July 2025 ~ GL MAG

White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like

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White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like

HANNAH DEMISSIE and ALEXANDRA HUTZLERJuly 31, 2025 at 10:55 PM

President Donald Trump continues to put his personal stamp on the White House with a new $200 million ballroom.

Work will begin on the site in September and will be paid for by Trump and unidentified donors, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Leavitt announced the project at her press briefing on Thursday, showing renderings of what the finished product will look like. She said it will be completed "long before" Trump's term is up.

"We are proud to announce that the construction of the new White House ballroom will begin. For 150 years, presidents, administrations and White House staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed," she told reporters.

The White House - PHOTO: An image from a White House press release, July 31, 2025, shows planned construction for the new White House ballroom.

"The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building's entrance," she said.

This is the latest change Trump is making to the White House. Currently, the famous Rose Garden is also under construction with pavement replacing the grass. He also paid to have two, 88-foot-tall flagpoles put up on the White House North and South Lawns.

Trump also redecorated the Oval Office with an extensive amount of gold details, including on picture frames and in furnishings surrounding the fireplace.

The artist renderings of what the new ballroom will look like shows it, too, will be filled with gold trim, similar to decorations at the ballroom at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Trump has long said he wanted to build a ballroom at the White House akin to the one at Mar-a-Lago -- which Trump in his first term dubbed at times his "Winter White House."

At his Turnberry golf property in Scotland this past weekend, Trump told European Council President Ursula von der Leyen, "You know, we just built this ballroom, and we're building a great ballroom at the White House."

Trump spoke about the project later Thursday during an executive order signing in the Roosevelt Room, saying they retained "the best architects and engineers" to build it and it will be "top of the line."

"I'm good at building things. And we'll get it built quickly and on time. It'll be beautiful," he said.

"I always said I was going to do something about the ballroom because they should have one. So we'll be leaving it. It'll be a great legacy project and I think it'll be special," Trump added.

The White House - PHOTO: An image from a White House press release, July 31, 2025, shows planned construction for the new White House ballroom.

The ballroom addition will be separated from the main building and positioned off the White House East Wing.

"It won't interfere with the current building ... It'll be near it, but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite," Trump said.

When asked how much of the East Wing will be torn down for the upcoming construction -- which currently holds the office of the first lady, the White House military office, and the visitor office -- Leavitt said offices in the East Wing would be vacated while it is "modernized."

"The necessary construction will take place," Leavitt said.

Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters - PHOTO: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, July 31, 2025.

In a press release, the White House said Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning.

"The President and the Trump White House are "fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the special history of the white House, while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future administrations and generations of Americans to come," White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said.

"President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail," Wiles said.

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White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like

- White House releases renderings of what Trump's new ballroom will look like HANNAH DEM...

Trump officials headed to Gaza to inspect food distribution centers amid hunger crisis

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Trump officials headed to Gaza to inspect food distribution centers amid hunger crisis

Joey Garrison, USA TODAY August 1, 2025 at 12:24 AM

WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump is sending two top White House officials to Gaza on Aug. 1 to inspect food distribution centers and meet with Gazans amid intensifying global scrutiny over the hunger crisis in the territory.

Steven Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will "secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation" during the rare trip, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on July 31.

Following their visit, Witkoff and Huckabee are expected to meet with Trump to approve the administration's final plan for food and aid distribution in the region amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.

More: 'Every ounce of food': Trump presses Israel on starvation in Gaza; 'children look very hungry'

Witkoff and Huckabee spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the morning of July 31 about delivering food and aid to the area, Leavitt said.

"It's terrible what's occurring there. It's a terrible thing. People are very hungry," Trump told reporters. "You know, the United States gave $60 million for food and it's a shame, because I don't see the results of it. And we gave it to people that in theory are watching over it fairly closely. We wanted Israel to watch over it."

More: One meal a day. $20 for an egg. Choosing which kid gets fed. Starvation stalks Gaza

More: Gaza death toll hits 60,000 as global monitor demands action to avert famine

An alert issued this week by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification raised the prospect of a famine unfolding in Gaza. The United Nations' World Food Programme said a third of Gaza's population does not eat for several days at a time and that one in four Gazans are "enduring famine-like conditions." The Hamas-run health ministry, the chief source of health data in Gaza, said more than 100 people have died from malnutrition in recent days.

Trump broke with Netanyahu earlier this week by saying he disagrees with the Israeli prime minister's claim that no starvation is taking place among the people of Gaza, and he urged Israel to let more food into the enclave.

Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (L) speaks as US President Donald Trump looks on during a swearing in ceremony for interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 28, 2025.

As images of emaciated children in Gaza have alarmed the world, Netanyahu denied Israel is conducting a starvation campaign, calling such accusations a "bold-faced lie" and even rejecting that starvation is occurring.

Trump also said July 31 that Witkoff will later travel to Russia ahead of a new 10-day deadline the president set for the country to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face U.S. tariffs and other penalties. "Going to Israel, and then he's going to Russia, believe it or not," Trump said.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump sends Witkoff, Huckabee to Gaza amid hunger crisis

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Trump officials headed to Gaza to inspect food distribution centers amid hunger crisis

- Trump officials headed to Gaza to inspect food distribution centers amid hunger crisis Joe...

Paris Jackson and Fiancé Justin Long End Engagement as Star Says She Cried 'Breakup Tears'

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Paris Jackson and Fiancé Justin Long End Engagement as Star Says She Cried 'Breakup Tears'

Rachel DeSantis, Elizabeth LeonardAugust 1, 2025 at 1:15 AM

Rob Kim/Getty

Justin Long and Paris Jackson attend the "One Spoon Of Chocolate" premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater on June 08, 2025, in New York City.

Paris Jackson and her fiancé Justin Long have ended their engagement

She shared the news in a post shared to X on July 31, writing she'd been crying "breakup tears"

The former couple announced their engagement in December

Paris Jackson and her fiancé Justin Long have called it quits.

