South Florida Local News

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON (Associated Press)

Former President Donald Trump is limited in what he can publicly say as he fights charges that he made payments to a porn actor to illegally influence the 2016 election. But he’s getting help from some GOP allies who are glad to show up and talk.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was the latest surrogate to accompany Trump, joining him Thursday for the 14th day of his hush money trial in New York. Last week, it was Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who joined the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

The Republicans’ courtroom presence can help Trump connect with constituents while he’s stuck in court and feeling the pressure of a gag order placed on him by the judge. Both Scott and Paxton have been through legal troubles of their own, and have railed against what they call politically motivated prosecutions — a message that echoes Trump’s own. And while having friends by one’s side is a common practice encouraged by attorneys to show support for defendants in court, it’s also a chance for Trump’s friends to publicly demonstrate their loyalty to the leader of the GOP.

Scott started his day Thursday as the 6 a.m. guest on the morning show “Fox & Friends.” He later entered the courtroom behind Trump and witnessed the tense exchange between Stormy Daniels and Trump’s defense attorney as they were going over the alleged 2006 sexual encounter between the former president and the porn actor.

The senator filed into the first row of the courtroom gallery behind the defense table, joining Trump’s entourage, and spoke with Trump lawyer and spokesperson Alina Habba before taking a seat.

After an hour and a half, Scott left the courtroom and walked across the street to speak to news outlets. There, he commented on a a subject Trump has been ordered not to, bringing up Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter and saying she was a political operative who raises money for Democrats.

“This is just a bunch of Democrats saying we want to make sure that Donald Trump can’t talk,” Scott said. “Then they’ve got a gag order, so he can’t go campaign. They’ve got him holed up in a courtroom.”

The gag order prohibits Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about people connected to the case, including the judge’s family.

Scott denied his presence had anything to do with the gag order.

“No. I’m fed up,” he said. “This is just simply they don’t want this guy on the ballot.”

Paxton did not speak publicly when he joined Trump last week, but he gave interviews later to Fox Business and Newsmax about the trial, calling it “perversion of justice.”

“This is tyrannical, and to stop him from speaking out and defending himself and keep him from basically campaigning, I think is hard to believe and I hope the American people do not put up with this,” Paxton told Fox Business the day after.

David Weinstein, a legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, said Trump can’t directly or indirectly comment, adding that an indirect comment would include a friend saying something Trump shared or told. But surrogates like Scott are free to speak.

“They can say whatever they want to say. They are not bound by a gag order,” he said.

Weinstein said Trump is not only on trial for the crimes he is charged with, but he’s also before the court of opinion while trying to win an election.

“He can bring other people in, can show constituents of other states that he has the backing of other politicians,” he said. “This is a political and a public relations tactic. It’s got nothing to do with his defense.”

Trump’s attorneys have argued against the gag order, saying the former president should be allowed to respond to Daniels’ testimony. But Merchan on Thursday refused a request to modify it.

Gustavo Lage, a criminal defense attorney, said it is controversial as to what extent this gag order applies.

“I think the court would have a hard time saying that a third party can’t voice their opinion or their feelings about a trial,” Lage said.

As far as connecting with voters by bringing in surrogates and allies, Lage said that should not be relevant in court.

“I don’t think that is something the court could or should control as long as it doesn’t interfere with the administration of justice in the courtroom,” he said.

The Hurricanes lost a member of their 2025 recruiting class Thursday evening.

Three-star offensive lineman Lamar Williams backed off his commitment to Miami, announcing his decision on social media.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Miami for accepting me into the family,” Williams wrote. “After careful consideration, I will be decommiting! This is only to give myself a fair chance to evaluate all options to make sure I am making the best decision for me and my family! My recruitment is 100 percent open. I see a lot of false narratives going around but I can’t focus on that!”

Williams is listed as the No. 40 offensive lineman and the No. 509 player in the class. The Havana, Florida, native committed to UM on Feb. 2.

Miami has six other commitments in the 2025 class but no other offensive linemen yet.

Thank you Miami ! Recruitment is 100 percent open ! pic.twitter.com/kD9ravNxHU

— Lamar Williams (@lamarwilliams52) May 9, 2024

A Margate man accused of shooting his mother to death in late 2019 is asking a Broward judge to dismiss his manslaughter charge because he pulled the trigger in self-defense — during a fight with his father.

It’s an unusual application of the state’s Stand Your Ground law because Alexander DelToro Jr. is claiming he was defending himself from someone other than the person he killed.

“This kid loved his mother more than anything,” said DelToro’s lawyer, Ron Baum. “The last thing he wanted to do was kill anyone, much less her, on his birthday.”

Assistant State Attorney Tom Hand played a recording of the statement DelToro made about what happened on Dec. 14, 2019. DelToro told police he was driving home from a 28th birthday outing with his parents when he accidentally struck his father with his elbow.

That escalated into an argument that continued as the trio went home to the 200 block of Southwest 36th Terrace in Margate. There, the conflict became physical, and DelToro lost his glasses in the struggle.

“You recall [DelToro] senior telling junior that in his younger years he would have knocked him out?” Baum asked Margate Police Sgt. Sean Cobban, who questioned DelToro Jr. in the recording.

“Yes,” Cobban said.

Alexander Deltoro during a stand your ground hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Deltoro is accused of manslaughter in the shooting death of his mother during a dispute with his father. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Baum is arguing that his client went for a gun to protect himself against his father, but he never intended to fire the weapon. His mother tried to break up the fight and was fatally wounded when the gun went off.

Baum also asked repeatedly whether police found another weapon at the DelToro home. Cobban answered no.

DelToro Jr., now 32, did not testify — during Thursday’s hearing, which is scheduled to continue Friday afternoon in front of Broward Circuit Judge Edward Merrigan.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.

This weekend will feel like summer, according the National Weather Service, which is forecasting “feels-like” temperatures to reach 104 degrees F in some areas of South Florida.

Daily air temperatures will reach the low- to mid-90s on the coast, and as high as 97 degrees F inland.

Friday will be hot and sunny, reaching 93 degrees F on the coast and 96 degrees F inland.

The heat will peak Saturday. “Temperatures will remain very warm for the end of the week and into the upcoming weekend,” said the NWS, “with peak heat indices around or over 100 degrees across portions of the area through Saturday.”

The heat index combines the actual air temperature with relative humidity levels to create a “feels-like” temperature.

The National Weather Service initiates alerts when the heat index is expected to exceed 105°-110°F (depending on local climate) for at least two consecutive days.

Within the tricounty area, Broward has the highest heat index forecasts for the weekend. Coastal areas will be slightly more tolerable, hovering between 101 and 102 degrees heat index on Saturday, while inland, forecasters are calling for heat indices of 104 in Pembroke Pines, 103 in Weston and 104 in Coral Springs.

