The former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has secured his position on California’s gubernatorial ballot for the November general election. Despite millions of votes remaining to be tallied, his identity as the top finisher has been confirmed.
The November opponent for Becerra remains undetermined as ballot counting continues across the state.
Argentine health officials announced Friday they are broadening their investigation into a deadly hantavirus outbreak that occurred on a cruise vessel last month, deploying research teams to capture and examine rodents in Mendoza province while awaiting laboratory findings from the southern city of Ushuaia.
Officials from Argentina confirmed that biologists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will participate in next week’s research mission in Mendoza.
The unusual outbreak aboard the MV Hondius resulted from the Andes hantavirus, an illness transmitted by rodents native to Argentina and Chile and considered the sole hantavirus strain capable of human-to-human transmission under certain circumstances.
Tracing the transmission pathway presents significant challenges, and Argentine officials acknowledge they may never determine precisely where the initial known patients — a Dutch couple who perished in April — became infected before joining the cruise in Ushuaia. However, specialists believe understanding this outbreak will provide crucial insights into how this uncommon virus spreads and offer important guidance for future disease management.
While repatriated cruise passengers from over 20 nations have disembarked and entered specialized isolation facilities, disease investigators are analyzing the 11 confirmed hantavirus infections, including the movements of the three fatalities, to gain better insight into the transmission sequence.
Argentine researchers are attempting to trace the Dutch travelers’ journey, suspecting the shipboard virus originated from the man’s contact with rodent waste during their months-long journey through Argentina and Chile prior to the vessel’s departure. The standard incubation time before symptoms manifest is approximately three weeks but may last up to eight weeks.
Following news of the outbreak, Argentina’s Health Ministry identified Ushuaia as a potential infection source and dispatched investigators from the Malbran government research facility last month to gather rodent specimens from various forested locations surrounding the city.
Local officials in the tourism-reliant city of Ushuaia, known for its position at “the end of the world,” have strongly contested claims that the virus began there. Although the Andes hantavirus affects several dozen individuals annually in Argentina’s northern Patagonian areas, it has never been found in Ushuaia or the broader Tierra del Fuego archipelago.
The Health Ministry stated Friday that laboratory results from those examinations are still pending to establish whether the couple became infected in that location.
Ministry officials announced Friday that experts from Malbran, working alongside U.S. colleagues from the CDC, are preparing to examine rodents for hantavirus in Malargüe, Mendoza from June 8-12.
A representative from the Malbran Institute verified that the Dutch couple traveled through Malargüe while driving across the wine-producing Mendoza region toward the northeastern Misiones province during their final portion of travel in Argentina.
Malbran’s director, Claudia Perandones, conducted meetings with CDC investigators in Argentina on Friday regarding the operation, which she explained will require teams wearing extensive protective gear to collect blood specimens from deceased rodents and transport samples to the primary laboratory in Buenos Aires for analysis. Officials indicated test results may require up to one month.
The World Health Organization has emphasized that due to limited transmission risk, the hantavirus will not develop into a pandemic concern.
Nevertheless, the Andes hantavirus has generated worldwide alarm because of its fatality rate, reaching as high as 30%, and the present absence of treatments and preventive vaccines.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra has secured his position in California’s general election for governor on Friday, following a campaign where he promoted his extensive background as the best choice to govern the country’s largest state by population and take over from the current Democratic governor.
Drawing upon his extensive career spanning more than three decades in government roles — including positions as the state’s top legal officer and federal health secretary — Becerra made the case that his qualifications surpassed those of other candidates in the competitive race.
“I am ready to lead the fight to uphold California’s promise to make sure we have the governance worthy of our gifts,” he stated during his election night remarks.
The identity of Becerra’s opponent in the upcoming general election remains uncertain. His primary competition included Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator who received backing from President Donald Trump, and Democrat Tom Steyer, a wealthy environmental advocate who invested $215 million of his personal funds into his bid.
Initially, Becerra’s political effort struggled to build momentum in its early stages. However, circumstances shifted when a leading Democratic candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell, faced allegations of sexual misconduct and withdrew from the contest, creating space for Becerra to unite Democratic voters behind his candidacy.
Becerra has pledged to continue California’s role as a primary opponent to President Donald Trump’s policies. In his previous role as attorney general, he initiated over 120 lawsuits against Trump’s first presidency, challenging policies ranging from immigration enforcement to environmental regulations.
Throughout the campaign, opponents questioned his performance as health secretary during the coronavirus outbreak and the crisis involving unaccompanied migrant children in 2021, when his department oversaw facilities housing these minors. Critics pointed to substandard conditions at some locations and inadequate screening of potential guardians for these children.
Should he win the election, Becerra has announced plans to issue emergency declarations targeting expensive energy costs and housing availability while implementing a moratorium on home insurance rate increases.
Despite California’s reputation as one of America’s most ethnically diverse states, nearly every previous governor has been a white male. Becerra’s election would mark the first time a Latino has held this position since the 1800s.
Current Governor Newsom cannot run again due to constitutional term restrictions preventing a third consecutive term.
California Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui has secured her position on the November general election ballot following a primary contest against a younger member of her own party.
The 81-year-old representative successfully defended her congressional seat after being challenged by Mai Vang, a Sacramento City Council member. Matsui has served in Congress since 2005, when she took over the Sacramento-area district following the death of her husband, former Rep. Bob Matsui.
Her primary battle represents part of a broader pattern this election cycle, with several veteran Democratic lawmakers facing challenges from younger candidates seeking to unseat them. The identity of her November opponent remains undetermined as vote counting continues.
The California primaries are playing a crucial role in shaping the upcoming fight for control of the House of Representatives, while also measuring whether Democrats can capitalize on five potential seat gains following successful redistricting efforts last year.
Democratic leaders promoted the redistricting initiative as a response to Republican map-drawing strategies in GOP-controlled states like Texas, where boundaries were redrawn to favor conservative candidates.
Prior to Tuesday’s voting, Democrats expressed concern that California’s unique primary system could backfire on them. The state’s format advances the two highest vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation, raising fears that Democrats might be excluded from districts they specifically designed to favor their candidates.
Those worries proved unfounded in one key race, as San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert successfully advanced to face Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, in a suburban San Diego district. However, Democrats still face the possibility of being shut out in another district located in Sacramento’s surrounding areas.
In a separate redrawn district spanning Orange and Riverside counties in Southern California, Republicans maintain an advantage. GOP Rep. Ken Calvert has earned his spot in the November election for the 40th District, though his opponent has yet to be determined. Calvert endured a challenging primary battle against fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim, who was placed in a new district containing areas Calvert previously represented due to Democratic redistricting efforts.
San Francisco saw a different outcome, where a well-funded progressive candidate failed to secure one of the top two positions for retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat. State Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan will compete to succeed the former House speaker.
In the Central Valley region, Republican Rep. David Valadao, considered among the most at-risk House Republicans, awaits word on whether he will face centrist Democrat and Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains or progressive political science professor and school board member Randy Villegas this fall.
Multiple contests remain undecided due to California’s characteristically lengthy vote-counting process, where mail-in ballots from traditionally Democratic areas are tallied later, often reducing early leads held by conservative candidates on election night.
Trump previously used the extended counting period to make unfounded fraud allegations and repeated those claims Thursday, stating his Justice Department would launch an investigation into the state’s procedures. A federal prosecutor visited Los Angeles’ primary vote-counting facility on Friday.
The NCAA revealed on Friday that four members of Alabama State’s 2024-25 men’s basketball roster violated sports betting integrity rules.
Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock participated in game fixing during their December 5, 2024 matchup against Southern Miss, where the Hornets lost 81-64 despite Southern Miss being favored by six points.
According to NCAA enforcement interviews with Knox, Fulcher connected the four teammates with known gamblers through a group chat. Madlock told the bettors he was hurt and wouldn’t participate in the contest. The gamblers then offered the quartet $2,000 collectively to manipulate the outcome, which the players agreed to and received payment for.
The Hornets actually held a 33-30 advantage at the break, but managed just 23 successful shots out of 71 attempts (32.4%) throughout the contest, while Southern Miss connected on 30 of 60 shots (50%).
Alabama State went on to win seven of their last eight regular season contests, claimed the SWAC tournament championship and beat Saint Francis in the 2025 NCAA Tournament’s First Four round.
Knox scored the decisive basket with one second left on the clock, securing the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament win.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted the bettors in January 2026 on wire fraud and sports bribery charges. Hines and Fulcher, who refused to cooperate and gave false statements to enforcement officials, also face federal indictments.
Madlock, whose college playing career had ended, refused to speak with enforcement personnel.
All four players sat out last season from college basketball. Without help from an NCAA institution, Hines, Fulcher and Knox are permanently barred from reinstatement.
American military forces targeted Iranian surveillance installations on Saturday after intercepting unmanned aircraft that Tehran had directed toward the Strait of Hormuz, according to military officials, marking another escalation in the ongoing regional conflict.
Military officials believe the four unmanned aircraft were aimed at shipping vessels in the area, a U.S. official confirmed to Reuters. U.S. Central Command announced on X that American forces subsequently targeted Iran’s monitoring facilities located in Goruk and Qeshm Island, both positioned along the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran have been conducting mostly indirect diplomatic talks aimed at reaching a temporary agreement to end the three-month conflict, with more complex issues like Iran’s nuclear program set aside for future discussions.
Under any potential agreement, Tehran seeks access to billions in petroleum revenues, relief from crude export sanctions, removal of American port restrictions, and control over the strategic waterway. Iran has effectively shut down the strait, which previously handled approximately one-fifth of global oil shipments before hostilities began.
U.S. President Donald Trump faces increasing domestic pressure over rising fuel costs to conclude the unpopular conflict. He informed NBC that although most of Iran’s drone and missile production capabilities have been eliminated, Iranian forces retain access to roughly one-fifth of their missile arsenal.
“They have some missiles, they have some drones. I would say percentage wise, maybe 21%-22% of their missiles. It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked,” Trump told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program, according to excerpts released by the network on Friday.
When questioned about why Iranian leadership hasn’t been more willing to negotiate despite their reported desperation, Trump responded:
“Because they are strong. They’re proud. There are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do, they’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while.”
Israel and the United States initiated the conflict with military strikes against Iran in late February.
REGIONAL VIOLENCE CONTINUES DESPITE CEASEFIRE EFFORTS
In related fighting in Lebanon, the Iran-backed militant organization Hezbollah announced Friday that it had conducted two operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, including near the recently seized Beaufort Castle, while Lebanese security officials reported Israeli air attacks on multiple southern Lebanese communities.
Iran has renewed its backing for Hezbollah while insisting that Israel pull back from southern Lebanon. Tehran has established a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as a prerequisite for any peace agreement with Washington to resolve the regional conflict, now in its fourth month, and resume maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The current round of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began in early March, two days following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Hezbollah stated its operations were conducted in solidarity with Tehran.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem this week turned down a U.S.-mediated agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government to end the Lebanese fighting. The proposal failed to include Israeli withdrawal provisions and Hezbollah had been excluded from the diplomatic process.
Israel has continued its operations in southern Lebanon, declaring that its forces would not retreat or suspend activities in the country despite growing tensions with the United States.
Lebanon’s parliament speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri stated Friday he would support the organization’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon provided Israeli troops simultaneously departed territory they control in the country.
Beyond Lebanon, civilians in Gaza, northern Israel and Kuwait have all experienced attacks this week, despite U.S.-arranged ceasefires that Trump described as involving “shooting in a more moderate manner”, rather than a complete cessation of hostilities.
A former cabinet secretary from the Democratic party, Xavier Becerra, is expected to qualify for California’s November gubernatorial election following this week’s primary voting, according to projections from U.S. news organizations announced Friday.
The projection comes after Tuesday’s primary election results in California, with media outlets analyzing the vote totals to determine which candidates will advance to the general election in the fall.
Federal agriculture officials have verified a second instance of the dangerous screwworm parasite in Texas on Friday, discovered just miles away from the initial case that marked the first U.S. detection in decades.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the parasite was found in Zavala County at a cattle operation located 5.6 miles from where the original case was identified on Wednesday.
News outlets had reported the second confirmation earlier Friday through industry sources before the USDA officially announced the infection involved a one-month-old calf.
During a Friday press briefing, Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer, associate administrator for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, had initially stated that only one affected animal had been found.
This latest discovery comes after the original identification occurred near La Pryor, a community located approximately 30 miles northeast of the Mexican border. The development represents a concerning turn for cattle producers who have been bracing for the parasite’s potential arrival as it has spread northward through Mexico during the past year.
The screwworm consists of parasitic flies that lay eggs within open wounds or mucous membranes of animals with warm blood. Once the eggs develop into larvae, they burrow into living tissue where they consume the host, potentially resulting in death without proper treatment.
Prior to Carolina’s dramatic rally, prior to Vegas needing a clutch goal with just over a minute remaining to force overtime, and prior to Seth Jarvis finding the net in the extra period, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final was marked by an eerie quiet.
The enthusiastic fans who had been thunderous at the series opener sat in shocked silence as their cherished team was held scoreless through 40 minutes for the first time since mid-January. With under 15 minutes on the clock, they faced the possibility of a devastating 2-0 deficit that historically only five teams out of 55 have managed to overcome for championship glory.
The wild sequence that unfolded concluded with Carolina claiming victory in thrilling style, transforming this matchup into a genuine battle between two elite NHL franchises. The third contest takes place Saturday evening in Las Vegas.
Should it mirror the opening pair of games, fans should prepare for more surprises ahead.
“It’s obviously a new series, a five-game series now,” said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who leads the Hurricanes with three points so far in the final. “A lot of emotions throughout the games, too. For almost 50 minutes there it’s kind of low, and then kind of even, then really high, then low again, and then high. It’s a roller coaster for sure.”
This championship round is developing into something resembling a seesaw, featuring dramatic shifts in momentum. This marks the first Cup final in NHL history where both opening contests included comeback victories of multiple goals.
Carolina has become the first squad in 82 years to claim victory in a final game when trailing by multiple goals inside the last 10 minutes of regulation time. That achievement also makes Vegas — which trailed by two in the series opener — the first franchise since 1944 to surrender such an advantage.
“The sport of hockey is funny that way,” Golden Knights center William Karlsson said Friday. “I think that’s why we all love it. It can go either way at any times …. But it’s hockey. It’s a game of mistakes, and it’s bound to happen.”
The Hurricanes, who dominated their first three playoff rounds with 12 victories and only one defeat, have encountered a worthy opponent in Vegas, which became apparent in the opening game. What has also emerged is that neither squad will allow themselves to be overwhelmed for a complete evening, despite periods where one team controls play.
“It’s going to be hard to play your best game — that’s the point,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It would be great if you could do it for the whole 60 minutes. But it’s probably not going to be that way because they’re a very, very good team.”
Counterpart John Tortorella emphasized that again before he and his team flew home, insisting he likes where Vegas is at two games into its biggest challenge yet this postseason. The Golden Knights have stolen home-ice advantage and get to play the next two on The Strip, where Tortorella can better control matchups.
“There’s no difference,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to play. We know how to play. We know how we want to play.”
Carolina understands their approach as well, which they demonstrated during the closing moments of Game 2. Logan Stankoven ignited the rally, Mark Jankowski maintained the momentum, and Jordan Staal converted on a power play following Tortorella’s unsuccessful goaltender interference challenge that became a pivotal moment.
Naturally, Vegas’s control for most of the opening two periods and early in the third demonstrated why they have been so dominant since Tortorella assumed control in late March. Brind’Amour recognized the atmosphere surrounding his squad was more positive than it might have been without the comeback, though neither team should expect to feel overly confident for extended periods in such a series.
Players are welcoming this as part of the excitement.
“This is exciting,” Jarvis said. “This is what playoff hockey’s all about is tight games and momentum swings, and you never really know what’s going to happen next. I don’t think you can ask any more of a playoff series.”
President Donald Trump stated Friday that he remains open to speaking directly with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, despite China’s public warnings against such contact with the leader of the island nation that Beijing considers its territory.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump initially floated this possibility last month following his meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. He mentioned wanting direct communication with Lai while considering whether to approve a $14 billion weapons package for Taipei that received congressional authorization earlier this year.
When questioned Friday about his plans to contact Lai, Trump responded, “I’ll always talk to him,” indicating the phone conversation remains under consideration.
A direct conversation between current American and Taiwanese presidents would represent the first such communication in many decades, prompting Beijing to discourage Trump from pursuing this course of action.
In a statement to the Associated Press this week, the Chinese embassy in Washington warned that such contact could damage progress in the sensitive U.S.-China relationship. They called on the Republican administration to “handle the Taiwan question with utmost prudence” and “avoid sending wrong signals” to leaders of the democratically governed island that China considers a breakaway province.
Trump previously angered China when he accepted a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen following his 2016 election victory but before assuming office.
While Trump has discussed potential direct contact with Lai, he has shown more caution regarding the major weapons package for Taiwan after hearing Xi’s concerns during their Beijing meeting. Although Congress approved the arms deal in January, it still requires Trump’s final authorization.
Last month, the president described arms sales with Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” in his administration’s Pacific region strategy.
During their recent Beijing summit, Xi cautioned Trump that the “Taiwan question” represents the most critical issue in China-U.S. relations, warning that the two countries will “have clashes and even conflicts” without careful management of this matter, according to Chinese officials.
Trump’s discussions with Xi regarding Taiwan arms sales appeared inconsistent with U.S. policy guidelines known as the Six Assurances. These non-binding principles, established in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan, have helped shape the U.S. relationship with Taipei, according to policy experts.
The second principle of the Six Assurances declares that the U.S. “did not agree to consult with the People’s Republic of China on arms sales to Taiwan.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during congressional hearings earlier this week that the United States’ Taiwan policy remains unchanged.
However, Trump’s statements have introduced uncertainty into the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, according to Craig Singleton, a China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“Trump’s comments about Taiwan arms sales as a negotiating chip, combined with uncertainty around a possible Lai call, have created more ambiguity than Taipei would like,” Singleton explained. “The real test is not the rhetoric. It is whether the pending arms package moves, and on what timeline.”
Should the phone call occur, Lai has indicated he would stress to Trump that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are vital for global security, while arguing that China acts as the “destroyer” of the strait’s peace.
Lai also said he would inform Trump that Taiwan’s growing defense spending responds to threats, and that purchasing U.S. weapons would be essential for maintaining strait stability.
Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 as part of recognizing the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese have responded forcefully to other high-level U.S. engagements with Taiwan’s leadership.
Following an August 2022 visit to Taipei by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and five other Democratic lawmakers, China conducted extensive military exercises that included firing short-range ballistic missiles over the island.
Under the “One China” policy, the United States acknowledges the Chinese position that Taiwan belongs to China, while maintaining informal U.S. relations with the self-governing island.
Simultaneously, the U.S. has committed to ensuring Taipei has defensive capabilities, though Washington maintains strategic ambiguity about how far it would go militarily to counter Beijing if it chose to take Taiwan by force.
Following Trump’s Friday remarks, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington restated its position that it plans to “maintain close contact” with the U.S. on arms sales and other matters.
“We will leave it up to the U.S. to announce if there’s any arrangements for President Trump to speak with President Lai,” the office stated.
China would consider a phone conversation between Trump and Lai more provocative than proceeding with the proposed arms sale to Taiwan, said Edgard Kagan, a former U.S. ambassador to Malaysia and senior State Department official handling East Asia policy issues under Trump and President Joe Biden.
Kagan noted the significance of Trump continuing to publicly suggest such a call remains possible after China warned the U.S. administration against a Trump-Lai engagement.
If Trump decides against phoning Lai, he might create opportunity to advance new arms sales for Taipei while reducing backlash from Beijing, said Kagan, who now serves as the China Studies chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“This could give him the room to announce an arms sale, defuse the criticism that the U.S. is turning its back on Taiwan, and do it in a way that leaves the Chinese feeling there was some respect for their views,” Kagan explained.
WASHINGTON — American forces destroyed four Iranian drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday before launching retaliatory strikes against the Islamic Republic’s coastal radar installations, military officials announced.
According to U.S. Central Command’s social media statement, “The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.” The military action is part of ongoing enforcement of a blockade targeting Iranian ports as Tehran maintains control over the critical waterway used for worldwide oil and natural gas transport, causing energy costs to surge.
The incident represents the most recent exchange in a series of escalating attacks that have put pressure on the fragile ceasefire currently in place and complicated efforts to negotiate an extension of that temporary peace agreement.
Just days ago, Iranian drone strikes caused significant damage to a passenger facility at Kuwait’s primary airport, resulting in one fatality and injuring dozens of people while temporarily shutting down airport operations.
Even as these attacks fuel growing fears that the ceasefire might fall apart, Trump maintained his confidence this week that his administration remains positioned to bring the conflict to a successful conclusion.
“We’re going to win one way or another,” Trump stated to reporters Thursday in the Oval Office.
The administration has also highlighted the recent ceasefire agreement reached this week between the Lebanese government and Israel following negotiations facilitated by the United States in Washington. However, the Iranian-supported Hezbollah militant organization has refused to accept the deal, and both parties have continued launching new attacks.
The ongoing conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli military units have taken control of substantial portions of southern territory, also poses challenges to efforts aimed at ending the Iran conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has insisted that any permanent ceasefire must include Lebanon in its scope.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles announced Friday they have launched “multiple election fraud investigations” concerning California’s ongoing election process and dispatched a prosecutor to observe the county’s ballot counting facility.
These actions followed President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegations of widespread fraud in California’s extended vote tallying from Tuesday’s primary election. Mail-in ballots that typically favor Democratic candidates were still being processed, reducing vote margins for the president’s endorsed candidates seeking the governor’s office and Los Angeles mayor positions.
