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Which queen sheet set is best?

If it’s time to upgrade your bedding and you’re in the market for queen sheet sets, you’re definitely spoiled for choice, but you may be wondering where to begin.

Choosing a material that appeals to you is a good place to start. Some people prefer the lightweight feel of all-cotton sheets, while others are partial to the supreme softness of microfiber, flannel, or even bamboo. Once that’s decided, compare thread count, thickness, quality, and, of course, colors and designs.

To help you find the right set of queen sheets, we’ve assembled this buying guide covering all the features to compare. We’re also sharing a few top choices, including our favorite, Mellanni’s Brushed Microfiber Four-piece Queen Sheet Set. It remains a customer favorite for its wrinkle-free, stain-resistant microfiber blend.

What to know before you buy queen sheet sets Weave

Queen sheet sets are available in two types of weaves: percale or sateen.

• Percale: In percale sets, cotton has the same number of threads running horizontally and vertically. The weave is extraordinarily tight and brushed, resulting in crisp, cool sheets.
• Sateen: Sateen sheets are designed with more threads running vertically than horizontally. This gives the sheets a silky-smooth finish, which also happens to be lightweight and ultra soft. Sateen sheets are also far less likely to pill than percale sheets.

Thread count

Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch. It’s a common misconception that the higher the thread count, the better the quality of the sheets. This isn’t always true, especially since some manufacturers weave extra thread into the material to jam-pack and inflate thread count.

If you prefer heavy, warm sheets, it’s recommended to buy sheets with a thread count between 400 and 600. For cool, lightweight sheets, stick to a thread count between 200 and 400. The higher the thread count, the more delicate the sheets are. If you’re someone who tosses and turns a lot, it’s best to stick to higher thread counts.

Popular materials

Cotton remains the top choice for queen sheet sets, especially since they’re durable, soft, and breathable. Microfiber emerges as a popular choice for its wrinkle-resistant, soft brushed finish. Flannel has a fuzzy, warm finish and is a preferred material for cold-weather bedding. Jersey knit has a similar feel to that of a T-shirt, making it one of the coziest, most comfortable options, and it also happens to wash well.

What to look for in quality queen sheet sets Set pieces

Queen sheet sets come with a fitted sheet, a top sheet and a pair of pillowcases. Fitted sheets all measure 60 x 80 inches, but their depth can vary. If you have a tall or pillow-top mattress, you’ll probably need a deep-pocket sheet set. Top sheets measure 90 x 102 inches, which is plenty of room for you to fold down the top or make hospital corners. Pillowcases are usually standard and measure 20 x 26 inches, though some sets are sold with queen pillowcases, which are 20 x 30 inches.

Colors and patterns

Queen sheet sets are available in a variety of colors and patterns. White and ivory continue to be the most popular choices, though solid colors or neutral patterns are also top picks. Most people choose a queen sheet set to match their comforter, duvet, or other existing bedding.

How much you can expect to spend on queen sheet sets

Budget-friendly queen sheet sets made with microfiber or cotton blends cost $30 and below. If you prefer all-cotton or other premium materials, be prepared to spend closer to $70 on a set. High-quality organic cotton, bamboo, and modal sets can run as high as $200 and above.

Queen sheet sets FAQ Q. Queen sheet sets are available in more than one type of cotton — how do I know which one is best?

A. Long-fiber is considered the most luxurious variety, and Egyptian cotton is the highest quality variety of long-fiber cotton. Pima cotton and combed cotton fall in the middle, and sheets simply marked “cotton” are usually made of lower-quality, short-fiber cotton.

Q. What’s the right way to wash my sheet set?

A. It’s recommended to wash your sheets alone in the washing machine with bleach-free detergent in warm water. If you have a microfiber or another synthetic blend set, avoid using fabric softener. Most sheets can tolerate tumble dry low, but if you have an outdoor clothesline, you can dry them there as well.

What are the best queen sheet sets to buy? Top queen sheet set

Mellanni’s Brushed Microfiber Four-piece Queen Sheet Set

What you need to know: Exquisite softness and fine satin detail give this set a hotel-quality appearance.