Coastal Palm Beach County will hover around 101 degrees heat index, while inland areas could reach 103 on Saturday.

With all the heat and humidity on Saturday, there’s a 40% chance of thunderstorms in the region. West winds could gust to as high as 21 mph.

NWSThis map shows the heat index predictions in Broward County for Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Courtesy NWS)

Sunday, though still hot at 93 degrees F inland, will be less humid, causing heat indexes to drop to the mid 90s in areas of both Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Coastal spots such as Fort Lauderdale will be a touch less hot, with a high of 88 degrees F. It will be mostly sunny with a 20% chance of showers.

NWSThis graphic shows the heat index numbers that result from combining actual air temperature and relatively humidity. (Courtesy NWS)

The first part of next week will settle into a summer-like pattern of highs close to 90, and thunderstorms possible here and there.

By ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is concerned that foreign adversaries could deploy artificial intelligence as a means to interfere in American elections and spread disinformation, a senior official said Thursday, describing the technology as an area “that’s probably going to see growth over the coming years.”

The threat is more than theoretical given the prevalence of AI deepfakes and robocalls and the way such technology has already surfaced in politics.

The official noted an episode in Slovakia early this year in which audio clips resembling the voice of the liberal party chief — purportedly capturing him talking about hiking beer prices and rigging the vote — were shared widely on social media just days before parliamentary elections. The clips were deepfakes.

An incident in the U.S. involved robocalls impersonating President Joe Biden that urged voters in New Hampshire to abstain from voting in January’s primary election. The robocalls were later traced to a political consultant who said he was trying to publicize the dangers of AI deepfakes.

AI technology is a challenge to law enforcement not only because it lowers the barrier of entry for people looking to make mischief but also because it adds to the arsenal of more sophisticated foreign governments that want to interfere in elections, said the official, who was one of several FBI officials to brief reporters on the topic of election security on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the FBI.

The three countries of most concern to the FBI in the current election year are Russia, Iran and China. Officials in the past have ascribed different motives and ambitions to the countries in terms of what they hope to achieve by influencing American elections.

In the case of Russia, intelligence officials in 2016 and 2020 have said Moscow had a clear preference for Republican Donald Trump and took steps designed to get him elected, including a sophisticated hack-and-leak operation of Democratic emails before he was elected eight years ago.

A recent intelligence community report assessed that, in the 2022 midterm election, Russia tried to denigrate the Democratic Party, with a goal of weakening U.S. support for Ukraine, and undermine confidence in the elections.

The report said China sought to influence a handful of races featuring candidates from both major political parties, focusing on those with anti-China views and covertly denigrating a U.S. senator. And it said that Iran conducted covert operations aimed at exploiting perceived social divisions.

In 2024, FBI officials said, China will likely continue its efforts to sow divisions, and the FBI is watching whether the Ukraine war will motivate Russia’s behavior.

Q: We are in the process of purchasing an apartment. Our closing attorney received the report from the condominium association showing the monthly dues were current, and we were surprised to learn that a special assessment was pending because the sellers told us that none were. The contract also says that no special assessments are pending. We did not anticipate this additional financial burden when offering to buy the apartment. What can we do? — Duane

A: I have been seeing this type of question a lot lately, as many condominium communities face special assessments because of delayed maintenance, insufficient reserves and tougher community association laws.

When a community association needs extra money for a specific project, such as making repairs, it can “specially assess” unit owners to get the necessary funds. Like the regular assessments the association collects to maintain the community, special assessments must be paid to avoid serious consequences. The assessments vary from a couple of thousand dollars to over a hundred thousand. The amount will depend on the repairs required and how much reserves were postponed.

Because a pending assessment will raise the cost of owning the apartment, it tends to lower the price the unit will sell for. Because of this reason or because the seller was unaware of it, special assessments are often left off the listing and, more importantly, the purchase and sale contract.

It is essential to investigate this possibility before signing a contract by asking specific questions, checking other listings in the building, and, if possible, speaking to the property manager about it.

Most standard purchase contracts will have a section devoted to community association matters, including regular and special assessments. Review your contract and any disclosure the seller provided. If the pending assessments are listed or the contract does not mention them, you are likely stuck with buying the condo and paying the assessment or breaking the contract and risking your deposit.

However, if the contract states there are no pending special assessments, your seller will have to honor the deal they made and pay the newly discovered assessment.

The best approach is to communicate your concerns to the seller and see if a compromise can be reached. Perhaps the seller will pay the assessment, or at least some of it, now that it has been discovered or agree to the lower purchase price to a point where it still makes sense for you to buy it.

If the seller is unreceptive, speak with a local attorney about how to enforce the contract.

Board-certified real estate lawyer Gary Singer writes about industry legal matters and the housing market. To ask him a question, email him at gary@garysingerlaw.com, or go to SunSentinel.com/askpro. 

Here are the top stories for Thursday, May 9. 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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SUNRISE — A late second-period goal vaulted the Bruins to a win in Game 1 of their series against the Panthers. Florida returned the favor in Game 2.

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• Florida Panthers | Game 2: Florida Panthers 6, Boston Bruins 1 | PHOTOS

Defenseman Gustav Forsling fired a shot from the point at nearly 92 miles per hour, putting the Panthers ahead 3-1 with just 0.3 seconds remaining in the second period. The defender’s goal gave Florida the momentum to knot the series at one with a 6-1 win over Boston at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday.

“I think it was as impactful as their third goal last game,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “They scored right at the end. … The game was almost the same, was it not? It was even and flat. Apparently, the last thing you want to do in this series is score first because the other team gets five.”

Both teams missed out on early chances, but Boston cashed in on an opportunity first. Winger Pavel Zacha, approaching Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky from Bobrovsky’s left, dished a pass across the face of the net to Charlie Coyle, who sunk his shot with ease to put the Bruins up 1-0.

The Panthers finally made good on one of their opportunities early in the second period. Steven Lorentz redirected a Brandon Montour shot from the blue line, getting the puck past Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman. It was Florida’s first goal in more than 53 minutes of game time.

“Inflection points, you’re always looking for that, and sometimes it’s the things you don’t understand the why of it,” Maurice said. “But our bench was jacked up. It’s a big goal. It’s an important (goal). But there was a lot of emotion brought into our bench with that. … It’s really important that the players that do the hard stuff get a reward. He scores that goal, and everybody’s about three inches higher when they jump up.”

The Panthers went ahead later in the period. Captain Aleksander Barkov passed to leading scorer Sam Reinhart. Swayman deflected the shot right back to Barkov, who fired a quick shot to put the Panthers in the lead. Reinhart would notch four assists in the win, setting a franchise playoff record for single-game assists.

Forsling’s goal gave the Panthers insurance, and Eetu Luostarinen gave Florida a three-goal advantage early in the third period. Barkov netted his second goal of the game with 9:08 left in the third period, scoring the Panthers’ first power-play goal against Boston this season.

