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By JON GAMBRELL, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and JOSH BOAK

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.

President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to reach U.S. and appealed to the Iranian people to “take over your government — it will be yours to take.”

Trump acknowledged that there could be American casualties following Iran strikes, saying “that often happens in war.”

Strike hit near Supreme Leader’s office

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei was in his offices at the time of the strike. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown. The attack comes as the United States has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.

Iran has said it hasn’t enriched since June, but it has blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites America bombed during a 12-day war then. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press have shown new activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is trying to assess and potentially recover material there.

Iran currently has a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program, limiting their range to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). That puts all the Mideast and some of eastern Europe in their range. There is no public evidence of Iran seeking to have intercontinental ballistic missiles, though Washington has criticized its space program as potentially allowing it to one day.

Explosions rock Israel

Iran has vowed to respond if attacked, including saying American military personnel and bases spread across the region would be targets. Hours after the strikes on Iran, explosions rocked northern Israel as the country worked to intercept incoming Iranian missiles.

The blasts echoed just after the Israeli military said it would be using its air defense systems to bring down the Iranian fire. There was no immediate word on any damage or casualties from the ongoing attack.

Sirens also sounded in Jordan.

Several hospitals in Israel launched their emergency protocols, including moving patients and surgeries to underground facilities.

Blasts heard in Tehran

Roads to Khamenei’s compound in downtown Tehran had been shut down by authorities as other blasts rang out across the capital. Neighboring Iraq closed its airspace, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Targets in the Israeli campaign included Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence targets, according to an official briefed on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information on the attack.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats.” He did not immediately elaborate.

Trump wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran had hoped to avert a war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

In Tehran, witnesses heard the first blast by Khamenei’s office. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.

More explosions struck Iran’s capital after Israel said it was attacking the country. Authorities have offered no casualty information from the strikes.

Meanwhile, Iran shut down its airspace and mobile phone services were cut.

The warning to pilots came out as explosions rang out across Tehran.

___

Toropin reported from Washington and Boak from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

FORT LAUDERDALE — On Friday night, there was no doubting these Thomases.

St. Thomas Aquinas senior guard Ronneisha Thomas drained a dramatic 3-point basket with 13.1 seconds remaining to snap a 56-56 tie, and the Raiders held on for a 60-56 6A regional victory over visiting Nova.

Teammate London Thomas, a sophomore guard, led all scorers in the game with 27 points, including 18 points in the second half as the Raiders (20-8) rallied from two double-digit deficits to punch their ticket to the state tournament after failing to make it last season, ending a bid for a fifth straight state championship.

Both Ronneisha and London were coming off injuries. Ronneisha was sidelined during the BCAA Big 8 when Nova pulled out a 56-52 win, and the Raiders have won five straight since.

“I’m happy that we’re going to state,” said Ronneisha, who scored 12 points in her first game back after sitting out six weeks with a broken left hand (her non-shooting hand). “I work on that shot before the game and every day in practice. I know I believe in my team, and my team believed in me.”

London Thomas missed the past two games with an ankle injury, and after making just two free throws in the first quarter, she came alive in the second with seven points and then the huge second half. She also helped fuel a defensive effort that held Nova without a field goal in the final 6:01 of the game.

“We both came back from injury, and it was a real surreal moment,” London said. “We came into this game with the mindset to keep the team’s heads high. I’ve been working in the gym to get my legs back under me and get this victory, and we got the dub. I was a little bit flat in the first half, and I knew I had to turn it up.”

St. Thomas Aquinas coach Emily Williams said her team stayed together through trust and resilience. She applauded both Thomases for their performances.

“We kept cutting the lead and chipped away at their lead and said we had to win every two minutes,” Williams said. “That’s what they did. They stuck together and trusted each other. We said it is never over until it is over, and the clock hits zero.

“Ronneisha is a big part of our team, and we missed her when she was out,” Williams added. “She gets us going with her energy, and she was frustrated during the game because she wasn’t getting good looks. She made the big shot when she had to.”

Williams said London Thomas just took over the game in the second half.

“She said, ‘Coach, I got this,’” Williams said. “She proved she is a big-game player and came up big when we needed her.”

Nova (23-5) grabbed a 4-0 first-quarter lead before St. Thomas Aquinas went on a 13-2 run midway through the first half to take a 13-6 lead, its biggest of the first half.

Nova chipped away, and junior guard Kimora Exum hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds remaining in the second quarter as the Titans seized a 30-26 halftime lead. London Thomas scored seven in the second quarter to keep the Raiders within striking distance.

Nova extended the lead to 45-34 with 3:20 left in the third when Nova junior guard YaNiyah Young hit a 3-pointer before the Raiders closed the period on an 8-0 run fueled by London Thomas.

“We just didn’t execute down the stretch,” said Nova coach Jason Hively. “We were playing well all night; we just didn’t execute and take care of the ball. We probably didn’t get the shots we wanted, and it didn’t end up the way we wanted it to.”

Nova senior guard Jaelynn Housey, an FAU signee, opened the fourth quarter with six points, and sophomore guard Ke’mora Evans added three points to stake the Titans back up to a 54-44 lead. Housey, who finished with 14 points, was held to just two free throws with 34.3 seconds left, which tied the game at 56 until Thomas hit her game-winner.

Sophomore small forward Laila Barnett hit a free throw to seal the game with 3.6 seconds left.

St. Thomas Aquinas also got 10 points from Catalina LaFreniere, while Nova was led in scoring by Evans with 15 points, Young with 13, and Exum (10).

Blanche Ely’s Sariyah Sabb (1) drives to the basket as Sebastian’s Ekklesia Anderson (2) defends during the first half of the 5A regional final girls basketball game. Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).

Other regional final results

5A

1. Blanche Ely def. 2. Sebastian River 63-31

4A

1. American Heritage def. 3. Northwestern 53-47

3A

1. Somerset Academy Canyons def. 2. Lincoln Park 47-46

1A

1. Grandview Prep def.2. Schoolhouse Prep 51-40

SUNRISE — Alex Lyon made 27 saves to beat his former Florida teammates for the second this month, helping the Buffalo Sabres top the Panthers 3-2 on Friday night for their eighth victory in 11 games.

