Thousands of family members and friends gathered to welcome home the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford following an extended deployment that lasted nearly a year at sea.
The homecoming celebration was designed as part of efforts to help sailors navigate the challenging adjustment period that follows months of separation from their loved ones.
Pat Gentile felt anxious about her first day back at work without wearing a wig as her hair slowly returned following cancer treatment. During this vulnerable time in her recovery journey, a chance meeting with someone she didn’t know at a local convenience store provided the encouragement she needed to feel more confident about her appearance.
A Brazilian father whose son died in the 2009 Flight 447 disaster says true justice has not been achieved, even after a Paris appeals court convicted Airbus and Air France of manslaughter on Thursday in France’s deadliest aviation accident.
Both Airbus and Air France announced they will challenge Thursday’s decision, which could extend the legal proceedings for several more years.
Nelson Faria Marinho, a Brazilian citizen who heads a victims’ association and lost his son when the aircraft went down, expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s decision despite the guilty verdicts.
The Paris appeals court determined both companies were guilty of manslaughter in connection with the disaster and imposed the highest possible penalty of 225,000 euros (roughly $260,000) on each firm, according to Daniele Lamy, who leads another victims’ group.
Lamy, whose son Eric perished in the crash, attended both the original proceedings and this appeal trial, and praised Thursday’s outcome.
However, Marinho expressed his desire to see individual executives from both companies face jail time, though the legal case has focused on corporate rather than individual culpability.
“I’ve lost my father, my mothers, brothers. It hurts a lot, but it is impossible to translate into words the pain of losing a child,” Marinho said, speaking from his home office surrounded by newspaper articles and photographs documenting his lengthy fight for accountability.
The A330-200 aircraft vanished from radar during a storm over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members. Recovery teams needed two years to locate the aircraft and its flight data recorders on the ocean bottom, more than 13,000 feet (approximately 4,000 meters) below the surface.
A previous Associated Press investigation revealed that Airbus had been aware of issues with the specific type of pitot tubes installed on the crashed aircraft since at least 2002, yet did not replace them until after the accident occurred.
Prosecutors alleged that Air France failed to provide proper training for situations involving the freezing of external sensors known as pitot tubes, despite known dangers. Airbus faced accusations of inadequately alerting airlines and flight crews about pitot tube malfunctions and failing to ensure adequate training to reduce associated risks.
The tragedy prompted regulatory changes regarding airspeed sensors and modifications to pilot training protocols.
Official investigators determined that several elements contributed to the catastrophe, including crew errors and the freezing of pitot tubes.
A lower court cleared both Airbus and Air France of manslaughter charges in 2023, causing significant distress among families who lost relatives in the accident.
Air France expressed regret over Thursday’s conviction and acknowledged that pursuing an appeal would extend an already protracted legal process, especially for victims’ families and loved ones, while noting that the company’s criminal responsibility had been previously rejected.
Airbus announced plans to file an appeal with France’s supreme court to enable a review of the legal questions presented in this matter.
A French pilots’ union welcomed the decision. The National Union of Airline Pilots stated it would be “unacceptable to place responsibility for the outcome of this accident solely on the pilots, without taking into account all of the systemic failures that led to the disaster.”
Victims’ attorney Alain Jakubowicz became emotional while addressing reporters outside the courthouse.
The verdict demonstrates “there is no fight that it is unwinnable,” he told French television. “Even when we are simply passengers, we can make global giants bend.”
In Rio, Marinho’s spouse Maria Eva explained that the anguish of losing one of her five children continues to feel fresh, though her faith has provided comfort during her mourning.
“This trail of destruction left many hearts wounded,” she said from her living room, which displays a representation of the Eiffel Tower. “But as long as there is life there is hope.”
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Members of Colorado’s Democratic Party delivered a stinging rebuke to their own governor, formally censuring Gov. Jared Polis after he shortened the prison term of Tina Peters, a former election official who promoted conspiracy theories supporting President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegations of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Wednesday’s censure vote passed by an overwhelming margin, with approximately 90% of the state party’s roughly 700 Central Committee members supporting the measure. The action bars Polis, who is serving his final year due to term limits, from serving as a distinguished guest, keynote speaker, or official party representative at Democratic events.
Peters, age 70, previously worked as a county clerk before receiving a nine-year prison sentence following her 2024 conviction for orchestrating a plan to duplicate her county’s election computer system.
Following Polis’s decision to commute her sentence on Friday, Peters is now scheduled for release on June 1.
Trump has publicly supported Peters’ situation. The Colorado Democratic Party released a statement calling the sentence reduction a “dangerous and disappointing” precedent during a time when democratic institutions and voting rights face threats across the country.
“It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you’re friends with the president,” the statement said.
Roughly 700 party members, including sitting and former elected officials, signed a petition demanding the party condemn Polis. The censure vote occurred during a scheduled virtual meeting of the party’s Central Committee.
A Colorado appeals court upheld Peters’ conviction in April while ordering a new sentencing hearing, determining the original judge improperly penalized her for making public statements about election fraud.
When commuting the sentence, Polis wrote to Peters acknowledging she merited incarceration but had received an “extremely unusual and lengthy” punishment for someone with no prior convictions and no violent offenses.
Following the censure vote, he stood by his decision.
“The governor made this decision based on the facts of the case and what he believed was the right thing to do. Sometimes the right thing isn’t the popular thing with everybody. Democracy is strongest when disagreement is met with debate and dialogue, not censorship,” Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama said in an emailed statement Thursday.
Peters expressed gratitude to Polis and offered an apology for her actions in a statement released after her sentence was commuted.
Peters secretly brought in an outside computer specialist, who was connected to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, to duplicate her county’s Dominion Voting Systems election server during a scheduled system update in 2021. She later appeared with Lindell at a “cybersymposium” that claimed it would present evidence of election manipulation, and images from the upgrade process, including security passwords, were published online.
WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee finally published its delayed analysis of the 2024 election on Thursday, but the document arrived with prominent red warnings on every page questioning its credibility.
“This document reflects the views of the author, not the DNC,” stated the disclaimer. “The DNC was not provided with the underlying sourcing, interviews, or supporting data for many of the assertions contained herein and therefore cannot independently verify the claims presented.”
The unusual warning accompanies a document that has generated significant internal controversy. DNC chair Ken Martin initially pledged to make the analysis public, then reversed course, stating he wanted to avoid distracting from midterm elections.
Following months of internal debate, Martin made the report available Thursday, explaining the delay by characterizing the work as poorly executed.
The 192-page analysis contains several notable gaps, steering clear of some of the campaign’s most significant challenges.
The document fails to examine President Joe Biden’s choice to seek reelection at age 81, despite widespread questions about his age. Biden withdrew following a poor debate showing, with Harris quickly selected as his replacement.
While Harris emerged as the apparent successor after serving as Biden’s vice president, the analysis doesn’t tackle concerns that the nomination process moved too quickly or lacked proper deliberation.
Significantly, the Middle East conflict receives no attention — the words “Gaza” and “Israel” are absent from the entire text. Democratic divisions over the war diminished support for Harris among voters frustrated with the Biden administration’s backing of Israel.
The analysis determined that the Biden White House failed to “position or prepare the vice president” for mounting an effective campaign.
Only after Biden announced his July exit did campaign pollsters rush to gather fresh data on three crucial areas — “one on the Vice President’s biography and record, one on her vision and plan, and another on attacks and responses.”
Researchers also found Harris lacked responses to a critical vulnerability: The Trump campaign’s anti-transgender messaging. The analysis emphasized that pollsters believed the Democratic candidate was “boxed” in by Republicans’ “very effective” commercial featuring Harris’ past support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.
“Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you,” the advertisement stated.
The report concluded: “If the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”
Harris’ campaign has faced extensive post-election criticism. Some Democrats believe she devoted excessive time to courting Republicans like Liz Cheney, while others argue she failed to develop compelling economic messaging.
The analysis offers different reasoning, arguing insufficient effort went toward portraying Trump as unfit for office.
“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the document states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”
Later, the analysis states, “Democrats made a mistake by assuming voters were already aware of Trump’s various weaknesses.
“The idea Trump’s negatives were ‘baked in’ is a major failure of analysis and reality,” the report says.
DNC officials appeared to reject these findings, inserting comments such as “no evidence provided; contradicts claims elsewhere in report” and “no sourcing or evidence provided.”
The document faulted Harris’ appeals to important voter groups while making several critical references to “identity politics.” The analysis expresses particular alarm about Latino voters.
“Democrats can no longer assume Latino voters, especially younger Latino men, are a reliable part of their base,” the report says. “The party needs a complete rethink of its Latino outreach strategy, moving beyond traditional approaches like Spanish-language ads and late-cycle surrogates.”
The analysis cites successful Democratic statewide campaigns in Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina, demonstrating that “economic messaging, and addressing cost-of-living concerns resonate more than identity politics.”
The document also noted Democratic struggles with male voters.
“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed,” the report says. “Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”
Harris also lacked solutions for the party’s rural voter problem.
“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The international official monitoring the Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States called on the UN Security Council Thursday to utilize all available resources to pressure Hamas into giving up its weapons, cautioning that continued acts of violence threaten to collapse the fragile truce.
Nickolay Mladenov, high representative of the Board of Peace, an international organization created by President Donald Trump, emphasized that Israel must also fulfill its ceasefire commitments, highlighting Palestinian deaths and limitations on humanitarian assistance.
Hamas and Israel face a choice between “a deteriorating status quo” or a fresh start for Palestinians currently enduring “desperate conditions,” he stated. “There is no third option. There never was, and the people of Gaza should not be made to wait while some pretend that there is.”
Mladenov elaborated on the Board of Peace’s initial assessment, which identified the primary barrier to complete ceasefire implementation as “Hamas’ refusal to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control, and permit a genuine civilian transition in Gaza.”
Hamas issued a statement condemning the assessment and argued it overlooked Israel’s failure to meet ceasefire requirements.
The Palestinian militant organization, responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel that triggered the Gaza conflict, has attempted to connect any weapons removal to Israeli military withdrawals. Israel’s forces have increased their presence in Gaza following the truce and now occupy approximately 60% of the region.
Mladenov, an experienced Bulgarian diplomat, indicated that should Israel and Hamas reject the implementation plan for Trump’s peace proposal, the Board of Peace would explore methods to deliver humanitarian assistance and support territorial recovery.
Without action, he warned, Gaza would stay fragmented, with Hamas maintaining administrative and military authority over 2 million Palestinians confined to less than half the Gaza Strip, likely remaining surrounded by debris, dependent on aid, and without prospects for rebuilding or their children’s future.
“This is a version of the future that Israelis, Palestinians and the region should all fear and all mobilize to avoid,” Mladenov stated.
He explained that weapons removal “will be gradual, sequenced and time-bound against an agreed timetable” — noting that arms from Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions would go to Gaza’s transitional government rather than Israel.
The implementation plan merits the Security Council’s “clear, consistent and unequivocal support,” he declared.
“I ask the council to use every means at its disposal to urge Hamas to accept the roadmap without further delay, and Israel to uphold its obligations under the ceasefire,” Mladenov stated. “Diplomacy must continue, cannot be used as an excuse for delay while 2 million people wait in desperate conditions.”
The leader of the University of Georgia is pushing back against proposals to dramatically expand the College Football Playoff system to include 24 teams.
Jere Morehead, who has served as the university’s president since July 2013, made his position clear in comments to The Athletic on Thursday: “A 24-team playoff is a mistake.”
As Southeastern Conference officials prepare for their upcoming meetings in Destin, Florida next week, Morehead expressed concerns that the Big Ten conference hasn’t fully considered what such a major expansion would mean for college football’s future.
“It’s going to devalue big games during the regular season,” Morehead explained. “I think it (would) devalue Georgia-Alabama or Georgia-Oklahoma (this) year. So I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Instead of jumping directly from the current 12-team format to 24 teams, Morehead suggested a more gradual approach would be wiser.
“I was OK with going to 16. I thought that was a good number. But 24 scares me, particularly jumping from 12 to 24. If we went to 16 and tried that for a few years, see how it goes, and then we can evaluate whether we should go to 24. And from my standpoint, I would just stay at 12 then, if we can’t get an agreement on 16,” he said.
Morehead indicated he would follow the lead of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on this issue, saying the commissioner’s opinion carries the most weight with him.
“As long as commissioner Sankey is at 16, I think we’ll be at 16,” Morehead stated, “because I think there’s great respect for his position on any issue.”
The Big Ten’s 24-team proposal has gained support from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, and independent Notre Dame.
However, Morehead worries about how such an extensive playoff system might hurt regular season attendance and viewership.
“I think there’s a lot of concern about what 24 is going to do to the regular season,” he explained. “You know, we depend on these sellout home games, the high ratings that we get for our football games during the season. If those become devalued and if those ratings drop because people see it like the NBA, that these games don’t matter anymore, then that affects our situation, in terms of being able to negotiate the next television contract. That’s concerning to me.”
“And I’m not sure that the Big Ten has really thought through the long-term implications of what this is going to do to the regular season,” Morehead concluded.
Prison officials in Tennessee called off a scheduled execution Thursday evening after medical staff could not successfully establish the required intravenous access for lethal injection procedures.
The state’s governor later issued a one-year postponement of the death sentence for Tony Carruthers, 57, who received capital punishment following his conviction for the kidnapping and killing of three individuals in 1994.
Medical personnel brought Carruthers into the death chamber at the maximum-security facility in Nashville, where they spent over an hour attempting to set up the necessary IV access before abandoning the procedure and returning the inmate to his holding cell, as witnessed by an Associated Press journalist covering the event.
While staff successfully inserted a primary IV line, they encountered difficulties establishing the secondary access point mandated under the state’s execution procedures, the Tennessee Department of Correction explained in their official statement.
“I am granting Tony Von Carruthers a temporary reprieve from execution for one year,” the governor announced in his official statement.
This incident marks Carruthers as the seventh condemned individual in the United States to escape execution due to failed lethal injection procedures, according to statistics from the anti-death penalty organization Reprieve.
“Lethal injection is touted as a humane, ‘medical’ method of execution. Bloody and prolonged execution attempts like this one expose the gruesome reality,” stated Matt Wells, who serves as Reprieve’s U.S. deputy director.
The State Department announced Thursday that its decision to take Francesca Albanese, a United Nations expert on Palestinian territories, off its sanctions list represents a temporary action rather than a shift in policy.
Albanese was placed under U.S. sanctions in July 2025 due to what officials described as her attempts to encourage the International Criminal Court to pursue action against American and Israeli officials, businesses, and executives.
A federal judge issued a temporary block on these sanctions earlier this month, determining that the Trump administration likely infringed upon her constitutional right to free speech by implementing the penalties following her public criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, where Israel is a U.S. ally.
“The Government has appealed the court’s order,” the State Department said in a statement.
“In the event the D.C. Circuit stays or overturns that order, the Government intends to restore Ms. Albanese’s name to the SDN List,” the department added, referring to the Specially Designated Nationals list.
The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday that it has imposed financial penalties on Cox Media Group and two partner companies for making deceptive statements about their ability to monitor consumer conversations through artificial intelligence technology.
According to the federal agency, Cox Media Group misled potential advertising clients in 2023 by claiming it could deploy AI and voice-processing systems to “identify buyers based on casual conversations in real time.”
The commission also found that Cox incorrectly informed clients that consumers had given permission for their voice data to be collected and utilized for marketing purposes.
In promotional materials on its website, the company described its alleged capabilities to potential customers by stating: “Creepy? Sure. Great for marketing? Definitely,” according to FTC findings.
As part of the settlement, Cox Media Group has agreed to pay $880,000 in penalties. Two smaller marketing companies that collaborated with Cox – MindSift and 1010 Digital Works – will each pay $25,000.
Cox Media Group operates radio and television broadcasting stations across multiple states and maintains a digital marketing division that specializes in streaming and online advertising.
In response to the allegations, Cox stated that it had depended on promotional materials supplied by an external vendor regarding that vendor’s technology, which the company has since discontinued using. Neither MindSift nor 1010 Digital Works provided immediate responses when contacted for comment.
Two University of Delaware track and field athletes have earned their spot at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships taking place in Lexington, Kentucky.
Throwers Olamide Ayeni and Nubia Evans-Shields will both participate in the discus throw event during the opening round of the national competition, which runs from May 27-30.
The championships represent the pinnacle of collegiate outdoor track and field competition, bringing together the nation’s top student-athletes to compete for national titles.
A New Castle County resident will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced for a fatal shooting that took place in 2024.
Michael R. Toombs, 29, of Claymont received two life sentences plus an additional 30 years in prison during his sentencing hearing on May 21, 2026. The harsh penalty comes after a Superior Court jury found him guilty in October of charges related to the deadly shooting.
The case stems from a 2024 incident that resulted in one person’s death. Toombs was convicted by the jury last fall on the criminal charges.
Delaware’s Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued a public statement condemning the current administration’s choice to allocate taxpayer funds as compensation for individuals who participated in the January 6th, 2021 Capitol attack.
In her statement, Jennings criticized what she described as the seizure of billions in public money to benefit those involved in the Capitol incident. “The President’s theft of nearly 2 billion taxpayer dollars to reward January 6th insurrectionists is yet another intolerable act of blatant corruption. It is […]” Jennings stated.
The Attorney General’s remarks came in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement regarding the financial payments to participants in the events of January 6th, 2021.
MIDDLETOWN – Transportation officials have shut down a section of Lorewood Grove Road following infrastructure damage that has made the route impassable for drivers.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) reports that a pipe beneath the roadway has failed, creating conditions that washed away roughly half of the street surface. The affected area spans from Ratledge Road to Tami Trail.
Officials implemented the road closure effective today, with no timeline established for when the route will reopen to traffic. DelDOT has advised drivers that the shutdown will remain active until repairs can be completed.
Motorists who regularly use this route are being urged to seek alternative paths while crews assess the damage and develop a repair plan.
Motorists traveling northbound on Interstate 95 are experiencing traffic delays between the Maryland state line and the Biden Welcome Center.
According to traffic reports, congestion in this stretch of highway is causing delays ranging from 5 to 10 minutes for drivers.
Commuters and travelers using this route should plan for additional travel time while conditions persist.
With the Atlantic hurricane season set to begin June 1, Sussex County emergency management officials are reminding residents to start their storm preparations now, regardless of what forecasters predict for the coming months.
The Sussex County Department of Public Safety/Division of Emergency Management is emphasizing the importance of readiness as communities prepare for summer activities including 250th anniversary independence celebrations and beach gatherings.
Timothy Cooper, Sussex County emergency manager, stressed that residents shouldn’t get caught up in seasonal predictions. “There’s a tendency each year to focus heavily on forecasts, and while it’s great this captures public attention, we want the public to focus on readiness in general, regardless of the predictions,” Cooper explained. “Don’t focus so much on the number of predicted storms, or the forecasted intensity. The effects could be just as damaging and deadly if a tropical storm became stationary. All it takes is one storm, so the message is to be prepared at all times for any scenario. Make a plan, create a kit, stay informed, and get engaged.”
Sussex County, like other coastal areas from the Caribbean to Canada, faces risks from tropical weather including flooding and strong winds. The county experienced no direct impacts from tropical systems during the 2025 season, as storms tracked away from the area.
Last year’s Atlantic hurricane season was slightly below average, producing 13 named storms with five becoming hurricanes. Four of those reached major hurricane status and caused billions in damage.
For 2026, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts another below-normal season with eight to 14 named systems expected. Three to six could strengthen into hurricanes, with one to three potentially reaching Category 3 intensity or higher, according to NOAA’s May 21 forecast. A strong El Niño pattern is expected to influence this season.
El Niño conditions typically reduce Atlantic hurricane development, leading to average or below-average seasons. During this phase, warmer waters in the equatorial eastern Pacific create atmospheric conditions that produce wind shear and inhibit storm formation. The opposite occurs during La Niña years when cooler Pacific waters can lead to increased Atlantic hurricane activity.
Based on NOAA’s 30-year average, a typical Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
Emergency officials emphasize that preparation remains crucial regardless of seasonal forecasts, as a single storm can cause devastating impacts.
Residents can enhance their safety by creating a household Safety Profile through the free Smart911™ service, which provides first responders with potentially life-saving information. Users can include property details, medical conditions, and family contact information.
Officials recommend several key preparation steps for hurricane season:
Residents in flood-prone or vulnerable areas should prepare evacuation plans now. Emergency managers will announce evacuation areas and timing through media outlets. Those evacuating should take storm kits, valuable papers, secure their homes by locking doors and windows, shut off utilities, and notify family members outside the evacuation zone of their destination.
Property owners should secure outdoor items and boats, clear gutters and rainspouts, and trim trees that could pose hazards during high winds.
Every family should assemble a disaster kit containing: a three-day water supply (one gallon per person daily), non-perishable food and manual can opener, clothing and shoes for each person, prescription medications, blankets or sleeping bags and pillows, personal hygiene items, flashlights and extra batteries for each person, special needs items like baby formula and supplies for elderly or disabled family members, portable radio with extra batteries, cash for when ATMs don’t work during power outages, and fuel since gas pumps also fail during outages.
When storms approach, travel during daylight and don’t wait until the last minute for supplies or gasoline. Monitor storm updates on radio and television when watches are issued, as evacuations may need to begin 24 to 36 hours before a storm arrives.
