Pope Francis, historys first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.

Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church, Ferrell said.

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

But he emerged on Easter Sunday a day before his death to bless thousands of people in St. Peters Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause.

From his first greeting as pope a remarkably normal Buonasera (Good evening) to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy, stressing humility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference.

After that rainy night on March 13, 2013, the Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the troubled tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis election.

But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew on his watch.

And then Francis, the crowd-loving, globe-trotting pope of the peripheries, navigated the unprecedented reality of leading a universal religion through the coronavirus pandemic from a locked-down Vatican City.

He implored the world to use COVID-19 as an opportunity to rethink the economic and political framework that he said had turned rich against poor.

We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, Francis told an empty St. Peters Square in March 2020. But he also stressed the pandemic showed the need for all of us to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.

Reforming the Vatican

Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy and finances but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine. Who am I to judge? he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest.

The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual propriety over unconditional love. Being homosexual is not a crime, he told The Associated Press in 2023, urging an end to civil laws that criminalize it.

Stressing mercy, Francis changed the churchs position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances. He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was immoral.

In other firsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Russian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq.

He reaffirmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the churchs opposition to abortion, equating it to hiring a hitman to solve a problem.

Roles for women

But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings, following longstanding complaints that women do much of the churchs work but are barred from power.

Sister Nathalie Becquart, whom Francis named to one of the highest Vatican jobs, said his legacy was a vision of a church where men and women existed in a relationship of reciprocity and respect.

It was about shifting a pattern of domination from human being to the creation, from men to women to a pattern of cooperation, said Becquart, the first woman to hold a voting position in a Vatican synod.

The church as refuge

While Francis did not allow women to be ordained, the voting reform was part of a revolutionary change in emphasizing what the church should be: a refuge for everyone todos, todos, todos (everyone, everyone, everyone) not for the privileged few. Migrants, the poor, prisoners and outcasts were invited to his table far more than presidents or powerful CEOs.

For Pope Francis, it was always to extend the arms of the church to embrace all people, not to exclude anyone, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, whom Francis named as camerlengo, taking charge after a pontiffs death or retirement.

Francis demanded his bishops apply mercy and charity to their flocks, pressed the world to protect Gods creation from climate disaster, and challenged countries to welcome those fleeing war, poverty and oppression.

After visiting Mexico in 2016, Francis said of then-U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump that anyone building a wall to keep migrants out is not Christian.

While progressives were thrilled with Francis radical focus on Jesus message of mercy and inclusion, it troubled conservatives who feared he watered down Catholic teaching and threatened the very Christian identity of the West. Some even called him a heretic.

A few cardinals openly challenged him. Francis usually responded with his typical answer to conflict: silence.

He made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment, allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and decreed that priests could bless same-sex couples. He opened debate on issues like homosexuality and divorce, giving pastors wiggle room to discern how to accompany their flocks, rather than handing them strict rules to apply.

St. Francis of Assisi as a model

Francis lived in the Vatican hotel instead of the Apostolic Palace, wore his old orthotic shoes and not the red loafers of the papacy, and rode in compact cars. It wasnt a gimmick.

I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful, he told a Jesuit journal in 2013. I see the church as a field hospital after battle.

If becoming the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope wasnt enough, Francis was also the first to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century friar known for personal simplicity, a message of peace, and care for nature and societys outcasts.

Francis sought out the unemployed, the sick, the disabled and the homeless. He formally apologized to Indigenous peoples for the crimes of the church from colonial times onward.

And he himself suffered: He had part of his colon removed in 2021, then needed more surgery in 2023 to repair a painful hernia and remove intestinal scar tissue. Starting in 2022 he regularly used a wheelchair or cane because of bad knees, and endured bouts of bronchitis.

He went to societys fringes to minister with mercy: caressing the grossly deformed head of a man in St. Peters Square, kissing the tattoo of a Holocaust survivor, or inviting Argentinas garbage scavengers to join him onstage in Rio de Janeiro.

We have always been marginalized, but Pope Francis always helped us, said Coqui Vargas, a transgender woman whose Roman community forged a unique relationship with Francis during the pandemic.

His first trip as pope was to the island of Lampedusa, then the epicenter of Europes migration crisis. He consistently chose to visit poor countries where Christians were often persecuted minorities, rather than the centers of global Catholicism.

Friend and fellow Argentine, Bishop Marcelo Snchez Sorondo, said his concern for the poor and disenfranchised was based on the Beatitudes -- the eight blessings Jesus delivered in the Sermon on the Mount for the meek, the merciful, the poor in spirit and others.

Why are the Beatitudes the program of this pontificate? Because they were the basis of Jesus Christs own program, Snchez said.

Missteps on sexual abuse scandal

But more than a year passed before Francis met with survivors of priestly sexual abuse, and victims groups initially questioned whether he really understood the scope of the problem.

Francis did create a sex abuse commission to advise the church on best practices, but it lost its influence after a few years and its recommendation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests went nowhere.

And then came the greatest crisis of his papacy, when he discredited Chilean abuse victims in 2018 and stood by a controversial bishop linked to their abuser. Realizing his error, Francis invited the victims to the Vatican for a personal mea culpa and summoned the leadership of the Chilean church to resign en masse.

As that crisis concluded, a new one erupted over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington and a counselor to three popes.

Francis had actually moved swiftly to sideline McCarrick amid an accusation he had molested a teenage altar boy in the 1970s. But Francis nevertheless was accused by the Vaticans one-time U.S. ambassador of having rehabilitated McCarrick early in his papacy.

