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BY SETH BORENSTEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Sunday, the Earth sizzled to the hottest day ever measured by humans, yet another heat record shattered in the past couple of years, according to the European climate service Copernicus Tuesday.

Copernicus’ preliminary data shows that the global average temperature Sunday was 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit), beating the record set just last year on July 6, 2023 by .01 degrees Celsius (.02 degrees Fahrenheit). Both Sunday’s mark and last year’s record obliterate the previous record of 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 degrees Fahrenheit), which itself was only a few years old, set in 2016.

Without human-caused climate change, records would be broken nowhere near as frequently, and new cold records would be set as often as hot ones.

“What is truly staggering is how large the difference is between the temperature of the last 13 months and the previous temperature records,” Copernius Director Carlo Buontempo said in a statement. “We are now in truly uncharted territory and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years.”

While 2024 has been extremely warm, what kicked Sunday into new territory was a way toastier than usual Antarctic winter, according to Copernicus. The same thing was happening on the southern continent last year when the record was set in early July.

But it wasn’t just a warmer Antarctica on Sunday. Interior California baked with triple digit heat Fahrenheit, complicating more than two dozen fires in the U.S. West. At the same time, Europe sweltered through its own deadly heat wave.

“It’s certainly a worrying sign coming on the heels of 13 straight record -setting months,” said Berkeley Earth climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, who now estimates there’s a 92% chance that 2024 will beat 2023 as the warmest year on record.

July is generally the hottest month of the year globally, mostly because there is more land in the Northern hemisphere, so seasonal patterns there drive global temperatures.

Copernicus records go back to 1940, but other global measurements by the United States and United Kingdom governments go back even further, to 1880. Many scientists, taking those into consideration along with tree rings and ice cores, say last year’s record highs were the hottest the planet has been in about 120,000 years. Now the first six months of 2024 have broken even those.

Scientists blame the supercharged heat mostly on climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas and on livestock agriculture. Other factors include a natural El Nino warming of the central Pacific Ocean, which has since ended. Reduced marine fuel pollution and possibly an undersea volcanic eruption are also causing some additional warmth, but those aren’t as important as greenhouse gases trapping heat, they said.

Because El Nino is likely to be soon replaced by a cooling La Nina, Hausfather said he would be surprised if 2024 sees any more monthly records, but the hot start of the year is still probably enough to make it warmer than last year.

Sure Sunday’s mark is notable but “what really kind of makes your eyeballs jump out” is how the last few years have been so much hotter than previous marks, said Northern Illinois University climate scientist Victor Gensini, who wasn’t part of the Copernicus team. “It’s certainly a fingerprint of climate change.”

University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said the difference between the this year’s and last year’s high mark is so tiny and so preliminary that he is surprised the European climate agency is promoting it.

“We should really never be comparing absolute temperatures for individual days,” Mann said in an email.

Yes, it’s a small difference, Gensini said in an interview, but there have been more than 30,500 days since Copernicus data started in 1940, and this is the hottest of all of them.

“What matters is this,” said Texas A&M University climate scientist Andrew Dessler. “The warming will continue as long as we’re dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and we have the technology to largely stop doing that today. What we lack is political will.”

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Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment

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Follow Seth Borenstein on X at @borenbears

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

By ASHRAF KHALIL

WASHINGTON (AP) — Protesters against the Gaza war staged a sit-in at a congressional office building Tuesday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, with Capitol Police making multiple arrests.

Netanyahu arrived in Washington Monday for a visit that includes meetings with President Joe Biden and a Wednesday speech before a joint session of Congress. Dozens of protesters rallied outside his hotel Monday evening, and on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators staged a flashmob-style protest in the Cannon Building, which houses offices of House of Representatives members.

Organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, protesters wearing red T-shirts that read “Not In Our Name” took over the building’s rotunda, sitting on the floor, unfurling signs and chanting “Let Gaza Live!”

After about a half-hour of clapping and chanting, officers from the U.S. Capitol Police issued several warnings, then began arresting protesters — binding their hands with zip ties and leading them away one-by-one.

“I am the daughter of Holocaust survivors and I know what a Holocaust looks like,” said Jane Hirschmann, a native of Saugerties, New York, who drove down for the protest along with her two daughters — both of whom were arrested. “When we say ‘Never Again,’ we mean never for anybody.”