Those ordered to evacuate should follow local emergency managers’ instructions on shelter locations and timing. Authorities will announce shelter sites in advance, potentially opening multiple locations for larger populations.
Residents not ordered to evacuate who shelter at home should prepare disaster kits, keep important documents in waterproof containers in the highest, safest location, secure homes by locking doors and windows, turn off utilities, monitor portable radio for updates, stay indoors in interior rooms away from doors and windows.
Phone use should be limited to essential calls kept brief, with emergencies reported to 911. When calling for help, identify yourself and location clearly and calmly. Keep mobile phones charged, though cell service may be interrupted during and after storms.
Hurricanes and tropical storms can cause severe damage including polluted water, communication failures, power outages, sewer backups, foundation damage, beach erosion, and extensive property and road damage.
After storms pass, residents shouldn’t return until authorities give clearance. Upon re-entry, watch for hazards like downed trees and power lines, debris and standing water on roads. Have identification and legal documents ready to prove residency. Continue using emergency water supplies or boil water until officials confirm drinking water safety, and take fire prevention precautions.
Additional hurricane preparation information, including Know Your Zone evacuation maps, preparedness materials, and volunteer opportunities with Community Emergency Response Teams or amateur radio operators, is available at Sussex County’s hurricane website at www.sussexcountyde.gov/hurricane-information, PrepareDE’s site at www.preparede.org, and NOAA Weather Ready Nation at www.weather.gov/wrn/.
CLAYMONT — Drivers should expect delays this weekend as The Delaware Department of Transportation will implement rolling ramp closures at the I-95/Naamans Road interchange for dangerous tree removal operations.
DelDOT officials have announced that traffic restrictions will impact multiple access ramps at the interchange, with closures happening sequentially throughout Saturday, May 30th.
The first closure will affect the entrance ramp from Naamans Road leading to northbound I-95, scheduled from 6:00 am until 3:00 pm on Saturday. Later that same day, crews will close the exit ramp from southbound I-95 to Naamans Road.
Transportation officials are advising motorists to plan alternate routes and allow extra travel time during the scheduled work periods.
A Massachusetts work boot and clothing manufacturer is considering selling the company or bringing in new investors in a deal that could be worth more than $1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
Brunt Workwear has enlisted investment bank JPMorgan to handle the potential transaction, which has drawn attention from both corporations and private equity investors, sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks. The company might also consider going public down the road, the sources added.
Since its 2020 launch, Brunt has already reached annual revenue of more than $300 million, according to the sources.
Neither Brunt nor JPMorgan provided comment when contacted.
The workwear industry has seen increased merger and acquisition activity as traditional work clothing brands have gained popularity with general consumers beyond their core blue-collar market. Companies like Carhartt and Levi Strauss & Co have expanded their product lines and attracted customers outside their usual demographic.
Recent transactions in the sector include Bluestar Alliance’s $600 million purchase of Dickies from VF Corporation in the previous year. On Wednesday, Authentic Brands Group revealed an agreement to acquire Lee that could reach $1 billion in value for the denim manufacturer.
Headquartered in North Reading, Massachusetts, Brunt was established by Eric Girouard with the goal of creating superior footwear for skilled laborers. The company’s inaugural boot model, called Marin, was named in honor of his childhood friend Matt Marin, who worked as a foreman carpenter. These boots, priced between $144.99 and $299.99, quickly became unavailable due to high demand online, leading Brunt to diversify into clothing and accessories.
During 2022, Brunt secured $20 million in Series B funding led by growth equity firm Stripes. Girouard continues to hold majority ownership of the business.
The company has formed partnerships with regional sports organizations, facilities and staff including the Boston Bruins and TD Garden, as well as the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium.
Federal prosecutors have brought charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five military pilots for their involvement in shooting down civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based Cuban exiles in 1996.
The charges were announced Wednesday as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to pressure Cuba’s socialist government. Prosecutors allege Castro and the military aviators conspired to terrorize and intimidate Cuban exiles by destroying aircraft operated by the Brothers to the Rescue organization.
Castro, who is now 94 years old, served as defense minister when MiG fighter jets targeted the civilian planes.
According to prosecutors, Castro’s five alleged accomplices, all members of the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force, participated in training exercises around February 1996 designed to “find, track, pursue and intercept” aircraft operating near Cuban waters in preparation for Brothers to the Rescue missions.
The charging document indicates these training operations occurred under Castro’s authority and with guidance from an unindicted co-conspirator.
The five pilots named in the indictment are Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Lt. Col. Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco and Raúl Simanca Cárdenas.
Prosecutors claim Pérez-Pérez and another pilot who was not charged destroyed two aircraft on Feb. 24, 1996, while they were flying in international airspace, resulting in the deaths of four Americans.
In a television interview with Cuban state media shortly after the incident, Pérez-Pérez described intercepting the first plane and issuing warnings based on instructions from air traffic controllers. He claimed the aircraft disregarded his warnings.
“We tried to dissuade their crew members, but they continued to dangerously approach the Cuban coast, and then we received the order to interrupt the flight of the first aircraft,” Pérez-Pérez said at the time. “Afterward, we conducted the same operation with the second plane, which also refused to change its direction.”
The indictment claims Castro approved the use of lethal force following Brothers to the Rescue flights that scattered pro-democracy materials over Cuba in January 1996. Federal prosecutors assert Castro and his older brother, Fidel Castro, who held the presidency then, made the ultimate decisions regarding orders to kill.
Pérez-Pérez had been previously charged in the U.S. in August 2003 with murder, aircraft destruction and conspiracy.
Prosecutors also allege that on the day of the fatal attacks, Gual Barzaga, Simanca Cárdenas and González-Pardo Rodríguez pursued but did not destroy a third aircraft.
González-Pardo Rodríguez, age 65, is the only defendant currently in U.S. custody. He was charged in November for allegedly providing false information on immigration paperwork.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that he incorrectly claimed he never received weapons or military instruction, never participated in any organization that used or threatened to use weapons, and never served in military or police forces. In fact, prosecutors said, “he received such training and served in the Cuban military as part of the Air Defense Force.”
He is set to receive his sentence later this month after entering a guilty plea in February.
All five pilots and Castro are charged with one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. Castro and Pérez-Pérez also face additional charges of murder and aircraft destruction.
Limited information is available about Gual Barzaga, Palacio Blanco and Simanca Cárdenas.
The charging document alleges that Pérez-Pérez and Palacio Blanco departed from the San Antonio de los Baños airfield, located near Havana, in separate fighter aircraft. Pérez-Pérez sought permission to shoot down the civilian planes approximately 20 minutes after takeoff.
While Pérez-Pérez engaged the two aircraft, according to the indictment, Gual Barzaga and Simanca Cárdenas shared a third fighter jet, and González-Pardo Rodríguez operated a fourth aircraft on standby. Prosecutors claim the waiting pilots monitored Pérez-Pérez’s radio communications requesting authorization to attack the planes, and they later joined him in pursuing the third civilian aircraft.
The federal charging document contains an undated photograph showing González-Pardo Rodríguez and Pérez-Pérez examining a document beside a fighter jet.
Drivers on northbound Interstate 95 should expect additional travel time this morning due to heavy traffic conditions between the Biden Welcome Center and Churchmans Marsh.
According to traffic reports, the congestion is causing delays of approximately 5 to 10 minutes for motorists traveling through this stretch of highway.
Commuters are advised to allow extra time for their morning travels and consider alternate routes if possible to avoid the backup.
Authorities in Newark have taken a Maryland resident into custody following their investigation of a road rage confrontation that involved the display of a weapon.
The incident took place on May 14, 2026, around 1:59 in the afternoon when Newark Police received a call about an aggravated menacing situation in the area.
Police have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the confrontation or the identity of the suspect at this time.
The investigation led to the arrest of the out-of-state individual in connection with the incident.
WASHINGTON — The possibility of U.S. military action against Cuba emerged as a serious consideration Thursday, as President Donald Trump suggested he might be the first commander-in-chief to follow through on decades of contemplated intervention against the island nation. The escalating rhetoric followed Wednesday’s announcement of criminal charges filed against Cuba’s former leader, Raúl Castro.
Speaking to reporters during an environmental gathering at the Oval Office, Trump indicated that while past administrations have weighed Cuban intervention for generations, he appears ready to act. “Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something,” Trump stated when questioned about Cuba policy. “And, it looks like I’ll be the one that does it. So, I would be happy to do it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to media in Miami before departing for a NATO conference in Sweden followed by an India visit, characterized Cuba as a persistent national security concern due to its relationships with American adversaries. While acknowledging the administration’s preference for peaceful resolution, Rubio expressed pessimism about diplomatic success.
The Secretary of State, whose parents immigrated from Cuba and who has maintained a consistently tough stance against the island’s socialist government, emphasized Trump’s commitment to peaceful negotiations while questioning their feasibility. “Trump’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful. That’s always our preference. That remains our preference with Cuba,” Rubio explained.
However, he added candidly: “I’m just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with right now, is not high.”
Recent diplomatic efforts involving senior Trump administration officials — including Rubio, CIA chief John Ratcliffe and other top national security personnel — have produced disappointing results in meetings with Cuban representatives. These unsuccessful talks have prompted additional sanctions against Cuba’s government within the past week.
Rubio criticized Cuba’s historical strategy of delay, stating: “Over the years, Cuba has gotten used to ‘buying time and waiting us out.’ They’re not going to be able to wait us out or buy time. We’re very serious, we’re very focused.”
When pressed about potential military force to alter Cuba’s political structure, Rubio reiterated the preference for diplomatic solutions while noting that “the president always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest.” He rejected characterizations of potential action as “nation-building,” instead framing it as addressing national security risks.
The heightened tensions follow Wednesday’s unsealing of an indictment against Castro, accusing him of authorizing the 1996 destruction of civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based Cuban exiles. The charges, secretly filed by a grand jury in April, include murder and aircraft destruction.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the indictment as political theater designed to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”
Many observers draw parallels to the Trump administration’s approach toward then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a military operation in early January. Maduro remains imprisoned in the United States facing federal drug trafficking charges, to which he has entered a not guilty plea.
The timing of military movements has not gone unnoticed, as the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its accompanying vessels arrived in Caribbean waters on the same day Castro’s charges were announced. U.S. Southern Command described the deployment as part of ongoing maritime training exercises with Latin American partners that began in March.
Rubio declined to elaborate on potential methods for executing the indictment against Castro, who will turn 95 next month.
Military action threats have intensified since Trump removed Maduro from power and implemented an energy embargo that severely restricted fuel deliveries to Cuba. These measures have resulted in widespread power outages, food scarcity, and economic devastation throughout the island.
Trump has intensified regime change discussions regarding Cuba after promising a “friendly takeover” contingent on the leadership opening Cuba’s economy to American business interests and severing ties with U.S. adversaries.
On Thursday, Rubio outlined Cuba’s national security threat to America, citing the island’s security and intelligence partnerships with China and Russia, plus its cordial relationships with other U.S. opponents in Latin America.
China expressed opposition to American sanctions and pressure against Cuba through Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Thursday. “China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo stated.
Panama’s president José Raúl Mulino announced Thursday that Ilya Espino de Marotta will take charge of the Panama Canal for seven years beginning October 1, marking the first time a woman has been chosen to lead the vital shipping route.
The selection came after the Panama Canal Board of Directors spent weeks evaluating multiple prominent candidates for the leadership role.
Espino de Marotta, age 64, has held the position of deputy administrator for the waterway since January 1, 2020, prior to receiving this historic appointment.
“I have spoken with the new Administrator of the Panama Canal… to congratulate her and reaffirm the commitment to work in coordination on strategic projects that generate jobs, prosperity and progress for Panamanians,” Mulino posted on X.
Having worked at the Panama Canal for 35 years, Espino de Marotta has gained recognition for wearing her distinctive pink hard hat and overseeing major construction efforts, including the waterway’s massive $5 billion expansion project.
The new administrator faces significant upcoming tasks, including overseeing the creation of two additional ports positioned at opposite ends of the canal, with bidding processes expected to begin in the next few months. These construction efforts, combined with planned contracts for a natural gas pipeline and logistics corridor, represent key elements in the canal’s growth and diversification plans.
The waterway has become a focal point of international tensions, with the U.S. State Department claiming China has violated Panama’s control over port operations in the Central American country.
The latest conflict emerged in early April when Rubio claimed China engaged in “bullying” tactics by temporarily detaining or delaying dozens of Panama-flagged vessels after the Central American nation took control of two important canal ports from a Hong Kong-based company’s subsidiary earlier this year. China has rejected these claims.
The United States has consistently worked to counter China’s expanding influence throughout Latin America. Panama has found itself positioned between these competing superpowers, particularly given the canal’s critical importance to global commerce, especially after Trump claimed last year that Beijing was controlling the international shipping route.
Espino de Marotta holds a bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering from Texas A&M University and completed a master’s degree in Economic Engineering from Universidad Santa María La Antigua.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed Thursday it is dramatically expanding artificial intelligence technology to monitor how states and other federal health funding recipients conduct audits of their programs. Officials say the initiative aims to reduce fraud risks and protect taxpayer dollars.
According to Gustav Chiarello, the assistant secretary for financial resources overseeing the program, the department will deploy ChatGPT and similar AI platforms to continuously review audit reports submitted by all 50 states.
“It’s classic big government: Everyone files an audit and it lands with a thud and no one does anything about it,” Chiarello explained during an interview. “Here, with AI, we’re able to dig into it.”
This expansion follows the department’s previous adoption of generative AI technology for examining state Medicaid programs, streamlining administrative processes, and text editing. While AI can effectively identify patterns and issues within extensive documentation, skeptics warn federal agencies should proceed carefully due to AI’s tendency toward errors and potential bias.
The current administration and the anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance have recently emphasized crackdowns on fraudulent activity within Medicaid and Medicare programs, along with student loan applications and other sectors. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson recently discussed on Fox News how these efforts incorporate AI technology to identify potential fraud cases.
Annual audit submissions are mandatory for states, local governments, nonprofits, and higher education institutions receiving at least $1 million in federal funding yearly. Chiarello explained the new program will apply AI analysis to audits from HHS-funded initiatives, encompassing state Medicaid programs and federal grant recipients in research, addiction treatment services, and additional areas.
Organizations failing to submit required reports or address identified issues could lose their federal funding.
Opposition voices have criticized the administration’s anti-fraud campaigns, pointing out that most targets have been Democratic states and suggesting a pattern of accusations preceding thorough fact-gathering. The administration previously admitted to The Associated Press that it had made a significant data error used to support a New York Medicaid fraud investigation.
When questioned about protections against AI errors, Chiarello emphasized that officials would be reviewing existing public reports rather than discovering new information. He stated the technology’s purpose is to help grantees become more responsible stewards of federal money.
Rob Weissman, co-president of consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen, expressed doubt about the administration’s genuine commitment to fraud prevention and questioned whether AI tools would be applied fairly and without partisan bias.
“The AI is kind of beside the point when you assess what their actual objectives are, rather than what they pretend they are,” he commented.
HHS confirmed it has notified governors and treasurers across all 50 states about the new program through official letters. The Wall Street Journal first reported on this initiative.
Chiarello mentioned ongoing discussions with colleagues at other federal departments, hoping they will adopt similar approaches.
“It would be fairly easy for the other agencies to use our technology and jump on it,” he noted.
Federal authorities have arrested two men for producing explicit artificial intelligence-generated images and videos of female celebrities, marking among the first prosecutions under recently enacted legislation designed to combat deepfake pornography.
Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, were taken into custody Tuesday on charges related to creating sexually explicit AI content that garnered millions of online views, court documents reveal.
The two defendants, who appear unrelated to each other, are facing prosecution under the Take It Down Act, legislation enacted last year by President Donald Trump that imposes enhanced penalties for distributing AI-created deepfakes and revenge pornography. The measure received support from both political parties and public endorsement from first lady Melania Trump.
Both men could receive prison sentences of up to two years under the new legislation.
Legal representatives for Shannon and Hernandez have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Joseph Nocella, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, released a statement saying the defendants had “used cutting-edge digital technology to create images that degraded and violated” dozens of women. “This case makes clear that posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime,” he added.
According to court filings, Shannon, who lives in New Jersey, distributed at least 240 collections of AI-created pornographic content featuring female politicians, musicians and singers.
Prosecutors stated that Hernandez, a Texas resident, created deepfake material depicting both celebrities and private individuals, including recent high school graduates.
These arrests occur amid growing concerns about increasingly advanced generative AI technology fueling the proliferation of sexually explicit fake content online, frequently targeting minors.
An Ohio man became the first individual convicted under the Take It Down Act last month after admitting guilt to using AI for generating child sexual abuse material.
In March, two teenage boys in Pennsylvania received probation sentences for producing explicit AI images of their classmates at an exclusive private school.
Additionally, three Tennessee teenagers filed a lawsuit earlier this year against Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging the company’s Grok tools transformed their actual photographs into sexually explicit images.
The high school students are pursuing class-action status to represent what their lawsuit claims are thousands of other minors who suffered similar victimization.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Thursday her intention to enhance security cooperation between the two nations during U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s upcoming visit to Mexico City. The discussions will focus on fighting drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, weapons trafficking, and improving intelligence cooperation.
The U.S. official’s two-day trip follows recent diplomatic friction stemming from the deaths of two CIA agents near Mexico’s northern border and federal drug trafficking charges filed against 10 Mexican government officials.
Since taking office in October 2024, Sheinbaum’s government has worked to balance cooperation with the Trump administration while protecting Mexico’s national sovereignty against potential U.S. military action threats.
“What we want is for us to continue working within the framework of that (security) understanding,” Sheinbaum stated during her morning press briefing, referencing previous discussions with the Trump administration.
Mullin, who took over the role in March following Kristi Noem’s exit, will also conduct meetings with Mexico’s Security Cabinet during his visit.
The Mexican leader indicated Thursday she plans to address with Mullin the deaths of 15 Mexican migrants in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities since 2025, which sparked formal diplomatic complaints from her administration. Sheinbaum has ordered consular staff to conduct daily inspections of these detention facilities, and Mexico announced in March it would present these cases to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
However, the Mexican president stated she would not discuss the cases of the 10 indicted officials during her talks with Mullin, noting that some of these individuals are members of the ruling Morena party.
In late April, New York’s Attorney General filed charges against Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha, Culiacan mayor Juan de Dios Gámez, and eight additional current and former officials, alleging drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession.
Both Rocha and Gámez have temporarily left their positions to allow for the investigation launched by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, while former Sinaloa administration officials Gerardo Mérida and Enrique Díaz turned themselves in to U.S. authorities last week.
Relations between the countries became tense following the April 19 deaths of two CIA agents and two officials from the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office when their vehicle crashed into a ravine in mountainous terrain between Chihuahua — which shares a border with Texas — and Sinaloa state, where authorities had recently shut down an illegal synthetic drug laboratory.
This incident led to an official complaint from the Sheinbaum administration to Washington, protesting that it had not been notified about the presence or activities of the two U.S. agents operating in the opposition-controlled state of Chihuahua.
A Cuban military-controlled business empire has become the focal point of escalating tensions between Washington and Havana, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio placing blame squarely on the conglomerate for the island nation’s struggling economy.
The organization in question is GAESA, a military-run business network that Rubio, a Cuban American politician, accuses of being the true power behind Cuba’s economic troubles.
“Cuba is controlled by GAESA,” Rubio declared Wednesday in a Spanish-language video directed at Cuban citizens. “A ‘state within the state’ that is accountable to no one and hoards the profits from its businesses for the benefit of a small elite.”
Cuban leadership seldom discusses GAESA in public forums. Officials have consistently maintained that such privacy is essential when operating under a U.S. trade and financial embargo that significantly hampers the nation’s international business relationships.
Understanding GAESA’s Structure
The acronym represents Grupo de Administración Empresarial, which translates to ‘business administration group.’ This extensive network of military-operated enterprises is widely regarded as the most profitable and well-run business entity on the island.
The organization oversees numerous luxury hotels throughout the Caribbean nation, operates the major Mariel port facility, runs the primary commercial banking institution, and manages extensive networks of grocery stores, fuel stations and money transfer services.
This closely monitored umbrella organization came into existence during the 1990s under then defense minister Raúl Castro’s direction and remains under the authority of the island’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Until his passing in 2022, Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, who was formerly Raúl Castro’s son-in-law, served as GAESA’s leader. His replacement, Brigadier General Ania Guillermina Lastres, recently faced U.S. sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this month.
The organization’s influence is perhaps most dramatically illustrated by Torre K, a 42-floor structure housing the luxury Iberostar Selection La Habana hotel, which stands as the island’s tallest building. This GAESA-connected construction project was finished in 2025 during a period of declining tourism, and the tower and hotel currently remain unoccupied.
Washington’s Position on GAESA
During his five-minute address to Cuban citizens, Rubio referenced GAESA eight separate times.
The Trump administration claims GAESA accumulates earnings from the nation’s most lucrative sectors and channels these resources to benefit military leadership and Cuban elites.
“The real reason you don’t have electricity, fuel, or food is because those who control your country have plundered billions of dollars, but nothing has been used to help the people,” Rubio stated.
Washington has consistently targeted GAESA enterprises with sanctions, which effectively bars American tourists from staying at GAESA-operated accommodations.
