The U.S. stock market roared back, as technology stocks recovered much of their losses from earlier in the week and bitcoin halted its plunge, at least for now.

The S&P 500 jumped 2% Friday for its best day since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared roughly 1,200 points and topped the 50,000 level for the first time, while the Nasdaq composite rallied 2.2%.

Chip companies helped drive the gains on hopes for more big spending by customers diving into AI technology. Stocks also got a boost from a better reading on sentiment among U.S. consumers. Bitcoin rose back above $70,000.

They were among the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500, and they benefited from hopes for continued spending by customers diving into artificial-intelligence technology. Amazon, for example, said late Thursday it expects to spend about $200 billion on investments this year to take advantage of seminal opportunities like AI, chips, robotics, and low earth orbit satellites.

Such heavy spending, similar to what Alphabet announced a day earlier, is creating concerns of its own, though. The question is whether all those dollars will prove to be worth it and create much bigger profits in the future. With doubt remaining about that, Amazons stock dropped 7%.

Even with Fridays rebound, the S&P 500 is still potentially heading toward its third losing week in the last four. Besides worries about big AI spending by Big Tech companies, whose stocks are the most influential on Wall Street, concerns about AI potentially stealing customers away from software companies also hurt the market through the week. The hits for software stocks accelerated after AI firm Anthropic released free tools to automate things like legal services.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, steadied following a weekslong plunge that had sent it more than halfway below its record price set in October. It climbed back above $70,000 after briefly dropping close to $60,000 late Thursday.

Prices in the metals market also calmed a bit following their own wild swings. Gold rose 1.8% to settle at $4,979.80 per ounce, while silver added 0.2%.

Their prices suddenly ran out of momentum last week following jaw-dropping rallies, which were driven by investors clamoring for something safe to own amid worries about political turmoil, a U.S. stock market that critics called expensive and huge debt loads for governments worldwide. By January, prices for gold and silver were surging so quickly that critics called it unsustainable.

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On Wall Street, the recovery for bitcoin helped stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto economy. Robinhood Markets jumped 13.6% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500. Crypto trading platform Coinbase Global rose 11.4%. Strategy, the company thats made a business of buying and holding bitcoin, soared 24.5%.

Stocks of smaller U.S. companies also helped lead the market, along with companies whose profits depend on U.S. households spending more money. They benefited from potentially encouraging data on how U.S. consumers are feeling.

A preliminary report from the University of Michigan suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is improving slightly, when economists were expecting to see a drop. The improvement was strongest among households who own stocks, which are benefiting from the S&P 500 setting a record late last month.

To be sure, sentiment remained at dismal levels for consumers without stock holdings, according to Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu.

Airline stocks were strong with hopes that more confidence among U.S. households will translate into more spending on trips. That included gains of 9.2% for United Airlines, 7.6% for Delta Air Lines and 7.5% for American Airlines.

The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.4%, roughly double the gain of the S&P 500. Smaller companies profits can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than those for big, multinational rivals.

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In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe.

That was even though Stellantis, the auto giant whose stock trades in Italy, lost 25.2% after saying it would take a charge of 22 billion euros, or $26 billion, as it dials back its electric vehicle production. The automaker acknowledged over-estimating the pace of the energy transition and said it was resetting its business to align the company with the real-world preferences of its customers.

Stocks fell across much of Asia, but Japans Nikkei 225 rose 0.8%. It benefited from a 2% climb for Toyota Motor, which said CEO Koji Sato will step down in April and will be replaced by the companys chief financial officer, Kenta Kon.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury erased an earlier modest loss and held at 4.21%, where it was late Thursday.

Luigi Mangione spoke out in court Friday against the prospect of back-to-back trials over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling a judge: Its the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.

Mangione, 27, made the remarks as court officers escorted him out of the courtroom after a judge scheduled his state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before jury selection in his federal case.

Judge Gregory Carro, matter-of-fact in his decision after a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense lawyers at the bench, said the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial.

Mangiones lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling Carro that at that time, they'll be consumed with preparing for the federal trial, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him.

Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation," defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. "This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices.

The defense will not be ready on June 8," she added.

Be ready, Carro replied.

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Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry the possibility of life in prison. Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty.

Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13.

Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing.

As the trial calendar began to take shape, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann sent a letter to Carro asking him to begin the New York trial on July 1.

The prosecutor argued that the states interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay until after the federal trial. Under the law, he said, the state has priority of jurisdiction for purposes of trial, sentencing and incarceration" because Mangione was arrested by New York City police, not federal authorities.

When Mangione was arrested, federal prosecutors said anticipated that the state trial would go first. Seidemann told Carro on Friday that Thompsons family has also expressed a desire to see the state trial happen first.

It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first, Carro said Friday.

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Scheduling the state trial first could help Manhattan prosecutors avoid double jeopardy issues. Under New York law, the district attorneys office could be barred from trying Mangione if his federal trial happens first.

The states double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. The cases involve different charges but the same alleged course of conduct.

Mangione isnt due in court again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude certain evidence that prosecutors say connects Mangione to the killing.

Those items include a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which they say he described his intent to wack a health insurance executive.

Last week, Garnett ruled that prosecutors can use those items at that trial.

In September, Carro threw out state terrorism charges but kept the rest of the case, including an intentional murder charge.

Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Groups annual investor conference.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say delay, deny and depose were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

Matthew Stafford walked away with the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award and a declaration that he's returning to the Los Angeles Rams for another season.

Stafford edged Drake Maye for the MVP award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003.

Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. But Maye has a chance to go home this week with a Vince Lombardi Trophy. He leads the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, wants another opportunity to try to win his second Super Bowl ring with the Rams.

Oh yeah, I'll be back. It was such an amazing season and I play with such a great group of guys and great group of coaches that I was lucky enough to finish this season healthy, and I wanna make sure that I go out there and see what happens next year," Stafford told the AP.

Stafford brought his four daughters all dressed in identical black-and-white dresses to the stage to accept the award.

He thanked his team and saved his wife and daughters for last: Youre unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me, and I cant wait for you to cheer me on next year when were out there kicking (butt).

It was Staffords way of announcing he will be back next season after contemplating retirement.

Myles Garrett was a unanimous choice for the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award after setting a season record for sacks with 23.

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All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba beat out Christian McCaffrey for the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

New Englands Mike Vrabel beat out Jacksonvilles Liam Coen for the AP NFL Coach of the Year award, becoming the seventh coach to win it with two different teams.