Francis eventually defrocked McCarrick after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually abused adults as well as minors. He changed church law to remove the pontifical secret surrounding abuse cases and enacted procedures to investigate bishops who abused or covered for their pedophile priests, seeking to end impunity for the hierarchy.

He sincerely wanted to do something and he transmitted that, said Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean abuse survivor Francis discredited who later developed a close friendship with the pontiff.

A change from Benedict

The road to Francis 2013 election was paved by Pope Benedict XVIs decision to resign and retire the first in 600 years and it created the unprecedented reality of two popes living in the Vatican.

Francis didnt shy from Benedicts potentially uncomfortable shadow. He embraced him as an elder statesman and adviser, coaxing him out of his cloistered retirement to participate in the public life of the church.

Its like having your grandfather in the house, a wise grandfather, Francis said.

Francis praised Benedict by saying he opened the door to others following suit, fueling speculation that Francis also might retire. But after Benedicts death on Dec. 31, 2022, he asserted that in principle the papacy is a job for life.

Francis looser liturgical style and pastoral priorities made clear he and the German-born theologian came from very different religious traditions, and Francis directly overturned several decisions of his predecessor.

He made sure Salvadoran Archbishop scar Romero, a hero to the liberation theology movement in Latin America, was canonized after his case languished under Benedict over concerns about the credos Marxist bent.

Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Benedict had relaxed, arguing the spread of the Tridentine Rite was divisive. The move riled Francis traditionalist critics and opened sustained conflict between right-wing Catholics, particularly in the U.S., and the Argentine pope.

Conservatives oppose Francis

By then, conservatives had already turned away from Francis, betrayed after he opened debate on allowing remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments if they didnt get an annulment a church ruling that their first marriage was invalid.

We dont like this pope, headlined Italys conservative daily Il Foglio a few months into the papacy, reflecting the unease of the small but vocal traditionalist Catholic movement that was coddled under Benedict.

Those same critics amplified their complaints after Francis approved church blessings for same-sex couples, and a controversial accord with China over nominating bishops.

Its details were never released, but conservative critics bashed it as a sellout to communist China, while the Vatican defended it as the best deal it could get with Beijing.

U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a figurehead in the anti-Francis opposition, said the church had become like a ship without a rudder.

Burke waged his opposition campaign for years, starting when Francis fired him as the Vaticans supreme court justice and culminating with his vocal opposition to Francis 2023 synod on the churchs future.

Twice, he joined other conservative cardinals in formally asking Francis to explain himself on doctrine issues reflecting a more progressive bent, including on the possibility of same-sex blessings and his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

Francis eventually sanctioned Burke financially, accusing him of sowing disunity. It was one of several personnel moves he made in both the Vatican and around the world to shift the balance of power from doctrinaire leaders to more pastoral ones.

Francis insisted his bishops and cardinals imbue themselves with the odor of their flock and minister to the faithful, voicing displeasure when they didnt.

His 2014 Christmas address to the Vatican Curia was one of the greatest public papal reprimands ever: Standing in the marbled Apostolic Palace, Francis ticked off 15 ailments that he said can afflict his closest collaborators, including spiritual Alzheimers, lusting for power and the terrorism of gossip.

Trying to eliminate corruption, Francis oversaw the reform of the scandal-marred Vatican bank and sought to wrestle Vatican bureaucrats into financial line, limiting their compensation and ability to receive gifts or award public contracts.

He authorized Vatican police to raid his own secretariat of state and the Vaticans financial watchdog agency amid suspicions about a 350 million euro investment in a London real estate venture. After a 2 1/2-year trial, the Vatican tribunal convicted a once-powerful cardinal, Angelo Becciu, of embezzlement and returned mixed verdicts to nine others, acquitting one.

The trial, though, proved to be a reputational boomerang for the Holy See, showing deficiencies in the Vaticans legal system, unseemly turf battles among monsignors, and how the pope had intervened on behalf of prosecutors.

While earning praise for trying to turn the Vaticans finances around, Francis angered U.S. conservatives for his frequent excoriation of the global financial market that favors the rich over the poor.

Economic justice was an important themes of his papacy, and he didnt hide it in his first meeting with journalists when he said he wanted a poor church that is for the poor.

In his first major teaching document, The Joy of the Gospel, Francis denounced trickle-down economic theories as unproven and naive, based on a mentality where the powerful feed upon the powerless with no regard for ethics, the environment or even God.

Money must serve, not rule! he said in urging political reforms.

He elaborated on that in his major eco-encyclical Praised Be, denouncing the structurally perverse global economic system that he said exploited the poor and risked turning Earth into an immense pile of filth.

Some U.S. conservatives branded Francis a Marxist. He jabbed back by saying he had many friends who were Marxists.

Soccer, opera and prayer

Born Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the eldest of five children of Italian immigrants.

He credited his devout grandmother Rosa with teaching him how to pray. Weekends were spent listening to opera on the radio, going to Mass and attending matches of the familys beloved San Lorenzo soccer club. As pope, his love of soccer brought him a huge collection of jerseys from visitors.

He said he received his religious calling at 17 while going to confession, recounting in a 2010 biography that, I dont know what it was, but it changed my life. ... I realized that they were waiting for me.

He entered the diocesan seminary but switched to the Jesuit order in 1958, attracted to its missionary tradition and militancy.

Around this time, he suffered from pneumonia, which led to the removal of the upper part of his right lung. His frail health prevented him from becoming a missionary, and his less-than-robust lung capacity was perhaps responsible for his whisper of a voice and reluctance to sing at Mass.

