Suspects arrested for injury to child

Suspects arrested for injury to childSmith County – Investigators were notified by Child Protective Services and hospital staff regarding a two-month-old baby brought to Mother Frances Hospital with head trauma consistent with child abuse, according to a news release. Medical personnel reported the infant was suffering from brain bleeding, seizures, and facial bruising. The baby was later airlifted to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas for specialized treatment.

Investigators conducted interviews with the baby’s mother, other adults, and the children residing in the home, and discovered the home lacked air conditioning and was infested with flies. The floor was heavily littered with rat feces, diapers, and clothing.

The investigation also revealed that several of the children were routinely locked in a room when the mother left the residence, leaving another adult in charge. Investigators learned on the night of June 16, the two mothers of the children, identified as Sidney Whitt, 21, and Jacqulun Morales, 29, left the residence and placed Ms. Morales’s sister, Shelby Munoz, 18, in charge of the children. Prior to leaving, they locked the baby and two other children in a bedroom.

Ms. Morales and Ms. Whitt traveled to a local hotel to meet a boyfriend and consumed alcohol and narcotics while there. During the night, two children, ages four and six, went into the locked bedroom, began tossing the infant, and ultimately stomped on the baby’s head.
Ms. Munoz did not intervene, later saying the children were not hers and she did not believe their care was her responsibility.

The next day, after observing the baby’s injuries, Ms. Whitt and Ms. Morales failed to seek medical assistance. The infant did not receive any medical attention until eight days later.

All three suspects, Sidney Whitt, Jacqulun Morales, and Shelby Munoz were arrested on the charges and taken to jail. Bond is set at $250,000 on each charge. The baby is currently on a ventilator in a medically induced coma.

UT Tyler offers buyouts to staff

UT Tyler offers buyouts to staffTYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler announced on Friday that they’ve offered a “voluntary separation incentive” or buyout to around a quarter of its total employees. The university told our news partner KETK News that the buyouts are being offered to “ensure the university remains affordable and prepared for the future while continuing to advance our teaching and research mission.”

Their “voluntary separation incentive program” has reportedly been designed to take into account their staff’s “meaningful contributions and dedicated service.” According to UT Tyler, the buyouts are not expected to impact its course catalog or student services in any way. The UT Tyler faculty directory listed around 1,200 staff as of Friday. Continue reading UT Tyler offers buyouts to staff

Gavin Newsom proposes national ‘billionaires’ tax’ after opposing state’s wealth tax initiative

Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at Networth and Chill podcast at the Vox Media Podcast Stage at SXSW on March 15, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Vox Media)

(CALIFORNIA) -- As he gears up for a possible presidential bid, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday proposed a national "billionaires' tax," -- a day after the state wealth tax measure he opposes qualified for the November ballot. 

Newsom's counter proposal calls for a federal minimum tax rate on Americans worth more than $100 million, rather than a state level one-time 5% wealth tax that the governor argues could be dodged by billionaires who could leave the state for another.

Newsom, who said earlier this month that he is "considering running for president," said the country should return to pre-2017 corporate tax rates and close offshore loopholes that allow multinationals to shift profits and pay less in taxes. He also said inheritance rules need to be rewritten.

"Over the next twenty years, this country will live through the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in human history, with roughly $124 trillion changing hands. If we do not act, that transfer of wealth among the ultra-wealthy will lock in a permanent American aristocracy of inherited wealth,” Newsom wrote in a Substack post announcing the proposal on Friday morning.

The announcement comes a day after California's own billionaire tax qualified for the November ballot, having collected more than double the signatures needed. The measure, a one-time 5% tax on billionaire wealth introduced by healthcare workers union SEIU-UHW, in response to steep healthcare funding cuts resulting from President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill,” has faced opposition from Newsom, California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Xavier Becerra and major lobbying organizations.

"We can’t let a single advocacy organization, however well-intentioned, write the state's tax code on its own terms," Newsom wrote, calling out the SEIU-UHW. 

The measure has also led to heavy spending from billionaires, who oppose the tax. The nonprofit, Building a Better California, which supports committees promoting two competing ballot initiatives that would nullify the billionaire tax initiative, if passed, has raised more $118 million -- and $80 million of that comes from Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Newsom says that he understands the "anxiety driving the wealth tax proposal in California," but that he’s voting no on the California proposal, because he argues the measure dedicates almost all of the revenue to just state-funded healthcare services.

SEIU-UHW Vice President Debru Carthan said Thursday that the coalition supporting the tax would not back down.

"The billionaire tax will be on the November ballot," said Carthan. "And we intend to win."

About 250 billionaires would be taxed under the California measure, and the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office says it’s likely that some billionaires would leave the state.

"You may not be able to pick up and move to Texas or Florida to shelter your income from taxation, but I promise you that billionaires can, and do," Newsom writes. "Wealth is movable, and it shops for the state with the lowest taxes. The fight belongs at the federal level, where this broken system was created in the first place."

Dan Schnur, a political science professor at UC Berkeley, called Newsom's tax proposal "savvy political positioning" as it helps him enter the 2028 field without being seen as an opponent to taxing the rich.

"He's not against taxing billionaires, he just has a different way of doing it," Schnur said. "He now has an answer for progressive Democrats, whether in California or in early primary states, as to why he didn't support the ballot measure."

In Washington, another 2028 contender, California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, joined Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders -- both of whom supported the California's initiative -- in introducing legislation that would establish an annual 5% wealth tax on billionaires nationwide.

Newsom is also proposing a national public equity fund, giving Americans a stake in economic gains generated by artificial intelligence companies. The fund -- aimed at workers left behind by automation -- would support universal child care, free higher education, career training and healthcare. 

"Part of this fund could provide a real transition for the laid-off factory worker in Ohio or the 25-year-old coder in San Francisco who sent out a thousand resumes and got zero callbacks," Newsom wrote. "This could include significant severance and portable benefits while we support them through the transition and into new jobs with programs like enhanced employment insurance."

“As artificial intelligence reshapes the country, every American should own a piece of the future it builds,” Newsom wrote.

Other potential 2028 contenders are also beginning to stake out their positions on AI. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has introduced legislation proposing a nationwide moratorium on AI data center construction, which would create a temporary prohibition on the construction and expansion of data centers until Congress passes legislation to address the economic, environmental and safety impacts of artificial intelligence.

ABC News' Will Lennon contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

US soldier dies after being run over by armored vehicle in training incident

Adrian Bonsey, 29, was a combat engineer assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart in Georgia, according to the Army. (U.S. Army)

(CALIFORNIA) -- A U.S. soldier died earlier this month after being struck by an M2 Bradley fighting vehicle during a large-scale training exercise in California, an Army spokesperson said.

Adrian Bonsey, 29, was a combat engineer assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart in Georgia.

Bonsey was on foot June 10 in a training area in the Mojave Desert during hours of limited visibility when he was run over by the 27-ton armored vehicle at about 4:30 a.m., the spokesperson said. The incident remains under investigation.

"This is a devastating loss for our entire division," Maj. Gen. John Lubas, the 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement. "Adrian was an exceptional soldier who was committed to our mission and proudly serving our nation. We are heartbroken and will wrap our arms around his family, loved ones and fellow Soldiers during this difficult time."

Bonsey, a New York native, joined the Army in 2023, and was stationed at Fort Stewart for two months, the Army said. He previously served at Fort Carson, Colorado, and deployed to Poland in 2024.

The Bradley is manned by a three-soldier main crew and built to carry six additional troops into combat while providing fire support with its 25mm chain gun and M240C 7.62mm machine gun. It is also armed with TOW anti-tank missiles. The vehicles were heavily relied upon during the early years of the Iraq war.

Bonsey was taking part in a significant training exercise at the National Training Center, located in the Mojave Desert, the Army's premier combat training venue, where units spend about a month conducting large-scale exercises designed to replicate war conditions. The rotations serve as the Army's final validation before units are considered ready for potential combat deployments abroad.

The Army lost 31 soldiers in training accidents in 2025, with fatalities split between aircraft crashes and ground incidents, Army figures show. Most of the ground deaths involved military vehicles, often in rollover incidents.

Since 2020, the service has averaged roughly two vehicle-related fatalities each month, but have been on a downward trend since the mid-2000s when deaths were triple, coinciding with frantic scrambles to train units to pour them into the Iraq war surge.

