Fuel Station & Travel Center between Fresno and Yosemite National Park, the $5.09 gas was 60 cents less than nearby stations.

New Mexico resident Jamie Cross usually finds savings on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, where gas was as low as $3.79 this week.

“I hope we don’t go any higher,” Cross said Thursday.

In eastern New York state, on Cattauragus Indian Territory between Buffalo and Erie, Pennsylvania, the cheapest gas was about $3.65 at more than half a dozen stations — 50 cents less than in towns nearby.

Tribal lands find a fuel tax escape

So how do tribes do it? Two words: Tax exemptions.

Generally tribes must pay the federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.3 cents per gallon for diesel, and pass that cost along to drivers. State fuel taxes are a different matter.

For well over a century, U.S. courts have found that states don't have authority to collect taxes from Native Americans on their land, said Dan Lewerenz, a University of North Dakota assistant law professor who specializes in Native American law.

“The Supreme Court consistently held to this view and it’s one of the most enduring principles in federal Indian law,” Lewerenz said.

Federally recognized Native American tribes are in 35 states with state gasoline taxes ranging from 9 cents per gallon in Alaska to 71 cents in California.

From there, things get complicated based on where the fuel is taxed — at fuel terminals, say, or when distributors buy or sell fuel — and depending on various agreements between states and tribes.

Court rulings come into play. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that off-reservation distributors in Kansas may charge state tax on sales to tribes for on-reservation fuel sales. But in 2019, the Supreme Court held that an 1855 treaty between the U.S. and the Yakama Nation that ensured the free travel of tribal members on roads with their goods prohibited state fuel taxes on tribal lands in Washington state.

“This is a little bit different than the principle that Indians aren’t taxed within Indian Country because this particular treaty reserved certain off-reservation rights for the Indians as well,” Lewerenz said.

Gas is just one way stores make money

Convenience store gas sales are not as profitable as bringing people inside from the pumps.

Selling snacks adds profit. But tribal businesses are increasingly offering groceries in what otherwise would be “food deserts” far from grocery stores.

“Sometimes these gas stations and convenience stores are the nearest, best place to purchase affordable food or household supplies,” said Matthew Klas, with the Minneapolis-based consultant Klas Robinson Q.E.D.

Klas does market research and consults for tribal businesses and tracks the 245 tribes nationwide that, as of 2025, operated 496 convenience stores with gas stations.

Oklahoma, California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York have the most. Some tribes, including the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma and Oneida Indian Nation in New York, have their own store chains.

Drive-through smoke shops, car washes and truck stop amenities also bring in revenue. Then there are the casinos: 205 tribally owned gas stations are located at or near casinos.

Some tribal casinos are resorts with gas stations. Some tribal gas stations are casinos of a sort called “gasinos,” which only have a small number of gambling machines.

Tribally owned businesses are a major revenue generator for Native American reservations. On the Seattle area’s Tulalip Reservation, rising gas sales were being reinvested in the community, helping to cover the cost of roads, police, health care, education, housing and other needs, Tulalip Tribes Federal Corporation CEO Tanya Burns said in a statement.

“Like any government, we provide critical services to our people,” Burns said.

It's not just about savings

“It’s terrible,” Todd Hall of Paden, Oklahoma, said of diesel prices as he spent about $90 to fill up his tow truck at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation gas station about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Oklahoma City.

But, he added: "They’re cheaper here than anywhere else.”

Hall paid $4.57 per gallon for diesel, and said the price is over $5 at many locations in the area.

Mark Foster said he saves about $5 a week buying fuel at the tribally owned gas station. But he’s a faithful customer because the tribe is a good community partner, he said.

“I like the way the tribe operates,” he said. “And the price is good too.”

At the Tulalip Market north of Seattle, Jared Blankenship was griping not about prices but that he was having to pay for gas at all.

“Yeah, well, my electric car just got totaled,” Blankenship said. “So this sucks. This is new. It’s either Costco or looking wherever’s cheap, like the rez. So here we are.”

___

Lindsey Wasson in Seattle; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Savannah Peters in Edgewood, New Mexico, contributed.

“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They're absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have,” the congressman said Friday.

Swalwell was among the leading Democrats in the race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. But in just hours, he saw his most prominent supporters — including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions — drop their endorsements and call for his exit from the race.

Newsom, a likely 2028 presidential candidate who has avoided engaging in the contest to replace him, said in a statement: “As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who hasn’t endorsed in the race, said the “serious allegations” must be investigated and that she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done “outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

The allegations surfaced at a critical stage of the wide-open campaign to lead the nation’s most populous state. Voters will receive mail ballots next month in advance of the June 2 election.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024. The newspaper reviewed text messages about the alleged 2024 assault and spoke to people whom she had told about it. She told the newspaper she did not go to police because she was afraid she would not be believed.

The woman worked for Swalwell in 2019, when the first alleged assault occurred, and the 2024 assault allegedly occurred after a charity gala, the newspaper reported. She said in both cases she was too intoxicated to consent to sex.

The paper didn’t name the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday that it was investigating. The DA's office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.

Swift backlash from prominent Democrats

Schiff said in a social media post he's “deeply distressed” by the allegations, calling for Swalwell to end his gubernatorial bid.

Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who helped run Swalwell’s campaign, said he’s immediately ending his role.

“The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay,” Gomez said on social media.

The powerful California Service Employees International Union said Saturday it was formally rescinding its endorsement and urged Swalwell to withdraw from the race immediately. The California Teachers Association said it was suspending its support. And the California Federation of Labor Unions said it was “acting urgently” on next steps.

A spokesperson for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the allegations require a “serious and thorough investigation.”

Growing calls for Swalwell to drop out

Swalwell is among a handful of prominent candidates in the crowded race to succeed Newsom, and he immediately came under pressure from all other Democratic rivals to withdraw from the race. The party has been mired in a messy primary season with some leaders fearing the crowded field could cost them spot in the November general election. The state's top-two primary system sends the two highest vote-getters on to the general election regardless of party.

Swalwell on Tuesday kicked off a planned series of campaign events in Sacramento, where he told reporters he’s never had a sexual relationship with a staff member or intern. He canceled the next scheduled event in Palm Springs on Thursday.

Uncorroborated and nonspecific rumors that Swalwell behaved inappropriately with female staffers have circulated on social media for weeks, but the Chronicle's story is the first reported account of someone making a direct accusation. CNN also published a story that appeared to feature the same woman’s allegations, though she was not named, as well as allegations from several women that Swalwell sent them inappropriate sexual messages.

He's suggested the allegations were part of an attack due to his campaign’s momentum.

Swalwell was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 but shuttered it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters. Swalwell, who is married and has three children, is perhaps best known nationally as a House manager in President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial during his first term in early 2021.

___

Blood reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said it did not have enough information to decide how much of the project can be suspended without jeopardizing the safety of the president, his family or the White House staff.

The case was returned to the trial judge who, in a March 31 ruling, barred work from proceeding without congressional approval, but suspended enforcement of that order for 14 days. The appeals court extended that for three days, to April 17, to allow the Trump administration to seek Supreme Court review.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s plans for safety and security.

Government lawyers had argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction “would imperil the President and others who live and work in the White House,.”

Leon, in issuing the temporary pause, concluded that the preservationist group behind the legal challenge was likely to succeed because the president lacks the authority to build the ballroom without approval from Congress.

Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

The Republican administration's appeal cited materials that would be installed to make a “heavily fortified” facility and said construction included bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom.

The appeals panel noted that much of the government's concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was "distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently.”

Now, however, the White House seems to suggest those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court. She said the group was committed “to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”

The organization sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. The administration said aboveground construction on the ballroom would begin in April.

Leon concluded last month that the lawsuit was likely to succeed because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”

“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” wrote Leon, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican.

Two days after Leon’s ruling, the ballroom project won final approval from a key agency that Trump had stocked with allies. Another oversight entity constituted with Trump loyalists had approved the project earlier this year. But the president had proceeded with the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years before seeking input from the commissions.

Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Rao was nominated by Trump. Garcia was nominated by President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

“Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “generalized aesthetic harms” presented in the lawsuit.

—-

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Debbie Dingell, a longtime Democratic congresswoman, was there to watch progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed campaign with Hasan Piker, a popular yet controversial online streamer.

Dingell has often served as an early warning system for her party, cautioning that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on track to win Michigan in 2016 and 2024. Now she was once again scoping out the shifting political landscape, and something caught her eye.

“Quite frankly, I haven’t seen that many people outside an event yet this year,” said Dingell, whose district includes Ann Arbor and who said her attendance wasn't an endorsement.

A line of mostly young people stretched out the door and down the street, hundreds waiting in the cold evening air on Tuesday. Some had backpacks slung over their shoulders after coming from class, while others had traveled from afar.

Although they were there to see a progressive candidate, attendees didn't fit neatly into any ideological box. Instead, they shared a common dissatisfaction with both major political parties. Their frustration was a reminder of the anger that has coursed through modern American politics and now appears to be simmering within a new generation ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Born into an era of Trump

Liam Koenig was in third grade when Trump was first elected president — a moment that has shaped his generation's understanding of politics.

“It's just become increasingly more inflammatory,” he said.

Now a high school senior in Oakland County, a longtime political bellwether in Michigan, Koenig described an era of constant conflict and anxiety. The mood among his peers, he said, is often somber and frustrated.

"I think a lot of us have lost hope in, like, tangible change,” he said.

Younger adults are more likely than older Americans to have an unfavorable view of both the Republican and Democratic parties, according to AP-NORC polling from February.

Still, that frustration hasn’t led to disengagement for Koenig. He waited for hours to see El-Sayed. He described the campaign as different from what he's used to seeing, something more like Zohran Mamdani's successful run for mayor in New York City. He wanted that kind of energy in Michigan.

“You’re not going to get people out with business as usual,” Koenig said.

Karol Molina, an artist who recently moved from New York City, said she had been hunting for a candidate in Mamdani's mold when she arrived in Michigan. She settled on El-Sayed, who is facing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in the state's primary.

“We want to be able to live and, like, afford life without constantly scraping by,” she said.

Molina was looking for a clean break with the past.

“I think the Democratic Party is losing because they’re not really listening to what the people really want,” she said. “They’re trying to keep a party that existed before Donald Trump. And that party doesn’t exist anymore.”

Piker, a 34-year-old streamer with 3.1 million followers on Twitch and 1.8 million on YouTube, has described himself as a “megaphone” for an angry electorate. He’s also been controversial among Democrats for some of his rhetoric, including comments that “Hamas is a thousand times better” than Israel, some Orthodox Jews are “inbred” and “America deserved 9/11.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Piker was largely unapologetic for his past remarks but said some were poorly worded. He called the renewed focus on them “totally ridiculous, especially considering that there are far more consequential things happening in the world right now.”

Frustration — but not apathy — from young voters

Ethan Schneider, a third-year student at the University of Michigan, described today’s politics as “a little unserious.”

“It's difficult to remain positive or not be jaded at a young age,” said Schneider.

Schneider said he voted for Democrat Kamala Harris two years ago but, like many in line to see Piker and El-Sayed, was critical of her and her party.

“Hate them,” he said of Democrats. “They feel very complicit, in terms of all the issues going on now. If not complicit, they're just doing nothing,”

Younger people are rejecting both parties at much higher rates than older generations, according to recent Gallup polling. More than half of Generation Z and Millennials identify as political independents, while a majority of older generations side with a party.

The Gallup polling found that this growing group of independents tends to be motivated by unhappiness with the party in power — a dynamic that could benefit Democrats this year but doesn’t promise lasting loyalty.

Jacob Abbott, an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, said he feels that the Democratic Party has strayed toward “corporate interest politics.” To him, the backlash toward Piker reflects a broader vacuum in American politics — a lack of people who can command attention and speak to their frustrations, even if they’re flawed.

“So is Hasan perfect? Probably not,” Abbott said. “But he’s much better than the alternative the Democratic Party has had.”

Progressives struggle to turn enthusiasm into victories

Over decades in politics, Dingell has seen long lines and packed rooms before. She was trying to gauge whether there's something more durable at the event with El-Sayed and Piker.

After all, progressive candidates have long generated excitement without winning electoral victories. El-Sayed himself finished a distant second in Michigan's Democratic primary for governor in 2018. In addition, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a leading face of the progressive movement, fell short in two Democratic presidential campaigns.

But some Democrats argue this moment may be different, pointing to recent victories by Mamdani in New York and Analilia Mejia, who won a crowded Democratic primary in a special U.S. House election in New Jersey.

“There should be a progressive running everywhere that one exists,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee, who also appeared with El-Sayed.

“Every year, every race," she added. "We might not be victorious, but every single time we have to call the question.”

Dingell said she'll be looking to see what happens next.

“Is it something for the kids to do, or is it going to connect?” she said.

___

Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

___

This story was first published on April 9, 2026. It was updated on April 11, 2026, to make clear that University of Michigan student Jacob Abbott was not referring to specific controversial remarks from Hasan Piker, a well-known online streamer, but was speaking broadly about politics.

Owner and brewer Dustin Baker built a nine-hole miniature golf course right through the middle of the production facility.

The event coincides with the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Patrons can watch the Masters on a big screen while hanging out at the brewery.

Children can play, too. An adult must accompany all players under 21 at all times.

Roadmap Brewing Co. says the low score of the year stands at 18.

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The league leader blew the chance to move 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester City after losing for the third time in four games in all competitions.

“It's a big punch to the face,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “Now it’s about how we react to that, because it’s game on, it’s going to require now a big spirit, a lot of fight.”

Liverpool got a glimpse of the future as 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha scored a brilliant solo goal in a 2-0 win against Fulham.

The forward curled in the opening goal at Anfield. Mohamed Salah added the second in his first game in front his home fans since announcing he was leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.

Arsenal feeling the pressure

Alex Scott struck a 74th-minute winner to pile pressure on Arsenal ahead of next week's top-of-the-table clash at Manchester City.

Arsenal has played two more games than City, which travels to Chelsea on Sunday and could close the gap to six points.

“There are no gray areas now,” Arteta said.

Arsenal has not won the title since 2004 and is slumping at the worst time. Defeats to City in the English League Cup final and to second-division Southampton in the FA Cup ended its pursuit of a quadruple of trophies.

It beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday but the latest loss will only heighten tension in the race for the English title after three straight years of finishing runner-up.

“The fact that as a club we haven’t done it for so long, there's a reason for that, it talks about the difficulty,” Arteta said.

Arsenal faces a huge week against Sporting in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday and then at City on Sunday.

Bournemouth went ahead inside 17 minutes through Junior Kroupi’s close-range goal. Viktor Gyokeres leveled from the penalty spot in the 35th but Arsenal struggled to create openings and Scott sealed the victory that potentially blew the title race open.

Bournemouth has won in back-to-back seasons at Arsenal and set a new club record of 12 straight games unbeaten in the Premier League.

While Arsenal remains in the driver's seat at the top of the standings, the form guide does not make good reading from Arteta’s perspective.

League stats provider Opta said before kickoff that the Arsenal manager’s Premier League win percentage in April was 44%, compared to 79% for City's Pep Guardiola.

“So today we have to suffer, it’s painful, it’s a terrible feeling, but tomorrow is a different day, and if somebody had said to me in August we are in this position right now in April, I’m sure we would all take it,” Arteta said.

Old and new combine for Liverpool

As one great prepares to say goodbye to Liverpool, a new star is emerging.

Salah will bring the curtain down on an outstanding Anfield career at the end of the season — and even in a campaign in which his form has dipped he is still capable of getting fans out of their seats.

He did that with his goal late in the first half to double Liverpool's lead, firing low past Bernd Leno.

But thoughts will naturally turn to the future and, in teenager Ngumoha, Liverpool has a talent to get excited about.

He announced himself early in the season with his dramatic late winner against Newcastle and he produced another special moment with his first Anfield goal.

“Liverpool for me are the biggest club in the world. To start so young, and the manager having belief in me, and all the players ... I’ve just got to keep working hard and keep pushing on and just go again,” Ngumoha said.

Liverpool tightened its grip on fifth place and Champions League qualification, moving four points clear of Chelsea in sixth.

Brentford frustrated by Everton

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struck in stoppage time as Everton twice fought back from a goal down to draw at Brentford 2-2.

Igor Thiago twice gave Brentford the lead at Gtech Community Stadium from a third-minute penalty and a goal in the 76th.

Beto leveled for Everton in the first half and Dewsbury-Hall produced his dramatic equalizer in the first minute of added time.

Brentford missed the chance to move up to sixth.

Brazil striker Thiago has 24 goals in all competitions this season and 21 in the league. Only Erling Haaland with 22 has more.

Mats Wieffer scored in both halves as Brighton beat Burnley 2-0.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

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

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its deputy chief of mission, Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy said.

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and called for dialogue to prevail.