The teams got into a pair of whole-line fights, with misconduct penalties given out to Boston’s Justin Brazeau, Trent Frederic and Derek Forbort. Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen and Dmitry Kulikov received misconducts, too.

The Panthers and Bruins scuffled again after defenseman Brandon Montour netted a short-handed goal to put Florida up 6-1. Boston’s Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy picked up misconduct penalties after that fight, as did Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola. Matthew Tkachuk and David Pastrnak also dropped the gloves for a fight at center ice, receiving misconduct penalties of their own.

In total, 12 players received misconduct penalties.

“That’s playoff hockey,” Lorentz said. “That happens sometimes, and we’ve just got to move forward.”

Bobrovsky closed out the game for the home team. The veteran goalie finished the game with 15 saves on just 16 Boston shots.

“(The defensemen) were great,” Bobrovsky said. “They played a tight, hard-fought game. Defended well and it was just a complete, great game.”

The series moves to Boston for Games 3 and 4, with the teams facing off again on Friday at 7 p.m.

“It’s just passionate fans, doing what they do,” Lorentz said. “We obviously hear what’s going on and we feed off the energy, whether it’s a home crowd or away crowd. Energy’s energy. We’re looking forward to a good atmosphere in Boston, and I think we know what their fans are going to bring.”

By DAVID FISCHER (Associated Press)

MIAMI (AP) — Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man’s family said Wednesday.

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, was in his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach when the shooting happened on May 3.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Fortson was on a Facetime call with a woman at the time of the encounter.

According to Crump, the woman, whom Crump didn’t identify, said Fortson was alone in his apartment when he heard a knock at the door. He asked who was there but didn’t get a response. A few minutes later, Fortson heard a louder knock but didn’t see anyone when he looked through the peephole, Crump said, citing the woman’s account.

The woman said Fortson was concerned and went to retrieve his gun, which Crump said was legally owned.

As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump’s statement. The woman said Fortson was on the ground, saying, “I can’t breathe,” after he was shot, Crump said.

Fortson died at a hospital, officials said. The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

The woman said Fortson wasn’t causing a disturbance during their Facetime call and believes that the deputies must have had the wrong apartment, Crump’s statement said.

“The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,” Crump said.

“We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger’s death and the immediate release of body cam video to the family,” Crump said. “His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy.”

Crump is a nationally known attorney based in Tallahassee, Florida. He has been involved in multiple high-profile law enforcement shooting cases involving Black people, including those of Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols and George Floyd.

Crump and Fortson’s family plan to speak at a news conference in Fort Walton Beach on Thursday morning.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to an email or voicemail from The Associated Press seeking comment about Crump’s claims. But Sheriff Eric Aden posted a statement on Facebook Wednesday afternoon expressing sadness about the shooting.

“At this time, we humbly ask for our community’s patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event,” Aden said.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement last week that a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance in progress at the apartment complex reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. The office did not offer details on what kind of disturbance deputies were responding to or who called them.

The sheriff’s office also declined to immediately identify the responding deputies or their races. Officials said earlier this week that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the local State Attorney’s Office will investigate the shooting.

FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it is highly unlikely the agency will have any further comment until the investigation is complete.

Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles as a member of the squadron’s AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew was to load the gunship’s 30mm and 105mm cannons during missions.

Fortson’s death draws striking similarities to other Black people killed in recent years by police in their homes, in circumstances that involved officers responding to the wrong address or responding to service calls with wanton uses of deadly force.

In 2018, a white former Dallas police offer fatally shot Botham Jean, an unarmed Black man, after mistaking his apartment for her own. Amber Guyger, the former officer, was found guilty of murder the following year and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

In 2019, a white former Fort Worth, Texas, officer fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson through a rear window of her home after responding to a nonemergency call reporting that Jefferson’s front door was open. Aaron Dean, the former officer, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2022 and was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison.

Crump has represented families in both cases as part of his ongoing effort to force accountability for the killings of Black people at the hands of police.

“What I’m trying to do, as much as I can, even sometimes singlehandedly, is increase the value of Black life,” Crump told The Associated Press in 2021 following the conviction a former Minneapolis officer in the murder of George Floyd.

Fort Walton Beach is between Panama City Beach and Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

____

Associated Press reporters Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Aaron Morrison in New York contributed to this story.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Supreme Court justices heard arguments Wednesday involving two arcade-game champs — but the case isn’t focused on who’s the grandmaster of Pac-Man.

Justices are grappling instead with whether gamer David Race, who lives in Ohio, violated Florida law when he secretly recorded fellow gamer Billy Mitchell without the Broward County resident’s permission. Florida is one of 11 states that require all parties to consent to being recorded.

According to court documents, Mitchell, who holds highest-scoring records in Pac-Man and Donkey Kong games, learned of the 27 recorded phone calls when they were revealed as part of a California defamation lawsuit Mitchell filed against Twin Galaxies, a video-game social-media platform that supplies data to the Guinness Book of World Records. The lawsuit was settled in January.

Race, who also holds records in Pac-Man and other arcade games, has accused Mitchell of cheating, and chatter about scoring issues has circulated for years on social media.

In a 2021 lawsuit filed in Broward County circuit court, Mitchell accused Race of violating Florida’s “Security of Communications Act” by failing to obtain his permission before recording the calls through an app on Race’s phone.

A judge refused Race’s request to dismiss the case, but the 4th District Court of Appeal sided with the Ohio resident, finding that “it offends traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice to require him to appear in Florida to defend against a lawsuit for an alleged violation” of Florida law. Mitchell appealed to the Supreme Court.

Wednesday’s arguments made no mention of the grudge match between Race and Mitchell, who attended the court session clad in a trademark black suit with a stars-and-stripes tie.

Justices asked numerous questions about whether the “interception” of the phone calls occurred in Florida or in Ohio, where the recordings were made, and whether Race was aware of Mitchell’s location.

Attorney James Stepan, who represents Mitchell, pointed to previous cases that established “interceptions occur where the person is speaking.” Mitchell was in Florida for all of the calls, he added.

“Well, yes, but the operative complaint doesn’t allege that Mr. Race knew that,” Justice John Couriel said.

“It’s no secret my client was a Florida resident. He’s somewhat of a, dare I use the word, celebrity, in the video-gaming industry, and so is Mr. Race, or at least he’s trying to be,” Stepan said.

Justice Meredith Sasso pressed Stepan on the issue.

“Don’t you think we need something indicating that the person who’s recording the calls knows that the person is in Florida? I mean, I like the idea of us walking around the country with like this special bubble of protection because we’re Floridians, but I’m not sure that’s how the law works,” she said.

