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US stocks rise and recover some of their losses from a rare losing week

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Monday and recovered some of their losses from a rare losing week.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.2% and broke a five-day losing streak. It was coming off just its second losing week in the last 13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 306 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 2.1%.

Several stocks boosted by the artificial-intelligence boom rose after Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix said they will invest roughly $518 billion in a new chipmaking hub in South Korea, as its president hopes to capitalize on surging AI demand.
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AP AUDIO: US stocks rise and recover some of their losses from a rare losing week

U.S. stocks are recovering some of their losses from a rare losing week.

Applied Materials, whose equipment helps make semiconductors, rallied 10.8% to vault its gain for the year so far above 170%.

AI stocks have been on a roller-coaster ride recently after soaring to tremendous heights. They’re under pressure because of worries that their profits can’t possibly keep pace with the huge gains for their stock prices. And the moves have an outsized effect on investors because AI stocks have become some of Wall Street’s largest and most influential, giving them more weight on indexes than others.

Nvidia was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500, for example, after its stock rose 1.3%. That’s because it’s Wall Street’s biggest stock with a total value of more than $4.7 trillion.

SpaceX, which owns the xAI business along with rockets, has already become worth more than $2 trillion after its stock’s ballyhooed debut on the Nasdaq earlier this month, with sharp rises and falls along the way. It’s become big enough that Nasdaq said Elon Musk’s company will join the Nasdaq 100 index before trading begins on July 7, which will force funds tracking the index to buy the stock.

SpaceX climbed 7.2%.

Outside of AI, Comcast rose 4.5% after saying it will split off its NBCUniversal media business and Sky from its broadband and wireless business. Its stock came into the day with a loss of 17.3% for the year so far.

That helped offset a 5.2% drop for Verizon Communications, which said it’s paying $625 million as part of a deal to combine its international wireline connectivity and managed network services business with some of London-based BT Group’s subsidiaries in a joint venture.
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All told, the S&P 500 rose 86.41 points to 7,440.43. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 306.63 to 52,182.74, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 522.53 to 25,820.14.

The gains for the stock market came even though oil prices rose. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8% to $73.91, pulling back above where it was before the war with Iran began. Benchmark U.S. crude for August delivery rose 2.2% to settle at $70.75 per barrel.

Following attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend, the United States and Iran on Monday separately announced they will send delegations to Qatar this week, though Tehran insisted it has not agreed to meet with the United States “at any level.”

The hope is that an end to the war with Iran will give oil tankers full access again to the Strait of Hormuz, allowing them to exit the Persian Gulf and deliver crude to customers worldwide. That would help lower the price of oil, whose jumps because of the war have sent a punishing wave of inflation around the world.

If oil prices do recede and stay low enough, it could keep enough pressure off inflation to allow the Federal Reserve and other central banks to keep interest rates steady or even cut them instead of hiking them.

Higher interest rates can keep a lid on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for all kinds of investments. High yields worldwide have been rattling investors after oil prices burst above $100 per barrel because of the war.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.37% from 4.38% late Friday and from 4.56% early this month.

In stock markets abroad, indexes dipped modestly in Europe following mixed performances in Asia.

Stocks jumped 1.6% in Hong Kong and 1.2% in Shanghai for two of the world’s biggest gains, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2%.

Van student dies in ATV accident

VAN – The Van ISD community is in mourning this week after a 16-year-old student was found unresponsive in a four-wheeler accident, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to our news partner KETK, the school release a statement, “It is with profound sadness that Van ISD shares the passing of one of our own, Kayden Palmer, following a tragic accident,” Van ISD said on Saturday. “Kayden was a beloved member of the Vandal family whose infectious smile, kind heart, and servant spirit left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Having recently completed his freshman year at Van High School, Kayden was known for his energy, intelligence, and willingness to lend a helping hand whenever it was needed.” Continue reading Van student dies in ATV accident

City holiday schedule

All non-essential City offices will observe the following schedule on Friday, July 3, in observance of the upcoming Fourth of July.

City Hall
City Hall offices will be closed Friday, July 3.

Tyler Water Utilities
The Water Business Office will be closed Friday, July 3. The kiosk at the drive-through offers 24/7 access for water utility customers with its ability to accept checks, money orders, credit/debit cards and cash payments. Those choosing to pay with cash should be aware that no change will be given. Continue reading City holiday schedule

‘Michael’ is now the highest-grossing biopic of all time

The Michael Jackson movie has moonwalked into the record books once again.

Michael has taken in $977 million worldwide. That surpasses the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, which raked in $975 million globally. Michael had already become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, out-earning the Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody — but now it's tops among all biographical films.

Michael opened in April with an impressive $217 million globally. As per Variety, it's now become Lionsgate's biggest movie of all time, surpassing 2013's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which earned $865 million.

Lionsgate is reportedly planning on at least one more movie about Jackson's life, since Michael ends in 1988. The King of Pop died in June 2009.

3 firefighters killed in Western wildfire were trying to shield themselves from flames

BEAVER, Utah (AP) — Three firefighters killed over the weekend in a wildfire along the Colorado-Utah border were trying to shield themselves from flames by deploying tent-like shelters when they were overcome, authorities said.

The victims were part of a crew that goes into remote areas to quickly put out new and rapidly escalating wildfires, federal officials said Monday.

Their deaths on Saturday came almost 13 years to the day since an elite crew of 19 wildland firefighters died when they were trapped in a steep canyon in Yarnell, Arizona.

Like this weekend’s victims, the men in Arizona had tried to deploy emergency shelters that are a “last resort” for firefighters when there’s no other way out. Investigators didn’t blame anyone in the deaths but did cite radio communication problems that contributed to the Granite Mountain Hotshots becoming trapped. Arizona’s workplace safety commission also fined the state’s forestry division for not pulling the Hotshots out.

Wildfires have erupted over the past week all across the West, fueled by months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter in some places. Wildfire experts have been warning for months that extreme fire dangers are likely this summer.

With more than two dozen large fires burning, almost 8,000 wildland firefighters and dozens of firefighting helicopters have been deployed. About half of the largest blazes are in Alaska while the rest are mostly in Western states.

Evacuations were in place near seven fires, including in Arizona, Washington state, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
Firefighters were part of a specialized crew

The U.S. Forest Service identified the firefighters killed as Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, Michigan; Nick Hutcherson, 27 of Glendale, Arizona; and Sydney Watson, 26, of Warrior, Alabama.

Two others who were with them sustained burn injuries, authorities said.

The thee victims were assigned to a Helitack crew that can be dropped into remote areas by helicopters and whose mission is to prevent new fires from growing into out-of-control blazes. But it can be extremely dangerous, often taking place in areas where fires are rapidly expanding.

One of the crew members worked for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service while two were assigned to the U.S. Forest Service and all were part of an interagency response to fires just west of Grand Junction, Colorado.

The Snyder Fire in the area has burned about 44 square miles (114 square kilometers), authorities said.