McCaffrey became the first running back to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 24 years.

Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger was a runaway winner for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award in the first season of his third stint with the team.

A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm Lutz and Carr.

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Voters selected a top 5 for the eight AP NFL awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, received two first-place MVP votes, and Justin Herbert got the other one.

Stafford, who earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career, finished with 366 points to Mayes 361. Allen placed third with 91 points, Christian McCaffrey (71) was fourth and Trevor Lawrence (49) came in fifth.

Its McCaffreys second top-five finish in three years, more than any other non-quarterback since the weighted point system was implemented in 2022.

Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 yards passing and 46 TDs. He threw eight picks and finished second to Maye with a 109.2 passer rating. Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams lost to Seattle in the NFC championship game.

Maye had 4,394 yards passing, 31 TDs and eight picks. The second-year pro led the league in passer rating (113.5) and completion percentage (72).

A New Mexico grand jury has indicted actor Timothy Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the indictment Friday in a social media post.

Authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Busfield over allegations of misconduct from when he was working as a director on the set of the TV series The Cleaning Lady.

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Busfield has denied the allegations. He turned himself in to authorities and later was released from jail.

Busfield is best known for appearances in The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething.

Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, did not comment on the sexual contact charge in the indictment but said the grand jury declined to endorse grooming charges sought by prosecutors.

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He said in a statement that a detention hearing already exposed fatal weaknesses in the states evidence gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure.

It just wouldn't feel like the Super Bowl for them if they weren't all there. And this might be the last time they all do it.

That's what three old friends were coming to grips with just before this year's Super Bowl. The trio of octogenarians are the only fans left in the exclusive "never missed a Super Bowl" club.

Don Crisman of Maine, Gregory Eaton of Michigan and Tom Henschel of Florida were back for another big game this year. But two of them are grappling with the fact that advancing years and decreasing mobility mean this is probably the last time.

This year's game pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday. Crisman, a Patriots fan since the franchise started, was excited to see his team in the game for a record-setting 12th time.

"This will definitely be the final one," said Crisman, who made the trip with his daughter, Susan Metevier. "We made it to 60."

Getting older, scaling back

Crisman, who first met Henschel at the 1983 Super Bowl, turns 90 this year. Meanwhile, Henschel, 84, has been slowed by a stroke. Both said this is the last time they'll make the increasingly expensive trip to the game, although members of the group have said that before. For his part, Eaton, 86, plans to keep going as long as he's still physically able.

Eaton, who runs a ground transportation company in Detroit, is the only member of the group not retired. And he'd still like to finally see his beloved Detroit Lions make it to a Super Bowl.

Even so, all three said they've scaled back the time they dedicate each year to the trip. Crisman used to spend a week in the host city, soaking in the pomp and pageantry. These days, it's just about the game, not the hype.

"We don't go for a week anymore, we go for three or four days," Crisman said.

Eaton, too, admits the price and hype of the big game have gotten to be a lot.

"I think all of them are big, they're all fun. It's just gotten so commercial. It's a $10,000 trip now," he said.

Friendly rivalries over the years

Henschel said this year's Super Bowl would be the most challenging for him because of his stroke, but he was excited to see Eaton and Crisman one more time.

Eaton met Crisman and Henschel in the mid-2010s after years of attending the Super Bowl separately. And Henschel and Crisman have a long-running rivalry: Their respective favorite teams the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots are AFC rivals.

The fans have attended every game since the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, as the first two Super Bowls were known at the time, in 1967. They have sometimes sat together in the past, but logistics make it impossible some years.

But this year it was just about being able to go to the game at all, Henschel said.

"I don't talk or walk good," he said.

An ever-shrinking club

The club of people who have never missed a Super Bowl once included other fans, executives, media members and even groundskeepers, but as time has passed, the group has shrunk. Photographer John Biever, who has shot every Super Bowl, also plans to let his streak end at 60.

The three fans spin tales of past games that often focus less on the action on the field than on the different world where old Super Bowls took place. Henschel scored a $12 ticket for the 1969 Super Bowl the day of the game. Crisman endured a 24-hour train ride to Miami for the 1968 Super Bowl. Eaton, who is Black, remembers the many years before Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1988.

Metevier, Crisman's daughter, was born the year of the first Super Bowl and grew up with her dad's streak as a fixture in her life. She's looking forward to going to one last game with him.

"It's kind of bittersweet. It's about the memories," Metevier said. "It's not just about the football, it's something more."

Crisman's son, Don Crisman Jr., said he's on board with his dad making the trip for as long as he's still able, too.

"You know, he's a little long in the tooth, but the way I put it, if it was me and I was mobile and I could go, I would damn sure go," he said.

A key participant in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in their deaths, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday

Bondi said in a news conference that Zubayr Al-Bakoush had landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. on Friday.

We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation, Bondi said.

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U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that an eight-count indictment charged Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him.

The 2012 attack on the U.S. compound immediately emerged as a divisive political issue as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the administrations changing narrative about who was responsible and why.

A final report by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attacks. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton.

Clinton dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was time to move on. Other Democrats denounced the Republicans report as a conspiracy theory on steroids."

On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire.

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The fire led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex.

A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs.

A Colorado funeral home owner who stashed 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years and gave grieving families fake ashes will be sentenced Friday on corpse abuse charges.

Jon Hallford owned Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs with his then-wife Carie. They pleaded guilty in December to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse under an agreement with prosecutors.

Jon Hallford faces between 30 and 50 years in prison. Carie Hallford faces 25 to 35 years in prison at sentencing on April 24.

The Hallfords stored the bodies in a building in the small town of Penrose, south of Colorado Springs, from 2019 until 2023, when investigators responding to reports of a stench from the building discovered the corpses.

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Bodies were found throughout the building, some stacked on top of each other, with swarms of bugs and decomposition fluid covering the floors, investigators said. The remains including adults, infants and fetuses were stored at room temperature. Investigators believe the Hallfords gave families dry concrete that mimicked ashes.

The bodies were identified over months with fingerprints, DNA and other methods.

Families learned the ashes they had been given, and then spread or kept at home, weren't actually their loved ones' remains. Many said it undid their grieving process, others had nightmares and struggled with guilt that they let their relatives down.

The funeral home owners also pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after prosecutors said they cheated the government out of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era small business aid.

Jon Hallford was sentenced to 20 years in prison in that case. He told the judge he opened Return to Nature to make a positive impact in people's lives, "then everything got completely out of control, especially me."