Lyon played for the Panthers during the 2022-23 season. He has won two of his past four starts — both against Florida.

Beck Malenstyn gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead with 8:22 left, sending a slap shot from the point through traffic and past Daniil Tarasov. Florida challenged for goalie interference after Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s stick made contact with Tarasov’s glove, but the goal stood.

The Sabres won 2-1 at New Jersey on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. They are tied with Detroit for second place in the Atlantic Division. Buffalo has missed the playoffs an NHL-record 14 straight years.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. Florida, which has lost six of its past eight, is eight points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games left.

Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs also scored for Buffalo. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett scored for Florida.

Buffalo got a needed insurance goal with 1:17 remaining on an empty-netter from Krebs. Florida cut it to a goal with 35 seconds left when Bennett’s shot went off the post and Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin inadvertently swept the puck in off of Lyon.

Florida played much of the game without defenseman Uvis Balinskis who blocked a shot late in the first period. After coming off the ice to get treated, Balinskis returned and played one more shift. He only played two in the second and did not come out for the third.

 

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA

SAO PAULO (AP) — Pugapia and her daughters Aiga and Babawru lived for years as the only surviving members of the Akuntsu, an Indigenous people decimated by a government-backed push to develop parts of the Amazon rainforest. As they advanced in age without a child to carry on the line, many expected the Akuntsu to vanish when the women died.

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That changed in December, when Babawru — the youngest of the three, in her 40s — gave birth to a boy. Akyp’s arrival brought hope not just for the Akuntsu line but also for efforts to protect the equally fragile rainforest.

“This child is not only a symbol of the resistance of the Akuntsu people, but also a source of hope for Indigenous peoples,” said Joenia Wapichana, president of Brazil’s Indigenous protection agency, known as Funai. “He represents how recognition, protection and the management of this land are extremely necessary.”

Protecting Indigenous territories is widely seen as one of the most effective ways to curb deforestation in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate. Researchers warn that continued forest loss could accelerate global warming. A 2022 analysis by MapBiomas, a network of nongovernmental groups tracking land use, found Indigenous territories in Brazil had lost just 1% of native vegetation over three decades, compared with 20% on private land nationwide.

In Rondonia state, where the Akuntsu dwell, about 40% of native forest has been cleared, and what remains untouched is largely within conservation and Indigenous areas. The Akuntsu’s land stands out in satellite images as an island of forest surrounded by cattle pasture as well as soy and corn fields.

In the 1980s, deforestation pushed attacks in Rondonia

Rondonia’s deforestation traces back to a government-backed push to occupy the rainforest during Brazil’s military regime in the 1970s. Around the same time, an infrastructure program financed in part by the World Bank promoted domestic migration to the Amazon, including the paving of a highway across the state.

In the 1980s, Rondonia’s population more than doubled, according to census data. Settlers were promised land titles if they cleared the forest for agriculture and risked losing claims if Indigenous people were present, fueling violent attacks by hired gunmen on Indigenous groups such as the Akuntsu.

Funai made first contact with the Akuntsu in 1995, finding seven survivors. Experts believe they had numbered about 20 a decade earlier, when they were attacked by ranchers seeking to occupy the area. Funai agents found evidence of the assault, and when they contacted the Akuntsu, the survivors recounted what happened. Some still bore gunshot wounds.

The last Akuntsu man died in 2017. Since then, Babawru lived with her mother, Pugapia, and Aiga, her sister. The women, whose ages aren’t known for certain, have chosen to remain isolated from the non-Indigenous world, showing little interest in it.

In 2006, Funai granted territorial protection to the Akuntsu, establishing the Rio Omere Indigenous Land, which they have since shared with the Kanoe people. The two groups, once enemies, began maintaining contact, usually mediated by officials. The relationship is complex, with cooperation but also cultural differences and language barriers.

The Associated Press requested a facilitated interview with the women through Funai, but the agency didn’t respond.

Amanda Villa, an anthropologist with the Observatory of Isolated Peoples, said Akuntsu women depend on Kanoe men for tasks considered masculine, such as hunting and clearing fields. The two groups have also exchanged spiritual knowledge — the current Kanoe spiritual leader, for example, learned from the late Akuntsu patriarch.

But the most consequential development for the future of the Akuntsu may have occurred last year, when Babawru became pregnant by a Kanoe man.

Linguist Carolina Aragon is the only outsider able to communicate with the three women after years studying and documenting their language. She works closely with Funai, translating conversations almost daily through video calls. Aragon also supported Babawru remotely during her labor and was with her during an ultrasound exam that confirmed the pregnancy.

Aragon said Babawru was stunned by the news. “She said, ‘How can I be pregnant?’” Aragon recalled. Babawru had always taken precautions to avoid becoming pregnant.

Social collapse shaped the Akuntsu’s choices

The surviving Akuntsu women had decided they would not become mothers. The decision was driven not only by the absence of other men in their community, but also by the belief that their world was disorganized — conditions they felt were not suitable for raising a child.

“You can trace this decision directly to the violent context they lived through,” said Villa, the anthropologist. “They have this somewhat catastrophic understanding.”

The Akuntsu believed they could not bring new life into a world without Akuntsu men who could not only perform but also teach tasks the group considers male responsibilities, such as hunting and shamanism.

“A breakdown of social relations that followed the genocide shaped their lives and deepened over the years. That does lead people to think — and rethink — the future,” Aragon said. “But the future can surprise everyone. A baby boy was born.”

Aragon said the women were embarking on a “new chapter,” choosing to welcome the child and adapt their traditions with support from the Kanoe and Funai. Villa said the fact that the newborn is a boy creates the possibility of restoring male roles like hunter.

Researchers and officials who have long worked with the three women understood that protecting the territory depended on the Akuntsu’s survival as a people. They sought to avoid a repeat of what happened to Tanaru, an Indigenous man who was discovered after living alone and without contact for decades.

After the discovery, authorities struggled to protect Tanaru’s territory. After he died in 2022, non-Indigenous groups began disputing the land. Late last year, the federal government finally secured the area, turning it into a protected conservation unit.

Funai’s Wapichana said Babawru’s child “is a hope that this next generation will indeed include an Indigenous person, an Akuntsu, ensuring the continuity of this people.”