The Wildland Fire Service, created earlier this year to streamline firefighting on public lands, said in a statement that it “stands united” with the Forest Service in grief and “in our unwavering support for the loved ones left behind.”
High wildfire threat for much of this week

More hot, dry and windy weather across the Southwest will elevate the threat of fires at least until the weekend, according to the national Storm Prediction Center.

Among the concerns were high winds in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, in the Black Hills of South Dakota and across portions of the High Plains.

Utah already has restricted firework usage going into the July Fourth holiday.

Officials on Monday increased the national “preparedness level” for wildfires to a 4, on a scale of 1 to 5. That’s a sign resources are beginning to be strained, and officials warned of a high potential for new, large fires in multiple parts of the country in coming days.

So far this year, the fires have burned more than 4,800 square miles (12,400 square kilometers) — the most by this point in the year since 2022 and significantly above the 10-year average.

Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold’s bond set at $1 million in kidnapping conspiracy case

Terrion Arnold is seen in a booking photo released by the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office on June 24, 2026. (Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office)

(TAMPA, Fla.) -- A judge in Florida set Detroit Lions NFL cornerback Terrion Arnold's bond at $1 million on Monday, denying the prosecutors' request that he remain held without bond on charges alleging he orchestrated a kidnapping in which three men were robbed and beaten at gunpoint.

The 23-year-old NFL player is one of seven people arrested in connection with the "targeted armed robbery" last February in Tampa, police said.

Arnold is accused of "coordinating and directing" the codefendants in an alleged conspiracy to "lure" the three men to an apartment, where prosecutors say they were beaten in retaliation for the alleged theft of more than $200,000 worth of Arnold's personal property from an Airbnb in which he had stayed with friends days earlier in Largo, Florida, according to the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office.

Arnold surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and was initially denied bond following his arrest on multiple armed robbery and kidnapping charges. He faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison if convicted on the charges, prosecutors said.

A county prosecutor alleged during a detention hearing in Tampa on Monday that Arnold was "the reason why this gets set in motion."

"There's three individuals that had guns pointed in their faces because of this defendant," Kevin Riley, an attorney with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, said.

Defense attorney Harvey Steinberg asked the judge not to find probable cause. He argued that the evidence presented so far only shows that Arnold was "suspicious" that his phone was taken and wanted to confront someone, but that there is "zero evidence" that he was aware that there was going to be a beating or guns involved.

"Did my client direct them? Nope," Steinberg said.

Judge Christopher Sabella found there was probable cause, calling the case "serious," but denied the state's motion to detain Arnold ahead of trial. He set bond at $1 million, saying the amount was "consistent with the serious nature of the charges."

Among the bond conditions, Arnold must surrender his passport and is only allowed to leave his residence for work or legal purposes.

The state had asked that Arnold be required to wear an ankle monitor, which the judge denied after Arnold's defense argued that the monitor would make him unable to work due to strict NFL requirements regarding attire.

"I don't want to interfere with his ability to make a living," Sabella said, adding that he suspects Arnold will have a "paparazzi monitor" that will make his whereabouts known.

"If he shows up on a beach in Tahiti, he'll be on social media," Sabella said. "If he violates the conditions of his bond, he will be found."

Arnold, who was in handcuffs during the court appearance, could be seen smiling with his attorneys following the hearing.

The incident occurred on Feb. 4, three days after multiple items belonging to Arnold and others were stolen from an Airbnb he had rented, according to police. On Feb. 3, Arnold and others reported a loss totaling more than $250,000 to the Largo Police Department, police said.

The men, all in their late teens, were allegedly beaten and pistol-whipped by two of the co-defendants, while a third streamed the assault to Arnold and other suspects who were traveling to the apartment, police said. Investigators uncovered a group chat in which Arnold and another suspect allegedly gave directions during the assault, police said.

After arriving at the apartment, Arnold allegedly directed the other suspects to go inside, at which point the victims were robbed during the ongoing assault, police said. Their wallets, phones, jackets, cash and jewelry totaling more than $6,200 were stolen, according to the criminal report.

Nearly two hours after arriving at the apartment, the victims were escorted out by armed suspects and left in their vehicle, police said. Arnold never entered the apartment or interacted with the victims, based on the police statement.

The victims reported the incident to Tampa police and "positively identified the suspects," police said. The three victims had "visible injuries from being battered," police said.

Arnold allegedly suspected that two of the three victims were responsible for the theft, though investigators ultimately determined that none of them were involved, Tampa police said.

Cell phone evidence and "corroborating testimony" from the co-defendants also "helped establish Arnold's role in planning and directing the crimes," the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office said.

Among the six codefendants arrested in connection with the case, four men are being held without bond, while two women pleaded guilty on Wednesday to robbery and kidnapping charges, according to the state attorney's office. As part of their plea agreements, they are required to testify truthfully in proceedings related to the case, the office said.

Arnold's sports management team said he "categorically denies any involvement in the matters underlying the allegations made against him and maintains his innocence."

"There is no credible evidence linking Mr. Arnold to these allegations," Denise White, CEO of EAG Sports and Entertainment Agency, said in a statement to ABC News. "Instead, the government appears to be relying on testimony from multiple convicted felons who have admitted their own involvement and may have substantial incentives to shift blame in an effort to lessen their sentences."

Following Monday's hearing, White said the the judge's ruling "confirms that there is very little evidence to even suggest any criminal involvement by Mr. Arnold."

The Lions said in a statement to ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ that they are "aware of the legal situation" involving Arnold and "will not comment at this time out of respect for the ongoing legal process."

Arnold, a native of Tallahassee, Florida, played at the University of Alabama and was a first-round pick in the 2024 draft.

Star-maker Clive Davis honored at funeral that draws Bruce Springsteen, Dionne Warwick and others

NEW YORK (AP) — Kenny G played a mournful sax solo, Jennifer Hudson’s voice soared and Bruce Springsteen spoke glowingly at the funeral Monday for music legend Clive Davis, as pop royalty honored a man who championed so many of their careers.

Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, Ja Rule and Stevie Wonder were among the other musical stars at the service. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Adrien Brody, Hoda Kotb and Gayle King were among the other notables.

Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl said Davis would have been thrilled by the turnout. “Clive would have loved this,” she said. “He’d have been touched to have filled the house, thrilled by the superstars who have come to share tributes to him.”

The service was closed to the public but was livestreamed from Central Synagogue in Manhattan.

Davis, a record company lawyer who rose to become one of music’s most influential figures, launched the careers of numerous stars, including Whitney Houston, Springsteen, Keys and Kenny G, and influenced others such as Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.

Springsteen called him big, bombastic and brave. “He was born to run everything,” The Boss said. He remembered meeting him at age 22 in 1972, his anxiety rising. “I can’t wait to hear you,” Davis told him. After his audition, the executive simply said: “Welcome to Columbia Records.”

“In those few words, he changed my life forever,” Springsteen said.