"I still hate myself for what I've done," he said at his sentencing last June.

Carie Hallford's federal sentencing is set for March 16.

Attorneys for the Hallfords did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

During the years they were stashing bodies, the Hallfords spent lavishly, according to court documents. That included purchasing a GMC Yukon and an Infiniti worth over $120,000 combined, along with $31,000 in cryptocurrency, luxury items from stores like Gucci and Tiffany & Co., and laser body sculpting.

One of the recovered bodies was that of a former Army sergeant first class who was thought to have been buried at a veterans' cemetery, said FBI agent Andrew Cohen.

When investigators exhumed the wooden casket at the cemetery, they found the remains of a person of a different gender inside, he said. The veteran, who was not identified in court, was later given a funeral with full military honors at Pikes Peak National Cemetery, he said.

The corpse abuse revelations spurred changes to Colorado's lax funeral home regulations.

The AP previously reported that the Hallfords missed tax payments, were evicted from one of their properties and were sued for unpaid bills, according to public records and interviews with people who worked with them.

In a rare decision, state District Judge Eric Bentley last year rejected previous plea agreements between the Hallfords and prosecutors that called for up to 20 years in prison. Family members of the deceased said the agreements were too lenient.

The U.S. military said Thursday that it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. Southern Command said on social media that the boat was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. It said the strike killed two people. A video linked to the post shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames.

The strike was announced just hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that some top cartel drug-traffickers in the region "have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean. However, Hegseth did not provide any details or information to back up this claim, made in a post on his personal account on social media.

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Neither U.S. Southern Command nor the Pentagon would answer follow-up questions about Hegseths claim.

The boat attacks, which began in September 2025, have slowed in frequency since January a month that only saw one strike after the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. By contrast, the Pentagon struck more than dozen boats in December 2025.

Thursday's attack raises the death toll from the Trump administrations strikes on alleged drug boats to 128 people. Last week, the military said that figure was up to 126 people, with the inclusion of those presumed dead after being lost at sea. That figure included 116 people who were killed immediately in at least 36 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Southern Command said. Ten others are believed dead because searchers did not locate them following a strike.

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Meanwhile, the families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a Trump administration boat strike in Octobersued the federal government last week, calling the attack a war crime and part of an unprecedented and manifestly unlawful U.S. military campaign. The suit is believed to be the first wrongful death case arising from the campaign and will test the legal justification of the attacks, which many experts say are a brazen violation of the laws of armed conflict.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in armed conflict with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing narcoterrorists.

An unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Winter Olympics opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture plus American pop diva Mariah Carey was scheduled to officially start the Milan Cortina Games on Friday as the sports spectacle returns to a nation that last hosted the event 20 years ago.

This is the most spread-out Olympics Summer or Winter in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about 8,500 square miles (more than 22,000 square kilometers), roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey.

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The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium, which is home to Serie A titans AC Milan and Inter Milan, opened a century ago and is due to be razed and replaced in the next few years. There also will be three other places where athletes can march, some carrying their country's flag: Cortina d'Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.

That allows up-in-the-mountains sports such as Alpine skiing, bobsled, curling and snowboarding to be represented in the Parade of Nations without needing to make the several-hours-long trek to Milan, the country's financial capital, and back.

For good measure, the Feb. 22 closing ceremony will be held in yet another locale, Verona, where Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet was set.

Another symbol of how far-flung things are this time: Instead of the usual one cauldron that is lit and burns throughout the Olympics, there will be two, both intended as an homage to Leonardo da Vincis geometric studies. One is in Milan, 2 miles (4 kilometers) from San Siro, and the other is going to be 250 miles (400 kilometers) away in Cortina.

The people given the honor of lighting both was a closely guarded secret, as is usually the case at any Olympics. At the Turin Winter Games in 2006, it was Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo.

Other links to Italy's heritage scheduled to be a part of Friday's festivities include a performance by tenor Andrea Bocelli; classically trained dancers from the academy of the famed Milan opera house, Teatro alla Scala; a tribute to the late fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died last year at 91. Armani designed the Olympic and Paralympic uniforms for the Italian national team for decades, and was a personal friend of the former president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, Giovanni Malag.

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Plenty more planned for Friday was being kept under wraps by organizers who said they sought to convey themes of harmony and peace, seeking to represent the city-mountain dichotomy of the particularly unusual setup for these Olympics while also trying to appeal to a sense of unity at a time of global tensions.

Another unknown: What sort of reception would greet U.S. Vice President JD Vance when he attended the ceremony in Milan? And what about the American athletes?

When new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry was asked this week what sort of greeting the U.S. delegation would get when they enter San Siro in the Parade of Nations, she replied: I hope the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity to be respectful.

The Trump administration on Thursday launched TrumpRx, a website it says will help patients buy prescription drugs directly at a discounted rate at a time when health care and the cost of living are growing concerns for Americans.

Youre going to save a fortune, President Donald Trump said at the sites unveiling. And this is also so good for overall health care.

The government-hosted website is not a platform for buying medications. Instead, it's set up as a facilitator, pointing Americans to drugmakers direct-to-consumer websites, where they can make purchases. It also provides coupons to use at pharmacies. The site launches with over 40 medications, including weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

The site is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to show it's tacking the challenges of high costs. Affordability has emerged as a political vulnerability for Trump and his Republican allies going into November's midterm elections, as Americans remain concerned about the cost of housing, groceries, utilities and other staples of middle-class identity.

Trump stressed that the lower prices were made possible by his pressuring of pharmaceutical companies on prices, saying he demanded that they charge the same costs in the U.S. as in other nations. He said prescription drug costs will increase in foreign countries as a result.

We're tired of subsidizing the world, Trump said at the event on the White House campus that lasted roughly 20 minutes.

The president first teased TrumpRx in September while announcing the first of his more than 15 deals with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices to match the lowest price offered in other developed nations. He said in December the website would provide massive discounts to all consumers" though it's unclear whether the prices available on drugmakers' websites will routinely be any lower than what many consumers could get through their insurance coverage.

The website's Thursday release came after it faced multiple delays, for reasons the administration hasn't publicly shared. Last fall, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told Trump the site would share prices for consumers before the end of the year. An expected launch in late January was also pushed back.

