"Days of Our Lives" and "Melrose Place" star Patrick Muldoon died suddenly on Sunday. He was 57 years old.

He suffered a heart attack, according to his sister.

Muldoon was best known for portraying Austin Reed in "Days of Our Lives," from 1992 through 1995 and again in 2011 and 2012.

Muldoon then portrayed Richard Hart in "Melrose Place." He also appeared in the 1997 sci-fi film "Starship Troopers."

Just two days before his death, Muldoon posted on Instagram about a new project he was producing with Chris Hemsworth and Alec Baldwin.

Muldoon is survived by his partner Miriam Rothbart, as well as his parents and his sister.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Secretary of the Department of Labor in Donald Trump's cabinet, is resigning, according to a message from White House communications director Steven Cheung.

Chavez-DeRemer "has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives," Cheung wrote.

Chavez-DeRemer will be moving into the private sector, Cheung wrote.

She posted a statement on Monday afternoon:

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime," it read in part. "At the Department of Labor, I am proud that we made significant progress in advancing President Trumps mission to bridge the gap between business and labor and always put the American worker first."

According to the Associated Press, Chavez-DeRemer's departure comes amid allegations that she had an affair with a subordinate in her office and consumed alcohol while working.

The New York Times recently reported Chavez-DeRemer and members of her family and staff were under investigation for sending personal requests to agency workers.

Keith Sonderling will now serve as acting secretary. A permanent replacement will have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Scripps News has reached out to the White House for additional comment.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to step down effective on September 1, 2026, the company announced in a press release on Monday.

Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board. John Ternus, who is currently the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering, will take his place as CEO.

"It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world," Cook said in the release.

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Cook, who joined Apple in 1998, became CEO in 2011 after company co-founder Steve Jobs resigned for health reasons.

He was CEO for major Apple product launches including the Apple Watch and AirPods and significantly grew the company's reach and revenue.

This is a developing story. Stay with Scripps News for continued updates.

Republican lawmakers have requested information from several federal agencies about reports of scientists and other personnel connected to sensitive U.S. research who have died or gone missing in recent years.

In letters sent Monday, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Rep. Eric Burlison requested briefings from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, the FBI and NASA.

The lawmakers cited unconfirmed public reports alleging that at least 10 individuals with ties to U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology have died or mysteriously vanished.

"These reports allege that at least ten individuals who had a connection to U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology, have died or mysteriously vanished in recent years," the lawmakers stated. "If the reports are accurate, these deaths and disappearances may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security and to U.S. personnel with access to scientific secrets."

One of the cases that Scripps News has reported on involved retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland. The 68-year-old was last seen in February at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

McCasland previously commanded the Phillips Research Site of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base.

"Others who are missing or deceased include individuals affiliated with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a pharmaceutical researcher and a government contractor tied to a nuclear weapons facility."

The lawmakers did not confirm or allege that the cases are linked, but said the reports raise concerns that warrant further review.

Iran is vowing retaliation after U.S. Marines seized one of its ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military released a video on Sunday showing a U.S. destroyer firing several times at a 900-foot Iranian cargo vessel during the operation.

How the US seized an Iranian cargo ship

President Donald Trump said the ship was attempting to bypass a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and ignored multiple warnings.

The incident comes as a ceasefire between the United States and Iran is set to expire this week. Trump told Bloomberg News it is highly unlikely he will extend the ceasefire.

RELATED NEWS | Iran fires on tanker as it reimposes Strait of Hormuz restrictions

The United States is pushing for a long-term agreement that would require Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Details could be fleshed out during a potential second round of peace talks in Pakistan, though Iran has not formally agreed to participate. A U.S. delegation is expected to include Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Over the weekend, Trump warned that if Iran rejects the U.S. proposal, Washington would knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran.

Irans Foreign Ministry said Monday it has no current plans for another round of talks, though it did not explicitly rule out future negotiations. Irans president also said the country would not submit to force, underscoring deep mistrust of the United States.

Singer D4vd has been charged with murder in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered and decomposed body was found in September in his apparently abandoned Tesla, prosecutors said. Friday.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said the 21-year-old D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, was charged with first-degree murder; lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14; and mutilating a body in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. She was reported missing by her family in 2024, when she was 13. Authorities say she was 14 when she died.

The murder charges included special circumstances lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation that could carry the death penalty. Prosecutors haven't announced whether they will seek it.