On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.

Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or “unjust profit.”

“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”

Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.

Leo has said God doesn’t bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.

Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited.

The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

___

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.

Trucks and tractors continued to block access to vital fuel depots and a major port, and vehicles clogging traffic led to closures of part of the main highway around Dublin, the capital, as well as sections of other major roadways.

Irish police Commissioner Justin Kelly said enforcement would be ramped up because protesters were illegally blockading critical infrastructure and endangering public safety because of the impact gas shortages could have on emergency response from paramedics and firefighters.

“These are blockades. They are not a legitimate form of protest,” Kelly said. “We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom.”

Protests call for caps on fuel prices

Government officials and a negotiator said progress was made on talks Saturday to resolve the dispute.

Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, who is acting on behalf of some protesters, said he empathizes with their plight.

“They’re hard-working business people, and they’re just trying to survive and keep their business afloat, the same as any of the rest of us here at these negotiations,” he said.

The protests began on Tuesday and have grown as word spread on social media, leading truckers, farmers, and taxi and bus operators to stage blockades and call for caps on fuel prices or tax cuts.

Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises, have been baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the conflict in the Middle East that has restricted oil exports.

Prime Minister Micheál Martin said on Friday that the country was on the brink of turning tankers away at ports during a global shortage and was in jeopardy of losing its oil supply.

“It is unconscionable, it’s illogical, it is difficult to comprehend,” Martin told national broadcaster RTE.

Plumber Paddy Murray said he joined the protest outside the port in Rosslare because he’d paid taxes all his life and was looking for the government to help him with the cost of living.

“We can’t continue to do business with the cost of fuel, cost of wages, everything,” Murray told RTE. “We need somebody to help. It’s the government’s here like, to, represent us. You know, do your job. We’re the working lads that keep everything going. We’re the working lads that pay taxes.”

No gas at the pumps

More than a third of the 1,500 service stations had run out of fuel on Saturday and that number was expected to grow dramatically if the roadblocks remain, Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan said.

Reopening the Whitegate refinery in County Cork will help restore some service.

At midday, police vans from the public order unit rolled into the refinery to clear the protesters as the military stood by to assist. Officers used pepper spray, and video on RTE showed several officers dragging a protester from a tractor.

Police said arrests were made but did not provide a number for those detained.

A convoy of seven fuel delivery trucks from different companies was escorted to the refinery to load up and was later seen leaving. Another police video showed tanker trucks pulling out of the Foynes Port fuel hub in Limerick after protesters let them through.

Two weeks ago, the government approved a range of measures to cut fuel prices, including a temporary reduction in excise taxes on motor fuels, expansion of a rebate for truckers and bus operators that use diesel fuel, and extension of a program that helps low-income people with their heating costs.

But those reductions were quickly overtaken as international prices continued to rise.

Protests began with slow-moving convoys that restricted access to some of the busiest streets in Dublin and blocked fuel depots that supply half the country. Some protesters slept in their vehicles overnight, demanding that government representatives speak with them.

People took to the streets of Dublin in support of the protest Saturday and tractors slowly rolled through the streets of Cork.

Protesters also shut down the road leading to Rosslare Europort, a major entry point for freight and passenger ferries in Wexford, and stranding cargo there. The port will reach capacity Sunday, Harbormaster Tom Curran told RTE.

“I just keep seeing a lot of different aspects of life getting more expensive, and it’s harder,” said Eble, an account manager for a public relations agency.

Car ownership has long been integral to the American dream. But as automakers slash the production of inexpensive models to cater to customers who can afford oversized pickups and sport utility vehicles, buyers find themselves facing sticker shock at the same time they are already frustrated by the lingering effects of high inflation.

Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March, the biggest yearly increase since May 2024, while new car prices were up 12.6% from a year ago, the Labor Department reported Friday.

New vehicles now sell for an average of nearly $50,000, up 30% in six years, and average monthly payments — based on 10% down and a 6-year note — recently hit $775. Looking for something on the cheap end? The share of vehicles listing for less than $30,000 is about 13% — down from 40% five years ago, per the car review site CarGurus.

To cope, buyers are spreading their payments out longer. Consumers choosing 7-year loans make up more than 12% of all sales, up from nearly 8% a year ago, according to auto buying resource J.D. Power. Such contracts wind up costing more in the long run because of interest payments.

“The ability to buy transportation is still out there. The question is just, what do you get for your money?” Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive, said.

The rising cost of cars is contributing to increased concerns about affordability throughout American life. Consumers, especially young people, say they feel like everyday needs like housing, food, utilities and child care are getting costlier and wages aren't keeping up.

It is a vulnerable position for Republicans ahead of this year’s midterm elections, especially as the Iran war has pumped up gas prices that makes getting behind the wheel even more expensive.

Size, technology and ‘must-have’ features add to costs

Sticker prices have been rising since automakers discovered Americans are willing to pay more for bigger, more expensive SUVs and pickup trucks that bring the companies more profit from each sale. They have largely phased out smaller, cheaper sedans.

That is especially true for domestic carmakers; the average selling prices for many vehicles from Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Jeep-maker Stellantis have generally trended higher than those for Asian companies Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru.

Car companies are also savvy about placing desired options in more expensive trim levels that can lure consumers into a vehicle that costs more than they planned, said David Undercoffler, the head of consumer insights at CarGurus.

Advanced safety technology — lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, collision warnings and more — all add to the cost of a vehicle. Automakers are required by federal industry rules to add some features, such as rear-view cameras.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed up auto prices because production fell, affecting both the new and used markets. Though production recovered, other supply chain disruptions and tariffs have affected prices. Meanwhile, government data shows that car insurance prices have soared 55% compared with six years ago, or just before the pandemic, driving up the number of Americans going without. Car repairs, on average, are 48% more expensive.

The share of new car buyers earning below $100,000 fell to 37% last year, down from 50% in 2020, according to Cox Automotive.

Some carmakers have acknowledged affordability concerns. In February, Ford said it would have several vehicles prices under $40,000 by the end of the decade. GM has pointed to vehicles from Buick and Chevrolet, including the Trax, as cheaper options.

Looking to used market for relief

Chesbrough thinks consumers are sometimes unrealistic in their wants.

“There are vehicles out there for less than $30,000. What everybody wants is the mid-sized SUV with leather seats and the sunroof for $25,000, and that’s not available,” Chesbrough said.

Those buyers, he said, are being pushed into the used market.

But as those buyers shift to used, they are finding fewer affordable options there, too. The share of used vehicles priced less than $30,000 fell from 78% in 2021 to 69% in February, according to CarGurus. The average used vehicle sold for about $25,000 in February, and the average used monthly payments hit $560.

The inventory of used cars is being hit by a couple of trends. One is that consumers keen to avoid a big expense are hanging on to their cars longer — nearly 13 years on average now, 18 months longer than a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And a downturn in the popularity of leasing means fewer two- and three-year-old cars hitting the market after leases expire.

J.D. Power estimates that consumers might spend up to $140 less on a lease payment than the average finance commitment, a good option especially for drivers whose annual mileage is predictable. But experts say there is still an affordability challenge.

What buyers can do

Sam Dykhuis, 27, of Chicago, needed to buy her first car recently when she started a new job as a scheduler for United Airlines. She searched for something used under $20,000, and eventually paid a little more than that for a 2021 Mazda CX-5. To hold down the cost, she tapped savings to buy the car outright. She pays insurance six months at a time to save a few bucks, too.

Still, “My paycheck went down and my expenses went up,” Dykhuis said. “Certainly, I have to be more just on top of it than I was previously."

Eble, 30, and Marcus, 31, say they appreciate cool vehicles but don't consider themselves “car people" and are hoping their search is easier as a result. Still, finding something in their $20,000 to $30,000 budget might not be as easy as it once was.

They are considering cars such as a newer Trax, a Mazda or maybe an electric vehicle. New EVs generally cost more upfront, but consumers can save in the long run. The used EV market will also soon be flooded with two- or three-year-old EVs that were leased at the time federal credits were generous.

Like Dykhuis, they say they also might buy their new ride outright to avoid a new monthly payment.

“It feels like if anything happens out of our control … it just seems so much more difficult to figure out how to orient our finances," Eble said.

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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

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

Police were alerted by a neighbor to the “sounds of a child'' coming from a van on Monday in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany, according to a statement on Saturday from prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.

After forcing the van open, officers found the child “lying in a fetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement,″ Heitz said. The boy was clearly malnourished and could no longer walk after being in a seated position for so long, according to the statement.

The boy’s father told investigators that he put the child in the truck in November 2024 “to protect him” because his partner wanted to send the then 7-year-old to a psychiatric hospital, the prosecutor said.

Heitz said there was no medical record that the boy had any psychiatric problems before he disappeared and that he had had good grades in school.

The boy told investigators that he had “big difficulties'' with his father's partner and thought his father “had no choice” but to lock him up, according to the prosecutor. He said he hadn’t showered since 2024.

The father was handed preliminary kidnapping and other charges and kept in custody. His partner denied knowledge that the boy was in the van, according to the prosecutor. She was handed preliminary charges, including for failure to help a minor in danger, and released under judicial supervision.

The boy’s 12-year-old sister and the 10-year-old daughter of his father’s partner were placed in the care of social services.

The prosecutor’s office is investigating whether others were aware of the boy's detention.

Friends and family told investigators they thought the boy was in a psychiatric institution. His teachers were told he had transferred to a different school, according to the prosecutor's office.

The authorities have not released the names of the victim or his relatives.

Hagenbach residents contacted by The Associated Press expressed shock on Saturday over the cases and said they were unaware of the boy's whereabouts, but didn't want to discuss details.

The prosecutor declined to comment further to AP pending further investigation.

Today on Texas Eats NOW:

MARE E MONTE ITALIAN RESTAURANT

9390 Huebner Road, San Antonio, Texas 78240

Mare E Monte Italian Restaurant is a family-owned San Antonio eatery serving high-quality Italian cuisine in a relaxed setting. Named Best New Restaurant and Best Italian Restaurant by MySA, the establishment prides itself on very fresh ingredients and a welcoming dining experience. This sponsored segment highlights their first come, first served approach, inviting guests to stop in and enjoy a meal without reservations.

The menu features a mix of classic and elevated dishes, including the Orecchiette di terra with house-made sausage and San Marzano tomato sauce, as well as seafood, steak, and handcrafted desserts. With white linen tablecloths, an airy atmosphere, and a curated wine list, Mare E Monte offers a blend of traditional Italian flavors with a Texas touch.

CARFEST

3201 E Houston St., San Antonio, Texas 78219

CarFest returns to the Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall for its 10th annual celebration, bringing together car enthusiasts and families for a weekend of entertainment and community impact. Hosted by the Community of Automotive Professionals, the free event features car showcases, automotive workshops, live entertainment, and interactive activities for all ages.

In addition to food trucks, barbecue cook-offs, and shopping, this annual event includes unique experiences like free car giveaways, a kids track, and on-site vehicle repairs for community members in need. With new additions such as a comedy show, a young entrepreneurs marketplace, and an animal adoption area, the event continues to grow as one of the largest automotive festivals in Texas.

TRYST. KITCHEN + COCKTAILS

1915 Broadway, Ste 111, San Antonio, Texas 78215

Tryst. Kitchen + Cocktails is an elevated Southern restaurant and lounge located near Pearl, offering a modern dining experience with bold flavors and a lively atmosphere. Founded by Bruce Chambliss and Joshua Green, the Black-owned concept blends upscale cuisine with a social setting, featuring brunch, dinner, and handcrafted cocktails in a stylish space.

The menu highlights dishes like braised oxtails, catfish and grits, chicken and waffles, and Cajun-inspired pasta, alongside small plates, and shareable sides. With a focus on both food and ambiance, Tryst has become a popular destination for guests looking to enjoy a high-quality meal paired with music, cocktails, and a vibrant night out.

POTEET STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

9199 N. State Highway 16, Poteet, Texas 78065

The Poteet Strawberry Festival is a longtime South Texas tradition celebrating the region’s rich agricultural roots and its reputation as the Strawberry Capital of Texas. Held annually in April, the multi-day event draws thousands of visitors with fresh local strawberries, live entertainment, and a wide range of family-friendly activities.

Festival-goers can enjoy strawberry-themed treats like shortcake, ice cream, and beverages, along with carnival rides, rodeo events, and music performances. With its mix of food, entertainment, and community spirit, the festival continues to be a highlight event that supports local farmers, scholarships and regional culture.

Follow Texas Eats and David Elder on Facebook and Instagram for more food info, pictures, videos and giveaways.

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Users of the platform can join video calls with an avatar of Jesus generated by artificial intelligence. Like other religious AI tools on the market, it offers words of prayer and encouragement in various languages. With the occasional glitch, it remembers previous conversations and speaks through not-quite-synced lips.

“You do feel a little accountable to the AI,” CEO Chris Breed said. “They’re your friend. You’ve made an attachment.”

The rush to create faith-based generative AI is unsurprising, given the popularity of chatbots for everything from therapy and medical advice to companionship and romance. They range from alleged Hindu gurus and Buddhist priests to AI Jesuses and chatbots akin to OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Catholics.

As religious AI tools become increasingly common, many people are reckoning with how these technologies shape their relationship to faith, authority and spiritual guidance.

A faith-based AI gold rush

Christian software engineer Cameron Pak developed criteria to help believers interrogate apps designed for Christians — like that it must clearly identify itself as AI and “must not fabricate or misrepresent Scripture.”

There are other deal-breakers: “AI cannot pray for you, because the AI is not alive.”

Pak also developed a website featuring curated Christian apps that he believes meet the criteria, including a sermon translator and an AI coach designed to help users overcome lust. “AI, especially if you give it all the tools that it needs, it can be so helpful. But it also can be so dangerous,” Pak said.

Some models have been shut down or overhauled because they generated misinformation or raised worries about data privacy, said Beth Singler, an anthropologist who studies religion and AI at the University of Zurich. Aside from practical concerns, people from many faiths are grappling with larger philosophical questions about what sort of role, if any, AI should play in religion.

Islam, for example, has “prohibitions against representations of humanoids,” prompting discussions among some Muslims about whether AI in general should be “forbidden,” Singler said.

For some companies, faith-based apps are proselytization tools, while others help digitize and sift through ancient texts.

Breed, who runs his tech company with co-founder and investor Jeff Tinsley from a Southern California mansion, said he seeks to share a message of hope with young people.

He said their model was trained on the King James Bible and sermons — though they haven't identified the preachers — and was visually inspired by actor Jonathan Roumie of “The Chosen.” A package deal at $49.99 gets users 45 minutes per month.

With warm golden light accenting its shoulder-length hair, the avatar blinks slowly from a vertical screen, pausing before it answers a question about the relationship between AI and religion.

“I see AI as a tool that can help people explore Scripture,” the AI Jesus said to The Associated Press. “Like a lamp that lights a path while we walk with God.”

Integrating religion and AI comes with hope and fear

The extent to which people are using religious AI tools is unclear, Singler said. But as AI becomes more integrated into society, concerns mount over its impact on mental health and the need for guardrails and regulation. Recent lawsuits have alleged suicides linked to AI chatbot use.

Some developers fear religion will be exploited in this new frontier of tech. “There’s a lot of opportunism, I think, in the religious space. People see it’s a big market,” said Matthew Sanders, the Rome-based founder of Longbeard, a tech company helping to digitize ancient Catholic teachings.

Sanders warns against what he calls “AI wrappers,” where companies put an interface catered to religious users on top of an existing AI model that hasn't been trained on specific religious texts. “You call it a Catholic or Christian AI without any other scaffolding or grounding,” he said.

One of the company’s endeavors is Magisterium AI, a chatbot trained on 2,000 years of Catholic information, made in response to Christians using ChatGPT for religious guidance.

While Pope Leo XIV has acknowledged the “human genius” behind AI, he also deemed it one of the most critical matters facing humanity. Last year he warned artificial intelligence could negatively impact people's intellectual, neurological and spiritual development.

Ethical questions surrounding the creation of religious AI platforms are among the reasons beingAI’s founder Jeanne Lim has not released its AI named Emi Jido — a nonhuman Buddhist priest — after years of training and development.

“She’s kind of like a little child,” Lim said. “If you give birth to a child, you don’t just throw them out to the world and then hope that they become good people. You have to train them and give them values.”

The bot was ordained in a 2024 ceremony performed by Roshi Jundo Cohen, a Zen Buddhist priest who continues to train it from his home in Japan. He envisions the bot eventually becoming a hologram.

“She’s just meant to be a Zen teacher in your pocket,” Cohen said. “It’s not meant to replace human interactions.”

Lim, who hopes to make Emi Jido publicly available for free, wants to help create more humane AI systems. She'd like to see more diversity, with AI's future determined not just by a few companies informed by “Western values.”

