The Cleveland Browns picked Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders 144th overall in the NFL Draft Saturday.

The fifth round pick was much later than many draft forecasts predicted. Sanders was considered one of the highest-profile quarterback candidates going into this year's draft, second only to no. 1 pick Cam Ward, who went to the Tennessee Titans.

RELATED STORY | 2025 NFL Draft: Cam Ward goes No. 1 to Titans

Shedeur is the son of NFL Hall of Fame returner Deion Sanders, who played for five NFL teams, also played in Major League Baseball and who now coaches the Colorado Buffaloes.

Shedeur set a record 4,134 passing yards while playing for Colorado last year. He played there alongside cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter, who was picked second overall in this year's draft by the Jaguars.

Sanders will now join the quarterback roster on the Browns, which includes Oregons Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted in the third round.

Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson is not expected to play in the upcoming season due to an achilles tendon injury.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have in recent days deported a Cuban-born mother of a 1-year-old girl, separating them indefinitely, and in another case a 2-year-old girl who is a U.S. citizen along with her Honduran-born mother, their lawyers say.

Both cases raise questions about who is being deported, and why, and come amid a battle in federal courts over whether President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has gone too far and too quickly at the expense of fundamental rights.

Lawyers in the two cases described how their clients were arrested at routine check-ins at ICE offices, given virtually no opportunity to speak with lawyers or their family members and then deported within two or three days.

A federal judge in Louisiana raised questions about the deportation of the 2-year-old girl, saying the government had not proven that it had done so properly.

The American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigration Project and several other allied groups said in a statement that that case and another in New Orleans that involves deporting children who are U.S. citizens are a shocking although increasingly common abuse of power.

Lawyers for the girl's father insisted he wanted the girl to remain with him in the U.S., while ICE contended the mother had wanted the girl to be deported with her to Honduras, claims that weren't fully vetted by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana.

Doughty in a Friday order scheduled a hearing on May 16 in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process," he wrote.

The Honduran-born mother was arrested Tuesday along with the 2-year-old girl and her 11-year-old Honduran-born sister during a check-in appointment at an ICE office in New Orleans. Both the mother and 11-year-old girl apparently had outstanding deportation orders. The family lived in Baton Rouge.

Doughty called government lawyers on Friday to speak to the woman while she was in the air on a deportation plane, only to be called back less than an hour later saying a conversation was impossible because she had just been released in Honduras.

In a Thursday court filing, lawyers for the father said ICE indicated that it was holding the 2-year-old girl in a bid to induce the father to turn himself in. His lawyers did not describe his immigration status, but said he has legally delegated the custody of his daughters to his sister-in-law, a U.S. citizen who also lives in Baton Rouge.

RELATED STORY | FBI arrests Milwaukee judge for allegedly helping an immigrant avoid ICE custody

In Florida, meanwhile, a Cuban-born woman who is the mother of a 1-year-old girl and the wife of a U.S. citizen was detained at a scheduled check-in appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Tampa, her lawyer said Saturday.

Heidy Snchez was held without any communication and flown to Cuba two days later. She is still breastfeeding her daughter, who suffers from seizures, her lawyer, Claudia Caizares, said.

Caizares said she tried to file paperwork with ICE to contest the deportation Thursday morning but ICE refused to accept it, saying Snchez was already gone, although Caizares said she doesn't think that was true.

Caizares said she told ICE that she was planning to reopen Snchez' case to help her remain in the U.S. legally, but ICE told her that Snchez can pursue the case while she's in Cuba.

I think theyre following orders that they need to remove a certain amount of people by day and they dont care, honestly, Caizares said.

Snchez is not a criminal and has a strong case on humanitarian grounds for allowing her to stay in the U.S., Caizares said, but ICE isn't taking that into consideration when it has to meet what the lawyer said were deportation benchmarks.