The singer-songwriter, 27, and her music producer beau have broken off their engagement, PEOPLE confirms.

Jackson shared the split news in a post shared to X on Thursday, July 31, in which she said that she was crying "breakup tears" in emotional photos published by the Daily Mail earlier this month.

The "Hit Your Knees" singer — who has spent the summer on tour with Incubus — announced her engagement to Long in December, writing in an Instagram post that she "couldn't dream of anyone more perfect" for her.

Aeon/GC Images

Paris Jackson and Justin Long seen on Lower East Side on June 08, 2025 in New York City.

"Doing life with you these last years has been an indescribable whirlwind," she wrote in the post, which has since been deleted. "Thank you for letting me be yours. I love you."

In June, Jackson told Access Hollywood that she was in wedding planning mode.

"The dress is being made, the venue has been picked and the date has been picked by an astrologer, because I'm from L.A.," she said. "I'm all about the crystals and the astrologer, and all that stuff."

That same month, Long joined her on the red carpet for the Tribeca Festival premiere of her film One Spoon of Chocolate.

Jackson, the daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, previously spoke about marriage in a 2021 episode of Red Table Talk.

"I'm not against marriage and if I love someone, sure, but right now my main thing is my spirituality and my music," she told Willow Smith, adding that it's a "maybe" when it comes to having children in the future.

She also revealed on the Unfiltered: Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn Facebook Watch series that she's "dated more women than men" in her life.

"I thought I'd end up marrying a chick," she said. "I say I'm gay because I guess I am, but I wouldn't consider myself bisexual because I've dated more than just men and women, I've dated a man that had a vagina… It has nothing to do with what's in your pants, it's literally like, what are you like as a person?"

https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf

Jackson, who celebrated five years of sobriety from alcohol and heroin addiction in January, released her debut album Wilted in 2020. She's since released a number of EPs and singles.

On July 18, she celebrated her time on the road with Incubus, writing on Instagram, "It's been a hell of a summer so far."

on People

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Paris Jackson and Fiancé Justin Long End Engagement as Star Says She Cried 'Breakup Tears'

- Paris Jackson and Fiancé Justin Long End Engagement as Star Says She Cried 'Breakup Tears' ...

Poll: Nearly 70% of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — think the government is hiding something about Jeffrey Epstein

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Poll: Nearly 70% of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — think the government is hiding something about Jeffrey Epstein

Andrew RomanoJuly 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM

Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, Mass., on Sept. 8, 2004. (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)

Bipartisanship is rare in U.S. politics these days. But according to a new Yahoo/YouGov poll, there's now at least one thing that more than two-thirds of Americans seem to agree on: that the government is "hiding" information about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The survey of 1,729 U.S. adults, which was conducted from July 24 to 28, shows that a clear consensus has formed across party lines about how the government has handled the questions surrounding Epstein's life and death.

When respondents are told that President Trump's Justice Department has "concluded that Epstein did not have a 'client list' of famous associates who engaged in wrongdoing with him," 69% of them still say the government is "hiding information about Epstein's client list." That group includes a majority of Republicans (55%).

Just 8% of Americans, meanwhile, say the government isn't concealing information about a client list.

About a quarter of U.S. adults (23%) believe the Justice Department's conclusion that Epstein died by suicide after hanging himself in jail. The rest think Epstein was murdered (47%) or say they're not sure what happened (30%). Nearly as many Republicans (42%) as Democrats (51%) believe Epstein was killed.

As a result, nearly seven in 10 Americans (67%) say the government is hiding information about Epstein's death. Again, that group includes a majority of Republicans (52%).

What do people think is going on?

About half of Americans (48%) — including 81% of Democrats and 53% of independents — think the government is hiding information about Epstein's client list "because it would implicate Trump."

Even among Republicans, 13% say the same and 16% say they're unsure.

The new Yahoo/YouGov poll comes amid ongoing right-wing backlash over how the administration has handled its investigation into Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for allegedly paying dozens of teenage girls, some as young as 14, to perform sex acts.

The disgraced financier has long been the focus of conspiracy theories that claim he was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret "client list." During the 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on Epstein. Then, after returning to the White House, he directed the Justice Department to conduct an exhaustive review of any evidence it had collected.

Earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI released a two-page joint memo concluding that Epstein had "committed suicide in his cell" and compiled no such "client list" — echoing previous findings by the Biden administration. The move enraged some Trump loyalists, who accused the president and his administration of breaking their promise to release all of the Epstein files. It also put the spotlight back on Trump's own relationship with Epstein.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Scotland, Trump said he never visited Epstein's notorious private island, even when given the chance.

"I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn him down," Trump said. "But a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island. In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn't want to go to his island."

Low marks for the administration's approach

For the president, the Epstein controversy now seems to be creating a credibility gap with the public — including some of his own supporters.

Just 21% of Americans approve of the way the president is handling the investigation, his lowest rating this year on any individual issue; nearly three times as many (61%) disapprove. Meanwhile, 44% of Republicans — roughly half the number who applaud his approach to immigration — approve of how Trump has dealt with the investigation.

A majority of Americans (55%) say the president has "not gone far enough" in his efforts to "get to the bottom" of the Epstein case; combined, less than a quarter say that his approach has been about right (16%) or that it has gone too far (7%). A third of Republicans (33%) say Trump has not gone far enough.

Attorney General Pam Bondi — the face of the administration's Epstein efforts — is now deeply unpopular: 26% of Americans say they have a favorable opinion of her.

And while confidence in the Justice Department wasn't high the last time Yahoo and YouGov asked about it, in August 2022 — back then, 44% said they had "a lot" of confidence or "some" confidence in the DOJ; 56% said they had "a little" or "none" — today those numbers are even worse: 39% and 61%, respectively.

Why the Epstein story has broken through

The new Yahoo/YouGov poll suggests three potential explanations.