On Dec. 13, 1969, he was ordained a priest, and immediately began teaching. In 1973, he was named head of the Jesuits in Argentina, an appointment he later acknowledged was crazy given he was only 36. My authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions led me to have serious problems and to be accused of being ultraconservative, he admitted in his Civilta Cattolica interview.

Life under Argentinas dictatorship

His six-year tenure as provincial coincided with Argentinas murderous 1976-83 dictatorship, when the military launched a campaign against left-wing guerrillas and other regime opponents.

Bergoglio didnt publicly confront the junta and was accused of effectively allowing two slum priests to be kidnapped and tortured by not publicly endorsing their work.

He refused for decades to counter that version of events. Only in a 2010 authorized biography did he finally recount the behind-the-scenes lengths he used to save them, persuading the family priest of feared dictator Jorge Videla to call in sick so he could say Mass instead. Once in the junta leaders home, Bergoglio privately appealed for mercy. Both priests were eventually released, among the few to have survived prison.

As pope, accounts began to emerge of the many people -- priests, seminarians and political dissidents -- whom Bergoglio actually saved during the dirty war, letting them stay incognito at the seminary or helping them escape the country.

Bergoglio went to Germany in 1986 to research a never-finished thesis. Returning to Argentina, he was stationed in Cordoba during a period he described as a time of great interior crisis. Out of favor with more progressive Jesuit leaders, he was eventually rescued from obscurity in 1992 by St. John Paul II, who named him an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. He became archbishop six years later, and was made a cardinal in 2001.

He came close to becoming pope in 2005 when Benedict was elected, gaining the second-most votes in several rounds of balloting before bowing out.

Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88.

The Vatican announced Francis died at 7:35 a.m. on Monday, one day after Easter.

"Francis returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber. "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."

The pope was recently released from the hospital after complications from pneumonia in both lungs.

Francis was born in Argentina in 1936 as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He's the son of Italian immigrants.

As a student, he worked as a nightclub bouncer and considered a career in chemistry before entering a Jesuit school in 1958.

There, he rose through the ranks, becoming a priest, archbishop of Buenos Aires and finally a cardinal in 2001.

In 2013, he became the first Latin American and the first Jesuit pope.

He chose his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the poor a name he strove to embody throughout his papacy.

Much of his teachings focused on the impoverished. He denounced certain tenets of capitalism in early writings, remarking, "How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?"

He also emphasized environmental stewardship, referring to the planet as our "common home" and urging the faithful to take responsibility for its care.

His tenure was also marked by efforts to address financial scandals within the Vatican and the global crisis of clergy sexual abuse and cover-ups.

In 2018 he took a small step in reconciliation, apologizing to abuse survivors after defending a Chilean bishop accused of turning a blind eye to abuse. Later, he apologized to scores of Indigenous people in Canada who suffered abuse at Catholic-run schools.

He also formally defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was accused of abusing men and children for decades.

He helped establish a handbook that encouraged clergy members to report sexual abuse allegations to legal authorities.

Francis also addressed other areas of contention, including the role of women in the church, placing women in more senior roles at the Vatican.

His progressive leadership was also felt in the LGBTQ+ community. He made headlines in 2016 after saying the church "should apologize to the person who is gay whom it has offended" and encouraged parents to welcome their LGBTQ children.

In 2023, the Vatican stated that transgender people could be baptized under certain circumstances. Pope Francis also approved the blessings of same-sex couples.

His inclusive stances and focus on issues of social justice often put him at odds with more conservative members of the church.

Francis didn't shy away from international political conflicts. Placing himself in the center of Russia's war with Ukraine, allowing a Ukrainian and Russian woman to participate together in Easter services and repeatedly calling for an end to the violence.

He also met with Israeli and Palestinian families impacted by the war there; praying for both sides and calling the conflict 'terrorism,' a comment that stirred controversy in Israel.

Later in his papacy, he was frequently hospitalized and suffered from nerve pain, mobility issues and respiratory illnesses.

Francis hinted at stepping down in 2022, saying the door was open to a resignation, and "it's not strange. It's not a catastrophe. You can change the pope."

Bobby Witt Jr. hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 Sunday to stop a six-game losing streak.

With the score 3-3, Jonathan India's groundout off Tyler Holton (1-2) advanced automatic runner Drew Waters to third, and Witt hit a 280-foot fly to left. Waters scored headfirst ahead of Riley Greene's throw.

Carlos Estvez (1-0) intentionally walked Greene to put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom half, then retired Dillon Dingler on a popup.

Kansas City went 2-8 on its trip and is 9-14. Detroit had won three straight.

Detroit left fielder Kerry Carpenter left the game after the eighth inning because of right hamstring soreness.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, while Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 inning

Hunter Pasquantino and Drew Waters built a 2-0 lead with RBI singles in the second, but consecutive, two-out run-scoring singles by Carpenter and Zach McKinstry tied the score inthe fifth.

McKinstry's RBI single in the seventh ended Daniel Lynch IV's scoreless streak at 31 innings.

Mark Canha tied the score in the eighth with an RBI single after Witt reached second on a throwing error by third baseman Javier Bez.

Key moment

With the bases loaded in the seventh, Salvador Perez scooped Greene's grounded and start an inning-ending 3-2-3 double play.

Key stat

Skubal is 11-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 18 starts at home since the start of the 2024 season.

Up next

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 1.88) starts Tuesday homestand opener against Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 4.82).

