Local News

Beachcombing Report: Parchment Tube Worms

Pedaling my e-bike along 40 uninterrupted miles of beach this week, I expected the usual treasures such as driftwood, shells, and the occasional piece of curious flotsam.

Dead body recovered from Bachman Lake, Dallas officials say

Dallas Fire-Rescue says the incident happened Sunday after a man went into the lake and never resurfaced.

19-year-old man killed in 2-vehicle crash, 1 person injured, police say

A teenager died after a two-vehicle crash in east Dallas, while another person was injured in the crash, police said.

Arrest Report May 25, 2026

FRIDAY, MAY 22ND , 2026

Wichita Falls PD officer-involved shooting under investigation

According to Public Information Officer for the WFPD, Sergeant Jacob Vasquez, at approximately 2:55 a.m. on Monday, May 25, officers responded to the 900 block of Juarez Street regarding a disturbance.

This drive-thru coffee chain is pushing into undercaffeinated parts of America

(CNN) — A new coffee chain may be headed to a town near you, and it’s not Starbucks or Dunkin’.

Mullin’s first two months at DHS: deportations, threats against sanctuary cities — and a lower profile

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is balancing pressure to fulfill President Trump’s deportation goals with avoiding past enforcement controversies, scaling back roving patrols while criticizing sanctuary jurisdictions and promising continued immigration enforcement.

After 250 years, Revolutionary War-era soldiers finally laid to rest in upstate New York

(CNN) — For more than 40 Revolutionary War-era soldiers, the long journey to their final resting place fittingly ended on Memorial Day weekend in the idyllic southeastern foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.

What's open and closed on Memorial Day? Target, Costco, Walmart and more

Each year, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer, with gatherings, city-wide events and more. But some stores and offices are closed in observance of the federal holiday. As the day gets underway, here’s a breakdown of what’s opened and closed on Memorial Day, and what the holiday stands for. What is Memorial Day and why do we celebrate it? Celebrated on the last Monday of May each year, Memorial Day is a holiday to honor U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence. Memorial Day 6 hours ago The origins of Memorial Day and how it has evolved Memorial Day May 22 Memorial Day weekend 2026 deals you won't want to miss Memorial Day May 11 Memorial Day travel records expected in 2026. Here's how to beat holiday traffic Are banks, stock markets open? Memorial Day is a federal holiday, which means banks are closed. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are also closed on Monday, with regular trading hours resuming Tuesday. Is mail delivered? The United States Postal Service observes Memorial Day as one of its 11 holidays for 2026. No mail will be delivered, and post offices will be closed. What stores are open on Memorial Day? Many stores are open during normal business hours on Memorial Day, though others may operate on a holiday schedule. Here are some of those: Aldi (modified hours) Home Depot Jewel-Osco Lowe’s Macy’s Mariano’s Sam’s Club (modified hours) Target Tony’s Fresh Market Trader Joe’s Walmart Whole Foods Stores closed for Memorial Day Costco Heinen’s

Ferris DPS investigates ‘tragic incident' involving two children with a gun

A young child died Sunday in Ferris after authorities say a second child got access to a gun. The Ferris Department of Public Safety says the early information shows a very young child got access to a firearm inside a home and another child was fatally shot. The department also says a man who left the scene is in custody. Ferris DPS, the Texas Rangers, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ellis County District Attorney’s Office continue investigating. The social media post from Ferris DPS says, “Criminal charges are being pursued in connection with the firearm, the accessibility of the firearm to a child, and actions taken after the incident.” The department calls what happened in the home in the Shaw Creek area a “tragic incident.” The statement goes on to say, “Our hearts are with the child, the family, and everyone impacted by this devastating loss. We are grateful for the professionalism, coordination, and care shown by Ferris DPS, our first responders, and our partner agencies.” This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

TCU medical school celebrates 10th anniversary of founding dean

It’s been a decade since TCU hired the founding dean of its medical school in Fort Worth. A group of about 100, including prominent Fort Worth leaders, gathered recently to celebrate ten years of Dr. Stuart Flynn, the founding dean of the Anne Marion Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. Flynn was hired in 2016 to lead the new school of medicine and build an education model focused on teamwork and improving patient care. According to a news release on the school’s website, the medical school has achieved several major milestones in the last decade under Dr. Flynn’s leadership, including: -Obtaining a 100% residency match for all four of its graduating classes in 2026. -Launching the North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator with UT Southwestern Medical Center to address the region’s high maternal morbidity rates in 2025. -Opening the Burnett School of Medicine education building, named Arnold Hall, in the heart of Fort Worth’s Medical Innovation District in 2024. -Receiving full accreditation from the Liaison Committee of Medical Education (LCME) in 2023. -Establishing Graduate Medical Education Programs with Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center Fort Worth, in 2021 and Texas Health Resources in 2022. “Even though it was my name being mentioned, it was a cast of many who helped us succeed here over the decade,” Flynn said in the news release. Dr. Flynn’s decade of leadership will also be marked by an endowed position that will carry his name permanently. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The origins of Memorial Day and how it has evolved

