For more than two years, Naomi Brown’s 11 children had watched as her home sat in foreclosure.

Theodis Jones: “With sleepless nights, it’s been rough on me. Depressed. It’s been hard.”

Hard because his mother left the house to Theodis, and he was the one who was losing it.

Theodis Jones: “My ex-girlfriend went behind my back and took two loans off of this house without my knowledge of it.”

Let’s back up to 2021, when Theodis’ ex, Adrienne McSweeney, went to a private lender to borrow $120,000 using Theodis’ house as collateral.

She was accused of pulling it off by stealing Theodis’ driver’s license and getting this guy to pretend to be Theodis.

Theodis Jones: “The picture didn’t match.”

A few months later, the lender began to foreclose on the house.

Theodis Jones: “It’s been a crime committed against me and the people trying to take my property.”

When Theodis contacted McSweeney and told her he was calling the police, she texted back, “All I ask is time to fix it. Less than eight weeks.”

Patrick Fraser: “So you’re going to lose your mama’s house?”

Theodis Jones: “I don’t want to lose it, not if you can help me.”

Mark Mastrarrigo then stepped in to represent Theodis.

He had the pictures from the closing, but most importantly, a handwriting expert.

This is the impostor’s signature. This is Theodis’.

Mark Mastrarrigo: “And she gave us her highest of highest variability. That is not Theodis’ signature.”

Mark had bank statements that showed McSweeney got the money. But the lender told me they were convinced Theodis and McSweeney worked together.

Another year passed. Then, after a deposition with Theodis, the attorney for the title insurance company was convinced Theodis was the victim. They paid the lender the $120,000 back, and the foreclosure against Theodis was dismissed.

Mark Mastrarrigo: “We won, but he won. His house was at stake.”

Mark handed the judge’s order to Theodis. His house was free and clear again.

Theodis Jones: “I can’t even imagine explaining how I feel right now. It’s a blessing.”

It was a long battle that took a good determined lawyer to save Theodis.

Patrick Fraser: “Theodis couldn’t have done this on its own, could he?”

Mark Mastrarrigo: “Absolutely not, and if you don’t have somebody on your side that knows what they’re doing, that’s going to do the right thing, chances are you’re going to get a bad result.”

The judge also ordered the title insurance company to pay Theodis’ legal fees. Another victory for him.

Theodis Jones: “I thank everybody — I thank you, I thank Howard, I thank my attorney Mark, my family. It’s been real rough, man, two years and four months.”

Speaking of winning, remember Karen Dematas, who hired a debt relief company?

Karen Dematas: “I’ve heard about debt relief companies, and I just thought that it was good.”

She had an $11,000 credit card bill. CDS debt relief told her they would get the debt wiped out if she paid them $199 a month. She did.

Karen Dematas: ‘And I would be debt free within a year, a year and a half. That’s what they told me.”

For six months, Karen paid them, then found out they didn’t get her debt lowered at all.

She asked us to get her $1,200 back. But we discovered the company closed one office in West Palm Beach, then another, and the registered owner didn’t return my dozen phone calls.

Patrick Fraser: “I tried. I could not get them to give the money back.”

Karen Dematas: “I understand, I understand. It’s sad, but I understand.”

Our story aired. And then…

Karen Dematas: “He sent three payments through Zelle: one $500, one $500 and then $200.”

The debt relief company returned Karen’s $1,200.

Karen Dematas: “Because Channel 7 showed and made the report on him, and I guess he felt guilty.”

A nice, unexpected surprise.

Karen Dematas: “I was really shocked. I was really shocked.”

A good shock, but Karen still has that big credit card debt and no way to pay it.

As for the woman accused of taking $120,000 in Theodis’ case, Miami-Dade Police are still investigating, but they haven’t charged her with anything.

Losing a battle that’s devastating you? Need someone you can trust? Air your story with us, to cheer you up and spread your good news.

With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.

CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN

The victim, who asked not to be identified, said it started as a day at the beach for her and her friend back in December.

“This is right before the incident, because we’re all smiles,” she said as she showed pictures to 7News.

The victim said she and her friend ran into the suspect.

“[He] told me he was a musician and asked to add himself on Instagram,” she said.

The victim said the man introduced himself as a performer and artist looking to reach a larger audience through social media.

“[I told him], ‘Sure, I’ll follow you. You’re a musician. Let me give you some support. Cool, I get it,'” she said.

The victim said she handed her cellphone to the man so he could set her up to follow him on Instagram.

“It all happened so fast,” she said.

“Fast” and, police said, fraudulent.

“It was less than an hour when I saw an email that said I had $1,200, through Venmo, [sent] to this stranger,” said the victim.

The man was gone and so was $1,200 from her Venmo account, and that’s when the victim realized she had been scammed.

“I knew immediately what had happened,” she said.

Now she wants her story out there as a warning to others.

“It was, like, this sense of panic,” she said.

This woman is not alone. Police said she’s one of several people who were scammed in Miami Beach by the same man, who’s allegedly worked with others.

The problem is so bad, police are making videos to make people aware, like a recent clip posted by Miami Beach Police.

“It’s essential that you remain vigilant, and be aware of any potential scams,” said a spokesperson for the police department in the video.

Thr video also recreates a potential scamming scenario to show how con artists pose as club promoters or entertainment types, promising club access, drink vouchers and other perks to unsuspecting victims.

“These individuals are accessing money transferring apps and sending themselves large amounts of money while in possession of your phone,” said the Miami Beach Police spokesperson.

The victim who spoke with 7News said the scammer who targeted her sent cash and a gift emoji to another Venmo account, as seen in screenshot she provided.

But police would catch up with the suspect, identified as James Plitsas, whom they re-arrested,

Police said he has been busted three more times since the December duping of the victim on the beach.

In a statement, a Miami Beach Police spokesperson wrote, “Through a meticulous operation and the strategic utilization of social media, MBPD investigators were able to successfully apprehend the defendant.”

As for the victim, she has a message for the public.

“Listen to your gut instinct, and never hand a stranger your phone,” she said.

Plitsas remains locked up. He faces numerous charges in connection to at least four open cases, including grand theft and fraud. .

The cylindrical object that tore through the home in Naples on March 8 was subsequently taken to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral for analysis.

The space agency said it was a metal support used to mount old batteries on a cargo pallet for disposal. The pallet was jettisoned from the space station in 2021, and the load was expected to eventually fully burn up on entry into Earth’s atmosphere, but one piece survived.

The chunk of metal weighed 1.6 pounds (0.7 kilograms) and was 4 inches (10 centimeters) tall and roughly 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) wide.

Homeowner Alejandro Otero told television station WINK at the time that he was on vacation when his son told him what had happened. Otero came home early to check on the house, finding the object had ripped through his ceiling and torn up the flooring.

“I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Otero said. “I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”

City officials on Monday issued the advisory following a water line repair.

The advisory applies to utility customers who live between north of Grant Street to south of Arthur Street and between 65th and 66th avenues.

Although repairs have already been made, officials said, potential contaminants may still be in the tap water.

In Chicago, protesters linked arms and blocked lanes of Interstate 190 leading into O’Hare International Airport around 7 a.m. in a demonstration they said was part of a global “economic blockade to free Palestine,” according to Rifqa Falaneh, one of the organizers.

Traffic in the San Francisco Bay Area was snarled for hours as demonstrators shut down all vehicle, pedestrian and bike traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge and chained themselves to 55-gallon drums filled with cement across Interstate 880 in Oakland. Protesters marching into Brooklyn blocked Manhattan-bound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. In Eugene, Oregon, protesters blocked Interstate 5, shutting down traffic on the major highway for about 45 minutes.

O’Hare warned travelers on the social platform X to take alternative forms of transportation with car travel “substantially delayed this morning due to protest activity.”

Some travelers stuck in standstill traffic left their cars and walked the final leg to the airport along the freeway, trailing their luggage behind them.

Among them was Madeline Hannan from suburban Chicago. She was headed to O’Hare for a work trip to Florida when her and her husband’s car ended up stalled for 20 minutes. She got out and “both ran and speed walked” more than a mile (1.6 kilometers). She said she made it to the gate on time, but barely.

“This was an inconvenience,” she said in a telephone interview from Florida. “But in the grand scheme of things going on overseas, it’s a minor inconvenience.”

While individual travelers may have been affected, operations at the airport appeared near normal with delays of under 15 minutes, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Inbound traffic toward O’Hare resumed around 9 a.m.

Near Seattle, the Washington State Department of Transportation said a demonstration closed the main road to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Social media posts showed people holding a banner and waving Palestinian flags while standing on the highway. State authorities urged people to use light rail instead.

About 20 protesters were arrested at the Golden Gate Bridge demonstration and traffic resumed shortly after noon, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency said officers were making arrests at two points on the interstate, including one spot where roughly 300 protesters refused orders to disperse,

“Attempting to block or shut down a freeway or state highway to protest is unlawful, dangerous, and prevents motorists from safely reaching their destinations,” the agency said in a statement.

Oregon State Police said 52 protestors were were arrested for disorderly conduct following the Interstate 5 protest in Eugene, Oregon, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Portland. Six vehicles were towed from the scene.

New York Police made numerous arrests, saying 150 protesters were initially involved in the march around 3:15 p.m., but that number quickly grew. The bridge was fully reopened by 5 p.m.

In Chicago, dozens of protesters were arrested, according to Falaneh. Chicago police said Monday that “multiple people” were taken into custody after a protest where people obstructed traffic, but they did not have a detailed count.

Protesters say they chose the location, in part, because O’Hare is one of the largest airports. Among other things, they’ve called for an immediate cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Anti- war protesters have demonstrated in Chicago near daily since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people. Israeli warplanes and ground troops have conducted a scorched-earth campaign on the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 33,700 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

Police arrested a 15-year-old boy Tuesday after the attack at Christ the Good Shepherd Church. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed during a live-streamed sermon, and another priest was also injured.

Both are expected to survive.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb says the suspect’s comments pointed to a religious motive for the attack.

Live-streamed video showed a person dressed in black approach the bishop and stab him multiple times in the head and upper body at the altar. People screamed and ran toward the bishop.

THIS IS BREAKING NEWS. The previous story is below:

Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a 15-year-old boy stabbed a bishop and a priest during a church service in Sydney on Monday evening before the congregation overpowered him, police said.

A crowd of hundreds seeking revenge gathered outside the Orthodox Assyrian church, hurling bricks and bottles, injuring police officers and preventing police from taking the teen outside, officials said.

There were no life-threatening injuries. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and priest Isaac Royel, the teen and at least two police officers were hospitalized, Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Holland told journalists.

The church in a message on social media said the bishop and priest were in stable condition and asked for people’s prayers. “It is the bishop’s and father’s wishes that you also pray for the perpetrator,” the statement said.

The Christ the Good Shepherd in suburban Wakeley streams sermons online. A video on social media shows a male dressed in black approaching the bishop at the altar and stabbing him repeatedly in the head and upper body. Members of the congregation scream and rush to stop it.

Holland commended the congregation for subduing the teen before calling police. When asked if the teen’s fingers had been severed, he said the hand injuries were “severe.”

More than 100 police reinforcements arrived before the teen was taken from the church in the hourslong incident. Several police vehicles were damaged, Holland said.

“A number of houses have been damaged. They’ve broken into a number of houses to gain weapons to throw at the police. They’ve thrown weapons and items at the church itself. There were obviously people who wanted to get access to the young person who caused the injuries to the clergy people,” he said.

Authorities did not immediately report a motive for the attack. Australians were still in shock after a lone assailant stabbed six people to death in a Sydney shopping mall on Saturday and injured more than a dozen others.

Holland suggested the weekend attack heightened the community’s response to the church stabbing.

“Given that there has been incidents in Sydney the last few days with knives involved, obviously there’s concerns,” he said. “We’ve asked for everyone to think rationally at this stage. We spoke to community leaders and members of the community to speak to their local people, to try and keep people calm.”

The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, described the scenes as “disturbing” on social media and urged the community to remain calm and “stick together.” Religious leaders expressed shock and condolences.

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone, leader of the neighboring municipal government, described the bishop as a community leader. “This is a very emotional situation. Obviously the community is very upset,” Carbone told Sky News.

Christ the Good Shepherd had been preparing for Palm Sunday later this month.