The statement from U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who was appointed by Trump as the chief federal prosecutor for Los Angeles, along with the visit to the county’s ballot processing facility, represents an intensification of the president’s efforts against the Democratic-controlled state. California’s traditionally lengthy counting process has frequently attracted election conspiracy theories. Trump reiterated his concerns Friday during a roundtable event in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, making unsubstantiated claims that Democrats were manipulating the election.
“You look at what’s happening — it’s getting tighter and tighter and tighter,” he said. “And the people who were supposed to win, bad things are happening. It’s a crooked state.”
Trump has frequently characterized shifts in vote counts as late ballots arrive as evidence of fraud, though these changes simply reflect the ongoing counting of additional ballots.
Trump announced Thursday that his Department of Justice was examining the California counting process. By Friday morning, Essayli posted on X regarding active investigations without offering specifics, stating only that California’s elections contain “serious structural vulnerabilities.”
A federal prosecutor arrived at the primary ballot processing facility Friday morning, according to Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for Los Angeles County’s Registrar-Recorder. The attorney “was provided an overview of the public observation program, and participated in a walkthrough of the ballot processing operations,” Sanchez said.
He noted that “election officials routinely host observers representing a wide range of interests.”
This marks the second time Trump’s Justice Department has focused on California’s electoral process. Last fall, federal observers monitored polling locations in five counties, including Los Angeles, during the special election regarding changes to California’s congressional districts.
Republican Steve Hilton, Trump’s preferred gubernatorial candidate, also called Friday for major reforms to California’s election procedures, including restricting mail ballots to only voters who specifically request them instead of automatically sending them to all registered voters. He also proposed requiring Election Day delivery rather than the current seven-day acceptance period for ballots postmarked by the voting deadline.
Hilton acknowledged in an interview that federal prosecutors might possess information his campaign lacks, though his team has monitored the count without observing anything appearing unlawful.
“We certainly haven’t seen anything of that nature that would warrant legal action,” Hilton said.
Nevertheless, Hilton characterized the slow counting process as making California “a national and international laughingstock.” He suggested the state deploy emergency teams of government workers to California’s 58 counties to accelerate vote tallying.
Jesse Salinas, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officers, said he appreciated Hilton’s willingness to assist but deemed the proposal ineffective.
“It’d be more disruptive than helpful at this point,” said Salinas, who also serves as clerk and registrar for Yolo County.
Any individual handling ballots or counting equipment would require training from the same personnel working intensively to process mail ballots received Tuesday. Additionally, Salinas explained, his vote-counting facility has reached capacity with no space for extra personnel.
Hilton, endorsed by Trump, is competing against two Democrats for one of two positions on the November ballot. Reality television star Spencer Pratt, another Trump-backed candidate, is similarly vying with City Councilwoman Nithya Raman for the opportunity to face Mayor Karen Bass in the November election.
Since Democrats typically vote by mail and retained their ballots unusually late in this crowded primary, their votes are frequently counted after those of Republican-leaning voters who may have voted earlier. This pattern means Republican candidates often reach their peak performance in initial election night results, only to watch their advantages diminish over subsequent days or weeks as election workers finish processing late-arriving mail ballots.
World Cup attendees in the United States and Canada will now be permitted to bring one factory-sealed disposable water bottle into stadiums, FIFA announced on Friday. The announcement came just days after the soccer governing body stated that reusable bottles would be banned for safety reasons.
According to FIFA, spectators may bring one soft plastic bottle containing up to 20 ounces (590 ml) into the venues. However, the organization maintained that hard-sided and reusable bottles will continue to be forbidden.
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi explained that the restrictions stem from safety and security concerns, noting that bottles are among several items that could create hazards if hurled during matches.
The updated policy follows FIFA’s revision of its Stadium Code of Conduct earlier this week, which overturned previous guidelines that had permitted empty, clear reusable plastic bottles inside stadiums.
The initial ban had generated worry among fans about maintaining proper hydration during games, especially at locations where temperatures are projected to surpass 25 degrees Celsius.
FIFA announced that host cities will implement heat-reduction strategies around stadium areas, including water stations, misting zones and air-conditioned tents. The organization also stated that beverage costs within venues will match prices typically charged at other events hosted at these stadiums.
The World Cup begins on Thursday when Mexico faces South Africa at the Azteca Stadium.
Drivers traveling westbound on Lighthouse Road should expect lane restrictions today as construction crews have closed the right shoulder between Grays Lane and Laws Point Road.
The shoulder closure is part of ongoing construction activities in the area and is expected to remain in place until 3 PM today.
Motorists are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and allow extra time for their commute.
A food distributor has pulled a popular pancake and waffle mix from Puerto Rico stores after discovering the product contains milk and soy ingredients that weren’t listed on the package label.
Ballester Hermanos announced the voluntary recall of a limited number of 5.99-ounce bags of Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffles Complete mix distributed throughout Puerto Rico.
The company issued the recall because the pancake mix contains undeclared milk and soy, which could trigger serious reactions in consumers who have allergies or severe sensitivities to these ingredients.
People with milk or soy allergies who consume products containing these undeclared ingredients face potential health risks ranging from mild reactions to severe allergic responses.
Israel’s security cabinet chose not to proceed with a vote on a ceasefire proposal Thursday following public opposition from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informing ministers that “at the moment there is no agreement.”
The framework, which emerged from Israel-Lebanon discussions in Washington, calls for creating security zones in Lebanon free of Hezbollah presence and mandates the organization’s withdrawal from territories south of the Litani River.
Meeting participants reported that Netanyahu informed ministers Israel remained waiting for Hezbollah’s formal acceptance of the framework before presenting it to the government for consideration.
“At the moment there is no agreement,” Netanyahu stated, according to those present at the meeting. “Hezbollah opposes it, and therefore I am not bringing it for a decision. If it agrees, I will bring it for your approval.”
Cabinet members decided against voting on the framework after becoming aware of Qassem’s dismissal.
The Hezbollah leader had condemned both the plan and the negotiation process that created it earlier Thursday.
“The result of the direct, humiliating and disgraceful negotiations is rejected by broad parts of the Lebanese people,” Qassem stated.
He additionally criticized the framework, declaring, “The Washington declaration conditions the basic principles that America and Israel want, toward the subjugation of Lebanon to the Greater Israel project.”
The cabinet session occurred while fighting continued in southern Lebanon. Ministers learned during their meeting about the death of Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lamberg, an Armored Corps officer killed in southern Lebanon.
Reports from Ynet indicated that news of Lamberg’s death strengthened some ministers’ resistance to the ceasefire framework during their discussions.
Meanwhile, Ynet reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich contended that securing a ceasefire under present conditions would constitute a major achievement.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir participated in just the beginning of the cabinet session and offered limited comments, according to officials with knowledge of the proceedings who spoke to Ynet.
Israeli military officials confirmed Friday that they eliminated Abed Harb, the leader of Hezbollah’s engineering operations, during a military strike in Lebanon.
Israeli forces stated that Harb supervised the engineering division and participated in operations directed against Israel Defense Forces personnel deployed in southern Lebanon.
Military officials explained that Harb led the engineering division responsible for creating and positioning explosive devices designed to injure Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces also disclosed that their air force targeted a rocket launcher that Hezbollah had used to attack troops in southern Lebanon. Military officials released video documentation of the mission and confirmed the attack took place during nighttime hours.
These military actions followed a Thursday meeting of Israel’s security cabinet to review a framework developed during diplomatic discussions between Israel and Lebanon in Washington. The proposed agreement would create security areas in Lebanon free of Hezbollah presence and mandate the organization’s retreat from regions south of the Litani River.
Cabinet members did not proceed with a vote on the framework following its rejection by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
Meeting attendees reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed ministers the framework would not advance for approval without Hezbollah’s formal acceptance.
Netanyahu stated, according to meeting participants: “At the moment there is no agreement. Hezbollah opposes it, and therefore I am not bringing it for a decision. If it agrees, I will bring it for your approval.”
Earlier Thursday, Qassem criticized both the framework and the diplomatic process that created it.
Qassem declared: “The result of the direct, humiliating and disgraceful negotiations is rejected by broad parts of the Lebanese people.”
During the cabinet session, ministers received notification of the death of Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lamberg, an Armored Corps officer killed in southern Lebanon.
According to Ynet, news of Lamberg’s death increased resistance among certain ministers to the ceasefire framework being considered.
The session ended without any vote, as Israeli military actions in Lebanon persisted.
An annual religious gathering in Jerusalem proceeded as planned despite concerns it might need postponement due to regional conflicts and travel disruptions.
Israeli lawmaker Ohad Tal had doubts about whether the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast could take place just two weeks before the scheduled event. Fresh intelligence reports from a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session highlighted ongoing regional tensions and severely limited flight availability into Israel.
The yearly religious conference typically attracts Christian delegations and political figures from multiple countries who come to show solidarity with Israel. This year’s gathering faced the same unpredictable circumstances affecting daily life throughout Israel.
Despite the challenging conditions, international visitors managed to reach Jerusalem for the event, which was held in a parliamentary auditorium. The gathering maintained its traditional focus on faith-based support for Israel, though this year’s message carried additional weight given the current regional climate.
Flight restrictions and security concerns had threatened to prevent many international participants from attending, but organizers ultimately succeeded in bringing together the diverse group of Christian leaders and government officials for the prayer event.
The United Arab Emirates has unveiled a sweeping national program aimed at transforming how the country handles its enormous textile waste challenge, as officials seek to prove whether a nation synonymous with shopping centers and rapid consumption can build a functioning circular clothing system.
The program, called Naseej or the National Initiative for Textile Circularity, was established following directives from President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The effort comes as the UAE produces an estimated 220,000 metric tons of textile waste annually. Officials hope to establish a comprehensive national framework for gathering, reusing, recycling, and minimizing textile waste by connecting government departments, companies, researchers, recyclers, community groups, and shoppers.
Systems designed for circular textiles work to maintain clothing and materials in active use as long as feasible through reselling, repairing, redistributing, upgrading, recycling, and waste reduction.
While that objective sounds straightforward, implementing it proves far more complex. Throughout the UAE’s sustainable fashion and textile recovery network, business leaders and advocates generally praise Naseej as a significant national initiative. However, they caution that recycling by itself cannot resolve the issue unless the nation establishes convenient collection networks, promotes reselling and repair services, curtails excessive consumption, and develops domestic capabilities to process materials that currently have limited disposal alternatives.
Yet, information made public thus far leaves major uncertainties unresolved: whether Naseej will result in permanent community collection locations, mandatory goals, brand responsibilities, sustained funding, enforcement tools, or industrial-scale recycling plants.
Naseej unites the National Projects Office, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Emirates Foundation, Tadweer Group, researchers, companies, and community partners to address collection, recycling, consumer patterns, regulation, and circular business approaches. In concrete terms, the program is anticipated to support national initiatives, enhance collection and recycling infrastructure, advance trial projects, and help establish markets for circular textile solutions.
Development of the program started during COP28 and included agreements with partners throughout the textile industry, including fashion companies, manufacturers, recyclers, research organizations, and community groups. Its initial public event, “The Fabric of Possibility,” is planned for June 5 to 7 at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi before comparable events spread to other regions of the country.
For Jennifer Sault, founder and managing director of Thrift for Good, the emergency is already apparent in the amount of unwanted clothing flowing through the UAE.
“An estimated 220,000 [metric] tons of clothing is going into landfill currently in the UAE. This is by a recent report that just came out on Naseej, the National Initiative for Textile Circularity,” Sault told The Media Line.
Sault explained that fast fashion has worsened the issue by promoting increased production and making clothing simpler to treat as throwaway. According to the UN Environment Programme, 92 million metric tons of textile waste are generated worldwide annually. The organization has also referenced Ellen MacArthur Foundation research showing that clothing production increased twofold from 2000 to 2015, while garment usage duration decreased by 36%.
“Clothing sustainability has become a growing concern, not just in the UAE, but globally, as producers and consumers shift more to fast fashion,” Sault said.
The environmental issue, she explained, involves not only the amount of thrown-away clothing but also the materials used to make that clothing. Man-made materials like polyester come from fossil fuels, release microplastics, and can remain in the environment for decades or more, depending on circumstances. The European Parliament has referenced estimates that textile manufacturing accounts for roughly 20% of global clean water contamination, primarily from dyeing processes.
“What’s more disturbing is that clothing is being produced much more cheaply, which means that the resources that go into it are not as good for the environment,” Sault said.
She expressed worry about microplastics and chemical exposure.
“Plastics are leaching off into waterways in our systems, into our food chains,” she said. “So it’s not just the environment, but our health as well.”
The difficulty, those active in the industry explained, is that collection and recycling infrastructure have not matched consumption levels. Sault noted that Thrift for Good has developed an approach that maintains nearly all clothing it obtains in circulation through reselling, repairing, redistributing, stain removal, redesigning, upgrading, or recycling. However, the organization’s scope is minimal compared with the nationwide challenge.
“We have figured out how to be 99% circular with our clothing,” she said.
Nevertheless, she noted, the country lacks systems for many materials other than cotton.
“The cottons we can do here in the UAE, Landmark Recycling Center, does a great job and has a fair amount of capacity to take this,” Sault said. “But there’s still no system in the UAE for anything that’s not cotton. So polyester blends, other materials, those that are greatly soiled, shoes, bags, accessories, etc.”
That constraint reflects a broader worldwide challenge. Textile recycling proves technically challenging because many garments consist of mixed fabrics, which must be sorted and separated before their fibers can be reused. A cotton shirt, a polyester dress, and a mixed-fiber garment may each need different sorting, processing, and end markets. Recycling facilities also frequently demand strict fiber quality standards, and collection systems remain fragmented even in nations with sophisticated waste infrastructure.
Sault reported that Thrift for Good handles approximately 12 tons of clothing monthly. About one ton enters recycling, and roughly 400 kilograms will likely end up in landfills.
“We’re quite small in terms of the scale of what’s needed in the UAE,” she said. “We’re just a scratch on the tip of an iceberg.”
Circular fashion systems require investment before they minimize waste. Collection, sorting, transport, storage, repair, quality control, fiber separation, recycling technology, and markets for recovered materials all need funding. If resale profits are narrow and recycling cannot cover its costs, circularity can become reliant on subsidies, charity, or policy action.
Muhammad Virji, director of Universal Clothing and founder of Fashion Rerun and Efaar, praised Naseej as progress toward a more structured circular textile industry.
“It is an important step toward building a stronger circular textile industry and encouraging more sustainable use of clothing and textiles across the country,” Virji told The Media Line.
Virji’s efforts concentrate on the worth that continues in clothing after its initial use. He explained that discarded garments should not be automatically considered waste when they can still be reused, resold, upcycled, recycled, or sorted for different purposes.
“Many clothes and textiles still have value after their first use,” he said.
The practical obstacles, he explained, are awareness, convenience, and collection. Many shoppers may wish to make better decisions but do not know where to bring unwanted clothing or what occurs after they get rid of it.
“Making collection and recycling easier can help increase participation,” he said.
Virji noted that responsibility must be distributed among consumers, retailers, brands, policymakers, recyclers, and reuse companies. Consumers can maintain garments and use resale or recycling alternatives. Retailers and brands can educate customers and support circular programs. Government can connect partners and help establish the systems that allow those efforts to expand.
The UAE already has companies and community groups operating in resale, upcycling, recycling, sorting, and textile recovery, he explained. The following step involves linking them into a larger network.
“The opportunity now is to continue connecting these efforts so more textiles stay in use for longer,” Virji said.
His companies function across different phases of that network. Universal Clothing sorts and grades textiles so they can be directed to suitable uses. Fashion Rerun concentrates on resale. Efaar transforms existing textiles into new products through reworking and upcycling.
Araceli Gallego, founder of GoShopia.com and Fashion Revolution UAE country coordinator, described Naseej as a positive development because it acknowledges textile waste as a national concern. But she noted that circular fashion’s success will depend on whether the program moves beyond recycling and supports the community-level work that modifies behavior.
“The launch of Naseej is a very positive step for the UAE and an important recognition of the need to address textile waste at a national level,” Gallego told The Media Line. “At Fashion Revolution UAE, we believe circularity goes far beyond recycling.”
Gallego explained that Fashion Revolution UAE operates through clothes swaps, repair and mending sessions, styling masterclasses, workshops, and community events. The objective, she noted, is to extend garment lifespan and keep textiles out of landfills while providing consumers practical alternatives to purchasing new items.
“We also work closely with sustainable fashion designers, upcyclers, thrift shops, and stylists to promote more conscious ways of producing and consuming fashion,” she said.
Community programs remain small, but Gallego noted they are helping establish a culture around repair, reuse, and sustainable design. Each April, Fashion Revolution UAE conducts Fashion Revolution Week. In May, the group participated in Rooted at Alserkal Avenue, a community-led cultural program that combined art, creativity, and sustainable fashion through exhibitions, talks, and workshops.
“The UAE has a small but growing ecosystem of people and organizations contributing to textile circularity,” she said.
That challenge becomes more acute due to the UAE’s retail approach. The country’s malls make fast fashion highly visible, convenient, and accessible, while sustainable labels frequently lack comparable reach. High retail costs can favor large brands, keeping smaller sustainable businesses outside prime shopping areas.
“The UAE is home to some of the world’s most impressive malls, making fast fashion incredibly convenient and accessible,” Gallego said. “However, high retail rents often mean that only large brands can secure space, leaving many sustainable labels without a presence in these prime locations.”
Repair, resale, rental, and upcycling are growing, she noted, but they still lack the scale and convenience of purchasing something new.
The fast-fashion issue, the interviewees explained, is not whether people should stop enjoying clothing, but whether the system can make better choices simpler. Price, convenience, variety, climate, children outgrowing clothing, and limited access to affordable, sustainable alternatives all help explain why consumers continue purchasing fast fashion even when they understand the environmental costs.
That market reality is not exclusive to the UAE. Fast fashion remains dominant not simply because consumers ignore sustainability concerns, but because it offers price, access, variety, and convenience. Kristen Classi-Zummo, an apparel industry analyst at Circana, made a similar point in comments to The Washington Post about fast fashion and sustainability. Consumers often care about environmental benefits when other factors are equal, she noted, but a large price gap or lack of convenience can quickly change the decision.
“If they’re then seeing a big price difference or it is not convenient, then they won’t buy,” Classi-Zummo told the newspaper.
Gallego noted that consumers should be encouraged to purchase fewer but higher-quality items, extend garment life, support responsible brands, and make resale and repair part of ordinary shopping behavior.
“The solution is not necessarily to stop people from enjoying fashion, but to encourage more conscious consumption,” she said.
Virji described the same concept as product life extension.
“The focus should be on extending the life of clothing,” he said. “Supporting collection, resale, reuse, upcycling, and recycling helps ensure garments stay in use for longer and reduces unnecessary waste.”
Sault noted that consumers have influence through daily purchasing decisions, but she also emphasized that companies and policymakers must act where market incentives fall short.
“I truly believe that our dollar is our vote for the world we want to live in,” she said. “The companies we support are the legacies that we fuel and build.”
Government has a function, Sault explained, because recycling frequently does not cover its costs and cheaper products can push out more ethical alternatives.
“Companies, of course, should be responsible. They should offer fair, equitable products,” Sault said. “And policymakers, I think, have the responsibility to protect against consumers just going for the cheapest prices, and protect that there has to be a bare minimum of ethics in the products that we have available.”
Sault noted that fabric recycling is technically feasible but requires public support, financing, and systems that make economic sense.
“But recycling, it doesn’t really pay,” she said. “So I think there’s also a lot of space for governments to foster innovation, to fund recycling, to set up systems that make sense, to curb clothing from landfill long-term.”
Naseej appears designed to address some of these gaps by placing policy, research, collection, public outreach, and business innovation within one national framework. The more difficult test will be whether that framework becomes visible in daily life: collection points in neighborhoods, repair and resale options that can compete with malls, sorting facilities that can handle mixed textiles, and recycling capacity that extends beyond cotton.
Collectively, the interviewees noted that progress will depend less on slogans than on infrastructure: neighborhood collection points, sorting facilities, non-cotton recycling capacity, repair and resale options, and markets for recovered materials. Sault pointed to the need for recycling centers for non-cotton fabrics, shoes, and bags. Virji noted that success should be measured by how many textiles remain in circulation. Gallego emphasized that the first goal should be preventing waste before it is created.
Gallego also warned against depending on exports as a convenient outlet for unwanted clothing.
“Shipping waste elsewhere simply shifts the problem rather than addressing it,” Gallego said. “Instead, we should focus on building local capacity to manage, recover, and reduce the waste we generate within the UAE.”
Gallego noted that no single organization can solve a waste problem of this magnitude.
“We need collaboration between government entities, brands, retailers, recyclers, charities, educational institutions, communities, cultural organizations, and consumers,” she said. “In my humble opinion, the most successful solutions will be those that combine infrastructure, education, innovation, and community engagement.”
Virji described the same challenge as a value-chain problem.
“Strong partnerships are essential across the textile value chain,” he said. “Government provides leadership, private companies contribute expertise and infrastructure, community organizations support collection and awareness, and consumers participate.”
The UAE’s textile waste problem reflects a broader global contradiction. Fashion remains a major cultural and economic force, but its current consumption model produces waste that is increasingly difficult to ignore. Naseej gives the UAE a national platform to address that contradiction. The work of local actors such as Thrift for Good, Universal Clothing, Fashion Rerun, Efaar, GoShopia.com, and Fashion Revolution UAE shows that pieces of the circular model already exist.
The question now is whether those pieces can be connected, scaled, and made convenient enough to move circular fashion beyond committed consumers and into the habits of ordinary residents.