What you’ll love: This set washes far better than expected, with no pilling, fading, or shrinking. Extensive color and pattern selection.

What you should consider: The sheet colors seemed to be much different in person compared to their images.

Top queen sheet set for money

Utopia Bedding’s Brushed Microfiber Four-piece Queen Sheet Set

What you need to know: They’re a great value for their overall quality and for those on a budget.

What you’ll love: They’re machine-washable and tumble dry low. Standard queen sheets even fit pillow-top mattresses well.

What you should consider: There were some reports of ripping after a couple months of use.

Worth checking out

California Design Den’s 100% Cotton Four-piece Queen Sheet Set

What you need to know: These are well-made, all-cotton sheets that stay in place no matter how much you toss and turn.

What you’ll love: They’re thicker than most sheets and fairly resistant to wrinkles. They are soft, lightweight and breathable.

What you should consider: These sheets need to be washed a few times to soften up.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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MIAMI (AP) — Eric Wagaman had three hits and drove three runs, Ryan Weathers allowed five hits and struck out four over five innings in his first appearance in three months, and the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Thursday night.

Weathers (2-1), who had been sidelined since June 7 with a left lat strain, was activated from the injured list on Thursday.

Rookie Jakob Marsee doubled and singled for the Marlins, who split the four-game set and won the season series against their NL East opponent, 7-6.

Miami scored quickly against Washington starter MacKenzie Gore (5-14) on Heriberto Hernández’s sacrifice fly and Wagaman’s RBI single in the first.

Wagaman hit a two-run double and scored on Joey Wiemer’s sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Tyler Phillips followed Weathers with two innings of relief before Ronny Henriquez and Michael Petersen pitched an inning each to complete the shutout.

Gore, who also was activated from the injured list on Thursday, gave up two runs and four hits in five innings. He had not pitched since Aug. 30 because of left shoulder inflammation.

Key moment

Daylen Lile and Andrés Chaparro singled to lead off the fourth but Weathers induced a double-play groundout from Brady House and retired Paul DeJong on a grounder to end Washington’s threat.

Key stat

Marsee has 15 multihit games since his promotion from Triple-A on Aug. 1.

Up next

The Nationals begin a three-game home series against Pittsburgh on Friday and RHP Brad Lord (5-8, 4.20 ERA) will start the opener. The Pirates have not announced a starter.

RHP Sandy Alcantara (8-12, 5.67) will start the opener the Marlins’ three-game home series against Detroit on Friday. LHP Tarik Skubal (13-4, 2.10) will go for the Tigers.

___

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

General Daily Insight for September 12, 2025

Days like this are truly rare. The Sun in Virgo is reaching out to make a lovely sextile with bountiful Jupiter in Cancer, throwing open the windows of opportunity! Following this, the Moon will skip into its home sign of Gemini, calming us so we can communicate our needs effectively. We can really open up when Mercury, also in Virgo, makes its own sextile to Jupiter at 5:53 pm EDT. This aspect exponentially expands today’s positive potential! Don’t dither around — speak up for your ambitions.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Leading from the heart is currently your wisest option. A special sextile between Mercury in your dependable 6th house and can-do Jupiter in your emotional 4th house is motivating your heart to supply the rest of you with all the passion you need to get things done. Whether you are plowing through work at the office or making waves on the home front, let your feelings push you forward to accomplish each task with the focus it deserves. Your body knows what you need.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

This could be one of the most enjoyable days you’ve had in ages. Mercury is going for a jog within your hyperactive 5th house, so you’re potentially more than ready to dive into life’s pleasures. Fortunately, there should be plenty on offer once Mercury energizes Jupiter in your local 3rd house. Their alignment encourages lots of exciting and entertaining opportunities to start popping up close by. Talking to people can yield fantastic results, so don’t keep a lid on it when you should be circulating.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

