South Florida Local News

Today is Saturday, July 12, the 193rd day of 2024. There are 172 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On July 12, as an angry reaction to the popularity of disco music, the Chicago White Sox held the “Disco Demolition Night” promotion, in which a crate of disco records was blown up on the field between games of a double-header; the ensuing riot and damage to the field caused the White Sox to forfeit the second game.

Also on this date:

In 1543, England’s King Henry VIII married his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr.

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In 1812, United States forces led by Gen. William Hull entered Canada during the War of 1812 against Britain. (However, Hull retreated shortly thereafter to Detroit.)

In 1862, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the Army Medal of Honor.

In 1909, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing for a federal income tax, and submitted it to the states. (It was declared ratified in February 1913.)

In 1962, the Rolling Stones played their first show, at the Marquee Club in London.

In 1967, rioting erupted in Newark, New Jersey, over the police beating of a Black taxi driver; 26 people were killed in the five days of violence that followed.

In 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale announced his choice of U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running mate; Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket.

In 1991, Japanese professor Hitoshi Igarashi, who had translated Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses,” was found stabbed to death, nine days after the novel’s Italian translator was attacked in Milan.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton, visiting Germany, went to the eastern sector of Berlin, the first U.S. president to do so since Harry Truman.

In 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan, the first carrier named for a living president, was commissioned in Norfolk, Virginia.

In 2012, a scathing report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh said the late Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials had buried child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky more than a decade earlier to avoid bad publicity.

In 2022, Twitter sued Elon Musk to force him to complete the $44 billion acquisition of the social media company after Musk said he was backing off his agreement to buy the company. (He would eventually become Twitter’s owner three months later.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Writer Delia Ephron is 81.
• Singer Walter Egan is 77.
• Writer-producer Brian Grazer is 74.
• Actor Cheryl Ladd is 74.
• Gospel singer Ricky McKinnie (The Blind Boys of Alabama) is 73.
• Gospel singer Sandi Patty is 69.
• Actor Mel Harris is 69.
• Boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez is 63.
• Rock singer Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) is 60.
• Actor Lisa Nicole Carson is 56.
• Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi is 54.
• Actor Anna Friel is 49.
• R&B singer Tracie Spencer is 49.
• Actor Topher Grace is 47.
• Actor Michelle Rodriguez is 47.
• Country singer-musician Kimberly Perry (The Band Perry) is 42.
• Actor Natalie Martinez is 41.
• Actor Ta’Rhonda Jones is 37.
• Actor Rachel Brosnahan is 35.
• Olympic gold medal gymnast Jordyn Wieber is 30.
• Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is 28.
• NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 27.

By JAIMIE DING, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles.

Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit last week accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing immigration crackdown. The plaintiffs include three detained immigrants and two U.S. citizens, one who was held despite showing agents his identification.

The filing in U.S. District Court asked a judge to block the administration from using what they call unconstitutional tactics in immigration raids. Immigrant advocates accuse immigration officials of detaining someone based on their race, carrying out warrantless arrests, and denying detainees access to legal counsel at a holding facility in downtown LA.

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Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in an email that “any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE.”

McLaughlin said “enforcement operations are highly targeted, and officers do their due diligence” before making arrests.

Judge Maame E. Frimpong also issued a separate order barring the federal government from restricting attorney access at a Los Angeles immigration detention facility.

Frimpong issued the emergency orders, which are a temporary measure while the lawsuit proceeds, the day after a hearing during which advocacy groups argued that the government was violating the Fourth and Fifth amendments of the constitution.

She wrote in the order there was a “mountain of evidence” presented in the case that the federal government was committing the violations they were being accused of.

Immigrants and Latino communities across Southern California have been on edge for weeks since the Trump administration stepped up arrests at car washes, Home Depot parking lots, immigration courts and a range of businesses. Tens of thousands of people have participated in rallies in the region over the raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines.

The order also applies to Ventura County, where busloads of workers were detained Thursday while the court hearing was underway after federal agents descended on a cannabis farm, leading to clashes with protesters and multiple injuries.

Federal immigration agents toss tear gas at protesters during a raid in the agriculture area of Camarillo, Calif., Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the recent wave of immigration enforcement has been driven by an “arbitrary arrest quota” and based on “broad stereotypes based on race or ethnicity.”

When detaining the three day laborers who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, all immigration agents knew about them is that they were Latino and were dressed in construction work clothes, the filing in the lawsuit said. It goes on to describe raids at swap meets and Home Depots where witnesses say federal agents grabbed anyone who “looked Hispanic.”

ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar said Brian Gavidia, one of the U.S. citizens who was detained, was “physically assaulted … for no other reason than he was Latino and working at a tow yard in a predominantly Latin American neighborhood.”

Tajsar asked why immigration agents detained everyone at a car wash except two white workers, according to a declaration by a car wash worker, if race wasn’t involved.

Representing the government, attorney Sean Skedzielewski said there was no evidence that federal immigration agents considered race in their arrests, and that they only considered appearance as part of the “totality of the circumstances” including prior surveillance and interactions with people in the field.

In some cases, they also operated off “targeted, individualized packages,” he said.

“The Department of Homeland Security has policy and training to ensure compliance with the Fourth Amendment,” Skedzielewski said.

Federal agents ride on and armored vehicle at MacArthur Park Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Order opens facility to lawyer visits

Lawyers from Immigrant Defenders Law Center and other groups say they also have been denied access to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown LA known as “B-18” on several occasions since June, according to court documents.

Lawyer Mark Rosenbaum said in one incident on June 7 attorneys “attempted to shout out basic rights” at a bus of people detained by immigration agents in downtown LA when the government drivers honked their horns to drown them out and chemical munitions akin to tear gas were deployed.

Skedzielewski said access was only restricted to “protect the employees and the detainees” during violent protests and it has since been restored.

Rosenbaum said lawyers were denied access even on days without any demonstrations nearby, and that the people detained are also not given sufficient access to phones or informed that lawyers were available to them.

He said the facility lacks adequate food and beds, which he called “coercive” to getting people to sign papers to agree to leave the country before consulting an attorney.

Friday’s order will prevent the government from solely using apparent race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, presence at a location such as a tow yard or car wash, or someone’s occupation as the basis for reasonable suspicion to stop someone. It will also require officials to open B-18 to visitation by attorneys seven days a week and provide detainees access to confidential phone calls with attorneys.

Attorneys general for 18 Democratic states also filed briefs in support of the orders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were already barred from making warrantless arrests in a large swath of eastern California after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in April.

By DAVID GINSBURG

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano each had two RBIs and the surging Baltimore Orioles beat the Miami Marlins 5-2 on Friday night.

Jordan Westburg had three hits and scored three runs for the Orioles, who have won six of seven to improve to 43-50 — the closest they’ve been to .500 since May 5.

Kremer (8-7) struck out seven, walked one and kept Miami scoreless while allowing only one runner past first base. The right-hander finished his 99-pitch effort with two straight strikeouts.

Otto Lopez’s two-run homer in the ninth enabled the Marlins to avoid their second consecutive shutout.