Attorneys for the Houston-born alt-pop singer said he was innocent in a statement released after homicide detectives arrested him on Thursday at a home in Hollywood.

"Let us be clear the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death," the lawyers said.

The long-dead body of Rivas Hernandez was found inside a Tesla that was towed from the Hollywood Hills on Sept. 8, a day after she would have turned 15. Her family had reported her missing from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.

RELATED STORY | Teen girl's body found in impounded car registered to the singer d4vd

Authorities did not publicly name Burke as a suspect until his arrest. And his lawyers' statement last week, in which said they "will vigorously defend David's innocence," was the first time they weighed in publicly.

The singer had been under investigation by an LA County grand jury looking into the death. The probe was officially secret, but its existence and his designation as its target was revealed in February when his mother, father and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify.

The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer's name at the Texas address of his subpoenaed family members, according to court filings from prosecutors. It had been towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood where it had been sitting as though it was abandoned.

Police investigators searching the Tesla in a tow yard found a cadaver bag "covered with insects and a strong odor of decay," court documents said. Detectives partially unzipped a bag and found a head and torso.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office removed the bag and "discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body," according to court documents. A second black bag was found under the first, and dismembered body parts were inside it. No cause of death has been publicly revealed, and police got a judge to block the release details of the autopsy. On Friday, the medical examiner told The Associated Press the court order remained in place after Burke's arrest, and suggested to ask the police whether they would ask to lift it.

The family of Rivas Hernandez has remained private and has not made any public statements on her death or the case.

D4vd, pronounced "David," gained popularity among Gen Z for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit "Romantic Homicide," which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. He then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP "Petals to Thorns" and a follow-up, "The Lost Petals," in 2023.

When the body was discovered, the singer continued his North American tour, but when reports of his possible involvement spread widely, he canceled the final two shows and a European tour that was to follow.

FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic magazine for $250 million on Monday, claiming an article that talked about his alleged excessive drinking was false and a malicious hit piece.

The Atlantic, in response, said it stood by its reporting and would vigorously defend against the meritless lawsuit.

In the article, posted on the magazine's website on Friday, author Sarah Fitzpatrick said Patel is deeply concerned about losing his job and that he has good reasons to think so including some having to do with what witnesses described to me as bouts of excessive drinking.

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His behavior, including both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences, has alarmed officials at the FBI and Department of Justice, The Atlantic said. Fitzpatrick was named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

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Patel, in the lawsuit filed in district court in Washington, denied the allegations of his behavior and criticized the magazine for relying on anonymous sources. Fitzpatrick wrote that she interviewed more than two dozen people and granted them anonymity to discuss sensitive information and private conversations.

Defendants cannot evade responsibility for their malicious lies by hiding behind sham sources, the lawsuit said.

Book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs, according to the American Library Association. And efforts to have titles removed have never been more coordinated or politicized.

The ALA on Monday issued its annual list of the books most challenged at the country's libraries, part of the association's State of America's Libraries Report. Patricia McCormick's "Sold," a 2006 novel about sex trafficking in India, topped the list for 2025. Others targeted include Stephen Chbosky's high school novel "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir "Gender Queer" and Sarah J. Maas' romantasy favorite "Empire of Storms."

The ALA usually features 10 books, but this year has 11, with four tied for eighth place: Anthony Burgess' dystopian classic "A Clockwork Orange," Ellen Hopkins' sibling drama "Identical," John Green's boarding school narrative "Looking for Alaska" and Jennifer L. Armentrout's paranormal romance "Storm and Fury."

Objections include LGBTQ+ themes ("Gender Queer," "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"), sexual violence ("Sold" and "A Clockwork Orange") and use of alcohol and cigarettes ("Looking for Alaska"). Overall, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded challenges to 4,235 different works, topped only by 4,240 in 2023 since the association began keeping track more than 30 years ago.

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The association defines a challenge as "an attempt to have a library resource removed, or access to it restricted, based on the objections of a person or group." Monday's list arrives during National Library Week, which runs through April 25.

"Libraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience," ALA President Sam Helmick said in a statement. "As we celebrate National Library Week, we reaffirm that libraries are places for knowledge, for access, and for all."

The ALA compiles its survey through media accounts and submissions from libraries. The actual numbers are likely much higher because many incidents are never reported, the association acknowledges.