A pot of gold is closer to home than you might think. A liaison between intelligent Mercury in your domestic sector and magnanimous Jupiter in your income sector is guiding you toward discovering a potentially quite lucrative opportunity. A relative or roommate could prove the catalyst for your next big shot — or show you some exciting prospects that will make your lives feel that much more comfortable and secure. Likewise, you may decide to make some inspired investments in your present abode.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Express yourself without reserve! Mercury in your communication quadrant is making a fabulous connection to enthusiastic Jupiter in your intuitive sign, so it will be just about impossible to keep your light hidden under a bushel. You may encounter someone who directs others’ attention toward you and your talents, or perhaps you’ll seek out a stage or spotlight for yourself — either way, you deserve this time to shine. Put your skills on display, and bask in the applause that is almost certain to follow.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Unexpected ideas can lead somewhere impressive — IF you let your mind wander. Mercury in your money-loving 2nd house is sextiling lucky Jupiter in your thoughtful 12th house, so thinking outside the box may yield some very positive and productive results. A problem which has been plaguing you may suddenly seem simply solvable. You could also hit upon the perfect solution to a recent financial matter. The most unusual ideas can be the most effective, so throw the rulebook out the window!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Crowdsourcing can be more useful than usual. Talkative Mercury is parked in your resourceful sign, giving you the gift of gab. Mercury also coordinates with Jupiter in your 11th House of Socializing, stirring up opportunities and excitement amongst the groups you associate with. Since you’ve currently got the cosmic microphone, don’t be shy about rounding up the gang — and if you’ve been on the lookout for new opportunities of any kind, make sure to ask around. Your peers could prove extremely helpful.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Something good is happening — even though you might not notice it. It’s easy to miss the bigger picture while busy Mercury is in your introspective 12th house. Happily, that planet is sextiling buoyant Jupiter in your driven 10th house, inviting career opportunities from across the universe. Perhaps someone will speak out on your behalf, or a leader may have their eye on you for an important project without you even knowing about it. You’ve probably got hidden helpers on your side.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Your world should not remain small. In fact, today is all about expansion as Mercury in your outgoing 11th house sextiles Jupiter in your daring 9th house, encouraging you to go further than ever before. Your involvement in a group or organization could be the catalyst that catapults you off toward fresh knowledge, or maybe you’ll meet some interesting people from far away who totally update your worldview. Keep an open mind and be your friendliest self, and you can’t go wrong.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You can win big with a little clever thinking. There is a profoundly lucky sextile between Mercury in your 10th House of Zeal and your ruler Jupiter in your 8th House of Renovation. Ideas or connections formed under this alignment could prove extremely lucrative in the long run, though old projects or alliances can also yield positive results. Don’t be shy when it comes to clarifying what you want. Take control of your needs and ensure that no one has to play guessing games.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

One person can drastically improve your life today. Distant horizons are calling your name as speedy Mercury continues racing through your 9th House of Expansion. One relationship in particular can help make this happen as Mercury sextiles lucky Jupiter in your 7th House of Cooperation. Someone you meet at any moment could prove to be the perfect partner-in-crime for whatever caper you’ve got in mind, but old companions can also bring a lot to the table. Two is definitely the magic number!

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You’ve got more power than you may realize. Your mind is working like a razor-sharp tool while Mercury is in your penetrating 8th house. You can use this to produce very real and helpful results while Mercury sextiles Jupiter in your effective 6th house. Old problems or outstanding projects could be solved more quickly than ever as you bound over any hurdles with ease! Don’t forget to give yourself a running start — then see how far you can get at a time like this.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Make it a double, Pisces! Mercury in your relationship sector is shaking hands (metaphorically speaking) with Jupiter in your passionate 5th house, which can benefit all sorts of partnerships — regardless of their nature. Whether you’re wooing the object of your affection or hanging out with a close friend, you’ll be more likely to have the maximum amount of fun when there are two of you working together. It only takes one person to remind the other to look on the bright side.

By MORGAN LEE, Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor is promising universal free child care to families of all income levels.

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her plans this week, saying she wants to leverage a financial windfall from oil and gas production to help more parents by removing the state’s income eligibility limit starting Nov. 1.

Rules for the program are being hashed out and lawmakers still have to approve funding, but New Mexico already is several steps ahead of other states when it comes to subsidizing child care.

The latest initiative expands on previous early childhood education investments by extending access to another 12,000 children and making low-interest loans available to spur construction of new child care centers as demands surge.