Back in Baltimore for the first time since being traded with Connor Norby to Miami last July 30, NL All-Star Kyle Stowers went 1 for 3 with a walk. Stowers received a smattering of applause from those in the crowd of 22,213 who recalled the 2019 second-round pick playing parts of three seasons with the Orioles.

Norby went 1 for 3.

Baltimore wasted no time grabbing the lead against Miami starter Edward Cabrera (3-4). Westburg singled in a run and scored on a double by O’Hearn in the first inning. In the third, the Orioles bunched together four straight hits, including an RBI single by O’Hearn and a run-scoring double by Laureano.

Laureano singled in a run in the seventh to make it 5-0.

Key moment

Jackson Holliday ripped Cabrera’s first pitch into center field for a double, setting the tone for a game in which Baltimore scored twice before making two outs.

Key stat

The Orioles improved to 8-24 in games in which they do not homer.

Up next

Facing the Marlins for the first time since they traded him for Stowers and Norby, Trevor Rogers (2-0, 1.57 ERA) gets his fifth start of the season on Saturday. Janson Junk (3-1, 3.12) starts for Miami.

___

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

TALLAHASSEE — Environmental groups Friday gave formal notice that they could sue federal and state agencies over alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act at an immigrant-detention center in the Everglades dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.

The notice was in addition to a lawsuit filed June 27 that alleges violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, a federal law that requires evaluating potential environmental impacts before such a project can move forward.

The notice warned that if the alleged violations are not resolved within 60 days, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity plan to sue. Elise Bennett, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in an email that the allegations would be amended onto the already-existing lawsuit.

The state last week began operating the detention center at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a remote site used for flight training surrounded by the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve. While the state is operating the facility, officials have said they will seek federal reimbursement for the costs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has contended the facility, which could house 3,000 people, does not pose environmental threats. Among other things, the airport has existed for decades.

But environmental groups warn that it could cause wide-ranging ecological damage and harm a variety of species such as endangered Florida panthers.

Friday’s notice was addressed to officials at several federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

In part, attorneys for Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity contended in the notice that federal agencies violated the Endangered Species Act by not going through what is known as a “consultation” process related to the construction and operation of the facility. That process would include agencies consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the potential effects on species.

The notice described consultation as the “heart” of the Endangered Species Act and said it includes a “substantive duty for federal agencies to ensure the actions they authorize or carry out are not likely to jeopardize listed species or destroy or adversely modify critical habitat designated” for species.

“Based on our review of publicly available information, the federal agencies have failed to initiate and complete formal consultation over their respective agency actions associated with the construction and operation of the mass immigration detention center in the middle of Big Cypress National Preserve, which may affect — and is indeed likely to adversely affect — species listed under the ESA (Endangered Species Act),” attorneys from the Center for Biological Diversity and the Earthjustice legal organization wrote.

The notice also alleged federal and state agencies violated the Clean Water Act by not obtaining a dredge-and-fill permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “for apparent filling and paving of federal jurisdictional waters associated with the construction and operation of the mass detention center.”

General Daily Insight for July 12, 2025

Imaginary competition can create havoc. Initially, the intuitive Moon soothes balanced Venus, encouraging us to connect with others emotionally while approaching our own lives with gentle compassion. That said, Luna then stands off with nervous Mercury at 3:45 pm EDT. Our pride may create obstacles to us truly connecting with the people we want to reach. The Moon also struggles to understand rash Mars, threatening to knock us off balance with rushed decisions and impulsive behavior. The less concerned we are with pride, the better.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Your goals might be tough to match up with your efforts. You may want to do more, better, faster, but the more realistic way to make your desired progress is to be consistent and innovative as you go. Maybe you’re concerned that you should be further along by this point, or that your dedication hasn’t provided the dividends that it should have, but don’t sell yourself short. Look back at how far you have come to unlock a more positive perspective.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You can’t rush your rise to the top. You might feel as though you’ve experienced all that you need to on your way up the corporate ladder or to take charge of a situation, but it may quickly become obvious that you don’t have all of the tools of the trade that you need just yet. Rome wasn’t built in a day! Despite the proficiencies that you’ve already developed, you might not have fully filled out your skill set. Remember, a good leader is humble.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Your desire to explore may be halted by the need to stay in place. Watch out for blockages arriving out of nowhere that stall your efforts to indulge in any fun activities that you had planned for today, even if you’ve been planning this for some time. Sudden responsibilities, unexpected travel issues, or even coming down with a bug could get in the way of you fulfilling your plans for the day. Muster up the determination to roll with the punches.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Yourself is good enough. You’re showing other people that you are the person you say you are, and that person is genuine to the core. Despite that, other people’s preconceived notions about you or even their individual insecurities could come out and create issues for you with little warning. Although it may be draining, keep in mind that you can only control how YOU act in a situation — their immature or harsh actions will just make them look bad! Make yourself proud.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Someone in your life might not be showing adequate respect for your boundaries. For instance, they may steamroll you to spend beyond your budget limits, or they could push you to participate in activities that make you uncomfortable in unhealthy ways, leading you to reevaluate your connection with them. It’s important to make it clear to this person that you won’t be pressured into doing things that don’t match your standards. Don’t choose someone else’s whims and peer pressure over your better judgment.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Sometimes you have to be an advocate for yourself. You may not be as comfortable with the people who work alongside you as you are with your superiors at the moment. It could be that you are in competition with your peers or coworkers, or there might be jealousy or pettiness involved. Either way, feeling stressed and worried around everyday connections isn’t fun. Make an effort to set aside those concerns in favor of simply showing up as your best self and being kind.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Anxiety can prevent you from trying new things. Worrying too much about the outcome of a situation before it even begins could keep you from ever starting it! This may be something that you want, but the fact that rejection is on the table may make it difficult for you to move past the initial nerves. That’s normal. Whether you’re ultimately accepted or not, don’t take it personally. Tomorrow will be a new day — one that benefits from whatever you learn today.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Your heart is asking you to be kind to yourself. Someone in your life, or even multiple people, might be putting an emotional strain on you with criticism or silence. Remembering who you are matters far more than their judgment. Constantly thinking about how others perceive you can wear you down. You can accept valid critiques while cultivating self-love. The more that you can look in the mirror and tell the person looking back at you that you love them, the better today should go.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

How you’re feeling inside may not match the image you’re portraying to the wider world. Others might see you as closed off or angry right now, even though that might not be what’s true for you in your heart. They could be projecting onto you or simply worried — regardless, there’s nothing wrong with clearing the air and reassuring them that you’re fine. Alternatively, they may think that you are fine, while your soul is in turmoil. Either way, realign your outside with your inside.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Safety may start to feel suffocating. Analyze your current situation — while you might have felt safe there for a long time, it’s plausible that you’re now ready to move on to a bigger pond with more room to grow. That being said, your progress depends on you making that first leap. By continuously swimming in circles, you might be keeping yourself in the same position that’s beginning to stifle you. Don’t let the desire for security morph into a mental trap.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You may not see eye-to-eye with a necessary collaborator at this time. This can be a tricky situation, one where compromise is difficult to find — likely because you’re on opposite ends of some spectrum. The more care that you dedicate to ensuring that both parties are happy at the end of the day, the more likely you are to feel fulfilled and achieve a result that keeps your connection strong. After all, it might be better to preserve the relationship than to be right.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Understanding yourself affects everything. Not knowing how you feel can drive a wedge between you and someone else at present, so do your best to figure out what your true feelings are before trying to fix anything wrong in the connection between you. They may be trying to understand you, and without understanding yourself, there is almost no way that they’ll be able to grasp your emotions. They can’t read your mind, so make sure that you are speaking up for yourself.

