Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbor's land.

The barrage injured at least 23 people and inflicted severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets.

It was a harsh, sleepless night, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.

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Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the countrys air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack.

Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said her home was destroyed in the attack.

We were all in the (basement) shelter because it was so loud, staying home would have been suicidal, she told The Associated Press. We went down 10 minutes before and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter, people were panicking.

Trump not happy with Russia's attacks

The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy called the timing of the strikes a deliberate signal that Moscow has no intention of ending the war.

Trump said he would call Zelenskyy on Friday. U.S.-led international peace efforts have been fruitless so far. Recent direct peace talks have led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war, wounded troops and the bodies of fallen soldiers. No date has been set for further negotiations.

RELATED STORY | US halting shipment of certain air defense weapons and other munitions to Ukraine

Ukrainian officials and the Russian Defense Ministry said another prisoner swap took place Friday, though neither side said how many soldiers were involved. Zelenskyy said most of the Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian soldiers were classified as wounded and seriously ill.

When asked if he made any progress during his call with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said: No, I didnt make any progress with him today at all.

Im very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin because I dont think hes there. I dont think hes looking to stop (the fighting), and thats too bad, Trump said.

According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the root causes of the conflict.

Russia will not back down from these goals, Ushakov told reporters after the call.

Russias army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called out Russian disinformation efforts.

Pentagon halts deliveries of air defense missiles

The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraines main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.

The Ukrainian response needs to be speedy as Russia escalates its aerial attacks. Russia launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine in June, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier this week that Russia also launched more than 330 missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian towns and cities that month.

Throughout the night, AP journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault.

Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. One of the worst so far.

Ukraines Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described families running into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, mass destruction in the heart of our capital.

What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror, she wrote on X.

Kyiv was the primary target of the countrywide attack. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Zelenskyy called the Kyiv attack cynical. In Moscow, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and other military equipment in Kyiv.

Russia strikes 5 Ukrainian regions

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed.

Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell across at least 33 sites.

In addition to the capital, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Kyiv regions also sustained damage, Zelenskyy said.

Emergency services reported damage in at least five of Kyiv's 10 districts.

About 200 U.S. Marines are deploying to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Florida, U.S. Northern Command said Thursday.

The Marines would deploy from Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina to assist with "critical administrative and logistical capabilities at locations as directed by ICE."

The soldiers would not perform law-enforcement tasks, NORTHCOM said, and would be "specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain."

It was not clear if the deployment had any association with a new immigration detention center built in the Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," that began operation this week.

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The Pentagon announced in June it would deploy more active-duty soldiers to protect federal agents and property under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows for federal control and funding of the armed forces, including the National Guard.

Additional Marines will begin similar missions in Louisiana and Texas, NORTHCOM said.

Their numbers will join the roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and U.S. Marines who have been sent to California under Title 10 to protect ICE personnel and federal buildings.

A comet has entered the Solar System from interstellar space and will pass harmlessly through the inner planets later this year, NASA says.

The comet, designated 3I/ATLAS, appeared to approach the Solar System from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. Its path will bring it inside the orbit of Mars sometime in October, at a closest distance of about 130 million miles from the Sun.

The comet poses no threat to Earth. At its closest, it will be about 150 million miles away from the planet.

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The first confirmed observations came on July 1 from ATLAS, a ground-based telescope network funded by NASA and run by the University of Hawaii. The group of telescopes is designed to spot moving objects in the night sky and give early warning for any that may pass near to or potentially impact Earth.

Comet 3I/ATLAS will be visible to telescopes on the ground until September, and then again in December once it completes its closest pass to the Sun.

Republicans muscled President Donald Trump's tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of July 4th.

At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.

RELATED STORY | Trump scores legislative win as Congress passes his 'big, beautiful bill'

Democrats united against the legislation, but were powerless to stop it as long as Republicans stayed united. The Senate passed the bill, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. The House passed an earlier iteration of the bill in May with just one vote to spare. It passed the final version 218-214.

Here's the latest on what's in the bill.

Tax cuts are the priority

Republicans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Trump's first term expire. The legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump's first term.

It would temporarily add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There's also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits.

It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit.

A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It's a provision important to New York and other high tax states, though the House wanted it to last for 10 years.