Cuba’s Response Regarding GAESA
Cuban officials reject claims that GAESA corruption or profit-hoarding has caused the current economic difficulties, instead highlighting recent United Nations expert statements that Trump administration fuel restrictions have created “energy starvation” with serious implications for human rights and development.
Beyond this defense, the government provides minimal information about the business group. A review of the leading Communist Party publication Granma revealed only seven mentions of “GAESA” across two decades, with these references containing little substantive detail.
Cuban government representatives rarely make public statements about GAESA, and the organization’s financial information does not appear in the communist government’s official budget documents.
Multiple government officials have indicated over time that maintaining secrecy is crucial for operating strategic enterprises that generate foreign currency while facing extensive U.S. sanctions.
In 2024, Gladys Bejerano, who served as Cuba’s comptroller general and chief auditor, informed Spanish news agency EFE that GAESA fell outside her oversight responsibilities and characterized the military-led enterprise as having “superior discipline and organization.”
GAESA’s Economic Impact
No official data exists regarding what portion of Cuba’s economy falls under GAESA’s control. External analysts estimate the figure ranges between 40% and 70%.
Rubio claimed GAESA generates income that exceeds Cuba’s national budget by three times.
“Today, while you suffer, these businessmen have $18 billion dollars in assets and control 70% of Cuba’s economy,” he stated.
Recently, Cuba’s embassy in the UK responded on X to a Miami Herald article citing the $18 billion amount, asserting the report had exaggerated GAESA’s wealth by 24 times.
“Basic accounting dismantles this ‘bombshell,’” the embassy posted. “Why the deception? Inventing a secret $18 billion hoard provides a convenient political excuse to tighten the very illegal sanctions that suffocate the Cuban population.”
The coffee giant has pulled the plug on an artificial intelligence inventory management system this week, just nine months after rolling it out to all North American locations, according to company documents obtained by Reuters and confirmed by two sources familiar with the matter.
The technology was implemented as part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to address ongoing product shortages that he has identified as a factor damaging the company’s sales performance.
An internal company communication from Monday stated: “Starting today, Automated Counting will be retired. Beverage components and milk will now be counted the same way you count other inventory categories in your coffeehouse.”
The artificial intelligence application, which was created to give Starbucks better insight into store-level shortages, regularly made errors in counting and identifying products, including mixing up different types of milk or completely overlooking items, as Reuters previously documented in February. Company footage demonstrated the system’s failure to detect a peppermint syrup bottle while successfully counting other bottles nearby.
When previously questioned about the technology, Starbucks had maintained that implementing the tool resulted in better product availability at store locations, which represents a key performance indicator in Niccol’s company-wide improvement initiative.
In response to Reuters’ inquiry on Thursday, Starbucks explained that ending the program for milk and beverage products resulted from choosing to “standardize how inventory is counted across coffeehouses as we continue to focus on consistency and execution at scale.” The company added it is pursuing more regular daily deliveries to locations along with ongoing supply chain enhancements.
The White House is pressing Congress to approve railroad safety legislation that has been stalled for months, following a devastating 2023 train derailment in Ohio that resulted in a fire and the release of more than a million gallons of dangerous chemicals and pollutants.
The proposed legislation has backing from President Donald Trump and numerous Democrats, but its future remains uncertain due to strong resistance from railroad companies and many Republican lawmakers.
On Thursday, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was reviewing a five-year, $580 billion highway funding package while considering whether to include rail safety provisions that would strengthen safety protocols for trains transporting hazardous cargo and impose stricter regulations on railcar wheel bearings.
Representative Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, argued the legislation is essential because the derailment “exposed serious weaknesses in the freight rail industry safety practices, particularly when it comes to transporting hazardous materials.”
However, Representative Sam Graves, the Republican committee chair, warned the proposal would increase rail shipping expenses by billions of dollars over a decade. “It’s going to ripple across the entire supply chain,” Graves stated.
The 2023 accident occurred when a railcar wheel bearing overheated and failed catastrophically. Norfolk Southern reached a $310 million settlement with the Justice Department in 2024, which included commitments to install additional equipment for early detection of overheated wheel bearings to prevent future derailments.
National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy noted that numerous safety recommendations issued after the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio derailment have not been implemented more than three years later.
“People living in the community of East Palestine and all Americans deserve no less than a comprehensive approach that addresses critical rail safety issues,” Homendy stated.
The proposed legislation would mandate improved safety protocols for hazardous material transport, require wayside defect detection systems, establish minimum two-person train crews, and increase penalties for violations.
The Association of American Railroads, representing major railway companies, opposed the measure, claiming it has “increasingly become a vehicle for longstanding labor and operational mandates that would raise costs throughout the supply chain while doing little to measurably improve safety outcomes.”
The stage is set for the 2026 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Final Four as teams gear up for the championship semifinals.
Tournament organizers have released promotional materials showcasing the upcoming Final Four competition, marking another milestone in the women’s collegiate lacrosse season.
The Final Four represents the culmination of the NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament, bringing together the top four teams in the nation to compete for spots in the championship game.
April marked a milestone for the nation’s pork industry as production levels soared to unprecedented heights, according to newly released federal agriculture data.
The latest livestock slaughter report reveals that pork production during the month exceeded all previous records, highlighting the continued expansion of the meat processing sector.
The statistics reflect ongoing trends in agricultural production as the industry adapts to market demands and processing capabilities.
Under mounting internal pressure, the Democratic National Committee made public on Thursday a critical analysis of Kamala Harris’ presidential defeat to Donald Trump that party leaders had previously kept under wraps — while simultaneously rejecting its conclusions.
The analysis determined that Democrats lost territory to Trump’s Republican Party due to inadequate financial support for state organizations and a “persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
The study highlighted Democratic struggles with male voters, those without college degrees, infrequent voters, and rural communities. The document’s release comes just months ahead of November’s congressional midterm races.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin declared in an accompanying statement that the report “does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” though he explained the publication was necessary to rebuild party confidence.
The 192-page analysis carries disclaimers on every page indicating it “reflects the views of the author, not the DNC,” with additional notes throughout pointing out factual errors and unsupported assertions.
Democratic consultant Paul Rivera authored the study, which was finished in late 2024. Some party members expressed frustration that the document had been kept confidential. Rivera was unavailable for immediate response.
Despite Trump’s waning approval ratings potentially benefiting Democrats in November’s congressional contests, the party continues seeking a cohesive platform for the 2028 presidential race.
Recent polling by The New York Times and Siena College revealed widespread dissatisfaction among Democratic supporters across all demographics, even as the party maintains what appears to be a significant edge over Republicans approaching the election.
Martin had originally committed to publishing the review but reversed course in December, stating he preferred Democrats focus forward rather than assign blame for 2024’s outcome. This decision prompted questions about his leadership from party supporters.
Martin explained he delayed the report’s release following Democratic wins in Virginia and New Jersey last November to prevent distraction, but admitted this choice created greater controversy. “For that, I sincerely apologize,” he stated.
Historical precedent exists for both major parties conducting such post-defeat analyses to identify lessons, typically involving interviews with party officials, activists, and financial supporters while examining expenditures and communication strategies.
The study acknowledges 2024’s narrow margins might lead Democrats to believe only small adjustments are necessary.
However, this thinking represents denial, according to the analysis, which argues the party “has vacillated between stagnation and retrogression” following Barack Obama’s overwhelming 2008 presidential victory.
The review also criticized Democrat Joe Biden’s administration for inadequately preparing Harris for success during her vice presidency, weakening her position when Biden suddenly ended his reelection campaign in July 2024.
The Western Conference championship series between Oklahoma City and San Antonio has developed into two separate battles as the teams prepare for Game 3 on Friday night.
While Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bounced back from his typical slow start and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama continues putting up historic numbers in the conference finals, both squads are facing mounting injury concerns among their supporting players.
The series stands even at one game each as action moves to San Antonio. San Antonio captured the opener behind Wembanyama’s dominant 41-point, 24-rebound performance, while the defending champion Thunder evened things up in Game 2 with 30 points from Gilgeous-Alexander.
“We’re probably most comfortable playing in front of our fans,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said following their Game 2 defeat in Oklahoma City. “I don’t think we’ll have any problem doing that. Mentally, I think we’re all in a good head space. We came here, won a game on the road and they’re a good team and they responded. So, now we have a chance to play in front of our fans.”
However, the mental aspect isn’t what should concern either franchise. The physical toll is becoming increasingly problematic.
Multiple players are dealing with various ailments including ankle problems, hamstring issues, and thigh injuries – and those are just the known concerns, not accounting for the wear and tear accumulated over seven to eight months of competition.
As anticipated, the Western Conference finals have evolved into an intense showdown. Beyond the obvious Thunder versus Spurs matchup between the league’s top two teams fighting for an NBA Finals berth, there’s also the challenge of overcoming physical attrition – and currently, the injuries might be gaining the upper hand.
“It feels like that’s always at this time of the season in every sport, right? You have to get to the end to give yourself a chance,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson explained. “And I think that’s why we have to continue to trust our depth and guys have to step up when their name’s called — answer the bell and be able to give us some quality minutes.”
San Antonio All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox continues battling an ankle problem that won’t resolve until the season concludes. His backup, Dylan Harper, appeared to injure his hamstring during Game 2 and left the contest early. For Oklahoma City, guard Jalen Williams re-aggravated his troublesome left hamstring in Game 2, while his replacement, Ajay Mitchell, suffered a thigh injury in the closing moments.
San Antonio’s Game 1 victory came largely due to Harper’s contributions. Oklahoma City’s Game 2 triumph was significantly aided by Isaiah Hartenstein’s impact on both ends of the court. Despite the exceptional play from Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama, role players will likely determine individual games and potentially the entire series.
“I think it’s a privilege,” said Hartenstein, who contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2. “You dream of playing in games like this and playing a game against another great team is always something really special. Again, I heard somewhere that pressure is a privilege and so I think just being in this series where the pressure is so high, just trying to go out there and enjoy competing is always something really important.”
Gilgeous-Alexander endured a difficult Game 1, connecting on just 7 of 23 attempts – marking the sixth occasion in his past seven series openers where he failed to shoot 50 percent. However, his timing returned in Game 2, which he anticipated would happen.
“I just have sucked when I get too long of a break,” Gilgeous-Alexander admitted. “I don’t think it’s anything other than that.”
Through two contests, Wembanyama has accumulated 62 points and 41 rebounds. While other players have scored more points in conference finals openers, no one since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1974 has recorded at least 60 points and 40 rebounds through the first two games of this playoff round.
“I can think of a few down moments for myself, especially in the fourth quarter,” Wembanyama reflected after Game 2.
The series couldn’t be more competitive beyond the obvious 1-1 game split.
Each winning team has scored exactly 122 points. Combined scoring shows Thunder 237, Spurs 235. Both clubs recorded 8-0 runs in Game 1 and 11-0 runs in Game 2. Oklahoma City has connected on 30 three-pointers compared to San Antonio’s 29. The Spurs are shooting 46 percent while the Thunder are at 44 percent.
The key differences lie elsewhere: San Antonio holds a 25-rebound advantage but has committed 19 more turnovers. Castle delivered a spectacular dunk over Hartenstein in Game 2 but has struggled with 20 turnovers across both games. Should the Spurs’ backcourt depth remain compromised, Castle will face increased pressure this weekend.
“You’ve got be aggressive against us,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault noted. “But if you’re overaggressive, we’ll make you pay.”
The Democratic Party’s effort to understand their 2024 election losses has hit a roadblock after party leadership discovered significant problems with their commissioned review.
Party chairman Ken Martin announced Thursday that the analysis they had requested turned out to be both incomplete and unverifiable, prompting the Democratic National Committee to take the unusual step of releasing an annotated version of the flawed document.
The party had initially sought the review as a way to examine what led to their electoral defeats in 2024, but the investigation itself has now become a source of additional concerns for Democratic leadership.
Martin’s decision to make public an annotated version of the problematic report suggests the party is attempting to address transparency questions while acknowledging the review’s limitations.
DETROIT — Detroit Tigers star pitcher Tarik Skubal completed his third practice throwing session Thursday as he continues his comeback from elbow surgery.
The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner had a minimally invasive operation on his left throwing elbow May 6 to extract a loose fragment. His latest throwing session took place before Detroit’s home matchup with Cleveland.
Manager A.J. Hinch described the session as a “great step” while declining to provide a timeline for Skubal’s return to competition.
“There are little hurdles to clear along the way when you come back from a procedure,” Hinch said. “As much as we described it as simple, it’s still a procedure.”
During the session, Skubal utilized all of his pitches while delivering 35 throws total, including a rest period designed to replicate the break between innings.
“His velocity was as high as it’s been since his throwing started,” Hinch said. “He sat down and came back and did like a simulated second inning. That’s encouraging and it’s full stuff.”
The pitcher will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip to Baltimore this weekend, where he’ll complete another throwing session. Team medical personnel and coaches will assess his progress before determining the next phase of his recovery.
This season, Skubal has posted a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA across seven appearances. His contract expires following this season.
ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish appeals court delivered a significant blow to the nation’s primary opposition movement Thursday by invalidating the 2023 party election that brought its current leader to power.
The decision strikes another damaging blow against the Republican People’s Party, known as CHP, which has been battling numerous legal challenges aimed at its leadership and elected representatives.
The appeals court in Turkey’s capital Ankara invalidated the CHP leadership election that installed Ozgur Ozel as party chairman, mandating his replacement with former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
While a lower court previously rejected allegations of voting irregularities and improper conduct in Ozel’s election last year, Thursday’s appellate ruling reversed that earlier decision.
The court order triggered urgent discussions at CHP headquarters in Ankara, creating additional obstacles for opposition efforts to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than 20-year grip on power. Substantial crowds assembled outside the building while law enforcement set up protective barriers.
Turkey’s next presidential contest is scheduled for 2028, though Erdogan retains the authority to schedule an earlier election. His primary political rival, Istanbul’s CHP mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, has been behind bars since March of last year while facing trial on corruption accusations.
The appellate court’s ruling temporarily removes Ozel and the party’s executive leadership from their positions. Kilicdaroglu and officials who served before the November 2023 party congress will assume their roles on an interim basis.
Speaking to broadcaster TV100, Kilicdaroglu urged party supporters to stay composed. “Our party is a very large party and it will solve its own problems internally,” he said. The 77-year-old leader was ousted after leading the party for 13 years without securing victory in any nationwide elections.
Ozel, for his part, worked to energize his base of support.
“I am not promising you a path to power through a rose garden,” he posted on X following the ruling. “I am promising you the ability to endure suffering but never surrender. I am promising you honor, dignity, courage and struggle!”
The CHP plans to contest Thursday’s decision before the Supreme Court in the near future.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, who previously handled multiple CHP cases as Istanbul’s top prosecutor, characterized the court’s decision as one that “reinforces our citizens’ trust in democracy.”
Numerous political analysts have argued that the legal actions targeting the CHP — primarily focused on corruption accusations — are politically driven attempts to weaken the party before upcoming elections. Government officials, however, maintain that Turkey’s judicial system operates independently without political interference.
Erdogan has governed Turkey since 2003, initially as prime minister before assuming the presidency. His winning streak faced a significant setback in 2019 when CHP candidates captured control of multiple major municipalities during local voting. In Istanbul, Imamoglu became a compelling and charismatic leader whom many believed capable of defeating Erdogan.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — While Americans typically display patriotism through red, white and blue attire or flag imagery, the truest representation of the nation’s spirit might just be hanging in your closet. Blue jeans serve as America’s universal uniform, owned by nearly every person regardless of background.
Despite today’s polarized climate, denim serves as a unifying force that crosses all boundaries — political affiliations, age groups, economic classes, social circles, and backgrounds. From native-born Americans like the jean-wearing Bruce Springsteen featured on his 1984 hit album to immigrants like Levi Strauss who arrived seeking opportunity, denim connects all.
Among America’s diverse tapestry of cultures and ethnicities, blue jeans stand as the singular unifying element.
The iconic garment’s origins trace back to brown canvas material rather than blue fabric. In 1853, Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria who arrived in San Francisco during California’s Gold Rush era, initially crafted the pants from tent canvas material. When gold prospectors embraced the sturdy pants so enthusiastically that canvas supplies were depleted, Strauss transitioned to indigo-colored denim fabric. The collaboration with Nevada tailor Jacob Davis, who proposed adding copper rivets to strengthen pocket areas, led to their 1873 patent that established today’s blue jean design.
While Levi Strauss & Co. and competitors like H.D. Lee and Wrangler have generated enormous profits from denim sales over the years, blue jeans represent cultural significance beyond the commercial success that defined America.
Beyond their connection to Gold Rush history, blue jeans symbolize:
—the unwavering resolve of railway laborers who donned them while constructing cross-country transportation networks;
—the adventurous courage of frontier cowboys and wanderers who wore them during westward expansion;
—the strong work values of agricultural workers and industrial laborers who chose them for daily tasks;
—the nonconformist attitude of motorcycle riders and other rebels who adopted them following Marlon Brando’s iconic 1953 “The Wild Ones” performance;
—the vibrant creativity of hippie culture, who decorated flared versions with flower appliques and colorful patterns during San Francisco’s 1967 “Summer of Love” movement.
Across all variations and designs, blue jeans represent the ideal match for American identity.
Elon Musk has submitted paperwork for what could become history’s largest initial public offering, seeking to take his rocket company SpaceX public with massive financial backing for his interplanetary ambitions.
The filing, spanning over 250 pages, reveals expenditures on a scale that exceeds some nations’ entire economic output, with plans to expand even further as Musk works toward his goal of transporting humans to other worlds. The public stock offering is expected to raise approximately $75 billion to fund these ambitious space exploration projects.
If successful, this IPO would break all previous records and could potentially make Musk, who already holds the title of world’s wealthiest individual and maintains significant ownership in SpaceX, the planet’s first trillionaire.
The filing reads almost like science fiction as Musk outlines his vision for using rocket technology to prevent human extinction by establishing humanity as a multi-planet civilization.
His roadmap includes initial missions to the moon, followed by potential Mars expeditions, with the ultimate objective of establishing a permanent settlement housing one million residents on the red planet.
Here’s an examination of the remarkable figures underlying Musk’s extraordinary vision.
SpaceX is anticipated to achieve this valuation following its public debut, scheduled for next month. Currently, Nvidia holds the position as the world’s most valuable publicly traded corporation at approximately $5.4 trillion. Nvidia went public in January 1999 and first achieved a market value exceeding $2 trillion in March 2024.
This represents SpaceX’s financial shortfall for the complete 2025 fiscal year. Tesla, Musk’s electric car manufacturer, became publicly traded in 2010 but didn’t achieve yearly profitability until 2020.
This figure represents Elon Musk’s total wealth as of May 20, based on Forbes calculations. Musk maintains substantial shareholdings in SpaceX and is positioned to gain hundreds of billions more through a Tesla compensation agreement, provided he achieves specific financial and operational targets.
Musk controls this percentage of voting authority at SpaceX through his ownership of over 90% of the company’s Class B stock, which provides holders with 10 votes per share. Additionally, he holds a 12% position in Class A shares, which carry single voting rights.
This is the required number of people Musk must establish in a Martian settlement to qualify for a portion of his SpaceX compensation deal. Currently, no technology exists to transport even a single person to Mars, much less one million individuals.
SpaceX must reach this maximum market value for Musk to collect his complete compensation package. He will receive payments incrementally as the company’s market value hits specific benchmarks. For context, Trump’s proposed defense spending for fiscal year 2027 totals $1.5 trillion.
SpaceX currently operates roughly this many Starlink satellites in space. For comparison, UPS reports operating 135,000 delivery vehicles of various types in its fleet, while Delta Air Lines maintains over 1,200 aircraft when including regional partners.
Musk must retain his SpaceX shares for this duration before selling or transferring them. This restriction, known as a lock-up period, prevents company insiders from immediately selling their holdings or cashing out. Other major SpaceX investors face a 180-day waiting period.
The company’s total expenditures in 2025 across all divisions, encompassing rockets, satellites and artificial intelligence development. The connectivity division, which includes Starlink satellites, accounted for the largest portion at slightly under $11.4 billion.
SpaceX purchased this amount in Cybertrucks during 2025 from Tesla, Musk’s other publicly traded enterprise. With a base Cybertruck priced at $69,990, this $131 million expenditure equals 1,871 vehicles. The interconnected nature of Musk’s companies has sparked discussion about a potential Tesla-SpaceX merger.
A celebrated Associated Press sports journalist who brought readers into the heart of major tennis championships, Olympic competitions, and skiing events has passed away at age 55.
Howard Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, according to his wife Rosanna Maietta. He had been battling cancer since receiving his diagnosis in February, just after returning from covering his 11th Olympic Games in Milan.
Tennis legend Roger Federer, who recalled having more than 100 encounters with Fendrich throughout the years, described the writer as “one of those constant and reassuring presences in the tennis world for many years.”
“He started covering tennis in 2002, right around the time I was starting to have my breakthrough in the sport, and over time he truly became part of the fabric of tennis,” Federer said. “Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person.”
Fendrich leaves behind his wife, his mother Renée, his brother Alex, and two sons, Stefano and Jordan, who are both following their father’s path into sports journalism.
“Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise and enthusiasm to his work,” said AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace. “His stories were a joy to read, combining lively writing with insightful reporting. He was also a generous and beloved colleague whose warmth and passion touched so many across the AP.”
After graduating from Haverford College near Philadelphia, Fendrich spent 33 years with the Associated Press, beginning his career as an unpaid intern in Rome.
During his time in Italy, he mastered the language primarily through watching Italian karaoke videos, which opened doors to covering European sports, particularly soccer. This experience caught the attention of AP sports editor Terry R. Taylor, who facilitated his return to the United States.
Back in America, Fendrich began as an editor at AP’s New York sports desk while also writing a sports media column. He relocated to the Washington area in 2005, becoming a regular fixture covering regional sports in the area where he had been raised.
Tennis, however, remained his greatest love. He documented the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and many others. Over nearly 25 years covering the sport, he reported on approximately 70 Grand Slam tournaments, where his exceptional talent was most evident.
Among Fendrich’s accolades were two Grimsley Awards recognizing the best overall work among AP sports writers, plus several deadline-writing honors. One such recognition came for his coverage of Andre Agassi’s final match at the 2006 U.S. Open:
“Crouched alone in the silence of the locker room, a pro tennis player no more, a red-eyed Andre Agassi twisted his torso in an attempt to conquer the seemingly mundane task of pulling a white shirt over his head. Never more than at that moment did Agassi seem so vulnerable, looking far older than his 36 years.”
This excerpt exemplified Fendrich’s approach – observing carefully, taking detailed notes, venturing beyond the playing surfaces, and meticulously examining details from events witnessed by millions to reveal insights that even nearby observers might miss.
Fendrich documented Federer’s emotional encounter with Bjorn Borg in a corridor following a historic Wimbledon victory. He described the harsh realities of competing on clay courts at Roland Garros, including the post-match ritual of washing red clay from clothing.
During his final major assignment in Milan, he pursued speedskater Jutta Leerdam’s well-known fiancé, fighter Jake Paul, through a hallway to a parking area – all in pursuit of details and quotes. After obtaining what he needed, Paul declared: “OK, we’re done.” Security personnel intervened, and as Fendrich later recounted at dinner: “I decided, ‘Yes, I guess we are.’”
He possessed an intuitive understanding of where to position himself, whom to approach, and crucially, what questions to pose and how to ask them.
During the sweltering Washington summer of 2011, he spent days seated on a folding chair on a sidewalk, laptop balanced on his knees, writing while awaiting key figures to emerge from tense NFL labor lockout negotiations. Despite not being considered an “NFL insider” in today’s terms, Fendrich worked every angle – the room, the phones, and even the sidewalk – helping AP remain competitive in reporting developments and the eventual resolution.
“There was that doggedness,” said Mary Byrne, who served as AP’s deputy sports editor during the lockout. “He was annoyed by it, and by all the time he spent out there waiting for people to come out and say nothing. But that situation wasn’t going to get the best of him, and he wasn’t going to get beat on the story.”
When Washington quarterback Alex Smith suffered a devastating leg injury in 2018, Fendrich immediately contacted the one person who could relate: retired star quarterback Joe Theismann.
Yet even during major events like World Series games, Fendrich would answer his phone when it rang. If he began speaking Italian, it was certainly Rosanna, his wife. Sometimes his children would call with school questions or stories from their soccer games. For his family, he always had unlimited patience and time.
Then he would return immediately to work, never missing any important details.
“Nothing got past him,” said Stephen Wilson, AP’s former European sports editor, who collaborated with Fendrich for over two decades. “Every story — even a three-paragraph brief — had to be iron-clad.”
Fendrich’s mastery extended beyond writing. He possessed a quick, sharp wit. No colleague could refuse when he would raise his eyebrows, gesture toward the door, and invite them to join him in his “office” – typically a quiet courtyard or hallway outside a press room – to discuss daily coverage plans or share observations about people and events around the venues.
Chris Lehourites, an AP editor who oversaw European tennis coverage for decades, spent countless hours with Fendrich deliberating over punctuation, sentence structure, and word selection, calling him a “perfectionist when it came to his job.”
“Howard was also a friend,” Lehourites said, “whose dry humor, along with his bags of Blow Pop lollipops, made long days go by quick.”
The University of Florida announced Thursday that Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu has decided to pull out of the 2026 NBA Draft and will rejoin a talent-rich Gators roster.
The 22-year-old posted averages of 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds across 35 games, starting every contest for Florida last season. Standing 6-foot-11 and weighing 245 pounds, the center broke multiple university records with 19 double-doubles and 137 offensive rebounds in a single season.
After participating in the NBA combine in Chicago the previous week, Chinyelu chose to head back to Gainesville, Florida.
The Gators will welcome back 11 players from their Southeastern Conference championship squad from 2025-26. The returning roster features All-SEC forwards Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon, along with guard Boogie Fland.
Chinyelu has spent two years with Florida after making the move from Washington State at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
Authorities in northeastern Congo deployed tear gas and fired warning shots during violent clashes over burial arrangements for a footballer suspected of dying from Ebola, according to witnesses.
The confrontation occurred in Rwampara, a community severely affected by the current Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine or treatment available.
The incident underscores the challenges Congo officials face in implementing safe burial procedures for confirmed and suspected Ebola cases, which are essential for controlling the disease’s spread.
Ebola victims’ remains are extremely contagious following death, and improper burials where family members touch the body without adequate protection are a primary cause of virus transmission.
The current outbreak began when the first confirmed case died in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, on April 24. The infection spread after his remains were transported to the neighboring community of Mongbwalu, where funeral attendees gathered around and touched the body.
On Thursday morning, relatives of footballer Eli Munongo Wangu rejected safe burial procedures, challenged claims that the virus caused his death, and insisted on taking possession of his remains, witnesses reported.
Munongo had competed for multiple local teams and was recognized throughout his community. He had been hospitalized several days prior to his death. A medical professional confirmed to reporters that he was considered a suspected Ebola case and that the hospital had collected samples for testing.
“I believed my son had died of typhoid fever, not Ebola,” his mother stated.
Family members, friends and community residents assembled outside the medical facility demanding to retrieve his body for their own burial ceremony, violating explicit orders requiring safe burial procedures for all deceased, according to Jean-Claude Mukendi, a senior police officer overseeing security for the outbreak response in Ituri.
Military personnel initially attempted to calm tensions before police stepped in, deploying tear gas and firing warning shots to scatter the gathering, witnesses confirmed.
The crowd subsequently ignited two treatment tents equipped with eight beds operated by medical charity ALIMA, Mukendi reported, until additional army and police units arrived to restore order.
The tents were completely destroyed by fire, along with one body scheduled for burial that day. Six patients who were receiving care in the tents are now being treated at the hospital, ALIMA confirmed in an official statement.
Batakura Zamundu Mugeni, a local traditional leader who witnessed the events, said officials are collaborating with health workers to locate any patients who may have escaped and to trace their contacts.
Mukendi attributed the violence to “young people who do not grasp the reality of the disease.”
Public suspicion and false information have previously undermined Ebola response efforts in Congo. During the 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu province, armed groups and civilian protesters attacked hundreds of health facilities. That outbreak became the second-deadliest on record, claiming nearly 2,300 lives.
The present outbreak, officially declared by Congo’s government on Friday, has already become the third-largest recorded, with 160 suspected deaths among 670 suspected cases, based on health ministry statistics released Thursday.
Due to the outbreak, Congo’s national soccer team has canceled World Cup preparation activities in Kinshasa and will continue training in Belgium to meet U.S. travel requirements, a team spokesperson announced.
Montreal Victoire goalkeeper Ann-Renee Desbiens has the opportunity to make history as the first player to claim the PWHL Goaltender of the Year award twice.
The previous year’s winner was selected as a finalist Thursday alongside Boston Fleet’s Aerin Frankel and Ottawa Charge’s Gwyneth Philips.
The honor recognizes the netminder who demonstrates exceptional performance at their position throughout the regular season. Finalists were selected by a committee, and the winner will be revealed June 16 in Detroit.
The 32-year-old Desbiens established new PWHL single-season marks with a 1.11 goals-against average and .955 save percentage while tying for the league lead with a record 19 victories in 25 appearances. She finished second in the league with seven shutouts.
Frankel, 26, recorded a league-best eight shutouts while matching the 19-win record, compiling a 1.17 GAA and .953 save percentage. The Boston netminder achieved a shutout streak lasting 226 minutes and nine seconds.
The 25-year-old Philips established a PWHL record with 28 starts and surpassed the league minutes record by more than 300. She also set a new league standard with 786 saves, outpacing the second-place finisher by 155.
Desbiens, whose Victoire defeated Philips and the Charge for the Walter Cup on Wednesday evening, captured last season’s award while facing the identical pair of finalists.
International health officials are working urgently to develop medical interventions for an ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The Bundibugyo variant differs from the more commonly seen Zaire strain, as no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist for this particular form of the disease.
Approximately 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths have been documented in this outbreak, according to reports. The World Health Organization has cautioned that these figures may continue to climb. The Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) carries a mortality rate reaching up to 40%.
Researchers are evaluating a limited number of experimental vaccines and therapies, while international health officials investigate whether current Ebola medical interventions might provide protection – though this possibility is currently backed only by preliminary animal research.
The majority of potential treatments have not undergone human testing and would need emergency or compassionate-use approval for use in DRC.
VACCINES
A vaccine specifically targeting Bundibugyo, called rVSVΔG/BDBV-GP, employs the same technology found in Merck’s approved Ervebo vaccine for the Ebola Zaire strain. This vaccine demonstrated survival benefits in non-human primates during a 2023 proof-of-concept study.
A spokesperson for the University of Texas Medical Branch, whose researchers participated in the study, indicated that conversations are continuing to move the vaccine forward, though no final decisions have been made. The WHO has suggested a possible six-to-nine-month timeframe for producing an rVSV Bundibugyo vaccine.
A second potential vaccine candidate utilizing ChAdOx1 technology, the same platform used in the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, is being produced by the Serum Institute of India.
The company began production through its “emergency response framework,” working with partners Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the University of Oxford, immediately after learning of the outbreak this month, according to a spokesperson.
Vaccine doses might be available within two to three months, the WHO reported, although animal studies remain to be completed, requiring additional testing.
CEPI, which supported some initial COVID-19 vaccine development and seeks to have vaccines ready within 100 days of an outbreak, confirmed it is discussing with both vaccine candidates how to accelerate development, which would likely involve conducting pre-clinical studies simultaneously with manufacturing additional doses.
ANTIBODY-BASED THERAPIES
Privately held Mapp Biopharmaceutical is creating a pan-ebolavirus antibody treatment using a combination of two human monoclonal antibodies, designated MBP134.
Originally researched for Sudan ebolavirus, the treatment proved safe and well-tolerated in preliminary trials. The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, has supported its development.
The agency confirmed it is organizing shipments of the investigational treatment for potential use in high-risk Americans who have been exposed to the virus.
Mapp reported that MBP134 has demonstrated comparable effectiveness against all known ebolaviruses and that the company is collaborating with the World Health Organization and other authorities in responding to the Congo outbreak.
Human monoclonal antibodies taken from Bundibugyo survivors have also been investigated as possible treatments.
One potential treatment, BDBV289-N, showed effectiveness in a 2018 animal study. The research, performed by a team of scientists with backing from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, revealed the antibody provided up to 100% protection in infected monkeys, even when treatment began up to eight days following infection.
ANTIVIRAL DRUGS
Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medication, remdesivir, has demonstrated effectiveness against the Bundibugyo virus in laboratory research performed by scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Some findings suggest it may have greater effectiveness against BDBV compared to the Zaire Ebola strain.
Gilead did not respond to a request for comment.
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
The WHO had noted that restricted testing capabilities for the Bundibugyo strain was hampering the response to the outbreak. Several tests can identify the infection.
BioFire Defense, an affiliate of French diagnostic company bioMérieux, produces an FDA-cleared test – BioFire Global Fever Special Pathogens Panel – that can identify multiple Ebola species, including Bundibugyo.
A company spokesperson confirmed it is expanding production capacity and working with public health stakeholders and international contacts to evaluate potential requirements.
Germany-based company Altona Diagnostics’ test named RealStar Filovirus Screen RT-PCR Kit 1.0 is being utilized to detect the Bundibugyo outbreak in Congo. The company has increased production to support local testing facilities in Congo.
A University of Delaware field hockey player has been chosen for the United States national team roster for an upcoming international competition.
Sarah Rigual, a junior on the Blue Hens field hockey squad, was selected for the USA Field Hockey U-21 Team that will compete in the 2026 4 Nations Tournament. The national team coaching staff made the announcement on Thursday from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The selection represents a significant achievement for the Delaware player, who will now represent her country in international competition alongside other top young field hockey talent from across the United States.
The Delaware Department of Transportation has announced upcoming lane restrictions on Hollymount Road in the Harbeson area that will affect traffic for more than a week.
Beginning Wednesday, May 27th and continuing through Wednesday, June 3rd, drivers can expect lane closures on Hollymount Road in the stretch between Indian Mission Road and Beaver Dam Road. The restrictions are necessary to accommodate paving work in the area.
Officials are advising drivers to reduce their speed when traveling through the construction zone and to anticipate possible delays during their commute.
Additional details about this and other transportation projects can be found on DelDOT’s official website at www.deldot.gov.
The annual Ice Cream Trail in Maryland is returning for its 14th consecutive season, featuring additional participating venues for 2026.
Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, along with the Maryland’s Best program, are inviting both state residents and tourists to take part in celebrating the local dairy sector by exploring participating establishments during the trail period from May 21 through September 7, 2026.
The Maryland’s Best initiative operates as a comprehensive statewide promotional effort focused on building relationships between consumers and local agricultural producers.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive player Nolan Smith Jr. was taken into custody in Georgia last week for allegedly driving at excessive speeds and reckless operation of a vehicle, law enforcement officials confirmed.
The former Georgia college player was apprehended on May 15 evening for traveling at 135 mph in an area with a posted speed limit of 70 mph, the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Smith posted bail and was freed approximately one hour following his arrest.
The Savannah, Georgia native was chosen by Philadelphia as the 30th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft. Throughout his three-year career, he has accumulated 25 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Smith played an important part in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX championship campaign, tallying five quarterback hits, four sacks and four tackles for loss throughout the postseason. He notably stayed in the Eagles’ 40-22 Super Bowl triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs even after suffering a torn triceps injury that subsequently required surgical repair.
The Eagles are set to begin organized team activities on Tuesday. Smith faces a court appearance on July 15, though a sheriff’s office representative indicated he may avoid appearing if he settles his fines.
An Eagles spokesperson did not immediately provide comment when contacted by The Associated Press.
Smith joins a growing list of former and current Georgia players who have faced driving-related charges. His teammate Jalen Carter received 12 months’ probation and a $1,000 fine in 2023 after entering a no contest plea to misdemeanor reckless driving and racing charges connected to a fatal crash that claimed the lives of Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.
The Delaware Department of Transportation has issued a closure notice for a Sussex County roadway that will affect traffic in the Ellendale area for four days.
S. Old State Road will be completely shut down between E. Robbins Road and Beach Highway starting Tuesday, May 26th and continuing through Friday, May 29th.
Motorists who regularly travel this route should plan alternate paths during the closure period. The transportation department has not specified the reason for the closure in the announcement.
JERUSALEM (AP) — A controversial video showing Israel’s national security minister mocking detained Gaza flotilla activists has put a spotlight on Itamar Ben-Gvir’s lengthy record of provocative behavior and extreme political positions.
The far-right politician, who was rejected from mandatory military service as a young man due to his radical beliefs, has spent decades working his way from the political margins to become one of Israel’s most influential leaders.
Ben-Gvir faced widespread criticism this week after footage emerged showing his treatment of approximately 430 people detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla. Even coalition partner Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned his actions.
The video clips show Ben-Gvir displaying a large Israeli flag above hunched detainees with bound hands. In another scene, he shouts “Am Israel Chai” — meaning “The nation of Israel lives” in Hebrew — at a kneeling person whose wrists are restrained with zip ties. Additional footage shows detainees with their faces pressed to the ground in an outdoor enclosure while the Israeli national anthem plays and armed officers surround them.
The 50-year-old heads an ultranationalist movement promoting West Bank settlements and has successfully reinvented himself from a political outsider to a major power broker in Israeli politics over several decades.
Ben-Gvir’s criminal record includes eight convictions for charges such as racism and backing a terrorist organization.
Military officials refused to allow him to serve when he reached conscription age, determining his political views were too radical.
As a young man, Ben-Gvir became known as a supporter of deceased extremist rabbi Meir Kahane. He first gained national attention in 1995 when he damaged the hood ornament on then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s vehicle.
“We got to his car, and we’ll get to him too,” he declared at the time, making the statement just weeks before a Jewish extremist assassinated Rabin over his Palestinian peace initiatives.
In 1997, Ben-Gvir admitted to organizing protest campaigns, including death threats, that forced Irish performer Sinead O’Connor to cancel a Jerusalem peace concert.
Ben-Gvir’s ascent to political prominence represents years of calculated efforts by the media-savvy politician to achieve mainstream acceptance. His success also mirrors a broader conservative shift among Israeli voters that has elevated his religious, ultranationalist beliefs while reducing prospects for Palestinian statehood.
Professionally trained in law, Ben-Gvir built his reputation defending extremist Jews charged with attacking Palestinians.
His sharp humor and upbeat personality made him a regular media presence, helping launch his political career. He first won a parliamentary seat in 2021.
Ben-Gvir has advocated for exiling his political rivals. In 2022, he displayed a handgun and urged police to shoot Palestinian stone-throwers in a volatile Jerusalem area.
Through his Cabinet position, Ben-Gvir controls the nation’s police forces. He has used this authority to push Netanyahu to continue the Gaza conflict and recently claimed credit for preventing previous ceasefire agreements.
In his role as national security minister, he has directed police to take aggressive action against government critics.
Ben-Gvir, a resident of the West Bank settlement Kiryat Arba, obtained his Cabinet position following 2022 elections that brought Netanyahu and his far-right allies, including Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, to power.
“Over the last year I’ve been on a mission to save Israel,” Ben-Gvir stated to journalists before that election. “Millions of citizens are waiting for a real right-wing government. The time has come to give them one.”
Throughout his time in office, Ben-Gvir has generated constant controversy — promoting widespread gun distribution to Jewish civilians, supporting Netanyahu’s disputed judicial reform plans, and regularly criticizing U.S. officials for perceived anti-Israel positions.
His responsibilities include overseeing the police force, prison system, and border security units operating in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the Gaza war, Ben-Gvir consistently opposed allowing humanitarian supplies into the territory, despite expert warnings about potential famine conditions.
In July 2025, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and one other Israeli minister for allegedly “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Netherlands has prohibited Ben-Gvir from entering the country.
He recently expressed satisfaction in Israel’s parliament after lawmakers passed legislation he championed authorizing capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis.
Ben-Gvir stepped down from Netanyahu’s Cabinet temporarily last year to protest the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire lasted from January 19 to March 1. While Ben-Gvir’s departure didn’t prevent the ceasefire, it did undermine Netanyahu’s governing alliance.
Ben-Gvir returned to the Cabinet when Israel terminated the ceasefire and resumed military operations in Gaza in March 2025. He has maintained his Cabinet position throughout the current Gaza ceasefire.
WASHINGTON — Federal officials developed new regulations over nearly 12 months designed to prevent foreign enemies from purchasing commercial location information collected from mobile devices near the government’s most critical facilities.
But the final regulations contain significant omissions, according to a Thursday alert from three congressional Democrats. Notable facilities missing from the 736 protected locations include the White House, Congress, and CIA headquarters.
“The sale of Americans’ location data by data brokers poses a serious threat to U.S. national security, particularly when data about U.S. government employees is sold to foreign governments,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Trump administration officials. “Such data can reveal sensitive information that can be exploited for espionage purposes.”
The correspondence, bearing signatures from Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, along with Rep. Sara Jacobs of California, called on the Trump administration to fix these omissions and establish a comprehensive “protection zone” covering the entire Washington, D.C. area instead of selecting specific buildings. The lawmakers also pushed for expanding the roster of restricted countries prohibited from obtaining Americans’ data.
Justice Department representatives declined to provide comment. Officials from the Director of National Intelligence’s office did not return requests for comment.
Commercial data brokers have historically sold this type of information to assist businesses with targeted marketing, consumer behavior analysis, and investment research. Government agencies have increasingly relied on these information sources for law enforcement and intelligence gathering. Foreign intelligence services can utilize such data to track movement patterns and activities of U.S. government workers.
This type of commercially accessible information has previously been employed to locate sensitive U.S. installations. Fitness tracking applications have also created security issues during military missions or at classified locations, including a recent incident when a French aircraft carrier operating in the Mediterranean allegedly revealed its position after a crew member recorded a jogging route on the vessel’s deck.
The regulations, effective April 2025, aim to restrict data sales to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. They generally prohibit selling location information from more than 1,000 American devices to these nations. However, recognizing that foreign governments could potentially bypass these limitations by purchasing smaller datasets, the rules specifically designated certain government-linked sites where even single-device data sales are prohibited.