Memorial Day is a U.S. holiday that is officially about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it has come to signal the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of travel and discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers. Here is a look at the holiday and how it has evolved: When is Memorial Day? It falls on the last Monday of May. This year, it is May 25. Why is Memorial Day celebrated? It’s a day of reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the U.S. military, according to the Congressional Research Service. The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence. Memorial Day May 22 Memorial Day weekend 2026 deals you won't want to miss Memorial Day May 11 Memorial Day travel records expected in 2026. Here's how to beat holiday traffic What are the origins of Memorial Day? The holiday’s origins can be traced to the American Civil War, which killed more than 600,000 service members, Union and Confederate, between 1861 and 1865. The first national observance of what was then called Decoration Day occurred May 30, 1868, after an organization of Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers that were in bloom. The practice was already widespread. Waterloo, New York, began a formal observance on May 5, 1866, and was later proclaimed to be the holiday’s birthplace. Yet Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, traced its first observance to October 1864, according to the Library of Congress. And women in some Confederate states decorated graves before the war’s end. David Blight, a Yale history professor, points to May 1, 1865, when as many as 10,000 people, many of them Black, held a parade, heard speeches and dedicated the graves of Union dead in Charleston, South Carolina. A total of 267 Union troops had died at a Confederate prison and were buried in a mass grave. After the war, members of Black churches buried them in individual graves. “What happened in Charleston does have the right to claim to be first, if that matters,” Blight told The Associated Press in 2011. When did Memorial Day become a source of contention? As early as 1869, The New York Times wrote that the holiday could become “sacrilegious” and no longer “sacred” if it focused more on pomp, dinners and oratory. In an 1871 Decoration Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, abolitionist Frederick Douglass said he feared Americans were forgetting the Civil War’s impetus: enslavement. “We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation’s destroyers,” Douglass said. His concerns were well-founded, said Ben Railton, a professor of English and American studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. Although roughly 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army, the holiday in many communities would essentially become “white Memorial Day,” especially after the rise of the Jim Crow South, Railton told the AP in 2023. In the 1880s, then-President Grover Cleveland was said to have spent the holiday going fishing, and “people were appalled,” Matthew Dennis, an emeritus history professor at the University of Oregon, told the AP. But when the Indianapolis 500 held its inaugural race on May 30, 1911, an AP report made no mention of the holiday, or any controversy. How has Memorial Day changed? Dennis said Memorial Day’s potency diminished somewhat with the addition of Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice Day became a national holiday by 1938 and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. In 1971, Congress changed Memorial Day from every May 30 to the last Monday in May. Dennis said the creation of the three-day weekend recognized that Memorial Day had been transformed into a more generic remembrance of the dead, as well as a day of leisure. A year later, Time Magazine wrote that the holiday had become “a three-day nationwide hootenanny that seems to have lost much of its original purpose.” Why is Memorial Day tied to sales and travel? Even in the 19th century, grave ceremonies were followed by leisure activities such as picnicking and foot races, Dennis said. The holiday also evolved alongside baseball and the automobile, the five-day work week and summer vacation, according to the 2002 book “A History of Memorial Day: Unity, Discord and the Pursuit of Happiness.” In the mid-20th century, a small number of businesses began to open defiantly on the holiday. Once the holiday moved to Monday, “the traditional barriers against doing business began to crumble,” authors Richard Harmond and Thomas Curran wrote. These days, Memorial Day sales and traveling are deeply woven into the nation’s muscle memory.

Free prizes for summer reading

The Fort Worth Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge offers a chance for students of all ages to earn prizes for their summer reading. Participants do not have to have a library card, but just need to sign up at a local library and register for free on the Beanstack website to start logging minutes. Readers of all ages are invited to log their time reading books,magazines, newspapers, subtitles, manga, and even audiobooks. The 2026 summer reading challenge starts on Saturday, May 30, and runs through Saturday, August 8. Several North Texas libraries are participating in free reading programs. Contact your local branch for the opportunities they are offering.

9 pasos para una alimentación saludable para el corazón durante toda la vida

The Power of Sharing a Table: How Americans are Reviving 'IRL' Experiences with Drinks, Dinners and Beyond

Play Can't Wait: Give the Gift of Play to Children Around the World

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Little Joe’s Farmstead serves up great food, warm vibes and a really good cause in Argyle

Step inside Little Joe’s Farmstead in Argyle, and you’ll find a cozy cafe perfect for gathering with friends over coffee. But it's not just a welcoming eatery. It’s also a nonprofit with a higher purpose: community-focused dining while funding care…

Multiple people displaced after fire at North Richland Hills apartment complex, officials say

According to the North Richland Hills Fire Department, no injuries have been reported.

4th annual Fab Five Community Outreach Scholarship Banquet

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — What started as a group of five friends vacationing together, quickly turned into an organization that aims to help those in need in our community called, the Fab Five. And for four years now this group has helped many throughout our community including students in our area with a one thousand [...]

Over 130 Texas cities penalized for tax law non-compliance

Illegally raising taxes has officially been prohibited throughout the state of Texas. Attorney General Ken Paxton sent letters to over 130 different Texas counties to notify them that they are prohibited from raising ad valorem taxes above the no-new-revenue tax rate.

Lightning sparks multiple fires across Tarrant County, displacing residents and forcing nursing home evacuation

A Fort Worth mother and her daughter escaped what's believed to be lightning-sparked apartment fire Sunday.

Threat of California chemical tank explosion has been eliminated, officials say

What to KnowA compromised chemical storage tank at Garden Grove’s GKN Aerospace facility led to what authorities called an unprecedented emergency.The hazardous materials situation began Thursday night when firefighters responded to reports of a problem with the tank containing a flammable liquid called methyl methacrylate.About 50,000 people in the Orange County community were under evacuation orders, and Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency.A crack was detected in the tank over the weekend, raising hopes that the pressure inside the tank might diminish. In a Monday morning update, firefighters said the threat of a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) has been eliminated, but evacuations remained in effect. The threat of an explosion due to pressure and excessive heat inside a volatile toxic chemical tank at a Garden Grove, California, aerospace facility has been eliminated, fire authorities said early Monday.  In a morning update on the hazardous materials emergency that began Thursday and led to widespread evacuations, interim OCFA Fire Chief TJ McGovern said threat of a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) is no longer a threat.  “We are happy to report that the threat of BLEVE is off the table,” McGovern said. “That threat has been eliminated.” The tank, which began overheating and building pressure late last week, had been at risk of exploding, but fire officials said both the temperature inside the tank and pressure levels were decreasing. OCFA members entered the zone around the tank overnight and confirmed that a crack in the tank was relieving pressure. “The crack is there,” said Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey. “The tank has released its pressure. In addition to that, the temperatures has bene stabilized and actually reducing. “That is incredible positive news as we turnt the corner on this incident.” Authorities said there is nothing leaking from the tank, but added that evacuations remain in effect. Tens of thousands of residents remained under evacuation orders Monday due to what authorities called an complex and unprecedented emergency. The crack discovered late Saturday in the GKN Aerospace storage tank appeared to offer a glimmer of hope in an days-long hazardous materials situation that has unsettled the Orange County community, where about 50,000 people remain under evacuation orders.  A specialized team of experts ventured into the tank area late Saturday and found the potential crack. The new information changed the strategy for emergency crews, who said Friday that the most likely options were a spill or explosion.  OCFA said a spill of the chemical was preferable to best case to an explosion and possible plume of toxic material spreading over the area. In the event of a spill, emergency crews are working to execute a plan that would dam and contain the toxic chemical. Crews conducted another operation Sunday night to evaluate if the threat of an explosion is eliminated. The operation was done at night when air temperatures cooled to minimize the risk to firefighters, Covey said. BLEVE stands for boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. It describes the process when a liquid inside a container overheats; if the tank breaks, the pressure can drop quickly, causing the liquid to turn into an explosive vapor, according to the Center for Chemical Process Safety. The hazardous materials situation began Thursday evening when firefighters responded to GKN Aerospace after reports of an overheating problem with a storage tank containing a flammable liquid called methyl methacrylate. That tank, located near two other tanks, began venting vapors and triggering a sprinkler system designed to spray water on the tank to cool the material inside. It was not clear what caused the chemical tank to overheat. After the first reports of a problem Thursday, firefighters began spraying the failing tank with water in an effort to cool the material inside. Conditions initially appeared to improve and the vapor leak was stopped, but the situation became more volatile due to a problem with the pressure-release valve on the tank, which still contained about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of the toxic chemical. The tank’s already high temperature continued to rise and evacuation orders were issued for 50,000 people as authorities warned around midday Friday the tank was likely to either spill its toxic contents or explode. At one point over the weekend, the temperatures reached at least 100 degrees, authorities said. For residents in the evacuation zone, the hazardous materials situation triggered an unsettling chain of events that continued to play out over the weekend. Evacuation shelters were at or near capacity and there was no immediate word on when resident will be allowed to return home. Several schools in the area are closed until further notice. Methyl methacrylate, a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid chemical used in the manufacture of resins and plastics, can irritate the skin, eyes and nose in humans. The Environmental Protection Agency said respiratory symptoms can include chest tightness, dyspnea, coughing, wheezing, and reduced peak flow. Neurological symptoms, including headache, lethargy, lightheadedness, and sensation of heaviness in arms and legs, have occurred in humans following acute exposure to the chemical, according to the agency. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Ben’s Heart Ministries retires U.S. flag and others during ceremony

