Taylor Farms recalls lettuce shipped to 27 states over cyclospora risk

Taylor Farms recalls lettuce shipped to 27 states over cyclospora riskSALINAS, Ca, (AP) – Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the U.S.

Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the California-based company said in a statement Friday.

“We are actively removing the implicated products,” the statement said, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.

U.S. health officials earlier this week identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as a source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.

The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.

Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.

In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. This time last year, only 249 cases had been reported.

The CDC initially warned consumers to avoid eating shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

“Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide,” the company said in a statement Friday.

Taylor Farms recalls lettuce shipped to 27 states over cyclospora risk

SALINAS, Ca, (AP) – Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the U.S.

Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the California-based company said in a statement Friday.

“We are actively removing the implicated products,” the statement said, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.

U.S. health officials earlier this week identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as a source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.

The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.

Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.

In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. This time last year, only 249 cases had been reported.

The CDC initially warned consumers to avoid eating shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

Nimmo delivers go-ahead, 2-run single in 6th inning and drives in 3 as Rangers edge Braves 7-6

ATLANTA (AP) – Brandon Nimmo’s two-run single in the sixth inning gave Texas the lead as the Rangers rallied from an early deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 on Saturday in a matchup of first-place teams.

Texas left-hander MacKenzie Gore (6-8) gave up a two-run homer to Eli White in Atlanta’s four-run second inning and another homer to Michael Harris II the following inning. After giving up five runs in the first three innings, Gore gave up no more runs while pitching 5 2/3 innings.

All-Star left-hander Jacob Latz recorded the final four outs for his 19th save.

Evan Carter hit a two-run homer off Tyler Kinley (5-4) in the sixth as the Rangers pulled even at 5-5. Dylan Lee allowed infield singles to Wyatt Langford and Josh Jung before Nimmo’s two-run single up the middle gave the Rangers the lead. Nimmo drove in three runs with two hits.

Braves right-hander Owen Murphy allowed three runs, two earned, in 2 2/3 innings in his first major league start.

Murphy, who made two relief appearances before his first start, was hurt by Mauricio Dubón’s fielding error in the Rangers’ two-run third inning. Dubón collided with Harris on Kyle Higashioka’s fly ball to center field. Langford and Nimmo had run-scoring singles in the inning.

Dubón’s run-scoring double in the seventh trimmed the Rangers’ lead to 7-6.

The Braves had 19 hits in Friday’s 15-1 win to open the series.

Up next

Braves RHP Grant Holmes (5-4, 3.61 ERA) will start in Sunday’s final game of the series. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said RHP Nate Eovaldi (9-7, 4.04), who has been out with an illness, is tentatively set to start.

Saka’s hat trick lifts England past Mbappé and France 6-4 in wild World Cup third-place game

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Bukayo Saka scored three goals to lead England to a 6-4 win over France for third place in the World Cup, while Kylian Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi’s career World Cup scoring record and took the lead in the Golden Boot race with a pair of second-half goals on Saturday.

It was the highest-scoring World Cup game since Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982, and the 10 goals were the most in a third-place match.

Saka had goals in the 37th minute and first-half stoppage time, then added his third on a penalty in the 87th for his second career hat trick with England. The Three Lions also got goals from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa to build a 4-0 halftime lead and secure their best finish in a World Cup since winning their only title in 1966.

England’s Jude Bellingham capped the scoring in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, his seventh goal of the tournament.

Mbappé reached 22 career goals, one more than Messi. The star striker finished this World Cup with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the tournament’s top scorer.

Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also scored for France.

Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard agrees to a $75 million, five-year contract

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard has agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract, completing a major offseason goal for the team.

The rebuilding Blackhawks announced the deal on Saturday. Bedard, who turned 21 on Friday, had been a restricted free agent.

“Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor’s strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core.”

The deal was finalized 10 days after Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder. The center is expected to miss the start of the season after he got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.

Chicago went 29-39-14 this year, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the last three years.

The Blackhawks haven’t made a postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They acquired defenseman Bowen Byram in a trade with Buffalo on June 23, and they also signed forward prospect Roman Kantserov in May.

Bedard has been the centerpiece of the team since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He made his anticipated NHL debut that October and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.

He had 23 goals and 44 assists while appearing in all 82 games in his second season. He continued his steady improvement this year, setting career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.

“He’s so important to our team,” Davidson said in April. “He took such a big step forward this year in every facet.”

Bedard missed nearly six weeks of his rookie season with a broken jaw, and he was sidelined for 12 games this year after he injured his right shoulder.

With the contract done, the next big moment for Bedard could be taking over as the 36th captain in franchise history. He became an alternate captain after the team traded away its entire leadership group in March.

His teammates think he’s ready for the challenge.

“I think that he has every leadership quality like I was just talking about to be a captain in this league,” forward Oliver Moore said in April. “He brings it every day.”

Rose Festival season is here

Rose Festival season is hereTYLER – The Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler hosted the kick-off event for the Texas Rose Festival on Friday.

The Texas Rose Festival is three months away. The association held an event to thank out-of-town guests, volunteers, and sponsors after a long week of rehearsals.

“The volunteers really push it and run it and without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, same with the choreographers. They do a lot, but it’s the smallest house to the biggest things,” Texas Rose Festival Princess, Brynn Ballard said.

All week, members of the court have been practicing their bows and walks for the long-awaited coronation. Continue reading Rose Festival season is here

US military says 2 troops are dead and 1 is missing after Iran attacks a base in Jordan

US military says 2 troops are dead and 1 is missing after Iran attacks a base in JordanDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday announced its first troop deaths due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war, with two killed and another missing in an attack on a base in Jordan after days of intensifying exchanges of fire.

Friday’s drone and missile attack sent four other service members to hospitals, the military said. The dead were not identified. Since the war began, 16 U.S. service members have been killed and over 430 wounded.

Minutes before the announcement, Iran’s supreme leader warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the U.S. keeps attacking the Islamic Republic.

The remarks read out on state TV and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, still unseen since the war began, also called President Donald Trump’s signature “worthless and invalid.” An Iranian negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments to the interim deal signed about a month ago and aimed at permanently ending the fighting.

Tehran’s declarations snapped another fragile thread as the war shows no end in sight. Now Khamenei warns of “lessons” not only from Iran but also its armed proxies in the region, calling them the “Axis of Resistance.” The U.S. issued a global travel alert over the rising tensions.

The battle has focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that previously carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. The widening strikes now threaten civilians and infrastructure, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again is on alert.

The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal and now Iran is “no longer implementing them,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.

There was no new word on mediation efforts.
US soldiers face growing risks

The previous recorded death of a U.S. service member was that of a helicopter pilot who crashed in the Arabian Sea earlier this month. Early in the war, an Iranian drone strike on a command center in Kuwait killed six soldiers. One soldier died after an attack on a base in Saudi Arabia. Six were killed when a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.

On Saturday, the most significant damage from Iranian strikes occurred in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were hit, according to the Kuwait authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Both declined to provide locations.

It was the second attack against a desalination plant in two days in the tiny desert nation that depends on desalination for 90% of its drinking water. The strikes injured several people at the oil facility and caused a fire at the desalination plant, forcing several power generation units offline.

Several firefighters and a worker were injured while battling two other blazes sparked by Iranian strikes, according to the Kuwait Fire Force. Kuwait briefly closed its airspace due to missile threats, and Kuwait Airways said it was rescheduling most flights to and from the capital.

Meanwhile, Iraq said it shot down attack drones over the city of Irbil. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles, while air sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain throughout the day and in Saudi Arabia in the morning, according to their governments.

The secretary general of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, accused Iran of war crimes for strikes on infrastructure and civilian facilities.
US strikes hit infrastructure in Iran

The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.”

U.S. airstrikes hit an electricity and desalination plant in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, Iranian state TV reported. State-run news agency IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.

Overnight strikes damaged two tunnels and a bridge, disrupting a main highway toward Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port that sits near the narrowest part of the strait, according to IRNA. It said three bridges were hit Saturday, including one on a route to Bandar Abbas.

Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrikes for the first time Friday when its Energy Ministry urged people to use less power in southern provinces “experiencing extreme heat.” It did not specify what was hit.

Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in U.S. strikes in the past three weeks, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.
Iran and US vie for Strait of Hormuz

Iran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic after the war started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. That has given Tehran significant leverage in negotiations.

Iran has said the strait must be under its sole control and that vessels should pay fees to Tehran, even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. Iran fired on ships on recent days and transits fell to a three-week low, according to an international shipping tracker.

Trump has resumed threats to target Iran’s power stations and bridges to try to compel Tehran to loosen its hold. The U.S. in the past week reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt its shipments of crude oil, and the military on Saturday said it had redirected five ships and disabled one since then.

Before the war began, the U.S. had been in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump now faces political pressure to end the war and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against.

Thunderstorms will clear wildfire smoke from Northeast ahead of World Cup final, meteorologists say

Thunderstorms will clear wildfire smoke from Northeast ahead of World Cup final, meteorologists sayEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say.

Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is taking place, it rained heavily and thunder boomed. State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. Volunteers and staff dashed inside for cover as ponchos were handed out. The sky was the same thick, soupy gray it has been for days.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned residents Saturday about the potential for damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail, and flooding caused scattered street closures in New York. Spain’s training session ahead of the final against Argentina was suspended at a field near the stadium because of the storms and lighting in the area. And FIFA said it was in close contact with local authorities as it continues to monitor the impacts from the wildfire smoke and the storms on the conditions on field at MetLife Stadium.

President Donald Trump faulted Canada for the smoke crossing the border and threatened tariffs in response. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said threats from the United States were unacceptable and shortsighted.
Storms will help clear the air

This storm front will largely move the smoke out of the Northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina, said Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. MetLife Stadium, which has been renamed the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the matches, is an open-air stadium.

“There could be some lingering smoke that would make things hazy, but very faint,” Roys said. “In terms of the thickest smoke, the smoke that has really been eye-popping and leads to poor air quality, that is not expected across New York City or much of the Northeast.”

Meteorologist says the air quality for the game ‘won’t be dangerous’

WFLA-TV Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist Jeff Berardelli, in Tampa, Florida, echoed that, saying the storm front would “sweep the atmosphere clean,” leaving only a thin smoke that World Cup spectators may still smell in the air.

The air quality index shows an improvement from unhealthy air for sensitive groups on Saturday to “moderate” air quality Sunday in East Rutherford, which means little to no health risk for the general public.

“It won’t be dangerous anymore,” Berardelli said. “It’s going to be dramatically better.”

The smoke could still cause issues for people who are sensitive to particulate matter, and they should check the air quality index particularly in the morning, said Rob Shackelford, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel app and weather.com.

Air quality at the field is measured every 10 minutes, said David Lu, CEO and co-founder of Clarity Movement, an environmental technology company providing air quality monitoring services. In the past two days, the readings have swung between the level where the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups and the level where it’s very unhealthy, Lu said. He said Saturday afternoon he expects to see improvement in the readings within hours because of the rain.

Temperatures are forecast to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), with light breezes and low humidity for the start of the final.

“You couldn’t have asked for much better weather for the World Cup,” Berardelli added.

Both Roys and Berardelli expect the heavier smoke Sunday to be concentrated closer to the fires, hanging over parts of the Midwest and the Great Lakes region.
Trump talks of new tariffs on Canada

The president made no mention of the World Cup final but said on his social media platform, “We are holding Canada responsible.” He added that the U.S. “is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the topic of U.S. officials complaining about smoke from during a news conference Thursday. Carney said climate change is the responsibility of everyone, including the United States.

Ford said Canada has contributed to fighting fires in the U.S. and offered assistance when Georgia was hit by a hurricane in 2024 because “that’s what neighbors do.” Ford called the rhetoric “absolutely unacceptable” when Canada is “trying to get through this.”
There are hundreds of active fires in Canada

Wildfires have been igniting across Canada and northern Minnesota this month. Berardelli said they are burning longer and faster because of climate change. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System showed hundreds of active fires Saturday. Environment Canada issued air quality warnings across the country and into the Northwest Territories.

The fires prompted evacuations, including in Nova Scotia where there’s a large fire that local and provincial crews have been fighting since Wednesday, and in northwestern Ontario, where some of the most intense fires are burning.

In Ontario, nearly 200 wildfires have already scorched more land than all of last year’s fires. In Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fire Chief Dave Tarini said this fire season is unprecedented in his more than 35 years as a firefighter.

In British Columbia, about 100 fires are burning, a huge jump from the 20 firefighters were facing Wednesday. The BC Wildfire Service says the fires are largely the result of 4,000 lightning strikes that hit the province Friday.

Oh, baby! Sam Burns takes the lead in a British Open he planned to miss

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Sam Burns gets his best chance at winning a major he never planned to play.

Two weeks after his daughter was born, one week after Burns changed his mind and decided to fly from Louisiana to play in the British Open, he followed his record-tying 62 with a 5-under 65 on Saturday to build a two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale.

Perhaps even more impressive is that Burns played with purpose amid the chaos that is Bryson DeChambeau, who played alongside him and heard big support from the gallery a day after he theatrically protested a two-shot penalty for improving the area of his swing.

DeChambeau seems to thrive among distractions, and two late birdies kept him in the game. Even with a bogey on the final hole — after playfully engaging with the gallery — DeChambeau had a 69 and goes into the final round four shots behind.

Burns was at 10-under 200 and with a two-shot lead over Si Woo Kim (67) and Ryan Fox, who became the third player this week to tie the major championship record with a 62. That took the New Zealander from even par into the final group with a shot at his first major.

Also still hanging onto hope was Southport’s own Tommy Fleetwood, who had a 69 and was five shots behind. About the only one missing was Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, who struggled again to make putts and had to settle for a 70, leaving him six shots behind.

Of the leading 10 players going into Sunday, DeChambeau — a two-time U.S. Open champion — is the only player who has won a major.

That’s not to say Burns hasn’t experienced the pressure.

He was a 17-foot putt away from forcing a playoff in the U.S. Open last month at Shinnecock Hills. He was the 54-hole leader in the U.S. Open at Oakmont last year and was slowed only by wet conditions in which he lost control of two key shots because of all the water in the fairway.

Part of Burns feels as though he has nothing to lose because he never expected to be at Royal Birkdale. His wife, Caroline, was due to give birth the week of the British Open, but he never withdrew. She gave birth to a daughter, Belle, on July 3.

“To be able to come here was a bonus,” Burns said. “I didn’t think there was anyway possible. It will be a great challenge tomorrow. No matter what happens, I can live with the results.”

British runner Josh Kerr smashes 27-year-old men’s mile record

LONDON (AP) – British runner Josh Kerr ran 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the long-standing men’s mile world record at a Diamond League meet in London on Saturday.

Kerr broke Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds, set in Rome in 1999, and the Edinburgh native then set off on a lap of honor at London Stadium.

Kerr, 28, was so dominant Saturday that he finished just over three seconds clear of American Yared Nuguse in 3:45.69.

The crowd support as he closed in on the record was “just incredible,” Kerr told the BBC.

“It was just me, my shoes and the track,” he said. “I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters.

“I didn’t take my foot off the gas,” he continued, “but … I started to glide and I was like ‘Oh wow, this feels incredible.’ It’s incredible because I’m slowing down. So, I was like ‘I better get to the line.’ So, crossing the finish line, seeing 42-something — anything — was my goal, so it was great.”

Kerr’s previous best time was 3:45.34 in 2024.

He had targeted the mile race at the Diamond League meet as a main goal in a track season with neither Olympics nor world championships.

The mile is not a championship event, yet it has iconic status in track history, with the four-minute barrier broken in 1954 by another British runner, Roger Bannister.

Kerr was a silver medalist in the 1,500 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Iran says it is suspending commitments to interim deal with US as they exchange attacks

Iran says it is suspending commitments to interim deal with US as they exchange attacksDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran exchanged strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets on Saturday as an Iranian negotiator said Tehran had suspended its commitments under the interim deal with the U.S. — snapping another fragile thread as the war shows no end in sight.

The battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the essential waterway that previously carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. The widening strikes threatened civilians and services to them, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again was on alert.

The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.”

The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal that was signed about a month ago and now Iran is “no longer implementing them,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.

There was no new word on mediation efforts.
Kuwait sees the most striking damage

The most significant damage from Iranian strikes on Saturday occurred in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were hit, according to the Kuwait authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Both declined to provide locations.

The strikes injured several people at the oil facility and caused a fire at the desalination plant, forcing several power generation units offline. It was the second attack against a desalination plant in two days in the tiny desert nation that depends on desalination for 90% of its drinking water.

Several firefighters and a worker were injured while battling two other blazes sparked by Iranian strikes, according to the Kuwait Fire Force. Kuwait briefly closed its airspace due to missile threats, and Kuwait Airways said it was rescheduling most flights to and from the capital.

Meanwhile, Iraq said it shot down attack drones over the city of Irbil. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles, while air sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain throughout the day and in Saudi Arabia in the morning, according to their governments.
US strikes hit infrastructure in Iran

U.S. airstrikes hit an electricity and desalination plant in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, Iranian state TV reported. IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and that a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.

Overnight strikes damaged two tunnels and a bridge, disrupting one of the main highways toward Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port that sits near the narrowest part of the strait, according to Iran’s state-run news agency. IRNA said three bridges were hit Saturday, including one on a route to Bandar Abbas.

Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrikes for the first time Friday when its Energy Ministry issued a call for people to use less power in southern provinces “experiencing extreme heat.” It did not specify what was hit.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stepped up its warning that countries hosting U.S. forces should be “prepared to receive a corresponding response,” according to Iran’s state TV.

Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in U.S. strikes in the past three weeks, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.

U.S. officials acknowledged 13 additional U.S. service members — 10 Army soldiers and three Navy sailors — had been injured since Monday, but offered no details. Since the war began, 14 U.S. service members have been killed and 427 wounded.
Iran and US vie for Strait of Hormuz

Iran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic after the war started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. That sent the price of oil soaring and has given Tehran significant leverage in negotiations.

Iran has said the strait must be under its sole control and that vessels should pay fees to Tehran, even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. It fired on ships on recent days. Crossings through the strait fell to a three-week low, according to an international shipping tracker.

Trump has resumed threats to target power stations and bridges to try to compel Iran to loosen its hold. The U.S. in the past week reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt its shipments of crude oil.

A growing amount of the region’s energy is being shipped through pipelines, but not nearly enough to offset the decline in shipping.

Before the war began, the U.S. had been in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump now faces political pressure to end the war and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against.

Trump urges Darline Graham to run for full Senate term as funeral scheduled for Lindsey Graham

Trump urges Darline Graham to run for full Senate term as funeral scheduled for Lindsey GrahamCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, has his support to run for a full term to replace her brother in the U.S. Senate.

He wrote on social media that she “has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”

“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump added.

The president said he had discussed a potential campaign with Darline Graham at the White House. Four people familiar with the deliberations, none of whom were authorized to speak publicly, had previously said that she privately expressed interest in running.

Trump’s endorsement dramatically reshapes the scramble to fill Lindsey Graham’s seat after he died last weekend. The president had previously suggested he could back a potential candidacy from Rep. Russell Fry. Several other noteworthy politicians — including Fry, Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette — have been eyeing a run.

The filing period for a special primary runs from July 21 to July 28, and the primary is scheduled for Aug. 11.

Plans for Lindsey Graham’s funeral were also announced Friday. There will be a service in Washington on July 28 and more in South Carolina on July 29.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, which ends in January.

“Lindsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him,” she said.

Lindsey Graham died Saturday at age 71. A preliminary report from the medical examiner said he suffered a tear in his aorta.

He never married or had a family of his own, but his sister was often by his side for the political touch points of his career, speaking at events and appearing in some of his campaign ads. After both of their parents died when Darline Graham was only 13, her older brother became her legal guardian and later adopted her, to ensure his military benefits would flow to her.

In forging a relationship with Darline Graham — who is new to politics but was a constant in her brother’s political career — Trump could be angling to develop another ally to help steer his agenda through the Senate.

Although they had at times a tumultuous relationship, Lindsey Graham had been one of Trump’s top Senate confidants, and the day after his death, the president said he was “like a member of the family.”

In his announcement Monday, McMaster made no reference to Darline Graham as a placeholder or symbolic appointment.

However, a person familiar with McMaster’s thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly said the governor, in selecting Darline Graham, had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.

Sen. Tim Scott, another South Carolina Republican, said he would not endorse any candidate in the primary because he also serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

But, he said, “as Tim Scott, the voter of South Carolina, I might indeed wade into the water at some point.”

“I think the truth of the matter is that Darline has so far been off to a remarkable start,” Scott told reporters, asking about her as a possible special primary contender. “‘Why not her?’ would be my question.”

When he died, Lindsey Graham had millions in his campaign account and was expected to raise much more heading into the general election. But those aren’t funds that Darline Graham could directly access, if she were to run, according to Bradley A. Smith, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.

Under federal rules, Lindsey Graham’s campaign would be limited to transferring just $2,000 to a potential Darline Graham candidacy. However, Smith said there is no limit on how much it could transfer to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which could — thanks to a Supreme Court decision last month — “spend an unlimited amount in coordination with Darline’s campaign.”

“It can’t be earmarked for Darline’s campaign, but in those circumstances I’m sure that the party will make sure she’s not short of cash,” said Smith, now serving as a professor at Capital University Law School in Ohio.

Appeals court gives Trump temporary win in mail-in voting fight

Mail-in ballots following a primary election at San Francisco County's election operations facility at City Hall in San Francisco, California, US, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., handed the Trump administration a temporary win on Friday in its attempt to increase federal oversight of elections.

In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold a lower court ruling, which had blocked the U.S. Postal Service from attempting to restrict mail-in voting.

However, the Trump administration does not yet have a green light to move forward with the proposed rule. A separate judge in Massachusetts blocked the policy last month, and that injunction still stands. 

The cases center on a proposed rule from the U.S. Postal Service that sought to compel states to create lists of approved voters, as well as impose stricter regulations on mail-in ballots.

Last month, Postmaster General David Steiner told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that under the proposed rule, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver mail-in ballots in states that do not turn over their voter lists.

"Yes or no -- if a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposed rule?" asked Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.

"Under our proposed regulation, no. We would tell the state that we need the manifest," Steiner said. 

The NAACP, which brought the lawsuit, had previously sued the Postal Service in 2020, seeking to challenge delays in delivering mail-in ballots heading into that year's presidential election. The two sides settled in 2021, with the Postal Service agreeing to "prioritiz[e] . . . the timely delivery of Election Mail" for every national election through 2028.

In Friday's ruling, the appeals court said the Trump administration is likely to succeed because the lawsuit is premature -- since the rule itself is not yet finalized -- and not covered by a 2021 settlement between the NAACP and Postal Service. 

The appeals court also said the Trump administration demonstrated they would be irreparably harmed if the Postal Service can't finalize and implement the rule in time for the midterms. 

"In this context, 'there can be no do over' once the election occurs," the ruling said.

While the Trump administration cannot yet move forward with the new rule, the D.C. Circuit's ruling signals that the Trump administration may be able convince other appeals courts to let them implement the policy while the lawsuits move through the courts -- potentially past the November elections. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Disappointed France and England meet for third place in the World Cup

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — France and England agree on this: Neither team wanted to be playing on Saturday.

France was a favorite to win the World Cup. England was close to ending a decades-long wait for its first World Cup title since 1966.

Both fell one match short of their ultimate goals after losses in the semifinals. And instead of playing in Sunday’s final — that game will be between Argentina and Spain — England and France will face each other in a consolation match for third place.

“None of us wanted to play in this game for third place,” France defender Ibrahima Konate said Friday. “But we don’t have a choice to play. France and England have a big story together. And yeah, we are looking forward for the game tomorrow, and let’s see what will happen.”

Though the match will provide little more than moral victories, it may give Thomas Tuchel a chance to regain favor after the England coach faced widespread criticism about his tactical choices in the Three Lions’ semifinal loss to Argentina.