The regulation identified these locations only through GPS coordinates. Staff members working for Wyden, with assistance from the Congressional Research Service, examined the GPS coordinates to determine which U.S. government facilities were covered and which were overlooked, according to a representative for the senator.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned signing ceremony Thursday for an executive order addressing artificial intelligence, citing fears the directive might damage America’s competitive position in AI development.
The president announced he was delaying the signing after reviewing the order’s language, making the decision just hours before the scheduled Oval Office ceremony.
“We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters during a separate Oval Office gathering.
The effort to establish government oversight of advanced AI systems stems from mounting concerns among banking institutions and other sectors about AI’s expanding capability to identify cybersecurity weaknesses in global software systems.
In April, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell organized an emergency session with Wall Street chief executives, alerting them to cybersecurity threats from Anthropic’s AI model, Claude Mythos.
The hastily arranged meeting at Treasury Department headquarters aimed to make banks aware of potential risks from these AI models, Bessent explained during CNBC’s “Invest in America Forum” in Washington that April. “This new Anthropic model is very powerful,” he stated. “Some banks are doing a better job in cybersecurity than others, and we want to have the ability to convene them and talk about what is best practices and where they should be heading.”
The concerns prompted some Republican president allies to suggest improved methods for providing these AI tools to reliable cybersecurity professionals.
However, any strategy resembling government review of commercial AI models would represent a major departure from Trump’s campaign promises to eliminate AI safety regulations established by Democratic President Joe Biden during his second White House term.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s highest court has rejected Alabama’s effort to proceed with the execution of a death row prisoner determined by lower courts to have intellectual disabilities, in a split decision announced Thursday.
The court’s dismissal upholds earlier rulings protecting Joseph Clifton Smith, age 55, who has spent approximately 27 years awaiting execution following his 1997 conviction for fatally beating a man.
In 2002, the nation’s top court banned the execution of individuals with intellectual disabilities through a groundbreaking decision. Additional rulings in 2014 and 2017 required states to examine supplementary evidence of disability in cases where IQ scores fall near the threshold, acknowledging potential inaccuracies in testing.
Smith’s situation centered on how courts should evaluate cases where multiple IQ assessments yield results just above the commonly recognized disability threshold of 70. His five intelligence tests showed results between 72 and 78. According to his legal team, Smith attended special education classes and left school following seventh grade. When the murder occurred, his academic abilities were severely limited: mathematics at a kindergarten level, spelling equivalent to third grade, and reading skills matching fourth grade.
The court had agreed to review the matter to establish guidelines for evaluating such borderline intellectual disability situations. Oral arguments occurred in December.
Instead of issuing a ruling, however, the justices chose the uncommon step of dismissing the appeal entirely, allowing the most recent lower court decision to remain effective.
Five justices supported the dismissal: the court’s three liberal members plus two conservative colleagues.
The remaining four conservative justices objected, criticizing the federal appeals court in Atlanta for incorrect case analysis and arguing their fellow justices should have directed the appeals court to review Smith’s situation again.
The case reference is Hamm v. Smith, 24-872.
DANBURY, Conn. – Two athletes from Salisbury University’s women’s lacrosse program have earned recognition on the All-ECAC Team, according to an announcement made Wednesday morning by the Eastern College Athletic Conference.
Fleishell and Harrington were selected to represent the No. 2 ranked women’s lacrosse squad on the conference’s all-star team. The honors were part of major postseason recognition distributed by the ECAC.
The recognition highlights the strong performance of Salisbury University’s lacrosse program during the recent season, with multiple players earning spots on the prestigious conference team.
A San Francisco artificial intelligence company has reached a massive $4.65 billion valuation after securing $355 million in fresh investment funding, according to the company’s CEO Erik Bernhardsson.
Modal Labs finds itself at the center of two major trends reshaping the AI industry this year: the explosion in artificial intelligence-powered coding and the growing shortage of computing resources needed to power these advanced tools.
The company specializes in helping AI businesses obtain the computer chips necessary to operate AI applications, a process known as inference. Modal Labs also offers a testing environment where software developers can check AI-generated code before integrating it into their final products.
Redpoint Ventures and General Catalyst spearheaded the Series C funding round, with General Catalyst securing a board position. The new $4.65 billion company value represents a significant jump from Modal’s $1.1 billion valuation from last fall.
According to Bernhardsson, the dramatic increase reflects Modal’s explosive revenue growth over the past six months as more businesses incorporate AI-generated code into their operations. The company now generates approximately $300 million in annual revenue, a substantial increase from the $60 million annual rate recorded in September.
“Coding for the last six months has been driving everything,” Bernhardsson explained on Tuesday, noting that Modal’s client base includes biotechnology firms, hedge funds and two weather-forecasting companies.
However, the same period has brought challenges as computing resources have become both more expensive and harder to obtain. Bernhardsson said the company expanded its search and discovered computing providers it had never encountered before. Modal now partners with 13 cloud service companies, compared to just five in the previous year.
The funding round occurred in two separate phases. Initial investors contributed at a $2.5 billion company valuation, but additional investor interest prompted Modal to raise a second portion at the higher $4.65 billion valuation. Accel and Menlo Ventures participated in the second funding phase.
Energy company Devon Energy announced Thursday it has purchased 16,300 acres of undeveloped land in New Mexico’s Delaware Basin core area for approximately $2.6 billion through a federal lease agreement, bolstering its presence in America’s leading shale production region.
The acquisition represents another significant move for Devon to expand its Delaware Basin holdings, which is part of the larger Permian Basin stretching across West Texas and New Mexico. This purchase comes just weeks after the company completed its $58 billion merger with Coterra Energy. Devon’s stock price dropped 1.6% during afternoon trading as several analysts raised concerns about the high cost of the federal lease.
According to Devon, the deal brings approximately 400 net drilling sites when calculated using two-mile laterals. This calculation suggests a cost of roughly $6.5 million for each net drilling location, a figure that surprised two industry analysts.
“While we understand the need to continue bolstering inventory… we believe investors will be surprised by the sticker price,” said Matt Portillo, an analyst with TPH & Co, in a research note.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Scott Hanold described the price as “eye watering compared to historical M&A in the Permian” in his analysis.
The newly acquired land borders Devon’s current operations, allowing the company to utilize existing infrastructure and drill extended laterals, according to the company’s statement.
Hanold noted that the leases cover primarily three undeveloped sections of the basin, with one located near Devon’s top-performing asset.
These U.S. Bureau of Land Management leases include an 87.5% net revenue interest and 10-year terms covering all depths. Devon stated these arrangements provide better terms and reduced royalty payments compared to typical state or private leases in the area.
The company plans to finance the purchase using existing cash reserves. Devon reported $1.8 billion in total cash at the conclusion of the first quarter.
A Minnesota nonprofit director was handed a 41-year prison sentence on Thursday following her conviction for masterminding a massive $250 million fraud targeting federal child nutrition programs.
Aimee Bock, 45, faced charges in 2022 for utilizing her nonprofit organization Feeding Our Future to orchestrate what Justice Department officials described as the most extensive known fraud targeting government relief initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 70 additional individuals face charges in connection with Bock in this case. The fraud scheme has become a frequent talking point for U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, as justification for his plans to focus on Minnesota, a state under Democratic leadership, for an intensified immigration enforcement campaign this year.
During her appearance before U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel at the Minneapolis federal courthouse, Bock became emotional while speaking, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune: “I don’t have the words to express just how horrible I feel. I know I’m responsible.”
Federal prosecutors had requested a 50-year prison term. When imposing the 500-month sentence, equivalent to 41 years and eight months, Brasel emphasized that an extended sentence was warranted due to Bock’s leadership position in the scheme.
“This is a vortex of fraud, and you were at the epicenter,” the judge stated, as reported by the Star Tribune.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has instructed members of her ruling Morena party to step down from their positions if they have connections to corrupt activities, two party sources revealed to Reuters.
The directive was communicated during a gathering with Morena governors at the National Palace last Thursday, the sources indicated. One week earlier on May 7, she conveyed the same message to party lawmakers during a separate meeting.
Both the presidency and Morena declined to respond to requests for comment.
“The ultimatum was that if they are involved in anything shady, they must resign and face the consequences,” said one of the Morena sources, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity because the meeting was private. Sheinbaum did not mention names nor say what action would be taken if officials did not step down, the sources said.
This previously unreported communication to party members represents the most recent development following the significant U.S. indictment announced last month. The charges named Sinaloa State Governor Ruben Rocha and additional current and former officials for their suspected connections to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Publicly, Sheinbaum has denounced the U.S. extradition requests that came with the indictment, claiming they contained inadequate evidence for Mexico to authorize arrest warrants. She has demanded “clear” proof from the U.S. and stated that without it, the accusations seem politically driven.
However, the confidential discussions with Morena indicate Sheinbaum is pursuing a different approach within her own political organization.
Rocha holds significant influence within Morena and maintains close ties to former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who served as Sheinbaum’s predecessor and mentor. Rocha, who maintains his innocence, has temporarily withdrawn from his duties while a local investigation moves forward.
Reuters had previously documented that the U.S. indictment created divisions within Morena as different groups debate their response strategy. Some factions support shielding Rocha and others from U.S. interference, while another segment pushes for addressing corruption within the party’s membership.
The two party sources indicated growing worry within Morena that the U.S. might employ anti-terrorism legislation to target officials and that Morena could face implications similar to those imposed on various Mexican cartels.
During a routine press conference when questioned about this possibility, Sheinbaum dismissed the concern, stating she perceived “no risk” of Morena receiving designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
However, in private discussions, the sources revealed Sheinbaum has conveyed a different tone, cautioning party officials about potential dangers to Morena and its supporters if corruption accusations persist.
“We must guarantee the future of Morena,” she told her party members.
Sheinbaum is scheduled to meet with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday as diplomatic tensions between the two nations continue rising.
The death of two U.S. officials in a vehicle accident in northern Mexico last month created a diplomatic dispute regarding their presence while traveling with a Mexican security convoy returning from a drug laboratory raid. Sources informed Reuters the U.S. officials were CIA officers.
The involvement of U.S. personnel in anti-cartel activities remains an extremely sensitive issue in Mexico. Sheinbaum has consistently stated her support for intelligence cooperation and security collaboration but refuses to permit U.S. agents or military forces to participate in operations within Mexican borders.
In comparison, U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for expanded use of U.S. military resources against Mexican cartels and has warned that the U.S. might act independently if Washington determines Mexico’s efforts are insufficient.
As tensions continue, a U.S. Department of State official announced the government has begun reviewing the more than 50 Mexican consulates operating in the United States, a process that could lead to closing some diplomatic facilities.
The current administration will postpone enforcement of two environmental regulations from the previous presidency that control refrigerants, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday as part of efforts to reverse environmental policies.
The postponement will impact grocery stores, semiconductor companies and other businesses that rely on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases found in cooling and air conditioning equipment. These compliance mandates originated from a 2023 EPA regulation designed to cut emissions of these super-pollutants.
President Donald Trump’s administration has reversed almost all regulations that targeted greenhouse gas emission reductions.
The EPA also plans to suggest eliminating additional HFC restrictions through a different regulation that impacts companies transporting refrigerated products, according to Zeldin.
According to Zeldin, relaxing these regulations would cut consumer expenses, with projected savings exceeding $2.4 billion.
“Americans were right to be frustrated with the Biden-era refrigerant rules,” Zeldin said in a statement. “They didn’t protect human health or the environment and instead piled on costly, unattainable restrictions beyond what the law requires.”
The cooling and air conditioning sector had generally backed earlier regulatory measures, and several industry groups stated the postponement would ultimately increase expenses for manufacturers, food retailers and consumers since they would need more refrigerants.
The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute condemned grocery chains that advocated for this reversal, claiming it would increase prices by limiting the availability of current refrigerants.
“This was never a rule forcing stores to replace existing equipment. It was a rule for new equipment. The EPA has no analysis showing that delaying these dates will lower costs for consumers,” said Steven Yurek, president of AHRI.
Last week, the EPA also suggested reducing wastewater restrictions for coal-powered plants, stating the modifications would decrease electricity expenses.
Agricultural machinery manufacturer Deere maintained its annual earnings outlook despite surpassing second-quarter profit projections on Thursday, as the company continues grappling with persistently soft demand for large farming equipment.
Equipment manufacturers including Deere have struggled with subdued interest in new agricultural machinery in recent years, as poor crop prices and increased operational expenses have prompted farmers to delay replacing their existing equipment.
Projections show U.S. net farm income, a key indicator of agricultural sector health, is anticipated to decline 0.7% in 2026.
Company shares dropped 7.5% to their lowest point in four months and appeared headed for their steepest single-day decline in four years.
“While encouraged by the upside to the construction segment, investors are still looking for signs of recovery in the agriculture segments, which remains a mixed bag globally,” Oppenheimer analyst Kristen Owen said.
The company maintained its annual net income projection at $4.5 billion to $5 billion, primarily due to continued weakness in farm equipment sales. Deere executive Christopher Seibert attributed this to “elevated and volatile input costs” for farmers due to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
This development overshadowed an otherwise solid second quarter where both earnings and sales exceeded analyst predictions, driven by stronger demand for the company’s smaller agricultural and construction machinery.
The construction division has emerged as a standout performer, capitalizing on AI-driven data center expansion.
The company now anticipates construction segment annual revenue will increase 20%, higher than its previous 15% growth projection, with yearly operating margins of 10%-12%, up from the earlier estimate of 9%-11%.
Quarterly earnings reached $6.55 per share, beating the average analyst expectation of $5.70 per share according to LSEG data. Quarterly sales of $11.78 billion exceeded the projected $11.54 billion.
The company received a $272 million tariff refund this quarter, though it anticipates the annual impact will remain consistent with previous expectations.
Motorists traveling eastbound on Route 24 are facing delays this morning due to traffic congestion between Mount Joy Road and Indian Mission Road.
The backup is causing delays of approximately 5 to 10 minutes for drivers in the affected area. Traffic officials are monitoring the situation as vehicles move slowly through the congested zone.
Drivers planning to use this route should allow extra time for their commute and consider alternate routes if possible.
A Brazilian senator running for president is working to arrange a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation, as his campaign struggles with fallout from a banking scandal.
Sources indicate that Senator Flavio Bolsonaro may travel to the United States on Monday for a White House meeting with Trump next week. While one source confirmed an invitation from the White House, the exact timing remains unclear.
The right-wing senator, who is the oldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has not responded through his spokesperson regarding the potential visit.
The Washington trip is being planned while the senator’s presidential campaign deals with a major controversy that has hurt his standing in polls against the current leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with October elections approaching.
Earlier this month, the senator became connected to a major bank fraud case after acknowledging he had arranged millions in financing for a documentary about his father from Daniel Vorcaro, a banker currently imprisoned on charges of bribing government officials and cheating investors.
The senator has maintained that his discussions with the banker involved only a legitimate private investment deal without any wrongdoing or special treatment. He had earlier stated he had no dealings with the banker.
During this week, the senator visited Sao Paulo to meet with business executives who are becoming more concerned about his ability to defeat Lula in the upcoming election.
He also conducted meetings with top campaign staff members and made changes to his communications leadership.
The Justice Department announced Thursday that it has sworn in its largest group of immigration judges ever, as the current administration continues reshaping the nation’s immigration court system.
Officials confirmed that 82 new immigration judges took their oath of office Wednesday in Washington, D.C., including 77 permanent positions and five temporary appointments. This brings the total number of immigration judges to approximately 700, following the dismissal of more than 100 judges by the current administration.
“Today, we are onboarding the largest immigration judge class in agency history,” Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “This could only happen thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership and commitment to securing our borders.”
These immigration judges operate under the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review rather than as part of the federal court system, alongside the Board of Immigration Appeals that reviews their rulings.
Following President Donald Trump’s return to office in January 2025 with his strict immigration policies, his administration has dismissed at least 115 immigration judges while a comparable number have accepted buyouts, stepped down, or retired from a pool of roughly 700 judges, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges.
The administration has simultaneously worked to fill these positions, frequently selecting candidates with experience in criminal prosecution or immigration enforcement. Many of the 77 newly appointed permanent judges, who will work in approximately half the states, have similar enforcement experience.
According to the Justice Department, its immigration review office has appointed 153 permanent immigration judges during the 2026 fiscal year that started October 1, marking the highest annual total on record.
The five temporary judges come from military backgrounds and can serve for up to six months. The Pentagon announced in September that military and civilian attorneys working for the U.S. Defense Department under the leadership of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would take on temporary immigration judge roles.
The Justice Department identifies clearing the immigration court backlog as a top priority. Officials report that pending cases in immigration courts have dropped from approximately 4 million to less than 3.53 million since Trump assumed office.
Home loan rates across the United States reached their peak level in nearly nine months this week, increasing borrowing expenses for potential homebuyers during the spring season when housing activity typically reaches its annual high.
Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year fixed mortgage rates increased to 6.51%, up from the previous week’s 6.36%. While this represents a significant jump, current rates still sit lower than the 6.86% recorded one year ago.
Rising mortgage rates can increase monthly payments by hundreds of dollars for borrowers, which decreases how much home they can afford to purchase.
Just in late February, 30-year mortgage rates had dropped below the 6% mark for the first time since late 2022. Since then, rates have remained above that level and now sit at their highest point since August 28, when they reached 6.56%.
Rates for 15-year fixed mortgages, which homeowners often choose when refinancing, also increased this week. These rates jumped to 5.85% from 5.71% the previous week. Freddie Mac noted this compares to 6.01% one year ago.
Several elements affect mortgage rates, including Federal Reserve policy choices and bond market investors’ economic and inflation forecasts. Home loan pricing typically tracks the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a benchmark.
Rates have generally moved upward since the conflict with Iran started. Energy markets have been disrupted by the Strait of Hormuz closure, causing crude oil prices to surge significantly and driving inflation concerns.
Projections of rising oil costs and concerns about expanding government debt have increased yields on long-term bonds.
Thursday’s midday bond market trading showed the 10-year Treasury note yield at 4.6%. This compares to 4.47% one week earlier and just 3.97% in late February before the war began.
Though current long-term mortgage rates remain below last year’s levels, their recent climb has contributed to slower sales during this spring’s homebuying period.
Last month’s sales of existing homes across the country stayed essentially unchanged after declining year-over-year during the first quarter, continuing a national housing downturn that started in 2022 when mortgage rates began rising from pandemic-era record lows.
Federal authorities on Thursday granted final permission for the Dakota Access oil pipeline to keep running through its controversial Missouri River crossing, marking the end of a nearly decade-long battle that began with major demonstrations on North Dakota’s plains.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval of the crucial easement allows the pipeline to continue operations while implementing additional requirements for leak detection systems and groundwater oversight, among other measures. This decision concludes a prolonged legal and regulatory battle that originated from demonstrations in 2016 and 2017, although additional court challenges concerning the pipeline are expected.
The multistate $3.8 billion pipeline has transported oil since June 2017, moving crude from North Dakota’s Bakken oil field to an Illinois terminal. The system moves approximately 4% of America’s daily oil production, equivalent to roughly 540,000 barrels per day.
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle stated the Corps is “decisively putting years of delays to rest and moving out to safely execute this crossing beneath Lake Oahe.”
The pipeline runs beneath the river upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation, which spans both Dakotas. The tribe has consistently fought the pipeline, concerned about potential spills that could pollute their water sources. During 2016 and 2017, thousands gathered for months-long demonstrations near the river crossing location.
The demonstrations led to hundreds of arrests and numerous criminal cases and civil suits, with some proceedings still active, including legal action that could affect environmental organization Greenpeace’s future operations.
Last December, the Corps published its final environmental impact assessment almost six years after a federal judge mandated a more thorough examination of the pipeline’s river crossing. The document supported granting the crossing easement while requiring operational modifications.
New requirements include improved leak detection and monitoring technology, expanded water monitoring for both groundwater and surface sources, and independent expert assessment of detection systems, according to the Corps. Additional conditions mandate studies of ground subsidence conducted alongside affected tribal communities.
The Corps considered multiple alternatives, including removing or abandoning the river crossing section or redirecting the route northward. Officials stated their choice “best balances public safety, protection of environmental resources, and leak detection and response considerations while meeting the project’s purpose and need.”
Pipeline developer Energy Transfer praised the ruling, emphasizing the pipeline’s safe operation for nearly a decade and its importance to national energy infrastructure.
Company spokesperson Vicki Granado expressed gratitude, saying “We want to thank the Corps for the tremendous amount of time and effort put in by so many to bring this matter to a thoughtful close.”
The Associated Press contacted tribal media representatives through text messages and emails and left a voicemail at tribal headquarters. No immediate response was received Thursday.
North Dakota Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Interior Secretary and former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer each welcomed the decision to ensure the pipeline continues operating.
The Corps made their announcement while officials and oil industry leaders were meeting for a trade conference in Bismarck.
Energy Transfer and Enbridge are beginning preliminary work on a project to transport approximately 250,000 daily barrels of light Canadian crude through the Dakota Access Pipeline using another pipeline and constructing a 56-mile connector, company representatives confirmed. Enbridge plans to make a final decision around mid-2026.
A small seabird species that once regularly nested along Delaware’s coastal areas each summer has experienced such significant population decline that it now carries a state-endangered designation, prompting wildlife officials to implement a fresh strategy for recovery.