The next stage will show whether Naseej can turn awareness into infrastructure. Without that, Naseej risks becoming another sustainability campaign. With it, the country could move closer to a textile system in which clothing is not simply bought, worn, and forgotten, but kept in use long enough to retain its value.
Authorities in New Castle County have activated a Gold Alert as they search for a missing 46-year-old man from Middletown.
Police say Robert Ives disappeared from his home in the Bayberry community early Saturday morning. According to the New Castle County Division of Police, Ives was last observed departing his residence on the 200 block of North Bayberry Parkway at around 8:30 a.m. on June 5, 2026.
Investigators report that Ives left the area driving a gray vehicle, though the search notice appears to contain incomplete information about the vehicle description.
A Gold Alert is typically issued for missing adults who may be in danger due to age, health conditions, or other circumstances that make them vulnerable.
Anyone with information about Robert Ives’ whereabouts is urged to contact the New Castle County Division of Police immediately.
Former NFL superstar Randy Moss continues to make impressive catches, though now they’re happening on the water rather than the football field.
The legendary wide receiver, who holds the second-highest touchdown reception record in NFL history, has discovered his true calling after football involves pursuing freshwater bass from a fishing boat.
“That’s my passion right now. That’s my hobby. That’s my getaway. That’s my therapy,” Moss said.
After spending approximately nine months primarily at home receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments to fight cancer, Moss gained a renewed appreciation for outdoor activities. Following the completion of his medical treatment last fall, his uncommon cancer type — located in the bile duct connecting the pancreas and liver — was declared to be in remission. Since then, Moss has frequently been found with fishing equipment in hand.
This longtime interest has evolved into what could be considered Moss’s third professional pursuit, alongside his return to ESPN as an NFL commentator for the 2025 season.
“I’m just excited to be able to showcase my talent and go out there and show people that I have something else other than football that I love,” Moss said.
World Bass Enterprises recruited Moss to work as an ambassador for “The Champions” competition scheduled for this fall in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This debut five-day tournament, located near Nashville, aims to crown a definitive champion in a sport currently split between two rival circuits. WBE was established this year by Brian Bird, a Texas entrepreneur and recreational fisherman who has become Moss’s fishing companion.
Meanwhile, Moss and his business associate, Andrew Grein, have been producing a documentary series called “Chasing 10.” The show features Moss fishing alongside famous guests as they hunt for the coveted 10-pound largemouth bass while sharing techniques and personal stories. Each season, he auctions a specially designed boat to support the Children’s Cancer Research Fund in Minnesota.
“I had to take a year off to be able to get myself back right, but my health is great,” Moss said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “I still have my quarterly checkups every four months, my scans, but I just think that now that I’m back outside, this is one of the things that I couldn’t wait to see. I have the bass waiting on me, so I’m just a kid in the candy store having fun, man.”
The Champions tournament features a record-breaking $3.25 million total prize pool, with the victor earning $1.25 million from a field of 50 competitors — the top 25 from each of the sport’s two major organizations.
The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society — abbreviated as B.A.S.S. — operates the Bassmaster Elite Series. Major League Fishing manages the more recent Bass Pro Tour. For seven years, similar to the PGA and LIV divisions in golf, the world’s elite anglers have been separated into two competing groups. Moss has joined Bird’s mission to help reunify the sport and bring it to a broader audience.
“We both are trying to bring something that’s really positive to the sport of bass fishing,” said Bird, who sold his electrical construction services company three years ago and has invested his own money into the launch of the tournament. “It’s a good way for a family to spend time out in nature.”
The initial episodes of Chasing 10 were released on YouTube this week, featuring an energetic trip with the Kelce brothers and a gathering of former Minnesota Vikings receivers including Cris Carter and Jake Reed. During another filming session with Bird at a Texas lake, Moss excitedly landed the prized 10-pounder, likening the nervousness he experienced to the anticipation before a football play when he expected to receive the ball.
Moss initially learned fishing techniques while growing up in West Virginia alongside his older half-brother, Eric Moss, who passed away in 2019. Shortly after beginning his NFL journey in Minnesota in 1998, he met professional angler John Laub, who taught him bass fishing on the St. Croix River near the Wisconsin border.
“My first actual bass experience, I caught 20!” Moss said. “John, he was glowing. That’s the man who showed me bass fishing, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott voiced alarm Friday about delays in launching a new facility designed to produce sterile New World screwworm flies, warning that waiting more than a year to begin operations could devastate the nation’s $113 billion cattle sector as flesh-eating larvae pose an escalating threat.
Abbott promised that Texas would assist the U.S. Department of Agriculture in fast-tracking construction of the $750 million production facility located outside Edinburg, Texas, approximately 20 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. He declared Texas is prepared to allocate state funds to ensure construction continues “24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Speaking at a news conference in the state capital of Austin, Abbott warned that without increased sterile fly production, “We cannot make it through a second summer.”
Federal agriculture officials this week verified an outbreak of New World screwworm fly larvae in a 3-week-old calf located in La Pryor, Texas, roughly 100 miles southwest of San Antonio and 50 miles from the Mexico border. This marks the first confirmed case in Texas since 1966.
The Texas facility represents the larger of two fly-production plants receiving USDA funding.
Additionally, the USDA allocated $21 million to modify a facility in southern Mexico, converting it from fruit fly breeding to screwworm fly production. That plant is scheduled to begin operations next month, ultimately generating 100 million flies weekly.
The Texas facility will span an area equivalent to two Costco stores, according to Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer, a member of the USDA’s screwworm response team. The plant is designed to generate up to 300 million flies per week.
Authorities believe both facilities are essential to eliminate the fly from the U.S., Mexico and Central America.
Schmoyer noted that federal officials have already compressed the planning and construction schedule significantly — completing design work in months rather than a full year. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicated the USDA anticipates the facility could become operational ahead of its scheduled November 2027 launch date.
However, Abbott emphasized that Texas is committed to accelerating construction even further.
“This is going to spread over the course of the summer,” he said regarding the fly.
While untreated New World screwworm fly larvae infestations can be fatal to animals, a dozen government-approved treatments are now available for livestock. Federal and state authorities have emphasized that the fly’s larvae — which consume living tissue — do not contaminate meat or fruit.
“There’s a food production issue, but not a food safety issue,” Abbott stated.
Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University, said beef supplies likely won’t be impacted unless authorities impose broader cattle movement restrictions or unless outbreaks occur in feedlots or other concentrated cattle operations. He doesn’t anticipate either scenario.
“It’s probably not a major market issue,” he said.
Consumers are facing record beef prices due to limited cattle availability, and Peel projects prices will climb higher when ranchers remove heifers from the supply chain to rebuild herds. However, he said the screwworm’s appearance in Texas “doesn’t change the supply fundamentals.”
Screwworm outbreaks in Mexico beginning in 2024 led U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to halt U.S. imports of Mexican cattle in May 2025. Mexican imports previously totaled approximately 1.2 million animals annually and declined roughly 80% last year, based on industry data.
But Peel noted that Mexican imports represented only about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply.
“It’s been just one more thing on top of others,” he said, not a primary price driver.
The New World screwworm fly plagued U.S. cattle ranchers annually during warm weather from at least the 1930s through the 1960s.
However, breeding sterile flies and releasing swarms from aircraft eliminated it from the U.S. by the early 1970s, except for a brief outbreak among deer in the Florida Keys in 2016 and a case confirmed in a Maryland man who traveled to El Salvador last year. Until an outbreak in Panama in 2023, the fly had been considered eliminated outside its remote, southernmost region bordering Colombia.
Females mate once during their monthslong lifespans, and when they breed with sterile males, their eggs fail to hatch after being deposited in open wounds and mucous membranes of warm-blooded animals, including cattle, wild mammals, household pets and humans.
After the U.S. and other countries eliminated the fly previously, they closed fly-breeding facilities until only one remained in the Western Hemisphere, located in Panama. It can generate approximately 117 million flies weekly.
However, previous elimination campaigns required roughly 500 million flies per week, said Schmoyer during Abbott’s news conference.
Schmoyer calculated that the USDA has already released 130 million flies in Texas since January, primarily from aircraft, with current drops totaling about 4 million weekly. The agency is also releasing another 4 million weekly on the ground as pupae, which are flies in the developmental stage between larvae and adult.
Despite deploying millions of flies, the USDA must carefully target where to release them, Schmoyer explained to reporters. Federal and state officials are utilizing scientific models to forecast the fly’s movement patterns.
“In essence, it’s not where the flies are today, but where they could be weeks from now,” he said.
The scientific approach includes trap deployment, and Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges said they’ve positioned traps up to 120 miles from La Pryor to track the fly’s movement.
Federal health authorities warn that the current Ebola crisis in Central Africa may balloon to 20,000 infections or higher, based on how effectively health workers can isolate sick individuals to prevent further transmission, according to fresh analysis from American disease experts.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released computer-generated projections showing potential outcomes ranging from 10,000 infections up to more than 20,000. Should the dire predictions prove accurate, the worst-case numbers could rival the most devastating Ebola crisis on record — the 2014-2016 West African epidemic that produced over 28,000 documented infections and claimed more than 11,000 lives.
“Without strong public health interventions, the modeling work suggests an outbreak of that scale is possible,” said Dr. Satish Pillai, incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response, in a briefing with reporters.
Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center, said the modeling “affirms what we have worried about since the beginning: This outbreak is following dangerous trajectory” if more is not done to stop the spread of Ebola.
However, she warned that forecasting outbreak patterns can be exceptionally challenging. “I wouldn’t read too much into the specific numbers. It’s really hard to make an accurate projection when you have limited data,” she added.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that approximately 400 confirmed infections have occurred, resulting in 63 fatalities. Health experts believe additional cases likely exist that remain undiagnosed or unreported.
The pathogens responsible for Ebola disease transmit through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood and semen. No targeted treatments or vaccines exist for the Bundibugyo virus driving the current crisis. The illness frequently proves deadly.
The World Health Organization classified the outbreak as a global health emergency in May. Some specialists think infections may have begun in February, though health workers initially conducted tests for a different Ebola strain.
Response efforts have faced complications from armed conflict between Congo’s government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, plus attacks by the Islamic State-affiliated group the Allied Democratic Force. The fighting has triggered massive population displacement in affected regions, authorities report.
Earlier this week, Nuzzo indicated the threat to the United States appears minimal. “I don’t think it’s a scenario that it’s going to come here and spread broadly,” she told reporters. The CDC supported that evaluation in Friday’s published analysis.
This assessment stems partly from U.S. government choices to prohibit entry of non-passport holders, plus green-card holders who visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the preceding 21 days. Additionally, American passport holders who traveled to those nations undergo health examinations and processing through four designated airports.
The CDC’s modeling study seeks to forecast potential developments based on various factors — including existing infection and death totals, plus response team effectiveness in rapidly identifying and isolating infected individuals before transmission to others occurs.
Assuming roughly 50 fatalities had occurred with about 20% of infected persons successfully isolated by late May, most simulations indicate at least 20,000 cases and 4,000 deaths will happen in Africa over three months.
Pillai noted the actual isolation rate remains unknown but is believed to fall “on the lower end of the scenarios” that CDC modeled.
Improved isolation rates of 50% or 70% might reduce case numbers closer to 10,000, CDC representatives stated. However, if actual May death counts exceeded current recognition, outcomes could worsen, CDC officials explained.
Some CDC projections during the major West African Ebola outbreak proved wildly inaccurate. The CDC released modeled figures in 2014, as the epidemic spiraled beyond control and international health authorities rushed to organize response measures.
The CDC predicted that in a worst-case scenario with no intervention, as many as 1.4 million people could become infected. That estimate exceeded actual results by more than 50 times.
Five FBI intelligence analysts were terminated Friday for their involvement in developing a controversial 2023 report that warned about potential violent threats from certain Catholic groups, according to three sources with knowledge of the dismissals.
The terminated employees included four intelligence analysts and one supervisory analyst, sources said. All sources requested anonymity since they were not permitted to publicly discuss personnel decisions. The FBI refused to provide comment on the matter.
The intelligence report was produced by staff at the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia office in January 2023 and quickly became a source of political controversy. Congressional Republicans frequently referenced the document as evidence supporting their claims that the FBI under the previous administration was unfairly targeting conservative Americans.
Former director Chris Wray consistently rejected those accusations, and the bureau stated the report was rapidly withdrawn while an internal investigation was initiated. The attorney general under President Joe Biden, Merrick Garland, stated he was “appalled” by the document.
These dismissals represent part of extensive staff changes implemented by Director Kash Patel, a Trump administration ally who has removed dozens of personnel over the past year. Those dismissed either participated in investigations involving the president or were viewed as incompatible with current administration priorities. The Justice Department has conducted similar widespread terminations of prosecutors since Trump assumed office last year.
In February, the FBI dismissed several counterintelligence agents who had worked on the investigation examining President Donald Trump’s possession of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Richmond document, which originated from a domestic terrorism inquiry, attempted to analyze potential connections between “Radical Traditionalist Catholic” beliefs and extremists motivated by racial and ethnic hatred. The report warned about possible violence and identified what authors characterized as “new avenues for tripwire and source development.” FBI leadership swiftly criticized these conclusions after the document became publicly known.
An internal FBI examination detailed in a 2023 congressional letter, based on interviews with 26 individuals, “found that all individuals involved in the creation, review and approval of the product failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and failed to recognize that the product, as drafted, equated the subjects’ interest in their self-described form of religion with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) ideology without sufficient evidence or articulable support.”
The failure to follow proper standards, including correct domestic terrorism terminology, “created the appearance that the FBI conducts investigative activity based on religious affiliation,” the letter stated. “One of the FBI’s most fundamental principles is that investigative activity may not be based solely on the exercise of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
A Justice Department inspector general report from 2024 summarized the previous FBI examination by noting that while there were violations of proper analytical procedures, “no evidence of a malicious intent or an improper purpose” were discovered.
MS NOW previously reported on the terminations.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump released a directive Friday instructing the nation’s military and security agencies to rapidly expand their artificial intelligence capabilities while emphasizing the importance of safeguarding constitutional rights and ensuring human oversight of autonomous weapons.
The directive emerges during a period of heightened concern about AI’s role in American life, spanning from workplace displacement fears to its application in military target identification. While the Trump administration pushes to harness AI’s potential for defense purposes, military officials and Pentagon contractors have expressed caution and advocated for protective measures.
The presidential directive was distributed to key Cabinet members, including the defense secretary, homeland security secretary, attorney general, and national intelligence director.
The order mandates an updated policy on autonomous weapons to address AI’s rapidly advancing capabilities. It instructs the Department of Defense “to ensure the deliberate adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command and operational authorities.”
The existing policy, established in 2023 during the Biden administration, requires such weapons to be designed “to allow commanders and operators to exercise appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force,” as documented by the Congressional Research Service.
The new directive also prohibits using AI to “censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unlawful surveillance against the American people.”
“The use of AI by the national security enterprise must always be consistent with United States civil liberties and protections afforded by the Constitution and laws and regulations safeguarding the privacy of American citizens,” the directive states.
The Pentagon has already been expanding AI implementation in recent years. The technology assists in reducing target identification and engagement timeframes while supporting routine operations like equipment maintenance scheduling, supply chain management, and logistics coordination.
However, civil liberties protection and human control over autonomous weapons have generated increasing concern. These issues became central to a conflict that developed this year as the Pentagon attempts to utilize American technology companies to enhance military AI capabilities.
Anthropic requested contractual guarantees that the military would not employ its technology for fully autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the company must permit any Pentagon uses deemed lawful.
Anthropic filed a lawsuit after Trump attempted to ban all federal agencies from using the company’s chatbot Claude, and Hegseth moved to classify the company as a supply chain risk, a designation designed to prevent foreign adversaries from compromising national security systems.
Military AI concerns intensified during Israel’s conflict with militants in Gaza and Lebanon, where American tech companies quietly supported Israeli target tracking efforts. The substantial civilian casualty count raised fears that these technologies contributed to innocent deaths.
Military leaders speaking at a special forces conference in Tampa, Florida, discussed AI benefits alongside the necessity for human safeguards.
Adm. Frank Bradley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, told conference participants that forces “have to be very careful about how we come to (AI’s) employment and its inspiration into the delivery of lethality.”
Bradley described envisioning a future where AI selects targets but emphasized that “we, as humans, have to have the confidence that … it’s going to deliver violence only where we intend it to be delivered.”
The aerospace giant Boeing is examining whether it can push production of its popular 737 MAX aircraft to an unprecedented 70 units per month, company CEO Kelly Ortberg revealed during a Friday interview with CNBC.
“We’ll look at that to understand where our constraints are, what the resilience is of the supply chain, but that’s a study activity right now,” Ortberg said.
The aircraft manufacturer is currently in the process of boosting monthly production from 42 to 47 planes, while working toward its established target of 63 aircraft per month.
According to The Air Current trade publication’s Thursday report, Boeing is developing plans and evaluating whether its network of suppliers could handle the increased demand for the single-aisle aircraft at 70 units monthly.
Ramping up 737 MAX manufacturing is essential for Boeing’s path to financial stability following losses exceeding $30 billion in recent years and accumulating record-high debt levels.
The company has carefully increased production since resuming 737 manufacturing in December 2024. Following a door panel failure on a nearly new 737 MAX that exposed significant quality control and safety issues, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed a production ceiling of 38 aircraft monthly. This restriction was removed in October 2025.
“We’ve made sure that we’re not moving (the rate up) until the production system is stable,” Ortberg said.
Following discussions with the FAA, Boeing announced in May its intention to increase monthly production to 47 units during the mid-summer period.
Ortberg informed CNBC that the company plans to begin work on the first aircraft at its new 737 manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, on July 6.
This new production line plays a crucial role in the company’s strategy to advance 737 manufacturing to the subsequent phase of 52 aircraft monthly, according to Ortberg.
During an April first-quarter earnings call, Ortberg noted that suppliers will need to expand their capacity to accommodate Boeing’s increased manufacturing goals.
Meanwhile, European competitor Airbus has maintained its objective of producing 75 A320neo-family aircraft monthly but has repeatedly postponed this target due to supply chain limitations. The company anticipates reaching 70 to 75 units per month by late 2027, with intentions to maintain steady production at 75 units afterward.
Pope Leo departed Saturday for a seven-day journey to Spain, marking his inaugural visit to a European Union nation beyond Italy’s borders. The pontiff will dedicate a new tower at Barcelona’s renowned Sagrada Familia basilica and engage with migrants who endured perilous Atlantic crossings to reach European shores.
The Catholic Church’s first American leader is anticipated to attract substantial crowds during his June 6-12 journey, which encompasses destinations in Madrid, Montserrat Monastery, and the Canary Islands, a Spanish island chain located off Africa’s western coastline.
During his final destination, Leo, who previously drew criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump for condemning his immigration stance, will engage with migrants and organizations committed to assisting them.
According to Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican’s press office, the migrant situation holds deep significance for the pope. “These are people, and their stories must touch us,” Bruni stated.
Leo, who has recently adopted stronger rhetoric regarding global leadership trends, has scheduled over 20 speeches and will make history as the first pope to speak before the Spanish parliament.
Bruni indicated that during his Spanish visit, Leo will likely condemn ongoing global conflicts and advocate for dialogue to address increasing political and social division.
Before assuming the papacy last May, Leo served for decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru, and plans to deliver most speeches in Spanish during the visit.
However, when meeting migrants on Tenerife island, he intends to communicate in French since many originate from Francophone Africa.
Unlike many prominent Western nations, particularly Trump’s United States, Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration has launched a comprehensive amnesty initiative, enabling approximately 500,000 immigrants to seek legal recognition.
According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, over 3,000 individuals perished in 2025 attempting to reach the Canary Islands, frequently using improvised boats.
While Sanchez has received international praise for criticizing Trump, he faces domestic pressure from multiple corruption accusations targeting his party.
Following his Saturday morning arrival in Madrid, Leo will meet King Felipe and Queen Letizia at the Royal Palace and speak to diplomats and civic leaders.
On the same day, he will gather with young people in the plaza outside the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Real Madrid soccer club’s home venue, and visit a Catholic organization serving homeless individuals.
A Palestinian infant just seven months old died Friday evening after being struck by gunfire from Israeli forces in the Tel Rumeida section near Hebron in the West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials.
Health ministry officials named the child as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, stating he died at the location of the incident. Both of his parents sustained injuries in the same shooting and are reported to be in moderate condition.
According to the child’s grandmother, the family’s vehicle had come to a stop after spotting Israeli military personnel and equipment ahead near Checkpoint 17. She described how gunfire was directed at their car, which the family first thought might be warning shots.
“One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother’s cheek where it lodged,” she said, adding that the bullet had also grazed the father’s finger, and that the mother was in hospital.
Israeli military officials stated that during operations in the Hebron region on Friday, troops believed a vehicle was speeding in their direction, prompting one soldier to discharge individual rounds at the car. Military sources confirmed three Palestinians sustained wounds and received medical care.
A preliminary military investigation determined those hurt were “uninvolved civilians”, according to military statements, which noted the matter remains under examination with results to be forwarded to appropriate officials.
The Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, where Israeli settlers reside under significant military security alongside Palestinian families, has historically been a site of recurring tensions in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
According to a European Union assessment from 2024, more than 700,000 settlers reside in East Jerusalem and the West Bank among a Palestinian population exceeding 3 million.
Marvell Technology will be added to the prestigious S&P 500 index, according to an announcement Friday from S&P Dow Jones Indices, causing the semiconductor company’s stock to jump 6% in after-hours trading.
The chipmaker will officially become part of the benchmark index later this month after successfully meeting a crucial profitability requirement amid a surge driven by artificial intelligence demand.