“That’s correct, but my client was in Florida and he is entitled to the protection of Florida law while he’s here,” Stepan responded.

Robert Schenck, a lawyer in Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office, argued that the case involves “the court’s power to vindicate an interest which this court said is one of the highest order in a free and civilized society.” Moody’s office entered a friend-of-the-court brief siding with Mitchell.

“Can you explain what the state’s response would be to what the limit is for the Legislature to regulate, sort of, behavior, actions, of people out of state that affect Florida citizens? I mean, is there a limit?” Justice Jamie Grosshans asked Schenck, an assistant solicitor general.

“When an individual either commits a tort in the state, we think that is sufficient, or they commit an intentional act that they know will cause an intentional harm in that state, and I think that that’s the limit on the state’s power. … There does need to be some kind of genuine, bona fide harm in the state,” Schenck said.

Justice Charles Canady told Race’s lawyer, James Toscano, that Floridians have a “reasonable expectation” that they’re not being recorded without their permission.

“When I get on the phone and I’m talking to somebody I assume, unless they’ve told me, they’re not recording me, not that I would care, but some people might,” Canady said. “You’ve got a right in Florida not to be recorded surreptitiously.”

“I absolutely agree, if that’s two Florida residents having the conversation. But Florida is one of only 11 states that has all-party consent. I mean, I don’t think it’s reasonable to assume …,” Toscano said.

“Well, but that doesn’t make us chopped liver,” Canady interrupted.

Chief Justice Carlos Muniz appeared to struggle with the issue of where the recording and alleged violation took place.

“It seems to me the whole case really hinges on whether we think the tort occurred in Florida or not in Florida,” Muniz said.

But Toscano said the question was problematic.

“It’s not really a tort. It’s a statutory violation,” he said.

Couriel weighed in.

“Let me take a shot at this,” he said. “The truth of the matter is that what is recorded, this voice communication is just as recorded in Florida as it is in Ohio. … To me there is no other point at which it makes sense to draw the line other than that first place where it is heard,” he said.

But Muniz appeared unconvinced.

“There’s this sort of like, how do we metaphysically view the conversation and where it’s happening and whatever, but it seems like the whole point of this area of the law is to focus on what the defendant is doing, and the defendant is making the decision to record,” Muniz told Stepan. “But in terms of what the defendant is aware of, it’s all happening in Ohio.”

Stepan conceded that the “physical act” of the recording took place outside of Florida.

“His phone was in Ohio, but the defendant, at least in this case, he knew my client was a Florida resident,” he said.

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN (Associated Press)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s top prosecutor announced charges Wednesday against three men who are accused of using Meta’s social media platforms to target and solicit sex with underage children.

The arrests are the result of a monthslong undercover operation in which the suspects connected with decoy accounts that were set up by the state Department of Justice. The investigation began in December around the time the state filed a civil lawsuit against the social media giant, claiming Meta was failing to take basic precautionary measures to ensure children were safe on its platforms.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said during a news conference Wednesday that the suspects communicated and exchanged explicit sexual content through Facebook’s messenger app and were clear in expressing a sexual interest in children.

“It’s extraordinarily concerning to us just how easily these individuals found the undercover personas that were created,” Torrez said. “And it is, frankly, I think a wakeup call for all of us to understand just how serious these kinds of threats are.”

He placed blame on Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and suggested that the company was putting profits above the interests of parents and children.

“For those of us who are engaged in this work, we are simply tired of the rhetoric,” he said. “We are tired of the assurances that have been given to members of our communities, to members of Congress, to policymakers that all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that this type of behavior doesn’t occur.”

Meta disputed the allegations and reiterated Wednesday that it uses technology to prevent suspicious adults from finding or interacting with children and teens on its apps and that it works with law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting offenders.

The company also said it has hired child safety experts, reports content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and shares information and tools with others to help root out predators.

“This is an ongoing fight, where determined criminals evolve their tactics across platforms to try and evade protections,” Meta said in an emailed statement.

While the state attorney general’s office will continue working to identify predators who are targeting children, Torrez said it’s too early to say whether that work will have a bearing on the civil litigation.

As part of that lawsuit, New Mexico prosecutors say they have uncovered internal documents in which Meta employees estimate about 100,000 children every day are subjected to sexual harassment on the company’s platforms.

The three defendants in the criminal case were identified as Fernando Clyde, Marlon Kellywood and Christopher Reynolds. Prosecutors are seeking to detain them pending trial on charges that include child solicitation by an electronic communication device.

Hearings have yet to be scheduled, and court records did not list attorneys who could speak on behalf of Clyde and Kellywood. A message was left with the public defender’s office, which is representing Reynolds.

By WAFAA SHURAFA, SARAH EL DEEB and LEE KEATH (Associated Press)

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings from Rafah, dragging families on a new exodus.

The main hospital has shut down, leaving little care for people suffering from malnutrition, illnesses and wounds.

And with fuel and other supplies cut off, aid workers have been scrambling to help a population desperate after seven months of war.

As the possibility of a full-scale invasion looms, Gaza’s overcrowded southernmost city has been thrown into panic and chaos by Israel’s seizure of the nearby border crossing with Egypt.

Families uprooted multiple times by the war were uncertain where to go: to the half-destroyed city of Khan Younis, to points even farther north, or to an Israeli-declared “humanitarian zone” in Gaza already teeming with people with little water or supplies?

The past three days, streams of people on foot or in vehicles have jammed the roads out of Rafah in a confused evacuation, their belongings piled high in cars, trucks and donkey carts. All the while, Israeli bombardment has boomed and raised palls of smoke.

“The war has caught up with us even in schools. There is no safe place at all,” said Nuzhat Jarjer. Her family packed on Wednesday to leave a U.N. school-turned-shelter in Rafah that was rapidly emptying of the hundreds who had lived there for months.

Rafah had 250,000 residents before the war. Its population had ballooned to some 1.4 million as people from across Gaza fled there. Nearly every empty space was blanketed with tent camps, and families crammed into schools or homes with relatives. Like the rest of Gaza’s population, they have been largely reliant on aid groups for food and other basics of life.

Israel on Monday issued evacuation orders for eastern parts of the city, home to some 100,000. It then sent tanks to seize the nearby Rafah crossing with Egypt, shutting it down.

It remains uncertain whether Israel will launch an all-out invasion of Rafah as international efforts continue for a cease-fire. Israel has said an assault on Rafah is crucial to its goal of destroying Hamas after the group’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that left 1,200 dead and 250 as hostages in Gaza.

The United States, which opposes a Rafah invasion, has said Israel has not provided a credible plan for evacuating and protecting civilians. The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and has driven some 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes.

For now, confusion has reigned. Fearing a greater assault, Palestinians fled districts other than the eastern areas they were ordered to leave. Tens of thousands are estimated to have left, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because agencies were still trying to determine precise figures.