Tigers: RHP Keider Montero (0-1, 9.00) starts Monday's series opener against Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (1-1. 1.74).

___

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

A slow-moving, active storm system brought heavy rain, large hail and tornadoes to parts of Texas and Oklahoma and left two people dead as severe weather warnings Sunday continue to threaten parts of the south-central and Midwest U.S.

On Easter Sunday, communities in Texas and Oklahoma were beginning to assess the damage wreaked by tornadoes. There were 17 reported events Saturday, according to Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Five were confirmed in south-central Oklahoma, including one that inflicted at least EF1 damage on a small town that was still recovering from a March tornado.

The storm also brought heavy rain to a broad swath of north-central Texas across central-eastern Oklahoma, which saw 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) accumulate Saturday into Sunday.

Police in Moore, about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City, received dozens of reports of high-water incidents over the weekend, including two cars stranded in flood waters Saturday evening. One car was swept away under a bridge, and police said they were able to rescue some people, but a woman and 12-year-old boy were found dead.

This was a historical weather event that impacted roads and resulted in dozens of high-water incidents across the city, Moore police said in a statement Sunday. Moore has a about 63,000 residents.

Oravec said the system wasn't moving much over Texas and Oklahoma Saturday, leaving the area stuck under a very active thunderstorm pattern that produced large hail, flash flooding and tornadoes.

Bill Macon, emergency management director in Oklahoma's Marshall County, said their early assessments show a tornado skipped and jumped around over a path of 6 to 7 miles in the rural area that left at least 20 homes damaged, with some destroyed completely.

Macon said people were mostly home when the late night tornado came through, downing huge trees and dozens of electric poles and power lines, but there had not been reports of injuries or fatalities.

We take those things pretty serious down here in Oklahoma, Macon said of the National Weather Service's warnings.

One Oklahoma town that was still rebuilding from an early March tornado was hit again late Saturday. The north side of Ada, a town home to about 16,000 people, sustained damage that the weather service said indicated at least an EF1 tornado based on a preliminary survey.

In a video posted to Facebook, Jason Keck, Ada director of emergency management, said the tornado seemed to track across the north side of town, leaving a lot of damage to buildings, power lines and trees.

Other social media posts showed roofs ripped off businesses in town, storefront windows blown in and billboards knocked sideways.

At least two tornadoes crossed west Parker County, Texas, on Saturday, the countys emergency services said on Facebook, causing significant damage and power outages.

The whole storm system is moving northeast into Arkansas, Missouri and southeastern Iowa, Oravec said. While it's moving faster, he said, the active system still carries the threat of large hail, high winds and tornadoes to the region.

While heavy rain was subsiding in Texas and Oklahoma by late Sunday afternoon, additional heavy rain is expected across parts of the Plains this week, Oravec said. With streams already swollen and the ground saturated, that leaves the area at risk of additional flooding.

It's tennis season in Southeast Michigan. And Canton High School squad of 50 strong-willed young Cobras are getting ready.

"We have matches set up; we are doing practice every day," said Caitlyn Laidlaw.

17-year-old Caityln Laidlaw and 18-year-old Saee Pawar are captains of the women's team.

"You know we both are seniors, and we've had a lot of fun over the past few years, like a lot of team bonding, our team is very close-knit. So, it was pretty sad," said Saee Pawar.

That's because the Cobras were faced with heartbreaking news a month before the season that they may be unable to compete.

"So our two coaches, one of them retired from coaching and the other one moved to a different school district. And so we lost both our coaches. And we didn't know really who to ask if we are having a season, and so kind of just got told, we don't have any coaches, and no courts, so we don't know if it's going to happen," Caitlyn said.

While the school's courts were being refurbished, one of the player's father, Jeff Walters, couldn't see his daughter upset.

"I'm an engineer, so I have a problem-solving mindset, and I realized our neighbor across the street plays men's league tennis. And so, I reached out to him, and basically, after 3 hours, he said I have coaches lined up," Jeff said.

That's where 65-year-old Vijay George and 73-year-old Charlie Siracusa make an entry as the new coaches for the Cobras.

"We coached together JV tennis, junior varsity tennis at Catholic Central," said Charlie.

"Why was it important for both of you to step up?" I asked.

"It's the commitment to tennis and the camaraderie that these young women have put together in a very short period of time. Faraz I can feel them, gelling with each and every practice. And having them dream big and why not us," Charlie said.

"What are some of the challenges you guys have faced in terms of coaching this team right here?" I asked.

"The biggest challenge is we don't have home courts. These girls have to be bused in," Vijay saud.

John Glenn High School in Westland chipped in their courts.

"We also have parents riding the bus with us to our matches that are far away, picking up snacks for us," Saee said.

"It's a community effort to make sure that these young ladies are able to play tennis this season," I pointed out.

"No question about it," Charlie replied.

"You know a couple a months ago I had a daughter in tears, no I have who is beaming," Jeff said.

"What's that one thing that you arew always going to remember about this moment?" I asked.

"The things we had to overcome to get here," Caitlyn said.

"You should appreciate the things that you have going on for you," Saee said.

The Canton Cobra's tennis season wraps up in mid-May, and now they only ask that the community comes out and support their matches.

You can find the team's schedule at this link.

The dream of striking it rich is even more expensive now.

Last week, lottery officials raised the price of a Mega Millions ticket from $2 to $5, and while they say the prize amounts were five times greater for last weeks initial drawing, others are a little turned off by the more than 100% increase.

If you think about it, it's more than double. She just hasn't played it, Jim Prather said of his wife. She might, she hasn't played it since, but she may play it again, you never know, he continued before purchasing the scratch-off game he prefers to lottery tickets.

