Delaware Department of Transportation officials report that construction activities have resulted in the closure of the right travel lane on Interstate 95 northbound between Route 1 and Exit 5.
The lane restriction is currently in effect as crews perform necessary roadwork in the area. Drivers traveling on this stretch of I-95 should anticipate potential delays and consider using alternative routes when possible.
DelDOT has not provided an estimated timeframe for when the lane closure will be lifted and normal traffic patterns will resume.
Delaware transportation officials have shut down a portion of Woodland Beach Road after a utility pole came down across the roadway.
The closure affects the stretch of Woodland Beach Road between Hawkey Branch Road and Gravesend Road, blocking traffic in both directions.
Motorists traveling in the area should seek alternate routes while crews work to clear the fallen pole and restore normal traffic flow. No timeline has been provided for when the road will reopen.
The Oakland Athletics welcomed back two-time All-Star Brent Rooker from the 10-day injured list Sunday, while simultaneously releasing utility player Andy Ibanez to create roster space.
Rooker had been recovering from an oblique strain he sustained during Oakland’s matchup with the New York Yankees on April 9.
The slugger returned to action Sunday, batting cleanup as the designated hitter against the Texas Rangers.
Prior to his injury, Rooker was struggling at the plate with a .146 batting average (6-for-41), though he had managed two home runs and eight RBIs.
The 31-year-old power hitter launched 30 home runs last season, marking his third consecutive year reaching that milestone. Rooker enjoyed his best campaign in 2024, setting personal records with 39 homers and 112 RBIs.
To accommodate Rooker’s activation, the Athletics parted ways with Ibanez through the roster move.
During the 2024 season with Detroit, Ibanez contributed four homers, 21 RBIs, four stolen bases and posted a .239/.301/.352 slash line over 91 contests.
The veteran signed a one-year deal worth $1.2 million with Los Angeles in January, but the Dodgers released him just one month later when they picked up Michael Siani from waivers.
Oakland subsequently claimed Ibanez, though he struggled in limited action with an .118/.167/.118 line across 11 appearances.
The 33-year-old utility man will enter waivers again, potentially attracting interest due to his ability to play multiple positions including first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and both corner outfield spots.
Throughout his six-year major league career, Ibanez has accumulated 28 home runs, 131 RBIs and maintains a .252 batting average.
The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig following an altercation with Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker.
League officials have not yet announced when the hearing will take place.
According to reports from the Ottawa Citizen, the disciplinary review will be conducted via telephone, which limits any potential suspension to a maximum of five games.
The controversial play happened during a break in action halfway through the second period of Saturday’s fourth game in the Eastern Conference opening round matchup.
Walker had been engaged in a physical confrontation with Warren Foegele when Greig joined the altercation and seemingly delivered a high punch that sent Walker falling to the ice.
Carolina eliminated Ottawa from the playoffs by completing a four-game sweep with their 4-2 win.
Saturday evening’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner turned into a scene of panic when gunfire erupted at the Washington Hilton, forcing the immediate evacuation of top government officials.
NPR reporters who were present at the annual event provided firsthand accounts of the terrifying moments as attendees scrambled for safety. The journalists described diving under tables for protection and desperately trying to gather information as the situation developed.
The normally celebratory gathering, which brings together politicians, journalists, and celebrities, was abruptly transformed into an emergency evacuation as security protocols went into effect. Guests were seen fleeing the hotel after initially seeking shelter inside the venue.
The incident marks a dramatic disruption to one of Washington’s most high-profile annual events, which typically serves as a lighthearted evening where the press and political figures come together.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs has received medical clearance to participate in Sunday’s fourth game of their opening playoff round matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers, having successfully completed the NBA’s required concussion evaluation process.
The towering center, who made history as the league’s first unanimous selection for Defensive Player of the Year, was sidelined for Friday’s third game in Portland due to concussion protocol requirements. Despite his absence, San Antonio secured a decisive 120-108 victory, taking a 2-1 advantage in the series.
The French basketball sensation suffered his head injury during the opening half of Tuesday’s narrow 106-103 defeat against Portland.
While continuing his recovery process, Wembanyama made the trip to Portland and had been designated as questionable for Sunday’s contest until receiving final clearance.
In Wembanyama’s place during Game 2, Luke Kornet stepped into the starting lineup and contributed 14 points along with 10 rebounds. The Spurs received exceptional performances from Stephon Castle, who scored 33 points, and first-year player Dylan Harper, who recorded 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The league’s concussion evaluation requires athletes to successfully complete multiple assessment stages before returning to competition. These test results are measured against neurological baseline measurements taken by players during preseason evaluations.
Behind the exceptional play of the versatile 7-foot-4 French center, San Antonio compiled the NBA’s second-highest win total this season. The team maintained a strong 12-6 record during regular season games played without their star player.
During the current campaign, Wembanyama posted averages of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and led the league with 3.1 blocks per contest.
Palestinian officials announced Sunday that weekend local elections held in one Gaza community and across the Israeli-occupied West Bank were successful, describing the voting as progress toward long-awaited presidential elections and future statehood goals.
Saturday’s local election in Deir al-Balah, located in central Gaza, was characterized by the Palestinian Authority as primarily a symbolic test run as officials work to politically unite the territories. The Palestinian Authority oversees semi-autonomous West Bank regions but remains excluded from the U.S.-developed Gaza ceasefire framework.
The voting marked the first election conducted in Hamas-controlled Gaza in more than twenty years. While Deir al-Balah has suffered extensive war damage over the past two years like much of Gaza, it avoided direct Israeli ground operations. Election participation reached 23%, though officials noted obstacles including widespread population displacement and outdated voter registration systems.
Hamas, which maintains control over the Gaza territory that Israel evacuated last year under current ceasefire terms, chose not to present candidates or interfere with the electoral process.
West Bank voter participation hit 56%, representing more than half a million residents, similar to recent election cycles in that region. Final vote tallies were anticipated later Sunday.
“Everyone is aware of the political, security and economic conditions, the fragmentation of Palestinian territory, the war on Gaza, and the regional conflict in Iran,” said Rami Hamdallah, who chairs the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission and previously served as prime minister.
“Simply holding the elections in Deir al-Balah is a significant achievement, and we hope to hold elections in other bodies across the Gaza Strip in the near future,” Hamdallah stated.
Gaza residents expressed determination to vote despite virtually nonexistent public services. Both territories held elections to select local council members responsible for managing water systems, roadways, and electrical infrastructure.
These elections represented the first voting since reform implementation following international pressure. The new system permits individual candidate voting rather than party slate selection. Given declining political party confidence, family and clan affiliations carried more campaign influence.
Hamdallah described the voting as demonstrating national solidarity, expressing hope that “presidential and legislative elections will follow.”
However, the Palestinian Authority has not conducted presidential elections in 21 years, with support for both the authority and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declining amid corruption concerns and frustration over aggressive Jewish settler expansion in West Bank areas.
The Palestinian Authority maintains international recognition as the Palestinian people’s official representative. Hamas expelled the authority from Gaza after winning 2006 parliamentary elections and seizing violent control. Abbas, now 90, won what was intended as a four-year term in 2005. No presidential or legislative elections have occurred since 2006.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa characterized Saturday’s elections as “another step on the path to full independence.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, however, remains opposed to Palestinian statehood.
Many Palestinians desire more extensive voting opportunities as they pursue greater influence over their future.
“Municipal elections are an important step, but they are not enough … We want general elections,” stated Bashar Masri, a notable Palestinian-American business leader, via social media.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks concluded their baseball series against Wagner University with a defeat in Sunday’s finale against the Seahawks.
Throughout the three-game series, UMES pitchers delivered a solid performance on the mound, throwing 14.2 innings while surrendering only six earned runs to Wagner batters.
The Hawks’ starting rotation showed consistency during the series, keeping the team competitive despite ultimately falling short in the final contest.
Champion Shipley contributed defensively for UMES, manning second base during the series against Wagner.
The series loss represents another chapter in the Hawks’ ongoing season as they continue to develop their roster and build momentum for upcoming conference play.
Authorities have identified Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old educator and engineer from California, as the individual suspected of planning an attack during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
According to investigators, Allen reportedly communicated with family members about his intentions to harm administration officials. The suspect worked as both a teacher and engineer in California before allegedly developing plans for the attack.
Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation into Allen’s background and potential motives. The case has drawn significant attention due to the high-profile nature of the targeted event, which brings together journalists, government officials, and other prominent figures.
Allen’s residence in Torrance, California, has become a focal point of the ongoing investigation as authorities work to piece together the timeline of events leading up to the alleged plot.
Forward Jalen Shelley has announced his decision to join the Texas A&M basketball program after transferring from Loyola Marymount, according to his statement to On3 on Sunday.
The Little Elm, Texas native made his commitment following a campus visit to College Station over the weekend.
During his time at Loyola Marymount last season, Shelley posted impressive numbers with 13.7 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per contest, and 2.7 assists while maintaining a 45.7% shooting percentage from the floor across 25 games, starting in every appearance.
Prior to his stint at Loyola Marymount, Shelley spent his freshman year at USC during the 2024-25 season, where he contributed 2.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game over 22 contests with one starting assignment.
Boston Red Sox leadership addressed the media Sunday morning in Baltimore to explain their decision to dismiss manager Alex Cora and multiple coaching staff members the previous day.
Baseball operations head Craig Breslow emphasized the organization’s confidence in their roster during the announcement alongside CEO Sam Kennedy.
“It really comes down to the belief that we have in the players,” Breslow stated. “And the belief that we have in the group to accomplish what we set out to accomplish. By acting today, it gives us 135 games ahead of us.”
“We’ve got almost a full season’s worth of run to take advantage of this fresh start and ultimately to compete for a division and a deep postseason run in the way that we talked about it and envisioned and believed heading into spring training,” he continued.
Boston hasn’t advanced far in the playoffs since their 2021 ALCS loss to Houston in six games. Their most recent championship came in 2018, which marked Cora’s inaugural season as skipper.
During his time leading the team, Cora compiled a 620-541 record (.534) across seven-plus seasons. Saturday morning’s decision by Breslow, backed by Kennedy and owner John Henry, also resulted in the termination of hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin, bench coach Ramon Vazquez and third-base coach Kyle Hudson. Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek will receive a new role within the organization.
“Ultimately, responsibility for the performance on the field, it falls on me as the leader of the baseball operation,” Breslow acknowledged. “But so, too, does the responsibility for doing everything that I can – and everything that the organization can – to find solutions. And right now, we feel like this change, these changes, were warranted. And we’re really excited about the chance for Chad (Tracy) to come in and be a consistent, stabilizing voice – and one that the majority of our player group is familiar with.”
Kennedy expressed full organizational support for the baseball operations chief’s decision-making.
“Craig leads our baseball operation and he has made several bold decisions and recommendations,” Kennedy remarked. “This was one of them and we fully support it. That’s why we took the action that we took yesterday.”
Chad Tracy, who has managed the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox since early 2022, will step into the interim manager role. He takes over a struggling team that sits tied for 20th in scoring average (4.15 runs per game), tied for last in home runs (18), tied for 27th in OPS (.665), 20th in ERA (4.43) and 26th in defensive efficiency.
More significantly, Boston enters Sunday’s matchup with Baltimore carrying a 10-17 record. This places them last in the AL East – trailing the first-place New York Yankees by eight games – and tied for the fourth-worst mark in Major League Baseball.
Andrew Bailey remains as pitching coach despite struggles from the rotation’s top arms. Garrett Crochet holds a 3-3 record with a 6.30 ERA, while Ranger Suarez, who inked a five-year, $140 million contract during the offseason, stands at 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA.
“It is true that we have fallen short in terms of the performance across, you know, hitting, pitching, defense, baserunning,” Breslow admitted. “But as it relates to the staff and trying to tease out exactly what’s driving that, I have confidence in the pitching group’s ability to turn that around. I think we’ve seen evidence of that with Ranger (Suarez) and with Garrett (Crochet). Have the full confidence in that group to be able to get us on track.”
Kennedy emphasized the importance of on-field results moving forward.
“Ultimately what matters is the performance on the field at the major league level,” Kennedy concluded. “And a new beginning starts today.”
Almost 30 sloths perished at a Florida animal import facility over a two-year span due to freezing conditions and illness, state wildlife officials have revealed.
An inspection document from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission dated August shows that 21 sloths brought in from Guyana died at Orlando’s Sanctuary World Imports facility in December 2024. The deaths occurred when building temperatures plummeted to between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, sloths cannot control their body heat like other mammals and require temperatures between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit to survive.
Peter Bandre, identified in the document as the facility’s licensee, explained that the animals suffered what he described as a “cold stun.” He stated that the building lacked electricity and water and was unprepared for the animal shipment, but canceling the delivery was no longer possible. Though the facility bought space heaters, they caused electrical problems and failed, leaving the sloths without warmth for at least one evening.
The warehouse subsequently brought in 10 sloths from Peru in February 2025. Two arrived already dead, while the remaining animals appeared severely malnourished and died from what officials described as “poor health issues.” Bandre mentioned plans to hire a new veterinarian, who would be the facility’s third, according to state records.
The Associated Press was unable to reach Bandre through a phone number listed for Sanctuary World Imports in the August documentation.
State inspection records from March 2026 show that Sanctuary World President Benjamin Agresta announced the company had been renamed Sloth World Inc. and that Bandre no longer worked with the operation. The AP’s attempts to contact Sloth World Inc. through phone and text messages on Sunday were unsuccessful.
March inspectors found that the facility where the Guyanese sloths died now featured separate heating and cooling systems maintaining a constant 82-degree temperature. Officials noted no problems with the sloths currently housed there.
Delaware State Police are looking into a deadly overnight accident that claimed the life of a local man in Lewes early Sunday morning.
The fatal collision happened around 12:20 a.m. on April 26, 2026, when a Dodge Ram pickup truck was heading south on Wil King Road near Kendale Road. Authorities say the truck veered off the roadway for unknown reasons, went into a ditch, and flipped over before colliding with a tree.
The 27-year-old driver from Lewes was thrown from the vehicle because he wasn’t buckled in. Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Police are holding off on releasing his identity while they notify his relatives.
The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash. Master Corporal R. Albert is asking anyone who saw what happened to call (302) 703-3266. Witnesses can also reach out through the Delaware State Police Facebook page or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Families affected by sudden loss or crime can get help around the clock from the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center. Support is available by calling 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461) or emailing [email protected].
LONDON, April 26 – Royal officials announced Sunday that King Charles and Queen Camilla will move forward with their planned four-day state visit to America, despite a shooting incident that occurred at a dinner event with President Donald Trump.
A representative from Buckingham Palace confirmed that after extensive consultations between British and American officials throughout the day, and based on government recommendations, the royal couple’s visit will continue as scheduled.
“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned,” a palace spokesperson said.
The palace representative added that the monarchs expressed appreciation for the swift coordination that allowed the visit to continue.
“The king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow,” the spokesperson stated.
Veteran leadership and playoff savvy helped the Carolina Hurricanes complete a first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators, finishing the series with a 4-2 victory in Saturday’s Game 4.
The Eastern Conference’s top-seeded team navigated through a physically demanding series marked by tight checking and limited scoring opportunities. While Carolina’s primary offensive line struggled to produce and the team accumulated excessive penalty minutes, they compensated with outstanding secondary scoring, exceptional penalty killing, and stellar goaltending from Frederik Andersen.
“Like we’ve kind of talked about all year, whatever way the game goes, our group can handle it,” Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour explained. The coach, who has captured at least one playoff series victory in each of his eight seasons, added: “I didn’t love all the penalties. There’s a fine line you’ve got to try to balance. I don’t know that we did a great job there. But I loved just the compete level of our group from Game 1 all the way through. Pretty impressive.”
Carolina’s playoff success under Brind’Amour began with a surprising Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2019, ending a nine-year postseason absence. Since then, the Hurricanes have become consistent playoff contenders, reaching the Eastern final twice in the last three campaigns, falling to Florida both times.
In 2023, they suffered four single-goal defeats to the Panthers in a series featuring a quadruple-overtime marathon. Brind’Amour noted he didn’t view that as a typical sweep due to how competitive each game remained.
Three years later, Carolina found themselves on the favorable end of a similar situation. They never held more than a two-goal advantage and survived double overtime in Game 2, but became the first team since Detroit’s 2009 victory over Columbus to complete a first-round series without ever trailing, according to ESPN Insights.
“For it to be this tight of a series and not go our way, every game, it’s really tough,” Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk said following the series-clinching loss.
The Hurricanes’ playoff experience manifested in multiple ways as they improved to 11-5 in series-ending games under Brind’Amour, capturing six of their previous seven such contests.
Brind’Amour selected the 36-year-old Andersen over waiver claim Brandon Bussi for the veteran’s playoff presence. Andersen delivered with a Game 1 shutout and finished by stopping 105 of 110 shots for a .955 save percentage and 1.10 goals-against average, crucial numbers given Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark posted impressive statistics (.932 save percentage, 2.03 GAA) at the other end.
Carolina’s top trio of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov produced what Brind’Amour described as “diddly squat” offensively. Regular season goal leaders Jarvis (32) and Svechnikov (31) failed to score, Svechnikov recorded no points, and Aho’s three goals included two empty-netters in the finale.
However, the second line of Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake more than compensated, showcasing Carolina’s offensive depth. Stankoven found the net in each game, including the decisive third-period power-play goal in Game 4. Blake contributed the Game 3 winner plus three assists, while Hall led all players with seven points.
“I couldn’t imagine being in a better spot teamwise,” said Hall, a former Hart Trophy recipient. “Just the mix of guys that we have and having Rod as a coach has been awesome for me personally, the way he pushes buttons — it’s not really pushing buttons, but he gets the most out of his players.”
Carolina’s penalty kill unit received extensive work throughout the increasingly physical series, converting 20 of 21 opportunities (95.2%). The chippy play escalated during Game 4’s second period, which featured multiple altercations.
Captain Jordan Staal acknowledged the Hurricanes “probably went a little cuckoo” responding to hard contact and getting swept up in the period’s intensity. Carolina accumulated eight of their 11 penalties during that middle frame, yet their penalty killers surrendered only Drake Batherson’s tying deflection. The team regained composure in the final period, focusing on controlling even-strength play and committing just one too-many-men penalty.
“It was a very mature third period from us,” Aho observed.
Regarding injuries, winger Nikolaj Ehlers was scratched from Game 4 due to a lower-body ailment, while defenseman Alexander Nikishin left the contest in the second period with a concussion following a heavy hit from Ottawa’s Tyler Kleven. As the first playoff team to advance, Carolina will have several days to prepare before meeting the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh series winner in the second round.
DENVER (AP) — A heated rivalry between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets has produced three playoff matchups over the past four seasons, with both teams trading dramatic victories.
Denver eliminated Minnesota 4-1 during their 2023 championship run, but the Timberwolves got revenge the following year with a stunning 20-point comeback victory in Game 7 at Denver.
The current series began with Denver riding a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs and dominating the opening game. However, the Nuggets surrendered a 19-point advantage in Game 2 and then suffered consecutive blowout losses in Minneapolis.
Despite losing key players Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) and Anthony Edwards (knee) to injuries Saturday, Minnesota crushed Denver 112-96. Reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu delivered a spectacular 43-point performance, marking the highest scoring output by a bench player in a playoff game in 50 years.
Monday’s Game 5 returns to Denver, where another poor showing could eliminate the Nuggets in a shocking early upset. The loss would trigger an offseason of major changes following an injury-plagued first complete season under head coach David Adelman, who has struggled to find solutions for his team’s sudden collapse.
The Minnesota-Denver showdown caps a three-game Monday schedule that could also witness the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder complete their third straight first-round sweep. Oklahoma City holds a 3-0 advantage over Phoenix heading into Game 4 at the Suns’ home arena.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current MVP, dominated Game 3 with 42 points while shooting an exceptional 15-for-18 from the field.
“He doesn’t need a ton of direction from me,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “But I thought he was obviously outstanding. The efficiency was ridiculous. For him to score like that, on 15 of 18, is a really impressive game.”
The evening begins with Game 4 in Orlando, where the eighth-seeded Magic will attempt to build a 3-1 series lead against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal battle.
“Being up 2-1 at home is a good thing, but again, you got to come out and do it again,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after Saturday’s Game 3 win. “And that’s why I’ll keep saying it’s the one game. … We’ve got to learn from this game and what we could do better.”
Denver’s only display of fight since their series-opening victory occurred when Nikola Jokic became upset over Jaden McDaniels scoring an easy basket with 2.1 seconds remaining after the Nuggets had already given up on their double-digit loss Saturday.
Jokic sprinted across the entire court to push McDaniels, who had criticized all Nuggets players as poor defenders following Game 2. Players from both squads rushed in to escalate the confrontation. Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who was furious with Jokic, received an ejection alongside Denver’s star center.
“He scored when we’d stopped playing,” Jokic explained. “You guys saw what happened.”
Historical data suggests Denver faces an uphill battle to advance. Throughout NBA history, just 13 of 298 teams trailing 3-1 in a series have managed to complete the comeback. Ironically, the most recent team to accomplish this feat was Denver in 2020, when they overcame 3-1 deficits against both Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers.
DiVincenzo’s campaign has ended due to his Achilles injury, while Edwards faces an extended recovery from a bone bruise and hyperextended knee. Denver led the league in scoring this season and was held below 100 points only twice in January, yet managed just 96 points in both Minneapolis defeats.
Orlando earned Saturday’s victory behind 25-point efforts from both Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane. This marks the 13th occasion since the NBA adopted its current 16-team playoff format in 1984 that an eighth seed has taken a 2-1 lead over a top seed. Five of the previous 12 teams in this position completed the upset: Miami (2023), Philadelphia (2012), Memphis (2011), Golden State (2007), and New York (1999).
Phoenix star Devin Booker should be available for Game 4 as the Suns attempt to avoid elimination after briefly leaving Game 3 with a left ankle injury sustained when he tripped over Lu Dort’s foot. The five-time All-Star returned minutes later and reported feeling fine. Booker suggested Dort may have intentionally extended his foot during the play, though he wasn’t certain.
BOGOTA, Colombia — Officials confirmed Sunday that fatalities from an explosive attack on a passenger bus in Colombia’s turbulent southwest region have climbed to 20 victims.
The deadly incident occurred Saturday when a bomb exploded aboard a bus traveling the Pan-American Highway in Cajibio municipality. Regional Governor Octavio Guzmán reported that the casualties include 15 women and five men.
In a post on X, Guzmán stated that 36 additional people suffered injuries in the blast, with three currently receiving intensive care treatment. The governor also mentioned that five injured children are anticipated to make full recoveries.
Specialists from Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine, including dental experts, anthropologists and forensic physicians, are working to identify those killed in the explosion.
This devastating attack represents just the most recent incident of violence plaguing the area, where authorities have documented more than 24 separate attacks over the past 72 hours across southwestern Colombia. The territory serves as a battleground for illegal militant organizations fighting for dominance over coca cultivation zones and strategic waterway passages used for narcotics smuggling to Central America and Europe.
Armed Forces Commander Gen. Hugo López characterized the bombing as a “terrorist act” and attributed responsibility to the criminal network led by “Iván Mordisco” — among Colombia’s most sought fugitives — along with the Jaime Martínez faction. Both organizations represent splinter groups from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operating throughout the region.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement condemning the violence targeting civilians and urged government officials to conduct thorough investigations while ensuring “justice for the victims.”
Governor Guzmán announced Sunday that the region would observe three days of official mourning to honor those who perished in the attack.
Tehran’s leadership remains intact. Hamas and Hezbollah continue to operate despite significant losses. President Donald Trump’s priorities may no longer align perfectly with Israel’s strategic interests.
The military campaigns against Iran and its allied groups have not proceeded as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu anticipated, potentially creating electoral challenges for Israel’s most tenured leader as voting approaches later this year. Recent polling data indicates widespread Israeli discontent with how the Netanyahu administration has conducted wartime operations.