Tent camps in some parts of Rafah have vanished, springing up again further north along main roads. New camps have filled streets, cemeteries and the beach in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, 15 kilometers (10 miles) north, as people flowed in, said Ghada Alhaddad, who works there with the aid group Oxfam, speaking to a briefing by several humanitarian workers.

Others made their way to Khan Younis, much of which was destroyed in a months-long Israeli ground assault.

Suze van Meegen, head of operations for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Palestine, said the Rafah district where she is based “feels like a ghost town.”

The Israeli military told those evacuating to go to a “humanitarian zone” it declared in Muwasi, a nearby rural area on the Mediterranean coast. The zone is already packed with some 450,000 people, according to the U.N. Few new facilities appear to be prepared, despite the military’s announcements that tents, medical centers and food would be present.

The ground is covered in many places with sewage and solid waste, since there are few sanitation facilities, aid workers say. Clean water is lacking and dehydration is a major problem, with temperatures some days already reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).

The water quality is “horrifically bad. We tested some of the water and the fecal content … is incredibly high,” said James Smith, a British emergency doctor volunteering at the European General Hospital in nearby Khan Younis. Acute jaundice is rampant — and probably caused by hepatitis, but there’s no capabilities to test, he said.

The newly arrived struggle to find tents because of an extreme shortage among aid groups.

Before his family left Rafah to the zone, Iyad al-Masry said he had to sell food received from aid groups to buy a tent for the equivalent of nearly $400.

His family set up their tent in Muwasi, smoothing the dirt ground before setting down a cradle to rock an infant in. Al-Masri said he has been searching for water and can’t afford the three shekels — a little less than $1 — that sellers charge for a gallon of drinking water.

“We want to eat … We are just waiting for God’s mercy,” he said.

Nick Maynard, a surgeon with Medical Aid for Palestinians who left Gaza on Monday, said two teenage girls who had survivable injuries died last week because of complications from malnutrition.

“They get this vicious cycle of malnutrition, infection, wounds breaking down, more infection, more malnutrition,” said Maynard.

The number of children in Rafah who have lost one or more limbs is “staggering,” said Alexandra Saieh from Save The Children. “These people cannot just pick up and relocate.”

Rafah’s main Youssef al-Najjar Hospital evacuated on Tuesday. Smith said staff and patients rushed out even though they weren’t under evacuation orders because they feared Israeli troops would raid, just as they did hospitals in northern Gaza and Khan Younis, which were left decimated.

Israel claims Hamas used the hospitals for military purposes, an accusation Hamas and Gaza health officials deny.

Israeli tank shells Wednesday hit about 300 meters (yards) from the Kuwaiti Hospital, one of the few facilities still operating, and wounded several children, according to hospital officials.

The closure of Rafah crossing and the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel has cut off the entry of food, supplies, and fuel for aid trucks and generators. Aid groups warn they have only a few days of fuel before humanitarian operations and hospitals around Gaza begin to shut down.

Israel said Wednesday it reopened Kerem Shalom, which was shut after Hamas mortars killed four Israeli soldiers nearby, but aid groups said no trucks were entering the Gaza side. Trucks let through from Israel must be unloaded and the cargo reloaded onto trucks in Gaza, but no workers in Gaza can get to the facility to do so because it is too dangerous, the U.N. says.

Palestinian workers trying to reach the border crossing Wednesday were shot at, and several were wounded, the Israeli military said. It did not specify who opened fire but said it was investigating. Hamas also shelled in the area of Kerem Shalom on Wednesday, saying it was targeting nearby troops.

The U.N.’s World Food Program has been cut off from its Gaza food warehouse near the Rafah crossing, its deputy executive director Carl Skau said. It procured another warehouse in Deir al-Balah, but it’s empty until crossings reopen, he said.

Van Meegen, of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said without more supplies, “how do we even begin to prioritize the dribble of humanitarian aid we have here when almost every single person is being forced to depend on it?”

——

El Deeb and Keath reported from Cairo. Associated Press correspondents Sam Mednick in Jerusalem and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed.

General Daily Insight for May 08, 2024

Today’s energy is basically positive, although it might seem chaotic at first. The sensual Taurus Moon conjoins erratic Uranus and indulgent Jupiter, heightening our attraction to anything that promises pleasure. We’ll probably act first and start asking questions later — after Luna shifts into brainy Gemini at 7:20 pm EDT. The Moon also trines profound Pluto, giving us an opportunity to discover that even apparently strange decisions often have some sort of underlying logic. Our needs will find ways to be met!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

An impulse purchase could have you excited at the moment. When the thoughtful Moon in your communication zone reaches out to entrenched Pluto in your social sector, you might want to tell your friends what you just bought. The point isn’t to brag about how cool you are. Rather, it’s that you’ve potentially found a solution to a problem that has been dragging one of your pals down for a long time. Sometimes it’s truly possible to buy your way out of trouble!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You’re likely eager to assert yourself and make your mark in a distinctive way at present. In your passion, you run the risk of being a little unfocused. Once the security-seeking Moon moves into your money zone, getting real about the financial side of an idea you’re considering could rein you in. Although you may feel like you must do something big to impress others, you probably have more than you think going for you just the way you are. Live within your means.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

A big idea may be burning a hole in you at the moment. After the impulsive Moon bursts into your sign, perhaps you’ll finally be ready to make it public. You won’t be able to predict or control everything about the way this interaction goes. However, if you go into it with some idea of what you hope to get out of your disclosure, you’re more likely to be happy with the outcome. Look for a comfortable blend of planning and spontaneity.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your social life has the ability to offer a potentially exhausting amount of stimulation now. To keep up with the flow of events, you may need to let the crowd sweep you along at times. Once you get a quiet moment or two, however, you’ll probably want to think through everything you’ve seen and heard. A companion might have noticed meaningful details that flew right over your head, so consider a joint processing session. Your insights could be valuable to them too!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Telling your peers about an innovative project you’re working on could bring you a flood of feedback. Perhaps inspiration came to you like a bolt from the blue, and you haven’t thought through the details in an organized and methodical way yet. That’s not inevitably wrong, but it’s likely to attract responses that feel critical. Make an effort to tell the difference between naysayers and people who might be interested in joining you if they got their questions answered. Good help is hard to find!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Exotic ideas might grab your attention at any moment! While the inquisitive Moon rumbles with edgy Uranus and extravagant Jupiter in your adventurous 9th house, throwing yourself into a wild story could be an appealing way to escape the boredom of your everyday life. This is especially true if you’ve been feeling walled in by routines and responsibilities that you can’t avoid. To get grounded in a good way, look for something you do have control over, even if it seems small.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