Davis died June 22 in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 94, a few weeks after he was hospitalized for an upper respiratory issue.

Buchdahl asked what song Davis most admired that was not something he had a hand in and was told “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” written by composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E.Y. “Yip” Harburg in 1938 for the film “The Wizard of Oz.” Buchdahl then sang a soaring version. “You have a home at Sony Music Classics,” joked Rob Stringer, the CEO of Sony Music Entertainment.

Warwick told a story about how Davis urged her to work with Manilow in the late 1970s, which she initially resisted. But Davis’ suggestion was fruitful: Their partnership, the album “Dionne,” went platinum and earned two Grammy Awards. “So Barry and I became very, very good friends that day,” she said to laughter.

Manilow recalled Davis urging him to record the rock song “Brandy,” written by Scott English and Richard Kerr. Manilow turned it into a love song and played it for Davis. “Just do that,” Davis told him. They renamed it “Mandy.” It went to No. 1. “He believed in me from the very beginning,” Manilow said.

Hudson sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and then grew emotional as she transitioned to “I Will Always Love You,” a hit for Houston. ”We love you, Clive” she said before getting a standing ovation.

While many record execs saw their influence wane as they grew older, Davis’ seemed to grow. He breathed new life into the careers of established artists such as Aretha Franklin and Santana, and helped launch Keys and several early “American Idol” winners’ careers, including Kelly Clarkson’s.

Springsteen said a world had died with Davis’ passing — the record executive-led top-down changemakers that also included such visionaries as Berry Gordy, Ahmet Ertegun, Mo Ostin and Jerry Wexler: “Men who defined, loved and sustained the record business.”

“There isn’t a day when I don’t sit on my big front porch in my big house, surrounded by my big cars with my big family, looking out over my big yard, and Clive doesn’t come somewhere whistling around the top of my brain,” Springsteen said.

Keys was in tears when she approached the podium and borrowed a handkerchief. “I’m actually not a crier. I’m in a strange place,” she told the crowd. She recalled being 15 when she first met Davis, running because she was late, and playing songs for him on a piano. “You saw something in me that I was just beginning to see in myself,” she read in a letter to Davis.

“In a world that so often reduces art to commerce, and genius to product, you held the line. You reminded me again and again that what we were doing was about truth and legacy, and about the human heart reaching out to another human heart and saying, ’You are not alone.”

Davis is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. An instrumental version of Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” played as Davis coffin was carried out of the synagogue.

Former NBA players Malik Beasley, Ed Davis are latest to be charged in gambling scandal

NEW YORK (AP) – Former NBA player Malik Beasley has been indicted in the government’s sprawling investigation of illicit gambling on basketball games, accused of tailoring his 2024 performance with the Milwaukee Bucks to reward bettors and chip away at his own financial problems, authorities said Monday.

Beasley has been out of the NBA since playing with the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25. Another former NBA player, Ed Davis, was also charged in the indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal court against six people.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said they “turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation.”

The schemes, he added, “erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.”

Nocella said hundreds of thousands of dollars were wagered through popular gambling sites. The indictment says Beasley had financial woes, including millions of dollars in gambling losses, and had relied on Davis, a former teammate, for financial help.

“Malik maintains his presumption of innocence throughout this two-year investigation,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, said. “We ask that people reserve judgment until all the facts are known.”
Feds say Beasley tipped others about his play

In return for fixing his performance, Beasley got paid by his money-winning co-conspirators and his debts to Davis were reduced or eliminated, the indictment alleges.

In one example, according to the court filing, Beasley informed Davis that he would try to outperform the 3.5 prop line bet for rebounds in Milwaukee’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, 2024.

With a second left, and the Bucks ahead by seven points, any shot by the Clippers would not have affected the outcome. But Beasley challenged the shot and then dashed past four players to grab the rebound as the horn sounded.

Beasley finished with four rebounds that night — an overperformance and a winning prop bet, the indictment states.

“What’s funny is after he got it he had a big sigh of relief,” a co-conspirator said in a text message, according to the indictment.

In other games, Beasley told Davis that he would underperform certain statistics, the government alleges.

The NBA said it would continue to cooperate with authorities.

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” spokesperson Mike Bass said.
Investigation has kept Beasley on sidelines

Beasley last played in the NBA for the Pistons in 2025, averaging 16 points per game. He is one of five players in NBA history with more than 300 3-pointers in a season, but he did not play in the league last season because of the investigation.

Beasley’s financial problems have been widely reported, including lawsuits by his Detroit landlord and payment disputes with a Milwaukee barber and Minnesota dentist.

Davis’ attorney did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. He was an NBA journeyman who was primarily a backup in a 12-year career that got him roughly $48 million in gross salary. Davis and Beasley were teammates in Minnesota in 2020-21.

Paolo Zamorano, a sports agent who formerly represented Davis, was also charged with placing bets based on Beasley’s information. Defense attorney Ken Breen said Zamorano denies wrongdoing and “looks forward to his day in court.”
Other NBA figures arrested in 2025

Authorities last fall announced a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and well-known basketball figures such as Chauncey Billups, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and coach of the Portland Trail Blazers at the time.

Billups is accused of participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million. He has pleaded not guilty.

In April, former NBA player Damon Jones, 49, became the first person to plead guilty. He was accused of defrauding major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and filching millions of dollars from unwitting poker players.

Jones was charged with selling or attempting to sell insider information to bettors based on his relationships in the NBA.

Another key figure is Terry Rozier, who was on the Miami Heat when he was charged in 2025. Rozier is accused of conspiring with friends to help them win bets on his performance during a 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets. He, too, has pleaded not guilty.

In 2024, former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in a separate gambling case. Porter said he took himself out of games early so co-conspirators could win bets on his performance, saying he did it “to get out from under large gambling debts.”

Former NBA players Malik Beasley, Edward Davis indicted for alleged sports gambling scheme

Malik Beasley #5 of the Detroit Pistons in action in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 29, 2025 in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis, current sports agent Paolo Zamorano and three others were indicted Monday for their alleged roles in a sports gambling scheme in which authorities said Beasley was bribed to manipulate his performance in NBA games.

With their inside knowledge, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Beasley’s co-defendants placed sports bets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In a Jan. 26, 2024 game between the Bucks and Cavaliers, Beasley allegedly told his then-Milwaukee teammate Davis he intended to underperform his usual rebounding prowess.

In exchange, Beasley expected a bribe payment and Davis disseminated the information to co-defendants so they could place fraudulent wagers, the indictment said.

Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful, authorities said.

The following month, when the Bucks were playing the Hornets, Beasley allegedly told Davis he would underperform his usual scoring and overperform his rebounding.

Davis allegedly passed the information to co-defendants and they placed successful fraudulent wagers, the indictment said.

In a third example from the indictment, Beasley allegedly told Davis he would overperform his rebounding in a March 2024 game against the Clippers.