Paige Cornwell and Lauren Rosenblatt, The Seattle Times

The two engines on the Air India flight shut down within one second of each other before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed last month in Ahmedabad, India, killing at least 260 people, according to a preliminary report released Friday.

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Both engine fuel control switches that, if pulled while in flight, cut power to the engines, transitioned from the “run” to “cutoff” settings as the plane took off, according to the report.

In the recovered cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off fuel to the engine. The other pilot responded that he didn’t, according to the 15-page report.

The preliminary report, released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, comes 30 days after the fatal crash, following guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that recommends practices for the industry.

The new information matches media reports this week that, citing anonymous sources, said that investigators were focused on the engine fuel control switches.

On June 12, the Boeing 787 crashed in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad less than a minute after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground, according to the most recent estimates from local authorities.

The Everett-built plane crashed into a medical hostel roughly 1 mile from the airport. It was the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the jet maker’s smaller widebody plane.

India’s civil aviation authority is leading the investigation, with support from the U.S. and the U.K., which had several citizens on board the London-bound plane.

The switches moved back to “run” and one engine was regaining thrust when the plane crashed.

The report doesn’t specify which of the two pilots asked the other about the switches. Both pilots had an adequate rest period before the flight, underwent preflight breath analyzer tests and were deemed fit to fly, according to the report. The first officer was flying the plane and the captain was monitoring during takeoff.

The takeoff weight was within the allowable limits, and there were no “dangerous goods” on the plane, according to the report. There was no significant bird activity in the flight path.

Boeing and engine maker General Electric offered to support the investigation and Air India. Both companies have been limited in what they can say as the investigation is ongoing.

The report said at this investigation stage, there are no recommended actions for Boeing Dreamliner or General Electric engine operators and manufacturers.

With few official updates from accident investigators, the aviation industry and flying public have been searching for answers about what went wrong.

Aviation experts who spoke with The Seattle Times over the last month shared a long list of possibilities and were reluctant to rule anything out, noting that the circumstances of the crash were unusual.

©2025 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ten Broward Sheriff’s deputies and sergeants have been “recommended for termination” as of Friday, according to a statement from the union, after triple murders in Tamarac in February led to an internal investigation of numerous deputies.

The union’s statement shared Friday evening with the South Florida Sun Sentinel does not name any of the 10 deputies or sergeants.

The Sheriff’s Office’s Internal Affairs investigation is still open and active, spokesperson Carey Codd said in an email Friday night.

On a Sunday morning in February, Nathan Gingles, 43, had shot and killed his father-in-law, David Ponzer, then took the couple’s 4-year-old daughter Seraphine as he chased his estranged wife, Mary Gingles, through the neighborhood before killing her as well as Andrew Ferrin, 36, a stranger whose home she had run into to try to escape, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Mary Gingles repeatedly had sought help from the Sheriff’s Office, saying in a court petition that she believed her husband was going to kill her. The gun Nathan Gingles is accused of using was one he had been ordered to surrender to the Sheriff’s Office, but he never did. He is now charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony promised to hold his deputies accountable following the deadly shooting.

Mary Gingles and David Ponzer are shown in an undated family photo. (Mary Gingles' family/Courtesy)

Broward Deputy Sheriffs Association President Dan Rakofsky in the statement called the disciplinary process “biased” and a “scapegoating of our members in the pursuit of public relations goals.” The statement condemned Sheriff Tony’s message at a news conference held in the days following the murders, where he said his agency could have possibly saved the lives of three people but they “failed.”

“It’s very frustrating for me to have to stand here and witness this and know that we’re an organization who has had our trials, from one active shooter event at the airport, to Stoneman Douglas, to one tragedy after the next,” Tony said at the February news conference.

“This evening, we see the consequences of inappropriate public statements and premature release of information. The Sheriff’s press conference, three days after the heinous and horrific murders in Tamarac, was a dog whistle and clear message to what was supposed to be an unbiased Professional Standards Committee,” the statement said. “The BSO members on the committee that voted on the recommendations concerning which administrative violations to sustain and what discipline to impose are all at-will employees who were undoubtedly in a very awkward position, as their tenure is subject to the whims of the Sheriff.”

Two employees were previously fired: Deputy Stephen Tapia in June “for failure to meet probationary standards” and Jemeriah Cooper in May, the former head of the Tamarac district who was demoted to deputy before his termination.

The number of deputies who came under investigation after the murders grew over several months from seven initially to at least 15.

“Gaps in the agency’s capabilities have been exposed” in the aftermath of the murders, the union’s statement said, “along with many systemic and institutional processes in need of better oversight and/or revision.”

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A resident of northern Arizona has died from pneumonic plague, health officials said Friday.

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Plague is rare to humans, with on average about seven cases reported annually in the U.S., most of them in the western states, according to federal health officials.

The death in Coconino County, which includes Flagstaff, was the first recorded death from pneumonic plague since 2007, local officials said. Further details including the identify of the victim were not released.

Plague is a bacterial infection known for killing tens of millions in 14th century Europe. Today, it’s easily treated with antibiotics.

The bubonic plague is the most common form of the bacterial infection, which spreads naturally among rodents like prairie dogs and rats.

There are two other forms: septicemic plague that spreads through the whole body, and pneumonic plague that infects the lungs.

Pneumonic plague is the most deadly and easiest to spread.

The bacteria is transmitted through the bites of infected fleas that can spread it between rodents, pets and humans.

People can also get plague through touching infected bodily fluids. Health experts recommend taking extra care when handling dead or sick animals.

Most cases happen in rural areas of northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon and far western Nevada, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By MATT O’BRIEN

The latest version of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok is echoing the views of its billionaire creator, so much so that it will sometimes search online for Musk’s stance on an issue before offering up an opinion.

The unusual behavior of Grok 4, the AI model that Musk’s company xAI released late Wednesday, has surprised some experts.

Built using huge amounts of computing power at a Tennessee data center, Grok is Musk’s attempt to outdo rivals such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini in building an AI assistant that shows its reasoning before answering a question.

Musk’s deliberate efforts to mold Grok into a challenger of what he considers the tech industry’s “woke” orthodoxy on race, gender and politics has repeatedly got the chatbot into trouble, most recently when it spouted antisemitic tropes, praised Adolf Hitler and made other hateful commentary to users of Musk’s X social media platform just days before Grok 4’s launch.