Starting before trading opens on June 22, Marvell will take the place of PoolCorp, a distributor of swimming pool equipment, in the index.
The inclusion became possible after Marvell achieved GAAP profitability during its December quarter and across its last four quarters combined, a standard the company had previously been unable to reach, which had prevented its inclusion in the index.
Shares of the company have increased more than threefold this year, benefiting from widespread gains in semiconductor stocks as investors anticipate explosive growth in AI-related demand.
Just this week, the stock climbed approximately 29%, partially driven by comments from the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, who described the chipmaker as the “next trillion dollar company.”
Both Marvell and its bigger competitor Broadcom specialize in creating customized chips for cloud computing companies’ particular data center requirements, a sector that has expanded quickly as major technology firms seek alternatives to Nvidia’s expensive and hard-to-obtain AI processors.
During its latest quarterly earnings report, Marvell projected that its custom chip division would exceed $10 billion in revenue by fiscal 2029.
The addition demonstrates how the artificial intelligence surge is transforming major U.S. stock indices, with semiconductor and data center infrastructure firms gaining larger representation as investors anticipate continued demand from cloud service providers and AI applications.
Joining the benchmark index will automatically generate purchases from index funds and exchange-traded funds that mirror the S&P 500, since passive fund managers must maintain holdings that match their benchmark allocations.
Delaware State Police’s Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (SOAR) has released public notifications regarding homeless and wanted sex offenders in the state.
Wanted Sex Offenders
SOAR is actively searching for several wanted sex offenders who have failed to register or re-register at their current address. Authorities are seeking information on the whereabouts of these individuals and ask anyone with knowledge of their location to call (302) 739-5882. Tips can also be submitted to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333. The individuals listed represent only a partial list of currently wanted sex offenders, with the complete roster available on the Delaware Sex Offender Registry website.
The wanted individuals include Shane Engelhardt, Charles Fulton, Christopher Gartner-Hunter, Tori Lied, and Michael Viscount. Complete profiles for each individual can be accessed by visiting the Delaware Sex Offender Registry website.
Homeless Sex Offenders
Additionally, authorities have issued notifications for homeless sex offenders who are not wanted for registration violations. These individuals have recently been reported as homeless, and police are requesting information if anyone knows they are residing at a specific address. The same contact numbers apply: (302) 739-5882 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
The homeless sex offenders recently reported include Angel Burgos and Nikolai Ibach. These individuals represent only a portion of the current homeless sex offenders, with the full list available on the Delaware Sex Offender Registry website.
Citizens can access complete profiles and additional information about all listed individuals through the state’s online sex offender registry system.
The office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued sharp criticism Friday against U.S. Vice President JD Vance following his remarks connecting immigration to the stabbing death of a British university student who was placed in handcuffs while dying from his wounds.
Eighteen-year-old Henry Nowak lost his life after Vickrum Digwa stabbed him in Southampton, England last December. Digwa, a Sikh man, gave false statements to authorities claiming Nowak, who was white, had launched a racist attack against him. Responding officers initially viewed the injured victim as a perpetrator before discovering his wounds and attempting life-saving measures.
The 23-year-old Digwa received a murder conviction for fatally stabbing Nowak with an 8-inch Sikh dagger and was given a life sentence this week requiring at least 21 years behind bars.
Anti-immigration groups and political figures have used the incident for their causes, though both Nowak and Digwa held British citizenship. Violence erupted Tuesday in Southampton when demonstrators, including far-right participants, threw chairs, cans, stones and flares at police officers during a protest regarding Nowak’s killing.
In a Friday post on social media platform X, Vance declared there should be “righteous anger” about the murder, attributing it partially to “the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.”
Starmer’s office responded by condemning those “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.”
“The Nowak family are grieving after Henry’s horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes,” the Downing Street statement read. “Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country.”
Ed Davey, who leads the centrist opposition Liberal Democrats, stated “we all need to resist attempts like this to politicize Henry Nowak’s death and divide our country — whether they come from MAGA politicians like Vance or their cronies here in the U.K..”
Various politicians, including Nigel Farage who heads the hard-right Reform UK party, have argued the police handling demonstrates “two-tier” law enforcement that discriminates against white individuals within Britain’s justice system.
The U.S. State Department repeated the “two-tier” policing accusation in a Thursday X post, offering sympathy to Nowak’s family while stating that “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline.”
British officials dismissed the “two-tier” claims, which lack support from statistical data.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct, responsible for investigating police misconduct allegations, is examining how officers responded to Nowak’s stabbing incident.
Mark Nowak, the victim’s father, has emphasized the case involves neither racism nor religion, expressing his desire for his son’s death to promote street safety rather than generate “further division, hatred or tension.”
MEXICO CITY — Various activist organizations across Mexico are strategically timing their demonstrations to coincide with upcoming FIFA World Cup festivities, aiming to amplify pressure on government officials while the world’s attention turns to the country.
Members of the nation’s educators’ union, CNTE, have shut down major roadways throughout Mexico City this week, paralyzing downtown areas as they push for improved workplace conditions. The demonstrators toppled statues depicting World Cup football stars, forced entry into a government facility, and organized an impromptu soccer game on a blocked roadway Friday. Meanwhile, international tourists have started arriving in large numbers ahead of the competition beginning June 11.
“The proximity of the World Cup places a lot more pressure on the government,” explained Abel Escalante, a 52-year-old special education psychologist who journeyed from the southern state of Chiapas to demonstrate. He was among those blocking traffic near the city’s famous Angel de la Independencia monument Friday.
These demonstrations are occurring mere days before Mexico City welcomes the tournament’s opening ceremony for the competition jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. Beyond launching the event, the Mexican capital will share hosting duties with Guadalajara and Monterrey for multiple matches.
Additional social advocacy groups have seized upon the World Cup timing to intensify demands on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration during a period when officials want to project a welcoming image internationally.
“This isn’t an event for the Mexican people. Tons of people are going to come, but they’re going to be people with all this disposable income. It’s for the elites. The few average people who do go will have to scrape together all the money they have to live off of,” Escalante continued.
Sheinbaum addressed the escalating demonstrations Friday morning, stating that “the door is open” for educators to enter negotiations regarding their requests for enhanced retirement benefits.
However, she noted that protester factions who had forcibly entered a government structure Thursday were attempting to provoke an aggressive response from officials, which she pledged would not occur. She guaranteed that Mexico’s central plaza, the Zocalo, which teachers attempted to occupy for a demonstration at May’s end, would stay accessible for World Cup activities.
Advocacy organizations have criticized Sheinbaum’s administration for emphasizing World Cup festivities over urgent social issues, including rising living expenses partly driven by international tourism and the nation’s crisis of forced disappearances.
Additional groups have scheduled demonstrations in upcoming weeks as celebrations prepare to begin. This builds upon Mexico City’s strong tradition of public protest, where labor unions and advocacy organizations frequently occupy public areas for demonstrations.
Demonstrations by families seeking their vanished relatives and rural educators demanding improved working conditions have intensified as local authorities have launched efforts to enhance the city’s appearance.
Municipal workers have painted bridges in vivid purple, planted orange Mexican marigolds throughout the city, and covered streets with cartoon images of axolotls, an endangered animal that has become Mexico City’s unofficial symbol.
During the previous weekend, families searching for missing loved ones posted photographs of disappeared individuals across the city and spray-painted messages beside one of the newly painted purple bridges.
“Mexico, champion of disappearance,” the graffiti stated.
The Pentagon made a major announcement Friday regarding religious recognition for military personnel, cutting the number of officially acknowledged faith traditions to 31 from a previous total exceeding 200 options.
Among the religious groups no longer appearing on the updated roster are atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans, who previously had separate designations available to service members.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell explained the rationale behind the changes in an official statement. “This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of ‘officially approved’ religions,” Parnell said. “Rather, it is designed to allow chaplains to quickly look at the religious composition of their units and determine how they structure resources to best provide for warfighters of all faith groups.”
Parnell emphasized that the department continues to support religious freedom and that chaplains help service members “ability to freely exercise their religion of choice, or no religion at all.”
The condensed roster groups various Christian denominations into broader categories such as Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist, without breaking down specific branches within these traditions that may have vastly different theological perspectives.
Military personnel retain options to select “no religion,” “other religions” or agnostic as their preference. The streamlined list continues to recognize Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Unitarian Universalist Association expressed concerns about being excluded from the revised list. “This may make it more difficult for our uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care that they need,” the organization stated, adding that it’s developing plans to assist UU military members.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has openly incorporated his evangelical Christian beliefs into his Pentagon leadership, organizing worship gatherings for staff and frequently characterizing America as a Christian nation.
Hegseth initially revealed plans for these modifications in December, citing the unwieldy nature of managing such an extensive list of faith categories.
The Rev. Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister leading the progressive Interfaith Alliance, criticized the decision. “Secretary Hegseth is not ‘streamlining’ anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command,” Raushenbush stated. “The First Amendment does not allow the government to create a hierarchy of faiths, and it certainly does not allow the Pentagon to decide which beliefs are worthy of recognition.”
Military demographics show religious diversity among personnel, with approximately 70% identifying as Christian based on a 2019 congressional analysis. Nearly 25% of service members fell into other, unclassified or unknown categories.
Irene Glasse, who practices paganism and served as a Marine Corps veteran, voiced concerns about the impact on minority faiths. “As a member of a minority religion, I think it’s really important that we be counted,” Glasse said. “It erases us, and so many of us have served so proudly, so well, and so honorably.”
WASHINGTON — The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has begun filling with water following renovations completed under President Donald Trump’s direction, which featured coating the pool’s interior in a darker hue Trump described as ‘American flag blue.’
The refilling process marks the completion of the renovation project that transformed the appearance of the iconic memorial pool.
America is preparing for a major celebration to mark its 250th anniversary this summer. However, the coordination efforts between two organizing groups have become heavily influenced by political tensions.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is once again filled with water after completing an expensive renovation project ordered by President Trump to paint the basin “American flag blue.”
The weeks-long undertaking, which reportedly required millions of dollars to complete, involved resurfacing and repainting the entire pool structure before workers began the refilling process on Friday.
However, many tourists visiting the iconic Washington D.C. landmark are questioning whether the final results justify the significant expense, with several noting that the changes appear quite understated.
WASHINGTON – The leading Democrat on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee has raised serious questions about alleged bias and outside meddling at a key federal financial regulator.
Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter Friday to Michael Selig, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, expressing alarm over recent New York Times coverage that detailed claims of improper interference and preferential treatment for cryptocurrency and prediction market businesses.
Warren’s correspondence to Selig, who became chairman in December and currently serves as the only active commissioner on the typically five-person panel, referenced Times reporting and other coverage suggesting agency officials stepped in to help firms connected to Trump allies while retaliating against employees who resisted such efforts.
The CFTC did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment Friday. When contacted by The Times previously, the White House stated that President Trump has no conflicts of interest in these matters.
Under Trump’s leadership of the CFTC, cryptocurrency firms and prediction market operators have seen significant benefits, including the withdrawal of enforcement cases against these sectors and the development of regulations designed to encourage industry expansion.
However, lawmakers are increasingly examining the prediction market industry over potential insider trading violations.
The agency’s workforce has declined dramatically from last year to levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis, while enforcement actions have similarly decreased.
“Taken together, these are concerning signs of a CFTC beholden to political pressures and interests of the wealthy insiders, unbound by the rule of law and failing to protect investors and market integrity,” Warren wrote.
A Danish pharmaceutical company announced Friday that its experimental weight-loss medication demonstrated better tolerability in clinical testing, potentially offering patients a more comfortable alternative to current obesity treatments on the market.
Zealand Pharma shared new data about its drug petrelintide, developed in partnership with Swiss company Roche, at the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans. The results showed promising signs for patients who struggle with side effects from existing obesity medications.
Key findings from the mid-stage trial include:
• Just 1.5% of patients receiving weekly injections of petrelintide stopped their treatment because of stomach-related problems
• Digestive side effects that did occur were generally mild, with 19.6% experiencing nausea and 3% reporting vomiting, compared to 6.2% nausea in patients receiving placebo
• Less than 7.5% of participants in both treatment and placebo groups experienced diarrhea or constipation
• The medication also showed benefits for heart health, reducing inflammation markers, waist measurements, and triglyceride levels beyond what placebo achieved
Zealand previously announced in March that petrelintide helped patients lose up to 10.7% of their body weight over 42 weeks in a study involving 493 participants. However, those weight-loss results disappointed investors and caused the company’s stock value to drop significantly, particularly after a competing drug from Eli Lilly demonstrated up to 20.1% weight loss in similar testing.
The Danish company is working to establish itself in the profitable obesity treatment market by positioning its medications as having milder side effects than current leading treatments Zepbound and Wegovy, manufactured by market leaders Lilly and Novo Nordisk respectively.
Petrelintide works differently than existing blockbuster drugs. While Wegovy and Zepbound target the GLP-1 hormone to suppress appetite, amylin-based medications like petrelintide activate brain receptors and slow stomach emptying, potentially causing less severe side effects while better preserving muscle mass.
Roche obtained rights to petrelintide through a collaboration and licensing agreement worth up to $5.3 billion that was finalized last year.
A massive initial public offering from SpaceX is scheduled for next week, representing a crucial test for the ongoing U.S. stock market surge as investors remain cautious about potential market overheating.
Market indices dropped on Friday following robust employment figures that sparked concerns about aggressive monetary policy, while semiconductor stocks plummeted after their recent strong performance. The primary S&P 500 index recorded a weekly drop following nine consecutive weeks of increases.
Despite the decline, the S&P 500 remained approximately 8% higher in 2026, including a 16% recovery from its late-March yearly low.
“Nothing has stuck in terms of pessimism in the last two months,” stated Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide. “There is just this underpinning of momentum, this insatiable appetite for tech holdings and just the technical buying spree that is really dwarfing almost all other inputs.”
During the upcoming week, market participants will examine new information regarding consumer and producer pricing, following the employment report that sparked worries the Federal Reserve might concentrate on controlling inflation, possibly resulting in interest rate increases. The approaching week also features earnings announcements from major technology sector companies, which has powered the market’s recent climb despite a negative week ending.
Several investors have been preparing for a halt, if not a decline, following the steep rally. Potential risks include the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and the possibility of renewed energy price surges if Middle East conflicts escalate.
The space company led by Elon Musk plans to collect $75 billion, representing the largest amount ever sought in an IPO, through a transaction that would establish its worth at $1.75 trillion. Price setting is anticipated on June 11, with market trading beginning on the Nasdaq the following day.
The enterprise operates an uncommon and varied collection of businesses, encompassing rockets, satellite communications and AI computing. Including Musk’s involvement — the leader of Tesla and the globe’s richest individual — makes SpaceX’s worth challenging to determine, reaching extremely high levels according to certain measurements. The business recorded a net deficit of $4.94 billion in 2025, while revenue increased 33% to $18.67 billion.
The public offering might attract considerable attention from individual investors and offer another prominent method to access the AI market.
“We’ve got one of the biggest IPOs in history coming … which I think is the focus of everybody’s interest,” commented Jason Pride, chief of investment strategy and research at Glenmede. “The question mark surrounding it is whether it’s an indication of market froth.”
The SpaceX launch is anticipated to precede other large-scale IPOs in upcoming months from Anthropic and OpenAI, two leading AI companies. Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot, announced this week it has privately submitted documents for a U.S. IPO.
The SpaceX public offering represents “an important benchmark,” according to Matt Wittmer, a portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, noting that “the company itself will be playing in some of those key areas that people are looking for to find new secular growth opportunities.”
The May Consumer Price Index, scheduled for Wednesday, will reveal how increasing oil and gasoline costs are impacting inflation. A primary concern involves the degree to which elevated energy prices might affect other CPI elements, Pride noted, before the Federal Reserve’s meeting this month.
“The Federal Reserve is going to be watching this like a hawk,” Pride explained. “They’re going to want to see those pieces continue to remain stable and not increase as a pass-through from the energy and food prices.”
Following the energy price increase, futures markets are calculating a higher probability the Fed will raise interest rates this year instead of reducing them, after markets had expected equity-favorable rate decreases at 2026’s beginning.
Additional economic information next week includes Thursday’s producer price report.
Quarterly earnings from technology firms Oracle and Adobe will also receive attention. Technology has historically controlled the U.S. stock market, but the sector’s recent superior performance elevated it to over 39% of the S&P 500’s market value this week, representing its highest portion ever recorded.
The financial results will examine the technology trade’s durability and the software industry’s recovery, which suffered significantly early in the year due to AI disruption concerns. Oracle shares have risen more than 9% this year, while Adobe has declined 28%.
“Getting more data points from some of the AI value chain is going to be important,” Wittmer stated.
Motorists traveling on Peachtree Run Road should expect delays today as construction work has forced the closure of one southbound lane.
The affected area spans from Jeffrey Drive to Millchop Lane, where crews are conducting work that has reduced traffic to a single lane.
Officials indicate the lane restriction will remain active until 12 PM today, after which normal traffic patterns are expected to resume.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time or consider alternate routes when possible to avoid potential backups in the construction zone.
Marine scientists have completed an extraordinary year-long study tracking the movements and behavior of a whale shark they’ve named Larry, offering new insights into the lives of these gentle ocean giants.
The research, conducted by the Blue World Research Group, documented Larry’s journey through Gulf waters over the course of 12 months. Dr. Larry Spetka, a physician who serves as the shark’s namesake, was photographed swimming alongside the massive creature during a May 2025 encounter.
Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish species, known for their distinctive spotted patterns and filter-feeding behavior. Despite their enormous size, these creatures remain mysterious to scientists, making long-term tracking studies like this one particularly valuable for understanding their migration patterns and habitat preferences.
The comprehensive study provides researchers with crucial data about seasonal movements, feeding behaviors, and the environmental factors that influence whale shark activities throughout the year. Such information proves essential for conservation efforts aimed at protecting these magnificent marine animals and their ocean habitats.
A decade-old murder case in New Castle County remains open as investigators continue searching for leads in the death of a young man.
Twenty-four-year-old Jalan Hudson became the victim of a fatal shooting on June 5, 2014, in the Claymont area. Police officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Peachtree Road at around 9:20 that evening, where they discovered Hudson on the ground with injuries.
The incident occurred in the Fieldcrest Apartments community in the 19703 zip code area. Despite the passage of ten years, the case remains active as authorities seek information that could lead to an arrest.
Anyone with information about this cold case homicide is encouraged to contact local law enforcement.
A vehicle accident has forced authorities to shut down all southbound lanes of Route 1 at Silicato Parkway, according to traffic officials.
The complete closure is causing significant delays for drivers traveling in that direction. Motorists are advised to find alternative routes until the roadway can be cleared and reopened.
No additional details about the crash have been released at this time.
Authorities have released the identity of the teenager who lost their life in Thursday morning’s deadly single-vehicle accident in Bridgeville. Delaware State Police identified the victim as Kensley Ramirez-Ramirez, 17, from Lewes, Delaware.
Investigators with the Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit are still working to determine what caused the crash on Oak Road. Officials are urging anyone who saw the accident or has relevant details to reach out to Sergeant A. Mitchell at (302) 703-3269. Tips can also be submitted through a private message to the Delaware State Police Facebook page or by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Those affected by crime, sudden loss, or who witnessed traumatic events can access support through the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center. Help is available around the clock by calling the toll-free crisis line at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461) or emailing [email protected].
NEW YORK — The final three correspondents at CBS’s embattled ’60 Minutes’ program have announced their decision to remain with the show, declaring they refuse to let the iconic broadcast disappear.
In a staff memo, Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker revealed they struggled with whether to continue at the network following recent dismissals, but ultimately chose to stay put.
“Here’s why we are staying: We don’t want to see ’60 Minutes’ die,” the trio stated in their joint message, which The Associated Press obtained on Friday.
The correspondents voiced frustration about recent staff cuts ordered by Bari Weiss, CBS News’s new editor-in-chief, and Nick Bilton, the executive producer she brought in last week. Bilton took over from Tanya Simon, who was dismissed after more than three decades with the program, along with correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega and other senior staff members. Scott Pelley was subsequently terminated this week following a heated exchange with CBS News leadership.
“We want to express how sorry we are that these principled, fair and honest journalists were treated so shabbily, with such indecency,” the three correspondents wrote. However, they indicated they are “working to build trust” with Bilton and kept the door open for potential future departures if necessary.
“If we can continue doing the work that made this show what it is — committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling — we’re here for it,” they stated. “If not, we leave.”
“Here’s to Season 59!” their message concluded.
Convincing the three to remain represents a vital achievement for Bilton as he works to stabilize the program ahead of its September season premiere.
The broadcast now faces a shortage of four correspondents. Beyond the three who were let go, Anderson Cooper — whose main role involves on-air duties at CNN — announced earlier this year he would depart voluntarily after two decades.
Challenges at “60 Minutes” have been mounting for over a year. Many stem from President Donald Trump’s legal action against the program regarding its editing choices in a 2024 interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
This controversy became part of wider changes at CBS News after Weiss received her new editor-in-chief position from parent company Paramount late last year, following David Ellison’s emergence as the network’s corporate chief.
Ellison’s company, Skydance, combined with CBS parent company Paramount, which subsequently resolved the Trump legal matter for $16 million. This decision frustrated some at “60 Minutes” and indirectly contributed to last month’s exit of popular longtime CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, who had described the settlement as “a big fat bribe.”
CBS News has served as a cornerstone of American broadcast journalism since its radio era before television existed, though Weiss announced earlier this year the end of CBS News’s radio operations. The network’s evening newscast was regarded for decades as among the nation’s most trusted institutions under longtime anchorman Walter Cronkite.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will no longer display President Trump’s name, according to new directives given to facility staff.
