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Ryan O’Hearn powers Pirates past Astros 5-1 with a 3-RBI night

HOUSTON (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn homered and drove in three runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

O’Hearn hit an RBI single in the first inning and his two-run homer in the sixth made it 4-0.

Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones (1-0) allowed four hits and walked two in five scoreless innings. Carmen Mlodzinski gave up four hits and a run the rest of the way to get his first save. It was his first work since being put on the restricted list for a day after general manager Ben Cherington told reporters he wasn’t ready to pitch Sunday following a move to the bullpen.

Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for the Astros to become the fourth Mexican-born player in the MLB history to reach 100 for his career. But it wasn’t nearly enough to keep Houston from its third loss in four games.

The Pirates’ run of four straight games in which they scored at least nine runs ended. But they still generated plenty of offense to bounce back and take the series after a late-game collapse cost them Wednesday’s game.

Houston starter Kai-Wei Teng (3-4) gave up seven hits and five runs — both season highs — in five-plus innings.

The Pirates led by a run when Brandon Lowe doubled to open the sixth before scoring on a single by Bryan Reynolds.

O’Hearn then launched Teng’s next pitch over the short fence in right field to push the lead to 4-0. Nick Gonzales singled to chase Teng and Steven Okert took over.

Oneil Cruz singled on a groundball to right field. There were two outs in the inning when Jared Triolo reached on an error by Jeremy Peña that allowed Gonzales to score and make it 5-0.
Up next

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (5-2, 4.35 ERA) opposes Atlanta LHP Martín Pérez (3-3, 2.79) when Pittsburgh opens a three-games series against the Braves on Friday night.

Astros: RHP Peter Lambert (4-4, 3.77) pitches against RHP Jack Perkins (2-2, 5.46) on Friday night in the first of three games against the Athletics.

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

Blue Jays rookie Dallas says ‘a little God wink’ set stage for beating Braves in major league debut

ATLANTA (AP) — Chad Dallas was told on Tuesday he would be promoted for his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The call came on Lou Gehrig Day, and it happened to be about a year since Dallas’s father, Tony, died from ALS, the neurodegenerative disease now commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease in honor of the New York Yankees Hall of Famer.

“It was extremely special, like a little God wink,” Dallas said after allowing only two hits and one run in 3 2/3 innings to earn the win in the Blue Jays’ 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

Dallas was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to serve as the Blue Jays’ bulk reliever behind opener Mason Fluharty.

Dallas immediately was given the opportunity to prove he could thrive in a stressful situation. The Braves had a runner on third base after Michael Harris II doubled and advanced to third before Toronto manager John Schneider pulled Fluharty and summoned Dallas, a right-hander.

Dallas entered the game with one out in the second and stranded Harris on third base. He ended the inning by striking out Sandy León.

“It was cool, though,” Dallas said of inheriting the runner on third when he is more accustomed to starting games. “It was something kind of new. And all you can do is go out there and just give them your best stuff. And you know tonight, I felt like I did that a good bit.”

Schneider said pitching out of the jam helped to ease the rookie’s nerves.

“I think getting out of that inning there kind of set him up to settle down a little bit,” said Schneider of Dallas. “And he was great, man. You know, gets his first win in his debut. So pretty cool. Breaking stuff was really, really good and did his part tonight.”

Dallas said he had “tons of emotions” as the anticipation grew for his major league debut. He had friends and family travel from Orange, Texas, and Knoxville, Tennessee, where he pitched in college for Tennessee.

“Dreamed of this day since I was 3 or 4, once I started realizing what professional baseball was,” Dallas said. “And tons of emotions … tons of happy, super excited. But overall, it was an amazing experience.”

Dallas was only 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA at Buffalo in his comeback after missing the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. But the right-hander made an impression on Schneider while perhaps proving he could help the Blue Jays as a reliever when there is no longer a need for another starter.

When asked what is next for Dallas, Schneider said “Beer shower and a good flight to Toronto.”

Added Schneider “But really impressed with the job that he did tonight. … The overall message is just go out, compete, trust your stuff and you know, get ready for whatever’s next.”

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

George Pickens isn’t with Cowboys for voluntary work as Schottenheimer says communication is good

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — George Pickens isn’t with the Dallas Cowboys during the opening week of voluntary offseason practices, while coach Brian Schottenheimer says the receiver is “taking care of his business” and their communication has been good.

Pickens signed his $27.3 million franchise tag a little more than a month ago but has stayed away from the team. The Pro Bowler isn’t required to show up until mandatory minicamp June 16-18.