But its tendency to consult with Musk’s opinions appears to be a different problem.

“It’s extraordinary,” said Simon Willison, an independent AI researcher who’s been testing the tool. “You can ask it a sort of pointed question that is around controversial topics. And then you can watch it literally do a search on X for what Elon Musk said about this, as part of its research into how it should reply.”

One example widely shared on social media — and which Willison duplicated — asked Grok to comment on the conflict in the Middle East. The prompted question made no mention of Musk, but the chatbot looked for his guidance anyway.

As a so-called reasoning model, much like those made by rivals OpenAI or Anthropic, Grok 4 shows its “thinking” as it goes through the steps of processing a question and coming up with an answer. Part of that thinking this week involved searching X, the former Twitter that’s now merged into xAI, for anything Musk said about Israel, Palestine, Gaza or Hamas.

“Elon Musk’s stance could provide context, given his influence,” the chatbot told Willison, according to a video of the interaction. “Currently looking at his views to see if they guide the answer.”

Musk and his xAI co-founders introduced the new chatbot in a livestreamed event Wednesday night but haven’t published a technical explanation of its workings — known as a system card — that companies in the AI industry typically provide when introducing a new model.

The company also didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.

“In the past, strange behavior like this was due to system prompt changes,” which is when engineers program specific instructions to guide a chatbot’s response, said Tim Kellogg, principal AI architect at software company Icertis.

“But this one seems baked into the core of Grok and it’s not clear to me how that happens,” Kellogg said. “It seems that Musk’s effort to create a maximally truthful AI has somehow led to it believing its own values must align with Musk’s own values.”

The lack of transparency is troubling for computer scientist Talia Ringer, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who earlier in the week criticized the company’s handling of the technology’s antisemitic outbursts.

Ringer said the most plausible explanation for Grok’s search for Musk’s guidance is assuming the person is asking for the opinions of xAI or Musk.

“I think people are expecting opinions out of a reasoning model that cannot respond with opinions,” Ringer said. “So, for example, it interprets ‘Who do you support, Israel or Palestine?’ as ‘Who does xAI leadership support?”

Willison also said he finds Grok 4’s capabilities impressive but said people buying software “don’t want surprises like it turning into ‘mechaHitler’ or deciding to search for what Musk thinks about issues.”

“Grok 4 looks like it’s a very strong model. It’s doing great in all of the benchmarks,” Willison said. “But if I’m going to build software on top of it, I need transparency.”

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to contain the fallout and appease the demands of far-right conservative personalities and influential members of President Donald Trump’s base after the administration’s decision this week to withhold records from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.

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The move, which included the acknowledgment that one particular sought-after document never existed in the first place, sparked a contentious conversation between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House earlier this week — threatening to shatter relations between the two law enforcement leaders. It centered in part on a news story by a conservative outlet that described divisions between the FBI and the Justice Department.

The cascade of disappointment and disbelief arising from the refusal to disclose additional, much-hyped records from the Epstein investigation lays bare the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders to resolve the conspiracy theories and amped-up expectations that they themselves had stoked with claims of a cover-up and hidden evidence. Infuriated by the failure of officials to unlock, as promised, the secrets of the so-called “deep state,” Trump supporters on the far right have grown restless and even demanded change at the top.

Tensions that simmered for months boiled over on Monday when the Justice Department and FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had concluded that Epstein did not possess a “client list,” even though Bondi had intimated in February that such a document was sitting on her desk. The statement also said that they had decided against releasing any additional records from the investigation.

The department did disclose a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself in jail, but even that raised eyebrows of conspiracy theorists because of a missing minute in the recording.

It was hardly the first time that Trump administration officials have failed to fulfill their pledge to deliver the evidence they expected.

In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified” that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain.

After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI.

But after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department determined in the memo Monday that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” the memo says. The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”

The Trump administration had hoped that that statement would be the final word on the saga, with Trump chiding a reporter who asked Bondi about the Epstein case at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

But Bondi and Bongino had a contentious exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, listens as President Donald Trump, right, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Part of the clash centered on a story from NewsNation, a right-leaning news organization, that cited a “source close to the White House” as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel refuting the premise, but not Bongino.

The news publication Axios was first to describe the conversation.

Blanche sought to stem the fallout Friday with a social media post in which he said he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the Epstein matter and the joint memo.

“All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false,” he wrote on X.

Also, Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, posted on X that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his future. Bongino is normally an active presence on social media but has been silent since Wednesday.

The FBI did not respond to a request seeking comment and the White House sought in a statement to minimize any tensions.

“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” said spokesman Harrison Fields. “This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

Today is Friday, July 11, the 192nd day of 2024. There are 173 days left in the year.

Today in History:

On July 11, 1995, the U.N.-designated “safe haven” of Srebrenica (sreh-breh-NEET’-sah) in Bosnia-Herzegovina fell to Bosnian Serb forces, who subsequently carried out the killings of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Also on this date:

In 1798, the U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by a congressional act that also created the U.S. Marine Band.

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In 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. (Hamilton died the next day.)

In 1859, Big Ben, the great bell inside the famous London clock tower, chimed for the first time.

In 1864, Confederate forces led by Gen. Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington, D.C., and his raid was turned back the next day.

In 1914, Babe Ruth made his Major League baseball debut, pitching the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over Cleveland.

In 1921, fighting in the Irish War of Independence ended with a truce.

In 1960, Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published.

In 1972, the World Chess Championship opened as grandmasters Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union began play in Reykjavik, Iceland. (Fischer won after 21 games.)

In 1979, the abandoned U.S. space station Skylab made a spectacular return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.

In 1991, a Nigeria Airways DC-8 carrying Muslim pilgrims crashed at the Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, international airport, killing all 261 people on board.

In 2006, eight bombs hit a commuter rail network during evening rush hour in Mumbai, India, killing more than 200 people.

In 2022, President Joe Biden revealed the first image from NASA’s new space telescope, the farthest humanity had ever seen in both time and distance, closer to the dawn of the universe and the edge of the cosmos.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Fashion designer Giorgio Armani is 91.
• Actor Susan Seaforth Hayes is 82.
• Actor Bruce McGill is 75.
• Actor Stephen Lang is 73.
• Actor Mindy Sterling is 72.
• Actor Sela Ward is 69.
• Reggae singer Michael Rose (Black Uhuru) is 68.
• Singer Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) is 68.
• Actor Mark Lester is 67.
• Saxophonist Kirk Whalum is 67.
• Singer Suzanne Vega is 66.
• Rock guitarist Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) is 66.
• Actor Lisa Rinna is 62.
• Author Jhumpa Lahiri is 58.
• Wildlife expert Jeff Corwin is 58.
• Actor Justin Chambers (TV: “Grey’s Anatomy”) is 55.
• Actor Michael Rosenbaum (TV: “Smallville”) is 53.
• Rapper Lil’ Kim is 51.
• Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson is 44.
• Pop-jazz singer-musician Peter Cincotti is 42.
• Actor Serinda Swan is 41.
• Actor David Henrie is 36.
• Actor Connor Paolo is 35.
• R&B/pop singer Alessia Cara is 29.