"An indictment is nothing but a probable cause one sided charging document," Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney said in a statement. "It is not evidence and Malik maintains his presumption of innocence throughout this two year investigation. We ask that people reserve judgment until all the facts are known."

In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars conditioned on Beasley’s fixed performance in the influenced games at issue via multiple betting operators, the indictment said.

“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” said United States Attorney Joseph Nocella.

“Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.”

Liberty and Aces chase history in Commissioner’s Cup final, with a 2nd title at stake

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Liberty or Las Vegas Aces will make history on Tuesday in the Commissioner’s Cup championship as the winner will become the first franchise to win the in-season tournament twice.

There have been five different winners in the five years of the tournament. Las Vegas was victorious in 2022 and the Liberty beat the Aces the next season.

New York will host the game on Tuesday, coming off a West Coast road trip that saw the team drop its last two games to Seattle and Golden State. The Liberty beat Las Vegas last Tuesday.

“The toughest part is that we fly cross-country (Monday) and have to play the next day,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said after a loss to the Valkyries on Sunday. “But we’re very familiar with Vegas’ game, obviously knowing there’s gonna be some tweaks and changes to their scout and also ours.”

The Aces played in Chicago on Sunday afternoon.

The winning team will make $500,000 in prize money to be split amongst the players. Even with the increased salaries that WNBA players make, the average near $600,000 and the minimum at $270,000, the extra $30,000 they’ll make by winning the Cup still means something to the players.

“$30,000 is still $30,000,” Liberty forward Jonquel Jones said smiling.

The Liberty and Aces also are raising money for their chosen charities through the Commissioner’s Cup. New York made $18,000 for the African American Policy Forum while Las Vegas earned $19,000 for the Public Education Foundation.

This is the second time that New York is hosting the championship game. The Liberty lost to Minnesota in 2024 with the game played at UBS Arena since Barclays Center wasn’t available that night.
Power poll rankings

Minnesota remained atop the power poll this week while Las Vegas fell to second after the two teams were tied last week. Golden State climbed three spots to third with New York and Atlanta next. Dallas, Indiana and Washington followed the Dream. Toronto was ninth with Phoenix 10th. Seattle jumped up to 11th with Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland and Connecticut rounding out the poll.
Marathon game

Washington and Portland matched the longest game in WNBA history when the Mystics won in four overtimes on Sunday. The Mystics also were part of the only other four OT game back in 2001. They won that one too.
Encore performance

Marina Mabrey will look to follow up her record-tying 53 point game on Sunday when the Toronto Tempo host the Dallas Wings. Mabrey matched the record held by A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage when she had 53 points against Los Angeles last Thursday. She warmed up before the team played Phoenix on Saturday, but neck spasms caused her to miss the game.
Player of the week

Dominique Malonga of Seattle was the AP player of the week. She averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks to help the Storm go 2-1. Olivia Miles of Minnesota, A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas and Gabby Williams of Golden State also received votes.
Game of the week

Minnesota at New York, Friday. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve will try and become the all-time victories leader in WNBA history by breaking a tie with Mike Thibault at 379 wins. The Lynx have the best record in the WNBA at 15-4. New York has dropped four of its past five games.

Viktor Hovland wins Travelers in Monday playoff when Scheffler misses short birdie putt

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Viktor Hovland got all the validation he needed Monday that his game was on track again, and a whole lot more.

He beat Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the Travelers Championship, had both parents from Norway watch him win for the first time and even did the “row” with the Norwegian soccer fans who cheered him all the way to the surprising end.

Hovland capped off a gritty rally when he made a 7-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole and won the Travelers when Scheffler missed a 4-foot birdie putt.

“Winning in the playoff against Scottie — best player in the world — that was pretty satisfying,” said Hovland, who won for the first time since the Valspar Championship in March 2025.

The surprise was Scheffler going from a big advantage — an 8-iron to 4 feet on the 18th on the first playoff hole — to missing a hard-sliding putt on the high side that made Hovland a winner.

“Maybe I hit it a little firmer than I intended to,” said Scheffler, whose putt caught the left edge and rolled out some 7 feet by the hole. “It looked like it got pretty far by the hole and I was playing it outside the hole, so I hit it down my line, just maybe the speed was a touch off.”

It was a big disappointment for Scheffler, who made Monday possible by making an 8-foot par putt on the 72nd hole in near darkness to force the playoff.

He was first to hit from the 18th fairway and some 3,000 fans on the hillside around the green erupted in cheers. Hovland responded, just like the 28-year-old Norwegian had done on the back nine Sunday when he rallied from a two-shot deficit.

Hovland’s birdie putt was snapping off to the right when it curled in the right side and he let out a big fist pump.

“It’s one of those putts that if I make mine, his gets significantly tougher, and if I miss, he probably will make his,” Hovland said. “Yeah, it was definitely no gimmies there, so to put the pressure on him was awesome.”

It was the first Monday finish on the PGA Tour since The Players Championship in 2025, which involved a three-hole aggregate playoff won by Rory McIlroy. This turned out to be one hole and 15 minutes, but it did not lack for drama, or atmosphere.

There was lively banter for the playoff. A group of Norwegian fans, who had been in Boston for the World Cup, wore their soccer jerseys and chanted, “Hov-land!” as he approached his golf ball in the fairway. The Americans began the “Scot-tie Scheff-ler!” chants to drown them out.

The Norwegians also brought the “row,” which has gone viral in the stadium and subway stations and wherever they go. They sit shoulder to shoulder, arms out and then forcefully pull them in. Hovland had never seen it in person until Saturday.

When it was over, he sat with his people and they showed him how it’s done.

“You definitely get adrenaline from it,” he said.

Hovland had plenty of that Sunday afternoon when he returned from a 90-minute rain delay and made three straight birdies to catch up to Scheffler and eventually get into the playoff. He closed with a 69, while Scheffler had a 68. They finished at 21-under 259.

Hovland is rarely satisfied with a swing that has given him a reputation for making solid contact. He felt it gaining momentum with a third-place finish in Canada, and even in the U.S. Open despite missing the cut. There was always one bad swing that allowed doubts to creep in.

Those were gone at the TPC River Highlands, particularly at the end. He was first to hit in the playoff and drilled it down the middle, just as he had done all week.

“I’ve been playing golf with Viktor for a long time. We’ve had some good battles in college and out here as a pro,” Scheffler said. “He’s a guy that has a lot of talent and works really hard. So those are the types of guys you like to see have success.”

For Scheffler, it was his fourth runner-up finish this year after opening his season with a victory at The American Express in the California desert. But he felt a little momentum, even in a playoff loss, as he gets ready a three-week stretch that includes the British Open, the final major of the year.

“Ball striking is definitely in a good spot. That was some of the best I hit it all season,” Scheffler said. “Obviously I think just a little disappointed with the results of today. But, yeah, I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament last night, made the nice putt to close out last night, and so trying to remember that one.”