For decades, challenges to a given book came from a parent or another member of a local community. But in recent years, the ALA has found, the trend has shifted sharply to government officials and such conservative activists as Moms for Liberty, who advocate "parental choice" in deciding what schools and libraries should make available.

Florida, Texas and Utah are among the many states that have called for books to be banned or passed restrictive legislation. In Iowa, an appellate court ruled earlier this month that the state can enforce a law that limits teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ topics with students in kindergarten through the sixth grade and bans some books.

Last year, more than 90% of challenges arose from activists and government officials, according to the ALA, compared to 72% in 2024.

"In 2025, book bans were not sparked by concerned parents, and they were not the result of local grassroots efforts," Sarah Lamdan, executive director of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, said in a statement. "They were part of a well-funded, politically-driven campaign."

Lamdan told The Associated Press that activists circulate lists of targeted books nationwide. Echoing a report last year from PEN America that tallied multiple bannings of "Sold," "A Clockwork Orange" and other books, the ALA found that actual removals more than 5,600 well exceeded the number of books challenged.

"I think this reflects the reality that these lists are getting disseminated widely," Lamdan said. "You can see video footage from various library board meetings where the same books are singled out over and over again."

The ALA's list of the most challenged books of 2025

1. "Sold" by Patricia McCormick

2. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

3. "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe

4. "Empire of Storms" by Sarah J. Maas

5. (tie) "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo

5. (tie) "Tricks" by Ellen Hopkins

7. "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas

8. (tie) "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess

8. (tie) "Identical" by Ellen Hopkins

8. (tie) "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

8. (tie) "Storm and Fury" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Maryland is poised to become the first state in the country to ban "surveillance pricing."

The practice refers to companies using a shoppers personal data, such as browsing history, location, or purchasing behavior, to tailor prices to individual customers.

The Protection From Predatory Pricing Act, passed this month and sent to the governor for a signature, would prohibit food retailers and third-party delivery services from using the practice.

Violations would be treated as deceptive trade practices under state law, with potential fines and lawsuits.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore proposed that lawmakers take up the issue during the legislative session.

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Marylanders deserve to know that the price they see on the shelf is the price they will pay at the register, Moore said in January. Our administration is laser-focused on protecting Marylanders from skyrocketing costs. At a time when Marylanders are already stretched by the rising cost of groceries, housing and everyday necessities, we must ensure that new technologies are not used to drive up the bill for working families.

Consumer Reports said it engaged on the bill during the legislative process. While it called Marylands move to address surveillance pricing encouraging, it warned the final version contains loopholes that do not fully protect consumers.

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The group pointed to exemptions, including applying the ban only to the use of personal data to set higher prices without establishing a baseline or standard price; exempting pricing tied to loyalty or membership programs, even if prices are higher; and exempting pricing linked to subscriptions or subscription-based services.

"We urge other state legislatures considering personalized pricing legislation to build in stronger consumer protections and avoid loopholes that weakened this bill," the organization said.

The Supreme Court will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over their admission policies.

The court agreed Monday to take up the appeal from St. Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration.

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The facilities argue its unconstitutional to bar them from a taxpayer-funded free preschool program because of their faith-based restrictions on admission of LGBTQ+ families and kids.

The state said that religious schools are welcome but are required to follow nondiscrimination laws.

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Its the latest religious rights case for the conservative-majority court, which has backed other claims of religious discrimination while taking a more skeptical view of LGBTQ+ rights.

Japan on Monday issued an advisory for northern coastal areas for an increased risk of a possible mega-quake induced by a major quake earlier in the day.

The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there is 1% chance for a mega-quake occurring on the northern Japanese coast in the next week or so following the powerful quake earlier Monday near the Chishima trough.

Officials said the advisory is not a quake prediction but urged residents to raise their preparedness, such as emergency food and their grab bag just in case, while continuing their daily lives.

The advisory for the region is the second in recent months. One was issued following another major quake in December. No major subsequent quake occurred.

A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast earlier Monday, and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami alert in the region, sending residents to rush over to safer grounds. So far, no major injuries or damages have been reported.

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The quake, which registered a preliminary magnitude of 7.5, occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT), at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles), the agency said.

A tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port in the Iwate prefecture within one hour of the quake, and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port in the prefecture, the agency said.

