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Firefighters say they've never seen anything like Spain's record blaze

JOSEPH WILSON — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:04:29 +0000

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish firefighter Javier García has never faced anything like the record blaze raging near Madrid in his two decades protecting woodlands and rural communities.

“This doesn’t have a precedent,” García told The Associated Press by phone before another long day ahead.

The out-of-control fire has consumed 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) — an area five times the size of Barcelona — and forced 25,000 people to flee villages in the smoldering hills of Ávila west of Madrid, the capital.

The ferocity of Spain’s largest recorded wildfire is forcing firefighters to fundamentally change their tactics, prioritizing evacuations and property protection due to the danger posed by fast-moving walls of flames and blazes too powerful to attack directly.

“The evolution is alarming,” García said.

Before, his brigade would tackle fires in the wilderness. Now they are a last line of defense, focused on saving lives. No deaths from these fires have been reported, while 79,000 people have fled their homes from the Ávila fire, another fire nearby in the Madrid region and one in eastern Castellón.

“That gives us more work and more stress,” García said. “Now it is lives first, then homes, and after, the forest."

Climate change is fanning the flames

García works with one of Spain’s emergency wildfire brigades, which deploy to help regional firefighters when they need help. They spend 12-hour shifts hosing down burning trees and hacking away at underbrush before it becomes fuel for the flames.

His 40-man unit, based in Ávila, has been working for three days on the Ávila fire. Before that, they fought fires in Guadalajara and near Zaragoza in recent weeks. The Guadalajara fire consumed 320 square kilometers (123 square miles), making it Spain's third largest on record.

“Until last year, I had never experienced fighting one big fire after another,” the 43-year-old García said.

Large areas of Spain have always been fire-prone thanks to its hot summers and relatively dry climate. But experts and government officials say that climate change has increased the frequency of heat waves and periods of drought, extending periods of high risk for wildfires.

Once one ignites, it grows at a speed and voracity rarely seen before.

García said there used to be around 15 days of extreme fire risk each year. Now firefighters are on alert for 30 to 40 days.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain — six times the area scorched by blazes in the first half of 2025, Sara Aagesen, the ecology minister, has said.

Meanwhile, a monster fire in neighboring France has forced over 200,000 people to flee their homes.

Fires are too powerful to tackle head-on

Raúl Guerrero, 29, has worked as a firefighter in Castilla y León, the region including Ávila, for the past decade. He said this fire can't compare with any he has battled.

He told the AP that his 40-man unit has had to retreat to safer ground on several occasions when the danger of being trapped was imminent.

He said the fire at several moments was “beyond the capacity of extinction,” which, he said, means “the fire is so virulent and has such power that no matter what you do, you can’t put it out.”

Asked how that makes him feel, Guerrero said “above all, impotent.”

Vegetation can become ‘pure gunpowder’

While fires are often started by lighting or a spark made by agricultural machinery, a decisive factor that makes wildfires harder to combat is the disappearance of the farms, orchards and local forestry industries that used to create buffer areas around villages and towns.

Vegetation now grows right up to homes, Guerrero said. He called for property owners and local authorities to work all year in clearing brush away from homes and tending to forests.

If not, Guerrero said, that vegetation will remain “pure gunpowder” for future fires.

AP Top International News at 8:04 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:04:39 +0000

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UN chief makes rare Cyprus visit to help ease decades-old ethnic division

MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:03:50 +0000

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on a rare visit to Cyprus said Tuesday he was demonstrating his commitment to resolving the island nation's decades-old ethnic division, even as expectations remain low for a speedy breakthrough leading to a peace accord.

“I will do everything I can to support the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in this very important moment," Guterres said after talks with Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

The U.N. chief also met with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and was scheduled to hold joint meetings with both later Tuesday and Wednesday.

The first visit by a U.N. chief in 16 years came during renewed efforts to resume formal peace talks after a nearly decade-long hiatus. The last major push, which Guterres mediated in 2017, collapsed in recriminations over who and what was to blame for the impasse.

A Cyprus peace deal would help unlock the eastern Mediterranean's potential as a provider of natural gas for Europe and beyond while easing tensions in a turbulent region with competing interests over energy, territory and influence.

Numerous rounds of U.N.-mediated talks have shared the same fate since 1974, when the island was divided following a Turkish invasion prompted by an Athens-backed coup with the stated goal of union with Greece.

Turkish Cypriots declared independence in the island's northern third in 1983 but it's only recognized by Turkey, which maintains more than 35,000 troops there. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but only the internationally recognized south enjoys full benefits.

A few months before his U.N. term expires, Guterres wants to convene a wider meeting to involve top diplomats from Cyprus’ guarantors — Greece, Turkey and Britain — to declare a formal start to peace talks. It is hoped a declaration would offer momentum to the process so that Guterres' successor could see it through.

Guterres told Christodoulides he's fully aware a Cyprus deal would have “not only a very positive impact for Cyprus, but will be extremely useful in the context of a very difficult situation of the region.”

Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said the fact that Guterres has devoted his personal time to the visit “signals that there can be progress.”

But hurdles to a peace deal remain. A U.N.-endorsed outline of a deal in the form of a federated Cyprus made up of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot-administered zones has been in place for decades, but time has hardened each side's position and driven them farther apart.

Turkish Cypriots say the majority Greek Cypriots refuse to equally share power even under a federal deal.

Earlier this month, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz repeated Ankara's support for a two-state accord granting international recognition for the breakaway Turkish Cypriots. Yilmaz also issued a veiled warning against the Cypriot government against leveraging its EU membership and closer ties to Israel to extract concessions from Ankara.

Greek Cypriots have said they would never accept a two-state deal that would formally partition the island and permanently entrench a Turkish military presence they see as an existential threat.

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Rangers put themselves in good position as only AL West team with a winning record

STEPHEN HAWKINS — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:00:06 +0000

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have put themselves in a good position in the AL West just by having a winning record.

Texas (54-52) is the only team in the division not under .500 with about one-third of the regular season remaining, and now less than a week before next Monday's trade deadline. The Rangers have a two-game lead over in-state nemesis Houston (53-55) and are 2 1/2 games in front of reigning division champion Seattle (52-55) after taking three of four against the Mariners.

“Every win matters, but I think the ones right before the deadline, there’s always a little more stress ... especially in a situation where you could go either way,” said Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson, who homered twice in the series-ending 7-3 win over Seattle on Monday. “But I think we put ourselves in a good spot, and we’ve got to continue to play like that.”

The Mariners, who last year won their first AL West title since 2001, have lost 11 of 16 games. They led for only three innings during the four games in Texas, all after a four-run seventh inning Sunday on the way to a 6-4 win, the first time in 46 games this season the Rangers lost when leading after six.

“I think we looked at the series as if we split it, it was a failure, with where the AL West is and the AL wild card is,” Texas first baseman Jake Burger said. “I think we showed what type of team we can be.”

The Rangers won their only World Series title in 2023 after getting into the playoffs as a wild card, but last won the West in 2016. They missed the playoffs the past two seasons, when only the AL West champion made the postseason — which could very well happen again this year.

Houston (53-55) won seven of the previous eight AL West titles before last season. The Astros had been in third place for a month before a four-run rally in the ninth inning Monday night gave them their sixth win in seven games, 6-4 over the last-place Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a three-game series.

Head-to-head in the West

Texas has already clinched its season series — and potential tiebreaker — against the Mariners, up 7-3 with a three-game series left at Seattle in early September.

The Mariners still have five games to play against Houston, but have that season series in hand by a 7-1 margin.

As for the Lone Star State rivals, the Astros are 6-4 against the Rangers. They wrap up their season series with three games in Houston next weekend, after Texas plays three games at AL-best Tampa Bay.

“There are guys in there that are doing whatever they can to make that second-half push, because they know what it means when you get there,” first-year Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Whatever we do, we’re focused on winning to try to get in. ... It’s go-time.”

Staying on top despite injuries

The Rangers have stayed in first place even with two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager missing the past 20 games because of lower back inflammation. He also was out for 19 games earlier this season because of his back, and missed another 12 following a concussion.

Third baseman Josh Jung is sidelined by a left calf strain. Both of the team's opening-day catchers, Danny Jansen (right forearm strain) and Kyle Higashioka (right flexor strain), are also on the IL.

Seager had consecutive days of live batting practice and could begin a short minor league rehab assignment Tuesday. There are also questions about whether the Rangers might consider trading the 32-year-old shortstop, who is in the fifth season of his $325 million, 10-year contract.

Veteran left-hander Jordan Montgomery, part of the Rangers' World Series title after being a trade-deadline acquisition that summer, is close to making his season debut, maybe in the finale at Tampa Bay. He left in free agency after the 2023 season for a deal in Arizona, then missed all of 2025 after a second elbow reconstruction surgery. He re-signed with the Rangers at the start of spring training.

___

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

AP Top Sports News at 8:02 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:02:09 +0000

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Do you toss food once the date on the label has passed? Experts say that's often a waste

OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:03:10 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — If you’ve ever tossed out a carton of milk or a container of yogurt solely because the date on the packaging had passed, you’re not alone.

Many people throw away food simply because of the date printed on the label. But often it is still perfectly edible, according to experts.

With no federal regulations requiring standardized labels for dates on food except for baby formula, it’s no surprise that deciphering terms like “Best Before,” “Best By,” “Best If Used By,” “Enjoy By,” and “Sell By” can be mind-boggling.

What most people don’t realize is that those labels are more about how fresh something is — not how safe the food is to eat.

California is trying to bring some clarity with a new law that requires food manufacturers to use just two labels: one for quality and another for safety.

Here are a few tips to help you understand food date labels and keep perfectly good food out of the trash even if you don't live in California.

More than 50 different date labels are used in the US

In the United States, more than 80% of consumers discard food approaching the package date label at least occasionally, a 2019 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found.

“The date labels guarantee quality up until that point,” said Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University. “They are not about the safety of a product.”

Food date labels vary state by state and are determined by the food manufacturer. Researchers from the University of Maryland found that more than 50 different date labels are used across the United States.

“They’re based on when the manufacturer thinks that product will taste its best, when its quality will be at its peak,” said Rachel Zemser, a San Francisco Bay Area food scientist who helps food companies design, launch and market new food products.

Food packaging helps determine how long food is safe to eat

Unopened canned food like beans, tomatoes, fruit, vegetables, and any shelf-stable food package in liquid, will last for years after the date stamped on its label. The same goes for boxes of soy milk or boxes of almond milk, or any food that’s been heat-treated and sealed to stay safe without refrigeration.

Dry goods, like cookies, crackers and cereal, also have a long shelf life because the low moisture in them doesn’t allow bacteria to grow.

“People can use their best judgment by smelling and tasting the product because dry crackers and cookies, and things of that nature, may be stale but they are not going to make you sick if you eat them,” Zemser said.

But extra precautions should be taken with beef, chicken or fish. They can go bad even if it’s in your refrigerator, but wrapping them tight in plastic and freezing it before the “best by” date on its packaging could help it last longer.

“Most bacteria needs moisture and air to grow and thrive, so very dry products will last, but I wouldn’t risk it with meat,” Zemser said.

The FoodKeeper, a website and free app developed by the Department of Agriculture, Cornell University, and the Food Marketing Institute, provides guidance on how long foods stay fresh and safe to eat.

California is trying to clarify label confusion

California became the first state in the U.S. to standardize food labels by banning “sell by” dates.

The law that went into effect July 1 requires manufacturers selling food in California to use two standardized labels: a “Best If Used By” label for peak quality and a “Use By” label for product safety. “Sell by” dates are used by stores to ensure products are being displayed for a reasonable amount of time before quality declines, said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.

“Think of it like an internal referencing system for store managers and employees,” he said.

New York state lawmakers recently passed a similar measure for labels that is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

Most labels are about food quality, not safety

The only product legally required by the federal government to have an expiration date is infant formula. It should not be consumed past that date because its nutrients decline over time.

“Infant formula is the sole source of nutrition for the infant, and the concern is that the child could have a nutritional deficiency” if given expired formula, Schaffner said.

In general, people should use their own judgment and look for signs like mold, strange odors and unusual colors to decide whether or not to toss out food.

And follow your taste buds.

“Practice your own food stock rotation, buy appropriate amounts of food, don’t buy giant amounts that you won’t be able to eat,” Schaffner said. “Because who wants to eat poor quality food?”

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France evacuates 4,000 more people as heat threatens wildfire fight across southwestern Europe

THOMAS ADAMSON, MARK CARLSON and EMMA DA SILVA — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:59:53 +0000

Across France and Spain, roughly 330,000 people have been driven from homes and vacation sites by fires of exceptional scale. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still out of control, including the largest in its recorded history.

France may never have seen an evacuation on this scale in peacetime. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Saturday it was “very likely” the largest civilian evacuation operation ever carried out in the country outside of a period of war.

Firefighters held the Gironde blaze in check through a calm night, bringing flare-ups near coastal dunes under control and keeping the burned area unchanged at 420 square kilometers (162 square miles).

Authorities called the fire stabilized, not fixed — held for now, but still capable of breaking loose as temperatures rose and humidity fell.

Temperatures are forecast to rise again

The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, Gironde regional authorities said.

“We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.”

Even as homes burned nearby and authorities urged tourists to stay away, some holidaymakers told French media they were still weighing whether to press ahead rather than lose thousands of euros sunk into summer rentals and train tickets.

France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning from midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 C (91 to 95 F). Southeast winds were expected across the department, with westerly sea breezes along the coast.

More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

The Gironde blaze has raged since last week and proved wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding firestorm. Above it towered a gargantuan, electrified black thundercloud that generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original blaze — the first recorded in France.

In Le Porge alone, west of Bordeaux, the municipal government said about 150 homes were destroyed.

Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the fire's vast perimeter.

Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed cutting firebreaks early Tuesday. Authorities said 103 kilometers (64 miles) had been completed.

Ninety-three firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said.

The A63 highway remained partly closed, while rail traffic south of Bordeaux was suspended except on the route toward Toulouse.

Thousands return as second fire stops advancing

In Landes, about 15,000 evacuees — half of the total — were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing.

"The fire is fixed, which is good news in Landes," French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had been stopped and there were no new fire starts.

Those allowed back included residents of Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born, Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground. Several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible.

Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished. Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or possibly weeks.

Spain braces for worsening conditions

Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires in Spain.

Smoke from the fires reached Madrid itself, where residents in central and eastern districts could smell smoke and ash in recent days, emergency services said. Municipal monitors recorded increased particulate pollution in the capital.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” though officials warned that crews had only a brief window before extreme heat returned.

Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 C (104 F) in some areas.

Authorities have evacuated about 79,000 people and ordered another 30,000 to remain in their homes. The government declared a national emergency over the fires.

The greatest concern remained two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid.

A fire in hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain's largest on record, scorching more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said.

Another fire in the eastern province of Castellón also forced mass evacuations.

“Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

“We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

___

Adamson reported from Paris. Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

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France evacuates 4,000 more people as heat threatens wildfire fight across southwestern Europe

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World shares are mixed, while South Korea’s Kospi sinks nearly 11% on heavy selling of chipmakers

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China hits back at criticism over excess industrial capacity as more US tariffs loom

CHAN HO-HIM — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:53:32 +0000

HONG KONG (AP) — China pushed back Tuesday against claims of overcapacity in the world's second largest economy, ahead of the release of results of a U.S. probe on the matter that could result in new tariffs.

Massive capacity in a slew of Chinese industries, from automaking to solar panels, cement and steel manufacturing, among many others, has drawn increasing attention from Beijing's trading partners in recent years. Although China's own leaders have made rebalancing the economy a priority, slowing domestic demand has prompted companies to expand into markets overseas. Surging exports pushed China's trade surplus to a record of nearly $1.2 trillion last year.

China has never sought a large trade surplus, the Ministry of Commerce said in a report titled “China’s Position on the So-called Excess Capacity Issue.” It took aim at recent talk of a “China shock 2.0” due to excess capacity.

“The U.S. and other western countries have come up with the so-called ‘China shock 2.0,’ falsely accusing China’s industrial development of posing threats to western countries’ monopoly,” said the report, alluding to assertions of an earlier shock to trading partners from China's ascent as a manufacturing power.

“This is not supported by facts and totally untenable,” the report said.

Tuesday's document echoed remarks by China's No. 2 official, Premier Li Qiang, at the World Economic Forum's "Summer Davos" meeting in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian. Li said that instead of a "China Shock 2.0," recent trends should be viewed as a "China Opportunity 2.0."

The U.S. is expected to soon announce findings of an investigation of 16 economies, including China, relating to excess capacity and production in their manufacturing sectors. The probe is widely expected to result in increased tariffs on some countries.

On Friday, the U.S. imposed higher tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies, including China, saying they had failed to effectively enforce a ban on goods produced with forced labor. Many countries including China protested that move.

At a press conference Tuesday, Lin Weilong, director of the Commerce Ministry's policy research office, said the U.S. has no authority to unilaterally determine whether trading partners have excess capacity and impose restrictive measures.

“The U.S. cannot narrowly define production capacity that exceeds domestic demand as excess capacity, and slap it with a surplus label,” Lin told reporters in Beijing.

Earlier this month, the European Union, struggling to rebalance its trade with China, implemented trade measures including protections for its steel industry and restrictions on imports of e-commerce small parcels.

China’s stance on the overcapacity issue will likely “fall on deaf ears,” said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, an expert on China at Ankura, a consultancy.

“Economic conditions in Western markets have made it politically untenable to do nothing in the face of rising Chinese imports, especially in high value added sectors that Western firms used to dominate,” he said.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake shakes part of southern Japan but no tsunami detected

MARI YAMAGUCHI — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:54:17 +0000

The agency said the tsunami advisory covered the nearby Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures about 900 kilometers (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, but revised it later to 6.8.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, said her government has set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare for rescue operations if needed.

Takaichi later told reporters that there have been reports of a number of injuries and damages to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire, though details are still unclear. Takaichi warned people cooking to be careful with fire and with shards of broken glass.

Kyodo News agency said a hospital in Yatsushiro city accepted about 40 people with injuries from the quake. A train was derailed and fell on its side at the Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at the Kumamoto castle, Kyodo said.

Yozo Kai, a priest at a Shinto shrine in the nearby town of Mashiki, said a few stone lanterns fell down. “I worried if the main hall and the gate would tilt again,” he told Kyodo.

“The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago) and I was frightened,” said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at the Mifune town hall, who saw rooftiles of nearby homes crash down to the ground.

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage to major public facilities and infrastructure, though authorities were still assessing the extent of damage. Local fire departments received many emergency calls reporting fires and damage to homes.

“We are putting people’s lives as the top priority,” Takaichi said, urging residents in the strongly shaken areas to use caution in light of possible aftershocks.

Shinji Kiyomoto, JMA’s Earthquake and Tsunami Countermeasures planning officer, told a news conference that the shallow earthquake was triggering active seismic activity in the area, urging residents to especially be cautious over the next two to three days. He said, however, that no tsunami was observed from the inland quake.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants.

Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu have been suspended for safety checks, while the runway at the Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with “no prospect of resuming operations” according to a notice on the airport's website.

The Japanese Defense Ministry said it dispatched aircraft to the area to assess the situation.

Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that left more than 50 people dead, 1,800 injured and tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.

Jadin Aviles was a star athlete with a bright smile and maturity beyond his years. North Philly mourns his unfulfilled promise.

Alex Coffey — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:01:00 +0000

The first thing people noticed about Jadin Aviles was his smile. It was bright and big, and became part of his identity. Not just because of his youthful spirit, but the work that shaped each glistening tooth.

When Aviles was 9, his mother, Emelissa Gonzalez, saw that he was closing his mouth in photographs. Sometimes, he’d cover it with his arm. She asked why; Aviles explained that he was insecure.

Gonzalez turned to her son.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “Once we hit a certain age, we will get them done.”

A few years later, the mother surprised him with a trip to the orthodontist in Northeast Philadelphia. Not every child would react with enthusiasm, but this child did.

Aviles eagerly picked out the colors of his braces — red and blue — and was diligent in wearing his rubber bands. Tightening the wires was hardly a chore; the teenager saw this as a necessary (albeit painful) step to getting the grin he wanted.

By age 15, he finally had it. Aviles smiled constantly — so much so that his friends began to tease him. But he didn’t mind. Gonzalez had invested her hard-earned money. He had treated that investment with care. Wasn’t that something to be proud of?

Aviles brought the same industrious energy to basketball. He played in two youth leagues — La Liga Del Barrio and Timoteo Sports — as well as on his high school team, Maritime Academy Charter.

Athletic director Kevin Schultz would let the shooting guard and his teammates into school early, so they could shoot from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

“Class started at 8:02 [a.m.],” former Maritime teammate Andy Figueroa said. “So we was in the building before all the teachers.”

Aviles wasn’t competing in front of a packed Palestra, but he did become a “street legend” in North Philadelphia, according to those who knew him.

This was as much about his ferocity as it was his empathy. The teenager would rarely, if ever, jaw at referees. He’d often extend a helping hand to an opponent who’d fallen on the court.

“He would come to our church sometimes,” said Pastor Rob Whitmire, executive director of Timoteo, “and to see how he cared for people, it was something unique. Because, if I’m that guy, if I’m that player, that’s really not how they carry themselves. It’s not a caring spirit. And he just had a caring spirit."

His community is now trying to keep it alive. On May 12, Aviles was riding his moped in a bike lane on Aramingo Avenue. A pickup truck, turning left, ran him over. Aviles suffered extensive brain damage, and died that night.

He had just turned 20.

It is a devastating loss, one that friends and family have struggled to reckon with. To many, Aviles, with his beaming smile, was brightness incarnate. He seemed to make all the right choices. How could things go so horribly wrong?

As North Philadelphia celebrates his past, and mourns his unfulfilled promise, they’ll continue to point to Aviles as an example. Proof that a life built on kindness and respect can be a life well-lived, no matter how it ends.

Bonding through basketball

Aviles grew up with his mother. His parents broke up when he was 2 but maintained an amicable relationship. Even as a child, the future basketball star was self-sufficient.

He wasn’t the kind to throw a temper tantrum in a toy store. He rarely cried. If he did, his father, Sam, could quickly calm him down with a meal and some TV.

By the time he was 9, Jadin’s uncle and grandfather, who worked in electricity and construction, were teaching him odd jobs around the house.

The third grader knew how to navigate a switchbox and how to repair a lamp fixture. Once, when a pipe burst in the bathroom, Aviles called Gonzalez’s brother, Emanuel.

“‘Hey Tío, how do I fix this?’” she remembered him saying. “And over the phone, he’s literally fixing a pipe.”

Sam introduced the younger Aviles to basketball at age 5. He’d heard about La Liga through a cousin and signed Jadin up. One day, in the fall, they went to Towey Playground, around the block from Gonzalez’s home.

Sam was a new father, with no experience in youth sports. He did not realize that his son would be playing on a smaller court, with a hoop eight-feet high. So, they started practicing at the regulation-sized Towey, with Jadin chucking basketballs from above his head.

The boy didn’t complain, but once he and his father showed up to La Liga in December, it dawned on them that they had overestimated these dimensions. Even still, Jadin took to basketball, and began to participate in La Liga every winter.

Shortly after, Sam joined the organization as a coach. The father and son became inseparable; often watching games together, and taking extra shots at the Mariana Bracetti Academy gym (where La Liga is based).

The younger Aviles soon added another league, Timoteo, in the hopes of further refining his skills. At both stops, he established himself as a tough and bullish guard, who played far beyond his stature.

Whitmire became familiar with Aviles through his church, Grace and Peace Community Fellowship, where the teenager would volunteer. When the pastor first saw him play, in 2020, he didn’t recognize him.

The Jadin Aviles Whitmire knew was quiet and reserved. This kid was anything but. Eric Moore, assistant director at Timoteo, remembers that day vividly.

Aviles was in eighth grade, battling older students at the Esperanza High School gym. Moore and Whitmire stood in the back corner.

“And he was like, ‘Yo, is that Jadin?’” Moore recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Bro … yeah.’ And he’s like, ‘His defense is phenomenal.’

“And I was like, ‘Wait till he gets the rock. Wait till he handles the rock.’”

Added Whitmire: “I saw him come down and pull up on a guy and shoot, and I’m like, ‘Oh.’ There was something about his form that’s like, ‘No, that’s not normal. That’s not a rec player.’”

At La Liga, Aviles always competed above his age group, and consistently held his own. His father called him a “giant slayer”; fully grown, Jadin stood at only 5-8, but was unafraid of opponents who were taller and larger than he was.

The numbers back this up. For five years in a row, Aviles averaged at least 11.1 points per game. He increased his scoring in 2025, with 24 and 46-point games. But despite his offensive output, he also devoted time and energy to his shortcomings.

One of the guard’s proudest moments came in 2023, when Timoteo named him defensive player of the year.

“[A coach] started working out with him, and he would ask what they wanted to do that day,” Sam said. “And Jadin was like, ‘Defensive drills, defensive drills, defensive drills.’”

Sam joined Timoteo as a coach in 2021, with the goal of spending more time with his son. But then an unexpected opportunity presented itself.

In 2022, Maritime’s head coach, Ercel Ballinger, contacted Sam to see if he would be interested in running the junior varsity team. He agreed, and took a job at the school a year later as a member of the support staff.

Jadin, who spent his freshman year at Roman Catholic, transferred to Maritime to play for his father. It turned out to be a life-changing decision. The younger Aviles thrived in the Philadelphia Public League.

He was reunited with childhood friends like Yozuet Pagan, an older kid on the block who taught him ballhandling and finishing at Towey. And as he matured, Aviles became comfortable taking on that role himself, with younger teammates.

Andy Figueroa was the biggest example of this. Like Aviles, he’d tried Roman Catholic, only to find it wasn’t a fit. The veteran guard began to check in on his pupil, and one morning, he approached the 16-year-old in the hallway at school.

Jadin knew Figueroa had been struggling, and was at risk of becoming ineligible.

“He was like, ‘We need you on the court for our next game. So make sure you’re doing everything right,’” Figueroa recalled. “That made me realize that I got to make sure I do well, not just for me, but for my teammates, too.”

Aviles’ words were only bolstered by his play. By senior year, he was putting up career numbers, in points (15.3), rebounds (4.3), assists (2.5), and steals (3).

It was good enough to earn him first team All-Public League honors.

The teenager’s magical season came to an end on Jan. 23, 2025, Maritime’s senior night. A few hours earlier, Aviles told his father, who had since been promoted to varsity head coach, that he would “leave it all out on the court.”

And he did. Facing Hill Freedman World Academy, which sat atop the conference, Aviles dropped 25 points with four rebounds and five steals. The Juniata Boys & Girls Club was packed to capacity, and their crowd was going berserk, almost as if it were a cathedral all their own.

A bright future, a brutal end

Aviles could have gone to college if he wished. Small institutions from Philadelphia and the surrounding areas sent him letters in the mail. Sam found a trade school in Media with a basketball team.

But none of this was enough to persuade him. Jadin wasn’t interested in sitting in a classroom, or accruing student debt. He was interested in working, though, and 30 days after he graduated, he was hired at Menasha, a packaging company on East Erie Avenue.

Two of his cousins worked there, as well as his uncle, James Arroyo Jr. It was an unnatural transition; Aviles was hired to work the night shift, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

But as with most challenges in his life, the teenager embraced it. Before long, he was training for a promotion, going from stacking boxes, an entry-level role, to running the label machine.

“He got in there and [excelled],” said Arroyo Jr. “He hosed up pretty good.”

The job provided a good salary and strong benefits, giving Aviles a level of financial freedom he’d never experienced. He was proud of this, telling family and friends that he had “all of his bills on auto pay.”

In February, Aviles and his girlfriend, Jaeda Rodriguez, rented an apartment at Roosevelt Boulevard and C Street. It was a big step for them; Aviles had never lived apart from his mother or father.

And Gonzalez was skeptical at first. She can still remember the day he told her; how nervous he was.

“I was like, ‘Is she pregnant?’” Gonzalez recalled. “‘Don’t tell me that I’m a grandma!’”

Aviles explained that he was moving out. His mother’s response was short and succinct: “Boy, no. You can’t be doing that.” But eventually, she warmed to the idea, and as Gonzalez packed her child’s belongings, in his new home, she began to cry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“One day you will understand,” she replied.

The couple loved their newfound life. Within weeks, they’d adopted a pit bull from a local animal shelter — “Bubba” — and began to put him through dog training. Aviles suddenly had access to things like trips to the Shore and a newer car.

From a young age, he was drawn to bikes. Sam bought his son a black moped when he was 16, a miniature-motorcycle from Walmart that had a “lawnmower for an engine.”

Now, Aviles was able to purchase one of his own, and on May 11, he and a family friend, Kenny Enrique, drove to Allentown to retrieve it. They loaded the two mopeds into Enrique’s car, and brought them back to Philadelphia.

The next afternoon, the two men departed Aviles’ apartment in Olney, riding the mopeds to visit Sam at Maritime. They turned onto a bike lane on Aramingo Avenue; Jadin in front, Enrique behind him.

As they approached the four-way intersection, a pickup truck emerged in the left lane, heading northbound. A Philadelphia police report stated that the driver turned while the light was green, but failed to yield the right of way.

The right side of the truck hit Aviles. He fell to the ground and was run over. Enrique ran to find his friend face down, with his hood over his head, the moped laying a few feet away.

Enrique knelt and placed his hand on Aviles’ arm. Traffic began to slow; a few passersby stopped to call an ambulance. As Enrique went to retrieve his bike, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

“The [driver of the truck] was still moving,” he said. “I’m not going to say he left, but he probably would have left if I didn’t start yelling at people to make him stop.

“So, I started yelling, ‘Stop that truck, stop that truck!’”

The driver remained at the scene, where both men were questioned by the police. Throughout his interview, Enrique asked whether or not officers would give an alcohol or drug test to the driver.

“He said that our officers are trained to identify when somebody is under the influence,” Enrique recalled. “And I said, ‘Well, what’s an opinion versus an actual drug test or a blood test?’

“And he just ‘never minded’ what I said. I said the same thing to the next officer. They just ignored me.”

Officers later discovered that the driver of the truck had twice had his license suspended for driving under the influence, and did not have insurance at the time of the crash, according to a copy of the police report obtained by The Inquirer.

The police department’s Crash Investigation Division obtained footage of the fatal collision. One of the responding officers’ body cameras was “activated through the duration” of the interviews at the scene, the report shows.

A police spokesperson said that the crash remains under active investigation, and that the driver is cooperating with authorities.

The department did not respond to additional questions that The Inquirer submitted about the investigation, including why the driver of the truck was not required to undergo testing to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Aviles was transported to Temple University Hospital, where his parents joined him. Sam’s girlfriend, Alexis Ferranti, met them there, as did Rodriguez. It wasn’t until 7:03 p.m. that the family was able to see Jadin, who was unresponsive.

The 20-year-old’s face was wrapped in a bandage, covering the smile he’d worked so hard for. He couldn’t move or speak. Doctors told Gonzalez and Aviles that they had about an hour to say goodbye.

The parents prayed, and listened to Christian music, and told their child how much they loved him. That they were there for him, even if he couldn’t see them, and that they’d always be there for him.

“And we all watched,” Gonzalez said, “my son go with the Lord.”

A funeral on hardwood

The funeral was held on the morning of May 22. Initially, Gonzalez and Aviles planned to use her church, but realized it couldn’t contain the large crowd they were expecting.

So, they moved the service to the Juniata Boys & Girls Club, a place where their son had some of his greatest moments. Building employees took out the scorer’s table, and angled team benches toward the court.

Rows of chairs were stacked in the middle, all facing a casket underneath the hoop. Just like on Jadin’s senior night, the gym was filled with people; so many that a line wrapped around the block onto Castor Avenue.

They came from all corners of the neighborhood — Hunting Park, Olney, Kensington — shuffling in and out to pay respects. At one point, the funeral director had to turn mourners away, because the family was able to rent the gym for only two hours.

It was a surreal day, especially for those who had played with Jadin on that same floor. Dominic Lopez, a Maritime teammate, thought about Aviles’ 25-point game.

Andy Figueroa did, too. After it was over, he walked up to Eric Moore, who’d watched Jadin grow up at Timoteo, to ask how he was doing.

“And I told him, ‘You are Jadin,’” Moore recalled. “‘Own it. Because you are him. You are that person.’”

There has been an emptiness in North Philadelphia since Aviles passed. Spaces he used to frequent are quiet. Ray and Esther Alvarez, who run La Liga, returned to their home gym in June.

Esther found herself thinking back to that kind boy, who would always greet her with, “Bendiciones, Titi.”

“I knew I wasn’t going to physically see him,” she said, “but I was waiting for my bendición.”

Aviles’ spirit will continue to permeate. La Liga is planning a memorial fund in his name. Sam is thinking about hanging one of his jerseys in the Maritime rafters.

But perhaps the best way to honor him is to emulate him. To tell young people about a giant on the court and a leader off it, who was so remarkable, and so loved, that he drew hundreds, maybe a thousand, to his funeral.