Hovland headed home for Norway with his parents. As for his throng of flag-waving, rowing supporters? Norway plays Ivory Coast on Tuesday in Dallas, the hometown of Scheffler.

“That was probably more coincidental,” Hovland said with a laugh. “That should be a good game.”

ICE releases a Texas nun intercepted walking to church dressed in her habit

McALLEN (AP) — A nun was released from immigration custody after she was arrested walking to Mass in her habit in South Texas.

Sister Leticia Ugboaja was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday when she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not responded to a request for comment since Sunday.

Parish officials posted a message on social media shortly after the arrest that gained traction in the news and led to Congress members including U.S. Rep. Monica de la Cruz intervening on Ugboaja’s behalf.

The nun is part of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and volunteered as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, according to Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville.

Ugboaja is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and worked previously for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Riojas confirmed.

Members of congress representing south Texas intervened with federal officials. As of Monday, Ugboaja was back in her home.

“We are grateful for the quick response of local representatives who reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to get her released from custody,” Riojas added in her statement.

President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown — including at sensitive sites such as houses of worship — has prompted faith leaders to adjust their response to church members who have become too afraid to attend. Some have encouraged online attendance, while others have offered help doing errands such as grocery shopping for people too fearful to leave their homes.

David Rancken’s App of the Day 06/29/26 – Seeking Alpha!

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Extended edition of ‘Backrooms’ headed to movie theaters

Backrooms hasn't even left movie theaters yet, but a new version of the film will soon be available to watch on the big screen.

A24 is set to release Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition to theaters on July 3. The film, which was directed by Kane Parsons, is the studio's highest-grossing in history. It has already brought in over $330 million worldwide after it was produced for only $10 million.

A spokesperson for A24 did not immediately respond to ABC Audio's request for comment.

AMC Theatres shared a listing for the new version of the film on Monday. According to the exhibitor, this version of the film "includes 15 minutes of new, theatrically exclusive post-credit bonus footage from Kane Parsons." It runs for two hours and six minutes.

Backrooms opened in theaters on May 29. It brought in more than $81 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend. This made it the biggest debut in history for an original horror film, as well as the biggest debut for a first-time filmmaker on a nonfranchise film. He was 20 years old at the time, making Parsons the youngest director to have a #1 film at the box office.

The horror film is based on Parsons’ popular YouTube series. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve as two people who enter a secret doorway into a maze of seemingly endless rooms.

Supreme Court limits use of ‘geofence warrants’ amid cellphone data privacy concerns

The U.S Supreme Court is seen on June 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- The Supreme Court on Monday limited law enforcement's use of sprawling "geofence warrants" that track a suspect using cellphone location data from a broad swath of users, including people with no connection to a crime.

In a 6-3 decision, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that collection of location data through a geofence warrant implicates the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures -- a setback for the federal government, which argued the warrants were a critical law enforcement tool that did not amount to a search at all.

"An individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in records about his cell phone's location, and police intrude on that constitutionally protected interest when they demand the information -- even though for only a limited time, and from a third-party tech company," Kagan wrote for the majority.

Kagan concluded that location data -- which she described as "a personal journal of a user's movements" -- resembles other kinds of private materials such as emails, photographs or documents and should be "shielded from the 'inquisitive eyes' of the government."

"Today's decision follows from the same judicial obligation, to guard against the same risk of undue encroachment. The Fourth Amendment applies, too, when officials tap into Google's 'database of physical location information.' That database is new, but the principle covering it is not: That principle is instead the one our history has given. The Fourth Amendment must, as ever, protect against unjustified governmental intrusion on the privacy of the individual," Kagan wrote.

Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett dissented. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Alito argued the ruling was an "irresponsible escapade" and "destabilizes longstanding Fourth Amendment jurisprudence."

In effect, the ruling requires authorities to obtain a narrowly tailored warrant before examining cellphone data of a broad swath of users in an area. Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel with ACLU’s Center for Democracy, called the new restrictions on geofence warrants "critical protection against invasive and overbroad government searches of our personal information."

"Law enforcement and courts are on notice that new technology does not open up surveillance loopholes, and strict adherence to the Fourth Amendment’s protections is required," Kaufman said.

While the Supreme Court ruled that location data is protected by the Fourth Amendment, the justices did not weigh in on the legality of the search that prompted the legal challenge -- instead leaving that issue for the lower courts to reexamine.

The landmark decision stemmed from a case involving a 2019 bank robbery in Virginia. Law enforcement was able to track down the robber using a geofence warrant that included the location data for every cellphone within a 150-meter radius of the robbery.

While Okello Chatrie, the suspect and Supreme Court plaintiff, eventually pleaded guilty to the armed robbery and was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison, his lawyers have argued that the warrant violated his Fourth Amendment rights because it allowed law enforcement to "to search first and develop suspicions later."

Google has since changed its policies on geofence warrants, storing the information on a user's phone rather than a separate database; however, the companies such as Apple, Lyft, Snapchat and Uber still retain location information and could be impacted by the ruling, according to Michael Levy -- a former federal prosecutor and adjunct professor at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Greg Nojeim, a senior counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology, applauded the Supreme Court's ruling and said it "slammed that door shut" on law enforcement misusing location data.

"This decision sets the right direction for user privacy: carrying a phone and using apps -- doing the ordinary things cellphone users do -- does not compromise your rights," Nojeim said.

JetBlue flight reports striking drone while landing at JFK

Extreme heat forecast: What to expect as heat wave hits Midwest, Northeast

(NEW YORK) --A dangerous heat wave is bringing prolonged extreme heat to the Midwest, the South and the East Coast this week.

The extreme heat hit the Midwest first. On Monday, the heat index -- what temperature it feels like with humidity-- soared to the triple digits in Minneapolis and Chicago.

On Tuesday, the worst of the heat will stretch from the Great Lakes to the South to the central Gulf Coast.

The heat index is forecast to hit 105 degrees in Chicago, 111 in Detroit, 110 in Louisville, Kentucky, 106 in Little Rock, Arkansas, and 105 in Houston.

Chicago has activated cooling centers throughout the city, including at community service centers, senior centers, libraries, city colleges and police districts. Chicago Public Schools said all summer programming will be inside Monday through Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the heat will continue in the Midwest and the South and also spread into the Northeast.

The heat index is forecast to reach a scorching 108 degrees in Detroit, 105 degrees in Houston, 102 in New York City, and 104 in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

The heat will stay in place in the Great Lakes and the South Thursday, with temperatures climbing even higher in the Northeast. The heat index could hit 107 degrees in New York City, 111 in Philadelphia and 110 in Washington, D.C.

There will be minimal relief overnight, which makes the heat even more dangerous.

The unrelenting heat continues Friday with the heat index forecast to reach 102 in Detroit, 106 in Memphis, Tennessee, 102 in Tampa, Florida, and 109 in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Extreme heat is considered the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S. At least 13,000 Americans have died from heat since 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On the Fourth of July on Saturday, the heat index will remain dangerously high, forecast to hit 104 in New York, 109 in Washington, D.C., and 108 in Philadelphia.