Army investigations have repeatedly pointed to the same factors contributing to fatal training incidents including sleep deprivation, inadequate training and inexperienced leaders supervising high-risk exercises. In some cases, commanders overseeing the training had only recently assumed their positions, the investigations found.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lufkin man arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

Lufkin – Patrol officers Wednesday night located and arrested a Lufkin man who was wanted on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges, according to a news release from Lufkin Police. Javier Dejesus Martinez, 41, was arrested as he walked to a gas station near Timberland and Atkinson Drives. He has been charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. This follows reports to police and the Angelina County Sheriff’s office of family violence.

Detective Reagan Matthews said the incident started with Martinez and the victim in a local motel Tuesday. Martinez strangled and struck the victim several times while at the motel.

The following day, the victim went to work at a convenience store on U.S. 69 north in Central and had belongings in the vehicle to leave Martinez. However, Martinez worked at an adjacent convenience store, and when he saw the victim in the parking lot, he reportedly began repeatedly striking the victim with a closed fist, knocking the victim to the ground and dragging the victim on the pavement, Matthews said.

Witnesses took photos of the incident, but told Sheriff’s deputies that Martinez threatened to kill anyone who called the police and he said he was not afraid of the police or confrontation, Matthews said. Martinez left the premises in the victim’s vehicle, and witnesses then called the Sheriff’s office. They were able to provide photos and video, she said.
When deputies talked with the victim at the convenience store, they were told of the abuse at the Lufkin motel, which is when detectives became involved in the case.

Matthews located the victim at a local hospital and scheduled an intimate partner violence exam with Harolds House, which documented both the new and older wounds.
Around 11 p.m. Wednesday, patrol officers recognized Martinez as he was walking on north Timberland Drive and arrested him without incident. Sheriff’s detectives are working on separate charges from the convenience store incident. Martinez had been on parole from federal prison on drug possession and trafficking charges.

Road construction extended

Road construction extendedTYLER – Old Bascom Road will remain closed while crews complete drainage repairs and prepare for a full road reconstruction project. The road has been closed since May 22 while crews replace collapsed tin culverts with new concrete box culverts. The ongoing culvert replacement is expected to take about three more weeks. 

During the replacement work, it was determined that Old Bascom Road must be reconstructed before reopening. Once the culvert work is complete, the City has contracted Reynolds & Kay to begin the rehabilitation project.  Continue reading Road construction extended

Man arrested after strangling, beating victim at Lufkin motel

LUFKIN – A man was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly beat and strangled a person at a motel in Lufkin.According to our news partner KETK and the Lufkin Police Department, 41-year-old Javier Dejesus Martinez, was arrested after detectives learned he strangled and struck a victim in a local motel on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday, the victim reportedly went to work at a convenience store on U.S. Highway 69. The victim was planning to leave Martinez and had already put their belongings in their vehicle.

Martinez worked at a convenient store nearby and had seen the victim in the parking lot. Lufkin PD reported that after seeing the victim on Wednesday, Martinez repeatedly struck them with a closed fist, knocked them to the ground and dragged them on the pavement.

“Witnesses took photos of the incident but told Sheriff’s deputies that Martinez threatened to kill anyone who called the police and he said he was not afraid of the police or confrontation,” a Lufkin Police Department detective said.

Martinez then left the convenience store property in the victim’s vehicle and witnesses contacted the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office. Lufkin PD detectives became involved after the victim told deputies about the violence at the motel.

A detective with Lufkin PD found the victim at local hospital on Wednesday and set up a violence exam at Harold’s House, where their new and older wounds were documented.

The detective was able to secure a warrant for Martinez’s arrest in connection to the motel beating on Wednesday and they also discussed the case with Lufkin PD patrol officers.

At around 11 p.m. on Wednesday night, Lufkin PD officers were patrolling the city when they saw Martinez walking on north Timberland Drive. Martinez was arrested without incident and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Martinez is currently being held in Angelina County Jail on a $500,000 bond for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has received an additional charge from the Sheriff’s Department for continuous violence against the family with no bond.

Texas board approves Bible stories as required reading in public schools

Texas board approves Bible stories as required reading in public schoolsAUSTIN (AP) — The Texas education board on Friday approved a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students that includes Bible passages, widening conservative efforts to push Christian teachings in U.S. classrooms.

The Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved the list of over critics who argued the titles lack diversity and blur the separation of church and state enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Supporters say Judeo-Christian traditions were fundamental to the nation’s founding and that should be reflected in the public school curriculum.

The proposal, which mandates literary works such as Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” alongside passages from the New Testament, has been closely followed by education observers who say it appears to be the first of its kind in the nation. It is a departure from letting schools or teachers decide what students read.

The rollout will be staggered, starting with elementary school students in 2030.

Texas, which educates roughly 1 in 10 of the nation’s public school students, has been at the forefront of a charge by conservatives to incorporate more religion into classrooms. The state also allows public schools to hire chaplains to counsel students, mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms and has approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum.

A focus on Christianity

Critics say the reading list lacks diversity, blurs the separation of church and state that is enshrined in the Constitution and leaves teachers and students with little room to decide what to read.

“Kids of all faith backgrounds and no faith are served by Texas schools and they should all feel welcome in Texas schools,” said Elva Mendoza, legislative communications associate for the progressive Texas Freedom Network. “But this is sending the message to children that one and only one religious text — a Christian one — is worthy of making this required reading list.”

Others have applauded the possibility of mandated Christian religious reading in public schools. Brooke Mazel, a retiree from Lubbock, encouraged the board to adopt biblical materials, saying her children and grandchildren grew up with “strong faith and family values.”

“America should celebrate our 250 years that started as a nation of unwavering Christian values,” Mazel said.

The board is also set to vote Friday on a social studies curriculum that links Bible stories with American history.

Texas may be a trailblazer

A state law passed in 2023 required a mandatory list of at least one literary work be taught in each grade level. The proposed new list contains around 200 texts, including Bible passages, essays and books, far in excess of that requirement.

Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, said he doesn’t know of any other state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts. Educators at the district and school level usually choose the texts their students will read, Garcia said.

Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, agrees the move is “unique” to Texas.

Picture-book stories for elementary students including “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” are on the required reading list. By fourth grade, students would encounter passages about Jesus in the New Testament.

By middle school, students would be expected to read several passages about Jesus, including passages from his most famous sermon, and another where he instructs people to cast aside earthly anxiety and seek the kingdom of God.

For high schoolers, the list requires the reading of specific Bible passages as supportive materials for literary works including works by Dickens and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
Holding diversity in check

Such strict requirements amount to “almost de facto censorship,” Meehan said, comparing the list to book bans.

“It certainly leans ideologically more conservative,” she said. “It excludes a lot of diverse voices from the reading list.”

The list mandates that students reading Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” also read a eulogy for President Ronald Reagan written by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a staunch conservative.

Frank Strong, an English and journalism teacher and co-founder of the student advocacy group Texas Freedom to Read, said diversity is not only important for students needing to see themselves in what they read but also as a way to learn about different cultures.

Many of the books on the reading list are not controversial, but Mendoza asks why books like “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” need to be required for kindergartners.

“Can’t our kindergarten teachers be trusted to choose board books?” Mendoza asks.

Texas board approves Bible stories as required reading in public schools

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas education board on Friday approved a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students that includes Bible passages, widening conservative efforts to push Christian teachings in U.S. classrooms.

The Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved the list of over critics who argued the titles lack diversity and blur the separation of church and state enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Supporters say Judeo-Christian traditions were fundamental to the nation’s founding and that should be reflected in the public school curriculum.

The proposal, which mandates literary works such as Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” alongside passages from the New Testament, has been closely followed by education observers who say it appears to be the first of its kind in the nation. It is a departure from letting schools or teachers decide what students read.

The rollout will be staggered, starting with elementary school students in 2030.

Texas, which educates roughly 1 in 10 of the nation’s public school students, has been at the forefront of a charge by conservatives to incorporate more religion into classrooms. The state also allows public schools to hire chaplains to counsel students, mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms and has approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum.

A focus on Christianity

Critics say the reading list lacks diversity, blurs the separation of church and state that is enshrined in the Constitution and leaves teachers and students with little room to decide what to read.

“Kids of all faith backgrounds and no faith are served by Texas schools and they should all feel welcome in Texas schools,” said Elva Mendoza, legislative communications associate for the progressive Texas Freedom Network. “But this is sending the message to children that one and only one religious text — a Christian one — is worthy of making this required reading list.”