The bishop, described in local media as a figure sometimes seen as divisive on issues such as COVID-19 restrictions, was in national news last year with comments about gender.

A video posted in May 2023 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about a campaign targeting the LGBTQ+ community showed the bishop in a sermon saying that “when a man calls himself a woman, he is neither a man nor a woman, you are not a human, then you are an it. Now, since you are an it, I will not address you as a human anymore because it is not my choosing, it your choosing.”

One of the people inside the home was unable to get out, but thankfully, a good Samaritan and fire officials joined together to save their life.

The blaze erupted when an oxygen tank exploded.

Joyce O’Barske said she was outside the home when her husband rushed to her.

“My husband comes running — well, not running ’cause he’s an amputee — through the garage and says, ‘Joyce, there’s a fire,'” she said.

That’s when her husband started having trouble breathing, so O’Barske called 911.

Two police officers who arrived first on the scene found the couple stuck inside the garage.

Joyce walked out, but her husband was stuck in his chair because he is unable to walk.

As crews tried to help free the amputee, the garage door would not budge. That’s when a good Samaritan stepped in to help.

Thankfully, the three men were able to get the man out of the garage to safety.

Inside the house, officials described what they witnessed.

“We did find heavy fire and smoke conditions in the back of the residence. We were able to quickly get it out,” said a firefighter.

Days later, that good Samaritan got a reward for his efforts.

He received a Citizen Recognition Challenge Coin from the same first responders he helped.

The husband made it out of the garage all right.

“He’s got burn marks, but he should be OK,” said O’Barske.

The couple’s two dogs were also saved from the house.

Officials are investigating what caused the oxygen tank to explode.

But Republican leaders could still take procedural steps to send all those pieces as one package to the Senate, which could enrage the right wing of the House GOP conference.

A fourth bill will address foreign adversaries and include a ban on TikTok, the sources said.

Among the ways GOP leaders plan to address Ukraine aid: a bill to seize Russian assets, a lend-lease program for Ukraine military aid and convertible loans for humanitarian relief.

Former President Donald Trump, who recently met with House Speaker Mike Johnson at Mar-a-Lago, has expressed openness to structuring Ukraine aid as a loan.

GOP Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma told CNN that Johnson is allowing germane amendment votes on these bills as well – a process that far right Republicans had been demanding of Johnson.

In the wake of Iran’s unprecedented retaliatory strikes on Israel, Democrats have called on Johnson to bring up a Senate-passed foreign aid package that includes aid to Israel and Ukraine, but hardline conservatives have urged the Louisiana Republican against attaching Ukraine funding to any Israel aid package – a warning that comes as the speaker faces the threat of a potential vote to oust him from his leadership post.

House Republicans have also announced that a series of pro-Israel and anti-Iran bills will be taken up, including a measure condemning the attack by Iran and affirming that lawmakers stand with Israel and support its right to respond to Iranian aggression.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged immediate passage of the foreign aid package passed by the Senate in a new letter to colleagues.

“The gravely serious events of this past weekend in the Middle East and Eastern Europe underscore the need for Congress to act immediately. We must take up the bipartisan and comprehensive national security bill passed by the Senate forthwith,” Jeffries wrote.

In November, the House passed a bill to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, but Democrats objected to the fact that the bill did not include aid to Ukraine and would enact funding cuts to the Internal Revenue Service.

The Senate passed its bill in February – a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine, Israel and other priorities.

A significant number of House Republicans are opposed to sending further aid to Ukraine. Now, Johnson faces the most significant threat to his speakership to date after GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is among those who oppose additional Ukraine aid, filed a motion against him that could be used to force a vote on his ouster.

Greene told CNN on Monday that Trump’s backing of Johnson during a Friday press conference will not deter her from moving to oust the speaker.

“No, no, and as a matter of fact, there’s more people that are probably going to be angry from whatever happens this week,” she said.

Greene called the push for aid to Ukraine “the dumbest thing on the planet,” before dismissing Trump’s endorsement of Johnson.

“He also said that I’m his friend, so don’t leave that part out. No, I don’t think President Trump should have ever been put in that situation, at that press conference,” she said. “He shouldn’t have had to sit there and be questioned back and forth between myself and Speaker Johnson. I am one of President Trump’s biggest fighters here in Washington, everyone knows that.”

Johnson called Greene’s decision to file the motion to vacate a “distraction” during an interview on Fox News.

“That’s a distraction. What Marjorie has done with the motion to vacate is not helpful for our party, for our mission to save the country, because if we don’t grow the House majority, keep the House majority, win the Senate and win back the White House for President Trump, we’re going to lose the republic,” he said.

City officials co-designated Southeast Lake Boulevard as Robert Beckler Boulevard after the late leader of Embassy Lakes Elementary.

On Monday, the city hosted a street sign unveiling ceremony.

Beckler spent more than 35 years serving at Broward County schools. He spent most of that time at Embassy Lakes.

He passed away earlier this year following a battle with cancer.

The security footage shows the moment when, detectives said, 23-year-old Jason Dyer-Mitchell opened fire inside the business located near Northwest 17th Avenue and 54th Street, just after 12:30 a.m., Saturday.

Lorenzo, who works security at the store, spoke with 7News hours later.

“The guy came in, and he started arguing with the owner,” he said.

The video shows Dyer-Mitchell and one of the victims going back and forth for a few seconds. What the altercation was about is unclear.

As one of the gas station owners begins to kick Dyer-Mitchell out of his store, the suspect is seen pulling out and gun and discharging it about nine times, striking both owners and a bystander who was shopping at the store.

“[The gunman] shot [one of the owners] two times and then shot him in the back after he turned around, four more times, and then he shot the other guy three times,” said Lorenzo.

Detectives identified the victims as 51-year-old Shahbaz Hussain and 42-year-old Shamun Shaukat. The owners, affectionately nicknamed “Sunny” and “Moon,” were pronounced dead at the scene.

“He wasn’t just a boss; he was a friend,” sad Lorenzo.

Investigators said the injured bystander managed to crawl out of the store, as strangers rushed to his aid before paramedics arrived and hoisted him into an ambulance.

Dyer-Mitchell appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Monday.

“You were arrested for two counts of second-degree murder with prejudice and two counts of second-degree murder with a weapon,” said Glazer.

This is not the suspect’s first run-in with the law. He was arrested in Miami Beach in January 2022 for assaulting a tourist with a nail. He faced charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and other offenses, including several drug charges.

How Dyer-Mitchell got a hold of the gun used in the gas station shooting remains unclear.

Lorenzo shared his grief and remorse for not being there to protect the owners during the shooting.

“I was supposed to have been there to protect them, but I wasn’t there at the time, and that makes me feel bad,” he said.

The Chevron station remains closed. Monday evening, 7News cameras captured Miami Police officers at the scene.

Dyer-Mitchell is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Frightening video, released Friday, shows a man in a hoodie walking up to the white Dodge with a large gun in his hand, opening the driver’s side door, then the other doors and hopping inside.

“Two large updates that I’ll provide today,” said Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma on Monday.

According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect’s vehicle, a green Acura, was located abandoned at an empty apartment complex in Orange County over the weekend. Police said inside the car was the driver, who was set on fire.

Twelve 10mm shell casings were also found around the torched vehicle.

“So, the car has been out on the streets probably, since February, unregistered, undocumented, with a license plate,” said Lemma. “A tow truck driver was found murdered in Orange County, at that scene, a green vehicle matching the description of this green vehicle was located, and there was more than 100 rounds fired at that location.”

The sheriff said that a good percentage of the rounds that were found on the scene are 10mm rounds, which are the same size as the rounds found on Guerrero’s car as well as the same size of the gun in the released video.

“Which is, again, an incredibly unique and uncommon round for us to see out on the streets,” said Lemma.

Despite the recovery of the car, law enforcement officials have yet to apprehend the individuals responsible for the carjacking and subsequent death of De Aguasvivas. The victim was discovered deceased inside her vehicle, which had been set ablaze on the day of the incident.

Adding to the complexity of the case, an Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested over the weekend for allegedly disclosing confidential information to the victim’s family.

That deputy was identified as 33-year-old Francisco Estrella. He faces five felony charges.

“Eavesdropping and illegal interception of communication, a third-degree felony. Invading privacy, illegal disclosure communication, a third-degree felony,” said a judge.

Authorities claim the deputy secretly recorded and shared sensitive details related to the investigation to Guerrero’s husband, a long time family-friend.

Deputies said Estrella called the lead detective under a fake name and asked about the case. He told the detective that he was a family member.

That conversation between the detective and Estrella was secretly being recorded and then was handed over to Miguel, Guerrero’s husband, according to police.

The conversation was later found on Miguel’s phone, once he allowed deputies to look through it. During the search of the phone, they found Estrella also gave him information about the deputy working on the case.

“Two of those charges relate to unlawfully accessing a police database, and particularly the DAVID system, that release unique characteristics of the home address, photographs, and signatures of the lead investigator in this case,” said Lemma.

Deputies are still looking for more information about the two people in that green Acura.

An investigation is underway into the motive of this brutal homicide.

Bryan Jimenez Fallas stood before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer, Monday morning.

He faces charges of aggravated battery and attempted manslaughter.

According to Doral Police, the incident took place in the parking lot of The Shoppes at MICC, located at 7800 NW 25th St., just before 4 p.m., Saturday.

Police found a man with a gunshot wound. Paramedics airlifted the victim to Ryder Trauma Center in unknown condition.

Jimenez Fallas is being held on a $15,000 bond.

The justices’ order Monday allows the state to put in a place a 2023 law that subjects physicians to up to 10 years in prison if they provide hormones, puberty blockers or other gender-affirming care to people under age 18. Under the court’s order, the two transgender teens who sued to challenge the law still will be able to obtain care.

The court’s three liberal justices would have kept the law on hold.

A federal judge in Idaho had blocked the law in its entirety after determining that it was necessary to do so to protect the teens, who are identified under pseudonyms in court papers.

Opponents of the law have said it will likely increase suicide rates among teens. The law’s backers have said it is necessary to “protect children” from medical or surgical treatments for gender dysphoria, though there’s little indication that gender-affirming surgeries are being performed on transgender youth in Idaho.

Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association.

Medical professionals define gender dysphoria as severe psychological distress experienced by those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.

The action comes as the justices also may soon consider whether to take up bans in Kentucky and Tennessee that an appeals court allowed to be enforced in the midst of legal fights.

At least 23 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and most of those states face lawsuits. A federal judge struck down Arkansas’ ban as unconstitutional. Montana’s ban also is temporarily on hold.

The states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

Crews on Monday said they’ve got a blaze near Southwest 137th Avenue and Eighth Street mostly contained.

7Skyforce captured light smoke billowing into the sky.

A second brush fire along Bird Road and 157th Avenue is roughly 50% contained.

No homes are threatened in either fire, officials said.

The fires erupted Sunday and scorched at least 150 acres, forcing some road closures. The roadways have since reopened.

What sparked the flames remains unclear.

In December of 2023, Orlando Marrero was arrested and charged with domestic battery following an alleged altercation with his girlfriend.

According to authorities, the incident took place at the couple’s Hialeah home, where Marrero was accused of putting his hands around his girlfriend’s neck.

Marrero has been serving as an officer with the Miramar Police since August 2022. He denied any wrongdoing.

His attorney, Stephan Lopez, on Monday said prosecutors dismissed the case because of challenges they faced with the alleged victim and witness availability.

Marrero’s lawyer spoke exclusively to 7News after the decision.

“He’s a police officer, he passed all the background checks, did all the right things, and he found himself in this situation. A nightmare for him, it was a short-lived nightmare, but nightmare nonetheless, and it has come to an end,” said Lopez.

Marrero was suspended from duty, but his attorney said he is hoping to go back to work.

According to Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, the incident happened Friday evening as the victims were walking north on Harding Avenue, between 90th and 91st streets.

“A car drove by with four individuals, and that car threw a cup of water and a soda can at them while they were yelling ‘free Palestine,'” Burkett said.

Police said the water cup struck one person in the right shoulder, and a second individual was splashed with water.

Burkett said the Surfside Police Department already has a lead on the vehicle that was involved.

“And I think they’ve tracked down the car, actually, so we’re making progress there,” he said. “We take it seriously, very seriously.”