The least tern, which historically made its home on beaches along both the bay and ocean shores throughout Delaware during breeding season, has seen its numbers drop dramatically in recent years, according to DNREC.
In response to this troubling trend, the state environmental agency has decided to change course with a different approach aimed at helping these recognizable birds rebuild their population and secure a more stable future.
Officials in New Mexico are working to determine what unknown substance may have caused three deaths and made numerous emergency responders sick during a call to a residence.
Emergency crews responded Wednesday to what appeared to be a drug overdose at a house in Mountainair, located east of Albuquerque in a rural area. Four individuals were found unconscious inside the residence. Three people died, while the surviving person received medical care at an Albuquerque hospital, according to police.
Multiple first responders developed symptoms including coughing, vomiting and dizziness while at the scene, officials reported.
The mayor stated Thursday that authorities are waiting for test results to come back.
The exact number of emergency personnel who became ill remains unclear.
According to the University of New Mexico Hospital, close to two dozen individuals — primarily emergency responders — underwent decontamination procedures and medical evaluation. Three patients required monitoring Wednesday night, hospital representatives said.
Antonette Alguire, who volunteers as a firefighter in Mountainair, witnessed emergency medical technicians and firefighters experiencing coughing and vomiting episodes.
Most individuals who received medical evaluation showed no symptoms and were released, hospital officials confirmed.
Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto reported observing drugs inside the residence, which is situated on a dirt road, and suggested this could be connected to the fatalities. He declined to specify what type of drugs he believed were present.
The mayor ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning or natural gas exposure as potential explanations for the health problems affecting first responders.
Wilson Silver, a spokesperson for New Mexico State Police, assured that no public danger exists and investigators don’t think the substance was transmitted through the air.
According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, New Mexico ranked fourth nationally for drug overdose fatalities in 2024, recording 775 deaths.
Community members in Mountainair, which has fewer than 1,000 residents, have expressed concerns about drug problems affecting their area and beyond.
The mayor wrote on social media that the community’s law enforcement and emergency personnel work every day to safeguard residents and handle challenging circumstances.
NEW YORK (AP) — Residents of New York City will have an opportunity to secure affordable tickets for this summer’s expensive World Cup matches.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed Thursday that 1,000 tickets priced at $50 each will be offered to residents of the city with over 8 million people for the globe’s most-watched sporting competition.
“To put that into perspective, that is five lattes in New York City,” Mamdani quipped from a bar in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighborhood alongside U.S. men’s national team star Timothy Weah.
These discounted tickets will cover seven out of eight matches scheduled at the approximately 82,000-capacity MetLife Stadium, situated across the river from Manhattan in New Jersey. The only excluded game is the highly sought-after July 19 championship match, where certain seats are currently priced at nearly $33,000.
According to the mayor, the tickets will also come with complimentary round-trip bus service to the venue for purchasers. Distribution will occur through a lottery system beginning May 25.
Addressing ongoing worries about the extremely high ticket costs for matches, Mamdani stated the city would implement measures to guarantee their distributed tickets reach New York City residents and avoid resale on secondary markets.
He explained the tickets would be non-transferable and that city officials would employ a “variety of ways” to confirm residency. Additionally, tickets will only be given directly to fans as they board buses on match days.
“We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create,” Mamdani said.
The Democrat, who began serving in January, noted this initiative demonstrates how his administration extends beyond making daily necessities like housing and food more affordable.
“It extends to making it possible for every New Yorker to take part in the things that make us human,” he said.
During his campaign, Mamdani had urged FIFA, soccer’s international governing organization, to reduce costs for New Yorkers attending matches by reserving 15% of tickets at reduced prices for residents. He had also started a petition urging FIFA to abandon its demand-based pricing strategy.
According to the mayor’s office, the $50 tickets originate from allocations given to New York and New Jersey’s combined host committee rather than directly from FIFA.
Earlier, FIFA had offered some $60 tickets for every tournament game in North America following criticism over extremely high ticket prices.
However, those discounted tickets were distributed to national federations of competing teams, with those organizations determining how to allocate them to dedicated supporters who had attended previous home and away matches.
Apart from the final game, the home venue for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets will host five group-stage World Cup matches and two elimination round games. Group-stage competitions featuring soccer giants Brazil, France, Germany and England, among other countries, commence June 13.
The nation’s highest court delivered a decisive 8-1 ruling Thursday supporting a US business in its battle over assets seized during Cuba’s revolutionary period over six decades ago.
The justices breathed new life into legal action brought by Havana Docks, an American firm that previously ran dock operations in Cuba’s capital city. The company is pursuing legal action against four cruise operators that transported vacationers to Cuba when diplomatic relations briefly warmed under the Obama presidency.
Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas determined that the federal appeals court in Atlanta made an error in throwing out the legal claims, stating that “the cruise lines used confiscated property to which Havana Docks owns the claim.”
While Thursday’s decision doesn’t represent a final resolution in Havana Docks’ lawsuit, it arrives during a period of increased tensions with Cuba under President Donald Trump’s leadership, including Wednesday’s criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro related to the 1996 destruction of civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based Cuban exiles.
The high court’s decision centered on a section of federal legislation called Helms-Burton, which lawmakers enacted following those aircraft incidents. The law’s Title III section permits Americans to pursue legal action against virtually any business that participates in commercial activities or profits from assets seized by Cuba’s administration.
Prior to the initial Trump presidency, every commander-in-chief had put this legal provision on hold due to concerns from US allies conducting business in Cuba and potential impacts on future diplomatic agreements between America and Cuba.
During 2016, President Barack Obama utilized a joint press event with Castro to declare that cruise operators could restart Cuban service. Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises launched Havana port calls that enabled cruise passengers to visit local entertainment venues, historical sites, waterways and coastal areas.
This situation shifted dramatically in 2019 when Trump chose to enable the lawsuit provision and subsequently imposed fresh travel limitations. The cruise companies quickly eliminated Cuban destinations and redirected vessels already at sea.
In the legal proceeding initiated by Havana Docks, US District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami determined the cruise operators were responsible for utilizing the Havana port facility the business previously managed.
Bloom concluded that Treasury Department authorizations from Obama’s administration allowing American passengers to travel to Cuba did not protect the cruise companies from legal action.
She granted Havana Docks more than $400 million total. A federal appeals panel sided with the cruise operators, overturning the monetary award.
The matter now goes back to the appeals court. Thomas noted that the cruise companies have additional legal arguments that remain unresolved.
A Virginia circuit court judge has thrown out all criminal charges against a former school administrator who faced accusations of failing to respond to warnings before a 6-year-old student opened fire on his teacher.
Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson in Newport News, Virginia, granted a defense motion Thursday to dismiss the case against Ebony Parker on the trial’s fourth day. Parker had been facing eight felony child neglect charges.
“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Robinson stated.
The former assistant principal’s charges stemmed from the January 2023 shooting incident at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, where teacher Abby Zwerner was wounded. Prosecutors had filed separate charges for each bullet in the weapon the child brought to Zwerner’s classroom. A conviction on each count could have resulted in up to five years behind bars.
Special prosecutor Josh Jenkins had not responded to requests for comment by Thursday evening.
Defense lawyer Curtis Rogers argued to the court that Parker’s conduct during the shooting day “wasn’t an act of neglect.”
“Her actions in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm in the possession” of the child, Rogers stated.
Fellow defense counsel Stephen Teague spoke with reporters after court proceedings, saying “we believe that the right outcome was reached and we’re thrilled for Dr. Parker. It was a great relief for her and we’re just happy that we were part of her journey.”
Parker did not take the witness stand during proceedings. However, on Wednesday, jurors viewed a recorded interview Parker gave to a school district human resources official three days following the shooting.
In that interview, Parker acknowledged receiving reports about the student possibly having a weapon in his backpack, but explained she couldn’t leave her office because of ongoing testing. A reading specialist who initially raised the concerns then examined the backpack but found no weapon, Parker explained.
Parker indicated the student’s mother was expected to arrive and would check through his remaining items.
During her earlier testimony, Zwerner described how the student wore an oversized jacket during playground recess and kept his hands in his pockets throughout the break. Zwerner said she texted this observation to the reading specialist, who had received earlier tips from other students about the gun and had alerted Parker.
Following recess, the student kept the jacket on in the classroom, where Zwerner was shot while at a reading table. Zwerner remained hospitalized for nearly two weeks, underwent six surgical procedures, and lost full function in her left hand. A bullet came close to striking her heart and remains lodged in her chest.
Legal experts note that criminal prosecutions of school officials following campus shootings are uncommon. The incident shocked the military shipbuilding community and the nation, raising questions about how such a young child obtained access to a firearm and shot his educator.
In November, a jury granted Zwerner $10 million in a civil lawsuit, where Parker, who no longer works at the school, was the sole defendant.
The student’s mother received nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons violations.
RICHMOND—As Mental Health Awareness Month continues in May, agricultural groups throughout Virginia are emphasizing that farmers and agricultural workers have access to support services and resources during difficult times.
Agricultural producers in Virginia and nationwide face mounting pressure from distinctive daily obstacles. Beyond the physical requirements of their work, farmers must navigate natural catastrophes that destroy their harvests, volatile market prices, trade interruptions, rising costs, and additional factors beyond their control that can overwhelm even the strongest individuals.
“And when the farming community is suffering, all of those businesses and employees associated with agriculture are struggling too,” noted Lynwood Broaddus, Caroline County Farm Bureau president. “There’s a lot of stress out there that people hold in, and it might not come out until it’s too late.”
Following their participation in training through the American Farm Bureau Federation Farm State of Mind program, Lynwood and Becky Broaddus have conducted farm stress workshops for agricultural producers, industry professionals, and various groups throughout Virginia—highlighting available support services, resources, and warning signs of stress while assuring those facing difficulties that help is available.
During a presentation to local producers in January, the Broadduses distributed farm stress informational materials created by the AgriSafe Network—sparking a joint initiative to place these resources in U.S Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency state offices.
A government worker who attended the meeting contacted Wilmer Stoneman, state executive director of the FSA in Virginia, about placing the materials in her FSA location. The following day, Stoneman got a call from another office regarding a struggling farmer who needed assistance.
“The Farm Service Agency, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Farm Bureau offices are places that farmers come to get help,” Stoneman said. “The least we can do is provide information that can help a farmer through a stressful time.”
Virginia Farm Bureau produced and delivered copies of the resources for display at counters in all state FSA locations—making sure visitors can easily obtain information about farm stress support services, including the AgriSafe Network’s AgriStress Helpline®. The helpline offers confidential assistance to the agricultural community around the clock. Farmers can call or text 833-897-2474 for direct emotional support, guidance, and resources from qualified professionals.
“The ‘S’ in FSA stands for Service, so it’s our mission to help farmers with all the things they’re dealing with,” Stoneman added. “That’s why this project was so important to us, and I firmly believe that it has helped a number of people. I know it’s helped at least one.”
Broaddus, who assisted in delivering the informational materials to state FSA locations, explained that “if we can help one person get through a difficult time, we’ve been successful.”
Those interested in arranging for the Broadduses to conduct a mental health workshop or presentation should contact Lynwood.
Furthermore, AFBF introduced a new tool this month designed to help farmers determine how to respond when stress becomes unmanageable and they feel lost.
AFBF’s Farm State of Mind Checklist: Weathering the Storm provides straightforward steps that farmers and their families can implement to handle overwhelming emotions, avoid burnout, and gain perspective—such as ensuring proper nutrition, hydration, and rest; taking time for meditation, prayer, or breathing exercises; reaching out to friends and colleagues; and telling their story.
The complete checklist is available for download at FarmStageOfMind.org.
Agricultural producers can find support from others facing similar challenges through Togetherall, an anonymous peer-to-peer digital platform that helps farmers and their families receive and provide mutual support.
Additional resources are available at AgriSafe.org or VFB’s farm safety web page.
Bond market investors are demanding varying risk premiums from U.S. private lending companies, with smaller firms facing significantly higher costs compared to their larger counterparts, according to a new financial analysis.
This pricing gap demonstrates increasing investor selectivity in a marketplace experiencing heightened borrower difficulties following years of high interest rate environments.
Business development companies, which primarily provide loans to middle-market businesses and frequently raise funds through public bond offerings, are now being evaluated more rigorously based on their portfolio strength, operational size, and capital access capabilities.
According to LSEG data, BCP Investment Corp recorded the highest weighted average option-adjusted spreads at 680 basis points, with Prospect Capital Corp following at 449 basis points, Trinity Capital Inc at 403 basis points, and Fidus Investment Corp at 392 basis points.
Option-adjusted spreads represent the additional return investors require above Treasury securities after accounting for features like call options. Elevated spreads may indicate market appetite or concerns regarding credit worthiness and funding risks.
Meanwhile, major firms such as Ares Capital Corp, Blackstone Secured Lending Fund, Blue Owl Capital Corp, and Golub Capital BDC maintained spreads ranging approximately between 150 and 200 basis points.
This spread differential has expanded throughout the current year, as investors begin distinguishing between companies with greater exposure to artificial intelligence disruption within software-as-a-service businesses.
“There’s dispersion in BDC equity, but it’s still limited in BDC bonds given strong demand for carry in this environment,” stated Aditya Aney, co-founder of Andromeda Capital Management in London.
“However, we think this will change over the coming months triggered by downgrades, higher or more volatile rates and greater focus on sector (SaaS) exposures,” he added.
The financial review examined 884 bonds from 41 business development companies, focusing on bond offerings of at least $50 million with available comparison data. Company-level spreads were determined by weighting individual bond spreads according to issue size.
Trinity Capital’s weighted average spread expanded by 140 basis points, while Fidus increased 92 basis points and Prospect Capital rose 85 basis points. BlackRock TCP Capital’s spread climbed 40 basis points, with Goldman Sachs BDC, Golub Capital, Blue Owl Technology Finance, and Blue Owl Capital experiencing increases between 20 and 31 basis points.
Ares Capital’s spread remained relatively stable, while Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Hercules Capital, and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending demonstrated slight improvements.
This selective approach occurs amid deteriorating private credit market conditions.
Default rates among U.S. private credit borrowers monitored by Fitch Ratings reached 6% during the 12-month period ending in April, marking the highest level since tracking began in August 2024.
Additionally, Fitch revised its outlook on Goldman Sachs BDC to negative, pointing to recent portfolio credit weakening and insufficient asset-coverage protection.
The popular music streaming platform announced Thursday it has reached an agreement with Universal Music Group that will enable paying customers to generate artificial intelligence-powered song covers and remixes, representing the service’s initial foray into allowing user-generated AI content.
Following the announcement, the company’s stock price jumped approximately 16%.
Neither organization revealed monetary details of their partnership or specified which recording artists would be included in the upcoming feature during Thursday’s joint statement. Universal Music represents major performers such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Drake and Billie Eilish.
This development places the streaming service in more direct rivalry with emerging companies like Udio and Suno that offer AI-driven music production capabilities.
According to both companies, the upcoming feature will generate additional revenue streams for recording artists and composers beyond their current earnings from the platform, including royalty payments.
“What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part,” stated Spotify Co-CEO Alex Norström.
Leading recording companies have been pursuing fresh licensing agreements to protect their extensive music libraries as artificially generated music becomes more widespread and listeners find it increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-created compositions.
In the previous year, Udio negotiated agreements with UMG and Warner Music Group to resolve copyright disputes, while Suno achieved a settlement with WMG.
However, both AI music enterprises are currently defending against class action litigation from over 1,800 independent musicians, who claim the companies’ conduct “were an attack” on the music industry’s “most vulnerable and valuable members.”
The streaming platform has previously rolled out multiple AI-enhanced music discovery tools designed to increase user retention and participation, including voice capabilities for its customized music feature AI DJ and the ability to create playlists through natural-language requests.
The White House has delayed a scheduled Thursday event where President Donald Trump was expected to sign an executive order focused on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
The postponement was initially reported by Axios, which referenced an internal memo.
The executive order in question would establish a voluntary system allowing artificial intelligence companies to collaborate with federal officials regarding the public launch of specific AI models, two sources informed Reuters on Wednesday.
The State Department announced Thursday that U.S. citizens who have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past three weeks must now return to America exclusively through Washington Dulles Airport due to escalating Ebola cases in the region.
Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with Customs and Border Protection have implemented heightened public health screening procedures at Dulles Airport in response to the ongoing Ebola crisis. The new measures came into focus Wednesday when an Air France flight traveling from Paris to Detroit was forced to divert to Montreal after a passenger from the DRC had boarded the aircraft “in error,” according to CBP officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained Thursday that the flight diversion was necessary to prevent Ebola from entering American territory.
“We had a flight last night headed to Detroit that was diverted because we have to protect the American people. So, objective number one is to make sure that Ebola never reaches the United States. Objective number two is do what we can to help the people of DRC and neighboring countries so it doesn’t spread.”
Earlier this week, the CDC announced it was halting entry for travelers who had been in the DRC and South Sudan within the weeks prior to their planned arrival in the United States as a measure to limit Ebola transmission risk. The travel restriction excludes Americans and lawful permanent residents.
This screening approach mirrors actions taken in 2014, when the United States mandated that travelers returning from three African nations affected by Ebola concerns could only arrive at five designated U.S. airports equipped with enhanced screening capabilities, including Dulles, New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta.
Health officials confirmed Thursday that an Ebola case has been detected in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu province, located hundreds of kilometers away from where the outbreak initially began, according to the rebel alliance controlling that territory.
The World Health Organization reports that the current outbreak has resulted in 139 fatalities, with 600 suspected cases documented in Ituri and North Kivu provinces as of Wednesday. Additionally, two confirmed cases have been identified in neighboring Uganda.
Over the weekend, the WHO designated the outbreak of the virus’s Bundibugyo strain as a public health emergency of international concern. No vaccine exists for this particular strain.
Ugandan Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi criticized the U.S. response to Reuters, stating that America was “overreacting” by implementing travel bans affecting most travelers from Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan earlier this week.
DANBURY, Conn. – Salisbury University’s men’s lacrosse program earned significant recognition from the Eastern College Athletic Conference on Wednesday, with multiple players receiving prestigious postseason awards.
The Sea Gulls secured three major postseason distinctions from the ECAC, including four student-athletes being selected for the All-ECAC Team, according to the conference’s announcement Wednesday morning.
Leading the honors was Herraiz, who captured the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year award for his outstanding performance this season.
The No. 6 ranked men’s lacrosse squad’s success on the field translated into widespread conference recognition, highlighting the program’s competitive excellence throughout the season.
A court ruling in Turkey’s capital has invalidated the 2023 leadership election of the Republican People’s Party, the nation’s primary opposition group, potentially delivering a significant setback to those challenging President Tayyip Erdogan politically.
The court decision on Thursday declared that former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu should take back leadership from current chairman Ozgur Ozel, who was chosen during the now-nullified 2023 party congress.
A groundbreaking study has revealed why the Great Pyramid of Giza has survived for millennia – ancient Egyptian engineers incorporated advanced earthquake-resistant features into its design over 4,600 years ago.
Scientists used specialized equipment called seismometers to measure continuous background vibrations at 37 different points throughout and around the massive structure, which served as pharaoh Khufu’s burial site. The measurements showed the pyramid maintains remarkably consistent and stable responses to ground movement, despite its enormous size and intricate internal layout.
Located just outside Cairo in Giza, the monument’s four sides each span approximately 755 feet at ground level, covering roughly 13 acres of limestone bedrock. While it once reached 480 feet in height, erosion and the ancient removal of outer casing stones have reduced it to about 455 feet tall. For nearly 3,800 years, it held the record as Earth’s tallest human-made structure.
The research team identified multiple design elements that provide seismic protection: an exceptionally wide foundation with a low center of gravity, perfectly symmetrical shape, decreasing mass toward the summit, and complex interior chambers that reduce vibration buildup. The structure also sits on solid limestone bedrock.
“These elements together create a well-balanced, coherent structure,” said seismologist Mohamed ElGabry of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, or NRIAG, in Egypt, lead author of the study published on Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.
“Ancient Egyptian builders clearly possessed practical knowledge related to stability, foundation behavior, mass distribution and load transfer,” NRIAG seismologist and study senior author Asem Salama said.
Testing revealed that vibrations recorded inside the pyramid occurred at frequencies indicating mechanical stress was distributed uniformly throughout the structure.
“So while I would hesitate to claim that they intentionally designed the pyramid specifically for earthquake resistance, I do think they developed architectural and geotechnical solutions that naturally produced structures with exceptional long-term resilience,” Salama said.
These techniques were developed through experience and experimentation, as evidenced by earlier pyramid construction failures that preceded this masterpiece.
Researchers gathered seismic information from internal corridors and rooms, including the main burial space known as the King’s Chamber, plus the surrounding rock and earth.
While vibration amplification typically increases with height in tall buildings, the team discovered reduced amplification in five special chambers positioned above the King’s Chamber, despite their elevated location.
“This suggests these chambers effectively help dissipate seismic energy and protect the King’s Chamber – one of the most critical areas – from excessive shaking,” ElGabry said.
Recent regional earthquakes in 1847 and 1992 caused extensive damage to thousands of structures, with the 1992 event claiming over 560 lives. The pyramid sustained minimal damage from both events.
The monument stands as part of a larger archaeological site that includes additional pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza, attracting countless visitors throughout history.