When the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran began in late February, Netanyahu outlined ambitious objectives: weakening the Islamic Republic’s armed forces, eliminating its nuclear and missile capabilities, and establishing conditions for regime change. Though Iran’s military capacity has suffered substantial damage, it continues threatening neighboring countries and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — while Netanyahu’s broader objectives remained unmet when ceasefire terms were announced this month.
The conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah has similarly ended without resolution. Netanyahu stated he accepted the truce following Trump’s request but emphasized Israel was “not finished yet” with the Iranian-supported organization; Israeli military units continue controlling a 10-kilometer zone in southern Lebanon.
The polling showing public dissatisfaction compounds the ongoing Gaza situation — another case where Trump urged Netanyahu to reduce military activity. More than two years following Hamas’ October 2023 assault on Israel that sparked the conflict, the Iranian-backed organization remains operational despite significant weakening.
“After 925 days of fighting since October 7, Israel has failed to achieve decisive victory on any front,” military affairs analyst Yoav Limor observed. “At the end of yet another war, it is perceived as a country whose decisions are not made in Jerusalem, but in Washington.”
Netanyahu has characterized the Iranian campaign as successful, describing it as preventive action against an “existential” danger. “We crushed the Iranian regime’s destruction machine in advance,” he stated recently.
Public confidence in Netanyahu’s administration plummeted following the devastating 2023 Hamas assault. He subsequently pursued an intensive retaliatory operation against Hamas and associated groups while securing the freedom of numerous hostages from Gaza through ceasefire negotiations.
Israel has achieved notable military victories against Iran and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. However, these accomplishments have not translated into personal political gains for Netanyahu. Despite broad public backing for the recent Iranian and Hezbollah operations, their indecisive conclusions have left many Israelis weary and frustrated.
“People were disappointed because it hadn’t achieved the goals,” explained Dahlia Scheindlin, a Tel Aviv political expert.
Research conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based centrist organization, during the Iranian campaign’s opening week showed 64% of participants trusted Netanyahu’s leadership. However, follow-up polling after the April 8 ceasefire revealed Israelis evaluated the government’s war management — beyond just Netanyahu — more critically than favorably.
The survey, completed before U.S. mediation extended the Lebanese ceasefire, also revealed majority support for continuing military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Following the Iranian and Hezbollah ceasefires, Israelis have started questioning the strength of Netanyahu-Trump relations and broader U.S.-Israeli ties compared to pre-war levels.
While Trump’s objectives have occasionally differed from Netanyahu’s, the American president continues expressing public support for Israel. He recently posted on Truth Social that “whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America.”
Trump announced Thursday his intention to welcome both Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House in the “near future” for truce discussions, calling it an honor.
Israeli sentiment remains skeptical.
The Israel Democracy Institute’s research found most Israelis believed there was “fairly” or “very” low probability that U.S.-Iran agreements would adequately consider Israel’s security requirements.
When questioned about the leaders’ relationship, Netanyahu’s office provided no response. An Israeli official speaking anonymously about private discussions confirmed Trump and Netanyahu maintain daily communication.
Netanyahu announced last year his decision to present Trump with the Israel Prize, among the nation’s highest recognitions, making him the first international leader to receive this distinction. Israel extended an invitation for Trump to accept the honor in Jerusalem on April 22, during the country’s 78th independence celebration.
That date passed without a Trump appearance.
The Lebanese ceasefire has generated significant frustration in Israeli border communities that endured six weeks of Hezbollah rocket attacks.
“I live 100 meters from the border,” said Asaf Oakil, a Kiryat Shmona resident. “The ceasefire? It’s a mistake.”
Local businesses remain shuttered while recent protests have erupted, with considerable anger targeting Netanyahu.
“I really hope that the residents of the north will learn from this and vote for someone who can help us here, not someone who brings us down and buries us,” stated Shosh Tsaoula, another Kiryat Shmona resident.
Netanyahu’s administration is approaching the conclusion of its four-year mandate and must conduct elections before October ends.
Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid declared Sunday their intention to collaborate in upcoming elections. Former military commander Gadi Eisenkot, another prominent opposition figure, is anticipated to join their alliance.
Israeli Yediot Ahronoth newspaper commentator Nadav Eyal suggested Netanyahu faces “big trouble” unless he can demonstrate that conflicts with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas have produced enduring security benefits.
“With unstable ceasefires that can lapse at any given point, voters will be not happy about it.”
WASHINGTON — A traditional Washington gathering turned into chaos Saturday evening when an armed intruder attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, forcing President Donald Trump and hundreds of guests to seek safety.
The annual event, known for its awkward mix of journalists and the officials they cover, became the scene of terror when gunfire erupted outside the hotel ballroom. Trump, who was attending his first correspondents’ dinner as president, was quickly evacuated along with Cabinet members as 2,300 attendees dove for cover.
The president later described the frightening moments when shots rang out. “I was hoping it was a tray,” Trump said, referring to his initial thought that a waiter had dropped dishes. “But it wasn’t.”
Entertainer Oz Pearlman was performing magic tricks for Trump on stage when the shooting began outside the ballroom, according to his account to The Associated Press, which had two dozen reporters present.
Trump had skipped these dinners during his previous presidency. Before Saturday’s incident, he appeared ready to deliver sharp criticism of media coverage. “I was really ready to rip it,” he commented afterward at the White House.
Before dinner service, guests had been discussing potential targets of Trump’s criticism and whether he would remain for journalism award presentations, including recognition for Wall Street Journal reporters who investigated Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
The elegant evening featuring spring pea salad and prime chateaubriand quickly transformed into pandemonium when security personnel yelled “Shots fired.” Guests nearest the exits reacted first, ducking beneath tables and overturning place settings.
Representative Mike Lawler from New York described the confusion: “I heard a pop, but we didn’t know what the hell it was. And then you heard all sorts of things clatter. Then the Secret Service and every detail came flooding in and everybody went down. I took a knee… I didn’t go under the table.”
The disruption moved like a wave toward the front of the room. Trump initially appeared to watch the unfolding chaos before his security team swept him away.
According to Trump’s later account, his wife Melania immediately recognized the danger while he remained uncertain. She told him “that’s a bad noise,” he recalled.
Near the stage, gunshots blended into the general commotion. Armed Secret Service agents swarmed the platform as law enforcement and National Guard units converged on the hotel.
Vice President JD Vance was evacuated first from the stage. Trump and the first lady initially took shelter behind protective barriers before being escorted to a secure room. The president briefly lost his footing while being assisted to safety.
When ordered to get down, one administration official at a media table crawled underneath, leaving only her high heels visible.
Security teams extracted VIP attendees including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and senior advisers Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino. Someone attempted to begin a “U.S.A” chant during Trump’s departure before others quieted them.
Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was seen crying as she left the ballroom. Guests embraced each other while exiting, though it became clear no one inside the room suffered serious injuries.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California. Police reported he carried a shotgun, handgun, and knives while charging through the lobby past security barriers. One officer sustained a gunshot wound to his bulletproof vest but was recovering. Allen was subdued and arrested without injury, though he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Some attendees immediately fled through surrounding corridors while staff directed others to emergency exits. Outside, guests walked several blocks to clear police-blocked streets as helicopters circled overhead.
Trump stayed at the Washington Hilton, which had been secured following the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan at the same location.
The president wanted to continue the dinner once security was restored. Hotel workers reset tables and staff adjusted his teleprompter, but Trump followed security recommendations and promised to reschedule within 30 days.
Later that evening at the White House, Trump reflected on the incident: “When you’re impactful they go after you. I’m not a basket case.”
Regarding the interrupted gala, he added: “I see so many tuxedos and beautiful dresses. It was a little different evening than we thought. But we’re going to do it again.”
The Edmonton Oilers face a crucial decision as they prepare for Game 4 of their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night. With their team trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven matchup, head coach Kris Knoblauch remains undecided about which goaltender will take the ice.
Connor Ingram has been between the pipes for all three games so far, but his playoff performance has raised questions. During Saturday’s practice, backup netminder Tristan Jarry took position in the crease typically reserved for the upcoming game’s starter, though Knoblauch downplayed any significance to the move.
“We haven’t decided,” Knoblauch explained. “I think going in (to this series), we were pretty sure (about our No. 1). And it was the same thing last year, and maybe the year before. Today in the NHL, very rarely do you have one goalie play all the games in the playoffs.”
The coach elaborated on the modern approach to playoff goaltending: “Twenty years ago and before that, it was unheard-of to be swapping goalies. But we’ve got two good goalies. We feel confident they can both play. And going into the playoffs, we felt there was going to be a time where we’re going to have to make a switch at some time. Whether that’s for Game 4 or Game 5 or whatever it is, we have confidence in both of them.”
Ingram’s struggles have become apparent during the postseason. The 29-year-old goalie, who compiled a 16-10-3 record during the regular season with a 2.60 goals-against average and .899 save percentage across 32 games, has allowed the most goals in the playoffs. Following Friday’s 7-4 defeat to Anaheim, Ingram has given up 14 goals and carries a concerning 4.70 GAA and .849 save percentage into the next contest.
Meanwhile, Jarry brings a different set of credentials to the table. The goaltender, who celebrates his 31st birthday this week, joined Edmonton from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a December 12 trade. During his time with the Oilers, he recorded a 9-6-2 mark with a 3.86 GAA and .858 save percentage over 19 appearances. His last start came on April 7 in a 6-5 overtime defeat against Utah, and he hasn’t seen game action since relieving for the final 20 minutes of a 5-2 victory over San Jose on April 8.
Should Jarry receive the starting assignment for Game 4, it would mark his return to Stanley Cup playoff action for the first time since May 15, 2022, when Pittsburgh fell 4-3 in overtime to the New York Rangers.
Throughout his playoff experience with the Penguins from 2020-22, Jarry appeared in eight postseason contests, compiling a 2-6 record alongside a 3.00 GAA and .891 save percentage.
The Vancouver Goldeneyes have claimed the top selection in the 2026 Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft, positioning themselves to select Olympic champion defenseman Caroline Harvey.
The PWHL determines its first overall pick through a distinctive system called the Gold Plan, which differs significantly from traditional professional sports leagues. Rather than awarding the selection to the team with the poorest record or using a lottery format, the PWHL grants the top pick to whichever team accumulates the most points after being eliminated from playoff contention.
Vancouver clinched this coveted position following their 4-3 overtime victory against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday evening, combined with Seattle Torrent’s 2-1 shootout defeat to the Montreal Victoire. Saturday marked the conclusion of the regular season for the first-year franchise.
The complete draft selection order remains undetermined, as does the exact draft date, though it is anticipated to occur in June.
Harvey, age 23, is transitioning to professional hockey following an exceptional collegiate career at Wisconsin, where she guided the Badgers to three NCAA championships and one runner-up appearance across four seasons. During her 150 collegiate games, she recorded 201 points through 54 goals and 147 assists, including 15 power-play scores and 12 game-deciding goals.
The NCAA championship concluded an extraordinary hockey year for Harvey. She captured Olympic gold with Team USA at the Milan-Cortina Games, adding to the silver medal she earned in Beijing in 2022 at age 19. Harvey earned Tournament MVP honors with nine points across five Olympic games, establishing a record for American defensemen.
Harvey also received Best Defenseman recognition at the 2003 and 2005 World Championships, both tournaments won by the United States.
Soccer’s international governing body FIFA announced Sunday it’s working with national soccer organizations worldwide to boost financial rewards for all 48 teams that will compete in the 2026 World Cup.
The enhanced prize money proposal needs approval during Tuesday’s FIFA Council meeting, which takes place before the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
Back in December, FIFA announced that this year’s World Cup prize pool would jump 50% compared to the previous tournament, reaching $655 million as part of a record $727 million financial package for the event.
FIFA told Reuters the prize money is expected to grow even more, as the organization anticipates generating over $11 billion in revenue during its current four-year period spanning 2023 to 2026.
A FIFA representative confirmed the organization’s plans, stating: “FIFA can confirm it is in discussions with associations around the world to increase available revenues.”
The spokesperson continued: “This includes a proposed increase of financial contributions to all qualified teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and of development funding available to all 211 member associations.”
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community and FIFA is proud to be in its strongest ever financial position to benefit the global game through its FIFA Forward programme,” the spokesperson added.
Under FIFA’s original funding plan for the North American tournament, the majority of the $655 million would go toward performance-based payments for the 48 participating countries.
December’s prize money structure outlined that the winning team would receive $50 million, while the second-place finisher would earn $33 million. The 16 teams eliminated during the group stage were scheduled to receive $9 million each.
Each qualifying country would also receive $1.5 million to help with preparation expenses.
FIFA’s 2025 annual report revealed that 93% of its projected revenue had already been secured through contracts by the end of 2025, largely due to the successful launch of the expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States last year.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Minnesota Timberwolves standout guard Anthony Edwards faces a multi-week absence following a left knee injury he sustained during Saturday evening’s 112-96 playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets.
According to ESPN reports, medical examinations on Sunday revealed Edwards suffered a bone bruise and knee hyperextension. Fortunately, imaging showed no ligament damage, and the star player is set to start rehabilitation right away.
The sixth-seeded Timberwolves currently hold a commanding 3-1 advantage over the third-seeded Nuggets in their best-of-seven playoff matchup, which continues Monday evening in Denver.
However, Minnesota faces significant challenges in finishing off the series.
Edwards’ backcourt partner Donte DiVincenzo also went down with a non-contact right leg injury just 79 seconds into Saturday’s contest. ESPN confirmed that DiVincenzo, who departed the arena in a wheelchair at halftime, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon that will sideline him for months.
With both starting guards unavailable, reserve player Ayo Dosunmu delivered an extraordinary performance off the bench Saturday, tallying 43 points on remarkable shooting: 13-of-17 from the floor, a perfect 5-for-5 beyond the arc, and 12-for-12 at the free-throw line.
OptaSTATS noted that Dosunmu made NBA history as the first player ever to score 40-plus points while shooting at least 75% from the field, making five or more three-pointers without a miss, and converting 10 or more free throws perfectly.
“This is for Ant. This is for Donte,” Dosunmu said in a post-game interview with Timberwolves social media. “I hope for a speedy recovery for them.”
Since joining Minnesota via trade deadline acquisition from Chicago, Dosunmu played 24 regular-season games and posted 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest. Throughout this playoff series, he’s leading the team with 22.8 points per game on 64% shooting.
Edwards paced the Timberwolves during the regular season with 28.8 points per game and connected on 39.9% of his three-point attempts across 61 games.
DiVincenzo started every game this season, contributing 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per outing.
Forward Julius Randle expressed confidence in his team’s ability to overcome the loss of both starting guards.
“We’ve got more than enough talent in here to win,” Randle stated after the game. “We lost two guys who are big pieces to our team but we talked about it all year, you need depth in the playoffs to win.”
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering a knee injury during Saturday night’s playoff game, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Medical evaluations revealed that Edwards sustained a bone bruise and hyperextended his left knee during the first half of Minnesota’s 112-96 victory against the Denver Nuggets. The source spoke to The Associated Press anonymously since the team has not publicly released injury details or recovery timeline.
The injury occurred while Edwards was defending a layup attempt by Denver’s Cam Johnson. Edwards jumped to contest the shot, but landed awkwardly with his left leg at an unusual angle. His knee gave way, and he limped off the court unable to bear weight on the injured leg.
ESPN and The Athletic were first to report Edwards’ diagnosis.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Minnesota, which now holds a 3-1 series advantage over the Nuggets heading into Monday night’s Game 5 in Denver. The Timberwolves also lost starting guard Donte DiVincenzo in the same contest to a torn Achilles tendon, ending his season and potentially threatening his availability for 2026-27.
Edwards ranks among the NBA’s elite performers and would have earned All-NBA honors for the third straight year if he had met the league’s minimum games requirement. During the regular season, he posted 28.8 points per game, ranking third in the league behind Dallas’ Luka Doncic and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City. Edwards also contributed 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists nightly.
The dynamic guard served as the fourth-leading scorer for Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This season marked a career-high 21 missed games for Edwards.
Teammate Julius Randle described the somber mood in the locker room following the injuries, particularly his interaction with Edwards after the game.
“I just dapped him up,” Randle explained. “There’s not much to say in those moments. … Somebody who’s going through those situations is processing a lot.”
Randle noted he didn’t have a chance to speak with DiVincenzo before departing the arena.
WASHINGTON – During a Sunday television appearance, President Donald Trump disclosed that he maintains ongoing dialogue with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Speaking on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” Trump expressed confidence about progress on the matter, stating, “We’re working on the Russia situation, Russia and Ukraine, and hopefully we’re going to get it.”
When asked about the timing of his most recent communication with Putin, Trump declined to provide specifics but confirmed the conversations are taking place.
“I do have conversations with him, and I do have conversations with President Zelenskiy, and good conversations,” Trump stated, without revealing when these discussions with either leader occurred.
The president also addressed the personal animosity between the two foreign leaders, commenting, “The hatred between President Putin and President Zelenskiy is ridiculous. It’s crazy. And hate is a bad thing. Hate is a bad thing when you’re trying to settle something, but it’ll happen.”
Despite Trump’s earlier campaign promise to bring an end to the conflict that started with Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine in February 2022, the war remains ongoing more than a year into his second presidential term.
LIMA – A recent survey reveals that Peru’s presidential race has become a statistical tie between right-wing contender Keiko Fujimori and leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez as the country continues tallying votes from its April 12 primary election.
According to polling company Ipsos Peru, both Fujimori, daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, and Sanchez would each capture 38% support in the scheduled June 7 runoff election. This marks the first polling data released since the initial voting round took place.
The extended vote counting process has prompted accusations of electoral misconduct from ultra-conservative candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who currently sits approximately 24,000 votes behind Sanchez in the competition for the second runoff position. This margin has continued to expand over recent days.
Lopez Aliaga has called for the cancellation of thousands of ballots, claiming they represent fraudulent votes. However, European Union election monitors have stated they discovered no supporting evidence for these allegations.
Current tallies with 95.8% of ballots processed show Fujimori maintaining the lead at 17%, followed by Sanchez at 12% and Lopez Aliaga at 11.9%.
The same poll indicates that should Fujimori face Lopez Aliaga in the runoff instead of Sanchez, she would trail by a margin of 31% to 34%.
On Friday, the Organization of American States endorsed the electoral board’s decision to reject calls for additional elections, urging “unrestricted respect for the popular will.”
Sanchez previously held a ministerial position under former President Pedro Castillo, who is currently imprisoned.
WASHINGTON – During a Sunday television appearance, President Donald Trump expressed openness to direct communication with Iran should they choose to pursue diplomatic negotiations.
Speaking on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” Trump emphasized the availability of direct communication channels. “If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines,” the president stated during the broadcast.
The remarks follow recent diplomatic complications, including Trump’s decision on Saturday to call off a planned mission by his representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan. This cancellation represents another obstacle to potential peace discussions, particularly after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had traveled to Islamabad but only met with Pakistani government officials.
Despite the absence of American diplomatic counterparts, Araqchi has returned to Pakistan for continued discussions.
WASHINGTON – During a television appearance Sunday, President Donald Trump confirmed that law enforcement successfully intercepted a suspected gunman who posed a threat to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, preventing the individual from reaching the event venue.
Speaking on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” Trump stated that security personnel stopped the suspect well before they could gain access to the ballroom hosting the annual gathering of journalists and political figures.
The president emphasized that the suspected shooter never got close to the dinner’s location, highlighting the effectiveness of the security response to the potential threat.
Delaware State Police have released the identity of the victim killed in Thursday evening’s deadly two-car collision in Wilmington as Rhys Newcombe, a 26-year-old Wilmington resident.
Investigators with the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit are still working to determine what caused the fatal accident. Authorities are seeking help from the public and are asking anyone who saw the crash or has video footage to reach out to Master Corporal R. Kunicki at (302) 365-8417. Tips can also be submitted through private Facebook messages to Delaware State Police or by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
For those affected by crime or sudden loss of life, support services are available around the clock. The Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center provide assistance 24 hours daily through their toll-free helpline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). Support can also be requested via email at [email protected].
Law enforcement officials have identified the suspect in Saturday evening’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner as Cole Allen, according to two individuals with knowledge of the investigation.
The incident occurred during the annual gathering of journalists and government officials, prompting an immediate security response. Agents quickly secured the scene following the shooting.
Further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident and Allen’s background have not yet been released by authorities.
San Antonio’s rising stars are proving they can handle the spotlight, even when their franchise player Victor Wembanyama remains sidelined.
Without the towering Spurs sensation available for action, sophomore guard Stephon Castle exploded for 33 points while first-year player Dylan Harper contributed a personal-best 27 points plus 10 rebounds during Friday’s 120-108 triumph over Portland, giving San Antonio a 2-1 advantage in their series.
The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who earned Defensive Player of the Year honors while averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game, suffered a head injury during the opening half of Game 2 and couldn’t continue. Portland capitalized on his absence to claim a 106-103 home victory in San Antonio.
Although Wembanyama made the trip to Portland with hopes of returning to action, head coach Mitch Johnson declared before tipoff that while his star was making progress, he remained unavailable for competition.
As it happened, San Antonio managed just fine without him. Portland built a commanding 15-point advantage during the third period before Castle and Harper seized control while the Trail Blazers fell apart.
Whether Wembanyama will be cleared for Sunday’s contest remains uncertain.
Harper contributed 22 of his points after halftime. The 20-year-old, selected second overall in last summer’s NBA draft, became just the second-youngest player in league history to record 20-plus points coming off the bench during postseason play. Only 18-year-old Kobe Bryant was younger when he accomplished the feat.
“When I came in the game, my biggest focus was just not trying to get it all at once and just try to be that energy guy that came in and played hard,” Harper explained. “Once I started doing that, I think the game kind of just opened up.”
Game 4 Details: 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN Current Series Standing: Spurs ahead 2-1 Vegas Line: Spurs favored by 5.5 points
Key Information: Luke Kornet stepped into Wembanyama’s role with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Head coach Mitch Johnson would only confirm that Wembanyama continues improving but declined to discuss his availability for Sunday’s matchup.
Celtics vs. 76ers – Game 4: 7 p.m. EDT on Prime Video Series Status: Boston leads 2-1 Spread: Celtics by 7.5
Storylines: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each contributed 25 points as Boston defeated Philadelphia in Game 3 to regain home-court advantage. Tyrese Maxey, earning his first All-Star starting selection this season, continues shouldering the offensive load for the Sixers while Joel Embiid remains recovering from appendix surgery. Embiid, marked as doubtful, participated in solo court work Saturday. Head coach Nick Nurse indicated he expects more clarity on Embiid’s potential return following Sunday’s pregame warmups. VJ Edgecombe recorded his second series double-double but struggled from beyond the arc, missing all seven three-point attempts. Boston has dominated from long range, connecting on 16 threes in Game 1 and hitting 20 of 47 attempts in Game 3.
Lakers vs. Rockets – Game 4: 9:30 p.m. EDT on NBC Peacock Series Situation: Los Angeles leads 3-0 Betting Line: Houston favored by 8.5
Key Notes: Houston’s Kevin Durant was absent from the Rockets’ 112-108 overtime defeat to Los Angeles on Friday, which placed them on the brink of elimination trailing 3-0. Durant also missed the series opener due to knee problems and carries a questionable designation for Sunday’s must-win game. The timeless LeBron James delivered 29 points, including a clutch three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining in regulation for the Lakers, who erased a six-point deficit in the final 30 seconds to force overtime. Los Angeles is playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, forcing the 41-year-old James to shoulder additional responsibility and log over 45 minutes Friday evening.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors – Game 4: 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN Series Update: Cleveland ahead 2-1 Point Spread: Cavaliers by 3.5
What’s Happening: Following consecutive losses to start the series, Toronto returned to Canadian soil and received outstanding performances from Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett in a dominant 126-104 victory that cut their deficit to 2-1. Both Barnes and Barrett scored 33 points, establishing new postseason career highs. The Raptors overwhelmed Cleveland 43-23 in the final quarter. The victory ended the Cavaliers’ 12-game playoff winning streak against Toronto. However, the Raptors received disappointing news Friday when starting guard Immanuel Quickley was declared unavailable for the remainder of the opening round due to complications in his hamstring injury rehabilitation.