The demonstrators focused much of their ire on the Biden administration, demanding that the president immediately cease all arms shipments to Israel.

“We’re not focusing on Netanyahu. He’s just a symptom,” Hirschmann said. “But how can (Biden) be calling for a cease-fire when he’s sending them bombs and planes?”

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday night, the Capitol Police said they did not have a final tally of the number of people arrested. But JVP claimed in a statement that 400 people, “including over a dozen rabbis,” had been arrested.

Mitchell Rivard, chief of staff for Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., said in a statement that his office called for Capitol Police intervention after the demonstrators “became disruptive, violently beating on the office doors, shouting loudly, and attempting to force entry into the office.”

Kildee later told The Associated Press that he was confused why his office was targeted, saying he had voted against a massive supplemental military aid package to Israel earlier this year.

Netanyahu’s American visit has touched off a wave of protest activity, with some demonstrations condemning Israel and others expressing support but pressuring Netanyahu to strike a cease-fire deal and bring home the hostages still being held by Hamas.

Families of some of the remaining hostages held a protest vigil Tuesday evening on the National Mall, demanding that Netanyahu come to terms with Hamas and bring home the approximately 120 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza. About 150 people wearing yellow shirts that read “Seal the Deal NOW!” chanted “Bring Them Home” and listened to testimonials from relatives and former hostages. The demonstrators applauded when Biden’s name was mentioned, but several criticized Netanyahu — known by his nickname “Bibi” — on the belief that he was dragging his feet or playing hardball on a proposed cease-fire deal that would return all of the hostages.

“I’m begging Bibi. There’s a deal on the table and you have to take it,” said Aviva Siegel, 63, who spent 51 days in captivity and whose husband, Keith, remains a hostage. “I want Bibi to look in my eyes and tell me one thing: that Keith is coming home.”

Multiple protests are planned for Wednesday, when Netanyahu is slated to address Congress. In anticipation, police have significantly boosted security around the Capitol building and closed multiple roads for most of the week.

Biden and Netanyahu are expected to meet Thursday, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the White House announcement. Vice President Kamala Harris will also meet with Netanyahu separately that day.

Harris, as Senate president, would normally sit behind foreign leaders addressing Congress, but she’ll be away Wednesday, on an Indianapolis trip scheduled before Biden withdrew his reelection bid and she became the likely Democratic presidential candidate over the weekend.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would meet with Netanyahu on Friday.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Farnoush Amiri and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.

Home inspector terrified after owner leaves life-size Michael Myers mannequin behind  Dexerto

Home inspector terrified after owner leaves life-size Michael Myers mannequin behind  Dexerto

Q: Ira, after Bam Adebayo, who do you think will be the Heat’s next Olympian? I thought it might have been Tyler Herro, after he got to work in Olympic camp, but now I’m not so sure. – Sandy.

A: My money would be on Jaime Jaquez Jr., who worked earlier this month with the USA Basketball Select Team against the Olympic roster in Las Vegas. Plus, with the Olympic coaching hierarchy, it would make sense that Erik Spoelstra, now an Olympic assistant to Steve Kerr, could be up next as Olympic coach. As it is, Jaime, who is of Mexican heritage, bypassed an opportunity to play for Mexico in this Olympic cycle, indicating an interest and belief of a potential Team USA invitation down the road. While there is somewhat of a Dream Team element to this 2024 Team USA Olympic roster, the resumes likely would have to be as lofty going forward among candidates, especially when it comes to the next cycle for the World Cup.

Related Articles

• Miami Heat | Submit your “Ask Ira” question here!

Q: Ira, watching Bam Adebayo play alongside Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid, how do the Heat do that? – Sam.

A: By acquiring a Hall of Fame big man? That’s why this Team USA Olympic roster is viewed as somewhat of a dream team, which is likely what it will remain for Bam Adebayo, a dream. But with Erik Spoelstra an Olympic assistant, it could at least open Heat eyes to pairing Bam with another big man. Monday’s exhibition, because of Anthony Davis’ foul trouble, finally gave Bam the chance to play alongside Joel Embiid. The minutes were as intriguing as one might expect.

Q: Pelle Larsson has some Goran Dragic to his game. – Tom.