Snchez had an outstanding deportation order stemming from a missed hearing in 2019, for which she was detained for nine months, Caizares said. Cuba apparently refused to accept Sanchez back at the time, so Sanchez was released in 2020 and ordered to maintain a regular schedule of check-ins with ICE, Caizares said.

Iran and the United States held in-depth negotiations in Oman over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program on Saturday, ending the discussions with a promise for more talks and perhaps another high-level meeting next weekend.

The talks ran for several hours in Muscat, the mountain-wrapped capital of this sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula.

A person close to Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, acknowledged that the meeting had started and later ended. The source spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. Iranian state television also reported their conclusion.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television after the talks that the parties exchanged written points throughout the day in discussions that he described as very serious and work-focused.

This time, the negotiations were much more serious than in the past, and we gradually entered into deeper and more detailed discussions," he said. We have moved somewhat away from broader, general discussions though it is not the case that all disagreements have been resolved. Differences still exist both on major issues and on the details.

A senior U.S. administration official said that the talks were positive and productive.

This latest round of direct and indirect discussions lasted over four hours, the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks. There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal. We agreed to meet again soon, in Europe, and we thank our Omani partners for facilitating these talks.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has mediated the two previous round of talks in Muscat and Rome, offered a positive note at the end of Saturday's negotiations.

Iran and the U.S. identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments, al-Busaidi posted on X. Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed. Talks will continue next week with a further high level meeting provisionally scheduled for May 3.

Araghchi arrived Friday in Oman on the eve of the talks and visited the Muscat International Book Fair, surrounded by television cameras and photojournalists. Witkoff was in Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and arrived on Saturday to Oman.

Meanwhile on Saturday, a major explosion rocked a port in southern Iran just after the talks began, killing four people and injuring more than 500 others. Authorities offered no immediate cause for the blast, which appeared to have been caused by a highly combustible material though officials ruled out its oil and gas industry. The private security firm also linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant to the port as well.

RELATED STORY | Trump: U.S. will talk with Iran but says Tehran can't have nuclear weapons

Nuclear talks come after decades of tensions

The talks seek to limit Irans nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic closing in on a half-century of enmity.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Irans program if a deal isnt reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers did limit Tehran's program. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, setting in motion years of attacks and tensions. The wider Middle East also remains on edge over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Trump, traveling to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, again said that he hoped negotiations would lead to a new nuclear deal. However, he still held out the possibility of a military strike if they didn't.

The Iran situation is coming out very well, Trump said on Air Force One. We've had a lot of talks with them and I think we're going to have a deal. I'd much rather have a deal than the other alternative. That would be good for humanity."

He added: There are some people that want to make a different kind of a deal a much nastier deal and I dont want that to happen to Iran if we can avoid it.

Talks turn to experts

From the Iranian side, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi headed up Tehrans expert team, said Mohammad Golzari, an Iranian government official. Takht-e Ravanchi took part in the 2015 nuclear talks.

The U.S. technical team was led by Michael Anton, the director of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubios policy planning staff. Anton doesn't have the nuclear policy experience of those who led Washingtons efforts in the 2015 talks.

Iran has insisted that keeping its enrichment is key. But Witkoff has muddied the issue by first suggesting in a television interview that Iran could enrich uranium at 3.67%, then later saying that all enrichment must stop. The demand that all enrichment stop also has been repeated by Rubio.

However, Iranians remain hopeful that the talks could be successful, as the Iranian rial has rebounded from historic lows during which it took more than 1 million rials to buy $1.

Its OK to negotiate, to make the nuclear program smaller or bigger, and reach a deal, Tehran resident Farzin Keivan said. Of course we shouldnt give them everything. After all, weve suffered a lot for this program.

RELATED STORY | Iran and US envoys hold 1st negotiation over Tehran's nuclear program, and talk face-to-face

The Department of Government Efficiency is reportedly building a large cross-agency government database of potentially sensitive information, sparking new concerns from lawmakers about the security of Americans' Social Security data and other personal information.