JERUSALEM (AP) — A pair of former Israeli leaders announced Sunday their intention to combine their political organizations for the upcoming election cycle, aiming to remove Benjamin Netanyahu from his current position as Prime Minister.
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who previously shared leadership duties through a rotating arrangement in a coalition they established in 2021, have decided to consolidate their parties under a unified faction with Bennett at the helm.
“The move is intended to unite the bloc, put an end to internal divisions and focus all efforts on winning the critical upcoming elections,” Lapid’s Yesh Atid party said in a statement.
The former prime ministers planned to hold a joint press conference later Sunday.
Their 2021 coalition arrangement brought Netanyahu’s 12-year tenure to a halt. Bennett occupied the prime minister’s office during the initial year before their alliance collapsed. Lapid subsequently assumed the role as interim prime minister for six months until fresh elections returned Netanyahu to office.
Since Netanyahu’s return, Lapid has functioned as Israel’s opposition leader, while Bennett stepped away from the political arena.
Despite having contrasting political philosophies — Bennett maintains Orthodox Jewish beliefs and takes a hardline stance on Palestinian issues, while Lapid follows a secular path and holds more centrist positions — the two leaders maintained an effective partnership during their brief coalition period.
This new partnership seeks to bring together a scattered opposition movement that shares little common ground except for their mutual opposition to Netanyahu’s leadership.
Two former Israeli prime ministers announced Sunday they are combining their political parties in an effort to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government in elections anticipated later this year.
Ex-prime ministers Naftali Bennett, representing the right wing, and centrist Yair Lapid released statements confirming the consolidation of Bennett’s “Bennett 2026” party with Lapid’s “There is a Future” party.
“This move is intended to unite the bloc, put an end to internal divisions, and focus all efforts on winning the critical upcoming elections – and leading Israel forward into the future,” opposition leader Lapid said.
According to Bennett’s office, the merged organization will operate under the name “Together,” with Bennett serving as party leader.
This political partnership marks another collaboration between Bennett and Lapid, who previously worked together to end Netanyahu’s continuous 12-year leadership following a 2021 election. Their coalition government lasted just 18 months before collapsing.
Earlier, in 2013, the duo successfully secured positions in Netanyahu’s coalition government, effectively excluding his customary ultra-Orthodox partners from power.
Netanyahu, who holds the record as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, returned to office after winning the November 2022 election and establishing what many consider Israel’s most right-wing government ever.
However, Hamas’s 2023 assault on southern Israel sparked regional chaos and forced Israel into conflicts on several fronts, severely damaging Netanyahu’s reputation for security leadership. Subsequent polling consistently indicates he faces defeat in the next election, scheduled by late October.
Despite his controversial status domestically and internationally, Netanyahu remains his generation’s most influential Israeli politician and has demonstrated exceptional political resilience throughout his career.
Recent polling data from Israel’s N12 News on April 23 showed Bennett potentially winning 21 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared to 25 seats for Netanyahu’s Likud party. The 54-year-old Bennett, a former military commando who became a technology entrepreneur, has been gaining ground against Netanyahu in voter surveys.
The same poll projected Lapid’s party earning just seven seats, a significant drop from their current 24 seats. However, Netanyahu’s alliance of right-wing and religious parties would control only 50 seats, while Bennett and Lapid’s probable coalition with smaller groups could secure at least 60 seats.
These results align with other surveys from academic institutions and Israeli media outlets, which position Bennett as Netanyahu’s primary challenger, though political dynamics remain fluid.
Lapid, 62, is a charismatic former television news presenter who also writes popular music and novels. He represents Israel’s secular middle class, which has grown increasingly frustrated with what they view as unfair taxation and military service obligations.
Netanyahu’s ultra-religious coalition partners have been pushing for military service exemptions for their communities, who typically have low employment rates and receive substantial government assistance.
This contentious issue has gained urgency as military officials warn of being overstretched, with the past two years producing the highest military casualties in decades.
Both Lapid and Bennett have made military service equality a cornerstone of their campaign messaging. They have also attacked Netanyahu for his inability to convert military successes into strategic victories against Iran and its regional allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
LONDON, April 26 – In a historic achievement that rewrites the record books, Kenyan distance runner Sabastian Sawe accomplished what many thought impossible Sunday, crossing the finish line at the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds to become the first athlete to officially break the two-hour marathon barrier.
The groundbreaking performance demolished the previous world record of 2:00:35, which had been set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at Chicago’s marathon in October 2023. Kiptum tragically lost his life in a vehicle accident in Kenya last year at age 24.
Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha maintained close contact with Sawe throughout most of the 26.2-mile route before losing ground in the closing miles, finishing second in his first-ever marathon attempt with a time of 1:59:41. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo claimed third place at 2:00:28, creating what many are calling the most extraordinary men’s marathon conclusion in the sport’s history.
“I am feeling good, I am happy, it’s a day to remember for me,” Sawe shared with BBC reporters while displaying his running shoe marked with “world record” and “sub-2” in black ink.
“We started the race well. Approaching finishing the race, I was feeling strong. Finally reaching the finish line, I saw the time and I was so excited. I think today shows me a lot the first (time) for everyone, and I am so happy for today. Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well for it.”
The women’s competition also produced record-breaking results as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa improved upon her own world record. The 29-year-old athlete separated herself from Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final stretch, completing the course in 2:15:41 and surpassing her previous mark of 2:15:50 from last year’s London event.
“I’m so happy to win again, I want to thank God for giving me this victory, to repeat my victory from last year means even more. And so the happiness I feel is just welling up inside me,” Assefa shared with BBC.
Obiri secured second place with 2:15:53, while Jepkosgei earned third at 2:15:55.
Weather conditions proved nearly perfect for record attempts, with temperatures in the mid-teens and minimal wind providing an ideal environment for fast times.
Breaking the two-hour marathon threshold has represented one of athletics’ greatest challenges for decades, with previous attempts involving highly controlled scientific experiments designed to push human performance boundaries.
Nike’s Breaking2 project at Monza in 2017 came close but fell short, though Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge did run under two hours during INEOS’s 1:59 Challenge in 2019. However, those achievements weren’t recognized in official competition records.
Sawe’s Sunday triumph stands apart because it occurred during legitimate race conditions on one of the sport’s most prominent stages, transforming a goal previously tested only in laboratory-like settings into an officially recognized milestone.
The achievement becomes even more remarkable considering Sawe dealt with injuries throughout the fall and only resumed serious training in January. He realized in February that his fitness had returned sufficiently to defend his London title.
An estimated one million spectators lined the Thames River course route, cheering Sawe toward the finish line on The Mall with Buckingham Palace providing the backdrop. Prior to the race, Sawe had suggested a world record might be necessary to defeat the strong field of competitors.
“Finally, what I had done for four months it has come today to be a good result,” he explained. “I want to thank the crowds for cheering us. I think they help a lot, because if it was not for them you don’t feel like you are so loved.
“I think they help a lot because them calling make you feel so happy and strong and pushing. That is why I can say what comes for me today is not for me alone but all of us in London.”
Training at high altitude in western Kenya, Sawe draws inspiration from his uncle, former Ugandan Olympic 800-meter competitor Abraham Chepkirwod. A teacher once encouraged him by saying: “Running is not just talent, it is your fortune and your future.”
Sawe first gained attention with his spectacular marathon debut victory in Valencia this past December, recording what was then the fifth-fastest time in history. He has remained undefeated in every marathon since beginning his career in the distance.
The runner has been vocal about anti-doping efforts in athletics, advocating for frequent testing and, aware of Kenya’s troubled doping history, requesting the Athletics Integrity Unit test him extensively last year. Officials conducted 25 tests leading up to the 2025 Berlin Marathon.
“The main reason was to show that I am clean, and I am doing it the right way,” he stated.
In wheelchair competition, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug captured his sixth straight men’s title and eighth overall victory, while Catherine Debrunner outsprinted American Tatyana McFadden for her third consecutive London women’s wheelchair championship.
A wave of serious injuries continues to impact the NBA playoffs significantly.
Minnesota’s Donte DiVincenzo suffered a torn Achilles tendon during Saturday night’s game, bringing his season to an abrupt end and potentially affecting his availability for the 2026-27 campaign. DiVincenzo now joins a concerning list of star players who have torn their Achilles during playoff action over the past year, including Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard, who was with Milwaukee before moving to Portland.
In an odd twist of fate, all four players wear the number 0 jersey.
Minnesota’s injury troubles deepened as Anthony Edwards also exited Saturday’s contest with a knee problem that requires additional medical evaluation.
The DiVincenzo injury occurred during a game that featured a late-game altercation involving Denver’s Nikola Jokic and other players in the closing moments. The NBA plans to review the incident Sunday and may issue disciplinary action. Denver, currently down 3-1 in the series, faces elimination in Game 5 on Monday evening.
Several key players remain questionable for Sunday’s action depending on their injury status, including Houston’s Kevin Durant, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Austin Reaves, and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama. Luka Doncic has been ruled out for the Lakers, while Joel Embiid’s status for Philadelphia remains doubtful.
Sunday’s slate includes four matchups: the Lakers travel to Houston seeking a series sweep, San Antonio visits Portland, Cleveland heads to Toronto, and Boston takes on Philadelphia.
Saturday’s results showed Orlando defeating Detroit 113-105 to take a 2-1 series advantage, Oklahoma City dominating Phoenix 120-108 for a commanding 3-0 lead, New York beating Atlanta 114-98 to even their series at 2-2, and Minnesota crushing Denver 112-96 to move within one win of advancing.
Saturday night witnessed basketball history as two players accomplished an extremely rare scoring achievement. Prior to Saturday, only four instances had been recorded since 1963 of a player tallying at least 40 points while missing four or fewer shots in a playoff contest.
That exclusive club doubled in size during Saturday’s games. Minnesota’s Ayo Dosunmu exploded for 43 points while missing just four field goal attempts, and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 42 points with only three misses.
These performances place them alongside Anthony Davis (2020), Dirk Nowitzki (2011), Elton Brand (2006), and Terry Porter (1992) as the only known players to achieve this remarkable feat during playoff action. League historians believe no other NBA players have accomplished this, though complete shot attempt records from the league’s earliest seasons are unavailable.
The NBA’s awards season continues with Monday’s Rookie of the Year announcement scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT on Peacock and NBCSN. The three finalists are Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe, Dallas’s Cooper Flagg, and Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel.
Additional awards will be revealed throughout the week, including Basketball Executive of the Year on Tuesday, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year on Wednesday, and the Hustle Award on Thursday. All announcements will occur at 1 p.m. EDT on NBA social media platforms.
Several awards have already been distributed this season. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama made history as the youngest Defensive Player of the Year winner and the first to receive a unanimous vote for the honor. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nearly achieved unanimous selection for Clutch Player of the Year, earning 96 of 100 possible first-place votes.
San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson captured Sixth Man of the Year honors over Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. with 63 first-place votes. Boston’s Derrick White received the Sportsmanship Award as chosen by league players, narrowly edging Indiana’s TJ McConnell. Atlanta claimed back-to-back Most Improved Player awards, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker following last year’s winner Dyson Daniels.
Major awards still pending include Most Valuable Player, which will go to either Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, or Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Coach of the Year will be awarded to Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson, or Boston’s Joe Mazzulla.
Sunday’s television schedule features Cleveland at Toronto at 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN, San Antonio at Portland at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN, Boston at Philadelphia at 7 p.m. EDT on NBC and Peacock, and the LA Lakers at Houston at 9:30 p.m. EDT on NBC and Peacock.
Defending champion Oklahoma City leads championship betting odds at -120, followed by San Antonio (+450), Boston (+550), Cleveland (+1300), and the Los Angeles Lakers (+2500). Denver sits at +2800, with New York at +3000 and Detroit at +3500. Despite their 3-1 series lead, Minnesota’s odds have dropped to +12500 following the injuries to DiVincenzo and Edwards.
Key upcoming dates include conference semifinals beginning May 2-4, the NBA draft lottery on May 10, Eastern Conference finals starting May 17 or 19 on ESPN and ABC, Western Conference finals beginning May 18 or 20 on NBC and Peacock, and the NBA Finals opening June 3 on ABC.
Minnesota’s Julius Randle praised teammate Ayo Dosunmu following his historic 43-point performance, saying: “I didn’t know he was that damn good. I ain’t going to lie to you. … But damn, I’m glad we got him.”
Additional notable statistics include Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert extending his career three-point drought to 0-for-24 after missing another attempt Saturday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s incredible recent fourth-quarter shooting (18-for-19 from the field since March 17), and Karl-Anthony Towns recording just the seventh triple-double in Knicks playoff history with his 20-10-10 performance.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock had begun questioning whether any NFL team would select him when the Denver Broncos called his name as the 257th and last selection in Saturday’s draft, earning him the traditional “Mr. Irrelevant” designation.
“The thoughts crept in, but I was trying to keep my mind off of things that I can’t control,” Murdock told reporters during a conference call from the team’s suburban Denver facility. “And when I got that call, I was extremely grateful.”
Utah tight end Dallen Bentley shared similar feelings after being chosen just one selection before Murdock. The Broncos held both final draft spots, marking the first time any franchise has controlled the last two picks since the AFL-NFL merger occurred in 1970.
“I’m just grateful to be part of Broncos Country, man,” Bentley expressed. “I’m just excited. It doesn’t matter when or where you get drafted or (if you go) undrafted, you’ve just got to make the most of every opportunity you get.”
This marks only the second time Denver has selected a “Mr. Irrelevant,” with Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly receiving that distinction in 2017.
Head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton deliberated over which player should receive the final selection before settling on Murdock, who established an FBS record with 17 forced fumbles during his time at Buffalo.
“Man, he’s a tackling machine, really instinctive, really good against the run,” Paton explained. “Just a nose for the ball, relentless, we think he can be a good special teamer. So, we like him.”
Payton described the draft room atmosphere as electric, noting the rare circumstances of controlling both final selections: “The rest of your career, no one will be a part of this when you have the last two picks of the draft, so, there’s eight minutes where you’re kind of controlling things.”
Despite the late round positioning, interest remained high in the final picks.
“There were a handful of teams, believe it or not, that called about coming to get Mr. Irrelevant,” Payton revealed.
“It was a hot pick,” his general manager agreed.
“We were just trying to decide who would be better to go to Newport Beach” for the annual celebration and charity gathering that has honored the draft’s final selection since 1976.
“I mean, it’s cool. In my career we’ve drafted two and they both made” the roster, Paton noted, adding that Denver plans to send both players to the festivities.
“When we talked to Bentley (we told him) he’s vice president, Mr. Irrelevant,” Payton added with humor. “So, if there’s anything he can’t handle, then the two of them can.”
For Murdock, reaching Denver represents the primary goal.
“I feel extremely grateful and excited to help the Broncos win,” Murdock stated. “I know a little bit about Mr. Irrelevant but the main thing is I’ve got an opportunity and I’m trying to make the most of it and help us win.”
“It was a pretty emotional moment, trying to hold it all in in front of the family and everything but yeah I was just really excited to get the opportunity. That’s the main thing. Man, I’m excited to go play for the Broncos. That’s a great team.”
Murdock represented one of only 16 selections throughout the three-day, seven-round draft who attended schools outside the Power Four conferences. This group includes Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ura Barnard, a Nigerian prospect who never participated in college football.
Despite opportunities to transfer to larger programs like many of his fellow draftees, Murdock chose to remain committed to Buffalo.
“I’ve had opportunities, but I mentioned earlier being a team-first guy,” he explained. “That’s all that matters to me.”
The combination of name, image and likeness compensation and the increasingly active transfer portal has shifted talent toward power conferences, as major programs recruit stars from smaller leagues.
The trend shows declining representation from non-power conferences: from 70 draftees in 2022, numbers dropped to 38 in 2023, 34 in 2024, 24 in 2025, and just 16 this year.
Murdock hopes to emulate the success of notable “Mr. Irrelevant” alumni, including 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy from 2022 and former Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop from 2009.
A key Republican senator has withdrawn his opposition to President Trump’s Federal Reserve chair nominee following the conclusion of a Justice Department investigation into the current Fed leadership.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis announced Sunday that he will support Kevin Warsh’s confirmation after federal prosecutors closed their probe into Fed chair Jerome Powell. Tillis’s previous resistance had created a significant obstacle for the nomination in the Republican-led Senate Banking Committee, with Powell’s current term set to expire May 15.
“I am prepared to move on with the confirmation of Mr. Warsh. I think he’s going to be a great Fed chair,” Tillis stated during his appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” His comments came just two days after the U.S. attorney for Washington D.C. announced the end of the investigation into Powell.
The federal inquiry centered on the Federal Reserve’s costly headquarters renovation project, which has ballooned to $2.5 billion from initial projections of $1.9 billion. Powell’s congressional testimony about the construction work last summer was part of the investigation’s scope.
Tillis expressed his belief that no criminal activity occurred, saying: “I believe that there will not be any wrongdoing. May we find a little stupid here in terms of somebody responsible for the project making a decision they shouldn’t? Maybe. But it doesn’t rise to a criminal prosecution. That was my problem to begin with because I feel like there were prosecutors in D.C. that thought this was going to be a lever to have Mr. Powell leave early.”
The senator, who previously opposed Trump’s major tax legislation and announced he won’t seek reelection in 2026, said he received guarantees from the Justice Department that the matter is fully resolved. He noted that any future investigation would require a criminal referral from the inspector general.
The Senate Banking Committee scheduled a Wednesday vote on Warsh’s nomination following Tillis’s announcement. However, the committee’s top Democrat, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, criticized the move, stating that “no Republican claiming to care about Fed independence should support moving forward the nomination of Kevin Warsh, who proved in his nomination hearing to be nothing more than President Trump’s sock puppet.”
During last week’s confirmation hearing, Warsh assured senators he had made no commitments to the White House regarding interest rate cuts and vowed to act independently if confirmed. This came after Trump told CNBC he would be disappointed if Warsh didn’t immediately lower rates upon taking office.
Tillis had strongly criticized the investigation led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a Trump supporter, calling it a “vindictive prosecution” that threatened the Fed’s traditional independence from political influence. He told NBC that Justice Department assurances helped him “feel like they were not using DOJ as a weapon to threaten the independence of the Fed.”
When asked Saturday about Warsh’s prospects, Trump expressed optimism, saying “I imagine it’s smooth” and calling his nominee “fantastic.” The president also mentioned wanting to understand how the Fed building renovation costs escalated so dramatically.
Trump had visited the Federal Reserve building in July, claiming on camera that renovations would cost $3.1 billion. Powell, standing beside him, disputed that figure after reviewing Trump’s documentation.
The Powell investigation was one of several Justice Department probes targeting Trump’s political opponents. Prosecutors had difficulty establishing grounds for criminal charges, and other similar investigations into figures like New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey have also failed to produce results.
A federal judge recently dismissed Justice Department subpoenas in the Powell case, determining their purpose was “to harass and pressure Powell to resign” and clear the way for a new chair. A prosecutor acknowledged in closed court proceedings that no evidence of criminal activity had been found.
Pirro indicated Friday on social media that she would “not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.”
Trump originally appointed Powell as Fed chair in 2017 and has consistently pressured the central bank to reduce short-term interest rates. Even after a new chair takes office, Powell could remain on the Fed’s board of governors until his term expires in January 2028, though he hasn’t announced his intentions.
Warsh, a financier and former Fed board member, received Trump’s nomination in January.
WASHINGTON — Following what he described as a third security threat against him in under two years, President Donald Trump adopted an unusually reflective tone while appealing for national reconciliation during a late Saturday press conference at the White House.
The incident unfolded just before Trump was set to speak at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, when an armed individual attempted to breach the security barrier at the Washington hotel venue. Law enforcement quickly apprehended the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California, who was reportedly carrying firearms and bladed weapons.
“It’s always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes,” Trump remarked during the impromptu news briefing, displaying a notably subdued demeanor compared to his typical public appearances.
The president characterized his role as inherently risky, stating the presidency represents “a dangerous profession.” He observed that political violence has intensified both domestically and internationally, noting “No country is immune.”
Trump drew historical parallels to justify the threats against him, suggesting they reflect his administration’s effectiveness. “I’ve studied assassinations, and I must tell you the most impactful people — the people who do the most, take a look at Abraham Lincoln,” he explained. “The people that make the biggest impact, they’re the ones that they go after. They don’t go after the ones that don’t do much.”
Departing from his typically confrontational political style, Trump emphasized the need for Americans to bridge their divisions.
“We have to, we have to resolve our differences,” the president stated. “I will say, you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals and progressives. Those words are interchangeable, perhaps, but maybe they’re not. But yet everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd, there was a record-setting group of people, and there was a tremendous amount of love and coming together. I watched, I watched, and I was very, very impressed by that.”
However, by Sunday morning, Trump had shifted to promoting his controversial White House ballroom construction project on social media. He claimed the incident “would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!” He also dismissed legal opposition to the project as the “ridiculous ballroom lawsuit.”
This pattern of initial calls for unity followed by a return to divisive rhetoric has emerged before. After surviving an assassination attempt during a Butler, Pennsylvania rally in 2024 that left him with an ear wound and killed a supporter, Trump initially delivered a unifying message at the Republican National Convention.
“The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly,” Trump said during his nomination acceptance speech. “As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.”
Yet that same address eventually included his standard combative elements, featuring disputed claims about the 2020 election and harsh criticism of then-President Joe Biden.
A similar sequence occurred following a September 2024 incident at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf resort, where Secret Service agents engaged an armed individual. Trump’s golf partner Steve Witkoff initially described the president’s response as “courageous and stoic,” but Trump soon resumed attacking “radical” Democrats and “left-wing lunatics” while calling Ryan Routh, who received a life sentence for the attempt, a “sick” individual.
Saturday’s incident differed from previous threats as First Lady Melania Trump was present. The president described his wife as shaken but alert to the danger.
“I think she knew immediately,” Trump said. “She was saying ‘It’s a bad noise.’” He added, “It was a rather traumatic experience for her.”
Federal authorities continue investigating the incident and the suspect’s motivations.
A North Carolina Republican senator announced Sunday he will no longer obstruct the confirmation process for Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh, following the Justice Department’s decision Friday to end its investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
Senator Thom Tillis had previously threatened to prevent any Federal Reserve nomination from moving forward while the DOJ probe remained active, citing concerns about protecting the central bank’s independence from political interference.
“I am prepared to move on with the confirmation of Mr. Warsh,” Tillis stated during his appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I think he’s going to be a great Fed chair.”
This development removes a significant obstacle for Warsh and opens the door for Senate confirmation before Powell’s leadership term expires on May 15.
Powell revealed in January that the Justice Department had launched a criminal probe into his oversight of a $2.5 billion renovation project involving two Federal Reserve buildings in Washington. In a strongly-worded video statement released on a Sunday evening, Powell characterized the investigation as intimidation and accused the Trump administration of attempting to coerce the Fed into reducing interest rates.
A federal judge ruled in March to halt the DOJ’s subpoenas, determining they were issued with the inappropriate goal of pressuring Powell to either cut rates or step down. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro indicated she would challenge the ruling and as recently as last week publicly stated her intention to continue the investigation.
However, on Friday, Pirro announced on X that she was terminating the probe and would request the Fed’s inspector general, who has been conducting a separate review of the renovations for several months, to assume responsibility for the matter.
Tillis emphasized that his opposition was never directed at Warsh personally, describing the nominee’s qualifications as “impeccable” during Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.
Warsh previously served as a Fed governor between 2006 and 2011 and has outlined plans to reform the Fed’s monetary policy approach while enhancing coordination with the Treasury and other government agencies on non-monetary issues.
During his hearing before lawmakers, Warsh stated that Trump had not attempted to secure any commitment from him to reduce interest rates. He also expressed that tariffs were not a significant concern regarding inflation and suggested that Fed officials might be relying on inflation measurements that exaggerate pricing pressures.
With Tillis now backing the nomination, Senate Banking Committee Republicans possess the necessary majority to overcome unified Democratic resistance and send Warsh’s nomination to the full Senate, where Republican lawmakers are anticipated to confirm him.