“Communicated with (Pickens) yesterday,” Schottenheimer said Thursday. “He’s got a football camp this weekend that he’s doing. So communication is good, and as you guys know it’s voluntary and he’s taking care of his business.”

Pickens waited two months before signing the one-year contract that’s worth three times what the 25-year-old earned on his four-year rookie contract.

Pickens told the Cowboys before the draft in April that he intended to sign the franchise tag, prompting speculation that Dallas might try to trade him. The Cowboys made it clear they had no such plans. He signed the tag about a week later.

Acquired last year in a trade with Pittsburgh, Pickens thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, finishing with career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season.

Lamb is going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that ranks him fourth among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said the club has long-term plans for Pickens, who has spent time in the offseason with quarterback Dak Prescott.

“I’m not sure exactly what they do,” Schottenheimer said. “You guys know Dak does a great job working with all the guys, whether they’re here, whether it’s this time of year, whether it is in the summer, they always go someplace. They’ll go someplace this summer and train and throw, and it’s a chance for them to develop their timing.”

Schottenheimer said the club believes Pickens will report for minicamp.

“I think he’s in a good spot,” Schottenheimer said. “I know that he misses his teammates. So we miss him, too. You guys know how we feel about him.”

This is the third consecutive offseason with a significant contract issue for the Cowboys.

Two years ago, Lamb stayed away from the team the entire offseason and training camp before signing his extension about two weeks before the season.

Last year, Micah Parsons was in a contract stalemated that finally ended when Dallas traded the star pass rusher to Green Bay exactly a week before the season opener.

“I’ve always believed this, and this has got nothing to do with a single player,” Schottenheimer said. “How do you prove to your teammates that you’re doing everything in your power to be the best version of yourself if they don’t see you doing it? I have no question George is prepared, just like I had no question that Micah was going to prepare or whoever.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NBA bans two fans for life after one runs onto court during Game 1, attempts selfie with Wemby

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The NBA banned two people for life from its arenas on Thursday, after one of them was arrested shortly after running onto the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals and appearing to take a selfie next to San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama.

The incident occurred midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Spurs and New York Knicks. The NBA did not disclose what role the second banned person, who did not run onto the court, played in the incident.

“The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas,” an NBA spokesman said in a message sent to The Associated Press and other outlets. “A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident.”

The person who was arrested after running onto the court is a juvenile, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because that detail — first reported by the San Antonio Express-News — was not revealed publicly.

That fan appeared to enter the court from the sideline opposite the team benches, starting from behind the play and running into San Antonio’s offensive end. The person was quickly pulled from the court by two security guards and it did not appear the person made any physical contact with Wembanyama or any New York players.

“I even hesitate to describe that person as a fan,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday. “They seemed to have some ulterior motive for doing so.”

Wembanyama did not appear bothered by the incident, either as it was happening or afterward.

“I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act.”

He compared the moment to a game in January 2024 when a bat got into the Spurs’ arena and flew around the court, stopping a game against Minnesota for a couple of minutes.

Play on Wednesday was stopped for 1 minute and 29 seconds before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan who entered the play was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.

“I don’t think it was an event at all,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play.”

Silver lauded crew chief Scott Foster and the game’s officiating crew for handling the incident quickly, not disrupting the game for any longer than necessary.

“It’s unfortunately part of all sports,” Silver said. “There’s lot more security, much more apparatus in place than we needed maybe in the old days. I think the other side of the coin of global attention is that somebody realizes that there’s this enormous platform to do stupid things. So, we learn from every incident.”
League investigating fan’s words to Brunson

Another incident involving fan behavior occurred in the final minute of Wednesday’s Game 1, when New York guard Jalen Brunson — who had a game-high 30 points in the Knicks’ come-from-behind win — appeared to be upset by something said to him by a patron in a courtside seat.

Silver confirmed Thursday that the league is looking into what was said to Brunson. Asked about that incident, Brunson declined to comment.

“To be honest, I didn’t even see what happened,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “I heard something about it. I didn’t really see it. I don’t know. He’s always pretty calm, pretty composed. I’m sure the fans probably said something crazy to kind of get him going.”

Fan behavior and conduct has been a point of emphasis for the NBA in recent years, and the league sent a memo to all 30 clubs at the start of this season saying it wants “consistent and vigilant enforcement of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct … to deter and address fan misconduct at NBA games and events.”