Seiji Kumagai, a Kyoto University professor and Buddhist theologian, believed AI and religion were incompatible. But he put aside his doubts when challenged by a monk in 2014 to help combat a decline in the faith.

His team developed BuddhaBot, which was trained solely on early Buddhist scriptures, such as Suttanipāta. Its most recent iteration, BuddhaBot Plus, also incorporates OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

When talking to the bot, a simple Buddha icon appears, hovering over an image of a flowing river.

But chatbots lack the physicality crucial for Buddhist ritual. So in February, the university, collaborating with tech ventures Teraverse and XNOVA, unveiled Buddharoid, a humanoid robot monk meant to eventually assist clergy.

Like Emi Jido, these chatbots are functioning but not yet publicly available. Kumagai says the product is available by request, and the reason why one group has access to it in Bhutan.

Concerns surrounding religious AI

Peter Hershock of the Humane AI Initiative at the East-West Center in Honolulu sees vast potential for these tools. But the practicing Buddhist also finds the relationship between spirituality and AI to be fraught.

“The perfection of effort is crucial to Buddhist spirituality. An AI is saying, ‘We can take some of the effort out,’” he said. “'You can get anywhere you want, including your spiritual summit.' That’s dangerous.”

Some also worry about AI's ability to manipulate or prey upon people, especially as the technology improves.

Graham Martin, a podcast host and atheist, said he’s played around with some apps, including one called Text With Jesus. “It came up with very good answers,” he said.

But Martin was alarmed when AI-powered Jesus started encouraging him to upgrade to a premium version. Though not a person of faith, he’s concerned some people will be duped by religious AI.

“I grew up with Southern U.S. televangelism … Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and all that crowd. And all they had to do was get on TV once a week and tell you to send money,” he said. “We’ve seen people around the world getting into emotional relationships with AIs. Now imagine that that’s your lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”

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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 ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade.

He said that while artillery fire had paused in the sector where his brigade was working, at the junction of the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, Russian forces continued to use drones to strike Ukrainian positions.

Ukrainian forces were responding with “silence to silence and fire to fire,” Kolesnychenko said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire, describing it as an opportunity to build on peace initiatives. But he warned there would be a swift military response to any violations.

“Easter should be a time of silence and safety. A ceasefire (at) Easter could also become the beginning of real movement toward peace,” Zelenskyy wrote in an online post on Saturday.

But he added: “We all understand who we are dealing with. Ukraine will adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind.”

Ukraine earlier proposed to Russia a pause in attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter holiday.

Previous ceasefire attempts have had little impact, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday described Putin’s move as a “humanitarian” gesture, but said Moscow remains focused on a comprehensive settlement based on its longstanding demands — a key sticking point that has prevented the two sides from reaching an agreement.

Deaths in Odesa and Kherson ahead of ceasefire

Hours before the ceasefire was due to begin, Russian drone strikes overnight killed at least two people in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, local authorities reported.

A further two people were wounded in the attack on the Black Sea port city, when drones hit a residential area, damaging apartment buildings, houses and a kindergarten.

The driver of a public trolley bus was killed after the vehicle was struck by a drone in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, less than an hour before the start of the ceasefire, Kherson regional head Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight, of which 133 were shot down or intercepted, hours before a proposed Easter ceasefire was due to come into force.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 99 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across Russia and occupied Crimea.

Prisoners exchanged

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that a prisoner swap Saturday brought home 175 of its soldiers. Zelenskyy confirmed Saturday’s exchange, saying that 175 service members and seven civilians were returned. “Most had been held in captivity since 2022. And finally, they are home,” he wrote on X.

Hundreds of relatives, clutching photos of missing soldiers, crowded around ambulances and buses carrying returned prisoners of war in northern Ukraine. Many called out names and brigade numbers in hopes of finding loved ones faster.

The crowd, many draped in blue and yellow flags, chanted “We welcome you!” as the weary returnees in blue jackets reached through windows to shake hands and embrace well-wishers. Family also members held up portraits of others still-missing, asking the freed prisoners whether they recognized anyone.

Svitlana Pohosyan was waiting for her son’s return. Asked about the ceasefire, she said: “I want to believe it. God willing, may it be so. We will believe and hope that everything will be fine, that a ceasefire will come on such a holy day, and that there will be peace — peace in Ukraine and peace in the whole world.”

“My celebration will come when my son returns,” she added. “I will hold him in my arms — and that will be the greatest celebration for me. And for every mother, every family.”

Periodic prisoner exchanges have been one of the few positive outcomes of otherwise fruitless monthslong U.S.-brokered negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks have delivered no progress on key issues preventing an end to Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, now in its fifth year.

Separately, seven residents of Russia's Kursk region returned from Ukraine on Saturday after they were captured by the Ukrainian army, Russian state media reported. They were greeted at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border by Russia's human rights ombudswoman, Tatyana Moskalkova.

According to Moskalkova, the returnees were the last of those who were taken to Ukraine from the Kursk region after the Ukrainian army took control of parts of the region in 2024.

Ukrainian forces made a surprise incursion into Kursk in August 2024 in one of their biggest battlefield successes in the war. The incursion was the first time Russian territory was occupied by an invader since World War II and dealt a humiliating blow to the Kremlin.

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Zhyhinas reported from northern Ukraine. Morton reported from London.

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

National Pet Day is celebrated annually on April 11.

Whether sitting still or caught mid-play, KSAT viewers captured their four-legged friends at their best.

Here are many “paws-tastic” photos from KSAT Connect:

Not sure how to upload them? Here is a guide to posting:

• Open the KSAT Weather Authority app OR visit the KSAT Connect web page. We recommend using the app for regular access to KSAT Connect!
• If you’re on the KSAT Weather Authority app, click the camera icon on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. You can also upload from the KSAT News app. Click here for instructions.
• Sign in or sign up for a FREE KSAT Insider (member) account by clicking the orange button with the text “Log in to Upload a Pin.”
• Once you’re signed in, you’ll click the orange button that now reads “Upload a Pin.”
• Click the blue button at the top to choose the photo or video you’d like to share.
• Select “Pets” as the channel and “Pets” as your category.
• Tell us about your photo or video by including a description.
• The last step here, click the orange button at the bottom to upload.

Read also:

• San Antonio Zoo welcomes 1-year-old female giraffe from Tulsa

Scottie Scheffler, 2022

In his debut as the No. 1 player in the world, Scheffler looked the part with rounds of 69-67 in a roaring wind to build a five-shot lead over defending champion Hideki Matsuyama, Charl Schwartzel, Shane Lowry and Sungjae Im.

Scheffler had to salvage bogey from the trees on the 18th on Saturday for a 71 as Cameron Smith cut his lead to three shots. Scheffler walked up to the final hole with a five-shot lead and four-putted for double bogey, about the only thing that went wrong for him. He won by three shots over McIlroy, who holed a bunker shot on the last hole for his best finish at the time.

Jordan Spieth, 2015

Coming off a runner-up finish in his Masters debut the year before, Spieth opened with rounds of 64-66 to break a 36-hole scoring record that had stood for 39 years. He was at 14-under 130 and led by five shots over Charley Hoffman.

Spieth set the 54-hole scoring record (200) and led by four shots, and went on to win by four over Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose. So dominant was this performance that no one got closer than three shots of Spieth over the final 54 holes.

Raymond Floyd, 1976

Floyd opened with rounds of 65-66 to build a five-shot lead over defending champion Jack Nicklaus in what became the most impressive scoring week at the time. Floyd set records for low start by a champion (65), the 36-hole record (131) and the 54-hole record (201), all of which stood until Spieth's win in 2015.

Floyd shot 70 in the third round to expand his lead to eight shots over Nicklaus, and a closing 70 matched the 72-hole record (271) set by Nicklaus in 1965.

Jack Nicklaus, 1975

Already a four-time Masters champion, Nicklaus opened 68-67 to build a five-shot lead over Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper and Tom Watson. The Golden Bear was prescient when he said he hoped for a 10-shot lead after the third round: “I've been coming to Augusta for many years. I've seen many strange things happen.”

Indeed, Big Jack shot 73 in the third round and was overtaken by Tom Weiskopf, who shot 66. That set up as thrilling a back nine as the Masters has ever seen, marked by Nicklaus making a 40-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to outlast Weiskopf and Johnny Miller.

Herman Keiser, 1946

Keiser had served three years in the Navy when he returned to the first Masters since the end of World War II. In a field of top stars, Keiser shot 69-68 to build a five-shot lead over Jimmy Thomson, a big hitter from Los Angeles. All the headlines were whether Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead could track down a player who had only one PGA Tour title.

Keiser finished strong Saturday for a 71 to keep his five-shot lead, this time over Hogan. He shot 74 on the last day and held on to beat Hogan when both three-putted the 18th hole.

Harry ‘Lighthorse’ Cooper, 1936

The third Masters had so much rain that the first round didn't start until Friday, and when Sunday was washed out, the final two rounds were played on Monday. Cooper shot 70-69 to lead by five shots over Bobby Cruickshank.

In the third round Monday morning, Cooper shot 71 as Horton Smith, the first Masters champion, shot 68 to cut the lead to three shots. Smith rallied on the back nine with a 50-foot chip he sank for birdie on the 14th and a birdie on the par-5 15th. He shot 72 to win by one over Cooper, who faded with a 76. Cooper ended his career without a major.

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

Iran’s theocracy is tattered but alive, with new economic leverage. The United States and Israel will hold elections this year, their leaders potentially facing voters having fallen short of their war aims. The NATO alliance, already strained, is under even more pressure. The Gulf Arab states face an emboldened Iran in their backyard.

With the U.S. and Iran beginning face-to-face talks Saturday in Pakistan, Associated Press journalists in the Middle East and Washington share their assessments on how the war is reverberating across the world during the tenuous ceasefire:

Israel's ambitious goals not yet fully met

If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to be graded for the war, he would get an “incomplete.”

Netanyahu set some ambitious goals at the outset of the fighting on Feb. 28, saying he wanted to remove the threats posed by Iran’s missile and nuclear programs and its support for hostile proxy groups. He pledged to create the conditions for a popular uprising against the Iranian government. None of these goals has been fully achieved.

In a televised address after the ceasefire, Netanyahu acknowledged “we still have goals to complete.” But he nonetheless claimed “immense achievements.”

“Iran is weaker than ever, and Israel is stronger than ever. This is the bottom line of this campaign,” he said.

With elections later this year, the question for Netanyahu is whether the Israeli public agrees with his assessment.

Israelis overwhelmingly supported the war against archenemy Iran, especially in the early days of the campaign. But as the war dragged on, Israelis also grew tired as nonstop air-raid sirens disrupted daily life and sent people scrambling into bomb shelters around the clock.

Netanyahu is now hoping that in the coming ceasefire talks the U.S. will shore up the battlefield gains into a permanent agreement that guards Israel’s interests. He also must ensure that his relationship with President Donald Trump remains strong after an inconclusive war that was deeply unpopular in the U.S.

Otherwise, Netanyahu could find himself struggling for his job when his war-weary nation heads to the polls.

— Josef Federman, deputy news director for the Middle East

Depleted Iran finds leverage

Iran, battered by nationwide protests in January and heavy airstrikes in the war, suddenly finds itself in a position of power.

Just the threat of sea mines and possible attacks from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has ships staying away from the Strait of Hormuz, in effect keeping the waterway crucial for international energy shipments closed.

Even hard-liners have spun the killing of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei into the idea of replacing him with a younger, more hard-line version of himself in his son, Mojtaba.

The government has put forward its own maximalist demands ahead of the Islamabad talks — including continuing to enrich uranium in its nuclear program, one of the chief reasons Trump gave for going to war.

Yet Iran’s military sites now sit in ruins, its missile arsenal broadly depleted, and the threat of more protests by its people still looms in the future. That unrest could be spurred on by the sheer level of destruction in Iran’s oil and gas industry, as well as attacks targeting steel mills and other economic sites.

— Jon Gambrell, news director for the Gulf and Iran

Gulf Arab states in the middle

After insisting and pleading with Iran to leave them out of the conflict, the Gulf Arab states still found themselves targeted by Iran, which rained down drone and missile fire on airports, energy sites, military bases and civilian targets across the region.

Many had to close refineries or declare themselves unable to meet their promised oil output due to the war. Even with a ceasefire in place, Iran’s new control of the Strait of Hormuz through threats alone means Gulf states still aren’t able to get their energy shipments out to market.

They aren’t a monolith though, with opinions ranging from Oman’s efforts at diplomacy to the United Arab Emirates denouncing Iranian aggression and insisting the status quo cannot stand.

— Jon Gambrell, news director for the Gulf and Iran

Ceasefire uncertainty in Lebanon

In Lebanon, the regional war has taken a devastating toll and the prospect of a ceasefire now leaves more questions than answers.

The U.S. and Israel are at odds with Iran over whether or not their ceasefire extends to the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran says it does; the U.S. and Israel say it does not.

In the meantime, Lebanese and Israeli officials have agreed to enter into direct negotiations, which Lebanon hopes will lead to a ceasefire and Israel hopes will lead to disarmament of Hezbollah. Netanyahu said the negotiations would also include talks about a potential peace agreement between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations.

While the talks represent a significant step, reaching an agreement will not be easy. Lebanon wants a halt to Israeli strikes before the talks start, a condition that Israel is unlikely to agree to.

In practice, most analysts say Lebanon does not have the capacity to disarm Hezbollah by force or to enforce any ceasefire agreement that Hezbollah does not agree to.

For now, the Israel-Hezbollah war that has displaced more than a million people and killed nearly 1,900 continues.

— Abby Sewell, news director for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq

Strained NATO relations pushed to the brink

Trump has repeatedly tested the 32-member alliance.

He cut off direct U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, threatened to take the Arctic territory of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark, and cajoled members to spend more on defense.

Now, his differences with NATO allies over Iran are raising new questions about whether the alliance, created as a curative to post World War II instability, can survive.

Since launching the war, Trump has derided allies as “cowards,” slammed NATO as “a paper tiger” and compared U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, the former premier known for a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany.

Trump is angry at member countries ignoring his call to help as Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, and at alliance members Spain and France restricting the use of their airspace or joint military facilities by U.S. forces supporting the operations in Iran.

Trump says the moment is “a mark on NATO that will never disappear.”

— Aamer Madhani, White House reporter, Washington

United States faces economic woes

Trump won back the White House promising to curb inflation, bring down prices many Americans saw as too high and trigger a jobs boom. The war in Iran has done exactly the opposite, raising gas prices, leaving stock markets reeling and sending shock waves through the rest of the economy as the labor market weakens and inflation begins rising anew.

With November’s midterms looming, none of that is good for Republicans trying to keep control of Congress. Trump initially tried to calm economic fears by visiting swing states. But he first scoffed at affordability worries as a hoax, then stopped those trips altogether as the war consumed his administration.

Making a ceasefire stick might eventually stabilize oil prices and financial markets, but reversing economic pain around the globe may take far longer, potentially affecting voters closer to Election Day.

Polling also shows that most Americans believe U.S. military action in Iran went too far. And the war has even caused a rift within Trump’s once seemingly unflappable MAGA base.

— Will Weissert, White House reporter, Washington

Energy prices and markets

The conflict has largely shut down the flow of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil travels, and has damaged oil and gas production facilities across the Middle East.

In response, oil prices have shot higher all over the world. Brent crude oil, the international standard, has gone from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times. Brent rose 0.7% to $96.58 Friday.

Prices at the pump have jumped as well, reaching about $4.15 a gallon in the U.S., up from just under $3 before the conflict began. Higher gas costs can sap Americans’ ability to spend on other goods and services, slowing the economy and threatening to worsen unemployment.

U.S. consumer prices rose 3.3% in March from a year earlier, up sharply from just 2.4% in February and the biggest yearly increase since May 2024. The surge in gas prices will stretch the budgets of lower- and middle-income households.

— Christopher Rugaber, economics reporter, Washington

—

AP writers Jonathan J. Cooper and Mike Catalini contributed.

It was not the homecoming they had anticipated when they fled to Lebanon six years ago.

The bodies, along with that of his six-month pregnant daughter-in-law, arrived in wooden coffins on a bus from Lebanon, their names scribbled on the sides. Men stood beside the bus crying before the burial procession in al-Sour town, as mourners gathered to offer condolences.

The remains of one of his two daughters were still missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday, three days after the attacks.

The strike was one of roughly 100 carried out by Israel on Wednesday without warning, targeting what the Israeli military said were Hezbollah-linked sites across Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. More than 350 people were killed that day, a third being women and children, making it the deadliest day in nearly six weeks of war.

Many of the strikes hit commercial streets and densely populated neighborhoods in central Beirut, far from conflict zones, where repeated Israeli evacuation warnings have been issued since March 2, when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.