When the suspects are caught, Burkett said, they will likely be charged with battery.

“You don’t throw things at people and not be held accountable for that,” he said. “That’s uncool, it’s not who we are. We want our residents to all feel safe.”

Burkett said witnesses and license plate readers helped officials track down the vehicle. He hopes his police department will make an arrest soon.

The baby orangutan was delivered by cesarean section on Saturday, weighing just over three pounds (1.3 kilograms), park officials said. The mother, Luna, is recuperating from surgery and will be reunited with the baby once she is stabilized.

These orangutans are found only on the island of Borneo and are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, which focuses on managing threatened populations and educates visitors about the animals.

The Bornean orangutan is the largest tree-dwelling ape species and the third largest overall. The birth of this newborn is a “milestone in orangutan conservation efforts,” Busch Gardens said in a news release.

Orangutans in the wild typically live between 35 and 40 years. The newborn ape does not yet have a name. The theme park bills its zoo as one of the largest in North America, housing thousands of animals.

Officers responded to over 100 protesters who were in front of Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami, at around 1 p.m., Monday.

“Netanyahu, what do you say,” said protesters, waving signs with messages for support of Palestine.

City of Miami officers appeared in riot gear, on horseback, and on motorcycles to prevent the protesters from advancing. Police officers were joined by state troopers and armored vehicles.

7Skyforce flew over the area as protesters were being arrested and taken into a transport van.

Several protesters were also seen being dragged from the street by police after they tried to lie down and block traffic to PortMiami. After repeatedly trying to block traffic, some were arrested by the police.

According to Miami Police, seven people were arrested due to obstructing traffic and refusing to remain in the designated area. They were charged with Obstructing Traffic and Breach of the Peace/unlawful assembly.

A few demonstrators who spoke to 7News shared they did not have ties to Palestine or were Palestinian but still wanted to show support for the cause.

“We are here to let South Florida know that we stand with the Palestinian people and that they deserve aid, they deserve water, they deserve food, they deserve to eat their food with their families, they deserve to grow up with dreams,” said protester Valentina Jadue.

The protest is part of a coordinated effort across the country to block several economic hubs like airports and port terminals to demand a cease-fire in Gaza.

Monday marks Tax Day in America, and Monday’s protesters disagree that taxpayers’ dollars should be used to support the war in Israel.

“After October 7, they have given more tax dollars, what we’re saying is that money could better be used to address the housing crisis in the US, the public education issue, the lack of accessible food and affordable housing, and better transportation,” said protester Libra Sankara.

In addition, the protesters in attendance talk about solutions to end what they are calling a genocide toward the Palestinian people.

Towards the end of the protest, a few people came out on the corner of Biscayne and 2nd Street to show their support for Israel.

“We’re both living in the same land, we’re not going anywhere. And I will always fight for my right to live peacefully in my own land, I will fight for theirs as well,” said Jesse Fromer, Israel supporter. 

“I did not hear you take accountability in your allocution. You said you were sorry, but not (that) you were sorry for what you did,” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in announcing the sentence.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” the judge said. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

Gutierrez Reed, 26, had no visible reaction to the sentence. She was taken from the courtroom after the sentence was announced.

The verdict comes more than two years after Hutchins, 42, was killed by a live round of ammunition fired from a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin on October 21, 2021. The film’s director was also injured in the shooting.

As the armorer, Gutierrez Reed was responsible for firearm safety and storage on set. She became the first person to stand trial and be convicted in the case, which has captured national attention for more than two years.

At trial, prosecutors argued she repeatedly violated safety protocol and acted without caution in performing her duties, leading to Hutchins’ death. Her defense attorney argued the 26-year-old has been scapegoated for the safety failures of film set management and other crew members. Gutierrez Reed did not testify.

After hearing from more than 30 witnesses and deliberating for nearly three hours, jurors found Gutierrez Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter on March 6. She was acquitted of a separate charge of evidence tampering.

Prosecutors had asked she be sentenced to the maximum prison time, citing a “complete and total failure to accept responsibility for her actions.” In contrast, the defense had asked she be released on probation, arguing she has no prior criminal history and has a “record of prior good works and positive things.”

She has been in custody since her conviction. Her defense attorney Jason Bowles told CNN they plan to appeal.

Baldwin, the actor and celebrity, has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter and is expected to stand trial in July. He has pleaded not guilty and has maintained he did not pull the firearm’s trigger.

A judge is currently considering a motion filed by Baldwin’s legal team to dismiss his indictment, citing alleged impropriety by the government – a motion prosecutors vehemently slammed in a rebuttal filing of their own.

Former armorer says ‘my heart aches’

Prior to the sentence, Hutchins’ family in Ukraine and friends spoke Monday about what Hutchins meant to them.

“The day of her death ruined my entire life,” her mother, Olga Solovey, said in a video with translated subtitles. “It’s heart-wrenching to see her child grow without his mother.”

Joel Souza, the “Rust” director and screenwriter who was also shot in the incident, acknowledged the physical and emotional pain he has felt in the two-and-a-half years since the shooting.

“One day the world made sense, and the next day it didn’t, and it still doesn’t, and I’m not sure it ever will again,” he said.

He described Hutchins as a great talent. “She was a touchstone for all who knew her, and those of us who were lucky enough to have shared in her fleeting time on this planet are better for it,” he said.

Gutierrez Reed, wearing a beige jail uniform, spoke in court and offered her condolences to those affected by Hutchins’ death.

“First and foremost, my heart aches for Hutchins’ family and friends and colleagues as well and it has since the day this tragedy occurred,” she said. “Halyna has been and always will be an inspiration to me. I understand she was taken too soon and I pray that you all find peace.”

She asked the judge to sentence her to probation.

“Your honor, when I took on Rust I was young and I was naïve, but I took my job as seriously as I knew how to. Despite not having proper time, resources and staffing, when things got tough I just did my best to handle it.”

“The jury has found me in part at fault for this godawful tragedy, but that doesn’t make me a monster, that makes me human,” she said.

In a sentencing memo dated April 10, Gutierrez Reed’s defense team requested she be released on probation with conditions set by the judge and undergo counseling and rehabilitative efforts. She feels “incredibly saddened and heart broken by what happened on that tragic day on the Rust set,” the memo said.

In an April 12 court filing responding to the defense memo, prosecutors requested Gutierrez Reed be sentenced to 18 months in prison, arguing she “continues to deny responsibility and blame others.” Prosecutors also cited jail calls in which Gutierrez Reed allegedly complained “about the negative affects this incident has had on her life” and called jurors derogatory names.

A native of Ukraine, Hutchins obtained a graduate degree in international journalism from Kyiv National University and worked as an investigative journalist with British documentary productions in Europe. She later moved to Los Angeles and discovered a love of cinematography.

She was credited with involvement in the production of 49 film, TV and video titles during her career, according to IMDB. She worked on movies including “Archenemy,” starring Joe Manganiello, which was released in 2020, and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.

What happened in the trial

The fatal shooting took place during a break in the filming of the Western movie “Rust” at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside of Santa Fe.

Baldwin had been practicing for a scene and was drawing and pointing a revolver with guidance from Hutchins and Souza, according to a 2023 probable cause statement.

Baldwin drew the revolver, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon shortly before 2 p.m., striking her in the chest and injuring Souza, prosecutors said in the probable cause statement. Hutchins was pronounced dead just after 3:30 p.m.

In the trial, prosecutors alleged Gutierrez Reed repeatedly violated safety protocols and neglected her responsibilities leading up to the shooting. She failed to perform safety checks on the prop weapon and the ammunition she loaded it with, handed it to a staff member who should not have been handling weapons on set and then departed the area when Baldwin ultimately fired the fatal round, prosecutors said.

“This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake and that one mistake was accidentally putting a live round into that gun,” Morrissey said during closing arguments. “This case is about constant, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another.”

Morrissey said Gutierrez Reed’s repeated failures allowed six live rounds to make their way onto the set and said she did not conduct safety checks that would have caught them.

“She had six, six live rounds on that movie set, the earliest date that I can track them for you is October 10, (2021),” the prosecutor said. “Six, and she failed to ferret them out for 12 days. What that means is that she wasn’t shaking any dummy rounds, she wasn’t testing anything.”

“Dummy” rounds refer to ammunition that contains no explosive elements but looks as if it was a real bullet when fired.

Bowles, the defense attorney, placed the blame elsewhere. He questioned how the live ammunition made it on set and alleged the production team created a chaotic and unsafe environment that put Gutierrez Reed under “really tough conditions to keep up with.” He also said Baldwin did not follow common-sense gun safety rules on set when he handled the firearm and acted unpredictably when he pointed the weapon at Hutchins.

“(Gutierrez Reed) could not anticipate what Baldwin would do. It was not in the script, it was not foreseeable,” he said in closing arguments. “Management was responsible for safety failures and not Hannah.”

During the armorer’s trial, assistant film director David Halls admitted he was “negligent” in checking the gun and did not properly look through all the rounds in the gun’s chamber when Gutierrez Reed presented it to him. He yelled “cold gun” before handing the weapon to Baldwin, a remark meant to indicate the firearm did not have live rounds, according to a court document.

Halls took a plea deal in 2023 for his role in the shooting, pleading no contest to one count of negligent use of a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, had to participate in a firearms safety class, complete 24 hours of community service and not use drugs or alcohol.

The Iranian attack on Saturday came in response to a suspected Israeli strike two weeks earlier on an Iranian consular building in the Syrian capital of Damascus that killed two Iranian generals. It marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at Israel in the attack. The Israeli military said that 99% of the drones and missiles were intercepted, by Israel’s own air defenses and warplanes and in coordination with a U.S.-led coalition of partners.

Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Monday that Israel is considering its next steps but that the Iranian strike “will be met with a response.”

Halevi gave no details. The army’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel will respond “at the time that we choose.”

Both men spoke at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, which Hagari said suffered only light damage in the Iranian attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been huddling with top officials to discuss a possible response. For a second straight day, the government made no announcements on any decisions.

In a conversation with U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Netanyahu said that “Israel will do whatever is required to defend itself,” the prime minister’s office announced.

While Israeli leaders have hinted at retaliation, the government is under heavy international pressure not to further escalate the conflict — especially after the Iranian strike caused such little damage.

The U.S. has urged Israel to show restraint as it seeks to build a broad diplomatic response.

While Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said any response is up to Israel to decide, he added: “We don’t want to see escalation, but we obviously will take necessary measures to protect our forces in the region.”

Pressed at a briefing about whether such a response would jeopardize stability in the region, Ryder said the U.S. will “stay in close consultation with our Israeli partners, as we have done throughout the weekend. Again, we don’t seek wider regional conflict.”

The U.S. also has been working in recent years to strengthen ties between Israel and moderate Arab states in an alliance to counter Iran.

Much of that cooperation has been under the umbrella of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Centcom works closely with militaries across the region, including Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

The U.S., Britain and Jordan — a key American ally in the region — have all said their air forces helped intercept the Iranian missiles and drones. Halevi said France and “other partners” were involved, and he noted that “Iran’s attack has created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East.”

The Iranian weapons also flew through Saudi skies, according to a map released by the Israeli military. Israel says most of the interceptions took place outside of Israeli airspace, indicating at least tacit cooperation with the Saudis.

A unilateral Israeli strike could strain these behind-the-scenes contacts, particularly with countries like Saudi Arabia that do not have official diplomatic relations with Israel. It also could risk opening a new front with Iran at a time when Israel is bogged down in a six-month war inside Gaza against Hamas militants.

Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout the Gaza war. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 33,700 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and caused widespread devastation.

Throughout the war, Israel has traded fire across its northern border with Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, while Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen have also attacked Israel. The friction has kept up fears of a potentially destructive all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, or a broader direct confrontation between Israel and Iran.

World leaders pressed Israel not to strike Iran.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “all sides must show restraint” to avoid a rising spiral of violence in the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris will try to “convince Israel that we must not respond by escalating.”

In Washington, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to say Monday whether the U.S. had been or expects to be briefed on any Israeli response plans. “We will let the Israelis speak to that,” he said.

“We are not involved in their decision-making process about a potential response,” Kirby said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. doesn’t seek escalation but said it would continue to support Israel’s security. He pledged to step up the diplomatic efforts against Iran.

“Strength and wisdom need to be different sides of the same coin,” he said.