First, ubiquity: Nearly all respondents (91%) have heard either a lot (50%) or a little (41%) about the story. That's the fourth highest "heard a lot" score recorded in any Yahoo/YouGov poll since 2020; only the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 (70%), Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards that same year (66%) and Trump getting indicted in 2023 (57%) have topped it. Meanwhile, a full 84% of Americans say they think Epstein was guilty — including 91% of Democrats, 90% of independents and 77% of Republicans.

Second, Epstein's bipartisan circle. In the poll, respondents were reminded that Epstein "had a wide circle of influential friends and acquaintances, including former President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump." Then they were asked if either president "engaged in crimes" with the financier — and nearly half of Americans said yes for Clinton (47%) and Trump (48%). In contrast, the share who said the two presidents did not engage in crimes with Epstein —12% for Clinton, 26% for Trump — was much lower. Conspiracy theories may be more attractive when they have the power to hurt the other side as well.

Third, conspiracy theories in general seem to have become more mainstream recently. For example, a majority of Democrats (51%) believe "many top politicians are involved in child sex-trafficking rings." A majority of Republicans (51%) believe that "regardless of who is officially in charge of the government and other organizations, there is a single group of people who secretly control events and rule the world together." A majority of Democrats (57%) believe "the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pa. was staged in order to help him win the 2024 election." A majority of Republicans (58%) believe "Trump's would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, didn't act alone." And a majority of Republicans (63%) also believe that former President Barack Obama "committed treason to try to sabotage Donald Trump in the 2016 election" — as Trump has been claiming lately, without proof.

What's next?

Americans are clear about what they want: More than eight in 10 (84%) say they would approve of the government "releasing all of the information it has on Jeffrey Epstein." Just 5% would disapprove.

Conversely, more than two-thirds of Americans (69%) disapprove of the decision last week by Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to send "the U.S. House of Representatives home early for the summer to avoid having to vote on releasing the Epstein files." Only 10% approve.

Previously, Johnson had said that Congress "should put everything out there and let the people decide it."

With Dylan Stableford

__________________

The Yahoo survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,729 U.S. adults interviewed online from July 24 to 28, 2025. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 election turnout and presidential vote, party identification and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Party identification is weighted to the estimated distribution at the time of the election (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). Respondents were selected from YouGov's opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S. adults. The margin of error is approximately 3.1%.

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Poll: Nearly 70% of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — think the government is hiding something about Jeffrey Epstein

- Poll: Nearly 70% of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — think the government is hiding something abou...

Microsoft briefly becomes the second company to hit $4 trillion in market value

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Microsoft briefly becomes the second company to hit $4 trillion in market value

Steve KopackJuly 31, 2025 at 11:02 PM

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. (Mark Kauzlarich / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

Shares of tech giants Meta and Microsoft were soaring Thursday, with the two companies adding a combined $400 billion to their market values.

The two companies together are worth more than JPMorgan Chase, America's largest bank, or Walmart, the country's largest retailer, more than seven times over.

For Microsoft, its value briefly crossed $4 trillion, making it only the second company ever to reach that milestone after Nvidia. The company's market value retreated slightly to $3.97 trillion at the close of trading for the day.

Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, is now on the verge of crossing $2 trillion. Meta shares closed 11.25% higher with Microsoft shares up about 5%.

The soaring stock prices come on the heels of better-than-expected financial results, fueled in part by the artificial intelligence revolution. Meta and Microsoft have each added $200 billion to their market value since Wednesday's close.

Microsoft reported that in the last three months revenue rose 18% to $76 billion, and said it plans to spend more than $30 billion in just the next three months, the majority of which will likely go to the continued expansion of its cloud services to support booming AI usage.

Meta said its revenue surged 22% to almost $50 billion. The number of people who use Meta's services on a daily basis is now almost 3.5 billion, the company said in a statement. Meta said its total expenses for 2025 will be between $114 billion and $118 billion, much of that likely going to investing in AI and its fleet of data centers around the world to power it all.

Investors will be closely watching another major artificial intelligence player on Thursday afternoon, when Amazon reports its earnings. Amazon's value currently sits just below $2.5 trillion and its stock was higher by around 2% on hopes that it too will see blockbuster results.

So far this year, shares of Nvidia have soared 30% and Microsoft's have risen 27%. Meta is also riding the AI wave higher, with its stock seeing a gain of 32% this year.

By contrast, Apple, which was the first company to ever hit $1 trillion, $2 trillion and $3 trillion, has been sinking this year. The iPhone maker's shares are down 18% as investors and analysts worry that its AI ambitions may be falling short of others such as OpenAI and Microsoft, even though the company often takes a wait-and-see approach to new technologies.

Shares of Alphabet, another trillion-dollar tech giant trying to compete in the AI space, are up only 1.5% for the year. The company has the third-largest cloud service, behind Amazon and Microsoft, and has faced concerns that use of its Google search engine could be declining due to the rise of chatbots like ChatGPT.

In May, an Apple executive testifying in Google's antitrust trial said traditional searches in Apple's Safari browser dropped for the first time ever in April. Google said it continues "to see overall query growth in Search."

At the end of 2023, the total market value of all publicly traded companies in the European Union was about $12.5 trillion. Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft's values are currently just short of that, at $11.4 trillion.

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Microsoft briefly becomes the second company to hit $4 trillion in market value

- Microsoft briefly becomes the second company to hit $4 trillion in market value Steve Kopa...

Carlos Correa is reuniting with the Astros after a trade from the dismantled Twins

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Carlos Correa is reuniting with the Astros after a trade from the dismantled Twins

KRISTIE RIEKEN July 31, 2025 at 9:24 PM

1 / 3Twins Rockies BaseballMinnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa warms up before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa is back with the Houston Astros, reuniting one of the franchise's most iconic players with the city where he became a star.

While Astros fans are more than familiar with Correa, the man behind the blockbuster trade hasn't met him yet.

"I've only known him as an opponent… and I'm just dying to meet this guy," general manager Dana Brown said Thursday. "I've heard so many great things about him and I've seen his actions on the field. He brings it every day."

Correa was dealt to the to the Astros from the dismantled Minnesota Twins ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, injecting a much-needed boost into their infield.