TEXARKANA, Texas - A Texarkana non-profit, Ben’s Heart Ministries, kicked off Memorial Day weekend on Saturday by properly retiring several U.S. flags and replace by newer flags.

AAA offers safety tips as 45 million Americans travel for Memorial Day

Forty-five million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend with most hitting the road by car, according to AAA.

Tarrant County woman charged with fatally stabbing another woman, police say

According to the Mansfield Police Department, the 43-year-old woman stabbed the victim multiple times amid an argument involving the two and another person.

Potential crack on California chemical tank may ease pressure as crews race to prevent explosion

A potential crack may be releasing pressure inside a toxic chemical tank in Southern California, officials said Sunday, a development they hope could help avert a devastating vapor explosion. The possible crack was identified during a visual inspection of the 7,000-gallon tank Saturday night at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, interim Orange County Fire Chief TJ McGovern said Sunday. “With this new information, it could change our trajectory and our strategy to this event,” he said, noting that teams are vetting and validating the information. The tank holds methyl methacrylate, a toxic chemical used to manufacture resins and plastics. Concerns over a possible explosion or leak have prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents, many of whom are staying in shelters. McGovern told NBC News that crews are looking to confirm that the crack is releasing pressure in the tank. If it is, it means “the potential of a BLEVE [boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion] is now off the table.” In an update Sunday night, McGovern said crews would be conducting an “all-night mission” to confirm whether the pressure in the tank has been released. An update about that mission will come Monday, the chief said. “There’s still a potential for explosion,” he said earlier, but if pressure is released, the threat of a BLEVE, which he described as “very, very dangerous, much worse than an explosion,” could be averted. If a BLEVE is still possible, the evacuation zone will be much larger, but if that concern is ruled out, the evacuation zone can be smaller and crews would then focus on cooling the tank, he said. McGovern added that air monitoring has shown the possible fissure has not led to the release of toxic air. A spokesperson for GKN Aerospace said Sunday that the company is monitoring the condition of the “affected material” and that crews are working “around the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak.” If the tank explodes, it could also set off a blast in a nearby 15,000-gallon tank and a 4,500-gallon tank that also hold methyl methacrylate, Division Chief Craig Covey, the Orange County fire incident commander, told NBC News on Saturday. Officials are also concerned the tank could rupture and release toxic material into waterways. “We’re talking about possibly one of the worst chemical incidents in California history,” Covey said. Officials say the blast radius, which stretches up to half a mile, would cause severe structural damage and most likely disperse toxic vapors into the air. Shelters in Orange County are filling up with frantic locals as 50,000 people are under evacuation orders. Lydia Green, who lives in Anaheim, about a mile from the facility, is one of them. “I’m feeling nervous, scared, devastated,” Green told NBC News on Sunday at a shelter at John F. Kennedy High School in nearby La Palma. “I’ve been without my medication, my basic needs — food, hotels, we haven’t had a hotel. It’s been very hard.” She and her partner, Eugene Smith, had been sleeping in their car. Smith described the ordeal as “like living in a nightmare,” and he fears a devastating explosion and its aftermath. “Blowing up and then contaminating everything. Everything. That’s where we live at. That’s our home,” he said. Jaden Gebeleinis was also at the shelter and said he was nervous, as he lives in the border of the evacuation zone. “It’s a lot of anger. … I feel like why there are these facilities right next to a bunch of houses? And it makes me upset, too,” he said. “You hope that it gets managed well and then the worst-case scenario doesn’t happen, because those are people’s houses, and it’s probably going to affect a lot bigger of a radius than they let on.” The American Red Cross said Sunday that six shelters scattered around the region for evacuees are nearing or at capacity for overnight stays. McGovern said there’s no timeline just yet for when residents may be able to return home. Concern first bubbled up Thursday with a “vapor release” at the 7,000-gallon tank, Orange County fire officials said. Further investigation found that the tank’s temperatures were rising. Firefighters have been using sprinklers and hose lines to cool the tank. McGovern said that during a team operation Saturday night, crews saw that the pin on the temperature gauge was displaying 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest level it shows, meaning actual temperatures in the tank could be higher. Garden Grove is in northern Orange County, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 4 miles from Disneyland in Anaheim. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday. On Sunday, he requested that President Donald Trump issue an emergency declaration to support response operations in the county. McGovern said officials are working collaboratively and using “outside-the-box thinking” to come up with a solution and get families back in their homes. “We have to get them back,” he said, “but I will assure you we will not get them back until it’s safe to do so.” Steve Patterson and Shanshan Dong reported from La Palma and Marlene Lenthang from Los Angeles.