By JEFF WALLNER

CINCINNATI (AP) — Spencer Steer homered and Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 6-0 on Thursday to earn a split in the four-game series.

Elly De La Cruz singled for his 100th hit of the season, stole second, and scored on Austin Hays’ single to put Cincinnati ahead 1-0 in the first.

Steer’s solo home run, his 11th of the season, made the score 2-0 in the second.

Cal Quantrill retired 11 straight following Steer’s homer, but the Reds loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth.

Lodolo (6-6) allowed only three hits with no walks and four strikeouts. It’s the seventh time this season that the Reds’ lefty allowed one run or fewer.

De La Cruz singled in a run and TJ Friedl raced home on a throwing error by right fielder Dane Myers to make it 4-0 in the sixth. Hays followed with a two-run single.

Quantrill (3-8) pitched five-plus innings and allowed five earned runs, the most since April 19 when he allowed seven at Philadelphia.

Key moment

The Marlins had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh, but Graham Ashcraft got pinch-hitter Liam Hicks to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Key stat

The Reds haven’t been swept in 30 series this season. It marks their longest streak of consecutive series without being swept to open a season since 1989.

Up next

Marlins RHP Edward Cabrera (3-3, 3.33 ERA) will start Friday at Baltimore. The Orioles have not named a starter. Reds RHP Chase Burns (0-1, 8.10) will oppose Rockies RHP Germán Márquez (3-10, 5.84) on Friday.

___

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

General Daily Insight for July 11, 2025

Think big! The sympathetic Moon enters humanitarian Aquarius at 1:21 pm EDT, encouraging us to think about how we can give back. The Moon quickly moves to coordinate with the innovative ruler of Aquarius, Uranus, encouraging us to embrace the zigs and zags of life. We can trust that they’re taking us somewhere worthwhile. Eventually, the Moon conjoins transformative Pluto, motivating us to change from within. This can feel overwhelming if we’re afraid of letting these changes into our souls. The sky’s the limit!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Refreshed connections offer renewed value. Bring everyone together to have fun, whether it’s as simple as playing a board game or making group plans to visit a trendy restaurant. Make a point of experiencing fresh excitement as one unit. Making time for those close to you is vital. While it can be hard to steal time away from your responsibilities, the ones that you love make life sweeter — they deserve some attention. Make memories, because no one will do it for you!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Time to shine, Taurus! Stepping into a leadership role can elevate your energy, boosting your ability to bring your ideas into reality. You may not have thought of yourself as someone who wants to rock the boat with competition, but today, you’re breaking out of the mold. It might be that you’ve realized your worth on an updated level that’s propelling you forward — if so, others will likely notice that newfound confidence. Don’t stay in the background just because you think you have to.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Fresh sparks are stoking your fire. You could have recently begun pursuing your true passion. Don’t let the fear of falling stop you from taking flight! It’s important to avoid getting distracted by possible future dividends, as this isn’t necessarily a monetary opportunity, but more of a hobby that makes you feel more alive. Focusing on the activities that excite your soul will guide you toward your ideal next steps. Remember, you shouldn’t have to monetize this for it to be worth your time.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Investing in the right areas is presently crucial. You might have found yourself being led by intuition to someone new, the kind of friend who inspires a deep connection. It could feel like the platonic version of love at first sight! This magnetic draw may be a little unnerving, as you might not know how to handle it at first. As the conversation flows, you’ll potentially realize that this is someone who could become a staple in your life. Choose quality connections over quantity.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

The people in your life can introduce you to new things. You might not have been up for trying these activities in the past. Now, though, after seeing how much fun your friends are having or noticing a group of strangers enjoying themselves, you may be encouraged to look into what all the fuss is about. There’s nothing wrong with liking the same things that everyone else likes, as long as you genuinely like them. You’re not on the bandwagon for no reason.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Healthy roots must be nourished today. You might be getting organized in new ways, potentially starting positive habits as well as ending negative ones. It could be difficult to see the future benefits, but any healthy changes that you make, no matter how small, are likely to pay off quite soon. Others may be inspired by you getting your life together — they might even approach you asking for mentorship or just a few helpful hints. Don’t gatekeep the road to bettering yourself.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

How do you normally get out of a rut? You might feel as though your routine has become stagnant, or that you haven’t challenged yourself in a while. While living the same way day-to-day can be comfortable, seeing identical sights on repeat can become draining. Even if you’re just going to the next town over, check out some new places and push yourself to learn something about that area. Whether you’re researching solo or taking a group tour, stimulate your mind for best results.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

There’s no place like home. It may be that you are afraid to settle down, thinking that you would be mired in the situation with no option of getting out later. Remind yourself that being forever on the go is lonely and tiring. Create a place that recharges you so that you can be your best self and approach the world with energetic confidence. Having a secure place to rest can make a world of difference, especially when it truly feels like home.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

It could feel like you’re meeting someone for the first time. You and a person you haven’t seen in a while may be reconnecting. Remember, you’ve both grown since the last time you saw each other. They might look completely different, but act the same, or they may look the same, but have had a significant mindset shift. Perhaps they’re thinking the same thing about you! Approach them with the open mind that you would like to see in return.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

A fresh approach might be on the table for your public or professional identity. Your mindset might no longer be serving your needs — or those of your bosses or clients. This could snowball into a worrying lack of progress, but it doesn’t have to. Being open to altering how you approach your responsibilities and resources might free you up to live the life you dream about. Start by addressing whatever makes you feel provided for and fulfilled to begin making a world of difference.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Showing up for yourself currently involves taking risks. It may require you to release a friendship or goal that you no longer feel aligned with. When something continually drains you, it could be best to cut ties. Although it can be difficult to let go of something that you’ve been clutching so tightly, you’re likely to feel a weight lifted off of your shoulders after you set it aside. If it’s meant to be in your life, it will return to you.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Change your heart, change your world. You might find that the energy in your life is beginning to feel stale, and that may be because you’re emotionally focused on the past. Maybe you’re mourning the loss of situations wherein you felt more supported and excited, and that’s fair. That said, in spending so much time grieving history, you could be neglecting your present and the happy memories that you have a chance to make. Don’t let past happiness blind you to your present potential.

By MATT O’BRIEN

A secretive competition to pioneer a new way of communicating with artificial intelligence chatbots is getting a messy public airing as OpenAI fights a trademark dispute over its stealth hardware collaboration with legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive.

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In the latest twist, tech startup iyO Inc., which already sued Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for trademark infringement, is now suing one of its own former employees for allegedly leaking a confidential drawing of iyO’s unreleased product.

At the heart of this bitter legal wrangling is a big idea: we shouldn’t need to stare at computer or phone screens or talk to a box like Amazon’s Alexa to interact with our future AI assistants in a natural way. And whoever comes up with this new AI interface could profit immensely from it.

OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, started to outline its own vision in May by buying io Products, a product and engineering company co-founded by Ive, in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion. Soon after, iyO sued for trademark infringement for the similar sounding name and because of the firms’ past interactions.