Others have applauded the possibility of mandated Christian religious reading in public schools. Brooke Mazel, a retiree from Lubbock, encouraged the board to adopt biblical materials, saying her children and grandchildren grew up with “strong faith and family values.”

“America should celebrate our 250 years that started as a nation of unwavering Christian values,” Mazel said.

The board is also set to vote Friday on a social studies curriculum that links Bible stories with American history.

Texas may be a trailblazer

A state law passed in 2023 required a mandatory list of at least one literary work be taught in each grade level. The proposed new list contains around 200 texts, including Bible passages, essays and books, far in excess of that requirement.

Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, said he doesn’t know of any other state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts. Educators at the district and school level usually choose the texts their students will read, Garcia said.

Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, agrees the move is “unique” to Texas.

Picture-book stories for elementary students including “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” are on the required reading list. By fourth grade, students would encounter passages about Jesus in the New Testament.

By middle school, students would be expected to read several passages about Jesus, including passages from his most famous sermon, and another where he instructs people to cast aside earthly anxiety and seek the kingdom of God.

For high schoolers, the list requires the reading of specific Bible passages as supportive materials for literary works including works by Dickens and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
Holding diversity in check

Such strict requirements amount to “almost de facto censorship,” Meehan said, comparing the list to book bans.

“It certainly leans ideologically more conservative,” she said. “It excludes a lot of diverse voices from the reading list.”

The list mandates that students reading Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” also read a eulogy for President Ronald Reagan written by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a staunch conservative.

Frank Strong, an English and journalism teacher and co-founder of the student advocacy group Texas Freedom to Read, said diversity is not only important for students needing to see themselves in what they read but also as a way to learn about different cultures.

Many of the books on the reading list are not controversial, but Mendoza asks why books like “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” need to be required for kindergartners.

“Can’t our kindergarten teachers be trusted to choose board books?” Mendoza asks.

Texas Supreme Court rejects lawsuit by survivors of Uvalde school shooting

AUSTIN (THE TEXAS TRIBUNE) – The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal by Robb Elementary students and teachers who argued failures by the Department of Public Safety and Uvalde County contributed to a botched response to the 2022 shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers.

The court’s order, issued without comment, upheld a February ruling by the San Antonio-based 4th Court of Appeals that dismissed the lawsuit.

DPS and the county were sued for negligence by five teachers and 20 students who were at the school but not in the classrooms where the shootings occurred.

“Most were barricaded in nearby classrooms and could hear the gunfire, and some saw the shooter as he moved through the campus. The shooter also fired into the windows of at least one of the classrooms where the appellants were located,” the appeals court noted. “Several appellants lost friends and cousins in the shooting, and others were physically injured during the evacuation. All were traumatized.”

The lawsuit argued that DPS and Uvalde County failed to protect students and teachers — an allegation, the court acknowledged, “we quite frankly cannot disagree with.”

Even so, the appeals court said, their lawsuit argued that DPS and the county acted negligently under the Texas Tort Claims Act — a law that did not apply to their claims.

Students and teachers alleged that law enforcement officers failed to use their communication equipment and protective gear as they waited more than an hour to intervene and protect those inside the elementary school.

They also alleged that responders used “defective operational equipment in a manner that delayed rescue causing distinct injury,” because radios could be used only within a 10-foot radius of the building.

Students and teachers were injured “not only by the shooter’s conduct, but also by the delayed rescue itself,” the lawsuit said.

The appeals court ruled that under the Tort Claims Act, students and teachers had to show the “use of the property must have actually caused the plaintiff’s injury.”

The lawsuit did not present evidence that properly functioning radios would have minimized or eliminated the delay in the rescue, the court ruled.

In addition, many of the lawsuit’s claims revolved around law enforcement’s failure to use body armor, shields, firearms and protective gear. However, “it is well-established that non-use of property” does not waive the county’s and the Department of Public Safety’s immunity from lawsuits under the tort act, the appeals court ruled.

“As judges, we are bound by the maxim that ‘the waiver of governmental immunity is a matter addressed to the Legislature, not the courts,’” the opinion said.

To find the original article, go to The Texas Tribune.

Happy birthday, 2000 Year Old Man. Mel Brooks is turning 100

Happy birthday, 2000 Year Old Man. Mel Brooks is turning 100NEW YORK (AP) — The 2000 Year Old Man is turning 100. Mel Brooks on Sunday will celebrate his centennial birthday.

The comedian and filmmaker has been awaiting the milestone. Earlier this year, Judd Apatow titled his retrospective documentary on him: “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!”

“I was born to make people laugh,” Brooks says in the film. “So, I do that.”

Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, on June 28, 1926. After serving in the Army during World War II and performing in the Borscht Belt, Sid Caesar hired him as a writer. On his “Show of Shows,” Brooks met Carl Reiner, who’d remain a lifelong friend and with whom he created the “2000 Year Old Man” sketches.

Reiner would pepper Brooks’ ancient man with questions about what Jesus was like. “Jesus … yes, yes,” Brooks would answer. “Thin lad. Wore sandals. Always walked around with 12 other guys.”

Brooks went to make classic comedies like “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” and “High Anxiety.” It all started, Brooks told The Associated Press in 2021, with his childhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

“I wanted to keep the party going. I wanted to keep the happiness and joy and explosions of laughter going into a dour part of our lives, not our childhood anymore,” Brooks recalled. “I was once interviewed and the guy said, ‘What was the happiest part of your life? Was it winning the Academy Award? Was it marrying Anne Bancroft?’ I said no, not at all. It was my childhood. From about 4 or 5 to 9, it was the most exciting, happiest, joyous life that anyone could experience.

“The guy said, ‘What happened at 9?’ I said, ‘Homework.’”

Even now, Brooks hasn’t retired. In April, Brooks submitted a video message to Eddie Murphy to honor him for his AFI life achievement award. In May, he announced that he was donating thousands of his documents and photographs to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.

“I’ve always been proud to say that I make people laugh for a living,” Brooks said then in a statement. “So, knowing that my work will have a home at comedy’s national archive and continue making people laugh leaves me with a deep sense of pride.”

To mark the occasion of Brooks’ centennial, the American Film Institute on Friday named 1974’s “Blazing Saddles” the funniest film of all time. It has previously ranked sixth on its list of 100 greatest movies. Brooks’ film displaced “Some Like It Hot” — which Brooks had long held wasn’t as funny as his movies — from the top spot.

“He’s right!,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and chief executive. “We’re happy to right this wrong as Mel celebrates his centennial. It’s good to be the king, and may he live to be a 2,000 year old man. Happy birthday, Mel!”

Brooks has sometimes made mortality a joke, too. In a 1980s sketch, he created a coin-operated gravestone for himself that played a videotaped message. It began: “I was Mel Brooks, one of the funniest little Jews to walk the Earth.”

When asked in that AP 2021 interview if he thought much about death, Brooks said no.

“I gave up after 60 thinking about it because if I did, I’d be thinking about it all the time. So I don’t think about it much. When and if it happens it’s going to be a sad day — for everybody but me,” Brooks said, laughing.

“I enjoy living,” he added. “I’d like to do it as long as I can.”

What to know about birthright citizenship ahead of Supreme Court’s ruling

A light rain falls outside of the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of the release of new opinions on June 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on President Donald Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order, a move which would upend more than a century of legal precedent and a national tradition that have said babies born on American soil are automatically American citizens.

The ruling, one of the most highly anticipated of the year, is a major test of Trump's unprecedented assertion of presidential power in his second term with major stakes for millions of children and their families.

What is birthright citizenship?

Birthright citizenship is the idea that a child automatically becomes a citizen of the country in which they are born, regardless of the immigration status of their parents.

It reflects the principle of jus soli, or right of the soil, extending citizenship purely on the basis of geographic location.

By contrast, many countries extend citizenship under the principle of jus sanguinis, or right of blood, which is determined by the nationality of a child's parents regardless of the location of birth.

How does birthright citizenship work in the U.S.?

With few exceptions, all babies born on U.S. soil become U.S. citizens.

For the approximately 3.6 million children born in American hospitals every year, the birth certificate alone has been the key to obtaining Social Security numbers, passports and early life benefits.

Into adulthood, the birth certificate has been universally recognized as proof of citizenship for such things as voter registration, employment, home loans and military service.