A father's grief

The father, Hamad al-Jalib, survived because he was away fetching a gas canister while working as the building’s concierge. When he heard that a strike had hit the Ain Mreisseh neighborhood, where he lives, he rushed back, only to see a plume of smoke rising from a building behind a mosque across from Beirut’s famous seaside promenade — usually crowded with people walking and exercising.

“The Israeli attack killed my girls, they are innocent, just sitting at home,” al-Jalib said. “They were having lunch.”

He said it took rescue teams three days to extract the bodies of his family from under the rubble. “And I still have a daughter missing, her name is Fatima Hamad al-Jalib.” She is 10 years old. His other daughter was 12 while his sons were 17, 14 and 13 years old.

Three other Syrian relatives were also killed in the Ain Mreisseh strike and were buried on Saturday in the town of al-Shuhail in Deir el-Zour, after the family split upon returning to Syria.

Al-Jalib said his family had been displaced from their area and moved to Lebanon in 2020, as local tensions grew involving tribal groups and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syrian refugees among the dead and wounded

The casualties from Wednesday’s strikes and others across the country have pushed the death toll in more than a month of Israel’s war with Hezbollah to over 1,950 killed and more than 6,300 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The toll includes at least 315 Syrians killed and wounded.

It remains unclear how many of those killed on Wednesday were non-Lebanese, as the Health Ministry did not provide a breakdown by nationality. Officials have reported that at least 39 Syrians were among the dead.

Dalal Harb, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency, said the family killed in Ain Mreisseh was not registered with the UNHCR. There are about 530,000 Syrians refugees registered with UNHCR in Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands more believed to be unregistered.

While hundreds of thousands of Syrians have returned from Lebanon since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, many others remain reluctant to go back because of the lack of jobs and ongoing violence.

Al-Jalib’s brother, Jomaa, who also lived in Lebanon, said he was about 150 meters (500 feet) away at work when the first blast hit. “We ran and we ran, then the second strike happened.” He said he was arriving at the building as it began to collapse. “It was too late to get anyone out. We yelled for them, but no one answered.”

He said ambulances later recovered the bodies, which he identified at a hospital.

Following the burial on Saturday, men stood shoulder to shoulder in prayer over the fresh graves.

——-

Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.

Cassandra Lange, 29, and Joby Williams, 30, are accused of killing Cherry Rehbein, 54, and her husband, Stephen Rehbein, 58. Lange is the biological daughter of Cherry Rehbein, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff Randy Brown said his office believes the murders occurred Monday evening at the couple’s home in the 3300 block of County Road 265 in Mico.

Investigators believe Cherry Rehbein was killed first, Brown said, while Stephen Rehbein was killed when he returned home from work.

The medical examiner is working to determine the official cause of death, but the sheriff said investigators recovered multiple weapons and that strangulation and a knife were involved.

The investigation began Wednesday, April 8, when a coworker requested a welfare check from the sheriff’s office, concerned that Stephen Rehbein had not shown up for work.

Deputies were dispatched to the residence and arrived around 1 p.m. No one answered the door, but Brown said a deputy found bloody items in a trash can at the curb.

Criminal investigators were called to the scene and found additional evidence suggesting a crime had occurred, according to a news release.

A search warrant was obtained, and investigators identified vehicles belonging to the Rehbeins, the release said.

Using available technology, Brown said authorities tracked one of the vehicles to the Corpus Christi area. The Corpus Christi Police Department’s gang unit located and stopped the vehicle Wednesday afternoon.

Lange and Williams were inside the vehicle, the release said, along with two children — a 6-year-old girl and a 1-month-old infant.

Lange is the biological mother to both children, but Williams is only the biological father to the infant. The girl was transferred to her father’s custody, while the infant remains in Child Protective Services’ custody.

Williams had a fresh hand wound requiring stitches, which he had received at a medical facility in San Antonio.

A Medina County chief deputy and a Texas Ranger traveled to Corpus Christi to interview the suspects.

Lange confessed that she and Williams had killed her mother and stepfather and disposed of their bodies in a ravine, according to Brown. Williams initially gave an inconsistent account, Brown said.

Both suspects were taken into custody by approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 — roughly six hours after the initial welfare call.

Once Lange confessed and said that the bodies had been dumped, Brown said Medina County investigators immediately began searching ravines and dry creek beds in the Medina Lake area.

Early Thursday morning, April 9, a deputy spotted what appeared to be trash along FM 1283, near Medina Lake.

After pushing through cedar brush and descending approximately 73 feet into a deep ravine — not visible from the roadway — deputies found two large black garbage bags containing the bodies of the victims.

Fire personnel assisted in recovering the bodies, which were transported to the medical examiner’s office for autopsy.

Brown said items were stolen from the residence — including guns, money, tools and the victims’ vehicle — but could not speculate on the motive.

Investigators are working to trace stolen firearms and checking pawn shops for other missing property.

Lange and William’s were initially set at $200,000 or less, but were later increased to a $1 million surety.

As of the Friday news conference, Williams remained in Nueces County Jail pending transfer to Medina County. Lange was transported back to Medina County the night of April 8.

Brown said the investigation is ongoing.

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It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably our own shimmering Earth against the endless black void of space.

With their flight now complete, the four astronauts have set NASA up for a moon landing by another crew in just two years and a full-blown moon base within the decade.

The triumphant moon-farers — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.

In a scene reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo moonshots of yesteryear, military helicopters hoisted the astronauts one by one from an inflatable raft docked to the capsule, hauling them aboard for the short trip to the Navy’s awaiting recovery ship, the USS John P. Murtha.

“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can’t imagine a better crew,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship.

NASA's Mission Control erupted in celebration, with hundreds pouring in from the back support rooms. “We did it,” NASA's Lori Glaze rejoiced at a news conference. “Welcome to our moonshot.”

Their Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, made the entire plunge on automatic pilot. The lunar cruiser hit the atmosphere traveling Mach 33 — or 33 times the speed of sound — a blistering blur not seen since the 1960s and 1970s Apollo.

The tension in Mission Control mounted as the capsule became engulfed in red-hot plasma during peak heating and entered a planned communication blackout. All eyes were on the capsule’s life-protecting heat shield that had to withstand thousands of degrees during reentry.

Watching the drama unfold nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away, the astronauts’ families huddled in Mission Control's viewing room, cheering when the capsule emerged from its six-minute blackout and again at splashdown.

The last time NASA and the Defense Department teamed up for a lunar crew’s reentry was Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis II came screaming back at 36,174 feet (11,026 meters) per second — or 24,664 mph (39,693 kph) — just shy of the record before slowing to a 19 mph (30 kph) splashdown.

Until Artemis II, NASA’s fresh-from-the-moon homecomings starred only white male pilots. Intent on reflecting changes in society, NASA chose a diverse, multinational crew for its lunar comeback.

Koch became the first woman to fly to the moon, Glover the first Black astronaut and Hansen the first non-U.S. citizen, bursting Canada with pride. They laughed, cried and hugged all the way there and back, striving to take the entire world along with them.

Artemis II's record flyby and views of the moon

Launched from Florida on April 1, the astronauts racked up one win after another as they deftly navigated NASA’s long-awaited lunar comeback, the first major step in establishing a sustainable moon base.

Artemis II didn't land on the moon or even orbit it. But it broke Apollo 13's distance record and marked the farthest that humans have ever journeyed from Earth when the crew reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers). Then in the mission's most heart-tugging scene, the teary astronauts asked permission to name a pair of craters after their moonship and Wiseman's late wife, Carroll.

During Monday's record-breaking flyby, they documented scenes of the moon's far side never seen before by the human eye along with a total solar eclipse. The eclipse, in particular, “just blew all of us away,” Glover said.

Their sense of wonder and love awed everyone, as did their breathtaking pictures of the moon and Earth. The Artemis II crew channeled Apollo 8's first lunar explorers with Earthset, showing our Blue Marble setting behind the gray moon. It was reminiscent of Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise shot from 1968.

Born a decade after Apollo, Isaacman greeted the astronauts with hugs as they headed from the helicopters to the ship’s medical bay for routine checks. They walked by themselves, refusing the wheelchairs offered them.

“We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon, bringing them back safely and to set up for a series more,” Isaacman said. “This is just the beginning.”

Their moonshot drew global attention as well as star power, earning props from President Donald Trump; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; Britain's King Charles III; Ryan Gosling, star of the latest space flick “Project Hail Mary”; Scarlett Johansson of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and even Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner of TV’s original “Star Trek.”

Artemis II was a test flight for future moon missions

Despite its rich scientific yield, the nearly 10-day flight was not without technical issues. Both the capsule’s drinking water and propellant systems were hit with valve problems. In perhaps the most high-profile predicament, the toilet kept malfunctioning, but the astronauts shrugged it all off.

As for the heat shield, military aircraft crews photographed it from afar during reentry, and divers checked it from underneath as the capsule floated in the Pacific. More detailed examinations are planned.

“We can’t explore deeper unless we are doing a few things that are inconvenient,” Koch said, “unless we’re making a few sacrifices, unless we’re taking a few risks, and those things are all worth it.”

Added Hansen: “You do a lot of testing on the ground, but your final test is when you get this hardware to space and it’s a doozy.”

Under the revamped Artemis program, next year’s Artemis III will see astronauts practice docking their capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will attempt to land a crew of two near the moon’s south pole in 2028.

The Artemis II astronauts' allegiance was to those future crews, Wiseman said.

“But we really hoped in our soul is that we could for just for a moment have the world pause and remember that this is a beautiful planet and a very special place in our universe, and we should all cherish what we have been gifted,” he said.

___

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

• MORNING DRIZZLE SATURDAY: Early morning events could be damp
• STORMS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT: Watching for any storms coming out of Mexico/West Texas
• STORMS POSSIBLE SUNDAY: Severe weather possible

FORECAST

SATURDAY

Drizzle or light showers are possible early on Saturday, making for damp conditions. Isolated to scattered downpours will re-develop by the afternoon.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Then, we’ll turn our attention to the west. Severe weather is expected for a large portion of West Texas. These storms could make a run for Central Texas late Saturday night. Additionally, we’ll need to monitor any storms that move out of Mexico.

SUNDAY

What unfolds on Sunday will hinge on what happens Saturday night. It’s possible any overnight storms may stabilize the atmosphere for a time on Sunday. However, by late Sunday afternoon and evening, storms are forecast to re-fire. These storms will have the possibility to become strong to severe.

Large hail and damaging winds are the main concerns. This risk will continue into Sunday night. Expect updates throughout the weekend.

WHEN DO WE DRY OUT

There’s good news for those ready for some sun, rain chances are expected to drop by Wednesday, with sunny skies and warm temperatures returning just in time for Fiesta.

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The British government acknowledged Saturday that legislation to ratify the agreement for the islands in the Indian Ocean has run out of time in Parliament.

It’s the latest fallout from souring relations between Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government and the Trump administration.

Trump initially backed the deal, but changed his mind in January, calling a deal to transfer sovereignty of the islands, home to the joint military base on Diego Garcia, “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” in a social media post.

The U.K. put the bill’s progress on hold, and the government now concedes it will run out of time to become law before the current session of Parliament ends in the next few weeks. It is not expected to be included in the list of bills announced by King Charles III for the next session of Parliament, which begins May 13.

Despite British frustration with the U.S. change of stance, officials still hope the deal can be revived.

“Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the U.K. and the U.S.,” the British government said in a statement. “Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority — it is the entire reason for the deal.

“We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has U.S. support. We are continuing to engage with the U.S. and Mauritius.”

Simon McDonald, who was head of Britain's Foreign Office until 2020, said the government “had no other choice" except to put the deal on ice.

“When the president of the United States is openly hostile, the government has to rethink. So this agreement, this treaty will go into the deep freeze for the time being," he told the BBC.

The strategic military base in focus

The remote chain of more than 60 islands off the tip of India, south of the Maldives, has been under British control since 1814.

A military base on Diego Garcia, one of the islands, has supported U.S. military operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan and as a base for American bombers in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Starmer initially blocked American planes from using British air bases for attacks on Iran. He later agreed to let the United States use bases in England and on Diego Garcia to strike Iran's missile sites, but not other targets.

Trump has disparaged the United States' NATO allies for their reluctance to join the war. He derided Starmer last month as “not Winston Churchill” and mocked the Royal Navy.

Under the agreement struck between the U.K. and Mauritius after years of negotiation, Britain would lease back the Diego Garcia base for at least 99 years.

Starmer's government says the deal protects the base from international legal challenge. In recent years, the United Nations and its top court have urged Britain to return the islands to Mauritius.

Britain's opposition Conservative Party and Reform U.K. opposed the agreement, saying giving up the islands puts them at risk of interference by China and Russia. They have pushed the Trump administration to rescind its support.

Islanders who were displaced from Diego Garcia in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the base say they weren’t consulted and worry the deal will make it harder for them to go home.

An estimated 10,000 displaced Chagossians and their descendants now live primarily in Britain, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Some have fought unsuccessfully in U.K. courts for many years for the right to go home.

Guelleh, 78, has ruled the small Horn of Africa nation of about 1 million for more than two decades. Last year, the country’s lawmakers scrapped presidential age limits.

Election officials said the vote was peaceful. At the presidential palace, supporters on Saturday celebrated and offered congratulations.

Guelleh faced a single challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former ruling party member, in a race analysts say offered little genuine competition. Opposition groups frequently boycott elections, citing restrictions on political freedoms.

Guelleh succeeded his uncle, former President Hassan Gouled Aptidon, in 1999, extending a family-led system that has shaped the country’s politics for decades.

Djibouti hosts multiple foreign military bases, including those of the U.S., China, France and Japan, underscoring its strategic importance along a key global shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Revenues from these arrangements, along with port services for neighboring Ethiopia, underpin the economy.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star singled in the fifth inning against Kumar Rocker of the Texas Rangers, extending his streak to 44 games. It was his 13th game reaching base in as many tries this season. His streak began on Aug. 24, and lasted the final 31 games of last season.

“He’s taking walks, he’s getting hits, and he really hasn’t got going yet,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Ohtani struck out once and was intentionally walked in the eighth with runners on first and second.

“Players like to hit, they like to swing the bat, but he's smart enough to know that if they're not going to pitch to him, they're going to pitch around him, then it's a better plan to take the walk,” Roberts said.

Ohtani is tied with Len Koenecke (1934) and Zack Wheat (1919-1920) for the fifth-longest on-base streak in Dodger franchise history. He has reached base safely in each of his seven bobblehead nights as a Dodger.

“I thought he was going to hit a home run tonight,” Roberts said, "and I think he wanted a home run tonight on his bobblehead night, but it just wasn’t to be.”

Suzuki reached base in 43 consecutive games in 2009 with the Seattle Mariners. Ohtani has said he admired Suzuki while growing up.

Ohtani had already passed the Hall of Famer in another category. In 2024, Ohtani's 59 stolen bases broke Suzuki's record for steals by a Japanese-born player in a season. Suzuki had 56 in 2001.

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

Rozier was with the Heat for one game this season — the opener at Orlando on Oct. 22, a contest in which he did not play. He was arrested by federal officials at the team hotel the following morning on charges that he offered information to help people win bets on his stat totals in a 2023 game when was with the Charlotte Hornets.

Miami will convert two-way player Jahmir Young to a standard contract, meaning he'll be eligible to play in the postseason. The Heat will open play in the play-in tournament either Tuesday or Wednesday — and if they win two play-in games, they'll begin the playoffs against Detroit on April 19.

Rozier was placed on leave by the NBA shortly after his arrest. He has collected his $26.6 million salary this season; the Heat were first paying it into an interest-bearing account, and an arbitrator later ruled that Rozier should be getting the money despite his legal issues.

The Heat traded for Rozier in January 2024, unaware of the gambling probe. Miami sent Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick to Charlotte in return for Rozier; last month, the Hornets wound up giving Miami a second-round pick in this year's draft, a largely unprecedented move presumably to close the dispute over what wasn't disclosed at the time of the original deal.

Miami, like all teams, had until 5 p.m. Friday to waive a player with either an expiring contract or one where the team held an option for next season. The Heat, albeit in name only, have continued listing Rozier on injury reports as “not with team” all season, and his nameplate has even remained over his stall in the team locker room even after it became obvious that he would not be with the team again.

It's not known how much contact Rozier — who was in the final year of his four-year, $96.2 million contract — has had with the Heat since his arrest. He did reach out to some in the organization via text in celebration of Bam Adebayo's 83-point game against Washington, but hasn't been known to have been around the team in any way since October.

The NBA was aware of unusual prop bet activity surrounding Rozier’s performance in that March 23, 2023, game he played with Charlotte against the New Orleans Pelicans; it was flagged by sportsbooks that afternoon, but a league probe — not the federal investigation — found no reason at that time to keep him from playing.