Personnel at the performing arts venue have been instructed to strip the former president’s name from the center’s official designation.
A U.S. Senate candidate in Maine is pushing back against allegations of physical aggression toward former romantic partners, claiming the recent negative coverage demonstrates his campaign’s growing strength.
Graham Platner is rejecting the accusations detailed in The New York Times report, stating that this controversy and others surrounding his candidacy indicate his campaign is gaining traction. The Democratic candidate is expected to challenge incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in the general election for Maine’s Senate seat.
The allegations come as Platner continues his bid for the Democratic nomination in the Maine Senate race, where he has positioned himself as the likely nominee to face the Republican incumbent in November.
SALISBURY, MD — Officials in Salisbury are alerting drivers about upcoming traffic disruptions as contractors perform camera inspection activities on Naylor Mill Road scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2026, and Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
The inspection zone will span from Mall Drive South to an area just north of Mall Drive North. Motorists traveling through this section should prepare for temporary lane closures and possible traffic backups during the work period.
City officials are asking drivers to exercise caution, slow down, and stay vigilant for work crews and construction equipment when passing through the affected area.
Officials note that the inspection schedule depends on weather conditions and may be adjusted if necessary.
Salisbury city officials expressed gratitude for residents’ understanding and patience while the camera inspection project is underway.
The Carolina Hurricanes have demonstrated an exceptional ability to bounce back from setbacks and remain composed when facing challenging road environments or sudden-death overtime situations during their playoff run.
These qualities under intense pressure help explain their current position in the Stanley Cup Final, having evened the series with the Vegas Golden Knights after dropping the opening game. The team appears to flourish in these high-stakes moments, boasting flawless records in both overtime situations and away games throughout the postseason, while successfully preventing back-to-back defeats since mid-January.
“It’s a special time of year, and it’s a really cool opportunity and experience we all get to have,” goaltender Frederik Andersen said Friday. “And if we weren’t enjoying it as well, it would be a big shame, right?”
Carolina enhanced their playoff record to 13-2 through spectacular circumstances on Thursday, overcoming a two-goal third-period disadvantage to secure a 4-3 overtime victory and even the best-of-seven championship series. The dramatic finish featured Seth Jarvis delivering a powerful one-timer past Carter Hart from the left wing while on the power play, potentially serving as a pivotal moment for both the team’s top regular-season scorer and their struggling man-advantage unit.
Equally impressive is Carolina’s capacity to handle adversity throughout their campaign. Thursday’s victory extended the Hurricanes’ remarkable streak to 13 consecutive wins following defeats, a stretch that began after back-to-back setbacks in Detroit and St. Louis on Jan. 12 and 13.
“It goes to talking about belief,” forward Andrei Svechnikov said. “I think we believe in the group. We’re confident in what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. We believe in our system, and we just try to go there and play our game, and that’s what we’ve kind of been doing.”
The Hurricanes’ initial postseason defeat occurred during the Eastern Conference Final against Montreal, when Carolina emerged from an unprecedented 11-day layoff between rounds and surrendered four opening-period goals in a 6-2 defeat.
Their response was emphatic: four consecutive victories, including two in overtime and two dominant performances with a combined 10-1 scoring advantage to eliminate Montreal.
After falling 5-4 in the series opener against Vegas, Carolina again demonstrated their resilience, despite facing a daunting 2-0 deficit and struggling through what coach Rod Brind’Amour described as a second period that was “kind of a dud.”
The Hurricanes netted three consecutive goals within approximately five minutes of the final period, culminating with captain Jordan Staal’s deflection from close range during a power play opportunity.
Carolina then overcame Vegas tying the contest with 1:21 remaining in regulation, capitalizing on their second consecutive power play when Jarvis scored the decisive goal. The winning sequence featured excellent execution from Shayne Gostisbehere, who had assisted on Staal’s earlier score.
Gostisbehere effectively feinted a shot attempt, drawing the attention of Vegas defenders positioned in the middle, while Nikolaj Ehlers even jumped in the slot as if avoiding a shot. This deception kept Hart focused centrally for an extra moment as Gostisbehere instead found Jarvis on the left side for the championship-clinching goal.
Prior to these crucial scores, Carolina’s power play had struggled at 7 for 60 (11.7%) during the playoffs after finishing fourth in regular-season efficiency (24.9%).
The Hurricanes now stand 6-0 in overtime playoff situations, including victories in all four Game 2 home contests, and maintain a perfect 6-0 road record.
“For almost 50 minutes there (emotions are) kind of low, and then kind of even, then really high, then low again, and then high,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s a roller coaster, for sure. But it’s just managing them. We’re still human beings. We’re going to be nervous out there and have emotions, but the more you do it, the more you do anything, you get used to it.”
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he plans to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday at Madison Square Garden, while offering little compassion for basketball fans unable to afford the expensive ticket prices to see the game in person.
Speaking to reporters while traveling on Air Force One to Wisconsin for a farming event, Trump addressed questions about ticket costs that have soared to $8,000 per seat for the matchup between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs in Manhattan.
“They can watch it on television,” Trump responded when asked about the high prices. “It’s sorta semi-free to watch it on television. That’s the way life goes.”
The president also mentioned that if the Knicks weren’t performing well — noting their lack of success since their last finals appearance in 1994 — “you could go very easily.”
As president, Trump doesn’t need to buy tickets for major sporting events. During his second term, he has attended numerous high-profile games, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.
However, his comments come as he faces growing scrutiny over campaign promises to reduce inflation and lower costs for everyday necessities like groceries. With November midterm elections approaching and ongoing conflict in Iran driving up gas prices and destabilizing global markets, concerns about inflation and economic stability continue to mount.
Trump, a long-time Knicks supporter, revealed he watched Game 1, which New York won 105-95 in San Antonio. “I think the Knicks have an amazing team the way they played,” he commented.
“Started off slow and it just got stronger and stronger,” Trump said about the opening game. When asked about his preferred players, he highlighted Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Reporters also questioned Trump about Spurs player Victor Wembanyama’s decision to stand with crossed arms during the national anthem before Game 1. The gesture sparked controversy among conservatives online, despite Wembanyama being French and not hearing his own country’s anthem.
While praising Wembanyama as someone who “looks like he’s gonna be a great player,” Trump avoided commenting on the anthem situation, claiming he hadn’t witnessed the crossed-arms gesture.
“Is that what he did? What did he mean by that?” Trump responded, directing reporters to ask Wembanyama directly for clarification.
Trump’s confirmation of his Game 3 attendance follows comments from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday, who suggested a presidential presence at finals games could help unite “our increasingly divided society.”
“It creates a sense of connectivity among people,” Silver explained. “It creates a sense of belonging, and I feel that every day.”
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have officially placed star outfielder Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list following Friday’s announcement that the slugger is dealing with a stress fracture in one of his ribs, an injury that will sideline him for an indefinite period.
The three-time AL MVP will undergo a period of rest with limited physical activity before doctors re-evaluate his condition and conduct additional imaging studies in approximately four to six weeks. According to a Yankees statement, Judge is anticipated to return “at some point this season.”
To fill Judge’s roster spot, the team has brought back Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre for his second call-up with the club.
During his previous stint from May 8-21, Jones posted a .167 batting average, going 4 for 24 after being summoned to fill in for Jasson Domínguez, who suffered an AC joint injury in his shoulder after colliding with the left-field wall while making a catch against Brandon Nimmo during a May 7 matchup with Texas.
Judge received a CT scan on Thursday and had undergone an MRI earlier in the week during a consultation with a medical specialist. The Yankees initially described Judge’s condition as shoulder discomfort before correcting the diagnosis to reveal the rib injury on his right side, which was first discovered during testing conducted on Monday during the team’s scheduled day off.
This marks Judge’s 10th trip to the injured list since making his major league debut on Aug. 13, 2016, including a previous placement on the COVID-19 injured list in July 2021. His injury history includes missing 45 games due to a fractured right wrist in 2018, sitting out 54 games with a strained left oblique in 2019, and being sidelined for 42 games with a fractured toe in 2023 after colliding with a wall while making a defensive play at Dodger Stadium.
This represents Judge’s second career rib injury.
He previously received a diagnosis of a stress fracture in one of his right ribs in March 2020. That injury resulted from diving for a ball in September 2019, though Judge avoided missing game time due to the pandemic-related delay of the 2020 season.
The 34-year-old is currently batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs this season. However, he has managed just one home run over his last 18 games since May 10 and snapped an 11-game streak without a homer or RBI with a walk-off, two-run blast on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Prior to the Tampa Bay game, Judge was mired in a 1-for-24 slump that had dropped his batting average to .246. He had gone hitless in 15 consecutive at-bats before recording a single in the first inning of that contest.
Last season, Judge captured the batting title with a career-best .331 average along with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs across 152 games. He was absent for 10 games from July 26-Aug. 4 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow sustained while making a throw to home plate on July 22 in Toronto. He received a plasma-rich injection and avoided the need for offseason surgery.
When Judge was injured last season, Giancarlo Stanton appeared in 17 outfield games. Stanton has been unavailable since April 24 with a strained right calf and began taking live batting practice on the field Wednesday, though he has been ruled out for New York’s upcoming road series.
José Caballero has started the first two games against Cleveland and has made four starts in right field since his acquisition from Tampa Bay at the July 31 trade deadline. Max Schuemann made his first career start in right field Thursday, recording a diving catch on Steven Kwan in the second inning and a leaping catch on Brayan Rocchio in the seventh.
Judge had started 52 games in right field this season. Jones made four starts in right field before being optioned on May 22, while Cody Bellinger has started two games at the position.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Carlos Alberto Solari, the celebrated Argentine musician nicknamed ‘the Indio’ who fronted Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, one of Argentina’s most beloved and impactful rock bands, passed away Friday at the age of 77.
Officials report that Solari, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease for more than ten years, was discovered deceased beside an indoor swimming pool at his residence in Ituzaingó, a provincial community located approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Buenos Aires. Authorities have not released details regarding the cause of death.
The musician’s family announced his passing through social media channels, stating they plan to organize a public memorial service so admirers can pay their final respects to the rock icon. Following news of his death, supporters started congregating outside his residence, with many bringing floral tributes and donning shirts displaying his famous moniker.
‘We will grieve appropriately, play his music and, most importantly, look after each other, just as he showed us how to do,’ the family’s public statement declared.
Leading Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota — commonly called ‘Los Redondos’ — Solari emerged as a countercultural figure for alienated young Argentines during their nation’s shift from a violent military regime to a democratic system marked by new liberties but also economic turmoil and extreme inflation throughout the 1980s.
Throughout Argentina’s materialistic surge in the 1990s, driven by the market-oriented policies of then-President Carlos Saul Menem, Solari’s powerful rock songs, energetic dance numbers and mysterious lyrics expressed a rebellious attitude toward capitalist excess and foreign influence. Los Redondos produced 10 studio recordings while avoiding major record companies to preserve their creative freedom.
Following the group’s dissolution in 2001, Solari maintained his popularity as a solo performer, creating five additional albums under his own identity that blended traditional rock with electronic elements and attracting massive audiences to venues and arenas throughout Argentina.
During a huge performance in 2016, he revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis to the audience. ‘Mr. Parkinson is nipping at my heels. But here I am,’ he declared. The audience erupted in cheers. He subsequently stepped away from live performances, openly discussing the devastating impact of his condition in media interviews.
Honors flooded in from government officials, entertainers and football personalities nationwide.
The Argentine Soccer Association stated that Solari’s music ‘became a popular rallying cry’ and ‘echoed in the stands’ throughout the football-obsessed nation.
The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, a notable advocacy organization that worked to locate family members killed or ‘disappeared’ during the 1976-83 military rule, described the performer as someone who ‘inspired society as a whole to doubt, to question and to think critically.’
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s former president currently serving a corruption sentence under house arrest, shared one of his well-known lyrics on social media, widely recognized as an encouragement to live boldly: ‘Just living costs you your life.’
Solari leaves behind his spouse, Virginia Mones Ruiz, and their 25-year-old son Bruno.
WASHINGTON — Federal government attorneys told a court Friday that judicial intervention cannot halt the ongoing construction of a White House ballroom, citing both the project’s advanced status and security considerations the facility is designed to address.
During arguments before the U.S. Appeals Court, attorney Yaakov Roth told Judge Patricia Millett that only Congress possesses the authority to stop the $400 million construction project. The administration is seeking court permission to continue building the ballroom without legislative approval.
The dispute stems from an April 16 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who ordered the administration to cease above-ground construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Leon, appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, permitted underground work to proceed on bunker facilities and other security infrastructure at the location.
Friday’s hearing focused on questions of legal standing to challenge government actions after they’ve commenced and whether such standing supersedes national security interests.
When Millett, who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, presented hypothetical scenarios, Roth acknowledged that even if the government demolished iconic structures like the Statue of Liberty and the White House, affected parties would lack legal standing to challenge such actions after completion.
Millett questioned Roth about when the ballroom construction became irreversible.
“Was it when you started doing the underground work, which is now totally completely integral and connected and inseparable from a massive ballroom on top?” she inquired. “When did it become impossible for courts to stop this project?”
Roth responded: “I think it would have been improper to enjoin it even on Day One.”
This exchange was among many during the two-hour session before the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The judges concluded the hearing without issuing a ruling.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed their lawsuit in December, one week after the White House completed demolition of the East Wing to create space for a ballroom designed to accommodate 999 people.
Predicting the judges’ decision remains difficult. While Roth faced extensive questioning about the administration’s authority and evolving explanations for proceeding, plaintiff attorney Tad Heuer also encountered significant judicial scrutiny.
The panel pressed Heuer regarding legal standing and how aesthetic concerns might outweigh national security considerations.
“We have never opposed the underground construction of the bunker, which is where the government until recently has said the national security concerns lay,” Heuer stated. He argued that construction should pause pending congressional review.
“Congress can allow ballrooms to be built — it’s its property,” Heuer said.
Administration lawyers maintain the project incorporates vital security elements designed to counter various threats, including drones, ballistic missiles and biological hazards.
“These upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them,” they stated in court documents.
A seasonal mountaineering ranger has died after plunging into a crevasse while conducting patrol duties on Mount McKinley, Alaska’s towering peak, according to the National Park Service.
Robin Pendery from Enumclaw, Washington, was working as a seasonal ranger at Denali National Park and Preserve when the fatal accident occurred Thursday. Park officials say she died despite immediate efforts to rescue her from the crevasse.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Pendery’s death. The tragedy follows another deadly incident just seven days earlier when three members of a Latvian climbing expedition perished after falling near a dangerous pass on the mountain. A fourth member of that group survived the fall and was successfully rescued. The Latvian team was among a seven-person expedition attempting to navigate a route notorious for its dangerous exposed areas, where numerous climbers have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries throughout the years.
The accident happened close to the 14,000-foot camp on Mount McKinley, which rises approximately 20,310 feet above sea level, making it the continent’s highest peak.
“Our mountaineering rangers dedicate themselves to serving visitors and helping others in one of the most challenging environments in the world,” Denali Superintendent Brooke Merrell said in a statement Friday. “Today, we mourn the loss of a valued colleague, friend and teammate.”
CONAKRY, June 5 (Reuters) – The coalition supporting Guinea’s President Mamady Doumbouya has secured a commanding majority in the West African nation’s parliament, according to election officials who announced results Friday. The victory strengthens the former coup leader’s control over the mineral-rich country.
While final seat allocations for Guinea’s 147-member legislature remain under review, preliminary data shows the Generation for Modernity and Development (GMD) coalition and its supporters captured no fewer than 100 seats, decisively defeating competing parties.
The electoral success is expected to reinforce Doumbouya’s authority as the nation’s leader. The former special forces officer took control through military action in 2021 before securing a seven-year presidential mandate in December, though his electoral victory faced challenges from political rivals.
Election participation reached 52.87% for the parliamentary races and 58.51% for municipal contests, which occurred concurrently on Sunday for local governing positions.
The nation’s chief electoral officer, Aminata Toure, announced Thursday that political organizations have an eight-day window to contest specific outcomes, with appropriate court systems handling any disagreements.
Official final tallies will be released once all challenges are addressed.
Key opposition movements were prohibited from Sunday’s voting process. Organizations linked to former President Alpha Conde and opposition figures Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure faced dissolution.
Diallo, currently living abroad, issued a March appeal for “direct resistance” against Doumbouya following the administration’s decision to disband his party along with 37 additional political groups.
Government officials justified the dissolutions by citing the organizations’ failure to fulfill required legal duties, including submitting mandatory financial documentation.
Two key figures in President Donald Trump’s administration made a trip to a Tennessee nuclear research facility this week as part of preparations for potential negotiations with Iran, according to a source with knowledge of the visit.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Thursday to meet with specialists who could contribute to future nuclear discussions with Iran, the source revealed Friday.
The source, who confirmed details from an Axios report, did not elaborate further on the specifics of the meeting.
The Trump administration has made clear that any agreement to resolve the conflict with Iran must include guarantees that Tehran will abandon nuclear weapon development efforts.
Intelligence estimates suggest Iran currently holds approximately 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium at facilities that were targeted in U.S. airstrikes last year. Iranian officials continue to insist they need uranium enrichment capabilities while rejecting claims they are pursuing weapons development.
The National Basketball Coaches Association announced Friday that Paul Westhead will be the recipient of its 2026 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.
During his distinguished 38-year career, Westhead served as either a head coach or assistant across multiple levels including the NBA, WNBA, NCAA, and international basketball. He holds the unique distinction of being the sole head coach to capture titles in both the NBA and WNBA.
His NBA head coaching experience included stints with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979-82, the Chicago Bulls in 1982, and the Denver Nuggets between 1990-92. In the WNBA, he led the Phoenix Mercury during the 2006-07 seasons.
Westhead’s championship victories came with the Lakers in 1980 and with the Mercury in 2007.
His collegiate coaching resume features tenures at La Salle from 1970-79, Loyola Marymount from 1985-90, and George Mason from 1993-97. He also coached the Oregon women’s basketball program from 2009-14. His international experience included coaching Wakayama in Japan’s National Basketball League.
“I am thankful for all the coaches who worked with me during my NBA coaching career,” Westhead said in a statement. “From Jack McKinney, who gave me my start with the LA Lakers, to P.J. Carlesimo who hired me for my last job (as an assistant coach) with the Seattle SuperSonics.”
Westhead gained recognition for creating high-speed offensive systems that pushed both teams into rapid-fire gameplay that challenged scoring records.
“Coach Westhead’s impact on the game extends far beyond wins and championships,” said NBCA president J.B. Bickerstaff, who also is the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. “He challenged conventional thinking, introduced ideas that were ahead of their time, and influenced generations of coaches across every level of men’s and women’s basketball.”
Past honorees of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award include Don Nelson (2025), Rudy Tomjanovich (2024), Rick Adelman (2023), Mike Fratello (2022), Larry Brown (2021), Del Harris (2020), Frank Layden (2019), Doug Moe (2018), Al Attles and Hubie Brown (2017), K.C. Jones and Jerry Sloan (2016), Dick Motta (2015), Bernie Bickerstaff (2014), Bill Fitch (2013), Pat Riley (2012), Lenny Wilkens (2011), Jack Ramsay and Tex Winter (2010), and Tommy Heinsohn (2009).
State transportation officials have announced plans to reopen key highway ramps in New Castle County next summer.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) says the northbound I-95 exit ramps leading to both directions of SR 896 are scheduled to reopen around June 11, 2026. The reopening date depends on weather conditions.
Officials are directing residents to visit 95896improvements.com where they can register for text and email notifications about construction-related road closures in the area.
Motorists should expect delays on Peachtree Run Road where construction crews have shut down one southbound lane.
The lane restriction is in effect between Jeffrey Drive and Millchop Lane, with work scheduled to continue until 6PM today.
Drivers are advised to use alternate routes or allow extra travel time when passing through the construction zone.
The Chicago Bears have decided to pursue building their new stadium in Northwest Indiana following the failure of Illinois lawmakers to approve financial incentives that would have kept the NFL franchise in their home state.
On Thursday, the team’s board of directors approved moving ahead with a stadium development in Hammond, Indiana. While the Bears have been evaluating property near Wolf Lake, they clarified Friday that no specific site has been chosen yet.
In a joint statement from Chairman George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren, the organization said: “We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun expressed enthusiasm about the Bears’ decision. Earlier this year, an Indiana House committee approved legislation creating a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with powers to finance, build and lease a stadium facility.
“We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come,” Braun stated. “An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.”
The Bears represent one of the NFL’s original franchises, having operated in Illinois since their 1920 establishment as the Decatur Staleys. The team relocated to Chicago the following year and played at Wrigley Field before moving to their current home at Soldier Field in September 1971.
While the Bears’ current lease extends through 2033, the team has the option to terminate early by paying a penalty fee. Soldier Field sits approximately 40 miles south of the team’s Lake Forest, Illinois headquarters at Halas Hall, while Hammond would be roughly 20 miles south of their current lakefront venue.
Matt Hill, speaking for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, indicated the governor “remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”
“The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location,” Hill commented. “That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith.”
SEAFORD – A major roadway in Seaford will be shut down for more than a month as crews tackle infrastructure repairs.
The Delaware Department of Transportation has announced that Fleetwood Pond Road will be completely closed between Concord Road and Old Furnace Road from Monday, June 15th until Friday, July 17th, depending on weather conditions.
The extended closure is necessary to complete spillway repair work, which includes fixing the bridge deck, sealing joints, and applying fresh paint.
Drivers heading north will need to take a detour by turning right onto Baker Mill Road, then making a left onto Asbury Road, followed by another left onto Old Furnace Road to reconnect with Fleetwood Pond Road.