Tanya Golden was also a Mega Millions player in the past, and she is already reconsidering.

Probably lay off, cut back a little on it, not play as much. $5 kind of expensive, Golden said inside a Sunoco gas station, where lottery tickets and other games of chance are sold at a brisk pace.

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People used to play (Mega Millions) a lot more, said station manager Deepti Patel. They would come in before, buy like 10 tickets at a time, or 20 tickets, but now they're reduced to 2 or 5 because it costs them more."

Patel thinks sales of Mega Millions tickets wont be depressed for too long, attributing some of the decline to peoples lack of knowledge over the price change.

A manager at another station was told by his lottery representative that Mega Millions increased the price of a ticket to distinguish itself from its Powerball competitor, whose ticket remains $2.

Lottery officials say the odds of winning are slightly increased under this new matrix, and they estimate the jackpots will be much larger, too.

This story was originally published by Michael Berk with the

Scripps News Group.

Some local coffee companies told the Scripps News Group in San Diego they were already getting hit pretty hard before these tariffs even happened.

The coffee industry has been hit hard over the past nine months, said Jeff Taylor, President of Bird Rock Coffee. Beginning last September, the C-Market which is the commodities market which set the base level pricing for coffee it started around $2.30 and in the last month its been as high $4.65.

Taylor said the tariffs could be the icing on the cake for a good thats already seen rising prices with hopes of that C-Market price dropping. And hes not the only company in town seeing coffee prices jump.

"My inventory for these beans has double in the 12 months, said Tom Ryan, Dir. Of Operations & VP Ryan Bros. Coffee.

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Ryan mentioned previous supply chain issues and a lack of production in other coffee producing countries as contributors to the price increases prior to the tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump.

Then, of course the tariffs are only going to increase the price," he said. "So like for instance Brazilian coffee will increase about 10% which will be about 30 or 40 cents more per pound."

Ryan said their business will adjust as the tariffs play out.

When it comes to coffee, right now because of the tariffs and really the price in general, we will run thin inventory. And some of our customers might notice a little less inventory on the shelf in terms of origins, he said.

Other products that come from other countries with high tariffs being slapped on them could be another challenge.

Were trying to keep our prices right where they are for the time being. But, we reserve the right over the next month or two or three, as our paper goods start run out to see what tariffs are doing at that point, Taylor said. Because those 30% tariffs on China and Vietnam are going to be high.

RELATED STORY | Read the full list of countries facing Trump's reciprocal tariffs

Theres still a lot of wait and see with the tariffs to see if any price hikes will happen.

Were hopeful we can kind of just maintain and see how this all flushes out in the long haul, Taylor said.

We kind of wait the storm out. You know, its a storm right now. Were going through change. So, were not going to overreact to that. Were just going to be frugal. Were going to be efficient, Ryan said.

This story was originally published by Ryan Hill with the

Scripps News Group.

Two teens are recovering after being shot in Clinton Township on Easter Sunday, police tell us.

The shooting happened around 8:45 a.m. in the hallway of a home in the 24000 block of Trillium Court.

We're told by family members of the victims and police that a 14-year-old was shot in the ear and a 16-year-old was shot in the leg.

Kids out here fighting, minor kids out here with guns," said Simona Thacker of Mt. Clemens.

Simona Thacker says her two grandsons were the teens who were shot.

I feel like this community need to come together, do better," said Thacker. "People need to be involved in whats going on out here.

7 News Detroit also spoke to Amanda Standberry who's lived in the apartment complex for two years.

This is kind of like the second incident where something has happened back to back and we got three little kids," said Standberry. "I feel like thats not right, thats not safe, the police are right up the road, we need more security around here.

The events that led up to the shooting are still under investigation.

A jury is expected to return Monday for closing arguments in the trial of Lori Daybell after she told the judge she does not intend to present any evidence in the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

Daybell is already serving a life sentence in Idaho. In 2023, she was convicted of murdering her two youngest children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and conspiring to kill her fifth husbands first wife, Tammy Daybell. Her husband, Chad Daybell, was convicted of the same charges and sentenced to death.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Day two of court in Lori Daybell's trial for conspiracy to commit murder

In Arizona, Daybell is acting as her own attorney where, in addition to the conspiracy charge in Charles death, shes accused of conspiring in an attempt to kill her nieces ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. The two cases will be tried separately, with the case regarding Charles death going to trial first.

Daybell married Vallow on Feb. 24, 2006, in Las Vegas. In 2013, the couple adopted JJ from Charles sister and her husband, Kay and Larry Woodcock, who were JJs grandparents.

In 2016, the couple moved to Arizona, where they settled down with Tylee and JJ. Three years later, Charles filed for divorce, indicating he was concerned about her mental health, according to East Idaho News.

Daybell's older brother, Alex Cox, fatally shot Charles on July 11, 2019, while he was arguing with Daybell after picking JJ up for school. Police said during the argument, Alex claimed Charles hit him over the head with a bat. Alex told police that after he was hit in the head, he retrieved a gun from his bedroom and shot Charles in self-defense.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | 'Doomsday Prophet' Chad Daybell found guilty of all charges in murders of his 1st wife, stepchildren

In a probable cause statement from the Chandler Police Department, investigators said no emergency aid was provided for Charles, and he was left bleeding on the floor for approximately 43 minutes before calling 911.

A grand jury indicted Daybell on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder for the death of Charles.

This story was originally published by

Court TV.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Sunday of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral temporary truce.