And that he did it all on his own, with hard work and a big smile, and that someday, they could, too.

Zack Wheeler and Jhoan Duran struggle in walk-off loss to Marlins: ‘Just one of those games’

Lochlahn March — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:27:03 +0000

MIAMI — The sinker from Zack Wheeler clocked 91.3 mph.

Javier Sanoja whiffed on it anyway, biting on the inside fastball. But the radar gun didn’t lie. Wheeler’s pitch, which has lived around 95 mph this season, had lost more than just a tick.

In fact, all of Wheeler’s pitches trended down on Monday against the Marlins. The sinker to Sanoja turned out to be Wheeler’s third-to-last of the night. After Sanoja grounded out back to the mound on a sweeper that didn’t reach 80 mph, the Phillies opted to lift Wheeler after just three innings.

Both Wheeler and interim manager Don Mattingly said postgame that there were no injury concerns.

Phillies bullpen gets closer to full strength going into Marlins series

“Just one of those games, one of those days. Just wasn’t coming out,” Wheeler said. “No excuse.”

Even after an uncharacteristic performance by one of their aces, the Phillies managed to battle back. They were three outs away from handing Miami its 13th consecutive loss when another pillar of the pitching staff wavered. The Marlins walked it off, 8-7, on closer Jhoan Duran, handing him his second blown save of the year.

“It was a weird game that they got to two of our very best pitchers,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto. “That’s just kind of one you got to tip your cap to that lineup over there.”

Wheeler felt like something was off even in the bullpen pregame. But unlike in past outings, things didn’t improve when the game started. Wheeler walked out to the mound in the first inning already with a two-run lead, courtesy of a home run from Bryce Harper, and it evaporated almost immediately.

It started with another defensive breakdown after Otto Lopez led off the bottom of the inning with a single. When he stole second, Realmuto’s throw deflected off Bryson Stott’s glove and wound up with Trea Turner. His throw to third base then got away from Alec Bohm, and, propelled by the two errors, Lopez dashed home.

“Obviously when Harp hits the homer to start the game, you’re like ‘OK,’ and you got Wheels. You’re feeling pretty good. Obviously, that changed pretty quickly,” Mattingly said.

Because Heriberto Hernández homered two pitches later — on a 93.2 mph sinker — Lopez’s run was still charged to Wheeler. It was the first of five he would allow on Monday, the most Wheeler has given up in an outing since May 29, 2025. Over his three innings, the Marlins racked up six hits, including two homers.

“One of those days that you see the velocity right away, 93, didn’t seem like it had that same little zip,” Mattingly said. “Usually, you don’t have the zip on the fastball, the breaking ball is not going to be quite as sharp. … He said he felt physically fine, just the ball wasn’t coming out, as far as arm and stuff.”

‘I’m tired of people thinking that I’m an easy out’: Alec Bohm delivers after intentional walk in Phillies’ win

Mattingly added that the Phillies trainers reported Wheeler felt nauseous following the game, but Wheeler refused to use that as an excuse.

“That didn’t really affect me out there,” he said. “Ball just wasn’t coming out like I wanted it to. Body wasn’t moving like I wanted it to. I was trying to get through it. Some games I can. Just today I couldn’t.”

Wheeler’s splitter was the only pitch that was somewhat effective, as he recorded four of his six strikeouts with it. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.5 mph, down from 95.2 mph, and it did not induce a single swing-and-miss.

When Mattingly brought in Kyle Backhus for the fourth, the Phillies were trailing, 5-2. Starting pitching has carried the Phillies this season, while the bullpen outside of Duran has been shaky. But on a night when two of their best pitchers faltered, it was the other relievers who gave the team a fighting chance.

Backhus covered two scoreless, while José Alvarado, Jonathan Bowlan, and Orion Kerkering pitched an inning to bridge the gap to Duran.

The offense stepped up, too. A four-hit, four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a ground-rule double from Realmuto, put the Phillies back in front. Realmuto also drove in an insurance run in the eighth for a 7-5 lead, hitting a sacrifice fly to score Stott after he tripled.

“Being able to pick Zack up like that, after all the times that he’s picked us up in the last seven years, that would have been nice to do,” Realmuto said.

Andrew Painter had a solid week in triple A. Is he an option to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation soon?

The Phillies were confident when Duran took the ball to close it out, and for good reason. Entering Monday’s game, the club had been 49-0 entering the ninth inning with a lead this season. Duran had not allowed a run since June 9.

But things started to feel precarious when back-to-back ground balls found holes in the infield, bringing the winning run to the plate. Neither were hit hard. Lopez’s single had a .080 expected batting average according to StatCast, but it got past a diving Harper.

“They do a lot of soft contact, so I can’t do anything about that,” Duran said.

Duran then hit Kyle Stowers with a pitch to load the bases. Hernández worked a full count and sent the payoff pitch up the middle to tie the game. Of the five hits Duran gave up, Hernández’s was the only one hit harder than 95 mph.

Griffin Conine was ultimately the hero for Miami, delivering the walk-off single to snap the Marlins’ losing streak at 12.

It was a deflating loss, at the expense of two pitchers who have each anchored many of the Phillies’ wins this year. But neither Wheeler nor Duran have any long term concerns about what unfolded Monday night. Nor does Mattingly.

“Just one of those days. You have a bad day once in a while, I’m sure,” Wheeler said. “So this is one of those days.”

Gunmen kill high-ranking Taliban official in Afghanistan in rare targeted attack

ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:40:53 +0000

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Gunmen killed a high-ranking local Taliban official in Afghanistan’s northwestern province of Badakhshan on Tuesday in a rare targeted killing in the country.

Two gunmen shot Zabihullah Amiri, Badakhshan’s director of information and culture, as he headed from a local district to the provincial capital Faizabad, the Information Ministry said in a statement.

“Immediately following the incident, security guards opened fire on the attackers; one attacker was killed and the second was captured,” the ministry said, adding that authorities were investigating the killing.

Targeted killings of high-ranking Taliban officials have been rare since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 in the wake of the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

In December 2024, the country's refugee minister, Khalil Haqqani, was killed in a suicide bombing in the capital Kabul. Haqqani was the uncle of Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who leads a powerful network within the Taliban.

In June 2023, a car bomb in Faizabad killed Badakhshan's deputy governor, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, as well as his driver. A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as a suicide bombing that struck a memorial service for the deputy governor days later, killing at least 13 people.

In March 2023, the governor of the northern province of Balkh was killed in a bomb attack on the governor's office.

Philly band Snacktime performed with Ms. Lauryn Hill at the Newport Folk Festival

Dan DeLuca — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:56:28 +0000

Philly band Snacktime made its presence felt in a big way at the Newport Folk Festival over the weekend.

The 215 septet, which got its start busking in Rittenhouse Square during the pandemic, was all over the prestigious Rhode Island boutique festival, most notably guesting with Ms. Lauryn Hill.

It’s the band’s second straight year playing the fest that’s, of course, known for being where Bob Dylan went electric in 1965 and also for its smartly curated lineups and surprise mashups of artists.

And the Philly R&B and funk party band has clearly become a Newport favorite. Snacktime also teamed up with Philly songwriter Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy and Delco singer Devon Gilfillian as well as appearing with Los Angeles indie folk trio Trousdale, and former Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Louis Cato.

On Friday, the band members — wearing their trademark black faux Sixers jerseys — joined Hill as the Fugees singer’s horn section, on “Doo Wop (That Thing),” from her 1998 classic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which was released on Conshohocken’s Ruffhouse Records.

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That day, they also played with Quinn of Mt. Joy — which has a date at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden on Sept. 25. On Saturday morning, the band played with Trousdale. Then later in the day, Snacktime joined Gilfillian for part of his “Sea to Shining Sea” music and storytelling initiative which the Morton, Pa., native put together with Newport Festival Foundation executive director Jay Sweet.

Delco’s Devon Gilfillian knows Philly is always there for him

“Wow …. Unreal weekend. We don’t know what to say other than WE LOVE YOU ALL!!! Thank you @newportfolkfest for one of the best weekends of our lives,” the band said in an Instagram post showing a stage-eye view of a performance of its song “Together,” while heads nodded in the crowd and boats bobbed on Narragansett Bay.

As part of its busy weekend, the band members also posted an AI-generated photo of LeBron James wearing a Snacktime Sixers jersey.

Next, Snacktime is Chicago bound to play the Lollapalooza Festival (July 30 to Aug. 2), alongside acts like Charli XCX, Olivia Dean, and Lorde. They’ll also be joining Gilfillian on tour for dates around the U.S. in September and October.

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South Korean officials order residents to evacuate after reported white phosphorus leak at US base

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:40:24 +0000

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean authorities on Tuesday briefly ordered civilians to evacuate after what they described as a white phosphorus leak at a U.S. military base near the capital, Seoul.

Officials in the city of Pyeongtaek urged nearby residents to move to a safe location and avoid skin exposure after the leak was detected at around 5 p.m. at the Osan Air Base. They lifted the evacuation order several hours later, saying decontamination work at the base had been completed, according to text messages sent out by the city.

Police reportedly used vehicles to establish a perimeter 300 to 500 meters (yards) from the base, blocking pedestrians and rerouting vehicles. There were no immediate reports of major disruptions or accidents.

In a statement, the U.S. 51st Fighter Wing did not mention a leakage of white phosphorus but said it established a 1,000-foot safety cordon around the base “due to a ground mishap and out of an abundance of caution” to protect the base and the local populace. U.S. Forces Korea did not provide further comment about the incident.

“We are handling this matter with the utmost care and expediency,” it said. “The safety and well-being of our service members, their families, and our Pyeongtaek neighbors remain our absolute highest priority.”

White phosphorus is a controversial chemical substance used in incendiary munitions and smoke shells. When ignited, it burns at extremely high temperatures and can set buildings ablaze and burn human flesh to the bone.

Iraq's new prime minister in Turkey for talks on pipeline, trade and security

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:35:44 +0000

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, arrived in Turkey on Tuesday for talks that are expected to include the construction of a pipeline to Turkey aimed at reducing the exposure of Iraq's oil exports to tensions in the Gulf region. It is al-Zaidi's third visit abroad since taking office.

Zaidi’s meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials will also focus on security, trade, energy, transportation and water management, Turkish officials said.

A statement from the Iraqi prime minister's office said the sides will discuss “joint infrastructure projects in a way that serves the interests of the two neighboring countries.”

Al-Zaidi, who emerged as a consensus candidate in Iraq after months of deadlock over the premiership following last year’s parliamentary elections, is visiting Ankara on the heel of trips to Washington and Tehran.

Following al-Zaidi’s talks with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month, U.S. companies signed roughly $60 billion in agreements and partnerships with the Iraqi government, including deals intended to create alternative routes for shipping oil out of the Persian Gulf.

One project under consideration is a pipeline that would connect southern Iraq’s Basra to western Iraq’s Haditha and from there to the Ceyhan port in Turkey and the port of Baniyas on Syria’s coast.

The visit comes as Turkey is engaged in talks to end a decades-long conflict with the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, whose fighters are largely based in northern Iraq. Last year, the PKK announced it was laying down arms and disbanding as part of the efforts and later held a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq, where dozens of fighters burned their weapons in a cauldron.

Turkey is now scheduled to enact legislation to help advance the peace effort, which is expected to include a limited amnesty that could allow some militants’ return to Turkey.

The PKK has waged an armed insurgency since 1984, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since then. It’s designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

AP Top Headlines at 7:23 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:23:31 +0000

Firefighters have kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatens to test their hold on the blaze

Mediators have made progress in efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations and prevent an all-out war in the Middle East

The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China’s growing influence worldwide

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to meet at the White House ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham's funeral

Early in-person voting is beginning in swing state Wisconsin’s chaotic Democratic primary for governor, with a democratic socialist trying to overcome the incumbent governor’s pick

The Senate is set to confirm Jay Clayton to become head of the nation’s intelligence agencies, ensuring that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach

Sen. Lindsey Graham, the son of pool hall owners who rose to become one of the more influential politicians in the United States, will be eulogized in Washington

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 has shaken Kumamoto on Japan’s Kyushu island

South Korea's Kospi index has plunged nearly 11% on heavy selling of chipmaking stocks that have been battered recently by waves of fears that the boom in artificial intelligence may be a bubble

AP Top Science News at 7:23 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:23:43 +0000

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake shakes part of southern Japan but no tsunami detected

Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist behind the 'Body Worlds' exhibition, dies at 81

A US-Russian space crew lands safely in Kazakhstan after an 8-month stint on the ISS

Heat dome expands across the central United States, creating dangerous conditions for millions

SpaceX launches Starship on another test flight, this time with the most advanced Starlinks

Rei Ami from 'KPop Demon Hunters' and comedian Ken Jeong take a bite out of 'Shark Week'

FDA panel narrowly backs unapproved peptide drugs favored by RFK Jr. and wellness influencers

Florida researchers bring endangered elkhorn coral ashore to protect them

2,000 volunteers join a painstaking effort to restore massive skeleton of prehistoric predator

Private mission launches to extend life of out-of-gas communication satellites

The Small Business Administration is offering new grants and up to $10 million in financing

Gene Marks — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Despite a significant reduction in its staffing, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has been sharply focused this year on reorganizing internally, going after COVID fraud, and — of high importance to many small businesses — providing more financial resources, particularly grants, guarantees, and loans.

For example, the agency is offering new supply chain grants. Launched last week, these grants — a total of 20 for up to $500,000 each — are targeted at helping small businesses address supply chain constraints and increase production.

Companies and nonprofits can apply if they are eligible in a variety of industries that deliver technical assistance, industry engagement, supplier development, or similar services so that small businesses can reshore more of their purchasing or manufacturing.

The deadline for proposal submissions is Aug. 7.

Increased loan availability to $10 million

The SBA offers various loan and loan guarantee options, with its two most popular being the Section 7(a) and Section 504 programs. These programs can help fund equipment, property, and other capital costs — including the purchase of a business — through guaranteed loans made available by their network of qualified financial institutions.

Each program allows a maximum of $5 million in financing, but this month the agency announced it will allow qualified borrowers to combine the programs to create a maximum $10 million in potential financing.

Sherwood Robbins, who runs Seedcopa, a firm specializing in SBA financing that has offices in Exton and Wilmington, says he’s very optimistic about the program.

“Just about any business or industry can benefit from this new way to combine the SBA 504 and SBA 7(a) loan programs,” he said. “When used correctly and for the right projects, small businesses now get access to larger loan limits across the two SBA loan programs for their growth and expansion.”

Grocery and manufacturing guarantee loans

In March, the SBA said that it was making a special effort to provide financing for small businesses that produce, process, distribute, and sell food by increasing the loan guarantee they offer to their member banks issuing loans for up to 90% from the current 75% level.

That same month, the agency said that it would provide the same additional guarantees for small manufacturers to help them expand facilities, hire workers, and increase production.

In addition, the SBA recently expanded its International Trade Loan eligibility to include small businesses across the food supply chain, including those in the agriculture, production, and logistics industries.

“Being able to do 90% financing versus 80% or 75% financing lets businesses hold on to that critical cash so that they can invest in other parts of their business,” said Tom Pretty, head of SBA Lending at TD Bank, which has dozens of locations in the area. “Because of the SBA guarantee, a lender may be able to lend more aggressively against accounts receivable, inventory or other assets and provide a larger line to help a customer grow more quickly.”

Manufacturing grants

In May, the agency announced the availability of up to $50 million in grants to as many as 10 eligible applicant organizations. The grants could go toward training, technical assistance, and support “they need to grow, reshore critical supply chains, and help secure America’s position as a global manufacturing powerhouse for generations to come,” said SBA administrator Kelly Loeffler.

Under this program, eligible U.S. small businesses in industries such as aerospace, industrial machinery and equipment, construction equipment, metal fabrication, and robotics would get access to free business courses, hands-on training, and one-on-one consulting. The deadline for this year’s program was June, but the program will likely be back, so watch for opportunities to apply.

New working capital loans

The agency announced last year that it would provide new working capital loans to eligible companies under its existing 7(a) program that could be used for financing receivables and other working capital needs beyond the program’s traditional objective of financing equipment and property.

The working capital loans come at a higher interest rate than a traditional 7(a) loan but are still much lower than what most credit cards and private lenders charge. In February the agency announced that $150 million in credit was extended under the new program.

Pretty advises his customers to use these loans when borrowing needs fluctuate or they are taking on large contracts where funding can help with payroll, inventory, and other costs.

“Unlike a standard 7(a) term loan, the working-capital program revolves, so the business draws funds as needed and pays interest only on the amount being used,” he said. “It’s like having a credit-card limit without remaining fully borrowed all the time.”

Your business may be eligible for these programs, so it’s important to discuss with people who are familiar with what would best for you. This can include an SBA banker, an expert from SCORE, or a local Small Business Development Center office.

“When used correctly for the right projects, small businesses can really benefit by getting access to these programs for their growth and expansion,” Robbins said.

Trump’s war on the media is really a war on the truth | Editorial

The Inquirer Editorial Board — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Donald Trump’s attacks on the media are really a war on the public’s right to know.

His goal is to delegitimize critical reporting that exposes the chaos, corruption, and incompetence within his administration, distract from reality, energize his base, and establish himself as the sole arbiter of the truth.

The problem is the president is a habitual liar. He has told tens of thousands of mistruths during his time in public office, and bends the facts to fit his skewed version of events.

In his second term, this warped version of reality is virtually guaranteed. Trump has surrounded himself with pathetic yes-men who do whatever he demands and tell him what he wants to hear. The absurd theater of fawning bureaucrats praising the president during cabinet meetings resembles a spoof of a George Orwell novel.

Trump declared the U.S. won the war in Iran in March, and again in April, May, and June, but the fighting continues. He claims the economy is great, but nearly half of all Americans said they are worse off financially. He continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen, and spread repeated lies about the upcoming midterm election.

But facts are stubborn. So rather than confront the truth, Trump tries to discredit the media. He labels stories that portray him in a negative light as “fake news.”

The president has long called the media the “enemy of the people” — a phrase used by dictators, including Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler.

What John Fetterman forgot about his U.S. Senate seat | Editorial

Trump’s response to stories that expose his misdeeds — like dodging taxes — is to file a lawsuit. He has sued the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and other media companies.

Most of Trump’s suits get thrown out. But some media companies have capitulated. Paramount paid Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit against 60 Minutes that legal observers said was frivolous. ABC paid $15 million to settle a defamation suit that was also considered weak.

After constant complaints by Trump, Paramount-owned CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s comedy show, which frequently poked fun at the president.

More recently, Trump threatened to revoke the broadcast licenses of ABC and NBC over petty issues, such as not showing his embarrassing speech claiming election fraud.

At the president’s urging, the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the license held by the Philadelphia ABC affiliate known as WPVI, or 6abc. The public has until Wednesday to express comments about the effort, which appears to be a clear attack on the First Amendment.

Krasner’s office is accused of lying and cutting corners to win exonerations — and the wrongly convicted could pay the steepest price | Editorial

The Times has been a frequent target of Trump’s. After the paper reported on security problems involving the $400 million airplane the Qatari government gifted to Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed the journalists who broke the story to intimidate the free press and chill leaks within the administration.

The subpoenas were withdrawn just before Trump was set to speak at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner — where he continued his attacks on the news media.

Of course, the media is as imperfect as the men and women who work in it. But the founders understood that the free press plays a vital role in democracy by informing the public, holding leaders accountable, and providing a forum for debate.

That is why the First Amendment — which guarantees freedom of speech, freedom to protest, and freedom of religion — remains a cornerstone of our democracy and civil society.

But Trump’s attacks on the media have helped erode public trust in journalism, accelerated partisan divides, and reduced faith in democratic institutions.

Amid all the confusion, Trump has enriched himself while the country has become divided and weakened.

The independent press will do its best to report the truth, but it is up to voters to hold those in power accountable.

Here’s what the ‘Star Wars’ experience coming to the Franklin Institute will look like

Stephanie Farr — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:01:00 +0000

A long, long time ago (Friday) in a galaxy far, far away (California), representatives of the Franklin Institute and Lucasfilm released details about the science museum’s upcoming world premiere exhibit, Star Wars: The Experience, during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

From getting frozen in carbonite next to Han Solo to walking through Queen Amidala’s throne room, the 18,000-square-foot exhibition will feature a variety of interactive elements and displays across several interconnected galleries, according to a news release.

The immersive fan experience, which debuts in February, is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first film released in the sci-fi saga, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

During the “Making of Star Wars: The Experience” panel at Comic-Con — which was moderated by Ashley Eckstein, who voices Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars’ animated series — official renderings and details about the exhibit were released for the first time.

According to the news release, displays and interactive features of Star Wars: The Experience will include:

“Queen Amidala’s Throne Room”: In an exhibit dedicated to costume design in the Star Wars galaxy, guests will walk through a room of “suspended fabric and projection” resembling the queen’s throne room while surrounded by Star Wars costumes, costume art, and stories from the franchise’s costume designers.
“Wireframe Worlds”: In this gallery, fans will get a look at the blueprint and sketch designs behind some of Star Wars most famous sets and vehicles. The display will be anchored by a wireframe TIE fighter and surrounded by diagrams of Star Wars spaceships.

“Carbon Freeze Capture”: Billed as a “dramatic, photo-ready moment,” this display will feature a full-scale Han Solo encased in carbonite flanked by two stations where visitors can undergo their own “carbon freeze sequence.”
“50 Years of Star Wars”: More than 90 rare and vintage Star Wars action figures and prototypes from Kenner, Hasbro, and other manufacturers will be featured in a gallery about premium collectibles.

The Franklin Institute previously announced that a variety of rare artifacts used in the films — like Darth Vader’s costume and Darth Maul’s lightsaber — will be on display, along with various robots and aliens from the universe, like R2-D2 and Grogu.

Guests will also be equipped with RFID technology to interact with some of the displays and strengthen their alliance with the force, “culminating in a personalized finale moment,” the release said.

Lynwen Brennan, copresident of Lucasfilm, called the exhibit a “testament to five decades of innovative storytelling.”

“As we mark the incredible milestone of the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, we wanted to develop something truly extraordinary — a space that honors both the visionary pioneers who built this galaxy, and the remarkable fan community at its heart," Brennan said in the release.

Tickets for the experience, which runs from February to September 2027, go on sale in November. Following its run at the Franklin Institute, the exhibit will embark on a five-year tour of North America.

France evacuates 4,000 people as heat threatens wildfire fight

Thomas Adamson, Mark Carlson and Emma Da Silva — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:19:24 +0000

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — French authorities ordered nearly 4,000 people evacuated Tuesday from tourist sites on France’s Atlantic coast as returning heat threatened firefighters’ fragile hold on a vast wildfire west of Bordeaux.

The order underscored a wildfire emergency of exceptional scale across southwestern Europe.

Fires in France and Spain have forced roughly 330,000 people to evacuate. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still out of control, including its largest on record.

Firefighters held the French blaze in check through a calm night, bringing flare-ups near coastal dunes under control and keeping the burned area unchanged at 162 square miles.

Authorities described the Gironde fire as stabilized, not fixed, meaning it could still spread again as temperatures rose and humidity fell.

The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, including Lacanau Ocean and both shores of Lacanau lake, Gironde regional authorities said.

France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning from midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 Celsius (91 to 95 Fahrenheit). Southeast winds were expected across Gironde, with westerly sea breezes along the coast.

More than 448 square miles have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service and the World Meteorological Organization.

Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

The Gironde blaze has been raging since last week and has proven wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding firestorm. It has burned an area four times the size of Paris and prompted the evacuation of 220,000 people.

Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the vast perimeter.

Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed work early Tuesday on firebreaks designed to prevent the flames from spreading. Authorities said 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks had been completed.

A total of 93 firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said.

The A63 highway remained partly closed, while rail traffic south of Bordeaux was suspended except on the route toward Toulouse.

Thousands return as second fire stops advancing

In neighboring Landes, thousands of evacuees were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing. The fire had displaced more than 30,000 residents and vacationers.

“The fire is fixed, which is good news in the Landes,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had been stopped and there were no new fire starts.

About 15,000 people were authorized to return home Monday night in Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born and some parts of Biscarrosse.

Residents of Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground were among those allowed back, although several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible.

The return marked a significant step for communities evacuated as flames swept through forests and tourist areas during the height of the summer vacation season.

Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished.

Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or possibly weeks.

Spain braces for worsening conditions

Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires in Spain.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” but warned that conditions could deteriorate as temperatures rose again.

Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 104 F in some areas.

Authorities have evacuated about 79,000 people and ordered another 30,000 to remain in their homes. The government declared a national emergency over the fires.

The greatest concern remained two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid.

Another fire in the eastern province of Castellón also forced mass evacuations.

A fire burning through hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching more than 193 square miles, the government said.

“Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

“We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 590 square miles this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

He was assaulted by teammates in Cheltenham High’s locker room. Nearly a year later, his mom says he ‘can’t escape the situation.’

Maddie Hanna — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

The mother knew something was wrong the night her son came home from football practice last September and quietly went to his room.

Four days later, she took him to the doctor after he told her his teammates had jumped him inside the Cheltenham High School locker room after that practice, injuring his genitals.

It was not until she got a call from police later that month that the mother learned that teammates had used a broomstick in the alleged attack, an act his lawyers described as attempted sexual assault.

Her son, who was 15 at the time, told her teammates had tried “to mess with his manhood,” the mother said.

He told her that the school’s football coaches, who knew that his teammates had jumped him, had called him that night and told him not to tell his parents.

“He didn’t want to talk about it,” said the mother, who spoke to The Inquirer on the condition of anonymity to protect her son’s identity. Her son, she said, “was trying to put it in the back of his head. He was traumatized.”

Cheltenham abruptly canceled its football season last October, citing hazing allegations. In January, the district said it had confirmed that a “student-on-student assault” took place in its football locker room on Sept. 3, and that nearly 20 students had watched without trying to stop it.

A video of a locker room attack that investigators thought matched the student’s description of the alleged attack in September surfaced in the fall and was obtained by the district. The teammates who assaulted the student are identifiable in the video, said Gabrielle Turley, a lawyer representing the student. She said the student provided their names to Cheltenham police.

But this spring, detectives determined the footage actually had been taken in August, according to the student’s lawyers — prompting the student to reveal he had been assaulted more than once.

Eleven months later, no charges have been filed. A spokesperson for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said it is still investigating but declined to comment further.

The incidents have reverberated throughout the suburban community, even as the school district has provided few specifics about what happened in the locker room.

The district announced in May it was canceling the forthcoming football season for the Panthers, but has not disciplined any students.

A Title IX investigation — which schools are required by federal law to conduct into sexual misconduct allegations — is ongoing. “Unfortunately, the district received extremely limited cooperation from students,” Superintendent Brian Scriven said in a statement in response to questions from The Inquirer about the assaults. Any discipline for students will be imposed once the investigation is done, Scriven said.

The district in April approved a separation agreement with the team’s head coach, Terence Tolbert, who had been Cheltenham’s top football coach since June 2025.

Scriven noted that the district also in April approved a separation agreement with another football coach, Darian McFadden. None of the coaches from the 2025-26 season are still affiliated with the district, the superintendent said.

Scriven declined to address specific questions about the alleged assaults, saying the district attorney’s office had asked school officials not to comment.

As the new school year approaches, some football players and their families have criticized the district’s cancellation of another season as unfair punishment for a situation they had no part in.

But students who participated in or witnessed the alleged assaults have been able to move on with their lives, graduating from the 1,450-student Wyncote school or transferring to other schools, the mother of the victim said. Her son has not.

He was taunted by peers after the September assault and switched to virtual school in the district, where he struggled and was isolated, his mother said. After getting harassed by kids at his local basketball court, he avoids going outside, she said.

“He can’t escape the situation,” she said.

Inside the locker room

Video footage from the August incident after a football training camp at Cheltenham High School shows the student being dragged by his shirt on the floor of the locker room, according to his lawyers.

About “seven or eight students are making physical contact” with him, while other students are standing by lockers, some with their phones out, said Alan Yatvin, one of the lawyers.

The video shows one young man holding a broomstick, which is being “poked or thrust at [the student’s] genitals and backside,” Yatvin said.

Turley, the other lawyer representing the student, said the video shows teammates trying to pick the student up by his shirt, which is ripped, while the student tries to remain seated on the floor.

“There’s no other reason to be in that area, unless you’re trying to sexually assault somebody,” Turley said of the broomstick she saw in the video of the alleged attack.

The student did not tell anyone about the August incident because he was embarrassed, his lawyers said.

But then on Sept. 3, he was assaulted again. The student had taken someone’s shoulder pads because his were missing. Coaches made players run as a punishment, and they blamed the student, the lawyers said.

Yatvin said that as the student tried to leave the locker room, he was thrown on the floor and punched and kicked in the head and testicles. He said the student reported there were “three main people hitting him.”

The altercation lasted about five minutes, and the student heard someone say, “‘Get the broomstick,’” Yatvin said. He said the student tried to ball up on the ground and “sat in such a way to avoid the broomstick being stuck in him.”

A couple of teammates intervened, and the fight broke up, Yatvin said. He said one player went to get a trainer, while another got the student ice.

A volunteer coach drove the student home. That same night, three coaches, including then-head coach Tolbert, called the student, according to Yatvin.

“They told him that he shouldn’t tell his mom, because they would handle it. He believed that,” Yatvin said.

Reached by phone earlier this month, Tolbert declined to comment.

A mother pushes for answers

The student’s mother recalls taking her son to an urgent care center four days after the Sept. 3 incident because he was “complaining his pee was burning a little bit,” she said.

She texted the vice principal, Mark Hoff, to let him know what had happened. “I was very upset,” the mother said. Hoff called her; the school opened an investigation the next day, Yatvin said.

It was about 12 days later when Cheltenham police called her about a tip that had been submitted through the state’s anonymous Safe2Say line, about a broomstick being used during an assault.

“I know that’s like a sexual assault — trying to sodomize somebody,” the mother said, noting she works at a prison. “What was going through my mind was, ‘Where did these kids get this from?’”

At the end of September, lawyers said, the district contacted the mother to ask if she wanted to open a Title IX investigation, given the sexual nature of the allegations. She said yes.

At the time, the mother did not know her son had been attacked more than once.

No one had shown her and her son the video of the alleged assault that the district obtained — which had circulated through the school community, Yatvin said — until the spring. Had they seen it earlier, he said, they would have known it was from August, based on the student’s hairstyle at the time.

The mother said her son was “scared to come forward.”

“He didn’t want to go through none of this,” she said. “But I kind of pushed the issue.”

Waiting for accountability

On Oct. 17, a Friday, Cheltenham announced that it was postponing that night’s football game.

“Today, the district received anonymous information regarding allegations of hazing in the football program,” Scriven said in a statement. The season was temporarily suspended, he said, and the district had “engaged an external investigator.”

By that Sunday, Scriven had announced that the season was canceled. The district had received a report “approximately three weeks ago” of a locker room assault, he said in the announcement, and that Friday, it “received additional information, including reports indicating multiple team members engaged in hazing through physical contact.”

Asked why it took until Oct. 17 for the district to suspend the season when the mother had reported the assault Sept. 7, Scriven drew a distinction between hazing and a “singular incident of assault.”

The district’s external investigation, which was completed in January, determined there was insufficient supervision in the locker room and “a failure to prioritize student safety by the coaching staff and/or adult volunteers,” as well as a “a toxic and negative culture within the current football program.”

Scriven said he expected the Title IX investigation to be completed “in the near future.”

Yatvin believes more students know what happened to his client than have come forward.

“If all the necessary information was available, there probably would have been something happening with the school’s investigation, and something happening with the district attorney’s investigation,” he said.

The student’s mother, who is considering filing a lawsuit, said she wants people held accountable for what happened to her son. No one from his school has called and checked on his well-being, she said.

“You’ve got parents on the news, worrying about their football team, but not necessarily worried about what happened,” she said. “Nobody is focused on what happened to him.”

US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions, documents say

Matthew Lee — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:10:31 +0000

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China’s growing influence around the world, after it had put a halt to many of those initiatives last year during a flurry of budget and personnel cuts.

The administration notified Congress late last week that it intends to spend $175.8 million to replace outdated and aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America to prevent China from moving in. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the notification on Monday.

The administration has expressed deep concern about China’s activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China’s Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector.

A State Department official said China’s economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to U.S. national security and prosperity. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity, said China’s offerings may seem cheaper but in the end wind up being more expensive due to cost overruns, hidden maintenance fees and poor performance.

The underseas cable funding appears to be part of a broader push to restore support for initiatives aimed at blunting Chinese influence globally that would cost many hundreds of millions of dollars more. That is even as President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping put on a show of cooperation and Xi prepares to visit the U.S. this fall.

US weighs wider spending to counter China globally

The State Department is considering spending nearly half a billion dollars more on programs aimed at China throughout the Western Hemisphere, Africa and Asia, according to an internal State Department document obtained by AP.

“The United States must respond to the CCP’s growing economic, technological, and diplomatic leverage around the world which undermines our national interests,” the document says, using the acronym for the Chinese Communist Party.