A letter this month from Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, the ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, says whistleblower information suggests DOGE is "rapidly, haphazardly, and unlawfully" making changes at the Social Security Administration.

"The DOGE team is reportedly engaged in an unprecedented effort to build a massive database using data from SSA and across the federal government, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and other agencies," Connolly wrote.

"It is my hope that shedding sunlight on the opaque operations of DOGE at SSA will stop further damage to the agency and prevent a potentially calamitous disruption to the benefit payments that serve as a lifeline for more than 70 million Americans."

The letter asks SSA auditors to find out what DOGE accessed, what it may have changed and whether it was compliant with data privacy and cybersecurity laws.

RELATED STORY | No, Elon Musk, millions of immigrants are not committing Social Security fraud

Multiple outlets have since reported that the database could be used for tracking immigrants and and enforcing immigration policies.

Both CNN and Wired cite anonymous sources familiar with the operation, who say the database could be used to identify and monitor immigrants, including those who have violated civil immigration laws.

According to CNN's reporting, DOGE is working with data analytics company Palantir to build the database.

Scripps News has not yet independently verified the reporting.

A massive explosion and fire rocked a port Saturday in southern Iran purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, killing eight people and injuring around 750 others.

Helicopters dumped water from the air on the raging fire hours after the initial explosion, which happened at the Shahid Rajaei port just as Iran and the United States met Saturday in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program.

No one in Iran outright suggested that the explosion came from an attack. However, even Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led the talks, on Wednesday acknowledged that our security services are on high alert given past instances of attempted sabotage and assassination operations designed to provoke a legitimate response.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni gave the casualty figure in an interview on state television. But there were few details on what sparked the blaze just outside of Bandar Abbas, which burned into Saturday night, causing other containers to reportedly explode.

Video shows explosion and fire that rocked a port Saturday in southern Iran

Security firm says port received chemical for missile fuel

The port took in a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel in March, the private security firm Ambrey said. The fuel is part of a shipment from China by two vessels to Iran first reported in January by the Financial Times. The fuel was going to be used to replenish Iran's missile stocks, which had been depleted by its direct attacks on Israel during the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles," Ambrey said.

Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press put one of the vessels believed to be carrying the chemical in the vicinity in March, as Ambrey said. Iran hasn't acknowledged taking the shipment. The Iranian mission to the United Nations didn't respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

It's unclear why Iran wouldn't have moved the chemicals from the port, particularly after the Beirut port blast in 2020. That explosion, caused by the ignition of hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 others. However, Israel did target Iranian missile sites where Tehran uses industrial mixers to create solid fuel.

Social media footage of the explosion on Saturday at Shahid Rajaei saw reddish-hued smoke rising from the fire just before the detonation. That suggests a chemical compound being involved in the blast like in the Beirut explosion.

Get back get back! Tell the gas (truck) to go!" a man in one video shouted just before the blast. "Tell him to go, its going to blow up! Oh God, this is blowing up! Everybody evacuate! Get back! Get back!

On Saturday night, the state-run IRNA news agency said that the Customs Administration of Iran blamed a stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area" for the blast, without elaborating.

An aerial shot released by Iranian media after the blast showed fires burning at multiple locations in the port, with authorities later warning about air pollution from chemicals such as ammonia, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air. Schools in Bandar Abbas will be closed Sunday as well.

RELATED STORY | Iran and the US hold hours of expert talks in Oman over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program

Port a major destination for Iranian cargo

Shahid Rajaei has been a target before. A 2020 cyberattack attributed to Israel targeted the port. It came after Israel said that it thwarted a cyberattack targeting its water infrastructure, which it attributed to Iran. Israeli officials didn't respond to requests for comment regarding Saturday's explosion.

Social media videos showed black billowing smoke after the blast. Others showed glass blown out of buildings kilometers, or miles, away from the epicenter of the explosion. State media footage showed the injured crowding into at least one hospital, with ambulances arriving as medics rushed one person by on a stretcher.