What does the Constitution say about birthright citizenship?

The 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 to address the legal status of former slaves and their descendants, says plainly that all "persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" are citizens.

Congress later codified the same language in federal citizenship law enacted in 1940.

Courts and the government have repeatedly interpreted the 14th Amendment to unambiguously confer citizenship on all children born in the U.S., including babies of unauthorized noncitizens and temporary residents, such as asylum seekers, international students, tourists and seasonal workers.

Do other countries allow birthright citizenship?

Yes. Thirty-two other countries have citizenship laws nearly identical to the U.S., according to data compiled by the Pew Research Center. Roughly 50 more have limited versions of birthright citizenship.

The most inclusive citizenship policies are in countries in the Western Hemisphere. Brazil, Canada, Argentina and Mexico, for example, closely mirror American law.

Pakistan, Chad and Mozambique are other notable comparators to the U.S.

European countries have historically been more restrictive when it comes to citizenship. France, Greece and Spain extend citizenship at birth only to children whose parents were also born in those countries.

Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom grant automatic citizenship to any child born to a legal resident.

Why does President Trump want to end birthright citizenship?

On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed an executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship by redefining the meaning of the 14th Amendment.

He claims that children born to noncitizen parents who are either unlawfully in the country or who possess temporary legal status, such as tourists or foreign students, are not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the U.S. and therefore ineligible.

The order would restrict citizenship to babies of current American citizens or other lawful permanent residents that have established "domicile" in the U.S.

The president argues the current citizenship policy is a "scam" that has allowed wealthy adversaries to take advantage of American benefits and "ripped off" taxpayers by providing financial assistance to children of undocumented people.

What is the argument in favor of birthright citizenship?

Birthright citizenship has been part of American tradition repeatedly affirmed by courts and legislators for more than a century.

The Supreme Court previously rejected constitutional arguments similar to the ones Trump is making.

"The [14th] Amendment, in clear words and in manifest intent, includes the children born, within the territory of the United States, of all other persons, of whatever race or color, domiciled within the United States," wrote Justice Horace Gray in 1898 in the landmark Wong Kim Ark v. U.S. decision, addressing the status of children born to noncitizens.

Immigrant advocates and civil liberties groups have warned that ending birthright citizenship would harm hundreds of thousands of children born every year to noncitizen parents and create a bureaucratic nightmare for older Americans who would no longer be able to prove citizenship simply with a birth certificate.

An estimated 255,000 children born every year to noncitizen parents would have lost legal status under the order, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Some may have faced difficulty establishing citizenship in any country, effectively being born as "stateless."

What happens if the Supreme Court allows Trump to end birthright citizenship?

The Trump administration says federal agencies have prepared guidelines for implementing a new process of conferring citizenship to children born after the order takes effect.

Federal agencies -- by electronic databases or otherwise -- would evaluate the legal status of a child's parents first before making a determination of eligibility for citizenship and, in turn, for a Social Security number, passport and other benefits.

A U.S. birth certificate alone would no longer be sufficient proof of citizenship for any child going forward, including those born to American parents.

Immigrant advocates have warned of a "bureaucratic nightmare" for all parents of newborns, with vulnerable low-income children being particularly at risk of not getting necessary health care or nutrition assistance.

Some children who would not qualify for U.S. citizenship may be rendered "stateless" since several countries, particularly in southeast Asia, do not confer citizenship automatically to children born to their nationals abroad. That lack of legal status might make some newborns immediately eligible for deportation.

Can birthright citizenship be stripped if the court upholds Trump's order?

The Trump administration says the executive order is not retroactive and would only apply to babies born after it takes effect.

However, some legal experts fear that any legal reasoning upholding Trump's reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment could potentially be used by a future administration to pursue efforts to strip citizenship from some people if it wanted to.

"The government could move to unnaturalize people who were born here of illegal residents," Justice Sonia Sotomayor said during oral arguments in April.

When will the Supreme Court issue a ruling?

The justices are expected to rule in the case -- Trump v. Barbara -- before adjourning for their summer recess in early July.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour to reunite in new Netflix spy thriller series

Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour attend the 'Stranger Things' season 5 world premiere at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on Nov. 6, 2025, in Hollywood, California. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)

Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour have said goodbye to Hawkins, but they aren't saying goodbye to working together.

The Stranger Things co-stars are teaming up for a brand-new Netflix series.

Brown and Harbour are set to star in and executive produce an upcoming spy drama show from A24 that has received a straight-to-series order at Netflix. The pair will play father and daughter once again in the new series, which comes from Emmy-winning Adolescence writer Jack Thorne.

The currently untitled thriller follows "disgraced FBI agent turned security expert Matt Wolfe (Harbour)" who "is drawn back into the world he left behind when his estranged daughter, Rebecca (Brown) — now an FBI agent determined to follow in his footsteps — vanishes on a mission, forcing him to return to a field that has evolved beyond him," according to an official description from the streamer.

"We are delighted to bring this spy drama to life with an extraordinary group of talent we’ve been fortunate to collaborate with before,” Jinny Howe, the Netflix head of scripted series in US and Canada, said. “Jack Thorne’s ability to find the deeply human story inside a thriller is unmatched, and watching Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour reunite — this time as estranged father and daughter on opposite sides of a crisis — is something audiences are going to love. A24 is the perfect partner to bring this story to our members around the world.”

Brown's husband, Jake Bongiovi, and her father, Robert Brown, will executive produce the show for PCMA Productions.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Senators Ted Cruz, Kaine introduce bill to strengthen America’s defense industrial base

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Feedstocks, Uniformity, Safety, and Energetics (FUSE) Act. This legislation establishes a Pentagon pilot program to evaluate the extent 3D-printable energetic materials can safely expand domestic production capacity and strengthen the defense industrial base.

Sen. Cruz said, “Critical energetic materials like RDX and HMX are essential to modern weapons systems but are hazardous to produce and rely on a limited domestic supplier base, creating safety and supply chain vulnerabilities. This legislation will enable the Department of War to test the performance and scalability of 3D-printable energetic materials at secure facilities and provide a controlled means of conducting assessments. I’m proud to introduce it and urge my colleagues to move it toward passage.”

According to Sen. Kaine, “Additive manufacturing in defense technologies has enormous capacity to boost our military readiness by enabling us to quickly develop parts and munitions and strengthen our supply chains. Virginia is home to many innovative additive manufacturing companies. This legislation would help us better understand how additive manufacturing can be applied to produce energetics and explosives and reduce choke points in production.”

This provision creates a pilot program to assess whether 3D-printable explosive and propellant materials can be safely used in military manufacturing. The program will test whether these materials can make munitions production safer, more reliable, and less vulnerable to supply chain disruptions compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

RDX and HMX are utilized in the manufacture of melt-castable explosives, nuclear devices, plastic explosives, rocket fuels, and booster charges that are employed in military applications. RDX and HMX are also extensively used in quarrying, metal mining, coal mining, and non-metal mining industries.

Jacksonville shooting suspect arrested

Jacksonville shooting suspect arrestedUPDATE: Emiliano Lorenzo Alonzo Ebanez was taken into custody at around 5:41 p.m. on Wednesday, the Jacksonville Police Department said. He is currently in the Cherokee County Jail, according to our news partner KETK.

JACKSONVILLE — Three men were hospitalized after two separate shootings began in Jacksonville on Sunday night.
The Jacksonville Police Department received several 911 calls on Sunday at around 9:35 p.m. of a shooting in the area of Lincoln Park near MB Davis Boulevard and Holloway Street. When officers arrived, they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds.

All three victims were transported to local hospitals, where they remain in stable condition, according to police.

As officers worked the scene and attempted move away a large crowd, additional 911 calls came in at around 10:10 p.m. reporting a second shooting. This incident occurred outside the 7-Eleven at 202 North Jackson Street, where another crowd had gathered.

Detectives are actively investigating both shootings and are working to identify everyone involved. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Jacksonville Police Department at 903-586-2546.

Weekend Watchlist: What’s new in theaters, on streaming

Ready, set, binge! Here's a look at some of the new movies and TV shows coming to theaters and streaming services this weekend:

Netflix
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Check out season 2 of the live-action show based on the beloved animated series.

Little Brother: John Cena and Eric Andre are brothers in this comedy film.

Hulu
The Bear: Are you ready for the fifth and final season of the comedy-drama series? Yes, chef.