Through years of careful work, Funai secured territorial protection for the Akuntsu and helped foster ties with the Kanoe. The agency also arranged spiritual support from an allied shaman, allowing the women to feel safe bringing new life into the world after decades of fear and loss.

The Akuntsu form emotional bonds with the forest and with the birds. Now, they are strengthening those bonds with a new human life in their world.

“What kind of relationship will this boy have with his own territory?” Aragon said. “I hope it will be the best possible, because he has everything he needs there.”

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

DURHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Shoppers in upstate New York earlier this month turned up a rare find while perusing a local antique store this month: tucked next to a cookie jar made in the shape of a chicken was a live owl resting peacefully on a shelf.

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The state Department of Environmental Conservation said Friday that the incident happened on Feb. 21 in the hamlet of East Durham, about 127 miles north of Manhattan.

The agency said customers at The Market Place had spotted “something extremely lifelike” on one of the shelves and alerted store staff.

Environmental conservation police officers arrived to find a brown-and-white owl perched on a shelf with its eyes firmly shut.

The department said officers gently cradled the sleeping owl to remove it from the store, and then released it into a wooded area, where it flew into a nearby tree.

The bird, an eastern screech owl, is nocturnal and typically nests in tree cavities.

It is not immediately clear how it got inside the store. An email was sent to the store’s owners on Friday.

By JAIMIE DING and JULIE WATSON

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho was put on paid leave Friday while he is part of a federal investigation, two days after the FBI served search warrants at his home and the district’s headquarters.

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Authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the nation’s second-largest school district, which serves more than 500,000 students, nor have they accused Carvalho of any wrongdoing.

The move by the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education came after two days of deliberation behind closed doors.

Carvalho became superintendent in 2022. He previously led the public schools in Miami.

Andres Chait, the chief of school operations, will take over the helm while Carvalho is on leave, the district said.

Carvalho has not responded to a request for comment. The FBI on Wednesday also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with Los Angeles schools before it collapsed and its leader was indicted for fraud. She could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” designed to help students. But about three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.

The school district said in a statement Wednesday that it “is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.”

Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times. After Smith-Griffin was indicted, Carvalho said he would appoint a task force to examine what went wrong with the LA school district’s project, but there have been no public announcements about it since.

Kerr, an education technology salesperson who connects companies with schools, said she was never paid her $630,000 commission for her work in closing the AllHere deal with the LA district, according to a news organization, The 74, that covered the company’s bankruptcy hearings in 2024.

The 74 reported that Kerr had longstanding ties with Carvalho from when he oversaw the Florida district and that her son who worked for AllHere pitched the technology to LA school leaders after he took over the helm there. The Associated Press was unable to reach Kerr for comment.

Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has been lauded for the district’s improvements to academic performance. He won similar praise while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest school district, where the national superintendents association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014.

Spain knighted the Portugal-born administrator in 2021 for his work in expanding Spanish-language programs for Miami-Dade County schools.

Months later, Carvalho took the job in California and became a harsh critic of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, especially following raids in Los Angeles last year.

Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles at a critical moment, as the district found itself flush with funding from state and federal COVID-19 relief money but still struggling with the impacts of the pandemic, including learning losses and declining enrollment. He previously sparred with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over his order that schools not require masks during the pandemic.

The Miami-Dade school system said in a statement that it was aware of the investigation involving Carvalho but did not have any comment at this time.

Watson reported from San Diego.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department has terminated its collective bargaining agreement with unionized workers employed at the Internal Revenue Service, the agency said Friday, in an escalation of President Donald Trump ’s push to exert more control over the federal workforce.

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The union contract for the Bureau of the Fiscal Service was also terminated this week, according to two people familiar with the decision. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media.

Workers at the IRS and the fiscal service bureau, which processes payments for the government, are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union. They were informed by agency leadership that Treasury terminated their collective bargaining agreements, using an executive order President Donald Trump signed last March as the authority for the terminations.

In a letter to IRS workers Friday, viewed by The Associated Press, IRS Chief Human Capital Officer Alex Kweskin told employees the move “deepens our commitment of operating as one IRS, a collaborative team focused on serving American taxpayers.”

The contract terminations come after Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management, issued a memo this month to agency heads calling on them to comply with Trump’s March order and notify labor unions “that they are terminating any applicable CBAs (collective bargaining agreements), whether represented by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) or another labor union.”

The union had sued the federal government last year over Trump’s executive order.

And while a D.C. court issued a preliminary injunction against the government, that was stayed pending an appeal. Meanwhile, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued a decision in a separate case Thursday that cleared the way for the implementation of Trump’s executive order.

Doreen Greenwald, president of the Treasury employees union, said in a statement Friday that the IRS “cannot unilaterally end” its contract with the labor union. She said the federal sector labor statute requires the IRS to have a collective bargaining agreement “with the exclusive representative of its bargaining unit employees,” she said.

The National Treasury Employees Union represents roughly 150,000 employees in 37 departments and agencies.

Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper contributed to this report.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — An injured mother manatee and her calf were rescued this week from a river in Florida and taken to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation, officials said.

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Drone pilots provided the rescuers with an aerial view, guiding their boat toward the manatees on Wednesday, then buzzing overhead to document the animals being pulled from the Orange River near Fort Meyers.

Video shared by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows the boat carrying Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staffers first make a wide circle around the sea cows to corral them in what looks like a fishing net.

Eventually, half a dozen people are able to heave the thrashing manatees onto the boat, sliding the mother and calf up into the open stern and the slippery deck. Sea cows can grow up to 10 feet long and 1,200 pounds.

The video shows at least one manatee later being offloaded in a sling at a boat ramp. The sheriff’s marine unit and advanced technology support unit assisted. Officials didn’t have details about how the mother manatee was injured or their current conditions.

The manatees were transported to SeaWorld Orlando, the wildlife agency’s Research Communications Director Kelly Richmond said.

The mother and calf are among at least six manatees rescued in the county since Feb. 19 because of cold stress, watercraft injuries and malnutrition. Statewide, at least 24 other manatees have been rescued this year, and more than 20 rehabilitated animals have been released through the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership.

The manatee mother and calf remained under close observation Friday at SeaWorld Orlando, where the team was focused on stabilizing the mother with supportive care, including hydration, Public Relations and Community Relations Director Stephanie Bechara said in an email to The Associated Press. Both were receiving antibiotics to help ward off and treat any possible infection, Bechara said, noting that it was still very early in the rehabilitation process.