Hasanzadeh, the provincial disaster management official, earlier told state television that the blast came from containers at Shahid Rajaei port in the city, without elaborating. State television also reported that there had been a building collapse caused by the explosion, though no further details were offered.

The Interior Ministry said that it launched an investigation into the blast. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also offered his condolences for those affected in the blast.

Shahid Rajaei port in Hormozgan province is about 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran, on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil traded passes.

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at the Vatican Saturday before attending the funeral of Pope Francis, according to the White House.

An image shared by the White House shows President Trump and Zelenskyy seated face-to-face in chairs in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Major details of the leaders' discussion have not yet been released. The two leaders spoke for about 15 minutes before the funeral.

The White House called the discussion "very productive."

We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered," Zelenskyy posted on social media. "Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you."

Both heads of state were among 12 reigning monarchs and 55 heads of state the Vatican said attended Francis' funeral.

President Trump reportedly returned to the airport immediately after the funeral to prepare for the return flight to the U.S.

RELATED STORY | Pope Francis' funeral draws crowds of the faithful to St. Peter's Square

The meeting comes as President Trump continues to push Russia and Ukraine to meet and work toward a peace deal.

In comments posted on social media Friday, President Trump said he believes a deal between the two countries is close.

"Success seems to be in the future" he wrote, and later in the day: "They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to 'finish it off.' Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW."

But on Saturday, he expressed more skepticism.

"There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days," President Trump said on social media. "It makes me think that maybe he doesnt want to stop the war, hes just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently."

RELATED STORY | Trump makes new calls for Russia and Ukraine to push forward peace deal

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Rome on Saturday, April 26, 2025, to pay their final respects to Pope Francis.

WATCH A REPLAY OF THE FUNERAL FOR POPE FRANCIS ON SCRIPPS NEWS

The funeral of Pope Francis

The pope's funeral was held at St. Peters Square, the same place where he often celebrated Mass and spoke to the faithful.

Those in attendance included approximately 250 cardinals, along with Catholic bishops, priests, and nuns. The Vatican said 12 reigning monarchs and 55 heads of state would also attend the service, including President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to estimates from the Vatican, there were roughly 250,000 in attendance at the funeral at the square, with another 150,000 lining a processional route to pay respects as the pope's mortal remains were transferred to St. Mary Major Basilica.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered a eulogy sermon during the mass, recalling Francis' efforts to reach some of the most marginalized people in the world.

"He was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone," Re said. "The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open."

Francis had choreographed the funeral himself when he revised and simplified the Vaticans rites and rituals last year. His aim was to emphasize the popes role as a mere pastor and not a powerful man of this world.

It was a reflection of Francis 12-year project to radically reform the papacy, to stress priests as servants and to construct a poor church for the poor. He articulated the mission just days after his 2013 election and it explained the name he chose as pope, honoring St. Francis of Assisi who had the heart of the poor of the world, according to the official decree of the pope's life that was placed in his simple wooden coffin before it was sealed Friday night.

Following the funeral, Francis body was transferred to Saint Mary Major, the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where he would be buried beneath a simple marble headstone. Select cardinals and people close to the pope attended a private ceremony.

Francis is the first pope in a century to be buried outside the Vatican. He chose instead to be buried close to the Salus Populi Romani icon of the Virgin Mary.

Pope Francis died on Monday after suffering a stroke. He had spent nearly six weeks in the hospital in February and March battling pneumonia and was released on March 23. Although his public schedule remained limited, he made a brief appearance to greet the faithful on Easter Sunday in St. Peters Square.

As mourners paid tribute to the pope around the world this week, church officials said a further 250,000 people passed through St. Peters Basilica to view the late pontiff and offer prayers since Wednesday.