The NBA, in that October memo, told teams that arena staff “must be trained to identify behavior that violates NBA rules and to respond proactively.” The NBA, like many leagues, also has a video detailing a code of conduct for fans played in every arena before each game.

“It is critical that teams and arenas vigorously enforce the Code of Conduct and not tolerate any misconduct that impacts our players, fans, or otherwise disrupts the game,” the league said.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Fleetwood part of 4-way tie for the lead at Memorial in a tough opening round for Scheffler

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Scottie Scheffler never thought two straight victories in the Memorial would be of any value when he began his bid for three in a row. It sure felt that way Thursday in a tough start that left him exasperated by the wind and six shots behind a four-way share of the lead.

Wyndham Clark, coming off a victory in the Byron Nelson, U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood and the Ryan Gerard were each at 5-under 67, among only 22 players who broke par at Muirfield Village.

Scheffler was poised to be among them until a bad wedge led to a careless bogey on the 14th, and what he thought was a great shot on the 16th bounced into the water for double bogey.

He walked 96 yards to the drop area with his palms upward when they weren’t slapping his thigh, all the while seeking answers from caddie Ted Scott that neither of them had. “I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is,” he said to Scott, who replied quietly with the obvious answer. “I do,” the caddie said.

Six of the seven players who broke 70 started before 10 a.m. and missed out on the swirling wind on a hot, clear day that made the greens even firmer than they already were.

The exception was Gerard, who had quite the wild ride. He had a 3 on a par 5 and followed that with a 5 on a par 3. He had five straight birdies on the back nine and only five pars on his scorecard for the entire round. It added to a 67, which was all that mattered.

“The small misses often lead to big punishments at this golf course,” Gerard said “I don’t think we aimed at a flag stick on the back nine and shot 5 under. You’re picking small targets around either the edge of a bunker or a rake or some guy wearing a bright-colored shirt in the background or a TV tower or whatever it might be.”

Fleetwood’s 67 was his lowest round in his fifth time playing the Memorial, and this wasn’t the way he would have drawn it up. He was solid off the tee, not so much from the fairway. Fleetwood hit only seven greens and still played bogey-free.

“I got the most out of the round, totally. I got away with a couple of poor misses. Hit the pin a couple of times when it was going past. … Shot 5 under, so it couldn’t have been that bad. I was just getting a little frustrated at the end not being able to execute the iron shots that I wanted to.”

Nick Taylor wasted a good start with a double bogey on the par-5 seventh and a bogey on the next hole, only to played bogey-free on the tough back nine and finishing with one of only seven birdies on the the 18th hole.

Justin Rose and Sam Burns were at 69.

Scheffler provided the entertainment, even it didn’t feel all that entertaining to him. He had changed clubs on the ninth, took the longer one and still was short. He changed clubs three times from the fairway on the par-5 11th and came up short. And then the water ball on the 16th was the capper.

What followed was a stream of frustrating lines: “I never thought that was in the water. … I don’t know what to do. … I absolutely flushed a 7-iron and we get the wind wrong and I’m in the water. … I’m hitting good shots and dropping from hazards.”

So when he was asked after signing for his 73 if he had any fun at any point, Scheffler gave a half-laugh as he rubbed his chin and said, “Not that I can recall at the moment.”

The 17th was kind of fun. From a fairway bunker, 182 yards to a tucked pin in the front right, Scheffler hit 7-iron to the collar 15 feet away and chipped in for birdie.

“See, that’s the thing that can be so frustrating about golf,” Scheffler said. “I striped one on the hole before that and I end up in the water. That one I kind of hit thin, and you get a good bounce and I end up on the fringe and I chip in.

“Yeah, what a game,” he said. “I felt like I didn’t get anything out of the round, all of a sudden you get a lucky bounce and you’re like, ‘OK, well, I’m going to try to smile.’ It’s still hard.”

He did smile as he headed to the wind, late enough in the afternoon the wind was starting to calm. He also realized his score wasn’t all that bad compared with other players from the afternoon.

It was tough all over for just about everyone. Patrick Cantlay was 3 over through holes and recovered for a 70. Rory McIlroy overcame an early double bogey to go 3 under the rest of the way for a 71. Aaron Rai played alongside Scheffler in his first start since winning the PGA Championship and shot 73.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Asian shares drop, with South Korea’s Kospi down more than 5%

HONG KONG (AP) — Shares have fallen in Asia, with South Korea’s benchmark dropping more than 5%, after sharp declines for some big artificial intelligence-related stocks in the U.S.