Mudbug Madness wraps up 42nd year with strong turnout in downtown Shreveport

SHREVEPORT, La. — Downtown Shreveport wraps up the 42nd annual Mudbug Madness Festival on Sunday, with organizers reporting strong attendance throughout the three-day event despite rainy weather.

Grillin’ and chillin’: Tips from Denton County experts on selecting meat and grilling it to perfection

It’s summer, and that means it’s time to fire up the grill!

Trump says he won't ‘rush into' a deal with Iran as hopes of imminent agreement cool

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will not “rush into a deal” to end the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, after senior Republican lawmakers warned it could be a “disastrous mistake.” “Time is on our side,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social, a step back from earlier public statements from Trump and officials from both nations that had indicated a deal was close to being announced. He added: “There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one.” Later Sunday, a senior administration official told NBC News, “The Iran agreement will not be signed today, but there has been progress on a deal.” Details of a potential agreement are beginning to emerge. The framework, according to a senior administration official, would give the U.S. 60 days to reach a deal that the official said “will deliver on President Trump’s priorities and ensure the United States and the region are safer and more prosperous going forward.” The agreement would prevent the Iranians from developing a nuclear weapon, the senior administration official said, and commit them to give up the “nuclear dust” — Trump’s term for enriched uranium — and it would work out a mechanism to shape talks with Iranians over the next 60 days. War with Iran May 19 Senate advances bill aimed at ending Iran war as Cassidy, after primary loss, flips to support it Donald Trump May 15 ‘Perfect statement': Trump defends saying he isn't thinking about Americans' finances amid Iran talks The official said the framework would also get the Strait of Hormuz “de-mined and back open for business” and bring relief to Americans at the pump. According to the official, the memorandum of understanding is structured such that Iran “gets nothing until they deliver,” tying loosening the blockade to opening the strait and delivering the enriched uranium. But as the White House touts the proposed agreement, Iranian officials and state media have put out statements to the contrary. Iranian state media has said the strait will reopen only if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade within the first 30 days of the deal. It also says the strait will not return to “pre-war” operations, in which Iran did not oversee passage of vessels through the channel. The same outlet said Iran’s purported commitment to removing nuclear materials is wrong. Trump sounded more upbeat on a potential deal Saturday afternoon, writing on Truth Social that a deal “has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in India on Sunday morning that there had been “some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region,” adding: “Perhaps there is the possibility that over the next few hours the world will get some good news.” Iranian state media reported Sunday that a deal could see the lifting of oil sanctions and the end to a U.S. blockade of its ports, with a return to “pre-war levels” of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days. A 60-day negotiation period would be set for discussions on the nuclear issue, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian added Sunday that his country was “ready to assure the world” that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, according to state media. “We are not seeking unrest in the region,” he was quoted as saying by the Islamic Republic News Agency, adding: “Under no circumstances will we or the negotiating team compromise on the country’s dignity and pride.” But some Republicans had slammed the possibility of a deal. “The rumored 60-day ceasefire — with the belief that Iran will ever engage in good faith — would be a disaster. Everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!” Sen. Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote on X. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an X post he was “deeply concerned about what we are hearing,” adding that leaving an emboldened Iranian regime intact would be a “disastrous mistake.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also questioned the deal and warned it could lead to a “major shift of the balance of power in the region.” “It makes one wonder why the war started to begin with if these perceptions are accurate,” Graham added. In a post on Truth Social later Sunday, the president slammed critics of a potential deal, saying, “it isn’t even fully negotiated yet.” “Nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about,” Trump wrote. “Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals!” On Saturday, Trump held a call with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the prospective agreement. Two regional diplomats with knowledge of the talks confirmed to NBC News that Vice President JD Vance and Steve Witkoff were also on the call, that the call was positive and that good progress is being made. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar commended “President Trump’s leadership and commitment to dialogue and diplomacy” following the call, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his country stands “ready to provide every kind of support during the implementation phase of a potential agreement with Iran.” Trump also held a separate phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which he said in his post on Saturday “went very well.” In a phone call Saturday with Axios, the president resumed previous threats against Iran that have made the ongoing two-month ceasefire tense at times. Trump told the news outlet there was a “50/50” chance of making a “good” deal or “blow[ing] them to kingdom come.” Earlier in the week, Trump said he’d called off a planned attack on Iran after regional U.S. allies urged him to hold off because negotiations were moving in a positive direction. The war began in late February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and has led to surging oil prices and threats of escalation, including Trump’s statement in April that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” The conflict has led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and cost U.S. taxpayers over $25 billion, per estimates from the Pentagon to U.S. lawmakers last month. Thousands of people have been killed across the region, including more than 3,000 in Iran, according to an official from the country.

Wembanyama scores 33 and Spurs trounce Thunder 103-82 to even West Finals

Victor Wembanyama had 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks and the San Antonio Spurs held Oklahoma City to its second-lowest postseason total, beating the Thunder 103-82 in Game 4 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Western Conference Finals. De’Aaron Fox had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for San Antonio, which has not lost three consecutive games all season. Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell added 13 points each. Game 5 is Tuesday in Oklahoma City, followed by Game 6 on Thursday in San Antonio. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting for the Thunder. Wembanyama took Oklahoma City’s 123-108 victory Friday in Game 3 personally. The 7-foot-4 star from France said he needed to be better to make his teammates better. He was monumentally better Sunday night — and so was San Antonio. The Spurs limited the Thunder to 33% shooting from the field, including 6 for 33 on 3-pointers (18%). After being outscored 76-23 in bench points in Game 3, San Antonio’s reserves scored 30 points while limiting Oklahoma City to 34. The Spurs had another hot start in Game 4 after opening the previous game on a 15-0 run. Unlike Friday’s lopsided loss, the Spurs never relinquished that lead. After blocking Jared McCain’s layup under the rim, Vassell tossed an alley-oop pass to Wembanyama for a dunk as part of 16-0 run that gave the Spurs a 23-8 lead with 4:19 remaining. New York Knicks May 23 Knicks are within one win of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 New York Knicks May 23 Josh Hart was frustrated by a postseason shooting slump. The Knicks knew his work would pay off San Antonio had an assist on all 10 field goals in the first quarter. San Antonio held Oklahoma City to 38 points in the first half, tied for its second-lowest half in the past four regular and postseasons. The Thunder are 2-9 when they score less than 40 points in any half over the last five seasons. Oklahoma City’s franchise low is 65 points in a playoff loss to Memphis on May 3, 2014, and its second-fewest points had been 85 against San Antonio on May 21, 2014.