Lujan Grisham says it’s life-changing for parents to have free child care, since it means more money can be spent on utilities and groceries.

Gaining traction

Americans overwhelmingly view the cost of child care as a significant issue, but there are deep divisions over what the government’s role should be in addressing it, mainly whether it should foot the costs.

Many states are limited in what they can take on as President Donald Trump’s administration cuts or freezes billions of dollars in education funding.

Lujan Grisham hopes the initiative stirs conversations beyond New Mexico.

“My hope is, as we watch elections take hold around the country, that our congressional candidates are talking about these investments, our gubernatorial candidates are talking about these investments” in child care, the second-term Democrat said.

The concept of free child care is being embraced by lawmakers including Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, through proposed tax hikes. Oregon’s most populous county ramped up its universal preschool program this year despite funding issues, and enthusiasm for early childhood education spawned the creation last year of a dedicated state agency in Illinois.

Footing the bill

New Mexico in 2020 began diverting surplus government income linked to surging oil and gas production to a trust for early childhood education. The balance is nearing $10 billion, with about $500 million in investment earnings being funneled each year to early childhood education programs.

The child care expansion will draw on those savings, some federal funding and a request that state legislators provide an additional $120 million annually. That’s a 26% increase over current spending of $463 million, Lujan Grisham spokesperson Michael Coleman said.

The Democratic-led Legislature has balked at entitlement programs before, repeatedly rejecting paid family leave requirements for the private sector. Republican lawmakers are concerned that the governor’s latest plan would result in a handout for wealthy families.

New Mexico in 2022 expanded eligibility and waived copayments for child care assistance to families earning as much as four times the federal poverty rate — about $128,000 for a family of four this year.

Paul Gessing, president of the libertarian Rio Grande Foundation in New Mexico, said it’s baffling that a Democratic governor would come to the financial aid of upper-income parents.

“We’re already doing this up to 400% of the poverty level — that’s a pretty decent amount of money to be making,” he said.

By eliminating the income cutoff, state officials aim to improve family financial stability, encourage participation in the economy and better prepare toddlers for school.

Hurdles

To meet increased demand, the Lujan Grisham administration says it will need more than 50 new licensed child care centers, 120 licensed homes that accommodate a dozen children and as many as 1,000 new registered homes that serve four children.

Child care slots already are in short supply across New Mexico. And attendance from low-income families declined as assistance expanded to higher income brackets, according to a review by the Legislature’s budget and accountability office.

There’s also little evidence that New Mexico children are better prepared for school than children in other states. The 2025 survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked New Mexico’s public education system last among 50 states.

The governor’s plan includes incentives to improve quality — raising hourly base pay for child care workers to at least $18 where excellence is demonstrated.

The universal child care guarantee will cover crucial infant and toddler years before and after children become eligible for public preschool — defraying average annual costs of about $12,000 per year.

Eligibility for child care assistance also will extend to grandparents who are in charge of grandchildren, often because of parents struggling with addiction, with no work requirement.

Associated Press writer Claire Rush contributed from Portland, Ore.

The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. 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.

BOSTON (AP) — A U.S. appeals court panel on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to block Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood while legal challenges continue.

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A federal judge in July ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation.

Medicaid is a government health care program that serves millions of low-income and disabled Americans. Nearly half of Planned Parenthood’s patients rely on Medicaid.

A provision in Trump’s tax bill instructed the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023, even to those like Planned Parenthood that also offer medical services like contraception, pregnancy tests and STD testing.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its member organizations in Massachusetts and Utah filed a lawsuit in July against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“While the Trump administration wants to rip away reproductive freedom, we’re here to say loud and clear: we will not back down,” Dominique Lee, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts said in a statement. “This is not over.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services didn’t immediately respond to an online request for comment.

Planned Parenthood said Thursday’s ruling means that more than 1.1 million patients can’t use their Medicaid insurance at its health centers. That also puts as many as 200 of those health centers at risk of closure, Planned Parenthood said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood says it is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of affordable sexual and reproductive health care, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education.