Click here for tips on how to stay safe.

ABC News' Dan Peck and Michelle Simmons contributed to this report.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe star in ‘Werwulf’ official trailer

Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Man in director Robert Eggers’ 'Werwulf.' (Rory Mulvey)

The official trailer for Robert Eggers' Werwulf has arrived.

Focus Features released the first trailer for the upcoming film on Monday.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as a character called Man, while Lily-Rose Depp and Willem Dafoe also make up the film's cast. All three actors previously worked with Eggers in his film Nosferatu.

Werwulf's logline reads, "In 13th-century England, a mysterious creature stalks a foggy countryside as local folklore becomes a terrifying reality for the villagers."

The film is described as Eggers' "most visceral and haunting experience yet" and "a harrowing tale of devotion, damnation, and the devil within," according to its official tagline.

The trailer features haunting imagery of a young boy going through a ceremony that leads to a transformation.

"Do not dread the darkness. Embrace it," the young boy is told.

Later, when the young boy has grown into Taylor-Johnson, we see Dafoe's character speak to him and his family.

"I've heard of a raving beast that ravished this country," he says. Taylor-Johnson's wife, played by Depp, then says, "Keep my husband safe," as she spreads blood atop his forehead.

Werwulf is set to release on Dec. 25. This is similar to Nosferatu, which released on Christmas Day in 2024.

Nosferatu became Focus Features' second-highest-grossing movie in the U.S. It made $90.5 million in theaters after its December 2024 release.

Woman charged in fatal crash

LONGVIEW – On Sunday, a woman was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and causing a fatal collision. According to Gregg County jail records, Casey Johnson, 45, of Longview, is accused of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle. Johnson was booked into the Gregg County Jail with a $500,000 bond. Continue reading Woman charged in fatal crash

Supreme Court blocks Trump, for now, from firing Fed Board member Lisa Cook

Lisa Cook, governor of the US Federal Reserve, during the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) Policy Forum at Stanford University in Stanford, California, US, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. : David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- The Supreme Court has blocked for now President Donald Trump's unprecedented attempt to fire a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Lisa Cook, over the allegation of gross negligence and without any formal opportunity for her to answer the claims.

In a 5-4 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court's majority, upheld limits Congress imposed on a president's attempt to remove members of the Fed as a legitimate protection of the institution's historical independence.

While the president has the ability to fire Cook "for cause," he wrote, "the President failed to afford Cook the procedural protections to which she was entitled by statute. Without such protections, she could not properly dispute the charges the President laid against her."

Roberts said the majority's "narrow" decision took no position on the underlying allegations against Cook or whether the president met the standard for removing her. The outcome leaves the door open to the possibility that Trump could continue to try to press his case.

"The ultimate question of whether the President can remove Cook for cause will depend in part on the underlying facts. In this opinion, we have not addressed the facts, as they have yet to be found or analyzed under the relevant legal standards," Roberts wrote. "Rather, we have simply addressed the parties' arguments about the appropriate legal standards under which the facts must be evaluated."

Cook, a Democratic appointee who has 10 years left on her 14-year term, will retain her position for now. She is the first Black woman to serve on the central bank's advisory committee.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett dissented in the case.

Barrett wrote that the court's decision amounts to "significant interference with the President's removal authority" constituting "irreparable harm" while the litigation continues.

While the court has recognized expansive power of a president over executive branch agencies, it has appeared to draw a line at the Fed, which has a long history of independence from direct White House interference.

Federal law allows presidents to remove a Fed governor, but only for cause. The heart of Trump's appeal before the high court involved what constitutes "cause" -- who gets to decide that and what due process may be owed.

The president had asserted unchecked power, insisting allegations of mortgage fraud against Cook -- raised by a member of Trump's administration, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte -- were sufficient basis alone for her removal.

Pulte, who Trump has since appointed to serve as acting director of national intelligence, said in a post on X, "As I have repeatedly said, I believe Lisa Cook will be indicted for mortgage fraud."

Trump has claimed Cook illegally filed a mortgage application for a second home as a "primary" residence in an effort to secure more favorable loan terms, at the very least creating an impression of impropriety. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation.

Cook, who refused to resign and has not been charged with a crime, insists through her attorneys that relying on "one stray reference" in a 2021 mortgage document amounts to pretext for a politically motivated effort to manipulate the Fed's policy board.

"This was never about mortgage documents signed years before I became a Federal Reserve governor. It was an attempt to remove me on a manufactured pretext because I refused to bow to political pressure and continued to set interest rates based only on what would best serve the American people," Cook said in a statement after the high court's decision. "That is the most fundamental obligation of a Federal Reserve governor. Today's ruling affirms a principle that has underpinned sound economic stewardship for generations."

The case was being examined by the court in a very preliminary posture, focusing primarily on Trump's request to stay a lower court order that Cook be allowed to remain on the job as litigation continues. No lower court has thoroughly considered the legal or constitutional issues connected to the dispute.

The court's decision is widely seen as a victory for the independence of the Federal Reserve -- at least in the near term -- in the face of Trump's extraordinary effort to influence the central bank.

In major blow to independent agencies, Supreme Court upholds Trump firing of FTC commissioner

The U.S. Supreme Court building stands in Washington, D.C., U.S. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

(WASHINGTON) -- In a landmark decision that could transform the federal government, the Supreme Court has voted to allow President Donald Trump to remove a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, Rebecca Slaughter, for policy reasons, rolling back 90 years of legal precedent that had prevented at-will removal of independent agency officials and significantly expanding presidential power.

The 6-3 decision came from Chief Justice John Roberts.

Writing for the majority, Roberts declared "for cause" removal protections imposed by Congress at more than two dozen independent, bipartisan government agencies a violation of the separation of powers.

"What text, history, and structure settle, our precedent confirms -- the President may remove his subordinates at will," Roberts wrote.

The decision gives Trump and future presidents more control over the government and effectively ends the bipartisan, independent nature of regulatory agencies that oversee many aspects of American life.

President Trump, in a post to his social media platform, called the Supreme Court's decision a "BIG WIN" and "one of the most important ever given with respect to Presidential Powers."

In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, accused her colleagues of endorsing a theory of "total executive control" unimagined by the nation's founders.

"The result is a President who emerges with far greater power than ever before," Sotomayor wrote. "It is a power, however, that neither the People, nor Congress, nor the Constitution bestowed upon him. In granting the President this unbridled authority, the Court upends its precedent, misconstrues our history, and sheds any pretense of judicial modesty. I respectfully dissent."

Since the New Deal era, independent agencies -- historically led by subject-matter experts from both parties -- have policed stock trades, transportation systems, election campaigns, consumer product safety and broadcast licenses.

Giving the president more direct control over who serves on those bodies has long been a goal of conservatives, who have objected to unelected bureaucrats wielding too much power with little accountability.