Those traveling south should follow Old Furnace Road, then make a right turn onto Asbury Road, followed by a right onto Baker Mill Road to return to Fleetwood Pond Road.
Delaware State Police have taken a 49-year-old Wilmington resident into custody following an extensive narcotics investigation that spanned several months.
Hector Soriano-Carela was arrested in connection with drug distribution activities that authorities had been tracking since January 2026. The Delaware State Police Special Investigations Unit launched their probe after receiving information that Soriano-Carela was distributing illegal drugs throughout the region.
Throughout their investigation, law enforcement officers observed Soriano-Carela operating a Honda Civic to different locations where he conducted multiple drug sales. Investigators established that Soriano-Carela resided at a property on the 200 block of North Broom Street in Wilmington and secured search warrants for both his home and automobile.
Authorities executed the search warrants on June 4, 2026, with support from the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team and the Wilmington Police Department. Soriano-Carela was apprehended without any complications during the operation.
The searches of his residence and Honda yielded several pieces of evidence:
-About 5.12 grams of suspected crack cocaine
-About 1.75 grams of suspected cocaine
-More than $1,200 in suspected drug proceeds
-Several cellphones belonging to Soriano-Carela
-Materials used for drug packaging
Following his arrest, Soriano-Carela was transported to Troop 2 where he faced multiple charges. After being arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11, he was sent to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution with bail set at $92,100 cash.
The charges against Soriano-Carela include:
-Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Felony) – 9 counts
-Possession of a Controlled Substance Tier 1 Quantity (Felony)
-Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Federal officials announced that a compact nuclear reactor being tested at a national laboratory has accomplished a significant breakthrough that could bring it closer to generating power in the coming years.
The small reactor created by Antares Nuclear Inc. at the Idaho National Lab achieved “criticality” on Thursday, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright. This important phase happens when a nuclear reactor establishes a self-sustaining chain reaction that can produce consistent energy output.
Antares became the first private enterprise to reach this critical stage with an advanced reactor through a pilot initiative launched last year by the Trump administration designed to accelerate nuclear energy development across the United States. The project was carried out in collaboration with the Energy Department and additional contractors, with backing from the U.S. Army.
“We are very excited by this news today,” Wright said Friday on a call with reporters. “I think June 4th will be a historic day in the American nuclear renaissance.”
Antares and its partners “have shown America can do bold things,” Wright added. “America has great technology, great entrepreneurs that are ready to drive energy innovation to power our future, lower energy costs and make our country more powerful.”
Wright stated that this accomplishment demonstrates how the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate regulatory obstacles are helping advance innovative nuclear technologies.
President Donald Trump signed executive orders in May 2025 intended to speed up the development of nuclear power, including steps that grant Wright authority to approve some advanced reactor designs and projects. Trump’s orders limit some authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the independent safety agency that has regulated the U.S. nuclear industry for five decades.
Skeptics warn that nuclear energy poses risks and say microreactors may not be safe or feasible and have not proved they can meet demand for a reasonable price.
Though the Antares technology remains years from commercial deployment, reaching criticality represents a significant advancement. The California-based company, which initially focuses on military uses, anticipates beginning electricity generation by late 2027 and deploying systems in operational settings by the end of 2028, according to CEO Jordan Bramble on Friday.
“Nuclear in America has been defined for too long by delays, by companies that said they would and then didn’t,” Bramble said in a written statement.
During Friday’s briefing, Bramble explained that reaching criticality “is the first step on a roadmap toward producing electricity ahead of deploying this technology for customer sites.”
“Microreactors are a technology that’s here today,” he added. “2026 is the year where microreactors are becoming real. We’re months to years out from being able to start deploying this technology to military installations.”
The Trump administration has established an objective of reaching the criticality phase in no fewer than three test reactors by July 4 — the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Officials have chosen 11 advanced reactor projects, including Antares, to advance their technologies toward deployment.
In February, the Pentagon and the Energy Department for the first time airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is the country’s potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight transported a 5-megawatt microreactor manufactured by Valar Atomics in southern California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
The reactor — which did not have nuclear fuel — eventually will be able to generate up to 5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 5,000 homes, said Isaiah Taylor, CEO of Valar Atomics. The company hopes to start selling power on a test basis next year and become fully commercial in 2028, he said.
Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the transport flight, which attracted significant news coverage, was little more than a publicity stunt.
He offered a similar response to the claims by Antares and Wright.
“This stunt is a rudimentary first step that has absolutely no bearing on whether the Antares reactor will be safe or commercially viable,” Lyman said in an email Friday.
The Energy Department’s statement that the test “confirms that the reactor can operate safely” is false, Lyman said, adding that more testing of the reactor is needed.
WASHINGTON — Congress stands ready to deliver a massive financial boost to the Department of Homeland Security, providing nearly unrestricted funding to support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives throughout his presidency.
The approximately $70 billion funding measure passed the Republican-controlled Senate during an overnight session and is now moving to the House. Democratic leadership condemned it as a “rotten bill” while immigration advocacy groups labeled it an “ATM for ICE.”
For supporters of Trump’s pledge to conduct the nation’s largest immigration enforcement operation in history, the legislation ensures steady financial resources for the administration’s immigration activities. This comes in addition to roughly $170 billion Congress previously authorized for the department last summer as part of Trump’s comprehensive tax legislation.
“We’re going to continue to arrest people, we’re going to continue to detain people and we’re going to keep deporting people,” Trump border czar Tom Homan told CBS News on Friday.
He suggested that enforcement sweeps might target New York City during the summer months.
This congressional action occurs during a crucial period for the Republican president and his party as they prepare for midterm elections with an increasingly concerned electorate. An AP-NORC poll from April revealed that roughly one-third of American adults personally know someone affected by Trump’s immigration policies. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, polling shows most Americans no longer view the country as welcoming to immigrants.
The funding legislation spans just twelve pages and lacks the typical oversight provisions and spending guidelines usually included in such measures. It allocates $30 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities, nearly $20 billion for Border Patrol operations, and other amounts, covering departmental expenses through 2029.
“Their options are limitless in terms of what they can do with this money,” said Vanessa Cardenas, the executive director at America’s Voice, a longtime advocacy organization for immigrants.
“That is such a hard thing to accept as a taxpaying citizen that our dollars are going to this massive, mass deportation machine, while Americans are struggling to meet health care costs, and have access to food and they’re paying so much in gas.”
The administration has attempted to reframe discussions around its immigration policies, bringing in new Homeland Security leadership following violent enforcement incidents earlier this year and the fatal shootings of Americans Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Instead of conducting highly visible street operations, the administration is pursuing behind-the-scenes measures that eliminate immigrant communities’ legal pathways to remain in the United States, including ending Temporary Protected Status and creating additional barriers to obtaining green cards.
Young immigrants known as Dreamers, who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children, have experienced processing delays for their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewals, potentially leaving them vulnerable to removal.
However, demonstrations continue across the country, including protests regarding conditions at the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey.
Simultaneously, Homeland Security continues expanding its ICE workforce — scheduling a recruitment event in Florida next month — constructing additional detention centers, and establishing partnerships with international governments to accept individuals being removed from the United States.
In an official statement, the department indicated that Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin are “laser focused on ensuring the hardworking men and women” of ICE and Customs and Border Patrol receive full funding. The statement characterized the congressional package as ensuring “our critical national security operations continue despite any Democrat attempts to hold our great patriotic employees hostage in the future.”
Standard congressional funding measures typically span hundreds of pages and include detailed specifications regarding expenditure methods and implementation schedules.
Congress traditionally exercises its constitutional spending authority to provide administrative oversight and limitations.
However, after Democrats blocked Homeland Security funding earlier this year following the Minnesota violence, Republicans responded by utilizing the budget reconciliation process to advance the package independently, bypassing regular appropriations procedures.
Both political parties have employed this same mechanism previously, including for Trump’s 2025 tax reduction legislation.
“All this important oversight doesn’t happen,” said Bobby Kogan, a former staff member of the Senate Budget Committee and now at the Center for American Progress, a think tank.
During the overnight Senate session, Democrats attempted to assert congressional authority by proposing amendments to maintain legislative input. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, for example, sought to protect “Dreamers” from deportation while their DACA renewals face delays. These efforts were unsuccessful.
The administration faces significant pressure to fulfill its commitment to increase annual deportations to approximately 1 million, following the Republican president’s first-year figures that fell below expectations.
Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, leads the Mass Deportation Coalition that encourages the Trump administration to honor its commitments.
“Everyone’s talking about ICE is going to get another massive cash injection, and that’s not how I see it at all,” he said. “They’re getting like life-support money.”
“We’re not asking them to keep going,” Howell said. “We’re asking them to start.”
Howell indicated there’s minimal possibility the Trump administration will achieve the president’s deportation targets unless it abandons its focus on pursuing what it terms the “worst of the worst.”
His organization released a proposal earlier this year recommending broader enforcement operations targeting immigrants, especially in employment settings. He also advocates for the Trump administration to restrict immigrants’ access to banking services, social programs, and driver’s licenses. Congressional Republicans have introduced legislation addressing some of these areas.
The administration has intensified its messaging and recently launched a website that refers to immigrants as “aliens” — using space-themed imagery — while outlining White House efforts to prevent individuals from remaining in the United States.
DENVER — Two paramedics convicted of homicide in the death of Elijah McClain will face new trials after a Colorado appeals court overturned their convictions Thursday, nearly seven years after the young Black man died from a fatal ketamine injection.
The historic criminal convictions of the Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics had reverberated throughout emergency medical services nationwide. Fresh trials would once more put a spotlight on ketamine use for subduing people in police encounters.
Colorado’s attorney general has promised to challenge Thursday’s reversal before the state supreme court, potentially postponing any retrials. Here are the key details:
Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper responded to a scene where three officers had confronted McClain, who was walking home from a store in Aurora while listening to music through earbuds in 2019. Someone had called 911 reporting a Black man in the neighborhood who was waving his arms and appeared “sketchy.”
One officer restrained McClain with a chokehold, and the paramedics administered ketamine before McClain went into cardiac arrest en route to the hospital. The 23-year-old massage therapist died three days later after being removed from life support.
McClain’s death prompted numerous EMS departments nationwide to restrict or prohibit ketamine use for subduing individuals considered combative.
Colorado’s health department subsequently instructed paramedics against administering ketamine to individuals suspected of having a controversial condition cited in McClain’s case. “Excited delirium” was characterized in a later-retracted emergency medicine report as causing symptoms like enhanced strength, though medical professionals have denounced it as unscientific and racially biased.
A jury convicted both paramedics in late 2023 following an extensive trial where prosecutors contended Cichuniec and Cooper neglected fundamental medical assessments, including checking McClain’s vital signs, before administering ketamine to assist police restraint efforts.
Medical professionals testified that the ketamine dosage exceeded what was appropriate for McClain’s 140-pound frame. Prosecutors additionally claimed the paramedics failed to properly monitor McClain following drug administration.
Cichuniec was sentenced to five years but was released early in 2024 when a judge modified his sentence to four years probation. Cooper avoided prison time, receiving 14 months in jail with work release plus probation.
The Colorado Court of Appeals Thursday maintained Cichuniec’s assault conviction while criticizing jury instructions regarding the criminally negligent homicide charges.
Those instructions addressed the “standard of care” requirements for paramedics in situations like McClain’s encounter, which under Colorado’s criminally negligent homicide statute means what a “reasonable person” would do. The appeals judges determined the trial judge wrongly declined to explain this concept to jurors.
Thursday’s decision returns their cases to trial court for new proceedings on those charges, awaiting Attorney General Phil Weiser’s planned appeal.
McClain’s 2019 death preceded George Floyd’s police killing in Minneapolis the following year, which triggered nationwide and international protests.
While Floyd’s death sparked criticism of police brutality against unarmed Black men and law enforcement practices in Black communities, McClain’s death extended that examination to paramedics and firefighters in the field.
Community advocates say Wednesday’s appellate court decisions prevent Colorado’s Black community from finding closure.
One officer received homicide and third-degree assault convictions in McClain’s death, while two others were cleared of charges including homicide and manslaughter.
Overturning the paramedics’ homicide convictions now reopens wounds that remain unhealed since McClain’s killing, according to a statement from the Epitome of Black Excellence, a Denver advocacy organization.
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest until the killing of a black man, a Black mother’s son, is the same as the killing of a white man, a white mother’s son,” MiDian Shofner, CEO of the Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership, stated at a Friday news conference. “This nation as of yesterday morning should be restless.”
The 2023 paramedic trial explored largely unprecedented legal ground since criminal charges against EMS providers during patient care are extremely uncommon. Such situations typically fall under medical malpractice, which involves civil proceedings.
Firefighters and union representatives strongly condemned the state’s prosecution, arguing it endangered lives by deterring firefighters from pursuing paramedic training and reducing qualified emergency personnel.
Specialists cautioned it might also cause responders to hesitate during crucial moments requiring immediate decisions that could mean life or death.
University of Miami criminologist Alex Piquero said he’s not familiar with any research demonstrating whether paramedics have modified their practices because of this case.
“They’re always doing the best that they can do under the circumstances,” Piquero said.
However, new trials might renew uncertainty among first responders when treating patients in police custody, he noted.
“I think we have to wait to see what that outcome is going to be. But I think this brings it back fresh: ‘Oh, my gosh. Here we go again. Should I alter my behavior?’”
A food manufacturer has announced a voluntary recall of pancake and waffle mix products due to the presence of undeclared allergens that could pose serious health risks to consumers with specific food sensitivities.
Ballester Hermanos has issued the recall for a limited quantity of Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffles Complete mix, sold in 5.99-ounce (170-gram) packages. The Spanish-language product name is listed as “Mezcla Para Panqueques Y Waffles.”
The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the product contains milk and soy ingredients that are not properly disclosed on the packaging labels. These undeclared allergens present a significant health concern for individuals who have allergies or severe reactions to milk and soy products.
The affected products were distributed in Puerto Rico. Consumers who have purchased this product and have milk or soy allergies are advised to avoid consumption, as exposure could result in serious allergic reactions.
A dairy company based in Bayshore, New York has issued a voluntary recall for its Requeson Cheese products over concerns about bacterial contamination.
Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC is pulling one-pound packages of the cheese from shelves after discovering they could contain Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacteria that poses serious health risks.
The contamination is particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups, including young children, elderly individuals, and people with compromised immune systems, who could face severe or potentially deadly infections from exposure to the organism.
Consumers who have purchased the affected cheese products are advised to dispose of them immediately and not consume them.
Farm operators across the country saw improved returns for their peanut crops during the final week of May, according to new agricultural pricing data.
Growers received an average payment of 24.7 cents per pound for all categories of farmer stock peanuts during the seven-day period that wrapped up on May 30. This marked an upward movement of 1.8 cents compared to earlier pricing.
The pricing information reflects what agricultural producers actually received for their peanut harvests sold during that specific timeframe.
The New York Yankees face a significant challenge as three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge will be absent from the lineup due to injury, but team officials remain optimistic about their ability to adapt their offensive strategy while competing for the AL East division title.
Team officials announced Thursday that Judge is dealing with a stress fracture in his right side’s first rib and will be unavailable for an undetermined period. The organization plans to reassess his condition in four to six weeks following a recovery period involving rest and restricted physical activity, with expectations that he will rejoin the team before the season concludes.
Currently sitting in second place in the AL East division entering Friday’s games, the Yankees trail the Tampa Bay Rays by just half a game. Manager Aaron Boone expressed confidence in his team’s ability to maintain their performance level during Judge’s absence.
“He’s the best hitter in the sport, so you know there’s a void there,” Boone told reporters following Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. “But we also have really good players that can pick it up, too.”
First baseman Ben Rice has been delivering strong offensive production, maintaining a .300 batting average alongside 17 home runs — matching Judge’s season total for the team lead — and 44 RBIs.
Multiple reports indicate the Yankees are preparing to bring back prospect Spencer Jones from the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The 6-foot-7 player faced difficulties during his initial major league opportunity in May, managing only a .167 batting average without scoring any runs across 10 games.
This season with the RailRiders, the 25-year-old has posted a .269 batting average with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs.
The organization acknowledges the difficulty of compensating for Judge’s production, as he has compiled a .248 batting average with 38 RBIs alongside his 17 home runs this season. Third baseman Ryan McMahon believes the team can succeed by diversifying their offensive approach.
“I think we’ll be all right. We’ll be good,” McMahon commented after Thursday’s game. “We have the guys who can do a lot of different things with the stolen bases and hit-and-runs. We just might need to pull it out a little bit more.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr., who will need to elevate his offensive contributions, emphasized that Judge’s unavailability cannot serve as justification for subpar team performance.
“We’re all baseball players, and we’ve got to go out there and win a game,” Chisholm stated Thursday.
The anticipated returns of Jasson Dominguez and Giancarlo Stanton should provide additional offensive support for the Yankees. According to the team’s most recent injury report, Dominguez was scheduled to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment Friday, while Stanton could potentially return by mid-June.
A university’s military and veterans support team is working to promote career opportunities for individuals with military connections in their community.
The team is highlighting professional development prospects available on a national level for service members, veterans, and their families.
This outreach effort represents part of ongoing initiatives to support the military-connected population in their career advancement and professional growth.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Following a devastating overtime defeat where his squad surrendered a two-goal advantage, Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella expressed confidence in his team’s position as the Stanley Cup Final against Carolina stands even at one game apiece.
True to his characteristic style, Tortorella kept his reasoning brief and to the point.
“I like our team, where we’re at,” Tortorella stated Friday. “We’re good. We’re ready to play. I like a lot of things about what’s gone on in the first two games. I’m not giving you specifics.”
The Golden Knights head back to their home venue for Game 3 against the Hurricanes on Saturday evening, carrying valuable experience from an unprecedented start to the championship series. This marks the first occasion in NHL history where both opening contests of a Cup final witnessed teams overcoming multi-goal disadvantages to claim victory.
The Golden Knights fell behind 2-0 in the series opener before rallying for a 5-4 triumph, then held a 2-0 advantage Thursday evening until deep into the final period’s second half. Following Carolina’s three goals in slightly more than five minutes, captain Mark Stone managed to even the score with goaltender Carter Hart off the ice for an additional attacker, sending the game to overtime.
“We have pretty good control, and then some minor mistakes and it ends up in the back of the net,” center William Karlsson explained. “Just kind of ride it out all game long and hopefully not give Carolina any chances to come back.”
Players acknowledged how the Raleigh crowd helped fuel the Hurricanes’ rally, which made them eager to return to their Strip-based arena known as the Fortress. Despite the Golden Knights’ relatively short nine-year history, their home atmosphere has become among the league’s most intimidating.
“We feed off the crowd,” forward Keegan Kolesar explained. “You can tell from (Game 2), once things started going their way, they’re playing a lot faster, a lot harder when their crowd is involved. Go back to even the COVID year, it makes you realize how important fans are because when they’re not in that building, it can be pretty miserable, so really excited to have that back in our building.”
Vegas has compiled a 6-2 record at home throughout the playoffs while posting a 7-3 mark on the road.
Since replacing Bruce Cassidy following his dismissal in late March, Tortorella has emphasized maintaining consistent approaches regardless of venue.
“There’s no difference,” Tortorella declared. “We’re going to play. We know how to play. We know how we want to play.”
Carolina maintained a flawless 6-0 away record through the opening three playoff rounds, including their Eastern Conference Final series in hockey-obsessed Montreal.
“I don’t think we really care, to be honest, where we play,” said Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has posted a 1.27 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in road games this postseason. “We’re really just focused on our foundation in our game, and that’s really what sets us up for success.”
A major concern for Vegas involves the possible unavailability of top-pairing defenseman Brayden McNabb, who absorbed an 87.3 mph slap shot to the face 11 minutes into Game 2 and couldn’t continue. Should McNabb be unable to participate in Game 3, left-handed shooter Ben Hutton or right-handed Kaedan Korczak would likely step in.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was taken into custody Friday morning facing domestic violence allegations.
The 28-year-old player was detained on allegations of two domestic violence counts plus one criminal mischief count, based on Douglas County jail documentation. Parker Police took Cooper into custody at 11:16 p.m. Thursday evening, with his jail booking completed at 2:38 a.m. Friday morning.
Cooper made his initial court appearance Friday in the 23rd Judicial District Court and must return Monday for a disposition hearing.
Team officials issued a statement to The Associated Press saying they “are aware of the matter and are gathering more information.”
The Associated Press contacted Cooper’s agent for comment but has not received a response.
Selected in the seventh round from Ohio State during the 2021 draft, Cooper is beginning his sixth year with Denver. He has been a starter in every contest since 2023 and recorded 31 1/2 career sacks, with eight coming last season when he also notched a playoff sack.
Cooper achieved a personal-best 10 1/2 sacks in 2024 and secured a four-year, $54 million contract extension late in that season.
Denver launched the on-field portion of their offseason training program this week, and Cooper took part in Thursday’s practice session that was accessible to media personnel.
Drivers in the Pike Creek area should plan alternate routes Friday night as construction crews prepare to install safety barriers along Paper Mill Road.
The Delaware Department of Transportation has announced that Paper Mill Road will be completely shut down between Upper Pike Creek Road and Limestone Road starting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th. The road closure will remain in effect until 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning while workers install a barrier wall as part of guardrail construction.
Transportation officials say detour signs will be posted to help guide drivers around the work zone during the overnight closure.
The company that manages the S&P 500 index announced Thursday it will maintain its current standards for when massive corporations become eligible to join its collection of stock market indexes.
S&P Dow Jones Indices revealed that its index committee reviewed feedback from a “wide range of market participants” before choosing to keep its existing standards for determining when a business qualifies for the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, or S&P SmallCap 600 indexes.
Current requirements for joining these indexes include being headquartered in the United States, trading on NYSE or Nasdaq, and showing profits during the previous year.