CAPE MAY, N.J. (AP) — Humpty Dumpty took a big fall, and now police are hoping to crack the case.

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A playful, colorful statue of the nursery rhyme icon was forcibly removed from a structure at a miniature golf course in Cape May, New Jersey, on Sunday and dumped down the street.

Local police say they’re looking for two men who are seen on video stopping at Ocean Putt Golf at around 4 a.m. Video shows one of them entering the course by climbing over a fence, grabbing and rocking the statue back and forth and pulling it off its foundation before walking off with it.

The statue, showing a smiling Humpty Dumpty with big, white head, red cheeks, a yellow bow tie, a blue jacket and gray pants, was found several properties away. In a nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty falls off a wall and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put him back together again.

A message was left at a phone number listed for Ocean Putt Golf, whose Instagram page shows the statue above one of the course’s holes earlier this year.

Cape May police detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the two men seen in multiple videos posted on the department’s Facebook page.

By YURAS KARMANAU and LIUDAS DAPKUS

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Belarus freed 52 political prisoners on Thursday as part of a deal brokered by the United States, which lifted some sanctions on the country’s national airline.

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It was another sign of a possible rapprochement between Washington and Minsk, a close ally of Russia that has faced Western isolation for years. U.S. President Donald Trump and Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko spoke on the phone last month, and the American leader even suggested a face-to-face meeting could be in the works.

That would be a big win for Lukashenko, who has ruled his nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades. Belarus has been repeatedly sanctioned by Western countries both for its crackdown on human rights and allowing Moscow to use its territory in the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But more recently, Lukashenko has sought to mend ties with the West in the hopes of easing the sanctions. He has regularly released prisoners as a way to win favor, including freeing Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a key dissident and the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in June.

The concession from the U.S. came a day after Poland denounced an incursion of Russian drones into its territory — saying some came from Belarus — in what Western officials called an act of aggression. NATO jets were scrambled and shot some of the drones down.

Trump, whose country is the major military power in NATO, offered an ambiguous initial response to the incursion, posting on his Truth Social platform: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

Sanctions on Belavia eased

Trump envoy John Coale announced the lifting of sanctions at a meeting with Lukashenko in Minsk on Thursday.

Some sanctions on Belarus national carrier, Belavia, were relaxed in light of prisoner releases so far, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations. That will allow the airline to repair and buy parts for its planes, including Boeing aircraft.

The airline was sanctioned by the European Union, the U.S., and others after Belarusian flight controllers ordered a commercial jet traveling from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk. Once the plane landed, authorities arrested Raman Pratasevich, a dissident journalist who was on board.

Lukashenko, who has relied on Russia’s loans and cheap energy to keep Belarus’ economy afloat, called the Thursday move “very important.”

Opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya warned that the easing of sanctions could allow Moscow, whose aviation industry is sanctioned, to get airplane parts through Belavia.

“We understand that this is part of the deal,” she told The Associated Press. “But lifting sanctions without systemic changes in the country could open loopholes that both the Lukashenko regime and Russia will use to circumvent the sanctions.”

That could also create new opportunities for Belarus in its relationship with Russia. Minsk will be able to resell the parts to Moscow “at a very favorable price,” said independent analyst Valery Karbalevich, and it makes “the Kremlin’s leash” on Belarus “a little longer.”

One prisoner released refuses to go to Lithuania

One of the prisoners released Thursday, veteran opposition activist Mikalai Statkevich, refused to cross into Lithuania and tried to return to Belarus, but was blocked by the border guards, Anatol Lyabedzka, of Tsikhanouskaya’s team, told AP in a phone interview from a Lithuanian border crossing where the prisoners were handed over.

“He decided not to let Lukashenko kick him out of the country and is resisting a forced deportation,” Lyabedzka said.

Maksim Viniarski, another freed dissident, told AP that Statkevich repeatedly demanded to stop the bus taking him, Viniarski and others to Lithuania and let him out. As the bus entered the no-man’s land between Belarus and Lithuania, “emaciated, yet determined to resist” Statkevich hit an emergency stop button, opened the door and got out. “Statkevich said that he won’t leave the country and that he didn’t need anyone to sell him out,” Viniarski said.