The Vatican said nine days of mourning and Masses will be held to honor the pope and offer prayers, followed by a conclave to elect his successor.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The woman who accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein has died. She was 41.

Virginia Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.

Deeply loving, wise and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims, publicist Dini von Mueffling said in a statement. She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.

The American-born Giuffre, who lived in Australia for years, became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epstein's prolonged downfall.

The wealthy, well-connected New York money manager killed himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges came 14 years after police in Palm Beach, Florida, first began investigating allegations that he sexually abused underage girls who were hired to give him massages.

Giuffre came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty instead to relatively minor state-level charges of soliciting prostitution. He was released in 2009.

RELATED STORY | Settlement Between Epstein, Prince Andrew Accuser Now Public

In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre said she was a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago President Donald Trump's Palm Beach club when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein's girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates. Giuffre she was flown around the world for assignations with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18.

The men denied it and assailed Giuffre's credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account, including the age at which she first met Epstein.

But many parts of her story were supported by documents, witness testimony and photos including one of her and Andrew, with his his arm around her bare midriff, in Maxwells London townhouse.

Giuffre said in one of her lawsuits that she had sex with the royal three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epsteins New York mansion when she was 17 and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.

Ghislaine said, I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein, Giuffre told NBC News Dateline in September 2019.

Andrew categorically rejected Giuffres allegations and said he didn't recall having met her.

His denials blew up in his face during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals such as disputing Giuffre's recollection of sweaty dancing by saying he was medically incapable of perspiring and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them.

Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. He settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a substantial donation to her survivors' organization. A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre an established victim of abuse.

She also filed, and in at least some cases settled, lawsuits against Epstein and others connected to him. In one case, she dropped her claims against a prominent U.S. attorney, saying she might have erred in identifying him as one of the men to whom Epstein supplied her.

Epstein's suicide put an end to his accusers' hopes of holding him criminally accountable.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She said said she wasnt to blame for Epsteins abuse.

Prosecutors elected not to include Giuffre's allegations in the Maxwell case, but Giuffre later told the court that the British socialite had "opened the door to hell.

RELATED STORY | What to know about names released in Jeffrey Epstein court docs

Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade-schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said.

She said she met her now-husband in 2002 while taking massage training in Thailand at Epstein's behest. She married, moved to Australia and had a family.

Giuffre founded an advocacy charity, SOAR, in 2015.

Giuffre was hospitalized after a serious accident, her publicist said last month. She didnt answer questions about the date, location, nature or other specifics of the accident and about the accuracy of an Instagram post that appeared to come from Giuffre on Sunday. The post said she had been in a car that was hit by a school bus and her prognosis was dire.

The AP does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly.

Steelers first-round draft pick Derrick Harmon's mother, Tiffany Saine, died late Thursday night shortly after Pittsburgh selected the defensive lineman from Oregon with the 21st overall pick.

Harmon said after he was drafted that he planned to visit his mother, who he said was on life support at a hospital in the Detroit suburbs. Saine had endured several brain surgeries and a stroke in recent years. Harmon, 21, pointed to his mother as an inspiration for him to keep going as he made his way from Michigan State to Oregon.

Steelers President Art Rooney II extended the team's condolences to their newest star.

Though we are excited to select Derrick in the first round of the NFL Draft, our hearts are heavy as we mourn the death of his mother, Tiffany Saine, Rooney said in a statement. We will support Derrick and his family however we can as he navigates this period of grief. In times like this, we hope Derrick finds comfort in the love and support from the organization and Steelers fans around the world.

RELATED STORY | 2025 NFL Draft: Cam Ward goes No. 1 to Titans

The Yellowstone Caldera, a volcanically active region under and around Yellowstone National Park, has long been the subject of research, speculation and science fiction regarding the possibility of a volcanic eruption.

But a new study shows that such an event may be even less likely than we thought: Scientists have discovered a magma cap that may play a role in releasing pressure that contributes to large eruptions.