The timeline remains challenging with approximately three weeks remaining before Powell’s chairmanship concludes, including one week when the Senate is scheduled for recess. The Senate has previously confirmed a Fed nominee in under three weeks on only one occasion.
Powell has indicated he would continue serving as interim chair if Warsh’s confirmation is not completed by May 15.
Following Warsh’s installation as Fed chair, Powell may continue as a governor under a term extending another year and a half.
“I have no intention of leaving the Board until the investigation is well and truly over, with transparency and finality,” Powell declared last month.
Pirro stated Friday that she might restart her investigation based on the inspector general’s conclusions. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Dick Durbin of Illinois criticized that statement Friday as a threat of “future baseless investigations” targeting Powell or other Fed governors.
Supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas secured decisive victories in municipal elections held across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, election officials announced Sunday following Saturday’s voting.
The elections represented a historic moment as they included participation from Gaza for the first time in almost 20 years. Saturday’s balloting also marked the initial Palestinian elections of any type since the conflict with Israel began over two years ago following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel.
Officials from Abbas’ West Bank-based Palestinian Authority explained that incorporating the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah into the electoral process demonstrated Gaza’s integral role in any future Palestinian state. The city experienced less destruction compared to other areas of the coastal region during the ongoing conflict.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa acknowledged the challenging timing of the elections during Sunday’s results announcement. The voting occurred “at a highly sensitive moment amid complex challenges and exceptional circumstances,” Mustafa stated.
However, he characterized the elections as “an important first step in a broader national process aimed at strengthening democratic life … and ultimately achieving the unity of the homeland.”
Hamas, which took control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, chose not to officially field candidates in Gaza and boycotted West Bank races where Fatah’s success was anticipated.
Despite Hamas’ official absence, some candidates in Deir al-Balah were perceived by local residents and political observers as sympathetic to the organization, potentially serving as a gauge of Hamas support levels.
Initial vote counts revealed that the “Deir al-Balah Brings Us Together” slate, viewed as Hamas-aligned, captured only two of 15 available seats in Gaza. The “Nahdat Deir al-Balah” list, supported by Abbas’ Fatah party and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, obtained six seats. Independent Gaza-based groups “Future of Deir al-Balah” and “Peace and Building” claimed the remaining positions.
Abbas supporters dominated West Bank contests, with many candidates running without opposition.
Fatah representative Abdul Fattah Dawla observed that participation levels matched those from the previous West Bank municipal elections in 2022, commending voters for engaging despite continued Israeli military actions.
“By electing figures linked to Fatah, voters appear to be seeking unrestricted international support for municipal governance and a gradual political shift that could extend beyond the local level,” explained Palestinian political analyst Reham Ouda.
The recent warfare has devastated much of Gaza, leaving numerous residents homeless and struggling for basic survival. Israeli military operations have persisted despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October.
Central Elections Commission Chairman Rami al-Hamdallah reported voter participation reached only 23% in Gaza compared to 56% in the West Bank.
Al-Hamdallah noted that Israeli security measures prevented some voting materials and equipment from entering Gaza, though these obstacles were eventually resolved.
Hamas Gaza representative Hazem Qassem minimized the election outcomes’ importance, stating they bore no influence on broader national political matters.
Federal authorities believe President Donald Trump was the intended target when a gunman opened fire at a security checkpoint during Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed Sunday that the suspect appeared to be aiming for administration officials, specifically the president. The gunman discharged a shotgun at a Secret Service agent stationed at a checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton hotel before being subdued and taken into custody. Security personnel immediately evacuated Trump and First Lady Melania Trump from the venue.
“It does appear that he, he did, in fact, have set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche stated during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The Acting Attorney General added that investigators believe the suspect made his way to Washington by rail, traveling from Los Angeles through Chicago.
Federal prosecutors plan to file charges Monday against the suspect, including assault on a federal officer, illegal discharge of a firearm, and attempted murder of a federal officer, according to Blanche. He noted that authorities have not yet determined whether the attack has any connection to Iran.
During a late-evening press conference at the White House, Trump expressed his belief that he was indeed the intended victim of the assault. The president reported that the wounded Secret Service officer was protected by body armor and remained in “good shape.”
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi later verified that the injured officer had been discharged from the hospital.
International leaders quickly denounced the attack while expressing gratitude that Trump and all attendees remained safe, showing support for the United States. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte characterized the incident as an assault “on our free and open societies,” with multiple leaders emphasizing that violence has no role in democratic governance.
The British embassy issued a statement indicating that officials are reviewing whether the shooting might impact King Charles’ scheduled visit to Washington beginning Monday.
Law enforcement sources identified the gunman as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California resident. Initial background information suggests Allen worked as an educator in Torrance, located near Los Angeles, based on social media profiles.
Washington’s interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll revealed that Allen carried multiple weapons, including a shotgun, handgun, and several knives. The suspect was transported to a medical facility for evaluation, though Carroll stated it was premature to speculate about his motives. Preliminary findings indicate Allen may have been registered as a hotel guest.
The violent incident, which began around 8:35 p.m., has sparked renewed concerns about security protocols for senior government officials, particularly given the large gathering of high-ranking officials in the hotel’s main ballroom.
Investigators are focusing on how Allen managed to bring the shotgun into the hotel, which was hosting the prestigious annual dinner that serves as a major event on Washington’s social calendar.
The formal event drew numerous cabinet members and senior administration officials despite extensive security measures. This marked Trump’s first attendance at the correspondents’ dinner as president, having declined to participate in previous years.
The Washington Hilton holds historical significance as the location where President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981, when he was shot outside the hotel.
Security footage that Trump later shared on Truth Social captured Allen rushing through a security checkpoint, briefly surprising security personnel before they responded with drawn weapons.
Security forces did not fire at the gunman, who managed to breach two checkpoints before being stopped.
“You know, he charged from 50 yards away, so he was very far away from the room. He was moving. He was really moving,” Trump commented after the dinner was cancelled.
Trump described Allen as what officials believe to be a “lone wolf” operator.
Video documentation shows Trump and his wife engaged in conversation at their head table when commotion from the rear of the ballroom – caused by gunfire – sent waves of alarm through the crowd.
Attendees began shouting “Get down, get down!” as approximately 2,600 guests in formal attire sought cover beneath tables while security personnel drew their weapons. Some agents pushed cabinet secretaries to the ground and shielded them while others established protective barriers.
Armed security personnel in tactical gear rushed the stage with rifles aimed toward the ballroom as Trump, Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated. Cabinet members seated throughout the expansive room were escorted out individually by their security teams.
While most guests remained crouched below table level, some began chanting “USA, USA!”
According to a source, Trump remained backstage for approximately one hour after being removed from the stage. He later indicated he had been reluctant to leave the event, reminiscent of his defiant response after surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
In that previous incident, Trump sustained an ear injury from a 20-year-old shooter who was subsequently killed by security forces.
Approximately two months following the Butler shooting, Secret Service agents discovered an armed individual hiding in vegetation at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was playing golf. Authorities classified this as an assassination attempt, and the perpetrator received a life sentence in February.
LONDON – A Sunday phone conversation between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump centered on reopening a critical Middle Eastern shipping corridor that has been disrupted, according to a statement from the British leader’s office.
A spokesperson for Starmer’s administration said the two leaders focused on the immediate necessity of resuming commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, citing major economic ramifications and rising costs affecting British citizens and people worldwide.
“The leaders discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz, given the severe consequences for the global economy and cost of living for people in the UK and globally,” the Downing Street spokesperson stated.
During their discussion, Starmer briefed Trump on recent developments in his collaborative effort with French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at ensuring safe passage for maritime traffic in the region.
“The prime minister shared the latest progress on his joint initiative with President (Emmanuel) Macron to restore freedom of navigation,” the spokesperson added.
BOSTON — More than three decades have passed since thieves walked away with 13 priceless artworks from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in what became history’s most notorious unsolved art crime, with the stolen pieces now worth over $500 million.
The 1990 heist continues to hold the record as the world’s biggest art theft, dwarfing other museum robberies including a broad-daylight break-in at the Louvre that involved fewer pieces and was quickly solved. While the FBI announced in 2013 that agents had identified those responsible, the bureau refused to release names, creating ongoing mystery around the case.
Now, a retired federal agent who spent more than 20 years leading the investigation has written a book revealing his conclusions about the crime. Geoff Kelly provides the most comprehensive look yet at how authorities tracked the stolen art through underground criminal circles, where several key figures and witnesses met violent deaths, while also disputing widely accepted theories about the case.
The theft carries particular irony given that museum founder Isabella Stewart Gardner had specified in her estate documents that her Venetian palace-style building should never be altered following her 1924 death. Gardner, who actually lived in the museum until she died there, wanted every painting, sculpture and architectural piece to stay precisely where she had placed it.
Today, the ornate empty frames where the missing paintings once hung remain on display as haunting reminders of what was lost.
In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, while Boston was still recovering from St. Patrick’s Day festivities, two men wearing police uniforms appeared at the museum entrance and persuaded a security guard to admit them, breaking established safety procedures.
After restraining both guards with handcuffs in the basement, the thieves proceeded to the museum’s Dutch Room, where they sliced Vermeer’s “The Concert” and Rembrandt’s “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” from their frames, along with pieces by Degas and Manet.
The criminals also grabbed a Napoleonic eagle finial — an ornamental metal object worth relatively little that later baffled investigators — plus the building’s security recording tapes.
Museum officials initially posted a $5 million reward for information leading to the artworks’ return, then increased it to $10 million ten years later.
Investigative leads pointed toward various suspects including Irish Republican Army members and Boston organized crime figures such as infamous gangster Whitey Bulger.
Kelly’s pursuit of clues took him to France, where he observed through field glasses as undercover FBI operatives pretended to be wealthy go-betweens, relaxing on a luxury boat while sipping champagne and enjoying strawberries to attract suspected Corsican criminal contacts.
Back in New England, federal agents conducted searches throughout the region while depending heavily on criminal informants. One terminally ill triple killer nicknamed “Meatball” secretly recorded discussions with possible accomplices, hoping to earn money for his relatives.
However, none of these investigative paths led to recovering the stolen art.
Since the robbery occurred, multiple individuals thought to be connected to the crime have been murdered, with another dying under questionable circumstances.
Robert “Bobby” Donati, a Boston mob associate who had long been suspected in the case, was discovered stabbed to death in 1991, his corpse placed in a car trunk after his residence was searched and ransacked.
Earlier, Donati had toured the Gardner Museum with another known art criminal, Myles Connor, to plan a potential robbery and mentioned that stealing the museum’s Napoleonic finial would serve as his “calling card.” Later, a jewelry dealer informed investigators that Donati had attempted to sell a finial from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum but withdrew the offer, claiming it was “too hot.”
Another investigative thread focused on George Reissfelder, whom authorities believe provided the escape vehicle.
Kelly located Reissfelder’s brother, a former military officer who initially doubted his sibling’s involvement. The brother became emotional after being shown Manet’s “Chez Tortoni,” recognizing it as artwork he had personally hung above his brother’s bed.
Reissfelder subsequently died under suspicious circumstances. When investigators examined his residence, the painting had vanished.
Both suspects had connections to TRC Auto Electric, a Dorchester business associated with Charles “Chuck” Merlino’s criminal organization.
While investigators felt confident about the perpetrators’ identities, obtaining conclusive evidence proved challenging.
During the investigation’s initial phase, the FBI assigned only one agent to the case, which Kelly believes hindered progress.
“You have to keep in mind when you’re talking about investigations, they come down to dollars and cents,” Kelly said. Securing adequate resources was “like pulling teeth.” Federal investigators in Boston were primarily concentrated on violent crimes, narcotics trafficking and organized crime cases at that time.
Kelly criticized the decision to publicize surveillance video despite investigators’ opposition, calling it a persistent distraction. Since no useful footage existed from the robbery night, officials released video from the previous evening showing a museum worker entering after his vehicle broke down. Kelly opposed the theory suggesting the employee was surveying the museum, since that possibility had already been examined and ruled out. The released footage generated years of misdirected suspicion, though the man was eventually cleared of involvement.
One continuing question concerns whether someone inside the museum assisted the thieves.
Photographs from that evening show a museum guard restrained in the basement with duct tape covering his head.
Investigators observed that just before the robbery, the guard violated policy by opening a door that faced the area where the thieves were later spotted waiting — behavior investigators found extremely unusual and suspicious.
“It’s the immutable laws of time and space,” Kelly said. “I think that there was enough information back then that he could have been charged. Would it be enough to convict him? I don’t know.”
By the time investigators focused more intensively on these concerns, Kelly explained, the statute of limitations had run out, eliminating their ability to force cooperation.
The museum guard, Rick Abath, consistently denied participating in the theft. He passed away in 2024.
Kelly characterizes the missing artworks as “perfect fugitives.”
“They don’t go to the doctor. They don’t get stopped for speeding. They don’t leave fingerprints,” he said. “They can just disappear.”
Unlike human fugitives, he noted, artworks can also be replicated.
Throughout the years, this has resulted in pursuing false leads — including paintings discovered in a Reno antique shop, displayed in private residences and even one that appeared in a “Monk” television episode.
Since the works are so widely recognized, selling them openly is virtually impossible.
“Stealing the artwork from the museum, that’s the easy part,” Kelly said. “Profiting from it, that’s the difficult part.”
He believes the paintings will eventually resurface — outlasting those who committed the crime.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — While Vivek Ramaswamy appears to be cruising toward victory in Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial primary on May 5, the race has revealed some unexpected challenges for the former presidential candidate.
The biotech entrepreneur has leveraged his celebrity status from the 2024 presidential race, technology sector ties, and Trump’s backing to amass unprecedented campaign funds, which he’s now deploying in television advertisements targeting the November general election. Rather than focusing on his primary challenger, Ramaswamy has directed his campaign events and commercials toward attacking Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio’s former health department chief who will likely be his fall opponent.
Ramaswamy appears so confident about securing the Republican nomination that his team has essentially dismissed his primary rival up to this point.
“I believe this year we face the single greatest contrast between two candidates in the history of governor’s races in Ohio,” he told Republicans at a recent party fundraising dinner, referencing the general election. “We face the most consequential election for governor in the history of our state.”
However, the primary campaign has revealed some weak spots for the former White House hopeful.
The Cincinnati native is encountering increasing resistance from Republican voters frustrated by inflation, the chaotic handling of Jeffrey Epstein document releases, expanding data center demands, and Middle East conflicts. Ramaswamy has also drawn fire for policy proposals including merging Ohio’s university systems and increasing the minimum voting age to 25. Detractors argue these positions show the Harvard and Yale-educated tech mogul has lost touch with ordinary Ohio residents.
The attacks have turned personal, with some criticism rooted in ethnic and racial hostility toward Ramaswamy, whose parents immigrated from India.
Should Ramaswamy secure the nomination, his allies are less concerned about Republicans crossing party lines than about factors that might suppress conservative voter participation. Low turnout in November could potentially give Ohio its first Democratic governor in two decades.
“We have three opponents right now in this race,” Ramaswamy’s running mate, state Senate President Rob McColley, said in remarks to Republicans in rural Marion County that were shared by WGH Talk. “We have Amy Acton, we have the national political environment and then we have complacency. I would argue the third opponent is the most dangerous opponent we possibly have.”
Frustration among certain Ohio conservative voters has generated interest in Casey Putsch’s long-shot campaign.
Putsch, an engineer and car designer who brands himself “The Car Guy,” has gained followers through controversial YouTube content that mocks Ramaswamy and attacks national Republican leaders over Epstein file management, positions on power-hungry data facilities, and Middle East policy.
While his rallies draw small crowds and his campaign has collected just $123,000, Putsch has won support from some right-wing voters. Tyler Morris, who works in ambulance manufacturing in central Ohio, represents this constituency.
“When I hear people like Casey speak, he’s a guy like me,” Morris, 32, said as he was on his way to see Putsch speak at a Columbus park. “He’s just a guy that got pissed off one day. He’s not a politician. He’s like, do you know what — I want to speak for the average, everyday Ohioan.”
Morris explained he previously backed Trump but has since turned against the former president and refuses to support any Trump-endorsed candidate like Ramaswamy.
“I say I’m politically cynical, because it’s just like regardless of who I vote for, I feel like as an average Ohioan, it seems like things are just getting worse and worse for everyone,” he said.
Putsch’s campaign rhetoric has extended beyond appeals to working-class Ohioans. He has been criticized for promoting ethnic animosity toward Ramaswamy, frequently questioning the candidate’s Indian background and Hindu religious beliefs.
During his campaign launch, Putsch claimed Ramaswamy showed disdain for “American cultural values.” In one internet video, he demanded Ramaswamy “be destroyed.”
Following Putsch’s campaign announcement, Ramaswamy published an opinion column in The New York Times urging Republicans to reject white nationalist extremists within the party in favor of an American identity “based on ideals.”
“No matter your ancestry, if you wait your turn and obtain citizenship, you are every bit as American as a Mayflower descendant as long as you subscribe to the creed of the American founding and the culture that was born of it,” he wrote. “This is what makes American exceptionalism possible.”
The Cincinnati-born candidate later condemned racism and antisemitism within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” coalition during remarks at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, which angered some party members.
Following that speech, Ramaswamy’s social media accounts attracted increasingly vicious and racist comments. Putsch has also promoted racial slurs, including imagery showing Ramaswamy as an insect being exterminated and challenging him to “cowboys and Indians.”
In January, Ramaswamy withdrew from Instagram and X social media platforms.
“Leaders who depend on social media to gauge public opinion are looking through a broken mirror,” he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column.
Putsch ridiculed Ramaswamy’s withdrawal, writing on X that his opponent “can’t take the heat.”
Ohio Republican Party chairman Alex Triantafilou brushes off Putsch’s attacks as standard primary season tactics.
“The online right these days, it’s meaningless to the message of where we are as a party on the ground,” Triantafilou said.
He pointed to Ramaswamy’s national recognition, political abilities, and fundraising success — a record $50 million in total donations, though approximately half comes from Ramaswamy’s personal wealth.
“In every possible category of what we want in a candidate, he has it,” Triantafilou said.
Aaron Baer, who leads the Columbus-based Center for Christian Virtue, also dismisses Putsch’s criticism of Ramaswamy’s heritage, including challenges to Ramaswamy’s capacity to govern “a Christian state.”
“The bottom line is Vivek Ramaswamy, while he doesn’t share the Christian faith with me and millions of other Ohioans, he very much shares our values,” Baer said.
Ramaswamy has conducted what resembles a general election effort, attracting large audiences during stops in all 88 Ohio counties. His approach seems effective with voters like Pam Koch, a 70-year-old pharmacy employee who attended a Lincoln Reagan Day dinner featuring Ramaswamy as keynote speaker.
Koch identified herself as an anti-abortion Christian and said she attended “just to see where he stands, you know, spiritually and (on) everything that we value.” She left the event pleased with his presentation.
“I think he lines up with all of our values, so I’m excited about that,” she said.
Ron Eckles, a retired telecommunications worker, remains committed to Putsch, partially because of characteristics the candidate shares with Ramaswamy, including Ohio roots and entrepreneurial success. However, he views Putsch as superior on Second Amendment issues and appreciates that Putsch graduated from Ohio State University, while Ramaswamy attended Ivy League schools.
BEIJING – A content creator from North Carolina is offering international tourists an exclusive glimpse into China’s advanced automotive technology that remains unavailable to American consumers.
Ethan Robertson, 34, led a group of visitors from Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and other countries through the Beijing Auto Show, which kicked off Friday. The tour showcased expansive exhibition floors filled with electric SUVs, pickup trucks and cutting-edge concept vehicles that highlight China’s growing influence in the global automotive market.
Robertson co-founded Wheelsboy, a YouTube channel focused on Chinese automotive content for English-speaking viewers. Tour participants were immediately struck by three key features: affordable pricing, sophisticated technology, and extensive vehicle options.
During a stop at one display, Robertson demonstrated a premium electric SUV from Leapmotor, backed by Stellantis, featuring expansive screens and a rear-seat refrigerator.
“You’re looking at a car that’s maybe $30,000 and that car is fully equipped,” he explained. “Whereas $30,000 barely gets you into any electric vehicle or hybrid” in the United States.
The dramatic price gap explains why Robertson’s predominantly American viewership responds with both amazement and disappointment.
“Our comment section is full of people saying things like, ‘I can’t believe the government won’t allow them to sell this car in my country,’” Robertson shared with Reuters.
John Cordell, a 77-year-old retired heating and ventilation engineer from New Zealand, was particularly drawn to a bright yellow Deepal S07 midsize crossover during the tour.
“First of all, I was attracted to the color,” Cordell noted. However, the vehicle’s appeal extended beyond aesthetics. He highlighted the cabin design, heads-up display technology, screen interfaces, and comprehensive camera systems.
Cordell participated in the two-day experience, priced at $399 per person, alongside his brother-in-law and son. He currently drives a Chinese-made BYD Atto 3 electric vehicle in New Zealand and emphasized technology as a key attraction. “Everything is very well engineered,” he observed.
Andrew Pertsoulis, a 62-year-old former performance coach from Sydney, was most impressed by the futuristic cabin environments. “It’s what separates them,” he said, describing how the large displays and technology-rich interiors made him feel like he had “stepped into a new generation of vehicle.”
Robertson, who currently resides in China, noted that American viewers’ attitudes toward Chinese automobiles have evolved significantly during his six years covering the sector. Initial perceptions of poor quality and imitation designs have shifted toward recognition that many manufacturers are now leading innovation in battery technology, software development, and charging capabilities.
Robertson, who began learning Chinese during his undergraduate studies, occasionally faces accusations of corporate or government sponsorship due to his channel’s positive coverage. His YouTube platform has attracted 210,000 subscribers, though he maintains independence from both commercial and political interests.
Growing numbers of Americans are developing interest in China’s automotive sector. Lei Xing, American co-host of the China EVs & More podcast, acknowledges the industry’s complexity with over 100 manufacturers. “I get lost,” Lei admitted.
While Lei doesn’t anticipate rapid entry of Chinese brands into the U.S. market due to current political tensions, he believes these vehicles will eventually reach American consumers. “It’s a matter of time,” Lei predicted. “I know in my life I’m going to be able to buy a Chinese EV.”
The Defense Minister of Mali, Sadio Camara, lost his life during a terrorist assault at his home on a military installation near the nation’s capital on Saturday, according to reports from French radio station RFI released Sunday.
The deadly incident occurred at the Kati military compound located outside Bamako, where the extremist organization JNIM, which maintains connections to al Qaeda, carried out the fatal attack on Camara’s residence.
ROME, April 26 – During his Sunday remarks following the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo condemned warmongers and those who exploit natural resources as criminals robbing humanity of its peaceful future, while also cautioning against nuclear technology misuse on the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.
Ukraine marked four decades since the catastrophic nuclear accident on Sunday, with ongoing concerns that Russia’s ongoing four-year conflict could trigger another similar catastrophe.
Speaking during his weekly address, the Pope noted that the Chornobyl incident had permanently impacted humanity’s shared memory.
“It remains a warning over the use of ever more powerful technologies,” stated the Pope, who recently completed a 10-day journey through four African countries.
“I hope that at all decision-making levels, wisdom and responsibility always prevail, so that atomic power can always be used to support life and peace,” he continued.
Drawing from the day’s Gospel reading about sheep thieves, Pope Leo explained that criminals appear in various forms, citing examples such as “superficial lifestyles driven by consumerism,” bias, and false beliefs.
“And let’s not forget also those thieves who, by plundering the earth’s resources, by fighting bloody wars or feeding evil in whichever form, are simply taking away from all of us the chance of a future of peace and serenity,” he stated.
Leo, who became the first American pontiff, has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump following his increasingly vocal opposition to warfare and authoritarian rule.
Delaware Department of Transportation crews are performing a scheduled bridge inspection that is affecting traffic flow on Rising Sun Lane this morning.