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The president has spent the past several months seeking to spotlight his efforts to lower drug prices for Americans. Hes done that through deals with major pharmaceutical companies, including some of the biggest drugmakers like Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Merck, which have agreed to lower prices of their Medicaid drugs to so-called most favored nations pricing. As part of the deals, many of the companies' new drugs are also to be launched at discounted rates for consumer markets through TrumpRx.

Many of the details of Trump's deals with manufacturers remain unclear, and drug prices for patients in the U.S. can depend on many factors, including the competition a treatment faces and insurance coverage. Most people have coverage through work, the individual insurance market or government programs like Medicaid and Medicare, which shield them from much of the cost.

Trumps administration also has negotiated lower prices for several prescription drugs for Medicare enrollees, through a direct negotiation program created by a 2022 law.

Bad Bunny says he's approaching his highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance with a mix of excitement, gratitude and perspective.

To be honest, I don't know how I'm feeling. There's a lot. I'm still in the middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All of that, he said in English on Thursday at a press event hosted by Apple Music. He walked out to his 2017 single Chambea.

Im excited, but at the same time, I feel more excited about the people than even me my family, my friends, the people who have always believed in me, he said. This moment, the culture thats what makes these shows special.

Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar born Benito Antonio Martnez Ocasio, is one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. He will take the Super Bowl stage just one week after he won album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for Deb Tirar Ms Fotos. Its the first time an all Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.

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During the conference, Bad Bunny joked that fans didn't need to learn Spanish to enjoy his set but they should be prepared to dance, a reference to his Saturday Night Live monologue from last October.

Apple Musics Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden hosted the conversation with Bad Bunny. Thursday's event began with conversations with pregame performers at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

This year, a long line formed well before the doors opened, with credentialed media including a noticeable presence of Spanish-language and Latin American outlets packing the conference room nearly an hour before the news conference began.

It marked a stark contrast to Kendrick Lamars 2025 news conference, when the room didnt fill up until roughly 15 minutes before the event.

What can viewers expect from the Super Bowl halftime show?

Despite the heightened interest, Bad Bunny offered few specifics about what viewers will see Sunday.

Its going to be a huge party, he said. What people can expect from me I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really dont, I dont want to give any spoilers. It's going to be fun.

For the artist, the journey to the Super Bowl was never driven by recognition or awards. He said Deb Tirar Ms Fotos became his most meaningful project because it was rooted in reconnecting with his identity, history and culture but not chasing milestones.

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I wasnt looking for album of the year. I wasnt looking to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, he said. I was just trying to connect with my roots, connect with my people, connect with myself.

That mindset, he said, ultimately opened the door to something larger: bringing a deeply personal expression of culture to one of the worlds biggest stages.

You always have to be proud of who you are and where youre from, he said. But dont let that limit where you can go.

Bad Bunny is no stranger to the Super Bowl stage. He previously appeared during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 alongside Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. But he said his focus has remained unchanged.

My biggest pleasure is just to create, have fun doing it and connect with the people, he said. Thats what Im always looking for every time Im in the studio.

When asked if he will have surprise guests, he said That's something I'm not going to tell you.

Then he said he will actually have a lot of guests watching his friends, family, the Latino community, and people around the world who love his music.

At the end of the interview, Bad Bunny took questions from a few student journalists, including one who asked him to name an early supporter. My mom, the singer replied.

Before everything, she believed in me as a person, as a human. She believed in me, in my decisions, in my opinions, he continued. I think thats what got me here, you know? Not because she believed that I was a great artist but that she believed that I am a great person.

The Super Bowl will be held Sunday at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots.

Who else is performing at the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl pregame show will open with several standout performers in Northern California: Charlie Puth will hit the stage to sing the national anthem, Brandi Carlile will take on America the Beautiful and Coco Jones will sing Lift Every Voice and Sing.

I want them to feel inspired. I want everybody to know that music is such an amazing thing, Puth said of his performance.

This is pretty much the top of the top, added Jones. This is the bee's knees. It's hard to compete. Maybe my wedding will be up there.

The national anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing will be performed by deaf performing artist Fred Beam in American Sign Language. Julian Ortiz will sign America the Beautiful.

Before the game, Green Day will play a set to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Super Bowl. The band, which has its roots in the Bay Area, plans to Get loud! according to lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong.

In a historic first, the halftime show will include a multilingual signing program featuring Puerto Rican Sign Language, led by interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme. She was also the interpreter for Bad Bunny's landmark residency in Puerto Rico last year that drew more than half a million fans.

All signed performances for the pregame and halftime shows will be presented in collaboration with Alexis Kashar of LOVE SIGN and Howard Rosenblum of Deaf Equality.

President Donald Trump is taking steps toward installing near the White House a replica of a statue of famed explorer Christopher Columbus that had been tossed into Baltimore's harbor during his first term amid protests against institutional racism.

John Pica, a Maryland lobbyist and president of the Italian American Organizations United, said his group owns the statue and agreed to loan it to the federal government for placement at or near the White House.

Pica told The Associated Press in an interview that he was contacted about the statue around Columbus Day last year by an intermediary who said the White House was looking for a statue of the explorer. Pica says his organization took a straw vote and unanimously decided to send the statue to the White House. They signed the loan agreement Wednesday.

Asked if he was optimistic the statue would make it to the White House, Pica said, Cautiously optimistic, yes. The exact timing for any planned installation was unclear, he said, though he added, possibly within two weeks.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | The Shift From Columbus Day To Indigenous Peoples Day

Maryland state Del. Nino Mangione, a Republican who has worked with the Italian American group to find the statue a new home after it was pulled from the harbor, also confirmed the plans for the statue, which were first reported earlier Wednesday by The Washington Post.

The White House declined to comment to the AP on plans for the statue but reaffirmed Trumps affinity for Columbus, whose legacy has shifted as historians and educators amplify how white European figures and their descendants treated Native Americans and enslaved Africans to develop the New World.

In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, said Trump spokesman David Ingle. And he will continue to be honored as such by President Trump.

Trump wants to put his own stamp on American history ahead of big anniversary celebration

For Pica and his group, the statue's Washington placement would celebrate a famous Italian who holds iconic status among Italian Americans. For Trump, it would be another move to reshape the telling of U.S. history as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump endorses a traditional view of Columbus as leader of the 1492 mission that marked the unofficial beginning of European colonization in the Americas and the development of the modern economic and political order. But in recent years, Columbus also been recognized as a primary example of Western Europes conquest of the New World, its resources and its native people.