The tsunami alert and advisory were still in place in Japan, with warnings of a wave of up to 3 meters (10 feet), but the U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the tsunami threat from the quake has now passed.

The Japanese agency urged residents in the region to immediately stay away from the coast or along rivers and take shelter on higher ground. It also cautioned people in the area against possible aftershocks for about a week.

Footage on NHK television showed many people driving up to parks and other facilities on higher ground. In the town of Tomakomai in Hokkaido, a resident came to a hilltop park after picking up his child at a cram school and said he planned to stay until the alert is lifted.

Iwate and three other northern prefectures issued non-binding evacuation advisories to more than 128,000 residents, according to the disaster management agency.

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The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said officials are assessing the situation but so far no damage or injuries have been reported, including at power stations and other facilities.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were all intact and no abnormalities were detected.

Another 7.5 magnitude quake in December left dozens injured.

It's 15 years since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, ravaged parts of northern Japan, caused more than 22,000 deaths and forced nearly half a million people to flee their homes, most of them due to tsunami damage.

Some 160,000 people fled their homes in Fukushima because of the radiation spewed from the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. About 26,000 of them havent returned because they resettled elsewhere, their hometowns remain off-limits or they have lingering concerns about radiation.

Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that it was not in my interest at all to debate U.S. President Donald Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.

Leo spoke to reporters aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola as part of his 11-day tour of Africa.

He addressed the spiraling back-and-forth saga of Trumps critiques of his peace message, which have dominated news headlines this week. But the American pope also sought to set the record straight, insisting that his preaching isnt directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.

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Theres been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself, he said.

Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.

Trump launched the criticism on his social media platform Truth Social on the night of April 12, when he criticized Leos preaching about peace as the war, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 and was followed by Irans retaliation, raged on. Trump accused Leo of being soft on crime, cozy with the left and said that the first American pontiff owed his election to Trump.

Leo has issued consistent calls for peace and dialogue, and has denounced the use of religious justification for war. Specifically, he called Trumps threat to annihilate Iranian civilization truly unacceptable.

The Vatican has stressed that when Leo preaches about peace, he is referring to all wars ravaging the planet, not just the Iran conflict. The Russian Orthodox Church, for example, has justified Moscows invasion of Ukraine as a holy war.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Leo referred specifically to his remarks earlier this week to a peace meeting in Bamenda, Cameroon. The city is the epicenter of a separatist conflict that has been raging in the western, Anglophone region of the country for nearly a decade.

Leo said that his remarks, in which he blasted the handful of tyrants who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation, were written two weeks ago, long before Trumps criticisms began.

And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all, he said.

Looking ahead, however, he said that he would continue preaching the Gospel.

RELATED STORY | Senate blocks war powers resolution on Iran for fourth time

I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa, he said.

He drew attention to some upcoming liturgical readings about what it means to be Christian and to follow Christ, promote fraternity and brotherhood, but also looking for ways to promote justice in our world, promote peace in our world, he said.

Leo arrived later Saturday in Angola, the third stop on his four-nation tour. A message of peace would be especially relevant for the southern African country, which was ravaged by a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 but has left deep scars.

Leo will meet with Angolan President Joao Lourenco and deliver his first speech before government authorities, when he hopes to bring joy and encouragement to Angola's long-suffering people.

A U.S. Army soldier killed in the Korean War is finally home after being identified through DNA testing.

Nineteen-year-old Sgt. Celestino Chavez Jr. had been considered missing in action since 1953.

After he was positively identified last year, he was buried this week in his hometown of Gallup, New Mexico.

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Chavezs remains were discovered among 55 boxes of remains handed over to the United States by North Korea following a summit with President Donald Trump in 2018.

"He was wounded while defending his position near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and evacuated to an aid station on Nov. 30," the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said. "He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, when his convoy was ambushed by opposing forces in route to Hagaru-ri. The U.S. Army did not receive any indication that he was ever held as a prisoner of war and with no evidence of his continued survival, issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for continuing to man his position despite his wounds during the Nov. 30 attack."

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U.S. animal shelters are reporting their biggest drop in euthanasia since 2020. New data shows 34,000 fewer cats and dogs were euthanized for space in 2025 compared with 2024.

About 4 million dogs and cats were adopted from shelters last year, pushing the country closer to no-kill status defined as a 90% save rate for animals entering shelters. More than two out of three U.S. shelters reached that benchmark in 2025, and nearly half of the remaining shelters would need to save fewer than 100 additional pets to get there.