Earlier this month, a manatee seeking warmer waters was rescued from a storm drain in Melbourne Beach.

By STEVE KARNOWSKI and ED WHITE

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Friday extended an order protecting refugees in Minnesota who are lawfully in the U.S. from being arrested and deported, saying a Trump administration policy turns the “American Dream into a dystopian nightmare.”

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U.S. District Judge John Tunheim granted a motion by advocates for refugees to convert a temporary restraining order that he issued in January into a more permanent preliminary injunction while the case develops further.

The order applies only in Minnesota. But the implications of a new national policy on refugees that the Department of Homeland Security announced Feb. 19 were a major part of the discussion at a hearing held by the judge the next day.

“Minnesota refugees can now live their lives without fear that their own government will snatch them off the street and imprison them far from loved ones,” Kimberly Grano, an attorney with the International Refugee Assistance Project, told The Associated Press.

The Trump administration asserts it has the right to arrest potentially tens of thousands of refugees across the U.S. who entered the country legally but don’t yet have green cards. A new Homeland Security memo interprets immigration law to say that refugees applying for green cards must return to federal custody one year after they were admitted to the U.S. so that their applications can be reviewed.

The judge, however, expressed disbelief in a 66-page opinion.

“This Court will not allow federal authorities to use a new and erroneous statutory interpretation to terrorize refugees who immigrated to this country under the promise that they would be welcomed and allowed to live in peace, far from the persecution they fled,” Tunheim said.

He said the U.S. decades ago promised refugees fleeing persecution that they could build a new life after rigorous background checks.

“We promised them the hope that one day they could achieve the American Dream,” Tunheim said. “The Government’s new policy breaks that promise — without congressional authorization — and raises serious constitutional concerns. The new policy turns the refugees’ American Dream into a dystopian nightmare.”

Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.

Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers said during a court hearing last week that the government should have the right to arrest refugees one year after entering the U.S., but he also indicated that would not always happen.

The judge noted that one refugee in the case, identified as D. Doe, was arrested in January after being told that someone had struck his car.

“He was immediately flown to Texas, where he was interrogated about his refugee status. He was kept in ‘shackles and handcuffs’ for sixteen hours. D. Doe was ultimately released on the streets of Texas, left to find his way back to Minnesota,” Tunheim said.

White reported from Detroit. Associated Press reporter Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this story.

General Daily Insight for February 28, 2026

Soft words can mend small rifts around us. With educated Mercury conjoining lovely Venus at 12:35 am EST, messages are best sent with affection — even if we’ve been wronged by the recipient. We can mend a mix-up by offering a kind note, because this loving convergence supports simple requests and sincere apologies. As the nurturing Moon enters Leo, confidence is the best accessory (well, alongside a healthy dose of optimism). Heartfelt discussions lay the path to social success and personal peace.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Stay calm, Aries! Even flighty Mercury is soothed by its residence in your quiet 12th house, particularly once it conjoins Venus there. Do your best to avoid letting your mouth get ahead of your mind. You (and your loved ones) deserve the effort it takes to speak your true mind. Consider offering an apology to yourself or another, because healing grows when you soften your tone and let stubborn pride rest. If a memory aches, try to reframe the story with compassion for all involved.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

The stars are empowering teamwork and trust. Your 11th House of Collaboration lights up as clever Mercury meets Venus, the planet of connection, there. This makes conversations with large groups flow more smoothly. You could also reach out to a friend about how you can assist with a shared goal. If a community leader asks for support, choose a simple task you can finish today, then share your progress with a practical update. Invest in allies so progress stacks up over time.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Your voice is beautiful right now, so use it! Mercury, the messenger, is embracing beauteous Venus in your 10th House of Drive. Consider contacting a decision maker about an upcoming opportunity, be it a professional conference or something more personal. When making presentations (or merely speaking in front of more than two people), keep your statements simple and your tone warm. Keep in mind that correctness is more important than quickness, and empathy builds credibility. Share your idea so cooperation can begin!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Gentle warmth settles into your private plans. Cerebral Mercury and caring Venus are uplifting your 9th House of Travel with their conjunction, so learning and sharing can draw you outward. Consider planning a short trip — in addition to being fun, you may enjoy enlightening conversations and gain a wider perspective from it. Be willing to reanalyze past beliefs, especially if they’re currently feeling a little restrictive. Thoughtful conversation softens defensiveness and grows respect. Open your heart so that wisdom can settle in for good!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

A heartfelt promise becomes wonderfully practical. Your 8th House of Closeness is showered with the affection of Mercury and Venus’s conjunction, increasing your capacity to have deep conversations. If you share expenses with a partner, roommate, or family member, you may need to discuss budget concerns with them. Your generous spirit loves to give, but don’t forget that you deserve to receive as well! Mutual support deepens bonds and makes intimacy safer. Name your needs so trust grows and closeness deepens naturally.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Promises made to loved ones must be kept. A conversation with someone dear may need a little extra diligence, but the rewards should be worth it while Mercury and Venus waltz together within your committed 7th house. Keep an eye out for the details, because over time, they matter just as much as the bigger events in your connection. When something goes wrong, it often affects the small stuff first. Now’s your chance to fix it before it causes any real damage.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Empathy can level out an otherwise bumpy day. Chatty Mercury is dancing with pleasing Venus in your 6th House of Effort, improving the flow of cooperative tasks. If you miss a detail of an assignment, it’s likely that someone else will speak up to help you — and you should do the same. Teamwork saves time and improves morale. For more solo adventures, you can give yourself a boost by beginning a wellness habit, like drinking more water or stretching regularly.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Hop out of bed and start your day with a smile! Your 5th House of Inspiration hosts the loving conjunction of Mercury and Venus, attracting all sorts of visionary energy your way. You could invite someone to a show tonight, because your focus makes others feel seen, and your humor keeps things light. If a younger person needs encouragement, praise their effort — even if the outcome doesn’t match the original plan — to feed their motivation. Play bravely so joy recharges your creative core.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Home could feel clearer after one honest chat. Information-gathering Mercury is in your 4th House of Cornerstones, hugging effervescent Venus, so comfortable conversations brighten any space. You may also find satisfaction in a pantry deep-clean, dusting session, or general meeting with those who share your space. Live alone? Some small changes might lift your spirits. Look to your most recent hobbies for inspiration. A person’s home is their castle, and you deserve to fill yours with things that bring you joy.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