HBO Max
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: Larry David teamed up with the Obamas for this sketch comedy series.

Movie theaters
Supergirl: Clark Kent's cousin is played by Milly Alcock in this new superhero film.

Jackass: Best and Last: The gang gets back together for one last hurrah in this new movie.

That’s all for this week’s Weekend Watchlist – happy streaming!

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Who is Maya Joint? She hopes to spoil the Serena Williams party at Wimbledon

LONDON (AP) — Maya Joint’s cheering section at Wimbledon for her match of a lifetime against Serena Williams will be small.

The Michigan-born Aussie said she’ll have her tennis coach, fitness coach, agent and … her mom. That might be it.

Joint, 20, was drawn to face the seven-time Wimbledon champion in the first round and knows she’ll need to tune out what likely will be a stadium — probably Centre Court — full of fans hoping to see the 44-year-old Williams launch a successful singles comeback.

“I’m expecting big serves and big forehands,” Joint said. “I’m expecting shorter rallies, just from how hard she hits the ball. I’ll have to be really ready for the first couple of games, try and get a good start to maybe catch her off guard a little bit.”
Big moment for Joint

Her record in Grand Slams is two wins, seven losses with both victories coming at the U.S. Open. Meanwhile, Williams won seven major titles — completing a career Grand Slam in the process — before Joint was born in 2006.

“I have so much respect for her. She was one of my idols growing up, I’m just really excited to have the opportunity to play against her,” Joint said.

As a qualifier at Flushing Meadows in 2024, Joint beat Laura Siegemund before losing to Madison Keys.

Joint said the match against Keys in Arthur Ashe Stadium gave her a flavor of what’s to come at Wimbledon.

“When I saw that she got a wild card to get back into singles, there was always a part of me wanted to experience playing against her,” Joint said.

Ranked No. 53, she made her Wimbledon debut last year, losing in the first round.
A favorable draw for Serena

Williams could have been drawn with any top player on tour, but in Joint she’ll face an opponent who has struggled for much of 2026. At one point Joint lost 10 consecutive matches before a first-round victory at a clay-court WTA 125 event in Croatia this month.

The young player, who represents Australia through her father, sees an opportunity.

“Any match is winnable. I’ve gotten a lot closer in my past couple matches, I’ve been getting closer in the score,” she said. “Serena is still an amazing player, so I’m sure it’s going to be a difficult match but I also think that I have a chance to win.”
Tomljanovic is optimistic

If anyone knows what it’s like to face Williams in a high-pressure scenario, it’s Ajla Tomljanovic, who beat Williams in the third round at the 2022 U.S. Open in what was Williams’ farewell to tennis at the time.

“I’m excited. It’s going to be such a fun experience for Maya,” Tomljanovic said Friday at Wimbledon. “Maya can go into it really feeling like she’s got nothing to lose and so much to gain, but at the same time there’s that true belief that she can win, and she’s in a good position to win if she plays her game.”

Joint saw Tomljanovic after the draw was announced. Did the youngster ask for advice from the last woman to beat Williams in singles? Nope.

“I saw her this morning — she didn’t ask me anything, but that’s Maya for you,” she said. “She’s quite introverted but the more time you spend with her she’s very quirky, she’s funny. She’s very professional. She likes to stay in her bubble with her team.”

Still, Joint said Tomljanovic told her “that I can beat anyone.”
‘Anything can happen’

Since Williams had been out for nearly four years, a reporter Friday asked Joint who would be the favorite in the match.

“That’s a difficult question. I try not to think of what other people think will happen,” she responded. “Tennis is a crazy sport, anything can happen. It just depends who’s better on that day, so we’ll see Tuesday.”

She added: “Maybe I can win a couple of people over.”

Suns finalizing deal to bring back Mark Williams on $38 million, 3-year deal, AP source says

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to bring back center Mark Williams on a $38 million, three-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal — first reported by ESPN — has not been announced.

The 24-year-old Williams was a restricted free agent after scoring 11.7 points and grabbing eight rebounds per game last season. The 7-foot-1 big man played his first three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets before he was traded to the Suns in a draft day deal in 2025.

Williams — who was the No. 15 pick in the 2022 draft — has battled injuries throughout his career, but played in a career-high 60 games last season, including 55 starts.

He shot 64% from the field and averaged nearly a block per game.

The Suns have been busy over the past few days, re-signing several key pieces from last season. Collin Gillespie agreed to a $48 million, four-year deal last week while Jordan Goodwin agreed to a contract worth $19 million over three years.

During the draft earlier this week, the Suns moved up to grab Arizona native Koa Peat with the No. 30 selection.

Judge declares mistrial in Palisades Fire suspect’s federal trial

Jonathan Rinderknecht is seen in a photo released by the Department of Justice. (Department of Justice)

(LOS ANGELES) -- The judge declared a mistrial Friday in the federal trial of the man accused of starting the deadly blaze that devastated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles last year, with the jury unable to reach a verdict.

Jonathan Rinderknecht was accused of "maliciously" starting a fire that six days later developed into what became known as the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history.

He was indicted on three federal counts -- destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire -- which carry up to 45 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty.

The jury began deliberating Wednesday morning. They reported being deadlocked Thursday afternoon, noting that there were two jurors with unwavering stances. The jury remained deadlocked on Friday, with 10 for not guilty and two for guilty, and Judge Anne Hwang declared a mistrial.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said his office plans to retry the case.

"The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire," Essayli said in a statement on social media. "We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts."

Rinderknecht's attorney, Steve Haney, said the jury was deadlocked on all three charges, including one accusing him of starting the initial fire. He maintained that Rinderknecht never set that fire and said his client was "encouraged" that the jury "resoundingly found that the government's case was not strong."

"Obviously, an acquittal would have been preferred," Haney added, though he called the 10-2 deadlock a "resounding defeat for the government."

Haney said the government needed a "scapegoat" and "picked on the convenient loner."

"All they did is attack his character and present no evidence, no direct evidence at all, that he maliciously started a fire," Haney said.

One of the jurors who was on the not guilty side told reporters that she felt there were a "lot of holes" in the government's case.

"I don't think there was enough evidence to say he started the first fire," Syrena, 49, who declined to give her last name, told reporters upon leaving the Los Angeles courthouse on Friday.

Even if she did find him guilty of starting the first fire, she said she didn't feel comfortable blaming someone for the Palisades Fire if the initial fire wasn't properly extinguished.

"I'm not going to put somebody down for that entire thing," she said.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Rinderknecht, who was working as an Uber driver at the time, ignited a brush fire that became known as the Lachman Fire just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2025.

Despite being suppressed by fire crews, prosecutors allege that the fire continued to smolder until it surfaced again nearly a week later amid high winds and eventually became the Palisades Fire, which leveled neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and left 12 people dead.

Rinderknecht, a former Los Angeles resident, was arrested in Florida nine months after the Palisades Fire.

Prosecutors alleged he was upset about a past relationship, was fixated on wealth disparity and climate change in messages with ChatGPT and wanted "revenge" against society for his problems.

The government also alleged he was fixated on Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Following the December 2024 shooting, they say he searched for news on Mangione as well as used the search terms "free Luigi Mangione," "lets take down all the billionaires" and "reddit lets kill all the billionaires." 

Prosecutors said Rinderknecht ended up working on Dec. 31, 2024, because he had no plans to celebrate New Year's Eve. They said he went to Skull Rock Trailhead in Topanga State Park after dropping off a passenger in the Pacific Palisades.

They alleged he used a BIC lighter to ignite the Lachman Fire, which they said was not found to be caused by lightning, fireworks or power lines. 

Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times to report the fire while close to the ignition site of the Lachman Fire, and took videos of it, according to prosecutors. He also made a screen-recording on his iPhone of himself attempting to call 911, which prosecutors argued during closing statements was suspicious and pointed to his guilt.

When interviewed in the wake of the Palisades Fire, he told investigators that he saw no fireworks in the area when the Lachman Fire started, prosecutors said. When asked why someone would start a fire in the Pacific Palisades, he mentioned wealth disparity could be one of the reasons why, according to prosecutors.

The defense said Rinderknecht went to the area to watch fireworks, and argued that the Lachman Fire was started by fireworks. Haney said Rinderknecht called 911 to try to stop the fire, and that the government found no evidence that he was planning a fire.