U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled last month that iyO has a strong enough case to proceed to a hearing this fall. Until then, she ordered Altman, Ive and OpenAI to refrain from using the io brand, leading them to take down the web page and all mentions of the venture.

A second lawsuit from iyO filed this week in San Francisco Superior Court accuses a former iyO executive, Dan Sargent, of breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets over his meetings with another io co-founder, Tang Yew Tan, a close Ive ally who led design of the Apple Watch.

Sargent left iyO in December and now works for Apple. He and Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“This is not an action we take lightly,” said iyO CEO Jason Rugolo in a statement Thursday. “Our primary goal here is not to target a former employee, whom we considered a friend, but to hold accountable those whom we believe preyed on him from a position of power.”

Rugolo told The Associated Press last month that he thought he was on the right path in 2022 when he pitched his ideas and showed off his prototypes to firms tied to Altman and Ive. Rugolo later publicly expanded on his earbud-like “audio computer” product in a TED Talk last year.

What he didn’t know was that, by 2023, Ive and Altman had begun quietly collaborating on their own AI hardware initiative.

“I’m happy to compete on product, but calling it the same name, that part is just amazing to me. And it was shocking,” Rugolo said in an interview.

The new venture was revealed publicly in a May video announcement, and to Rugolo about two months earlier after he had emailed Altman with an investment pitch.

“thanks but im working on something competitive so will (respectfully) pass!” Altman wrote to Rugolo in March, adding in parentheses that it was called io.

Altman has dismissed iyO’s lawsuit on social media as a “silly, disappointing and wrong” move from a “quite persistent” Rugolo. Other executives in court documents characterized the product Rugolo was pitching as a failed one that didn’t work properly in a demo.

Altman said in a written declaration that he and Ive chose the name two years ago in reference to the concept of “input/output” that describes how a computer receives and transmits information. Neither io nor iyO was first to play with the phrasing — Google’s flagship annual technology showcase is called I/O — but Altman said he and Ive acquired the io.com domain name in August 2023.

The idea was “to create products that go beyond traditional products and interfaces,” Altman said. “We want to create new ways for people to input their requests and new ways for them to receive helpful outputs, powered by AI.”

A number of startups have already tried, and mostly failed, to build gadgetry for AI interactions. The startup Humane developed a wearable pin that you could talk to, but the product was poorly reviewed and the startup discontinued sales after HP acquired its assets earlier this year.

Altman has suggested that io’s version could be different. He said in a now-removed video that he’s already trying a prototype at home that Ive gave him, calling it “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”

Altman and Ive still haven’t said is what exactly it is. The court case, however, has forced their team to disclose what it’s not.

“Its design is not yet finalized, but it is not an in-ear device, nor a wearable device,” said Tan in a court declaration that sought to distance the venture from iyO’s product.

It was that same declaration that led iyO to sue Sargent this week. Tan revealed in the filing that he had talked to a “now former” iyO engineer who was looking for a job because of his frustration with “iyO’s slow pace, unscalable product plans, and continued acceptance of preorders without a sellable product.”

Those conversations with the unnamed employee led Tan to conclude “that iyO was basically offering ‘vaporware’ — advertising for a product that does not actually exist or function as advertised, and my instinct was to avoid meeting with iyO myself and to discourage others from doing so.”

IyO said its investigators recently reached out to Sargent and confirmed he was the one who met with Tan.

FILE – Jason Rugolo, founder and CEO of iyO, wears the iyO One audio computer in his ears while being interviewed at the company’s office in Redwood City, Calif., Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Rugolo told the AP he feels duped after he first pitched his idea to Altman in 2022 through the Apollo Projects, a venture capital firm started by Altman and his brothers. Rugolo said he demonstrated his products and the firm politely declined, with the explanation that they don’t do consumer hardware investments.

That same year, Rugolo also pitched the same idea to Ive through LoveFrom, the San Francisco design firm started by Ive after his 27-year career at Apple. Ive’s firm also declined.

“I feel kind of stupid now,” Rugolo added. “Because we talked for so long. I met with them so many times and demo’d all their people — at least seven people there. Met with them in person a bunch of times, talking about all our ideas.”

The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP’s text archives.

By KELVIN CHAN

LONDON (AP) — TikTok is facing a fresh European Union privacy investigation into user data sent to China, regulators said Thursday.

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The Data Protection Commission opened the inquiry as a follow up to a previous investigation that ended earlier this year with a 530 million euro ($620 million) fine after it found the video sharing app put users at risk of spying by allowing remote access their data from China.

The Irish national watchdog serves as TikTok’s lead data privacy regulator in the 27-nation EU because the company’s European headquarters is based in Dublin.

During an earlier investigation, TikTok initially told the regulator it didn’t store European user data in China, and that data was only accessed remotely by staff in China. However, it later backtracked and said that some data had in fact been stored on Chinese servers. The watchdog responded at the time by saying it would consider further regulatory action.

“As a result of that consideration, the DPC has now decided to open this new inquiry into TikTok,” the watchdog said.

“The purpose of the inquiry is to determine whether TikTok has complied with its relevant obligations under the GDPR in the context of the transfers now at issue, including the lawfulness of the transfers,” the regulator said, referring to the European Union’s strict privacy rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation.

TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, has been under scrutiny in Europe over how it handles personal user information amid concerns from Western officials that it poses a security risk.

TikTok noted that it was one that notified the Data Protection Commission, after it embarked on a data localization project called Project Clover that involved building three data centers in Europe to ease security concerns.

“Our teams proactively discovered this issue through the comprehensive monitoring TikTok implemented under Project Clover,” the company said in a statement. “We promptly deleted this minimal amount of data from the servers and informed the DPC. Our proactive report to the DPC underscores our commitment to transparency and data security.”

Under GDPR, European user data can only be transferred outside of the bloc if there are safeguards in place to ensure the same level of protection. Only 15 countries or territories are deemed to have the same data privacy standard as the EU, but China is not one of them.

By CLAUDIA LAUER

As the Guadalupe River swelled from a wall of water heading downstream, sirens blared over the tiny river community of Comfort — a last-ditch warning to get out for those who had missed cellphone alerts and firefighters going street-to-street telling people to get out.

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Daniel Morales, assistant chief of the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department, believes that long, flat tone the morning of July Fourth saved lives.

The sirens are a testament to the determination of a community that has experienced deadly floods in the past, warning residents of devastating floodwaters that hours earlier had killed at least 118 people in communities along the same river, including 27 campers and counselors in neighboring Kerr County. That county did not have a warning system like the one in Comfort.

Everyone in Comfort, a more than 2,200-person unincorporated community in Kendall County, survived the flooding with many people along the river evacuating in time, Morales said.

Comfort residents were driven by history

Morales has been with the department for decades. He was there when flooding in 1978 killed 33 people, 15 of them in Comfort, including his grandfather. So when an opportunity arose last year to expand the community’s emergency warning system, he and other residents buckled down to find the funding.