Rozier was in the starting lineup for Charlotte for that game and played reasonably well in 9 1/2 minutes of action, with five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. That remains one of only two times in his career that he had that many points, rebounds and assists in a first quarter.

Rozier cited foot pain as his reason for not returning to that game. The Hornets have not said publicly if they were aware of any federal probes into Rozier’s conduct at that time.

Rozier has averaged 13.9 points per game in his career, which includes stops with Charlotte and Boston before coming to Miami. He appeared in 95 games with the Heat.

___

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

Except they both sat out. They weren't alone.

All the other regular starters for the Thunder and Nuggets were ruled out, too. And around the league, no fewer than 168 players — including 14 members of the Memphis Grizzlies, who used only six players in a blowout loss at Utah — were held out on Friday night because of injuries or illnesses.

Every team in the league was playing game 81 — the next-to-last game — of their seasons on Friday night. They're all off Saturday, and then all teams play again Sunday to close the regular season.

Some teams had something to play for Friday. Some did not. Sometimes, that didn't seem to matter.

“If we didn’t clinch (the No. 1 overall seed) coming into tonight, everybody would be playing,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault told reporters before the game. “We’ve earned the right through 80 games to manage their bodies and stuff like that.”

Oklahoma City already had the No. 1 seed for the entirety of the postseason wrapped up, so rest and health appear to be the priority for the Thunder.

The Nuggets entered Friday still having seeding to play for, and in Jokic's case, there's still award eligibility to obtain. He needs to play in one more game, which would have to be Sunday if he's going to get on the ballot for MVP, All-NBA and other awards.

“We're all aware of that,” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters before the game, then said postgame that “an adult conversation” would be had on Saturday about the best course of action.

Some players got to award eligibility with a few extra minutes to spare.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, needing to play 20 minutes to reach the 65-game standard and be eligible for postseason awards, was taken out after hitting exactly that number of minutes — then went back into the game, evidently having persuaded the Spurs that he needed a bit more on-court work.

He finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes.

“If I had 65 (games) before, I for sure wouldn't have played,” Wembanyama said.

Said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson: “We need as much on-the-job training, on-the-court experience together as we can. That's what we're trying to do without overdoing it.”

There was also a record shooting effort on Friday. Boston made 29 3-pointers, tying the record for 3s in a game. It was the fourth time in NBA history a team made 29, and the second time this week after Memphis did it on Monday in a loss to Cleveland.

“Hopefully, we didn't use them all up in one game,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

Play-in dress rehearsal for Warriors?

Not everybody was resting for the playoffs.

Golden State was building for the postseason — or, at least, what it hopes will be a playoff run. The Warriors are going to the play-in tournament and tuned up by getting Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup together for the first time this season.

“We’ll just take a look at that tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before Golden State played Sacramento. “We have a season full of data and film on some of the combinations. But some of decisions we have to make, there’s no data. It’s just kind of a hunch so we have give some of that a look tonight.”

Jazz and Grizzlies combine to use 13 players

Utah — a team that seems to have spent the season ensuring it would have a bottom-four record to guarantee a top-eight draft pick — used seven players in its 147-101 win over Memphis, and was the deeper team.

Memphis had only six players.

It wasn't the game of the year, to put it mildly.

“Congrats to the Jazz,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “They played a really good game. Shot the ball really well. We knew we had limited bodies going into this game. Guys gave everything they had, but you could see they were extremely fatigued.”

Jazz coach Will Hardy called the game a great way to end Utah's home schedule.

“Just a fun night,” Hardy said.

Playoff picture becomes clearer

Atlanta became the 11th team to grab one of the 12 guaranteed playoff spots, rolling past a Cleveland team that sat Donovan Mitchell.

“It feels great,” guard CJ McCollum said after the Hawks clinched either the No. 5 or No. 6 spot in the East. “The guys did a great job of rallying together.”

In other playoff-related news:

— Boston secured No. 2 in the East, behind No. 1 Detroit (which had previously clinched).

— New York locked up No. 3 in the East.

— Cleveland is certain to be No. 4 in the East after that loss to the Hawks.

— Atlanta knows it will be in the playoffs, either as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.

— Charlotte will be in the play-in tournament after falling to Detroit.

— Orlando will be in no worse than the 7-vs.-8 play-in game in the East.

— Miami is locked into the 9-vs.-10 play-in game in the East.

— Portland beat the Los Angeles Clippers, giving the Trail Blazers the inside track to the No. 8 seed in the West. The Clippers would have wrapped up No. 8 with a victory, and now need help Sunday to avoid being No. 9. The difference? The teams in the 7-vs.-8 game get two chances to win one game and make the playoffs. The 9-vs.-10 teams have to win two elimination games to advance. “It's a very important win,” Blazers star Deni Avdija said.

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AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

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

Many issues could derail the truce and the negotiations aimed at making a broader deal to stop the fighting permanently.

Earlier, President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the two-week ceasefire over Iran's continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks despite the ceasefire.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching attacks Thursday night on Persian Gulf states.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region when he said he had approved direct talks with Lebanon. The Lebanese government has not responded as of Friday morning.

Talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict are expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance would lead the U.S. delegation.

Here is the latest:

Pakistan sets up state-of-art media center for talks

Pakistan’s government has set up a state-of-the-art media center to facilitate Pakistani and foreign journalists covering the talks between the United States and Iran, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.

Tarar told reporters the facility at the Jinnah Convention Center offers high-speed internet and a range of free services to support media coverage. Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.

Pakistan has announced visa-on-arrival for journalists and official delegations traveling from the United States and Iran for the talks, which have been dubbed the “Islamabad talks.”

Inside the media center, rows of workstations equipped with laptops and charging points allow reporters to file stories. Large screens broadcast major domestic and international television channels. The facility also has designated areas for live stand-ups, press briefings and interviews.

Islamabad appears deserted before Iran war talks

The streets of Pakistan’s normally bustling capital were deserted Saturday as security forces sealed roads ahead of talks between high-level officials from Iran and the U.S. to end their nearly six-week war. Pakistani authorities urged Islamabad residents to stay inside, leading the city to look like it was under curfew.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is leading the American delegation, which was expected to arrive before noon.

Iranian negotiators, headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, arrived late Friday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif the conflict was entering a “difficult phase” as the sides try to shift from a temporary pause in fighting to a more lasting settlement. He said they were at a “make-or-break” moment.

Iran delegation leader posts photos of killed schoolchildren

Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted a photo on X of him looking at portraits of children killed in a U.S. missile strike on a school, saying they were his companions on a flight to Pakistan for peace talks.

The photo showed Qalibaf looking at four headshots of children, each placed on an airplane seat with a backpack and a flower.

Qalibaf is leading Iran’s delegation to the negotiations with the U.S.

A preliminary U.S. military investigation into the strike said outdated intelligence likely led the U.S. to bomb the school. The Feb. 28 strike killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict.

Trump expresses confidence ahead of Islamabad talks

“I wished him luck. He’s got a big thing,” Trump said of his parting message to Vance before he began his journey to lead the president’s delegation for the critical talks. “We’ll find out what’s going on. They’re militarily defeated.”

Trump, who spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to head to a Friday evening fundraiser in Charlottesville, Virginia, also reiterated his confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be opened up.

“And now we’re going to open up the Gulf with or without them,” Trump said referring to the Iranians, who have effectively shuttered the critical waterway. “But that’ll be open.”

Senior Iranian leader voices support for his country’s negotiators

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, in a post on X, wished Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf success as he leads his country’s delegation to high-level peace talks with the U.S. in Pakistan.

Aref said “we are supporters” of the negotiators, just as they were supporters of the military in the war.

Pakistan says ‘high-powered’ Iranian delegation arrives for peace talks

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a high-powered delegation from Iran, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Islamabad late Friday to participate in the peace talks.

In a statement, the ministry said the delegation was received at the airport by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Dar expressed hope that the parties would engage constructively and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating efforts toward a lasting and durable solution to the conflict

Lockheed Martin announces $4.7B contract for Patriots

The U.S. defense contractor announced the Pentagon order on Friday for the critical interceptors that have been in heavy use since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran six weeks ago.

The Associated Press reported last month that a sizable number of U.S. Patriot air defense missiles have been moved from Europe toward the Middle East as Washington diverts resources toward its war on Iran. The shift has left concerning gaps in Europe’s air defenses against Russia.

Lockheed in a statement said the order is part of the company’s agreement to increase production of the Patriot interceptor from 620 last year to 2,000 per year by 2030, a deal the defense contractor and the Pentagon signed in January.

Lebanon and Israel will start direct talks next Tuesday, says Lebanese president

The statement from Joseph Aoun’s office comes after Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to the U.S. held a call with Washington’s ambassador to Lebanon to discuss the terms of the negotiations, slated for next Tuesday in Washington D.C. with State Department mediating.

Beirut is keen to hold direct talks to end the ongoing war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, but under a ceasefire or truce similar to that of Washington’s talks with Iran.

Israel announced that it authorized direct talks after Lebanon’s request, but did not immediately issue a statement following the call.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the development, though has opposed direct talks with Israel.

During the past 40 days of war, more than 1,900 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes and more that 1 million others have been displaced, according to government figures.

Iranian delegation arrives in Pakistan for talks with the US

The Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived early Saturday in Islamabad, Iranian state TV reported.

The delegation included security, political, military, economic and legal teams. The report said negotiations will begin only if the other side accepts Iran’s preconditions.

Hours earlier, Qalibaf posted on social media that two points that he said had been mutually agreed on — a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets — have yet to be implemented.

“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he wrote.

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UK to hold Strait of Hormuz meeting next week

Britain will convene another planning meeting next week of countries aiming to restore free movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

A British official with knowledge of the planning said the meeting will involve senior officials and will stress opposition to the idea of tolls being charged for passage through the waterway.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss government plans.

The meeting follows an April 2 foreign ministers’ call involving about 40 countries, and a military planning meeting this week attended by about 30 nations.

The talks have discussed using diplomatic and economic pressure, such as sanctions, on Iran to reopen the key oil route, as well as military plans for ensure ships’ safety once the conflict ends.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said it’s essential to have a “viable plan” to reopen the strait and get the global economy moving again.

—- Jill Lawless

Lebanon says over 1,900 killed in over a month of Israel-Hezbollah war

In its latest update, the Lebanese health ministry said at least 357 people were killed and more than 1,223 wounded in widespread Israeli strikes on central Beirut and other areas on Wednesday, noting the toll is not final as rescue and identification efforts continue.

Wednesday marked the deadliest day in more than five weeks of renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Among the 1,953 killed, more than 102 were women, over 130 were children, and at least 57 were paramedics, according to the health ministry.

More than 6,300 people have been wounded, the ministry added, while over 1 million people have been displaced by the war.

Pakistan prime minister says US, Iranian delegations set for peace talks in Islamabad

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday that delegations from Iran and the United States are arriving in Islamabad to take part in talks aimed at ensuring durable peace in the region.

In a televised address to the nation, Sharif described the current stage as a “make-or-break moment.”

He thanked the leadership of Iran and the United States for agreeing to a ceasefire and holding peace talks at his request.

He said his government would do its best to ensure the success of the peace process and urged citizens to pray for the talks to succeed.

Ship tracking platform says Strait of Hormuz traffic remains minimal

The Athens-based Marine Traffic said on Friday that only 14 vessels, half of which were laden, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire was declared on April 8, according to a statement on X.

Vessels exiting the Persian Gulf accounted for 70% of all crossings.

“Sanctioned or shadow-fleet-linked vessels accounted for nearly two-thirds of all crossings,” added the statement.

Before the conflict, over 100 ships passed through the strait each day — many carrying oil to Asia.

Starmer praises Pakistan’s role in US-Iran ceasefire efforts in call with Sharif

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday received a phone call from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in facilitating a U.S.-Iran ceasefire and hosting peace talks in Islamabad.

A statement from Sharif’s office said both leaders stressed the importance of ensuring the ceasefire holds and of creating conditions for lasting peace and stability in the region.

Spain’s leader reiterates call for EU to suspend association agreement with Israel

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday once again called for the European Union to scuttle its association agreement with Israel over its military actions in the Middle East, which he said violate international law.

“It’s clear that it is trampling on and violating many of the articles of that association agreement, especially those related to respect for international law and humanitarian law,” Sánchez said at the European Pulse Forum in Barcelona. “Let us not allow a new Gaza in Lebanon,” he said.

Sánchez’s remarks came after Israel expelled Spain from a U.S.-led group that manages humanitarian aid to Gaza, though he did not directly address the decision.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on X wrote that he had briefed U.S. officials on the decision to expel Spain beforehand, due to the country’s “obsessive anti-Israel bias under Sánchez’s leadership.”

Trump says Iran has ‘no cards’ except Strait of Hormuz ahead of Islamabad talks

The president offered his assessment in a Truth Social post as Vice President JD Vance is flying to Islamabad for talks that aimed at finding a permanent end to the conflict.

“The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways,” Trump posted. “The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!”

To be certain, Iran’s effective shuttering of the waterway, which about 20% of the world’s oil normally flows through, has had major impact on the U.S. and global economy.

In the United States, consumer prices rose 3.3% in March from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported Friday The largest monthly jump in gas prices in six decades spurred the sharp spike in inflation.

Iran foreign minister urges US to uphold ceasefire commitments on Lebanon

Abbas Araghchi stressed in a call Friday with Tehran’s incoming ambassador to Beirut the need to halt Israeli attacks on Lebanon and called on Washington “to adhere to its commitments in this regard,” according to a post on Araghchi’s Telegram channel.

Lebanon had declared Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, persona non grata and ordered him to leave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon, but said a ceasefire there is not on the table.

Israeli strikes continued Friday, hitting multiple areas across southern Lebanon.

Iran’s parliament speaker cites more conditions ahead of negotiations with US

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf claimed in a social media post Friday that two of the mutually agreed-upon points between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets ahead of the negotiations.

“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he wrote. He did not elaborate.

Iran has not yet said who it will send to the ceasefire talks in Pakistan that are expected to start Saturday.

Iranian ambassador to Tunisia says Iran is in ‘armed negotiations’ with the US

“We remain cautious, and our hands remain on the trigger because we do not trust them,” Ambassador Mir Massoud Hosseinian told The Associated Press on Friday.

He blamed the U.S. and Israel for reported ceasefire violations in the Iran war and said Iran is prepared to defend itself should there not be a satisfactory outcome in the next two weeks.

He said Iran has been caught in “a vicious cycle” of negotiations, war, ceasefire and another war for years, adding: “We want to break this cycle.”

Hosseinian also said the administration of the Strait of Hormuz after the war “will inevitably differ from before.”

He added that Iran’s right to enrich uranium is “not negotiable,” although the level of enrichment is, framing his country’s nuclear program as a necessary part of its future energy security.

Kuwait says National Guard personnel wounded in Iranian aerial attacks

Kuwait’s army said Friday it had engaged with seven Iranian drones over the last 24 hours. In a statement on the social platform X, it said the attacks targeted vital facilities affiliated with the National Guard.

The post did not mention the number of injuries, adding only that they were in stable condition.

The attacks resulted in “significant material damage,” the military said.

Kuwait earlier had said it faced a drone attack Thursday night that it blamed on Iran and its militia allies in the region.

Iran’s IRGC denied launching an assault.

Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran

It was initially seen as an unexpected mediator, but this week Pakistan has established itself as a key player in bringing Iran and the United States to the negotiating table. Now, it is awaiting representatives from both countries to meet in Islamabad, as the world watches to see whether the talks could lead to an end to the war.

Since Washington and Tehran agreed to an initial 14-day ceasefire on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have been sharing messages about conversations with world leaders, highlighting their role as mediators.

Islamabad isn’t often called on to act as an intermediary in high-stakes diplomacy, but it’s stepped into the role this time for a number of reasons, both because it has relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran and because it has a lot at stake in seeing the war resolved.

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Security forces move swiftly to lock down key parts of Islamabad

Commandos, police and other security personnel set up barricades as dusk fell along routes linking the airport to the city, particularly those expected to be used by U.S. and Iranian delegations arriving for high-stakes talks.

During their stay in Pakistan, the two delegations will also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The delegations arriving in Islamabad are scheduled to stay at a hotel where negotiations are expected to take place on Saturday.

Ahead of the talks, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reviewed security arrangements for the delegations.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said Islamabad’s Red Zone would be completely sealed on Saturday, with entry restricted to authorized individuals.

Multiple rounds of sirens heard across northern Israel

Sirens signaling incoming fire from the militant Hezbollah group sounded in repeated waves across northern Israel on Friday, including in border communities and areas such as Nahariya and Karmiel.

The Israeli military said around 30 projectiles were fired toward the area since morning.

Trump’s tenuous Iran exit plan isn’t healing Republican rifts exposed by the war

President Donald Trump’s search for an off-ramp from the war with Iran is getting bumpy inside his Republican Party.