There are scores of business-related tax cuts, including allowing businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research. Proponents say this will boost economic growth.

The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House's version.

Money for deportations, a border wall and the Golden Dome

The bill would provide some $350 billion for Trump's border and national security agenda, including for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for 100,000 migrant detention facility beds, as he aims to fulfill his promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.

Money would go for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers, as well. The goal is to deport some 1 million people per year.

To help pay for it, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections.

For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for ship building, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system. The Defense Department would have $1 billion for border security.

How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid and other programs

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for people below the poverty line .

Republicans argue they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.

The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the programs work requirements.

There's also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services.

More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama's Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most already work, according to analysts.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.

Republicans are looking to have states pick up some of the cost for SNAP benefits. Currently, the federal government funds all benefit costs. Under the bill, states beginning in 2028 will be required to contribute a set percentage of those costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6%. Payment errors include both underpayments and overpayments.

But the Senate bill temporarily delays the start date of that cost-sharing for states with the highest SNAP error rates. Alaska has the highest error rate in the nation at nearly 25%, according to Department of Agriculture data. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had fought for the exception. She was a decisive vote in getting the bill through the Senate.

A death sentence for clean energy?

Republicans are proposing to dramatically roll back tax breaks designed to boost clean energy projects fueled by renewable sources such as energy and wind. The tax breaks were a central component of President Joe Biden's 2022 landmark bill focused on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs.

Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden went so far as to call the GOP provisions a death sentence for Americas wind and solar industries and an inevitable hike in utility bills.

A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles would expire on Sept. 30 of this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law.

Meanwhile, a tax credit for the production of critical materials will be expanded to include metallurgical coal used in steelmaking.

Trump savings accounts and so, so much more

A number of extra provisions reflect other GOP priorities.

The bill creates a new children's savings program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury.

The Senate provided $40 million to establish Trumps long-sought National Garden of American Heroes.

There's a new excise tax on university endowments and a new tax on remittances, or transfers of money that people in the U.S. send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer.

A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated.

One provision bars for one year Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood.

Another section expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a hard-fought provision from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for those impacted by nuclear development and testing.

Billions would go for the Artemis moon mission and for the exploration of Mars, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee.

Additionally, a provision would increase the nation's debt limit, by $5 trillion, to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills.

Last-minute changes

The Senate overwhelmingly revolted against a proposal meant to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence. Republican governors across the country asked for the moratorium to be removed and the Senate voted to do so with a resounding 99-1 vote.

A provision was thrown in at the final hours that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years, or $50 billion in total. The Senate bill had originally provided $25 billion for the program, but that number was upped to win over holdout GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warning that reduced Medicaid provider taxes would hurt rural hospitals.

The amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China.

What's the final cost?

Altogether, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034.

Or not, depending on how one does the math.

Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already current policy. Republican senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach.

Under the alternative Senate GOP view, the bill would reduce deficits by almost half a trillion dollars over the coming decade, the CBO said.

Democrats say this is magic math that obscures the true costs of the tax breaks. Some nonpartisan groups worried about the country's fiscal trajectory are siding with Democrats in that regard. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says Senate Republicans were employing an accounting gimmick that would make Enron executives blush.

Nissan is recalling more than 480,000 of its vehicles across the U.S. and Canada due to potential manufacturing defects that could cause engine failure.

The recall covers certain Nissan Rogues between 2021-2024 model years and 2019-2020 Altimas as well as a number of 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50s and 2022 Infiniti QX55s sold under the automaker's luxury brand, according to Nissan and documents published by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week.

The vehicles impacted carry specific "VC-Turbo" engines that may have manufacturing defects in their bearings, the NHTSA's recall report notes. This may cause engine damage and possibly lead to engine failure while driving, the regulator warns increasing crash risks.

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Engine bearing failures "are not typically instantaneous and tend to progress over time," the NHTSA's recall report notes. That means effected drivers may see multiple warning signs to look out for including abnormal noises or malfunction indicator lights.

In the U.S., 443,899 vehicles are covered in this recall, per NHTSA documents. And in Canada, 37,837 are affected, a Nissan spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

As a remedy, the NHSTA's recall report notes, Nissan and Infiniti dealers will inspect the engine pan of these-now recalled cars and repair or replace the engine if necessary. The recall covers vehicles with either 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engines. Potential repairs which will be performed free of charge will depend on the engine and whether or not debris is detected during the inspection.