“Nobody wants to be, tomorrow, in this game,” Tuchel said Friday evening. “All of these four teams wanted to be in New York (at the final). But it is an official World Cup game. It’s a chance to have the best result in 60 years for England. Mentality is not something that you switch on and switch off as you like it. It is a moment to show that we are actually made of what we showed through the whole tournament.”

France star Kylian Mbappé also still has a chance to win the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer.

Mbappé has eight goals, tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the tournament lead. Messi has an edge in the tiebreaker with four assists to Mbappé’s three. England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are also in the mix with six goals each.

France coach Didier Deschamps said Mbappé is available for Saturday’s match — the star participated in France’s training session Friday in Fort Lauderdale — but added he will make changes to his regular lineup. Tuchel said there will also be changes to England’s lineup.

“We do have a match for the third place playoff, and there’s a duty,” Deschamps said. “We have duties. I have duties, my staff has duties and so do the players. We have a responsibility to wear this jersey for all the French people who are cheering for us.”

It will also be the final game for Deschamps as France’s coach after 14 years leading the squad. Konate said the French players want to “pay back our head coach” with one last win.

“He carried many French players,” Konate said. “We had some disappointing moments, but he brought a lot of joy.”

France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost a gut-wrenching final to Argentina on penalties in 2022, and fell short tactically on Tuesday, when the offensive firepower of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise was neutralized by the stout Spanish defense.

Deschamps won one major trophy — albeit the biggest of all — having lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016.

“I know it will be the last match and I also know that the French national team will be missed,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege for 15 years to be up here with this jersey, to experience magnificent moments, more difficult moments. The French national team is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me in my professional career.”

For England, which reached the World Cup semis for the first time since 2018, there is still work to do in closing the gap with France, Argentina and Spain.

“I think out of the four (semifinal) teams, the other three teams almost expect to be world champions,” Tuchel said. “We were hoping. We were dreaming. We were pushing and believing. But still we have to close that gap. And we’re up for that from tomorrow.”

The German coach, who has won trophies with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, said his squad was too passive against defending champion Argentina. Leading 1-0 going into the 85th minute and in a defensive shell, England surrendered goals to Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez amid widely questioned tactics and substitutions by Tuchel.

He said he trusted his instincts during the match and did not regret his decisions.

“If it’s easier that someone takes the blame,” Tuchel added, “I take the blame.”

Taylor Ward’s 2-run homer in 8th lifts Orioles to 5th straight win, 3-2 over Astros

HOUSTON (AP)- Taylor Ward hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Friday night to extend their season-best win streak to five games.

Adley Rutschman had a ground-rule double to begin the inning against Bryan King (2-3) before Ward hit the next pitch out to left for his seventh homer.

Cam Sanders (1-0), acquired from Pittsburgh for cash on Monday, came in with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. The right-hander struck out Isaac Paredes looking and got Christian Walker to pop out foul behind home plate to pick up his first major league win.

Tyler Wells allowed Jeremy Peña’s infield hit in the ninth before retiring Yordan Alvarez on a shallow fly to center field for the second out. After Paredes walked, Wells struck out Walker for his third save.

Houston starter Peter Lambert allowed three hits, struck out a career-high 10 over six innings and left with a 2-1 lead. He issued three straight two-out walks in the third, including a free pass to Pete Alonso that made it 1-1.

Alvarez had an RBI double in the first for Houston and finished 2 for 3 with two walks. He leads the AL with a .321 batting average, 71 RBI and 31 home runs as he pursues the Triple Crown.

Paredes’ sacrifice fly in the third made it 2-1. Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed two runs in four innings.

Astros center fielder Lucas Spence made his big league debut and singled in the seventh.

Up next

Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.48 ERA) starts Saturday opposite Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-5, 4.50).

Texas Hill Country floods test new warning systems after last year’s deadly disaster

UVALDE (AP) – After deadly floods killed more than 100 people in Texas’ Hill Country last July, officials vowed major changes in hopes of preventing the failures that contributed to the high death toll. They promised better flood warning systems, tighter safety rules for children’s camps and improvements to the state’s water infrastructure.

That work was far from done when a new round of storms began pummeling the state this week, triggering catastrophic flash floods in some of the same areas devastated in 2025. At least two people died. Hundreds needed rescue.

But residents in some hard-hit areas said a year of preparation did make a difference. Newly installed flood sirens sounded in the darkness, warning people to get out. Phones buzzed with alerts that weren’t sent out in last year’s disaster.

Still, stories of people surprised to find their homes inundated by rising rivers illustrate the challenges of trying to bolster early warning systems in a vast, rural area known as Flash Flood Alley.
Some agencies were more proactive about sending wireless alerts

Over the last decade, a variety of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to implement flood warning systems along the Guadalupe River, the AP reported after last summer’s floods killed 136 people, including 28 at a sleepaway camp for girls.

That changed after the tragedy as lawmakers and others scrutinized a lack of preparedness by government agencies and riverside camps.

Unlike last summer, when local officials in Kerr County said they had been reluctant to “cry wolf” and order evacuations and failed to send out wireless alerts to warn of flash floods, Kerr County issued four alerts and the city of Kerrville issued one early on Thursday as the risk for flooding became apparent, according to an Associated Press review of available data.

They warned residents along Quinlan Creek to evacuate to higher ground, and of “extremely dangerous” flash flooding. Those alerts came alongside flood watches, warnings and emergencies sent to broadcast outlets, weather radios and mobile phones by the National Weather Service. People who signed up for the CodeRED notification emergency system in Kerr County also received text message warnings.

“Last year, we got no alarms. We had no idea what was going on,” said Suzanne Sutphin Gschwind, of Kerrville.

“This year, very different,” she said, with multiple texts and calls coming in from local authorities, a weather channel and her doorbell camera. One night the warnings arrived “about every two hours.”

“I think we would all like to err on the side of too much,” she said.

The warnings didn’t reach everyone

Between the early morning hours of Tuesday and about 9 a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service sent 38 alerts to people in certain southwest Texas communities, including 14 tornado warnings and 24 warnings that flooding was occurring or imminent and could be “life threatening.”

Those Weather Service notifications, though, often don’t contain the highly localized information put in alerts sometimes sent by municipal and county emergency agencies — and people in some places may not have gotten any of those local alerts, which can be more decisive for people considering whether to seek high ground.

An Associated Press review of wireless emergency alert data did not find any listed as sent by agencies in Uvalde County, which was hit hard by flooding, though agencies in that county might have used other means to alert the public.

Jaclyn Gonzales was awakened at 2 a.m. Wednesday by a friend who called to warn that a tornado might be headed toward her Uvalde-area home. When she jumped out of bed, the floor was wet.

“It was the shock of the water to my feet that made me really wake up,” she said.

Kat Sprawls only learned floodwaters were nearing her Batesville home when a friend called her at 3:30 a.m. Friday. It took five or six calls before she woke up, because she had her phone on do-not-disturb mode.

“There’s no warning system at all. It’s just like the flood in Kerrville last year — we had no warnings,” Sprawls said. “Over half of Batesville is under water now.”

Zavala County Sheriff’s Department secretary Jessica Belmarez said the department is updating its Facebook page with evacuation information and that law enforcement officers were going door-to-door in affected areas, including Batesville.
The network of flood sirens is expanding

Newly installed sirens in Ingram and in Kerr and Kendall counties were used this week to warn residents, said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who authored legislation in 2025 to help fund the sirens. Twenty-eight additional counties are also eligible for flood warning funding. Most are in the process of putting together implementation plans for review by the Texas Water Development Board.

“Between the outdoor sirens, and the cellphone alerts, the response was very positive in getting people out of the way and to higher ground,” Bettencourt said. “It’s an enormous improvement over a year ago.”

Three of six new sirens installed in Kerr County were used to warn people to seek high ground, said Tara Bushnoe, manager of the Upper Guadalupe River Authority. The other three were in areas with only minor flooding, Bushnoe said.

The small town of Comfort had one warning siren for years. The volunteer fire department recently installed two more.