Many of those proposed programs are designed to “reclaim diplomatic leverage” through investments in areas where the U.S. had previously been spending money but stopped as the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, carried out deep cuts to government budgets and personnel last year.

Those cuts, which dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and eliminated several hundred diplomatic posts worldwide, also affected previously approved projects, including some aimed at countering China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China’s cooperation with other regions “is not about wooing or rivaling anyone, but about safeguarding world peace, promoting global development, upholding international order and building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss future administration plans, confirmed the Trump administration’s intent to boost funding on countering China but could not speak to specifics. The official acknowledged discussions of large-scale projects but said many were still in the discussion phase.

Congress told about undersea cable project to keep China away

The program described to Congress on Friday is called the “Countering CCP Control of Caribbean and Central America Undersea Cables project.”

It will “fund the installation of strategically selected undersea cable infrastructure” and support foreign governments in partnering with private sector undersea cable installers, according to the notification. The money will “support replacement of outdated undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America region with secure, U.S. and trusted alternatives,” it said.

Even as it pursues the war with Iran and peace efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, the Trump administration has put a focus on the Western Hemisphere, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, ramping up pressure on Cuba’s socialist government in the months since and imposing severe sanctions on the government in Nicaragua.

Under the new program, funding is anticipated to be given to or in support of undersea cable projects benefiting El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti, the document said. The U.S. has tenuous ties with Nicaragua and would not be working with the government there.

Lin said undersea cables benefit people globally and that China is ready to work with the rest of the world to promote their construction and protection.

“Turning it into a political or security issue will only disrupt international market rules and threaten global digital connectivity and cybersecurity, which serves no one’s interests,” he said in Beijing.

Other anti-China efforts could focus on cyber and critical minerals

At the same time, the administration has drawn up plans to spend more than $340 million for over 50 specific anti-China projects around the world, including many in the Western Hemisphere, according to the internal State Department document outlining various proposals.

The administration notified Congress in May that it had spent several hundred million dollars in counter-China funding from the 2024 budget that was approved by the Biden administration. However, many other projects funded for 2024 and 2025 had been put on hold.

Among the plans to be resurrected are the creation of security operations centers in Argentina and Belize to monitor Chinese threats to critical infrastructure and cyber platforms throughout the region. Also coming back would be initiatives to protect Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay from alleged Chinese attempts to infiltrate port operations and illegally exploit offshore fishing and critical minerals extraction.

More broadly, the proposal, which is still under consideration, would work against Chinese influence in the selection of a successor to the Dalai Lama “by developing proprietary technology to ensure secure communications and information collection.” It also would go after international support for China’s space program and push back against Chinese firms seeking to export surveillance and censorship technology.

The document did not describe the initiatives in detail.

Trump is expected to meet with Xi in September around the time of the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders in New York. To prepare for that meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week at a regional security conference in the Philippines.

Trump has oscillated between anger and elation with Xi, whom the U.S. leader has sought to cultivate as an ally even while China pursues goals antithetical to many of his administration’s. The ultimate impact of the proposed new programs won’t be known for many months or years.

AP Top WorldCup News at 7:08 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:08:27 +0000

FIFA's Infantino targets critics he says spread 'hate and false rumors' about World Cup

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IOC won't pursue its member Infantino over FIFA red-card ruling at World Cup

Spain coach De la Fuente says Argentina's conduct after World Cup final was 'unacceptable'

Police say Australian World Cup player Volpato has allegedly tested positive for cocaine

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World Cup final between Spain and Argentina watched by roughly 60 million on Fox and Telemundo

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The World Cup is over. Here's where to get your next soccer fix

Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham's funeral

Seung Min Kim — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:07:55 +0000

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. ”Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow’s barrage firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was “bamboozled by Russian propaganda.”

Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week, and she also expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns from her trip.

“It’s looking good for Ukraine, right?” Loomer said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good.”

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes.

“The purpose is clear,” Zelenskyy said earlier this month. “None of us in the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: Evil always seeks ways to make things worse and spread further.”

On Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.

“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”

Still, he said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. In addition to his White House meeting, Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet with senators on Tuesday evening after Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.

The bill has dozens of backers from both parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.

Trump met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit earlier this month in Ankara, Turkey, and announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems, a long-running request from Kyiv in order to counter Russian missile attacks.

The air defense systems are expensive to make and are in high demand. Noting that he and Zelenskyy have “actually developed a good relationship,” Trump said the U.S. will help Ukraine produce the Patriots and that the country would be able to produce them “pretty quickly.”

AP Top Political News at 7:04 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:04:30 +0000

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Democrat's TV ad targets data centers in drive to oust Republican from swing Pennsylvania House seat

South Carolina Republicans line up to run in special primary to replace late Sen. Lindsey Graham

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US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions, documents say

Republicans decry a new Democratic Socialists of America platform as Dem primaries split the party

KFC founder Colonel Sanders' personal items, former home and restaurant up for auction

DYLAN LOVAN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:02:42 +0000

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — KFC founder Colonel Sanders ' pressure cooker, black bow tie and dozens of other personal items are up for public auction, along with his former home and a dinner house Sanders opened after selling his iconic restaurant chain.

Harland Sanders, still known as the face of the worldwide chain originally known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, established the Shelbyville property as the first headquarters of his restaurant business in the late 1950s. He sold the property, which included his home and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House, in 1974 to Tommy and Cherry Settle, who have run the restaurant since then.

"Colonel Sanders was the original celebrity chef," said Bill Menish, whose firm, The Menish Group, is conducting the auction. "The feedback has been worldwide, so we needed to have an auction that would cater to that worldwide audience."

Online pre-bidding concludes with a live, in-person auction for the Sanders memorabilia on Tuesday evening. Sealed bids for the restaurant and Sanders’ former 5,000-square-foot (465 square-meter) home, which he named Blackwood Hall, will be taken until Friday.

Sanders’ personal watches, an original cash register, his cutlery set, a bust sculpted by his daughter and a commercial gas range from the colonel's former residence are among the items up for bidding.

Sanders sold KFC in 1964 to a group of investors, but continued as a brand ambassador for the company.

Menish called Sanders a “marketing genius” for creating the character of the colonel.

“He didn’t dress like that before he was starting to build Kentucky Fried Chicken,” Menish said. “He adopted the colonel: the clothes, the bow tie, the glasses, the goatee.”

One of the most intriguing pieces could be a personal 1964 planner with a handwritten herbs and spices recipe that was later the subject of an early 2000s lawsuit filed by the KFC Corp. to keep the contents private. KFC later dropped the legal action, saying after reviewing the planner the ingredients didn't match Sanders' secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, and it was likely a recipe for stuffing.

“What a keepsake,” Menish said.

One of Sanders' signature black bow ties is also up for auction. The highest online bid for the tie was more than $2,000 on Monday.

Auctioneer Jonathan Klunk said there's a little-known secret behind the bow tie.

“Not a lot of people know, he did wear clip-ons,” Klunk said.

US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions, documents say

MATTHEW LEE — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:04:17 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China's growing influence around the world, after it had put a halt to many of those initiatives last year during a flurry of budget and personnel cuts.

The administration has expressed deep concern about China's activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China's Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector.

A State Department official said China’s economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to U.S. national security and prosperity. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity, said China's offerings may seem cheaper but in the end wind up being more expensive due to cost overruns, hidden maintenance fees and poor performance.

US weighs wider spending to counter China globally

Many of those proposed programs are designed to "reclaim diplomatic leverage" through investments in areas where the U.S. had previously been spending money but stopped as the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, carried out deep cuts to government budgets and personnel last year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China's cooperation with other regions “is not about wooing or rivaling anyone, but about safeguarding world peace, promoting global development, upholding international order and building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

Congress told about undersea cable project to keep China away

The program described to Congress on Friday is called the “Countering CCP Control of Caribbean and Central America Undersea Cables project.”

Even as it pursues the war with Iran and peace efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, the Trump administration has put a focus on the Western Hemisphere, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, ramping up pressure on Cuba's socialist government in the months since and imposing severe sanctions on the government in Nicaragua.

Lin said undersea cables benefit people globally and that China is ready to work with the rest of the world to promote their construction and protection.

Other anti-China efforts could focus on cyber and critical minerals

The document did not describe the initiatives in detail.

Trump has oscillated between anger and elation with Xi, whom the U.S. leader has sought to cultivate as an ally even while China pursues goals antithetical to many of his administration's. The ultimate impact of the proposed new programs won't be known for many months or years.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.

Democrat's TV ad targets data centers in drive to oust Republican from swing Pennsylvania House seat

Marc Levy — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:01:53 +0000

HARRISBURG — Democrat Paige Cognetti is taking a shot at artificial intelligence data centers in her challenge to freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, saying “we’re not for sale” in a new TV ad in a swing Pennsylvania congressional district where communities are fighting data center projects.

The race between Cognetti, the mayor of Scranton, and Bresnahan is considered one of the Democratic Party’s best opportunities to pick up a seat in the November election in its bid to take control of the U.S. House and block President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Cognetti is airing the ad in a district that’s been buffeted by AI data center projects and as the opposition to data centers that has upended races for local offices across the country is spreading to top-of-the-ticket contests.

Speaking to the camera, Cognetti invokes the region’s industrial heritage as a coal and shale gas powerhouse, saying, “Big companies have come before, taken what they wanted and left us with their mess to clean up. Now it’s data centers.”

She then criticizes the secrecy that developers often use to veil details of projects from the public, the tax breaks developers often get from states and the rising electric bills that have hit the mid-Atlantic region to satisfy the growing energy demand of data centers, which house rows of computers for storing, processing and transmitting data.

“Big Tech needs to pay their own way. Not hide behind NDAs. No tax breaks. Don’t raise our electric bills, don’t poison our water. And hire local, union labor,” Cognetti says.

If not, “then get out,” she says. “This is our home. We are not for sale.”

Trump has made data centers a top priority to help the U.S. compete against China for AI superiority.

However, communities across the U.S. have fought many of the projects, including in northeastern Pennsylvania, where complexes of data centers and new high-voltage transmission lines are planned. Fights between communities and developers have landed in court.

The 30-second ad will run on broadcast TV channels, cable and digital platforms, Cognetti’s campaign said. It is costing about $200,000 for the initial run of two weeks.

Bresnahan has introduced legislation called the Local Control Protection Act, which he says would put limits on a corporation’s right to sue over local zoning decisions denying an application to build a data center.

“We should never let billion-dollar corporations supersede the voices of those who live in the community,” Bresnahan said in a statement accompanying the bill’s introduction in June.

The bill has yet to move out of committee or gain a cosponsor.

Republicans have made protecting Bresnahan a high priority. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance visited the district last year.

Bosnian authorities investigate desecration and fire damage at Medjugorje Virgin Mary shrine

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:57:22 +0000

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Authorities in Bosnia on Tuesday investigated the desecration of a Virgin Mary statue and a shrine damaged by fire overnight in a southern Bosnian village, a popular destination for Roman Catholic pilgrims.

Two years ago, the Vatican gave the green light for Catholics to continue flocking to Medjugorje, where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary, offering its approval for devotion at one of the most contested sites of Roman Catholic practice in recent years.

The pictures from the site in local media showed the statue of Our Lady had her face and hands painted black, with an inscription in English on the pedestal that read “Devil in a skirt.”

In 1981, six children and teenagers reported seeing visions of the Madonna on a hill in Medjugorje, located in the wine-making region of southern Bosnia. Some of those original “seers” have claimed the visions have occurred regularly since then, even daily, and that Mary sends them messages.

Near the site, a banner was found displayed on a fence with the names of the seers and a message written in Polish that said: “They are fraudsters, I have proof.”

The Vatican’s doctrine office didn’t declare that the reported apparitions in Medjugorje were authentic or of supernatural origin and flagged concerns about contradictions the alleged visionaries said they have received in the messages over the years.

But in line with new Vatican criteria, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith ruled that the positive "spiritual fruits" stemming from the Medjugorje experience more than justified allowing the faithful to organize pilgrimages there and permit public acts of devotion.

The 2024 decision overruled years of doubts about the veracity of the alleged apparitions by the region’s past diocesan bishops and Vatican experts. And it ignored concerns about the economic interests that have turned Medjugorje into a thriving destination for religious tourists.

Rape and assault case against British entertainer Yung Filly heading to jury in Australia

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:44:33 +0000

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Lawyers made closing statements Tuesday in the Australian trial of British entertainer Yung Filly on charges that he raped and choked a fan following a music performance two years ago.

The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, had pleaded not guilty in the District Court of Western Australia state to six charges of rape, three charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of choking in a Perth hotel room in September 2024.

The accuser cannot legally be named. She was 20 at the time.

Prosecutor Danielle Clarke told the court Barrientos was an “entitled man” with a “moderate degree of fame" who had been sexually violent toward an “impressionable" young woman.

“She meant nothing to him,” Clarke told the court in her closing arguments.

“What could have been and should have been consensual sex quickly escalated into sexual violence and a non-consensual nightmare,” she added.

Defense lawyer David Edwardson replied that the accuser's "evidence is riddled with inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies.”

Edwardson will complete his statement early on Wednesday. The jury could begin considering their verdicts late Wednesday after Judge Linda Black gives them their final directions.

Barrientos testified Monday that he did not slap or choke the woman, but he agreed to the allegation that he bit her multiple times.

“In England we would call it a love bite,” Barrientos told the court.

The performer denied the woman repeatedly told him to stop and told him he was hurting her.

“There was kissing in between; I would give her a love bite and then kiss her,” Barrientos said from the witness box. “I don’t recall any blood.”

Photos of the woman with bruising and bite marks on her face and neck were shown to the court.

Barrientos met the woman at a Perth nightclub after his performance.

“The vibes were good and she had a really good energy about her,” he said.

Prosecutors previously said the woman initially agreed to have sex with Barrientos, but withdrew her consent when she started to fear for her safety.

Barrientos agreed that his bodyguard took the woman’s phone before she entered the hotel room.

But he denied the prosecutor’s accusation that the phone was removed to trap the woman.

“It is standard practice for someone in the limelight to protect privacy,” Barrientos said.

The Colombian-born entertainer had been touring Australia and had performed in Sydney and Melbourne before he encountered the woman. He was in the east coast city of Brisbane, where the tour was to end, when he was arrested several days later.

AP Top Entertainment News at 6:44 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:44:44 +0000

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NATO member Romania shoots down stray drones from Ukraine war after years of incursions

STEPHEN McGRATH and VADIM GHIRDA — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:29:17 +0000

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Since Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war has repeatedly spilled across Romania's border as drones violate the airspace of the neighboring European Union and NATO member.

Now Romania is trying something new to stop the incursions: shooting down the drones.

Romanian pilots shot down the first of three drones in as many days from F-16 fighter jets starting Friday as Russia intensified attacks against Ukraine near the border. After determining the drones were of Russian origin, Romania summoned Moscow’s ambassador in protest and expelled a Russian diplomat on Monday.

Drones have crossed into Romanian territory multiple times from Ukraine to the north and east, including in May when a drone injured a mother and child after crashing into an apartment block in the eastern town of Galati along the Danube River.

Romanian authorities largely responded by scrambling jets, collecting debris, erecting fallout shelters near the border and frequently admonishing Moscow for its war spilling into its territory.

Romania and Poland also acquired the MEROPS system, which fires short counter-drones to take down incoming stray drones, following a spate of incursions along NATO's eastern flank late last year.

Drones have crossed into the territories of multiple EU countries, but have been a persistent problem for Romania's leadership in the capital Bucharest. At least 19 have entered Romania's airspace this year, while there have been 50 cases of drones or drone fragments identified on its territory since the war started in 2022, according to Romania's Ministry of National Defense.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Sunday congratulated the Romanian pilots for downing the drones and blamed Russia for the incursions.

“It is unacceptable and intolerable for the Russian Federation to continue violating Romanian airspace,” he said.

Romania shifts the approach to stray drones

Despite passing legislation last year to shoot down drones in its airspace, which was strongly opposed by nationalist political parties, Romania has avoided shooting them down until now.

Romanian military analyst Radu Tudor said the May drone incident in Galati may have “changed something in the Romanian authorities’ mentality” in how to approach the issue.

“This was somehow a kind of psychological trigger, in order to say: ‘OK, enough is enough,’” Tudor said. “Until now, it probably was an Allied decision in NATO not to respond with firepower, because it was somehow a danger of escalation.”

“I think it’s not only a change of attitude of Romania, I think it’s a change of attitude in NATO,” he added.

Before the three interceptions over the past week, Romanian pilots also shot down a stray Ukrainian drone above Estonia in May. Romanian pilots and planes are based in Lithuania to provide broad strike capabilities for NATO.

“They saw so many signals that Russia is trying to provoke NATO,” Tudor said. “Romania is the only NATO country who shot down four drones on the eastern flank — three on Romania and one in Estonia.”

The message sent to Moscow mirrors a statement by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the organization's summit in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this month: "'Don't play with us'."

Russian diplomat expelled

In response to the drone incursions, Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia’s ambassador in Bucharest on Monday and presented him with fragments of a drone, saying Moscow “bears exclusive responsibility for all these grave incidents.” The ministry also expelled a member of the Russian mission, who was given five days to leave the country.

“The Russian side learned what they already knew: the drones downed on Romanian territory belong to them,” Foreign Minister Oana Toiu wrote in a post on X. “Drone fragments recovered by the Ministry of National Defence and the ongoing prosecutor investigation confirm their Russian origin beyond any doubt.”

The Russian embassy in Romania responded in a statement posted on its Facebook page, saying Russia “has never directed and does not direct combat drones” to Romanian territory and denied the allegation as “completely unfounded.”

“An unprovoked expulsion of a Russian employee will not go unanswered,” the embassy said.

Tactical shift to down errant drones

Cristian Popovici, the Romanian defense ministry’s head of public relations and a former air defense officer, said tactics have been developed to eliminate errant drones.

“We recorded more than 100 attacks with drones near our border with Ukraine, and many of them resulted in debris or even drones that penetrated our airspace,” he told The Associated Press. “Our pilots and our air force, we developed the tactics, procedures, and now we can face and we can eliminate this threat.”

The change began when Romanian pilots shot down a drone over Estonian airspace and from that point the military applied “lessons learned” and had a “100% rate success in three days with three drones,” Popovici said.

Despite the new approach to stray drones, Popovici said Romania does not plan to become entangled in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“We are in a peacetime, we are not involved in this fight,” he said. “If Russia wants to escalate with NATO, it’s up to them. I’m not sure it’s a wise move now.”

___

McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.

Democrat's TV ad targets data centers in drive to oust Republican from swing Pennsylvania House seat

MARC LEVY — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:33:02 +0000

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrat Paige Cognetti is taking a shot at artificial intelligence data centers in her challenge to freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, saying "we're not for sale" in a new TV ad in a swing Pennsylvania congressional district where communities are fighting data center projects.

The race between Cognetti, the mayor of Scranton, and Bresnahan is considered one of the Democratic Party's best opportunities to pick up a seat in the November election in its bid to take control of the U.S. House and block President Donald Trump's agenda.

Cognetti is airing the ad in a district that's been buffeted by AI data center projects and as the opposition to data centers that has upended races for local offices across the country is spreading to top-of-the-ticket contests.

Speaking to the camera, Cognetti invokes the region's industrial heritage as a coal and shale gas powerhouse, saying, “Big companies have come before, taken what they wanted and left us with their mess to clean up. Now it’s data centers.”

“Big Tech needs to pay their own way. Not hide behind NDAs. No tax breaks. Don’t raise our electric bills, don’t poison our water. And hire local, union labor," Cognetti says.

If not, “then get out,” she says. “This is our home. We are not for sale.”

Trump has made data centers a top priority to help the U.S. compete against China for AI superiority.

The 30-second ad will run on broadcast TV channels, cable and digital platforms, Cognetti's campaign said. It is costing about $200,000 for the initial run of two weeks.

Bresnahan has introduced legislation called the Local Control Protection Act, which he says would put limits on a corporation's right to sue over local zoning decisions denying an application to build a data center.

“We should never let billion-dollar corporations supersede the voices of those who live in the community,” Bresnahan said in a statement accompanying the bill's introduction in June.

The bill has yet to move out of committee or gain a cosponsor.

Republicans have made protecting Bresnahan a high priority. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance visited the district last year.

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter.

Fallout from N.J.’s voter roll glitch | Inquirer South Jersey

Taylor Allen — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Good morning, South Jersey. Don’t forget your umbrella: More rain is expected to come our way.

Roughly a week after Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed that thousands of noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey, the fallout includes Republicans pushing for more federal power over elections while national Democrats reject suggestions of widespread voter fraud.

And Burlington County’s new free bus shuttle mainly covers areas closest to Philadelphia and Camden.

Plus, George E. Norcross is donating $100 million to Cooper University Health Care, and more news of the day.

— Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

P.S. Thank you for your continuing support. We want your thoughts! Tell us your opinion of the newsletter by taking our survey or replying to this email.

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Democrats aren’t changing their message

New Jersey and Pennsylvania were among the four Democratic-led states where President Donald Trump claimed 250,000 noncitizens were registered to vote.

It’s unclear how the Trump administration reached that figure, but it has sought to leverage last week’s disclosure of 6,600 noncitizens being registered to vote and nearly 400 casting a ballot in New Jersey as evidence of a widespread issue.

As Trump seeks more power over state-run elections, national Democrats haven’t shifted their messaging.

Instead, they are continuing to warn that changes Republicans want may make voting harder for many Americans.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania are part of a lawsuit with other Democratic officials from across the country challenging the administration’s push to withhold money for disaster aid if they don’t share raw voter data.

Reporter Michelle Baruchman has more.

Burlington County’s draft bus route

Burlington County’s new bus route slated to begin in September is expected primarily to cover places closest to Philadelphia and Camden. But it’ll also serve as a transfer destination.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority has not posted details about the free Burlington County route, but The Inquirer obtained the draft brochure through a public records request.

Documentation shows the 11-stop bus service connects Palmyra, Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Mount Laurel, and Maple Shade with the Pennsauken Transit Center in Camden County.

Reporter Aliya Schneider has the story.

What to know today

Political powerbroker George Norcross is gifting $100 million to Cooper University Health Care, where he serves as the longtime board chair. It’s Cooper’s largest donation ever, and among the biggest a nonprofit health system in New Jersey has ever received.
The founder of a Westville-based security company and his deputy director have been charged in separate indictments for allegedly stealing millions through embezzlement and other crimes, authorities announced Monday.
The vendor that Gov. Sherrill blamed for illegally registering thousands of noncitizens to vote has two other multimillion-dollar contracts with the state, according to New Jersey Monitor. Sherrill blamed this vendor last week for issues beyond the registration error.
The Gloucester County Shower Trailer will be available today at Glassboro Intermediate School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is open to anyone who needs a shower or clean laundry.
Jersey has seen the largest drop in its death rate in the country between 2015 and 2025, NJ Monitor reports.
Be aware of roadwork throughout Camden County this week, with most ongoing work occurring in Camden and Oaklyn.

🗣️ Quote of the week

Marie McCool, a Moorestown High School alumna, was named MVP of the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League All-Star Game. She said the school program shaped her into who she is today.

🧠 Trivia time

What number will LeBron James wear for the Sixers?

A) 22

B) 23

C) 25

D) 32

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re...

🏀 Wondering: Why LeBron James chose to commute from NYC instead of South Jersey?

🍴 Touring: Craig LaBan’s guide to the best seafood down the Shore.

🚶🏽‍♀️‍➡️ Exploring: Downtown Woodbury.

And that’s been your morning news. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow. 📧

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Sports bar Toll Man Joe’s will replace Mixto in Washington Square West

Michael Klein — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

Toll Man Joe’s is coming back to Philadelphia, nearly five years after the South Philadelphia sports bar closed during the pandemic.

Founder Lori Penrose has purchased the former Mixto at 1141 Pine St. in Washington Square West, which closed July 12 after a nearly 24-year run. She said she plans to open as Toll Man Joe’s in three or four weeks, timed to the start of football season.

The two-story property, last listed at $2.1 million, spans a pair of circa-1860 rowhouses and is up the block from Chibanos, the new Chinese-Cuban sandwich shop that replaced Effie’s, and across the street from Kiddo.

Mixto’s owners, Jose Mosquera and his family, continue to operate the Latin restaurant Tierra Colombiana in Feltonville, which made The Inquirer’s 2024 list of 76 essential restaurants.

The new Toll Man Joe’s will operate as a full-service restaurant and bar serving its signature wings alongside lunch and dinner menus blending comfort food with global influences. Breakfast and brunch also are planned, along with cocktails, local beers, and wine.

For Penrose, the opening caps a comeback that began in 2023 with a small food operation inside a coffee shop in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County.

Toll Man Joe’s has since grown into a neighborhood BYOB with dine-in service in nearby Woolwich Center. Penrose said it will remain open after the Philadelphia restaurant debuts.

She said she had long promised her daughter, Shannon, and executive chef Arturo Bermudez Luna that she would return to Philadelphia if the right opportunity arose. Bermudez Luna was the original chef at the South Philadelphia restaurant and remained involved after its closure, helping develop menus and train staff.

The original Toll Man Joe’s, at 26 E. Oregon Ave., was named for Penrose’s uncle, Joseph “Toll Man Joe” Paul, a longtime Pennsylvania Turnpike employee at the Norristown Interchange who won WIP’s Wing Bowl VIII in 2000 by eating 90 wings — the record for the fewest wings consumed by a Wing Bowl champion. Paul died in 2012.

The opportunity arose after Shannon Penrose, who lives in Washington Square West, spotted the Mixto property on the market. Lori Penrose said she initially hoped to lease the building but instead decided to buy it. Billy Creagh of National Realty Old City handled the sale.

Shannon Penrose will serve as general manager and director of brand and operations, while Bermudez Luna will return as chef.

The restaurant plans to open daily, initially serving lunch, happy hour, and dinner before adding weekend brunch. Weekday breakfast and grab-and-go offerings also are planned, using the existing espresso bar to serve nearby hospital workers and commuters.

While Toll Man Joe’s remains best known for its wings, menu favorites including the cheesesteak, Nashville hot chicken sandwich, short rib grilled cheese, grilled chicken Caesar wrap, and arugula pear salad also will return. Bermudez Luna, who is from Costa Rica, plans to expand the dinner menu with steaks, seafood, healthier lunch options, and Latin-inspired dishes acknowledging Mixto’s legacy.

Penrose said the goal is to create a neighborhood restaurant rather than a late-night destination, with plans to close around midnight.

The Philly region is under a flood watch Tuesday and Wednesday with strong storms expected

Anthony Wood — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:50:41 +0000

With over a half-foot of rain measured already, what has been Philadelphia’s wettest month since March 2024 is very likely to become significantly wetter.

The National Weather Service has posted a flash flood watch effective from 8 a.m. Tuesday until 2 p.m. Wednesday for rain totals up to 4 inches, with downpours of 1 to 2 inches an hour possible.

Some appetizers — localized downpours — popped up Monday afternoon, prompting flood warnings for Philly and neighboring sections of Montgomery County, and parts of Gloucester and Atlantic Counties in New Jersey.

Floodwaters swamped downtown Hammonton, Atlantic County, with “numerous” cars stranded on the roads, the weather service reported. The Pennypack Creek in Northeast Philly crested above “minor” flood stage.

Moth-ball-size hail pelted Chestnut Hill, and hail twice that size was sighted in Williamstown, Gloucester County, and in the vicinity of Washington Crossing State Park on the Jersey side of the Delaware River.

Storm coverage on Tuesday is expected to be far more extensive, and potentially more disruptive, with a “few tornadoes” possible, the weather service warned.

Storm activity is likely to linger into Wednesday, said Mike Lee, meteorologist in the weather service’s Mount Holly office, with more showers in the forecasts for Thursday.

What time the storms will arrive in Philly

Late July still is very much the lottery-ball season for damaging downpours, and that again likely will be very much in evidence this week. Rainfall totals in the last 30 days have ranged from 137% of normal in Gloucester County to 79% of normal in Montgomery County, according to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.

Thunderstorms are possible as early as midmorning, but expect “repeated rounds” during the afternoon, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

The highest probability for severe storms, those with wind gusts near 60 mph, would be in South Jersey and Delaware, although they could nose into Philly, said the weather service’s Lee.

The storms could continue well into the night, and additional rains are expected Wednesday afternoon.

The rain totals again are likely to vary widely; however, a general 1 to 2 inches is expected across the region.

Whatever happened to the drought?

It hasn’t gone anywhere — yet.

All of New Jersey and Chester County remain under state-declared drought warnings. In the latest interagency U.S. Drought Monitor update, conditions in the entire region remain from “abnormally dry” to severe drought.

All that may change by week’s end.

Through Sunday, officially 6.37 inches of rain habr been measured at Philadelphia International Airport this month. That is the highest monthly precipitation total since March 2024.

July’s rains have ended a run of 16 straight months of below-normal precipitation in Philly.

Said Benz: “It’s an old saying that all droughts end on a flood. That’s kind of what we’re seeing right now.”

After adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, how will the Sixers’ roster fit? It’s going to be a process.

Gina Mizell — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:53:34 +0000

Thirty-six All-Star honors. Twenty-nine All-NBA teams. Five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Five NBA championships. Five Finals MVP awards.

Those are the combined accolades for four of the five members of the 76ers’ transformed starting lineup: the newly signed LeBron James, the recently acquired Jaylen Brown, and returnees Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. And the other starter is VJ Edgecombe, who last season finished third on an excellent Rookie of the Year ballot and is widely viewed as capable of morphing into an All-Star and perhaps more.

It is an eye-popping look at the NBA’s newest on-paper super team, especially given the muted expectations entering the Sixers’ offseason.

But how will those decorated players all fit on the court, and with personalities all used to being the bona fide No. 1 option?

LeBron James believed he could win with Joel Embiid. The 2024 Olympics can show the Sixers how.

For all of those stars, it will be a test in sacrifice and adaptability and chemistry-building. It also is a challenge for coach Nick Nurse to create schemes that accentuate strengths individually and collectively.

This already was a complicated task last season. The Sixers leaned into the style of their electric young guards when Embiid was sidelined, but drifted back to playing through the big man when he was available, including in their rally from down 3-1 to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round. Yet high pace can still fuel these retooled Sixers, given the only player who scored more fast-break points per game than the certified speedster Maxey (5.7) was James, even in his age-41 season.

James also chose the Sixers because of the star power already in place, suggesting he understands the more complementary role he will occupy after what he called his final playing-destination decision.

He remains an elite offensive connector with off-the-charts basketball IQ. His championship habits — as evidenced by his 5 a.m. workout videos that have recently resurfaced, along with photos in the gym with Maxey that have circulated on social media in recent days — will be invaluable to a franchise that has not advanced past the playoffs’ second round since 2001.

James already has experience creating a super team with the Miami Heat, starring alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and winning two titles. But perhaps the best preparation for James’ role in Philly was last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, when he was the third option behind in-their-prime stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Sixers, meanwhile, have already known for almost a month that they were adding Brown — an All-NBA wing who finished sixth in MVP voting last season — to the Maxey-Embiid-Edgecombe core.

Brown is coming off a season he defined as his “favorite,” because he was the top offensive weapon and helped written-off teammates overachieve expectations during a regular season mostly played without fellow star Jayson Tatum. Brown offers a blend of athleticism and strength — yes, including using that off arm — to separate from defenders and get his own shot.

But how will Brown shift back into a costar role? Nurse reminded during Las Vegas Summer League that the Sixers were already attempting to leverage a “1-3-5” positional trio with Maxey at guard, Paul George on the wing, and Embiid at center. But it never consistently materialized because those three players logged only 36 regular-season games together in two seasons.

“It’ll be a big part of our thought process on the offensive end right now,” Nurse said of the Brown fit. “And then it will take some polishing and massaging.”

Jaylen Brown is now eligible to sign a one-year contract extension with the Sixers

Though James and Embiid are expected to enter the upcoming season healthier than in recent years, it is reasonable to expect they will still miss games and limit minutes in order to gear up for the playoffs. That approach would make the younger and more durable Maxey and Brown the most consistent primary scoring options.

Maxey elevated himself to All-NBA status for the first time last season, while further cementing himself as the Sixers’ unquestioned tone-setter and leader. The 25-year-old also led the league in minutes per game (38), and needed to carry an unfair offensive load while Embiid and/or George were sidelined.

The Knicks’ trapping defense stifled Maxey during their second-round playoff sweep, when he averaged only 18.3 points and shot 3-of-19 from three-point range while still nursing an injured pinkie finger. He called those four games “definitely one of the hardest [playoff] series I’ve played in, just for myself” and vowed to learn and improve during the offseason.

Now defenses won’t be able to put the bulk of their attention on Maxey. James’ playmaking — plus Edgecombe’s progress as a lead ballhandler — also should allow Maxey to regularly slide off the ball. Nurse said earlier this month that he wants Maxey to continue developing his midrange scoring to complement his explosive drives to the rim and deep three-pointers.