Some eligible for up to $3,500 in Krispy Kreme data breach settlement

Individuals affected by a Krispy Kreme data breach could be eligible to receive $3,500 as part of a settlement, but time to file a claim is running out. The donut chain agreed to a $1.62 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit regarding a November 2024 data breach that allegedly exposed sensitive information. The breach may have compromised names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and financial account information. Krispy Kreme denies any wrongdoing. According to the settlement website, eligible class members are U.S. residents who received a notice that their personal information may have been impacted. Without providing documentation, class members can receive a cash payment of $75. However, those who submit documentation showing losses related to fraud or identity theft as a result of the breach can receive up to $3,500. Those deemed eligible will also receive a year of complimentary credit monitoring, with an activation code included in their claim notice. Anyone eligible to file a claim only has weeks left, as the deadline is June 22. The last day to object or opt out is June 6.

The only full-time spelling bee coach charges $180 an hour. Champs say he's worth it

When Dev Shah won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023 and Faizan Zaki took the title last year, they posed for remarkably similar photos on the confetti-strewn stage. Standing next to them, beaming, was a bespectacled man in an aloha shirt, holding up a copy of his book “Words of Wisdom.” For Scott Remer, the champion spellers’ coach, posing for a picture was more than just a celebration. It was a business necessity. While nearly every National Spelling Bee champion over the past 15 years has worked with a coach, the 32-year-old Remer is the country’s only full-time, professional tutor for elite spellers. Most coaches are former spellers who are still in college or even high school. When the field of 247 spellers at this year’s bee — which begins Tuesday and concludes Thursday in Washington — is cut down to 10 or so finalists, it’s all but inevitable the group will include multiple Remer students. “He’s probably one of the most influential figures in spelling over the past 10 years,” said Shah, now 17. Remer has coached five national champions, and since the bee emerged from the pandemic disruptions of 2020 and ’21, he has scaled up the coaching profession. He claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees. Education May 29, 2023 Exclusive Secrets of the National Spelling Bee: Picking the Words to Identify a Champion He charges more than other coaches: up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. If spellers finish in the top 10 and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings, which he called “a performance-based bonus.” Many spellers and their families believe Remer is worth it — despite, or perhaps because of, the intense personality that emerges during his lessons. Always earnest and gregarious on any spelling-related topic, Remer describes coaching as a passion that grew out of his disappointing fourth-place finish in 2008, his final year as a speller. He says he’s motivated by sharing his knowledge, helping kids reach their potential and the challenge of discovering spelling bee-worthy words. “This is really about the love of language and the love of the competition. Part of it is once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back,” Remer said. “I’m not going to deny that it pays well, because it does. But I don’t know that there’s anything wrong with that.” The last two champions he coached say he was crucial to their victories. “Even though his classes are more expensive, it’s definitely worth it,” Faizan said. “I saw results.” Faizan’s father, Zaki Anwar, said he negotiated a reduced rate of $120 an hour for Remer’s services because Faizan was already an accomplished speller. Remer took home 7% of the champion’s prize haul of $52,500 — a bonus of $3,675. “After winning, it doesn’t really matter,” Anwar said. Expensive and demanding, Remer is not for everyone Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns. He seeks to instill a deep understanding of languages that will allow spellers to figure out a word even if they have never seen or heard it before, as Shah did with “rommack” in 2023. But Remer’s pricing, and his coaching style, have led some spellers to seek help elsewhere. “I found it prohibitively expensive,” said Navneeth Murali, a University of Pennsylvania student who competed through 2020 and now coaches spellers, charging roughly $50 for an hourlong lesson. “It wasn’t a realistic option for me.” Grace Walters, who coached 2022 champion Harini Logan and four other champions, charges $75 an hour. She and Murali take a handful of students each year. “I’m very much quality over quantity. It’s really important to me that I’m able to get to know each speller as a whole person, not just as a speller, and tailor my curriculum to them as individuals,” said Walters, a graduate student in linguistics at the University of Kentucky. “But I have to give credit where it’s due: If everyone was doing it like me, there wouldn’t be enough coaches for all the spellers out there.” Sree Vidya Siliveri was coached by Remer before her 60th-place finish in 2024 but didn’t respond well to his methods, said her father, Sreedhar Siliveri. She found a new coach and finished 10th in 2025. “We were looking for alternatives and found some of the fresh, like, high school students who can be friendlier and charge less,” Sreedhar Siliveri said. Even spellers and their parents who swear by Remer say he can be brusque and demanding of his middle school-age pupils. Simone Kaplan, who finished runner-up to the “octo-champs” of 2019, appreciated Remer’s tough coaching but said it’s not for everyone. “Scott is a true logophile, a master of languages. He pushes his students to keep up with him,” Kaplan said. “That can inspire some spellers to learn and succeed, but it can also leave a student feeling like they’ve disappointed him if they don’t spell every word right. And that’s difficult for a kid.” Remer said his goal is to be supportive while giving spellers the feedback they need to avoid repeating mistakes. “I try to be tough but fair, and I also try to modulate my teaching methods, based on the kids’ needs and the kids’ personalities,” he said. “Whether I’m always successful at that is I guess an open question.” From the Ivy League to full-time spelling coach Remer graduated from Yale in 2016 and earned a master’s degree from Cambridge a year later. His first study guide, “Words of Wisdom: Keys to Success in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” was published in 2010, when he was a teenager. That was also the year he coached his first champion, Anamika Veeramani. He has published three other books and has worked for the Council on Foreign Relations and as the communications coordinator for an LGBTQ-friendly synagogue in New York. Since 2020, he has been a full-time spelling coach while also offering tutoring in Chinese, Spanish, writing and standardized test prep. Born and raised in the Cleveland suburbs, he now lives in Mexico City. Remer has written an op-ed about the bee for the Guardian every year since 2019. He emails out lists of his students and sends updates on their progress, calling them “my spellers” even if they have multiple tutors. (Faizan had three coaches last year.) During bee week, Remer is a constant presence, giving lessons on-site and sitting with spellers’ families while the television cameras roll. He knows he has to market himself, but he says he doesn’t enjoy it. “I think I’m trying not to be particularly self-aggrandizing in general,” Remer said, “so if the question is, does it come naturally to me to do that sort of promotional and marketing work, the answer is no.” Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company that has run the bee for a century, does not endorse coaching, but Corrie Loeffler, the bee’s executive director, described the practice as inevitable, given the intensity of the competition. Loeffler gently pushed back at the idea that any coach should claim credit for a speller’s success. “It’s hard work, it’s study ethic, it’s perseverance,” she said. “These kids are doing pretty incredible things at a really high level, especially at a young age, and I want them to be able to take credit for that themselves, knowing that it’s a community and they’ve had so much support along the way.”