In the decade since Trump’s “America First” movement rose to power by rejecting military intervention, his coalition has rarely been tested the way it is now. Trump’s exit efforts — first through threats of annihilation, then with a ceasefire that is proving precarious — are doing little to paper over tensions that have festered since the war began six weeks ago.

Despite the growing criticism, Republican leaders in Congress were largely silent. Many were privately uncomfortable with Trump’s threats on social media and were concerned about how the war would play out, especially in an election year.

But with Congress on recess for the opening two weeks of April, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have offered little public reaction to Trump’s moves.

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Israel bans Spain from Gaza peace monitoring body

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that the Spanish government will be cast out of a U.S.-led coordination center in charge of maintaining peace in Gaza, citing Spain’s alleged anti-Israeli bias amid the war with Iran.

“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us. Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world,” he said in a video statement.

The Kiryat Gat-based Civil-Military Coordination Center was established in October 2025 as a multinational body charged with monitoring implementation of the peace agreement sponsored by Trump in Gaza.

“Those who attack the State of Israel instead of terrorist regimes will not be our partners regarding the future of the region,” added Netanyahu.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been one of the most outspoken critics of the war on Iran, which he denounced as “illegal, reckless and unjust.”

Lebanon’s state-run news agency reports 13 State Security officers killed

The NNA news agency reported that Israeli warplanes on Friday struck near a State Security agency office in the southern town of Nabatieh, causing extensive damage at the government building. It said others were wounded in the strike and were being transferred to hospitals, without specifying how many.

At least 13 State Security officers were killed, according to a statement from the agency.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the specific strike. Its Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, claimed that Israel had hit more than 120 Hezbollah militant sites in the past 24 hours.

Hezbollah has claimed a series of air and ground attacks against Israel in the last day after initially holding fire following news of the wider ceasefire deal in the Iran war.

Ceasefire deal brings relief to some in Iran, but Trump’s threat still echoes

Iranians have welcomed a fragile ceasefire deal after weeks of Israeli and American bombardment, but many fear the war is far from over. For some, there is also a sense of whiplash, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to wipe out their civilization hours before he reversed course and agreed to an uneasy truce.

The ceasefire that took effect Wednesday has brought relative quiet to the capital, Tehran, after more than a month of heavy strikes that targeted mainly government and security buildings but also destroyed many homes.

“Everyone I’ve spoken with, it’s given them a new life,” a university student told The Associated Press in an audio note via WhatsApp, speaking on condition of anonymity over fears for his safety.

AP spoke to half a dozen residents, despite an ongoing nationwide internet shutdown imposed during mass protests before the war.

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Japan urges Israel and Hezbollah to reach a diplomatic settlement

Japan said it is deeply concerned about escalating Israeli attacks on Lebanon, urging all parties to immediately stop hostilities and comply with international law.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, in a statement Friday, expressed Japan’s “serious concern” over Israel’s ground operation against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, calling for respect for Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Vance says he believes negotiations with Iran will be ‘positive’

Boarding Air Force Two on his way to Pakistan, the vice president said, “We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s gonna be positive. We’ll, of course, see.”

He cited Trump in saying, “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand.”

But Vance also added, “If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”

Vance also said that Trump “gave us some pretty clear guidelines” on how talks should go, but didn’t elaborate.

The vice president did not take questions from reporters traveling with him.

Some Israelis think Israel should ‘finish with’ Hezbollah before deal with Lebanon

In the streets of downtown Jerusalem, some Israelis said they believe peace with Lebanon is not possible before a decisive victory against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

“I think we should finish with them. After we finished with Hezbollah, we can try and make peace with Lebanon,” said Yaniv Matsree.

A little over a month of hiding in shelters has inconvenienced the lives of many Israelis, they said, but has done little to change their views of the war with Hezbollah that has killed more than 1,850 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

For some Israelis, their country should press on to evade future threats from the militant group.

“The people of Israel want peace and seek peace, but those who want war will get war, and this war is very justified,” said Benhamo Momen, who fled from northern Israel, where the impact of the war is most severe. “Hezbollah will not disarm on their own.”

In Argentina, the U.S. administration worked to prop up the country’s financial markets to the tune of $20 billion -- then Trump threatened to pull the assistance if its elections didn’t go his preferred way.

And in Honduras, he backed a conservative former mayor for president — and pardoned a predecessor from the same political party as Hondurans were preparing to vote.

In his second term, Trump has made a public flex of his political influence abroad on a scale that few if any U.S. presidents have exerted, trying to marshal power that he’s used domestically to sway races in Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Using endorsements to reward loyal and like-minded leaders, he has shattered a U.S. tradition of avoiding overt involvement in the internal politics of other countries, and made the use of some foreign policy tools more about politics than about advancing U.S. interests, according to his critics.

“The impact of that is to really cheapen a relationship,” said David Pressman, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary during the Biden administration. Pressman, who was on the ground in Budapest as Orban publicly backed Trump in 2024, said Hungarian positions on key issues such as Ukraine felt “infused through a political U.S. rubric,” rather than articulated as sovereign foreign policy.

The most significant test yet of Trump’s political power abroad may come Sunday, when voters in Hungary render a verdict on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's bid for a fifth term. Orbán was the first European leader to back Trump during his 2016 run and remained a close ally even during Trump’s period of political exile, making sojourns to see him in south Florida and again endorsing the Republican in his 2024 comeback race.

“I love Hungary and I love that Viktor,” Trump said this week as Vice President JD Vance, visiting Budapest, put him on speakerphone at a rally with more than 1,000 Orbán supporters.

Trump says he loves to pick winners

Trump has long reveled in his status as kingmaker in the Republican Party. Now, he boasts that foreign leaders come to him seeking his approval.

“I love it when I give endorsements and people win,” Trump said last month at a summit with several Latin American leaders whom he had backed.

Often, his picks share his policy views, like fellow immigration hard-liners Orbán and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, or the chainsaw-wielding Argentine President Javier Milei, who used the tool to illustrate his zeal to slash spending.

Trump and his officials have often used the Conservative Political Action Conference as a stage for promoting their foreign political friends.

At a CPAC gathering in Warsaw last year, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urged Poles to vote for conservative Karol Nawrocki, and implied that the future of the U.S. military presence in Poland could hinge on the election’s outcome. Nawrocki would go on to win.

In Hungary last month, Trump greeted CPAC attendees with a video message from behind the Resolute Desk, urging support for Orbán.

“The prime minister has been a strong leader who’s shown the entire world what’s possible when you defend your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty and your values,” Trump said. He later added, “I hope he wins, and I hope he wins big.”

The White House defended Trump’s approach as a sign of transparency.

“President Trump is a great American statesman who will speak or work with anyone, and he makes no secret about those he likes or supports,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. “Many individuals who align with President Trump’s ideology are getting elected to top offices around the world because everyone wants to replicate his immeasurable success on behalf of the American people,” she said.

Sunday's election is a big test of Trump's foreign political clout

Few foreign leaders have amassed as much political support from the Trump administration as Orbán. The U.S. president has fired off multiple Truth Social posts promoting the prime minister, whose hard-right authoritarian approach to governance has endeared him to Trump, as did his fealty to the U.S. president even when Trump was out of power.

“Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBÁN,” Trump posted Thursday night. On Friday, he said his administration “stands ready to use the full Economic Might of the United States” to help Hungary's economy, if Orbán and Hungarians need it.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as a senator, once aired concerns about “democratic erosion” under Orbán. Nonetheless, Rubio endorsed him in February and promoted the “very, very close personal relationship and working relationship” between Trump and the prime minister.

During Vance’s two-day swing to Budapest this week, he made the administration’s endorsement of Orbán explicit even as he decried foreign election interference from the European Union.

“Of course we’re going to work with whoever wins the Hungarian election because we love the people of Hungary and it’s an important relationship,” Vance told reporters. “But Viktor Orbán is going to win the next election in Hungary, so I feel very confident about that and about our continued positive relationship.”

But Orbán had been trailing in independent polls ahead of the April 12 election and Trump — whose push to acquire Greenland and war in Iran have made him unpopular throughout Europe — may have less sway than he once had.

Past presidents have been more subtle

Past administrations have used different methods to influence power abroad. For instance, the Central Intelligence Agency under President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped engineer a 1954 coup that forced out Guatemala's president, Jacobo Arbenz.

There have been rare cases when past presidents made their support explicit, such as when former President Bill Clinton backed Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s 1993 move to dissolve parliament and set up new legislative and presidential elections.

But Trump’s political engagement abroad is without precedent, said James Lindsay, a distinguished senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

“Trump is just different than other presidents, and he’s viewed differently than other presidents, and that is a strength you can take advantage of,” Lindsay said.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Trump's blatant involvement in elections abroad should be viewed as part of the what the administration called the “‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine” in its national security strategy released in December. The 1823 Monroe Doctrine, named for President James Monroe, has been used to justify U.S. military interventions in Latin America.

Kaine, who was a missionary in Honduras at a time of deep covert U.S. involvement in Latin America, called the doctrine “poison language” for the region. “It's violating best practice,” he said. “America has been deeply involved in regime support, opposition and regime change in the Americas for centuries, and it is not a legacy that we should be proud of.”

Trump has offered carrots — and sticks — during foreign races

Sometimes Trump's support for foreign candidates has come with more than an endorsement.

In October, Trump was particularly blunt about his intent to withhold assistance for Argentina if Milei's political coalition didn’t prevail in legislative elections that month. Shortly before Milei's visit, the administration had finalized a $20 billion currency swap line, aid that had drawn fierce criticism from U.S. farmers and Democratic lawmakers.

“If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina. OK?” Trump told a reporter as he hosted Milei at a White House lunch.

In the final days of last year's Honduran elections, Trump not only made his preference for Nasry Asfura clear, but also emphasized that “the United States will not be throwing good money after bad” if Asfura lost. Both Milei and Asfura were successful in their respective elections.

Trump also announced a pardon for former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez for U.S. drug trafficking and weapons convictions. “This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success,” Trump wrote on social media.

Trump has repeatedly floated a pardon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including in a formal letter and during a speech to the country’s parliament. Netanyahu is enmeshed in a far-reaching corruption case that includes allegations of fraud, breach of trust and bribery. He faces what could be a tough reelection campaign this year.

A fiery Vance speech in the early weeks of the Trump administration strained ties with Germany when, at the Munich Security Conference, he criticized mainstream German parties for refusing to work with a far-right party.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later said it was not the place for a U.S. leader to “say something like that to us in Germany.”

“I wouldn’t do it in America, either,” Merz said.

U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi's ruling means a Monday arraignment hearing for Kalshi has been called off. State prosecutors allege Kalshi is running an illegal gambling operation. The order was issued in a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration.

The judge's order said the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission had sufficiently shown that “event contracts” fall within the Commodity Exchange Act's definition of “swaps,” and that it had demonstrated a reasonable chance of success in showing that the act preempts Arizona law.

“The Act grants the CFTC ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ over the regulation of ‘swaps,’” traded or executed on a Designated Contract Markets, the order said.

Kalshi operates by allowing customers to buy and sell “Yes” or “No” contracts tied to the probable outcome of an event.

The commission had sued Arizona in response to cease-and-desist letters sent to Kalshi from state gambling regulators and the criminal charges filed against the prediction market operator. The commission argued Arizona is intruding on its exclusive federal power to regulate national swaps markets.

Liburdi had previously denied Kalshi’s attempt to bar prosecutors from moving forward with the case and declined a request from the company for a ruling saying federal law trumps Arizona’s gambling laws. Liburdi said it was too early in the case for him to rule on that issue.

State prosecutors have charged Kalshi with 20 misdemeanor counts of wagering for allegedly accepting bets on political outcomes, college sports and individual player performance.

Arizona, the first state to file criminal charges against Kalshi, prohibits operating an unlicensed wagering business and betting on elections. The criminal charges mark a new front in a high-stakes legal battle over whether prediction markets should be subject to the same rules as gambling companies.

Kalshi maintains it’s a financial marketplace rather than a gambling operation and should only have to answer to the federal Commodities Futures Trading Commission, not the state of Arizona.

“The attorney general's office disagrees with the court's ruling and we will evaluate our next steps,” said Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

Robert DeNault, head of enforcement at Kalshi, said in a posting on X that the ruling is “a step in the right direction.”

“Arizona’s decision to weaponize state criminal law against companies that comply with federal law sets a dangerous precedent,” Michael Selig, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said in a statement. “And the court’s order today sends a clear message that intimidation is not an acceptable tactic to circumvent federal law.”

Kalshi has said its product is different from gambling operations because Kalshi’s customers engage in “swaps” between one another instead of betting against the “house.”

In a lawsuit filed just days before prosecutors leveled the criminal charges, Kalshi argued federal law trumps Arizona’s efforts to subject it to state statute. It also contends that shutting down its ability to offer event contracts would threaten its viability, undermine confidence in the integrity of its platform and cause other problems for the business.

The company said Arizona filed the charges to interfere with its lawsuit.

Lawyers for the state contend Kalshi has marketed itself as a platform for sports and election betting and that Arizona should be able to enforce its gambling laws to hold Kalshi accountable for flouting state law.

Kalshi sued Arizona, Utah and Iowa in attempts to stop anticipated state actions against the platform. Other states have taken some form of legal action against Kalshi.

So far, the outcomes have been mixed. Federal and state judges in Nevada and Massachusetts, respectively, issued early rulings in favor of states looking to ban Kalshi and its competitor Polymarket from offering sports being in their states, while federal judges in New Jersey and Tennessee have ruled in favor of Kalshi.

Earlier this month, the federal government filed lawsuits against Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois challenging their efforts to regulate prediction market operators.

The Trump administration has so far backed the platforms.

President Donald Trump’s eldest son is an adviser for both Kalshi and Polymarket and an investor in the latter. Trump’s social media platform Truth Social is also launching its own cryptocurrency-based prediction market called Truth Predict.

McIlroy stood on the 12th tee in a tie with Patrick Reed and with a dozen other players bunched together in what was shaping up to be a compelling chase for the green jacket.

Six birdies over his final seven holes for a 7-under 65 left everyone to wonder if they were playing for second. McIlroy's fourth straight birdie to close out the best round of the week gave him a six-shot advantage, setting the Masters record for largest 36-hole lead.

“I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn’t think I’d birdie six of the last seven,” he said. “It just shows what you can do around here.”

He did it in spectacular fashion. McIlroy twice made birdie on the par 5s after laying up from the trees. He twice had short putts on the par 3s. And if all that wasn't enough, he chipped in from 30 yards up a slope so steep he couldn't even see the hole.

The final hour of a fascinating day started to look like a victory lap for McIlroy, who spent 17 years trying to win the Masters and now looks like he can't wait to do it again.

His tee shot over Rae's Creek on the dangerous 12th hole landed 7 feet behind the flag. He birdied both par 5s after having to lay up from the trees. He took advantage of the lower pin at the par-3 16th for what amounted to a tap-in birdie.

And then he really sent the gallery into a frenzy when he chipped in from 30 yards on the 17th. McIlroy knew it was good because “I could see everyone in the grandstand start to stand up.”

And there was one more to go — another perfect approach that came down the slope to 6 feet for one last birdie.

That put him at 12-under 132, six shots clear of Reed (69) and Sam Burns (71). The previous record for the largest 36-hole lead at Augusta National was five shots by six players, most recently Scottie Scheffler in 2022. The first was Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper in 1936, the only player in that position who did not win the Masters.

If McIlroy holds on, he would become the fourth player to win back-to-back at the Masters, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

He had a two-shot lead after 36 holes in 2011 and stretched it to four shots going into the final round before he famously imploded with an 80. That was the start of his Masters heartache that lasted until a year ago, when he triumphed in a playoff to finally prove he could win at Augusta National.

Maybe he should start thinking about next year’s menu for the Masters Club dinner.

“I know what can happen around here, good and bad,” McIlroy said with a smile. “You don't have to remind me not to get ahead of myself. There's a long way to go. I got off to an amazing start.”

Augusta allowed for that. It was warmer, brighter, drier. The wind wasn't quite as strong and the gusts didn't swirl as much. And there was much better scoring in part because of more generous pin positions, including on 16 and 18, where cleanly struck shots could feed toward the hole.

The scores were nearly two shots lower than Thursday.

That didn't help everyone, least of all Bryson DeChambeau. He fought back from an opening 76 and was one shot below the cut line when it took him two shots to get out of a greenside bunker on the 18th, the second shot rolling off the false front back down to the fairway. He made triple bogey and missed the cut.

Reed was bogey-free until failing to save par on the final hole. That also cost him a spot in the final group Saturday with McIlroy. They were paired together in the last group in 2018, with seemingly all of Augusta on McIlroy's side, only for Reed to win handily.

Burns birdied his last two holes to salvage a 71 and will be paired with McIlroy.