For Embiid, the arrival of James and Brown should ease the pressure of the Sixers’ entire universe — on and off the court — revolving around the 2023 MVP.

Though the mid-post still is an area of the court where Embiid can operate in the offensive flow, he may need to fight the muscle memory to create with the ball in his hands at all times. Perhaps he can lean into his 2024 Olympics experience, where he deferred and still found his moment to dominate in a comeback win against Serbia on a superstar-filled roster that also included James. Embiid regaining his three-point shooting prowess — he made 32.2% in 57 games the past two seasons, after connecting on 38.8% in 2023-24 — would be a big boost.

A cynic could say this roster revamp could stunt the development of Edgecombe. Though the second-year guard might not have as many plays run for him, Edgecombe’s athleticism can still be fully unleashed in the open court, including coast-to-coast opportunities.

“Instead of two of those a game,” Nurse said of Edgecombe in Las Vegas, “I’d like to see 10. Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”

And if anyone is worried Edgecombe might be perturbed about James’ signing, consider this: Edgecombe grew up watching James’ Heat teams as a kid in the Bahamas. He did a jersey swap with James the first time they matched up against each other in December. And he posted a photo of himself mimicking James’ “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life” meme upon learning they would be teammates.

It is reasonable to have concerns about the Sixers’ defense, given James and Embiid have taken clear steps back on that end of the floor. The Knicks deliberately put Embiid in pick-and-rolls during the playoffs, and he is not the rim protector he once was because he limits jumping in an effort to protect his surgically repaired left knee.

VJ Edgecombe is smiling through it all, can’t believe this is his life pic.twitter.com/s6t9NSP3qL
— Gabriela Carroll (@gablcarroll) July 24, 2026

Further down the depth chart, newcomer Dean Wade will now shift from projected starting forward to a key bench contributor. There are situations when his perimeter defense will be enticing in closing lineups, and could create fascinating decisions for Nurse when the roster is fully healthy. It also will be interesting to monitor how the coach staggers his stars with those reserves, which also include Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Justin Edwards, and Adem Bona (or Ariel Hukporti).

How long will this all take to figure out? Remember this: James did not win a title until his second season with Miami, in his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and with the Lakers.

So expect transferring the NBA’s newest on-paper super team to an actual basketball fit to be … wait for it … a process.

2 executives with South Jersey security firm charged with stealing millions through embezzlement and bank fraud

Robert Moran — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 22:48:05 +0000

The founder of a security company in South Jersey has been charged in connection with embezzling $3 million from his business and causing a $9 million loss for a bank, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier announced Monday.

Robert Cormier, 51, of Barrington, was arraigned on July 20 in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal. He was charged in an indictment filed July 8 with embezzlement by bank agent, bank fraud, money laundering, income tax evasion, and failing to collect and pay over payroll taxes.

Cormier was still in federal custody on Monday, according to court records. A federal defender representing Cormier could not be reached for comment.

A second man, Richard Eisler, 38, of Clementon, who was the deputy director for the security company, was charged in a separate indictment for his alleged role in embezzling over $2 million from the business.

Eisler was charged with embezzlement by bank agent, money laundering, income tax evasion, and witness tampering. Eisler was arraigned on Friday in Camden federal court before Magistrate Judge Pascal and pleaded not guilty, court records show. Eisler was released on $100,000 unsecured bail.

The lawyer representing Eisler could not be reached for comment Monday.

In 2017, Cormier started Erigere Rapidus Solutions, Inc. (ERS), a security services business based in Westville, prosecutors said.

According to several organizations that promoted him as a public speaker with a law enforcement background, Cormier is a retired U.S. Border Patrol agent. The Latin phrase “erigere rapidus” is the motto for a special operations group in the Border Patrol, an agency official posted on social media last year. Various translations say the Latin means “stand ready” or “rapid deployment” or something similar.

On Monday, it was unclear if Erigere Rapidus Solutions was still operating as a business. The domain name used for the company’s website was available for sale.

In late 2019, ERS entered into an agreement with a local bank to collect, count, transport, store, and deposit cash, prosecutors said.

ERS employees, including Eisler, were responsible for picking up cash from various customers of the bank, counting and storing the cash, and providing daily reports about the cash to the bank.

On a daily basis, ERS stored varying amounts of cash in its vault ranging from $1 million to $12 million, prosecutors said.

The bank ended its relationship with ERS after determining that more than $8 million was missing from the vault, prosecutors said.

Starting in 2020 until 2022, Cormier allegedly stole at least $3 million in cash out of the vault, prosecutors said.

Cormier, who was the company’s chief operating officer, allegedly used the embezzled funds to cover business-related costs and to pay personal expenses for himself and his family members, including the installation of a deck and a pool, and household renovations, prosecutors said.

He allegedly failed to report the extra income to the Internal Revenue Service and did not collect and pay over payroll taxes for employees of ERS.

From 2020 until late 2021, Eisler allegedly stole at least $2 million from the vault, prosecutors said.

Eisler allegedly used the embezzled funds to pay personal expenses for himself and his family members, including the purchase of a Porsche 911, two Audis, two trucks, and a recreational vehicle, prosecutors said.

He also allegedly used the money to pay for wedding rings, a wedding reception, a roof for his residence, and to pay off an automobile loan, prosecutors said. Eisler allegedly failed to report the income to the IRS.

Prosecutors also allege that Eisler attempted to obstruct the investigation by attempting to persuade a witness to lie to federal agents.

New CEO of Philadelphia steel company dies suddenly

Joseph DiStefano — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:32:31 +0000

Brian J. Malloy, chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based Carpenter Technology Corp., died “suddenly and unexpectedly” Friday, July 24, three weeks after he was promoted to run the company, which employs 4,500, Carpenter said in a statement. He was 59.

Malloy made “significant contributions” to the growth of Carpenter, a 137-year-old, $3 billion-a-year company that makes stainless-steel alloys for aerospace, medical, military, and industrial uses at its plants in Berks County, Western Pennsylvania, and Alabama.

“We are deeply saddened at Brian’s passing,” the company said.

Tony Thene, Malloy’s predecessor as CEO and executive chairman, has stepped back in to replace Malloy.

Malloy had been scheduled to report recent results to Carpenter’s investors and discuss its prospects in a conference call Thursday. The call will go ahead on schedule. Shares fell about 4% to around $580 in trading Monday on word of the new CEO’s death.

The stock had been trading over $600, its highest ever, for the past month, on the expectation that Carpenter would profit on higher U.S. military spending and new space orders.

Malloy studied engineering at Virginia Tech and held an MBA from the College of William and Mary, as well as certifications in AI from Northwestern University and digital transformation from MIT. He is listed on five patents.

He joined Carpenter in 2015, heading a unit that includes titanium products and powdered metals. In 2023, he was named chief operating officer before succeeding Thene as CEO when Thene retired earlier this month.

Before joining Carpenter, Malloy was an executive at Berwyn-based Ametek and for Alcoa.

Carpenter moved its headquarters to Philadelphia from Spring Township near Reading, the year after Malloy joined the company, one of several upstate Pennsylvania companies that moved to Philadelphia in hopes of attracting management and technical talent.

LeBron James’ maddening process was everything the Sixers needed

David Murphy — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

LeBron James chose the Sixers the only way he could.

By letting everyone think there was no way he would.

It all makes a little more sense now, doesn’t it? The weeks of deliberations, the radio silence, the professions of ignorance from those close to James, the cryptic dispatches from the Man Behind the (Recording Studio) Curtain. For nearly a month, the world watched and waited and speculated amid a maddening self-muzzling interrupted only by the occasional communication via proxy. What we knew came almost entirely from a handful of podcast episodes where Rich Paul sounded more like a bystander than James’ agent and confidant.

Eyes were rolled. Deep breaths were sighed. Every lapsed news cycle was another shell in the stockpile of the critics and skeptics and purists who prefer brands of basketball to basketball brands. James’ most hostile audience has always been those who would rather live in a world where the Greatest of All Time is not first and foremost a business, man. But let’s give them their due. Even someone who is unbothered by the primacy of the 1099 in sports could have found their patience tested by James’ monthlong melodrama.

LeBron James explained why he picked the Sixers. Here are four other factors that may have helped.

In hindsight, James’ actions seem perfectly reasonable. This wasn’t attention-seeking behavior. It was the private torment of a man who was about to choose, via his own free will, to move from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.

But it is deeper than that. Everybody involved needed it to go down this way. The significance of James’ signing with the Sixers is that he had every reason not to. He had other options, all of which had won championships within the last decade-and-a-half. They had superstars, some of the greatest to ever play the game: Steph Curry, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden.

They had stronger personal ties, more spotlight appeal. They had the tech scene, the outdoors, the party scene. James said he was looking for basketball bliss. Which means there is a lot of political capital in the fact that he chose the Sixers. The basketball is all they had to offer.

It’s perfectly valid to question whether James at 42 years old will create the on-court impact worthy of the hoopla surrounding his decision. There are plenty of scenarios where the sum of the parts exceeds the whole. That’s true even before you factor in age and injury. In James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid, the Sixers have three players who are accustomed to having the loudest voice in the room. In Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, they have two young players who have been plagued by bouts of deference when sharing the court with more established veterans.

Yet, therein lies the significance of James’ deliberate evaluation of his options. The great general Charles de Gaulle once said that silence is the ultimate weapon of power. For weeks, everyone wondered what he would decide, and why. They thus imbued his ultimate decision and explanation with a tremendous amount of power. It meant something when James finally picked Maxey, and Edgecombe, and Brown, and, yes, Embiid. Everybody assumed James wouldn’t pick the Sixers because they were the Sixers. But he did pick them, which automatically makes them something nobody thought they were before.

Intentional or not, James’ decision-making process has empowered both his new organization and his new teammates before he has even arrived.

How LeBron’s career led him to the Sixers — and how he performed at each stop along the way

You probably saw the social media video Maxey released in the wake of James’ signing. It was just a few seconds of him yelling spastically. You have to think that there was a little bit of that going on inside Brown and Embiid as well. At various points over the last few years, both players have allowed their veils to slip from their insecurities. Brown, passed over for the Olympic team after winning NBA Finals MVP, second fiddle to Jayson Tatum, inefficient, overpaid, not a real superstar.

Embiid, injured, maybe finished, soft, selfish, supplanted by Maxey and Edgecombe as the heart and soul of a franchise. Who knows how those insecurities would have played in a power vacuum like that which could have existed without an unquestioned adult in the room. Insecurity is mostly thirst for validation. To be good enough for the best is a heck of a quench.

Philly reacts to LeBron James signing with the Sixers

Part of me wonders whether LeBron’s real attraction to the Sixers is an opportunity to lead. Not that he hasn’t always led, in both spirit and example. But the Sixers offer him a unique opportunity.

More than any of the teams that pursued him this offseason, maybe even more than any team he has been on to this point, the Sixers were a team that genuinely needed exactly a player and a person like James is right now. It will be fascinating to see how the whole thing will look on the court, and what part James will play. Don’t be surprised if his biggest impact has already been made.

FanDuel and DraftKings seek dismissal of lawsuit at the center of Bryce Harper video controversy

David Gambacorta — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

FanDuel and DraftKings have each asked a Philadelphia judge to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses the companies of profiting from practices that two bettors say caused them to develop gambling addictions.

The sportsbook operators, as well as the National Football League and the data company Genius Sports, were sued in March by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute on behalf of Terry Thompson and Christopher Sage, men from the Philadelphia suburbs who allege that they compulsively placed in-game microbets through FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ apps and were enticed to continue gambling by rewards that VIP managers offered, even after they displayed signs of addiction.

But attorneys for FanDuel and DraftKings argue that the lawsuit — which claims that the companies violated Pennsylvania’s consumer protection law, and were negligent in protecting Thompson and Sage from harm — is inherently flawed, according to preliminary objections that were filed July 15 in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia.

“Courts around the country, including courts that sit in this Commonwealth, have held that there is no duty of care to protect customers from their own lawful wagering, even where such wagering is alleged to be compulsive,” wrote attorney Erin L. Leffler, who represents FanDuel.

Thompson, of Montgomery County, placed his first bet with FanDuel in 2020 and went on to lose nearly $1.8 million, his lawsuit alleges. He planned to die by suicide earlier this year rather than confess the scope of his losses to his family, the lawsuit says.

Sage, of Delaware County, began wagering with DraftKings in 2019 and eventually lost about $175,000. To fund his gambling, he alleges, he stopped making payments on his mortgage and truck, and borrowed money from loan sharks.

Lawyers for FanDuel and DraftKings wrote that Thompson and Sage knew about their addictions for longer than the state’s two-year statute of limitations for product liability lawsuits.

Yet the sportsbooks contend that they should not even face product liability claims, because they do not sell an actual product but instead offer customers a free online app.

The Public Health Advocacy Institute declined to comment Monday.

The lawsuit attracted national attention following a July 9 Inquirer report that revealed Bryttanni Morgan, a FanDuel VIP manager, had sent a personalized video of Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper to Thompson in November 2024. (Morgan, who is named in the lawsuit, was also a VIP manager for Sage.)

Harper later wrote on Instagram that he had recorded the message through the paid video service Cameo but had not known that FanDuel intended to use it as a reward for a VIP gambler who had an addiction.

The Phillies star is not named in the lawsuit. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board — which regulates casinos, online gambling, and sports wagering — has said it is reviewing the Harper video.

FanDuel and DraftKings, in their preliminary objections, suggested that Common Pleas Court Judge Gwendolyn N. Bright could pause the case to allow the gaming control board to evaluate elements of the case that fall under its regulatory purview, like in-game microbets.

The board has not yet reviewed the court records, a spokesperson, Doug Harbach, wrote in an email Monday.

“With that said, the PGCB’s role as the regulator of gaming in the Commonwealth is, first, to make sure that all persons and entities licensed by us to engage in that activity have and maintain suitability through a showing of ongoing good character, honesty and integrity,” he said.

One of the defendants, London-based Genius Sports, licenses official statistics and data from the NFL, the NCAA, and other leagues, and supplies that information to betting markets. The company also earns commissions on gamblers’ microbets, Thompson’s and Sage’s attorneys have alleged, a revenue stream that reached more than $125 million in 2025.

In addition to licensing its data to Genius Sports, the NFL has also owned as much as 8.7% of the publicly traded company’s stock, making it Genius Sports’ largest shareholder.

Genius Sports and the NFL are also seeking to have Thompson’s and Sage’s lawsuit dismissed.

Attorneys for Genius Sports wrote that the company is “merely an upstream data supplier” and has no control over sportsbook apps.

The NFL argued that the court has no jurisdiction over the league, which had no “relevant contact of any kind” with the plaintiffs.

Other possible resolutions

In a separate court filing, FanDuel’s attorneys argued there is a more proper path to resolving the case.

“This dispute belongs in arbitration, not in court,” the lawyers wrote.

After creating accounts with FanDuel, Thompson and Sage each agreed to the company’s terms and conditions, which require customers to resolve complaints through mandatory, multistep arbitration.

“The arbitration agreement was not hidden in the terms,” reads part of the response to the lawsuit. “It was prominently disclosed at the outset.”

FanDuel successfully argued for arbitration earlier this year in the Southern District of New York, where a former Jacksonville Jaguars executive, Amit Patel, sued the sportsbook operator for $250 million, claiming it worsened his gambling addiction, according to a report in Sportico, a sports business web site.

Patel was sentenced in 2024 to more than six years in federal prison for embezzling more than $22 million from the Jaguars. He used some of the money to place online wagers.

FanDuel later agreed to pay $5 million to the NFL, in “the interest of being a good partner with the league,” ESPN reported.

The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you or someone you know would like to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com or wbender@inquirer.com

The Eagles enter training camp with a number of intriguing storylines. We ranked their importance.

Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Ryan Novozinsky — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

The Eagles report to training camp on Tuesday, with their first practice set for the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Wednesday. In advance of that event, reporters Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg and Ryan Novozinsky identified 11 storylines that will be worth tracking in the coming weeks — then ranked them in order of priority.

11. Kicker Jake Elliott’s progress after a shaky 2025.

The two-time Super Bowl champion struggled at times last season, going 20-for-27 on field goals and 4-for-8 from 50-plus yards. Over the past two seasons, Elliott is 5-for-15 from 50-plus yards out, which is dead last in the NFL among the 35 kickers with at least five attempts.

The Eagles showed faith in their longtime kicker when they restructured his contract in March, but if he doesn’t return to form, he might find his way off the roster sometime soon. A rock-solid training camp showing should ease any concerns the organization may have in the 31-year-old. It’s on Elliott to prove he’s still got it. — Novozinsky

10. How the reps will be divided within an altered edge rusher rotation.

Out is Jaelan Phillips, in is Jonathan Greenard. That’s the big change at the top of the depth chart, and the only two returning edge rushers in the rotation are Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. Two from that trio will be on the field most of the time for the Eagles, and Hunt may continue to see a higher workload than Smith. But beyond them, the position is an interesting one to watch in camp.

Eagles training camp starts this week. Here’s a reset of everything you might have missed this offseason.

Arnold Ebiketie is the clear No. 4 as camp begins based on his one-year deal worth more than $7 million. But he’ll face some competition for snaps from players looking to make an impression and claim a spot on the 53-man roster. A.J. Epenesa wants to prove he still has more in the tank. Keyshawn James-Newby, the rookie seventh-round pick, wants to show that he has the skill set to make up for his lack of size. Jose Ramirez is still fighting to stay in the NFL.

The top trio is going to eat up the first-team reps, and Ebiketie likely will get some looks there, too, but how the Eagles divvy up reps among the unit will be something to monitor as camp gets rolling.

Plus … will Brandon Graham’s return be necessary? — Neiburg

9. The impact of new faces — and altered duties — in the secondary.

Vic Fangio’s defense doesn’t have many holes. It may not end up having any holes. It’s a defense with stars at every level, at every position. Still, it’s the defensive back group that will be the most fascinating thing to watch on Fangio’s side of the ball during camp.

Quinyon Mitchell, an All-Pro last year, is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Riq Woolen, who signed a one-year deal with $12 million guaranteed, has flashed potential and was one of the standouts of the offseason program. Cooper DeJean, meanwhile, is an All-Pro nickel. But the Eagles plan to use DeJean at safety in their base defense next to second-year safety Andrew Mukuba, and the battle for the second safety spot may be one of the most exciting of the summer.

Nick Sirianni’s ability to adapt again will be put to the test in year six with the Eagles

The Eagles are only in base about 20% to 25% of the time, which means the safety not named DeJean is going to be on the field pretty often. Right now, that spot is Marcus Epps’ to lose. But Epps is 30, has dealt with injuries, and wasn’t a starter last year until the Eagles needed him after Mukuba went down. Will Michael Carter II take to a position change from nickel and push Epps? Can veteran J.T. Gray, a career special teamer, finally have a breakthrough? Will Andre’ Sam show all that he’s learned in Fangio’s defense the last few seasons? Will rookie Cole Wisniewski go from seventh-round pick to a key role? Undrafted free agents Kapena Gushiken and Maximus Pulley want their names in the mix, too.

All of this is without mentioning the battle that will take place for the depth-chart spots at corner behind the top three. Veteran Jonathan Jones may be a lock for a spot, and Kelee Ringo has the special teams chops to claim a job. What does that mean for Mac McWilliams and Jakorian Bennett? Time will tell. — Neiburg

8. The impact of the Eagles’ top three 2026 draft picks.

Our first look at the top three draft picks was a bit incomplete during the offseason program. Wide receiver Makai Lemon was held off the field for minicamp with a hamstring injury. Tight end Eli Stowers had a sleeve on his right leg at one point and didn’t go through the entirety of the workout. Then tackle Markel Bell missed the final workout of the spring with an undisclosed injury.

All three are expected to be at 100% when camp opens this week, which means all three will be under the microscope as the new-look offense takes shape.

Eagles newcomers ‘26: Can Makai Lemon be the next key weapon after A.J. Brown?

Their importance for the 2026 Eagles is ranked in draft order. Lemon will be expected to take on a pretty significant role in the offense as the Eagles begin life without A.J. Brown. Stowers, meanwhile, won’t have the same kind of pressure. Dallas Goedert is still in town, and Johnny Mundt was brought in to be a blocking specialist. But the Eagles have raved about Stowers’ athleticism and his ability to create mismatches. Will we see some of that in camp?

As for Bell, the tallest player on the roster (6-foot-9) got the first crack at filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs. Will he be the preferred swing tackle? Or is that job still Fred Johnson’s? — Neiburg

7. The QB depth chart, and how many the Eagles will keep at the position.

By the end of training camp, the Eagles will have to make a decision about how many quarterbacks they will keep on the initial 53-man roster.

Typically, that quantity would be three. A fourth quarterback would land on the practice squad. Last season, for example, Tanner McKee and Sam Howell filled out the active-roster depth behind Jalen Hurts, while Kyle McCord signed to the practice squad.

Eagles newcomers ’26: Cole Payton could bring interesting new dimension to quarterback room

This year could be different. McKee, 38-year-old Andy Dalton, and fifth-round rookie Cole Payton round out the depth behind Hurts. It seems unlikely that the Eagles would cut Payton, given he was a fifth-round pick. Could the Eagles opt to move McKee or Dalton ahead of the regular season? Or, could they see the value in carrying all four quarterbacks on the initial 53, at least to start the season?

The Eagles also must choose a primary backup to Hurts by Week 1. McKee held that role last season. The Eagles acquired Dalton from the Carolina Panthers this offseason, seemingly identifying their QB3, but the 15-year NFL veteran split second-string reps with McKee during the offseason program. Dalton didn’t exactly separate himself from McKee in a very early, limited window during OTAs and minicamp. Still, the competition between the two depth quarterbacks could continue in training camp. — Reiner

6. Jalen Carter’s health, and his contract.

Answers about Carter’s health and the status of a prospective contract extension could be straightforward. Carter, 25, dealt with shoulder injuries last season and missed time as he recovered from procedures. In late May, Fangio said Carter’s shoulders are “fine,” adding that “he’s in a better spot now than he was [last season].” If that is still the case two months later, then there shouldn’t be much concern about Carter’s ability to fully participate in camp.

Carter did not participate in team drills during the Eagles’ two-day mandatory minicamp in June, however. Was his lack of participation injury-related, or was it something of a hold-in, given Carter is eligible for a contract extension? Nick Sirianni declined to offer an explanation during mandatory minicamp.

After the Eagles picked up Carter’s fifth-year option this offseason, he has two years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles could theoretically tag him, too, when the time comes to keep him under contract for a third. It isn’t necessarily imperative that the Eagles sign Carter to a new deal before the season.

Who might threaten the Eagles’ NFC East three-peat? We assessed the state of the division.

But GM Howie Roseman is typically proactive about extending key players. He has also said he prefers not to do new deals during the season. Time is of the essence, as Carter will likely reset the defensive tackle market when he signs his next contract. (Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons leads interior defensive linemen at $35.3 million per year.)

Why has Roseman waited to extend Carter? He likely has his rationale, but he tends not to comment on ongoing or upcoming contract negotiations.

If Carter is on the field Wednesday fully participating in all drills, then there might not be anything to see here. Perhaps the Eagles want to see another year from Carter before they make a long-term commitment, even if his market value increases in the meantime. If he’s missing or sitting out, bigger questions could arise, either about Carter’s health or the status of his future in Philadelphia. — Reiner

5. The health of Lane Johnson and other veterans coming off injuries.

Is there a bigger storyline in camp than the health of the offensive line? Sure, you may counter and say duh, it’s the Sean Mannion offense, dummy! But I would counter by saying none of it matters if Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson aren’t healthy. Heck, Kevin Patullo might still be the coordinator if the line was healthy, because one would assume that the Eagles, with a sturdier line, would have been able to run the ball a lot better, which means they would have faced a lot fewer third-and-long situations, and so on.

Johnson is coming off a season-ending foot injury. Jurgens and Dickerson, meanwhile, flew to Colombia separately this offseason to get stem cell therapy treatment to manage pain. Jurgens has had back issues. Dickerson has had many lower-body ailments. How the three of them look during the early stages of camp will be informative.

Eagles newcomers ‘26: Can journeyman guard Michael Jordan offer Birds an upgrade in the trenches?

Then there are others, like Mukuba, who fractured a fibula and had his rookie season stopped early. Jalen Carter got injections in his shoulders to help him finish out the rest of the 2025 season. Nolan Smith aggravated his triceps injury and was limited to 12 games. Jihaad Campbell spent some time this offseason recovering from a shoulder injury. And Greenard, the major acquisition of the offseason, had his 2025 season ended early due to a shoulder injury.

All eyes will be on the offensive line, but there are some other Eagles worth monitoring as the training camp workload dials up. — Neiburg

4. The work of Saquon Barkley and the running game in Year 1 A.S. (after Stoutland).

The Eagles have a new offensive line coach, Chris Kuper, for the first time in 16 years. Jeff Stoutland’s departure, along with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator in Mannion, is going to have massive ripple effects across the organization — especially in the run game. Barkley, who took a step back last season after a historic 2024, is at the center of these changes.

Mannion’s new playbook implements a wide zone scheme with concepts that look similar to the schemes of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Wide zone blocking concepts will stretch opposing defenses horizontally. On paper, Barkley should thrive in a system like this. The onus is on the offensive line to stay healthy and execute the new blocking style properly. If Kuper lives up to the hype — and the early reviews have been positive — the latter point shouldn’t be a concern at all. — Novozinsky

3. The post-A.J. Brown pass-catching situation.

Roseman spent the offseason bolstering the Eagles’ receiving corps ahead of Brown’s trade to the New England Patriots in June. He drafted Makai Lemon in the first round out of USC, acquired and extended Dontayvion Wicks, and added Hollywood Brown in free agency.

No single player will replace Brown’s precise role and responsibilities on the team, which will feature a revamped offensive scheme under first-time play-caller Mannion. DeVonta Smith is poised to become WR1, but he and Brown possess different body types, skill sets, and strengths. Compensating for the loss of Brown will ultimately be a group effort.

Eagles newcomers ’26: How will wideout Dontayvion Wicks fit into Sean Mannion’s offense?

But how will the targets break down among Eagles receivers during the season? Training camp will offer a peek into the pecking order among Smith, Lemon, Wicks, Brown, and some of the bubble receivers including Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, and Darius Cooper. Tight ends Dallas Goedert and second-rounder Eli Stowers and running back Saquon Barkley will factor into the passing game, too. The next couple of months will also offer more insight into how each of those players will be utilized within the scheme. — Reiner

2. The Sean Mannion offense.

The Eagles should be the most prepared team in the league when it comes to transitioning to a new offense. That’s because the Birds have had six offensive coordinators in the past seven seasons.

But the addition of Mannion feels different — and for good reason. The Eagles brought him in to overhaul an offense that often failed to ignite under Kevin Patullo. Mannion, a disciple of the McVay/Matt LaFleur coaching tree, is hoping to modernize their play-calling with the implementation of outside zone and far more motion.

How is the install going so far? According to tackle Jordan Mailata, it’s “very easy to follow along, but hard to remember, just because there’s so much to setting up the plays.” There are going to be growing pains — especially during training camp — but if Mannion’s offense works the way it should, the Eagles’ 2026 ceiling becomes limitless. — Novozinsky

1. Jalen Hurts.

Was there an NFL player under a bigger microscope than Hurts this offseason? Between the ESPN report that detailed friction concerning Hurts, the A.J. Brown saga, the constant debates over his standing among NFL quarterbacks, Hurts dominated headlines all offseason.

So can he block out that noise and silence his doubters with a strong camp? It’d be easy to say “yes” and just move on, but the reality is that Hurts is at a crossroads. He’s learning another new offense and it’s drastically different from the last one he ran. His new OC gushed about him in his first news conference, but can that honeymoon phase survive a weak training camp/slow start to the season? That’s not to mention the fact that Hurts has a handful of unproven new weapons trying to replace a No. 1 wide receiver in Brown.

How Hurts deals with these hurdles is easily the most intriguing camp storyline. His future in Philadelphia will be in question all season. He can quell some of that noise with a decent July and August. — Novozinsky

Second octogenarian in modern US history faces lethal injection as Florida set to execute 2 in a day

DAVID FISCHER — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:07:17 +0000

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is set to become the first state in nearly a decade to carry out two executions in a single day, planning lethal injections Tuesday for an ex-police officer convicted of a young girl's murder and an octogenarian who would be the second-oldest inmate put to death in modern U.S. history.

The planned injections come 18 months after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis began stepping up executions at a rate unseen in modern times in Florida. DeSantis hasn't said why he scheduled two executions six hours apart, and Florida prison officials haven't said whether the timing creates any logistical challenges for staff.

James Aren Duckett, 68, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at noon at Florida State Prison near Starke, followed later that day by 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone, who also would become the oldest prisoner executed in Florida's modern history.

Duckett was convicted of raping and drowning an 11-year-old girl while working as a police officer in a small central Florida city in 1987, and Occhicone was convicted of the 1986 killings of his ex-girlfriend’s parents.

Duckett and Occhicone would become Florida’s 11th and 12th inmates to be executed this year if their sentences are carried out.

The Florida Supreme Court denied appeals for both men last week. Duckett’s attorneys had asked for another stay, claiming that Duckett is innocent and that the state’s handling of the DNA evidence is the reason for the inconclusive results. Occhicone’s attorneys argued that several age-related ailments, including kidney and prostate problems, could make his execution especially painful, constituting cruel and unusual punishment.

Both men still had appeals pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Record numbers for governor's final two years

DeSantis, who leaves office in January, oversaw a record 19 executions in 2025, more in a single year than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in the U.S. in 1976. The previous high was eight executions set in 2014.

If Tuesday’s executions proceed, that would bring the total for DeSantis’ final two years in office up to 31 overall, compared to just nine executions during the first six years of his administration. With another execution already set for August, 2026 could also be a record-breaking year.

DeSantis initially signed a death warrant for Duckett in February, setting a March 31 execution date. But the Florida Supreme Court issued a stay just days ahead of that date to allow for DNA testing of old evidence that couldn’t be performed at the time of the original trial because of technological limitations. The results came back inconclusive, meaning they did not exonerate Duckett or definitively connect him to the crime. Judges have allowed the jury verdict to stand.

When Occhicone's death warrant was signed late last month, his was the only execution scheduled for Tuesday. But after the Florida Supreme Court removed Duckett's stay on July 8, DeSantis signed a new death warrant soon after and added Duckett to Occhicone's execution date, which hadn't been done in Florida in more than 60 years. Florida Department of Corrections records show multiple executions on a single day were more common in the past, with the last being on May 12, 1964.

Nationwide, it's not uncommon for two different states to hold executions on the same date, but it's less common for a single state to perform two. Before Florida, the most recent U.S. state to execute two inmates on the same day was Arkansas in April 2017. And Texas executed two convicted killers on the same day in 2000, the year it put to death 40 prisoners.

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty has urged DeSantis to halt both executions.

“July 28 represents an unprecedented escalation of Florida’s use of the death penalty,” the group’s executive director, Grace Hanna, said in a statement. “These are two profoundly different cases, but they point to the same troubling reality: Florida continues to expand the use of capital punishment, despite mounting evidence that it is not what Floridians want.”

Decades on Death Row

The governor's office has rarely commented on executions over the past 18 months. DeSantis has previously said his goal is to bring justice to victims’ families who have waited decades for death sentences to be carried out.

“Some of these crimes were committed in the ’80s,” the governor said at a November 2025 news conference. “Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly. If I honestly thought someone was innocent, I would not pull the trigger.”

Occhicone would become Florida's oldest inmate to be executed, just weeks after two 74-year-old men briefly held that spot, the second man just a week older than the first at his time of death. Recent executions have highlighted the nation's aging death-row population and renewed questions about the humanity of administering capital punishment to inmates who might die soon from natural causes.

Occhicone also would become the second-oldest prisoner known to be executed in modern U.S. history after 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr. in Alabama in 2018. Moody was condemned for a wave of mail bombs in 1989 that killed a federal judge and wounded a Black civil rights attorney.

Florida executions are all by injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

AP Top U.S. News at 6:07 a.m. EDT

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:07:27 +0000

A shootout that killed 3 at a food festival near Seattle's Space Needle may have been gang-related

Wisconsin tornado causes extensive damage and cuts power to thousands of homes

Second octogenarian in modern US history faces lethal injection as Florida set to execute 2 in a day

ICE extends no-bid contract for major detention center in Texas, rejecting calls for closure

Federal survey shows promising trends for youth mental health and drug use

Artist Betye Saar, whose work reflects Black identity, dies at 99

Savannah Guthrie makes an emotional plea to her mother's kidnappers

Lindsay Clancy goes on trial over whether postpartum psychosis drove her to kill her 3 children

Georgia teen pleads guilty to gun charge for running onto Capitol grounds with loaded shotgun

Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

She fought to bring the man she loves home from prison after a landmark court ruling. But lawmakers’ inaction has left her in limbo.

Jillian Kramer — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

The phone rang at lunchtime, the way it did every day. Carisia Magobet answered within seconds.

An automated voice spoke first: This call is from a Pennsylvania state correctional institution.

Then his.