An atmosphere of secrecy could currently make something seem bigger than it really needs to be. While the emotional Moon stirs up outrageous Uranus and sensational Jupiter in your mysterious 8th house, you might thoroughly enjoy feeling titillated by a good drama full of complicated intrigue. Even so, there’s a high chance that you’ll eventually need to separate your longing for excitement from your other priorities. Whenever you’re ready, stepping back and thinking things through rationally ought to lead you to surprisingly straightforward answers.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

A recent companion could be wild and zany in a way that draws you in. On the other hand, you might find them rather overwhelming. They may have a calmer, deeper side that they’re afraid to show — maybe they feel like they need to put on a show to hold your interest. Calling them out on this dynamic directly would probably scare them even more. Being secure in your peace, however, should give them room to gently drift in that direction.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You may genuinely enjoy being busy today. While the grounded Moon vibes with unconventional Uranus and joyful Jupiter in your 6th House of Responsibilities, routine tasks may deepen into something quite engrossing. You can take pride in learning a new skill! There’s probably still a repetitive side to your duties, though, so consider sharing the work with a companion. While you’re committed to finishing the job, you’re not going anywhere else — you might as well sink into a deep conversation!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Letting your creativity flow freely can speedily lead you to an interesting idea. Sure, it could seem to be just for fun at first, but it doesn’t have to end there. Once the nurturing Moon moves into your practical 6th house, you can start thinking about how you might bring your brainstorm into reality. Investing in yourself in this way may or may not get you rich quickly. Regardless, finding out what you’re capable of should, at minimum, increase your self-worth.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your home may be more stimulating than relaxing at the moment. As long as you’re having fun, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Knowing you have a safe place to let your freak flag fly should be wonderfully liberating! After the expressive Moon shifts into your individualistic 5th house, you might be ready to take a small step toward sharing this side of yourself with a wider audience. It’s okay for change to happen in small amounts at a time.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Hot gossip could currently command your interest. Once you get hold of a juicy tidbit, it’ll probably be hard to resist the urge to look for more where that came from. Curiosity is only human! Still, at some point, you might need to know what’s actually true. After the impressionable Moon pivots into your rooted 4th house, you’re likely to feel a little calmer. This frame of mind may seem boring by comparison, but prioritizing reality should reduce your risk of getting in trouble.

A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection with a crash in Coral Springs on Sunday afternoon that killed a 6-year-old girl, police said.

Chevon Graham, of Sunrise, was driving a 2023 Mercedes-Benz with two passengers shortly after 5 p.m., and an officer on patrol attempted to pull the car over for a traffic violation near the 8500 block of West Sample Road, the police department said in a news release shared on social media. Police did not say what traffic violation Graham was being pulled over for.

The Mercedes sped off when the officer turned on his emergency lights and sirens, and the police department said the officer “discontinued the traffic stop by immediately shutting off his emergency lights and siren,” in accordance with their pursuit policy.

Pursuits are not to be initiated for any traffic offenses, the police department’s policy says, and if a driver flees and the offense does not meet the criteria for a chase, officers must turn off their lights and sirens, notify dispatch and either turn away from the fleeing car or stop driving. The policy says officers are not to follow the path of the fleeing car unless they hear of or are informed of a crash.

The Mercedes driver continued speeding away from the officer, heading west on Sample Road and crashed into a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, police said. The force ejected the 6-year-old girl from the Chevrolet, who was “secured” in a car seat, the police department said.

She was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. The driver of the Chevrolet was taken to Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach and was expected to recover. Their identities were not released.

Graham, who was identified at the scene as the driver of the Mercedes-Benz, and the two passengers in his car were taken to Broward Health North. They were expected to recover, Coral Springs Police said.

Broward County jail records show Graham was being held in the North Broward Bureau as of Tuesday night on charges of vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer causing injury or death, second offense driving with a suspended license, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and reckless driving causing property damage.

Court records and Graham’s attorney information were not available Tuesday night.

UCF softball is embarking on another milestone.

It is entering this week’s Big 12 softball tournament and is looking to significantly impact its inaugural season in the conference.

The Knights (30-22, 12-15 Big 12) earned the fifth seed and a first-round bye and will face No. 4 Baylor (31-19, 14-13 Big 12) in the quarterfinals on Thursday (8:30 p.m., ESPN+) at Oklahoma City’s OGE Field at Devon Park.

The winner of this crucial match advances to Friday’s semifinals (7:30 p.m., ESPN+), where they would face No. 1 Texas (45-6, 23-4) vs. Iowa State/Texas Tech winner, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown.

The championship is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2), and the winner will earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I softball championship.

UCF, EA Sports create a partnership built for the future

UCF has won at least 30 games in the past four seasons and five of the six years under coach Cindy Ball-Malone. The Knights have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the past three seasons, advancing to the Super Regional in 2022.

While the program enjoyed success in the American Athletic Conference, capped with conference championships in 2015 and ’22, this first season in the Big 12 has certainly had its ups and downs.

The team suffered through a seven-game losing streak in mid-March, and the Knights dropped back-to-back series to then-No. 4 Oklahoma State and then-No. 2 Texas.

UCF bounced back to win 12 of its next 13 games, taking series from Texas Tech, BYU and Houston.

The Knights faced big moments and outfielder Chloe Evans was one of those players who understood Power 5 pressure first hand.

Evans, a seasoned player who hails from Wisconsin, played two seasons in the Big Ten while at Minnesota.

“I knew what those big moments felt like, playing in those big games, those big rivalry games,” said Evans. “I feel like the Big 12 was a little bit different. It felt like every game was a rivalry game. You had this intense competition between every single team, no matter who you were playing.”

UCF adds future home-and-home series with Northwestern, Pittsburgh

Evans, who is in her final season, batted .315 with 7 home runs and 37 RBI in 52 games.

“We did a good job of trying to play at teams all year,” she said. “We remembered to play within ourselves and remembered that all the games are really big and really important.”

Pitcher Sarah Willis wrapped up her second and final season with the Knights, finishing with a 2.39 ERA and a 9-9 record in 20 starts.

“Moving from the AAC to the Big 12, it’s been a big jump,” said Willis. “I feel like I’ve been preparing myself for it. I came in and did way better than people thought I would do. I’m proud of myself and the team.

“We’ve had some ups and downs, but we’ve kept our fight and given people a run for their money.”

Baylor swept its three-game series with UCF on April 19-20, 2-1, 1-0, and 1-0. In the losses, the Knights were 12-for-73 (.164) with 17 strikeouts. Evans went 2-for-8 (.250) with a home run, while Willis went winless in two complete games, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts.

“We’ve not reached our potential as a team,” said Willis. “We’ve had moments where our pitching was great, our defense was great and our offense was great, but if we can bring it all together and have a solid seven innings then we’re just as good as any team in the Big 12.”