When charm meets clarity, share it boldly. Clear messages matter, as Mercury is in your 3rd House of Communication, conjoining social darling Venus in the same sector. When contacting neighbors or other nearby peers, be sure to state your goals as simply as possible to leave no room for miscommunication. Direct language cuts confusion and protects time. If travel plans or deliveries get tangled, confirm details ASAP, before problems get any bigger. Speak plainly so plans align and momentum returns for everyone.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Security grows as you value your worth. Your 2nd House of Accounting is enthralled by today’s Mercury-Venus conjunction! Venusian shrewdness and Mercurian intelligence are coming together to boost your analytical powers — at least, in regard to your own finances. You may feel ready to review your recent budget, ensuring there aren’t any unexplained charges, or end a few unnecessary subscriptions. Be wary of those pushing for discounts or loans, because they shouldn’t be undervaluing your labor. Choose fair terms to strengthen your financial confidence.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

How kindly can you speak to yourself? Self-expression softens and brightens as Mercury and free-loving Venus meet in your sign, centering self-appreciation. Treat yourself like a friend! It’ll be easier to stand up for your ideas if you like yourself, after all. Others should respond well to your increasing confidence. That said, if their attention feels intense, you’re allowed to step away and follow the beat of your own drum. This moment is yours to do with as you please.

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Miami’s Broadway season for 2026-2027 will include two South Florida premieres.

“The Great Gatsby” and “Buena Vista Social Club” will get their regional debut at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (with the latter then moving to Fort Lauderdale for a run).

And “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” will play the Magic City for the first time.

Other national musical tours announced include “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” “Jersey Boys” and “The Sound of Music.”

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Season ticket packages are now on sale, with prices ranging from $260 to $975 for all six shows.

• To become a subscriber or renew a subscription, call the Arsht Center at 305-949-6722 or the season ticket-holder hotline at 800-939-8587, or visit arshtcenter.org.

• Ticket holders will also have access to Arsht Plus, a series of pre-performance experiences such as artist conversations, dance lessons, cooking demonstrations, live music and family fun with select performances.

A breakdown of the upcoming season

Sept. 29-Oct. 4, 2026 — ‘Buena Vista Social Club’

“Buena Vista Social Club” raised its first curtain on Broadway in 2025 (producers include John Leguizamo and LaChanze). Inspired by real events, the show tells the story of legendary singer Omara Portuondo and an iconic band from their start in the 1950s through the 1990s, with the release of their cultural bookmark album of the same name in 1997. It won five Tony Awards and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

Matthew Murphy“Buena Vista Social Club” will come to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami from Sept. 29 to Oct. 4. (Matthew Murphy/Courtesy)

Dec. 1-6, 2026 — ‘A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical’

This jukebox musical strings along Neil Diamond’s chart-topping songbook to tell the story of the singer/composer’s journey from Brooklyn boy to iconic hitmaker. Along the way, you get top tunes such as “Sweet Caroline,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” “Love On The Rocks,” “Hello Again,” “I’ll Come Running,” “Solitary Man,” “I’m A Believer” and more. The show first bowed on Broadway in 2022.

Jan. 12-17, 2027 — ‘The Great Gatsby’

The Roaring Twenties get flappers flapping in the new musical based on the classic American 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald about wealth, romantic indiscretions, class distinction and tragic love. The Great White Way got “The Great Gatsby” in 2024, the same year it won Best Costume Design of a Musical at the Tony Awards.

Matthew Murphy and Evan ZimmermanSamantha Pauly and the cast of the Broadway production of "The Great Gatsby." (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman/Courtesy)

Feb. 9-14, 2027 — ‘The Sound Of Music’

Loosely based on a true story set in Austria of the 1930s, the musical opens with a young Maria preparing to become a nun. However, the Mother Abbess sends her to be governess to the seven children of widowed Capt. von Trapp. The family, the romance and any chance of a happy ending are threatened by the rise of Nazism. The show includes now-standards such as “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going On Seventeen,” “The Lonely Goatherd,” “So Long, Farewell,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and — of course — the title song.

Jeremy Daniel"The Sound of Music" is coming to Miami's Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in February 2027. (Jeremy Daniel/Courtesy)

March 30-April 4, 2027 — ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’

Based on the 1991 animated movie, “Beauty and the Beast” opened on Broadway in 1994 and ran for a highly successful 13 years. The show, which won a Tony Award for Best Costume Design, follows village outcast Belle as she tries to undo a spell that turned a prince into the Beast. Longtime fans will recognize songs including “Be Our Guest” and, naturally, “Beauty and the Beast” from the film.

Matthew MurphyKyra Belle Johnson and Fergie L. Philippe in "Disney's Beauty and the Beast." (Matthew Murphy/Courtesy)

June 8-13, 2027 — ‘Jersey Boys’

This jukebox musical tracing the troubled path of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to the top of the charts ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017 and won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Showstoppers include “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Working My Way Back to You” and “Rag Doll.”

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SUNRISE — The Panthers came out of the Olympic break firing on all cylinders.

After scoring three first-period goals, Florida picked up a much-needed 5-1 win over Toronto at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. With the victory, the Panthers moved into a tie with the Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference standings.

“I thought we started well, which we really wanted to do,” veteran forward Brad Marchand said. “And at the end of the day, the points are what matters right now.”

Marchand, one of the three Panthers who won a silver medal for Team Canada, got Florida on the board early. After deflecting a puck in front of the net, he corralled the loose puck and shot it past Joseph Woll for the Panthers’ first goal of the night.

Florida did not have to wait long for a second goal. Toronto center Nicolas Roy was called for tripping, and Carter Verhaeghe scored on the power play with a close-range shot that went over Woll’s shoulder.

“The thing we wanted to see the most was that first-period speed,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “That was the best part of our game, offensively.”

Not even a Toronto power play could stop Florida in its dominant first period. Winger Evan Rodrigues broke up a pass attempt from William Nylander and got a shorthanded breakaway attempt. Rodrigues deked Woll and snuck the puck past him for the Panthers’ third goal of the period.