“May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you, my love,” Matthew Garcia said in Arabic.

They had only 15 minutes, and for once, Magobet did not spend the first of them on small talk. There was no good way to tell him what she knew: State lawmakers had gone home the night before without taking the vote that the couple had hoped would bring him home.

Garcia was 18 in 1998 when he and four friends set out to rob a Hunting Park bar. He said he was the lookout and did not have a gun.

One of the teens pointed a sawed-off shotgun at a bartender and demanded cash. A retired Philadelphia police officer, Frank King, was inside the bar and grabbed for the gun. Another teen shot him with a pistol. King died on the floor.

By that time, Garcia said, he had already run.

It didn’t matter.

All five were convicted of second-degree murder — a killing committed during a felony, no matter who pulled the trigger — and sentenced to the only punishment Pennsylvania law allowed: life without the possibility of parole.

Magobet, who had known Garcia since they were kids in Hunting Park, was in the courtroom on June 21, 2000, the day he was sentenced. For decades, they did not see each other again.

Then, about two years ago, she found Garcia’s Facebook account, where he shared his writing and his work inside State Correctional Institution-Chester, the prison he called home. She reached out.

Garcia told her about a case before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that could mean freedom for people serving life sentences in cases like his.

Derek Lee, a Pittsburgh man sentenced to life in prison for his role in a fatal robbery in which a coconspirator fired the fatal shot, had challenged the mandatory punishment as unconstitutional, saying it failed to account for individual culpability.

In March — six months after Magobet and Garcia wed in a prison visiting room — the high court struck down mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder.

It gave lawmakers until July 24 to write new sentencing guidelines for future cases and determine how, or whether, the ruling would apply to the roughly 1,100 Pennsylvanians already serving that sentence.

On Friday, the deadline arrived, but a resolution did not. On July 12, the legislature had adjourned without voting on a fix. And fresh efforts last week failed to produce a bill that Democrats and Republicans could agree on.

The stalemate places in limbo everything Magobet, 40, and Garcia, 45, have spent the last two years assembling in anticipation of a freedom both yearn for but neither can control.

Building together

She loved him first.

Magobet was 13 when Garcia’s sister got married and they were both in the wedding party. He was supposed to walk her down the aisle. But at the last minute, the pairs were swapped, and she walked with his brother instead. Magobet decided, quietly, that she was owed that walk one day.

She never told him. Not before his arrest, not for years after he went to prison. She found his social media accounts and saw what his life had become in prison.

He had earned college credits, started programs for young people, and launched a podcast to share his story.

In a prison foster-cat program, Garcia adopted a calico, named her Lil Mama, and fed her until the name stopped fitting. “It’s not Lil Mama now,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s Fat Mama.”

The orange-and-black foster fail appeared often in Instagram photos. In one, a full-bearded Garcia wrote: “Me and Lil Mama, patiently waiting on our moment.”

By then, Magobet had four children, a house, a dental office she managed by day, and a commercial cleaning business she ran at night. Yet she found herself thinking often about Garcia. Seeing him there — older, broader, smiling beside a chubby cat — made him less a memory and more real. She emailed him.

Not long after, she took over his social media accounts.

Together, they began building a growing audience for Garcia’s work, a network of supporters, and, eventually, a life that felt shared despite the prison walls that separated them.

She posted his poetry. She built a website explaining the Lee case and a guide to contacting lawmakers about sentencing reform. He wrote children’s books, including one about Lil Mama that Magobet’s 21-year-old daughter, a digital arts student, illustrated.

A chance for ‘FREEDOM’

Garcia proposed on Aug. 1, three months after they reconnected. But it didn’t feel fast to Magobet. She had been carrying that moment since the wedding party.

They wed on Aug. 23. She is still waiting on prison paperwork to make it legal. But to them, Magobet said, it’s official.

He calls at least four times each day — when his cell door opens at 7 a.m., at lunch, after his work shift at the prison’s reentry program, at night. Each call lasts 15 minutes, the maximum allowed under prison policy, plus six video calls and four in-person visits a month.

On a video call last month, the couple discussed Magobet’s plan to join other families, formerly incarcerated people, and advocates in Harrisburg to support legislation in response to the high court’s decision that would allow people like Garcia to seek parole after serving at least 25 years. Not guaranteed release, but a chance to make their case.

She told him about a poster she had printed to bring, with a photo of him holding Lil Mama and “FREEDOM” written in all capital letters. She had ordered a custom T-shirt, too, but it had not arrived yet.

“Will it come in time for Monday” for the trip to the Capitol? Garcia asked.

The call cut out before she could answer.

‘Do your job and legislate’

Magobet wore the T-shirt to Harrisburg two days later.

Beneath the Capitol rotunda, Magobet met Saleem Holbrook, the executive director of the Abolitionist Law Center, which represented Lee before the Supreme Court. He told Magobet he knew Garcia from their years in prison together.

“If there’s a person who’s earned being able to come home,” he said, “it’s Matt.”

In State Rep. Nikki Rivera’s office, Magobet read a speech from her phone. Her voice broke only once, when she told Rivera (D., Lancaster) that Garcia was her husband.

In the lobby of House Majority Leader Matt Bradford’s office, Magobet joined several others in a chant — “the time is getting late, do your job and legislate!” — that prompted the Montgomery County Democrat’s chief of staff to take Magobet and another person back to her office. The staffer had listened, Magobet said, promised nothing, and blamed the other side.

But Lil Mama made her laugh.

“The cat gets everyone,” Magobet said afterward. “We gotta get Lil Mama T-shirts for next time.”

Holding onto hope

Five weeks later, there was no next time to plan for.

Magobet learned that lawmakers adjourned July 12 without voting on the Democratic-sponsored measure she had supported, or the stricter Republican proposal.

She told Garcia on a phone call, and before the 15 minutes were up, he told her he couldn’t keep talking. It was the first time he had ever done that, she said.

A new measure, introduced by Democrats in an emergency session last week, did not earn a vote in the Senate.

The Supreme Court’s 120-day stay on new sentencings in second-degree murder cases expired on Friday, and judges can again hand out life sentences to people convicted of second-degree murder, but only in limited circumstances. But without a new law, there are no mandatory minimums or clear guidelines.

On Thursday, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office asked the high court to extend its stay until September, when lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol. As of Friday, the court had not ruled on the request.

In the meantime, the next chapter will likely unfold in the courts for the more than 1,000 people already serving mandatory life sentences.

Bret Grote, an attorney with the Abolitionist Law Center who represented Lee in the Supreme Court case, said the high court has been asked in a separate case to determine whether the ruling applies retroactively.

He called the situation “a constitutional crisis.” But even under the most optimistic timeline, he said, a resolution could take years.

In the meantime, attorneys expect a wave of challenges from incarcerated people seeking relief. More than half of those serving the sentences are from Philadelphia.

Garcia said he will meet with his attorney to determine his next steps.

Magobet said she is holding on to hope — for the smaller things.

Walks together.

Coffee he brewed waiting for her in the morning.

Afternoons at a pool. (Garcia has not been in water deeper than a shower in nearly three decades.)

For months they talked about those plans as though they were approaching.

Now they wait. Again.

Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

ANDREW DALTON — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:03:19 +0000

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence to put D4vd on trial in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who authorities said had threatened to expose their relationship and crater the indie-pop singer's rising career just a few days before his debut album dropped.

“i will end ur career and ur life,” she told him in a text message sent the night before her death.

Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided that evidence presented during a preliminary hearing provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

The dark and disturbing details presented over five days brought tears, gasps and horror to the courtroom. The evidence included grisly autopsy photos, explicit descriptions and depictions of sexual abuse and a stark picture of the final texts she sent minutes before she died and her phone went permanently silent.

The ruling was a major step in the 10-month investigation and prosecution of D4vd that began when the dismembered and decomposing body of a girl was found in the trunk of his Tesla in the Hollywood Hills in September while he was on tour.

D4vd shows no emotion as decision is read, and now heads to trial

D4vd, the 21-year-old whose legal name is David Burke, showed no emotion when the judge issued her ruling, watching calmly and intently in his orange jail clothes and glasses as he had throughout the proceedings.

He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers argued that the murder evidence was insufficient, but did not argue against the other two charges. They declined to comment outside court.

Prosecutors argued that the evidence was overwhelming.

“Based on the mountains of evidence presented,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, “all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required.”

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court that prosecutors presented only a “small fraction” of the evidence they have. They are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty, but Burke is eligible for it after Olmedo also found probable cause for lying in wait, killing for financial gain and killing a potential witness, special circumstances in a crime that allow for a death sentence.

Olmedo ordered that Burke continue to be held without bail. An arraignment is to be held on Aug. 31, and a trial could happen as soon as 60 days later.

The last night of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

Before the decision, prosecutors gave a moment-by-moment account of Rivas Hernandez's last night.

As she neared his Hollywood home shortly after 10 p.m. on April 23, 2025, in an Uber he had sent to pick her up, she sent her final text: “girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.”

Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed her to death when she came through the door.

The night before, the two argued via text about his relationship with a woman. She sent him an angry and profanity-riddled text saying she will tell her dad so many lies about him and that she would “end ur career and ur life.” She had sent several similar messages around the same time.

Prosecutors said that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. A year before her death, the pair also exchanged messages about how she had become pregnant — she assured him the baby was his — and that she had an abortion.

During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors introduced photos of the two of them kissing and lying in bed. The pictures showed that she had “David” tattooed in red ink on a finger — one of two that had been cut off when her body was found.

Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke ordered chain saws and wading pools that he used to dismember her body in his garage, and that her DNA was found there on blood stains.

They said he then drove around for weeks and even months with the body in his trunk before the seemingly abandoned Tesla was towed from the Hollywood Hills.

Defense argues there's insufficient evidence for murder

The defense argued that the evidence didn't show the kind of malice that was required for murder.

“There’s no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez,” said Burke's attorney, Marilyn Bednarski.

She said the communications between Burke and Rivas Hernandez showed “no threat, no evidence of a history of violence” and that he had “the opposite of homicidal malice” toward her.

She argued that a medical examiner ruling that her death was a homicide from two puncture wounds was too vague and inconclusive to be evidence of murder. The defense did not directly give an alternative theory on how she died and isn't required to.

The defense also established that she had asked seven times to come to see him in the days before her death, and he reluctantly agreed only after she demanded it, and that she had threatened to kill Burke and to mutilate him.

Silverman told the judge that “the defense tried numerous times throughout these proceedings to dirty up the victim” despite her being a child.

Farrell, the detective, also said under defense questioning that the parents of both Burke and Rivas Hernandez knew about their relationship, that he had attended church with members of her family and that her parents had given their consent for her to go to London with him for a week.

Patrick Steinfeld, an attorney for Rivas Hernandez’s family said after the hearing that they were “horrified that the defense attorneys brought up evidence to put the blame on a 14-year-old girl.”

Her parents sat in the front row through most of the hearing, but sat out some of the more graphic parts and left in the middle of the sexual testimony after her mother began crying.

D4vd's career was reaching new heights at time of killing

D4vd (pronounced "David") became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough "Romantic Homicide," have more than a billion plays.

In 2024 he played the Coachella music festival and released his first full-length album, “Withered,” two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.

She’s in limbo, he’s in prison | Morning Newsletter

Samantha Stewart — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:01:00 +0000

Good morning, Philly! You may want to break out the umbrellas again, since more storms are expected later today. ☔

Carisia Magobet fought for years to bring the man she loves home from the state prison in Chester after a landmark Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling made the idea seem possible. But lawmakers’ inaction has left her in limbo, and him still behind bars.

FanDuel, DraftKings, the NFL, and Genius Sports have asked a Philly judge to dismiss a lawsuit against them, which centers on two suburban men who allege that they developed addictions to in-game microbets.

Plus, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed his uncle is claiming self-defense, and more news of the day.

— Sam Stewart (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

‘Do your job and legislate’

Back in 1998, Matthew Garcia, who was 18 at the time, set out to rob a Hunting Park bar with four others. He was the getaway driver, and did not have a gun. The robbery quickly went awry, and a retired Philly police officer was shot and killed. Garcia says he had fled by the time the fatal shot was fired.

The five involved were convicted of second-degree murder — a killing committed during a felony, no matter who pulled the trigger — and sentenced to the only punishment Pennsylvania law allowed: life without the possibility of parole.

But in March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder. It gave lawmakers until July 24 to write new sentencing guidelines for future cases and determine how, or whether, the ruling would apply to the roughly 1,100 Pennsylvanians already serving that sentence. The deadline arrived, but a resolution did not.

Now, the love of Garcia’s life, Carisia Magobet, is left in limbo. Everything Magobet and Garcia have spent the last two years assembling in anticipation of Garcia’s freedom — which both yearn for but neither can control — is now on hold.

Seeking a lawsuit dismissal

Thompson and Sage are Philadelphia-area men who allege that they compulsively placed in-game microbets through FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ apps and were enticed to continue gambling by rewards that VIP managers offered, even after they displayed signs of addiction.

What you should know today

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed his uncle in Northampton County during the weekend contended he did so in self-defense, according to court documents. Kenroy Cummings, a two-year veteran of the force, shot the man six times in the head before fleeing police, documents say.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and other Democrats blasted President Donald Trump’s “conspiracy theories.” That message has not changed after New Jersey’s noncitizen voting revelation.
The French company under fire after Gov. Mikie Sherrill blamed it for allowing noncitizens to register to vote holds three multimillion-dollar contracts with the state of New Jersey.
Delaware County is launching a vaccine campaign as Pennsylvania’s measles cases reach its highest level in more than 30 years. The state has reported 142 measles cases so far this year.
Brian J. Malloy, chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based Carpenter Technology Corp., died “suddenly and unexpectedly” Friday, July 24, three weeks after he was promoted to run the company. He was 59.

Quote of the day

“Sue Me” singer and songwriter Audrey Hobert was recently asked during an onstage Q&A: “If you could haunt any place, just some place, for the rest of your life, what would you choose?”

Hobert couldn’t recall the name of the bar in the moment, but a blog post on her website detailing the backstory of “Silver Jubilee” explains that the song was inspired by a weekend she spent at Drinker’s Pub in Center City.

🧠 Trivia time

The Franklin Institute’s forthcoming exhibit will honor which iconic film franchise?

A) Star Wars

B) Marvel

C) Dune

D) Star Trek

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re ...

🍽️ Wanting to try: A forthcoming Italian-inspired tavern coming to Center City, from Royal Tavern chef Nic Macri.

🏡 Gushing over: A three-story Victorian house in Wyncote. The home has its original hardwood floors and two fireplaces, plus a garage.

📆 Planning: The best things to do in Philadelphia this weekend. From festivals to shows, there’s plenty to look forward to.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: One of Nicolas Cage’s most iconic films

SENATORIAL UNRATE

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to William West, who solved Monday’s anagram: LeBron James. Within days of James’ landmark deal with the 76ers, T-shirt hawkers outside stadiums and along the Jersey Shore were stocked up on unauthorized Sixers gear.

Photo of the day

🏀 One last thing... New reports say LeBron James will likely live in New York City while playing for the Sixers, and he wouldn’t be the first player to do it.

Have a good day, everyone! 👋 I’ll be back next week.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

In Montco data center fight, local officials say a developer has ‘bullied’ them. He says that’s a ‘bold-faced lie.’

Erin McCarthy — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:01:00 +0000

The debate over a proposed 2 million-square-foot AI data center in Plymouth Township near Conshohocken has become acrimonious, with local officials and the developer trading accusations of mistreatment.

Plymouth Township Council Chair Lynne Viscio said Monday that the project’s developer, Brian O’Neill, had “bullied” and “intimidated” township officials in an attempt to gain approval to build the facility on the site of the shuttered Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill.

O’Neill’s recent efforts have included a legal challenge to the township’s zoning ordinance. Viscio said it was filed after O’Neill “rejected” the township’s concerns and its proposed data-center “safeguards.”

“This is a blatant attempt by the applicant to demand approval by throwing a tantrum,” Viscio said in a statement, which she delivered during a live streamed appearance by council members, later posted to the township’s website. “The township is not interested in entertaining such theatrics.”

Reached by phone, O’Neill called the accusations “a bold-faced lie” that were part of a “misinformation campaign” against his planned data center. He said he had been “negotiating in good faith” with township attorneys for months and had agreed to “the majority” of the township’s conditions.

“We are sympathetic to the fact that they are under tremendous political scrutiny from people outside the township, as well as residents inside the township, and that makes giving a landowner their property rights … challenging,” said O’Neill, a longtime developer in Conshohocken and on the Main Line.

“However, I am a landowner, and I do have rights,” he added, “and it is their job to be impartial and fair in their analysis and response.”

Hyperscale data centers, such as the one O’Neill is proposing, house the energy-hungry technology that powers ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools.

Several such facilities have been proposed in the Philadelphia region amid surging AI demand and a global boom in data-center development. Two are under construction — an Amazon data center in Falls Township, Bucks County, and a facility in Vineland, Cumberland County, that is set to power Microsoft’s AI tools.

On the outskirts of Conshohocken, O’Neill and his team have spent nearly a year trying to get the green light for a data center at the 66-acre property along the Schuylkill. Last fall, they abruptly withdrew their original proposal due to legal issues. In May, they resubmitted the plans for a center that would span 10 existing buildings.

The Plymouth Township site is less than a mile from downtown Conshohocken, near the Proving Grounds sports complex, Tee’s Golf Center, and dozens of homes in the township’s Connaughtown section.

O’Neill has not said who would operate the center but has indicated it would be a tenant related to the life sciences.

An initial zoning hearing board meeting on the resurrected Plymouth Township project was held last month. As of Monday, a more substantive hearing was scheduled for Aug. 6 and was set to include the presentation of evidence and testimony.

The Plymouth Township project is one of six data centers that O’Neill is proposing in the area. Across the river in Upper Merion Township, where O’Neill’s MLP Ventures already has offices and labs, the developer has proposed a 4.6 million-square-foot data center campus spanning five properties.

Inside the battle over King of Prussia’s 4.6 million square feet of proposed data centers

After a tense Upper Merion Township Planning Commission meeting last week, officials there voted not to recommend approval of three of O’Neill’s five plans. A hearing on the other two Upper Merion plans is set for Aug. 12.

After the planning commission reviews all the applications, the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors will ultimately decide whether to approve the projects.

In both Upper Merion and Plymouth Townships, some residents have rallied against the plans, packing township meetings, signing online petitions, putting anti-data-center signs on their lawns, and organizing on social media. They have cited concerns about light, noise, and air pollution; water usage; and electricity costs.

On Monday, O’Neill reiterated that his Plymouth Township data center would make little noise, emit no light pollution, and operate on a closed-loop system that does not require outside water. He said it would generate its own power, not taxing the grid, and generate “billions of dollars in employment and economic development.”

“I am shocked that [the township council] can in good conscience not promote my plan, let alone publicly oppose it,” given office vacancies in the area, O’Neill said. In the past, "our developments have helped to create the vibrant community that Conshohocken and Plymouth are today.”

Viscio, the Plymouth Township Council chair, said that local officials wanted to ensure that O’Neill’s proposed data center improved residents’ quality of life — and that O’Neill’s efforts could prevent them from doing so.

“We will not allow ourselves to be bullied or intimidated by any developer,” Viscio said. “We will not dismiss legitimate concerns raised by our residents.”

She said the council would continue to oppose O’Neill’s application and his challenge to the zoning ordinance.

On Monday afternoon, O’Neill called back a reporter with an additional message for Plymouth Township officials: “We’re always willing to make a deal if they want to sit down and talk.”

Wills Eye retiree George Spaeth, 94, reflects on his award-winning research and humanistic approach to medicine

Kayla Yup — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:01:00 +0000

As a resident training at Wills Eye Hospital, George Spaeth was perplexed by a seven-year-old patient’s symptoms.

Her legs angled inward, her hair was straw-colored with an odd consistency, and she had intellectual disabilities.

She had come in for faulty vision caused by her lenses — the part of the eye that enables vision by focusing light — becoming loose. Spaeth’s job was to simply prepare her for surgery to remove her lenses.

Yet, he couldn’t help but fixate on the constellation of symptoms she presented with — and the unknown cause underlying them. Nothing in his medical texts fit her profile.

“She didn’t look like anything I’d ever seen before,” he said.

He asked nurses to collect her urine for testing, and discovered it was full of an amino acid called homocysteine.

In 1962, he diagnosed the little girl with a previously unknown rare metabolic disorder called homocystinuria (HCU) — making her one of the first patients in the United States to receive the diagnosis.

An Illinois-based nonprofit dedicated to the disease, HCU Network America, presented Spaeth this month with their HCU Hero Award for his significant contributions to the detection and treatment of the disorder.

In the fall, the Chestnut Hill resident will also collect a leadership award from the Wills Eye Hospital Alumni Society and the Laureate Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The honors have given the 94-year-old retired ophthalmologist an opportunity to reflect on his decades-long career dedicated to research, finding the humanity in medicine, and emphasizing the importance of humility and curiosity.

“The most important thing that I think any person in any field can do is say I don’t know,” he said.

Solving a mystery

When Spaeth told patients “I don’t know,” he tried to follow up with, “maybe we can find out.”

Through studying the biochemical pathways involved in HCU, he landed on a potential treatment: vitamin B6.

When his patient took it, the homocysteine levels in her urine dropped.

Spaeth was the first to publish on this finding, which led to an uptake in the vitamin’s usage, said HCU Network America emeritus director Margie McGlynn. It works in about 50% of patients with the disorder, and is still used today.

His work also helped spread awareness of the eye symptoms of the disorder, enabling earlier diagnoses.

McGlynn’s sister, who first presented with severe nearsightedness, was diagnosed with HCU in the 1960s by an ophthalmologist who had recently read about the condition in a medical journal.

“I firmly believe that it was Dr. Spaeth’s work and publication on this patient that made this ophthalmologist aware,” McGlynn said.

Spaeth wrote to schools for children with intellectual disabilities and asked if they had any children that fit the symptom profile.

When they sent urine samples, some came back positive for the disorder.

One of the children he diagnosed at Willowbrook State School in Staten Island ended up dying. The boy’s mother told Spaeth she also had a daughter who was two-years-old and seemingly fine.

“We better test your daughter,” Spaeth urged, given that the condition was inherited.

He examined the boy’s sister, tested her urine, and diagnosed her with HCU.

Spaeth started her on the vitamin treatment at two years old. Without it, she was likely to end up like her brother.

Decades later, he received a call from her mother.

“She was just admitted to medical school,” he recalled her saying.

Finding the humanity in medicine

Growing up, Spaeth dreamed of becoming a poet or composer, “but I’m no Bach, and I’m no Mozart,” he said.

He studied history as an undergraduate at Yale University before pursuing medicine — the same profession as his father, renowned ophthalmologist Edmund Spaeth.

He found he loved connecting with his patients, through finding out what they loved, and what they feared.

“I was a great believer in putting my hand on the patient’s arm while I was talking to them and finding out who they were,” he said.

In his field, glaucoma, he would often see the same patient for two or three decades.

Spaeth operated on a 19-year-old college student suffering from severe headaches in 1969, and has stayed in touch with her ever since.

Over the years, he watched her grow up and marry a wonderful man. When he fell and broke his leg, she came to visit.

“I just think about what that means,” he said.

Spaeth retired from practicing medicine in 2013 to spend time with his wife, Ann, whose breast cancer had returned and stopped responding to treatment. She died that year.

In the years since, Spaeth wrote and published a book for his late wife, Hope for Awareness, about “how lucky I was to be married to an amazing woman, and how unaware I was of how lucky [I was],” he said.

“One of the forefathers”

Janine Tabas, vice chairman of the Wills Eye Alumni Society, described him as “one of the forefathers of glaucoma” and “an absolute gentleman.”

The society honored him with their leadership award in recognition of his lifetime of accomplishments in patient care, teaching, and mentorship, she said.

When Tabas was a first-year resident at Wills Eye in the 1990s, Spaeth served on the senior faculty. She was struck by his humility and the way he treated everyone as equals.

Spaeth invited her whole cohort to his home for dinner, where they sat on his living room floor together. He also asked her to play tennis, knowing that was one of her interests.

“I was a lowly resident,” Tabas recalled. “And here was the chairman of glaucoma. The guy whose name was on every book in the lobby.”

She has since continued Spaeth’s tradition of inviting the residents out to play tennis.

When asked why he thought he was being honored with awards this year, Spaeth pointed to the importance of having humanity and humility and not being “a real jerk.”

“Remember, the most important thing you can do is become a good person,” he said. “If you’re a good person, the likelihood is that you’ll have a good career.”

Do bonds appreciate over time?

AMY C. ARNOTT of Morningstar — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:00:07 +0000

A reader asked about the capital appreciation potential of bonds:

It’s sometimes said that bonds are a better investment than cash because bonds have the potential for underlying capital appreciation in addition to their regular yields. But what does the historical record say about that? Do bonds appreciate over time? And if so, how much? And how has this differed historically among different types of bonds?

Strictly speaking, the underlying dollar value of most bonds won’t appreciate. With few exceptions, a bond’s price at maturity (also known as par value) will never increase; it remains fixed throughout the bond’s lifetime. Because the coupon payments and par value are contractually obligated, they don’t have any potential for growth.

The historical record underscores this lack of growth. To illustrate this, I looked at price returns (a proxy for capital appreciation) versus total returns (which include reinvested income payments) for several sets of bond indexes with returns going back to the 1970s (or early 1980 in one case). In each case, the price returns were close to zero, meaning that virtually all of their total returns were from yield.

While a bond’s par value at maturity is fixed, bond prices can increase (or decrease) during the interim in response to changes in market interest rates over shorter periods.

As market interest rates increase, a bond’s price decreases, with the magnitude of the decrease driven by duration, which estimates the change in value of an investment for a 1% change in interest rates. A bond with a 5-year duration, for example, would be expected to lose roughly 5% if interest rates were to rise by 1% and gain the same amount if interest rates were to fall. The longer the duration, the greater the sensitivity to interest rates.

In 2022, when the Federal Reserve made a series of aggressive interest rate hikes, long-term Treasuries suffered price declines of more than 30%, while other types of bonds saw price declines of 12% or more.

The same pattern works in reverse when market interest rates decrease. In 1982, for example, the Fed reduced rates by nearly 5 percentage points, leading to dramatic price gains for bonds. Prices for long-term Treasuries surged by about 26%, and other types of bonds also saw double-digit price gains.

Another factor that has an impact on bond price is credit quality, especially if there’s a concern that the bond issuer won’t meet its obligations. If buyers are less confident about a bond’s credit quality after it is first issued, they’ll typically buy the bond only if it’s priced at a discount to its par value. Buying at a lower price, in turn, means there’s a potential for the price to appreciate if worries about credit quality turn out to be overblown. On the flip side, someone who purchases a bond at close to its par value might see the price decrease if credit quality deteriorates.

At the portfolio level, a manager could buy bonds at a discount and sell after they appreciate, thereby capturing some capital appreciation over time. But even successful portfolio managers are playing a game of inches. If they're consistently successful, they might end up adding small amounts of value versus a benchmark index—most likely less than a percentage point per year. Fidelity Investment Grade Bond  FBNDX, for example, has generated annualized returns of 2.28% for the trailing 10-year period through April 2026, compared with 1.6% for the Morningstar Category index. But overall, any capital appreciation from bonds is generally marginal.

That said, it’s true that bonds have historically outperformed cash. Since 1926, intermediate-term bonds have generated annualized returns of about 4.9%, compared with 3.3% for cash. But that performance advantage almost entirely stems from the fact that bonds usually have higher starting yields.

Where bonds really shine is their ability to generate income and moderate a portfolio’s risk level. For capital appreciation, stocks are the best place to go.

_____

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

Amy C. Arnott, CFA, is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.

Protesters storm key Libya energy complex as blackout fears grow

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:57:32 +0000

CAIRO (AP) — A group of protesters stormed a key energy complex in western Libya amid anti- government demonstrations over ongoing power outages, with officials warning Tuesday that the incident could trigger a nationwide power blackout.

The General Electricity Company warned in a statement Tuesday that a group of people on Monday stormed Mellitah Oil & Gas complex located around 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Tripoli and closed the gas lines use to operate power plants to generate electricity. That could cause a complete blackout in multiple areas and ultimately a collapse of the electricity network.

Demonstrators across western Libya, including in Zawiya, Tripoli and Misrata, have been protesting for several days over hourslong power outages affecting those cities, demanding better power services and for the Government of Unity led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to step down.

Libya  plunged into chaos  after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator  Moammar Gadhafi  in 2011. In the chaos that followed, the country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.

Currently, Dbeibah heads the internationally recognized government in the capital, Tripoli, in the west under the Government of Unity; Osama Hammad heads the administration in the east, where the powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter  continues to hold sway.

Ebola cases in Congo top 3,200, nearing record of the country's worst outbreak

CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA and WILSON MCMAKIN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:40:48 +0000

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Confirmed cases in Congo's ongoing Ebola outbreak have reached 3,262, its Ministry of Health said in an overnight update, nearly the same as the 2018-2020 outbreak that is the largest ever recorded in the country.

Data from the Congolese health ministry showed that 1,437 patients have died out of the 3,262 cases, in what officials have said is the fastest Ebola outbreak on record, concentrated in the eastern Ituri province.

The 2018-2020 outbreak that was recorded in Congo and neighboring Uganda lasted roughly two years, with more than 3,400 reported cases, including over 2,200 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Only the 2014-2016 outbreak across West Africa, considered the worst in history, had a higher toll with 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

The speed of transmission in the current outbreak comes amid concerns from residents that many communities in the affected provinces are either unreachable or have been abandoned by responders in recent days over safety concerns amid attacks from angry residents and rebels.

“The fact that, in just 10 weeks, we have reached nearly the same number of cases recorded over an almost two-year outbreak is alarming and should stop us in our tracks," Onesphore Bangenza, Mercy Corps response team lead in Bunia, Ituri's capital, said Tuesday.

“There is no doubt that the virus is moving faster than we can contain it,” Bangenza added.

The ongoing outbreak, which was declared on May 15, is unlike most previous Ebola outbreaks because the Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments.

Efforts to slow the transmission have been challenged by rebel violence in eastern Congo as well as health workers striking to protest the nonpayment of their wages.

The outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response. A key challenge is that patient zero has yet to be identified in the outbreak while displacement from armed conflict and illegal mining in the region have made it difficult to trace thousands who have come in contact with infected individuals.

Despite distrust between communities and health workers mostly seen at the early stages of the outbreak, signs of progress have emerged.

"We can never again wage war against the Ebola teams. We have lost members of our families. As a community, we have a vested interest in fighting Ebola to return to normal life," said Fabrice Mumbesa, a resident of Mongbwalu, a mining town at the center of the outbreak where residents previously burned down several treatment centers.

——

McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal

Family speaks on Cheltenham High assault | Inquirer Greater Abington

Laura Smythe — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:45:00 +0000

Hi, Greater Abington. 👋

Thanks for reading the third edition of this newsletter. It’s been incredibly helpful to hear your thoughts so far. Please keep sharing your insights with us via this survey so we can shape this resource to be the most helpful it can be!

This week, we go inside the alleged assaults in the Cheltenham High School locker room that led to the cancellation of two football seasons. We also take a look at the resident-driven push that’s prompted Cheltenham Township to pull millions from Citizens Bank, what caused the Friends of Fox Chase Farm volunteer group to disband, and the approach Jenkintown’s new superintendent is taking to overseeing the school district.

— Laura Smythe (greaterabington@inquirer.com)

P.S. If you’re not in a survey mood, you can also share your feedback on this newsletter by replying directly to this email.

If someone forwarded you this newsletter, sign up for free here.

The long shadow of locker room assaults

A Cheltenham mother has spoken exclusively to The Inquirer about the alleged assaults her son experienced last year in the Cheltenham High School football locker room. In one instance, nearly 20 students watched as the boy’s teammates attempted to sexually assault him, his lawyers said.

No students have been disciplined even after the school district determined that an assault had taken place and been recorded on video by witnesses, while the affected teenager “can’t escape” continued harassment throughout the local community, his mother said.

The school’s previous and upcoming football seasons were both canceled amid the ongoing investigation by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

Meanwhile, the teen’s family is still awaiting accountability.

The Inquirer’s Maddie Hanna tells the story of a school district’s nightmare and a mother’s push for justice.

Cheltenham closing Citizens Bank accounts over immigrant detention center ties

Cheltenham Township is closing its last two accounts with Citizens Bank over the bank’s financing of companies that run detention facilities, despite the bank’s announcement it would no longer do so.

The accounts hold about $9 million cumulatively, which township officials are planning to divert to Santander Bank. The move comes after months of lobbying by local residents.

The Inquirer’s Jess Rohan explains the divestment plan, plus the pending status of some other Citizens Bank accounts held by the township’s tax collector’s office.