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Lewisville man, Michigan woman federally indicted in synthetic drug scheme

A Lewisville man and a woman from Michigan have been indicted on federal charges related to what authorities called a synthetic drug trafficking scheme, in which drug-soaked paper was allegedly brought into prisons around the country.

Mindfulness teacher shares her top 3 exercises to get beginners hooked on the practice

Between busy schedules and the end of the school year, it can be difficult to slow down and take time for yourself. The chaos and stress of everyday life can keep you from being present in your own body, especially if you haven’t mastered the skills to pause and anchor yourself in the current moment. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Dora Kamau, lead mindfulness teacher at Headspace, stopped by Studio 1A to break down the difference between mindfulness and meditation. Kamau shared a few small changes and techniques that can make a big difference in your mental wellbeing. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present. “It’s just a different way of paying attention to yourself, to others and the world around you,” Kamau said. With busy schedules, taking care of loved ones and life or work responsibilities, it can be easy to miss out on what you’re doing or how you’re feeling. “There’s a whole world of mindfulness to explore,” Kamau explained. “You can be thoughtful as you’re eating, drinking, talking, texting and even commuting.” Mindfulness is about the ability to pay attention in the present moment. It’s not about removing yourself or disconnecting from the world around you. What are the benefits of mindfulness? Mindfulness teaches us to be more present, which can help with managing and relieve stress, better sleep and improving relationships with others. Here are three easy exercises to become more grounded and present in the current moment: Exercise 1: Mindful walking Start this practice by walking by yourself. This exercise involves giving your undivided attention to your body, surroundings and environment. It’s all about paying close attention to how your body feels as you move. Leave the headphones at home, put away your phone and try to pay full attention to your environment. Avoiding distractions is key to this exercise. Thinking about these questions while walking: What do you see, hear and smell? What does the air feel like? How does your body feel as you walk? Do you feel any physical tension? What is your rhythm? Try to synchronize your steps with your breath. This is a great method for beginners since it is all about connecting your surroundings to your body and mind. “For beginners, it is often easier to practice mindfulness through movement rather than by sitting alone in silence,” Kamau said. Health May 7 Doctor reveals 6 symptoms you should never dismiss as ‘normal aging' Health & Wellness May 1 Is walking good exercise? Yes, if you do these 5 things, trainers say Exercise 2: Thoughtful breathing This practice focuses your entire attention on your breath. To begin, don’t change your breathing at all; instead, try to become aware of how you are breathing. “If your breath is short and shallow, it can signal that you might be anxious or tense,” Kamau explained. “If your breath is slowed down and steady, it shows that you’re feeling connected and safe.” Next, focus on deepening your breath to use it as an anchor. You can do this exercise before bedtime, at the start of your day or whenever works best. The key is making it work for you. Exercise 3: STOP method The STOP acronym is a popular mindfulness tool used to pause and center yourself in the moment. This method can help change how you react to stressful situations or manage a problem. Stop is the first step in beginning this exercise. Pause exactly where you are and take a moment to step back to analyze the situation and environment. Take a breath. Slow down and take a couple of intentional deep breaths to center yourself. Breathing helps connect your mind to your body and can quickly alter your emotional state and physical well-being. Observe what is happening inside your mind and body. What do you notice? How do you feel? Pay attention to your environment and everything that is going on around you. Slow down and take note of your external factors as well. Proceed is the step that concludes this exercise. Continue with your day and make a conscious choice to move forward. Rather than simply reacting, use this attention to mind and body to affirm and shape the situation. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: How to give your immune system a boost: Flu shot, protein, more Should you be doing full body workouts or split training? An expert explains Trainer reveals her No. 1 stretch to relieve stress instantly

Houston-area police apprehend gator that was taking a dip in a backyard pool

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'Frisco King' filming to close major service road in Tarrant County this week

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Dallas Fire-Rescue responders save dog stuck on pillar underneath bridge

A dog stuck on a high pillar under a bridge was rescued on Saturday by Dallas firefighters.

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Bystander in serious condition after fatal shooting near White House checkpoint

A bystander who was shot after a man fired on a checkpoint outside the White House remained in serious but stable condition Sunday. U.S. Secret Service officers killed the suspect in the Saturday shooting, a 21-year-old Maryland man. The Secret Service said the bystander, who has not been identified, suffered a gunshot wound described as not life-threatening. It was not clear how he was shot. Authorities have released few additional details about the early Saturday evening shooting. The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect, identified as Nasire Best, started shooting toward a White House security checkpoint when Secret Service officers returned fire. Best, of Dundalk, Maryland, was later pronounced dead at a hospital. No officers were injured, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement posted on social media. “Our thoughts are also with the innocent bystander who was wounded during this incident,” Curran said. “The Secret Service is hopeful he will make a full recovery.” President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time of the shooting. It was the third shooting near the president in the past month, after a man stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April armed with guns and knives, and Secret Service officers shot and wounded a man who fired at them earlier this month near the Washington Monument. Washington DC May 11 Man charged in White House correspondents' dinner attack pleads not guilty In a Truth Social post, Trump said the suspect in Saturday’s shooting had a “possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.” He also used the shooting to promote the ballroom he is seeking to build on the site of the White House’s former East Wing, saying the shooting “goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.” Trump is asking Congress for $1 billion for security additions for the White House campus, including the ballroom. Best had a previous run-in with law enforcement near the White House, according to District of Columbia court records. He was arrested last July for attempting to enter White House grounds near a different checkpoint. He failed to heed officers’ commands to stop, claimed to be Jesus Christ and said he wanted to be arrested. Best was a track and field athlete at Dundalk High School, from which he graduated in 2023. A woman who identified herself as Best’s mother told The Washington Post that she learned about the shooting on social media and was in disbelief. She said her son “was never violent, regardless of what people are posting.”