In an emailed statement, Nissan said it initiated this recall as part of its "ongoing commitment to customer safety." And in late August, the company added, notification letters will be mailed out to affected owners "with instructions to bring their vehicle to a Nissan dealer or INFINITI retailer for inspection and repair if necessary."

In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Nissan's recall lookup.

The U.S. is about to break a record for the number of reported measles cases in a year since the infection was considered eliminated in 2000.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 1,267 confirmed measles cases so far this year.

The last annual high was 1,274 during an outbreak in 2019. Prior to 2000, the record high number of cases occurred in 1990.

The CDC said 12% of the measles cases to date have required hospitalization. Three cases have resulted in deaths, including two young children in Texas the epicenter of the ongoing outbreak and an adult in New Mexico.

Nearly 40 states have reported at least one measles case so far this year, but Texas still has the highest outbreak numbers with over 700 cases.

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The Wyoming Department of Health reported its first case of measles in the state in 15 years.

Overwhelming 92% of the cases involved individuals who had not been vaccinated against the infection.

Health experts said the best way to avoid getting the highly contagious infection is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old, and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

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Adults can get another MMR shot if there are concerns about immunity waning off, according to the CDC.

Measles is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The CDC said you can get measles just by being in a room that an infected person was in up to two hours beforehand.

It's more than just the rash associated with the infection. Measles impacts the respiratory system, and cause a high fever, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes.

The CDC said most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and even death.

A day in the fields of California's Central Coast reveals the harsh reality of agricultural labor amid increased immigration enforcement, with workers fearing detention while performing essential jobs, they say, that few Americans want.

Farmworker Benito spends his days harvesting cilantro in Ventura County, California, starting before sunrise and working through what he calls backbreaking conditions for modest pay. His work is now shadowed by fear after federal immigration agents detained about 40 workers at a nearby farm in early June.

Benito spoke with ABC 10News reporter Laura Acevedo for an interview, conducted in Spanish. His quotes in this article have been translated.

RELATED STORY | California farmer warns immigration enforcement threatens food supply

"No one works in peace anymore," Benito said.

Benito's day begins around 5:30 a.m., as his wife prepares homemade tortillas and packs his lunch for the long workday ahead. By 6 a.m., he's in the field, ready to harvest cilantro.

"I have constant pain in my back, knees and feet from being bent over for hours at a time," Benito said.

The work is methodical and physically demanding. Benito demonstrated how they cut, tie, and pack the cilantro, one bushel at a time. Thirty bushels fit into a box, and he earns $1 for every box packed. On a good day, that's about 150 to 200 boxes.

RELATED STORY | Farmworkers in California living in fear after ICE raids

Since workers are paid based on the amount they harvest, Benito couldn't stop working for a formal interview. The interview was conducted as he picked cilantro nonstop.

Benito's wife works alongside him in the fields. The day the Scripps News Group did the story was her first day back to work in 20 days. She had stayed home out of fear since the nearby immigration raid.

The crew started the day with four workers and a target of 700 boxes to fill an order. By afternoon, two additional workers joined to help meet the quota. Despite a minor setback when Benito cut his finger and had to tend to the wound briefly, the team packed a total of 794 boxes in roughly 10 hours of work.

"Crops like this cilantro would rot if workers continued to be detained or deported," Benito said. "I don't think everyday Americans are interested in doing this type of work for such little pay."

This story was reported on-air by Laura Acevedo with the Scripps News Group station in San Diego, and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino's films, has died. He was 66.

Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes, and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager, Ron Smith, said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.

Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer while dancing to Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You" as Mr. Blonde in 1992's "Reservoir Dogs."

He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the "Kill Bill" films and "The Hateful Eight."

"In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films 'Resurrection Road,' 'Concessions and 'Cookbook for Southern Housewives,' and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life," his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement. They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many."

During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.

"I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn't know because I didn't know what I was going to do at that point with myself," he said. "I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor."

The first group of immigrants has arrived at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades that officials have dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," a spokesperson for Republican state Attorney General James Uthmeier told The Associated Press.