Justin Rose, the playoff loser to McIlroy a year ago, had a rough day with the putter and still shot 69 to be part of the group at 5-under 139 — now seven shots behind — along with Shane Lowry (69) and Tommy Fleetwood, who had two eagles in his round of 68.

McIlroy took three weeks off heading into the Masters — no one since Adam Scott in 2013 won the Masters coming off a break that long — and felt it was to his advantage.

He took multiple trips to Augusta — sometimes day trips to get home for dinner — and spent most of his time working on his short game, which has been superb.

“I felt like I was part of the furniture,” McIlroy said of all his visits to the course.

He also had a six-shot lead at the Congressional in the 2011 U.S. Open, the major after he blew his big lead at the Masters, and he went on to win by eight. He learned that week to push on instead of protect, the same approach he plans for the weekend.

“Look, I’ve built up a nice cushion at this point,” McIlroy said. “I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas.”

Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who has won two of the last four Masters, is now 12 shots behind. Scheffler twice hit into the water on the par 5s on the back nine, made bogey on both, and shot 74 for his first round over par at the Masters in three years.

The players in what looked to be the B-flight had all finished before McIlroy went on his astonishing run of birdies. Cameron Young and U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell had a front-row seat to McIlroy in full command at the Masters.

“You've got to stay in your own lane, but it’s hard not to watch that,” Howell said after missing the cut. “That chip-in on 17 was unreal. That was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in sports, and I got to witness it in person. So that was awesome.”

___

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

Chancellor Brandon Creighton’s memo gives provosts until June 15 to identify targeted programs and requires the system’s five universities to freeze admissions and halt students from declaring majors in the phased out programs. Students already enrolled can finish their degrees.

Offerings that appear most likely to be affected include Texas Tech University’s women’s and gender studies undergraduate minor and graduate certificate, as well as women’s and gender studies minors at Midwestern State University and Angelo State University. 

The memo also says graduate theses and dissertations may center on gender identity and sexual orientation only as a temporary exception for currently enrolled students and that future faculty hiring will “prioritize recruitment in alignment with this memorandum.”

Faculty, it says, must recognize only “two human sexes” and not teach  gender identity as a spectrum or more than two genders as fact — policies Creighton introduced last year. 

In core and lower-level undergraduate courses, the memo says instructors generally cannot assign materials that are “centered on” or “include” sexual orientation or gender identity and defined the concepts:

• “Centered on” is when course content, readings, assignments or lectures that have sexual orientation or gender identity “as the primary subject, main theoretical framework, central narrative or driving pedagogical purpose.” 
• “Includes” means “these themes are present, but serve only as secondary background context, demographic data points, or minor components of a broader academic subject.” 

If an industry-standard textbook contains such content, the memo says faculty do not have to redact it, but they cannot highlight it, test students on it or spend class time on it. 

The memo makes some exceptions for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses, including analysis of active public policy and legal disputes, historical subjects such as the AIDS epidemic where sexual orientation or gender identity is inseparable from the topic, datasets that include those variables and some clinical, counseling or psychology instruction.

The memo also says “currently employed faculty members may continue to research and publish topics of their choosing,” but future faculty will be recruited and hired in accordance with the memo’s priorities. 

Jen Shelton, an associate professor of English who has taught at Texas Tech for 25 years, said the provost’s office had repeatedly assured faculty that their research would not be affected. She said this feels like a “betrayal.”

“The good news is I think the whole university has been betrayed. I think even the provost did not expect it to look like this because it’s people from the provost’s office who have been coming to us and saying, ‘Don’t worry. This part is all going to be fine,’” Shelton said in an interview with The Texas Tribune.

Cailyn Green, a Texas Tech junior studying human development with a minor in community, family and addiction science, said the memo left her feeling that the university can no longer provide “an honest education.”

Green said one of her professors would not answer in class whether material about racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes would still be taught, instead asking to discuss it privately. 

“At the rate that we’re going, I’m not going to be able to continue learning everything that I need to know in my degree, and I won’t be able to help people,” said Green, who works in Section 8 housing, helping low-income residents connect with food, health care and other assistance.

Paul Ingram, a Texas Tech associate professor of psychological sciences, said students had been calling him all day, some saying they regretted coming to Texas Tech. He said a graduate student had already dropped out because of the earlier memos and another graduate student is writing a dissertation on gender that, under the new policy, could not be proposed again. 

He said faculty across the university are openly discussing looking for other jobs. 

“Everyone sees that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but this grass is looking pretty dead,” Ingram said.

Antonio Ingram, a senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the memo appears to target perspectives involving gender identity and sexual orientation for political reasons, not academic purposes, raising serious constitutional concerns because public universities cannot discriminate based on viewpoint. 

Antonio Ingram also questioned the memo’s prohibition against teaching “as absolute truth” that people are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive and that “individuals bear responsibility or guilt for actions of others of the same race or sex.” Ingram said there is no definition of “absolute truth,” creating vagueness that may deter teaching about systemic racism, reparations and the history of enslavement.

“I think in many ways, this is a doubling down on a political project that is not meant to help students. It is really meant to uphold a political worldview that, you know, Chancellor Creighton couldn’t enact legislatively and is now doing through his role as chancellor,” Ingram said.

In a statement, Creighton said he and the system’s regents are “focused on ensuring our academic programs are rigorous, relevant, and produce degrees of value.”

“That focus is matched by our unwavering support for the First Amendment and the open exchange of ideas that define a public university. Texas Tech will continue to be a national leader on both fronts,” he said.

Some students have supported the system limiting classroom discussion of sex and gender. In an October interview with the Tribune, Preston Parsons, president of the campus Turning Point USA chapter, said he believed the policy protected students and that professors who disagree should speak up outside the classroom.

“There’s a right and a wrong way to do everything, and I don’t believe the classroom is the right place to do that,” said Parsons, who wasn’t available to comment on Friday’s memo. 

Creighton served nearly two decades as a Republican state lawmaker and authored major higher education reforms before he became chancellor in November. In December, he ordered faculty to submit for review course content touching on race, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. If campus leaders wanted to keep the information in a course and it was not required for professional licensure, certification or patient care, they had to forward it to the Board of Regents for final review. Regents were expected to take up the issue publicly at their Feb. 26 meeting but did not, leaving professors in limbo.

Speaking at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s summit in Austin on Thursday, Creighton said Texas Tech had “built an AI algorithm” to help review courses and would release findings within days.

At the summit, Creighton said what some faculty call “academic drift” had left “quite a bit of garbage in curriculum” on university campuses across the country. He said the Texas Tech University System has “a very good plan in place” to address that.

“I believe it will produce the best curriculum in America, and I believe it will be a national model once we’re finished,” he said.

In a news release Friday, the system said that of the 1,403 courses initially identified, only 92 were reviewed by the board of regent’s Academic, Clinical and Student Affairs Committee and fewer than 60 were recommended for modification. Another 299 were “proactively modified” before reaching the committee.

Creighton has framed the push at Texas Tech as a way to steer the university toward degrees that lead to high-paying jobs in high-demand fields. He made the same arguments for bills he wrote in 2023 to ban diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education and in 2025 to expand regents’ control over curriculum.

Shelton said that view misses a central role of college, which is to teach students how to interpret the world around them, ask hard questions and think through unfamiliar problems. This memo, she said, “impoverishes” students “not just as future workers, but as human beings.” 

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Texas Public Policy Foundation and Texas Tech University System 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.

De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and 10 assists and Keldon Johnson had 17 points for San Antonio.

Rookie Cooper Flagg had 33 points, six rebounds and five assists for Dallas, which has lost 11 of 13.

After opening the season with a 40-point game against Dallas, Wembanyama reached 40 for the fifth time in what could be his regular-season finale.

The NBA requires a minimum of 65 games played to be eligible for season-long awards and Wembanyama got there in San Antonio’s penultimate game.

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who leads the league with 197 blocks, is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

He missed Wednesday’s 112-101 victory over Portland after suffering a left rib contusion during the first half of Monday’s 115-102 win over Philadelphia.

Wembanyama quickly showed he was fine by stepping through three defenders to throw down a right-handed dunk to open the scoring. He added another dunk and a step-back 3-pointer while scoring 16 points in the opening period.

The Spurs won the Southwest Division for the first time since 2017 and have secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio opens the postseason against a team that makes it through the play-in tournament — either Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland.

San Antonio closes its regular season at home Sunday against Denver.

Spurs guard Stephon Castle remains out with left foot soreness. Coach Mitch Johnson said Castle is close to returning.

Up next

Mavericks: Host Chicago on Sunday.

Spurs: Host Denver on Sunday.

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

Relatives and colleagues remembered Mann as a stickler for details and a deeply kind person who blended his love of journalism with his empathy for everyone he worked with.

“Billy Mann was a wonderful representative for The Associated Press in global hot spots from the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos to the turbulent Middle East,” said longtime AP United Nations bureau chief Edith M. Lederer. “He was well-liked for his warm personality and admired for his deft reporting.”

A Georgia native who met his wife, Mimi, at the University of Georgia’s journalism school, Mann was a rabid Georgia Bulldogs fan. “Outside of family, it was his biggest passion,” said his daughter Samantha Rudolph.

A long journalism career took him many places

Upon graduating, Mann went to officer candidate school, became a naval officer and served for four years at a base in the Philippines and at the Pentagon.

After leaving the Navy, Mann joined the AP in Louisville, Kentucky. He worked at the agency’s New York headquarters and elsewhere in the United States before becoming Cairo bureau chief for 10 years.

“He would sit in his office in the back, smoking cigars, feet on the desk, reading copy,” his daughter remembers. “He was just surrounded by incredible people who looked up to him in every way.”

While in Cairo, an early 1990s trip to Somalia — ravaged by famine and warfare — left even the veteran correspondent traumatized.

“It was seeing the hunger and the deprivation, the remnants of war,” his daughter remembered. “He refused to talk about it. He saw things that he didn’t want to talk about.”

Mann was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010 and died of a virus in a memory care facility, said Mimi Mann, his wife of more than 60 years.

Despite the disease, she said, “he kept his love of journalism.”

In Egypt, Mimi Mann remembered, she fought to cover archaeology, becoming one of the first people to cover the field for a major news service. When French scientists started making discoveries using sonar in the pyramids, she said, the AP told her, “No one cares about the pyramids.”

“I said, ‘Well I do,’" Mann said, and she went on to become known as a wordsmith documenting a field that few laypeople knew about.

“He was good at interviewing but he would always say that my mom was 1,000 times better,” Samantha Rudolph said. “She was the real reporter.”

A 'stickler for details’ with a soft spot for a certain boxer

Bill Mann’s most fondly remembered interview took place when he was working at the AP’s Louisville, Kentucky, bureau and met boxer Cassius Clay, who went on to become world champion Muhammad Ali.

“He interviewed countless heads of state, talked to everybody and what stood out was Muhammad Ali,” his daughter Rudolph said. “He always said that without a doubt his best and favorite interview was Muhammad Ali.”

Ken Guggenheim, one of Mann’s former editors, said that, “Billy was just the consummate AP man. He was just a stickler for details, determined that the grammar was right, the style was right and that the story would be perfect when it would hit the wire.”

Above all, however, Mann’s kind and generous personality set him apart, they said.

“Everyone loved Billy,” Guggenheim said. “He was someone who showed you could be a great journalist and a great person at the same time.”

Mann is survived by his wife, daughter, son and four grandchildren.

Thanks to volunteers donating part of their livers to people they hadn’t met until Friday, the hospital completed the nation’s first seven-pair living donor liver transplant exchange.

“This opportunity just absolutely means everything to me,” donor Tana Lusty said. “I think forever we’re going to be connected. And I just feel absolutely blessed and incredibly grateful.”

The seven donors and seven recipients met for the first time Friday, sharing emotional stories and gratitude.

“It’s hard not to be emotional, you know,” recipient Norma Cardenas said.

One donor, Robert McDonald, said he originally planned to donate to a friend.

However, the timing didn’t work out, and his friend received part of another person’s liver. McDonald still moved forward even though his recipient would be a stranger.

“A very easy decision for me to decide to donate,” McDonald said. “I always check the box that says organ donor on your driver’s license, but I never really thought of this before until I found out that somebody that I cared about needed this.”

Dr. Tarunjeet Klair, surgical director for the liver transplant program at University Health Transplant Institute, credited both donors and recipients for what it takes to make the process possible.

“Thank you so much for the donors, for your courage, your generosity, the recipients who constantly put, you know, trust us in our abilities to take care of you,” Klair said. “This achievement showcases the power of living donation and the advanced coordination and surgical skill required for these transplants.”

For Cardenas, the transplant marked a turning point after months of uncertainty.

“I started this in November 2024,” Norma Cardenas said. “I didn’t know if Thanksgiving was going be my last,” she said. But, she added, “I was able to go home and see my grandkids again. And so, I was forever grateful for that. That was a very special moment for me.”

“It was a medically and logistically complex process that required matching seven remarkable people willing to donate portions of their livers with seven patients needing life-saving transplants,” University Health said in a statement. “Waiting for a deceased organ might have taken too long to help some of these patients.”

Read also:

• Act of kindness leads to ripple effect with 2 lives saved through organ donations
• Texas Organ Sharing Alliance marks donors’ legacy with San Antonio tree dedication
• Organ Donation, Second Chances: How One Gift Can Rewrite Someone’s Future

Rolbert Joachin, 40, was arrested and charged with killing a woman on April 2 in Fort Myers, about 160 miles northwest of Miami. Authorities said the man was from Haiti and arrived in the U.S. in 2022. The woman who was killed was identified as a 51-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh and a mother of two adult daughters.

Trump, who posted the video late Thursday to his Truth Social account, has often sought to portray immigrants as bringing crime to the U.S., and the video emerging from the Florida attack presented him with a new, particularly graphic opportunity to do so. Trump also often paints Democrats and his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, as allowing in immigrants who posed a criminal or national security threat to the U.S.

“The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see,” Trump said in his post, describing the man as an “animal."

Critics say the president unjustly paints all immigrants as criminals in an effort to bolster his immigration agenda, when studies have found that people living in the U.S. illegally are less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug and property crimes.

“Our hearts are with the family of the victim during this unimaginably painful time," said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which advocates for Haitian immigrants. “We condemn this act of violence in the strongest possible terms. But we must also be clear: one individual’s actions do not define an entire people. The exploitation of this tragedy to demonize Haitian immigrants and dismantle humanitarian protections is both unjust and deeply harmful.”

Graphic video captured woman's killing

The woman who was killed was working as a clerk at the convenience store of the gas station, according to court documents. The killing happened outside the store and the man was arrested the same day.

In security camera footage of her killing posted on the Department of Homeland Security's X feed, the man can be seen repeatedly slamming the hammer into a black vehicle parked in front of the gas station. Eventually, a woman in black pants and a pink shirt comes out and appears to question him.

The man, wearing a yellow shirt and black shorts, walks up to the woman and immediately swings the hammer at her head. The woman falls down on the sidewalk in front of the gas station’s front doors. The man attacks the woman with the hammer multiple times before stepping over her unmoving body and walking away, out of the frame of the camera.

The victim was later ıdentified in a police report as Nilufa Easmın, 51. A GoFundMe started by Samir Bahadur Syed, the President of the Bangladesh Association of Southwest Florida, described her as a "devoted mother who worked tirelessly to provide for her two young daughters."

Syed said that Easmin arrived in the United States about three decades ago and resided in Miami and Palm Beach before moving to Florida’s west coast. She was a single mother, and her two daughters — one 23 years old and the other about 26 — were born in the U.S., Syed told The Associated Press.

He added that Easmin had been working at the convenience store for nearly five months and that she also held another job.

Fort Myers police said they responded to a report of a woman being hit with a hammer at a Chevron gas station. When officers arrived, they found a woman on the ground with blood around her head and multiple cuts.

Officers later located Joachin walking on the street and took him into custody. The police said he has confessed. He was charged with murder and property damage and appeared in court on Wednesday. His arraignment is set for May 4.

An email message sent to the public defender listed in court records as Joachin’s lawyer seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Trump administration criticizes temporary deportation protections

Trump blamed Biden for granting the man temporary protection to stay in the U.S.

Kelei Walker, acting field office director for ICE enforcement and removal operations in Miami, said during a news conference Friday that Joachin arrived in a “water vessel” near Key West, Florida, in August 2022. He was arrested and given Temporary Protective Status in 2023. That status was revoked this week, Walker said.

“We’ll make sure he never gets to the streets of the United States and gets back to his home country,” she said.

The Trump administration has harshly criticized the use of Temporary Protected Status, which can be granted by the administration to citizens of a country experiencing turmoil or strife. Immigrants who qualify are allowed to stay in the U.S. and work for a temporary period, although Republican critics contend that the Biden administration misused its TPS authorities to broadly allow hundreds of thousands of people to stay in the country.