The inspection is taking place on the bridge at Rising Sun Lane and New Bridge Road, located between Main Street and the DuPont Experimental Station. DelDOT officials say the inspection work is expected to wrap up by 12:00 PM today.
Motorists traveling through the area should expect possible delays and may want to consider alternate routes until the inspection is completed.
Law enforcement officials apprehended a gunman following a shooting incident that forced the immediate evacuation of President Trump and the First Lady from Saturday evening’s White House Correspondents’ dinner.
The shooting occurred at the hotel venue where the annual journalism event was taking place, prompting Secret Service agents to quickly remove the presidential couple from the premises as a security precaution.
The suspect is now in police custody following the incident that disrupted one of Washington’s most high-profile media gatherings.
Citizens in the Boston metropolitan area have established an organization dedicated to providing support for federal judges who are experiencing aggressive rhetoric and threats of violence.
The grassroots initiative represents a community response to the increasingly hostile environment that members of the federal judiciary are facing across the country.
The citizen-led effort aims to counter the climate of intimidation that has emerged around federal court proceedings and judicial decisions.
WASHINGTON — A man who attempted to force his way into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner ballroom Saturday night had his sights set on Trump administration officials, according to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
During a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Blanche revealed that authorities believe the individual made a cross-country journey by rail, starting in California, stopping in Chicago, and ultimately arriving in Washington. The suspect then registered as a hotel guest at the venue hosting one of the capital’s most prestigious annual gatherings.
The incident forced President Donald Trump to be quickly escorted from the stage when gunfire erupted. Law enforcement has the 31-year-old individual in custody, and he is now facing criminal charges.
Delaware transportation officials have shut down a major roadway due to dangerous flooding conditions that have made travel impossible.
Airport Road is currently impassable in both directions between Interstate 95 at Exit 5A and MacArthur Road, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation.
The complete closure affects all vehicle traffic along this busy corridor, forcing drivers to seek alternate routes during their commutes.
DelDOT has not yet announced when the roadway might reopen, as crews continue to monitor the flooding situation.
Motorists are advised to plan extra travel time and use alternative routes until the water recedes and the road can safely accommodate traffic again.
KYIV, Ukraine — Multiple attacks across Ukraine, Russian-controlled areas, and Russia have resulted in at least 16 fatalities, officials reported, while the four-decade anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe has sparked renewed concerns about nuclear safety risks during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Regional leader Oleksandr Hanzha confirmed Sunday that casualties from Russian drone and missile attacks on Dnipro had climbed to nine people.
Moscow-appointed officials reported that a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in the port city of Sevastopol, located in Russian-controlled Crimea. Russia seized the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 in an action widely condemned as illegal internationally, and has utilized it as a logistical hub throughout the current conflict.
In Ukraine’s Luhansk region, which Russia claims to fully control despite Ukrainian denials, Moscow-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik reported three deaths from an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on a village. This followed two additional fatalities reported in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Ukraine has not responded to either incident, and The Associated Press could not independently confirm these reports.
These recent attacks followed the death of a woman in a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Belgorod border area, according to regional authorities.
Ukraine’s General Staff announced Sunday that Ukrainian forces had targeted an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, located deep within Russian territory. The attack ignited fires at the facility, which annually processes 15 million tons of oil and manufactures gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for Russian military use. Russian officials have not yet responded to this incident.
Ukraine has created its own long-distance drone technology capable of striking targets up to 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) inside Russia. Recent attacks have focused on Russian oil infrastructure as Moscow seeks to increase exports following temporary sanctions relief from the Trump administration to address supply shortages. Ukrainian officials express concern that Russia will use additional oil revenues to purchase new weapons for intensified attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the Chernobyl disaster anniversary to caution that Russian attacks could trigger a repeat of the historic catastrophe.
“Through its war, Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster — Russian-Iranian Shaheds regularly fly over the plant, and one of them struck the confinement last year,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop its reckless attacks,” he said.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi shared similar concerns during his Kyiv visit, emphasizing that repairs to the plant’s damaged outer protective barrier must commence immediately. IAEA evaluations indicate that damage from last year’s strike has already undermined a critical safety feature of the structure, he explained, cautioning that prolonged delays could increase risks to the original containment structure below. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates repairs would cost at least 500 million euros ($586 million).
Ukrainian authorities report that a Russian drone damaged the outer shell of the plant’s New Safe Confinement structure in February 2025 — a $2.1 billion arch-shaped covering completed in 2019 over the remnants of Reactor No. 4. Moscow has denied deliberately targeting the facility, instead claiming Ukraine orchestrated the attack.
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement officials believe an individual connected to an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner had deliberately planned to target members of the Trump administration, according to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Blanche revealed that investigators have determined the suspect had specific intentions. “It does appear that he, he did, in fact, have set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the President,” Blanche stated during the television interview.
The acting attorney general also disclosed that authorities believe the individual made a lengthy cross-country journey to reach the nation’s capital, traveling by rail from Los Angeles through Chicago before arriving in Washington, D.C.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Sunday that he will delay any decision on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon petition until all possibilities for a negotiated plea agreement have been explored first.
The corruption case against Netanyahu has deeply divided Israeli society and caused significant political upheaval, leading to five separate elections from 2019 through 2022. The prime minister’s legal issues stem from investigations that started approximately ten years ago, with the next scheduled election set for October 2026.
Netanyahu has consistently rejected all allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Herzog stated Sunday that negotiating an agreement would represent the optimal outcome for Netanyahu’s situation.
“The President therefore believes that before addressing the pardon request itself, efforts should first be exhausted to reach an agreement between the parties, outside the courtroom,” Herzog said in a statement.
The president’s office released this statement following a New York Times report indicating Herzog planned to facilitate mediation toward a plea agreement, postponing any pardon consideration.
When questioned about whether plea negotiations were currently in progress, a Herzog spokesperson refused to elaborate beyond the official statement. Netanyahu’s representatives did not provide a response to requests for comment.
The pardon petition was filed by Netanyahu in November. Israeli law grants the president pardoning authority for convicted individuals, though no historical precedent exists for pardoning someone during an ongoing trial.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Herzog to issue a pardon for Netanyahu, including appeals made in March during the Iran conflict when court proceedings were temporarily suspended.
Netanyahu is scheduled to return to court this week as his trial, which commenced in 2020, continues. He holds the distinction of being Israel’s first serving prime minister to face criminal charges.
Iran’s top diplomat traveled to Oman on Sunday for high-level discussions about regional stability and ongoing tensions with the United States, according to statements from Iran’s foreign ministry.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said in Muscat to address security concerns in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and surrounding Gulf waters, while also exploring diplomatic solutions to the Iran-U.S. standoff.
During the meeting, Araqchi argued that American military forces stationed throughout the Middle East were contributing to regional instability and creating divisions. He advocated for establishing a security arrangement for the region that would operate without external involvement from foreign powers.
BELFAST – Law enforcement officials in Northern Ireland have initiated an attempted murder probe following a vehicle blast that took place Saturday evening outside a police facility located south of Belfast.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland announced Sunday that their specialized terrorism investigators would be leading the case.
“We have commenced an attempted murder investigation which will be led by our Terrorism Investigation Unit,” authorities stated in an official release.
The incident occurred on Saturday night at the police station south of the Northern Ireland capital.
Australia’s top diplomat announced plans Sunday for a crucial diplomatic mission across Asia this week, focusing on energy stability concerns stemming from ongoing Middle East tensions.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed her upcoming travel schedule will include stops in Japan, China, and South Korea for high-level discussions with government officials. Wong emphasized in her announcement that these diplomatic meetings will “help ensure we are coordinating effectively” as global energy markets face continued volatility.
The Australian official’s first destination will be Tokyo, where she plans to meet with Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegito. Their agenda will cover energy and fuel security matters alongside discussions about the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Wong’s second stop takes her to Beijing for the eighth Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue alongside China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. According to Wong, these talks aim to “progress the full range of our interests and manage our differences” between the two nations.
The diplomatic tour concludes in Seoul with meetings involving South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Wong highlighted South Korea’s significance, calling it “one of Australia’s most important sources of refined fuels.”
The timing of these meetings reflects growing concerns over fuel availability, as Australia relies heavily on imports for most of its energy needs. The country has encountered supply shortages in certain areas since the Middle East conflict erupted in February, prompting these urgent diplomatic efforts.
Motorists traveling along Route 1 should expect delays as Delaware Department of Transportation crews continue construction work beneath the Rehoboth Boulevard bridge.
Both the right and left shoulder lanes on Coastal Highway are currently blocked off in the area where the roadway passes under the Rehoboth Boulevard overpass. The lane closures are part of ongoing construction activities in the area.
According to DelDOT officials, the shoulder restrictions are scheduled to remain in effect through May 22nd. Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and to expect possible delays during peak travel times.
The construction work may impact traffic flow along this busy section of Route 1, particularly during summer travel season as visitors head to and from Delaware’s coastal communities.
BAMAKO – Continuous gunfire echoed through a military garrison town close to Mali’s capital on Sunday, according to a Reuters witness, following one of the most significant coordinated assaults by al Qaeda affiliates and Tuareg rebel forces in recent years.
The ongoing shooting in Kati indicated that combat had extended into a second day, even though military officials claimed they had regained control of the area.
Following Saturday’s large-scale attacks, the United Nations has called for international intervention to address violence and terrorism throughout the West African Sahel region.
“The Secretary‑General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali. He strongly condemns these acts of violence,” a U.N. spokesperson posted on X.
COORDINATED ASSAULT WAVE
Both an al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebel forces took credit for the synchronized strikes near Bamako, the capital, as well as in gold-mining regions and other locations throughout Mali. This represents one of the most daring operations insurgents have executed in their ongoing campaign against the military-controlled government.
By Sunday, the complete count of casualties remained unknown, as did the status of the disputed city of Kidal, which insurgents claimed they had retaken from government troops during the offensive.
Government spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly reported that 16 individuals had sustained injuries and stated that authorities had complete control over all targeted locations. Officials have also imposed a three-day overnight curfew.
RUSSIAN FORCES INVOLVED IN CONFLICT
However, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led rebel organization that has participated in multiple government uprisings over several decades, announced Sunday that it had regained control of Kidal.
A spokesperson for the FLA stated on X that an agreement had been reached allowing Russian mercenaries to evacuate from a surrounded camp outside the city where Malian military forces remained positioned.
Taking responsibility on Saturday, the FLA announced it had conducted the extensive operation in partnership with al Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
JNIM also released a statement on Saturday, distributed by SITE Intelligence Group, claiming responsibility for strikes in Kati, at Bamako’s airport, and in northern regions including Mopti, Sevare, and Gao.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims made by JNIM and FLA.
Saturday’s offensive represents the most recent indication that Mali’s government, which assumed power following military coups in 2020 and 2021, is having difficulty providing improved security after expelling Western forces and seeking Russian assistance instead.
In September 2024, JNIM attacked a police training facility near Bamako airport, resulting in approximately 70 deaths. More recently, the group implemented an effective blockade on fuel imports that has deprived the capital’s residents and businesses of power and essential supplies.
The administration led by Assimi Goita has recently pursued stronger relationships with Washington, which has attempted to rebuild security cooperation and investigate mining possibilities.
Mali’s foreign minister informed Reuters on Monday that neighboring nations and foreign powers were providing support to terrorist organizations, but refused to identify specific countries.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian courts began their inaugural public prosecution of former Assad administration officials on Sunday in the nation’s capital.
Former army brigadier general Atef Najib, who directed the Political Security Branch in Daraa province during Assad’s reign and is related to the ousted leader, stood before judges to answer accusations concerning “crimes against the Syrian people,” according to the state news service SANA.
During his 2011 tenure, Najib oversaw operations when young people who spray-painted anti-regime messages on school property in Daraa were detained and subjected to torture. This incident sparked widespread demonstrations against Assad’s oppressive security apparatus.
Government forces responded with severe violence to the demonstrations, escalating into a devastating 14-year conflict that concluded when rebels removed Assad from power in December 2024 through a rapid military campaign. Assad escaped to Russia while most of his leadership also fled the country.
Court officials filed charges against Assad and his brother Maher, who previously led the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — a unit opposition groups claim committed murders, torture, extortion and narcotics operations while operating private detention facilities — though both remain absent from Syria along with other senior security commanders.
Among all the accused, only Najib was detained and physically present for Sunday’s preliminary court session, with proceedings scheduled to resume next month.
Citizens assembled outside the judicial building in celebration.
Interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa’s administration has received criticism for postponing the implementation of promised transitional justice measures. The nation continues working toward recovery following 14 years of warfare that resulted in approximately 500,000 deaths, displaced millions of residents, and left the country devastated and fragmented.
Officials now seem committed to more actively pursuing former Assad loyalists.
Syrian law enforcement detained Amjad Yousef on Friday, a former intelligence operative featured in footage released four years earlier that allegedly documented him and associates killing numerous bound and blindfolded detainees in Tadamon, a Damascus area, during the nation’s conflict.
Hungary’s newly elected Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced Sunday he will head to Brussels this Wednesday for unofficial discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding the release of billions in EU funding that was suspended during conflicts with the previous administration.
“There is no time to waste,” Magyar stated, following his decisive electoral win on April 12 that brought an end to nationalist leader Viktor Orban’s 16-year tenure in office.
Magyar has previously identified four priority areas where his administration could act quickly to prevent losing approximately 10 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in EU pandemic recovery assistance by the late August cutoff date. These priorities include anti-corruption initiatives and the restoration of media and academic independence.
Following his election victory, Magyar expressed optimism about reaching a political settlement during his inaugural Brussels visit.
Orban, who maintained close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, frequently found himself at odds with the EU regarding rule of law and human rights issues, leading to the suspension of billions in European funding.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party secured a supermajority in the April voting, providing the authority to modify judicial, public procurement, and media oversight legislation that became central points of contention between Orban’s administration and Brussels.
For the past three years, Hungary’s economic growth has remained essentially flat.
Financial markets have responded positively and the forint has strengthened following Magyar’s electoral success, as investors anticipate the EU will release the frozen funds.
The Swiss government has sparked diplomatic tensions by demanding Italy pay medical expenses for treating its citizens who were injured in a deadly New Year’s Eve fire at the Crans-Montana ski resort that resulted in 41 fatalities.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the billing request on Friday, calling it “disgraceful” after learning that victim families had received medical invoices.
Switzerland’s Federal Social Insurance Office confirmed Saturday evening to Reuters that the country intends to recover hospital treatment costs, though they clarified the bills would not be sent directly to victim families. According to existing agreements between European Union nations and Switzerland, patients receive invoices solely for verification while charges are sent “to the relevant foreign health insurer.”
A government representative later specified that Italy’s health ministry would handle payment in this situation.
In a Facebook statement Friday night, Meloni declared: “Should this disgraceful request be made formally, I hereby announce that Italy will reject it outright and will not act upon it in any way.”
“I have faith in the Swiss authorities’ sense of responsibility and hope that the report will prove to be entirely unfounded,” she continued.
Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told news agency ANSA on Saturday that Swiss officials are requesting over 100,000 Swiss francs (approximately $127,000) to cover treatment costs for four Italian citizens who received just one day of care at Sion hospital following the fire.
Cornado pointed out that Swiss patients injured in the same Crans-Montana incident have received months of treatment at Milan’s Niguarda hospital in northern Italy, and that Italian authorities deployed a civil protection helicopter for rescue assistance without requesting any compensation.
The nation’s highest court began hearing arguments Monday in a pivotal case that could reshape the legal landscape for thousands of people suing Bayer over claims that Roundup weedkiller caused their cancer.
The Supreme Court is reviewing Bayer’s challenge to a Missouri appeals court decision that upheld a $1.25 million jury award to John Durnell, who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after years of using the popular herbicide.
The central question before the justices involves whether federal pesticide labeling regulations supersede state warning requirements. Bayer contends that plaintiffs cannot successfully argue the company violated state disclosure laws since the Environmental Protection Agency has determined Roundup poses no cancer risk and doesn’t mandate warning labels about such dangers.
The Trump administration has backed Bayer’s position in this legal battle.
Currently, the German pharmaceutical giant faces litigation from roughly 65,000 individuals across state and federal courts nationwide. These lawsuits, which began filing in 2015, involve plaintiffs who claim they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers following residential or occupational exposure to the widely-used herbicide.
Bayer maintains that extensive research spanning decades demonstrates both Roundup and its primary component, glyphosate, are safe for human contact.
Should the Supreme Court rule in Bayer’s favor, it would significantly undermine the majority of pending cases by eliminating plaintiffs’ ability to argue the company violated state warning laws. However, such a decision wouldn’t automatically dismiss all remaining litigation, as many lawsuits include additional allegations of negligence, misleading marketing practices, and product defects.
The company could still attempt to use a favorable Supreme Court ruling to challenge these remaining claims and potentially overturn several trial losses on appeal.
Earlier this year, Bayer announced a massive $7.25 billion class-action settlement designed to resolve most existing cases and cover potential future claims from individuals already exposed to Roundup who may develop cancer later. A Missouri state judge provided preliminary approval in March, though final authorization remains pending with a July hearing scheduled.
The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling won’t affect settlement terms for those choosing to participate. However, individuals who reject the settlement to pursue individual litigation could face restricted legal options if Bayer prevails.
Plaintiffs have until June 4 to decide whether to accept the settlement or continue their court cases. This deadline may occur before the Supreme Court announces its decision, forcing some to make critical choices without knowing the final outcome.
The justices are expected to issue their ruling by the end of June.
The Israeli Defense Forces announced on April 26 that they have ordered civilians to leave seven communities in Lebanon situated north of the Litani river.
Military officials stated they plan to take aggressive action against Hezbollah forces, citing breaches of the existing ceasefire arrangement between the two sides.
The evacuation directive affects multiple towns in the region as tensions continue to escalate along the Israeli-Lebanese border.
WASHINGTON – Democratic lawmakers are experiencing internal disagreement about whether efforts to remove President Trump from office should become a central theme in their midterm election campaigns.
Following Trump’s recent controversial statements and social media posts, including comparisons of himself to religious figures and criticism of the pope, 84 House Democrats have endorsed legislation by Representative Jamie Raskin aimed at strengthening the 25th Amendment through a presidential assessment commission.
“I think the Raskin effort is matching where people (voters) are at,” said Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, in an interview. “They can’t believe what Donald Trump’s saying.”
However, many Democratic colleagues express concern that emphasizing Trump’s removal could weaken their election messaging focused on economic affordability and potentially alienate voters who witnessed two previous impeachment attempts that resulted in Senate acquittals and Trump’s 2024 reelection.
Democrats have achieved notable success in recent special elections, and polling data shows 77% of registered voters hold Trump significantly responsible for increased gas prices following the U.S.-Israel military action against Iran. Surveys consistently indicate voters trust Democrats more on cost-of-living matters.
“I doubt, for instance, that Mary Peltola and Sherrod Brown are going to be talking a lot about impeaching Trump,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of “Sabato’s Crystal Ball” at the University of Virginia, referring to two Democrats running in red states Alaska and Ohio, respectively.
Republican strategist Alex Conant, formerly an aide to current Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his Senate tenure, believes GOP candidates would welcome Democrats focusing on Trump removal efforts. “They will say that Trump is focused on the economy and Democrats are focused on Donald Trump,” he said.
Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, despite acknowledging “there is something unbelievably wrong” with Trump, has declined to support Raskin’s proposal.
“Let’s get to what the needs are of the country. The economy, healthcare, grocery prices, that’s where I concentrate,” said DeLauro, who is seeking a 19th term in Congress.
Centrist Democrat Henry Cuellar of Texas emphasized district-specific concerns. “I think we need to focus on what’s important to our districts: the affordability, the ICE raids,” Cuellar told Reuters.
The Trump administration has deployed thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers nationwide for intensified deportation operations, potentially damaging Republican support among Hispanic communities. Cuellar represents a border district adjacent to Mexico.
“I don’t think we need to vote down impeachment again. It’s already happened. We know what’s going to happen in the Senate,” Cuellar said.
Progressive leader Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has also distanced herself from Raskin’s initiative.
“It is appropriate to look at the 25th Amendment,” she said in an interview. “But it’s going to take Republicans standing up and doing that. The Democrats cannot do it by themselves.”
Constitutional procedures require the vice president and Cabinet members to jointly initiate any temporary presidential power removal under the 25th Amendment.
Some Democrats facing reelection pressure from younger progressive voters may need to embrace impeachment discussions. Representative John Larson of Connecticut, age 77, introduced 13 impeachment articles against Trump on April 6 while facing primary challenges from candidates over three decades younger.
Larson’s charges span from unauthorized war powers and alleged war crimes to violations of constitutional emoluments provisions preventing presidents from self-enrichment through their office.
House Speaker Mike Johnson issued an April 10 statement attacking Democratic motives: “Democrats are Once Again Gearing Up For Impeachment, and Other Than Trump Derangement Syndrome, They Can’t Articulate Why.”
Such criticism could influence voters in competitive states like Ohio, Alaska and North Carolina, where Democrats seek to defeat Republican incumbents by appealing to independent voters.
Former Senator Sherrod Brown, attempting to reclaim his Ohio seat lost in 2024 despite years of blue-collar support, has largely avoided Washington discussions about Trump removal. Instead, his campaign emphasizes affordability issues and argues workers face “a rigged system” affecting everyone from laborers to farmers, proposing utility rate caps rather than presidential removal.
Economic concerns and consumer prices top voter priority lists, even as Trump defends higher gasoline costs from the Iran conflict as beneficial investment. Trump’s 2024 campaign promised price reductions, yet March inflation reached 3.3% year-over-year, rising from February’s 2.4%.
Only 25% of respondents in a late March Reuters/Ipsos survey approved of Trump’s cost-of-living management.
Such polling data encourages Democratic midterm prospects, particularly given historical patterns favoring opposition parties in non-presidential elections.
Regardless of whether “impeachment” or “25th Amendment” language appears in campaign messaging, Democrats agree that connecting the Iran conflict with affordability concerns presents a winning strategy.
“I had 11 town halls with (constituents’) tremendous frustration around gas prices” during Congress’ spring break, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said in an interview. “What I’m focused on now is showing that we’re involved in concrete results.”
DAKAR, Senegal — Independence fighters in northern Mali have acknowledged partnering with Islamic extremists in what officials describe as one of the most significant coordinated strikes against government forces in the nation’s capital and multiple other locations, resulting in at least 16 injuries.
This marks the first occasion that the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) has publicly acknowledged working together with JNIM, an organization linked to al-Qaeda that also took credit for Saturday’s assaults targeting Bamako’s international airport and four additional cities across Mali’s central and northern regions.
“This operation is being carried out in partnership with the JNIM, which is also committed to defending the people against the military regime in Bamako,” FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan said in a statement Saturday.
Government spokesperson Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly reported on national television Saturday evening that 16 individuals sustained injuries, including both civilians and service members, while multiple attackers were eliminated. He declined to specify casualty numbers.
Bamako district governor Abdoulaye Coulibaly implemented a three-day nighttime curfew running from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m.
The independence movement also urged Russia to “reconsider its support for the military junta in Bamako, whose actions have contributed to the suffering of the civilian population.”
After experiencing military takeovers, the governing authorities in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso shifted away from Western partnerships toward Russian assistance in their fight against Islamic extremists. However, security conditions have deteriorated recently, with militant attacks reaching unprecedented levels. Military forces have faced accusations of killing civilians suspected of working with extremist groups.
During 2024, an al-Qaeda-affiliated organization took responsibility for strikes on Bamako’s airport and a military training facility in the capital, resulting in numerous deaths.
Ramadane announced Saturday on Facebook that separatist forces had seized the northern community of Kidal along with portions of Gao, another northeastern urban center.
The Azawad independence movement has waged a multi-year campaign to establish a sovereign nation in northern Mali. Kidal had previously functioned as a separatist stronghold until government troops and Russian contractors captured it in 2023. Taking control of the city represented an important symbolic achievement for the military leadership and their Russian partners.
Authorities in Northern Ireland issued a security alert Sunday following reports of a car bomb detonation outside a police station in Dunmurry, a community near Belfast.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that nearby residents have been moved from their homes as a safety measure, and officials are urging the public to stay away from the affected area.