S&P currently mandates that businesses completing initial public offerings must trade on an “eligible exchange” for a minimum of 12 months before being considered for index inclusion. The committee evaluated reducing this timeframe to six months but chose against making this change.
The committee also rejected creating special exceptions to its standards based solely on market capitalization, which represents how the stock market values a company.
This decision by S&P follows actions by other leading U.S. index managers who have implemented measures to include very large corporations shortly after their stock market launches.
Last March, Nasdaq revealed new standards allowing for faster inclusion of large companies that recently completed initial public offerings into its flagship Nasdaq 100 Index.
Nasdaq’s revised guidelines aim to ensure the index, which follows the 100 biggest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq exchange, better represents the market immediately rather than potentially months after a major company goes public.
In explaining its choice, S&P acknowledged potential compromises in maintaining its current index eligibility standards, but stated its present method gives its indexes “substantial market coverage and sector balance.”
Numerous pension funds and mutual funds rely on S&P and Nasdaq indexes as investment benchmarks.
These actions by S&P and Nasdaq occur as multiple leading artificial intelligence companies in the U.S. are preparing for major IPOs this year.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is anticipated to go public this month with intentions to raise up to $75 billion, potentially making it the biggest stock market launch ever.
Additionally, Anthropic, which creates the Claude chatbot, revealed Monday its intentions for a planned IPO, while OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is scheduling an IPO potentially as early as this fall.
ATLANTA (AP) — Few things capture the American spirit quite like taking an age-old musical instrument and electrifying it with modern technology. This revolutionary creation, the electric guitar, has inspired countless teenagers to chase their rock star ambitions.
The instrument transformed suburban garages into makeshift practice studios for aspiring musicians throughout America. Those unable to play, unwilling to learn, or lacking musical friends could always resort to air guitar performances. (Notably, acoustic air guitars seem remarkably uncommon.)
Almost a century ago, Americans’ passion for innovation, music, and amplifying sound converged when George Beauchamp designed and Adolph Rickenbacker manufactured the first commercially viable electric guitar, known as “the Frying Pan.”
Innovation didn’t stop there. Musician and creator Les Paul attached strings and pickups to a wooden block he dubbed “the Log,” crafting one of the earliest solid-body electric guitars. This marked a turning point in musical history.
Consider Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” opening riff without electric guitar amplification. Would this anthem about a guitarist have ever been written? The instrument drives Jimi Hendrix’s interpretation of “All Along the Watchtower” and powers Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” It gave birth to the guitar hero, the musical virtuoso, and the ultimate expression of American showmanship: the guitar solo.
The sound is bold and amplified. It famously “goes to 11,” after all.
The instrument proved so controversial that Bob Dylan faced accusations of betrayal when he embraced electric performance.
Electric guitars became so fundamental to rock and pop that MTV launched its popular “Unplugged” series, requiring artists to perform with acoustic instruments as a refreshing alternative.
Like many great American innovations, it spread globally, continuing to inspire young dreamers worldwide. They just need access to an electrical outlet.
WASHINGTON — Price increases are climbing once more after a period of gradual cooling in recent years, putting financial strain on American families and driving up costs for fuel, food, and daily essentials. Consumer prices jumped 3.8% in April compared to the previous year, marking the steepest rise in three years.
During a Wednesday discussion on Fox Business, financial commentator Larry Kudlow questioned Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, about the severity of current economic conditions. Hassett offered an optimistic perspective, suggesting price increases were experiencing a significant decline, especially when excluding blue states from the analysis.
Economic data, however, contradicts this assessment.
Here’s what the numbers reveal.
HASSETT: “Inflation is really out of control in the blue states. If you take out New York and California the story is radically different. So these really high costs, high regulatory states are driving inflation as well.”
THE FACTS: This statement is inaccurate and seems to rely on outdated information. Price increases are elevated across all nine Census Bureau regions nationwide, fueled by rising fuel costs linked to Middle Eastern conflict, which have also increased airline ticket prices. Higher energy expenses have boosted transportation costs, driving up food prices. Apparel costs have also surged, potentially reflecting delayed effects from President Trump’s tariffs.
“It’s not a blue state story,” said Omair Sharif, chief economist at Inflation Insights. “Gas is going up in every state.”
Hassett referenced a White House Council of Economic Advisers report showing slightly elevated price increases in blue states. However, this report utilized November data, predating the Iran war that started Feb. 28. Since then, skyrocketing fuel costs — climbing over 40% nationally per AAA — have eliminated those regional differences.
Simply put, excluding blue states from calculations has minimal impact, since numerous red states are experiencing higher price increases as well. The Labor Department produces the most widely tracked inflation measure, the consumer price index, publishing regional breakdowns. The Pacific region, comprising primarily Democratic-governed states like California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and Alaska, recorded a 3.5% annual inflation rate in April — below the 3.8% national figure.
The East South Central region consists entirely of Republican-governed red states, posting a 4.5% annual inflation rate in April, exceeding the national average. This region includes Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Certain red states are experiencing lower price increases than the national figure. The West South Central region, encompassing Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, recorded a 3.2% price increase in April year-over-year. However, before the pandemic this region typically saw approximately 1% annual inflation, indicating deterioration even there.
Blue states like California or New York do typically maintain higher overall price levels than red states. For instance, Thursday’s gas prices averaged $3.72 per gallon in Texas according to AAA, compared to $5.98 per gallon in California.
Yet inflation tracks price changes, not absolute levels. Texas gas prices have surged since the Iran war began, mirroring California’s experience. Compared to last year, Texas gas prices have climbed nearly 36%, while California prices rose 26%.
HASSETT: “It’s on a deep downward dive if you look at the trimmed mean or the core, it’s headed right towards the Fed’s target.”
THE FACTS: This characterization is misleading. Core inflation measured by the consumer price index has actually increased this year, rising from 2.5% annually in January to 2.8% in April, the most recent available data. This figure remains below the overall 3.8% rate because core calculations exclude volatile food and energy prices to better capture underlying trends. The headline figure typically follows core movements over time, explaining why the Federal Reserve and economists emphasize core measurements.
Using the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge — the personal consumption expenditures price index, or PCE — annual core inflation similarly climbed to 3.3% in April from 3.1% in January.
“There’s no deep dive happening in core inflation anywhere,” Sharif said.
A White House official, speaking anonymously, noted that CPI-measured core inflation remains below January 2025 levels.
The trimmed mean Hassett referenced represents one of numerous specialized alternative measurements, gaining recent attention through citations by Kevin Warsh, the new Federal Reserve chair appointed by President Trump. This calculation essentially eliminates many of the largest price movements, both upward and downward, attempting to determine whether price increases are spreading across diverse categories.
Hassett correctly noted that the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank’s PCE trimmed mean has declined modestly since year-start, dropping from 2.5% to 2.3%, approaching the Fed’s 2% target. Yet Dallas Fed president Lorie Logan cautioned Wednesday that this measure might mislead during inflationary surges due to calculation peculiarities. It remained low well into 2021’s inflation spike, for example.
The Cleveland Fed produces a separate CPI-based trimmed mean calculation, which recently increased to 2.8% from 2.6%.
President Donald Trump announced Friday his intention to have Bill Pulte, his newly appointed acting director of national intelligence, downsize the agency, which has already undergone significant reductions during his current administration.
Speaking to reporters while traveling to Wisconsin, Trump expressed his belief that the agency’s staffing levels have been “way too high for way too long” and indicated his support if Pulte decides to implement cuts.
“Bill Pulte is very good, he’s very talented,” Trump commented during his flight aboard Air Force One. In a separate conversation with The Wall Street Journal, the president revealed he has already requested that Pulte begin terminating employees.
During his discussion with the Journal, Trump confirmed he has already shared his perspective with Pulte, who previously led the Federal Housing Finance Agency but lacks experience in national security matters.
“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump stated, referring specifically to intelligence officials who worked during the administrations of Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, according to the Journal.
Trump explained to the publication that he wants Pulte to initiate the dismissal process, with the eventual permanent intelligence director continuing the effort. The president has signaled he will not put Pulte forward for formal nomination to the permanent role.
“Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump explained. “Because, if he (Pulte) reduced the size, in conjunction with me … and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in … he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.”
The president selected Pulte for the role earlier this week in an unexpected decision that has faced opposition from both parties in the Senate, which must approve presidential appointments. This interim assignment has complicated efforts to renew an important national security surveillance program on Capitol Hill, with Democrats crucial to the vote expressing distrust of Pulte — whose position supervises 18 intelligence organizations — to help manage the surveillance initiative.
Before Pulte’s appointment, his predecessor Tulsi Gabbard had already begun reducing the office’s scope. Last August, the administration announced plans to decrease the office’s annual budget by over $700 million while dramatically reducing personnel numbers.
During that announcement, Gabbard characterized the office as having become “bloated and inefficient” as she revealed the approximately 40% staff reduction.
Gabbard stepped down from her position last month following her disclosure of her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday invalidated a Trump administration immigration measure implemented following an incident where two National Guard members were shot, which created additional barriers for immigrants from dozens of nations seeking to remain in or enter the United States.
In a decision that severely criticized the administration, U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. stated the measure “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo,” and he charged the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with disregarding existing law.
“In enacting its latest immigration policies, USCIS: claims statutory and regulatory authority that it does not possess; makes decisions without the reasoned explanations that it must provide; acts without regard for the reliance interests of applicants that it must consider; and justifies its actions with pretextual concerns of ‘national security’ that mask anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making,” he wrote. “In legal terms that means USCIS’s actions are contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The measures put in place following the National Guard shooting incident last year resulted in immigrants from 39 African, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern nations being “categorically barred” from obtaining final determinations on their asylum, work authorization, green card, and citizenship petitions, among other applications.
“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: the federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represented the plaintiffs in the case. “These unlawful policies caused enormous harm to families, workers, asylum-seekers, and communities across the country who were left in limbo, unable to work, access protections, or move forward with their lives.”
The measures affect U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes petitions for immigrants seeking work authorization and citizenship. The agency, operating under the Homeland Security Department, frequently approves asylum claims, but only for individuals already present in the United States when filing. Immigration judges handle asylum cases for those detained at the border; the court decision does not impact them, nor do the measures that led to the litigation.
This represents part of a continuing push by the administration to strengthen U.S. entry requirements for travel and immigration, which opponents argue unfairly blocks travel for individuals from numerous nations. The administration indicated it would broaden the limitations following the detention of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting incident involving two National Guard personnel during Thanksgiving weekend.
In its dismissal motion, which the court rejected, the government contended that Congress provided the executive branch extensive authority over immigration matters, including “the entry of aliens into the United States as well as discretion within the statutory scheme to confer as well as withdraw various discretionary benefits.”
“This case rests on a remarkable premise: that a federal court should prevent an agency from issuing the very policy guidance that provides government personnel with the guardrails necessary to ensure consistent, non-arbitrary, and individualized decisionmaking consistent with federal law,” the government wrote in its brief.
Immigration advocacy organizations praised the court’s decision.
“This ruling sets a powerful precedent that the administration cannot ignore the law as laid down by Congress and cannot arbitrarily bar immigration benefits on the basis of national origin by fiat,” Jamal Abdi, president at the National Iranian American Council, said. “Fortunately, this is still a nation of laws, and those who uphold America’s values have recourse to challenge and push back on such discriminatory, arbitrary policies.”
Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran who heads a coalition that supports Afghan resettlement efforts called #AfghanEvac, said the ruling was a “significant victory for the rule of law and for thousands of Afghan allies and other immigrants who followed every requirement asked of them.”
“Just this week in Dallas and Fort Worth, we met people who feared losing jobs because delayed work permit renewals threatened their livelihoods, families who postponed education, travel, and homeownership because they did not know when their cases would be resolved, and future Americans who had expected to become citizens only to see their applications stall without explanation,” VanDiver said.
KYIV, June 5 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s public correspondence proposing direct peace negotiations to end the conflict was formally directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, but strategically crafted to resonate with attendees at this week’s St Petersburg investment forum and international audiences.
The Ukrainian leader made his letter public Thursday night while Putin was conducting briefings with international news editors at Russia’s leading business conference. One day earlier, Ukrainian drone attacks had struck an oil facility in St Petersburg, creating massive smoke plumes visible near the forum location.
According to a Ukrainian official with knowledge of the correspondence, Ukraine’s leadership believes segments of Russia’s power structure – including “officials, businessmen, and Russia’s partners” – desire an conclusion to the conflict that has caused Russia’s $3 trillion economy to remain stagnant.
The high-profile business event has showcased competing perspectives within Russia regarding the four-year conflict. Some attendees have advocated continuing military operations and preparing for extended confrontation with Western nations, while others have stressed the economic benefits of concluding a war that grows closer each week.
For several months, Zelenskiy has consistently renewed his appeals for a ceasefire and proposed meetings with Putin, which Putin has repeatedly rejected, including again on Friday.
The Ukrainian official, who requested anonymity, maintained that Zelenskiy genuinely seeks to restart diplomatic discussions.
However, Dmytro Iarovyi, associate professor at the Kyiv School of Economics who specializes in political psychology, characterized the drone attack and “performative” correspondence as a coordinated effort to influence the conference’s messaging.
Iarovyi explained the letter was designed to communicate to Russian citizens and Western administrations – especially U.S. President Donald Trump – that recent territorial advances and damaging long-distance attacks on Russia have positioned Kyiv much more favorably for any future negotiations.
“Trump always says ‘Ukraine doesn’t have any cards’,” stated Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and Ukraine envoy during Trump’s first presidency. “Well, Ukraine is now showing that it’s in a stronger position.”
Multiple rounds of U.S.-supported peace negotiations have reached an impasse, with both nations maintaining their established positions.
Putin informed the international editors that discussions with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, last August had already outlined the requirements for ending the conflict – seemingly referencing his demands that Ukraine surrender the remainder of Donbas, its eastern industrial region and military stronghold.
However, Zelenskiy currently appears more resistant than previously to U.S. pressure for territorial concessions. His correspondence stated he welcomed American participation but emphasized that Ukrainian matters would “not be decided in Anchorage” but rather by Ukraine and Russia, noting Russia could no longer anticipate capturing all of Donbas.
A French citizen convicted of participating in an alleged conspiracy to undermine Mali’s military leadership has received a 20-year prison sentence, according to a source familiar with the proceedings on Friday. The case has further damaged diplomatic relations between the West African nation and France.
Yann Vezilier will serve his sentence in Mali after being convicted late Thursday, according to the source who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak with media.
Mali’s leadership announced Vezilier’s detention last August alongside two Malian generals, claiming he worked for French intelligence to rally political leaders, civil society members and military personnel against Assimi Goita’s administration.
France’s foreign ministry rejected these claims at the time, calling them “unfounded” and stating that Vezilier’s detention violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The West African nation has faced more than ten years of turmoil driven by Islamist insurgencies in its northern desert regions and political upheaval that resulted in military takeovers in 2020 and 2021, which brought Goita to leadership.
Government and justice ministry representatives in Mali did not respond immediately to requests for comment Friday. France’s foreign ministry also declined to provide comment.
Diplomatic ties between Mali and France, which previously ruled the territory as a colony, have significantly worsened in recent years. This deterioration reflects a wider regional pattern that has also seen Burkina Faso and Niger create distance from Paris.
A federal bankruptcy judge has given the green light to Saks Global’s restructuring plan, paving the way for the high-end retailer to emerge from Chapter 11 proceedings with reduced debt and fewer store locations.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Alfredo Perez granted approval to the company’s reorganization plan during Friday’s court session in Houston, Texas, praising the retailer for doing an “extraordinary” job stabilizing operations following a difficult bankruptcy filing in January.
The approved restructuring will eliminate the company’s existing equity and transfer ownership to senior lenders who have backed the reorganization effort.
Through its bankruptcy proceedings, Saks Global will eliminate most of its previous debt obligations and continue operating as a downsized entity. The company used the Chapter 11 process to rebuild relationships with high-end brand suppliers, shutter discount retail outlets, and close more than half of its Saks Fifth Avenue locations.
The reorganized company will operate 49 upscale retail sites, consisting of 33 Neiman Marcus locations, 15 Saks Fifth Avenue stores, and Bergdorf Goodman. When the bankruptcy began, Saks Global operated 33 Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
The restructuring agreement gives senior lenders ownership of Saks Global following their provision of $1 billion in fresh financing during bankruptcy proceedings, plus a commitment of another $500 million once the company completes its Chapter 11 exit.
Saks Global secured backing from junior creditors by establishing a litigation trust funded with $20 million initially, designed to pursue legal actions that could generate additional creditor recoveries. These junior creditors, collectively owed approximately $1.5 billion, would receive nothing without the litigation trust arrangement, court documents indicate.
Saks Global initiated bankruptcy proceedings on January 13 carrying $3.4 billion in debt, following a problematic merger with Neiman Marcus that created cash flow problems, hindered store inventory restocking, and damaged relationships with key suppliers including Chanel, LVMH and Kering.
Multiple U.S. states are gearing up to file legal action aimed at stopping the massive $110 billion deal between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke with Reuters on Friday.
The specific states planning to join the legal challenge have not been identified, though California’s top prosecutor had indicated Thursday that a decision on potential action would come soon. On Friday, representatives from that office refused to provide additional comment.
Stock prices reflected investor concern following the news, with Warner Bros shares dropping 1.8% while Paramount stock fell 4%.
The entertainment and financial sectors have been monitoring this significant transaction closely, as it would combine several of the industry’s most iconic and long-standing franchises.
The merger proposal has generated opposition from performers, screenwriters and other industry professionals who worry it could lead to widespread job cuts.
Company officials have pushed back against claims that employment in creative roles would decline, arguing that the combined entity would actually need to produce additional content following the merger to draw more streaming platform users.
Ten members of the rowing team have earned recognition as CRCA Scholar-Athletes, showcasing their dedication to academic excellence alongside their athletic pursuits.
The College Rowing Coaches Association honor celebrates student-athletes who demonstrate outstanding performance in their studies while competing at the collegiate level.
This recognition underscores the rowing program’s emphasis on balancing athletic competition with academic achievement, as these ten athletes have successfully excelled in both areas throughout their collegiate careers.
Municipal offices in Salisbury, Maryland will remain shuttered on Friday, June 19, 2026 as the city honors Juneteenth, officials announced.
Residents should note that garbage pickup normally scheduled for Friday will be shifted to Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The weekend will feature multiple community festivities for residents and visitors, including:
Municipal leaders are asking residents and drivers to prepare in advance and think about alternative travel routes during the community festivities. Officials expressed gratitude for residents’ patience and community support.
Additional details about future events can be found on the Downtown Salisbury website calendar: https://www.downtownsby.com/events/event-calendar
A 52-year-old father of six received a 21-year prison sentence on Friday for a sexual assault that took place more than two decades ago, while an innocent man spent 17 years wrongfully imprisoned for the same crime in what authorities are calling one of Britain’s most severe wrongful conviction cases in recent memory.
Paul Quinn, now 52, was convicted in April after a six-week trial at Manchester Crown Court on charges including two counts of rape, choking with intent, and grievous bodily harm. His sentence includes 21 years behind bars plus an additional three-year extended license period with release conditions upon his eventual freedom. Quinn becomes eligible for parole after serving 14 years.
During Friday’s sentencing, Justice Robert Bright addressed Quinn directly, stating: “You sat back and enjoyed your liberty at the expense of an innocent man.”
Quinn was 29 when he committed the assault and had a history of sexual offenses dating back to age 12.
The wrongfully convicted man, Andrew Malkinson, now 60, had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal in July 2023 when DNA evidence connected Quinn to the brutal 2003 attack on a 33-year-old woman in Greater Manchester. The victim had identified Malkinson from a police lineup.
Malkinson, who worked as a shopping center security guard when the attack occurred, was convicted in 2004 and received a life sentence with a seven-year minimum term. Because he consistently proclaimed his innocence, he remained incarcerated for ten additional years beyond the minimum sentence. Prison officials released him in 2020, though his name continued to appear on Britain’s sex offender registry.
Malkinson expressed anger that Quinn did not receive a life sentence, saying in a statement through Appeal, a British organization fighting wrongful convictions: “I hope that this man does not get parole and that he serves longer than me. Anything less is not justice.”
Improvements in genetic testing technology enabled Malkinson’s legal team and Appeal to discover Quinn’s DNA on pieces of the victim’s clothing.
Malkinson is pursuing compensation from British officials for his wrongful imprisonment and has questioned whether police improperly influenced the victim during the identification process.
Toby Wilton, representing Malkinson through law firm Hickman & Rose, stated: “While Andy is relieved this chapter of his ordeal is now closed, it is not the end of this matter as far as he is concerned.”
The case’s repercussions continue with an ongoing public investigation launched after a 2024 review revealed institutional failures that could have cleared Malkinson ten years before his actual release.
Six Greater Manchester Police officers, including five former and one current member, face investigation while two senior officials from the agency responsible for reviewing potential wrongful convictions have stepped down.
The police department has issued an apology to Malkinson.
Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick, who leads the current investigation, commented: “We know this outcome has come two decades too late for those impacted by this case. However, we will not allow time to be a barrier to justice for anyone who has further information about Paul Quinn and any further potential sexual offending.”
ANGURUWATOTA, Sri Lanka (AP) — A devastating blaze at a care facility for individuals with mental health needs in western Sri Lanka has resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen people, with those who survived the tragedy being transferred to a nearby facility.
The relocated survivors are now receiving care at an alternative location following the fatal incident.
This report features a collection of photographs selected by AP photo editors documenting the aftermath and relocation efforts.
A federal magistrate has denied bail to a former CIA official facing charges related to fraudulent military compensation claims, after investigators discovered more than $40 million worth of gold bars stored in his home’s basement.