“(Had) a lot of time and just kept checking my shoulder and wanted to shoot it, but felt I wasn’t going fast enough,” Rodrigues said. “So just kind of panicked a little bit, and I tried that move on him a couple years ago in a shootout. Happy it went in this time.”

With his team ahead 3-0, Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky took care of the rest. He allowed one goal, on a power play early in the third period. A shot from John Tavares deflected off Gustav Forsling and under the Florida goalie. But otherwise, Bobrovsky performed well and finished the game with 28 saves.

“It’s tough when you sit for a long time,” Maurice said. “He’s been off for three weeks. You’d almost like a big-shot first period for him to get him back into it, but he’s always been able to do that for us — sit for a while with not much and then be real sharp.”

Marchand added a second goal late in the third period, scoring with an empty net in the game’s final minutes. Matthew Tkachuk, who was honored in a pregame ceremony for the game’s American Olympians, scored an empty-net goal, as well.

“We came out strong, scored three goals,” Bobrovsky said. “So it was a big first period for us and then we played our game. It was a great win.”

Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 124-117 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers:

– This was the lesson the Heat will not heed.

– Dealing with injuries, the 76ers took a gap year last season.

– After winning at least 47 games the previous four seasons, they stepped back to 24-58.

– As in 13th in the East.

– As in positioned well enough to land the No. 3 pick in the lottery.

– As in able to land VJ Edgecombe.

– As in the No. 3 rookie scorer.

– As in the NBA rookie leader in steals.

– Yes, Tyrese Maxey is the engine and Joel Embiid is the size.

– But Edgecombe has shown, including Thursday night, how much that elite talent can make a difference.

– As in lottery talent.

– Going in, even before Edgecombe sparked the 76ers in the second quarter to a 16-point halftime lead, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had ample praise.

– “The athleticism jumps off the screen for sure, and he has potential to be a very good two-way basketball player,” Spoelstra said. “I think the fans and everybody knows the highlight plays that he makes offensively, but he has very good feet and quickness defensively, and quick hands and ability to get in passing lanes.  The style defensively that they play with Nick Nurse, it just fits what he does.”

– Or you could push for the play-in every year.

– Refuse to step back to step ahead.

– VJ Edgecombe was the reminder Thursday.

– Spoelstra was asked before the game about the play-in/playoff race.

– “It’s the best time of year right now, when you start to see the playoff seeding,” he said. “I want our guys shooting for a better spot than where we are right now. We don’t have to overwhelm ourselves with it, but it gives us something to wrap our minds around and compete for every night.”

– With Norman Powell (groin) and Davion Mitchell (illness) cleared an hour before tip off, the Heat again went with a starting lineup of Powell, Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson. That lineup entered 5-3.

– The game was the 350th regular-season appearance of Mitchell’s career.

– Powell then was lost for the night with that groin issue in the second period.

– The 76ers opened with a lineup of Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. was first off the Heat bench.

– Kel’el Ware and Tyler Herro then entered together.

– With Kasparas Jakucionis making it nine deep.

– Simone Fontecchio then returned to the rotation, briefly, entering midway through the second period.

– Spoelstra laughed pregame when asked about the difference when Embiid plays for the 76ers, as he did Thursday night.

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– “Really? I mean, it’s pretty obvious,” he said. “Like they jump up to first in the league in free-throw attempts. They have a very good balance of controlling pace, and he’s one of the best in the game that can control the pace, get it on their terms, But then they also have all their speed perimeter players. Maxey is second in the league in fast break points, so you have to deal with both those things.”

– As far as not finding out formally until the game that Embiid was in, Spoelstra said of the ever-changing lineups in the NBA, “That’s every night. That’s the way the league is now. I think everybody’s gotten a lot more accustomed to that. You have a couple of different, probably two or three, you know, different lineups and rotations and matchups.”

– The Heat entered well aware of the upgraded challenge of the 76ers when Embiid is in the lineup.

– “You got to make that adjustment, because sometimes it’s a Maxey possession and sometimes an Embiid possession and then Edgecombe, too, that can attack off a close out,” Larsson said.

– “You’re fairly different with what Maxey and Edgecombe can do, so they bounce between the two styles,” Spoelstra said.

– Going in, Spoelstra addressed recent Heat defensive lapses.

– “That’s what’s disappointing,” he said. “We have a higher level that we can get to, that’s as high as anybody in this league, really on both sides of the floor.  It’s a matter of doing it consistently.”

– He added, “Our defense is built and versatile enough to make it disruptive against anyone.”

– With his second rebound, Jaquez reached a career best season total.

The victories over the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies that gave the Heat the three-game winning streak going into the week were window dressing against going-nowhere teams.

The last two games, including Thursday night’s 124-117 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena, were the reality check for Erik Spoelstra’s team.

In a game with significant impact in the playoff and play-in races, the Heat stormed back from a 16-point halftime deficit to a third-period lead, only to come up short in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game, after losing in a similar situation in Tuesday night’s loss in Milwaukee at the start of this two-game trip.

“We wanted to do something here on the road,” Spoelstra said. “I thought we had two shots at it in both of these games. But this pressure, and  everything that we’re feeling going down the stretch, this is a privilege. This is an absolute privilege. Even when we’re not getting the result that we want, we have an opportunity to step up into this pressure.”

Thursday’s loss, on a night the Heat lost All-Star guard Norman Powell in the first half with a groin strain, came despite a 29-point, 14-rebound effort from center Bam Adebayo, who was supported by 25 points from Tyler Herro, 19 from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 18 from Andrew Wiggins.

“There’s going to be a lot more clutch games in these last 20-plus,” Spoelstra said. “We’re going to continue to get better at them and win these games.”

The 76ers, who moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Heat in the race for the final spot ahead of the play-in bracket in the East, got 28 points from Tyrese Maxey and 26 points and 11 rebounds from Joel Embiid.

“It’s just tough, frustrating, obviously very frustrating,” Jaquez said. “We did have two opportunities to really get ahead and make a stand. And we dropped them, so just got to keep pushing.”

So, yes, beginning to look a lot like play-in for a fourth consecutive season.

“We’re better than being in the play-in for the last four years,” a dejected Adebayo said.