A: So, in other words, be patient, considering Goran Dragic was traded twice early in his career before he hit his NBA stride. Pelle Larsson certainly has shown potential, but at least at the moment, Josh Richardson and Alec Burks appear to be ahead of him in the Heat hierarchy. And that’s OK, too. The Heat have the benefit of allowing their second-round pick out of Sweden to develop. But Pelle’s last two games of summer league could not have been more heartening. He already seems to have, as you put it, a Dragic-like “it” factor.

Here are the top stories for Tuesday, July 23, 2023. Get the weather forecast for today here.

SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.

Florida Democrats say more than 92% of state’s convention delegates support Harris for president

‘Southernmost Southernmost House’ up for sale in Key West, boasting stunning views

‘A baby just got shot’: Toddler killed in drive-by shooting at birthday party in Fort Lauderdale

Restaurant news: IT Italian and Carrot Express open in Hollywood, Kebab Shop expands to Coral Springs

As Moskowitz demands Secret Service chief’s ouster, he cites Stoneman Douglas aftermath

Meet the South Florida athletes set to compete for the US at 2024 Olympics

Heavy rain temporarily shuts down two Broward emergency rooms

Former CEO of Pompano Beach business pleads guilty in $200 million Ponzi scheme

Travel Troubleshooter: A booking error leads to a nonrefundable hotel room, or does it?

Miss Manners: I feel guilty after declining to switch airplane seats with an older lady

Today is Tuesday, July 23, the 205th day of 2024. There are 161 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 23, 1967, the first of five days of deadly rioting erupted in Detroit as an early morning police raid on an unlicensed bar resulted in a confrontation with local residents, escalating into violence that spread into other parts of the city and resulting in 43 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1903, the Ford Motor Company sold its first car, a Model A, for $850.

In 1958, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II named the first four women to peerage in the House of Lords.

In 1982, actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, 7-year-old Myca Dinh Le and 6-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen, were killed when a helicopter crashed on top of them during filming of a Vietnam War scene for “Twilight Zone: The Movie.” (Director John Landis and four associates were later acquitted of manslaughter charges.)

In 1983, an Air Canada Boeing 767 ran out of fuel while flying from Montreal to Edmonton; the pilots were able to glide the jetliner to a safe emergency landing in Gimli, Manitoba. (The near-disaster occurred because the fuel had been erroneously measured in pounds instead of kilograms at a time when Canada was converting to the metric system.)

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush announced his choice of Judge David Souter of New Hampshire to succeed the retiring Justice William J. Brennan on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1996, at the Atlanta Olympics, Kerri Strug made a heroic final vault despite torn ligaments in her left ankle as the U.S. women gymnasts clinched their first-ever Olympic team gold medal.

In 1997, the search for Andrew Cunanan, the suspected killer of designer Gianni Versace and others, ended as police found his body on a houseboat in Miami Beach, an apparent suicide.

In 1999, the space shuttle Columbia blasted off with the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope and Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a U.S. space flight.

In 2003, Massachusetts’ attorney general issued a report saying clergy members and others in the Boston Archdiocese had probably sexually abused more than 1,000 people over a period of six decades.

In 2006, Tiger Woods became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83 to win consecutive British Open titles.

In 2011, singer Amy Winehouse, 27, was found dead in her London home from accidental alcohol poisoning.

In 2012, Penn State’s football program was all but leveled by penalties for its handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal as the NCAA imposed an unprecedented $60 million fine, a four-year ban from postseason play and a cut in the number of football scholarships it could award.

In 2019, Boris Johnson won the contest to lead Britain’s governing Conservative Party, putting him in line to become the country’s prime minister the following day.

In 2021, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team, known as the Indians since 1915, announced that it would get a new name, the Guardians, at the end of the 2021 season; the change came amid a push for institutions and teams to drop logos and names that were considered racist.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is 88.
• Actor Ronny Cox is 86.
• Rock singer David Essex is 77.
• Actor Woody Harrelson is 63.
• Rock musician Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) is 63.
• Actor & director Eriq Lasalle is 62.
• Rock musician Slash is 59.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton is 56.
• Model-actor Stephanie Seymour is 56.
• Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is 55.
• Actor Charisma Carpenter is 54.
• Country singer Alison Krauss is 53.
• R&B singer Dalvin DeGrate (Jodeci) is 53.
• Actor-comedian Marlon Wayans is 52.
• Actor Kathryn Hahn is 51.
• Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky is 51.
• Actor Stephanie March is 50.
• R&B singer Michelle Williams is 45.
• Actor Paul Wesley is 42.
• Actor Daniel Radcliffe is 35.