“The Great Pyramid is not only an extraordinary engineering achievement but also a profound work of art and human vision. Its perfect symmetry, monumental scale and elegant proportions create a timeless beauty that continues to inspire awe even after 4,600 years,” ElGabry said.
“Beyond its physical beauty, what impresses me most is the incredible project management and organizational mastery it represents. Building such a monument took approximately 20 years and required sustaining a clear, long-term vision, an extremely complex supply chain and the coordination of tens of thousands of skilled workers, engineers, and administrators,” ElGabry said.
The massive undertaking involved managing personnel, training specialized craftsmen, maintaining food supplies for workers, and coordinating transportation of enormous stone quantities.
“It reminds us what human civilization is capable of when vision, science, organization and determination come together,” ElGabry said.
“They really did,” Salama said, “build ‘one for the ages’.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has published a comprehensive analysis of his party’s 2024 election results after facing mounting criticism from within party ranks for initially keeping the document under wraps.
The extensive 192-page analysis, completed in December by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, advocates for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”
According to the document, “Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party.”
The analysis identifies several concerning trends, including diminished support and resources for state-level Democratic organizations, changing voter registration patterns, and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
Martin’s decision to release the report comes amid growing doubts about his leadership effectiveness among party leaders, with concerns mounting about the organization’s operational strength just one year into his leadership role.
In a written statement published alongside the report, Martin offered an explanation for his previous reluctance to make the analysis public.
“When I received the report late last year, it wasn’t ready for primetime. Not even close. And because no source material was provided, fixing it would have meant starting over, from the beginning — every conversation, every interview, every data set,” Martin explained.
“In December, I announced we would shelve this report, and I meant what I said at the time — that I didn’t think dwelling on 2024 or looking backwards so late in the game helped us to win elections. And at the end of the day, winning elections is my job,” he added. “In short, I didn’t want to create a distraction. Ironically, in doing so, I ended up creating an even bigger distraction. And for that, I sincerely apologize.”
Party strategists have responded with skepticism to Martin’s explanation.
“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale posted on social media platforms.
DETROIT (AP) — Mike Duggan, who previously served as Detroit’s mayor, announced Thursday he is halting his bid for Michigan governor, pointing to an increasingly hostile political environment driven by President Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran and rising fuel costs.
The veteran Democrat was seeking the governor’s mansion as an independent candidate to succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who cannot seek reelection due to term restrictions. Speaking with The Associated Press, he explained that victory would be extremely difficult as Democrats who might have backed him are now rallying against developments in Washington.
“Democrat anger against Trump and Republicans is extremely high,” Duggan said. “In 60 days there’s been a huge change in the attitudes of this country. People are feeling the pain at the pump and are angry about it.”
No independent candidate has ever held Michigan’s governorship, and third-party contenders historically struggle in races for the state’s highest office. For Duggan, who avoided partisan battles by choosing an independent path, the challenges were becoming insurmountable.
“As long as I knew there was a path for victory, I was going to fight,” he said. “I don’t see a likely path to win.”
Following the Iran conflict’s start in late February, petroleum costs have surged over 50%. Thursday’s data from AAA Michigan showed regular gasoline averaging $4.74 per gallon statewide, exceeding the $4.56 national figure. Michigan’s average was $3.13 one year prior, while the national average stood at $3.18.
Trump has consistently stated that fuel prices will decrease when the conflict concludes, though he hasn’t specified a timeline.
Across the nation, Trump’s economic approval ratings have declined somewhat since the Iran war commenced, based on AP-NORC survey data. Recent May polling revealed that even Republicans express less satisfaction with Trump’s economic leadership compared to several months ago, despite generally maintaining their support. Roughly 6 in 10 Republicans currently approve of his economic handling, down from approximately 8 in 10 before hostilities began.
Duggan believed his campaign was behind Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James in the gubernatorial contest. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is also seeking the Democratic nomination, while millionaire businessman Perry Johnson pursues the Republican ticket.
Michigan will conduct its primary voting on Aug. 4, followed by the general election on Nov. 3.
In December 2024, Duggan revealed his gubernatorial ambitions, surprising observers when he simultaneously announced his independent candidacy rather than remaining with the Democratic Party.
During that December AP interview, Duggan said he wanted to provide Michigan voters with additional options.
“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan said then. “You have a (state) legislature that’s almost evenly divided that makes the stakes of each issue become magnified. It has gotten harder and harder to address things as the partisan climate has gotten more toxic.”
His independent decision came as Michigan joined several swing states that supported Trump’s November 2024 return to the White House for a second term.
“I’ve done everything I know how to do for almost a year and a half,” Duggan said Thursday. “You could feel the mood of this state wanting the toxic partisanship to end. They wanted the parties to work together.”
Duggan led Detroit for twelve years as mayor. His initial election came in November 2013 during the city’s difficult and unprecedented bankruptcy while operating under a state-appointed emergency manager. The former county prosecutor and medical center executive became Detroit’s first white mayor since Coleman A. Young won election in the early 1970s as the city’s first Black mayor.
Many credit Duggan with guiding Detroit’s transformation after emerging from bankruptcy in December 2014 into a more prosperous and dynamic city.
Detroit’s population, approximately 80% Black, reelected Duggan on two occasions. He declared in November 2024 that he wouldn’t pursue a fourth mayoral term, departing the office in January.
Throughout the campaign, Duggan faced criticism from his former Democratic allies, who worried his candidacy would siphon votes from the Democratic nominee despite his nearly four decades as a Democrat in a predominantly Democratic city.
“I was running to change politics, not to be a spoiler,” he said Thursday.
After Duggan’s gubernatorial announcement, Republican and former Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley commented on X that Duggan possessed the qualities of a “credible, independent candidate with the ability to raise money.”
“But there are huge advantages of having a political party behind you,” Calley wrote. “And being a target of the left and the right will be intense.”
MOSCOW, May 21 — A drone strike carried out by Ukrainian forces resulted in the deaths of three individuals when it hit a train locomotive in Russia’s Bryansk region on Thursday, according to state company Russian Railways.
The fatalities were all employees of Russian Railways who were struck during the attack at a railway station located in the town of Unecha.
The region’s acting governor, Yegor Kovalchuk, had previously confirmed that Unecha had been subjected to an assault.
The Bryansk region shares a border with Ukraine and has repeatedly been the target of Ukrainian military operations.
The nation’s highest court on Thursday threw out Alabama’s appeal regarding how courts should assess intellectual disability in death penalty cases, effectively ending a legal dispute over inmate Joseph Clifton Smith’s mental capacity.
The Supreme Court justices declared the case was “improvidently granted,” reversing their earlier decision to hear the matter after oral arguments took place in December.
Alabama officials had challenged a federal court’s methodology for evaluating Smith’s intellectual abilities, which involved examining several intelligence test results along with expert witness testimony.
A landmark 2002 Supreme Court ruling established that putting intellectually disabled individuals to death breaches the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Smith’s case raised questions about whether and how courts may weigh the combined impact of multiple IQ assessments when determining intellectual disability in capital punishment cases.
The Trump administration supported Alabama’s position in the legal battle.
Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed with the court’s dismissal decision. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito opposed it. Chief Justice John Roberts and conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch partially joined Alito’s opposition.
Smith, currently 55 years old, received a death sentence for killing Durk Van Dam in Alabama’s Mobile County in 1997. Court records show Smith used a hammer and saw to fatally attack the victim to steal his footwear, equipment and $140. Authorities discovered Van Dam’s remains inside his stuck Ford Ranger pickup in a remote forested location.
Alabama, similar to numerous other states, uses IQ test results of 70 or lower as part of its criteria for establishing intellectual disability. Supreme Court decisions from 2014 and 2017 permitted courts to examine IQ score ranges near 70 alongside additional evidence of intellectual impairment, including testimony about “adaptive deficits.”
Smith underwent five IQ evaluations, with scores spanning from 78 at the highest to 72 at the lowest. A federal judge observed that Smith’s minimum score might actually reach 69 when accounting for the standard error of measurement of approximately three points either way. The judge subsequently determined that Smith displayed substantial early-life limitations in social interaction, independent living capabilities and academic performance.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta confirmed the judge’s findings in 2023, overturning Smith’s death sentence. This decision led Alabama officials to submit their first Supreme Court appeal in the matter.
In 2024, the justices overruled the 11th Circuit’s ruling, stating that the appeals court’s analysis of Smith’s IQ results was ambiguous and needed clarification.
The 11th Circuit issued a clarifying opinion explaining that its assessment employed “a holistic approach to multiple IQ scores” while also examining additional pertinent evidence, including expert testimony. This clarification prompted Alabama officials to file their second Supreme Court appeal.
Stock prices for the German footwear company Birkenstock climbed almost 17% on Thursday following the announcement of a $250 million share repurchase program through an accelerated buyback agreement, coming after a recent drop in share value.
This announcement follows just days after a significant stock decline caused by reduced quarterly growth numbers and an unmodified annual forecast, raising concerns about where the brand fits between high-end luxury and mainstream consumer markets.
Chief Executive Oliver Reichert explained that the share buyback decision demonstrates leadership’s belief that current stock prices don’t accurately represent the company’s actual business performance.
“Short-term market dynamics have resulted in what we believe is a strong disconnect between our share price and the strength of our underlying fundamentals,” Reichert stated, further explaining that using available funds for share repurchases represented the “most attractive use of capital” given current market conditions.
Stock prices reached $38.66 during trading, positioning the company for its strongest single-day performance since going public in 2023, though still significantly lower than the peak price of $64.70 reached in August 2024.
Previously, Birkenstock had announced plans to buy back approximately $200 million in shares during fiscal year 2026, with CFO Ivica Krolo indicating last week that company leadership was evaluating the best approach for deploying available capital after losing an earlier chance to complete a buyback during a secondary stock offering, which had been successfully executed in 2025.
The footwear maker confirmed its projected annual revenue growth target of 13% to 15% using constant currency calculations.
Company officials expect the accelerated share repurchase program to conclude by June 30.
Cases of African swine fever across European Union member nations climbed dramatically in 2025, with domestic pig infections rising 76% and wild boar cases increasing 44%, according to Thursday’s announcement from the European Food Safety Authority.
While the disease poses no threat to human health, it can kill pigs and wild boar quickly and transmits easily between animals. When outbreaks occur, countries often impose trading restrictions and limit animal movement.
The European Food Safety Authority’s newest yearly disease tracking report showed 585 cases in domestic pigs across the 27 EU countries during 2025, representing a 76% jump from 2024 figures.
Wild boar infections totaled 11,036 cases, marking a 44% increase from the year before and reaching the highest levels recorded since 2021.
Even with the rising case numbers, the European Food Safety Authority noted that quarantine zone sizes across the EU stayed relatively unchanged.
Spain, which leads European Union pork production, identified the disease in November 2025 following more than 30 years without any confirmed cases, pushing the count of impacted EU nations to 14.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, Spain represented one of two instances in 2025, alongside Germany, where the fever surfaced far from previously known infection zones, indicating the virus traveled long distances instead of gradually moving through adjacent areas.
In Spain’s case, the closest confirmed outbreak had occurred in northern Italy, approximately 700 kilometers away. German authorities found the virus in wild boar in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 200 kilometers from the nearest previous case. The European Food Safety Authority stated that officials could not determine how the virus arrived in either location.
Romania drove much of the 2025 surge in domestic pig cases, representing 81% of all outbreaks that year, while Croatia, Estonia and Latvia also reported growing case numbers, the European Food Safety Authority reported.
Salisbury University’s track and field athletes have been recognized with 29 All-Region honors for the 2026 NCAA Division III outdoor season, according to an announcement from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The Sea Gulls’ track and field program secured a total of 29 distinctions, with male athletes earning 18 honors while female competitors received 11 recognitions.
The All-Region awards acknowledge outstanding performances by student-athletes during the 2026 outdoor track and field campaign across NCAA Division III competition.
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International criticism intensified Thursday following the release of a video showing Israel’s far-right security minister mocking activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla who were being held on the ground by authorities.
The handling of the activists by law enforcement under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s oversight prompted criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States, Israel’s closest ally.
The aid workers, whose ship was stopped Wednesday in international waters by Israeli naval units while attempting to transport humanitarian supplies to Gaza, were all expelled from Israel Thursday, according to the Israeli foreign ministry.
European nations called in Israeli diplomatic representatives to express disapproval of the video. Italy requested an official apology, Spain declared it would not accept mistreatment of its nationals, and France called for the immediate release of all those detained.
Britain’s foreign ministry stated the video “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity for people”, while Poland’s foreign minister requested that Ben-Gvir be prohibited from entering the country.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated that Ben-Gvir had “betrayed (the) dignity of his nation”.
The widespread condemnation follows the release of campaign-style footage by Ben-Gvir and at least one other minister in Netanyahu’s administration, transport chief Miri Regev, showing them at the port criticizing the demonstrators, publicity-seeking behavior ahead of a possible early election in Israel.
Thameen al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated the activists’ detention at sea appeared unlawful, and that any mistreatment should be examined with those responsible held accountable.
“It is not a crime to show solidarity and bring humanitarian assistance to the people who are in dire need of it in Gaza,” he told Reuters.
Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani, among several activists separated from others and transported home earlier, claimed he was attacked upon arrival at Israeli detention in what he described as a container, calling it a “place of terror”.
“‘Beat you up’ means they kicked me in the legs and punched me in the face. These are people who know what they are doing, so I don’t have any major visible marks … They would beat you up and would tell you ‘Welcome to Israel’,” he told reporters upon arriving at Rome’s Fiumicino airport.
Another Italian activist, Dario Carotenuto, a lawmaker from the 5-Star Movement, reported being punched in the eye and kicked during detention.
Israel’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the activists’ claims. Participants in previous flotillas intercepted by Israel also reported abuse by Israeli forces, which Israel denied.
Flotilla organizers state they sought to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian aid, which charitable organizations say remains insufficient despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas effective since October 2025 that includes promises of increased assistance.
The flotilla left southern Turkey this week before being intercepted Wednesday. Previous flotillas — including one carrying Swedish activist Greta Thunberg — were also stopped by Israel, with participants subsequently deported.
Israeli rights organization Adalah reported the estimated 430 activists had been freed from prison in southern Israel.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced his country was organizing special flights to transport Turkish citizens as well as third-country participants to Turkey. Those aboard the flotilla included citizens of Spain, South Korea and Ireland.
“We will continue to uphold the rights of our citizens and fulfil our humanitarian responsibility toward civilians in Gaza,” Fidan stated.
Ben-Gvir’s video depicts officers pushing an activist to the ground after she chants “Free, free Palestine”.
The footage also displays dozens of detained activists kneeling in lines with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, in what appears to be an outdoor Israeli port facility. In the background, soldiers armed with long guns can be seen patrolling the area from aboard a military vessel.
During Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched following the October 2023 Hamas attacks, Israeli forces frequently positioned detained Palestinians on the ground with their hands restrained.
“Look at them now. See how they look now, not heroes and not anything,” Ben-Gvir says in the video as he walks past the activists while carrying a large Israeli flag.
Netanyahu declared Ben-Gvir’s behavior was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
Ben-Gvir’s political support includes some of Israel’s most nationalist voters, a group that Netanyahu’s Likud party has previously attempted to attract before national elections, the next of which is scheduled by October 27.
This week, Israel moved closer to a snap election after lawmakers gave initial approval to dissolve parliament.
Canada and Spain are among countries that have imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing allegations that they incited violence against Palestinians.
Drivers traveling on Levels Road should expect delays today due to a construction-related lane closure at the St. Anne’s Boulevard intersection.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reports that the northbound right turn lane at this location has been temporarily shut down while construction work takes place.
The lane restriction is expected to be lifted by 3 PM this afternoon. Motorists are advised to plan for extra travel time and consider alternate routes if possible.
Delaware election officials are reminding voters about an important upcoming deadline for the state’s September primary election.
The Delaware Department of Elections announced that voters who wish to change their party registration must do so by Friday, May 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. This deadline applies to those wanting to participate in the September 15, 2026 Primary Election.
The deadline is established under Delaware law, specifically 15 Del. C. § 2049(a). Delaware operates as a Closed Primary State, which means voters can only cast ballots in primary elections if they are registered with either the Democratic or Republican party.
A telehealth company announced Thursday that it has started providing Canadian patients with type 2 diabetes access to a generic alternative to a popular diabetes medication through its online platform.
Hims & Hers Health revealed it is distributing a generic form of semaglutide, the key component found in Novo Nordisk’s widely-used diabetes drug Ozempic, to Canadian customers. This represents the telehealth company’s initial venture into international generic GLP-1 medication distribution.
The generic medication comes from Apotex Inc, which the company describes as Canada’s largest globally-operating health company. This development became possible after Novo’s patent protection for semaglutide expired, creating opportunities for multiple pharmaceutical companies to introduce generic alternatives in the Canadian marketplace.
Canadian health authorities gave their approval to Apotex’s medication earlier this month. The previous week saw the company introduce its generic product, Apo-Semaglutide Injection, designed for weekly administration in adults managing type 2 diabetes.
Another pharmaceutical company, Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s, also secured approval last month and has introduced its own generic alternative in Canada.
The original Ozempic medication costs Canadian patients between C$200 ($145.27) and C$400 monthly, with pricing varying based on dosage strength, geographic location, and insurance coverage.
“When more affordable options enter the GLP-1 space, it becomes more dynamic, and prices fall across the board. That benefits patients everywhere, regardless of where they seek care,” stated Sandy Van, chief medical officer at Hims & Hers Canada.
The telehealth company indicated that Canadian patients can access customized treatment plans beginning at C$149 monthly.
Company representatives mentioned they remain open to establishing partnerships with additional manufacturers in Canada, though they declined to provide specific details about future collaborations.
Kontoor Brands announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement to transfer ownership of its Lee denim brand to Authentic Brands Group in a transaction valued at up to $1 billion, allowing the clothing manufacturer to concentrate on more successful brands like Wrangler.
The transaction structure includes an upfront payment of $750 million plus an additional $250 million contingent payment based on the brand’s future success under new management, according to Kontoor’s announcement.
Kontoor’s stock price rose 1% during premarket trading following the news.
Since its 2019 separation from VF Corp, the company has struggled with Lee’s performance, which has consistently lagged behind Wrangler’s market success.
The Lee brand has encountered inconsistent consumer demand, especially within U.S. markets, while competing against strong rivals in the middle-market denim category.
Kontoor initiated efforts to sell the Lee division during its first quarter, seeking to concentrate resources on brands that better match strategic growth opportunities, company officials stated.
Authentic Brands manages a collection of fashion and lifestyle companies including Reebok and Guess, and announced Wednesday that Matt Maddox would become its new chief executive officer, with Jamie Salter moving to executive chairman.
Company founder Salter informed CNBC that he anticipates bringing the company to public markets sometime in the coming 12 months.
According to company information, Authentic achieves approximately $38 billion in “systemwide retail sales” mainly through licensing brand intellectual property of challenged companies to business partners.
Morgan Stanley will provide financial advisory services to Kontoor, with Foley & Lardner handling legal representation.
Kontoor’s board unanimously endorsed the transaction, which requires regulatory clearance and is scheduled to finalize during the latter half of 2026.
Drivers traveling on Walters Bluff Road are facing lane restrictions today due to ongoing construction work in the area.
The right lane is currently blocked between Holts Landing Road and the dead end portion of Walters Bluff Road. Officials say the lane closure will remain in effect until 6 PM today.
Motorists are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and allow extra time for their commute.
DENVER — An offensive showcase in the Western Conference Final got its spark from an unexpected source Wednesday night.
Dylan Coghlan fired a wrist shot between Scott Wedgewood’s pads to break open a scoreless battle, propelling the Vegas Golden Knights to a commanding 4-2 victory over the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.
“Honestly, I didn’t know it went in until I looked at Shea (Theodore) and he was just smiling at me,” Coghlan said.
The goal marked Coghlan’s first playoff tally in his NHL career, his initial league score in almost five years, and only his seventh professional goal overall. The 28-year-old defenseman also delivered a crucial defensive play, breaking up a dangerous 3-on-2 rush that prevented Colorado from finding their rhythm.
“Yeah, so happy for him,” winning goalie Carter Hart said. “He came in in the Anaheim series. I thought he did a tremendous job then. Stepped up tonight huge. That was a huge first goal for us tonight and I couldn’t be happier for the guy.”
Vegas forward Pavel Doroleyev highlighted Coghlan’s complete performance, noting, “It’s not just about his goal. He did a lot of things right, especially in D-zone, on breakouts.”
However, that breakthrough moment stood out most significantly.
Coghlan’s last goal came on Dec. 17, 2021, against the New York Islanders, with three of his six career tallies occurring during a hat trick performance in a 4-3 defeat to the Minnesota Wild on March 10, 2021.
“He’s an easy guy to pull for,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said.
This season, Coghlan recorded 14 goals across 62 games with Henderson in the American Hockey League while remaining without a point in three regular-season appearances for Vegas.
“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear,” Tortorella said. “I think he’s one of our best defensemen since he’s been with us and in the lineup. … He’s a bit unflappable.”
Vegas captured home-ice advantage from the conference’s top seed, ending Colorado’s impressive run of eight victories in nine playoff contests before this Western Conference Final setback.