Five Degrees of Heat from Thursday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The 76ers led 36-35 after the opening period and 73-57 at halftime.

With a 24-7 start to the third quarter, the Heat then went ahead before going into the fourth down 99-91. The 76ers entered having been outscored in the third quarter this season by an NBA-high 231 points.

The Heat entered 1-22 this season when trailing after three quarters, 0-14 in that situation on the road.

Through it all, the Heat tied it 112-112 with 4:22 to play on a pair of Wiggins free throws, with a Herro 3-pointer with 2:44 to play putting the Heat up 117-116, only their second lead of the game.

But with Kelly Oubre Jr. converting a 3-pointer with 1:52 left, the Heat quickly were down four, as the 76ers sealed it with an Embiid 3-pointer with 29.2 seconds to play.

“They ran us out of the gym in the first half, and then if they missed, they had those second-chance, 14 second-chance opportunities,” Spoelstra said. “Then it settled in, the effort changed the momentum of the game. We got back into it, took a lead, and then it became a possession game. From there, they made some plays down the stretch where we couldn’t.”

The 76ers ended it with an 8-0 run, similar to how Milwaukee closed it out on Tuesday night.

“We got stagnant offensively,” Adebayo said. “We ran a certain play over and over again, and we were stagnant.”

2. Sizzling start: Maxey was up to 20 points by the end of the opening period, also with three assists  in the quarter.

At 5 of 8 on 3-pointers in the first period, Maxey, with his fourth of the night, moved past Allen Iverson for the 76ers all-time career lead in 3-pointers.

Maxey,  the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, taken one pick after the Heat selected Precious Achiuwa, then was limited to four points over the next two periods.

He rounded out his double-double with 11 assists.

Adebayo was not happy the Heat made it so easy for Maxey and the 76ers early.

“We didn’t play hard enough,” he said. “I mean, I don’t how to explain the effort. You can clearly see we weren’t making enough of an effort to get guys off the line, make multiple efforts.”

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3. The big deal: For years, when cast as the Heat’s lone option at center, Adebayo would mention the taxing task of going against the mass of Embiid.

With Kel’el Ware having been moved back to the bench in a limited role, it again was a taxing night for the outsized Adebayo, as Spoelstra remained with his preferred smaller-ball opening lineup that again had Andrew Wiggins as the de facto starting power forward.

To his credit, Adebayo found his way through the challenge, already with a double-double with 1:56 left in the first half, the eighth time in his career he has recorded one by the intermission.

Ware played only 12 minutes, closing with five points and six rebounds.

“Bam, our center position tonight, was excellent, with both those guys for 48 minutes, that’s as good as it can get,” Spoelstra said.

4. Powell play: Questionable earlier in the day with a groin strain, Powell left for good with 4:46 to play in the second period with the ailment, after chasing a loose ball out of bounds.

“That’s the same one that he’s been dealing with, and we’ll just have to see what it is,” Spoelstra said.

He closed with three points on 1 of 5 shooting.

Of the team’s approach with Powell, Spoelstra said there was ample prudence before the veteran guard was cleared.

“We’re getting to know him as the months go by, and so he knows his body better than anybody,” Spoelstra said. “But we’re in constant communication with Norm and the trainers, and he was able to pass all the protocols.”

5. Enter Herro: With Powell out, Herro, who has come off the bench in his first four games back from the rib injury that had him out since Jan. 15, opened the second half with the starters.

Herro opened 1 of 6 on 3-pointers before converting again midway through the third period. He was up to 20 points through three quarters.

With Powell out, Herro this time played as closer, ending at 9 of 18 from the field, including 4 of 10 on 3-pointers, also with seven assists.

“He was terrific in that second half,” Spoelstra said.

But Herro knew more was needed.

“They made more plays down the stretch,” he said of the 76ers. “We gotta be better in the first half. And hopefully, you never know how the game ends. But I feel like we dug ourselves a hole in that first half, which we had to crawl out.”

By JOSH FUNK and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

The U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

The case of mistaken identity prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to close additional airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. The military is required to formally notify the FAA when it takes any counter-drone action inside U.S. airspace.

It was the second time in two weeks that a laser was fired in the area. The last time it was CBP that used the weapon and nothing was hit. That incident occurred near Fort Bliss and prompted the FAA to shut down air traffic at El Paso airport and the surrounding area. This time, the closure was smaller and commercial flights were not affected.

Washington U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and two other top Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security committees said they were stunned when they were officially notified.

“Our heads are exploding over the news,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. They criticized the Trump administration for “sidestepping” a bipartisan bill to train drone operators and improve communication among the Pentagon, FAA and Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP.

“Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” they said.

Government defends use of anti-drone laser

The FAA, CBP and the Pentagon issued a joint statement late Thursday that acknowledged the military “employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.”

The statement said it happened far from populated areas and commercial flights as part of the administration’s efforts to strengthen protections at the border.

“At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border,” the statement said.

Second time these laser systems shut down Texas airspace this month

The El Paso shutdown two weeks ago lasted only a few hours, but it raised alarm and led to a number of flight cancellations in the city of nearly 700,000 people.

In that case, an anti-drone laser was deployed by CBP without coordinating with the FAA, which then decided to close the El Paso airspace to ensure commercial air safety, according to sources familiar with what happened and weren’t authorized to discuss it.

Afterward, members of Congress said it appeared to be another example of different agencies failing to coordinate with each other.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was planning to brief members of Congress about the incident. He said at an unrelated news conference last Friday that it wasn’t a mistake for the FAA to close the airspace in El Paso and that he doesn’t think it was a communication issue that led to the problems.

Lawmaker demands an investigation

Illinois Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the ranking member on the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, called for an independent investigation.

“The Trump administration’s incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies,” Duckworth said.

The investigation into last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an airliner and Army helicopter that killed 67 people highlighted how the FAA and Pentagon were not always working well together.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the FAA and the Army did not share safety data with each other about the alarming number of close calls around Reagan National Airport and failed to address the risks.

Concern about drone threats growing

Two months ago, Congress agreed to give more law enforcement agencies — including some state and local departments — the authority to take down rogue drones as long as they are properly trained. Previously, only a select few federal agencies had that power.