‘Altercation' between drivers led to Saturday night shooting, Fort Worth police say

The Fort Worth Police Department said a male victim is in critical condition after getting shot during an altercation between two vehicles. On Sunday afternoon, police arrested Jose Camargo in connection to the shooting, and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. FWPD said officers from the East Division responded to the 3000 block of Mansfield Hwy., around 11:40 p.m. on Saturday for reports of a shooting. A victim was found inside a car with a gunshot wound and Forest Hill Officers were already on scene. Fort Worth Fire took the man to the hospital. According to police, “he is currently listed in critical condition and is not expected to survive.” Officers said two different vehicles had some type of altercation at the intersection of Mansfield Hwy. and Seminary Dr. They traveled Westbound on Seminary Dr. when police said the suspect shot at the victim’s vehicle, hitting the front right passenger. The victim’s vehicle pulled over to a nearby business, and police said the suspect left the scene. Security video showed a black truck and a white truck with multiple people pull into the parking lot of a gas station. In the video you can see a driver get out of the black truck, and run inside. The gas station manager said that persona asked for help. A witness reported hearing 9-10 shots fired Saturday night. In a statement FWPD said, “The investigation remains ongoing as homicide detectives work to gather additional details to understand what fully transpired during the altercation and shooting. This is believed to be an isolated incident. The Fort Worth Police Department will continue holding those responsible accountable and ask the community to seek peaceful resolutions. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Fort Worth Police Department.”

Felix Rosenqvist wins closest Indy 500 ever in photo finish over David Malukas

Five hundred miles of racing came down to the final feet on Sunday with Felix Rosenqvist nosing ahead of David Malukas in a photo finish at the Indianapolis 500. Malukas took the lead on the final lap by passing Marcus Armstrong. Rosenqvist, in third, was side-by-side with Armstrong for the majority of the lap until the final corner when he pulled into second. Down the front straightaway, Rosenqvist used the draft to pull up to Malukas and pass him on the outside just before they crossed the iconic yard of bricks in the closest finish in Indy 500 history (0.0233 seconds). It was the second career IndyCar win (and first Indy 500) for the 34-year-old Rosenqvist, who drives for Meyer Shank Racing. His previous best finish at the Indy 500 was fourth, which he did in 2022 and 2025. He’s the second Swedish driver to win the race, joining Marcus Ericsson (2022). Rosenqvist was in prime position to win the race in the closing laps due to a heads-up pit strategy by his team. But while leading with eight laps to go, Caio Collet crashed and forced a red flag to bunch up the field. On the ensuing restart, Rosenqvist dropped from first to third as Armstrong (his teammate) and Malukas got by. The caution quickly came out again with four laps to go with Mick Schumacher hitting the wall, which gave Rosenqvist a second chance. Malukas capitalized on the restart as the drivers came to the white flag, pulling around Armstrong to take control into turn one of the final lap. The Meyer Shank teammates were even for most of the final lap before Rosenqvist’s aforementioned moves for the win. Malukas, 24, matched his career-best finish of second for the second straight Indy 500. Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin was third to round out the podium. Sunday’s race was filled with drama from start to finish, with various stoppages for wrecks and rain over the 200 laps. The race had 70 lead changes, breaking the previous record of 68 (set in 2013). Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spin on lap 18 collected Katherine Legge, who was attempting the Indy-Charlotte double. Ed Carpenter crashed out a few laps later, followed by an incident involving Will Power. Indianapolis 500 23 hours ago Katherine Legge won't complete Indy 500-Coke 600 double after early crash Indianapolis 500 May 22, 2024 Why does the Indy 500 winner drink milk? Here's the history behind the unique tradition There was a rain delay at lap 106 with 2008 winner Scott Dixon leading, but the weather cleared and cars returned to the track. Just ten laps later, with Malukas out front, there was another brief rain delay. On the next restart, two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden crashed out — and that’s where Rosenqvist’s winning strategy began. The Meyer Shank duo, along with McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, pitted and gambled on stretching their fuel mileage for just one more pit stop (compared to two for the leaders). Everything was working according to plan for Rosenqvist, O’Ward and Armstrong before Collet’s wreck with eight laps to go, as Malukas was more than 15 seconds behind and had no path to catching them. This was the second Indy 500 win for Meyer Shank Racing, with its first coming courtesy of Hélio Castroneves in 2021. Malukas’ Team Penske organization has won the race a record 20 times. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Travel industry worries after Trump administration reiterates threat to sanctuary city airports

The travel industry is on edge after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterated his threat to withdraw U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in so-called “sanctuary cities” in a move that could jeopardize international flights. The U.S. Travel Association said that Mullin confirmed he is considering withdrawing CBP officers in a meeting where the trade group was pressing its concerns about other proposals the Trump administration is considering that could hamper travel. U.S. Travel and the major airlines quickly condemned the idea, and even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it doesn’t make sense to him. “U.S. Travel believes such a move would have devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation,” the industry group said Friday in a statement. Immigration Jan 13 Trump threatens to halt federal money next month not only to sanctuary cities but also their states Trump administration Aug 22, 2025 Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding from cities over ‘sanctuary' policies Details of the meeting were first reported by The Atlantic. Duffy told a Congressional hearing earlier this week that he wasn’t familiar with Mullin’s remarks, and he’d like to learn more about the context and maybe ask Mullin a question about what he meant. But Duffy said it would be a bad idea to start restricting travel based on political views. After all, at some point Democrats will be in charge and “you will all switch spots at one point — hopefully not too soon Mr. Chairman,” Duffy said. “We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places. We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics,” Duffy said. So it’s not clear how much support this idea has within the administration, though President Donald Trump has previously threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary cities. There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And courts have rejected the idea of pulling funding from them in the past. In Trump’s first term in office, in 2017, courts struck down his effort to cut funding to the cities. It’s not clear exactly which cities and airports Mullin might target, but the Justice Department last year published a list of three dozen states, cities and counties that it considers to be sanctuary jurisdictions. The Airlines for America trade group was quick to say the idea would hurt the economy and disrupt travel. “Reducing CBP staffing at major airports would have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries, causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo.”