💡 Community news

Friends of Fox Chase Farm, a volunteer group that supports the 112-acre expanse that straddles Abington Township and Philadelphia, has disbanded after more than 30 years.
Ramah Day Camp, a Jewish summer program in Cheltenham, will also shutter soon, ending its 30-year run.
Abington, Jenkintown, and Cheltenham are among the Montgomery County locales that will be scrutinized by law enforcement in the coming weeks in an effort to combat aggressive drivers.
A 27-year-old Nigerian man who laundered money as part of a “sextortion” plot that led a 20-year-old Abington native to kill himself has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Jenkintown man Seok Joon Lee, 54, has been charged with impersonating a federal officer after allegedly pretending to be an FBI agent at a Philadelphia grocery store, where he carried a loaded gun and attempted to conduct a security check of the supermarket.
The community is mourning the deaths of esteemed clothing designer and professor of fashion Emil DeJohn, 88, who was a congregant of St. Luke the Evangelist Church in Glenside, and Ida Schmertz, 91, a former Jenkintonian who became a pioneering women’s activist, presidential appointee, and the first female senior vice president at American Express. They each died in recent weeks.
Inquirer contributor Paul Jablow takes a good look at a three-story, six-bedroom Queen Anne Victorian home up for sale in the Wyncote Historic District.

🏫 Schools briefing

Meet Brea D’Angelo, the former Sixers reporter who is now leading Jenkintown School District as its new superintendent.
Also in the Cheltenham School District, a new vice principal starts at Wyncote Elementary on Aug. 1. Plus, Glenside Elementary has named an interim principal and Cheltenham Elementary has named a new principal, both pending school board approval.
Construction is underway on Abington High School’s forthcoming Ash Carter Courtyard, a tribute to the late 1972 alumnus who served as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2015 to 2017, the Main Line Times reports.

🍽️ On our plate

We’re in prime farmers market season, and Jenkintown has a robust one: Think handmade stuffed cookies, local fruits and veggies, and individually wrapped pound cakes, The Inquirer’s Hira Qureshi reports.
Plans for a hot pot concept with a revolving sushi bar at Elkins Park Square have been put on hold by Cheltenham Township, Glenside Local reports.

🎳 Things to do

🔨 Legacy Park Community Build Week: Volunteers will help assemble the new Legacy Park playground. ⏰ Tuesday, July 28-Sunday, Aug. 2, various shifts 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Legacy Park, Jenkintown

👻 Summerween Character Event: Enjoy spooky-themed drink specials, check out your favorite scary characters in their summer garb, and get a reading from a medium (if you dare). ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Pot Heads Coffee House, Jenkintown

🕺 The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA: The touring production from Sweden, featuring original band members from the iconic pop group, will perform renditions of ABBA’s ‘70s and ‘80s hits to Montgomery County. ⏰ Tuesday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m. 💵 $52.53-$75.74 📍 Keswick Theatre, Glenside

🏡 On the market

A cozy Colonial with a wood-burning fireplace

Built in 1935 in Jenkintown Manor, this charming four-bed, three-bath home features original hardwood floors, a bay window in the dining area, and a wood-burning fireplace. There is a front porch as well as a back patio.

See more photos of the home here.

Price: $725,000 | Size: 2,982 SF | Acreage: 0.31

🗞️ What other Greater Abington residents are reading this week:

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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

World shares are mixed, while South Korea’s Kospi sinks nearly 11% on heavy selling of chipmakers

CHAN HO-HIM and ELAINE KURTENBACH — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:30:40 +0000

European shares opened moderately higher after a day of losses for most Asian markets, while U.S. futures were mixed.

Oil prices declined more than 2%.

Trading was temporarily halted at times as Kospi dropped to its lowest level since April, closing 10.8% lower at 6,023.66. Shares in chipmaker Samsung Electronics sank 13.4% while those of SK Hynix tumbled 14.7%.

In early European trading, Germany's DAX gained 0.6% to 25,511.93, while the CAC 40 in Paris added 0.5% to 8,450.71. Britain's FTSE 100 picked up 0.6% to 10,846.42.

The future for the S&P 500 slipped 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%.

On Monday, SK Hynix's U.S.-traded shares fell to below the $149 initial public offering, or IPO, price for its Wall Street debut earlier this month, closing at $143 a share.

A key factor driving the selling of AI-related shares, analysts said, is the expectation that rising competition from Chinese AI startups and chipmakers might undermine gains for leading global companies whose shares have skyrocketed in the past months due to the AI frenzy.

A 466% jump in the price of Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT in its trading debut Monday underscored such concerns. CXMT raised at least $8.6 billion in its IPO in Shanghai. But its shares dropped 4% Tuesday.

Tuesday’s chip stock sell-off also followed a report in the technology news publication The Information that China has begun mass production of homegrown deep ultraviolet, or DUV, chipmaking tools. Such equipment is used to print minute circuit patterns onto silicon wafers.

“We believe the market was likely spooked by the progress of China’s chipmaking equipment capabilities, and was worried that this progress would threaten the competitive position of global chipmaking and chip equipment leaders,” said equity analyst Jing Jie Yu of Morningstar.

“That said, we believe the sell-off today is largely a knee-jerk reaction and overdone,” he said. The dominant position of global chipmaking leaders is unlikely to be threatened meaningfully, he said.

Elsewhere in Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 4% to 62,364.92. The Taiex in Taiwan skidded 4.7%, with shares of leading chipmaker TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, falling 3%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4% to 25,310.85, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 1.2% to 3,813.31.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.6% to 8,947.80.

India's Sensex edged 0.1% lower.

Oil prices extended their declines as the U.S. and Iran refrained from strikes in their on-again, off-again war. Regional officials said Monday that mediators had made progress in getting the U.S. and Iran back to negotiations after they paused attacks.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 2.2% to $84.03 a barrel. It was trading around $72 per barrel before the Iran war began in late February.

U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 1.7% to $81.20 a barrel.

On Monday, the benchmark S&P 500 gained less than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.5% higher, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite edged 0.2% lower.

Shares of several major chipmaking stocks declined, pulling benchmarks lower. Shares of AMD, or Advanced Micro Devices, sank 5.2%, Nvidia dropped 5%, and Micron Technology fell 2.3%.

In other dealings early Tuesday, the U.S. dollar rose to 163.82 Japanese yen from 163.75 yen. The euro fell to $1.1367 from $1.1369.

___

Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok.

Hurricane Genevieve roars in the Pacific as Fausto weakens to a tropical storm near Hawaii

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:09:01 +0000

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Genevieve was roaring in the Pacific Ocean far from land early Tuesday at the same time that the weakening Tropical Storm Fausto was bringing large surf to Hawaii.

Genevieve is a Category 4 hurricane, after briefly reaching Category 5 early Monday, the first in the East Pacific region in two years, the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to stay far out to sea on a course roughly parallel with the Mexico coast.

Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph), according to the Miami-based hurricane center. Genevieve’s center was located about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and was headed northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but the hurricane center said that swells from the storm — likely causing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” — were affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and the Baja California peninsula.

Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity before weakening later in the week.

Farther northwest in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto has weakened to a tropical storm as it continues on a path in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters said Fausto is expected to pass north of Hawaii, but residents should still monitor the progress of the storm for impacts

Large surf and strong currents were increasing on east-facing shores along Hawaii's islands, the hurricane center said. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph). It was centered about 340 miles (545 kilometers) east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and traveling west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).

France hires former soccer great Zinedine Zidane as men's national team coach

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:07:04 +0000

PARIS (AP) — France hires former soccer great Zinedine Zidane as men's national team coach.

A wall through Nicosia reflects the decades-old ethnic divide in Cyprus, in photos

PETROS KARADJIAS — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:06:11 +0000

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Nicosia's swanky nightclubs, bohemian cafes and crowded bars sit just steps away from guard posts, barbed wire and sandbags marking one of Europe's last frozen conflicts.

A United Nations-controlled buffer zone cuts through the Cypriot capital’s medieval center, separating breakaway Turkish Cypriots in the north from Greek Cypriots in the internationally recognized south.

The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded following a Greek-backed military coup whose leaders aimed to unite the island with Greece.

Despite several crossings where vehicles and pedestrians can cross to either side, Nicosia remains Europe’s last divided capital where soldiers still stand guard on both sides.

Inside the no-man's land, bullet-pocked homes and shuttered businesses are crumbling after years of neglect. Only patrolling U.N. soldiers are generally allowed access.

Repeated U.N.-mediated talks aimed at mending the island’s division over the decades have collapsed.

The last major push for a deal, involving the foreign ministers of the island's three guarantor powers — Greece, Turkey and Britain — ended in acrimony nearly a decade ago.

Now, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is visiting the island in one of his final acts before leaving office, hoping to get both sides to formally resume peace talks.

He is scheduled to meet separately Tuesday with President Nikos Christodoulides, a Greek Cypriot, and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman before holding a joint meeting Wednesday.

The goal is to build momentum for an informal meeting later this year with top Greek, Turkish and British officials where it’s hoped that revived peace talks will be announced.

The path to a settlement is considered difficult, with positions hardening over the years.

But an agreement in Cyprus could ease tensions in a turbulent region where competing interests over energy, territory and influence intersect.

___

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all?

Jasen Lo, Sam Morris, Charmaine Runes, Garland Fordice — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all?

We ran the numbers, and here’s how Philly’s revamped roster stacks up.

Published July 28, 2026

The LeBron-O-Meter has spoken: LeBron James is a Sixer, and he’s here to bring a championship to Philadelphia. “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” he said on X when confirming the move to South Broad. But can this Sixers squad get the job done?

On paper, Philadelphia boasts one of the most formidable starting fives in the NBA. Adding James – to a core that already features former MVP Joel Embiid, 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, and All-Rookie First Team selection V. J. Edgecombe – creates a lineup overloaded with talent.

Could this be the best starting lineup of James’ career? And how does this group compare with some of the greatest championship teams in NBA history?

We ran the numbers.

Player Impact Estimate (PIE) is the NBA’s proprietary metric for measuring a player’s overall impact on an individual game. By incorporating box score statistics such as points, rebounds, missed shots and turnovers, PIE represents a player’s overall contribution to a game.
Let’s take Paul George’s 2026 regular season average PIE of 0.117. Not bad, but one that pales in comparison to Maxey’s 0.150 or Embiid’s 0.163.
We can then combine the averages of a starting lineup to get a proxy for quality. Last season, the Sixers’ best starting five recorded a total PIE of 0.605.
After the Sixers traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown and signed Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, their projected starting lineup carried a combined PIE of 0.631, based on Brown’s 2026 Celtics numbers and Dwyane Wade’s 2026 Cavaliers numbers. That’s a 0.025 increase.
James’ arrival would push Dean Wade out of the Sixers’ projected starting lineup. Based on James’ 2026 Lakers numbers, Philadelphia’s starting five is projected to post a combined PIE of 0.711, an increase of 0.106 from last season.
But how do they compare to James’s previous championship squads?
James infamously joined the Miami Heat in 2010, leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to team up with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The “Heatles” trio didn’t win a championship until the 2011-12 season.
This championship starting five posted a combined PIE of 0.660.
story continues after advertisement
In one of the defining moments of his career, James, alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, defeated the record-setting 73-win Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
The championship team that delivered James’ third title, and Cleveland’s first major professional sports championship in more than 50 years, posted a combined starting-five PIE of 0.630 – still below the Sixers’ hypothetical projected total.
James captured his fourth NBA championship during the league’s pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The playoffs, held inside the NBA’s bio-secure “bubble” at Walt Disney World in Florida, featured James alongside All-NBA big man Anthony Davis and a veteran supporting cast.
That championship team’s starting five posted a combined PIE of 0.610 — the lowest of James’ four title-winning lineups and well below the Sixers’ projected mark.
Looking back at the last 18 NBA championship teams—including four led by James — the starting five with the highest combined PIE belongs to the 2017 Golden State Warriors. That lineup, featuring four All-Stars in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, posted a combined PIE of 0.663.
Even that stacked starting five falls short of the future Sixers’ .
And what about the reigning NBA champion Knicks, who swept the Sixers in last year’s playoffs? Their starting five posted a combined PIE of just 0.605 last season.

So, should the City start planning the parade route already? Things are never that simple.

This analysis doesn’t account for how the new-look Sixers will gel, the strength of a team’s bench, the quality of their playoff opponents, the fact that the team with the best collective PIE doesn’t always win the championship, and more importantly for the Sixers, the impact of injuries. However, when looking at the PIE compared to recent championship winners, there’s no reason the Sixers shouldn’t be aiming high.

The 2026-27 Sixers have the best starting five compared to previous NBA champions.

Heat

2012

Heat

2013

Spurs

2014

Warriors

2015

Cavaliers

2016

Warriors

2017

Warriors

2018

Raptors

2019

Lakers

2020

Bucks

2021

Warriors

2022

Nuggets

2023

Celtics

2024

Thunder

2025

Knicks

2026

76ers

2026

76ers

2027*

0.2

0.4

0.6

Team PIE (Player Impact Estimate)

*projected total, based on individual player’s in 2026

Let’s hope that the Sixers’ projected greatness will come through on the court too, and that they can manifest their destiny as one of the greatest championship starting fives in NBA history.

Design and Development: Garland Fordice, Charmaine Runes, and Sam Morris
Data and Reporting: Jasen Lo
Editing: Sam Morris and Charmaine Runes
Copy Editing: Tony Moss

Methodology

The formula for Player Impact Estimate (PIE), is available here. Each player’s regular season PIE average was used, and the data was collected from NBA.com using the nba_api Python package.

For each team’s combined PIE figure, we used the team’s most used regular season starting lineup, and combined the regular season average PIE of each player.

One-number box score metrics, such as plus-minus, were not selected for this analysis because starters often share minutes with role players. As a result, role players in starting lineups may have inflated plus-minus statistics due to playing alongside more impactful teammates.

Topics mentioned in this story

Jaylen Brown Joel Embiid Kelly Oubre Jr.Kyle Lowry LeBron James Paul George Tyrese Maxey VJ Edgecombe

New Burlington County shuttle bus will connect Philly suburbs with regional transportation options

Aliya Schneider — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

A new free shuttle bus in Burlington County will be concentrated in a small slice of the county in some of the places closest to Philadelphia and Camden, according to a draft brochure for the service.

But it’ll also serve as a transfer point for other residents in the area.

SJ Connects, a free shuttle bus service run by the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA), was granted $5 million under former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration for an 18- to 24-month trial run to improve transit in the region. All of the service’s routes already began running except for Burlington County’s bus, which is expected to start service in September despite being included in a June 1 launch announcement.

The SJTA has not yet posted the details of the Burlington County route but The Inquirer obtained its draft brochure through a public records request. The document shows that the planned 11-stop route connects Burlington County’s Palmyra, Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Mount Laurel, and Maple Shade with the Pennsauken Transit Center in Camden County.

Burlington County was left out of a new free shuttle bus launch in South Jersey. Here’s when and why that’ll change.

While it will most directly service the residents who live along the route, the planned route will also connect with existing transportation centers in the area to serve as a transfer point for riders.

Locally, the bus is slated to stop at Cooper University Health Care‘s Moorestown campus, Moorestown Library and Town Hall, Cinnaminson Shop Rite, Fox Meadow Apartments, and the Mount Laurel Walmart Supercenter.

Stops at the Moorestown Mall and Pennsauken Transit Center will connect riders to NJ Transit buses that go to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, Trenton, Camden County municipalities such as Cherry Hill, Haddonfield and Gloucester City, and other Burlington County locations such as Mount Holly and Willingboro. It will also link riders with the RiverLine and Atlantic City Rail.

Dominic D’Amico, director of transportation services at the SJTA, said the agency designed the routes to connect with NJ Transit’s existing infrastructure and the region’s “eds and meds.”

Some parts of Burlington County that are excluded from SJ Connects — such as Pemberton and Mount Holly — have access to a separate, existing system called the BurLINK shuttle, which is administered by the county and run by a private company.

The new SJ Connects route is not slated to directly connect with BurLINK. But riders can transfer between the two services using the River Line, for example.

Assembly member Andrea Katz, a Burlington County Democrat, said in an interview earlier this month that she hopes SJ Connects will expand further into her district in the future. The long-term viability for the program will likely depend on whether its advocates can convince Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill and legislative leaders that it’s worth funding in future state budgets.

“We have very little down here in Burlington County, and in South Jersey as a whole, but folks still have those issues that they need a ride to the hospital, they need a ride to a grocery store,” Katz said. “They need to get access to these things, and we’re finally starting to see this expansion into South Jersey.”

Five thoughts from Villanova’s open practice: Jake Fiegen shines, injury updates, and more

Jeff Neiburg — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

Villanova’s annual open Summer Jam practice was Monday afternoon at the Finneran Pavilion, where a few hundred fans had their first (partial) glance at the new-look men’s basketball team.

Injuries to a few key players and Italian big man Luigi Suigo still not on campus made any analysis of the 2026-27 team incomplete, but there were still some things worth highlighting.

Here are five thoughts from the session:

Injuries to key players aren’t long-term worries

Matt Hodge is continuing his recovery from surgery to repair a torn ACL, and Tyler Perkins — the other returning starter, last season’s leading scorer — is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Those injuries were known, but Oregon transfer Kwame Evans Jr., a 6-foot-10 forward, entered the court with a walking boot on his left leg. Evans is dealing with a minor injury, a source said, and should be back to basketball activities in the coming weeks.

Perkins, meanwhile, continues to progress. Villanova has mostly gone through individual workouts during the summer program, and Perkins took part in all of those drills Monday but sat out of the scrimmage session. If Villanova played a real game Monday, Perkins would have been on the court.

Hodge is progressing well, but while Kevin Willard seemed pretty confident when talking to The Inquirer last month that Hodge would be ready to start the season, he was less effusive Monday. Regardless, Hodge should be ready to play in the early stage of the 2026-27 season. He took some jumpers Monday and did skill work.

Luigi Suigo should arrive this week

Suigo, the prized addition of the offseason, is expected to be in the United States this week, and possibly as soon as Tuesday, Willard said. The team hoped to have him on campus for Summer Jam, but putting the final touches on the paperwork took some extra time.

It’s hard to overstate how much the 7-3 center will transform Villanova’s lineup. It was easy to see Monday with Evans also sitting out. A skilled big man who can shoot and pass — and is slated to be a potential lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft — is a boon for any college team.

Kevin Willard accomplished most of his goals in Villanova’s roster rebuild. Then came Luigi Suigo.

Willard has surrounded Suigo with plenty of talent, but that skill set at that size has the potential to take the Wildcats to the next level.

“I’m the only one that’s really seen him live,” Willard said. “I think they’re excited to get him here because there’s been so much talk. He’s also a terrific young man, so I think they’ve also heard that.”

With Suigo still overseas and Evans out, backup big man Nico Onyekwere got a lot of run during the scrimmage session. Willard has said he expects the 7-1 redshirt-freshman to play some, but Onyekwere will need to continue to learn to play at a faster pace and get in better shape if he’s going to log meaningful minutes in the Big East.

Jake Fiegen’s jump shot is as advertised

With three starters and the projected sixth man sitting out, Jake Fiegen was the star of the scrimmage, which also included a few recent alumni (Enoch Boakye, Hakim Hart, Mark Armstrong, and Joe Cremo).

Fiegen, a 6-4 senior, was one of the best shooters in the Ivy League last season at Cornell and showed why Monday. He connected on at least seven three-pointers during the scrimmage, including three during a four-possession span.

Fiegen, who shot 41.4% from deep last season, will come off the bench and should have plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities given the playmaking around him.

Why signing Luigi Suigo is significant for Villanova, not just for 2026-27, but beyond

Speaking of playmaking...

There’s a lot of it.

Projected starting point guard Elijah Crawford was pretty efficient in the pick-and-roll game. That’s where the Wildcats will need him to shine and be a difference maker.

There was a two-possession span where Crawford connected with Onyekwere for an easy alley-oop and then, after a quick turnover, found Fiegen for an open three in transition.

Later, Crawford broke his defender down off the dribble, drove to the rim, jumped for a layup before kicking out to Darryl “Buddy” Simmons II, who made a wide-open triple.

Simmons, a 5-11 guard from St. Bonaventure, made a few three-pointers during the scrimmage and also found his way to the basket for a nice layup. On the other end, he defended Armstrong, now a G League player, pretty well during a few one-on-one possessions.

Fiegen even got in on the playmaking. On one possession, Fiegen dribbled into the lane, jump stopped, then kicked to Simmons for a three on the wing.

It looked like old-school Villanova basketball ... but it’s only July.

Willard explains his tough schedule

Villanova already had return games on two-game deals with Michigan, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin slated for this season. He then added new two-game series with Kansas to begin this year on the road and an international game vs. Notre Dame in Rome.

The rest of the 11-game non-conference schedule will come from the Big 5 (three games) and likely three “buy games” at home.

It’s a pretty tough schedule, and Willard explained why on Monday.

“I went back and looked at the last 10 national champions and looked at how they schedule and where their rank of schedule was,” Willard said. “I think it’s really important to test yourself on the road, most importantly. ... Especially with the tournament going to 76 teams, I think teams should get rewarded by scheduling hard.”

Villanova and Wisconsin men’s hoops will meet at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Dec. 12

He also mentioned the all-important revenue-generating component in the new world of revenue sharing. The Wildcats will host Michigan at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They play Wisconsin there, too, though that game is technically a neutral-site game. They will play more games there than they did last season, Willard said, in part because they can sell more tickets there than at the 6,500-seat Finneran Pavilion.

You can’t afford Suigo and the rest of the roster if you’re not increasing revenues.

🚁 The King’s commute | Sports Daily Newsletter

Staff Reports — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:01:01 +0000

Both the MLB trade deadline and Eagles training camp are rapidly approaching, but the Sixers remain the talk of the Philly sports world — and the sports world at large — after signing LeBron James to a two-year deal that became official on Monday.

It was such a big deal that it brought one beloved social media account back from the dead.

There’s still no word on when the team might introduce James — as well as its other big offseason addition, Jaylen Brown — or when the new Sixer might move to the Philly area … if he even plans on moving here at all. It appears there’s at least a chance James lives part-time in New York City and commutes to the city by helicopter while playing for the Sixers. He wouldn’t be the first Sixer to commute from NYC; the others include a fellow all-time great, and more recently James’ former coach in Los Angeles.

However it all plays out, James will reportedly have cameras following him the whole way as he films a Last Dance-style documentary in which the City of Brotherly Love will now have a starring role. Buckle up, we’re just getting started.

— Matt Mullin, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓Would you have an issue if LeBron commuted from New York to Philly and didn’t live in the area full-time? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Football minus one

For a lot of Eagles fans, the start of training camp is a bit like Christmas morning. So it that’s the case for you, welcome to Christmas Eve. You’ve almost made it.

The Birds report to the Jefferson Health Training Complex today before hitting the practice field Wednesday for the official start of training camp. On Monday, we recapped the team’s offseason so far, and today we take a look at the storylines that are sure to dominate camp — from kicker questions to the quarterback and a new offensive system. Our Eagles writers also ranked them by importance.

What we’re …

⚖️ Following: The latest in the lawsuit at the center of Bryce Harper video controversy, which FanDuel and DraftKings are seeking to have dismissed.

🏀 Anticipating: Luigi Suigo, Villanova’s big offseason addition, should arrive on campus this week as the team, but he missed the team’s Summer Jam.

👀 Seeing: Photos of LeBron and fellow gym rat Tyrese Maxey working out for the first time as Sixers teammate.

Wheeler struggles vs. Marlins

The Phillies managed to salvage a game in each, but dropped their first three series after the All-Star break, including this past weekend to the New York Yankees. On Monday night in Miami, Zack Wheeler struggled, allowing five runs and lasting just three innings. The Phillies fought their way back, and took the lead with a four-run sixth inning. But Jhoan Duran a blew the save opportunity and the Phils dropped the opener, 8-7. Now, they need to win the next two to take their first series since the break.

Prior to the game, Kyle Schwarber took ground balls at first base as he prepares to help Bryce Harper get “a half day.” As for the team’s abysmal fifth starter spot, interim manager Don Mattingly said that he doesn’t want to use Thursday’s off day to skip that spot in the rotation, even though the Phillies have lost 11 consecutive games started by that spot. Instead, Mattingly said he will go with a bullpen game — but that was before their six innings of work Monday.

Next: Phillies at Marlins (6:40 p.m., NBCSP)

LeBron’s impact on the Sixers

There are quite a few benefits to signing a player like LeBron, even some that have been flying under the radar for the Sixers. But not everything will be easy — even if the new-look starting five has combined for 36 All-Star honors, 29 All-NBA teams, five NBA MVP awards, five NBA championships, and five Finals MVPs. That translates to a lot of mouths to feed, which will require sacrifice from the players and creativity from head coach Nick Nurse.

While most of those aforementioned accolades, especially the MVPs and NBA titles, belong to James, the projected starting five is still the best he’s been a part of over his 24 seasons. It’s also one of the best overall in recent NBA history. That’s not our opinion either, we crunched the numbers.

Mike Sielski’s take

While much was made in the lead up to James’ latest decision about his ties to Maxey through their shared Klutch Sports representation, former MVP Joel Embiid, who was James’ teammate for the 2024 Olympics, also played a major role in recruiting him to Philly.

“If the sacrifice of Embiid’s playing in those Olympics, dragging his body up and down the court for five games in that tournament, was a lost Sixers season in 2024-25, maybe the real upshot is that the entire experience and Team USA’s victory paved the way for James to stun everyone and sign with the 76ers,” writes columnist Mike Sielski.

“Only Embiid and James know how many text messages it took, how much pleading Embiid had to do to persuade James that Philadelphia was the place for him, that Embiid was healthy enough and committed enough for the two of them to win a title here. Whatever words and memes passed between them this offseason, they were enough that a source with knowledge of their interaction said that Embiid played ‘a significant role’ in coaxing James to choose the Sixers.

"He wasn’t the only one."

What you’re saying about LeBron

We asked: What was your reaction to hearing LeBron James was signing with the Sixers?

“I’m reminded of 1980 and the addition of Pete Rose to the Phillies. There are times in sports when it takes someone who understands what it really takes to win. LeBron James certainly understands that, as did Rose. Exciting for Sixer fans!” — Dave S.

“He’s old!” — Jill L.

“We have season tickets to the Eagles and Phillies. Needed a reason after all the disappointing years of the 76ers. That reason came about 11:20 on Friday morning. Got our 6ers seasons. Can’t wait for that first home Knicks game.” — Ronald R.

“Signing LeBron guarantees nothing, but it should be exciting. This might encourage Embiid to take better care of himself for the long haul.” — Tom G.

“I was not surprised at the signing. I really did think he would pick the Sixers. Great basketball city and a team that seems to be perfectly set up for him to lead. If the Sixers with him can come together as a TEAM and not a group of stars they should go all the way.” — Everett S.

“I’ve missed the Sixers being relevant and I’ve been tired of all the missteps! The best reaction came from our grandson who at age 19 declared Friday the ‘best day in his life!’ That made me smile.” — Linda D.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Emily Bloch, Gabriela Carroll, Garland Fordice, David Gambacorta, Ethan Kopelman, Scott Lauber, Jasen Lo, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, Sam Morris, Jeff Neiburg, Ryan Novozinsky, DeAntae Prince, Olivia Reiner, Charmaine Runes, Mike Sielski, and Ariel Simpson.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading and hope you have a great day. We’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow. — Matt

Four decades after Chernobyl, a generational divide reshapes Italy's nuclear debate

GIADA ZAMPANO — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:53:29 +0000

ROME (AP) — Four decades after the Chernobyl disaster spewed radiation across Europe and turned Italy off nuclear power, Premier Giorgia Meloni 's government is laying the groundwork to bring it back as the country seeks to improve its energy security.

The government is counting on a new generation of Italians who see nuclear power as a source of low-carbon electricity, a tool to help fight climate change and a way to strengthen stable energy supplies amid shocks from the Ukraine and Iran wars.

It’s betting that such support will blunt the opinions of Italians who lived through the 1986 nuclear accident, still view atomic energy through the lens of risk and disaster, and twice rejected nuclear power in national referenda, experts say.

Next week, Parliament is expected to approve government-sponsored legislation establishing a legal framework for next-generation nuclear technologies. The government would then have 12 months to draft implementing decrees covering reactor licensing, safety standards, waste management and siting.

“The duty of the government at this moment is to create the conditions so that those who will eventually decide on installations will be able to do so,” Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, minister for the Environment and Energy Security, told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the vote.

A reversal of positions after Ukraine

Italy's debate comes as several European countries, including France and Poland, expand or pursue nuclear power amid concerns about energy security and climate goals. Unlike them, however, Italy is trying to rebuild an industry voters dismantled decades ago.

Italy was once among Europe's nuclear pioneers. Four reactors operated until a 1987 referendum effectively ended the country's nuclear program in the aftermath of Chernobyl. Another attempt to revive nuclear power collapsed after Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011, when about 94% of voters opposed plans for new reactors.

As a result, Italy's shift would mark one of Europe’s most ambitious energy reversals.

Meloni's government argues that rising electricity demand, climate goals and energy-security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine justify bringing nuclear power back into Italy's energy mix.

Pichetto Fratin said electricity demand could increase by at least 30% within about a decade, requiring a broader mix of energy sources than renewables alone.

Rather than reviving the large plants of the past, the government is focusing on small modular reactors, or SMRs, and other advanced technologies that supporters say could be safer, more flexible and faster to build.

“We are talking about the third advanced generation (of nuclear power), much more workable compared to what are the needs, much safer because it is small in size with very short construction times,” Pichetto Fratin said.

“When people ask me for a timeline, I say 2033, 2034, 2035,” he added, referring to when the first next-generation reactors could realistically begin operating.

Nuclear power produces about 10% of the world's electricity, equivalent to about a quarter of all low-carbon power. Italy's aim for a nuclear comeback is part of a global trend of countries re-booting nuclear power options, bolstered by steady improvements in technology, including more safety features and making reactors cheaper to build and operate.

A country divided by generations

At the sprawling Latina nuclear power plant south of Rome, workers in protective suits and masks are still dismantling the remains of Italy’s first nuclear era even as politicians discuss how to build a second.

The contrast is not lost on Viviana Cruciani, who oversees nuclear decommissioning at the site run by the state-owned company Sogin.

“There is a generation that came right after Chernobyl that still sees nuclear energy in light of the accident at Chernobyl only,” Cruciani told AP.

“But there is another generation, a lot younger, that is enthusiastic about nuclear, and it is even sorry that the country has not yet made any progress towards a comeback to this technology.”

A June 2026 survey by research firm Only Numbers found that about 55% of Italians support next-generation nuclear plants.

Michele Governatori, a senior energy adviser at climate and energy think tank ECCO, said support is more visible among younger Italians.

“There is greater openness, especially among younger generations,” he said, noting that many associate nuclear power with technological progress rather than with the accidents that shaped public opinion in earlier decades.

Cruciani said younger Italians are more likely to view nuclear power through the prism of future energy needs and climate goals than through memories of Cold War-era disasters.

“I think nuclear power can help the environment too. It’s more sustainable,” said Cristian Giannetti, a 20-year-old tourist from the Tuscan seaside town of Forte dei Marmi visiting Rome.

Asked about the possibility of another Chernobyl-type accident, he said technological advances had reduced the risks.

“With the expertise we have and all the resources available today, I think the probability is really minimal.”

Others support a return to nuclear power for practical reasons.

“We have an energy problem, so it’s very important that nuclear power gets the green light in Italy too," said Paola Giovannini Pasti, president of Confagricoltura Donna, the women’s branch of Italy’s main agricultural lobby.

Critics question the economics

Not everyone is convinced.

“If we use nuclear as a backup ... the average energy costs become devastating. So unfortunately it’s not a good complement to renewables and it’s not cheap,” Governatori said.

Pichetto Fratin acknowledged that nuclear power is not a short-term solution to high electricity prices.

“Nuclear power does not lower consumers’ bills today,” he said. “The nuclear power of tomorrow can help reduce them.”

Industry estimates suggest a single 300-megawatt SMR could cost between 3 billion and 6 billion euros before infrastructure and grid expenses. The government hopes much of that financing would come from private capital, Pichetto Fratin said.

Governatori believes that cost remains the weakest part of the government’s case.

“Nuclear power that is being built today in Europe has exorbitant costs,” he said. “On the one hand, costs are extremely high, and on the other, private investors are running away.”

He also questioned whether SMRs would dramatically improve those economics, noting that the technology has yet to be commercially proven at scale.

Even so, some critics support establishing a regulatory framework that could allow future projects to be evaluated on their merits.

The political test ahead

The biggest political obstacle might be finding locations to build reactors and store the waste.

Italy still lacks a national repository for existing nuclear waste, much of which remains stored at temporary facilities across the country. Any future reactor or waste-storage site is likely to face strong local opposition.

Even if Parliament approves the legislation, opponents — including environmental groups and left-wing parties — could seek a new referendum once specific reactor locations and waste-storage plans emerge.

Surveys suggest support for nuclear power drops sharply when people are asked whether they would accept a reactor near where they live. Polls cited by experts indicate that about six in 10 Italians oppose having a reactor in their own province.

“When you have to seriously ask where a plant will be built and how much it will cost, it is likely that public opinion could become negative again,” Governatori said.