During closing statements, Haney argued there was no direct evidence supporting that Rinderknecht started the Lachman Fire and questioned the government's theory that it was a "holdover" blaze that developed into the Palisades Fire.

Over two weeks, jurors heard testimony from arson and fire experts, saw digital and cellular evidence and heard audio of Rinderknecht's interviews with investigators and his 911 call reporting the Lachman Fire. They also heard testimony from those impacted by the Palisades Fire.  

The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, burning more than 23,000 acres over more than three weeks and destroying nearly 7,000 structures, decimating the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, according to California fire officials.

It ignited the same day as the Eaton Fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres in Los Angeles County, destroying more than 9,400 structures and killing 19 people, according to officials.

The fires started burning during strong Santa Ana winds, which, combined with dry conditions, allowed them to spread quickly.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’ trailer features new villain

The cast of 'Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.' (Disney+)

The first trailer for Disney's Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is here.

The next installment in the popular Descendants franchise, which follows the children of Disney heroes and villains, sees the return of Red and Chloe, played by Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker. The new trailer was released Friday.

This time around, Red and Chloe are forced to deal with the fallout of a changing past and face a new villain named Maddox Hatter, portrayed by Leonardo Nam, as they try to save the Queen of Hearts and Wonderland.

Rita Ora reprises her role as the Queen of Hearts, with Paolo Montalban as King Charming, Melanie Paxson returning as the Fairy Godmother and Brandy as Cinderella.

Wicked Wonderland will also welcome new cast members Liamani Segura as Pink, Red's younger sister; Brendon Tremblay as Max Hatter, Maddox's son; and Alexandro Byrd as Luis Madrigal, Luisa Madrigal's son.

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland premieres on Disney Channel on July 16 and will be available to stream on Disney+ starting July 17.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Son of assistant principal pleads guilty

ARP – On Friday, the son of a former assistant principal at Arp Elementary entered a guilty plea to luring a 14-year-old girl away from her parents in order to commit a felony. The girl was later impregnated. Blake Florence, 23, and his mother, Karla Florence, who was the assistant principal at Arp Elementary at the time, were detained in late August 2025 on suspicion of sexual assault of a minor and tampering with tangible evidence. Charges of failing to report and giving a false report to a peace officer led to her arrest. Continue reading Son of assistant principal pleads guilty

Drug investigation leads to two arrests

Drug investigation leads to two arrestsHENDERSON COUNTY – Two men have been arrested on suspicion of drug dealing in the Athens area, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. An Athens police officer, a group of Henderson County deputies and investigators executed a drug search warrant on Wednesday at approximately 7:14 p.m. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, narcotics investigators disrupted a drug-running scheme that resulted in the arrest of two men from Athens and halted the flow of cocaine, codeine, and marijuana from this area. Henderson County 392nd Judicial District Judge Scott McKee issued a search warrant, which was carried out in the 400 block of Stoneleigh Street. Two men, David LaJames Hurd, 39, and Hasani Sameel Pariall, 37, were arrested during the search warrant’s execution. Continue reading Drug investigation leads to two arrests

Man sentenced after fatal crash

ATHENS – After driving while intoxicated in a collision that killed a Tyler woman in 2024, 22-year-old Athens resident Jercorion Jaterence Johnson was given an 18-year prison sentence. In his own defense, Johnson expressed regret for the collision that killed 49-year-old Monica Bingham in July 2024. He acknowledged that he was “high” during a collision on U.S. 175 and that he had few memories of the day. Additionally, testimony revealed that in March 2025, while he was out on bond, he was arrested for driving under the influence.

Marina Mabrey matches WNBA scoring record with 53 points to help Toronto rout Los Angeles

TORONTO (AP) — Marina Mabrey matched the WNBA scoring record with 53 points to help the Toronto Tempo rout the Los Angeles Sparks 125-97 on Thursday night.

Mabrey tied the mark set by Liz Cambage for Dallas against New York on July 17, 2018, and matched by A’ja Wilson for Las Vegas at Atlanta on Aug. 22, 2023.

Mabrey said she was unaware of the scoring record until sister Michaela Mabrey, sitting on the sideline, told her she was three points away.

“There’s no stat board in our gym,” Mabrey said. “After you get into a state like that, it’s kind of hard to know what you’re really doing, but my teammates made it known, so I knew I was doing something good.”

When she checked out with a minute remaining, fans briefly booed before erupting into cheers in acknowledgement of her big night. The clock ticked down to zero with chants of “We Want Mabrey! We Want Mabrey!”

“She wanted to come out,” Brondello said. “I said ’No, no you’ve got to stay in for this record.’”

Mabrey did as the coach said, firing up two more 3-pointers, which both missed. Then, it was time.

“She was done. She goes, ‘I’m out,’” Brondello said.

Mabrey was 17 of 28 from the field, tied the WNBA record for 3-pointers with nine in 18 attempts, and made 10 of 12 free throws.

“I think tonight was just my night from the 3-point line — and from honestly everywhere,” Mabrey laughed. “And then the fans, to end up chanting MVP, I don’t know that I ever imagined that. But it was really a good feeling.”

The 29-year-old former Notre Dame star shattered the expansion team’s previous high of 38 points done twice by Brittney Sykes.

“I’ve been doing this for quite some time,” Toronto coach Sandy Brondello said. “I’ve never seen that. (Not even from WNBA legend) Diana Taurasi, and she could shoot it really well. I mean, to witness that was amazing.”

Mabrey also had six rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.

Julie Allemand added 13 points and 14 assists for Toronto in the highest-score game in the team’s short history.

“Julie literally throws the ball right to my pocket, it’s actually wild,” Mabrey said.

Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby led the Sparks with 21 points apiece.

Toronto climbed back to .500 at 9-9, and Los Angeles fell to 8-9.

The Tempo opened a nine-game homestand that includes two games at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Up next

Sparks: At Indiana on Saturday night.

Tempo: Host Phoenix on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.

MLB proposes limiting most free agent contracts to 5 years and 15% of a team’s salary cap

Major League Baseball proposed limiting most free agent contracts to five years and 15% of a team’s salary cap and to eliminate deferred compensation, fleshing out details of a plan likely to spark a confrontation with the players’ association.

MLB’s plan would eliminate deals such as Juan Soto’s $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets. The league said just seven players this year exceed the proposed maximum and 98% of free agent contracts would not have been impacted.

“There’s no question that we’re very far apart,” union head Bruce Meyer said during an online news conference.

During a bargaining session Thursday at the union’s office, MLB said it would accept the union’s proposal granting free agency a year early for players who have reached age 30 if the union accepted the league’s salary cap system. MLB proposed boosting the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for those with two years of big league service.

MLB also proposed increasing the pre-arbitration bonus pool from $50 million to $65 million next year and $75 million by 2032, the sixth season of MLB’s proposed seven-year deal.

Meyer said “the debate got a little more vigorous today.”

“The league has done us a favor because their proposals are in fact so obviously and extremely bad for players at all levels that it’s actually been a benefit for our unity,” Meyer said. “Anybody’s who’s banking on Major League Baseball players cracking, it’s never happened. It’s not going to happen. That’s why we’re the only ones who don’t have a salary cap.”

MLB also said it would agree to eliminate the qualifying offer for free agents that since its inception in 2012 has restricted the market for some players.

Bargaining started May 13 for a contract to replace the five-year deal that expires Dec. 1, and owners proposed a salary cap for the first time since the union fought off the system during a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95. MLB is expected to impose a lockout in December, halting free agent signings and trades.

After the prior agreement expired in December 2021, intensive bargaining did not start until late February as the threat approached of losing regular-season games — along with revenue and salary. The sides reached an agreement on March 10, the 99th day of the lockout, preserving the 162-game schedule.

In the league’s cornerstone proposal, made last month, team spending would be capped next year at $245.3 million, using figures for luxury tax payrolls that include $20.1 million for benefits and the pre-arbitration bonus pool. It also would establish a payroll floor of $171.2 million, forcing several teams to spend more. The two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball’s biggest spenders, had a $415.2 million payroll on opening day this year — around $170 million over the proposed cap.

“The biggest issue baseball fans want solved to strengthen the game is fixing the payroll disparity that leaves too many fans without hope of their team competing for a World Series title,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Every other major U.S. sport has tackled this problem, and every year more small market teams in those leagues have a chance to win. The salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field.”

Meyer took issue with that.