The ruling is a loss for liberals who have long championed a role for agencies like the FTC, Federal Election Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Communications Commission and dozens of others insulated from politics in the interest of the regulatory consistency.

The court's decision does not eliminate the agencies themselves but will allow them to be packed with only Republicans or only Democrats, if a president wishes, giving the White House more direct control over their functions.

The conservative majority effectively overruled a unanimous 1935 Supreme Court decision involving the FTC -- Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. -- which had previously affirmed limits on a president's ability to fire members of the commission only for cause.

"Humphrey’s Executor is just a dried husk of whatever people used to think it was," Chief Justice John Roberts said bluntly during oral arguments in December.

Woman killed by alligator in Florida river, officials say

SCOTUS rebuffs GOP bid to block counting of late-arriving mail ballots

Cherry blossoms at the Supreme Court on a windy morning in Washington, D.C. (John Baggaley/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- In a ruling with direct bearing on the midterm elections, the Supreme Court on Monday narrowly upheld a Mississippi law allowing tabulation of late-arriving mail-in ballots so long as they were postmarked by Election Day.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the 5-4 majority, wrote that federal election statutes -- which say nothing about ballot receipt -- do not override states' ability to set their own policies for handling tardy votes by mail.

"The Framers recognized the difficulty of crafting election laws applicable to every probable change in the situation of the country. So instead of constitutionalizing election law, they decided that a discretionary power over elections needed to be lodged somewhere. Suffice it to say, that power was not lodged in this Court," Barrett wrote.

The decision is a loss for the Republican Party, which brought the case, and the Trump administration, which has pushed to override state election rules nationwide by imposing strict federal limits on voting by mail.

The president on Monday called the Supreme Court’s decision a "tremendous loss" and again called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, his signature election and voting reforms legislation.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly said there aren't enough Republican votes for it to pass.

The 29 states that currently accept some timely cast but late-arriving mail-in ballots -- sometimes up to several days after polls have closed -- will be able to continue providing a grace period.

In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, wrote that the decision flouts the meaning of "election day" as set forth in federal law.

"Not only is today's decision inconsistent with statutory text, legal context, historical practice, and precedent; it also threatens to produce lamentable consequences," Alito wrote. "The majority's holding spawns a slurry of troubling election-law questions and risks further undermining Americans' confidence in election integrity."

The outcome is a win for Mississippi, which had defended its policy of accepting ballots up to five days after voting had ended, and voting rights advocates who had argued that decades of legal precedent supported the primary authority of states to run their own elections.

Voters heavily reliant on the U.S. Postal Service, such as rural, overseas and disabled voters, had feared a higher risk of having ballots rejected if delivery is delayed, election watchdog groups said.

Lateness is the primary reason mail ballots are rejected nationwide, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

During the 2024 election, 28 million mail ballots were cast in the 14 states with postmark deadlines and grace periods, according to EAC. Roughly 725,000 were not counted because they were late.

The Supreme Court ruling comes as Trump has pushed aggressively to increase federal oversight of mail-in voting.

A Trump executive order signed in March 2026 would require states to submit approved voter lists to the U.S. Postal Service, which in turn would be tasked with ensuring ballots are only delivered to eligible residents.

Last week, Federal District Court Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts put the order on hold, writing in her decision, "The Constitution reserves the power to determine voter eligibility to the States alone. Neither the Executive Branch nor Congress may interfere with this power."

The Postal Service has not yet implemented a proposed policy change to comply with Trump's order, but a top USPS official confirmed to Congress that his agency would refuse to deliver ballots unless states turn over lists of voters.

"No law enacted by Congress delegates authority to control mail-in voting to USPS. The voting-related guidance currently issued by USPS is not binding on the States, merely recommended," Talwani’s ruling said.

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s appeal of 2022 E. Jean Carroll defamation case

E. Jean Carroll leaves the courthosue on September 6, 2024 in New York City. Both parties appear in court today as Trump's lawyers fight to overturn the jury's finding that he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- The Supreme Court has denied President Donald Trump's appeal of the $5 million jury finding in the 2022 defamation case brought against him by the writer E. Jean Carroll.

The decision means the judgment against Trump stands and that he will have to pay it.

A New York jury in 2023 awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after it found Trump liable for sexually abusing her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s, and for defaming her in 2022 when he denied the allegations by calling them "a Hoax and a lie" and saying, "This woman is not my type!"

Responding to Monday's decision, Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said in a statement, "Today's Supreme Court decision affirms once and for all the jury's unanimous verdict that President Donald J. Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jean Carroll. His multiple efforts to appeal that verdict have all failed and today's ruling ends his quest to avoid accountability for his actions."

Trump had argued that the judge in the case should not have allowed the jury to view an excerpt from the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, in which Trump is heard describing lewd behavior that he downplayed as "locker room talk."

Trump also faulted the trial judge for allowing testimony from two women -- Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff -- who claimed that Trump had sexually assaulted them, which Trump denies.

A federal appeals court said the evidence was properly admitted and, even if it wasn't, there was no major harm to Trump.

"The petition does not challenge -- indeed, does not mention -- the Second Circuit's holding that were there any error here, it did not prejudice petitioner," Kaplan argued.

Trump is also appealing a separate but related defamation judgment involving Carroll that ordered him to pay $83 million.

Luigi Mangione’s federal trial opening statements set for Jan. 25

Luigi Mangione appears at an evidence suppression hearing at Manhattan Supreme Court on May 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- Accused killer Luigi Mangione will stand trial in Manhattan federal court beginning Jan. 5 with jury selection, followed by opening statements on Jan. 25, Judge Margaret Garnett said Monday.

Garnett said she hoped to hold the trial this fall but Mangione's state trial, scheduled to begin Sept. 8, makes that "impossible."

“In my view it's simply impossible for us to be moving through the jury selection process in this case while the defendant and his counsel are fully engaged in the state trial,” Garnett said.

Mangione, wearing beige jail clothing, did not speak during Monday's hearing. His appearance was delayed about 20 minutes after he got stuck in an elevator with U.S. marshals.

Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said New York State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro will hold firm to the Sept. 8 start.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he stalked UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before shooting and killing him in December 2024 in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione has also pleaded not guilty to state charges.

For the federal trial, hundreds of prospective jurors from Manhattan, the Bronx and New York City's northern suburbs will fill out questionnaires in December. Garnett said she would not post the questionnaire on the public docket until all prospective jurors finish filling it out, saying that the need for a fair and impartial jury overrides the customary expectation of public access to the document.

The defense said it might ask the judge to include additional questions depending on the outcome of Mangione's state trial.

The jury will be comprised of 12 jurors and six alternates.

Man, 28, dragged out to sea and killed by crocodile at popular resort: Police

A crocodile sits on the bottom in the eel grass with school of fish above. teeth and tail are showing. (Gregory Sweeney/Getty Images)

(PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico) -- A 28-year-old man was killed in a crocodile attack on a popular beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Friday evening, according to state authorities.