"This is a big move for the team, for the city, for where we're going in the future," Brown said. "We feel like ... he's just going to bring a lot, not only as a player but as a human being — his leadership skills and the energy that he's going to bring to this club. So I'm fired up."

Correa spent his first seven years in Houston, where he became one of the most beloved players in franchise history, helping the team to six playoff appearances, three American League pennants and its first World Series title in 2017 — a championship tainted by a sign-stealing scandal. The top pick in the 2012 amateur draft and 2015 AL Rookie of the Year was part of the homegrown core that helped the Astros go from the league's laughingstock to perennial contenders.

The Twins got minor-league pitcher Matt Mikulski in return for Correa. They will also pay $33 million of the $103,419,355 remaining on his contract.

"We feel like Correa is bringing value and with that we felt like we were going to be aggressive with it," Brown said. "And so we felt like this guy is affordable and so we went all in."

The 26-year-old Mikulski, who was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft by the San Francisco Giants, was promoted earlier this season to Houston's High-A affiliate in Asheville. He has 245 strikeouts in 225 2/3 minor league innings.

Also on Thursday, the Astros acquired outfielder Jesús Sánchez from the Marlins in exchange for right-hander Ryan Gusto, minor league infielder Chase Jaworsky and minor league outfielder Esmil Valencia.

The left-handed Sánchez gives a boost to a lineup that has the fewest at-bats from the left side of the plate in MLB this season with slugger Yordan Alvarez out since early May with a fractured hand.

Brown said they pursued pitching but that the focus was improving their slumping offense since injured starters Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier and Luis García are all close to returning.

"The asking prices for the arms seem to be pretty high," Brown said. "And knowing that we had some arms coming back, we stuck with the bats and these bats, we feel like are going to make a pretty good impact on our offense, help us score some runs and win some games."

Correa, who waived his no-trade clause, has exclusively played shortstop in his 11-year major league career, but Brown said he'll move to third base for the AL West leaders with shortstop Jeremy Peña close to returning from the injured list. The Astros need help at third with All-Star Isaac Paredes out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

"This guy is a warrior," Brown said when asked about the position change. "He's a team-first guy and we had no doubts knowing the human being and the makeup that he would make that adjustment."

Charismatic and an unquestioned leader in the clubhouse, Correa could help galvanize a team that has managed to remain atop the division standings despite dealing with multiple injuries to both its lineup and pitching staff.

Correa reunites with second baseman Jose Altuve, who is the Astros' longest-tenured player and one of his closest friends on the team. When asked about the possibility of Correa returning to Houston on Wednesday, Altuve raved about him before saying: "So I think — if anything (were) to happen, I hope it's the best for him and for us."

The 30-year-old Correa was named to two of his three All-Star Games while with the Astros and won a Gold Glove Award in 2021. He seemed to embrace the villain role when Houston became the league's most hated team after it was revealed the Astros illegally stole signs in their run to the 2017 title and during the 2018 season.

He left when he became a free agent before the 2022 season when the Astros wouldn't pay him what he believed he was worth, signing a three-year deal worth just over $105 million. Correa opted out of that contract after one year but re-signed with the Twins on a six-year, $200 million deal.

While Correa's defense at shortstop has been impeccable and his leadership in the clubhouse strong, the investment for the Twins simply hasn't panned out. He played the 2023 season through plantar fasciitis in his left foot, batting just .230 with 131 strikeouts in 135 games and a pedestrian .711 OPS.

While the Twins made what was ultimately a cost-cutting move, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said the genesis for the trade came from the Astros and not from a mandate to further slash the payroll.

"Carlos was never sitting there saying anything about demanding a trade or wanting to do something else. If it was right for the Twins and it was right for him, he was open to the conversation," Falvey said.

He shined in the playoffs, helping the Twins end a record 18-game postseason losing streak and win a series for the first time in 21 years, and was enjoying an All-Star season in 2024 before plantar fasciitis popped up again — this time in his right foot. He had to withdraw from the All-Star Game and didn't return until mid-September, after the Twins were already mired in a sharp swoon that pushed them out of playoff contention.

Correa has been much healthier this year, but not as productive. His .905 OPS in 2024 has fallen to .704 this year, with seven home runs in 93 games.

The contract he signed 2 1/2 years ago now constitutes a much larger percentage of the team's payroll. The Twins have also seen a sharp decline in regional television revenue in light of the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, which prompted a spending reduction by ownership. The Pohlad family has since put the club up for sale.

The Twins will pay what they owe Correa in installments due each Dec. 15: $3 million in 2025 and $10 million each in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Correa is owed $11,419,355 of his $36 million salary this year, $31.5 million next season, $30.5 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028.

Correa's contract also includes vesting options for the 2029-2032 seasons.

___

AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell and AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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Carlos Correa is reuniting with the Astros after a trade from the dismantled Twins

- Carlos Correa is reuniting with the Astros after a trade from the dismantled Twins KRISTIE...

Federal court denies Boston bomber's request for new judge to oversee death sentence appeal

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Federal court denies Boston bomber's request for new judge to oversee death sentence appeal

LEAH WILLINGHAM July 31, 2025 at 10:23 PM

1 / 2Boston Bomber AppealFILE - This photo released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 19, 2013, shows Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man convicted of carrying out the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing attack. (FBI via AP, File)

BOSTON (AP) — A federal court on Thursday denied a request by attorneys for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to remove the judge overseeing the protracted legal battle over his death sentence.

The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the argument made by Tsarnaev's lawyers that U.S. District Court Judge George O'Toole should be recused from the case because, the lawyers contend, he is not impartial. During an August 2024 hearing, Tsarnaev's attorneys pointed to what they said were comments O'Toole made about the case on podcasts and at public events during the appeals process.

In a two-page judgment released Thursday, appeals court judges ruled that O'Toole should continue to preside over the case, determining that "two panel discussions and a podcast in which Judge O'Toole discussed various aspects of organizing complex jury trials and the problems associated with social media in that context" did not constitute grounds for his removal.