Trump's Justice Department scrubs its website of news releases about Jan. 6 defendants

The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda.” The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes during the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and crutch. On Monday, the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate Trump allies who feel they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence will be eligible for payouts, prompting bipartisan anger in Congress. After a journalist on Friday observed on the social media platform X that the Justice Department was “quietly” removing news releases on its website that were related to the Jan. 6 attack, including about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and also faced separate state charges of soliciting a minor, the department responded through its “rapid response” account that there was “nothing ‘quiet’ about it.” Department of Justice May 20 Jan. 6 officers sue over $1.8B pot they call ‘slush fund' for ‘insurrectionists' Capitol Riot May 19 Todd Blanche doesn't rule out violent Jan. 6 rioters getting payments from $1.8B fund “We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.” Among the releases removed from the site were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. The Justice Department, in an unopposed motion last month, asked a federal appeals court to vacate those seditious conspiracy convictions, a request that was granted Thursday. The department on Friday moved to dismiss the cases against the group members.

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Flotilla activists describe beatings, tasers and mistreatment by Israeli forces

Activists detained when their flotilla attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza say they have been mistreated at the hands of Israeli soldiers, describing beatings, tasers and attack dogs. The Global Sumud Flotilla of 50 boats was intercepted in international waters some 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Israel, and activists along with journalists and at least one lawmaker from Italy were transferred onto military boats and brought to a larger military vessel at the Ashdod port in southern Israel, where they were held in containers, according to their accounts. They told The Associated Press they were punched and kicked, as well as dragged and pulled by their hair. Israel’s far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has called for deporting political opponents and was barred from mandatory military service for his extreme views, sparked global outrage after promoting a video of himself taunting activists from a flotilla to Gaza who were detained by his police force. Foreign leaders have condemned his on-camera treatment of the detainees and several countries summoned Israeli envoys to air their concerns. Israel denies mistreatment. The allegations were “false and entirely without factual basis,” said Zivan Freidin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service. Some 420 activists departed for Turkey on Thursday after they were deported from Israel, many wearing gray sweatsuits and Arab kaffiyehs. The AP spoke to some Thursday and Friday as they reached Istanbul, Athens and other European cities: Here are their accounts: Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, Turkish flotilla board member He detailed being held in a container alongside other detainees shortly after the flotilla raid and he said some people were taken outside the containers where he heard them being physically assaulted. “We faced periods where we couldn’t stand, our heads were bowed to the ground, we were dragged and pulled by our hair. The handcuffs left serious marks on us.” After arriving at Ashdod port, Ozkan says he was denied the right to contact his lawyer, embassy officials or relatives back home. He describes being told to sign papers under duress, which he refused. “When we refused to sign, they treated us like prisoners, creating a file, taking photos, forcibly handcuffing our hands and feet with iron shackles. And then, with the soldiers, dragged us along the ground, surrounded by dogs, releasing the dogs on us, before loading us into prison trucks.” Christopher Boren, activist from Hawaii “When we got to Ashdod port, I was immediately grabbed by five IDF (soldiers) or police officers. They put my head down and started beating me. One of them had gloves on with hardened plastic and he started punching my face and it swelled shut,” he said, showing his black eye. Alessandro Mantovani, Italian journalist for the daily Il Fatto Quotidiano “During the crossing, we were put on our knees, blindfolded, and told to make sure the blindfold didn’t move. They repositioned mine 30 times because I kept trying to look around. And there’s absolutely no possibility in this situation to say ‘I’m a member of parliament’ or ‘I’m a journalist’ — you’re dealing with machines that scream and accompany their screaming with physical gestures. They put you flat on the ground, then on your knees, with zip ties on your wrists. The blindfold, plus an additional zip tie securing your wrists down to a metal structure, just a few inches from the deck. So you’re forced to travel in an extremely uncomfortable position on rough concrete. And I had cramps in my legs the whole time, obviously.” After they were transferred to a ship that was used for detention “the treatment became immediately more violent. We entered through this small hatch and were shoved and dragged by force with our arms twisted behind our backs, forced to kneel in front of a wall with our heads down.” At one point, he was thrown down “flat on my stomach, hands behind my back, face pressed, head pressed against the soaking wet and dirty floor of this ship — pressed down with their feet — and then they pressed my hands behind my back.” Once inside the container, “I was kicked in the shin. Honestly, I don’t expect it. And they say ‘Welcome to Israel.’ Then a punch to the face, one from this side, one from that side. A closed-fist punch. I moved to get up and I got kicked in the leg. A little jolt from a taser to the ribs. And then I make it out the other side of this container and reach the deck.” Mantovani said he was also strip searched, and his eye glasses and wallet discarded. He and the activists on his ship threw their cellphones into the sea when the Israeli boats approached, and he didn’t wear a watch on this mission after his was nearly confiscated on a previous flotilla. Yiannis Atmatzidis, Greek activist “I was struck with a taser, beaten with punches and kicks, insulted and humiliated. On the prison ship there was a container that everyone had to pass through. You entered through one door and a group of six or seven people would beat you mercilessly until you emerged from the other side. Every single one of us went through that.” Atmatzidis said he was being processed for identification when Ben-Gvir was touring the prison ship. “The minister entered the room and asked me where I was from. I replied, ‘from Greece.’ He then asked why I was there, and I told him that I had come to deliver humanitarian aid to people who needed it. He responded, ‘Are you a friend of Hamas?’ I explained that our mission had no political agenda and was purely humanitarian. He was surrounded by four armed guards who aimed their weapons and laser sights at me while I sat there handcuffed behind my back.” He added: “Whenever we told them that circulation was being cut off and our hands were going numb, they showed absolutely no mercy. I do not have the words to describe the brutality and cruelty of these people. It is something I will never forget.” —— AP journalists Emrah Gurel in Istanbul, Andrea Rosa in Rome and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.

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