“It’s appalling that the stewards of the game, the people whose job it is to grow the game primarily and promote the game, have for whatever period of time now in the last couple of years been saying nothing but the game’s broken,” he said.

As part of the plan, MLB would establish a “cornerstone player” similar to the NBA’s Bird Rule, which would allow a team to re-sign a player at 16% of the cap. A free agent switching clubs would be limited to a $36.8 million salary next year and a re-signing player to $39.2 million.

Salaries for free agents in additional seasons of a multiyear contract would be limited to 5% increases, as would salaries for younger players in multiyear deals that cover potential free agent seasons.

Contracts would be capped by service time: at $500 million and 12 years for those yet to make major league debuts, $461 million and 11 seasons for those with 0-1 years of service, $421 million and 10 years for 1-2, $382 million and nine seasons for 2-3, $343 million and eight years for 3-4, $304 million and seven years for 4-5, and $265 million and six years for free agent eligible players.

Agent Scott Boras claimed the then-record $252 million, 10-year contract he negotiated for Alex Rodriguez in December 2000 would not have been allowed.

“It’s like offering a few pieces of furniture if you agree to live in a house with a 4-foot ceiling,” he said, “an attempt to move player contract values back to the 1990s.”

Banning deferred compensation would eliminate a business practice used most prominently by the Dodgers, who owe $1.107 billion to 12 players from 2028-47. The 30 teams owe $2.382 billion to 82 players through 2051.

MLB said it would accept the union’s proposal to drop free agent eligibility to five seasons of service from six for those turning 30 by the Nov. 1 of the offseason. MLB said 354 players on big league rosters as of Thursday would reach free agency a year earlier. MLB would start the change in the 2027-28 offseason.

As part of the minimum salary proposal, MLB said players with less than two years of service would have a $900,000 minimum and if earning a full year of service would get an additional $100,000 from the pre-arbitration bonus pool. Minor league minimums for players with major league contracts would increase from $63,600 to $73,400 for initial big league deals and $127,100 to $146,700 for additional contracts.

The union proposed to jointly lobby with MLB for the prohibition on prop bets; to allow player endorsement and sponsorship of legal betting entities, including sportsbooks and prediction markets; to have players under MLB betting investigations to be placed on administrative leave, similar to the domestic violence policy; and to allow players near the end of suspensions for betting to have unpaid 15-day minor league assignments, similar to the drug policy.

In addition, players asked for increases for in-season meal and tip allowances; housing benefits for players with major league contracts who are assigned to the minors; and increased moving expenses, including for assignments from one minor league affiliate to another.

Meyer expects at least one more bargaining session before the All-Star break.

Serena Williams draws 20-year-old Maya Joint in first Wimbledon singles match in 4 years

LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams will face an opponent less than half her age when she plays 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon for her first singles match in nearly four years.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, who is 44, accepted a wild-card entry to the grass-court Grand Slam, where she’ll also compete in doubles with her older sister Venus, who turned 46 last week.

It’s all part of a tennis comeback that started with two doubles warmup matches but kicked into high gear Sunday when the All England Club announced Serena would play singles. Brackets were set in Friday’s draw.

Joint was born in Michigan — as was Williams — but represents Australia through her father. She is ranked No. 53 and made her Wimbledon debut last year, losing in the first round to Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2.

“It’s an honor. I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams,” Joint said. “If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that’s just crazy.

“I hope it’s on Centre Court, that would be pretty cool. You just have to play the ball. You can’t really think about who you are playing because I’ll just get too nervous. I’ll just take it one ball at a time.”

Joint won the grass-court Eastbourne Open last year for one of her two WTA tour-level singles titles, but she was slowed by a back injury earlier in 2026.

Williams hasn’t played a singles match since a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.

Tomljanovic said she hopes Joint “enjoys the moment.”

“Especially after (Serena) officially retired four years ago, no one thought that they’d get another chance to play her,” Tomljanovic, an Australian, said Friday at Wimbledon.

Williams is “here to win,” Tomljanovic added.

“You never lose that champion mentality. Her coming into the draw means that she thinks she can win,” she said.

Williams’ most-recent appearance at Wimbledon was in 2022 when she lost in the opening round to then-115th-ranked Harmony Tan.

If Williams beats Joint on Tuesday, she may face rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala, who is seeded 29th, in the second round. She could meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.

Swiatek opens against Taylor Townsend of the U.S. on Centre Court on Tuesday.

In a projected quarterfinals by seedings, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka would meet French Open champion Mirra Andreeva; No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, would face 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova; Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, would play Elina Svitolina; and No. 4 Jessica Pegula would meet Coco Gauff.
Sinner could meet Djokovic in semifinals

On the men’s side, No. 1 Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday.

Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the No. 7 seed, are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semifinals.

Sinner underwent checks following his French Open meltdown — losing in the second round amid a heat wave in Paris — and said he felt physically good after an exhibition match this week in London, which also experienced high temperatures.

Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the All England Club, will play Wu Yibing of China. Djokovic could meet third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.

Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Sinner in the 2025 final, will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury.

Wimbledon starts on Monday.
Serena and Venus in doubles

The Williams sisters are wild-card entries in the women’s doubles and will play their first-round match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina.

Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam titles together in doubles, including six at Wimbledon — the first in 2000 and the last in 2016. Their first two doubles titles at the All England Club, in 2000 and 2002, came as wild cards.

Pochettino annoyed by perceived disappointment after US finishes group play with 3-2 loss to Turkey

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The United States only wanted to get through its final World Cup group stage match Thursday night without an injury or a red card, while Turkey was playing for a face-saving victory to end a dismal tournament.

Both teams got what they wanted most out of their meaningless meeting before the Americans head on to the knockout stage — and coach Mauricio Pochettino was annoyed by any suggestion that the Americans’ last-gasp, 3-2 defeat said anything negative about the state of his team.

Kaan Ayhan scored on the final kick of the match to send Turkey past the U.S. in the eighth minute of stoppage time for its only win of the World Cup.

The result was meaningless to the Americans, who will meet Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday. Pochettino sent out nine new starters, including eight who were starting a World Cup match for the first time.

The U.S. tied it early in the second half on a goal by Sebastian Berhalter, and the Americans got within a few seconds of an unbeaten run through the group stage. But in his postgame news conference, Pochettino expressed his annoyance with what he perceived as disappointment in the result.

“For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad,” Pochettino told reporters.

“What we need to remember is we won first place in this group,” Pochettino added while speaking in Spanish and English. “We ended up being No. 1, and we managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well. We had other priorities. We wanted to win. We did want the victory, but there are other things we needed to balance out, and that’s how I made the decisions. … Making history is winning the World Cup, not just winning the group. It’s a little bit petty, if you will. You’re thinking just a little bit too small.”

Auston Trusty scored in the third minute for the Americans, who beat Paraguay and Australia by a combined 6-1 to book their place in the knockouts.

Pochettino fielded nearly an entirely new lineup for this low-stakes game, notably resting all four key players who picked up yellow cards earlier in the tournament.

Christian Pulisic entered in the 58th minute, however. The AC Milan midfielder hadn’t played since the first half of the Americans’ opener due to a calf injury, and he was involved in a couple of early scoring chances before getting beaten on the wing on Turkey’s winning goal.

“We could have done better on some defensive plays, but it happens,” said Brenden Aaronson, one of nine new starters chosen by Pochettino for the group finale.

“You make (nine) changes, and the team might not be used to as the guys that have been playing,” Aaronson added. “It showed the hustle, the aggressiveness of the team. I think it’s a positive, because Turkey is a top team. They might have not performed their best throughout this tournament, but their quality is on the pitch and you can see it.”

Berhalter said he doesn’t believe the Americans lost any momentum from this close defeat.

“You saw the second half, how we came out,” said Berhalter, who tied it in the 49th minute by running on to a loose ball about 20 yards out for a vicious strike. “I think we deserved more out of that game. We slipped in the last second of the game. … We gave everything we had, and we’ll be ready for the knockouts. The guys did well. We fought. Unfortunate not to get a result, but we’ll be ready for sure.”

Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü scored in the first half of a resilient performance by Turkey, which had already been eliminated after losing its first two matches despite largely dominating both statistically.

Turkey improbably won in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun got the ball in space on the back post and pushed it past sprawling goalkeeper Matt Turner to Ayhan, who slid to knock it home.