One of O'Toole's attorneys, David E. Patton, didn't immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

A federal appeals court in March 2024 ordered O'Toole to investigate claims of juror bias by the defense and to determine whether Tsarnaev's death sentence should stand. He was convicted of helping carry out the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds of others near the marathon's finish line.

It's unclear when O'Toole might rule on the juror bias issue. If he finds that jurors should have been disqualified, he should vacate Tsarnaev's sentence and hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine if Tsarnaev should be sentenced to death, the appeals court said.

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence given to Tsarnaev after the 1st Circuit threw out the sentence in 2020. The circuit court found then that the trial judge did not sufficiently question jurors about their exposure to the extensive news coverage of the bombing.

The 1st Circuit took another look at the case after Tsarnaev's lawyers urged it to examine issues the Supreme Court didn't consider. Among them was whether the trial judge wrongly forced the trial to be held in Boston and wrongly denied defense challenges to the seating of two jurors who they claim lied during questioning.

Tsarnaev's guilt in the deaths of those killed in the bombing was not at issue in the appeal. His lawyers have argued that Tsarnaev fell under the influence of his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a gun battle with police days after the bombing.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted of all 30 charges against him. Prosecutors portrayed the brothers — ethnic Chechens who moved to the United States from Russia more than a decade ago — as full partners in a brutal and coldblooded plan to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries.

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Federal court denies Boston bomber's request for new judge to oversee death sentence appeal

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'Make it work mentality' culture at DC airport questioned after fatal crash

-

'Make it work mentality' culture at DC airport questioned after fatal crash

Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAYJuly 31, 2025 at 9:13 PM

Air traffic control employees at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) are often forced to "make it work" with limited resources, Federal Aviation Administration officials said during the second day of the National Transportation Safety Board's hearing into a fatal January crash.

Sixty-seven people died after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet on January 29 over the Potomac River close to Washington. It was the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in decades.

The NTSB launched a probe into the tragedy, which includes a three-day investigative hearing taking place this week. Here are some major takeaways.

Takeaway #1: The FAA allegedly knew of ongoing risks at DCA

Preliminary investigative results released shortly after the accident showed the FAA was aware of ongoing risks at the airport, particularly with military aircraft, but did not take action before the crash, the NTSB alleged.

Other issues with DCA included airspace congestion and a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Following the tragedy, the FAA restricted the use of military helicopters along Route 1, a helicopter route on the Potomac River that passed in front of DCA's runway 33.

Wednesday and Thursday's portions of the hearing partly focused on the roles the Army and FAA played on the night of the crash, with NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy telling FAA officials the agency did not act on warnings from air traffic control staff who had previously suggested flight path changes to avoid collision threats.

"Every sign was there that there was a safety risk, and the tower was telling you," said the chairwoman.

In a statement posted to X, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, who has been a leader in the investigation into the incident, said: "The NTSB hearing revealed the conflicts on the DCA helicopter routes were so clear that an air traffic control working group suggested changing them.

"What caused the FAA's oversight to be so flawed that they couldn't fix this problem before this tragedy occurred?"

Is flying still safe?: Yes. Here's what travelers should know.

Takeaway #2: The 'make it work mentality'

NTSB investigator Brian Soper asked air traffic control officials whether a "make it work mentality has been normalized at DCA airport."

National Airport Operations Manager Clark Allen said he believed it had.

"There's limited real estate for the airport and where to put aircraft, and that can back up very easily," Allen testified. "So, being a high-volume, high-complexity airport, with not a lot of real estate, you have to keep things moving in order to provide a safe and efficient service."

Bryan Lehman, an FAA front-line manager, said his tower is currently dealing with many of the issues DCA has and is performing "non-standard air traffic maneuvers" on a daily basis.

"We take pride in it," said Lehman, adding, "But I will say that at a certain point, it's too much."

Investigators also pressed officials on staffing turnover. Allen said Wednesday that the DCA control tower has had approximately 10 air traffic wardens since early 2013.

"Air traffic managers are responsible for considering any sort of changes to routes, any sort of changes, amendments, evaluation of routes annually," Homendy responded. "You've had 10 air traffic managers in a pretty small amount of time. You've had five in the past five years, three in the past two years. How are they supposed to know to do that if you keep switching air traffic managers?"

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) seal is seen during the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Midair Collision Investigative Hearing on July 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.Victims' families respond

Many of the victims of the plane crash were children and their parents returning from a figure skating competition in Wichita, Kansas.

Speaking to ABC affiliate WJLA, Aisha Duggins, whose sister Kiah Duggins died in the crash, said the hearing "brings me hope that we're having these conversations," even though some of the results of the investigation are "deeply unsurprising."

Contributing: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FAA, Army grilled on Potomac plane crash in investigative hearing

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'Make it work mentality' culture at DC airport questioned after fatal crash

- 'Make it work mentality' culture at DC airport questioned after fatal crash Michel...

Survivor of clergy sex abuse in Peru visits pope's hometown to call for more reforms

-

Survivor of clergy sex abuse in Peru visits pope's hometown to call for more reforms

SOPHIA TAREEN July 31, 2025 at 10:55 PM

FILE - A crucifix is silhouetted against a stained glass window inside a Catholic Church in New Orleans, Dec. 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) ()

CHICAGO (AP) — A Peruvian survivor of clergy sex abuse brought her public campaign for reforms to the American hometown of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, saying he failed in investigating her case when he was a bishop in her home country and needs to step up now as leader of the world's Catholics.

"I've been quiet since the pope has been elected," Ana María Quispe Díaz said in Spanish at a news conference in downtown Chicago. "But I'm not planning to be quiet forever."

She appeared with members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. The advocacy group sent a letter to the pope on Thursday renewing demands for more accountability on clergy sex abuse complaints and released documents related to Díaz's case.

The doesn't name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to being identified or decide to tell their stories publicly, as Díaz has. She began speaking out on social media in 2023, and has faced threats and harassment in Peru because of it, SNAP officials said.