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2025 was a turning point for animal sheltering in the U.S., and the data shows an undeniable momentum for the movement to end the killing of healthy, treatable pets in shelters, said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. The number of no-kill shelters in this country is at an all-time high, with 68% of shelters reaching this milestone last year, and of those that are not yet no-kill, nearly half have fewer than 100 additional pets to get there. This progress didnt happen by chance or by working alone. This is a clear example of what happens when pet lovers, shelters, and rescue groups work together to save lives.

Best Friends Animal Society said that shelters that have adoption rates of over 90% are considered "no-kill" because less than 10% of animals are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues. These pets are generally not able to be rehomed.

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Advocates say, however, that adoption rates remain below pre-pandemic levels.

A federal judge has blocked a $6.2 billion merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna until an antitrust lawsuit is resolved.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento, California, made the ruling late Friday afternoon, finding that eight attorneys general and DirecTV were likely to prevail in their legal bid to stop the merger. The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies.

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The deal, announced last year and approved by the Federal Communications Commission, would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of one of the Big Four national networks: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

That would likely give Nexstar the power to raise the retransmission fees it charges to video programming distributors like DirecTV, which means higher bills for consumers, Nunley wrote. The company also has a track record of consolidating local television news stations when it owns more than one station in a market, the judge said, meaning viewers will lose options for where to get their local news.

The deal could also force distributors like DirecTV to comply with Nexstars demands for higher broadcast fees or risk leaving subscribers potentially unable to watch things like Sunday NFL football games, the judge said.

Stopping the merger for now is in the public interest, Nunley wrote.

Attorneys representing Nexstar and Tegna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nexstars attorneys told the court the deal has already been reviewed and cleared by the FCC and the Department of Justice. They said the FCC order commits the company to expand local journalism and programming, not shrink it.

The merger needed the approval of the Republican Trump administrations FCC because the government had to waive rules that limit how many local stations one company can own. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in March that the company had agreed to divest itself of six stations.

RELATED STORY | FCC chairman warns broadcasters could lose their license over fake Iran war coverage

The judge said the FCC clearance process for the deal was unusual, and that the regulatory oversight did not curb the manifest anticompetitive effects of this acquisition.

The Department of Justice, which is tasked with conducting antitrust reviews of these types of mergers, announced it was closing its investigation of the deal in March through early termination, the judge noted, ending the review process sooner than is normally required by statute.

In unusual circumstances with the FCCs quasi-adjudicatory licensing proceeding still pending the President himself weighed in publicly in February and urged federal regulators to approve the deal to knock out the Fake News, Nunley wrote.

The preliminary injunction is designed to keep things as they are until the lawsuit is fully decided, Nunley said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a critical victory in a statement released Friday evening.

Consolidating hundreds of local TV stations under one corporate owner would mean higher prices and lower quality programming for consumers, she wrote. She later continued, We will keep fighting our case to ensure fair competition among local TV stations that serve communities across the country.

The dueling blockades in the Strait of Hormuz lurched into uncharted waters on Saturday. The United States pressed ahead with its campaign to choke off Iranian ports and Iran reversed an initial move to reopen the waterway, firing on a ship attempting to pass.

Confusion over the critical chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed conflict, even as mediators expressed confidence a new deal was within reach.

Irans joint military command said on Saturday that control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces. It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.

RELATED STORY | Trump signals Iran deal is near as Strait of Hormuz reopens

Two gunboats from Irans Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said on Saturday. It reported the tanker and crew as safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. TankerTrackers.com reported vessels were forced to turn around in the strait, including an Indian-flagged super tanker, after they were fired on by Iran.

Iran announced earlier Saturday it was reimposing restrictions on the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping and ports. Iran has prevented vessels from crossing throughout the seven-week-long war, except for ones it authorizes.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliaments National Security Commission, said that the strait was returning to the status quo, which he had earlier described as ships requiring Iranian naval authorization and toll payment before transiting.

The shift came a day after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the strait open while a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. An end to Israels war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators, who previously accused Israel of breaking last weeks ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel had said that deal did not cover Lebanon.

U.S. President Donald Trump first appeared to take a similar position on reopening the strait before later saying the American blockade will remain in full force regardless of what Iran does until a deal is reached, including about Iran's nuclear program.