More than 54% of the world’s coral reef areas have experienced bleaching in the past year, affecting at least 53 countries and territories including large swaths of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, a joint statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) said.

“It is likely that this event will surpass the previous peak of 56.1% soon,” Derek Manzello, the coordinator for NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program, said in an email to CNN. “The percentage of reef areas experiencing bleaching-level heat stress has been increasing by roughly 1% per week.”

When corals are exposed to stress from marine heatwaves, they spit out the algae living within their tissue, which provides them with both their color and most of their energy. If ocean temperatures don’t return to normal, bleaching can lead to mass coral death, threatening the species and food chains that rely on them with collapse.

This marks the world’s fourth global bleaching event, and the second in the past decade – with previous periods in 1998, 2010, and between 2014-2017.

In the past year, mass bleaching has been confirmed in regions including Florida and the wider Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, the South Pacific, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia, and the Indian Ocean including the east coast of Africa and the Seychelles.

Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist specializing in coral reefs based at the University of Queensland in Australia, predicted this mass bleaching event months ago.

“We knew sea temperatures were increasing rapidly, but not at this speed,” Hoegh-Guldberg told CNN on Monday. “The worrying issue is that we don’t know how long this massive temperature change is likely to last.”

The last 12 months have been the planet’s warmest on record and ocean temperatures have been surging off the charts. Global sea surface temperatures hit record highs in February and again in March, according to data from the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

In February, scientists at the Coral Reef Watch program at NOAA added three new alert levels to the coral bleaching alert maps, to enable scientists to assess the new scale of underwater warming.

Will La Niña bring relief?

El Niño, a natural climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and tends to push up global temperatures, has helped drive the unprecedented ocean heat.

NOAA predicts La Niña, El Niño’s cooler counterpart, could arrive between June and August this year, which provides “a nugget of hope” for coral reefs, NOAA’s Manzello said.

But, he added, bleaching events have still occurred during La Niña in the past few years.

“I am becoming increasingly concerned about the 2024 summer for the wider Caribbean and Florida,” Manzello said. “When we roll into summer and the bleaching season for Florida and the Caribbean, it won’t take much additional seasonal warming to push temperatures past the bleaching threshold.”

In mid-February, CNN witnessed extensive coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern areas. A mass bleaching event was officially confirmed there last month after aerial and underwater surveys by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

“The increasing frequency and extremity of marine heatwaves driven by climate change, is testing the tolerance levels of coral reefs,” said Selina Stead, the CEO of AIMS. “Climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs worldwide and this global confirmation illustrates just how extensive its impact has been across the last 12 months.”

“That is why it is critical the world works to reduce carbon emissions,” Stead added. “It is also important to ensure coral reefs are well managed at local and regional levels.”

The UN Environment Programme has warned that if the world fails to aggressively lower its emissions, the planet is heading towards nearly 3 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels this century.

Scientists predict that even at 2 degrees of warming — which the world could reach around 2050 — approximately 99% of corals on Earth would die.

As well as being an essential habitat for marine life, coral reefs are crucial for the world’s coastal communities — they act as a vital defense system against the threat of flooding from storms and sea level rise, and also provide livelihoods and a vital food source for an estimated billion people globally.

David Ritter, CEO of Greenpeace Australia, said reefs were facing “existential danger” and that blame lies “squarely with the main culprits fueling global warming: fossil fuel companies, and the governments who prop up this industry.”

“We are running out of runway to avoid irreversible climate disaster,” he added, “and must act quickly to ensure an immediate end to new fossil fuels.”

Those three deputies came under fire and a man is now behind bars.

Hillsborough County Deputies said they were patrolling a Tampa Park Sunday when they came across the suspect, Anthony Carpenter.

Carpenter was asked to leave the area after trespassing and they claim he had an aggressive dog.

The dog was heard growling at several points in the body camera footage that was released.

After he refused to leave, deputies said they tried several times to deescalate the situation before shots were fired.

“How did I get hit?” said the deputy.

The deputy appeared to be confused but he was not critically injured.

When Carpenter was arrested, deputies said they found a gun and a knife in his coat.

Carpenter now faces several charges, including armed trespassing, resisting an officer with violence, and attempted first-degree murder.

The flyover bridges connecting westbound traffic to U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 were set to be closed for the next two months to allow crews to work on concrete pavement on the bridge decks, according to FDOT.

The lane closures on Sunday caused traffic headaches for drivers who left Key Biscayne and tried to return to the mainland.

“I went out on [Key] Biscayne for about an hour and a half,” said Pierre De Agostini.

7News received emails from frustrated drivers at around 1:30 p.m.

Gary Nurineia said he was stuck for five hours after leaving work at The Golden Hog.

“I was in that heavy traffic until I got to my home at 1 a.m.,” he said.

Business owners on Key Biscayne said this traffic nightmare is not safe for their employees.

“Some arrived to their homes at 2 o’clock in the morning, and once we leave here, we feel very uncomfortable in these situations in case of an emergency,” said business owner Jorge Gonzalez.

FDOT told 7News that construction wasn’t supposed to start until 9 p.m.

A statement released by FDOT reads in part:

While the original maintenance of traffic plan was developed with all appropriate factors considered, it was overwhelmed with the volume of vehicles ingressing and egressing from Key Biscayne yesterday.

Florida Department of Transportation

According to FDOT, by Wednesday morning, the southbound lanes will fully reopen to allow time for the installation of guardrails. While this installation occurs, surface streets should be utilized.

Commuters said they are grateful to see the accommodation in order to avoid being stuck again for hours.

“Very relieved, I don’t have to come up with different accommodations,” said a school teacher who lives in the area.

The work, originally planned to last two months, is part of a rehabilitation project to the bridges, which are nearly 50 years old, and is imperative to the structural integrity of the bridges and the safety of the traveling public, FDOT said in a release.

FDOT officials said they will continue to work with local officials on revised traffic management plans and signalization coordination.

But in the U.S., the ethos of grinding and pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps is ubiquitous, both in the country’s beginnings and our current environment of always-on technology and work hours. And getting enough sleep can seem like a dream.

The Gallup poll, released Monday, found 57% of Americans say they would feel better if they could get more sleep, while only 42% say they are getting as much sleep as they need. That’s a first in Gallup polling since 2001; in 2013, when Americans were last asked, it was just about the reverse — 56% saying they got the needed sleep and 43% saying they didn’t.

Younger women, under the age of 50, were especially likely to report they aren’t getting enough rest.

The poll also asked respondents to report how many hours of sleep they usually get per night: Only 26% said they got eight or more hours, which is around the amount that sleep experts say is recommended for health and mental well-being. Just over half, 53%, reported getting six to seven hours. And 20% said they got five hours or less, a jump from the 14% who reported getting the least amount of sleep in 2013.

(And just to make you feel even more tired, in 1942, the vast majority of Americans were sleeping more. Some 59% said they slept eight or more hours, while 33% said they slept six to seven hours. What even IS that?)

THE REASONS AREN’T EXACTLY CLEAR

The poll doesn’t get into reasons WHY Americans aren’t getting the sleep they need, and since Gallup last asked the question in 2013, there’s no data breaking down the particular impact of the last four years and the pandemic era.

But what’s notable, says Sarah Fioroni, senior researcher at Gallup, is the shift in the last decade toward more Americans thinking they would benefit from more sleep and particularly the jump in the number of those saying they get five or less hours.

“That five hours or less category … was almost not really heard of in 1942,” Fioroni said. “There’s almost nobody that said they slept five hours or less.”

In modern American life, there also has been “this pervasive belief about how sleep was unnecessary — that it was this period of inactivity where little to nothing was actually happening and that took up time that could have been better used,” said Joseph Dzierzewski, vice president for research and scientific affairs at the National Sleep Foundation.

It’s only relatively recently that the importance of sleep to physical, mental and emotional health has started to percolate more in the general population, he said.

And there’s still a long way to go. For some Americans, like Justine Broughal, 31, a self-employed event planner with two small children, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. So even though she recognizes the importance of sleep, it often comes in below other priorities like her 4-month-old son, who still wakes up throughout the night, or her 3-year-old daughter.

“I really treasure being able to spend time with (my children),” Broughal says. “Part of the benefit of being self-employed is that I get a more flexible schedule, but it’s definitely often at the expense of my own care.”

THERE’S A CULTURAL BACKDROP TO ALL THIS, TOO

So why are we awake all the time? One likely reason for Americans’ sleeplessness is cultural — a longstanding emphasis on industriousness and productivity.

Some of the context is much older than the shift documented in the poll. It includes the Protestants from European countries who colonized the country, said Claude Fischer, a professor of sociology at the graduate school of the University of California, Berkeley. Their belief system included the idea that working hard and being rewarded with success was evidence of divine favor.

“It has been a core part of American culture for centuries,” he said. “You could make the argument that it … in the secularized form over the centuries becomes just a general principle that the morally correct person is somebody who doesn’t waste their time.”

Jennifer Sherman has seen that in action. In her research in rural American communities over the years, the sociology professor at Washington State University says a common theme among people she interviewed was the importance of having a solid work ethic. That applied not only to paid labor but unpaid labor as well, like making sure the house was clean.

A through line of American cultural mythology is the idea of being “individually responsible for creating our own destinies,” she said. “And that does suggest that if you’re wasting too much of your time … that you are responsible for your own failure.”

“The other side of the coin is a massive amount of disdain for people considered lazy,” she added.

Broughal says she thinks that as parents, her generation is able to let go of some of those expectations. “I prioritize … spending time with my kids, over keeping my house pristine,” she said.

But with two little ones to care for, she said, making peace with a messier house doesn’t mean more time to rest: “We’re spending family time until, you know, (my 3-year-old) goes to bed at eight and then we’re resetting the house, right?”

THE TRADEOFFS OF MORE SLEEP

While the poll only shows a broad shift over the past decade, living through the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected people’s sleep patterns. Also discussed in post-COVID life is “revenge bedtime procrastination,” in which people put off sleeping and instead scroll on social media or binge a show as a way of trying to handle stress.

Liz Meshel is familiar with that. The 30-year-old American is temporarily living in Bulgaria on a research grant, but also works a part-time job on U.S. hours to make ends meet.

On the nights when her work schedule stretches to 10 p.m., Meshel finds herself in a “revenge procrastination” cycle. She wants some time to herself to decompress before going to sleep and ends up sacrificing sleeping hours to make it happen.

“That applies to bedtime as well, where I’m like, ’Well, I didn’t have any me time during the day, and it is now 10 p.m., so I am going to feel totally fine and justified watching X number of episodes of TV, spending this much time on Instagram, as my way to decompress,” she said. “Which obviously will always make the problem worse.”

The Dali left Baltimore’s port early on March 26 laden with cargo destined for Sri Lanka when it struck one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s supports, causing the span to collapse into the Patapsco River and sending six members of a roadwork crew plummeting to their deaths. Three of their bodies have been recovered.

The Dali experienced apparent electrical issues before leaving port, according to someone with knowledge of the situation. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment, said alarms went off on the ship’s refrigerated containers while it was still docked in Baltimore, likely indicating an inconsistent power supply.

The ship’s crew was aware of the issues and indicated they would be addressed, according to the person.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have said their investigation will include an inquiry into whether the ship experienced power issues before starting its voyage.

Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week that the investigation is focused on the ship’s electrical system generally. The ship experienced power issues moments before the crash, as is evident in videos that show its lights going out and coming back on.

Homendy said information gleaned from the vessel’s voyage data recorder is relatively basic, “so that information in the engine room will help us tremendously.”

The FBI said Monday that it is conducting a criminal investigation into the bridge collapse that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a different person familiar with the matter. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

FBI agents were aboard the cargo ship on Monday conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity, the agency said in a statement. It didn’t elaborate and said it wouldn’t comment further on the investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Scott issued a statement Monday announcing a partnership with two law firms to “launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible” and mitigate harm to the people of Baltimore.

Scott said the city “will take decisive action to hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy, including the owner, charterer, manager/operator, and the manufacturer of the M/V Dali, as well as any other potentially liable third parties.”

He said with the ship’s owner already seeking to limit the company’s liability, the city needs to act quickly to protect its own interests.

The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., both of Singapore. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali.