The victim, who was from Mexico, was on the beach in front of the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa when he was allegedly attacked by the reptile and dragged out to sea, Jalisco State Police said in a statement on Sunday.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. local time, police noted.

The victim’s body was recovered Saturday morning about 300 meters offshore after an overnight search and rescue operation at sea and on land.

Local authorities are reminding the public to obey warning signs and avoid entering the water where wildlife is known to be present, particularly in estuary and mangrove areas.

"The safety and security of our guests and associates are our top priority," the resort said in a statement to ABC News. "At the Marriott Puerto Vallarta we have appropriate signage, as well as night patrolling and red flags to indicate caution in the area and all were and are properly in place."

The resort said it reviews its "plans and procedures often" and works "closely with the appropriate authorities on an ongoing basis and our staff is trained in how to respond to safety matters appropriately."

"We extend our thoughts to the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time and are providing appropriate support in line with our policies," the resort said.

ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway and Madeline Wheeler contributed to this report.

Alex Murdaugh back in court after South Carolina Supreme Court overturned double murder conviction

Manhunt underway after 2-year-old, 2 women killed in ‘horrifying’ Mississippi shooting, police say

Police in Jackson, Mississippi, investigate a triple homicide on Saturday, June 28, 2026. (Jackson Police Department)

(JACKSON, Miss) -- Police in Mississippi are searching for a suspect after two woman and a toddler were shot and killed on Saturday.

The women, aged 26 and 20, were found dead alongside a 2-year-old, Jackson Police Department Chief RaShall Brackney told reporters early on Sunday.

Police had responded to a call for an aggravated assault on the 300 block of Queen Alexandria Lane at about 10:10 p.m. on Saturday, Brackney said, adding, "And what they found was something horrifying."

All three victims had "multiple" gunshot wounds, she said.

Police early on Sunday said they were searching for a Red Mitsubishi Mirage that "was taken." Brackney did not say whether police had identified a suspect, but said that the person who had taken the vehicle was thought to be "armed and dangerous and is related to this triple homicide that we have here."

In an update later on Sunday, police said they had found the vehicle in North Jackson, but it was "unoccupied at the time it was located."

Jackson Mayor John Horhn said in a statement that the city would begin deploying additional resources to combat gun violence.

"Our city is hurting. In recent days, we have seen a troubling rise in gun-related violence, shootings, and senseless loss of life," he said. "No family should have to face the pain of losing a loved one to violence. Violence against the innocent is intolerable, and as your Mayor, I will not accept this as the norm for our community."

Flash flooding kills 4 in Kentucky, 1 in Tennessee, prompts numerous water rescues

Relentless rain and flash flooding have inundated parts of Kentucky over the weekend and left at least four dead, Gov. Andy Beshear said. (Richmond Police Department)

(NEW YORK) -- A woman was killed on Sunday in Tennessee as she attempted to rescue her son, who had been swept away in high waters, a local sheriff's office said, as a flash flood threat was in effect for parts of Tennessee and Kentucky, where four other deaths were recorded.

The Grainger County Sheriff's Department in Tennessee said Mary Evelyn Nicole Manning-Kellione, 39, was killed on Sunday after she went to rescue her son after rising water carried him into a culvert.

"The son was able to surface at the other end and came to safety when he realized his mother was in the water," the office said in a statement. "Rescue personnel located the individual lodged inside the culvert."

The National Weather Service (NWS) Prediction Center had upgraded the flood threat on Sunday for parts of Kentucky and Tennessee to a level 3 out of 4 "moderate risk."

Kentucky residents had been bracing for another round of relentless rain, a day after flash flooding killed at least four people and the governor declared a state of emergency.

The heaviest rain had been expected in southeast Kentucky and parts of Tennessee, including Owensboro and Somerset, Kentucky, and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour are possible, according to the NWS, and daily totals could reach up to five inches in some parts.

Several flash-flood warnings were issued on Sunday morning as ongoing heavy rain and flooding were reported in southern Indiana and northeast Tennessee. A flash flood emergency has been issued for Metcalf, Cumberland and Clinton counties for ongoing life-threatening flooding, according to the NWS. Between 2.6 and 8 inches of rain have reportedly fallen over these areas.

There have been reports of multiple water rescues with some evacuations and homes flooded in Clinton County. Clinton County and the City of Albany, Kentucky, have issued states of emergency due to ongoing flooding.

Northwest North Carolina, which was hit by flash floods over the weekend, is also at an "elevated risk" of flash flooding on Sunday, according to the NWS.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear provided an update early Sunday afternoon in a video posted to X, saying in part that nine counties in all had declared states of emergency, some of which "got hit with record or almost record amounts of rain in very short periods of time," he said. Search and rescue efforts remain underway, he said.

Beshear advised residents to stay off of the roads if they can. "Bridges have been wiped out, entire roads have been wiped away and there is still standing and moving water,” he said. He added that he'd activated the state's price-gouging laws to prevent merchants from increasing prices on essential goods, and had also signed an emergency order “so pharmacies in areas that are hit can go ahead and fill people’s prescriptions that have been washed away or are no longer safe to take.”

The severe weather comes after a weekend of deadly flash flooding that occurred in Kentucky.

More than 10 inches of rain fell on Saturday in parts of the state, prompting flash flooding and deaths.

Beshear announced late Saturday that four people were killed in floods that hit central Kentucky and spread into northeast Tennessee and northwest North Carolina.

"Kentucky, I have some tough news to share," the governor wrote in a social media post on Saturday, announcing the deaths.

Three fatalities occurred in Madison County, Kentucky, and one flood-related death happened in Jackson County, Beshear said.

According to the Madison County Coroner, of the three fatalities in the county, two of the deaths, one adult male and one adult female, occurred at a residence in Richmond.

The third death was an adult male who was swept away in his vehicle on Tates Creek Road in Madison County, the coroner said.

Beshear declared a statewide state of emergency on Saturday.

“This is a serious flooding event, where teams have already had to conduct multiple water rescues from vehicles and homes across the commonwealth," Beshear said.

As crews from Kentucky to North Carolina clean up from the storms, a prolonged spell of extreme heat is forecast to settle in across the Midwest and Northeast this week.

Heat alerts have been issued across the Plains to the Ohio Valley and south to the Tennessee and Mississippi Valleys.

An excessive heat warning has been posted for Kansas City, Missouri, through Thursday night.

Temperatures in Kansas City are expected to climb into the 90s on Sunday.

On Monday, widespread highs in the 90s are forecast across the country's midsection, but high humidity will make it feel hotter.

Excessive heat watches are expected to go into effect for Minneapolis and Chicago on Monday, with the temperature feeling like the triple digits during the afternoon hours.

In Minneapolis, the temperature could feel like 110 on Monday afternoon.

-ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

In brief: ‘Finding Nemo,’ ‘Lilo & Stitch’ short films headed to theaters and more

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