Scripps News spoke with Michael Poland, the scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, for more insight into the new findings and how they affect Yellowstone.

Scientists "were bouncing earthquake waves off of the top of the magma chamber," Poland said. "And that can tell you something about the characteristics of the top. And they found the top was full of bubbles. Now on the surface that might seem more concerning because those bubbles might indicate that pressure could be increasing. But the key was they didn't find that many bubbles. And in fact, the gases that are coming out of Yellowstone that we can measure at places like Old Faithful and Mud Volcano. Those have magmatic composition. So the whole system together seems to be very efficiently moving these bubbles up to the surface. So no pressure is actually building. This cap is sort of allowing bubbles to accumulate and then get transferred up to the surface."

"I think the real take-home message is that we could even see this in the first place," Poland said. "I mean, this is incredible that we have the resolution now to be able to use seismic imaging techniques. It's sort of like taking an MRI of the Earth. And we can see this few hundred foot thick cap to the Yellowstone magma reservoir that's over 2 miles deep. I think that says a lot about our ability to see into the Earth. This same technique, now that it's been tested out in a place like Yellowstone, might be applied in other places. And it could potentially tell us whether or not we might expect eruptions in other locations."

RELATED STORY | Over 150 killed as major earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand

In the meantime, Poland says, Yellowstone is not likely to generate a massive volcanic explosion like those seen in fictional movies.

"The vast majority of eruptions at Yellowstone are lava flows," Poland said. "If you're standing at Old Faithful and you look all the way around, you can see sort of high topography, cliffs and hills. Those are all lava flows that erupted since the last really massive explosion at Yellowstone."

But "even that isn't that common. The last lava flow erupted about 70,000 years ago. Far more common on human timescales in the region are hydrothermal explosions, those sort of really, really energetic geyser eruptions that can throw rocks."

Watch the full interview with Poland in the video above.

United Airlines said it is flying into the future with a start-up called JetZero that is developing blended wing body (BWB) aircraft technology that promises improved fuel efficiency.

The investment includes a conditional path to order up to 100 of the innovative planes, with an option for an additional 100.

JetZero's design is said to reduce drag and produces lift across the entire wingspan, which could lead to as much as 50% reduction in fuel burn per passenger mile compared to a similar sized aircraft, United said.

The design could improve passenger experience with flexible seating options, larger seats across all classes and dedicated overhead bin space for each seat.

RELATED STORY | Free Wi-Fi coming to more than 2 million American Airlines flights

Since the main boarding door is wider, it could streamline the passenger boarding process and its wider aisles and bigger bathrooms make it more handicap-accessible.

Both the airplane's shape and the way JetZero plans to enter the plane into service address industry pain points, said United.

"For instance, a flight from New York/Newark to Palma de Mallorca, Spain would use up to 45 percent less fuel compared to the twin-aisle aircraft that operate that route today," the airline said.

The purchase agreement depends on JetZero meeting specific development milestones and the airline's safety, business and operating requirements including flying a full-scale demonstrator by 2027, United said.

The U.S. Air Force has also invested millions into JetZero to fast-track the development of its full-scale demonstrator, according to United.

This story was reported by a journalist 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.

California has the fourth-largest economy in the world, surpassing Japan in the global rankings, according to newly released data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Only the United States, China and Germany have larger economies than California when it comes to the global rankings based on gross domestic product numbers.

The state is also outpacing the world's top economies. Last year, Californias growth rate of 6% outpaced the U.S. (5.3%), China (2.6%) and Germany (2.9%).

RELATED STORY | California sues to stop Trump from imposing tariffs that are 'wreaking chaos'

California leads the country in agricultural production and has over 36,000 manufacturing firms, among other avenues of business and commerce.

California isnt just keeping pace with the worldwere setting the pace. Our economy is thriving because we invest in people, prioritize sustainability, and believe in the power of innovation," said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. "Californias economy powers the nation, and it must be protected.