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AP reporters Silvia Stellacci and Andrea Rosa in Rome contributed to this report.

Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham's funeral

SEUNG MIN KIM — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:51:52 +0000

Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense," the Ukrainian leader said. "Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow's barrage firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was "bamboozled by Russian propaganda."

Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week, and she also expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns from her trip.

"It's looking good for Ukraine, right?" Loomer said during an interview with The Associated Press. "Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good."

On Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.

“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”

Still, he said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham's sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.

The bill has dozens of backers from both parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world's top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.

6 refugees speak out as UN-backed treaty to help people fleeing war and persecution marks 75 years

JAMEY KEATEN and RENATA BRITO — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:49:53 +0000

GENEVA (AP) — Tuesday marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which was born after the ravages of World War II to help people fleeing war, violence and persecution. Proponents say the treaty has saved millions of lives.

Respect for it, though, has come under strain: Some countries have denied entry to asylum seekers. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States has led a policy of sending asylum seekers to third countries — upending years of U.S. policy.

More than 41 million refugees remain forcibly displaced: Nearly 70% are hosted by low- and middle-income countries. The ranks could grow: The International Committee of the Red Cross counts more than 130 armed conflicts around the globe.

The convention took key steps toward defining what a refugee is, laying out their rights, and establishing standards of treatment. Nearly 150 countries are parties to the convention or its 1967 protocol. However, many nations, including many hosting large refugee populations, still aren't party to the convention, leaving millions out of its protections.

“It codified a simple but powerful principle that people forced to flee persecution, conflict or violence must be able to find safety and protection,” said Elizabeth Tan, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' director of international protection and solutions.

Its core principle is “non-refoulement,” prohibiting the return of people to a place where they would face persecution, torture or other serious harm. It all rests on the idea that no society is immune to war, persecution or sudden upheaval.

Here’s what six refugees say about their experiences and the importance of the convention.

Escaping Nicaragua's deadly crackdown

Human rights lawyer Juan Carlos Arce considers himself among millions of people whose lives have been saved by the convention: He fled Nicaragua by foot in 2018 after a bloody government crackdown against protesters killed hundreds.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, for which Arce worked, had documented the violence and was deemed a "terrorist organization" by President Daniel Ortega's government. He fled to Costa Rica where he was granted asylum.

In Costa Rica, rights defenders and Nicaraguan opposition leaders were attacked and even assassinated, so he moved to Barcelona, Spain, last year under a resettlement program organized by UNHCR and the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.

“Feeling safe and protected, that is priceless,” he said under Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf, as tourists and residents walked by.

From refugee to Olympic basketball player

Wenyen Gabriel said his parents worked hard too. He was born in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in 1997 after his parents fled civil war in southern Sudan. They later moved to Egypt as refugees, before being resettled in New Hampshire.

Little Wenyen was 2 at the time. Big Wenyen — he’s 2.08 meters (nearly 6 feet, 10 inches) tall — earned a basketball scholarship at the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA. In 2024, he played for the young country of South Sudan at the Olympic Games in Paris.

While he at times felt “a little bit different from the people in the community” in New Hampshire, there were other refugee families around.

“We had to struggle and figure out how to become something inside of the United States,” he said at the headquarters of the refugee agency UNHCR, for which he became its newest goodwill ambassador on Monday. “It’s not easy to make something of yourself in a foreign country.”

The US was once welcoming

Hershel Greenblat was born during World War II, in 1941, inside a cave in Ukraine as his Jewish family hid from the Nazis.

After the war, his family sneaked into Austria, where they lived in U.S. Army camps for displaced persons. After initially considering moving to Israel, they opted for the U.S. after receiving approval in 1949 to immigrate there.

He recalled how his father woke him in the middle of the night as the Army transport ship approached the Statue of Liberty. The kids received welcome boxes packed by American middle-schoolers.

In Atlanta, where his family has lived for decades, Greenblat said refugees today often get a different welcome. He said he wasn’t previously familiar with the convention despite it being sparked by the displacement of WWII — but said refugees deserve protections and opportunities for work and education.

“Refugees in the ’50s worked their butts off to get what they wanted, what they needed,” said Greenblat, now 85.

Rohingya fleeing Myanmar

Sayed Alom, a humanitarian aid worker and one of the 700,000 Rohingya who fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh in 2017, has been languishing in refugee camps there ever since. The Rohingya are the largest group of stateless people, according to UNHCR, and Bangladesh is not a party to either the 1951 convention or the following 1967 protocol.

Myanmar’s military forces “raped our mothers and sisters, burned down our homes, threw our children into the river and set them on fire,” he recalled in an interview in refugee camps outside Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. “We were persecuted until we could no longer live there.”

Alom, who expected to return home quickly, says the limbo situation has become "imaginably worse," with kidnapping for ransom, as well as threats from nature, including extreme heat, flooding and landslides destroying the camps.

A Palestinian living for decades in Lebanon

More than seven decades after fleeing her village, 88-year-old Hussniyah Ahmad Ghozlan still remembers the journey that brought her family to Lebanon.

Ghozlan was a child when they fled during the 1948 war after their village — Yajur, southeast of Haifa, Israel — was depopulated.

“We got by because we worked, raised our children and built our lives,” she said in an alley near her home in Shatila camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut.

Asked whether she knew of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Ghozlan laughed and said she had not, explaining that she never learned to read or write. But even if she had, Lebanon is not a signatory to the treaties meant to protect her.

Swimming to refuge in Germany

Swimmers Yusra and Sarah Mardini fled war-torn Syria in 2015, joining the wave of refugees from their home country that year, in a saga that has been turned into a highly-regarded movie.

They went first to Lebanon, then Turkey, where they paid smugglers to take them by sea to Greece: They jumped out of an overloaded boat to keep it from sinking. After an arduous trek across southeast Europe, they received refuge in Germany. Yusra was named a UNHCR goodwill ambassador in 2017.

Now that Syria’s war is over, Yusra is hopeful: Some 1.3 million Syrians have returned. But after such an ordeal, change doesn’t just happen overnight. “You can’t just snap your fingers,” she said.

“I do believe that my country and its people are very strong and that I’m going to contribute in the best way possible.”

___

Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press journalists Ali Sharafeddine in Beirut; and R.J. Rico and Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report. Freelance journalists Habi Zullah and Ro Yassin Abdumonab contributed from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

French authorities order evacuation of 4,000 people from tourist sites on Atlantic coast amid worsening wildfires

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:46:15 +0000

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — French authorities order evacuation of 4,000 people from tourist sites on Atlantic coast amid worsening wildfires.

Chad announces intent to withdraw from the International Criminal Court

WILSON MCMAKIN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:39:40 +0000

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Chad announced plans Monday to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, accusing the judicial body of ineffectiveness and bias against African countries.

The West African country submitted a letter to the United Nations to begin withdrawing from the court, which was established to prosecute people responsible for humanity’s worst crimes under its foundational treaty, the Rome Statute. The withdrawal process takes at least a year.

Chad was the fourth African country since 2025 to begin withdrawing from the ICC. Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced last year they would stop participating with the court based in The Hague.

The court is already facing daunting challenges, including the July 24 removal of its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, over sexual misconduct allegations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this month said the U.S. was launching a campaign to dismantle what he called the threat posed to its national sovereignty by the ICC. A February 2025 executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court over investigations of U.S. ally Israel.

The U.S. Bureau of African Affairs called on more of the 125 member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute in a post Monday on X.

“The United States welcomes Chad’s decision to withdraw from the ICC and join the growing number of nations reclaiming their sovereignty from this flawed institution,” the agency said.

Survivors rise to 48 with more missing after Vietnamese ship sinks in South China Sea

ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:37:56 +0000

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The number of survivors of a cargo ship that sank Saturday off a Chinese-occupied shoal in the South China Sea rose to 48 by Tuesday as search and rescue crews hunted for more people who went down with the vessel.

A multinational search for 14 people who remain missing was still underway Tuesday afternoon involving Vietnamese, Philippine and Chinese rescuers.

Vietnamese authorities announced Monday that three more of the 62 people onboard had been saved but did not provide details of the rescue.

The Vietnamese cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18 sank late Saturday near Fiery Cross Reef, a Chinese-built island and military outpost in the hotly contested Spratly Islands.

The vessel went down while operating in bad weather in the East Sea, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said, adding that all 48 rescued people had been transferred to Vietnamese authorities, who were providing medical care before taking them back to the mainland.

Khoi Nguyen is a general cargo ship built in 2017, according to vessel tracking platforms. It was last detected in March near Vietnam on its automated identification system, or AIS, according to ship tracking platform MarineTraffic.

Under a United Nations maritime safety treaty signed by Vietnam, large cargo ships are required to keep AIS transponders switched on at all times to broadcast the vessel's identity, position and course.

Vietnam said it mobilized rescue operations immediately while coordinating closely with Chinese rescue ships, helicopters and other vessels in the area also joined the search.

The Philippine Coast Guard, which deployed a patrol vessel and an aircraft after receiving a request from Vietnam, said the operation was being carried out under international maritime agreements and bilateral cooperation with Vietnam.

China has become increasingly aggressive in asserting its claims in virtually the entire South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in global trade transits each year. The sea passage also is believed to sit atop vast undersea deposits of oil and gas.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the strategic waterway along with China and the Philippines.

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The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Letters to the Editor | July 28, 2026

Letters to the Editor — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:45:00 +0000

Fairway First

As of Sunday, Donald Trump has gone golfing 116 days out of the 554 days he has been in office. That’s 20.9% of his time in office. That is one out of every five days.

America is at war with Iran, and he’s golfing.

America’s standing in the world is decreasing, and he’s playing golf.

America’s economy is suffering, and he plays golf.

And when he isn’t golfing, he is babbling incoherently, and his cabinet pretends everything is OK. Who is running this country? What is our long-term plan to keep our place as an economic powerhouse and the most powerful nation in the world?

Susan Thompson, Media

Election integrity

Your recent analysis of the SAVE America Act and election integrity says more about The Inquirer’s disconnect with Pennsylvanians than the issue itself.

Americans want secure, transparent, and trusted elections. They believe only U.S. citizens should vote in American elections, and according to Pew Research Center polling, 95% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats support requiring voters to show government-issued photo identification before voting. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s common sense.

Unfortunately, your reporting ignores reality. It dismisses the 6,600 noncitizens registered to vote in New Jersey as “fuel” to the rhetorical fire, ignoring that voting is a right reserved only for American citizens.

The American people know better. They understand the importance of election integrity, and support practical, commonsense measures to ensure only American citizens vote in American elections. Dismissing these concerns as fringe or manufactured ignores what voters have said for years.

This isn’t about making it harder to vote. It’s about making it harder to cheat, increasing confidence in our elections, and ensuring every legal vote counts. That’s why these reforms continue to earn support.

I support the SAVE America Act and implore your readers to look elsewhere for a more thoughtful and honest appraisal of what the bill does.

Dave McCormick, U.S. senator for Pennsylvania

Deficit denial

Peter Dobrin’s reporting on the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s record budget deficits should concern every Philadelphian who loves that institution. As a lover of the PMA — and a financial turnaround specialist — I read it with growing unease.

Daniel H. Weiss, the museum’s director and CEO, is confident the budget will balance in three years, yet five of his six “keys to solvency” sit on the revenue side. His own CFO concedes the problem: Functional revenue has grown 0.3% annually over the past decade, “effectively flat.” The only levers management fully controls today are on the cost side. Yet, the museum insists there is “not a ton of opportunity” to reduce expenses. Its own tax filings say otherwise: Since fiscal year 2021, expenses have grown from $64.2 million to $83.9 million in FY 2025, all against a revenue line that hasn’t been able to keep pace. When revenue is structurally flat, an above-inflation cost trajectory is a deficit-creating machine.

In my turnaround work, I call this the fundraising fairy myth: the belief that philanthropy, government, or a donor who “falls in love with us” will arrive on schedule. To its credit, the museum has avoided the other classic traps that doom turnarounds. But hoping revenue rescues you while declaring the budget uncuttable is how three-year plans become 10-year crises. Cut first. Stabilize. Then build back and fundraise from a position of strength. In that order.

Larry Bomback, Philadelphia

The writer is the former CFO of the Curtis Institute of Music and the founder and CEO of Strategic Nonprofit Finance. He led the financial turnaround of Albright College and is currently the interim CFO at Muhlenberg College.

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

Iran hangs 2 men convicted of killing 4 police officers in January protests

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:11:27 +0000

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Tuesday hanged two men convicted in a case of killing four police officers during January protests, state media reported.

A report by Mizanonline.ir, affiliated to the country’s judiciary, identified the two as Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi, saying they also set a police station on fire and damaged public properties in the central city of Isfahan, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.

The two men are the latest executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. Rights groups say more could face death sentences. The protests that began late December and extended to January faced a heavy crackdown by security forces.

Earlier in July Iran hanged two other men in the same case.

Iran put the death toll of the protests at more than 3,000. Right groups activists put the number at more than 7,000.

Today in History: July 28, US Army airplane crashes into Empire State Building

The Associated Press — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:10:08 +0000

Today is Tuesday, July 28, the 209th day of 2026. There are 156 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On July 28, 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of New York’s Empire State Building, killing 14 people.

Also on this date:

In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Antoine de Saint-Just were executed by guillotine during the French Revolution.

In 1914, World War I began as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he was increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000.

In 1976, an earthquake devastated northern China, killing at least 242,000 people, according to an official estimate.

In 1984, the Los Angeles Summer Olympics officially opened; 14 Eastern Bloc countries, led by the Soviet Union, boycotted the Games.

In 1995, a jury in Union, South Carolina, rejected the death penalty for Susan Smith, sentencing her to life in prison for drowning her two young sons (Smith will next be eligible for parole in November 2026).

In 1996, 8,000-year-old human skeletal remains (later referred to as Kennewick Man) were discovered in a bank of the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington.

In 2004, the Irish Republican Army formally announced an end to its armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland.

In 2015, it was announced that Jonathan Pollard, the former U.S. Naval intelligence analyst who had spent nearly three decades in prison for spying for Israel, had been granted parole.

In 2018, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the emeritus archbishop of Washington, D.C., following allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy. Both died in April of 2025.

In 2019, a gunman opened fire at a popular garlic festival in Gilroy, California, killing three people, including a six-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, and wounding 17 others before taking his own life.

Today’s Birthdays: Music conductor Riccardo Muti is 85. Former Senator and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley is 83. “Garfield” creator Jim Davis is 81. TV producer Dick Ebersol is 79. Actor Sally Struthers is 79. Architect Santiago Calatrava is 75. CBS TV journalist Scott Pelley is 69. Actor Lori Loughlin is 62. Jazz musician-producer Delfeayo Marsalis is 61. UFC president Dana White is 57. Actor Elizabeth Berkley is 54. Basketball Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili is 49. Actor John David Washington is 42. Actor Dustin Milligan is 41. Rapper Soulja Boy is 36. England soccer star Harry Kane is 33. Pop/rock singer Cher Lloyd is 33. Golfer Nelly Korda is 28.

Marlins face the Phillies leading series 1-0

The Associated Press — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:02:16 +0000

Philadelphia Phillies (57-50, second in the NL East) vs. Miami Marlins (53-54, fourth in the NL East)

Miami; Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Aaron Nola (3-8, 5.82 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 112 strikeouts); Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (10-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 110 strikeouts)

LINE: Marlins -115, Phillies -106; over/under is 8 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins face the Philadelphia Phillies, leading the series 1-0.

Miami has a 32-23 record at home and a 53-54 record overall. The Marlins have a 21-7 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.

Philadelphia is 57-50 overall and 29-23 in road games. Phillies hitters have a collective .402 slugging percentage to rank ninth in the NL.

The teams meet Tuesday for the ninth time this season. The Phillies lead the season series 5-3.

TOP PERFORMERS: Otto Lopez leads the Marlins with a .331 batting average, and has 27 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs, 23 walks and 48 RBIs. Heriberto Hernandez is 12 for 42 with two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.

Brandon Marsh has a .283 batting average to lead the Phillies, and has 15 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs. Trea Turner is 13 for 41 with four home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Marlins: 1-9, .227 batting average, 5.06 ERA, outscored by 21 runs

Phillies: 3-7, .247 batting average, 4.44 ERA, outscored by two runs

INJURIES: Marlins: William Kempner: 15-Day IL (elbow), Josh Ekness: 60-Day IL (calf), Anthony Bender: 15-Day IL (shin), Owen Caissie: 10-Day IL (calf), Max Meyer: 15-Day IL (neck), Robby Snelling: 60-Day IL (elbow), Andrew Nardi: 60-Day IL (ribs), Ronny Henriquez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Adam Mazur: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Phillies: Lou Trivino: 15-Day IL (back), Tanner Banks: 60-Day IL (forearm), Rafael Marchan: 10-Day IL (knee), Brad Keller: 60-Day IL (elbow), Garrett Stubbs: 10-Day IL (wrist), Johan Rojas: 60-Day IL (elbow), Adolis Garcia: 60-Day IL (lat)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake has shaken part of southern Japan and a tsunami advisory was issued

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:41:54 +0000

TOKYO (AP) — A magnitude 7.1 earthquake has shaken part of southern Japan and a tsunami advisory was issued.

UN says nearly 500 Afghan civilians have been killed in Pakistan-Afghanistan fighting since October

ELENA BECATOROS — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:33:39 +0000

Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, the United Nations said Tuesday.

In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbors that has defied international peace efforts.

In one case, the report said, civilians trying to rescue others from the rubble of an airstrike were hit by a second one.

The report also explores other human rights issues, including a deadly crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan over restrictions on women’s clothing, and decrees that essentially legalize child marriage.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants

Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fighting on and off for months. Tension escalated significantly in February, when Afghan forces launched a raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, and Islamabad declared it was in " open war."

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants who carry out deadly attacks that have killed thousands over the years in Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is allied with the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the allegation.

In the deadliest attack of the fighting, a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug treatment center in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in March, killing hundreds of civilians. Rights group Amnesty International said last week the bombing should be investigated as a possible war crime.

Pakistan has not given an overall figure for civilian casualties caused by the cross-border fighting in its territory. The U.N. mission, known by its acronym UNAMA, noted it is only mandated to monitor incidents in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies targeting civilians

In a written response to UNAMA’s report, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Afghanistan’s Taliban government “continues to maintain a permissive environment for a range of (militant) organizations.”

The response did not mention Afghan civilian casualties but said Pakistan’s military strikes "were directed exclusively at identified terrorist hideouts, sanctuaries, and support infrastructure linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.”

The hundreds of civilian casualties listed by UNAMA include 22 — five of them children — who were killed in two successive airstrikes on a residential building in the eastern province of Paktia on June 28. At least 185 others were wounded.

Most of the deaths and injuries were caused by the second strike, when locals were trying to rescue the victims of the first one.

“International humanitarian law provides special protections for medical personnel and humanitarian workers, including first responders. Attacks against them while performing their duties are strictly prohibited," said Fiona Frazer, director of human rights at UNAMA.

Afghan women still face harsh restrictions

UNAMA's report also highlighted problems faced by women, who are subject to draconian restrictions by Afghanistan's Taliban government. They include a ban on education beyond primary school, a strict dress code, bans on working in nearly all professions and a requirement to be accompanied by a male relative when outside the home.

The report detailed a crackdown in the western city of Herat in June, where at least 30 women were arrested on allegations of dress code violations. At least one person was killed and several others were injured when authorities opened fire during a rare protest against the detentions.

Rules governing women's clothing stipulate they can only go out in public when wearing full hijab — which includes a headscarf and robe covering the entire body — as well as a face covering that leaves only the eyes visible. The regulations are policed by the feared Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

However, interpretations of the rules and what constitutes wearing the hijab correctly vary and can be arbitrarily enforced.

The UNAMA report said Vice and Virtue officials visited health clinics and shops in various parts of the country to advise them to refuse entry to women not accompanied by a male relative.

The report also said new rules on separation in marriage " implicitly sanction child marriage " by allowing for marriage contracts to be arranged for minors.

Photos show scenes from shooting at a Seattle food festival

LINDSEY WASSON — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:52:06 +0000

SEATTLE (AP) — Gunfire erupted at a crowded food festival beneath Seattle's Space Needle, leaving three people dead and others wounded, authorities said. The shooting happened Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

A shootout that killed 3 at a food festival near Seattle's Space Needle may have been gang-related

GENE JOHNSON and HALLIE GOLDEN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:34:18 +0000

SEATTLE (AP) — There were at least three suspects involved in a shootout at a crowded food festival near Seattle's Space Needle over the weekend, police said Monday. One of them was among those killed in the violence.

In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, where a 15-year-old arrested in the case waived his initial appearance Monday, police said they believe there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene and “at least one other unknown suspect.” Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.

Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department's assistant chief of investigations, said at a news conference Monday afternoon that investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related, with two groups firing at each other. The deceased shooter was 19.

A judge ordered the 15-year-old held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault. The King County prosecutor's office said it expected to receive the case from Seattle police on Wednesday for a charging decision.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, leaving the 19-year-old shooter and two others dead. At least four others, including a toddler, were injured. The annual three-day festival draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers to Seattle Center, a sprawling park in the shadow of the Space Needle. Many attendees rushed into campus buildings or ran from the park at the sound of the shots.

Officials provided confusing statements about the shooting

News that there were at least three suspects followed a series of confusing statements from city officials concerning the shooting.

On Sunday, the police department waited five hours to share with the public that one shooter had been arrested and that they believed another to be on the loose. Earlier, Mayor Katie Wilson had announced two people were in custody, a statement she retracted.

At a news conference before the court hearing Monday, Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators weren’t sure if the second shooter was among the dead. Neither he nor the mayor made any reference to additional shooters. Barnes had been out of town Sunday, attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives in Dallas.

The officials defended their handling of the case, saying they were trying to ensure they provided accurate information about chaotic events.

The victims included a father of three

The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday identified the dead as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19.

Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot, her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.

Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters, and also loved nature and arts and crafts, her cousin said.

“I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of humor, the best gorgeous smile," she said.

During a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood among dozens of others with a sign that said “Whitehead Strong" as the group held a moment of silence and raised up flashlights on their phones to honor those that had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged around them.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39, all of whom were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother.

Vendors returned to venue to clean up

Vendors were allowed to return to the campus Monday morning to collect their equipment. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as people fled.

Near the spot of the shooting, a stain of what appeared to be blood was still visible.

Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and responded in seconds, with at least one observing a suspect firing, authorities said. Police searched an IMAX theater on the grounds where they initially believed a second shooter had fled.

Adam Lombardo, who had a Burmese food stand at the festival, described the panic of fleeing people as a “stampede.” As he gathered his equipment Monday, he described how police escorted food vendors back to the crime scene to turn off their ovens and stoves.

“They just came to enjoy a food festival with people, with friends, with new friends, and they lost their lives in just what sounds like meaningless bloodshed," he said.

A nearby resident offered shelter to people fleeing

Moises Perez, 30, was cooking in his apartment next to the Seattle Center when he spotted people running and yelling outside his window. When he opened his door, he heard gunshots and started ushering more than a dozen people, mostly women and children, inside.

“I was like, ‘OK, we need to help these people,’” said Perez, a construction worker who had attended the food festival that morning. He said losing his brother to gun violence in Mexico years ago made him determined to help the people trying to get to safety.

He and his roommate, William Large, 25, made sure the door was locked and started directing people to the bathroom and hallway, and told them they could stay as long as they needed.

“They were definitely in shock. I know that a lot of people were crying, people were screaming, people were just in complete fear," said Large, who works in social services.

About 30 minutes later, Perez walked out to see what had happened. He found a woman shot in the leg being helped by emergency officials.

The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website.

___

Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle; Annika Wolters in Bangkok; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Artist Betye Saar, whose work reflects Black identity, dies at 99

COREY WILLIAMS — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:23:32 +0000

Artist Betye Saar, whose work reflects Black identity, culture and spirituality, died Sunday morning in Los Angeles at 99.

Saar's death was confirmed Monday by relatives. She would have turned 100 this week.

A central figure of the 1960s Black Art Movement, Saar pioneered assemblage boxes, or sculptures made of found objects, and reclaimed Jim Crow-era memorabilia as powerful totems of Black liberation.

“Her symbolically rich body of work has evolved over time to demonstrate the environmental, cultural, political, racial, technological, economic, and historical context in which it exists,” according to Roberts Projects, the Los Angeles gallery that represents her.

Saar began her career in design and shifted to art at age 35. She continued to make art into her 90s. She grew up in Pasadena and was part of a community of Black artists in nearby Altadena; she often cited Simon Rodia's Watts Towers as an early source of inspiration.

Saar’s practice incorporated painting, printmaking, sculpture and found objects including dolls, washboards and other antiques. Boats, clocks, cages and altars recur in her practice, as well as symbols of the occult and cosmology. She often referenced her astrological sign of Leo in the form of lions, punctuating many works.

“Her appropriation of Black collectibles, heirlooms, and utilitarian objects are transformed through subversion,” the gallery said. “Among the older generation of Black American artists, Saar is without reproach.”

Made in 1969, "Black Girl's Window," was groundbreaking. Still, it wasn't widely celebrated until decades later, and it was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2019. "There weren't that many galleries in Los Angeles at the time and there certainly weren't any for Black artists," she once said in an interview.

“The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” created in 1972, is one of her most important works. It features memorabilia she collected that denigrated Black people, included a “mammy,” or 19th century minstrel character who smiled while serving white slave owners.

In Saar's hands though, the figure is reclaimed: She smiles, but holds a rifle and has a hand grenade.

It came in response to the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Saar said King's death "triggered a rage within me, and the mystic transformed into the warrior."

“I had a lot of hesitation about using powerful, negative images such as these — thinking about how white people saw Black people, and how that influenced the ways in which Black people saw each other,” Saar said. “What saved it was that I made Aunt Jemima into a revolutionary figure.”

After more than 130 years, Quaker Oat announced it would retire its Aunt Jemima brand in 2020, acknowledging the logo and its origins were "based on a racial stereotype."

Saar taught and mentored generations of Black artists, including painter Kerry James Marshall.

Though Saar's work was exhibited in a 1975 solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in the decades that followed large institutions have exhibited her work only sporadically. In 2019 though, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and MoMA mounted concurrent solo shows.

In spring 2026, Saar was inducted to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

“She had boundless energy for making art. I think she had a lot to say and was tired of the art world being dominated by white males,” said Angela Robinson Witherspoon, who produced and directed a documentary in 2023 on Saar's life. “Betye Saar: Ready to Be A Warrior” features interviews with John Legend, Tina Knowles and other prominent voices.

“She was raising her three young daughters and she wanted to be part of the Civil Rights Movement,” Robinson Witherspoon said.

“Let’s Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar,” which focuses on costume design, is currently on view at Robert Projects in Los Angeles, and a collection of more than 100 of her dolls are on view at the New-York Historical Society in Manhattan.

___

Associated Press writer Anna Furman contributed reporting from Los Angeles.

Remote Chinese province struck by 2 earthquakes in 20 minutes

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:01:32 +0000

BEIJING (AP) — A remote province in China was struck by two earthquakes just 18 minutes apart late Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquakes in Qinghai province at 11:16 a.m. and 11:34 a.m. had magnitudes of 5.7 and 5.8 at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the USGS reported.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Qinghai province in China’s northwest is sparsely populated and often experiences earthquakes.

A video from state broadcaster CCTV showed dust clouds rising from cliffs as the land shook.

The earthquakes also impacted Lanzhou in neighboring Gansu province, one of the largest cities in the area.. Social media videos showed lamps swinging inside residences in the city.

Major Hurricane Genevieve roars in the Pacific as Fausto weakens to a tropical storm near Hawaii

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:48:27 +0000

MIAMI (AP) — Major Hurricane Genevieve was roaring in the Pacific Ocean far from land Monday evening at the same time that the weakening Tropical Storm Fausto was bringing large surf to Hawaii.

Genevieve was briefly a Category 5 hurricane early Monday, the first in the East Pacific region in two years, the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to stay far out to sea on a course roughly parallel with the Mexico coast.

Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph), according to the Miami-based hurricane center. Genevieve’s center was located about 505 miles (810 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and was headed northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity before weakening later in the week.

Farther northwest in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto weakened to a tropical storm Monday evening as it continued on a path in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters said Fausto is expected to pass north of Hawaii, but residents should still monitor the progress of the storm for impacts

Large surf and strong currents were increasing on east-facing shores along Hawaii's islands, the hurricane center said. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph). It was centered about 415 miles (670 kilometers) east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and traveling west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

McCray's 2-run homer leads the Giants to a 3-0 win over the Brewers

KENZO FUKUDA — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:36:29 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Grant McCray hit his first home run of the season in the fourth inning and Tyler Mahle threw six sharp innings as the San Francisco Giants downed the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Monday night.

Giants’ Luis Arraez got the scoring started in the third inning, knocking in rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez from second base for the first run of the game.

Not long after, McCray followed it up with a 406-foot deep shot to left field, batting in himself and Willy Adames to take a 3-0 lead they would never surrender. It was also McCray’s first home run since 2024, as the back-up filled in at right field for injured starter Jung Hoo Lee.

Giants’ RHP Tyler Mahle (3-9) earned the win, holding the Brewers scoreless through the first six innings and allowing only three hits on the night.

Milwaukee starting pitcher Brandon Sproat was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings, falling to 3-6 on the season. Reliever Garrett Stallings replaced Sprout in the seventh.

The Brewers’ offense couldn’t muster any momentum as the team’s home run leader, Jake Bauers, only collected one hit, while William Contreras and Brice Turang were held hitless.

San Francisco lost Casey Schmitt to an apparent leg injury, as the third baseman exited in the second after pulling up awkwardly while rounding first base. Backup Christian Koss replaced Schmitt.

Schmitt adds to San Francisco’s growing injury list as the team was already without third baseman Matt Chapman (abdominal strain) and outfielder Lee (right elbow soreness).

Up next

Brewers’ RHP Logan Henderson (4-1, 3.05 ERA) opposes Giants RHP Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.93 ERA) on Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

___

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

Astros take advantage of Angels meltdown to score 4 runs in 9th inning for 6-4 win

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:38:46 +0000

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — LaMonte Wade Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk that forced home the go-ahead run in a four-run ninth inning, and the Houston Astros came back to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 on Monday night.

The Astros rallied in their final at-bat on a hit, two walks, two errors and two hit batters to hand the Angels their ninth loss this season when leading after eight innings.

Houston trailed 4-0 after three, but Taylor Trammell homered for a second straight game and the fifth time this season to cut it to 4-1 in the fourth.

Jeremy Peña doubled leading off the eighth against Ryan Zeferjahn, extending his hitting streak to nine games. Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI single to make it 4-2.

José Fermin (3-2) hit Trammell with a pitch leading off the ninth. Christian Walker singled and Trammell scored to make it 4-3 when second baseman Vaughn Grissom let Lucas Spence's potential double-play grounder go through his legs for a costly error.

Sam Bachman entered and got an out before walking Alvarez intentionally to load the bases. Bachman grazed Isaac Paredes with a pitch to tie it, and Wade walked to give Houston the lead. Alvarez scored the final run when Jose Altuve reached on a fielding error by Bachman.

Tatsuya Imai didn't make it out of the first inning for the third time this season in a start for Houston. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Nolan Schanuel and an RBI single to Grissom before AJ Blubaugh came in to get the final out of the inning.

Grissom hit his seventh homer — off Blubaugh — and Jo Adell blooped an RBI double to make it 4-0 in the third.

Cristian Javier (1-1) followed Blubaugh and struck out seven over five shutout innings for the win. Josh Hader walked two in the ninth before earning his 13th save.

Angels starter Walbert Ureña allowed a run on two hits in six innings and left with a 4-1 lead. Fermin got one out and was charged with three runs — one earned.

Up nex

t

Astros RHP Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA) starts Tuesday against Angels LHP Reid Detmers (3-7, 4.05).

___

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

Giants 3B Casey Schmitt leaves game versus Brewers in 2nd inning due to apparent leg injury

KENZO FUKUDA — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:33:00 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt left Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the second inning due to a left knee injury.

Schmitt appeared to hurt his left leg after rounding first base following a single to right field. He showed discomfort and was grasping at his lower left leg after the play.

Schmitt was able to walk off the field on his own power, limping with a trainer at his side as he left the game. Schmitt was replaced by backup Christian Koss and the Giants went on to beat the Brewers 3-0.

“Scary moment there for him,” manager Tony Vitello said after the game. “He’s a unique personality, but he’s definitely got a level of toughness to him. And you go out there and he was really struggling just to kind of even move around there with (head trainer Dave Groeschner) checking on him.”

Schmitt will undergo an MRI and it is not yet known whether he'll be added to the injury list. Regardless, Vitello doesn’t expect Schmitt to be back right away.

“At this point, (he is) probably going to miss some significant time,” Vitello said. “But based off what we see tomorrow, be interesting what (Groeschner) has, hoping it’s as limited an amount of time as possible.”