As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places, it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Putin announces an Easter ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of POWs

Despite Putins declaration of an Easter ceasefire on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Sunday morning that Ukrainian forces had recorded 59 instances of Russian shelling and five assaults by units along the front line, as well as dozens of drone strikes.

In a later update, Zelenskyy said that despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, there had been an increase in Russian shelling and drone attacks since 10 a.m. He said, however, that it was a good thing, at least, that there were no air raid sirens.

In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favorable PR coverage, he wrote.

Zelenskyy said that Russia must fully adhere to the ceasefire conditions and reiterated Ukraines offer to extend the truce for 30 days, starting midnight Sunday. He said the proposal remains on the table and added: "We will act in accordance with the actual situation on the ground.

Zelenskyy said Saturday night that some areas were quieter since the ceasefire was announced, which he claimed showed Putin to be the true cause of the war. As soon as Putin gave an order to scale back the attacks, the intensity of strikes and killings dropped. The only source of this war and its prolongation is in Russia, he wrote on X.

RELATED STORY | Amid doubts, Rubio signals US might abandon Ukraine-Russia peace talks

Russias Defense Ministry said Sunday that Ukrainian forces launched overnight attacks in the Donetsk region despite the ceasefire, and had sent 48 drones into Russian territory. According to the ministry, there were dead and wounded among the civilian population, without giving details. It claimed Russian troops had strictly observed the ceasefire.

Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson also said that Ukrainian forces continued their attacks.

Just hours after announcing the ceasefire, Putin attended an Easter service late Saturday at Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a vocal supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday to midnight following Easter Sunday.

Putin offered no details on how the ceasefire would be monitored or whether it would cover airstrikes or ongoing ground battles that rage around the clock.

His announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are coming to a head and insisted that neither side is playing him in his push to end the grinding three-year war.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings, after they got into a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration's migrant deportation plans.

Francis, who is recovering from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia, received Vance in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he lives. The 88-year-old pope offered the Catholic vice president three big chocolate Easter eggs for Vance's three young children, who did not attend, as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries.

I know you have not been feeling great but it's good to see you in better health, Vance told the pope. Thank you for seeing me.

Vances motorcade entered Vatican City through a side gate while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peters Square. Francis had delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Pope arrives home at Vatican after 5-week hospital stay to beat life-threatening bout of pneumonia

The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta to exchange Easter greetings. Vance's office said that they met, but provided no further details. In all, Vance's motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes.

He later joined his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome. The Vances visited the tomb of the apostle St. Paul that is said to be located there.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administrations plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy.

Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.

Vance has acknowledged Francis criticism but has said he will continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didnt address the issue specifically but called himself a baby Catholic and acknowledged there are things about the faith that I dont know.

Vance met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Vances office said he and Parolin discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trumps commitment to restoring world peace.

The Vatican, for its part, said there was an exchange of opinions including over migrants and refugees and current conflicts.

The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration while seeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality. It has expressed alarm over the administrations crackdown on migrants and cuts in international aid while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Spencer Torkelson hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the fifth inning off Seth Lugo, and the Detroit Tigers extended the Kansas City Royals' losing streak to six with a 3-1 win Saturday.

Detroit won the first three games of the four-game series and is 8-1 at Comerica Park, its best home start since nine straight wins to begin 1993.

Casey Mize (3-1) gave up one run and four hits in seven innings. He has allowed one run or none in three of four starts. Will Vest pitched the ninth for his first save this season, finishing a six-hitter.

Torkelson hit his seventh home run this season, giving him 21 RBIs, driving a 1-2 splitter into the Tigers bullpen in left-center.

Lugo (1-3) gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He had tied his career high by allowing four homers in his previous start, at Yankee Stadium.

Kansas City is 1-8 on a 10-game trip that started in Cleveland and New York. The Royals are 8-14 and have gone 15 straight games without scoring more than four runs. They are 4 for 32 with runners in scoring position in the series.

Freddy Fermin hit a solo homer in the seventh and reached on an infield single with two outs in the ninth. Kyle Isbel popped out on the next pitch.

Key moment

Vinnie Pasquantino lined out to second baseman Colt Keith, who threw wildly to second to try to double up India for an inning-ending double play in the eighth. The ball went into foul territory down the left-field line, but India was fooled by shortstop Trey Sweeney's fake tag and didn't try to advance.

Key stat

Daniel Lynch IV retired Carpenter on a popup ending the seventh and has pitched 30 consecutive scoreless innings over 20 appearances dating to Aug. 26, the longest active streak in the majors.

Up next

Royals RHP Michael Wacha (0-3, 4.35) faces Tigers ace LHP Tarik Skubal (2-2, 2.66) on Sunday. Skubal, the AL Cy Young Award winner, has pitched 13 scoreless innings in his last two starts, striking out 15 and walking none.

___

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

JINYA Ramen Bar is set to bring its authentic ramen experience to Michigan with the opening of its first location in Royal Oak on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 11 a.m., offering guests a taste of

real ramen culture

.

To celebrate this milestone, JINYA will offer the first 100 guests free ramen on their next visit, making it a must-attend event for ramen lovers. At JINYA, ramen is more than a meal, its an experience. Guests can savor slow-simmered, thick, and flavorful broths perfectly paired with handcrafted noodles. Toppings like tender pork chashu, shrimp wonton and seasoned eggs add depth to every bowl, while small plates and craft beer selections complete the dining experience. With a commitment to authentic flavors and quality ingredients, JINYA brings an elevated take on traditional ramen to Royal Oak because ramen culture is serious businessand seriously delicious.