U.S. futures also retreated.

On Wall Street on Thursday, computer chipmaker Broadcom’s shares sank 12.6% when it gave a forecast that fell short of investors’ expectations, raising concerns over the wider AI and technology sector.

U.S. memory chip maker Micron Technology dropped 7.7%, and cybersecurity company CrowdStrike Holdings fell 3.8%.

Still, the benchmark S&P 500 climbed 0.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.7% to a record. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite edged 0.1% lower.

But in Asia, investors dumped key AI-related shares, with South Korea’s SK Hynix plunging 8.6% and Samsung Electronics shedding 5.4%.

The Kospi dropped 5.1% to 8,199.44. The index has roughly doubled in the past year, lifted by gains for such big tech companies.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 1.3% to 66,573.85, with technology shares leading the decline, even as official data showed that Japan’s real wages rose for the fourth straight month. Chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron’s shares fell 7%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.2% to 24,948.96, while the Shanghai Composite index fell 0.3% to 4,045.45.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.7% to 8,623.50.

Taiwan’s Taiex gave up 1.3%, while India’s Sensex was up 0.1%.

Oil prices stabilized after falling on Thursday. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 0.4% to $95.41 per barrel. It fell to around $95.03 a barrel on Thursday, and was approximately $70 per barrel before the start of the war in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude flatlined at $93.04 a barrel.

Strong corporate earnings and excitement about AI demand have helped pushing some stock markets to new heights, despite repeated jolts from the Iran war. Oil prices are still under pressure as the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway crucial for global oil and natural gas transport, remains effectively closed, and the war-caused energy shock is threatening to slow economic growth and fuel inflation in many countries.

American and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative deal last week to extend their ceasefire, but the agreement has not been finalized, as meanwhile developments in Lebanon have cast doubts on prospects for a permanent end to the conflict.

On Thursday, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese and Israel governments.

“While there are few signs of progress in US-Iran talks, the oil market continues to trade on expectations of an imminent deal that would resume flows through the Strait of Hormuz,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a report.

Hopes regarding the U.S.-Iran negotiations may have been “overly optimistic,” they said.

In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 159.96 Japanese yen from 160.03 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1614, up from $1.1610.

New city attorney hired

CHANDLER – The Chandler City Council voted to hire a new city attorney in a meeting discussing the city’s leadership on Thursday night. During the meeting, city council discussed the conduct of City Administrator Kalon Rollins and Chandler Police Department Chief Johnny Foster. The city’s agenda for Thursday’s meeting included discussion of improper spending, bond issues, social media policy and hiring policy under Rollins and Foster.

The city council members also voted to hire Ronald D. Stutes, 67 of Tyler, as the new Chandler City Attorney during Thursday’s meeting. Stutes is a member of the Fairchild, Price, Haley & Smith law firm and has represented both the City of Palestine and the City of Dallas.

Ultimately, no formal action was taken against either Rollins or Foster at Thursday’s meeting.

Colleges risk federal funds loss

HAWKINS – The Big, Beautiful Bill finalized a new rule requiring college programs to meet an earnings benchmark to continue receiving federal funds, which could possibly impact several colleges across East Texas. The ‘Do No Harm’ provision requires higher education institutions to demonstrate that their alumni earn wages higher than those of high school graduates. Any college that fails to meet the earnings benchmark for two of the next three years will lose access to federal loans by 2028.

The U.S. Department of Education predicts that 5% of institutions will not pass this benchmark, as small colleges that offer low-paying majors, including early childhood education, vocational trades and religious studies, are at risk, including Jarvis Christian University in Hawkins.

Jarvis’ Vice President of Academic Affairs, Regina Robinson, said the university has remained proactive ahead of the upcoming provision by lowering tuition to $19,000 for all students to protect them from potential loan cuts.

The ‘Do No Harm’ provision will go into effect on July 1.

Three arrested in narcotics investigation

HARRISON COUNTY – An ongoing narcotics investigation in Harrison County led to the arrest of three people on Thursday. According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the investigation, the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI, executed four search and arrest warrants throughout Harrison County and the City of Marshall on Thursday.