RELATED STORY | Oil markets immediately drop after Trump and Iran say Hormuz is open

Even as the U.S.-Iran ceasefire appeared to hold, the back-and-forth over the strait through which roughly one-fifth of the worlds oil typically passes highlighted how easily it could unravel

Control over the strait has proven to be one Irans main points of leverage and prompted the United States to deploy forces and initiate a blockade on Iranian ports as part of an effort to force Iran to accept a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire to end almost seven weeks of war that has raged between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.

A data firm, Kpler, said movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Irans approval.

U.S. forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, U.S. Central Command said on X.

Three people received sentences of jail time for an insurance fraud scheme that alleged a bear had damaged luxury vehicles. Only there was no bear, just a person wearing a bear suit and wielding claw-style utensils.

California authorities say Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, were sentenced for their roles in a scheme that netted more than $140,000 in insurance payouts for damage to luxury vehicles.

Video footage shows someone wearing the bear suit staged attacks on the cars, which were then claimed against insurance. The vehicles involved included a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

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All three individuals pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud. They were sentenced to serve 180 days in jail on weekends, pay more than $100,000 in restitution and serve two years of probation.

A fourth individual, 39-year-old Ararat Chirkinian, is expected in court in September of 2026.

There was a near miss on an airport tarmac Wednesday between an American Airlines plane and a truck.

Video from Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina shows the pilot of the plane had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision.

On air traffic control radio, the pilot can be heard telling the tower about the near miss. Thankfully no one was hurt, and the plane was able to take off after a brief pause.

A similar incident happened at New York's Laguardia Airport last month, when an Air Canada plane crashed into a fire truck crossing the active runway.

RELATED STORY | Stop, truck 1, stop: Audio captures moments before deadly plane crash

Surveillance video of that incident showed the crash and the fire truck rolling before coming to a stop. The pilot and co-pilot aboard the aircraft were killed. Two people were inside the truck, and both survived.

A preliminary analysis shows the plane was traveling 104 mph when it collided with the truck.

In the aftermath, the controller can be heard closing the airport: LaGuardia Airport is closed at this time. No aircraft in or out.

Sky-high ticket prices wont be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring.

Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday.

Thats nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattans Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking wont be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match.

The home stadium for both the NFLs New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has suggested the upcharge was necessary to ensure that her states commuters werent stuck with a tab for years to come for hosting the World Cup on its return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.

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NJ Transit officials said it would cost $62 million to transport fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament, and that outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses.

Charging $150 to each of the estimated 40,000 fans expected to take the rails before each game essentially offsets the Garden States projected $48 million transit bill, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.

This isnt price gouging, he told reporters Friday. Were literally trying to recoup our costs.

Transit prices in Boston also will be high

Taking public transit to World Cup matches in Boston's suburbs will also be costly.

Express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFLs New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.

And thousands of fans have already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from Boston to the commuter rail station near the stadium. Thats four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events. Unlike MetLife, Gillette isnt a short hop from downtown. The stadium is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Boston.

Other cities are keeping fares the same

Other World Cup host cities have pledged to keep their transit fares unchanged, noting that the U.S. government has provided some $100 million in transit grants to host cities to provide enhanced bus and rail service.

In Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, theyre locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90.

Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 roundtrip. Its also offering a free bus from the airport to downtown.

Kolluri said the fundamental difference with some of those cities is that their stadiums are located within city limits with more transit options than MetLifes more suburban surroundings.

New Jerseys governor, a Democrat who took office in January, said her administration also inherited an agreement where FIFA, international soccers governing body, contributed $0 for transportation while leaving the states perpetually cash-strapped transit agency stuck with a $48 million bill.

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As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans, Sherrill said Friday. If it wont, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day.

FIFA says it shouldn't pay

FIFA has bristled at the suggestion, noting that the agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches. It also argued that no other major event held at MetLife has been required to pay for fan transportation.

We are quite surprised by the NJ Governors approach today on fan transportation, the organization said in a statement Thursday, as news reports of the reported fare began to circulate. FIFA worked for years with host cities on transportation and mobility plans, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host cities for transportation.

The huge increase in the fare to MetLife also drew an objection from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me, the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was first reported by sports outlet The Athletic.

Alternatives to taking the train to MetLife Stadium will be almost as pricey.

A shuttle bus fleet with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip. Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.