“Some people just don’t want to leave — that’s our problem here,” said Danny Morales, the assistant fire chief. “But we did set them off twice, probably an hour from one to another, just because we had people just lingering, and not wanting to move.”
Private companies are working to fill the gaps

Ian Cunningham founded River Sentry after the 2025 floods, building flood siren towers for privately owned sites like RV parks, camps and hotels. The sirens are triggered by rising water levels.

So far, the company has installed 104 sirens along the Guadalupe River, Cunningham said, including several near the site of an RV park where more than three dozen people died in 2025.

“We installed them about three months ago and did not expect them to be used so soon,” Cunningham said.

Hononu, which has developed water-level sensor technology and a real-time data network, received a state contract that will make it easier for agencies to purchase its flood warning technology.

Watch Duty, a fire-tracking app used by millions, expanded earlier this year to help monitor floods.
Officials say the changes saved lives

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the lessons of 2025 led to a better emergency response this time.

“Everybody in Texas has been far more prepared to deal with what has happened this year,” Abbott said during a news conference in Uvalde. “Lives have been saved.”

Chris Sale dominates with 7 shutout innings as the Braves rout the Rangers 15-1

ATLANTA (AP) – Chris Sale pitched seven shutout innings of two-hit ball and Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley homered for Atlanta during a 19-hit outburst as the Braves pounded the Texas Rangers 15-1 on Friday night.

Sale (10-6) became the 27th major leaguer to reach 2,700 career strikeouts when he fanned Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran in the fifth.

Baldwin was 3 for 4 with a walk and five RBI. His three-run homer into the Braves bullpen in the fourth gave Atlanta a 5-0 lead. Olson followed two batters later with a 420-foot shot into the Chop House restaurant in right field. He was 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs.

The Rangers had won eight of their last 10 games against left-handed starters, but they were overmatched against Sale. The veteran ace sat out Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia and was ready for Texas. He had six strikeouts, no walks and allowed just a single in the third and a double in the seventh. He threw 62 strikes on 89 pitches.

Rangers starter Cal Quantrill (3-2) lasted four innings and gave up 11 hits and six runs on a season-high 86 pitches. He was relieved by Emiliano Teodo, who permitted two runs over 1 2/3 innings in his big league debut.

All nine Braves starters had a hit, and seven had at least two. Riley was 2 for 5 with two runs. Rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis went 2 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Michael Harris II had two doubles and three RBI.

Up next

Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-8, 4.63 ERA) will face Braves rookie RHP Owen Murphy (0-1, 2.25) in the first start of Murphy’s career Saturday.

Caitlin Clark has 45 points, 10 assists for the WNBA’s first 40-10 game as Fever beat Storm

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 45 points and had 10 assists for the first 40-10 game in WNBA history, and the Indiana Fever beat Seattle 110-107 on Friday night.

Clark, who had four steals and two blocks, also became the fastest player in WNBA history to make 200 career 3-pointers, doing it in 74 games, breaking the previous mark of 81 games set by Katie Smith. Her 45 points were also a franchise record.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 30 points for the Fever (15-10) and Monique Billings added 16.

Dominique Malonga had 28 points and 14 rebounds for Seattle, which lost its fourth in a row.

It appeared Flau’jae Johnson had a fast-break layup, but Clark hustled back and blocked the shot off Johnson and out of bounds with 54.9 seconds to play. Clark then hit a 3 from the left wing that made it 105-102 and made 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the final 17 seconds to seal it.

Clark scored 10 points in a 12-4 run and capped the spurt with a 3-pointer that made it 49-32 with 7:28 left before halftime.

Mitchell scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Clark added five points, five assists and two steals, as the Fever tied their highest-scoring first quarter this season and took a 37-26 lead after one.

Johnson and Awa Fam had 16 points apiece for Seattle, and Natisha Hiedeman and Jade Melbourne each scored 15.

The Storm (6-21) have lost six of seven.

Aliyah Boston (leg) did not play for Indiana on the first night of a back-to-back.

Indiana beat the Storm 89-78 at home on May 17.

NFL suspends Arizona Cardinals executive indefinitely for violating league’s gambling policy

NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league’s gambling policy.

The league said Friday that its investigation determined that Gold provided confidential, non-public inside information regarding 2026 draft selections by the Cardinals before the picks were announced, and Gold also participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games. The league didn’t say who Gold had provided with the information.

“The Gambling Policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, strictly prohibits anyone in the NFL from participating in or facilitating any form of sports gambling, and from providing third parties non-public information,” the NFL said in a statement. “Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the League takes any violation of the Gambling Policy with the utmost seriousness.”

The Cardinals also issued a statement, saying: “The NFL’s policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated. We fully support the league’s decision in this matter, which involves a single employee. Our focus remains on preparing for the start of training camp next week and the 2026 season.”

Gold, who is in his 13th season with the Cardinals, was promoted to director of college scouting in June 2025. He spent the previous three years (2022-24) as the assistant director of college scouting after working for four seasons (2018-21) as a college scouting coordinator.

Gold has the right to appeal the suspension. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday.

The NFL has strict gambling policies for players and club and league personnel. The league has also dedicated significant resources to its gambling education program, reaching more than 20,000 people associated with the league.

The policy says players must not:

— place any bet on NFL football;

— throw or fix any NFL game or event, or otherwise manipulate or attempt to manipulate any play or other aspect of an NFL game;

— share confidential, non-public information regarding any NFL game, player or event with any third party.

NFL players — but not league or club staff — are allowed to legally place bets on other sports as long as they are off club property or not traveling with the team. They also are allowed to take part in traditional fantasy football leagues (prize money cannot exceed $250) and legally gamble at casinos on personal time.

The NFL said the Cardinals fully cooperated with the investigation and the league has seen no indication that any other member of the organization, coach or player was aware of or involved in this activity. The league also said there was no indication that any play or game was affected by this activity.

The NFL’s review included interviews with relevant people and an examination of electronic records.

At least 15 players have been suspended by the league for gambling violations since 1963, including several in recent years, but none since Isaiah Rodgers (then with the Indianapolis Colts) was suspended indefinitely in June 2023.

Lionel Messi speaks in advance of World Cup final, says Argentina ‘will give it our all’

NEW YORK (AP) — The lineup of sports legends simultaneously on the stage at Fanatics Fest on Friday night was almost absurd. There was Tom Brady, the greatest Super Bowl champion of all time. There was Novak Djokovic, the winner of more men’s Grand Slam tennis tournaments than anyone else. There was Kevin Durant, the only four-time Olympic gold medalist in men’s basketball history.

And before they left, they all got a selfie with Lionel Messi.

Let that be the latest proof of Messi’s power: Even the biggest stars in the sports universe clearly enjoy a chance to be around the best soccer player of all-time. They’ll all be watching Sunday — along with probably 1.5 billion other people worldwide — when Messi and Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final.

“We will give it our all,” Messi said.

The star-studded news conference was expected to be Messi’s last public appearance before Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA decided to use Fanatics Fest — a four-day celebration of sports in New York, replete with autograph signings and celebrity appearances — as the backdrop for its preview news conferences, meaning hundreds of people got the chance to get a glimpse of Messi in the sort of setting not usually open to the public.

“It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for Argentina,” Spain captain Rodri said. “Obviously, for me, he’s the greatest of all times.”

The idea for the appearance by Messi and the other players and coaches from Argentina and Spain was simple: Instead of having traditional media asking questions, the stars got to do the asking.

Brady probed Messi about a remarkable photo that has gone viral this week of him bathing a cute baby boy who grew up to be Spain star Lamine Yamal — “What a crazy picture,” Messi said. Djokovic asked Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni about dealing with pressure, then posed a version of that same question to Messi.

And when Messi finished, Djokovic simply said, “Gracias, Leo.” Djokovic then asked Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and captain Rodri about staying calm in big moments, before Brady asked Messi about the infamous photo with Yamal, and Rodri about what he’ll say to teammates before Sunday’s final. Durant then came out, asking Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez about what it would mean to win back-to-back World Cups.

The Argentina and Spain sides, to their credit, seemed to enjoy the show. The World Cup final is a spectacle, and so was the preview event.