“It is distressing and disturbing to wake up to the news that a car bomb exploded outside Dunmurry police station last night,” said Sorcha Eastwood, a member of the U.K. Parliament who represents the Langan Valley, southwest of Belfast.
“A busy area, a car bomb left outside residential housing, small businesses and any number of people out and about on a Saturday night working or socialising,” she said. “It is only through the grace of God that there are no casualties.”
Authorities have not disclosed any details regarding the motivation behind the bombing.
The incident follows a similar attack last month when law enforcement reported that a “crude but viable” homemade explosive device was used in an attempted strike against another PSNI facility in Lurgan, approximately 20 miles southwest of Dunmurry.
In that case, two individuals wearing masks intercepted a delivery driver, placed the explosive in his vehicle’s trunk, and threatened him with a weapon to transport the device to the police facility, officials reported. Authorities conducted a controlled detonation after evacuating roughly 100 residences.
Law enforcement characterized the Lurgan incident as likely the work of dissident Republican factions in what they called a “pathetic attempt to remain relevant and provoke fear.”
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 brought an end to most of the violence that had persisted for decades between Republican factions opposing British control and those supporting Northern Ireland’s connection to the United Kingdom. However, extremist groups that reject the peace agreement continue to conduct occasional attacks.
Most Americans want to preserve automatic citizenship for all children born on U.S. soil, new polling data reveals, while the nation’s highest court prepares to decide whether President Donald Trump can eliminate this constitutional right.
The nationwide Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted between April 15-20, shows 64% of respondents want to maintain birthright citizenship, while 32% back Trump’s January 2025 executive order to end the longstanding practice.
The Supreme Court faces several high-stakes decisions in the coming weeks that could significantly impact Trump’s policy agenda and establish important precedents for the November 3 midterm elections. These cases span immigration law, transgender rights, and election procedures.
Trump’s directive to end birthright citizenship immediately faced legal challenges, and Supreme Court justices will likely announce their decision before June ends in what represents a major civil rights case and crucial test of the president’s strict immigration policies. During April 1 oral arguments, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority seemed hesitant to support Trump’s position.
Political party affiliation strongly influences opinions on birthright citizenship, the polling data indicates. Just 9% of Democratic voters want to eliminate the policy, while Republicans remain split with 62% favoring its removal and 36% supporting its continuation.
The Supreme Court typically releases major decisions during May and June as its yearly session concludes.
SPORTS PARTICIPATION RULES
Regarding cases from Idaho and West Virginia, the court appears ready to permit states to enact legislation limiting transgender athlete participation in women’s athletic competitions.
The polling found widespread approval for restricting transgender girls and women from participating in female school and collegiate sports, an issue that has become a significant political controversy.
Approximately 67% of those surveyed endorsed prohibiting transgender individuals from competing in women’s scholastic athletics. Republican support reached 92%, while Democratic backing stood at 44%.
The justices will also determine whether states may count mail-in ballots bearing Election Day postmarks but arriving several days afterward. Around 65% of poll participants endorsed counting such ballots when postmarked by the deadline despite late arrival.
Democratic support for this mail-in ballot approach reached 85%, compared to 51% among Republicans.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES
An additional case will establish whether Louisiana’s congressional district map meets constitutional standards after being redrawn to increase Black-majority districts from one to two, enhancing African American voter representation.
A coalition of white voters seeks Supreme Court intervention to halt the map, claiming racial considerations played an excessive role in its creation.
Public opinion on this issue shows complexity. Roughly 75% of poll participants, including 65% of Black respondents, believe race shouldn’t influence congressional map drawing. However, about half of all respondents and six out of ten Black respondents think communities sharing common characteristics, including race, deserve representation within the same congressional district.
Recent years have seen the court deliver landmark rulings expanding firearm rights, eliminating race-based college admissions, and limiting federal agency authority. The conservative majority includes three justices Trump nominated during his initial presidency.
Supreme Court public perception has grown increasingly partisan over five years. March polling by Reuters/Ipsos found 70% of Republicans view the court positively, versus 27% of Democrats. December 2021 polling, conducted months before the court eliminated nationwide abortion rights in 2022, showed 66% Republican approval compared to 55% Democratic support.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos Supreme Court poll was conducted online with 4,557 U.S. adult participants and carries approximately a 2 percentage point margin of error.
Good morning, Delmarva! We’re starting this Sunday with cloudy skies and cooler temperatures as we reach a high near 56 degrees today. You’ll want to grab a jacket if you’re heading out, as we’ve got a brisk northeast wind around 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph making it feel even chillier.
There’s a chance of some light rain today, so keep an umbrella handy just in case. We could see rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch – nothing too heavy, but enough to dampen outdoor plans.
The good news? Much better weather is on the way! Tonight clears up nicely with mostly clear skies and temperatures dropping to a comfortable 42 degrees. Monday looks absolutely beautiful with sunny skies and a pleasant warming trend as we climb to 66 degrees – perfect spring weather!
Monday night stays clear with another cool evening around 43 degrees, ideal for opening those windows.
Hang in there through today’s gray skies, folks – sunshine and warmer temps are just around the corner! Have a great Sunday, Delmarva!
A broken-down vehicle is causing traffic delays for drivers traveling through the intersection of Spring Meadow Drive and South DuPont Boulevard.
The left lane remains blocked as crews work to clear the disabled vehicle from the roadway. Motorists should expect delays and consider alternate routes when possible.
DelDOT continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as the incident is resolved.
The nation’s highest court is set to examine a controversial police investigation method that could reshape digital privacy protections for all Americans.
Law enforcement officers in Virginia employed geofencing technology to access Google’s location information, seeking to identify individuals who were in proximity to a bank robbery when it occurred. This investigative approach allows authorities to request data from tech companies about all devices present in a specific geographic area during a particular time frame.
The Supreme Court justices will now determine whether this practice violates constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. The case represents a significant test of how Fourth Amendment privacy rights apply to modern digital surveillance techniques.
The outcome could establish new boundaries for how police departments nationwide can use location data from technology companies during criminal investigations, potentially affecting millions of smartphone users whose movements are routinely tracked by various applications and services.
School districts across the nation are grappling with how to educate students who receive the classification of “emotionally disturbed,” with many choosing to place these children in separate learning environments away from their classmates.
While every educational institution deals with challenging student behaviors, those who receive the emotional disturbance designation under special education law often find themselves removed from mainstream classroom settings.
The separation of these students raises questions about whether isolation helps or hinders their educational and social development, according to education experts studying the issue.
Students like Walter, a 19-year-old at Central Senior High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, represent thousands of young people navigating the special education system while dealing with emotional and behavioral challenges.
The debate continues over the most effective methods for supporting students with emotional disturbances while ensuring they receive appropriate educational opportunities alongside their peers.
British officials confirmed Sunday they are maintaining close coordination with American security agencies as King Charles prepares for his upcoming visit to the United States, following a violent incident at Saturday’s White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington.
The shooting occurred when an individual fired at security personnel near the event, prompting Secret Service agents to quickly evacuate President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump from the dinner.
During an interview on Sky News, Darren Jones, who serves as chief secretary to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasized that both the British government and Buckingham Palace consider the monarch’s safety “very seriously.” He noted that extensive security discussions are already taking place and will continue in the days ahead.
“In respect of His Majesty’s visit to the United States next week … our security services obviously remain in close cooperation in advance of that,” Jones stated.
The royal couple, King Charles and Queen Camilla, are scheduled to begin their four-day American visit on Monday. Their itinerary includes a private meeting with President Trump and an appearance before Congress, commemorating the 250th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from Britain.
Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has touched down in North Korea, according to an announcement from Moscow’s defense ministry on Sunday. This marks the second high-ranking Russian official to make the journey to Pyongyang within just a few days.
North Korea’s official news agency KCNA had previously reported that Vyacheslav Volodin, who leads Russia’s State Duma, also traveled to the North Korean capital. Volodin is scheduled to participate in the dedication ceremony for a recently constructed monument honoring North Korean soldiers who lost their lives during combat in the Ukraine conflict.
According to Russia’s defense ministry, Belousov’s agenda includes meetings with North Korea’s highest-ranking leadership and military commanders, along with participation in “ceremonial and commemorative events.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a message via telegram to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recognition of the memorial’s unveiling, the Kremlin announced.
In his communication, Putin expressed gratitude to Kim and North Korean forces for their assistance in pushing back a significant Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. Putin also conveyed his belief that both nations would continue building upon their strategic alliance.
The two leaders held a summit in June 2024, resulting in the signing of an extensive strategic agreement that features a mutual defense clause. Since 2023, both countries have accelerated the development of their diplomatic and military cooperation.
MOSCOW, April 26 – Ukrainian forces struck a major fertilizer manufacturing facility in Russia’s Vologda region during a weekend drone assault, according to regional officials.
Regional Governor Georgy Filimonov reported that the attack in Cherepovets damaged a high-pressure pipeline carrying sulphuric acid at an Apatit facility, which operates under PhosAgro, a global leader in phosphate fertilizer production.
“The leak has been contained and there were no releases of hazardous chemicals,” Filimonov stated, while confirming that five individuals sustained injuries in the incident.
The targeted Apatit complex represents Europe’s largest manufacturer of phosphate fertilizers and produces both phosphoric and sulphuric acids, according to parent company PhosAgro.
Russian military officials described the weekend assault as a massive coordinated attack, reporting that air defense systems destroyed more than 250 Ukrainian drones across over a dozen regions between Saturday evening at 2000 Moscow time and Sunday morning at 0900.
The port city of Sevastopol experienced what officials called one of its most intense bombardments, with 71 drones eliminated by defense systems, according to Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev.
That attack resulted in one fatality and four additional injuries, while causing damage to homes, retail establishments, and vehicles. Debris from destroyed drones also fell across railway lines.
Meanwhile, in the Yaroslavl region – an area where Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted petroleum refineries – Governor Mikhail Yevrayev confirmed that defense forces repelled another large-scale drone offensive, though he provided no additional specifics about the assault.
Health authorities in Gaza reported Sunday that four Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli military operations across the territory.
According to medical personnel, Israeli forces conducted an aerial bombardment that claimed one life near the central community of Al-Mughraqa. Additionally, two individuals were killed by Israeli gunfire and artillery near Gaza City.
A third incident involved the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old woman by Israeli forces in Khan Younis, located in the southern part of the territory, medical officials confirmed.
Israeli military officials stated they were investigating the reported incidents. The military also announced it had eliminated multiple Hamas fighters in Gaza operations since Friday.
The bloodshed continues even after a ceasefire agreement went into effect in October 2025, with Israeli forces conducting nearly continuous operations against Palestinians in the region.
Medical sources report that approximately 800 Palestinians have died since the truce began, while Israeli officials say four of their soldiers have been killed by militants during the same timeframe.
Both Israeli and Hamas leadership have accused the other side of breaking the ceasefire terms.
Gaza health officials say more than 72,500 Palestinians have died since fighting began in October 2023, with the majority being non-combatants.
Israeli casualty figures show that Hamas’ initial assault on October 7, 2023, resulted in 1,200 deaths.
WASHINGTON – Security protocols for America’s top leaders are facing renewed criticism following Saturday evening’s shooting of a Secret Service agent at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, an incident that highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in protecting political figures during a period of heightened violence.
Numerous law enforcement personnel from multiple agencies were deployed to safeguard the high-profile annual event, which featured President Donald Trump as the main speaker this year.
Despite extensive security measures, an individual armed with a shotgun and additional weapons succeeded in reaching a location just one floor above the Washington ballroom where an unprecedented gathering of cabinet officials, senior legislators, and entertainment figures were attending the dinner.
The guest list included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and numerous other administration officials, each accompanied by their respective security teams.
While it remains premature to determine whether security lapses or communication breakdowns occurred, the incident underscores persistent weak points in even the most robust protection systems, particularly given the two previous attempts on Trump’s life during his 2024 campaign.
According to Washington’s police chief, the suspect – who carried a shotgun, handgun, and knives – had been lodging at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was hosted.
At an unscheduled White House briefing following the event, Trump commended emergency responders and Secret Service personnel.
The president reflected on the inherent risks of his office, referencing past presidential assassinations while emphasizing that the gunman never came close to “breaching” the ballroom entrance.
“It’s not particularly a secure building,” Trump remarked about the hotel located roughly ten minutes from the White House. The same venue was the scene of the 1981 attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life.
Although approximately 2,600 guests underwent metal detector screening before entering the basement ballroom, hotel access required only ticket presentation, and the facility remained open to regular guests. With protesters demonstrating outside the entrance, many opposing the administration’s conflict with Iran, attendees were expedited through security checkpoints.
Video evidence shows the gunman rushing through a corridor beyond a security station before shooting the agent and subsequently being subdued and arrested by authorities.
Dinner guests were still consuming their spring pea and burrata salad course when those seated toward the rear reported hearing several gunshots.
Secret Service personnel immediately evacuated Trump and Vance from the main table, while protection details for other officials and legislators seated among journalists and guests responded with varying approaches. Some agents navigated through the crowded ballroom, climbing over chairs and displacing table settings to reach their assigned protectees as confused attendees sought cover beneath tables.
Security teams for cabinet members, including Rubio, Bessent, and Burgum, forced their charges to the floor while creating protective barriers with their bodies. While most protected individuals were eventually removed from the venue, evacuation timing differed considerably, with some departing immediately while others remained for several minutes.
Trump, who survived a near-fatal 2024 assassination attempt when a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign appearance, reportedly wanted to resume the dinner program, according to White House sources.
He subsequently informed reporters that the Secret Service concluded continuing the event would not be feasible.
SLAVUTYCH, Ukraine — Hundreds of residents filled the main plaza of Slavutych early Sunday morning, lighting candles arranged in the shape of a nuclear warning symbol to mark four decades since the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear accident and honor those who died containing its deadly aftermath.
The annual memorial continues each year even as residents face wartime restrictions and official advisories against mass gatherings amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The catastrophic event on April 26, 1986 exposed serious safety failures and government cover-ups within the former Soviet Union. Soviet officials concealed the explosion for 48 hours until radioactive material had drifted across Europe and Swedish scientists publicly raised alarms.
Approximately 600,000 individuals, known as Chernobyl “liquidators,” were deployed to extinguish the reactor fire and remove the most hazardous contamination. Thirty plant workers perished within months from either the blast itself or severe radiation poisoning. The catastrophe subjected millions throughout the area to harmful radiation levels and triggered massive permanent relocations of hundreds of communities across Ukraine and Belarus.
Slavutych, located roughly 50 kilometers (32 miles) from the destroyed reactor, was constructed during this era. While most displaced families were relocated to surrounding areas in the Kyiv region, Soviet officials started constructing this new city in late 1986 to accommodate Chernobyl plant employees and their families. The initial inhabitants arrived around 1988.
The community has weathered a temporary Russian takeover during Moscow’s unsuccessful attempt to capture Ukraine’s capital in the war’s early stages, along with brutal winters — particularly the most recent one, when power outages forced some locals to prepare food over open flames in the streets.
Attendees of various ages filled the square, with some families bringing spring tulips and daffodils. They assembled in the wide courtyard surrounded by Soviet-style residential buildings, where a monument sits alongside displays honoring local citizens killed in the current conflict.
Liudmyla Liubyva, 71, attended the service with a companion. She previously came with her spouse, who was employed at the Chernobyl facility but later developed mobility issues connected to radiation exposure and became unable to walk, she explained.
Liubyva emphasized the importance of recognizing those who sacrificed their well-being following the disaster, though Russia’s invasion has rekindled concerns that the threat was never completely eliminated.
“When the drone struck the arch, it felt like the world could return to 1986,” she said, referencing a Russian drone attack in 2025 that damaged the New Safe Confinement structure, the enormous dome constructed to contain radiation from the destroyed reactor. “We all — young and old alike — must protect our land, because it is so vulnerable.”
Gentle music filled the air while poetry about the tragedy played through speakers. “Years pass, generations change, but the pain of Chernobyl does not fade,” a woman’s voice recited. As the words resonated throughout the plaza, individuals wearing white hazmat suits and masks, representing the liquidators, stood quietly holding candles.
Larysa Panova, 67, frequently remembers the day of the accident that compelled her to abandon her birthplace of Chernobyl and start over in Slavutych. Although the new community has become her home, she continues to think about the woodlands and natural beauty of the area she left behind.
Prior to Russia’s comprehensive invasion, she routinely returned to see family members who stayed or simply to spend time in her childhood region. However, the war has made the exclusion zone largely inaccessible.
“I never stop thinking of Chernobyl as my homeland,” she said. “You remember your school, your childhood, your youth — everything happened there, in Chernobyl.”
BELGRADE, Serbia — What began as a small musical gathering in a Serbian town has blossomed into a nationwide movement bringing together thousands of amateur singers. The Pop Hor initiative operates on a simple principle: every person has the ability to sing.
Community singing groups remain uncommon throughout Serbia, making this relaxed and welcoming approach particularly appealing. The movement has drawn hundreds of participants, with women of various ages making up the majority of members.
Drawing inspiration from international programs, the organization welcomes participants ranging from young children to elderly adults, promoting singing as a source of happiness and tension relief.
Pop Hor launched in the central Serbian community of Gornji Milanovac four years ago and has since expanded to ten municipalities nationwide, with plans for continued growth. The program requires no tryouts, vocal assessments, or musical literacy from participants.
“Participants arrive as complete beginners, with many claiming they lack any singing knowledge,” explained Nenad Azanjac, a trained music educator who established Pop Hor alongside his spouse.
Nevenka Bila, age 72, described how the choir offers welcome relief from the ongoing political unrest and democratic demonstrations affecting the region.
“In this madness that we are living, where I spend half of my free time in the streets fighting for basic human rights, I found something that feels so good for me,” Bila said. “I discovered a new world.”
The ensemble regularly fills performance spaces throughout Serbia, performing contemporary songs primarily in Serbian, along with selections from Croatian and Bosnian artists. Despite their amateur status, the choir frequently appears at festivals and cultural events both domestically and internationally.
“I never miss a class,” stated Radmila Kozarac, a 62-year-old economist. She credits the choir with transforming her life positively, noting the meaningful friendships formed and anticipation for post-rehearsal socializing over coffee.
The choir has had “a very positive effect on me, psychologically,” she said. “It is joyful, it reduces stress.”
Musical participation offers documented neurobiological and psychological benefits, according to psychologist and Singidunum University professor Aleksandra Djuric. Group singing allows people to “release the energy together, cortisol (levels) come down and positive hormones rise out of union and happiness.”
“I keep telling my students that we can’t be exposed on a daily basis to information, to be bombarded by information and follow everything all the time,” Djuric said. “We need to find a space to calm down, relax and connect.”
Serbia experienced devastating conflicts, international isolation, and financial hardship throughout the 1990s. Political divisions and economic challenges persist today. Student-led demonstrations against populist President Aleksandar Vucic emerged in 2024 following a railway station disaster attributed to widespread corruption and negligence in government infrastructure projects.
Azanjac noted that numerous participants joined after mental health professionals suggested singing for stress management. Members “find a sense of belonging here, they enjoy it,” he explained, describing a “feeling of togetherness.”
“Singing comes second, socializing comes first,” Azanjac said.
Approximately 2,000 individuals have participated in Pop Hor since its 2022 inception in Gornji Milanovac. Azanjac envisions continued expansion beyond current boundaries.
The goal is “to have the whole region sing,” he said.
President Donald Trump has canceled plans to send his senior diplomats Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran, announcing on Fox News that “they can call us any time they want.”
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared his nation will not enter negotiations while facing a U.S. blockade of its ports. During a Saturday evening phone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezeshkian stated the United States “should first remove operational obstacles, including the blockade” before new talks can begin, Iranian news outlets ISNA and Tasnim reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Pakistan on Saturday night, according to two Pakistani officials who spoke with The Associated Press. Iran’s official IRNA news agency indicated Araghchi plans to return to Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad on Sunday.
In related developments, Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire with Hezbollah for an additional three weeks following White House discussions. This marks the second major diplomatic session between the nations this month, with the original 10-day truce set to end Monday.
The Trump administration announced Friday it will impose economic penalties on a significant Chinese oil refinery and approximately 40 shipping firms and vessels that transport Iranian petroleum. This action represents part of the administration’s strategy to implement secondary sanctions against businesses working with Iran to eliminate the country’s oil exports, a crucial revenue source.
Global airlines have started canceling flights as Middle Eastern conflicts disrupt jet fuel availability and drive up costs. Aviation experts are providing guidance to passengers on handling flight cancellations.
In Iran on Sunday, authorities executed a man convicted of terrorist activities in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province, state media confirmed.
Amer Ramesh was executed after Iran’s Supreme Court confirmed a death sentence from a lower court, the judiciary news source Mizanonline reported.
The report did not specify the execution location or details about his arrest. Mizanonline stated Ramesh underwent training in another regional nation and belonged to the militant organization Jaish al-Adl, which seeks expanded rights for the Baloch ethnic community.
Iran has carried out similar executions for comparable charges and has executed more than a dozen individuals accused of terrorist activities in recent weeks.
During his Saturday night call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Pezeshkian reiterated his country’s position on negotiations while under U.S. port restrictions. The Pakistani leader characterized their conversation as a “warm and constructive discussion.”
Foreign Minister Araghchi completed a one-day visit to Islamabad on Saturday after meetings with Pakistani military and government leaders. The visit failed to achieve progress in efforts to restart negotiations following Trump’s decision to cancel his envoys’ planned Islamabad trip.
According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Araghchi will return to Pakistan following his current visit to Oman and before traveling to Russia. The report indicated he was scheduled to arrive back in Islamabad on Sunday to rejoin other delegation members who had returned to Tehran for consultations and “instructions on the topics related to the end of the war.”
WASHINGTON – Strange banging sounds around 8:35 p.m. Saturday evening were the first warning signs that danger was approaching the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton.
Conversations among the 2,600 formally dressed journalists and guests suddenly stopped. Moments later, ballroom doors burst open as the attendees were beginning their salad course and sipping wine. President Donald Trump sat at the head table alongside first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other high-ranking officials.
Formally dressed servers rushed through the center walkway. Security personnel quickly escorted Vance and others from the platform. Undercover officers jumped up from their seats, forcing cabinet members to the ground and rolling them under nearby tables for protection.
Some officers pulled out their weapons while others appeared in full combat equipment, pointing rifles at the shocked crowd as most attendees dropped to the floor and sought cover under tables and chairs.
Initially, Trump and the first lady remained relatively still as pandemonium unfolded throughout the venue.
“I thought it was a tray going down,” Trump said during a White House news briefing several hours afterward.
However, this was far from a catering accident. Officials later revealed that an armed individual carrying multiple weapons had broken through a security barrier on the floor directly above the ballroom, at the identical hotel where John Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan following an event in 1981.
Law enforcement identified the Saturday evening shooter as Cole Allen, a teacher from California who had been staying at the hotel. Allen reportedly discharged shotgun rounds that wounded a Secret Service agent before officers subdued him.
Inside the ballroom, Secret Service personnel quickly surrounded Trump. The president ducked down as agents helped him from his seat, occasionally looking toward the room’s center where other agents climbed over furniture to reach remaining officials.
Military-dressed personnel flooded the stage area. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was rapidly escorted to safety. Agents pushed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin into an adjacent room and guided House Speaker Mike Johnson away while pulling on his formal jacket.
Some dinner guests started shouting, “USA! USA! USA!”
Following several tense minutes on the floor, approximately 2,600 journalists slowly stood up and immediately began working. Cell phones emerged from pockets. Cameras activated. Everyone attempted to understand the situation. Speculation spread rapidly. Reporters had difficulty accessing wireless internet. Many discovered that evening’s network password was “MOREWINE.”
Behind the scenes, Trump wanted to continue with the program, informing White House Correspondents’ Association leadership that he still planned to speak. The Secret Service persuaded Trump to return to the White House instead. The dinner was canceled, with the president promising to reschedule within 30 days.