“Due to the magnitude of the incident, there are various government agencies conducting investigations, in which we are fully participating,” Synergy Marine spokesperson Darrell Wilson said in a statement Monday. “Out of respect for these investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The investigation comes amid concerns about the safety of thousands of U.S. bridges and days after more than two dozen river barges broke loose and struck a closed span in Pittsburgh.

Two bodies were recovered in rural Oklahoma, a day after the arrests of four people in the case.

Authorities say 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley, of Hugoton, Kansas, were driving through the Oklahoma panhandle to pick up Butler’s children for a March 30 birthday party in Kansas. They never showed up, and their vehicle was found later that day, abandoned on a rural highway near the Oklahoma-Kansas state line, with evidence of foul play.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation on Monday described an intense effort to find the women, protect the children and arrest suspects without violence.

“This case did not end the way we had hoped. It’s certainly been a tragedy for everyone involved,” OSBI Director Aungela Spurlock said.

OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee said Butler and Kelley are dead, and that the four defendants were responsible for the women going missing, but would not confirm that the bodies found were identified as the missing Kansas women, pending a report from the Medical Examiner’s Office.

On Saturday, Oklahoma authorities said they arrested and charged four people with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree: Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44. Court records don’t indicate whether any of the four defendants have an attorney who could speak on their behalf.

Authorities announced the next day that two bodies were recovered in Texas County. The Medical Examiner’s Office would determine their identification and cause of death, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement Sunday night.

All four suspects are being held without bond in the Texas County Jail and are scheduled to make an initial court appearance Wednesday morning, said Texas County Court Clerk Renee Ellis.

Members of the End the Corruption political committee on Friday dropped off 1,719 signatures supporting an effort to recall Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago to the city clerk’s office, the Miami Herald reported. They need 1,650 verified signatures or 5% of the city’s approximately 33,000 registered voters in the most recent municipal election to advance to the next stage, the city clerk’s office said.

A preliminary count of the signatures was conducted Friday night, and those signatures will now go to the county Elections Department for verification, the newspaper reported.

“How do I feel? Very relieved, very grateful,” End the Corruption chairwoman Maria Cruz said Friday afternoon at City Hall of the recall effort so far.

Cruz was joined by attorney David Winker, who is the registered agent for the political committee. He noted that Lago was reelected without opposition last year.

“And I think that this is residents kind of clapping back a little bit saying, like, no, we’re unhappy with the direction that the city is going,” Winker said. “I think that this is evidence of that.”

If the Elections Department verifies that the group gathered enough signatures, it will have another 60 days to collect more signatures — this time from 15% of the city’s registered voters, or about 4,950 people. If the group meets that threshold, the recall could go to a special election

In a statement released on Instagram late Friday, Lago said the recall effort “is being pursued by special interests who want to control the future of our city.”

“These pay-to-play interests are falsely portraying the recall as a resident-driven process, but the reality is far from that,” he added.

The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Downtown Miami.

City spokeswoman Martha Pantin said law enforcement is investigating the canvassing effort, though she did not provide more details. Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Lissette Valdes-Valle confirmed in an email that the office is “looking at it” with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Winker said he had not been notified of an investigation.

“No one affiliated with the recall has received any inquiry from law enforcement,” Winker said. He added: “I welcome any investigation because everything about the recall is being done in full compliance with the law.”

End the Corruption began collecting signatures in mid-March when it launched the recall effort accusing Lago of “misfeasance and malfeasance” in part because of his business ties with Miami-based real estate developer Rishi Kapoor, who’s accused of an alleged $93 million real estate investment fraud scheme.

Broward County Sheriff’s Office and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the shooting along the 3900 block of West Oakland Park Boulevard, at around 8:30 a.m., Monday.

According to BSO, the shooting happened at the drive-thru. Upon arrival, deputies discovered one individual suffering from a gunshot wound.

“When the shooting occurred, occurred outside, again, in the drive-thru area,” said BSO spokesperson Miranda Grossman. “Now, luckily, during all of this, no one else was injured. This happened at around 8:30 this morning, when people are getting their coffee, getting their breakfast and heading to work, and could’ve been much worse. They located him in the drive-thru area of the Dunkin’ Donuts behind me, so outside of it.”

Paramedics transported the injured individual to an area hospital for medical treatment. Their condition is currently unknown.

Deputies said that the alleged shooter is an employee of Dunkin’ Donuts and has been detained.

It is unclear if charges will be brought against the suspect.

As of Monday afternoon, investigators have not disclosed the suspect’s identity.

Initially, deputies believed the shooter had barricaded himself inside the Dunkin’, so they surrounded it and then went inside. But the suspect wasn’t there.

“They weren’t sure if the shooter had barricaded himself inside the Dunkin Donuts. He did not, and he had actually fled,” said Grossman.

Witnesses described how the incident played out.

“And a guy said that one guy shot another guy, three times, he heard three gunshots,” said one woman.

Authorities said the scene is still active and residents are urged to avoid the area until further notice.

Hiram “Ross” Grayam was delivering milk in April 1968 and failed to return home after work. Deputies later found his body and his milk truck deep in the woods in the Vero Beach area, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He had been shot several times.

The case went cold, and no arrests were made during the next 56 years.

“Through determination and the cooperation of witnesses, new leads emerged: Thomas J. Williams, now deceased, had confessed to Grayam’s murder, his guilt echoing from beyond the grave,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Grayam, a decorated World War II veteran who received a Purple Heart, had become “a beloved milkman” after settling in Indian River County after the war, authorities said.

A witness told deputies she saw Grayam talking to two men who were walking on the side of the road, WPEC-TV reported.

“She said that Mr. Grayam engaged them in conversation, and announced that he would be back shortly,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said. The two unidentified men and Grayam all left in the milk truck, he said.

Grayam’s family didn’t realize anything had happened, “except my father was a little late in coming home, and then a sheriff’s deputy, an investigator showed up,” Grayam’s son Larry, who was 16 at the time, told the TV station.

During a search of the area by ground and by air, the milk truck and Graham’s body were spotted by an airplane.

“When they arrived at the initial scene, Mr. Grayam was laying next to the milk truck with bullet wounds, killed execution style,” Flowers said.

In 2006, there were rumors that Williams might have been involved. So he wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper “saying that he had been accused of the murder, but he denied having knowledge of it, that he wasn’t involved in it,” the sheriff said.

The case went cold again, and Williams died in 2016.

With Williams now dead, detectives got huge breaks in the case during the past two years: Williams’ ex-wife and a friend of his sister came forward, telling investigators what they knew, the Florida TV station reported.

Flowers said that the witnesses — neither of whom know each other — told investigators that Williams had previously confessed to them that he had killed Grayam.

“These folks said, ‘I would have never said anything to you before, as long as he was alive, he was a threat to me and my family, we would have never told you,’ but the fact that he is now dead gave them the courage to come forward,” Flowers said.

Now, detectives are hoping that anyone who knows about the second man seen with Grayam before he was killed will contact them.

“This is a dark day for Syracuse. This is our worst nightmare come true. And our thoughts right now are with the families of those two officers, those heroes,” Mayor Ben Walsh said at a news conference.

The police deaths add to the at least 38 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty so far this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Last year, 136 officers died in the line of duty across the US, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a 39% decrease from 224 deaths in 2022.

The incident in upstate New York began just after 7 p.m., when two Syracuse Police Department officers tried to pull over a suspicious vehicle, Chief Joseph Cecile said at the news conference. The driver didn’t stop and the officers lost sight of the vehicle, Cecile said, but they used the license plate to link it to a home in nearby Liverpool.

The officers asked for assistance from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office after learning the person driving the vehicle may be armed, Cecile said. Members of each department arrived at the home around the same time.

“While they were inspecting the vehicle and saw what looked to be guns inside, they heard what sounded like someone manipulating a firearm from inside the residence,” Cecile said. “Moments later, there was an exchange of gunfire between at least one suspect and the officers and the deputies.”

An officer, a deputy and the suspect were all shot and pronounced dead at a hospital, Cecile said, noting the investigation is ongoing.

The identities of the fallen officers and the suspect haven’t been released.

The officer had been on the job for about three years, Cecile said. Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley described the deputy as “seasoned.”

“With the April deadline upon us, we’re seeing a flurry of tax returns coming in during the final hours. We’ve already received more than 100 million [returns] and tens of millions more returns are being filed in the final days,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters on Friday.

So if you’re a last-minute filer, you’re in good company — and even more so if you expect a refund. Werfel noted that the agency has already paid out more than $200 billion in refunds through early April. Overall, two in three filers are owed money back, he said.

Hereare some last-minute notes and tips to help you in your down-to-the-wire quest to file your federal return or to get an extension to file without incurring financial penalties. (Check your state’s tax revenue department site to see what to be mindful of when doing the same for your state return.)

Today may not be your actual filing deadline: Yes, April 15 is the big kahuna of tax-filing deadlines for most people. But millions of Americans don’t have to file today because they have been granted automatic extensions if, for instance, they live or do business in a federally declared disaster area or were affected by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Or if they live in Massachusetts and Maine, which observe Patriots Day on April 15, or Washington, DC, which marks Emancipation Day on April 16. Americans living abroad automatically get an additional two months to file, until June 15. However, they must pay whatever they still owe the IRS for tax year 2023 by April 15. Members of the US military stationed abroad also get that two-month extension, plus they may qualify for other extensions – including extensions to pay – if they are in a combat zone.

File for an automatic extension: Can’t get your act together in time to file your form 1040 by 11:59 pm tonight? Then request an automatic six-month extension by filling out this form, which will push your filing deadline to October 15, 2024. Werfel estimates 19 million last-minute filers will be doing so.

Without that extension, if you simply file late and you still owe money to the IRS, you will be hit with a failure-to-file penalty plus interest on your outstanding balance.

Pay what you owe today, or at least some of it: Even if you secure an extension to file, most people are required to pay whatever they still owe the IRS for tax year 2023 by April 15.

So do your best to estimate what that amount will be and send in your payment — or at least a partial payment — tonight.Making a payment will help you avoid, or limit, the failure-to-pay penalty and interest you will be charged on your balance due. (Here are some tips for how to estimate what you still owe if you’re not filing a completed return yet.)

If that balance is unmanageable for you, there are options to work out a payment plan with the IRS to reduce your penalties and interest, which otherwise can compound quickly.

Double check your work: To prevent any delays in the processing of your return (or refund if you’re owed one), and to avoid any headache-inducing interactions with the IRS after you file, make sure you’re getting the basics right on your return.

Also make sure you answer the digital assets question on the first page of your 1040 and that you file the correct forms needed if, in fact, you had any taxable transactions with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

For instance, check that the following are correct: the spelling of your name, your address, your filing status, your Social Security number and your bank account number if you’re seeking direct deposit for a refund. Also double check your computations. Do all this even if you relied on a tax program or tax professional to prepare your return.

(Here are other last-minute tips and resources you can use from the IRS if you need help, have questions or want to file for free.)

Track your refund: If you’re among the majority of tax filers due a refund and you haven’t received it yet, you can track its status by using the IRS Where’s My Refund? tool online.

The average refund as of early April was $3,011, up $123 from a year ago. The turnaround time for the IRS to send them out can be fast.

“The IRS has done a great job of getting refunds out quickly this year. … In many cases people have been getting refunds in just over a week. That’s important because for many people, these are the biggest checks they see all the year,” Werfel said.

(Looking for some ideas for how to put your refund to good use? Here are a few.)

On Sunday, more than 600 participants from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties showcased their skills and determination, all competing to advance to the State Games in Orlando next month.

The competition was fierce, with athletes demonstrating the results of what, for many, has been a lifetime of training.

“Special Olympics Florida serves children and adults so our athletes begin at age two with our young athlete program and then at age 8 they can begin competing and theres no cap on age for when they can compete,” said Linsey Smith, Chief Development and Marketing Officer. “So for many of our athletes, they train and compete in multiple sports every year and Special Olympics becomes their life.”

Also in attendance was WSVN’s Sheldon Fox as the host.

The organization offers year-round training and competition opportunities at no cost to the athletes or their caregivers, enriching lives and building community spirit.

The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. near the intersection of 204th Street and Northwest 55th Court.

Around 5:30 a.m. several fire trucks were seen picking up their equipment once the fire was extinguished.