During the execution of the warrants, officials allegedly found several firearms, illegal narcotics and a large amount of U.S. currency. After issuing the warrants, the following three people were arrested and charged with the manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance: Ismael Baltazar Nambo, Jesse Montano and Rojelio Roman Aviles,

According to the sheriff’s office and our news partner KETK, Nambo, Montano and Aviles are currently being held at the Harrison County Jail and their bonds have been set at $50,000. Continue reading Three arrested in narcotics investigation

Cornyn praises DHS for opening Cornyn-created state border security reimbursement fund

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially opened the Cornyn-created State Border Security Reinforcement Fund for applications from eligible states. The fund was authorized through a provision led by Sen. Cornyn as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the senator’s office. The law, also known as the Working Families Tax Act, included $13.5 billion in funding to reimburse states like Texas for “stepping up during the Biden administration to try and secure the border.

“For four years, President Biden’s disastrous open-border policies wreaked havoc on our nation, and no state did more to fill in the gaps to protect and defend the southern border than Texas,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m glad the Department of Homeland Security has followed through on my reimbursement provision by opening the application process for the State Border Security Reinforcement Fund to reimburse states like Texas for the billions of dollars spent to try and secure the border after Joe Biden’s dereliction of this federal responsibility.

Background:

Senator Cornyn has led the fight in Washington to secure federal reimbursement for Texas by:

• Swiftly backing Governor Abbott’s request for Texas to be reimbursed for the taxpayer dollars spent on Operation Lone Star
• Calling attention to the ongoing reimbursement effort on the Senate floor
• Meeting with Governor Abbott and members of the Texas congressional delegation to discuss the legislative strategy for the reimbursement push
• Holding ongoing meetings and phone calls with Governor Abbott, Senate and House leadership, and congressional colleagues regarding the effort
• Leading legislation in the Senate to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion dollars Texas taxpayers spent on Operation Lone Star
• Led a letter with members of the Texas congressional delegation to the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) urging them to prioritize the release of funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion spent on border security efforts.

Rusk city manager resigns

RUSK – The Rusk City Council is currently considering who will serve as its next city manager after Bob Goldsberry resigned from the position last week, according to our news partner KETK.

Rusk City Council member for district 4, Martha Neely said Goldsberry submitted his resignation last week as he’s retiring from a long career in public leadership. Before serving as Rusk city manager, Goldsberry also served as executive director of the Rusk Economic Development Corporation.

Father kills 2 daughters, their mother in Miami stabbing murder-suicide

(MIAMI) -- A man, woman and two girls were found stabbed to death in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide in Miami.

Investigators said they believe 42-year-old Ryan Charles Whiten killed 46-year-old Melanie Lauren Hyer, 11-year-old Savannah Whiten and 8-year-old Sienna Whiten before taking his own life, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Ryan Charles Whiten was the biological father of Savannah Whiten and Sienna Whiten, and Hyer was the girls' mother, according to the sheriff's office.

Doral Police Officers responded to a residence in Miami-Dade for a welfare check on Tuesday at around 7:30 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.

Officers entered the residence when they arrived on the scene to find a woman, man and two girls all unresponsive, according to the sheriff's office. All four individuals suffered stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

"The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau investigation is currently leading detectives to believe this incident was a murder-suicide. Investigators are continuing to work closely with the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office as the investigation remains active," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Ken Paxton announces probe into energy drinks “to protect children from dangerous levels of caffeine”

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Celsius Holdings, Inc. (“Celsius”) based on the company’s representations and practices regarding its energy drinks marketed to teens and children. Celsius owns Alani Nutrition, LLC (“Alani”), which sells the popular energy drink commonly known as Alani Nu.

Alani Nu is a popular, low calorie, caffeine energy drink marketed toward young adults. Each 12-oz can contains 200 mg of caffeine. This is a level medical professionals consider dangerous for children and adolescents. Despite this, the brand employs colorful packaging, playful design elements, and youth-oriented branding strategies that appeal directly to younger consumers, raising serious questions about whether the company is deliberately marketing a potentially harmful product to an at-risk population.

The National Institutes of Health strongly advises against energy drink consumption by children and teens, citing documented risks including elevated heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, and dehydration. Despite these concerns, Alani Nu’s packaging typically only lists the caffeine amount and does not provide any additional warnings related to age or potential heart-health risks. These are not hypothetical risks. Multiple children and young adults across the country have reported adverse health effects following consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks. For example, the family of a 17-year-old from Weslaco, Texas, is suing the distributor of the energy drink Alani Nu after the teen died from an enlarged heart allegedly caused by excessive caffeine consumption. The lawsuit claims the product failed to provide adequate warnings about its caffeine content—a failure that may have cost a young Texan her life.