The statue now headed to Washington is a replica of one toppled by protesters on July 4, 2020, and thrown into Baltimore's Inner Harbor after anger boiled over following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. It was one of many statues of Columbus that were vandalized around the same time, with protesters saying the Italian explorer was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Demonstrators Topple Christopher Columbus Statue In Baltimore

I was there when we got it out of the harbor, Mangione said, adding that artist Will Hemsley used parts of the old statue, first unveiled during Ronald Reagans presidency, to build and restore a beautiful, brand new statue.

In recent years, some individuals, institutions and government entities have displaced Columbus Day with recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day. President Joe Biden in 2021 became the first U.S. president to mark Indigenous Peoples Day with a proclamation.

The statue may not be permanent

Pica emphasized that his group is lending the statue and would reclaim it if a future administration wanted it taken down.

Trump dismisses the shift on Columbus as left-wing arsonists bending history and twisting Americans collective memory. Im bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes., he declared last April. Echoing his 2024 campaign rhetoric, he complained that Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.

Trump issued a Columbus Day proclamation last October and ignored Indigenous Peoples Day. He praised Columbus as the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.

That tribute reflected Trump's broader take on history. Last spring, he signed an executive order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, which bemoaned a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nations history in a way that misrepresents the U.S. as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.

Since the order, the administration has demanded a comprehensive review of exhibits across all Smithsonian museums and pushed Executive Branch agencies and state and local entities especially colleges, universities and schools that receive federal funding to roll back their diversity initiatives.

Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place Friday in Oman, the Iranian foreign minister said, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.

Im grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements, Araghchi wrote on X on Wednesday evening.

Earlier Wednesday, a regional official said Iran was seeking a different type of meeting than that which had been proposed by Turkey, one focused exclusively on the issue of Irans nuclear program, with participation limited to Iran and the United States. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The Trump administration confirmed the U.S. will take part in high-level talks with Iran in Oman instead of Turkey as originally planned, according to a White House official.

RELATED STORY | Iran's supreme leader warns any US attack would spark 'regional war'

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that several Arab and Muslim leaders urged the Trump administration on Wednesday not to walk away from talks even as Iranian officials pressed to narrow the scope of talks and change the venue for the negotiations.

The official added that the White House remains very skeptical that the talks will be successful but has agreed to go along with the change in plans out of respect for allies in the region.

Tensions between the countries spiked after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. might use force against Iran in response to the crackdown on protesters. Trump also has been pushing Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program.

Rubio hopes talks will go beyond nuclear ones

Irans reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said he had instructed the foreign minister to pursue fair and equitable negotiations with the U.S., in the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate. That signaled the move is supported by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state and previously dismissed any negotiations.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. hoped to discuss a number of concerns beyond the nuclear issue, including discussions on Irans ballistic missiles, support for proxy networks across the region and the treatment of their own people.

The leadership of Iran at the clerical level does not reflect the people of Iran. I know of no other country where theres a bigger difference between the people who lead the country and the people who live there, he told reporters.

RELATED STORY | Trump says Iran wants talks as US carrier group deploys to the region

Vice President JD Vance told The Megyn Kelly Show that diplomatic talks with Iran are challenging because of Tehrans political system, overseen by Khamenei.

Its a very weird country to conduct diplomacy with when you cant even talk to the person whos in charge of the country. That makes all of this much more complicated, and it makes the whole situation much more absurd, Vance said, noting that Trump could speak directly by phone with the leaders of Russia, China or North Korea.

Vance said Trumps bottom line is that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, asserting that other states in the region would quickly do the same.

Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. However, Iranian officials in recent years have increasingly threatened to pursue the bomb.

Vance said he believed Trump would work to accomplish what he can through non-military means. And if he feels like the military is the only option, then hes ultimately going to choose that option.

Talks expected even after U.S. shot down Iranian drone

On Tuesday, a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier. Iranian fast boats from its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also tried to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Navy said.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge either incident, which strained but apparently did not derail hopes for talks with the U.S.

On Wednesday, Iranian military chiefs visited a missile base in an attempt to highlight its military readiness after a 12-day war with Israel in June devastated Irans air defenses. The base holds the Khorramshahr missile, which has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and was launched towards Israel during the war last year.

Turkey urges diplomacy

Also Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Turkeys opposition to foreign intervention in neighboring Iran, calling for the resolution of issues through dialogue.

Turkey has been urgently working for the past week to bring the U.S. and Iran to the negotiating table, and was previously expected to host the talks.

We believe that external interventions involving our neighbor Iran would pose significant risks for the entire region, Erdogan said during a visit to Cairo. Resolving issues with Iran, including the nuclear file, through diplomatic means is the most appropriate approach.

The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff Wednesday, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands.

The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but necessary to put the outlet on stronger footing and to weather changes in technology and user habits. We can't be everything to everyone, Murray said in a note to staff members.

He outlined the changes in a companywide online meeting, and staff members then began getting emails with one of two subject lines telling them their role was or was not eliminated.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | FBI searches Washington Post journalists home in classified leak probe

Rumors of layoffs had circulated for weeks, ever since word leaked that sports reporters who had expected to travel to Italy for the Winter Olympics would not be going. But when official word came down, the size and scale of the cuts were shocking, affecting virtually every department in the newsroom.

It's just devastating news for anyone who cares about journalism in America and, in fact, the world, said Margaret Sullivan, a Columbia University journalism professor and former media columnist at the Post and The New York Times. The Washington Post has been so important in so many ways, in news coverage, sports and cultural coverage.

Martin Baron, the Post's first editor under its current owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, condemned his former boss and called what has happened at the newspaper a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.

As of midday, the Post did not have any news of the changes on its website.

Journalists pleaded with Bezos for help

Bezos, who has been silent in recent weeks amid pleas from Post journalists to step in and prevent the cutbacks, had no immediate comment.

The newspaper has been bleeding subscribers in part due to decisions made by Bezos, including pulling back from an endorsement of Kamala Harris, a Democrat, during the 2024 presidential election against Donald Trump, a Republican, and directing a more conservative turn on liberal opinion pages.

RELATED STORY | Federal judge tosses Trump's $15B defamation lawsuit against New York Times

A private company, the Post does not reveal how many subscribers it has, but it is believed to be roughly 2 million. The Post would also not say how many people it has on staff, making it impossible to estimate how many people were laid off Wednesday. The Post also did not outline its finances.

The Posts troubles stand in contrast to its longtime competitor The New York Times, which has been thriving in recent years, in large part due to investments in ancillary products such as games and its Wirecutter product recommendations. The Times has doubled its staff over the past decade.