"People are there," Press Secretary Jae Williams said, though he didn't immediately provide further details on the number of detainees or when they arrived.

"Next stop: back to where they came from," Uthmeier said on the X social media platform on Wednesday. He's been credited as the architect behind the Everglades proposal.

RELATED STORY | President Trump tours newly opened migrant detention center 'Alligator Alcatraz'

"Stood up in record time under @GovRonDeSantis ' leadership & in coordination with @DHSgov & @ICEgov, Florida is proud to help facilitate @realDonaldTrump 's mission to enforce immigration law," the account for the Florida Division of Emergency Management posted to the social media site X on Thursday. Requests for additional information from the office of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDEM, which is building the site, were not returned early Thursday afternoon.

The facility, at an airport used for training, will have an initial capacity of about 3,000 detainees, DeSantis said. The center was built in eight days and features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel.

Immigrants who are arrested by Florida law enforcement officers under the federal government's 287(g) program will be taken to the facility, according to an official in President Donald Trump's administration. The program is led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and allows police officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation.

The facility is expected to be expanded in 500-bed increments until it has an estimated 5,000 beds by early July.

A group of Florida Democratic state lawmakers headed to the facility Thursday to conduct "an official legislative site visit," citing concerns about conditions for detainees and the awarding of millions of dollars in state contracts for the construction.

"As lawmakers, we have both the legal right and moral responsibility to inspect this site, demand answers, and expose this abuse before it becomes the national blueprint," the legislators said in a joint statement ahead of the visit.

Federal agencies signaled their opposition Thursday to a lawsuit brought by environmental groups seeking to halt operations at the detention center. Though Trump applauded the center during an official tour earlier this week, the filing on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security seemed to try to distance his administration from the facility, and said no federal money to date has been spent on it.

"DHS has not implemented, authorized, directed, or funded Florida's temporary detention center. Florida is constructing and operating the facility using state funds on state lands under state emergency authority and a preexisting general delegation of federal authority to implement immigration functions," the U.S. filing says.

Human rights advocates and Native American tribes have also protested against the center, contending it is a threat to the fragile Everglades system, would be cruel to detainees because of heat and mosquitoes, and is on land the tribes consider sacred.

It's also located at a place prone to frequent heavy rains, which caused some flooding in the tents Tuesday during a visit by President Donald Trump to mark its opening. State officials say the complex can withstand a Category 2 hurricane, which packs winds of between 96 and 110 mph (154 and 177 kph), and that contractors worked overnight to shore up areas where flooding occurred.

According to images shared with the AP, overnight Wednesday, workers put up new signs labeled "Alligator Alcatraz" along the sole highway leading to the site and outside the entrance of the airfield that has been known as the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. State officials seized the county-owned land where the facility is located using emergency powers authorized by an executive order issued by the governor.

DeSantis and other state officials say locating the facility in the rugged and remote Florida Everglades is meant as a deterrent and naming it after the notorious federal prison of Alcatraz, an island fortress known for its brutal conditions, is meant to send a message. It's another sign of how the Trump administration and its allies are relying on scare tactics to try to persuade people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.

State and federal officials have touted the plans on social media and conservative airwaves, sharing a meme of a compound ringed with barbed wire and "guarded" by alligators wearing hats labeled "ICE" for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility's name.

The governments top vaccine official working under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently restricted the approval of two COVID-19 vaccines, disregarding recommendations from government scientists, according to federal documents released Wednesday.

The new memos from the Food and Drug Administration show how the agencys vaccine chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, personally intervened to place restrictions on COVID shots from vaccine makers Novavax and Moderna.

Both vaccines were approved by the FDA in May after months of analysis by rank-and-file FDA reviewers.

But internal correspondence shows Prasad disagreed with staffers who planned to approve the shots for everyone 12 and older, similar to previous COVID vaccines. The scientists had concluded the benefit from the vaccines and the risk of COVID-19 outweighed the risk of possible side effects, which are rare.

Instead Prasad decided the shots should be limited to those who face special risks from the virus seniors or children and adults with underlying medical issues.

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Prasad explained that the COVID vaccine benefits must be reconsidered in light of falling rates of death and hospitalization and the possibility for vaccine side effects. Its the latest in a series of vaccine restrictions imposed by officials working under Kennedy, who has long questioned the benefits of vaccines.