Juniel Alcazapal said he didn’t know what happened, but as soon as he saw the fire, he started running.

He was inside sleeping when the fire broke out next door.

Residents have reported that the fire also impacted a neighboring house. Video footage showed damage to a blue house next to the house that caught fire.

“Somebody start to scream, ‘The fire, the fire,’ to get out and I saw the fire, and I tried to do what I did until the fire department came,” said Nelson, a neighbor.

Nelson owns the blue home next door and said the flames started in a shed in the middle of two homes, which caught the neighboring house on fire too.

It is unclear how many people occupied the house but officials said four people suffered minor burns—no one wanted to be transported to the hospital.

“They initiated a rapid fire tact, primary search, made sure everybody was out of the structure and quickly put the fire under control,” said MDFR Battalion Chief Armando Pesaturo.

Though the fire didn’t start on Nelson’s property, it certainly caused thousands of dollars in damages.

The American Red Cross was called to the scene and will assist the residents affected by the fire.

This group of people were the last to fly out of Israel before hundreds of drones and missiles launched toward its territory, early Sunday morning.

“It felt a little bit like getting the last chopper out of ‘Nam,” said traveler Julie Simonson.

Traveler Tony Raz said they departed in the nick of time.

“It was pretty scary when they said that they’d already released some of these mini-planes with bombs on them, and they were saying they were going to close the skies at 12:30 at night, 12:30 a.m. Our flight was scheduled to take off at 12:15,” he said. “We got on the plane, and it was maybe 10 minutes behind schedule. The skies were closed, but they let us get out.”

Their plane landing safely at Miami International Airport several hours later.

Some passengers told 7News they were still shaken up.

“I was scared, I start to cry,” said traveler Taly Raz. “I didn’t know if I’m going to see my kids, if we were going be flying, if we were going to get bombed while we were on the airplane.”

Many didn’t know whether they would take off or have to seek shelter at the airport.

“Just the whole plane was, like, really intense, people trying to figure out what’s going on,” said traveler Aryeh Levine. “It was a really surreal situation.”

Passengers watched everything unfold on their phone screens.

“We were on the plane, and everyone was connected to the Wi-Fi, so you could see it was like a fireworks display in the sky, just rockets coming in, and the iron dome intercepting all the rockets,” said Levine.

Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the Consulate General of Israel on Miami, spoke about the attacks hours later.

“Iran should be held accountable for everything that they’ve been doing, for whatever they’ve done last night, and we know what they’ve done last night,” he said. “Iran will carry the consequences of such attack.”

Those on board the plane that landed at MIA hope this conflict doesn’t escalate into something worse.

“We want peace. We want everybody to be OK and healthy, and we don’t want to be attacked,” said Simonson.

Another flight from Tel Aviv is expected to land at MIA on Monday morning.

“At the time I had no idea,” said Abe Massre. “They just showed up and attacked my dogs.”

Massre’s home surveillance camera captured every horrifying second he fought for Luna, his three-pound Shih Tzu, Sunday morning.

Massre said two pit bulls belonging to a neighbor came to his house, located in the area of Raleigh Street and North 26th Avenue, and went directly after his pet.

Armed with a piece of wood, Massre chased after the bigger canines, but he was unable to save Luna. He said one of the pit bulls took her life.

Extremely, extremely shocking,” he said. “I don’t know, I’m at a loss for words. We’re all devastated most of them with the family today. Woke up and was not how I had planned my day.”

Massre said that that the pit bull that attacked and killed Luna got and attacked others before.

“He attacked a lady, I guess, that lives down the street, and we’re gonna see what happens now,” he said.

A family is now dealing with the loss and are doing what they can do move past this tragedy.

“It’s not just a loss for me; it’s a loss for the whole family, but it’s a major loss,” said Massre. “I know people say she’s a dog, but she’s part of the family, you know. It’s not right, and it didn’t have to happen. Unfortunately, it did, but it did not have to happen.”

Hollywood Police said the pit bull’s owner was issued a notice to appear.

The owner of the pit bull spoke to 7News off camera and said the incident was a tragic accident. He is also cooperating and will be in court in June.

7News cameras on Sunday captured plumes of thick black smoke rising into the night sky, hours after the blaze ignited near the corner of Southwest 137th Avenue and Eighth Street.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, crews responded just before 2:15 p.m.

As of late Sunday night, the flames have spread through nearly 20 acres.

Area resident Waleska Moreira described to 7News what she saw earlier in the day.

“We were driving; I did see the fire. It was kinda like starting, and then we went to buy, like, other stuff,” she said.

Within minutes, Moreira said, the fire spread.

“It’s way worse. Like, you can see it from far away, from like Bird Road,” she said.

The smoke got so heavy, Moreira said, it was hard to breathe

“It’s bad. You can smell it, and it’s kinda like worrisome since, you, [there’s a] gas station nearby, and there’s other houses nearby,” she said.

More than 18 units from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to assist crews with the Florida Forest Service. They continue working to control the grass fire.

“Yeah, it’s pretty scary,” said a boy who lives in the area.

In a statement, MDFR spokesperson Erika Benitez wrote, “Sections of the fire on the south side have been knocked down but units continue to fight the fire progressing westward.”

As day turned into night, the blaze was upgraded to a third alarm fire.

With the limited visibility, roads where shut down, all in an effort to keep those in the area safe.

“What we are suggesting is, if you have respiratory issues, to try to avoid the area,” said Benitez. “If you’re at home or in your vehicle traveling, please keep your windows closed and your [air conditioner] recirculating inside your vehicle or your home.”

The fire takes place during the peak of what is considered the dry season in South Florida, which extends until the end of May.

Meteorologists said the conditions have been drier than usual across the region, and no rain is expected during the early part of this week.

Officials with the Florida Department of Agriculture urge residents to be “fire ready” at this point in the season.

Some 7News viewers have called in on Sunday to say they have been waiting for up to four hours to leave Key Biscayne.

The flyover bridge that connects westbound traffic to U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 will be closed for the next two months to allow crews to do some work on concrete pavement on the bridge decks, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

During this closure, the following detours have been established.

Drivers heading west on the causeway who want to go south on U.S. 1 will:

• Continue west on the causeway and merge left at the fork toward Coconut Grove/Brickell Avenue.
• Continue driving west and make a left turn onto South Miami Avenue.
• Make a right turn onto U.S. 1.

Motorists going west on the causeway who want to go north on I-95 will:

• Continue west on the causeway and merge left at the fork toward Coconut Grove/Brickell Avenue.
• Continue driving west onto Southwest 26th Road.
• Turn right at the bend on Southwest 26th Road, then continue driving toward Southwest 25th Road.
• Use the entrance ramp onto northbound I-95 from Southwest 26th Road.

Access to Brickell Avenue and South Miami Avenue will not be affected. However, officials advise drivers to expect heavy delays.

For more information about this project, visit FDOT’s website.

In other words: a familiar routine.

But inside the courtroom, which was closed to TV cameras, Trump was a different man — reserved and muted in a stark departure from his feisty approach to other legal troubles.

The contrast spoke to the gravity of his situation. Trump is now the first former president ever to stand trial on criminal charges and faces the prospect, if he loses, of becoming the first major American presidential candidate in history to run as a convicted felon.

Trump is accused in the case of falsifying business records to hide alleged hush money payments made to a porn star to keep her from going public during his 2016 campaign with allegations of an affair.

The trial is expected to last at least six weeks and Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is required to attend every day court is in session — a schedule that will dramatically alter his daily life and his ability to campaign in battleground states.

So Trump instead brought his campaign to the courthouse, delivering statements before and after the day’s proceedings, which he again cast as nothing more than a politically motivated effort by his rivals to hinder his campaign.

“This is political persecution,” he steamed after arriving with a phalanx of lawyers and several senior aides, but without his wife or other family members. “This is an assault on our country,” he went on.

Trump is already well practiced in the art of campaigning from the courtroom. In addition to appearances related to his four criminal trials, Trump this year voluntarily attended most days of his civil fraud trial as well as a defamation case brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who had accused Trump of rape.

Those two trials did not end well for Trump: The former president was found liable in both cases, and now owes over half a billion dollars, including interest.

During those hearings, Trump was often admonished by the judges, who instructed him to be quiet or answer questions more succinctly. At one point, the judge in the Carroll suit threatened to kick Trump out of the courtroom for speaking loudly. Another day he stormed out. Trump also openly sparred with the judge in his civil fraud case, including from the witness stand.

Such behavior would not be tolerated in a criminal courtroom and Judge Juan Merchan made clear Trump could be sent to jail and prosecuted separately if he were to engage in such disruptive behavior.

On Monday, Trump did not.

At times, he was seen whispering and passing notes with Todd Blanche, his lead attorney. But during other stretches, Trump slouched forward, casting his gaze toward the ceiling, or leaned back in his chair with his arms folded and his eyes closed.

Every movement was memorialized by a small pool of reporters inside. As he entered the courtroom, Trump “paused for a split second” and “licked his lips” before walking up the courtroom’s center aisle. When he was introduced as the defendant, Trump turned and gave prospective jurors “a little tight-lipped smirk.” Later, when he exited the courtroom for a break, Trump glared at a New York Times reporter who earlier had reported Trump had fallen asleep in his chair.

While his body language was carefully parsed, he was seen more than heard.

During the first day of his trial, Trump said just five words on the record — “Yes” once, and “Yes, sir” twice — as he was read his so-called “Parker warnings” informing him that his right to be present at the trial could be revoked if he acted out and that he could be sent to jail for disruptive behavior.

It remains unclear how long Trump’s restraint will last as the trial drags on.

The sterile, fluorescent-lit courtroom is a world away from the gilded Mar-a-Lago club where he has taken up residency in his post-presidential life. There he is surrounded by doting staff and ardent supporters who deliver standing ovations every night as he enters the dining room.

In the courtroom, Trump was introduced to jurors not as president — as his aides still call him — but “Mr. Donald J. Trump” — and faced restraints, including the prospect that he might not be granted permission to attend his youngest son’s high school graduation.

The judge has not ruled on the matter, but did bar Trump from traveling to Washington next Thursday, when the Supreme Court will take up his argument that, as a former president, he is immune from prosecution.

“We think that it is important for the court to remind Mr. Trump that he is a criminal defendant and that he is under the court’s supervision,” one prosecutor, Christopher Conroy, said.

With Trump stuck in New York for the foreseeable future, aides have been planning rallies and other political events on weekends and on Wednesdays, when court is not supposed to be in session. Merchan said Monday that Wednesdays could be added if he trial falls behind schedule.

Aides are also considering possible events around New York after court ends for the day. Trump has often talked about wanting to campaign in his home state, even though New York remains overwhelmingly Democratic.

He is also expected continue to speak from the courthouse and hold press conferences to spin each day’s proceedings, as he has in his other trials.

While Trump has complained about being taken off the campaign trail, he has been keeping a relatively light schedule of public events since he locked up the GOP nomination last month, with most of his rallies scheduled on weekends anyway. Instead, he has been focused on fundraising as he tries to close the gap with his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden.

He is also expected to rely more heavily on surrogates. On Monday, allies including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds — all potential vice presidential or cabinet picks — fanned out across cable networks to blast the case.

Trump’s indictments proved beneficial during the primaries, helping him rake in tens of millions of dollars from angry supporters and denying his GOP rivals the media spotlight as they were trying to gain traction.

It’s unclear, however, how a criminal trial and possible conviction resonate with the broader general election audience, which includes more moderate and independent voters that could decide the race.

Nearly half of registered voters, 46%, said in a recent NYT/Siena College poll that Trump “should be found guilty” in the New York trial. And about 6 in 10 said the charges were “very” or “somewhat” serious.

The details of the case are salacious — involving a porn star, tabloids and hush money payments. But the case is widely see as posing less of a legal risk to Trump than his other cases, which accuse him of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and of charges under the Espionage Act over his hoarding of classified documents that could lead to serious jail time.

But the hush money case could be the only one that makes it to trial before November’s vote.

Biden’s campaign, meanwhile, ignored Monday’s proceedings as his aides seek to avoid the appearance of judicial interference.

Campaign officials said Monday that they will instead focus on continuing to present a political split-screen between the two men, with the president focused on governing and Trump focused on himself.