Ahead of Leo's May election, SNAP filed a formal complaint against then-Cardinal Robert Prevost with the Vatican secretary of state, alleging he abused ecclesiastical power in his handling of two cases.

Díaz said she is a victim in one of those cases which overlapped with Prevost's tenure as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. According to the complaint filed in March by SNAP, Prevost's diocese didn't fully investigate in April 2022 when three women accused priests Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles and Ricardo Yesquén of sexually abusing them as minors.

Díaz said Thursday that she had spoken briefly with Prevost on the phone in 2020, telling him how she was abused by Vásquez Gonzáles, but wasn't given assurances that much could be done. All three women spoke with Prevost in person in 2022 about both priests, according to Díaz.

"How much more damage can he do now that he is the pope?" she asked, speaking through a translator.

Following a protocol set by Pope Francis

But Prevost did everything he was supposed to do, according to the Chiclayo diocese and Vatican, including restricting the priest's ministry, sending a preliminary investigation to the Vatican's sex crimes office, offering the victims psychological help and suggesting they go to authorities, who archived the case because it happened too long ago.

Pope Francis had a mixed record on responding to the clergy sexual abuse crisis, bungling a major case in Chile in 2018 before reversing course, ordering an investigation and apologizing to the victims. Ultimately, it became a turning point for how he directed the church to handle cases of priests sexually abusing children for the rest of his papacy.

In these cases, the Vatican investigation found Prevost acted correctly in imposing preliminary restrictions on Vásquez Gonzáles while Peruvian authorities conducted their own civil investigation. The Vatican office archived the case for lack of evidence, then reopened it in 2023 after it gained traction in the media.

Victims' groups are demanding an accounting from Leo. Meanwhile, his supporters say the Chiclayo case is being exploited by his opponents to undermine him after he made enemies by helping shut down Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a scandal-plagued lay Catholic community in Peru.

No one has accused Leo of abuse himself, nor of knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry, which has been the biggest issue affecting the Catholic Church recently.

SNAP wants this accused priest removed ASAP

SNAP has asked for accused priests to be removed, which Díaz has sought as well.

The organization provided copies of letters sent in July between Peruvian church officials and Díaz. In them, Peruvian church officials say Vásquez Gonzáles requested earlier this year "to be dispensed from the obligations arising from his ordination as a priest and to leave the clerical state."

The process would take at least six months to complete, according to the letters. Díaz said that's too long.

Fidel Purisaca, director of communications for the Diocese of Chiclayo, neither confirmed nor denied Vásquez Gonzáles' request. "That is a confidential matter between the priest, the bishop, and the Vatican Dicastery," he told The in a WhatsApp message.

The diocese said Yesquén was too sick to continue his ministry, and neither priest has commented publicly on the accusations.

While in Chicago, Díaz did interviews with Spanish language media and for podcasts. She also appeared at SNAP's annual conference in Pennsylvania last week.

Now 29 and a mother of two young children, Díaz said she still isn't always ready to talk about it. But she said something changed when her daughter turned 1.

"Everything came back to me about the abuse," she said, wiping tears at times. "I couldn't leave her alone. Since then it's been a real fight for me to be able to leave them alone."

___

writer Nicole Winfield in Rome and Franklin Briceño in Lima, Peru, contributed to this report.

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Survivor of clergy sex abuse in Peru visits pope's hometown to call for more reforms

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'Maybe Happy Ending' Star Helen J. Shen Responds to Andrew Barth Feldman Casting Controversy

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'Maybe Happy Ending' Star Helen J. Shen Responds to Andrew Barth Feldman Casting Controversy

Rebecca RubinJuly 31, 2025 at 11:42 PM

Helen J. Shen, the star of Broadway's "Maybe Happy Ending," is defending the show's recent decision to recast the lead male role with a white actor.

Producers announced last week that Andrew Barth Feldman, a white actor, would replace Darren Criss, who is of Filipino descent, as the helperbot known as Oliver. Critics of the casting choice have argued that Oliver should continue to be portrayed by a member of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community given the musical's Seoul setting.

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Criss, who originated the role on Broadway and won a Tony for his performance, announced he is leaving the show on Aug. 31. Feldman ("Dear Evan Hansen," "No Hard Feelings") is scheduled to join "Maybe Happy Ending" on Sept. 2 for nine weeks alongside Shen, who originated the role of Claire on Broadway. Feldman and Shen are dating in real life.

"I've been struggling to hold multiple truths within me that seem to contradict. I have and continue to be extremely proud to look the way I do and to co-lead this Broadway show. I know the hurt that people feel because growing up, I would have found a beacon of hope in seeing our show on TV on the Tony Awards. A part of me is mourning that along with the community," Shen said in a statement. "This has been an immensely challenging moment within my home with Andrew, and in this building filled with A/PI folks to say the least. I don't know what's forward, but to have this opportunity to play opposite my favorite actor in the world for 9 weeks, who happens to be PERFECT for the role is a huge moment of joy for me."

"Maybe Happy Ending," a love story about two abandoned robots, opened on Broadway last fall and initially struggled to sell tickets until word-of-mouth and rave reviews changed the show's trajectory. It won six Tony Awards, including the top prize for best musical. Meanwhile Criss cemented history as the first actor or Asian American descent to nab the best lead actor in a musical prize.

"Every perspective on this situation contains truth. I am excited to champion more A/PI works, the way the community has championed 'Maybe Happy Ending,'" Shen's statement continued. "I'm also excited to see work that has a completely different take than 'Maybe Happy Ending,' that can contradict itself, that can be many things, proving that diaspora is a tapestry, and not a monolith."

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A post shared by helen j shen ｜沈雨田 (@helenjshen)

"Maybe Happy Ending" authors Hue Park and Will Aronson responded to the controversy in a separate statement, saying they were "extremely saddened that the show, a decade-long labor of love for us, could ever become a source of confusion, anger or pain."