Colorado defenseman Cale Makar sat out Game 1 due to an upper-body injury. Makar departed the ice clutching his right arm after a late collision in Game 5 against Minnesota last week, though he returned as Colorado secured an overtime victory.
Makar’s unavailability dealt a significant setback to the Avalanche. This represents the first playoff game Makar has missed due to injury during his Colorado tenure. The Norris Trophy finalist contributed four goals and one assist while logging nearly 25 minutes per game through the initial two rounds. Makar also anchors Colorado’s special teams units, which allowed a power-play goal to Doroleyev during the second period.
Colorado experimented with altered defensive pairings without Makar, creating some miscommunication that allowed Coghlan to drift into open ice and thread his shot past Wedgewood’s pads to end the scoreless deadlock in the second period.
“There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he’s not playing. We have find a way.”
Coghlan has traveled extensively throughout his career, beginning with two seasons in Vegas before playing for Carolina and Winnipeg. He rejoined the Golden Knights last July, partially motivated by the relationships he had established.
“This is probably the best I’ve felt in my whole career,” Coghlan said. “Whoever it is I’m playing with I’m very comfortable out there with them. They make it pretty easy on me. We have some pretty world-class players.”
Student-athletes from Goldey-Beacom College claimed three prestigious honors from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference this month, showcasing excellence across multiple sports programs.
Sophomore Camilla Franzin from Trieste, Italy, received recognition as the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Month for her outstanding court performance.
In academic achievement, freshman Jenna Frank of Ulm, Germany, secured a position on the Monthly Honor Roll, highlighting her success in the classroom alongside her athletic commitments.
The golf program also earned recognition when freshman Matteo Sasdelli from Florence, Italy, was named the Men’s Golf Rookie of the Month for his impressive debut season performance.
These accolades demonstrate the continued strength of Goldey-Beacom’s athletic programs and the international talent the college attracts from around the world.
SALISBURY, Md. — Salisbury’s Housing and Community Development Department will organize its second annual Youth Business Fair this Saturday, June 6, running from noon until 3 p.m. at The Centre at Salisbury. The no-cost event represents part of the City’s ongoing commitment to youth development, economic opportunities, and initiatives designed to cultivate future entrepreneurs and small business leaders in the area.
The Housing and Community Development Department’s Community Relations Team is coordinating the Youth Business Fair, which provides young business owners between 8 and 18 years old an opportunity to display their enterprises, merchandise, and concepts in a public commercial environment.
The fair celebrates the ingenuity and inventiveness of Salisbury’s young people while promoting entrepreneurial spirit, leadership development, and community economic expansion. By offering early introduction to business ownership and financial education concepts, the event delivers practical learning opportunities that go beyond traditional classroom instruction.
Young vendors will interact face-to-face with buyers, develop self-assurance, and acquire real-world knowledge about running a business.
“This marks our second time organizing the Youth Business Fair, and I’m delighted to stage the event at such a prominent venue,” stated Rachel Manning, Community Relations Manager. “I’m particularly eager to witness all these amazing young business owners present their concepts. Please join us and show your support for Salisbury’s youth on June 6th.”
“The Youth Business Fair demonstrates how Salisbury continues backing our community’s future,” commented Mayor Taylor. “These young business owners embody creativity, persistence, and forward-thinking, and we’re honored to champion them and their ventures!”
Salisbury officials are encouraging community members to visit the event, connect with young sellers, and back local business development. Programs like the Youth Business Fair build stronger ties among residents, families, and community groups while generating valuable chances for young people to develop skills, advance, and thrive.
Further event information will be distributed via the City of Salisbury’s Community Relations social media platforms and official website.
WASHINGTON — Federal officials are preparing to roll back regulations governing refrigerants used in grocery store cooling systems and air conditioning equipment, with administration leaders claiming the move will help reduce food costs for consumers.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the previous administration’s regulations as burdensome restrictions that dictated which types of refrigerants American businesses and consumers could utilize.
The updated policy will “allow businesses to choose the refrigeration systems that work best for them, saving them billions of dollars. This will be felt directly by American families in lower grocery prices,” Zeldin stated ahead of a White House ceremony Thursday where President Donald Trump plans to unveil these modifications. Representatives from Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and additional grocery retailers are anticipated to attend the announcement.
As public anxiety over living expenses intensified before crucial November elections, the Republican administration is working to tackle affordability challenges. However, it remains uncertain how significantly or rapidly these refrigerant regulation changes might reduce food prices.
U.S. inflation climbed to 3.8% on an annual basis in April, driven by price increases linked to the Iran conflict and President Donald Trump’s extensive tariff policies. Inflation is currently exceeding wage growth as the ongoing war has maintained elevated oil and gas costs.
This regulatory shift marks a departure from Trump’s first presidential term, when he enacted legislation designed to cut harmful, climate-warming emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning systems. That bipartisan initiative united environmental advocates and major corporate interests in unusual agreement on the divisive climate change topic, earning widespread political support.
The 2020 legislation represented broad cross-party agreement on rapidly eliminating domestic hydrofluorocarbon usage, or HFCs, which are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide as greenhouse gases and are viewed as significant contributors to global warming.
This EPA decision underscores the current Trump administration’s commitment to dismantling regulations viewed as environmentally focused. The initiative is part of extensive environmental policy changes that Zeldin has described as placing a “dagger through the heart of climate change religion.”
Environmental groups have condemned the administration’s proposals, arguing that a rule announced last year would worsen climate pollution while disrupting the industry’s multi-year shift toward alternative coolants to replace HFCs.
Stephanie Bernaba describes herself as someone who is “not the best person with bugs and stuff,” so she never expected to transform into an adventure-seeking parent.
However, the 47-year-old mother of three has embraced outdoor activities as rising gas prices and travel expenses make distant vacations increasingly costly. Instead of the far-off destinations her family once visited, Bernaba has been directing them toward nearby coastal areas, cycling paths, and nature trails close to their coastal Rhode Island residence.
“I’ve been trying to do more of that because one, it’s quality time. Two, it’s fresh air. And three, we’re not spending an arm and a leg,” she said.
This type of adjustment is influencing the summer vacation season, which traditionally kicks off in America with the extended Memorial Day weekend. Elevated fuel costs stemming from the Iran war and additional inflationary forces are driving up transportation expenses across the board as people worldwide make their travel arrangements.
The U.S. Travel Association anticipates yearly travel expenditures will increase by just 1% this year, driven mainly by domestic recreational travel even though the FIFA World Cup provides international soccer enthusiasts with motivation to visit America. Flight costs have risen globally alongside jet fuel prices as the conflict limits worldwide oil availability.
Choosing nearby destinations may not provide relief from higher costs. The nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy calculated that Americans would spend a combined additional $3.5 billion on fuel during the holiday weekend. Regular gasoline averaged $4.56 per gallon nationwide on Thursday, up from $3.18 twelve months ago, motor club AAA reported.
Additional travel-related costs have increased as well. Recent consumer price data revealed flight prices jumped 20.7% in April compared to the previous year, local transportation like buses and subways increased 5.6%, accommodation expenses rose 4.3%, and restaurant meals became 3.6% more expensive.
Even with higher prices, industry predictions indicate Americans remain eager to travel, though they may replace extended trips with brief getaways, select closer destinations, and find cost-cutting methods like preparing their own meals or using public transportation instead of personal vehicles.
AAA forecasted that 45 million Americans would journey at least 50 miles from their homes between Thursday and Monday. The Transportation Security Administration announced it anticipates screening 18.3 million travelers from Thursday through next Wednesday.
Numerous families are organizing summer getaways while making compromises like briefer stays or less expensive accommodations, Bank of America analysts noted. Mastercard indicated in a recent study that customers seemed increasingly value-conscious and were modifying their destinations and schedules rather than canceling trips entirely.
“Generally, it’s certainly more of a demand reshuffling than a demand softening,” David Tinsley, a senior economist at Bank of America Institute, said.
For the Bernaba household, this has resulted in exchanging an extensive vacation for a brief nearby trip this summer. Their reduced itinerary remains expensive: over $400 for ferry transportation to Martha’s Vineyard for their vehicle and family members, plus approximately $800 nightly for each of the two hotel rooms their family of five requires.
A second family that had intended to accompany them withdrew after learning the costs.
“The pinch is being felt all the way around,” Bernaba said.
Experts have progressively characterized travel expenditures as “K-shaped,” with wealthy families maintaining their spending while lower-income households reduce expenses or avoid travel completely. Bank of America found that families with limited incomes were much more likely to indicate having no summer vacation plans this year.
Vacationers face additional challenges beyond financial concerns.
Airlines worldwide have eliminated flights and reduced schedules to conserve fuel and operational expenses, providing travelers with fewer choices. Recent government shutdowns that created significant flight delays and extended security wait times likely remain in travelers’ memories. Middle Eastern conflicts and broader international tensions create additional worry, particularly for those considering overseas trips.
The multiple elements affecting travel currently have made trip planning more mentally demanding and may be steering people toward simpler and more reachable vacations that seem easier to coordinate, said Marta Soligo, a tourism sociologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
“The key word here is unpredictability,” Soligo said. “Tourists don’t like unpredictability.”
Jim Wang, a personal finance blogger residing in Maryland with his spouse and four children, explained his family’s initial plan to visit Spain for a complete solar eclipse in August started falling apart once they examined the details.
In addition to thousands of dollars for airfare, the journey would have involved multiple flight connections, plus vehicle rental to reach northern Spain, where the eclipse’s path of totality was expected.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want to see the eclipse that much,’” Wang said.
Wang’s family instead plans to visit the Lake Tahoe region between California and Nevada this summer, where they can use a relative’s cabin at no cost, explore hiking trails, and experience a relaxed atmosphere with limited cellular coverage. His spouse’s parents and sister plan to join them.
“We’re still going to travel. It’ll just be different,” Wang said. “The vacations are no longer as grand for the adults. But for our kids, it’s still exciting.”
Nancy McGehee, a Virginia Tech hospitality professor who researches consumer behavior, noted that travelers are placing greater emphasis on the “why than the where” regarding vacations.
“What we’re seeing is people are saying, ‘Alright, we can’t do that big splashy trip we wanted to do, but what else can we do?’” McGehee said. “It’s more quality over quantity that we’re seeing people go for.”
Back in Rhode Island, Bernaba has come to terms with the fact that travel may appear different for her family for some time.
“I think that’s probably why my mind has gone to doing more nature-y things,” she said. “Let’s learn how to use the earth to enjoy ourselves because that’s not going to cost as much money.”
WASHINGTON — Federal lawmakers are demanding major phone companies step up their efforts to shield Americans from fraudulent communications, as part of an expanding probe into how U.S. businesses contribute to a cybercrime wave that drained approximately $200 billion from Americans last year.
“Consumers need to be able to trust that the calls and texts they receive — from their doctor’s office or their child’s school, for example — are authentic. Scam communications, however, are increasingly difficult to distinguish from legitimate messages, and too much of the burden of detection is falling on customers,” Rep. David Schweikert, R.-Ariz., the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D.-N.H., the committee’s ranking member, wrote in a detailed request sent to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile on Wednesday evening.
The lawmakers are requesting details about how these companies gather information, track fraudulent activity and cybercrime, and respond to malicious operators.
This increased oversight reflects mounting alarm in the nation’s capital over the dramatic increase in scams targeting American consumers. Federal legislators have also been examining Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service, online dating sites, artificial intelligence companies, data brokers and a range of federal agencies about their roles in and response to cyberscams.
This marks another attempt by Washington to address unwanted calls. Under the 2019 TRACED Act, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission mandated that major carriers deploy caller ID authentication technology to fight caller ID spoofing and make it easier for law enforcement to identify bad actors.
However, the issue continues, exposing Americans to sophisticated international criminal operations.
Mobile carriers prevented 55 billion spam and scam robotexts in 2024 and identify or stop 45 billion fraudulent calls annually, according to industry group CTIA. Yet unwanted communications and calls keep getting through in overwhelming volumes.
Americans were hit with over 50 billion robocalls in 2025, according to YouMail, a robocall blocking company. Spam texts jumped to more than 19 billion monthly in 2024, according to RoboKiller, another anti-spam company. Text messages and phone calls were the first and third most commonly reported ways scammers targeted victims last year, according to Federal Trade Commission data.
Josh Berc, senior vice president of policy at USTelecom, an industry association, said companies work to protect consumers by tracing back scam calls, disrupting illegal activity and supporting government investigations and law enforcement.
“Scam prevention requires a coordinated, inter-industry approach and our sector remains committed to strengthening partnerships that protect consumers,” he said in an email to The Associated Press.
Some telecom companies are seeking to turn anti-scam work from a cost center to a source of revenue, through, for example, premium call-filtering services and branded caller ID, both available for a fee.
Consumer advocates say stronger incentives are needed.
“Companies will not go far enough until they actually do feel some type of liability,” said Eden Iscil, senior public policy manager at the National Consumers League, “Some financial incentive that really pushes them to go as far as they can to protect consumers.”
RICHMOND—With AAA projecting that more than 1 million Virginia residents will hit the roads for Memorial Day weekend travel, transportation safety advocates are highlighting current traffic regulations for drivers.
Virginia’s “hands-free” driving regulation prohibits drivers from using handheld communication devices while operating vehicles, a rule that took effect in 2021. Violators face three demerit points from the Department of Motor Vehicles along with penalties beginning at $125.
The state’s yearly Click It or Ticket seatbelt awareness and enforcement initiative continues throughout May. Drive Smart Virginia collaborates with the DMV to advance this campaign annually.
“The Click It or Ticket message reminds everyone to wear their seatbelt or face getting a ticket,” said David Tenembaum, Drive Smart board treasurer and senior actuarial manager at Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. “Additionally, Drive Smart’s social-norming campaign Love Clicks reminds Virginians of the law—all vehicle occupants must wear their seat belt.”
Before holiday travel begins, drivers should also remember Virginia’s Move Over regulation.
Updated in 2023, this requirement mandates that motorists switch lanes when feasible or reduce speed for any roadside vehicle displaying amber warning lights, hazard signals, triangles or flares. The regulation covers utility vehicles, towing services and roadside assistance trucks on highways containing four or more lanes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to halt numerous highway construction projects and remove temporary lane restrictions on interstates and major thoroughfares from noon Friday, May 22 through noon Tuesday, May 26. Drivers may still encounter long-term construction areas that will stay active during this period.
Travelers can review VDOT’s Travel Advisories for current traffic alerts throughout their region and statewide.
VDOT offers a complimentary mobile 511 application that provides hands-free audio updates about construction activities, traffic conditions, accidents and congestion, plus access to traffic monitoring cameras, weather information, electric vehicle charging locations, and travel alerts for incidents and roadwork along vacation routes. Traffic details are also accessible at 511.vdot.virginia.gov.
The 511 Virginia platform features a travel patterns map for the Memorial Day holiday showing expected peak congestion times on Virginia interstates during the approaching holiday travel season. Though it cannot exactly forecast when traffic jams will develop this year, it helps drivers avoid traveling during historically slow periods. Using the navigation menu at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, select “Holiday Travel” to view the Memorial Day map displaying anticipated peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the upcoming holiday.
Media: Contact Rich Jacobs, DSV, at 804-929-2988.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined last week, continuing a trend of minimal layoffs even as various economic challenges create uncertainty nationwide.
New claims for jobless benefits dropped by 3,000 to reach 209,000 for the week that concluded May 16, according to Thursday’s report from the Labor Department. This figure came in below expectations, as analysts from FactSet had predicted 213,000 new claims.
These weekly unemployment filings serve as a reliable gauge for tracking layoffs across the country and provide nearly immediate insight into job market conditions.
While layoffs remain at historically minimal levels, economists describe the current employment landscape as a “low-hire, low-fire” environment. This situation has maintained unemployment at 4.3%, though individuals who lose their jobs face significant challenges finding new positions.
Although employers added an unexpected 115,000 positions in April, the Iran war has created substantial uncertainty regarding the overall economy and job market prospects.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for one-fifth of global oil shipments, continues to impact markets. Oil prices have surged over 50% since the conflict began in late February, pushing average gasoline costs nationwide to $4.56 per gallon from under $3. These elevated expenses strain consumer budgets and may discourage companies from expanding their workforce.
Government statistics released last week indicated consumer-level inflation increased 3.8% compared to April 2025, marking the largest rise in three years. Food costs have also climbed, though analysts suggest they may not yet fully reflect the energy price increases stemming from the Iran conflict.
Additional data revealed wholesale prices jumped 6% year-over-year, reaching the highest level in more than three years. The producer price index from the Labor Department, which measures inflation before it affects consumers, rose 1.4% between March and April, representing the largest monthly increase in over four years.
These developments occur while inflation already exceeds the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. During its latest meeting, the Fed maintained its benchmark rate unchanged, pointing to Middle East instability and persistent inflation as sources of economic uncertainty.
While reduced interest rates typically stimulate economic growth and job creation, they also tend to fuel inflation, prompting several Federal Reserve officials to suggest they might support a rate increase this year.
Additionally, the ongoing artificial intelligence expansion and associated investment requirements could transform or eliminate certain positions.
Several major corporations have recently announced workforce reductions, including Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney and Walmart.
Weekly unemployment applications have remained relatively stable, typically falling between 200,000 and 250,000 since the economy recovered from the pandemic downturn. However, hiring activity began declining approximately two years ago and slowed further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff policies, federal workforce reductions, and ongoing effects of elevated interest rates designed to combat inflation.
Companies added fewer than 200,000 positions last year, a significant decrease from roughly 1.5 million in 2024, according to FactSet data.
Thursday’s Labor Department report indicated the four-week moving average for jobless claims, which smooths out weekly fluctuations, decreased by 1,500 to 202,500.
The overall count of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week ending May 9 increased by 6,000 to 1.78 million.
BEIRUT (AP) — Several months after being forced from her home by conflict, Soubhiye Zeiter begins each day with the same ritual: brewing a large cup of coffee and enjoying a few peaceful minutes at a flower-adorned small table outside her tent in Beirut.
However, the tranquility ends quickly once her coffee is ready.
Before the morning progresses far, dozens of people have already formed lines outside Zeiter’s modest bakery operation in a tent camp located in Lebanon’s capital city, eager for her mana’eesh — the beloved Lebanese flatbread served for breakfast with toppings of cheese, meat or za’atar, a seasoning made from thyme and herbs. Kids dart between waiting customers, volunteers hurry trays of dough to and from ovens, and the 63-year-old Zeiter acknowledges almost every passerby, frequently inviting them to sit and share coffee.
Called Om Mohammed by many — an Arabic term meaning Mohammed’s mother — this grandmother evacuated her residence in Beirut’s southern suburbs along with 15 family members when the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began. She had been residing just south of the capital when Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for the extensive neighborhoods before launching intensive air attacks.
The continuing conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant organization has forced more than one million residents to leave their homes in this small nation during months of border clashes. Numerous families abandoned villages in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern neighborhoods, finding refuge in schools, government buildings and tent camps throughout Beirut and the wider country.
Upon arriving at the tent camp situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the capital’s upscale downtown area, Zeiter initially visited a nearby location where relief supplies were being given out. However, after learning she would need to wait in line for hours and still might receive nothing, she chose instead to prepare meals for her family and others requiring assistance.
She started using her personal saj — a traditional circular metal cooking surface common throughout Lebanon — preparing approximately 200 mana’eesh daily and distributing them at no cost. As news of her efforts spread, more individuals arrived each morning, with some contributing ingredients. Eventually the waiting lines grew beyond what she could handle by herself.
Today, her small section of the camp resembles a community bakery. Individuals who learned about her work contributed a larger gas-operated oven that operates from early morning through late evening. Dough passes through a rolling machine. Volunteers wrap bread as fast as it emerges hot from ovens. The aroma of thyme and baking dough floats through rows of blue tents.
“We can’t keep up,” Zeiter said, laughing as people continued arriving at the stand. “We bake 3,000 to 3,500 mana’eesh daily and people still come and ask for more.”
What began as one woman preparing food for displaced children has evolved into a community project sustained almost completely by donations. She has gained recognition as somewhat of a local celebrity in her community, with the Beirut governor even stopping by to share coffee with her during an afternoon visit to tour the location.
“People started donating gas, some donated flour or za’atar, some brought oil, cheese, sometimes people brought meat, some brought yeast,” she said. “Whatever I need for this bakery, people are helping me out.”
For Zeiter, the bakery represents more than just providing food. She explains that she wants the tent camp to feel less like a place of grief and more like the communities people were compelled to abandon. During the day, she beckons to people walking by, encourages them to sit together, and attempts to recreate the type of environment she recalls from home.
“We’re all displaced. If I lost my home or got displaced that doesn’t mean that I have to lose my morale,” she said, wishing people even when scarred by war to love and care for each other. “Displacement shouldn’t change us.”
Despite the success of her community project, the sounds of drones flying overhead in the capital and reports of continuing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon serve as stark reminders that life has been altered. She attempts to engage in activities from happier times, such as playing with her grandchildren and her small white dog, Bella.
Most significantly, she makes sure to prepare an additional pot of coffee — because she dislikes drinking coffee by herself — so she can welcome anyone passing her tent who wants to sit briefly. The flowers are important as well.
“What I love the most, in order to bring back memories, is to have flowers on the table or next to me when I drink coffee,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “I feel like it makes up for things a little.”