“It’s one more game,” Scaloni said. “We cannot really think about the fact that it’s a World Cup final.”

It was not the easiest of roads for Argentina to get back to the final, even though the defending champions (7-0-0) are the only unbeaten and untied team left in the tournament; Spain (6-0-1) drew its opening match against Cape Verde.

Argentina had to rally from a 1-0 second-half deficit to beat England in the semifinals, had to rally from a 2-0 second-half deficit to beat Egypt in the Round of 16, and got taken to extra time by both Cape Verde (in the round of 32) and Switzerland (in the quarterfinals).

“I’ve said many times: We never stop fighting,” Messi said.

With that, the defending champions got their ticket to New York. And when Messi walked onto that stage Friday, not many of those who were jammed inside the theater applauded — since they were holding their phones instead, hoping to capture images of the moment.

Messi knew what they wanted. He smiled and waved. They roared.

When the event wrapped up, everyone — the players, the coaches, actor and comedian Kevin Hart, rapper and producer Travis Scott, England great Rio Ferdinand, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and more — gathered for that selfie with the fans in the background.

“Sunday is going to be a great show,” Scaloni said.

It seemed like Messi may have taken a quick look at the case holding the trophy before he departed. Either way, it’s not like he needs a reminder of what’s at stake. No team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, and Messi now has a chance to add one more accomplishment to his already overstuffed resume.

“We’ve got a group of players and a group of coaches that are working incredibly hard every single day to try to bring happiness to my country,” Martinez said. “We’re going to give absolutely our best, with Leo, with the team that we have, to bring the World Cup back to my country and celebrate with our people.”

DeChambeau gets 2-shot penalty in dramatic late-night British Open ruli

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty after his second round at the British Open on Friday that dropped the American star out of the final group and raised initial doubts about whether he would show up on the weekend at Royal Birkdale.

In a dramatic late-evening development after a 4-under 66, DeChambeau was taken back out to the fifth hole for a rules review. Footage taken during his round showed him stomping around in high grass to the right of the fairway trying to figure out his shot 72 yards out from the hole.

DeChambeau was seen in a lengthy, heated exchange with rules officials — at one point, he waved his arms and pointed in clear frustration — before being driven back to the scoring tent, where he was followed by officials including R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.

The verdict then came in: DeChambeau was deemed to have inadvertently improved the area of his intended swing by tamping down a section of grass behind the ball that might have affected his backswing on the shot.

His bogey 5 on the No. 5 was turned into a triple-bogey 7 and the two-shot penalty turned his score to a 68, leaving him three shots behind, tied for fifth place.

DeChambeau left for the range, saying only, “Are you guys having a good night?” as he walked past dozens of reporters, and stopped to sign an autograph before hitting balls in twilight.

Just after midnight local time, DeChambeau posted on X: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”

The post suggested DeChambeau had made up his mind to keep playing. Earlier Friday night, his agent, Brett Falkoff, was asked if the two-time U.S. Open champion would play Saturday and he replied: “We’ll see.”

It is proving an action-packed trip to Royal Birkdale for DeChambeau, who was accused by Nick Faldo of having “zero clue of strategy” when the three-time Open champion spoke on the Sky Sports Golf podcast ahead of the tournament.

After shooting 67 in the first round, DeChambeau skipped media, though later agreed to take a few questions from the R&A.

His answers were pointed. “I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic,” he said, before later adding: “I feel like my strategy was nice today.”

DeChambeau — one of the most high-profile players in golf — left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022 and still plays on the breakaway circuit, while continuing to produce videos on his YouTube channel that has 2.77 million subscribers.

He draws attention more than pretty much any golfer, as Friday proved.
The ruling explained by the R&A

At issue for DeChambeau was whether he violated Rule 8 that governs the intended swing.

“An improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke,” Grant Moir, the R&A’s executive director for governance, told media.

“The player,” Moir continued, “must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.”

Moir said this applied “even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case.”
He makes the cut at a major for the 1st time this year

DeChambeau missed the cut in each of the first three majors of 2026.

If he does turn up for the third round, he will play with fellow American Sam Burns in the third-to-last group.

Cockfighter arrested, 181 birds taken

Cockfighter arrested, 181 birds takenVAN ZANDT COUNTY – An investigation into cockfighting taking place in Van Zandt County led to over 180 roosters being seized and one man being placed into custody.

According to our news partner KETK and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was launched on June 26 after receiving a report of suspected cockfighting activity at the property.

Following an investigation, members of the sheriff’s office, the Wills Point Police Department, and the SPCA of Texas obtained a search warrant at a home on Van Zandt County Road 1118 near Grand Saline.

During the search, officials allegedly seized 181 roosters, U.S. currency, and cockfighting paraphernalia, along with a trailer that was believed to be used to transport the roosters. Continue reading Cockfighter arrested, 181 birds taken

Texas floods have left high waters and a big cleanup job after hundreds of people are rescued

UVALDE (AP) — First responders in storm-battered Texas again rushed to save people trapped in high waters Friday, as more heavy rain widened the danger from floods that have killed at least two people and left hundreds more in need of rescue.

A week of punishing downpours dumped more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) in some areas. The rain was expected to taper off, but another round of showers worsened already swollen rivers and flooded rural communities near the border with Mexico that had largely been spared major damage.

Near Ozona, a small town about 200 miles (322 kilometers) west of San Antonio, floodwaters spilled over Interstate 10. More than 50 people were rescued by boat from flooded apartments and a water-logged RV park.

A section of a bridge also collapsed over the Nueces River in Uvalde County, where months worth of rain has fallen in a span of days. In Uvalde, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio, floodwaters rushed through Miguel Vasquez’s home twice this week, leaving a layer of mud and knocking over his refrigerator and other items.

Debris was strewn around his neighborhood and a neighbor’s shed teetered over a washed-away section of the property. He said Friday that he’d been caught in the waters’ current and nearly been swept away and drowned in trying to get to his house Wednesday.

“I had to grab on with my hands and my feet. You couldn’t swim,” he said. “People think that when there’s a flood, you can swim. Swimming’s not going to help you. It’ll take you. The current’s too strong.”
Almost a trillion gallons of water fell in a flood-prone area

Nearly 1 trillion gallons of water fell on the three hardest-hit counties over three days — enough to fill 1.5 million Olympic-sized swimming pools or supply 11 million homes for a year.

Uvalde County alone got more rain in that period than California has seen over the last month, according to Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow river basins.

Emergency personnel across a wide swath of southern and central Texas have rescued more than 570 people, including stranded drivers and people trapped in homes, Gov. Greg Abbott said. Hill Country residents were beginning to clean up after floodwaters again barreled down the Guadalupe River and through communities still reeling from deadly floods a year ago.

Floodwaters on the Rio Grande temporarily closed the two international bridges on the border with Mexico at Eagle Pass, stranding a few people on the wrong side. About 600 huge buoys placed on the river to deter migrants from crossing into the U.S. illegally were set adrift by the rising waters, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said.

Cuellar said about 480 of them were captured by noon Friday. Critics have worried about the damage the buoys might do if they became untethered and got caught along banks and against bridge piers. Each is about 15 feet (4.6 meters) long and weighs 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms).

In the Hill Country, Serena Reyna woke up Thursday morning to find her Kerrville boutique, Nu Accents, covered in debris after four feet of floodwater rushed into the store. She described the store as “a total loss.”

“The floors, I mean they’re soaked in mud and still you know an inch of water in some spots,” she said.

The Texas Department of Transportation said high waters closed a 50-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 57 and that parts of the roadway were not expected to reopen until Monday.

In all, roughly 6 million residents across Texas were under a flood watch at various points this week.

Floodwaters had overrun Uvalde and cut off most outside routes, making it one of the hardest hit cities. The waters were receding Friday, and officials said a major highway, Route 90, had reopened.

One person died while driving on a flooded road, swept away near Uvalde, authorities said.

Another victim, 65-year-old John Mark Steward of Kerrville, died after his mobile home was swept into Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River, his wife said. The same river was wrecked by flash floods last year when two dozen children and counselors died at Camp Mystic. Authorities on Thursday said summer campers were safe.