General Daily Insight for July 23, 2024

Accepting change can be challenging. When the ego-driven Sun is at odds with ever-evolving Pluto at 1:38 am EDT, we may dig in our heels and refuse to let go of a behavior, place, or person that we’ve outgrown. The intuitive Moon faces challenges from erratic Uranus and trickster Mercury, creating a storm of information that muddies our ability to focus and change. When the Moon moves into sensitive Pisces, a sense of peace might be easier to find. Let’s not hold on too tightly.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You might be allowing yourself to get stuck in the past. Whether something or someone continually brings up memories from your past or you’re constantly spiraling into the desire to go back and redo something that’s already been done, this isn’t a healthy way to live life. When you find yourself swimming in regret, don’t let yourself get caught in the whirlpool of wishing you’d done things differently. Instead, live in the now by taking direct action to improve your future.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Two directions might be calling your name. Balancing life’s joys with work’s necessities is a cornerstone of existence, one that can cause a lot of stress as you either work to maintain equilibrium or choose one and let the other fall. Alternatively, you may have two people in your life giving you conflicting advice. Their differing areas of expertise and shared knowledge of your life could make it even harder to know which direction you’re meant to take. Remember, the final say is yours.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Implementing a fresh mindset won’t be simple. You may have wanted to open your mind in the past, allowing yourself to take in new information and grow. Unfortunately, being led astray by a source you trusted could have caused you to close off and refuse to deviate from what you’re already doing. Your inner life will never stop growing! If you confine it to a too-small space, you might end up feeling trapped in your old ways. Don’t let your soul become rigid.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your sense of security may be tested without warning. You might find that you don’t have as much money in the bank as you thought you did, or someone that you believed you could rely on could have turned out to be flakier than you expected. It’s not easy to be let down, especially when you feel blindsided, but it’s important to remember who you are and the struggles that you’ve survived up to this point. You’re tougher than you think.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You might be clinging to a connection that is no longer serving you. Even if you and another person were close in the past, you may have taken different paths in life. Attempts to connect with them could hurt more than help. They might unintentionally be revealing how they feel about you or their priorities in life. It could be time to step back and allow them the space that they need to grow — and, at the same time, give that to yourself.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You might be getting ready to spruce things up. There may be certain areas of your life that you need to get in order, whether your spiritual life is decidedly chaotic or your material life is stuffed to the brim with clutter. You need space to build peace! Do your best to free yourself, even if it’s just for today, from a barrage of outside negativity or a whirlwind of inner distractions. Focus on what you can do to get organized here and now.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Your present may clash with your past. It might seem like a good idea to combine your current social circle with the people that you used to spend time with, but this can get awkward very quickly. You could find that they don’t have much in common aside from their connections to you — although you may even realize that you identify more with one group than the other. Trust your inner compass to lead you through any ensuing drama with kindness.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You might find that your head and your heart are guiding you toward different places. Your head may demand that you choose the sensible option, while your heart insists that you deserve to indulge in the opposite choice. It’s hard to know what to do when you feel so conflicted, but it’s important to take such decisions seriously. If making a pro/con list doesn’t help, try flipping a coin. Before you look at the results, ask yourself what you hope they are. That’s your answer.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You’re letting go of predetermined ideas about who you are or “should” be. You may have spent a long time believing something that you no longer identify with, or you might feel as though the universe is pulling you away from a career or hobby you’d always loved. Such a dramatic inner shift can seem sudden, but looking at your recent thoughts around it may say otherwise. Either way, it’s a sign to do some personal reflection about who you want to be going forward.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Trust can be hard to develop with someone specific. You may have a history with this person that makes it difficult to rely on them, or you might be afraid to trust anyone that you don’t know much about, making all acquaintances into wild cards. Maybe you were emotionally hurt by friends or family in the past, leading you to avoid talking about deep subjects or sharing your emotions, but old wounds shouldn’t stop future healing. Mutual vulnerability can be a powerful bonding experience.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Avoiding someone may currently feel safer than opening up. There may be someone in your life that you’re giving the cold shoulder to, despite their best attempts to make amends or win you over again. You might have decided that they haven’t done enough to convince you of their sincerity, or you could have closed yourself off to reconnecting with them. This is your decision to make. That said, silence will create more distance between you, so be sure it’s what you want.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Familiarity with struggling doesn’t make it any easier to overcome. You might be feeling attached to something that is actually causing you to fall behind, even as it seems impossible to release. You’re not someone who gives up easily, and you may see handling this subject as a challenge — perhaps you’re insistent on making a friendship work when the other person is making no effort or can’t let go of an old coping mechanism. Be honest with yourself about what could improve your life.