Even rare vaccination related harms both known and unknown now have higher chance of outweighing potential benefits Prasad wrote in a five-page memo explaining his decision.

COVID-19 remains a public health threat, resulting in 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and more than 250,000 hospitalizations since last fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most at risk for hospitalization are seniors and children under 2 especially infants under 6 months.

Top FDA leaders are typically not involved in the review of individual products. Officials like Prasad can overrule staffers, but such cases are rare and often controversial.

News of the FDA documents was first reported by the New York Times.

Prasad was hired to lead the FDAs vaccine center in May, after the previous director, Dr. Peter Marks, was forced to resign over disagreements with Kennedy. An academic researcher specializing in cancer therapies, Prasad came to prominence during the pandemic for criticizing public health measures, including the FDAs approval of COVID boosters for healthy adults and children.

Since arriving at the agency he has worked with FDA Commissioner Mark Makary on new guidelines that will limit approvals of future COVID boosters to higher-risk Americans, mainly seniors and those with medical conditions like asthma and obesity.

RELATED STORY | Kennedy names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic

Those limits match the terms FDA recently approved for Novavaxs shot, Nuvaxovid and Modernas mNexspike. Novavaxs vaccine is the only protein-based coronavirus vaccine available in the U.S. Modernas vaccine is an updated, lower-dose version of its existing mRNA-based vaccine.

The review team for the Novavax vaccine pointed to data from a study in 30,000 adults, concluding that the risk-benefit assessment for this vaccine technology remains favorable.

FDA staff reached a similar conclusion for the Moderna vaccine, deeming it similar in safety and effectiveness to the companys original shot.

Last week, the FDA finalized new warning labeling about the risk of myocarditis, a rare form of heart inflammation, on shots from Moderna and Pfizer, the other maker of an mRNA-based shot for COVID.

In his override memo, reversing FDA staffs decision on the Moderna shot, Prasad pointed to the ongoing risk of myocarditis and questions about its frequency. The agency ordered Moderna to conduct further studies of the risk as a condition for the approving its updated shot.

A spokesman for the administration said Prasad has raised serious concerns about the issue.

We will not ignore these risks and will ensure that the gold standard of science is used for any decisions, said Andrew Nixon, in an emailed statement.

Outside researchers have noted that cases of the heart condition tend to resolve quickly and are less severe than those associated with COVID infection itself, which can also cause myocarditis.

More than 360,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon have been recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The affected products were produced between April 24 and June 11 and sold nationwide under the following labels:

12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL 36-oz. packages containing three 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL 48-oz. packages containing four 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL

The potential contamination was discovered during routine testing by the manufacturer, which indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause serious illness.

RELATED STORY | 140,000 pounds of bologna recalled nationwide

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria can lead to severe intestinal infection, particularly in pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

As of now, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled products. However, officials advise anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures to contact their health care provider immediately.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia said he suffered severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation and psychological torture in the notorious El Salvador prison the Trump administration had deported him to in March, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

He said he was kicked and hit so often after arrival that by the following day, he had visible bruises and lumps all over his body. He said he and 20 others were forced to kneel all night long and guards hit anyone who fell.

Abrego Garcia was living in Maryland when he was mistakenly deported and became a flashpoint in President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown. The new details of Abrego Garcias incarceration in El Salvador were added to a lawsuit against the Trump administration that Abrego Garcias wife filed in Maryland federal court after he was deported.

The Trump administration has asked a federal judge in Maryland to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it is now moot because the government returned him to the United States as ordered by the court.

A U.S. immigration judge in 2019 had barred Abrego Garcia from being deported back to his native El Salvador because he likely faced persecution there by local gangs who had terrorized him and his family. The Trump administration deported him there despite the judges 2019 order and later described it as an administrative error. Trump and other officials have since doubled down on claims Abrego Garcia was in the MS-13 gang.

On March 15, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador and sent to the countrys mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT.

In the new court documents, Abrego Garcia said detainees at CECOT were confined to metal bunks with no mattresses in an overcrowded cell with no windows, bright lights that remained on 24 hours a day, and minimal access to sanitation.