For a while, Statkevich remained in the no-man’s land, but then Belarusian security operatives took him in the direction of the Belarusian border crossing, Lyabedzka said.

Statkevich’s refusal recalled a similar one by Maria Kolesnikova, a key leader in the mass protests that rocked Belarus in 2020. She became a symbol of Belarusian resistance after the authorities tried to deport her in September 2020. Driven to the Ukrainian border, she briefly broke away from security forces, tore up her passport, and walked back into Belarus. She was convicted a year later on charges including conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The other 51 freed prisoners have crossed into Lithuania, Lyabedzka said.

• FILE – A Belavia plane of Belarus national carrier, lands at the International Airport outside Vilnius, Lithuania on Sunday, May 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)
• U.S. Presidential envoy John Coale, right, speaks to journalists outside the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, ahead of the arrival of released prisoners from Belarus. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
• People with old Belarusian flags wait outside the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, ahead of the arrival of released prisoners from Belarus, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
• Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks to journalists near the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, ahead of the arrival of released prisoners from Belarus. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Show Caption1 of 4FILE – A Belavia plane of Belarus national carrier, lands at the International Airport outside Vilnius, Lithuania on Sunday, May 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File) Expand

Statkevich, one of Lukashenko’s most prominent and charismatic opponents, attempted to run for president in 2010, but was arrested, convicted on charges of organizing mass riots and sentenced to six years. Amnesty International recognized him as a prisoner of conscience, and in 2015 he was released under pressure from the U.S.

Statkevich was arrested again before the 2020 elections, found guilty once more of organizing mass riots, and sentenced to another 14 years. He has been held incommunicado since February 2023.

Also among those released were Ihar Losik, a journalist for U.S. government-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well other journalists and bloggers, party and union leaders, and 14 foreigners.

Franak Viachorka, Tsikhanouskaya’s senior advisor, told AP that while most of the released Belarusians are in “normal physical and psychological condition,” some need urgent medical care.

Elena Ramanauskienė — a Lithuanian who was detained in Belarus while visiting, convicted of espionage and sentenced to six years — burst into tears after stepping from the bus that brought her and some of the others back, and thanked those who made her release possible.

But some Belarusians viewed their release differently. Larysa Shchyrakova, a 52-year-old journalist who was almost done serving her 3 1/2-year prison term in her hometown of Gomel, said she was “deported.”

“I have no home, no relatives here – nothing,” Shchyrakova told reporters in Vilnius. “My mother died while I was in prison, so now I can’t even go to her grave.”

Almost 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, according to human rights group Viasna, and Trump has said he wants to win the release of more.

Warming ties?

There have been signs of Trump seeking a thaw with Lukashenko — much as he has with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Soon after hosting Putin for talks in Alaska last month, Trump hinted he was working on a deal to win the release of hundreds of prisoners held in Belarus after holding a “wonderful talk” with Lukashenko.

Trump announced in a social media posting following the call — his first publicized engagement with Belarussian leader during his second term — that the purpose of the conversation was to thank Lukashenko for the June prisoner release.

But the U.S. leader said the two also talked about the potential release of many more being held in Belarus.

Trump also added: “I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future.”

That would be a remarkable turnaround for a leader who has been widely shunned for his relentless repression of the opposition and independent media, especially after tens of thousands of people poured into the streets to protest his reelection in August 2020, in a vote widely seen as rigged.

In the ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands were detained. Prominent opposition figures either fled the country or were imprisoned.

Lukashenko has since extended his rule for a seventh term in another election that the opposition called a farce.

Karmanau reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writers Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, and Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

By WILL WEISSERT and STEPHEN WHYNO

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump attended the New York Yankees game on Thursday night, drawing a mixed reaction while marking the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, after honoring the memories of the victims at the Pentagon earlier in the day.

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Authorities installed security glass outside an upper level suite on the third base side, over the visiting Detroit Tigers dugout, for the president. During the National Anthem, Trump was shown on the stadium jumbotron and received boos from some in the crowd, cheers from others.