Added Evans: “We can’t make things bigger than they are, and we have to stay within ourselves whoever is on the other side.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

Big 12 softball tournament

FIRST ROUND (Wednesday)

Game 1: No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Houston, 6 p.m., ESPN+

Game 2: No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Iowa State, 8:30 p.m., ESPN+

QUARTERFINALS [Thursday]

Game 3: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 3 Oklahoma State, Noon, ESPN+

Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. No. 2 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+

Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. No. 1 Texas, 6 p.m., ESPN+

Game 6: No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 UCF, 8:30 p.m., ESPN+

SEMIFINALS [Friday]

Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m., ESPN+

Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 8:30 p.m., ESPN+

CHAMPIONSHIP [Saturday]

Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM (Associated Press)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Transgender activists have flooded a Utah tip line created to alert state officials to possible violations of a new bathroom law with thousands of hoax reports in an effort to shield trans residents and their allies from any legitimate complaints that could threaten their safety.

The onslaught has led the state official tasked by the law with managing the tip line, Utah Auditor John Dougall, to bemoan getting stuck with the cumbersome task of filtering through fake complaints while also facing backlash for enforcing a law he had no role in passing.

“No auditor goes into auditing so they can be the bathroom monitors,” Dougall said Tuesday. “I think there were much better ways for the Legislature to go about addressing their concerns, rather than this ham-handed approach.”

In the week since it launched, the online tip line already has received more than 10,000 submissions, none of which seem legitimate, he said. The form asks people to report public school employees who knowingly allow someone to use a gender-designated facility in the presence of the opposite sex.

Utah residents and visitors are required by law to use bathrooms and changing rooms in government-owned buildings that correspond with their birth sex. As of last Wednesday, schools and agencies found not enforcing the new restrictions can be fined up to $10,000 per day for each violation.

Although their advocacy efforts failed to stop Republican lawmakers in many states from passing restrictions for trans people, the community has found success in interfering with the often ill-conceived enforcement plans attached to those laws.

Within hours of its publication Wednesday night, trans activists and community members from across the U.S. already had spread the Utah tip line widely on social media. Many shared the spam they had submitted and encouraged others to follow suit.

Their efforts mark the latest attempt by advocates to shut down or render unusable a government tip line that they argue sows division by encouraging residents to snitch on each other. Similar portals in at least five other states also have been inundated with hoax reports, leading state officials to shut some down.

In Virginia, Indiana, Arizona and Louisiana, activists flooded tip lines created to field complaints about teachers, librarians and school administrators who may have spoken to students about race, LGBTQ+ identities or other topics lawmakers argued were inappropriate for children. The Virginia tip line was taken down within a year, as was a tip line introduced in Missouri to report gender-affirming health care clinics.

Erin Reed, a prominent trans activist and legislative researcher, said there is a collective understanding in the trans community that submitting these hoax reports is an effective way of protesting the law and protecting trans people who might be targeted.

“There will be people who are trans that go into bathrooms that are potentially reported by these sorts of forms, and so the community is taking on a protective role,” Reed said. “If there are 4,000, 5,000, 6,000 form responses that are entered in, it’s going to be much harder for the auditor’s office to sift through every one of them and find the one legitimate trans person who was caught using a bathroom.”

The auditor’s office has encountered many reports that Dougall described as “total nonsense,” and others that he said appear credible at first glance and take much longer to filter out. His staff has spent the last week sorting through thousands of well-crafted complaints citing fake names or locations.

Despite efforts to clog the enforcement tool they had outlined in the bill, the Republican sponsors, Rep. Kera Birkeland and Sen. Dan McCay, said they remain confident in the tip line and the auditor’s ability filter out fake complaints.

“It’s not surprising that activists are taking the time to send false reports,” Birkeland said. “But that isn’t a distraction from the importance of the legislation and the protection it provides women across Utah.”

The Morgan Republican had pitched the policy as a safety measure to protect the privacy of women and girls without citing evidence of threats or assaults by trans people against them.

McCay said he hadn’t realized activists were responsible for flooding the tip line. The Salt Lake City senator said he does not plan to change how the law is being enforced.

LGBTQ+ rights advocates also have warned the law and the accompanying tip line give people license to question anyone’s gender in community spaces, which they argue could even affect people who are not trans.

Their warnings were amplified earlier this year when a Utah school board member came under fire — and later lost her reelection bid — for publicly questioning the gender of a high school basketball player she wrongly assumed was transgender.

By ISABELLA O’MALLEY (Associated Press)

Billions of people are using different kinds of energy each day and 2023 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy sources — ones that don’t emit planet-warming pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane — according to a report published Wednesday by Ember, a think tank based in London.

For the first time, 30% of electricity produced worldwide was from clean energy sources as the number of solar and wind farms continued to grow fast.

Of the types of clean energy generated last year, hydroelectric dams produced the most. That’s the same as in most years. Yet droughts in India, China, North America and Mexico meant hydropower hit a five-year low. Research shows climate change is causing droughts to develop more quickly and be more severe.

People used more electricity than ever last year, about 2% more, an increase of about as much as Canada uses in a year. Some of this new demand was for heat pumps, which are an efficient way to both heat and cool buildings, and for electric vehicles. It was also for electrolyzers, special machines used to get hydrogen out of water, for energy. These are all technologies that provide solutions to climate change.

Other increased demand was for electricity to feed new data centers and for air conditioning as places around the world become hotter.

Solar made up the biggest share of new clean energy last year. More than twice as much solar power was added as coal power. It was the 19th year in a row that solar was the fastest-growing source of electricity generation. A surge in solar installations happened at the end of the year and the report predicts 2024 will see an even larger jump.

China added more renewable energy than any other country last year — 51% of the new solar power and 60% of the new wind power globally. China, the European Union, the United States and Brazil together accounted for 81% of new solar generation in 2023.

Yet China was also responsible for 55% of coal generation globally and 60% of China’s electricity generation came from coal. The International Energy Agency says coal is the most carbon-intensive of the fossil fuels.

Scientists say emissions from burning fuels like coal must ramp steeply down to protect Earth’s climate, yet there was an increase in electricity made from burning fossil fuels. China, India, Vietnam and Mexico were responsible for nearly all of the rise.

The report said some countries burned coal to make up for the loss of hydroelectric power they experienced when drought caused their reservoirs to dry up. This is an example of a vicious cycle — when climate change prompts the use of more of the substances that cause climate change in the first place.

Despite all the growth in clean energy, fossil fuels still made up the majority of global electricity generated last year, causing a 1% rise in global power sector emissions. Scientists say even if we slashed all greenhouse gas emissions today, the planet would continue to warm for years because of the amount of pollutants already added to the atmosphere.

Analysts expect the world to use even more electricity in 2024. But renewable energy generation is forecast to grow even faster. That could mean a 2% drop (333 terawatt-hours) in energy generated from fossil fuels.