He said prison officials told him repeatedly that they would transfer him to cells with people who were gang members who would tear him apart. Abrego Garcia said he saw others in nearby cells violently harm each other and heard screams from people throughout the night.

His condition deteriorated and he lost more than 30 pounds in his first two weeks there, he said.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, visited Abrego Garcia in El Salvador in April. The senator said Abrego Garcia reported hed been moved from the mega-prison to a detention center with better conditions.

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The Trump administration continued to face mounting pressure and a Supreme Court order to return him to the United States. When the U.S. government brought back Abrego Garcia last month, it was to face federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time of Abrego Garcias return that this is what American justice looks like. But Abrego Garcias attorneys called the charges preposterous and an attempt to justify his mistaken expulsion.

A federal judge in Tennessee has ruled that Abrego Garcia is eligible for release -- under certain conditions -- as he awaits trial on the criminal charges in Tennessee. But she has kept him in jail for now at the request of his own attorneys over fears that he would be deported again upon release.

Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press last month that the department intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him again.

Separately, Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn told a federal judge in Maryland last month that the U.S. government plans to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country that isnt El Salvador. Guynn said there was no timeline for the deportation plans. But Abrego Garcias attorneys cited Guynns comments as a reason to fear he would be deported immediately.

The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a case over state restrictions on which school sports teams transgender students can join.

Just two weeks after upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, the justices said they will review lower court rulings in favor of transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia.

The nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls in girls' sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans have leveraged the issue as a fight for athletic fairness for women and girls.

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More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court.

At the federal level, the Trump administration has filed lawsuits and launched investigations over state and school policies that have allowed transgender athletes to compete freely. This week, the University of Pennsylvania modified a trio of school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and said it would apologize to female athletes "disadvantaged" by her participation on the women's swimming team, part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case.

Republican President Donald Trump also has acted aggressively in other areas involving transgender people, including removing transgender troops from military service. In May, the Supreme Court allowed the ouster of transgender service members to proceed, reversing lower courts that had blocked it.

The new case will be argued in the fall.

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West Virginia is appealing a lower-court ruling that found the ban violates the rights of Becky Pepper-Jackson, who has been taking puberty-blocking medication and has publicly identified as a girl since she was in the third grade. Pepper-Jackson sued the state when she was in middle school because she wanted to compete on the cross country and track teams.

This past school year, Pepper-Jackson qualified for the West Virginia girls high school state track meet, finishing third in the discus throw and eighth in the shot put in the Class AAA division.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for Pepper-Jackson in two areas, under the Constitution's equal protection clause and the landmark federal law known as Title IX that forbids sex discrimination in education.

Idaho in 2020 became the first state in the nation to ban transgender women and girls from playing on women's sports teams sponsored by public schools, colleges and universities.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the women's rights group Legal Voice sued Idaho on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, who hoped to run for Boise State University.

The state asked for Supreme Court review after lower courts blocked the state's ban while the lawsuit continues.

The justices did not act on a third case from Arizona that raises the same issue.

House Republicans passed President Donald Trumps sweeping legislative package, dubbed the big, beautiful bill. All but two House Republicans voted for the bill, which the Senate narrowly approved on Tuesday.

Trump had urged lawmakers to send the final version of the bill to his desk by July 4.

In comments in Iowa on Thursday evening, President Trump hailed the passage as a "phenomenal victory."

Thursday's House vote followed a late-night breakthrough after a small group of GOP holdouts ultimately relented, clearing a key procedural hurdle that allowed the bill to move forward.

Once the hurdle was cleared, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was granted whats known as the magic minute, which allows party leaders to speak for as long as they wish. Jeffries used the opportunity to deliver a marathon floor speech, ultimately breaking the record for the longest House speech previously held by Republican Kevin McCarthy.

"This disgusting abomination, the GOP tax scam that guts Medicaid, rips food from the mouths of children, seniors, and veterans, and rewards billionaires with massive tax breaks," Jeffries said. "Every single Democrat stands in strong opposition to this bill because we're standing up for the American people."

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The legislation fulfills several of Trumps key campaign promises. It includes a $4.5 trillion extension of tax cuts first implemented during his initial term.

Roughly $350 billion would go toward national security efforts, including funding for Trumps deportation agenda.