Armed drones regularly carry out devastating attacks in Ukraine and have also allowed Ukraine to strike deep within Russia. The U.S. government has handed out more than $250 million to help the states prepare to respond to drones before hosting World Cup matches and celebrations planned this summer for America’s 250th birthday.

Another $250 million in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defenses.

Drones already causing problems

Drones already cause problems along the border. Cartels routinely use drones to deliver drugs across the Mexican border and surveil Border Patrol officers. Officials told Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.

The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports. Homeland Security estimates there are more than 1.7 million registered drones flying in the United States.

Anti-drone systems can use radio signals to jam drones, or high-powered microwaves or laser beams like the ones that have been used in Texas that are capable of disabling the machines. Some others station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into threatening drones. And there are systems that use bullets, but those are more common on battlefields than in domestic use.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and JOSHUA GOODMAN

NEW YORK (AP) — The lawyer for deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro asked a judge on Thursday to toss out the indictment against his client on the grounds that the United States has unconstitutionally violated his rights to defend himself by blocking Venezuelan funds to pay his legal costs.

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Attorney Barry Pollack filed papers in Manhattan federal court, saying the U.S. government has violated his client’s due process rights by blocking funds to defend him that should come from the Venezuelan government.

“Mr. Maduro, as Venezuela’s head of state, has both a right and an expectation to have legal fees associated with these charges funded by the government of Venezuela,” Pollack wrote.

The court submission included a declaration from Maduro in which he said he understood that under the laws and practices of Venezuela, “I am entitled to have the government of Venezuela pay for my legal defense.”

“I have relied on this expectation and cannot afford to pay for my own legal defense,” he said.

Maduro added that he has “been working” with Pollack on his legal defense and that he “is my counsel of choice.” The declaration was signed “President Nicolas Maduro Moros.”

Maduro and his wife have been in custody in New York since they were seized from their Venezuelan home in early January in a stealth nighttime U.S. military operation. They’ve pleaded not guilty.

A 25-page indictment against Maduro accused him and others of working with drug cartels and members of the military to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. If convicted, both he and his wife face life in prison.

As part of the purported conspiracy, Maduro and his wife allegedly ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money, according to the indictment. It said that included the killing of a local drug boss in Caracas.

Pollack told a Manhattan judge in an email last week that the U.S. Treasury Department had blocked the authorization of legal fees that the government of Venezuela is required to pay for Maduro, though it has allowed fees to be paid for the defense of first lady Cilia Flores.

Pollack said that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers sanctions against Venezuela, had granted permission on Jan. 9 approving the payment of legal fees by the Venezuelan government. He said the department rescinded the authorization “without explanation” less than three hours later.

“The conduct of the United States government not only undermines Mr. Maduro’s rights but also this Court’s mandate to provide a fair trial to all defendants who come before it in accordance with the protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution,” Pollack wrote in court papers submitted Thursday.

“The United States government, even while authorizing myriad commercial transactions with Venezuela, is prohibiting counsel from receiving untainted funds from the government of Venezuela, despite Venezuela’s obligation to fund Mr. Maduro’s defense. Any trial that proceeds under these circumstances will be constitutionally defective and cannot result in a verdict that will withstand later challenge,” he added.

The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press seeking comment.

If the judge leaves the charges against Maduro in place, Pollack said he wants to resign so the court can appoint other counsel to represent Maduro.

The dispute over Maduro’s legal fees is intimately linked to U.S. foreign policy. The first Trump administration cut ties with Maduro in 2019, recognizing the then- opposition head of the National Assembly as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. The Biden administration hewed closely to the same policy.

Goodman reported from Miami.

By BRIAN WITTE

Novartis has settled a lawsuit by the estate of Henrietta Lacks that alleged the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and reproduced in labs to enable major medical advancements, including the polio vaccine.

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Details of the agreement, which was finalized in federal court in Maryland this month, aren’t public.

The Lacks family and Swiss-based Novartis said in a joint statement that they are “pleased they were able to find a way to resolve this matter filed by Henrietta Lacks’ Estate outside of court” but aren’t commenting further.

It’s the second settlement in lawsuits filed by the estate that accused biomedical businesses of reaping rewards from a racist medical system that took advantage of Black patients like Lacks. The settlement ends litigation between Novartis, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, and the estate of Lacks, a mother who died of cervical cancer at age 31 and was buried in an unmarked grave.

The 2024 lawsuit had sought from Novartis “the full amount of its net profits obtained by commercializing the HeLa cell line,” which the complaint said had been cultivated from “stolen cells.”

Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Lacks’ cervical cells in 1951 without her knowledge, and the tissue taken from her tumor before she died became the first human cells to continuously grow and reproduce in lab dishes. HeLa cells became a cornerstone of modern medicine, enabling countless scientific and medical innovations, including the development of genetic mapping and even COVID-19 vaccines, but the Lacks family wasn’t compensated along the way despite that incalculable impact on science and medicine.

Johns Hopkins said it never sold or profited from the cell lines, but many companies have patented ways of using them.

In 2023, Lacks’ estate reached an undisclosed settlement with the biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Lawyers for the family argued in that case that the company continued to commercialize the results long after the origins of the HeLa cell line became well known and unjustly enriched itself off Lacks’ cells.

There are other pending lawsuits by the Lacks estate. Just over a week after the estate settled the case with Thermo Fisher Scientific, attorneys for the estate filed a lawsuit against Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical in Baltimore federal court, the same venue as the previously settled case. Litigation with Ultragenyx as well as Viatris, a pharmaceutical company, remain active.

Attorneys for the family have indicated there could be additional complaints filed.

Lacks was a poor tobacco farmer from southern Virginia who married and moved with her husband to Turner Station, a historically Black community outside Baltimore. They were raising five children when doctors discovered a tumor in Lacks’ cervix and saved a sample of her cancer cells collected during a biopsy.

While most cell samples died shortly after being removed from the body, her cells survived and thrived in laboratories. They became known as the first immortalized human cell line because scientists could cultivate them indefinitely, meaning researchers anywhere could reproduce studies using identical cells.

The remarkable science involved — and the impact on the Lacks family, some of whom had chronic illnesses and no health insurance — were documented in a bestselling book by Rebecca Skloot, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” which was published in 2010. Oprah Winfrey portrayed her daughter in an HBO movie about the story.