Eliminating the sports section puts an end to a department that has hosted many well-known bylines through the years, among them John Feinstein, Michael Wilbon, Shirley Povich, Sally Jenkins and Tony Kornheiser. The Times has also largely ended its sports section, but it has replaced the coverage by buying The Athletic and incorporating its work into the Times website.

The Posts Book World, a destination for book reviews, literary news and author interviews, has been a dedicated section in its Sunday paper.

A half-century ago, the Post's coverage of Watergate, led by intrepid reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, entered the history books. The Style section under longtime Executive Editor Ben Bradlee hosted some of the country's best feature writing.

All Mideast correspondents and editors laid off

Word of specific cuts drifted out during the day, as when Cairo Bureau Chief Claire Parker announced on X that she had been laid off, along with all of the newspaper's Middle East correspondents and editors. Hard to understand the logic, she wrote.

Lizzie Johnson, who wrote last week about covering a war zone in Ukraine without power, heat or running water, said she had been laid off, too.

Anger and sadness spread across the journalism world.

The Post has survived for nearly 150 years, evolving from a hometown family newspaper into an indispensable national institution, and a pillar of the democratic system, Ashley Parker, a former Post journalist, wrote in an essay in The Atlantic. But if the papers leadership continues its current path, it may not survive much longer.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Veteran journalist Alisyn Camerota joins Scripps News as special events anchor

Fearing for the future, Parker was among the staff members who left the newspaper for other jobs in recent months.

Also on Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which stopped print editions and went all-digital at the end of last year, announced that it was cutting 50 positions, or roughly 15% of its staff. Half of the eliminated jobs were in the newsroom.

Murray said the Post would concentrate on areas that demonstrate authority, distinctiveness and impact, and resonate with readers, including politics, national affairs and security. Even during its recent troubles, the Post has been notably aggressive in coverage of Trump's changes to the federal workforce.

The company's structure is rooted in a different era, when the Post was a dominant print product, Murray said in his note to the staff. In areas such as video, the outlet hasn't kept up with consumer habits, he said.

Significantly, our daily story output has substantially fallen in the last five years, he said. And even as we produce much excellent work, we too often write from one perspective, for one slice of the audience.

While there are business areas that need to be addressed, Baron pointed a finger of blame at Bezos for a gutless order to kill a presidential endorsement and for remaking an editorial page that stands out only for moral infirmity and sickening efforts to curry favor with Trump.

Loyal readers, livid as they saw owner Jeff Bezos betraying the values he was supposed to uphold, fled The Post, Baron wrote. In truth, they were driven away, by the hundreds of thousands."

Baron said he was grateful for Bezos' support when he was editor, noting that the Amazon founder came under brutal pressure from Trump during the president's first term.

He spoke forcefully and eloquently of a free press and The Post's mission, demonstrating his commitment in concrete terms, Baron wrote. He often declared that The Post's success would be among the proudest achievements of his life. I wish I detected the same spirit today. There is no sign of it.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation in Iran in a wide-ranging call that comes as the U.S. administration pushes Beijing and others to isolate Tehran.

Trump said the two leaders also discussed a broad range of other critical issues in the U.S.-China relationship, including trade and Taiwan and his plans to visit Beijing in April.

The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way, Trump said in a social media posting about the call.

The Chinese government, in a readout of the call, said the two leaders discussed major summits that both nations will host in the coming year and opportunities for the two leaders to meet. The Chinese statement, however, made no mention of Trumps expected April visit to Beijing.

RELATED STORY | Trump says he will visit Beijing and host Chinas Xi for a state visit in 2026

China also made clear that it has no intention of stepping away from its long-term plans of reunification with Taiwan, a self-governing, democratic island operating independently from mainland China, though Beijing claims it as its own territory.

Taiwan will never be allowed to separate from China, the Chinese government statement said.

Trump and Xi discussed Iran as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran after the Middle East countrys bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

Trump is now also pressing Iran to make concessions over its nuclear program, which his Republican administration says was already set back by the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.

The White House says that special envoy Steve Witkoff is slated to take part in talks with Iranian officials later this week.

RELATED STORY | Trump flips on Canada-China accord, proposes 100% tariff in turnaround

Trump announced last month that the U.S. would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran.

Years of sanctions aimed at stopping Irans nuclear program have left the country isolated. But Tehran still did nearly $125 billion in international trade in 2024, including $32 billion with China, $28 billion with the United Arab Emirates and $17 billion with Turkey, the World Trade Organization says.

Separately, Xi also spoke on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xis engagement with Trump and Putin comes as the last remaining nuclear arms pact, known as the New START treaty, between Russia and the United States is set to expire Thursday, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.

Trump has indicated he would like to keep limits on nuclear weapons but wants to involve China in a potential new treaty.

I actually feel strongly that if were going to do it, I think China should be a member of the extension, Trump told The New York Times last month. China should be a part of the agreement.

The call with Xi also coincided with a ministerial meeting that the Trump administration convened in Washington with several dozen European, Asian and African nations to discuss how to rebuild global supply chains of critical minerals without Beijing.

Critical minerals are needed for everything from jet engines to smartphones. China dominates the market for those ingredients crucial to high-tech products.

What is before all of us is an opportunity at self-reliance that we never have to rely on anybody else except for each other, for the critical minerals necessary to sustain our industries and to sustain growth," Vice President JD Vance said at the gathering.

Xi has recently held a series of meetings with Western leaders who have sought to boost ties with China amid growing concerns about Trump's tariff policies and calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland, a Danish territory.

The disruption to global trade under Trump has made expanding trade and investment more imperative for many U.S. economic partners. Vietnam and the European Union upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership last month, two days after the EU and India announced a free-trade agreement.

A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Rouths fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted into chaos in September when he tried to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.

Prosecutors had asked for life without parole, saying Routh is unrepentant and has never apologized. A defense attorney brought in for his sentencing asked for 27 years, noting that Routh is already turning 60.

Routh also received a consecutive seven-year sentence for one of his gun convictions.

RELATED STORY | Man who represented himself is found guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at Florida golf course

Routh's sentencing had initially been scheduled for December, but Cannon agreed to move the date back after Routh decided to use an attorney during the sentencing phase instead of representing himself as he did for most of the trial.

Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that Routh has yet to accept any responsibility and should spend the rest of his life in prison, in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines. He was convicted of trying to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon and using a gun with a defaced serial number.

Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law, the memo said.

Routh's new defense attorney, Martin L. Roth, asked for a variance from sentencing guidelines: 20 years in prison on top of a seven-year, mandatory sentence for one of the gun convictions.

The defendant is two weeks short of being sixty years old, Roth wrote in a filing. A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.

Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican presidential candidate played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

At Rouths trial, a Secret Service agent helping protect Trump on the golf course testified that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and run away without firing a shot.

In the motion requesting an attorney, Routh offered to trade his life in a prisoner swap with people unjustly held in other countries, and said an offer still stood for Trump to take out his frustrations on my face.

Just a quarter of an inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all of this mess forwards, but I always fail at everything (par for the course), Routh wrote.

In her decision granting Routh an attorney, Cannon chastised the disrespectful charade of Routh's motion, saying it made a mockery of the proceedings. But the judge, nominated by Trump in 2020, said she wanted to err on the side of legal representation.

Cannon signed off last summer on Rouths request to represent himself at trial. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have the right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.

Rouths former federal public defenders served as standby counsel and were present during the trial.

Routh had multiple previous felony convictions including possession of stolen goods, and a large online footprint demonstrating his disdain for Trump. In a self-published book, he encouraged Iran to assassinate him, and at one point wrote that as a Trump voter, he must take part of the blame for electing him.

Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam after securing the Australian Open title against Novak Djokovic, who had never lost in his 10 previous finals at Melbourne Park.

The top-ranked Alcaraz dropped the first set Sunday as Djokovic went out hard in pursuit of a record 25th major title, but he dug deep to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

As he was leaving the court, he signed the lens of the TV camera with a note of recognition: "Job finished. 4/4 Complete.

The 22-year-old Spaniard scrambled to retrieve shots that usually would be winners for Djokovic, and he kept up intense pressure on his 38-year-old rival. There were extended rallies where each player hit enough brilliant shots to usually win a game, with neither player willing to give an inch or concede.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Serena Williams shuts down tennis comeback talk after rejoining drug-testing pool

Once he secured victory, Alcaraz let his racket slip out of his hand and fell to the ground on his back, putting his hands to his head.

He stayed there for a few seconds before going to the net to shake hands with Djokovic. Both players exchanged a few words and Djokovic smiled as he congratulated Alcaraz. The new champion then ran to hug his coaches in the courtside chairs and later his dad and other team members in the stands.

After paying tribute to Djokovic for being an inspiration, Alcaraz turned to his support team. He parted ways with longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero at the end of last season and Samuel Lopez stepped up to head the team.

Nobody knows how hard Ive been working to get this trophy. I just chased this moment so much, Alcaraz said. The pre-season was a bit of a rollercoaster emotionally.

We just did the right work, you were pushing me every day to do all the right things, he added. Im just really grateful for everyone I have in my corner right now.

Djokovic joked about this showdown setting up a rivalry over the next 10 years with Alcaraz, but then said it was only right to hand the floor over to the new champion.

First and foremost, congratulations to an amazing tournament and amazing couple of weeks, Djokovic said at the trophy presentation. What youve been doing, the best word to describe is historic, legendary, so congratulations. I wish the best of luck in the rest of your career.

Both players were coming off grueling five-set semifinal wins and showed phenomenal fitness, athleticism and stamina for just over three hours in pursuit of their own historic achievements.

Neither player was willing to relent on the big points and there were many of them. In the end, Alcaraz was able to convert 5 of the 16 breakpoints he set up. Djokovic converted two of his six.

Djokovics push for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title has now been blocked by Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner for nine majors.

Djokovic edged Sinner in the semifinals and was aiming to be the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era, but didnt quite make it against Alcaraz.

Rafa in the house

Djokovic and Rafael Nadal played some epic matches, including the longest match ever at the Australian Open in a five-set final that lasted almost six hours in 2012.

Nadal was watching from the stands on Sunday night, and both players addressed the 22-time major winner.

I want to speak to the legendary Rafa, who is on the stands, Djokovic said. Obviously, it feels very weird to see you there and not here, you know?

But thank you for being present. Its too many Spanish legends... It felt like it was two against one tonight, you know, it wasnt fair, but OK.

Alcaraz said it was a privilege: I know you were watching me when I was like 15, 14 years old, so its been a long time. But, yeah, for me, its such an honor playing in front of you.

One for the ages

At 22 years and 272 days, Alcaraz is the youngest man to complete a set of all four major singles titles. He broke the mark set by Don Budge in the 1938 French championships, when he was 22 years and 363 days.

Alcaraz now has seven major titles his first in Australia along with two each at Wimbledon and the French and U.S. Opens.

He's the ninth man to achieve the career Grand Slam, a list that also includes Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer.

When turbulent weather with whipping winds and heavy snow is in the forecast, meteorologists sometimes warn that a storm could bomb out or become a bomb cyclone. But what exactly does this mean?

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, certain storms undergo bombogenesis, which happens when a storms central pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. These storms are sometimes called bomb cyclones. Storm intensity is measured by central pressure, so the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm.

Such rapidly strengthening storms are capable of producing heavy rain, blizzard conditions and intense winds that can create dangerous conditions such as downed trees and power outages.

RELATED STORY | Heavy snow, bitter cold expected as storm targets Southeast, East Coast

If youre watching TV at night and the weather report comes on and youre hearing bomb cyclone being used, that usually means theres quite a bit of active weather going on, said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

Bomb cyclones can happen in any season, but mainly occur during fall and winter when frigid air from the Arctic can creep south and clash with warmer air masses.

Its really the clash of those air masses that really kind of helps to generate the areas of low pressure in the first place, said Orrison.

Regions in North America that are prone to seeing bomb cyclones include Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region.

Intensive care nurses immediately doubted the word of federal immigration officers when they arrived at a Minneapolis hospital with a Mexican immigrant who had broken bones in his face and skull.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initially claimed Alberto Castaeda Mondragn had tried to flee while handcuffed and purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall, according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release.

But staff members at Hennepin County Medical Center determined that could not possibly account for the fractures and bleeding throughout the 31-year-old's brain, said three nurses familiar with the case.

It was laughable, if there was something to laugh about, said one of the nurses, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss patient care. There was no way this person ran headfirst into a wall.