Security locked the ballroom doors, causing the temperature to rise. Almost one hour following the shooting incident, Education Secretary Linda McMahon departed the hotel with her protection team.
Men loosened their formal neckties while women removed their dress shoes. Weijia Jiang, CBS News White House correspondent and White House Correspondents’ Association president, shortly requested that guests leave the Hilton.
Hotel bar patrons gathered near the exits as people departed, recording the scene with their mobile devices.
The Boston Red Sox delivered a crushing blow to the Baltimore Orioles with a 17-1 victory on Saturday afternoon, breaking their four-game losing streak in spectacular fashion behind six scoreless innings from pitcher Garrett Crochet and a late grand slam by Andruw Monasterio.
In a shocking turn of events later that evening, Boston dismissed manager Alex Cora along with five other staff members. The organization has promoted Chad Tracy, who has led the Triple-A Worcester club since 2022, to serve as interim manager.
The Red Sox unleashed a devastating 10-run assault in the ninth inning, highlighted by home runs from Caleb Durbin, Willson Contreras, and Monasterio. Contreras drove in five runs during the contest, while Connor Wong contributed a three-run double in the fifth frame. Both Monasterio and Ceddanne Rafaela collected three hits each in the offensive explosion.
Baltimore, coming off a 20-hit performance Friday evening, managed just one hit through five innings Saturday. Taylor Ward accounted for two of the Orioles’ six total hits in the lopsided defeat.
In other major league action, the Los Angeles Dodgers halted Chicago’s 10-game winning streak with a 12-4 victory, powered by Max Muncy’s two-run homer and Andy Pages’ three RBIs. A six-run fourth inning proved decisive for the Dodgers.
The Philadelphia Phillies ended their 10-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, defeating Atlanta 8-5 in 10 innings on Bryce Harper’s bases-loaded single that drove home two runs. Harper finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Zack Wheeler made his first appearance since August 15 after recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.
Washington topped Chicago White Sox 6-3 in 10 innings, with Nasim Nunez delivering a pair of two-run singles, including the game-winner in the extra frame. Nunez drove in four of the Nationals’ five runs, nearly doubling his season total.
The New York Yankees continued their road dominance, beating Houston 6-3 behind Austin Wells’ leadoff homer in a three-run seventh inning. The victory improved New York to 5-0 on their current nine-game road trip and extended their overall winning streak to eight games.
Toronto split their series with Cleveland, winning 5-3 as Kevin Gausman pitched effectively for 6⅔ innings and Kazuma Okamoto homered. Andres Gimenez sparked a three-run sixth with a two-run double for the Blue Jays.
Seattle rallied past St. Louis 11-9 on Leo Rivas’ tie-breaking two-run single in the ninth inning. The Mariners overcame a poor start from Bryan Woo, who surrendered seven runs in three innings, with home runs from Julio Rodriguez, Will Wilson, and Cole Young.
San Francisco evened their series with Miami at one game each, winning 6-2 behind Casey Schmitt’s two-run homer and solo shots from Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos. The Giants snapped Miami’s six-game winning streak in San Francisco.
Tampa Bay defeated Minnesota 6-1 as Jake Fraley homered and Ben Williamson went 3-for-4 with a triple, double, and two RBIs. The victory extended the Rays’ winning streak to three games while the Twins suffered their fourth consecutive loss.
Texas rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Oakland 4-3, with Josh Jung’s go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning proving decisive. The Rangers evened the series and set up a rubber match for Sunday.
In Mexico City, San Diego overcame an early 4-0 deficit to defeat Arizona 6-4, with Ty France hitting two solo homers. Mason Miller recorded his major league-leading 10th save while extending his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 34⅔ innings.
Kansas City routed Los Angeles Angels 12-1 behind Salvador Perez’s three hits, including a homer, and Cole Ragans’ six strong innings with 11 strikeouts. Nick Loftin drove in four runs for the Royals.
Pittsburgh defeated Milwaukee 6-3 in 10 innings on Bryan Reynolds’ go-ahead single that triggered a three-run extra frame. The victory handed the Brewers their fourth straight loss.
Cincinnati completed a series victory over Detroit with a 9-2 win, as Sal Stewart homered and drove in five runs. The Reds have won nine of their last 11 games behind strong pitching from Brady Singer.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her exceptional 2026 campaign Saturday, defeating Romania’s 29th-ranked Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, to reach the Madrid Open’s fourth round. The victory pushes the Belarussian’s season record to an outstanding 25-1.
The top seed has made a smooth transition from hard courts to clay following her spectacular early-season performance. Sabalenka claimed the prestigious “Sunshine Double” in March by capturing consecutive championships at Indian Wells and Miami. Her only defeat this year came in the Australian Open final, where she lost to Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
While Cristian managed to create four opportunities to break serve and take a 4-2 lead in the second set, Sabalenka successfully defended all of them before breaking back at 4-4 to seal the match. Next up for the world No. 1 will be Japan’s Naomi Osaka in what promises to be a compelling fourth-round clash.
Osaka earned her spot in the next round with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina. The Japanese star dominated on return, converting nearly half of her receiving opportunities and breaking serve six times throughout the match.
These two accomplished players have faced each other just twice previously, with each claiming one victory. Their most recent meeting saw Sabalenka win 6-2, 6-4 in the same round at Indian Wells.
The day’s most significant surprise came when 31st-seeded Ann Li upset fourth-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland, though the circumstances left both competitors unsatisfied. Li was leading 7-6 (4), 2-6, 3-0 when the Polish star was forced to withdraw due to illness.
“Defintely knew it was going to be a tough match, I’m super sorry for her that she’s had to pull out, it’s never easy to go like that,” Li commented. “I was just super proud of the way that I fought and I pushed through.”
Russia’s ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva also moved forward with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Hungary’s Dalma Galfi. Similar to Osaka’s performance, Andreeva dominated her opponent’s service games, winning 42 of 75 return points for a 56% success rate.
The Russian teenager has now compiled a 9-1 record on clay courts in 2026.
“Clay is such a special surface,” Andreeva noted. “You really have to adjust your game.”
Additional third-round results saw several notable outcomes: 30th-seeded Hayley Baptiste shocked eighth-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-3; Switzerland’s 11th-seeded Belinda Benic narrowly defeated Russia’s 18th-ranked Diana Shnaider 6-2, 7-6 (6); Hungary’s Anna Bondar eliminated Laura Samson of Czechia 7-6 (3), 6-1; and Canada’s 24th-seeded Leylah Fernandez rallied past 15th-ranked Iva Jovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a marathon two-hour, eight-minute battle.
Fernandez secured her fourth-round berth by breaking Jovic’s serve three times in the deciding set and will now meet Li in the next round.
Following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, professional football analysts have completed their comprehensive evaluation of how all 32 franchises performed during the selection process.
Teams that invested heavily to secure early draft positions generally maximized their opportunities, according to the assessment.
Football experts examined each organization’s draft strategy and assigned letter grades based on their immediate analysis of every team’s rookie class.
However, analysts caution that these early evaluations are based on projections of developing talent and evolving team systems, with the learning curve often being significant. Typically, it requires a minimum of two complete seasons to understand the reasoning behind these draft choices, and not every prospect will reach their potential.
Arizona Cardinals
Grade: B-
Selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick raises concerns given teams’ historical success finding quality backs in later rounds. Arizona’s primary need was quarterback, but no signal-caller warranted the third selection after Fernando Mendoza was unavailable. Their secondary need was pass rusher, with Texas Tech’s David Bailey being the only elite edge player available – he was taken one spot before Love. While Love’s big-play ability is undeniable, the wisdom of this selection is questionable given opportunities to trade down and address multiple roster holes.
Atlanta Falcons
Grade: B+
Without a first-round selection due to their 2025 trade for pass rusher James Pearce Jr., Atlanta found excellent value with Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell at pick 48 and speedy Georgia receiver Zachariah Branch (4.36 40-yard dash) in round three.
Baltimore Ravens
Grade: A-
No pre-draft prediction was simpler than matching the offensive line-needy Ravens with Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane at 14th overall. Second-round selection Zion Young from Missouri was a player Dallas might have reached for earlier. He possesses all the necessary attributes to contribute immediately alongside Trey Hendrickson.
Buffalo Bills
Grade: B
Buffalo’s strategy of trading backward paid dividends. The most impressive values appear to be fifth-round selections safety Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina and Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant. However, their first two picks will likely provide the most immediate impact: 35th overall selection T.J. Parker, a Clemson edge rusher, and 62nd pick Davison Igbinosun, an Ohio State cornerback.
Carolina Panthers
Grade: B-
This grade could have approached the top tier if offensive tackle Monroe Freeling had returned to Georgia for his final season. He represents excellent value at 19th overall, while 49th pick Lee Hunter from Texas Tech could be the perfect nose tackle prospect due to his massive frame and surprising mobility. Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II, selected 83rd overall, offers the most appealing combination of size, skill, and speed among available receivers.
Chicago Bears
Grade: B-
Chicago deserves credit for being positioned to select Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman 25th overall. He can significantly improve their inconsistent secondary. Iowa center Logan Jones at 57th helps restructure the offensive line behind Garrett Bradbury, though if he’s not a starter, addressing pass rush might have been wiser.
Cincinnati Bengals
Grade: B+
The decision to trade their 10th pick to New York for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence would feel better if not for his declining production last season with the Giants. If he arrives motivated and 41st overall pick Cashius Howell develops – he brings tremendous energy but lacks ideal size – this strategy improves significantly.
Cleveland Browns
Grade: A-
According to Field Level Media’s analysis of prospects Andrew Berry contacted to welcome to Cleveland, the Browns executed another outstanding draft. First-round selections of Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano and Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion launched an exceptional weekend. 39th pick Denzel Boston from Washington is a borderline number one receiver most expected to go in the top 30, while Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren went 58th, approximately 40 spots below projections based on his talent and versatility.
Dallas Cowboys
Grade: A
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs ranked among the six undisputed elite prospects, making Dallas wise to sacrifice mid-round selections for the versatile playmaker. UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence possesses impressive traits, though he’s not immediately ready to rush the passer. He should win consistently. Acquiring linebacker Dee Winters from San Francisco for a fifth-round pick and selecting Michigan edge Jaishawn Barham gives Dallas the foundation for a formidable defense.
Denver Broncos
Grade: C+
Acquiring proven commodity Jaylen Waddle surpasses what Denver could have accomplished with the 30th overall pick traded to Miami.
Detroit Lions
Grade: B
Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller provides an immediate replacement for Taylor Decker, while Michigan edge Derrick Moore represented typical Detroit value in round two.
Green Bay Packers
Grade: B
This year’s first-round selection and their 2027 first-rounder went to Dallas in the Micah Parsons trade. Parsons showed Defensive Player of the Year potential before suffering a season-ending Denver injury. As he recovers, Green Bay should contend seriously. South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse at 52nd overall deserved first-round consideration.
Houston Texans
Grade: C
The first-round selection of Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge raises questions. Not because Rutledge lacks talent, but because no teams were competing for him or any interior lineman at that draft position, making the trade-up an overpayment. GM Nick Caserio redeemed himself in round two with Ohio State nose tackle Kayden McDonald.
Indianapolis Colts
Grade: C
Sauce Gardner himself acknowledged being Indianapolis’s first-round pick for 2026. Acquired at last season’s trade deadline, Gardner’s campaign collapsed due to calf injury. Will he return to his 2022 and 2023 All-Pro form in 2026?
Jacksonville Jaguars
Grade: C-
Jacksonville’s draft lacked excitement, particularly after trading up for Travis Hunter second overall in 2025. Weighing the cost of their 2026 first-rounder against Hunter’s franchise contribution thus far, this appears disappointing.
Kansas City Chiefs
Grade: A
Questioning Andy Reid proves unwise. The trade-up for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at sixth overall was brilliant, while 29th pick Peter Woods from Clemson possesses top-15 talent. Edge rusher R Mason Thomas could significantly impact this defense.
Las Vegas Raiders
Grade: A
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the obvious first overall selection, but lesser-known picks could drive the franchise turnaround. Multi-position lineman Trey Zuhn III and cornerback Jermod McCoy – a first-round talent who missed last season with a January 2025 ACL injury – at 101st overall represent foundation-building selections if they succeed.
Los Angeles Chargers
Grade: B-
Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor can revitalize the pass rush with Odafe Oweh departed and Khalil Mack nearing retirement. Their strongest work came later, particularly four selections invested in offensive line improvement.
Los Angeles Rams
Grade: D+
The Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson when three consensus first-round talents remained available. Simpson’s evaluation suggested 44th overall value, drawing reactions similar to Sean McVay’s visible disappointment. However, viewing this as a bonus pick while considering trade acquisition Trent McDuffie as their first-round success makes GM Les Snead’s reach more understandable.
Miami Dolphins
Grade: C
This draft emphasized quantity for Miami, exiting round one with two potential starters who could equally be first-year projects: 12th pick Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor and 27th overall San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson. Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez shows second-round gem potential. Red Raiders receiver Caleb Douglas at 75th overall surprised everyone, as nobody projected him near the top 100.
Minnesota Vikings
Grade: C-
Using the 18th pick on massive Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks seems questionable when Minnesota could have traded back or found similar talent later. Second-round Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday and fourth-round Miami pick Jakobe Thomas represent solid selections.
New England Patriots
Grade: C+
Utah tackle Caleb Lomu at 28th overall offers flexibility with guard experience. GM Eliot Wolf traded up for Lomu, then acquired Illinois player Gabe Jacas in round two.
New Orleans Saints
Grade: B
Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson at eighth overall feels risky considering durability concerns that mirror current Saints number one Chris Olave. Georgia tight end Oscar Delp appears to be a third-round steal.
New York Giants
Grade: A-
Most expected Ohio State’s Arvell Reese to be gone before fifth overall, where New York secured him, five picks before powerful Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa. Based purely on potential and fit, the Giants excelled in round one. However, they never addressed replacing defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, traded to Cincinnati for the 10th pick.
New York Jets
Grade: A
GM Darren Mougey acquired three potential Pro Bowl players in round one, a haul the franchise can celebrate knowing more premium picks arrive next season. Texas Tech’s David Bailey was the draft’s best pure pass rusher, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq was the only elite player at his position, and 30th pick Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana matched or exceeded several receivers selected earlier. Cooper’s teammate D’Angelo Ponds offers speed and ball skills, representing excellent 50th overall value.
Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: B
While respecting Howie Roseman’s roster construction, trading up for slot receiver Makai Lemon in round one was puzzling with multiple talented receivers still available late in the first round.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: C-
Landing Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor, one of the draft’s best finishers, deserves praise. The Drew Allar quarterback selection shows tools and potential, but the upside remains unclear unless Pittsburgh plans to develop him for two years.
San Francisco 49ers
Grade: B-
After multiple trades back, San Francisco selected Ole Miss receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the first second-round pick. He’s a big-bodied target to complement free agent Mike Evans and 2025 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall.
Seattle Seahawks
Grade: B
GM John Schneider discussed trading out of round one before surprising everyone by selecting Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the final first-round pick. Price can immediately replace Kenneth Walker III if needed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: A
Selecting falling Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at 15th overall sparked Warren Sapp comparisons and began a series of successful picks. Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter (46th) and Bain’s Miami teammate cornerback Keionte Scott (116th) enter the NFL with starter-plus ability.
Tennessee Titans
Grade: A-
Quarterback Cam Ward, the 2025 first overall pick, suddenly has an impressive arsenal. First-round Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate (fourth overall) and 31st pick Auburn edge Keldric Faulk address key positions while setting the tempo.
Washington Commanders
Grade: B
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (seventh overall) was considered top-five talent after his NFL Combine performance. Every great Dan Quinn defense features a linebacker with coach-on-the-field qualities. Clemson slot receiver Antonio Williams (71st overall) exceeds expectations.
A large group wedding ceremony took place Friday in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area, where multiple Palestinian couples exchanged vows in a collective celebration.
The brides wore customary Palestinian patterned dresses while their grooms donned formal suits accessorized with traditional keffiyeh scarves draped around their shoulders. The newly married couples strolled together through the festivities as drummers provided musical accompaniment and attendees displayed Palestinian flags throughout the ceremony.
The communal wedding event showcased cultural traditions and brought together numerous families for the joyous occasion in the central Gaza region.
WASHINGTON — The California resident taken into custody following Saturday’s shooting incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner has been identified through social media profiles as an educated tutor and computer programming enthusiast.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, appears to match the individual shown in custody photos shared by President Donald Trump on Saturday evening. Online profiles reveal Allen recently completed a master’s degree in computer science at California State University-Dominguez Hills, with a graduation photo from May 2025 showing him in academic regalia posted to LinkedIn.
Educational records show Allen previously obtained his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2017. During his time at Caltech, he participated in a Christian fellowship group and joined a campus organization that engaged in recreational Nerf gun activities.
A Los Angeles ABC affiliate featured Allen in a news segment during his final year of college, highlighting his work on assistive technology for seniors. The story showcased his development of an innovative emergency braking system designed for wheelchair users.
Federal election records indicate Allen made a $25 contribution to a Democratic political action committee supporting Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.
According to his professional profile online, Allen spent the past six years employed with C2 Education, an organization providing college admissions guidance and standardized test preparation. The company recognized Allen as their educator of the month in a 2024 Facebook announcement. C2 Education has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Allen’s online presence also indicates involvement in video game development, including creating a chemistry-based game for the Steam gaming platform. Recent posts suggest he was developing a space-themed combat game featuring aerial combat mechanics.
Emergency crews in northern Japan are working around the clock as massive mountain fires enter their fifth consecutive day, prompting authorities to mobilize 1,400 firefighters and 100 military personnel to contain the spreading blazes.
The wildfires have consumed approximately 3,393 acres as of Sunday morning, marking a 7% increase from the previous day’s measurements.
The flames pose a serious risk to residential neighborhoods in Otsuchi, a scenic Pacific Coast community that suffered tremendous losses during the catastrophic March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which claimed nearly ten percent of the town’s population.
Local officials have issued mandatory evacuation notices affecting 1,541 households, displacing approximately 3,233 people — roughly one-third of Otsuchi’s entire population.
“Although the Self-Defence Forces are fighting the fires from the sky (with helicopters), the dry weather and winds are helping the fires expand,” Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano told a press conference.
The emergency has sparked deep concerns among local residents who fear the potential devastation. “A fire burns everything down. With a tsunami, you might have something left after the destruction,” said 74-year-old Yoshinori Komatsu while observing military helicopters conducting water drops on the distant flames.
According to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, only one minor injury has been reported so far — a person who fell while at an evacuation facility.
Weather forecasters with the Japan Meteorological Agency predict continued dry conditions through Monday, with the possibility of light precipitation arriving Tuesday.
Investigators are still working to determine what sparked the fires.
Law enforcement officials have released details about the man arrested for Saturday’s shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, identifying him as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California resident with backgrounds in education and technology.
Allen lives in Torrance, California, a South Bay community near Los Angeles along Santa Monica Bay. According to investigators, he was registered as a guest at the Washington Hilton, the venue hosting the annual media event, though authorities have not yet established what motivated the attack.
Social media profiles reveal Allen recently earned recognition from his employer, receiving “Teacher of the Month” honors in December 2024 from C2 Education’s Torrance location. The company provides test preparation and tutoring services for students preparing for college.
His LinkedIn account describes Allen as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.” Educational records show he completed his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology in 2017, followed by a master’s degree in computer science from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 2025. Caltech confirmed that someone with that name received a degree from their institution in 2017.
Allen’s work history includes several years of part-time teaching with C2 Education while simultaneously developing games as a freelance contractor. Previously, he spent time as a mechanical engineer with IJK Controls in South Pasadena and served as a teaching assistant during his time at Caltech.
His online profile highlights a 2016 newspaper article covering a robotics competition victory by his Caltech team. Under personal interests, Allen listed only “Science and Technology” as causes he supports.
Secret Service officials report that Allen carried a shotgun when he fired at an agent outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place. The event drew high-profile attendees including President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and multiple cabinet members before Allen was apprehended.
An armed individual disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening, forcing the evacuation of President Donald Trump and his administration officials before law enforcement apprehended the suspect.
The incident began at approximately 8:35 p.m. Eastern Time when dinner attendees heard gunshots and immediately sought shelter, according to video evidence from the scene. Secret Service personnel quickly moved to protect the president and his cabinet members, escorting them from the ballroom.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll later briefed reporters that a single assailant had attempted to breach a Secret Service security checkpoint in the hotel’s lobby area. The individual was carrying a shotgun, handgun, and several knives when he attempted to rush past the checkpoint, Carroll explained.
Secret Service agents intercepted the armed individual as he tried to advance through the security barrier. During the confrontation, law enforcement personnel engaged in gunfire with the suspect, though he was not hit by any bullets.
“We do know that law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the individual. … The suspect in this case, he was not struck by gunfire,” Carroll stated. “Law enforcement … they actually tackled him into the ground and handcuffed him.”
One Secret Service agent sustained injuries during the incident and was taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment. The suspect was also transported to a hospital for evaluation, according to the mayor.
At 9:17 p.m. Eastern Time, Trump issued his initial statement regarding the incident through his Truth Social platform, praising law enforcement for acting “quickly and bravely.” He confirmed that “the shooter has been apprehended” and initially suggested the dinner should proceed as planned.
However, approximately twenty minutes later, Trump posted another update indicating that law enforcement had requested all attendees leave the venue, and he was following their directive. He announced the event would be rescheduled “within 30 days.”
Trump held a press conference at the White House around 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, joined by the FBI director and acting U.S. attorney general. Officials indicated preliminary findings suggested the perpetrator acted alone.
At 11:13 p.m. Eastern Time, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the suspect would face charges for using a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officials revealed Saturday that the individual arrested following gunfire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner gained access to the venue because he was registered as a hotel guest, allowing him to bypass initial security checkpoints.
The annual gathering features extensive protection measures whenever the president participates, particularly given the location’s troubling past — nearly five decades ago, the same Washington Hilton hosted an assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan. Authorities maintain their “multi-layered protection” functioned properly, though the episode will likely intensify scrutiny of presidential security protocols amid rising political violence nationwide.
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police interim chief Jeffery Carroll explained to media Saturday night that investigators determined the individual had been lodging at the facility, which apparently enabled his entry during the event.
Hotel access became restricted starting at 2 p.m. Saturday ahead of the 8 p.m. dinner. Rain-soaked demonstrators assembled outside, primarily targeting their criticism toward media representatives attending the function.
Entry to the facility required proof of hotel registration, dinner tickets, invitations to associated receptions held before or after the main event, or White House Correspondents’ Association credentials showing connection to the dinner.
The 2,300 attendees gathering in the hotel’s massive underground ballroom underwent multiple additional screenings before entering, including ticket verification by association volunteers and hotel personnel, plus magnetometer screening operated by Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration staff.
Officials have not disclosed when the suspect registered at the hotel. Security footage that Trump posted on social media following the incident depicts the shooter rushing past security personnel who appeared to be dismantling metal detection equipment. After the president took his seat in the ballroom, no additional guests could enter the secured zone, explaining why crews were removing the devices.
“It shows that our multi-layered protection works,” stated Secret Service director Sean Curran. Carroll supported these remarks, noting the evening’s security blueprint was created by the Secret Service and “that security plan did work this evening.”
Additional protective measures operated within the ballroom during the dinner.
Secret Service established another protective zone around the president, including spacing that separated him and head table guests from other participants. Concealed armored panels were positioned beneath Trump’s seating area. Secret Service personnel stood guard before the stage and in side areas, alongside heavily equipped counter-assault teams prepared for threat response. Security details for numerous other prominent guests were also positioned throughout the ballroom.
A hotel representative referred security-related inquiries to the Secret Service.
The venue carries significant presidential history, with ordinary citizens regularly reserving rooms or gathering in the lobby bar to observe attendees at an event drawing Washington’s power brokers plus celebrities including George Clooney and Kim Kardashian, with hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah.
Beyond its correspondents’ dinner fame, the hotel frequently accommodates major events in the nation’s capital, especially those featuring the president. The location witnessed Reagan’s shooting by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981.