That contrast was especially striking this weekend, as Iran launched an attack against Israel and Biden worked to prevent a wider Middle East escalation, speaking by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

He’ll spend the week campaigning in battleground Pennsylvania, with events planned in Scranton, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, as Trump remains in court.

Johnson, R-La., is already under immense political pressure from his fellow GOP lawmakers as he tries to stretch between the Republican Party’s divided support for helping Kyiv defend itself from Moscow’s invasion. The Republican speaker has sat for two months on a $95 billion supplemental package that would send support to the U.S. allies, as well as provide humanitarian aid for civilians in Ukraine and Gaza and funding to replenish U.S. weapons provided to Taiwan.

The attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday further ratcheted up the pressure on Johnson, but also gave him an opportunity to underscore the urgency of approving the funding.

Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that he and Republicans “understand the necessity of standing with Israel” and he would try this week to advance the aid.

“The details of that package are being put together right now,” he said. “We’re looking at the options and all these supplemental issues.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference also said that President Joe Biden held a phone call Sunday with the top Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, including Johnson. The New York Democrat said there was consensus “among all the leaders that we had to help Israel and help Ukraine, and now hopefully we can work that out and get this done next week.”

“It’s vital for the future of Ukraine, for Israel and the West,” Schumer said.

The White House said Biden “discussed the urgent need for the House of Representatives to pass the national security supplemental as soon as possible.”

Johnson has also “made it clear” to fellow House Republicans that he will this week push to package together the aid for Israel, Ukraine and allies in Asia and pass it through the House, said GOP Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The speaker has expressed support for legislation that would structure some of the funding for Kyiv as loans, pave the way for the U.S. to tap frozen Russian central bank assets and include other policy changes. Johnson has pushed for the Biden administration to lift a pause on approvals for Liquefied Natural Gas exports and at times has also demanded policy changes at the U.S. border with Mexico.

But currently, the only package with wide bipartisan support in Congress is the Senate-passed bill that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby called on the speaker to put that package “on the floor as soon as possible.”

“We didn’t need any reminders in terms of what’s going on in Ukraine,” Kirby said on NBC. “But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood.”

As Johnson searches for a way to advance the funding for Ukraine, he has been in conversations with both the White House and former president Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

With his job under threat, Johnson traveled to Florida on Friday for an event with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump expressed support for Johnson and said he had a “very good relationship” with him.

“He and I are 100% united on these big agenda items,” Johnson said. “When you talk about aid to Ukraine, he’s introduced the loan-lease concept which is a really important one and I think has a lot of consensus.”

But Trump, with his “America First” agenda, has inspired many Republicans to push for a more isolationist stance. Support for Ukraine has steadily eroded in the roughly two years since the war began, and a cause that once enjoyed wide support has become one of Johnson’s toughest problems.

When he returns to Washington on Monday, Johnson also will be facing a contingent of conservatives already angry with how he has led the House in maintaining much of the status quo both on government spending and more recently, a U.S. government surveillance tool.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican from Georgia, has called for Johnson’s ouster. She departed the Capitol on Friday telling reporters that support for her effort was growing. And as Johnson on Sunday readied to advance the aid, Greene said on X that it was “antisemitic to make Israeli aid contingent” on aid for Ukraine.

While no other Republicans have openly joined Greene in calling to oust Johnson, a growing number of hardline conservatives are openly disparaging Johnson and defying his leadership.

Meanwhile, senior GOP lawmakers who support aid to Ukraine are growing frustrated with the months-long wait to bring it to the House floor. Kyiv’s troops have been running low on ammunition and Russia is becoming emboldened as it looks to gain ground in a spring and summer offensive. A massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest power plants and damaged others last week.

“What happened in Israel last night happens in Ukraine every night,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

The divided dynamic has forced Johnson to try to stitch together a package that has some policy wins for Republicans while also keeping Democrats on board. Democrats, however, have repeatedly called on the speaker to put the $95 billion package passed by the Senate in February on the floor.

Although progressive Democrats have resisted supporting the aid to Israel over concerns it would support its campaign into Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians, most House Democrats have gotten behind supporting the Senate package.

“The reason why the Senate bill is the only bill is because of the urgency,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last week. “We pass the Senate bill, it goes straight to the president’s desk and you start getting the aid to Ukraine immediately. That’s the only option.”

Many Democrats also have signaled they would likely be willing to help Johnson defeat an effort to remove him from the speaker’s office if he puts the Senate bill on the floor.

“I’m one of those who would save him if we can do Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and some reasonable border security,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat.

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, slipped to 77.9 this month, down from March’s figure of 79.4. Sentiment is about halfway between its all-time low, reached in June 2022 when inflation peaked, and its pre-pandemic averages. The survey has been conducted since 1980.

“Consumers are reserving judgment about the economy in light of the upcoming election, which, in the view of many consumers, could have a substantial impact on the trajectory of the economy,” said Joanne Hsu, director of the consumer survey.

The index had dropped to 61.3 as recently as November before jumping in the following two months by the most in more than three decades. It has since moved mostly sideways.

Stronger consumer optimism can sometimes translate into more spending, which typically boosts the economy. Most economists expect consumer spending to remain healthy as long as the job market stays strong.

“Looking beyond the recent minor monthly volatility, sentiment remains on a rising trend,” Oren Klachkin, an economist at Nationwide, said in a research note. “It’s still a positive environment for the consumer.”

Among the respondents to the survey, sentiment fell the most among Republicans. Among independents, it edged down, and it rose slightly among Democrats. Americans’ economic views have become more driven by political partisanship in recent decades.

An increase in gas prices likely contributed to the decline in consumers’ outlook, according to Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. The average national price of a gallon of gas has jumped about 7% from a month ago, according to AAA, to $3.63 a gallon.

Americans’ perceptions of future inflation also rose, probably reflecting still-high prices. Consumers expect inflation to be 3.1% a year from now, which would exceed the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Still, that would be below the current level of 3.5%.

Inflation has tumbled from a peak of 9.1% in the summer of 2022 but has remained elevated so far this year. Prices excluding volatile food and energy costs, rose 3.8% in March from a year earlier, the same as in the previous month and well above the Fed’s target.

Witnesses say the man fired rounds from the roof and a balcony of a complex at Via Marina and Catamaran Street around 10:15 p.m. Saturday.

The shooter was allegedly armed with two AR-15-style rifles and a pistol and repeatedly reloaded while sheriff’s SWAT teams tried to deescalate the situation.

“It’s pretty terrifying . . .” said one resident. “We have never had any type of active shooter situation or anything at this level and it is all residential for the most part, it is very concerning.”

The suspect was later taken into custody. His identity has not been released. There are no reports of anyone hurt.

A motive for the shooting remains unclear. An investigation is ongoing.

But Israel’s War Cabinet met without making a decision on next steps, an official said, as a nervous world waited for any sign of further escalation of the former shadow war.

The military coalition, led by the United States, Britain and France and appearing to include a number of Middle Eastern countries, gave Israel support at a time when it finds itself isolated over its war against Hamas in Gaza. The coalition also could serve as a model for regional relations when that war ends.

“This was the first time that such a coalition worked together against the threat of Iran and its proxies in the Middle East,” said the Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

One unknown is which of Israel’s neighbors participated in the shooting down of the vast majority of about 350 drones and missiles Iran launched. Israeli military officials and a key War Cabinet member noted additional “partners” without naming them. When pressed, White House national security spokesman John Kirby would not name them either.

But one appeared to be Jordan, which described its action as self-defense.

“There was an assessment that there was a real danger of Iranian marches and missiles falling on Jordan, and the armed forces dealt with this danger. And if this danger came from Israel, Jordan would take the same action,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said in an interview on Al-Mamlaka state television. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Sunday.

The U.S. has long tried to forge a regionwide alliance against Iran as a way of integrating Israel and boosting ties with the Arab world. The effort has included the 2020 Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab countries, and having Israel in the U.S. military’s Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East and works closely with the armies of moderate Arab states.

The U.S. had been working to establish full relations between Israel and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack sparked Israel’s war in Gaza. The war, which has claimed over 33,700 Palestinian lives, has frozen those efforts due to widespread outrage across the Arab world. But it appears that some behind-the-scenes cooperation has continued, and the White House has held out hopes of forging Israel-Saudi ties as part of a postwar plan.

Just ahead of Iran’s attack, the commander of CENTCOM, Gen. Erik Kurilla, visited Israel to map out a strategy.

Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, on Sunday thanked CENTCOM for the joint defensive effort. Both Jordan and Saudi Arabia are under the CENTCOM umbrella. While neither acknowledged involvement in intercepting Iran’s launches, the Israeli military released a map showing missiles traveling through the airspace of both nations.

“Arab countries came to the aid of Israel in stopping the attack because they understand that regional organizing is required against Iran, otherwise they will be next in line,” Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israel’s military intelligence, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said he had spoken with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and that the cooperation “highlighted the opportunity to establish an international coalition and strategic alliance to counter the threat posed by Iran.”

The White House signaled that it hopes to build on the partnerships and urged Israel to think twice before striking Iran. U.S. officials said Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not participate in any offensive action against Iran.

Israel’s War Cabinet met late Sunday to discuss a possible response, but an Israeli official familiar with the talks said no decisions had been made. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing confidential deliberations.

Asked about plans for retaliation, Hagari declined to comment directly. “We are at high readiness in all fronts,” he said.

“We will build a regional coalition and collect the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us,” said a key War Cabinet member, Benny Gantz.

Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel that hit an Iranian consular building in Syria this month and killed two Iranian generals.

By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over, and Israel reopened its airspace. Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, claimed Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that “any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The foes have been engaged in a shadow war for years, but Sunday’s assault was the first time Iran launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran said it targeted Israeli facilities involved in the Damascus strike, and that it told the White House early Sunday that the operation would be “minimalistic.”

But U.S. officials said Iran’s intent was to “destroy and cause casualties” and that if successful, the strikes would have caused an “uncontrollable” escalation. At one point, at least 100 ballistic missiles were in the air with just minutes of flight time to Israel, the officials said.

Israel said more than 99% of what Iran fired was intercepted, with just a few missiles getting through. An Israeli airbase sustained minor damage.

Israel has over the years established — often with the help of the U.S. — a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.

That system, along with collaboration with the U.S. and others, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating assault at a time when Israel is already deeply engaged in Gaza as well as low-level fighting on its northern border with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran.

While thwarting the Iranian onslaught could help restore Israel’s image after the Hamas attack in October, what the Middle East’s best-equipped army does next will be closely watched in the region and in Western capitals — especially as Israel seeks to develop the coalition it praised Sunday.

In Washington, Biden pledged to convene allies to develop a unified response. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. would hold talks with allies. After an urgent meeting, the Group of Seven countries unanimously condemned Iran’s attack and said they stood ready to take “further measures.”

Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s war in Gaza. In the Oct. 7 attack, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials.

Hamas welcomed Iran’s attack, saying it was “a natural right and a deserved response” to the strike in Syria. It urged the Iran-backed groups in the region to continue to support Hamas in the war.

Hezbollah also welcomed the attack. Almost immediately after the war in Gaza erupted, Hezbollah began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel.

Baltimore police say the girl was shot Saturday afternoon at Mondawmin Mall. According to police, two groups at the mall got into an altercation, and an unidentified male fired a shot as he was running away that struck the girl in the upper body.

The girl, who was at the mall with her mother, was not the intended victim, officials said.

Police said she was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and was in critical but stable condition Saturday evening.

Authorities were searching for the suspect Sunday.

In December, a man delivering packages at the mall was shot in the ankle at the mall’s parking lot when he became caught between two groups of boys who were shooting at each other.

Financial stress during tax season can manifest in different ways, whether that’s procrastinating on your tax return until the last minute or experiencing intense stress about filing incorrectly. If you’re dealing with financial stress right now, you’re not alone.

“Many Americans experience high stress during tax times, and many Americans are dealing with financial stress,” financial wellness expert Joyce Marter said.

You might think emotions and money don’t go together, but they often affect each other, said Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, financial therapist and founder of Mind Money Balance.

“Our money and mental health intersect because they’re two parts of our overall wellness,” said Bryan-Podvin.