David J. Rush will stay behind bars pending trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick decided during a Friday court session in Alexandria, Virginia. The judge determined that Rush’s intelligence background gives him unique capabilities to evade authorities.
“He’s in a different position than most people to flee and avoid detection by law enforcement,” Fitzpatrick said.
The charges against Rush center on allegations that he fraudulently obtained tens of thousands of dollars in military leave compensation following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 2015. Federal agents arrested him last month after discovering over 300 gold bars, approximately $2 million in cash, and around 35 high-end watches during a search of his residence, according to FBI documentation.
Defense attorney Jessica Carmichael argued that the gold bar discovery amounts to prosecutorial sensationalism, emphasizing that Rush faces no charges connected to possessing the precious metals. She described the gold bars as “basically a non-issue” and “nothing more than a sensational tidbit,” explaining that Rush lawfully acquired them and secured them in a basement safe.
“Mr. Rush never claimed they were his,” she said.
FBI records indicate that between November and March, Rush obtained a “significant quantity” of foreign currency and tens of millions worth of gold bars for “work-related expenses.” Justice Department prosecutor Gavin Tisdale argued that Rush violated protocols by keeping the gold bars at his residence.
“That’s the issue — his skirting of rules and regulations,” he said.
Following a partially sealed court proceeding, Tisdale provided a brief case overview, telling the magistrate that evidence against Rush continues to strengthen daily.
“Mr. Rush simply cannot be trusted to abide by this court’s conditions,” he said.
Military records show Rush joined the Navy in 1997 and received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy Reserves with the rank of lieutenant in 2015.
Federal investigators allege Rush provided false information about his educational and military credentials on employment applications, incorrectly stating he served as a Navy pilot and earned degrees from Clemson University in South Carolina and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
Authorities confirmed he never served in a pilot capacity and did not attend either educational institution.
A Los Angeles jury delivered a $176 million verdict to the family of two brothers who lost their lives when they were struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk incident that occurred almost six years ago.
Jurors determined that Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson, a former pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, were both at fault in the tragic deaths of Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8.
Wednesday’s verdict covered wrongful death claims and emotional suffering damages. A trial judge will make the final decision on how much money each defendant must pay.
Legal proceedings are set to continue Friday as the jury still needs to consider whether the boys’ parents, Nancy and Karim Iskander, should receive punitive damages.
Grossman received a 15-year-to-life prison sentence in 2024 following her conviction on charges of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run driving in a criminal case. She helped establish the Grossman Burn Foundation and is married to a well-known burn specialist.
The children’s parents pursued civil litigation against both Grossman and Erickson, who was operating his vehicle in front of her when the Iskander boys were fatally injured. Legal proceedings in that case started in April.
The fatal incident took place during the evening hours of Sept. 29, 2020, in Westlake Village, located on Los Angeles County’s western border.
Brian Panish, representing the Iskander family, contended that both defendants drove dangerously after consuming margaritas together. The pair were romantically involved while Grossman was separated from her spouse.
Panish stated that Grossman was traveling at 73 mph when her vehicle hit the children in the crosswalk on a street with a 45 mph speed restriction.
He explained that Grossman was behind Erickson, who was also exceeding the speed limit and barely avoided hitting the family.
“This was a totally preventable collision,” Panish told the jury in closing arguments Wednesday. “They went out for a walk and they never came home.”
Esther Holm, representing Grossman, rejected claims that her client was under the influence. She argued that Grossman became distracted after witnessing the boys’ mother jump away from Erickson’s approaching car.
“Ms. Grossman was not driving impaired,” Holm told the jury. “She did not see the children, as her attention was diverted by Ms. Iskander.”
Jeff Braun, Erickson’s legal counsel, acknowledged the tragic nature of the boys’ deaths but stressed that his client’s car “made no contact with the children.”
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut police officer charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black man during a mental health emergency made his initial court appearance Friday, drawing support from dozens of fellow law enforcement officers who gathered outside the courthouse.
Joseph Magnano, 23, remained silent during the brief Superior Court hearing in Hartford but was seen embracing supporting officers afterward. Many of the officers wore their badges over civilian clothing as a show of solidarity.
The Hartford mayor terminated Magnano’s employment following the February 27 fatal shooting of Steven Jones. The incident sparked significant community outrage and raised serious concerns about department protocols for responding to individuals experiencing mental health emergencies.
Speaking to media Friday, the local police union president maintained his defense of Magnano’s actions.
“They told him he was a criminal for doing what he was trained to do,” James Rutkauski said.
The victim, Jones, 55, had a documented history of mental health issues and was brandishing a large knife on a city street when officers first responded that winter day.
Body camera footage reveals three officers spending several minutes attempting to convince Jones to surrender the weapon while assuring him of their intent to help.
“Steve, you’re OK. We’re going to make sure you’re OK,” Officer James Prignano says. “Just drop the knife. We’re going to go talk to somebody, OK?”
The recordings show Jones remaining silent throughout the encounter.
Approximately 12 minutes following the initial 911 call, Magnano arrived on scene, immediately drew his weapon and began shouting commands for Jones to drop the knife, warning him, “You’re going to get shot.” A woman can be heard pleading, “Don’t shoot him!”
The footage captures Prignano gesturing toward Magnano, seemingly urging him to step back. As Jones began moving slowly in Magnano’s direction, the officer issued one final warning before discharging his weapon nine times. Jones succumbed to his injuries four days later.
Connecticut Inspector General Eliot Prescott determined through investigation that Jones posed no immediate threat at the time of the shooting.
Magnano wrote in his incident report that he was “fearful of Jones making a sudden lunge towards either an officer or citizen.”
While Jones’ family members were not present at Friday’s hearing, representatives from the local NAACP attended the proceedings.
“They take an oath to protect and serve,” Corrie Betts, president of the Greater Hartford NAACP branch, said of police. “So when they’re called to a mental health call and an individual ends up dead, is that protecting and serving?”
The Chicago Bears’ board of directors has given the green light to proceed with constructing a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, the franchise revealed on Friday. This decision would result in the team playing their home games outside of Illinois for the first time since the organization was established.
“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a joint statement.
“It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
This development follows just four days after the Bears indicated they were maintaining a “late spring/early summer timeline” for assessing possible stadium locations in Hammond and Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Just this week, Illinois state legislators concluded their spring session without passing a last-ditch stadium funding proposal designed to retain the Bears within Illinois borders.
Constructing their new venue in Indiana would mark a historic shift for the Bears, who would be departing Illinois for home games for the first time during their 106-year existence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the possibility of meeting with Ukraine’s leader on Friday, after receiving an open letter suggesting direct negotiations to end the conflict that has now entered its fifth year.
The Ukrainian president’s letter, distributed to multiple nations including the United States, claimed that most Russians have become weary of ongoing missile and drone strikes, rising inflation, and fuel shortages, making them ready for peace.
The letter also warned that prolonging the conflict might jeopardize Putin’s leadership, noting that historical patterns show change typically follows when Russia becomes exhausted.
During remarks at an annual economic conference where wealthy Russian business leaders voiced concerns about elevated interest rates and economic decline caused by the war, Putin questioned the sincerity of the peace overture.
“This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the latter,” said Putin.
When asked about the possibility of meeting with the Ukrainian leader, whom the 73-year-old Russian president deliberately avoided naming and referred to only as “the letter’s author,” Putin responded directly:
“I don’t see the point in meeting; the only point is for the Ukrainian side to halt the advance of our armed forces. But we need agreements – not for six months, not for three months, but for the long term.
“Let the experts get to work and come up with some solutions. After that, we can meet…,” the Russian leader said.
Russian military commentators have also criticized the Ukrainian letter as a calculated publicity campaign intended to fuel internal Russian dissent rather than genuinely pursue peace.
During a Thursday session with international journalists, Putin maintained his uncompromising position regarding the conflict and stated that Russian forces continue making daily battlefield gains. However, he acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives might halt the fighting if Kyiv demonstrates willingness to make concessions. Each side blames the other for refusing to negotiate.
The war has evolved into a prolonged battle of attrition across eastern Ukraine, resulting in substantial casualties for both armies. Despite Russia’s significant military and territorial advantages over Ukraine, Moscow controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian land more than four years after Putin’s decision to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers.
International sanctions combined with Ukrainian aerial attacks on Russia’s energy facilities and strategic installations have increasingly strained the country’s economic situation, bolstering arguments from business and political leaders who favor negotiating a peace settlement.
Ukraine maintains it will not retreat from its remaining positions in the eastern Donbas area and refuses to acknowledge Russian control over seized Ukrainian territories.
Russian forces launched another massive assault this week, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukrainian population centers, including Kyiv, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths. Ukraine has intensified its own attacks within Russian borders, targeting oil refineries among other facilities.
NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware women’s soccer forward Leilah Sallee has been awarded the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship, Conference USA announced on Friday.
The scholarship recognizes outstanding student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence both on the field and in the classroom. Sallee, who played forward for the Blue Hens, was selected as one of the recipients of this prestigious academic honor.
The announcement was made by Conference USA officials on Friday, highlighting Sallee’s achievements as a student-athlete at the University of Delaware.
Five astronauts working aboard the International Space Station were directed to seek emergency shelter on Friday while Russian crew members addressed an air leak in their section of the orbiting laboratory, according to NASA.
The space agency lifted the emergency directive approximately two hours after it was issued, allowing the astronauts to resume their regular duties on the station. Four crew members from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission sought refuge in their Dragon capsule, joined by Chris Williams, a NASA astronaut serving with the station’s Expedition 74 team.
The Crew-12 team taking shelter included:
JESSICA MEIR, SPACECRAFT COMMANDER
An American astronaut leading NASA’s Dragon capsule for the SpaceX Crew-12 mission. Originally from Caribou, Maine, Meir joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 2013. She is making her second journey to space.
JACK HATHAWAY, SPACECRAFT PILOT
An American NASA astronaut serving as Dragon’s pilot. The U.S. Navy commander hails from South Windsor, Connecticut, and is experiencing his first space mission.
SOPHIE ADENOT, MISSION SPECIALIST
A French astronaut with the European Space Agency, Adenot joined the astronaut program in 2022. She holds an engineering degree from Toulouse, France, and previously worked as both a helicopter pilot and design engineer.
ANDREY FEDYAEV, MISSION SPECIALIST
A Russian cosmonaut with Roscosmos making his second extended mission. He previously completed 186 days in orbit serving as an Expedition 69 flight engineer in 2023.
The current Expedition 74 crew, which started December 8 and is scheduled to conclude this summer, includes:
CHRIS WILLIAMS, FLIGHT ENGINEER
An American NASA astronaut serving as flight engineer for Expedition 74.
SERGEY KUD-SVERCHKOV, COMMANDER
A Russian Roscosmos cosmonaut leading the Expedition 74 crew.
SERGEI MIKAEV, FLIGHT ENGINEER
A Russian cosmonaut working as flight engineer for Expedition 74.
Federal officials announced Friday they have sanctioned an international network accused of secretly transporting Iranian liquid petroleum gas to Asian markets while falsely labeling it as originating from Oman.
The Treasury Department’s action comes as the administration continues applying economic pressure on Iran amid ongoing diplomatic talks between the nations.
According to information released by the department, the sanctions affect 12 organizations spread across several countries – five located in the Marshall Islands, four operating from the UAE, and one based in China. Additionally, six liquid petroleum gas tankers face restrictions, with four of those vessels flying Panama’s flag.
Treasury officials stated the operation utilized shell companies in both the UAE and China, along with overseas banking arrangements, to transport millions of barrels of Iranian LPG while hiding its true source to circumvent existing U.S. restrictions.
“Treasury will continue to sever Iran’s shadow fleet, shadow banking networks, and access to global trade,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.
The sanctions package also includes measures against the Iranian currency exchange firm Mehrdad Geramian Nik and Partners Co and its executives, who officials claim facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency transactions for Iranian banks already under sanctions.
The Inter Miami striker Lionel Messi has been selected to spearhead the MLS All-Star roster announced Friday for the upcoming exhibition against Liga MX’s elite players.
The two-time league MVP and current MLS Cup champion tops the 2026 MLS All-Star First XI chosen for the July 29 match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Nashville SC contributes three players to the team, while the Chicago Fire adds two representatives. The selections came through voting by MLS supporters, players and media based on first-half season performance, with the league currently paused for the FIFA World Cup.
Messi, earning his third MLS All-Star selection, joins the forward line with Hugo Cuypers from Chicago Fire and Son Heung-Min from LAFC.
The midfield features Sebastian Berhalter from Vancouver Whitecaps, Zavier Gozo from Real Salt Lake and Hany Mukhtar from Nashville.
The defensive unit includes Anthony Markanich from Minnesota United, Mbekezeli Mbokazi from Chicago Fire, Tim Ream from Charlotte and Andy Najar from Nashville, with Brian Schwake from Nashville serving as goalkeeper.
The complete 26-player All-Star Game roster will be filled out with 13 additional players selected by Charlotte head coach Dean Smith and two more chosen by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s proposal for direct peace negotiations during remarks made Friday at Russia’s annual economic forum in St. Petersburg.
Putin characterized Zelenskiy’s open letter, which suggested face-to-face discussions to end the ongoing conflict, as containing inappropriate language and lacking genuine diplomatic intent.
“This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second,” Putin stated.
When directly asked whether he would be willing to meet with the Ukrainian leader, Putin responded: “I don’t see any point for now.”
During a separate media session the previous day, Putin maintained his uncompromising position regarding the conflict while claiming Russian forces continue making daily territorial gains. However, he suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives might bring an end to hostilities if Ukraine showed willingness to make concessions. Each side continues to blame the other for refusing to negotiate in good faith.
Russian nationalist figures also criticized Zelenskiy’s diplomatic overture on Friday, characterizing it as a calculated publicity campaign aimed at creating internal Russian discord rather than pursuing genuine conflict resolution.
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus finds itself uncertain about timing for the debut of an expanded A220 aircraft following tepid interest from major leasing firms and ongoing discussions about flight range and capabilities, according to six industry insiders.
The company had previously generated excitement among potential customers earlier this year by suggesting a possible announcement during this summer’s Farnborough Airshow, but has since backed away from those expectations.
A high-ranking Airbus official indicated that an announcement at Farnborough, scheduled for late July, was now “not probable,” though the company hasn’t completely eliminated the possibility of a 2024 launch.
“We are studying all the options; no decisions have been made,” an Airbus spokesperson stated.
An expanded A220 model would allow Airbus to rework agreements with suppliers and reduce manufacturing expenses, potentially helping the company address losses from the program it acquired for one dollar in 2018 after Canada’s Bombardier faced financial difficulties.
The A220 program continues to operate at a loss and has been dropping orders to Brazilian competitor Embraer.
Industry insiders report that Airbus has been promoting a relatively minor enhancement described as a “simple stretch” that wouldn’t increase maximum takeoff weight or require expensive Pratt & Whitney engine improvements.
The aircraft would accommodate approximately 180 passengers, an increase from the current 160-passenger capacity, resulting in roughly 10% lower per-seat costs but reduced flight range, according to two individuals with knowledge of the project.
Not all carriers are willing to sacrifice range, which limits the number of potential buyers. Airlines meeting in Brazil for an IATA conference this weekend also remain concerned about reliability issues with current Pratt & Whitney engines.
“Airlines are possibly sold on the economics, but not necessarily the performance,” aviation analyst Rob Morris commented.
RTX, Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, chose not to provide comment.
Airbus displayed greater optimism in January, informing financial professionals at the Airlines Economics conference in Dublin that 2026 would represent a “big year” for the A220, sources reported.
Five months later, prospective customers indicate they haven’t received the detailed information typically expected when an aircraft launch is imminent.
“One of the questions we’ll have to examine is the range of the aircraft,” Air Canada’s chief operations officer Mark Nasr shared with Reuters this week.
The urgency to develop something new also diminished when AirAsia committed to purchasing 150 units of the current model.
“It remains a matter of when … rather than if, but it’s not now,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury informed reporters in April, discussing the larger A220’s launch timeline.
Airbus is additionally evaluating potential effects on sales of its crucial A320neo narrow-body series, which is positioned slightly above the proposed A220-500 in terms of size, two sources familiar with the situation revealed.
Leasing companies also express concern about negatively affecting A320neo values.
“Lessors are so exposed to the A320 that the last thing they need is a new anything; the less disruption the better off they all are,” a senior industry source explained.
Aviation analyst Morris suggested this shouldn’t postpone the project indefinitely.
“The A320 lessors should be okay: the market for the plane has sufficient liquidity and a strong customer base,” he noted.
Five crew members aboard the International Space Station were directed to seek temporary shelter on Friday while repairs were underway to address a new air leak in the orbital facility.
The astronauts relocated to a SpaceX vehicle docked at the station as cosmonauts addressed the leak, which developed in the Russian section of the space laboratory.
“The decision was made out of an abundance of caution,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said via X.
After repair efforts were temporarily halted, the crew exited the capsule and resumed their normal duties aboard the station.
This section of the orbiting facility has experienced ongoing issues with structural cracks and air leaks in recent years. NASA reported that Roscosmos opted to conduct more comprehensive repairs following the discovery of additional problems.
Both space agencies continue their efforts to identify what’s causing the structural cracks to develop.
The artificial intelligence company that created the Claude chatbot is calling for leading AI developers around the globe to establish a unified approach for temporarily halting progress on sophisticated AI systems. The firm warns that technological advancement is occurring at such a breakneck pace that humanity risks losing oversight of these powerful tools.
In a Thursday blog post, the company behind Claude stated that as state-of-the-art AI becomes increasingly efficient at completing various tasks, “it would be good for the world to have the option to slow or temporarily pause” further development.
The firm announced that its internal research division will investigate this matter alongside other organizations and “take actions” to help establish frameworks for a legitimate slowdown or suspension, though they provided no additional specifics.
According to the company, AI systems are becoming more capable at an accelerating rate, particularly in their ability to independently handle software-related work such as computer programming. Current trajectory analysis suggests that with sufficient computational resources, an AI system might eventually become capable of creating and improving its own replacement through what experts call “recursive self-improvement.”
While such self-developing AI would represent a significant technological breakthrough offering advantages in scientific research, medical care, and other fields, the company noted it “also might increase the risks of humans losing control over AI systems.”
This concern has been voiced by various technology industry leaders for years.
The company’s statement follows a separate alert issued earlier this week by University of Toronto researchers who demonstrated how AI technology could potentially create a novel form of AI “worm” that modifies its cyber attack methods while spreading across devices and commandeering extensive computer networks.
“I think it’s really important that people understand that it’s not just the biggest, most powerful language models that pose the security concerns,” lead researcher Nicolas Papernot said in an interview.
The blog post authors, company co-founder Jack Clark and Marina Favaro, head of the research institute, explained that any pause would allow time for “societal structures and alignment research” to match the pace of AI development. Alignment refers to the industry goal of ensuring technology operates in harmony with human values and objectives.
Their proposed coordination system would enable advanced AI laboratories to confirm that international competitors have genuinely halted or reduced their research efforts, “and that a bad actor could not use the auspices of a coordinated slowdown to jump ahead in secret.”
The company emphasized that a coordinated international framework is essential because without such cooperation, an AI development slowdown might allow the “least cautious” participants to gain ground and intensify pressure on companies and governments facing difficult AI safety decisions.
This announcement comes while the company is competing with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI to launch public stock offerings, with a potential IPO valuation approaching nearly a trillion dollars.
Eight of the 15 Latin Americans who were sent to Congo in April as part of the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement have now made their way back to their countries of origin, according to Congo’s government and legal representatives speaking Friday.
Federal immigration courts had previously determined these individuals would probably encounter persecution upon return to their home nations.
Congo represents one of no fewer than eight African countries that have entered into third-country deportation agreements with the United States.
Through a collection of frequently undisclosed agreements, the Trump administration has sent thousands of individuals to almost two dozen nations other than their countries of origin, according to advocacy groups. Legal experts in immigration law indicate the administration employs third-country deportations as a regulatory workaround to indirectly compel asylum seekers to return to their native countries.
Alma David, a U.S.-based attorney representing one of the 15 migrants, confirmed that eight deportees have traveled back to their home countries in recent weeks.
David’s client, a Colombian woman who had previously spoken with The Associated Press about her circumstances and uncertainty while in Congo, continues to remain in the central African nation, according to her lawyer.
Another Colombian, Adriana Maria Quiroz Zapata, also remains in Congo, despite a federal judge’s order last month directing the Trump administration to return her to the United States. She was sent to Congo even after that country had declined to accept her due to its inability to provide for her medical requirements.
Four individuals from Peru and three from Colombia traveled home earlier this week with assistance from the International Organization for Migration, a U.N.-affiliated agency, David reported.
Their return occurred through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return program, where the organization covers transportation expenses and logistics for migrants who agree to return to their home countries, serving as an option instead of forced removal.
The attorney explained that these migrants had received court protections preventing their removal to their home countries by U.S. federal courts, which determined they would probably experience persecution upon return.
“The fact that they chose to return there anyway raises serious concerns that they likely felt backed into a corner because no viable alternative was presented to them,” David said.
The IOM has stated that assisted voluntary returns are “strictly voluntary and based on free, prior and informed consent.”
One Colombian man traveled back to his home country independently in recent days, David noted.
“These developments confirm the strictly transitional, temporary, and time-limited nature of this mechanism, as announced from its launch,” the Congolese government said in the statement. “Further departures will take place shortly as part of the implementation of the arrangement.”
This announcement coincides with rights attorneys filing a case against Equatorial Guinea before Africa’s leading human rights body, alleging the central African nation violated deportees’ rights by compelling them to return to their home countries from the U.S.