The mere fact that competitive NBA basketball was being played on July 22 made Monday night at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League unusual enough.

The fact that the game then went to an overtime decided by the first team to score seven points in the extra period made it all the more unusual.

But, in the end, ultimately satisfying for the Miami Heat, who managed to steal into the desert night with the championship of the event with a 120-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, a win decided when Heat second-round pick Pelle Larsson scored on a driving shot in the lane to end the untimed extra period.

For the Heat, the victory, which included rings and a postgame trophy ceremony, capped a 6-0 run in Las Vegas and an overall 8-1 summer, when factoring in a 2-1 record in the preceding California Classic summer league in San Francisco.

It took an across-the-board effort Monday night for the Heat to secure the championship, with first-round pick Kel’el Ware closing with 21 points and 10 rebounds, supported by 24 points from Josh Christopher, 21 from Alondes Williams, 19 from Cole Swider and 16 from Larsson. It was a Cole 3-pointer that helped the Heat force overtime.

Christopher, who like Williams and Swider remains without a contract commitment from a team for next season, was named Most Valuable Player of the championship game.

“We’ve been grinding from the start, and now we win,” said Christopher, who closed 6 of 10 on 3-pointers. “Just trust and playing hard. We wanted to win, and we won.”

It proved to be a considerable challenge, with the Grizzlies getting 32 points from Jake LaRavia, 29 from Scotty Pippen Jr. and 28 from GG Jackson.

“They made it tough for us,” Heat summer coach Dan Bisacio said.

The @MiamiHEAT raising that #NBA2KSummerLeague hardware!

MIAMI — Francisco Lindor homered twice, Jeff McNeil also went deep and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 6-4 on Monday night.

McNeil had three RBIs as the Mets split the four-game series against the National League’s worst team. New York (51-48) is 5-5 versus Miami (35-65) this season.

“It’s not easy to hit them here, even pull side,” Lindor said. “It’s baseball. I guess the ball was flying for me. It was a good day.”

Mets starter David Peterson (5-0) permitted two runs and six hits in five innings. The left-hander walked four and struck out four.

“I felt I did some good things and some things that we’ll get better at,” said Peterson, who had not pitched since July 11. “You get back in your routine as quick as you can and get the second half rolling.”

José Buttó relieved Peterson and allowed one run over two innings. Phil Maton worked a perfect eighth, aided by a diving catch from center fielder Harrison Bader.

Down 6-3, the Marlins rallied against closer Edwin Díaz in the ninth, when Nick Gordon hit a one-out single and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked. Bryan De La Cruz followed with a dribbler that Díaz fielded, but he looked at second — where nobody was covering — before throwing soft and late to first, loading the bases.

Josh Bell grounded out, scoring Gordon and advancing Chisholm and De La Cruz as McNeil made a tough play at second base. Díaz retired Jake Burger on a popup for his 12th save in 17 tries.

“They created some traffic but he kept making pitches,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Díaz. “I liked how he continued to mix the fastball, the slider. He got the job done.”

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was ejected by plate umpire Rob Drake for arguing balls and strikes after the eighth inning.

“Rob’s a good umpire. He’s been around a long time,” Schumaker said. “It’s nothing personal. I just felt like he had to know what I felt.”

McNeil’s two-run shot in the second put the Mets ahead 2-0. He drove the first pitch from Marlins starter Yonny Chirinos (0-2) into the second deck of the right-field seats for his eighth homer and third of the series.

“I know the power’s there. Just kind of searching for some hits and abandoned that a little bit,” McNeil said. “There’s still a time and place for poke the ball the other way and put the ball in play. Different approaches for different times.”

The Marlins narrowed the gap on Vidal Bruján’s RBI double in the second before McNeil’s sacrifice fly and Lindor’s solo homer in the fourth made it 4-1.

New York padded its lead when Chirinos plunked Jose Iglesias with the bases loaded in the fifth.

Solo shots from Bell in the fifth and De La Cruz in the seventh got Miami within 5-3.

Lindor ended a string of 12 1/3 scoreless innings by Marlins relievers in the series when he connected off JT Chargois with another solo homer in the ninth.