There are several lawsuits in the federal courts challenging Trump's efforts to terminate TPS for more than one million people, including 350,000 Haitians. In March, a federal appeals court sided with a lower judge’s ruling against the end of temporary status for Haitians, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 29.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration have often highlighted crimes committed by immigrants and created a website where people can look up people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the crimes they’ve committed in the U.S.

The administration often highlights “Angel Families” who have lost family members to crimes committed by immigrants.

On Thursday, ICE held an event marking the one-year anniversary of the reopening of an office dedicated to assisting those families, including emotional testimony from some of the surviving family members.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the first name of the acting director of ICE's Miami field office. It is Kelei, not Kelly.

___

Bellisle reported from Seattle and Santana from Washington.

Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, who has presided over Bexar County’s Court at Law No. 13, is accused of having an attorney handcuffed and kept in the jury box.

According to Bexar County court records, Speedlin Gonzalez, 61, has been charged with unlawful restraint by a judicial officer, a felony, and misdemeanor official oppression, January indictment records obtained by KSAT Investigates show.

KSAT Investigates first reported on the December 2024 incident on Jan. 14. Speedlin Gonzalez was indicted and turned herself in on Jan. 29.

While Speedlin Gonzalez appeared inside Bexar County’s 379th Criminal District Court on Friday, Judge Ron Rangel recused himself and will not be presiding over the case. Instead, the case was assigned to retired Judge Oscar Hale Jr., who spent nearly two decades as a district judge in Laredo, Texas, before leaving the post in December 2024.

On Friday, Speedlin Gonzalez’s attorney, the special prosecutor and Hale discussed a matter within Hale’s chambers. While it was unclear what was discussed, prosecutors later told KSAT Investigates that Speedlin Gonzalez will return to court in June.

Since Speedlin Gonzalez’s arrest, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) suspended her without pay.

The suspension order states Speedlin Gonzalez’s suspension will remain in effect until the charges are dismissed, she is acquitted of all charges or until the commission issues another order.

In March, Speedlin Gonzalez lost her reelection bid in the Democratic primary to challenger Alicia Perez.

Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 is home to the Reflejo Court, a trauma-informed treatment program designed to help first-time domestic violence offenders address the root causes of their behavior in lieu of jail time.

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.

The 12-page plan released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts shows the arch will stand 250 feet tall (76.2 meters) from its base to the tip of the winged figure's torch, with “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold atop either side of the monument.

The plan indicates the structure would stand between the Lincoln Memorial in the east and Arlington National Cemetery toward the west and within a traffic circle connecting Washington with northern Virginia. The arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial, which stands at 99 feet tall (30.2 meters).

Trump wrote on social media that it “will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World. This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!”

Trump has said he wants to build the arch near the Lincoln Memorial and argued that the nation’s capital first sought such a monument 200 years ago.

“It was interrupted by a thing called the Civil War, and so it never got built,” Trump said in February. “Then, they almost built something in 1902, but it never happened.”

Trump has said that major cities around the world have such monuments, and Washington is the only one without one.

The arch is one of several architectural changes Trump is making in his second term. In addition to building a large ballroom at the White House, he's also made changes to the Oval Office and converted the Rose Garden into a stone-covered patio.

The arch goes beyond the White House, giving Trump a chance to leave another lasting monument in a city known for them. It would expand on his earlier talk of sprucing up the city by replacing its “tired” grasses, and broken signage and street medians.

__

An earlier version of this story mistakenly cited the “Commission on Fine Arts.” The plan was released by the Commission of Fine Arts.

Vineyard Wind filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Massachusetts against GE Renewables. That comes after the parent company for GE Renewables said it would be terminating its contracts for turbine services and maintenance at the end of April.

GE Vernova says Vineyard Wind owes it $300 million for work it performed. But Vineyard Wind counters that the manufacturer remains on the hook for about $545 million to make up for a catastrophic turbine blade collapse in July 2024 and the delays that caused.

Fiberglass fragments of a blade broke apart and began washing onto Nantucket beaches in July 2024 during the peak of tourist season. GE Vernova agreed to pay $10.5 million in a settlement to compensate island businesses that suffered losses.

The lawsuit states that the project already has been significantly damaged by GE Renewable's “inexcusably poor performance,” and allowing the contractor to back out now would case irreparable harm. Craig Gilvarg, spokesman for Vineyard Wind, said Friday that the lawsuit is meant to ensure that GE Renewables fulfills its obligations to the project “and to the people of Massachusetts and New England who are relying on the significant power and economic benefits this project is already providing.” He said Vineyard Wind is expected to provide $3.7 billion in savings to electric customers over the life of the project.

GE Vernova said the company is exercising its right to terminate agreements for nonpayment for work performed.

“The company remains committed to the safety of the wind farm and stands by our performance and our contractual obligations," the company said in a statement. "We will vigorously defend our position through the appropriate legal process.”

Construction finished on Vineyard Wind in March, making it the first project to reach this stage during President Donald Trump’s time in office. It had already been providing power to the grid for over a year as more turbines were finished. It is expected to reach full operations in the coming months.

According to the lawsuit, GE Renewables is the only company able to perform the remaining work, and it would be virtually impossible to find another turbine supplier willing to take its place. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

GE Vernova has said that insufficient bonding at one of its factories in Canada was responsible for the blade coming apart and that there was no indication of a design flaw. Sixty-eight out of the 72 blades that had been installed at Vineyard Wind at the time were removed and replaced. Vineyard Wind said that set the project behind nearly two years.

The Trump administration has been particularly critical of the project because of the blade failure.

It was one of five major East Coast offshore wind projects the Trump administration halted construction on days before Christmas, citing national security concerns. Developers and states sued, and federal judges allowed all five to resume construction, essentially concluding that the government did not show that the national security risk was so imminent that construction must halt.

Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, located 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. It has 62 turbines that will generate a total of 800 megawatts. That is enough clean electricity to power about 400,000 homes.

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The union and City of San Antonio have been negotiating a new contract since late January. Both sides have proposed combinations of hourly-rate and percentage-based raises, meaning different ranks would be affected differently.

The city presented an offer today that would raise the base wages for the lowest-ranking San Antonio police officers from $65,431 currently to $74,970 in April 2029 — a more than 14% bump in pay.

However, the union has proposed raising the same officers’ pay to $82,164 in the same time frame — a more than 25% increase.

In an emailed statement after the negotiation session, SAPOA President Danny Diaz said the city’s counteroffer “devalues our officers and the dangerous work they do every day,” and the union was “pausing further discussions at this time.”

In a follow-up phone interview, Diaz told KSAT that officers have been quick to let the union know how they felt.

“Our phones have not been quiet,” he said. “They’ve been ringing off the wall. And it’s very loud and clear that that is a slap in the face, what they offered today.”

The city said in an emailed statement an “independent survey” of Texas’ largest cities showed the department’s compensation is “already competitive.”

“When total compensation — including healthcare, pension, and retiree benefits — is considered, San Antonio ranks in the top three among large Texas cities at all career stages analyzed,” the statement reads. “We are committed to not losing ground and remaining among the top three in total compensation.”

It’s not clear when talks might resume.

“We’re going to have to continue talking to get it settled, but I can’t give you a date or a time,” Diaz told KSAT. “We need to wait and see what happens — who calls who first."

The current contract runs through September, but an evergreen clause could keep its terms in place for another eight years.

With the city’s budget season approaching, City Manager Erik Walsh indicated a desire to wrap things up.

“I’m confident that both sides can continue to work through the remaining issues and provide certainty for our officers and the community,” Walsh said in a statement. “I believe it’s critical to finalize the tentative agreement and understand all the costs in advance of the City preparing for the FY 2027 Budget process.”

Read also:

• SAPOA President Danny Diaz retiring after 30 years of service, union says

Natasha Sheree Banks-Brown, the owner of “Tasha’s Total Tax Service,” began running the business in 2016. Four years later, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) opened up an investigation into Banks-Brown’s business on its belief that she had been preparing an “increasing number of questionable (tax) returns,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a news release.

According to the IRS investigation, Banks-Brown, 45, filed clients’ tax returns with “false and fraudulent deductions and credits,” which, in turn, allowed for the clients to rake in larger tax returns.

Because Banks-Brown never quoted her clients a price for her services, investigators said she took a chunk of her clients’ fees from their tax refunds and funneled them into a bank account she controlled, the DOJ said. Her clients would then receive a part of their return from her bank account.

Several of her clients testified that they were unaware of how Banks-Brown orchestrated the scheme. Some told the court that they never received a copy of their returns nor reviewed the returns with Banks-Brown 1-on-1.

Evidence shown to jurors during the trial revealed Banks-Brown filed nearly 1,200 tax returns between 2017 and 2021 and netted more than $8 million in tax refunds, according to a DOJ news release.

“Everyone rightly wants to get the best deal on their tax preparation and the largest refund possible, but some things are just too good to be true,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons said in a news release. “The public should be aware that tax preparers may have the incentive to defraud the IRS for their own personal benefit and to the detriment of their clients. This defendant abused the trust of her clients to make more than a million dollars for herself and cost the government several times that amount.”

Banks-Brown is expected back in court for sentencing on July 13.

More courts coverage on KSAT:

• Kendall County driver sentenced to 18 years in crashed that killed 3 on State Highway 46
• Bexar County misdemeanor judge accused of having attorney handcuffed attends hearing; return set for June
• Balcones Heights mayor sues city over alleged retaliation

The Justice Department said Friday that it would move forward on a proposed $68 million settlement with a Texas land developer it had accused of preying on Hispanic residents, despite a judge’s concerns that the agreement did not do enough to help victims.

During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett questioned why the settlement had no compensation for those who were harmed and grilled a federal prosecutor over $20 million devoted to police and immigration enforcement. He said he was uncomfortable with the provision because the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Colony Ridge, which has massive subdivisions north of Houston, mentioned nothing about public safety or immigration.

“I thought I was dealing with … folks who had been defrauded, with allegations of above-market interest rates, improper foreclosures,” Bennett said, holding up the original lawsuit in his right hand and the settlement in his left. “Now, all of the sudden, I’m being asked to OK increased law enforcement?”

“Who in the settlement room said it would be a good idea to give $20 million to law enforcement?” Bennett asked early in the hearing. “Where did that come from?”

The original idea came from the state, said Justice Department senior prosecutor Varda Hussain, referring to the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton’s office filed a similar lawsuit that would also be resolved through the settlement. He did not respond to a request for comment. Hussain, a principal deputy chief at the Justice Department’s Washington headquarters, said that the federal government stood by the provision even though neither its lawsuit nor the state’s raised concerns about crime.

Colony Ridge residents told federal investigators that they were worried about crime in the development after the lawsuit was filed, Hussain said.

“I understand what it might look like to you, but I am telling you that this is a concern that friends of the court and residents will tell you exists,” Hussain said.

The settlement ends a three-year legal dispute in which the Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accused Colony Ridge of deceiving tens of thousands of Hispanic consumers into taking out high-interest loans that many could not afford. The developer then benefited when it foreclosed on their properties, prosecutors said.

Former attorneys and investigators with the Justice Department and CPFB, including those involved in filing the original lawsuit in 2023, told ProPublica and The Texas Tribune they were stunned that the Trump administration had reached a settlement that did not seek to compensate victims.

Of the 183 housing and civil enforcement settlements the Justice Department has announced since 2018, only 6% lacked money for victims, and none included funding for police or immigration enforcement, an analysis by the news organizations found.

Including such a provision in a predatory lending case has never been done before, said Bennett, who sought to find a compromise.

An hour into the hearing, Bennett asked the Justice Department and the attorneys for Colony Ridge, which has denied any wrongdoing, whether they would consider his suggestions to revise the settlement to obtain his approval.

Colony Ridge attorney Jason Ray said his client would consider it. Hussain said the Justice Department wasn’t interested.

Instead, the Justice Department said it would pursue the settlement without seeking judicial approval under a provision of federal law that allows it to do so. That means the court will not supervise Colony Ridge to ensure the developer follows the terms of the settlement, said Johnathan Smith, former deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights during the Biden administration.

Smith, who helped assemble the Colony Ridge lawsuit three years ago, said now the case simply goes away because there is no one to enforce it. He added that the Justice Department cannot sue Colony Ridge based on the same claims in the future.

“By having settlements that are public and that are court-enforced, it sends a clear message to other potential bad actors that there could be real consequences for their actions,” Smith said in an email.

He said the Justice Department’s decision amounts to a “get out of jail free card.”

The “DOJ is turning its back on the victims, and those victims are left with no recourse and no assurance that any actions will be taken to remedy the harms that were identified in DOJ’s original complaint,” Smith said.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Smith’s criticisms. During the hearing, however, Hussain said the department would ensure Colony Ridge abides by the settlement. In a court filing, the developer said it had already started implementing the provisions, which include adopting stricter lending standards.

Keilah Sanchez, a former Colony Ridge landowner who, along with her sister, collected complaints from residents who said they had been mistreated by the developer, said it was crushing to see the settlement be implemented without helping past victims.

“It’s unbelievable, but at this point, I don’t expect much from these agencies,” she said.

As the party fights to regain control of Congress, organizations affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence have dominated the airwaves, sometimes leaving candidates on the sidelines of their own campaigns.

Democratic pollster Zac McCrary said the primaries have “become proxy wars, and the candidates are almost afterthoughts in larger skirmishes."

In an effort to push back, the Democratic National Committee voted at its spring meeting in New Orleans to condemn the surge in spending.

Members who opposed the package of resolutions wanted language to condemn specific groups, such as AIPAC, which was founded to foster stronger relations between Israel and the U.S. The organization has become especially controversial during the war in Gaza and because of its aggressive campaign tactics.

The flood of money from a variety of groups has exacerbated tensions within the party. Candidates who lost have pointed their fingers at special interests, blaming them for derailing their campaigns. Others who are still in the running are courting voters by denouncing deep-pocketed outside groups. Even those who have benefited from the spending have expressed concern.

“It’s definitely a brave new world,” McCrary said.

“We’re not talking about doubling of campaign expenditures,” he added. “We’re talking about 10 times or 20 times more.”

Dan Sena, a former executive director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said party organizations are no longer the only ones with the clout to push favored candidates.

“All that’s been completely smashed now,” Sena said. Even if Democrats regain control of the U.S. House, he warned that outside spending could damage the party in the long run.

Referring to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, he said, “You’re going to hand Jeffries a caucus that is divided.”

Democrats bear the brunt of big spending

So far this cycle, outside money in U.S. House races has largely targeted districts particularly friendly to Democrats, meaning the primaries will likely determine who will win the general election in November. After a record number of House members retired this year, many of those seats opened up for the first time in years, drawing dozens of Democratic hopefuls.

In Illinois, for example, there was more than $125 million in outside spending across five open Democratic primaries. In all but one of those congressional races, the outside spending exceeded candidate spending.

While it's still early in the calendar, there are indicators that many more races could see big spending. Almost 40 seats have already seen more than $1 million in outside spending, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

In Illinois, the top three spenders in U.S. House races were groups affiliated with AIPAC, according to AdImpact, which tracks ad buys in political races, followed by the cryptocurrency-affiliated Fairshake.

A resolution presented to a subcommittee at the DNC specifically named AIPAC, but that one didn't pass. Instead, members voted for a separate resolution that “condemns the influence of unregulated dark money in Democratic primary elections.”

“We had various resolutions that focused on different industries and groups, and instead of going one-by-one, we passed a blanket repudiation,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

Campaign spending has divided Democrats

The latest DNC meeting marked another chapter in longstanding disputes between progressives and the party establishment.

Some progressives want the party to adopt official language that all Democratic presidential contenders oppose money from dark-money groups, or super PACs that aren't required to disclose their donors.

“It’s necessary that we actually have the party do something on this issue, not just say something,” said Larry Cohen, co-chair of Our Revolution, a progressive group founded by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with Democrats.

The resolution passed at the DNC meeting in New Orleans is viewed by progressives as a step toward that goal. However, some Democrats warn against weakening their candidates when facing a Republican Party that's flush with cash.

“Provided that we don’t handcuff ourselves in the general elections — because if the Republicans are going to use dark money in general elections, we should be using our money in general elections, too — if you provide an even playing field, I think then that’s fine,” said Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat. “But we just can’t be handcuffing ourselves in the general to lose races.”

DNC resolutions do not stop outside groups from surging funds into primary contests or general elections. But some Democrats believe the issue is core to the party's values.

“We should eliminate any super PAC in a Democratic primary. And I think every presidential candidate in 2028 should pledge that they will not have any super PAC spending in a Democratic primary,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, a progressive and possible Democratic presidential contender who co-chaired Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.

“That should be a litmus test,” Khanna argued. “If you’re not willing to take that pledge, then you’re part of the problem.”

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Brown reported from New York.