Moments earlier, as he first took his seat, the president briefly waved to the crowd and flashed a thumb’s up — but not all fans noticed because there was no announcement he was arriving.

The stadium also briefly played Trump’s unofficial campaign anthem, “God Bless the USA,” but to little reaction. There were chants of “USA! USA! USA!” but they were more related to marking Sept. 11 than Trump’s attending the game.

All that followed Trump stopping by the home team’s clubhouse about 15 minutes before the game. He shook hands with the players and team staff members, and talked about being close for years with late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, calling him “a great friend of mine, the whole family.”

Trump predicted the Yankees would win, noting of his past attending games with Steinbrenner, “We won every time I came.”

President Donald Trump talks with New York Yankees Aaron Judge, right, in the New York Yankees locker room before a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

“You think that was easy sitting with him for a game? It wasn’t. It was brutal. But he won, and you’re going to win,” the president said.

He later added: “You’re going to go all the way, and you’ll get in the playoff — and I think we’ll start off, how about tonight? We’ll start from tonight on, and you’re going to do well.” The Tigers beat the Yankees during the first two games of the series Tuesday and Wednesday by a combined score of 23-3.

Trump said he wanted to “wish you guys a lot of luck. You’re great players, I know, every one of you.” He also recalled that the Yankees’ archrival, the Boston Red Sox, had visited him in the Oval Office earlier this summer and then went on a long winning streak.

Manager Aaron Boone said before Trump’s arrival that Yankees leftfielder Anthony Volpe had quietly been playing with a partial labrum tear in his left shoulder. As he greeted him, Trump patted him softly on the shoulder.

“It’s something that I’m excited to be a part of,” Boone said of Trump being on-hand.

A presidential visit always prompts extra security at sporting events, but things were heightened after conservative activist and close Trump ally Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah on Wednesday. When Trump attended the Sept. 11 observance ceremony at the Pentagon earlier Thursday, authorities moved the ceremony inside as an added precaution.

Trump’s attendance recalled President George W. Bush’s ceremonial first pitch 24 years earlier as the Yankees played the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series — a moment that came to symbolize national resilience after the attacks mere weeks earlier.

Since the attacks, the Yankees and their fans have marked Sept. 11 during the seventh-inning stretch by singing “God Bless America” in addition to the traditional “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and they were doing so again Thursday. They also held a moment of silence before the first pitch.

Security at the stadium was tight, with entrance featuring metal detectors and Secret Service agents, some with sniffer dogs, while New York Police Department helicopters thundered overhead.

Stadium authorities opened the gates three hours before the first pitch, and long lines began forming even before that, though most of the crowd appeared to be moving into the stadium smoothly. The Yankees said ticketholders were “strongly urged to arrive as early as possible.”

Fans wait to pass through security screening at Yankee Stadium before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Secret Service said extra time would likely be needed to enter the game and asked fans to consider leaving their bags at home.

Trump’s attendance at the U.S. Open men’s final in Queens last weekend sparked security lines long enough that some fans didn’t make it to their seats until more than an hour into the match, despite organizers delaying its start by 30 minutes.

The game is Trump’s eighth major sporting event since returning to the White House in January. He attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500, UFC fights in Miami and Newark, New Jersey, the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, the FIFA Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and last weekend’s U.S. Open match.

The Yankee Stadium scoreboard featured a large MLB logo over an American flag and a red, white and blue ribbon under the inscription “September 11, 2001, We Shall Not Forget.”

President Donald Trump arrives at Yankee Stadium before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The large American flag behind the left field bleachers and the smaller flags for each of baseball’s 30 teams that ring the stadium’s upper level were lowered to half-staff after Trump issued an executive order honoring Kirk. Before Wednesday’s game, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Kirk and flashed his picture on their stadium’s big screen.

Trump was born in the New York borough of Queens and, though he’s lived in Florida in recent years, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he “remains a New Yorker at heart.” Still, Trump’s appearances at baseball games haven’t always been welcomed by fans.

During his first term in 2019, Trump tried to make a low-profile appearance as the Washington Nationals hosted the Houston Astros in the World Series, but was booed roundly when shown on the stadium’s big screen. There were even chants of “Lock him up!”