Located at 129 Main St. in the Royal Oaks shopping center, the new restaurant will serve JINYAs acclaimed ramen, featuring broths simmered for 20 hours to develop rich, complex flavors. Guests can also enjoy traditional Japanese rice bowls, small plates, and an array of authentic ramen toppings, craft beer, and curated cocktails.

The new JINYA in Royal Oak marks the brands first location in Michigan. Once open, the restaurant will serve guests Sunday Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. To learn more about JINYA and see its full menu, visit

 JINYARamenBar.com

.

Canterbury Village is now transformed into a glowing, immersive experience with giant illuminated lanterns inspired by the classic tale, Alice in Wonderland.

With some pieces as tall as 20-ft and all glowing with color and light from within, this innovative exhibition is sure to awaken the magic in every visitor. Guests will get to pass through the longest lighted tunnel in America. They'll also run into familiar faces - including Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts - all excited to meet them along the path.

The Wonderland Lantern Stroll is the perfect backdrop for a magical and memorable night out with family or friends. Its fun for all ages, set in the family-friendly Canterbury Village where you make memories to last a lifetime. This event runs through May 18, 2025. Canterbury Village is located at 2359 Joslyn Ct. in Lake Orion, Michigan.

For ticket information, visit https://canterburyvillagecom.ticketspice.com/wonderland-lantern-stroll

In the first Pistons playoff game since 2019, Detroit fell to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 123-112.

After the Pistons led by eight to kick off the fourth quarter, the Knicks went on a 21-0 run to go from up eight to down 13 in less than five game minutes (9:14-4:47). New York outscored Detroit, 40-21, in that final quarter.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 34 points. Five New York players finished in double-figures, including Cameron Payne, who came alive in the third and fourth quarter and finished with 14 points, kickstarting the Knicks comeback.

Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 25 points. He was one of three Pistons to score 20 points or more, with Cade Cunningham scoring 21 points off of 8-21 shooting in his first playoff game and Malik Beasley scoring 20 points off the bench.

With this victory, the Knicks take a 1-0 lead in the series, and need just three more wins to advance to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Game 2 is set to tip-off on Monday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. on TNT. The Pistons return to Detroit for Game 3 and 4, with Game 3 tipping off on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. on TNT. Game 4 will be played on Channel 7, with the game tipping off at 1 p.m. EST.

If necessary, here are the dates for Games 5-7

Game 5: Tuesday, April 29 Game 6: Thursday, May 1 Game 7: Saturday, May 3

Opponents of President Donald Trump's administration took to the streets of communities large and small across the U.S. on Saturday, decrying what they see as threats to the nation's democratic ideals.

The disparate events ranged from a march through midtown Manhattan and a rally in front of the White House to a demonstration at a Massachusetts commemoration marking the start of the American Revolutionary War 250 years ago. In San Francisco, protesters formed a human banner reading "Impeach & Remove" on the sands of Ocean Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Thomas Bassford was among those who joined demonstrators at the reenactment of the Battles of Lexington and Concord outside of Boston. "The shot heard 'round the world" on April 19, 1775, heralded the start of the nation's war for independence from Britain.

The 80-year-old retired mason from Maine said he believed Americans today are under attack from their own government and need to stand up against it.

"This is a very perilous time in America for liberty," Bassford said, as he attended the event with his partner, daughter and two grandsons. "I wanted the boys to learn about the origins of this country and that sometimes we have to fight for freedom."

Elsewhere, protests were planned outside Tesla car dealerships against billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk and his role in downsizing the federal government. Others organized more community-service events, such as food drives, teach-ins and volunteering at local shelters.

The protests come just two weeks after similar nationwide protests against the Trump administration drew thousands to the streets across the country.

Organizers say they're protesting what they call Trump's civil rights violations and constitutional violations, including efforts to deport scores of immigrants and to scale back the federal government by firing thousands of government workers and effectively shutter entire agencies.

Some of the events drew on the spirit of the American Revolutionary War, calling for "no kings" and resistance to tyranny.

Boston resident George Bryant, who was among those protesting in Concord, Massachusetts, said he was concerned Trump was creating a "police state" in America as he held up a sign saying, "Trump fascist regime must go now!"

"He's defying the courts. He's kidnapping students. He's eviscerating the checks and balances," Bryant said. "This is fascism."

In Washington, Bob Fasick said he came out to the rally by the White House out of concern about threats to constitutionally protected due process rights, as well as Social Security and other federal safety-net programs.

The Trump administration, among other things, has moved to shutter Social Security Administration field offices, cut funding for government health programs and scale back protections for transgender people.

"I cannot sit still knowing that if I don't do anything and everybody doesn't do something to change this, that the world that we collectively are leaving for the little children, for our neighbors is simply not one that I would want to live," said the 76-year-old retired federal employee from Springfield, Virginia.

And in Manhattan, protesters rallied against continued deportations of immigrants as they marched from the New York Public Library north towards Central Park past Trump Tower.

"No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state," they chanted to the steady beat of drums, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Marshall Green, who was among the protesters, said he was most concerned that Trump has invoked the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by claiming the country is at war with Venezuelan gangs linked to the South American nation's government.

"Congress should be stepping up and saying no, we are not at war. You cannot use that," said the 61-year-old from Morristown, New Jersey. "You cannot deport people without due process, and everyone in this country has the right to due process no matter what."

Meanwhile, Melinda Charles, of Connecticut, said she worried about Trump's "executive overreach," citing clashes with the federal courts to Harvard University and other elite colleges.