Reagan was walking to his vehicle after delivering remarks when Hinckley fired a revolver, inflicting serious injuries. Hinckley thought the attack would gain attention from actress Jodie Foster.
Following that attack, the hotel implemented comprehensive security upgrades specifically for presidential visits, including a protected garage sized for the presidential limousine connecting to a private elevator and stairway leading to a dedicated suite reserved for presidential use.
The suite features a private restroom that the hotel customarily decorates with personalized towels for the president during their few annual visits.
Given the location’s extensive presidential connections, the Secret Service has traditionally used the annual gathering to train agents since the facility has undergone decades of agency analysis.
Since the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, numerous major hotels have strengthened security procedures, sometimes implementing regular room inspections or policies designed to identify unusual privacy requests. The timing of Saturday’s individual’s hotel registration remains unclear, as does whether such measures might have applied in this situation.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have collapsed after Iran’s foreign minister departed Pakistan and President Donald Trump canceled his envoys’ planned trip to Islamabad.
Trump suggested Iran must now make the next move in potential negotiations.
“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump posted on social media.
The planned discussions were intended to build upon groundbreaking direct meetings held earlier this month, where Vice President JD Vance represented the U.S. and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf spoke for Iran.
However, Iranian leadership has expressed doubt about America’s trustworthiness following the U.S. military’s decision to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports in response to Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Two Pakistani government sources, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly, confirmed to The Associated Press that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Pakistan’s capital Saturday evening.
Following his departure from Pakistan, Araghchi traveled to Oman, located across the Strait of Hormuz and known for its previous role in mediating peace negotiations. Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported he planned to return to Pakistan briefly on Sunday before continuing to Russia.
“Shared Iran’s position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” Araghchi wrote on social media regarding his Pakistan discussions about what he described as Iran’s non-negotiable demands.
Separately, another ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iranian-supported Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah faced disruption Saturday as both parties exchanged fire, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to direct his military to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”
Trump announced an open-ended extension of the Iran ceasefire last week. While this has reduced most combat operations, economic consequences continue mounting two months into the conflict as global transportation of oil, liquefied natural gas, fertilizer and other essential goods faces disruption from the near-complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Military posturing persists from both nations. Iran’s unified military leadership issued a warning Saturday stating that “if the U.S. continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry, and piracy” it will encounter a “strong response.”
Prior to Saturday’s events, Iran’s foreign ministry had already indicated that any discussions would occur indirectly, with Pakistani representatives serving as intermediaries.
Trump later informed reporters that Iran submitted a “much better” proposal within ten minutes of his decision to cancel the Pakistan trip for his representatives — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. While he declined to provide specifics, he emphasized that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a key requirement.
Additional disputed issues in potential negotiations encompass Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, concerns regarding Iran’s missile capabilities, and its backing of regional armed groups.
Tehran has pointed out that previous indirect negotiations with Washington last year and early this year regarding its nuclear program — historically the primary source of tensions — concluded with Iran facing attacks from both the U.S. and Israel, heightening its suspicions.
Brent crude oil prices, the global benchmark, have surged nearly 50% since the conflict began due to Iran’s stranglehold on the strait, which typically handles one-fifth of worldwide oil shipments during peaceful periods.
Iran launched attacks on three vessels last week, while the U.S. continues its blockade of Iranian ports. Trump has authorized military forces to “shoot and kill” small boats potentially deploying mines.
Also on Saturday, Iran restarted commercial aviation from Tehran’s international airport for the first time since the conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28. State television reported scheduled departures to Istanbul, Oman’s capital Muscat, and the Saudi Arabian city of Medina.
Since hostilities commenced, casualty figures show at least 3,375 deaths in Iran and at least 2,496 in Lebanon, where Israel-Hezbollah combat resumed two days after the Iran war started. Additional fatalities include 23 in Israel, more than a dozen in Gulf Arab nations, 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. military personnel in the region, and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a three-week extension of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. Hezbollah has remained absent from the Washington-facilitated diplomatic process.
Despite the agreement, Israel conducted strikes in southern Lebanon Saturday, killing at least six individuals it identified as Hezbollah fighters, while multiple rockets and drones were fired at Israel from Lebanese territory.
Delaware transportation officials report that a traffic accident has resulted in the closure of three right lanes on southbound Interstate 95 near the Route 1 flyover interchange.
The crash has created a significant bottleneck for commuters traveling south on the major highway corridor. DelDOT crews are currently responding to the incident and working to restore normal traffic flow.
Drivers are advised to exercise caution when approaching the area and allow extra travel time. Those heading southbound may want to consider using alternative routes until the lanes can be reopened.
No additional details about the nature of the collision or potential injuries have been released at this time. Traffic conditions are being monitored as cleanup efforts continue.
Minnesota secured a commanding 112-96 victory over Denver in Game 4 of their Western Conference playoff matchup Saturday night, moving within one win of advancing to the next round. However, the triumph came with significant concerns as the Timberwolves lost two key players to injuries during the contest.
Ayo Dosunmu delivered an outstanding performance coming off the bench, establishing a new personal best with 43 points while shooting an impressive 13-of-17 from the field. His exceptional play helped Minnesota take a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
The victory was overshadowed by injuries to two Minnesota starters. Four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards, the team’s leading scorer, exited during the second quarter with a left knee injury and was unable to return. Guard Donte DiVincenzo also suffered a concerning right leg injury on a non-contact play in the first half, with initial assessments suggesting a possible Achilles tendon rupture.
Supporting the depleted lineup, Naz Reid contributed 17 points from the bench for Minnesota. Julius Randle recorded 15 points and nine rebounds, while Rudy Gobert dominated the boards with a game-high 15 rebounds along with four points.
Denver was paced by Jamal Murray’s 30 points on 10-of-25 shooting. Nikola Jokic posted 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, though he struggled with his shot, connecting on just 8-of-22 field goal attempts and missing all three 3-point tries.
In other playoff action, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander established a new playoff career-high with 42 points, shooting 15-of-18 from the floor with eight assists to lead Oklahoma City past Phoenix 121-109. The reigning NBA MVP’s performance gave the Thunder a commanding 3-0 series advantage and extended their first-round winning streak to 11 games. Playing without injured Jalen Williams, who strained his hamstring in Game 2, Oklahoma City relied heavily on their star guard.
Dillon Brooks paced Phoenix with 33 points while Jalen Green added 26. Devin Booker managed 16 points but shot just 6-of-16 from the field.
Karl Anthony-Towns achieved his first playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds as New York defeated Atlanta 114-98, evening their Eastern Conference series at 2-2. Towns recorded the seventh postseason triple-double in franchise history and his fifth career triple-double overall. The performance ensures Game 5 will take place Tuesday in New York rather than serving as an elimination contest for the Knicks. OG Anunoby led New York’s scoring with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
CJ McCollum topped Atlanta with 17 points but managed only three after halftime. Nickell Alexander-Walker contributed 15 points with five 3-pointers, though the Hawks struggled from long range, making just 10-of-41 attempts for 24.4%.
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 25 points as Orlando held off a late Detroit surge for a 113-105 Game 3 victory in their first-round Eastern Conference series. Banchero added 12 rebounds and nine assists for the eighth-seeded Magic, who improved to 7-1 in their last eight home playoff contests. Bane connected on 7-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.
Cade Cunningham scored 12 of his 27 points in the final quarter for Detroit. Tobias Harris contributed 23 points, Ausar Thompson had 17 and Duncan Robinson chipped in 10.
Iranian officials carried out the death sentence of a convicted militant who authorities say was involved in deadly attacks against the nation’s security forces, according to reports from the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Sunday.
The executed individual was named as Amer Ramesh, who had been taken into custody during an anti-terrorism operation conducted in Iran’s southeastern territories. Officials charged him with armed insurrection, which included participation in explosive attacks and surprise assaults directed at military targets.
Ramesh was found guilty of belonging to Jaish al-Adl, a radical Sunni Muslim organization that operates within Iran’s most economically disadvantaged province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
With just 29 seconds remaining in overtime, Matt Boldy found the back of the net to propel the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night in St. Paul, evening their Western Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
The Wild received contributions from multiple players, with one unnamed player recording a goal and assist, while Marcus Foligno also found the scoresheet. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt was outstanding between the pipes, turning away 43 shots to keep Minnesota in the contest. The Wild had started the series strong with a commanding 6-1 victory in the opener before dropping back-to-back contests, including a heartbreaking double-overtime loss in Game 3 on home ice.
For Dallas, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen provided the offense, while Matt Duchene and Mikko Rantanen each contributed two helpers. Stars netminder Jake Oettinger was equally impressive, making 40 stops in the losing effort.
Special teams played a crucial role in the outcome, as Minnesota struggled on the man advantage, failing to convert on all four power-play opportunities. Meanwhile, Dallas capitalized on both of their chances with the extra attacker. The series now shifts back to Dallas for Game 5 on Tuesday evening.
In other NHL playoff action, the Carolina Hurricanes completed a sweep of the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 victory. Logan Stankoven’s power-play marker in the third period proved to be the difference-maker for Carolina, which never surrendered the lead in eliminating Ottawa from postseason contention. Sebastian Aho added two empty-net tallies, while Taylor Hall contributed a goal and assist. Seth Jarvis recorded two assists and Frederik Andersen made 25 saves for the victorious Hurricanes.
Ottawa received offensive production from Drake Batherson, who had a goal and assist, and Dylan Cozens, who also scored. Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in the losing effort.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup. Sidney Crosby led the way with a goal and assist for the visiting Penguins, who had been outscored 11-4 while falling behind 3-0 in the series.
Rickard Rakell also contributed a goal and assist for Pittsburgh. Penguins coach Dan Muse made the decision to start Arturs Silovs in goal instead of Stuart Skinner, and Silovs delivered with 28 saves in a stellar performance.
Philadelphia got goals from Denver Barkey and Travis Konecny, and will have another opportunity to close out the best-of-seven series when the teams meet for Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Monday. Dan Vladar, playing through a right arm injury, stopped 17 shots for the Flyers.
Travelers with disabilities face numerous obstacles when visiting cultural attractions, ranging from obvious challenges like broken elevators to less apparent issues such as overly lengthy excursions or excessively noisy environments.
With the baby boomer population growing older, the tourism sector is increasingly focusing on serving senior travelers who possess both the resources and time for international travel, yet may require extra support. However, genuine inclusive accessibility extends far beyond this demographic, encompassing visitors with physical limitations as well as individuals with autism or dementia.
Cultural venues and museums around the world have introduced specialized guides and accessible programming to better accommodate guests with various visible or hidden disabilities. Technological advances have made many of these initiatives possible.
These programs encompass sign-language interpretation for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, tactile experiences for those with visual impairments, and specially designed activities for people on the autism spectrum. Additionally, travel companies focused exclusively on serving disabled tourists have emerged.
According to Ashley Grady, an accessibility program specialist at the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Visitor Accessibility in Washington, providing accessible tours demonstrates that people with disabilities are valued in cultural environments.
These programs communicate that “we’ve thought of you,” Grady explained. “We want you to come to our museums. We want you to see yourselves reflected in our staff and our collections. And we want to make these programs as accessible as possible for you, your family, your loved ones, your friends.”
However, significant gaps persist. Ivor Ambrose, managing director of the European Network for Accessible Tourism nonprofit, noted an ongoing lack of understanding regarding the varying accessibility requirements that travelers have.
“This is actually a really big market and an opportunity, which is still not fulfilled by the operators in all these different areas of tourism,” he stated.
Multiple experts have shared recommendations for maximizing barrier-free travel opportunities for yourself or others.
Josh Grisdale, who founded Accessible Japan—a website featuring databases, resources and navigation guides for people with disabilities—has cerebral palsy and relies on a power wheelchair. When planning trips to unfamiliar destinations, he researches Reddit forums, views YouTube travel content regardless of whether the creators needed accommodations, and examines Google Street View to identify stairs or other wheelchair-incompatible features.
While Facebook can provide useful information, Grisdale noted that helpful tips are often hidden within private, unsearchable groups. He suggests working with hotel concierges when available and contacting venues directly to inquire about proper accessibility features. Most museums and cultural sites maintain online written guides detailing their accessible offerings.
Grisdale also developed tabifolk, an online platform that gathers crowdsourced accessible travel information from worldwide contributors. Since inadequate information can increase trip planning stress, he wanted to create a space where people could share their real-world experiences to help others.
“Even though I’m in a wheelchair and I’ve had a disability my whole life, there’s things that I don’t know about other disabilities,” he said.
Joanne Ndirangu, founder and director of Scout Group Agency accessible tourism company, emphasizes that thorough advance planning is essential for people with disabilities to fully experience Africa’s offerings, including safaris or Mount Kilimanjaro climbs.
Ndirangu advocates for expanding accessible tourism throughout Africa, particularly in Kenya. She encourages visitors to collaborate with local travel professionals or trained specialists who understand the region and available accessible options. These experts may have personally worked to convince hotels or restaurants to install ramps or train staff on assisting neurodivergent individuals.
“Let’s say you want to see giraffes somewhere,” Ndirangu explained. “I can now advise you, ‘That place is not viable if you’re on a wheelchair or on crutches because of the hills and the valleys.’ So I can give you an alternative — and you get to see the giraffes.”
Standard public tours frequently prove unsuitable for people with disabilities, whether due to exhibits positioned too high for wheelchair users to view or environments too loud for those with sensory sensitivities.
The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex, offers the sensory-friendly “Morning at the Museum” program, allowing neurodivergent participants and their families to visit Washington Smithsonian museums monthly before public opening. Visitors can participate in hands-on, multi-sensory activities or explore independently at their preferred pace.
“We can control the environment, we can reduce the crowds,” Grady said. “It’s a completely judgment-free environment and one that’s really meant to hopefully be that full bridge to inclusion, where they are able to come to a museum, have a great experience, and then maybe come back when we’re open to the public.”
In Berlin, Catholic aid organization Malteser Deutschland recognized that people with dementia were frequently overlooked as museum visitors. The organization created accessible tours specifically for this population at Berlin Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, Britzer Garden and Charlottenburg Palace, with plans for additional locations.
The Berlin Zoo tour accommodates only a small group and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Rather than covering the zoo’s extensive animal collection, the program concentrates on select habitats to prevent participant fatigue or overstimulation.
Ndirangu explained that her team receives training to immediately ask visitors whether they or family members need disability accommodations, enabling them to recommend optimal options. She noted it’s not always feasible to address unknown needs in advance. Most Kenyan hotels feature only one or two accessible rooms, which may already be occupied when guests requiring them arrive.
“Give us that opportunity to give you solutions,” she said. “We’ve had guests who don’t mention anything.”
The European Network for Accessible Tourism recommends that travel companies incorporate barrier-free service costs into their overall programming, distributing expenses among all participants rather than only those requiring accommodations. Many museums offer discounted admission for people with disabilities or complimentary or reduced-price companion tickets.
Smithsonian’s Grady said the institution modified its programs based on participant feedback and advisory group input. Recommendations have included adjusting app colors for low-vision users and collaborating with curators to ensure upcoming exhibitions remain fully accessible.
“They’re not asking for anything out of the ordinary,” she said. “They’re literally just trying to experience a visit just like anyone else.”
Your eyes need time to adapt to the complete darkness. Gradually, tiny points of light begin to emerge, followed by brighter celestial objects. Within moments, entire star formations become visible, and eventually, you can observe an entire galaxy with nothing but your natural vision.
Chile’s Atacama Desert offers visitors an seemingly endless view of the night sky. Known as Earth’s most arid region, this location also provides one of the clearest views into space available anywhere on the planet.
The desert’s exceptional combination of minimal rainfall, elevated terrain, and most importantly, distance from city lights has established it as an unmatched center for cutting-edge astronomy and the location of the planet’s largest ground-based telescope installations.
“The conditions in the Atacama Desert are unique in the world,” said Chiara Mazzucchelli, president of the Chilean Astronomical Society. “There are more than 300 clear nights per year, meaning no clouds and no rain.”
However, these pristine dark skies now face potential danger.
In the previous year, the desert became the center of a conflict between researchers and an energy company planning a renewable power facility mere kilometers from the Paranal Observatory. The European Southern Observatory manages this location, which will also house what’s planned to be the most advanced optical telescope ever constructed.
While the energy development was scrapped in January after widespread opposition from astronomers, physicists and Nobel Prize winners, the incident highlighted serious worries that current sky protection legislation is insufficient, obsolete and ambiguous. Multiple environmental rules have since undergone examination, including regulations from Chile’s science ministry covering designated astronomical protection areas.
“We are working to ensure the new criteria are strict enough to guarantee that there will be no impact on astronomical areas,” said Daniela González, director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2019 to protect the quality of Chile’s night skies.
The Associated Press conducted a three-day visit to the Paranal installations located within the region known as Photon Valley. Within this elevated corridor, multiple observatories function together utilizing some of the most advanced scientific equipment ever developed.
“Many of these large facilities are located in Chile, and ESO’s telescopes in particular are the most powerful astronomical facilities on the planet,” said Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, the intergovernmental organization’s representative in Chile.
Paranal represents just one of almost 30 astronomical locations throughout northern Chile, with most operated by international organizations. Each year, the Atacama Desert attracts thousands of astronomers and researchers from across the globe who come to study how the universe began.
“We are lucky to be here,” said Julia Bodensteiner, an assistant professor at University of Amsterdam, noting that the chances of being selected as a visiting astronomer at Paranal are just 20% to 30%.
Navigating the Atacama’s rough, irregular landscape presents significant challenges. At elevations above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), breathing becomes difficult, while extreme daytime heat transitions to bitter nighttime cold. However, for astronomical observation and research, these more than 105,000 square kilometers (40,500 square miles) of desert provide ideal conditions.
The remarkable environment of the Atacama has made possible some of the most ambitious space research projects ever planned, including the Extremely Large Telescope, ELT — a $1.5 billion project by ESO set for completion in 2030.
Featuring 798 mirrors and a light-collecting surface of nearly 1,000 square meters (a quarter of an acre), the ELT will deliver 20 times more power than current leading telescopes and provide 15 times greater clarity than NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
The information gathered at these observatories serves a crucial purpose not just for understanding life on Earth, but also for exploring possibilities of life beyond our world. Protecting these research locations remains vital.
Using the ELT, said ESO astronomer Lucas Bordone, “we should be able to see Earth-like planets in what we call the habitable zone, so basically the planets which are candidates towards life.”
Two decades ago, the Atacama Desert represented “an ocean of darkness,” recalled Eduardo Unda-Sanzana, director of the Astronomy Center at the University of Antofagasta. “It was just you and the universe.”
Through the years, the environment has undergone dramatic transformation.
Fueled by expanding cities, industrial growth, and the establishment of mining operations and wind energy installations, the desert has become highly sought-after land where finding balance proves challenging.
At Paranal, researchers live underground in specially designed quarters built to minimize their environmental footprint. Windows must stay blocked, corridors remain unlit, and any outdoor activity relies solely on flashlights. Even minimal artificial light can disrupt telescope operations.
Last year’s announcement of a planned green energy development created alarm throughout the global scientific community. Researchers urged officials to safeguard Chile’s dark skies from the proposed location, planned for construction just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Paranal.
The situation raised concerns about various negative effects, including additional light pollution, small vibrations and dust particles, plus increased air turbulence. Such conditions would render astronomical research impossible.
“If you place the ELT next to a city, it doesn’t matter that its diameter is 40 meters long. It’s just the same as having a tiny telescope,” Gregorio-Monsalvo said.
Even though the company withdrew the project in late January, researchers caution that without updated, stronger regulations, similar developments could emerge at any time.
“Despite all the media hype in 2025, we find ourselves exactly where we were last year,” said Unda-Sanzana, who is also part of a ministerial advisory commission that recently delivered recommendations to Chile’s government following the incident.
Historical examples abound. Chile’s first international solar observatory — a major solar research station run by the U.S. Smithsonian Institution in the early 1900s — was compelled to cease operations in 1955 because of environmental contamination from expanding mining operations nearby.
“We’ve had 70 years to learn from history and avoid repeating those same mistakes,” Unda-Sanzana said.
NEW YORK — Four international leaders endured intensive questioning sessions at United Nations headquarters this week as they compete for what officials described as one of the world’s most challenging job interviews.
The candidates seeking to replace Secretary-General António Guterres when his term ends January 1 include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall. None emerged as a clear frontrunner following their appearances before UN ambassadors.
Additional contenders may still enter the competition after these initial presentations conclude.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, who oversaw the questioning sessions, emphasized the position’s significance. “The secretary-general is not only the head of the U.N. and the world’s top diplomat — she or he also represents all 8 billion of us, defending the U.N. Charter and leading on peace, development, human rights,” Baerbock stated.
Each candidate committed to strengthening the UN’s core mission areas, particularly its post-World War II mandate to maintain international peace and security — a goal that has proven elusive amid ongoing conflicts in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere due to deep international divisions. All four also promised institutional reforms for the organization.
Bachelet, 74, who previously served twice as Chile’s president and led the UN human rights office, emphasized crisis prevention and leadership skills during her presentation. “I stand before you to reclaim the urgent need for dialogue,” she declared, arguing the UN must anticipate, prevent and unite. She also stressed that the next leader should maintain “physical presence in the field” when addressing global challenges.
Grossi, 65, currently heads the International Atomic Energy Agency after a career in Argentine diplomacy. He acknowledged widespread skepticism about the UN’s effectiveness in today’s polarized world. “There are enormous, huge doubts about our institution” in solving global problems, he noted. Without strong leadership and universal support, the organization cannot “regain a key place at the table,” he argued, also advocating for direct engagement in crisis zones.
Grynspan, 65, leads the UN trade and development agency and previously served as Costa Rica’s vice president. She highlighted her ability to maintain principles under pressure and promised to “continue to be the moral voice and the impartial voice that the secretary-general has to be.” She criticized the UN as having become “a risk-conservative organization,” declaring: “We need to take more risks — and I am ready to fail and try again.”
Sall, 64, completed 12 years as Senegal’s president and called for the UN to “regain its place at the global table.” He positioned himself as “a bridge-builder” whose primary goal would be “to contribute to restoring trust, to calm tensions, reduce fragmentation and breathe renewed hope into our collective action.”
Bachelet, a physician by training, addressed criticism from 28 Republican US lawmakers who labeled her a “pro-abortion zealot” and urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to oppose her candidacy. She acknowledged the controversy while defending women’s reproductive rights and pledged to advance existing UN member agreements, including gender equality initiatives.
Regional rotation traditionally influences secretary-general selection, with Latin America expected to provide the next leader. Sall, the sole non-Latin American candidate, argued the UN Charter permits any candidacy and noted that following a leader from the global north — Guterres is Portuguese — the position should shift to the global south. His candidacy sparked both supportive and opposing demonstrations outside UN headquarters, and he has faced corruption allegations, which he denies.
Daniel Forti from the International Crisis Group observed that the candidates “tried to walk a political tightrope.” He noted: “It is not immediately obvious whether any candidate did enough to propel themselves ahead of the others, or to ward off potential challengers who might emerge later.”
The 15-member UN Security Council will make the selection, with particular influence from the five permanent members holding veto power — the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France — who have remained silent about their preferences. The 193-member General Assembly must provide final approval.
Minh-Thu Pham, who advised former UN chief Kofi Annan and now leads the Starling Institute, identified widespread desire for a secretary-general willing to take risks and actively promote peace. The UN lacks influence in major crises “because it hasn’t had the courage to take risks,” she explained.
Susana Malcorra, Argentina’s former foreign minister and a 2016 secretary-general candidate, emphasized that the United Nations “more than ever” requires fresh leadership and energy. Her organization, GWL Voices, advocates for selecting a woman as the next UN chief.
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump remained safe and unharmed following a security scare that led to evacuations during the White House Correspondents’ Association’s yearly dinner event, according to reports.
High-ranking White House administration officials were quickly removed from the venue after authorities identified an undisclosed security concern during the gathering.
The incident prompted immediate security protocols, though specific details about the nature of the threat have not been released publicly.