The bill would also allow many workers to deduct tips and overtime pay from their taxable income. Most Americans earning $75,000 or less annually would be eligible for up to a $6,000 deduction.

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Democrats have railed against the bill, arguing that low-income Americans will bear the brunt of its impact.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation would add $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit and cause nearly 12 million more Americans to lose health coverage.

A key provision introduces new Medicaid work requirements, set to take effect Dec. 31, 2026. States would be required to verify that able-bodied adults work at least 80 hours per month to remain eligible.

The bill would also shift the costs of food assistance programs such as SNAP to state governments beginning in fiscal year 2028.

U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump's economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Hiring rose modestly from a revised 144,000 in May and beat economists' expectations of fewer than 118,000 new jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate

The U.S. job market has cooled considerably from red-hot days of 2021-2023 when the economy bounced back with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns and companies were desperate for workers. So far this year, employers have added an average of 130,000 jobs a month, down from 168,000 in 2024 and an average of 400,000 from 2021 through 2023.

But the June numbers were surprisingly strong. State governments added 47,000 workers and healthcare companies 39,000. But manufacturers shed 7,000 jobs.

Labor Department revisions added 16,000 jobs to April and June payrolls. The number of unemployed people fell by 222,000.

Average hourly wages rose 0.2% from May and 3.7% from a year earlier, inching close to the 3.5% year-over-year number considered consistent with the Federal Reserve's 2% inflation target.

Hiring decelerated after the Fed raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. But the economy did not collapse, defying widespread predictions that the higher borrowing costs would cause a recession. Companies kept hiring, just at a more modest pace.

Employers are now contending with fallout from Trump's policies, especially his aggressive use of import taxes tariffs.

Mainstream economists say that tariffs raise prices for businesses and consumers alike and make the economy less efficient by reducing competition. They also invite retaliatory tariffs from other countries, hurting U.S. exporters.

The erratic way that Trump has rolled out his tariffs announcing and then suspending them, then coming up with new ones has left businesses bewildered.

Manufacturers responding to a survey released this week by the Institute for Supply Management complained that they and their customers were reluctant to make decisions until they understood where Trump's tariffs would end up. "That whiplash has to stop and it has to stay stopped," said Susan Spence, chair of the ISM's manufacturing survey committee.

Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother were killed in a car accident in Spain when the Lamborghini they were in veered off a road and burst into flames, police said Thursday.

The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed to The Associated Press that the 28-year-old Jota and his 25-year-old brother, Andr Silva, were found dead near the northwestern city of Zamora.

The accident occurred past midnight local time. Police said they were investigating the causes and the bodies were undergoing forensic analysis.

Jota and Silva, both Portuguese soccer players, were the only ones in the car, according to police.

It was not immediately clear who was driving but police have been looking into the possibility that the accident happened as a result of a blown tire while the car tried to overtake another vehicle.

The brothers were driving eastward along an isolated stretch of highway, about an hour west of Zamora, when the accident took place.

The car was incinerated, and they died inside, Spanish government official ngel Blanco said.

Spanish media have published video images of the crashs aftermath. They show tire marks veering off the road toward damaged guardrails, while the burnt-up car can be seen several meters away.

Firefighters were called in as flames from the crash spread into nearby vegetation, authorities said.

Jotas death comes weeks after he married Rute Cardoso and in a social media post wrote, Yes to forever. They had three children, the youngest born last year.

Jota also played for Portugals national team and helped it win the Nations League last month.

Silva played with Portuguese club Penafiel in the lower divisions.

Liverpool said the club was devastated by the tragic passing.

Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andres family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.

Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and won three major trophies with the Merseyside club including the Premier League title last season.

The Portuguese soccer federation released a statement lamenting the deaths. Federation president Pedro Proena said Portuguese soccer was completely devastated.

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More than a fantastic player, with almost 50 appearances for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his colleagues and opponents. He had a contagious joy and was a reference in his community, Proena said in the statement.

The Portuguese federation said it has requested a minute of silence before Thursday's match between Portugal and Spain at the Women's European Championship being played in Switzerland.

We lost two champions, Proena said. "Their deaths represent an irreparable loss for Portuguese soccer and we will all do our best to honor their legacy daily.

Portugals Prime Minister Lus Montenegro commented on the unexpected and tragic deaths. He said Jota was an athlete who greatly honored Portugals name.