Chirinos gave up five runs and nine hits with four walks in five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: 3B Mark Vientos got the night off after getting hit on the helmet by an errant throw in Sunday’s game. Mendoza said Vientos cleared protocols and participated in baseball activities, but he felt it was appropriate to rest him Monday.

UP NEXT

Mets: LHP Jose Quintana (4-6, 4.13 ERA) starts the opener of a two-game Subway Series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. RHP Luis Gil (10-5, 3.17) pitches for the Yankees.

Marlins: Had not announced a starter for the opener of a three-game home series against Baltimore on Tuesday. RHP Albert Suárez (5-3, 2.82 ERA) goes for the Orioles.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet flew as low as 150 feet over water while it was still about 5 miles from its intended landing spot at the airport in Tampa.

The pilots skipped over the Tampa airport and landed instead at Fort Lauderdale, 200 miles away.

The July 14 flight followed a similar incident last month in Oklahoma City in which a Southwest jet flew at an unusually low altitude while still miles from the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it is investigating the incident.

Southwest flight 425, which took off from Columbus, Ohio, reached its low point as it flew over Old Tampa Bay near the Courtney Campbell Causeway, according to Flightradar24. Three previous Southwest flights to Tampa passed the same point at about 1,225 feet in altitude, the flight-tracking service said.

“Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the crew discontinued their planned approach into Tampa International Airport,” the airline said in a statement.

Dallas-based Southwest said it is in contact with the FAA “to understand and address any irregularities. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”

The FAA is still investigating a June 18 flight in which a Southwest jet triggered a low-altitude alert at about 525 feet above ground and 9 miles from the Oklahoma City airport. An air traffic controller reached out to that crew after getting an automated warning in the control tower. The plane circled the airport — a “go-around” — before making an uneventful landing.

In April, a Southwest flight went into a dive off the coast of Hawaii and came within 400 feet of the ocean before the plane began to climb. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating a Southwest jet that did an unusual “Dutch roll” and was discovered to have damage to its tail after a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California. Investigators say the plane had been parked outside during a severe storm.

By CLAIRE SAVAGE

As Congressional members on both sides of the aisle grilled U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Monday on how a gunman was able to fire shots at former President Donald Trump in an assassination attempt, several Republican lawmakers seized on gender and the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as among the reasons for the security failure.

“Ma’am, you are a DEI horror story,” Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told Cheatle during the hours-long hearing in front of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman asked the director if she was “not hiring men because of your desire to hit certain targets.”

And Texas Rep. Michael Cloud questioned Cheatle’s strategic plan for the Secret Service, in which she has championed diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, including her support for the 30×30 Initiative, which seeks to increase the representation of women recruits to 30% by 2030.

“Does every Secret Service agent meet the same qualifications, or do you have different standards for different people?” Cloud asked.

“Yes, sir. Everyone who moves through the application process has to meet the same standards to become a special agent,” Cheatle answered.

Conservative backlash against DEI has been on the rise since last June, when the Supreme Court ruled to end affirmative action in college admissions. Several companies have come under attack because of their DEI policies, among them John Deere, Tractor Supply, Target and Bud Light.

The latest DEI attack materialized in full view Monday against the Secret Service and Cheatle, but the issue had been brewing ever since the July 13 assassination attempt at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, where several female agents were among those protecting the former president and several conservatives questioned their fitness to serve.

“There should not be any women in the Secret Service. These are supposed to be the very best, and none of the very best at this job are women,” conservative political commentator Matt Walsh posted on X the morning after the assassination attempt. “If there’s a woman doing a job like this, it 100 percent means that a more qualified male was passed over.”

Meghan McCain, daughter of the late senator and U.S. presidential candidate John McCain, reposted Walsh’s statement, adding: “The notion that men and women are the same is just absurd. You need to be taller than the candidate to protect them with your body. Why do they have these short women (one who can’t holster a gun apparently) guarding Trump? This is embarrassing and dangerous.”

Photos of the immediate aftermath of the shooting show a female agent shielding Trump with her body.

David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University School of Law, said the fresh DEI criticism is no surprise.

“It’s now a pretty consistent pattern whenever anything goes wrong that it gets blamed on DEI,” he said. “After the Baltimore Bridge collapse, there were people blaming DEI,” and the same happened after Boeing was dealing with aircraft safety issues.