In Ozona, the seat of Crockett County, authorities used seven rescue boat teams to get people out of the hardest-hit areas. They were taken to the local civic center for shelter.

Eddie Martin, the county’s emergency management director, said the area received 6 inches of rain after midnight, on top of nearly 10 inches of rain before that.

“We have more and more accidents on the interstate,” he said. “We have more and more water pouring into the neighborhoods where we’ve been pulling people out of.”

A Texas prosecutor reveals new details in an ICE killing of a Houston father

HOUSTON (AP) – A federal prosecutor in Texas shared new details Thursday evening about the moments before an immigration officer shot and killed a Mexican national and longtime U.S. resident in early July. The disclosure complicates the government’s earlier claim that the man struck an ICE vehicle before he was shot.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, on July 7 as he was driving to a Houston construction job site with three co-workers, one of whom was his brother. The shooting sparked protests in the sprawling Texas city, echoing Salgado Araujo’s family’s calls for transparency. The family describes him as a hardworking father very close to obtaining legal status in the U.S. after living in the country for 35 years.

The shooting came just days before two other men in Florida and Maine died as part of President Donald Trump’s federal immigration crackdown, renewing scrutiny on the Department of Homeland Security’s law enforcement tactics.

Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said for the first time on Thursday that ICE officers were targeting two Guatemalan men who were potentially subject to deportation. He said they were driving a van similar to the one Salgado Araujo was driving when he was killed. In an earlier statement released the day Salgado Araujo was killed, DHS said he was targeted in an immigration enforcement operation, and he was living in the country without legal permission.

Reitz also said that the officers believed that Salgado Araujo and the passengers in his car fit the description of the Guatemalan men the agents were looking for.

Four officers driving two separate law enforcement vehicles attempted to pull over Salgado Araujo’s van using their police lights. Salgado Araujo then made a U-turn and drove over a median to evade getting pulled over, Reitz said.

Later that morning, the officers again encountered Salgado Araujo’s van and for the second time tried to pull him over, this time effectively surrounding the vehicle, Reitz said. Two of the four agents got out of their cars and told Salgado Araujo to put the vehicle in park. Just before he was shot, one of the agents was “partially inside the van or immediately next to it” when Salgado Araujo tried to reverse and then drive forward again, Reitz said.

An earlier DHS statement accused Salgado Araujo of weaponizing his vehicle. The agency said he rammed his van into a law enforcement vehicle and said an officer opened fire in self-defense. The most recent statement from the U.S attorney’s office, however, didn’t mention any collision between Salgado Araujo’s van and a law enforcement vehicle. It also didn’t explicitly say that the officer feared for his life. There are no reported injuries for the officers involved.

The latest statement didn’t name the officer who killed Salgado Araujo, nor did it specify if the officer who fired the shot was the same person who was next to, or partially inside, the van.

Reitz also said in the statement that officers “saw in plain view several small bags of a white, crystal-like substance inside the van” and that the FBI later executed a search warrant to investigate for possible illicit substances. Salgado Araujo’s brother, who was in the van when the shooting happened, has been in ICE detention since the incident. His attorney said the white substance was a salt mixture that the men used as electrolytes to stay hydrated while doing manual labor in the grueling Texas heat.

Few photos or videos surrounding the shooting in Houston have emerged on social media, unlike other deaths involving federal immigration officers.

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s memorial services set for later this month

Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the FY2027 budget request on Capitol Hill on May 12, 2026, in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- The late Sen. Lindsey Graham will be honored later this month with separate services in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, after the Republican died unexpectedly on July 11.

Graham's office announced Friday that the senator’s life and legacy will be celebrated Tuesday, July 28 in Washington before separate services Wednesday, July 29 in South Carolina: Columbia, the state's capital, and Pickens County, where Graham grew up and part of the district Graham represented.

While Graham’s office did not announce a location for the service in Washington, congressional sources told ABC News that the event is being held at the Washington National Cathedral. Graham's office said that additional details regarding the services are forthcoming.

It's not yet clear whether President Donald Trump will attend or have a role in the services.

Graham, a Trump ally who died serving in his fifth term in the Senate, was born in Central, South Carolina, in 1955. He graduated from Daniel High School in Central in 1973, according to his congressional biography.

Preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said Graham died from an "aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease."

Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, was sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday after she was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster just days after her brother's death. Trump supported her appointment, calling it a “fabulous tribute" to Lindsey Graham, who at a young age became Darline Graham's legal guardian after the deaths of their parents.

On Friday, Trump called on Darline Graham to run in the upcoming special primary election for Senate in South Carolina, which would set her up to potentially fill the seat of her late brother in a more permanent way. 

Darline Graham has not yet announced whether she intends to run for the seat for the full term. A source involved with South Carolina politics told ABC News on Friday that she has been having conversations about running in the special election. 

ABC News has reached out to Darline Graham's office, but did not immediately hear back.

Darline Graham, who lives in Lexington, South Carolina, has served since 2019 as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She also serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.

She also previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the governor's office said.

A special-election primary is scheduled for Aug. 11 to determine a Republican candidate for the Nov. 3 general election ballot -- though a runoff could occur two weeks later if no candidate secures an absolute majority of votes.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Democrats dominate fundraising in key Senate races, but Republicans still have ample resources

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a "Talarico for Texas: Frontera Tour" campaign rally at the La Posada facility, July 14, 2026, in Laredo, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- Democrats raised more money than their Republican opponents in key Senate races across the country in the second quarter, according to campaign finance filings made this week to the Federal Election Commission. 

In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff raised almost ten times what Republican Rep. Mike Collins did. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown outraised Republican Sen. Jon Husted by roughly $10 million. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico outraised Republican Ken Paxton by over $26 million. 

Talarico's haul marks a new record for second quarter fundraising, far surpassing other Democrats who previously pursued Senate seats in Texas.

At this point in Beto O'Rourke's 2018 campaign, O'Rourke had raised a grand total of just under $24 million since the start of the election cycle. MJ Hegar had raised $6.6 million in 2020, and Colin Allred had raised over $38 million in 2024. All three of those Democratic candidates ultimately lost their general election fights.

Talarico has raised nearly $69 million this cycle, and the candidate still has over $21 million to spend. Lone Star Rising, a super PAC that supports Talarico, raised $12.7 million in the second quarter, most of it from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

Talarico's opponent, Paxton, who is currently serving as the state's attorney general, raised $2.2 million in the second quarter and has around $1.8 million in the bank, according to filings.

Lone Star Liberty, a super PAC that supports Paxton, raised about $4.3 million. They have about $35,000 cash on hand.

Republican PACs remain well-stocked, and Elon Musk contributions grow

Still, there are reasons for Republicans to be optimistic as the general election approaches.

In some cases, Republicans still have more money saved. Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola outraised her opponent, Republican Dan Sullivan, by nearly $5 million. But Sullivan spent little (under $1 million) in the second quarter, and still has more than $8 million on hand, according to FEC filings. That puts him $1 million ahead of Peltola.

Republican super PACs and party committees are also well-resourced. The Senate Leadership Fund, a flagship Republican super PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, outraised its Democratic equivalent, the Senate Majority PAC, by nearly $20 million. 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) reported having a cash on hand lead of over $10 million on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) when those groups filed their most recent monthly reports. The Republican National Committee (RNC) has over $125 million in the bank, while the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is in debt. 

MAGA Inc., a Donald Trump-affiliated super PAC, had over $382 million on hand when its most recent monthly report was filed. 

Among MAGA Inc.'s donors is Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of the Republican party's top supporters this midterm cycle despite past spats with Trump. He has invested at least $90 million dollars, including a recent $5 million donation, to Vivek Ramaswamy's super PAC, V-PAC. Ramaswamy is running for Ohio governor against Amy Acton. Musk also endorsed Ramaswamy, which comes after notable tension between the two when co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency. 

Musk's own super PAC, America PAC, has kept a relatively low profile since last year, when Brad Schimel, Musk's preferred candidate in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, lost in a 10-point blowout. America PAC and other Musk-affiliated groups spent millions supporting Schimel. 