“I’m super-happy with how my players played tonight,” Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said through an interpreter. “They showcased all of their skills, all of their abilities, all of their character. Playing the way they played tonight in an away match, against a very loud crowd, if they weren’t as strong as they are, they wouldn’t have made it tonight.

“I’m really happy for the Turkish people. I can say that we can go back home with our chin up.”

Indeed, the game’s meaninglessness didn’t matter to the raucous sellout crowd that packed SoFi Stadium. The American team’s fan base has been energized by its strong start to this home World Cup — and this Los Angeles-area crowd was still chanting and standing when Berhalter airmailed a long corner to Trusty, who made the stadium shake when he banged it home inside the back post.

Trusty’s goal was the Americans’ seventh of the tournament, tying their scoring record for any World Cup before knockout play even begins. It was also the 173rd goal of this tournament, breaking the record for the most combined goals scored in a World Cup set in Qatar four years ago — and doing it in four fewer matches.

Prosecutor dropping drug case against Olympian skier Bode Miller

BIG SKY, Mt. (AP) – An eastern Idaho prosecutor says misdemeanor drug charges against Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller will be dismissed despite there having been probable cause to arrest him.

Miller, 48, was arrested June 6 in Fremont County, which borders Montana and Wyoming, and charged with possessing psilocybin mushrooms. He pleaded not guilty last week and said his friend who was with him had a small amount of drugs he didn’t know about.

County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Friday that her office will be dismissing the drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges against Miller.

“Although the deputy had sufficient probable cause to arrest Mr. Miller at the beginning of June, we recently received information which resulted in our office determining it is in the interest of justice to dismiss Mr. Miller’s misdemeanor charges,” she said. “I will not be discussing the specifics of this recent information due to it being related to another active case.”

Blake did not provide details on the other active case. Online court records related to Miller’s case list another man who was charged with the same crimes.

Miller’s lawyer, Jeromy Stafford, did not immediately return phone and email messages Friday. He told media outlets earlier this week that Miller did not have any drugs on his person when he was arrested.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Miller said he was pulled over after accelerating to pass a vehicle on a highway. He said his friend had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe, which Miller said he didn’t know about.

“We fully cooperated with the officer,” he said. “I am hopeful the misdemeanor charges will be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”

In a probable cause statement, Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Hurt wrote that he found Miller with a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of the psychedelic mushrooms.

The 48-year-old Miller took a gambler’s approach to ski racing. His high-risk, high-reward style resulted in six Olympic medals, including gold in the super-combined at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and numerous crashes.

His last major race was at the 2015 world championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado, when a bad wipeout knocked him out of the super-G. He later underwent surgery to fix a torn right hamstring tendon caused when his ski sliced him. He said in late 2017 that he was retired for good.

Miller won 33 World Cup races and a pair of World Cup overall titles. He also captured four gold medals at world championships.

Last-place Mets fire manager Carlos Mendoza

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Mendoza was fired as manager of the underperforming New York Mets on Friday and replaced by Andy Green.

New York is 34-47 at the season’s midpoint following a six-game losing streak, 15 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 9 1/2 games back of the NL’s last wild-card berth.

Mets owner Steve Cohen had high expectations for a team without a World Series title since 1986. New York opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax.

“Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed,” Cohen said in a statement. “There is no sugar-coating it: This season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered.”

Slowed by injuries to Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr., Clay Holmes and Jorge Polanco, the Mets traded pitcher David Peterson to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and could pivot to a selloff and retooling for the future.

Mendoza spent 15 seasons working for the Yankees, the last four as bench coach, before the Mets hired him to replace Buck Showalter after the 2023 season. While New York advanced to the NL Championship Series in 2024, it failed to reach the playoffs last year and is among the sport’s biggest disappointments this season

Since starting last year 45-25, the Mets are 72-101. That left the team with a 206-199 record under Mendoza, who was in the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract. He was hired by the Mets a month after David Stearns joined New York as president of baseball operations.

After signing Juan Soto to a record $765 million, 15-year contract ahead of the 2025 season, Stearns made major roster changes last offseason. He allowed Pete Alonso to leave as a free agent and traded Brandon Nimmo, while bringing in Semien and Bo Bichette.

New York had a 12-game losing streak in April, its longest since 2002, and made six errors in the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader loss to the Chicago Cubs, their most in a game since 2014.

“Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis,” Stearns said in a statement. “Carlos’ impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward.”

Green, a former major league infielder, joined the Mets in 2023 as senior vice president of baseball development and was given the title of interim manager for the rest of the season. He managed San Diego to a 274-366 record from 2016-19, finishing with sub-.500 records in all four seasons.

Green played four games for the Mets in 2009, his final big league appearances as a player. He became the fourth manager since Cohen bought the team from the Wilpon and Katz families after the 2020 season, following Luis Rojas, Showalter and Mendoza.

Mendoza is the third manager to lose his job since the season started. Boston’s Alex Cora was replaced by Chad Tracy and Philadelphia’s Rob Thomson by Don Mattingly.

Most of Wall Street rises, but sinking AI stocks keep it on track for a losing week

Most of Wall Street rises, but sinking AI stocks keep it on track for a losing weekNEW YORK (AP) — Most of the U.S. stock market is rising Friday after oil prices fell back to where they were before the war with Iran, but drops for AI stocks are keeping the market in check.

The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged after recovering from an early loss of 0.9%. The index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is still on track for its second losing week in the last 13, largely because of drops for stocks swept up in the mania around artificial-intelligence technology.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 39 points, or 0.1%, as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was down 0.2%.

Stocks got a boost as the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, dropped 3.9% to $72.53. That’s basically where it was the day before the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which eventually led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the curtailment of oil shipments worldwide.

The easier oil prices helped stocks of companies with big fuel bills, and United Airlines climbed 1.7%.

Health care stocks, meanwhile, were some of the strongest forces pushing upward on the market after a committee of the European Medicines Agency recommended several medicines for approval and the extension for another dozen of their therapeutic indications. That included one for Eli Lilly, whose stock jumped 6.3%.

Besides Lilly, roughly two out of every three stocks within the S&P 500 were rising. But more drops for AI stocks were overshadowing them.

After soaring to tremendous heights and leading the market for years, AI stocks been under pressure recently because of worries their profits can’t possibly keep pace with the tremendous rallies for their stock prices. And those drops have an outsized effect because AI stocks have grown into Wall Street’s largest and most influential, giving movements for their stock prices more weight on indexes than others.

Micron Technology’s drop of 4.1% was one of the heaviest weights on the market, for example. The maker of memory for computers has been a big winner this year, with its stock roughly quadrupling, because the AI boom has created a surge of demand for its products.

But investors saw the downside of that surge Thursday, when Apple said it had to raise prices on many of its products by significant percentages to make up for the increases in memory prices. The worry is that such higher prices could ultimately lead to lower demand.

Highlighting the roller-coaster ride that AI stocks have been on, SpaceX dipped 0.8% below $152 and toward the lowest level since its ballyhooed debut on Wall Street earlier this month.

After initially selling its stock at $135 apiece, SpaceX’s stock price briefly soared above $225 within its first few days of trading. Besides rockets, Elon Musk’s company also owns the xAI artificial-intelligence business.

The day’s largest loss in the S&P 500 was a 21.1% drop for Onsemi, which said it agreed to buy Synaptics in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $7 billion.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased with oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.37% from 4.40% late Thursday.

High yields in bond markets worldwide caused by worries about inflation have been threatening to slow economies, and they have already sent rates higher for mortgages and other kinds of loans. High yields also hurt prices for investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive. That raises the pressure on AI winners.

Asian stock markets began Friday with sharp drops because of losses for AI winners.

In Japan, a 12.5% plunge for Softbank Group Corp helped pull the Nikkei 225 down by 4.2%. The company is a major investor in OpenAI, the maker of AI chatbot ChatGPT, and a report in The New York Times suggested OpenAI is considering delaying an initial public offering of its stock to next year from the second half of this year.

Such an IPO would give OpenAI the chance to raise more cash to spend on data centers, as well as the opportunity for early investors like Softbank to cash out some of their holdings. But the recent stumbles for SpaceX’s stock and for AI stocks broadly may be a signal of less appetite for big AI stocks among investors.

In South Korea, SK Hynix fell 8.4%, and Samsung Electronics sank 5.3%. That helped pull the Kospi 5.8% lower and trim its gain for the year so far to 99.6%.