Schmitt adds to San Francisco’s growing injury list as the team was already without third baseman Matt Chapman (abdominal strain) and outfielders Jung Hoo Lee (right elbow soreness), and Victor Bericoto (left oblique strain).

Vitello commented that with Schmitt’s injury, rather than rush starter Chapman back, they’ll look to another player to fill in at third base.

Schmitt is hitting .271 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs, all career bests. Schmitt signed a one-year, $810,000 contract this past year.

___

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

Netanyahu's first meeting with Trump since the Iran war began is a chance to smooth over strains

ERIN CUNNINGHAM and MICHELLE L. PRICE — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:08:58 +0000

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.

The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”

Trump and Netanyahu's relationship has ebbed before

Trump has had a hot-and-cold history with Netanyahu over the years, but upon his return to the White House last year, their alliance seemed stronger than ever. When they started the war together in February, it was with a united front, touting their respective militaries as acting in lockstep to take out Iran's leadership and pave the way for a government more friendly to the West.

But as Iran fought back — sending drones and missiles slamming into U.S. bases and high-rises in cities in the Gulf, and choking off the Strait of Hormuz — Trump came under immense pressure both at home and by allies in the region to end the conflict.

Since then, Netanyahu, who wanted to continue the fighting in Iran and against its ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has been sidelined as Trump sought a deal with Tehran. His visit to the White House this week comes as the disagreements with Trump and Vice President JD Vance have burst into the open over the war in Iran and more.

“The Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war,” Israeli journalist and political analyst Amit Segal wrote Monday in the daily newspaper, Israel Hayom. “It is clear to everyone that Israel has been put in the back seat.”

Netanyahu keeping focus on Iran's nuclear program

With U.S.-Iran tensions flaring again in recent weeks, Netanyahu plans to share with Trump Israeli intelligence on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a person familiar with Netanyahu’s visit, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

On Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, Netanyahu said he hoped to sit down with Trump “to hear what he has in mind” for Iran.

“Because I think, in many ways, it’s his decision” on how to move forward, Netanyahu said. “If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not?

"But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program,” he said of Iran.

Netanyahu also used the interview to warn Iran against attacking his country, saying Israel’s response would be “very forceful.”

Steps to allow other forces in Gaza and in Lebanon

But even as Netanyahu sees an opportunity, he also needs to persuade Trump that he won’t play spoiler to U.S. diplomatic and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and in Lebanon, where the president has previously complained that “too many people are being killed” by Israeli strikes.

Israel has taken recent steps in both places.

In Lebanon, where the Israeli military occupies much of the south, Israel agreed to allow the Lebanese army to deploy to some villages as part of a “pilot program” testing their ability to secure areas where Hezbollah once operated. The U.S. State Department said Monday the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place next week in Rome with a focus on expanding the program.

On Gaza, Israel’s security cabinet green-lit on Sunday a measure that would, in theory, grant entry to the first members of an international stabilization force outlined last year in a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Few countries have pledged troops for the force, however, and Israel would approve their entry into Gaza on a case-by-case basis.

The troops — including from Morocco and Uganda — would only be allowed to operate in a small, desolate area in Rafah in the south, where the plan is to vet and house some displaced Palestinians.

The Israeli military continues to carry out strikes it says target militants but that have also killed civilians.

Support for Israel has eroded

Israel has lost a significant amount of bipartisan support in the United States, particularly over its conduct in Gaza.

In June, Vance warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders. Vance is expected to attend the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a person familiar with the plan who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

An AP-NORC poll published earlier this month found a dramatic erosion of support among American adults for Israel.

“We’ve lost America. Thank you, Bibi,” wrote Ben Caspit, a political commentator for Israel's Maariv newspaper.

___ Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed reporting.

Dear Abby | Wife’s dream trip wouldn’t include her grumpy husband

Dear Abby — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:59:00 +0000

DEAR ABBY: I have just retired and want to spend the summer taking a long road trip from Florida to Alaska and back. I’ve dreamed about it all my life and finally have the time and money to do it.

My husband hates long road trips, and I don’t want to take him. He would be miserable and make me miserable in the process. Further, he has a list of demands — no more than six hours of driving per day, a nice hotel every night rather than camping out, which I prefer, and leasing a gas-guzzling SUV rather than my energy-efficient midsized car — that would triple the amount of time and money this will cost. I suspect some or all of his demands are passive-aggressive because he really doesn’t want the trip to happen.

I understand my husband not wanting to sit at home alone for six weeks while I enjoy myself photographing bears, moose and elk in the Yukon Territory, and I do worry about his ability to take care of himself and the house. Honestly, though, I’m not sure our marriage could survive this trip. I’m seriously considering just sneaking out the door and sending him postcards. Any ideas?

— SOLO TRAVELER

DEAR SOLO TRAVELER: This is your dream trip. If you don’t go, or if you let your husband spoil it with his demands and complaints, you will end up resenting him. You don’t need to sneak out. Instead, leave detailed instructions on caring for the homestead, and arrange for a friend or family member to check in on him regularly while you’re away. If you set him up for success, you won’t come home to a pile of smoking rubble or a steaming husband.

** ** **

DEAR ABBY: I have been in cancer treatment for the past 10 years. I have infusions, monthly MRI and CT scans, six doctors and nine medications. No one other than my psychologist ever asks me how I am. I do look OK, so even my mother never asks. My sister overheard Mom ask my other sister to find out what I’m doing to my hair. My hair looks thicker because it became coarse due to the chemo.

I don’t want to be a crybaby, but I would appreciate it if someone just acknowledged that I have cancer. When I once complained to my mom that I have to take too many drugs, her response was, “Well, you have money!” Do you have any suggestions?

— GLOSSED OVER

DEAR GLOSSED OVER: Please allow me to offer my sympathy over your struggles with cancer. The reason your family doesn’t bring it up may be because it makes them sad, and they worry that talking about it may upset you.

You have the right to press them on the matter. Tell your mom you need her support and would like to be able to talk about your health issues with her. If you wish to bring your sisters into the circle, talk to them all together. The more family you have in the loop, the stronger you will be for the remainder of your treatment.

Horoscopes: Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Holiday Mathis — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:59:00 +0000

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Write out your idea before you talk about it because putting your thoughts on paper helps you discover what you actually think. Conversations are better when you’ve already done a little thinking alone.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It seems like rules would limit your creativity, but they actually help it. The limits give you a direction by eliminating options. It’s easier to choose the best option of three than 103.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Draw it before you write it. You’ll use different parts of your brain. A quick sketch can uncover relationships that words haven’t found yet. You don’t have to be an artist for pictures to help you think.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). To broaden your perspective, take a picture of the problem and look at it again later. The time gap will give your mind a chance to let go of some assumptions and notice what escaped your attention the first time.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Explaining your idea to someone outside the situation takes courage, and it pays off — not because they buy or love the idea, though they might, but because their questions expose assumptions you’re unaware of and point out the path of improvement.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Familiar territory offers few surprises, not because the mysteries aren’t there but because your brain stops looking for them. Assuming you already know makes it easy to miss what’s right in front of you. Step out of your element.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Try the bad idea first. It lowers the stakes and gets you moving. Once something exists, it’s much easier to improve that than it is to start with a blank page. Give yourself permission to make something imperfect and progress from there.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Anyone can use the wrong tool when they don’t have the right one. But it’s creatively brilliant to use the wrong tool on purpose. This forces you to solve problems in new ways. The result is different, too, and maybe “different” in a very cool way.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). How would a child see this situation? How would you explain it to an alien? How would someone from 1726 solve it? You’re good at making these leaps of imagination that give you fresh perspective.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s amazing how one small change can spark a whole new level of creativity. Rearrange the order. Swap the color. Shorten the sentence — now you’re getting somewhere. Or better yet, ask a different question entirely.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Here’s a trick for honoring your influences and finding your own voice in one fell swoop: copy something you admire, then change half of it. Every artist begins by learning from someone else. Your own style appears in the changes you make.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It seems the work would be better if you had more time, but today the opposite is true. Give yourself 10 minutes instead of an hour. A short deadline leaves less room for overthinking. A quick start becomes a finished piece of work.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 28). It’s your Year of the Relay, when someone passes you something of value, and you pass it on. The exercise repeats time and again, giving you a sense of belonging, purpose, responsibility and pride. More highlights: You’ll love with new abandon, letting go of rules and experiencing a wider emotional range. Exceptional dining experiences and two merit-based bonuses. Aries and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 11, 15, 5, 28 and 19.

Ceddanne Rafaela's grand slam sends Red Sox past A's 4-2 for 18th victory in 20 games

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:39:58 +0000

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela hit his first major league grand slam and the Boston Red Sox beat the Athletics 4-2 after being held without a hit through five innings Monday night.

Connor Wong doubled leading off the sixth for the first hit against Athletics rookie starter Jack Perkins (2-6), who was pulled after walking Willson Contreras with two outs. José Suarez walked Wilyer Abreu to load the bases, setting the stage for Rafaela's 11th homer and a 4-1 lead.

Curtis Mead struck out looking his first time up in his Boston debut and then left after he was hit on the wrist by a pitch his second time up. The Red Sox acquired Mead from the Wasington Nationals on Saturday night for rookie pitcher Connelly Early.

Tyler Soderstrom extended his hitting streak to 10 games when he launched his 17th homer to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead two batters into the bottom of the first against Payton Tolle. Jonah Heim homered for the 10th time to cut it to 4-2 in the sixth.

Tolle (6-6) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one to help the surging Red Sox (55-50) win for the 18th time in 20 games.

The A's have lost three straight and 24 of 30.

Justin Slaten got the final two outs in the sixth for Boston, and Jovani Morán and Garrett Whitlock each pitched a perfect inning.

Aroldis Chapman gave up a leadoff single to Colby Thomas in the ninth, and pinch-hitter Nick Kurtz reached on a one-out fielding error at second by Anthony Seigler. Chapman struck out Henry Bolte and Alika Williams for his 25th save in 27 opportunities.

Perkins walked three and was charged with two runs on one hit in 5 2/3 innings.

Up next

Red Sox LHP Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Athletics LHP Gage Jump (3-6, 4.42).

___

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

Bregman breaks out of slump with a HR, 2 doubles as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 7-3

WARREN MAYES — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:28:21 +0000

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alex Bregman had a homer, two doubles and drove in two runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

Bregman had sat out Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh after going hitless in his previous three games. Against the Cardinals, he snapped out of an 0-for-12 slump with four hits and scored three runs in a game that was delayed an hour and 46 at the start due to rain.

Nico Hoerner also had four hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth as the Cubs banged out 14 hits in the win.

David Peterson (6-7) worked 5 2/3 innings and earned the win. The 30-year-old left-hander, who was acquired on June 25 from the New York Mets, struck out two and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks.

Matthew Liberatore (5-8) was tagged for three runs on eight hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Chicago has won eight of its last 12 games. Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals are 3-8 and slipped to 6-14 in their last 20 games.

Bregman, who signed a five-year, $175 million contract during the offseason, drove in Seiya Suzuki with a first-inning double.

The Cubs added a run in the second on a single by Miguel Amaya.

José Fermín hit a first-pitch fastball 407 feet into Big Mac Land in the left field upper deck in the second inning. The two-out homer cut Chicago’s advantage to 2-1.

Bregman led off the third with a first-pitch homer to right field, his 11th of the season. Over the last 11 games, Chicago has hit 12 home runs.

The Cubs extended their lead to 5-1 on a two-run single by Hoerner in the fifth inning.

Masyn Winn and Bryan Torres drove in runs for St. Louis in the sixth.

Up next

Cubs RHP Colin Rea (7-7, 4.85) will start the second game in the series. The Cardinals have not named a starter.

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

Wisconsin voters begin casting ballots at the polls in chaotic Democratic governor's race

SCOTT BAUER and CYBELE MAYES-OSTERMAN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:17:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Early in-person voting begins Tuesday in swing state Wisconsin's chaotic Democratic primary for governor, with a democratic socialist trying to overcome the incumbent governor's choice to replace him.

Democrats are hoping to retain control of the governor's office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010. But they have failed to coalesce around one candidate for the top job, spurring fears that they could miss an opportunity to win in November.

Early in-person voting begins as Democrats meet for only debate

The five Democratic candidates are scheduled to meet for their only debate Tuesday night ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.

Insurgent democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support among the most liberal wing of the party. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race, is hoping that voters in his hometown of Milwaukee help him overcome Hong, whose base is in Madison. Those two cities hold the largest number of Democratic voters in Wisconsin.

Also in the race is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is running with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley had dropped out of the race on July 8, but got back in on July 17, the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal.

Both Crowley and Barnes are trying to become Wisconsin's first Black governor.

The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who is running with the backing of President Donald Trump in a state Trump won in 2016 and 2024, faces only nominal opposition in the primary.

Judge hearing arguments over canceling already-filed absentee ballots

And hours after polls open for early voting, a judge was scheduled to hear arguments in a Democratic lawsuit seeking to allow voters who already returned their ballots to cancel those and cast a new one. As of Monday, more than 100,000 ballots had already been returned by mail.

The lawsuit was filed last week with support from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. They are seeking an order from a judge to immediately allow for already-cast ballots to be canceled, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling.

Democrats argue it's necessary given that Rodriguez and former state economic director Missy Hughes ended their campaigns, and Crowley got back in the race, after tens of thousands of ballots had already been returned.

Hughes and Rodriguez’s names remain on the ballot.

In-person absentee voting, which began Tuesday, runs through Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on election day Aug. 11 in order to be counted.

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Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. She reported for this story from Milwaukee.

Senate expected to confirm Jay Clayton as next intelligence director

MARY CLARE JALONICK — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:14:50 +0000

Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump's temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president's perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents that he said were relevant to his arguments.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said he had worked in the past with Clayton, who is the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman. After the hearing, Warner said he would oppose Clayton’s nomination but acknowledged that Democrats are “between a rock and a hard place” with Pulte in the job.

The Senate voted 51-43 along party lines on Monday to advance Clayton’s nomination.

Clayton won’t say Biden won the election

The Democratic pushback on Clayton comes as Trump has made revisiting 2020 a primary focus, repeatedly trying to cast doubt on that election and amplifying debunked theories about Biden's win.

Clayton told senators that he had no involvement with Trump’s primetime speech, but he said repeatedly that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

Warner said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly disappointed.” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he thought Clayton’s performance was “abysmal,” and that “makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.”

Republicans tried to quickly confirm Clayton

Republicans were hoping to confirm Clayton in June so he could replace Gabbard without Pulte serving as interim. But Trump delayed Clayton's nomination before the Senate left for a two-week recess, allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily.

Clayton did not mention Pulte in the confirmation hearing. But he emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed, said that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency and integrity” in his previous positions.

“Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combating a wide range of national security threats,” Cotton said.

South Carolina Republicans line up to run in special primary to replace late Sen. Lindsey Graham

MEG KINNARD — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:11:52 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — The field of Republican candidates vying to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on November ballots is nearly set, with at least 10 hopefuls filing their paperwork and launching into a two-week sprint toward the Aug. 11 special GOP primary.

It's been a jumbled and frenetic period during what would have otherwise been Graham's expected glide path toward a fifth term. He won his June primary outright, and no Democrat has won a statewide-elected office in South Carolina for two decades.

Graham's sudden death earlier this month at age 71 has sparked a rushed and compressed process leading to a special primary election in just two weeks.

The close of a one-week filing period for the South Carolina contest comes Tuesday, the same day as the first of two funerals across Washington and Graham’s home state. The rare open Senate seat has drawn some of the state's top Republicans, longshots, familiar faces — and Graham's sister. If no candidate receives a majority vote, a runoff election will be held Aug. 25.

Darline Graham, the interim appointee, is a political unknown

For years, Darline Graham had been her older brother's political confidant, appearing in his ads, by his side at rallies and an indelible part of his biography, from their shared roughshod beginnings to his adoption of her following their parents' deaths.

In the hours after her brother died, Darline Graham stepped into Lindsey Graham's shoes in the Senate as the appointee to fulfill the remaining months of his current term, selected by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to serve until January. Now she's running for the nomination to replace him more permanently.

Darline Graham is a political unknown to the South Carolina voters who for decades returned her brother to Washington. Although she had been part of his campaigns, she's never been a political commodity in her own right, and there have been questions in South Carolina's GOP circles over whether goodwill toward her brother's memory is enough to send her to the Senate.

For now, Darline Graham is surrounded by her late brother's official and political staff. She had the support of President Donald Trump — to whom her brother was a top congressional ally — to seek the seat, as well as his endorsement before she had said publicly that she would do so.

McMaster made no reference to Darline Graham as a placeholder or symbolic appointment, although a person familiar with McMaster’s thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly said the governor, in selecting her, had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.

Two congressmen are vying for the nomination

Fresh off an unsuccessful primary run for governor, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman entered the Senate race and has snapped up endorsements from other House members, including Rep. Nancy Mace, as well as law enforcement officials across the state. One of the most conservative members in the House, Norman is well-known across South Carolina.

Before the emergence of Darline Graham — and their Oval Office meeting after she was sworn in — Trump had previously suggested he could back a potential candidacy from Rep. Russell Fry, who officially entered the special primary shortly after.

Fry, well-known in his strongly pro-Trump, Myrtle Beach-area district, is working to elevate his name ID across other parts of the state since getting into the race and is promoting himself as a stalwart backer of Trump's policies.

Mark Sanford returns for another campaign

The former South Carolina congressman and governor whose political ascendency was stalled by a 2009 affair is making yet another attempt to return to public office.

Sanford's Senate bid comes just three months after he shuttered a bid to retake his former U.S. House seat, saying then he was quitting the race to set up a nonprofit to address the national debt, his signature issue.

Sanford had entered that contest on the last day of filing, when the race already was full of other Republican candidates, many of whom had spent months laying the groundwork for their campaigns.

Other GOP hopefuls include a former Graham challenger

Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman who tried to oust Graham in the regular Republican primary last month, swiftly relaunched his campaign following Graham's death. He's expected to put much of his own money into his Senate run.

Other candidates include:

— Duke Buckner, a Walterboro attorney who is a perennial candidate. He has challenged U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina's lone congressional Democrat. Buckner also is a former public school English teacher.

— Mark McBride, the former mayor of Myrtle Beach. He unsuccessfully sought federal office before, including a 2004 Senate primary loss to former Republican Sen. Jim DeMint. McBride also lost to Fry in the 2022 GOP primary for the 7th Congressional District.

— Darius Mitchell, a resident of Columbia, who calls himself a “Hip Hop Republican.” In social media posts, he has voiced support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

— Clark Neilson, a businessman in Charlotte, North Carolina, who has said he plans to build a home on land he owns in Charleston County. He said he's in the process of becoming a South Carolina resident.

— Sam Shepherd, a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur. He lives in Lexington County and has said he is focusing his campaign on cutting taxes and federal spending.

Who is the Democratic nominee in the Senate race?

Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician, won her party’s primary in June. Having set up her entire campaign based around challenging Graham, Andrews will soon find out her new general election opponent.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Pennsylvania Sportswatch Daily Listings

The Associated Press — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:01:05 +0000

(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Wednesday, July 29
MLB BASEBALL
12:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Miami — NBCS PHL, Marlins.TV, MLB.TV

12:35 p.m.

Arizona at Pittsburgh — SportsNet Pittsburgh, Dbacks.TV, MLB.TV

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Lindsey Graham's funeral to draw Trump remarks and world leaders in Washington

LISA MASCARO, MEG KINNARD and MARY CLARE JALONICK — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:06:21 +0000

Graham's remains will arrive at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican served for more than 30 years as an indefatigable dealmaker who talked and laughed and badgered his colleagues into action. Later, a funeral service will be held at Washington National Cathedral with lawmakers and foreign leaders, a testament to his stature on the global stage.

President Donald Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the cathedral, alongside Fox News' Sean Hannity and other conservative leaders. Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy are planning to be in attendance, a nod to Graham's role as a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world's problems.

It's the start of two days of services, with burial Wednesday in his home state of South Carolina. Graham died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington of a likely aortic tear, according to preliminary findings. He had just returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday, and a visit to Ukraine. He was 71.

A place of honor to ‘say our final goodbyes’

The morning service in the Capitol Rotunda provides a place of tribute where former presidents and military leaders and other prominent Americans have been memorialized. In recognition of his service in the Air Force, an Armed Forces Body Bearer Team will carry Graham's remains into the Capitol. Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier it was only fitting to give Graham a special Capitol honor “as we say our final goodbyes."

“For so many of us in the Senate and the House, myself included, Lindsey was more than a colleague, he was a friend,” Thune said.

First elected to Congress in the 1994 Republican revolt that swept the GOP to power, Graham was part of a new era of conservatives to take their seats in the House — and among the first Republicans from his Southern state since Reconstruction.

He quickly rose to prominence as a manager in Bill Clinton's presidential impeachment, and was elected to the Senate in the 2002 election. There, he formed alliance with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., in what would become the “three amigos” globetrotting the world focused on national security issues.

For decades, Graham had been at the center of the action — a member of virtually every bipartisan gang in Congress — with a relentless ability to shapeshift and adapt to political realities, particularly when it came to Trump.

The ‘Trump whisperer’ had one last mission: Russia sanctions

Perhaps nowhere was Graham's political dexterity on display as when he navigated his on-again, off-again relationship with Trump.

Graham had denounced Trump as a "kook" who was "unfit for office" when the two were early rivals during the 2016 presidential primary campaign.

Once Trump was elected, Graham gradually situated himself alongside the new president — until Trump sparked the mob who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to overturn Joe Biden's election.

“Count me out. Enough is enough,” Graham said that night in a fiery floor speech.

Weeks later, Trump invited Graham to the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, rekindling their alliance. The senator had said he wanted the president to be successful, and as Trump won a second term in 2024, Graham also wanted to remain relevant.

Graham had become what Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called the “Trump whisperer,” someone other senators — and even world leaders — relied on to understand the president's thinking.

Days before his death, Graham had won Trump's support for a long-fought bipartisan proposal to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, one of the strongest U.S. efforts yet to hamper Russian President Vladimir Putin's ability to prolong the conflict.

Senators said as a tribute to Graham they should quickly approve the Russian sanctions package, and they were scheduled later Tuesday to take a first procedural vote. Zelenskyy is expected to be on hand and meeting with senators in the evening.

Graham's champions and potential successors

At the Washington cathedral, a roster of socially conservative and anti-abortion leaders are expected to participate in the services, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Marjorie Jones Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the Reverend William Franklin Graham III.

Graham never married, but he helped support his younger sister, Darline Graham, who is now a potential successor in the Senate.

She has been appointed by the state's governor to fill the remainder of his term in the Senate, and is running in a potentially crowded primary field for the fall election. The filing period for the special primary election closes Tuesday, with voting set for Aug. 11.

While Graham was at college, his mother died of Hodgkin lymphoma. Months later, his father died and Graham started his first semester of law school. He became the guardian for his sister, who was then 13, and later in life often extolled the benefits of Social Security that helped keep them financially afloat.

Graham went on to serve as a judge advocate general in the Air Force, and remained a reserve or National Guard member for decades. In the Senate, Graham briefly switched back to active status to help advise the Air Force during the Iraq War. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal for service in 2014 before formally retiring as a colonel in 2015.

Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain

JAY COHEN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:05:49 +0000

CHICAGO (AP) — New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.

Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, a day after he got hurt running the bases during a 3-1 win at Philadelphia. He had more tests on Monday in New York that revealed the extent of the injury.

"So the good thing is he's obviously able to move around right now," manager Aaron Boone said before Monday night's 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox. "So we'll continue to do that and just allow this thing to heal and get him right."

The loss of Bellinger is another major injury for a New York team already playing without reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, who has been out since May 31 because of a fractured rib. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been sidelined since April 24 because of a strained right calf.

The Yankees trail AL East-leading Tampa Bay by 2 1/2 games after topping the White Sox in the opener of a four-game series.

“We’ve had some tough injuries to some really important people,” Boone said. “But again, that is part of it. As I say, the season waits for no one.”

Max Schuemann started in left field on Monday night. Spencer Jones, who was brought up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when Bellinger was placed on the IL, was in center, and Jasson Domínguez was in right.

Schuemann was checked on by Boone and a trainer after he slipped on the warning track while going after Braden Montgomery's RBI triple in the first inning. But he stayed in the game.

The MLB trade deadline is next week, but Boone downplayed the effect of Bellinger's injury on the strategy for general manager Brian Cashman and the team's front office.

“I get the sense that they have been working on this in different ways, shape and form for the last several weeks, getting ready for trade deadline stuff,” Boone said. “I expect them to try and do all they can to improve our team, but again, you never know how that’s going to shake out.”

Bellinger, 31, felt tightness in his hamstring while rounding first on a double in the eighth inning on Saturday night. He is batting .259 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games this season.

Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter for $162.5 million over five years. He was the MVP of the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia.

Judge and Stanton are with the team in Chicago, and Boone said Stanton is continuing with his running progression.

“The strength stuff, explosive stuff he’s doing in the weight room has been very good,” Boone said. “So we just got to get him up to a level obviously on the running side of things to be able to go out there.”

Left-hander Carlos Rodón and right-hander Clarke Schmidt are both expected to throw again this week, Boone said. Rodón is coming back from elbow inflammation, and Schmidt had Tommy John surgery a year ago.

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

A flex in corporate America, AI ‘tokenmaxxing’ fades as workplaces look to cut tech spending

MATT O'BRIEN — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:01:05 +0000

A corporate fad of "tokenmaxxing" on artificial intelligence technology is hitting its limits as workplaces throwing AI at everything are seeing the costs rise without a similar spike in productivity.

What started as tech industry-fueled springtime hype over squeezing as much AI-generated work as possible out of products like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude has shifted to a summertime backlash.

“It's very easy to create something you don't need with AI,” said Vincent Gusdorf, head of AI analytics at Moody's Ratings and author of a new report that recommends a more disciplined approach.

"Tokenmaxxing” refers to maximizing usage of tokens — the building blocks of generative AI that correspond to small pieces of text that an AI system reads or writes. Each token is about three quarters of a word. And there's typically a limit to how many you can use, with pricier versions of AI products offering higher caps.

“As bills started to pile in, people realized that those new tools are quite expensive and you need to use them wisely,” Gusdorf said.

Tech executives cast high AI usage as a badge of honor

Just a few months ago, Silicon Valley executives were promoting high token consumption as a signal of high-performing employees. The stereotypical tokenmaxxer was staying up late — perhaps ignoring their significant other — while orchestrating an army of 24-hour AI agents performing work on their behalf.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in May he was “excited to see what will happen with tokenmaxxing startups, both for how they work internally and the products they can build.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said “if your $500K engineer isn’t burning $250K in tokens, something is wrong.” Facebook parent Meta had an internal competition rewarding token usage.

The trend boosted revenue for leading AI large language model developers like Anthropic and OpenAI, but it fizzled as it became apparent it wasn't necessarily the best strategy for everyone else.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has admitted that tokenmaxxing can be addictive but warned in a recent blog post that customers of those models are paying twice for AI, first in spending on tokens and second by feeding all their proprietary data to them. While promoting Microsoft's own approach, Nadella's comments were unusual in the way he raised doubts about the data protection assurances of leading AI providers.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp went further, telling CNBC earlier this month that something had gone “completely wrong.” He said he was channeling the voice of American businesses privately “livid” about paying so much for tokens that create no value.

“The basic view among enterprises in this country is, 'I’m going to chillax and waste my time with tokens. I'm going to get no value and they're going to get my IP,” Karp said.

Workplaces look more for better ‘routing’ of their AI work

Bain & Company management consultant Jue Wang said many of the big businesses her firm advises have been taking a closer look at returns on their AI investments.

“The token cost for them has been doubling, almost every other month,” she said. “Let’s say $200 per developer per month. Multiply that by 20,000 developers, which is often what we’re dealing with at these companies, and that quickly gets you to a number that is not a line item that any general manager has planned for.”

Sometimes that just means not using the AI equivalent of a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

“Not everything needs a Claude Opus 4.6,” she said of one of Anthropic's more capable models suited to software engineering or deep research. “And yet you see so many companies, so many users, default to using Opus for everything, including generating emails.”

That's led to a search for tools that do AI “model routing” — in which easier queries get automatically sent to cheaper and more efficient AI systems and more complex tasks go to more powerful models.

Open-source AI models built in China offer less costly alternatives

Software developer Hassan El Mghari said companies' sticker shock over the “ridiculous amount of money” spent on subscriptions to AI products from leading U.S. companies has led many away from rewarding high usage.

“It’s better to kind of just empower employees on how to use this stuff and let them use AI when and however much they need to,” said El Mghari, who leads developer experience at the startup Together AI, which supplies developers with a variety of “open-source” AI models.

At the same time, those who favor racking up as many tokens as possible are having a field day with new open-source models from Chinese startups like Moonshot's Kimi or Zhipu's GLM, which nearly match the capabilities of top U.S. models at a fraction of the price.

“There is some validity to the theory that this could push tokenmaxxing a little bit further,” said Raffi Krikorian, the chief technology officer at Mozilla. “But if we look at the industry overall, I think it's realizing that tokenmaxxing is a dumb thing.”

It's similar, Krikorian said, to how software companies once considered how many lines of code a programmer wrote to be a good metric of productivity. That later fell out of favor.

“I think tokenmaxxing is moving through the exact same pattern,” he said. “I think this is going to be an interesting blip that we’re all going to look back to laugh at in a year.”

George Norcross is donating $100 million to Cooper University Health Care

Harold Brubaker — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:01:00 +0000

George E. Norcross, longtime Cooper University Health Care board chair and political powerbroker, is donating $100 million to the South Jersey health system and its MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, the nonprofit announced Tuesday.

The gift, in honor of Norcross’ parents, is Cooper’s largest and among the largest ever to a nonprofit health system in New Jersey. It comes at a time when Cooper’s financial condition is stronger than it has been in decades and as the nonprofit pursues a $3 billion expansion in Camden.

Cooper said it would add Norcross to its name but didn’t specify how.

“For more than 50 years, our family has been dedicated to Cooper, and we are so proud to make this contribution to ensure that Cooper and the thousands of talented, committed professionals who make a difference every day for the people of Camden and South Jersey can continue the important work of investing in their future and in Camden’s continued renaissance,” Norcross said in the announcement.

Norcross, chairman of insurance brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew and a former owner of The Inquirer, was not available for an interview, a spokesperson said.

The money will be used for investments in Camden and throughout Cooper’s South Jersey service area, which stretches to Cape May County since the acquisition of Cape Regional Health System two years ago. Priorities will be education and community programs that create jobs and training, Cooper said.

Cooper had $2.9 billion in revenue last year and $144 million in operating profit. In June 2025, Standard & Poor’s raised Cooper’s credit rate to A+, its highest level ever and a substantial turnaround for a system that was near bankruptcy 25 years ago. The system has more than 14,000 employees.

Norcross’ gift in context

Norcross’ donation matches a $100 million gift in 2021 to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, now called Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in honor of the donor, Leon Cooperman, a billionaire hedge fund manager.

Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck received a $75 million gift last year.

The Norcross contribution to Cooper is bigger than gifts to other health systems in South Jersey.

Virtua Health said last year that a $5 million pledge from the Marvin Samson Foundation was its largest gift ever. Marvin Samson, a local pharmaceutical entrepreneur, pledged the money for Virtua’s education and workforce development programs, Virtua said.

Deborah Heart & Lung Center received a $5 million gift in 2019, which it called its largest ever. The specialty hospital in Browns Mills received $4 million in 2024.

In Philadelphia, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his wife, Aileen, are giving Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia $125 million and will have their name on the nonprofit’s new $2.59 billion patient tower expected to open in late 2028, CHOP said last year. It was CHOP’s largest gift ever.

Also last year, Penn Medicine received a $120 million gift from Catherine and Anthony Clifton and renamed its new, $1.6 billion Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs.

Norcross family ties to Cooper

The Norcross family has deep ties to Cooper starting with Norcross’ father, George E. Norcross Jr., a labor leader who was on the Cooper Hospital board from 1976 to 1983. He died in 1998.

Norcross III joined the Cooper board two years later and has been chair since 2006.

Norcross’ mother, Anne Carol Conner Norcross, gave birth to four sons — George, John, Donald, and Philip — at Cooper. She devoted years of her life to helping seniors and underserved Camden residents, Cooper said. She died in 2016.

Philip A. Norcross is vice chairman of Cooper’s board of directors and chairman of the Cooper Foundation. Alessandra “Lexie” Triem Norcross, George Norcross III’s daughter, is also on the Cooper Foundation board.

Cooper’s expansion

In addition to acquiring Cape Regional and embarking on a major expansion of its Camden campus, Cooper has been expanding its network of outpatient facilities in suburban South Jersey.

It spent $150 million to open a three-story facility in a former Sears at Moorestown Mall in late 2023. In the year following the Cape Regional acquisition, Cooper added cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics specialists care to those offices in Cape May County.

In June, Cooper said it plans to build a $300 million outpatient facility in Gloucester Township and expects to start seeing its first patients in specialties like cardiology, neurology, and oncology in 2029.