Democrats face internal struggles in Michigan and Maine 

Democrats also face challenges internally. In Michigan, two Democratic Senate candidates are still locked in a hard-fought primary, vying for the opportunity to challenge Republican Mike Rogers. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, raised $4.6 million, while Rogers raised under $3 million. Rep. Haley Stevens raised about $2.1 million, according to FEC filings. Rogers has more cash on hand, $5.7 million, than either of his potential Democratic opponents. 

In Maine, Democrat Graham Platner's campaign raised over $9 million, while Republican Sen. Susan Collins' campaign raised around $5.7 million. Collins has far more cash on hand however, $11 million compared to the Platner campaign's $1.8 million.

Given that Platner dropped out of the race earlier this month in the wake of a sexual assault allegation, which he's denied, it is still unknown if and how Democrats will access the Platner campaign's war chest to benefit whoever his replacement turns out to be. Candidate-to-candidate transfers are limited to $2,000. 

ABC's Gina Montagna contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hospital celebrates new births

Hospital celebrates new birthsTYLER – CHRISTUS Health Mount Pleasant celebrated the opening of its new Birthing Suite, a thoughtfully designed space created to enhance the childbirth experience for growing families across the region.

The new suite offers a welcoming, personalized and family-centered environment while maintaining the highest standards of obstetrical care.

“This new birthing suite reflects our commitment to providing exceptional patient-centered care in an environment designed to make families feel comfortable, supportive and at home,” said Nichole Quezada, labor and delivery director. “Welcoming a new child into the world is one of life’s most meaningful moments, and we are proud to offer families in our community an enhanced experience that combines compassionate care, privacy and peace of mind.” Continue reading Hospital celebrates new births

Francesca Reale, Roby Attal join ‘This Summer Will Be Different’ Netflix series adaptation

A photo of Francesca Reale. (Ian Lipton) | A photo of Roby Attal. (Chris Labadie)

This Summer Will Be Different has gained a couple more cast members.

Netflix has announced that Francesca Reale and Roby Attal have joined the cast of the upcoming TV adaptation of author Carley Fortune's bestselling romance novel.

Reale is set to play Bridget in the show, while Attal will take on the role of Felix, who also goes by the nickname Wolf. They join the previously announced star Sophie Nélisse, who is set to play Lucy.

This Summer Will Be Different will be "a simmering, sun-soaked romance set across multiple summers on Prince Edward Island about Lucy, a young woman navigating her 20s and her first real love with her best friend’s brother, the one person she was never supposed to fall for," according to the show's logline.

Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart serve as the adaptation's creators and showrunners. They also both executive produce the show alongside Fortune.

This Summer Will Be Different will film on location in Prince Edward Island and in Toronto. It will span 10 episodes.

“I fell in love with Prince Edward Island first in the pages of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and again when I visited with my best friend in my early 20s,” Fortune told Netflix. “That vacation, the beauty of the island, the warmth of its people, and the friendships that sustain us are the foundation of This Summer Will Be Different. I’m thrilled to bring this sweeping love story to the screen with Netflix and to transport audiences to the glittering shores and windswept beaches of PEI.”

Reale is known for her appearance in the third season of Stranger Things. Attal was most recently seen in recurring roles in Dexter: Original Sin and The Sex Lives of College Girls.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mullin threatens to withhold aid from states that don’t comply with DHS election directives

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks during a news conference in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on July 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened on Friday to strip states of federal election-related aid, and to possibly seek criminal penalties against election officials, if they don't comply with the administration's voting roll probe ahead of the midterms.

Mullin told reporters that if states want to continue to receive federal reimbursement "to run federal elections," they must now cooperate with DHS's efforts to "scrub" their voter rolls and update the security of their election systems.

"We're saying that the machines had to be secure, and that your voter registration list needs to be scrubbed," Mullin said in a news conference.

It was not immediately clear what grants or funding could be in jeopardy for non-compliant states. DHS has previously threatened to withhold Federal Emergency Management Agency counterterrorism grants unless states complied with election security mandates.

"If states want the grant funding, to recap, they must secure the election," Mullin said.

Mullin's news conference came one day after President Donald Trump's primetime speech on elections, in which he announced he was declassifying a slew of documents he claims reveal vulnerabilities in America's elections systems and foreign interference, particularly by China.

Mullin, who was sworn in as DHS secretary on March 24, claimed America's adversaries have the "key to the back" of American voting machines, alleging that bad actors could change the registration of voters -- and even manipulate votes that have already been cast.

But Mullin offered no evidence that foreign vote manipulation has occurred, nor did he elaborate on how it is possible.

Mullin also argued, as Trump did on Thursday night, that America's elections are also vulnerable because of noncitizen voters being on the voter rolls.

A DHS report released overnight alleged more than 250,000 noncitizens are on voter rolls in four states.

Mullin did not provide more information on how DHS arrived at the claim that 250,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada, saying only it was pulled from public voter records.

The Department of Justice attempted to compel states to turn over their voter files, and sued more than two dozen that refused to do so. But courts have thrown out those lawsuits across the board, saying the DOJ lacks a compelling reason for the data.

Mullin said it would be a "little bit tougher" to obtain data from those states.

He said DHS will continue to comb through voter rolls in search of noncitizens and others ineligible to vote, and threatened them with jail time and or financial penalties.

"We will scrub all election records, looking for illegal aliens and those who are ineligible to vote, including those that somehow voted, yet they were deceased," Mullin said.

"If you're illegal and attempted to vote, or you tried to vote illegally for someone else, we will find you, and we will charge you," Mullin continued. "Illegal voter restoration and illegal voting both carry penalties up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. We will pursue maximum pressure on this."

The secretary said election officials would be held "accountable" if they don't comply and that the penalties would be extended to them.

"If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections, and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even depending on how far it goes, prison time," he said.

Mullin said DHS will look into the integrity of both early voting and post-Election Day votes during this November's midterm elections.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Uncertainty clouds the forecast on whether wildfire smoke will affect the World Cup final

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikel Merino can smell and see the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that are making for hazy conditions across large parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey where he and Spain are set to face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Merino is trying not to focus on it.

It remains unclear how much, if at all, the smoke will affect the final. The World Health Organization forecast calls for an improvement to “moderate” air quality in East Rutherford.

“For a game that is as important as a World Cup final, you have to be able to shut out external factors as much as possible,” Merino said Friday. “Luckily, we are being careful with every detail thanks to the federation and the organizers of the World Cup.”

Spain practiced outside in hazardous conditions in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday, alarming experts who thought the team should have held the session inside instead. Messages sent to FIFA and the Spanish Football Association asking whether that was considered or possible were not returned.

Air quality improved Friday, but the uncertainty lies in what will follow what could be up to 1.25 inches (3.17 centimeters) of rain expected to fall Saturday.

“Following that, it looks like there is another smoky air mass following in behind that system, but it’s not clear right now how much or how it might reach New York or New Jersey, when it comes to actually Sunday,” said Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. “If the fire intensity really picks up again through (Saturday), it’s possible it puts more smoke into the atmosphere that then might quickly follow that rain event.”

Smoke from wildfires — which are burning more of North America as Earth warms — attacks nearly every system in the body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show.

It attacks the body immediately, spiking asthma cases with increased ambulance runs within hours. Smoke can trigger inflammation in different parts of the body, often attacking a person’s weakest points, which can then cascade into different effects of an immune system trying to fight a nasty irritant, doctors and scientists say.

Parrington said as a general rule the advice is to try to minimize outdoor activity and exercise when the air is full of pollutants.

“There’s the obvious sort of respiratory illness, cardiovascular issues, vulnerable people with asthma and things like this,” Parrington said. “Then for sure they’re going to feel the effects.”

President Donald Trump is set to meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino later Friday. Members of the administration, including Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, have been discussing the matter with soccer’s governing body and monitoring the wildfire situation, according to a White House official. The person was granted anonymity to confirm internal discussions.

Roughly 80,000 fans are expected at the final, which takes place in the large, open-air stadium in the Meadowlands that is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.