"We wrote a show about robots so we could engage more intimately with the most basic human questions of love and loss, creating the roles of Oliver and Claire to be avatars of these universal questions," they wrote on Instagram. "They were meant to be products created by a global company, and so never bore Korean names, even in the Korean version of the show. At the same time, we understand that for many in the AAPI community, the makeup of our opening night cast became a meaningful and rare point of visibility. We've heard how strongly people connected to that representation, even if it wasn't our original intent, and how this casting decision has re-opened old wounds."

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They acknowledge that leading roles for Asian performers have "long been painfully scarce" but expressed optimism about recent color-blind casting in "Dear Evan Hansen," "Hadestown," "Oh, Mary!" and "Cabaret."

"Over the last several years, we have been heartened to see Asian performers playing Evan Hansen, Orpheus, Abe Lincoln, Sally Bowles, and others. Leading roles for Asian performers have long been painfully scarce, and these shows excitingly made gestures toward universality with expansive casting, and rightly gave opportunities to actors from identity categories who previously had few options," they continued. "With 'Maybe Happy Ending,' we wanted to write a show in which every role could be played by an Asian performer, but without the intention that the robot roles always would be."

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Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites

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Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites

Kathryn Watson July 31, 2025 at 9:03 PM

Jehad Alshrafi / AP

Washington — U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are heading to Gaza on Friday to survey food and aid distribution sites and meet with people living there, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Their visit is prompted by a dire humanitarian crisis, as children and adults in Gaza are struggling to survive off insufficient food and the death toll for people trying to get aid in Gaza mounts. President Trump said earlier this week that the U.S. and Israel will partner to run new food centers in the region, but he said Israel would preside over the centers to "make sure the distribution is proper."

Leavitt said Witkoff and Huckabee have been in Israel meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders about the situation in Gaza. Netanyahu has said, incorrectly, that there is "no starvation" in Gaza, despite emerging photos of emaciated children and repeated warnings from food security experts.

"President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart," Leavitt said during Thursday's White House press briefing. "And that's why he sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis. Tomorrow, special envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza to inspect to the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food, and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground. The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region."

Leavitt said the administration will provide more details once the president approves a plan. She also said the meetings Witkoff and Huckabee have had with Netanyahu and other leaders have been productive.

Mr. Trump earlier this week contradicted Netanyahu's assessment denying grave hunger in Gaza. The U.S. president said the children in Gaza "look very hungry."

"There is real starvation in Gaza — you can't fake that," he told reporters.

Also at issue is the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private food distribution organization that has faced heavy criticism for its food delivery methods and the number of people who have been killed trying to reach its distribution sites in Gaza.

The U.S. and Israel have both supported the relatively new GHF to deliver aid in Gaza over the United Nations. A group of Democratic senators, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, is urging the Trump administration to "immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need," the senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

A senior U.S. official told CBS News on Wednesday that the U.S. has committed $30 million for aid in Gaza and those funds would be distributed "in the next day or so."

"The United States of America supports GHF, but we would support any other mechanism that delivers food and the other needs of the Gazan people in a safe, secure fashion that does not get manipulated or distorted or taken advantage of by Hamas, the official said, adding, "I'd like to think that some of the NGOs that are not succeeding right now would turn to GHF and say, let's work together for the sake of the Gazans in Gaza."

Watch: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green gives update on tsunami warning

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Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites

- Witkoff and Huckabee will visit Gaza to survey aid distribution sites Kathryn Watson July ...

David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline deal

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David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline deal

Steve Gardner and Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY July 31, 2025 at 8:55 PM

Scratch another closer's name of the list of available options as the MLB trade deadline approaches.

The New York Yankees are on the verge of acquiring right-hander David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't yet official.

The acquisition willl the Yanks much-needed bullpen depth to go with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver for the stretch run.

Bednar, 30, spent the first two seasons as a major leaguer with the San Diego Padres before coming to the Pirates in 2021 in a three-way trade involving the New York Mets. He has developed into a reliable closer – earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the National League in saves in 2023 with 39.

He has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2026.

David Bednar trade details

The Yankees acquire reliever David Bednar from the Pirates, pending a medical review.

Yankees catching prospect Rafael Flores, C/1B Edgleen Perez and OF Brian Sanchez go to the Pirates in the deal.

David Bednar stats

This season, Bednar has converted all 17 of his save opportunities with a 2.37 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 38 innings. He also has struck out 12.1 batters per nine innings.

David Bednar contract

David Bednar is earing $5.9 million this season and is under team control through 2026.

This story has been to include new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: David Bednar trade details: Yankees get top closer in Pirates swap

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David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline deal

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Why not enough food is reaching people in Gaza even after Israel eased its blockade

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Why not enough food is reaching people in Gaza even after Israel eased its blockade

SAM MEDNICKJuly 31, 2025 at 9:51 PM

1 / 5Mideast Wars Gaza Aid ExplainerPalestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped in central Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths have pressured Israel to let more aid into the Gaza Strip. This week, Israel paused fighting in parts of Gaza and airdropped food.

But aid groups and Palestinians say the changes have only been incremental and are not enough to reverse what food experts say is a " worst-case scenario of famine" unfolding in the war-ravaged territory.

The new measures have brought an uptick in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. But almost none of it reaches U.N. warehouses for distribution.

Instead, nearly all the trucks are stripped of their cargo by crowds that overwhelm them on the roads as they drive from the borders. The crowds are a mix of Palestinians desperate for food and gangs armed with knives, axes or pistols who loot the goods to then hoard or sell.

Many have also been killed trying to grab the aid. Witnesses say Israeli troops often open fire on crowds around the aid trucks, and hospitals have reported hundreds killed or wounded. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots to control crowds or at people who approach its forces. The alternative food distribution system run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has also been marred by violence.

International airdrops of aid have resumed. But aid groups say airdrops deliver only a fraction of what trucks can supply. Also, many parcels have landed in now-inaccessible areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate, while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour.

Here's a look at why the aid isn't being distributed:

A lack of trust

The U.N. says that longstanding restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment, and that while a pause in fighting might allow more aid in, Palestinians are not confident aid will reach them.