RELATED STORY | ICE in America: Examining immigration enforcement in Minnesota and its impact

The explanation from ICE is an example of recent run-ins between immigration officers and health care workers that have contributed to mounting friction at Minneapolis hospitals. Workers at the Hennepin County facility say ICE officers have restrained patients in defiance of hospital rules and stayed at their sides for days. The agents have also lingered around the campus and pressed people for proof of citizenship.

Since the start of Operation Metro Surge, President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown in Minnesota, ICE officers have become such a fixture at the hospital that administrators issued new protocols for how employees should engage with them. Some employees complain that they have been intimidated to the point that they avoid crossing paths with agents while at work and use encrypted communications to guard against any electronic eavesdropping.

Similar operations have been carried out by federal agents in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities, where opponents have criticized what they say are overly aggressive tactics. It's not clear how many people have required hospital care while in detention.

Injuries appeared inconsistent with ICE account

The AP interviewed a doctor and five nurses who work at HCMC, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about Castaeda Mondragns case. AP also consulted with an outside physician, and they all affirmed that his injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall or running into a wall.

ICEs account of how he was hurt evolved during the time that federal officers were at his bedside. At least one ICE officer told caregivers that Castaeda Mondragn "got his (expletive) rocked after his Jan. 8 arrest near a St. Paul shopping center, the court filings and a hospital staff member said. His arrest happened a day after the first of two fatal shootings in Minneapolis by immigration officers.

The situation reached a head when ICE insisted on using handcuffs to shackle his ankles to the bed, prompting a heated encounter with hospital staff, according to the court records and the hospital employees familiar with the incident.

At the time, Castaeda Mondragn was so disoriented he did not know what year it was and could not recall how he was injured, one of the nurses said. ICE officers believed he was attempting to escape after he got up and took a few steps.

We were basically trying to explain to ICE that this is how someone with a traumatic brain injury is theyre impulsive, the nurse said. We didn't think he was making a run for the door.

Security responded to the scene, followed by the hospital's CEO and attorney, who huddled in a doctor's office to discuss options for dealing with ICE, the nurse said.

We eventually agreed with ICE that we would have a nursing assistant sit with the patient to prevent him from leaving, the nurse said. They agreed a little while later to take the shackles off.

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The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, did not respond to repeated requests for comment on Castaeda Mondragn's injuries. A deportation officer skirted the issue in the court documents, saying that during the intake process at an ICE detention center, it was determined he had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment.

Gregorio Castaeda Mondragn said his older brother is from Veracruz, Mexico, and worked as a roofer. He has a 10-year-old daughter living in his hometown he helps support.

According to his lawyers, Alberto Castaeda Mondragn entered the U.S. in 2022 with valid immigration documents. Minnesota incorporation filings show he founded a company called Castaeda Mondragn the following year with an address listed in St. Paul.

He appears to have no criminal record. His lawyers told a court that Castaeda Mondragn was racially profiled during the crackdown, and that officers determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa.

He was a brown-skinned, Latino Spanish speaker at a location immigration agents arbitrarily decided to target, his lawyers wrote in a petition seeking his release from ICE custody.

Hours after arrest, immigrant has eight skull fractures

Castaeda Mondragn was initially taken to an ICE processing center at the edge of Minneapolis. Court records include an arrest warrant signed upon his arrival by an ICE officer, not an immigration judge.

About four hours after his arrest, he was taken to a hospital emergency room in suburban Edina with swelling and bruising around his right eye and bleeding. A CT scan revealed at least eight skull fractures and life-threatening hemorrhages in at least five areas of his brain, according to court documents. He was then transferred to HCMC.

Castaeda Mondragn was alert and speaking, telling staff he was dragged and mistreated by federal agents, though his condition quickly deteriorated, the documents show.

The following week, a Jan. 16 court filing described his condition as minimally responsive and communicative, disoriented and heavily sedated.

AP shared the details of Castaeda Mondragns injuries with Dr. Lindsey C. Thomas, a board-certified forensic pathologist who worked as a medical examiner in Minnesota for more than 30 years. She agreed with the assessment of hospital staff.

I am pretty sure a person could not get these kinds of extensive injuries from running into a wall, Thomas said, adding that she would need to see the CT scans to make a more definitive finding.

I almost think one doesnt have to be a physician to conclude that a person cant get skull fractures on both the right and left sides of their head and from front to back by running themselves into a wall," she said.

ICE officers stay with hospitalized detainees for days

ICE officers have entered the hospital with seriously injured detainees and stayed at their bedside day after day, staffers said. The crackdown has been unsettling to hospital employees, who said ICE agents have been seen loitering on hospital grounds and asking patients and employees for proof of citizenship.

Hospital staff members said they were uncomfortable with the presence of armed agents they did not trust and who appeared to be untrained.

The nurses interviewed by AP said they felt intimidated by ICEs presence in the critical care unit and had even been told to avoid a certain bathroom to minimize encounters with officers. They said staff members are using an encrypted messaging app to compare notes and share information out of fear that the government might be monitoring their communications.

The hospital reminded employees that ICE officers are not permitted to access patients or protected information without a warrant or court order.

Patients under federal custody are first and foremost patients, hospital officials wrote in a bulletin outlining new protocols. The hospitals written policy also states that no shackles or other restraints should be used unless medically necessary.

We have our policies, but ICE personnel as federal officers don't necessarily comply with those, and that introduces tension, said a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment for the hospital.

Hospital spokeswoman Alisa Harris said ICE agents have not entered our facilities looking for individuals."

On Saturday, more than two weeks after Castaeda Mondragn was arrested, a U.S. District Court judge ordered him released from ICE custody.

We are encouraged by the courts order, which affirms that the rule of law applies to all people, in every corner of our country, including federal officers, said Jeanette Boerner, director of Hennepin County Adult Representation Services, which filed the lawsuit on Castaeda Mondragns behalf.

To the surprise of some who treated him, Castaeda Mondragn was discharged from the hospital Tuesday. A hospital spokeswoman said she had no information about him.

The Justice Department filed court documents this week affirming Castaeda Mondragn is no longer in custody. Prosecutors did not respond to a request for comment on the man's injuries.

Castaeda Mondragn has no family in Minnesota and coworkers have taken him in, the man's brother said. He has significant memory loss and a long recovery ahead. He won't be able to work for the foreseeable future, and his friends and family worry about paying for his care.

He still doesnt remember things that happened. I think (he remembers) 20% of the 100% he had, said Gregorio Castaeda Mondragn, who lives in Mexico. Its sad that instead of having good memories of the United States, youre left with a bad taste in your mouth about that country because theyre treating them like animals.