The fire department’s siren needed an upgrade. While the firehouse got a new siren, Morales found a Missouri company that was willing to refurbish the old one at a low cost so it could be moved to a central location in Comfort Park where it was connected to a U.S. Geological Survey sensor at Cypress Creek. When the water level reaches a certain point, the sensor triggers the siren, but it can also be sounded manually.

“We do for ourselves and for the community,” Morales said. “If we hadn’t had a drought the past months and the (Cypress) Creek hadn’t been down, we could have had another (19)78. The past few days, I’ll tell you, it brings back a lot.”

Overcoming the cost hurdle for sirens

Morales said they cobbled together money from a grant, from the county commission, the department’s own budget and from the local electric utility, which also donated a siren pole. They also got help installing the flood sensor gauge in the creek.

The price tag with all the donated materials and the costs the department fronted was somewhere around $50,000 to $60,000 or “maybe a little more,” Morales said.

In Kerr County, the price tag for a proposed flood warning system for a larger swath of the Guadalupe River was close to $1 million, which caused several county and city officials to balk when attempts at grants and other funding opportunities fell through. They ultimately didn’t install the warning systems near the camps where dozens of young campers died in the recent flooding.

In Comal County, Texas, about 90 miles east of Kerr County, the Guadalupe River meanders into Canyon Lake before picking back up on its journey to empty into the San Antonio Bay on the Gulf Coast. The county along with Guadalupe County, New Braunfels city government and the Water-Oriented Recreation District- a state-created entity- agreed to fund expanded flood sirens along the Guadalupe River. The project was completed in 2015 and Comal County now manages the system including the information from the river gauges and notifications about the river height. A message left for Comal County officials seeking details about the cost of the system was not returned Thursday.

Training residents was key to success

After the updated Comfort sirens were installed, the volunteer fire department spent months getting the community used to the siren tests that sound daily at noon, putting out messaging that if they hear a siren any other time of day, they should check local TV stations, the department’s Facebook page and elsewhere for emergency notifications.

• An emergency siren stands on top of the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department in Comfort, Texas, on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• Comfort, Texas, Assistant Fire Chief, Danny Morales stands under a flash flood siren in the community’s park on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)
• Comfort, Texas, Assistant Fire Chief, Danny Morales stands under a flash flood siren in the community’s park on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)
• An emergency siren is visible on top of the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department in Comfort, Texas on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Show Caption1 of 4An emergency siren stands on top of the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department in Comfort, Texas, on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Expand

The sirens make a specific sound for tornadoes and a long, flat tone for floods.

So on July Fourth, if people in Comfort hadn’t seen the weather alerts sent to phones or announced on radios, if they hadn’t heard shouting firefighters going from street to street to evacuate, they heard the long tone and knew they had to leave their homes. A Facebook post on the department’s page noted a mandatory evacuation of all residents along the Guadalupe River.

But Comfort was also miles away from the flash flooding that overtook the camps and didn’t experience the cresting of the river flooding until after the terrifying rush of water in the pitch black early morning hours hit cabins. Many Comfort residents were already awake and aware of the rising water by the time the sirens sounded. The Guadalupe’s crest was among the highest ever recorded at Comfort, rising from hip-height to three stories tall in over just two hours.

Morales doesn’t know if sirens would have changed things in Kerr County. But he knows they gave Comfort residents an extra level of warning. In recent days, Morales said he has been contacted by some of the funders to talk about adding a third siren in town.

“Anything we can do to add to the safety, we’re going to sit down and try to make it work,” he said. “The way things are happening, it might be time to enhance the system even further.”

This story has been updated to correct the name of a county to Kerr County, instead of Kerry County, in the 10th paragraph.

Lauer reported from Philadelphia.

By MICHAEL PHILLIS

Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest.

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The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine.

Comfort offers a good lens to consider the terrible force of a flash flood’s wall of water because it’s downstream of where the river’s rain-engorged branches met. The crest was among the highest ever recorded at the spot — flash flooding that appears so fast it can “warp our brains,” said James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University.

The Texas flood smashed through buildings, carried away cars and ripped sturdy trees out by the roots, dropping the debris in twisted piles when the water finally ebbed. It killed more than 100 people, prompted scores of rescues and left dozens of others missing. The deaths were concentrated upriver in Kerr County, an area that includes Camp Mystic, the devastated girls’ camp, where the water hit early and with little notice.

A helicopter flies over the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Water is capable of such destruction because it is heavy and can move fast. Just one cubic foot of water — imagine a box a bit larger than the size of a basketball — weighs about 62 pounds. When the river rose to its peak at Comfort, 177,000 cubic feet — or 11 million pounds of water — flowed by every second.

“When you have that little lead time … that means you can’t wait until the water level starts to rise,” Doss-Gollin said. “You need to take proactive measures to get people to safety.”

Water as heavy as a jumbo jet

A small amount of water — less than many might think — can sweep away people, cars and homes. Six inches is enough to knock people off their feet. A couple of feet of fast-moving water can take away an SUV or truck, and even less can move cars.

“Suppose you are in a normal car, a normal sedan, and a semitrailer comes and pushes you at the back of the car. That’s the kind of force you’re talking about,” said Venkataraman Lakshmi, a University of Virginia professor and president of the hydrology section of the American Geophysical Union.

This aerial photo shows damage from flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Ingram, Texas, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

And at Comfort, it took just over 15 minutes for so much water to arrive that not only could it float away a large pickup truck, but structures were in danger — water as heavy as a jumbo jet moved by every second.

At that point, “We are past vehicles, homes and things can start being affected,” said Daniel Henz, flood warning program manager at the flood control district of Maricopa County, Arizona, an area that gets dangerous scary flash floods.

The water not only pushes objects but floats them, and that can actually be scarier. The feeling of being pushed is felt immediately, letting a person know they are in danger. Upward force may not be felt until it is overwhelming, according to Upmanu Lall, a water expert at Arizona State University and Columbia University.

“The buoyancy happens — it’s like a yes, no situation. If the water reaches a certain depth and it has some velocity, you’re going to get knocked off (your feet) and floating simultaneously,” he said.

The mechanics of a flash flood

The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water.

Lots of limestone covered by a thin layer of soil in hilly country meant that when rain fell, it ran quickly downhill with little of it absorbed by the ground, according to S. Jeffress Williams, senior scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey.

A flood gauge marks the height of water flowing over a farm-to-market road near Kerrville, Texas, on Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A flash flood generally starts with an initial lead wave and then builds as rain rushes over the landscape and into the river basin. It may rise quickly, but the water still takes some time to converge.

The water crumpled cars into piles, twisted steel and knocked trees down as if they were strands of grass. Images captured the chaos and randomness of the water’s violence.

And then, not as fast as it rose, but still quickly, the river receded.

Five hours after its crest at Comfort, it had already dropped 10 feet, revealing its damage in retreat. A couple of days after it started to rise, a person could stand with their head above the river again.

“Everything just can happen, very, very quickly,” Henz said.

Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

By NICCOLÒ LUPONE

JOLANDA DI SAVOIA, Italy (AP) — An unusual pest is ravaging crops and irking farmers in northeastern Italy: the flamingo.

Flocks of these relatively recent immigrants have set their hungry sights on the flooded fields that produce rice for risotto in Ferrara province, between Venice and Ravenna. The long-legged birds aren’t interested in the seedlings; rather, flamingos use their webbed feet to stir up the soil and snatch mollusks, algae or insects from the shallow water.

Rice is collateral damage.

Farmers have started patrolling day and night in a bid to scare the birds away. They honk their trucks’ horns, bang barrels and even fire small gas cannons that make thunderous booms. Mostly, the noise just sends them flying to another nearby rice paddy to be trampled underfoot.

Enrico Fabbri, a local grower, said he is discouraged after seeing production losses of as much as 90% in some of his planted areas.

“These are new things that have never happened before. You invest so much time and care into preparing everything,” Fabbri, 63, said beside one of his paddies on the outskirts of Jolanda di Savoia. “Then, just as the crop begins to grow, it’s like having a newborn child taken away. That’s what it feels like.”

The flamingos appear to have come from their prior nesting grounds in the nearby Comacchio Valleys within a reserve on the coast, just south of where the Po River, Italy’s longest, flows into the Adriatic Sea.

The birds have been there since 2000, after drought in southern Spain sent them searching for nesting grounds further east, according to Roberto Tinarelli, ornithologist and president of the Emilia-Romagna Ornithologists Association.

Previously, they had been confined to lakes in North Africa, parts of Spain and a bit of France’s Camargue region, Tinarelli, 61, said beside a pond in Bentivolgio, a town near Bologna.

There have been no studies yet to determine why these flamingos started seeking food further inland, where farmers flood their fields from late spring to early summer as a means of germinating newly planted rice seeds. Until the paddies are drained after a few weeks, the flamingos are a threat.

“Obviously, we are looking for answers from those who have to deal with the problem. From an environmental point of view, all this is beautiful, but we must keep in mind that rice cultivation is among the most expensive, extensive crops,” said Massimo Piva, a 57-year-old rice grower and vice-president of the local farmers’ confederation.

“They are beautiful animals, it’s their way of moving and behaving, but the problem is trying to limit their presence as much as possible,” Piva said.

Tinarelli, the ornithologist, suggested several solutions to fend off flamingos that are more humane and effective than the clamorous efforts currently employed: surrounding paddies with tall trees or hedges and, even better, reducing water levels of freshly planted paddies to between 2 and 4 inches, instead of 12 inches.

“This is sufficient for the rice to grow, but decidedly less attractive to flamingos, which must splash around in the water,” he said.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — World leaders, lawmakers and even one Native American tribe are deploying a novel strategy for remaining on good terms with Presidential Donald Trump: Praise his peacemaking efforts and nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

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The announcements of nominations are piling up for the mercurial Republican president, who has long coveted the prestigious award. The honor, according to Albert Nobel’s wishes, is given to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Peace prize nominations for Trump date to his first term, but he’s talking more in his second about how he’s helping to end conflicts, how he wants to be known as a peacemaker and how much he wants to be awarded a prize.

Fellow leaders, politicians and others have taken notice. Critics say Trump policies that have sown division in the U.S. and around the world make him unfit for a peace prize and he’s being manipulated with the nominations.

On Monday, as Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to talk to Trump about Iran and the war in Gaza, the Israeli leader had something else to share with the president as they sat across from each other at a table set for their dinner meeting in the White House Blue Room.

“I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu told Trump as he rose from his seat to hand over a copy of the letter.

Trump thanked him. “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” the president said.

A group of African leaders had their turn with Trump a few days after Netanyahu.

The leaders referenced the U.S. role in mediating a recent agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to bring peace after decades of bloody conflict that has killed millions. Representatives from both countries signed the deal in the Oval Office in front of Trump.

“And so he is now bringing peace back to a region where that was never possible so I believe that he does deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. That is my opinion,” said Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Thursday, “President Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his proven record of securing peace around the world.” She added, “Thanks to this President’s leadership, America is respected again, making the entire world safer and more prosperous.”

The Nobel prizes are determined in secret. Nominations can come from a select group of people and organizations, including heads of state or politicians serving at a national level, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, past Nobel Prize recipients and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself.

Past recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize include former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, both Democrats.

Last month, as Trump announced the Rwanda-Congo deal, he complained that he’d never get a Nobel Peace Prize despite everything he’s done, ranging from the Abraham Accords of his first term, in which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalized relations with Israel, to recently easing renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, among others.

Pakistan nominated Trump for the peace prize last month but then turned around and condemned him a day later after he bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump later worked with Israel and Iran to end their short war.

As a candidate, Trump promised he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in office before saying later as president that he was joking. But solving that conflict, as well as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, has so far eluded Trump.

His supporters, including lawmakers in Congress, are trying to help make Trump’s dream come true.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has called on the Senate to nominate Trump, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked her social media followers to share her post if they agree with her that he deserves it.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recently wrote on X that she has now nominated Trump twice and will continue to do so until he is awarded the prize.

“He has done more for world peace than any modern leader,” she wrote.

At least one Native American tribe said it intends to nominate Trump, too.

“No world leader has dedicated more time and effort to promoting global peace than President Donald Trump,” Marshall Pierite, chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, said in a statement.

BY ANNIE MA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status.

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People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers.

HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were part of a larger effort to protect American citizens’ interests.

“For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Today’s action changes that — it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”

A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families, which administers Head Start, said that eligibility will be determined based on the child’s immigration status.

Requiring proof of immigration status would likely create fear and confusion among families seeking to enroll their children, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.

“This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future,” Vinci said.

FILE – Easterseals Head Start program teaching assistant Tania Ortiz helps a student practice writing his name, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

The changes are part of a multi-agency announcement rescinding an interpretation of federal law dating to former President Bill Clinton’s administration, which had allowed immigrants in the country illegally to access some programs. The Education Department, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor announced similar changes affecting a range of workforce development and adult education programs.

The changes will affect community health centers that immigrants rely on for a wide range of services, said Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“People depend on those services to get cancer treatment, to get ongoing maintenance for a variety of different health needs,” she said.

Students in the country illegally will no longer be eligible to participate in postsecondary career and technical education programs or adult education programs, the Education Department announced. The department also issued a notice to grant recipients to ensure programs receiving federal money do not provide services to immigrants without legal status.

Education advocates said the decision would harm young people who have grown up in this country. EdTrust Vice President Augustus Mays said the intention appears to be creating fear among immigrant communities.

“Policies like this don’t exist in a vacuum,” Mays said. “They are rooted in a political agenda that scapegoats immigrants and uses fear to strip rights and resources from the most vulnerable among us.”

Head Start was started six decades ago as part of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. It operates in all 50 states, providing preschool, developmental therapy and child care for families who are homeless or are in poverty.

Associated Press writer Cheyanne Mumphrey in Phoenix contributed to this report.

The Associated Press’ education 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.