Here are recommendations from experts to reduce financial stress during tax season while still getting your return done by the deadline:

Don’t avoid, plan

Financial stress can happen all year long. While tax season is only a window of time, it comes with something that can be daunting: a deadline. Some might find a deadline motivates them to get things done, while others can feel paralyzed by it, said Dr. Tanya Farber, psychologist at McLean Hospital, a mental health facility in Massachusetts.

“If we’re overwhelmed by our anxiety, that’s where it may lead us to avoid thinking about finances or trying to avoid thinking about taxes,” Farber said.

Although you do have an option of filing for an extension, Farber doesn’t recommend prolonging the period when you have to worry about taxes. Instead, a good first step is to make a detailed plan to tackle them.

Farber recommends you break down all of the steps and start completing them one by one. A key step is to start gathering all of your documents, such as your W-2 or 1099 forms, savings and investment records, eligible deductions and tax credits, ahead of sitting down to file your taxes. Once you have a list of steps, scheduling times to complete the tasks will make it easier to build momentum.

While the required documents might depend on your individual case, here is a general list of what everyone needs:

If you need help making a plan, search for tax checklists, which can be a great tool to make sure you have everything you need.

Face your fears

For many, anxiety over filing taxes comes from fear, Farber said. Whether it’s fear of making a mistake in your return or unexpectedly owing thousands of dollars, these fears can overwhelm you to the point of avoiding even looking at your taxes.

If you identify that fear is what’s stopping you from filing, Farber recommends that you ask yourself if whatever you’re afraid of is likely to happen.

“When we have fears, they’re possible, probable or definite,” Farber said. “And oftentimes anxiety is the highest when we’re assuming the worst-case scenario.”

If thinking about your fears by yourself is not helping, Bryan-Podvin recommends you discuss them with a friend or a family member. In many cases, talking with someone else might help you focus on what might actually happen rather than focusing on the worst-case scenarios.

Focus on self-care

If tax season brings a lot of financial stress for you, Bryan-Podvin recommends that you increase the amount of self-care activities you’re doing. Activities such as taking a walk, spending time with your dog or getting enough sleep can help soothe stress.

“We are going to be doing things that are difficult and depleting and anxiety-provoking so doing more things that are restorative can help us balance that,” Farber said.

Doing restorative activities can work as a toolbox of coping skills when you’re in the middle of a stressful situation, like filing taxes.

Ask for support

You might feel like you’ll be judged if you talk about money, but that’s often not the case. Talking about finances with your friends or family can be a moment to receive support, she said.

“Talking with others is going to give you access to more information and resources and also helps remove the shame and stigma because you’re not alone,” Marter said.

Whether it’s talking with a tax professional or reaching out to your most tax-savvy family member, proactively seeking support will help you avoid being stressed if you’re filing very close to the deadline.

Additionally, if you are experiencing mental health struggles, there are several resources you can use to find professional help.

In the U.S., you can dial 211 to speak with a mental health expert, confidentially and for free.

Other mental health resources include:

Veterans Crisis Line: call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line: Text the word ‘Home’ to 741-741

The Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth: 1-866-488-7386

The Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860

Veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War returned home Saturday night after spending the day in Washington, D.C., where they visited memorials built in their honor.

The trip is a one-day mission that allows them to reflect.

“Just coming through that line, and the gratitude and all the love and emotion that I felt coming through there, if we had just experienced that those many years ago when we came back from Vietnam, it would have been tremendous,” said Vietnam War veteran Irvin Raveneau. “But that’s in the past. What’s happening today, what just happened in there, it’s just fantastic”

Honor Flight South Florida covered the cost of the flights, meals and special transportation that included police escorts in Washington.

Dave Duell was on his normal long-haul trucking route along Interstate 5 South when a 40-to-50-pound turkey flew into the roadway.

Emily-Jean Duell, the trucker’s daughter, said while the incident left her father with some pretty serious injuries the initial surprise left her feeling lighthearted.

“Laughing,” she said. “Lots of laughing. I had shown him the second I got it, the picture of the turkey looking down the barrel of the dashcam and at his windshield. Even with his broken rib, he was laughing at it. He thought it was hilarious.”

Emily said it wasn’t all a laughing matter when she got a phone call from a nurse, explaining to her that a bird had smashed through her father’s windshield and knocked him unconscious. The collision with the turkey sent his semi-hauling three trailers off the roadway in rural Oregon.

At first, all she knew was that a big bird had caused serious damage to the truck and her dad.

“I was thinking a hawk,” she said.

Emily nervously hit the road to look for her dad and found him at a Medford hospital.

She would eventually learn that it was a turkey that had flown into the roadway.

“They were cleaning his wounds and pulled out some turkey feathers,” she said.

She described her father as a goofy guy who doesn’t take anything too seriously.

He suffered a broken rib and tooth, a fractured jaw and a fractured vertebra in his neck. However, she said the worst of it is the bone around one of his eyes was shattered.

“They called it an orbital blowout,” which she said her father will need surgery for. “The entire bone behind his left eye is shattered.”

Despite the aftermath and what she describes as an emotional roller coaster, she said her father is lucky to have crossed paths with the bird and survive. She said one doctor shared with her that he could’ve easily been killed.

“It all could have been astronomically different,” she said. “The time to worry about him surviving is over and n

The nonprofit Becca’s Closet on Saturday lent a helping hand to several high school girl who were out shopping for a formal dress at the Festival Marketplace Mall in Pompano Beach.

Autumn was one of the young shoppers.

“It’s really cool. They have so many different things,” she said.

Becca’s Closet gave the teens access to the free dresses. The nonprofit helps high school students in need of a dress for prom or homecoming get one if they can’t afford it.

Andrea Butler was accompanying her niece, who was looking for a prom dress.

“It’s very helpful, especially in this time with the money, you know, the hard times for a lot of people, and this helps us out a lot,” she said

Autumn marveled at the wide array of dresses.

“I think its really helpful that they give you different options, they, like, get you outside the box,” she said.

Volunteers helped the girls pick out the perfect outfit.

“I got a green short dress for a banquet I’m going to for Color Guard,” said.

“So we have our volunteers in the store front, and the girls who booked appointments with us are working side by side with our personal shoppers,” said Pam Kirtman with Becca’s Closet.

Becca’s Closet was formed 20 years ago after Jay and Pam Kirtman’s daughter, 16-year-old Becca, passed away in a car accident.

Before she died, Becca collected about 250 dresses, helping hundreds of girls attend their high school proms.

“Prom, as everybody knows, is the main event where every group in the school goes to,” said Jay Kirtman. “It’s not like just the athletes or any particular groups. It’s one event, they all come together, and carrying on Rebecca’s memory, and helping girls smile and carrying on her mission is heartwarming, and it just really puts a smile, not only on their face, but our face.”

Now with chapters across the country, her parents said, they can’t put a price on the girls’ faces.

“It’s priceless, definitely,” said Pam.

“And we get rewarded, fortunately, with the hug and the extreme thanks, and we’re the ones who are really thankful,” said Jay.

“And the parents and the caregivers are relieved. I mean, it’s a burden; senior year is expensive. This relieves the burden, one little thing,” said Pam.

The Kirtmans said high school students in need of a dress can fill out an online form. For more information, click here.

The blaze sparked in the area of Southwest 214th Avenue and 340th Street, Saturday afternoon, and it threatened a nearby trailer and a nursery.

Around 30 firefighters and 10 trucks with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed to put out the fire and keep it from spreading.

There were no injuries.

“I will be forced to sit fully gagged. I’m not allowed to talk. They want to take away my constitutional right to talk,” said Trump, who has been barred from publicly discussing potential witnesses and jurors but not the judge or prosecutors.

“I’m proud to do it for you,” Trump told a crowd in northeast Pennsylvania. “Have a good time watching.”

Trump spoke as Israel was fighting off a retaliatory drone attack from Iran that threatened to tip into a regional war in the Middle East. After a short mention of the attack, which he claimed wouldn’t have happened if he were president, Trump turned to an extended tirade against his own legal troubles.

He went after Judge Juan M. Merchan, whom he called “corrupt,” and District Attorney Alvin Bragg, declaring himself a victim of Democrats bent on blocking his return to the White House.

Trump is navigating four separate criminal prosecutions while running to avenge his loss to President Joe Biden, creating an unprecedented swirl of legal and political chaos.

Jury selection starts Monday in New York in his trial where he is charged with seeking during his 2016 campaign to bury stories about extramarital affairs by arranging hush money payments.

It will be the first criminal trial ever of a former U.S. president. And it will limit Trump’s availability on the campaign trail, though he is expected to speak to the media after court often and has for months fundraised and campaigned on the felony charges he faces.

Trump spoke at the Schnecksville Fire Hall in Lehigh County, where a long line formed outward three hours before Trump’s planned appearance. It was Trump’s third visit this year to the vital swing state, one that could decide who wins this year’s presidential race. He also plans to attend a fundraiser in nearby Bucks County before the event.

Pennsylvania is a critical battleground in the rematch between Trump and Biden, with both candidates expected to visit the state frequently through November. Trump flipped the state to the Republican column in 2016 but lost it four years after to Biden, who was born in the northeast city of Scranton and has long talked about his roots in the city. Biden plans to deliver a major address Tuesday in Scranton on tax fairness.

Bob Dippel, 69, retired after working as a chief financial officer for several small businesses. He said he didn’t think the upcoming trial “would matter too much” to independent voters because “people are starting to see the mockery being made” of the legal system.

Biden has argued Trump’s lies about losing the 2020 election are dangerous for the country. He has said Trump poses a fundamental threat to democracy and U.S. alliances abroad — rhetoric that Trump has argued applies to Biden.

“We’re going to win in the biggest landslide in history, because we’re the ones who are fighting to save our democracy and Joe Biden is a demented tyrant,” Trump said.

Iran’s attack on Israel, in apparent retaliation for a strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed 12 people, may once again push foreign policy and the Middle East into the center of the presidential campaign.

It marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, where officials have vowed to strike Iran directly in response to any attack from Iranian soil.

Prior to Saturday, Trump has recently said Israel needs to “finish up” its offensive in Gaza, warning the country is “absolutely losing the PR war ” as deaths mount and images of mass destruction proliferate. Israeli forces are going after Hamas after militants staged an Oct. 7 attack in which they killed an estimated 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.

“Get it over with, and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people. And that’s a very simple statement,” Trump said in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier this month. “They have to get it done. Get it over with, and get it over with fast because we have to — you have to get back to normalcy and peace.”

Trump recently said that any Democratic-leaning voters who support Israel should back him instead, as Biden has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions in his war against Hamas. The Republican said Wednesday that “any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.”

During his presidency, he moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and facilitated the normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab states through a series of agreements known as the Abraham Accords. He pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, a move that Israel welcomed.

The deal lifted sanctions on Iran, which agreed in exchange to limit its nuclear program and allow inspections. Trump said it was too generous to Iran, while supporters of a deal said it was the best option to forestall a nuclear-armed Iran.

7News cameras on Saturday morning captured Miramar Police as they passed out flyers to joggers and drivers along Miramar Parkway.

They’re hoping to find the person who left Onyxia Delinois on life support at Memorial Regional Hospital after she went jogging on near 183rd Street and Miramar Parkway, April 6.

Her devastated husband, Roosevelt Delinois, is hoping to find answers after she was left alone on the side of the road.

“I just want someone to say something, someone to come forward,” he said as he broke down in tears. “This is not her fault. She did not do this, someone else did this to her and just left her there.”

Onyxia, 26, was running with a group of joggers and was jogging ahead when, detectives said, she was hit by a motorist who took off.

Her fellow runners called 911.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” asked a dispatcher.

“We are a group of runners, and one of our friends is on the side of the road. It seems that she may have gotten hit,” said a caller.

Paramedics rushed Onyxia to the hospital, where she underwent an emergency brain surgery. As of Saturday night, she remains in a coma.

Doctors told 7News they have been very concerned.

“We are extremely concerned about her neurological recovery,” said Dr. Andrew Rosenthal with Memorial Regional Hospital. “I expect that she’ll be in the hospital for several weeks or months.”

Roosevelt, meanwhile, is asking the public for help.

“If somebody would have stayed with her, maybe she would have gotten to the hospital faster,” he said. “I’m devastated. How would you feel if this was your family member. How would you feel if this was your mom or your wife or your daughter? This is not her fault.”

If you have any information on this hit-and-run or the driver’s whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.