"We're supposed to have three equal branches of government and to have the executive branch become so strong," she said. "I mean, it's just unbelievable."

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a second recall notice about Gerber teething sticks for babies because there are reports that the products, which were discontinued over choking concerns, are still on store shelves.

Gerber announced earlier this year it was going to stop making its "soothe n chew" teething sticks after receiving complaints of choking incidents.

RELATED STORY | Target baby food recalled over lead contamination

The teething sticks, which had been distributed to nearly every state and Puerto Rico, were subsequently recalled.

But despite the first notice, Gerber and the FDA said Friday there have been recent reports of recalled products still available for sale on some retailer shelves and online.

Consumers are advised not to give their babies or young children the products and instead return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Love them or hate them, those marshmallow Peeps that come in blindingly bright colors and an array of flavors are inescapable around the Easter holiday.

Millions are made daily in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Just Born Quality Confections, a family-owned candy manufacturer that also churns out Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike fruit chews and Goldenberg's Peanut Chews.

Peeps is Just Born's most recognizable brand and one of a handful of candies that evoke strong reactions good and bad. Some say an Easter basket isn't complete without Peeps while others deride them as being indestructible. Some use them in recipes or even artwork.

"Even if you're not usually one to gravitate to eating the Peeps, there's always so many other fun ways to include them in your celebrations," said Caitlin Servian, brand manager for Peeps.

How many Peeps are made each year?

On average, about 5.5 million are made each day.

That adds up to 2 billion a year or roughly 6 Peeps for every man, woman and child across the U.S.

How many different varieties and colors are there?

First hatched in yellow, the sugary chicks and bunnies come in nine colors for this Easter season, including pink, blue and lavender. And there are even more flavors 14 for Easter from cookies and cream, to fruit punch and sour watermelon. The varieties and colors vary throughout the year with different holiday seasons.

How long does it take to make a Peep?

Before the early 1950s, making the candies by hand took 27 hours.

Bob Born, who became known as the "Father of Peeps," came up with a way to speed up the process. He and a company engineer designed a machine to make them in less than six minutes. The same process is used today.

How are they made?

The main ingredients sugar, corn syrup and gelatin are cooked and combined to create marshmallows, which are then shaped and sent through a "sugar shower."

A whopping 400 pounds (181 kilograms) of sugar is used per batch for Peeps' colored sugars.

Freshly made Peeps each chick weighs one-third of an ounce then move along a conveyor so that they can cool before being packaged.

The Boston Marathon and Mayor Michelle Wu insisted on Friday that international runners and other foreign visitors remain welcome in the city and said there is no evidence that travel for this year's race has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny.

"Regardless of what's happening at other levels, and particularly now at the federal level, in Boston we welcome everyone," Wu said at a public safety media briefing not far from the finish line. "We seek to be a home for everyone."

A cherished event for runners and spectators alike, staged on the state holiday of Patriots' Day, commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord that sparked the American Revolution 250 years ago, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest and most prestigious annual 26.2-mile race.

It has taken on even greater significance and popularity since 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more. (Allen Davis, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, said at the briefing that there were "no credible or specific threats" to Monday's race.)

This year's marathon has more than 30,000 entrants from 128 countries. Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming said the 129th edition of the race was full thousands more are turned away and there's been no indication that those registered are staying home.

"We have a lot of demand this year, as we do every year," he said.

But as U.S. officials track plummeting tourism numbers, with many would-be visitors angered by President Donald Trump's tariffs and rhetoric and alarmed by stories about tourists being arrested at the border, reports say at least some potential marathon attendees have decided to skip the race.

Canadians have been especially put off by Trump's talk of making the country the 51st U.S. state. Paula Roberts-Banks, a writer and photographer from Rosseau, Ontario, who has run Boston 12 times, wrote in Canadian Running magazine that she earned a coveted bib for this year's race but decided not to run because she has "soured" on the U.S.

"I simply don't want to go there," she said. "It feels like a breakup."

British runner Calli Hauger-Thackery, a 2024 Olympian who is entered in the women's professional field, said she has never experienced a problem coming to the U.S. but she worries now that that might change.

"It does scare me traveling a little bit, at the moment," she said, adding that she is married to an American and has a visa. "I hope it's enough for them to not flag me or anything coming in and out of the States."

Most of the 31,941 entrants in Monday's race were required to qualify at another marathon, and many of them view running Boston as a lifelong athletic goal. Still, about 10% of the field typically does not toe the starting line in Hopkinton for reasons that range from injuries to weather to the 2010 eruption of a volcano in Iceland that halted flights and prevented hundreds of Europeans from traveling to Boston.

In last year's field of 29,333 entrants, there were 2,838 who failed to start. Race officials say they will not know how many no-shows there are this year until Monday; even then, they won't know why.

"We do not have data as to why people may or may not be coming to Boston," Fleming said. "At the BAA, our goal is to create a marathon experience that is very welcoming and joyous. Every year, we focus on that goal and we are confident that we have done everything in our power to achieve that this year."

Wu said she hoped visitors would look past the geopolitical climate and "participate in this very, very important global tradition that should transcend politics and should transcend the issues of the day."

And that's just what Australian Patrick Tiernan plans to do.

"There are some unfortunate situations going on in the U.S. right now, but I don't think that should have to taint what's happening here, and the history of this race," said the two-time Olympian, who was an NCAA cross country champion at Villanova. "I think everybody's very excited to be here and excited to compete on Monday."