"This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people as they continue to face deep levels of hunger and are struggling to feed their families," said Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.

"The only way to reach a level of confidence is by having a sustained flow of aid over a period of time," she said.

Israel blocked food entirely from entering Gaza for 2 ½ months starting in March. Since it eased the blockade in late May, it allowed in a trickle of aid trucks for the U.N., about 70 a day on average, according to official Israeli figures. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that U.N. agencies say are needed — the amount that entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year.

Much of the aid is stacked up just inside the border in Gaza because U.N. trucks could not pick it up. The U.N says that was because of Israeli military restrictions on its movements and because of the lawlessness in Gaza.

Israel has argued that it is allowing sufficient quantities of goods into Gaza and tried to shift the blame to the U.N. "More consistent collection and distribution by U.N. agencies and international organizations = more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza," the Israeli military agency in charge of aid coordination, COGAT, said in a statement this week.

With the new measures this week, COGAT, says 220-270 truckloads a day were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, and that the U.N. was able to pick up more trucks, reducing some of the backlog at the border.

Aid missions still face 'constraints'

Cherevko said there have been "minor improvements" in approvals by the Israeli military for its movements and some "reduced waiting times" for trucks along the road.

But she said the aid missions are "still facing constraints." Delays of military approval still mean trucks remain idle for long periods, and the military still restricts the routes that the trucks can take onto a single road, which makes it easy for people to know where the trucks are going, U.N officials say.

Antoine Renard, who directs the World Food Program's operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, said Wednesday that it took nearly 12 hours to bring in 52 trucks on a 10-kilometer (6 mile) route.

"While we're doing everything that we can to actually respond to the current wave of starvation in Gaza, the conditions that we have are not sufficient to actually make sure that we can break that wave," he said.

Aid workers say the changes Israel has made in recent days are largely cosmetic. "These are theatrics, token gestures dressed up as progress," said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead for Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"Of course, a handful of trucks, a few hours of tactical pauses and raining energy bars from the sky is not going to fix irreversible harm done to an entire generation of children that have been starved and malnourished for months now," she said.

Breakdown of law and order

As desperation mounts, Palestinians are risking their lives to get food, and violence is increasing, say aid workers.

Muhammad Shehada, a political analyst from Gaza who is a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said aid retrieval has turned into the survival of the fittest. "It's a Darwin dystopia, the strongest survive," he said.

A truck driver said Wednesday that he has driven food supplies four times from the Zikim crossing on Gaza's northern border. Every time, he said, crowds a kilometer long (0.6 miles) surrounded his truck and took everything on it after he passed the checkpoint at the edge of the Israeli military-controlled border zones.

He said some were desperate people, while others were armed. He said that on Tuesday, for the first time, some in the crowd threatened him with knives or small arms. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety.

Ali al-Derbashi, another truck driver, said that during one trip in July armed men shot the tires, stole everything, including the diesel and batteries and beat him. "If people weren't starving, they wouldn't resort to this," he said.

Israel has said it has offered the U.N. armed escorts. The U.N. has refused, saying it can't be seen to be working with a party to the conflict – and pointing to the reported shootings when Israeli troops are present.

Uncertainty and humiliation

Israel hasn't given a timeline for how long the measures it implemented this week will continue, heightening uncertainty and urgency among Palestinians to seize the aid before it ends.

Palestinians say the way it's being distributed, including being dropped from the sky, is inhumane.

"This approach is inappropriate for Palestinians, we are humiliated," said Rida, a displaced woman.

Momen Abu Etayya said he almost drowned because his son begged him to get aid that fell into the sea during an aid drop.

"I threw myself in the ocean to death just to bring him something," he said. "I was only able to bring him three biscuit packets".

___

reporters Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah Gaza Strip, Fatma Khaled in Cairo, Egypt and Michael Biesecker in Washington, DC, contributed

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Why not enough food is reaching people in Gaza even after Israel eased its blockade

- Why not enough food is reaching people in Gaza even after Israel eased its blockade SAM ME...

Rays All-Star 1B Jonathan Aranda exits game after collision with Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton

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Rays All-Star 1B Jonathan Aranda exits game after collision with Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton

Andy BackstromJuly 31, 2025 at 10:57 PM

The Tampa Bay Rays got hit by rain and bit by the injury bug during Thursday's series finale in New York.

Three Rays players — first baseman Jonathan Aranda, designated hitter Yandy Díaz and left fielder Chandler Simpson — left the ultimately rain-delayed game with injuries.

Aranda's looked the most serious.

JONATHAN ARANDA OH NO pic.twitter.com/R2d8DGKLhw

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 31, 2025

It occurred in the top of the fifth inning, half an inning before the delay in the Bronx. With rain dressing the infield, Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton hit a soft ground ball to third base, where Junior Caminero scurried to make a play on the slow roller.

Caminero, who came into the day with 10 errors at third base this season, rushed the throw to first. It was off the mark, and Aranda extended to reel it in for the putout. As the first-time All-Star reached to catch the ball, he made contact with a sprinting Stanton.

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Aranda's glove, and left wrist, collided with the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Stanton. Aranda dropped the ball and then his mitt before clutching his wrist, hopping in pain and then crouching and falling to the ground. He was attended to by an athletic trainer and Rays manager Kevin Cash.

The 27-year-old entered the afternoon slashing .315/.393/.478 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI. He added an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning, helping Tampa Bay chip away at a then-7-0 Yankees lead.

Following his injury, Aranda eventually left the field and was replaced by Brandon Lowe, who began the game at second base. José Caballero took Lowe's spot at second.

Díaz sustained a right forearm contusion in the top of the fourth inning, when he was struck by a pitch from Yankees righty Marcus Stroman.

Simpson left the game in the bottom of the third with a left hand injury. He had grounded out in the top half of the frame but didn't remove himself from the contest until he was in left field on the other side of the inning.

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Source: "AOL AOL Sports"

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Rays All-Star 1B Jonathan Aranda exits game after collision with Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton

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