“Texas families deserve to know that the products marketed to their children are safe and not filled with dangerous levels of certain ingredients,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The tragic death of a 17-year-old Texas girl allegedly caused by consuming a highly caffeinated energy drink is a sobering reminder of what is at stake when companies prioritize profit over the safety and wellbeing of our children. I am looking into Celsius and Alani Nu to prevent more cases like this one and to ensure Texans are made aware of the any risks that come with consuming certain energy drink products.”

The Office of the Attorney General will investigate whether Celsius and Alani mislead Consumers regarding the safety of its product for teens and children in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“DTPA”).

Alleged Ohio fraudsters filed false health claims, purchased luxury cars

A composite posted to the Department of Justice's X account, June 4, 2026. (Department of Justice)

(WASHINGTON) -- Senior Justice Department leaders on Thursday announced a number of cases against those who they say perpetrated fraud in Ohio.

Four people, including two state of Ohio employees, were charged with a $30 million fraud scheme targeting the state's behavioral health department.

Two of the defendants owned businesses which claimed to provide behavioral health services for young adults that attend summer camps, church groups and recreational programs, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department alleges the two businesses submitted fraudulent claims for services that were never rendered. After the claims were not submitted because one of the behavioral health organizations' accreditation was invalid, the two allegedly conspired with another individual to submit claims.

The funds were used to fund a lavish lifestyle, according to DOJ, including purchasing 14 vehicles worth $800,000.

"The days of the brazen theft that we've seen of taxpayer dollars, abusing the generosity of the American taxpayer is over," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Columbus, Ohio. "Our message to fraudsters is simple: With our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will be working day and night to identify you, arrest you and imprison you."

Blanche and other federal leaders, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, were in Ohio to not only announce charges against alleged fraudsters, but to also announce a Top 10 fraudsters list and tout the cooperation between Ohio authorities and the federal government on fraud issues.

"Our best form of information is the American public," Patel said. "Take a look at this Top 10 most wanted. Let us know any information. There is no bad piece of information. The only bad piece of information is the one you don't give us."

Earlier this week, the Justice Department charged five individuals with scamming older Americans in romance fraud schemes totaling $15 million. The five -- mostly from Ghana -- allegedly used AI to create false stories and indicate to people they were interested in them romantically to get them to send them money.

"Once they establish trust, they use false pretenses and stories about vast inheritances of money, gold, or diamonds, and then convince these elderly Americans to help finance bogus legal proceedings in the nation of Ghana," U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio David M. Toepfer said at the press conference.

The scheme allegedly went on for almost two years and impacted more than 100 people.

"They then use this stolen money to buy a mansion in Ghana. Diamond-encrusted jewelry, a Lamborghini and other high-end luxury vehicles. All of those assets have now been seized and are going through the forfeiture proceedings so that they will not profit from their fraudulent efforts," Toepfer said.

Temperatures soar in the Northeast as Great Plains brace for more severe weather

Northeast temperatures are heating up. (ABC News)

(NEW YORK) -- As residents of the Great Plains brace for more severe weather stretching into the weekend, summer-like temperatures are heating up the Northeast.

From New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina, temperatures are expected to be in the 90s on Friday and Saturday before a cold front arrives on Sunday.

The temperature in Raleigh is expected to hit 100 this weekend. Washington, D.C., is also forecast to see 90-degree temperatures through Saturday.

Humidity is not expected to be much of a factor in the Northeast as dew points remain low, meaning the "feels-like" temperatures will be nearly identical to the actual temperatures.

Some areas of the West are expected to see triple-digit temperatures. Phoenix, Arizona, could reach 110 degrees on Thursday.

Damaging winds and hail expected in the Great Plains

Severe weather is expected to continue in the Great Plains through the end of the week, with damaging winds and large hail forecast to be the main threats.

An isolated tornado or two and some instances of flash flooding are also possible on Thursday across the Great Plains, including South Dakota, southeast Montana, northeast Wyoming and northern Nebraska.

On Friday, severe weather, including damaging winds and large hail, is expected from Nebraska to Iowa and into southern Minnesota, including the cities of Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Rochester, Minnesota; and Des Moines, Iowa.

On Saturday, severe weather is expected to move into the Great Lakes region and bring rain to parts of the Northeast on Sunday.

The foul weather in the Great Plains comes after the region was hit by severe thunderstorms and damaging winds on Wednesday. Thunderstorms and wind gusts of more than 80 mph were reported in Frederick, South Dakota, on Wednesday, leaving buildings damaged, a radio tower and power lines toppled, and trees uprooted.