Massachusetts Democrat Ayanna Pressley said it is “disgraceful” that Republicans are “trotting out sexist tropes” blaming women for the security failures at Trump’s rally. She said she believed her Republican counterparts were exploiting the shooting to “continue to attack progress towards racial justice and gender equity in America.” She also reserved criticism for Cheatle for not adequately addressing questions during Monday’s hearing.

“Every day, Director Cheatle, that you fail to give us answers, they are given more oxygen to make their baseless claims that women and people of color are responsible for tragic events. And that is dangerous too,” Pressley said.

For her part, Cheatle said “the incident on the 13th has nothing to do with DEI. The incident on the 13th has to do with a gap in either planning or communication.”

Under Cheatle, the Secret Service has continued its pledge to the 30×30 Initiative, which aims to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement. Currently, women make up only 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the U.S., according to organization’s website. Cheatle herself is only the second woman to head up the Secret Service.

Dozens more police departments and law enforcement agencies have also taken up the 30×30 Initiative, including in red states like Iowa, North Dakota, Arkansas, Kansas, and Florida. And so far, none of those departments has pulled back on the efforts.

Catrina Bonus, president of Women in Federal Law Enforcement, called the attacks on DEI “disheartening.”

“Today’s rhetoric questioning our presence in law enforcement is not just outdated; it is rooted in ignorance,” she said in a statement. “It dishonors the trailblazers who faced unimaginable challenges to make this profession more inclusive and equitable — as well as to the next generation, to show them that law enforcement is filled with open doors and opportunities and through hard work and determination, they can achieve anything they put their minds to.”

Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative, pushed back hard on the gender critique.

“We think about the women who are putting their lives on the line every day to do this job in law enforcement, who were called into service, who make incredible sacrifices. And to have people who have never set foot in the arena just indict them just because of their gender, it’s sad, you know, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

“But it also is an opportunity for us to double down on our efforts,” McGough added.

___

Associated Press Staff Writers Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia and Michael Kunzelman in Washington contributed to this report. ___

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.

MIAMI — Inter Miami star Lionel Messi won’t play in the MLS All-Star Game while nursing an ankle injury.

The 37-year-old Messi left the July 14 Copa America final win over Colombia with a right ankle injury. His teammate, Luis Suárez, also won’t play in the game Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, with what the team described as “knee discomfort.”

Both were listed among the unavailable players by the league on Monday.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner from Argentina, has missed Miami’s wins over Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire. The team said both players’ status for Saturday’s Leagues Cup opening match at home against Mexican club Puebla “will be assessed based on their daily recovery process.”

The MLS All-Star Game pits top players from league clubs against players from Mexico’s Liga MX.

Miami teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will play Wednesday night.

Real Salt Lake forward Cristian Arango will also miss the All-Star Game while serving a four-game suspension from Major League Soccer for violating the league’s anti-harassment policy. Arango leads MLS with 17 goals and 11 assists.

Sudden torrential rain and heavy flooding Monday caused the temporary closure of two West Broward hospital emergency departments.

As of early Monday evening, ambulances were being diverted from HCA Woodmont in Tamarac and Florida Medical Center on West Oakland Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, according to Tamarac Fire Rescue.

“Along University Drive in some areas there is a foot-and-a-half of standing water,” said Van Schoen, spokesman for Tamarac Fire Rescue.

Schoen said HCA Woodmont had roof leaks in some of its patient rooms as a result of the downpour. “Out of caution for patients and staff, they started to move patients out of those rooms. They are now on diversion and not taking patients in their ER. They are up and running and operating,” he said. “They are just taking as much caution as they can to make sure they don’t have incidents.”

Anyone who calls 911 and needs transport to a hospital will be taken to Broward Health Coral Springs Medical Center, Schoen said.

Jennifer Guerrieri, an HCA spokeswoman, said the emergency department at HCA Woodmont was reopen and accepting patients as of 5:30 p.m. “The leak has been mitigated,” she said.

The National Weather Service issued an alert Monday afternoon that a weak tropical wave was passing near the South Florida region.

“While it likely will be rainy and overcast, this will at least give us a brief reprieve from the excessive heat,” the National Weather Service said.

Flood advisories in Broward County were canceled by shortly after 3 p.m., and a flash flood warning expired at 3:15 p.m.

No officials at Florida Medical Center could be reached on Monday afternoon.

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