I extend my deepest condolences to their family, he said. It is a sad day for soccer and for national and international sports.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer talked about the devastating news.

I am sure I speak for everyone in saying our first thoughts are going to be with his family and his friends in particular, he said. "There are millions of Liverpool fans but also football fans and non-fans who will also be shocked by this. It is devastating and really important we bear in mind just how difficult a period this will be for his friends and for his family.

Reaction also started pouring in from across the world, including from non-soccer players such as NBA star Lebron James a minority owner at Liverpool and tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

It doesn't make any sense, Jota's Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo said. Just now we were together in the national team, just now you had gotten married. My condolences to your family, to your wife and to your children. I wish them all the strength in the world. I know that you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andr. We will all miss you.

Former club Porto and former teammates lamented the deaths and sent condolences, as did other clubs, federations and leagues.

The Premier League said it was shocked and devastated.

Our sincerest condolences go to Diogos family, friends, Liverpool FC, and all their supporters at this heartbreaking time, it said. Football has lost a champion who will be forever missed. We will continue to support our friends and colleagues at the club.

UEFA said its thoughts were with relatives, friends and teammates affected by this heartbreaking loss. It said a moment of silence will be observed at Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday.

Good news for 4th of July road trippers: A gallon of regular gas will cost 34 cents less than it did last year.

GasBuddy says the nationwide average price will be $3.15 per gallon, the cheapest since 2021.

Southern states offer the best fuel prices right now, according to AAA, with prices ringing in at less than $3. Gas is currently most expensive on the West Coast, where a gallon of regular in Washington State will cost more than $4.

The relatively low prices are expected to contribute to a glut of on-road travel for the long holiday weekend: some 62 million Americans are forecasted to make a road trip this July 4th.

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David Bennett, senior automotive manager at AAA, spoke to Scripps News about preparing for a busier-than-usual road trip season.

Bennett recommends that drivers take their vehicles in for routine maintenance before hitting the road. For those short on time or money, he suggests at least checking tire tread and topping off essential fluids.

Once on the road, Bennett advises travelers to pack water and nonperishable food in case of an emergency. He also recommends carrying a first aid kit and basic tools.

President Trump on Tuesday threatened New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with arrest, should he be elected and follow through with a campaign promise to "stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors."

Speaking on Tuesday during a visit to a new migrant detention facility just opened in Florida, President Trump said the Justice Department would react swiftly to any such obstruction to ICE's operations.

"Well then, we'll have to arrest him," President Trump said.

"Look, we don't need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I'm going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation," he said.

The comments are President Trump's latest attack on Mamdani, who he called a "total nut job" earlier on Tuesday.

"A lot of people are saying he's here illegally," Trump said, without evidence, on Tuesday.

On Sunday, President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from New York if, should Mamdani be elected mayor, he didn't "behave himself."

"If he does get in, Im going to be president, and hes going to have to do the right thing, or theyre not getting any money. Hes got to do the right thing or theyre not getting any money," President Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

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Mamdani, who formally clinched a win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the state's Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, has called President Trump's latest comments "intimidation."

"His statements don't just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you," Mamdani said. "We will not accept this intimidation."

The U.S. will temporarily halt shipments of certain weapons systems to Ukraine, according to White House officials.

Scripps News confirmed the development with the White House on Tuesday.

"This decision was made to put Americas interests first following a DOD review of our nations military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told Scripps News in a statement. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned just ask Iran."

According to reporting from multiple outlets, weapons being halted include munitions for Patriot air defense batteries, artillery rounds and Stinger, Hellfire and AIM-7 missiles. According to the reporting, the Pentagon has paused shipments while it reviews stockpiles of munitions, and may keep shipments paused if levels are found to be too low or if munitions are needed elsewhere.

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Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. began shipments of air defenses, artillery ammunition and other advanced weapons to Ukraine.

There were concerns then, too, that shipments may deplete U.S. stockpiles that may be needed in the event of other conflicts.

President Trump has acknowledged Ukraine's need for weapons systems, but also said the U.S. has need of the same tools.

They do want to have the anti-missile missiles, Trump said at the NATO conference in June. Were going to see if we can make some available.

"Theyre very hard to get. We need them, too," the president said.