____

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 SARA CLINE (Associated Press)

Despite pleas from Democrats and gut-wrenching testimony from doctors and rape survivors, a GOP-controlled legislative committee rejected a bill Tuesday that would have added cases of rape and incest as exceptions to Louisiana’s abortion ban.

In the reliably red state, which is firmly ensconced in the Bible Belt and where even some Democrats oppose abortions, adding exceptions to Louisiana’s strict law has been an ongoing battle for advocates — with a similar measure failing last year. Currently, of the 14 states with abortion bans at all stages of pregnancy, six have exceptions in cases of rape and five have exceptions for incest.

“I will beg (committee) members to come to common sense,” Democratic state Rep. Alonzo Knox said to fellow lawmakers ahead of the vote, urging them to give approval to the exceptions. “I’m begging now.”

Lawmakers voted against the bill along party lines, with the measure failing 4-7.

A nearly identical bill met the same fate last year, effectively dying in the same committee. In the hopes of advancing the legislation out of committee and to the House floor for full debate, bill sponsor Democratic state Rep. Delisha Boyd added an amendment to the measure so that the exceptions would only apply to those who are younger than 17. However, the change was still not enough to sway opponents.

“We have cases here in Louisiana with children being raped and then subjected to carrying a child to term,” Boyd, a Democrat who has told her own mother’s story in an effort to fight for passage of the bil l. “I hope we take a look at the fact that this is to protect the most vulnerable, our children.”

Boyd said she will continue to try to get the bill onto the floor, possibly asking the House chamber to vote to bypass the committee. However, the technique is rarely successful for Democrats in the Legislature where Republicans hold a supermajority.

While most of those who voted against the bill did not give a reason for their vote, GOP state Rep. Dodie Horton offered her thoughts, saying that while she believes convicted rapists should receive the maximum penalty possible, she can’t in good conscience allow for abortions. She described the fetuses as “innocent children.”

“I think we should punish the perpetrator to the nth degree, I’d love to hang them from the high street if it was in my power to do so. But I cannot condone killing the innocent,” Horton said.

As in multiple other Republican states, Louisiana’s abortion law went into effect in 2022 following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending a half-century of the nationwide right to abortion. The only exceptions to the ban are if there is substantial risk of death or impairment to the mother if she continues the pregnancy or in the case of “medically futile” pregnancies — when the fetus has a fatal abnormality.

Democrats have repeatedly fought — and failed — to loosen the law by clarifying vague language, abolishing jail time for doctors who perform illegal abortions and adding exceptions.

“It’s disgusting to me that we have a society where we can’t make exceptions in a situation where a young girl’s innocence has been taken away in the most vile way… and now she’s impregnated and somebody, somewhere, wants to force a nine, 10, 11, 12, 13-year-old child to have a baby for the monster that took away her innocence?” Knox said.

The bill attracted dozens of people to testify, including rape survivors who shared their own stories and doctors who argued that their hands are tied by the current law.

OB-GYN Dr. Neelima Sukhavasi told lawmakers that since the abortion ban has gone into effect, she and other colleagues have delivered babies who are birthed by teenagers who have been raped.

“One of these teenagers delivered a baby while clutching a Teddy Bear — and that’s an image that once you see that, you can’t unsee it,” Sukhavasi said.

In 2021, there were 7,444 reported abortions in Louisiana, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 27 were obtained by people younger than 15. Nationwide, 1,338 pregnant patients under 15 received abortions, according to the CDC.

A study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that between July 2022 and January 2024, there were more than 64,000 pregnancies resulting from rape in states where abortion has been banned in all or most cases.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — One-time movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was returned to a New York City jail in what his publicist said Tuesday was the result from a published report claiming he was getting VIP treatment during his 10-day stay at a hospital.

The publicist, Juda Engelmeyer, said Weinstein was moved late Monday from Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan to an infirmary at the city’s Rikers Island jail complex.

The move came hours after The City, a nonprofit news outlet, reported that Weinstein was housed in a private room in the hospital’s intensive care unit with a television, phone and a bathroom rather than a separate floor where inmates normally reside.

Engelmeyer disputed the account, saying Weinstein “wasn’t getting preferential or VIP treatment” and wasn’t housed in what could be characterized as a hospital suite. Engelmeyer said he’d been housed on the floor for inmates where everyone has access to a room with phones and a television room.

“He’s been moved back to Rikers largely due to pressure, I believe, due to pressure because of the news about what somebody thought was VIP treatment,” he said.

Weinstein was brought to Bellevue Hospital only hours after he was transferred on April 26 from the Mohawk Correctional Facility, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Albany, to Rikers less than a day after the New York Court of Appeals vacated his conviction.

The appeals court ruled that a Manhattan trial judge permitted jurors to see and hear too much evidence not directly related to the charges he faced, and it ordered a new trial, negating his 23-year prison sentence. However, he remained jailed because he was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

While prosecutors have asked for a September retrial on charges that he forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actor in 2013, it was unclear if key trial witnesses would return for a new trial. Weinstein has disputed the allegations.

Frank Dwyer, a New York City Department of Correction spokesperson, said Weinstein was originally taken to Bellevue for medical care and was returned to the West Facility, a Rikers Island jail in Queens, when the treatment was completed.

The West Facility houses 140 specially air-controlled housing units for inmates with contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, according to a city website, though the jail has reportedly also been used for inmates that need to be isolated from the general jail population for other reasons.

Craig Rothfeld, a jail consultant working with Weinstein attorneys, responded to an email sent to a Weinstein lawyer by saying the decision to return Weinstein to Rikers was made by medical staff “who are more than qualified to make these medical decisions.”

He said there are no more updates to provide regarding Weinstein’s health, and all of his health conditions continue to be closely monitored by city jail and health officials.

“We have every confidence in their decision-making ability regarding Mr. Weinstein’s safety and well-being and are grateful for their continued communication,” Rothfeld said.

Engelmeyer said Weinstein had been treated at the hospital for pneumonia, a recurring issue related to his heart troubles, along with his other medical issues, including diabetes.

“He appreciates the care he was getting in Bellevue,” he said.

Engelmeyer said Weinstein was “disappointed” at his return to Rikers and was “uncomfortable” there, where the spokesperson described Weinstein’s housing as “more like an infirmary.”

He said Weinstein was regularly speaking by phone with his lawyers when he was at the hospital as other inmates awaiting trial are allowed to do.

“He didn’t get any treatment different from others. He wasn’t talking to his friends and buddies and having a good time,” Engelmeyer said.

Engelmeyer said Weinstein gained some “relief and hope” from the appeals ruling, but he knows he faces a long prison term from the California case and an appeal of that conviction won’t be heard for another year.

“His spirits are up, but he also knows he has a long, long trip ahead of him,” Engelmeyer said. “He knows that he won’t be getting out soon.