Last week, the state sued the Trump administration, challenging the president's authority to impose sweeping tariffs that have set off a global trade war.

Jack in the Box is closing up to 200 restaurants across the nation as part of a financial plan that includes the potential sale of its Del Taco brand.

A news release issued by the company on Wednesday detailed its JACK on Track plan, which includes shutting down 150-200 locations considered underperforming with 80-120 restaurants closing by the end of 2025.

In a statement, Jack in the Box CEO Lance Tucker said, In my time thus far as CEO, I have worked quickly with our teams to conclude that Jack in the Box operates at its best, and maximizes shareholder return potential, within a simplified and asset-light business model. Our actions today focus on three main areas: addressing our balance sheet to accelerate cash flow and pay down debt, while preserving growth-oriented capital investments related to technology and restaurant reimage; closing underperforming restaurants to position ourselves for consistent net unit growth and competitive unit economics; and, an overall return to simplicity for the Jack in the Box business model and investor story.

RELATED STORY | Trader Joe's plans on opening 21 new stores. Here's where they will be located

When it comes to Del Taco, Jack in the Box officials said it is exploring strategic alternatives for its Mexican fast-food chain, "including a possible divestiture of the business."

Jack in the Box purchased Del Taco in 2022 for $575 million.

As of April 2025, Jack in the Box has 2,200 restaurants across 22 U.S. states; Del Taco has 600 restaurants across 17 states.

This story was originally reported Jermaine Ong with the Scripps News Group in San Diego.

The federal government is reversing the termination of legal status for international students after many filed court challenges around the U.S., a government lawyer said Friday.

Judges around the country had already issued temporary orders restoring the students' records in a federal database of international students maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The records had been suddenly terminated in recent weeks, often without the students or their schools being notified.

A lawyer for the government read a statement in federal court in Oakland that said ICE was manually restoring the student status for people whose records were terminated in recent weeks. A similar statement was read by a government attorney in a separate case in Washington on Friday, said lawyer Brian Green, who represents the plaintiff in that case. Green provided The Associated Press with a copy of the statement that the government lawyer emailed to him.

RELATED STORY | More than 1,000 international students have had their visas or legal status revoked

It says: ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination."

Green said that the government lawyer said it would apply to all students in the same situation, not just those who had filed lawsuits.

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems database that tracks international students' compliance with their visa status. NCIC is the National Crime Information Center, which is maintained by the FBI. Many of the students whose records were terminated were told that their status was terminated as a result of a criminal records check or that their visa had been revoked.

International students and their schools were caught off guard by the terminations of the students' records. Many of the terminations were discovered when school officials were doing routine checks of the international student database or when they checked specifically after hearing about other terminations.

Maritsa Georgiou, who hosts the podcast "Grounded" with former Sen. Jon Tester, joined Scripps News to discuss numerous topics from a busy week in politics.

Georgiou had Sen. Chris Van Hollen on the podcast this week to discuss his trip to El Salvador, where he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He was living in Maryland with his wife and children before being mistakenly deported.

"The concern for Senator Chris Van Hollen and others is that if we suddenly start just sending people off without any due process without any phone calls, without any way of defending themselves or even showing papers that that could be a problem for the rest of us because what's going to stop the government from saying, 'Hey, you're guilty,'" Georgiou said.

RELATED STORY | Kilmar Abrego Garcia is 'traumatized' by his experience in CECOT prison, senator says

Another big topic of discussion this week was President Trump's tariff policy and the impact they are having on Americans.

"I've talked to a couple of different business owners here in Montana in the last few days," Georgiou said. "One of them said that they had seen a drastic decrease in their customers from Canada coming down"

Watch the full interview with Georgiou in the video above. And don't forget to listen to "Grounded." You can find it wherever you get your podcasts.

A Russian general was killed by a car bomb on Friday, Russia's top criminal investigation agency said, in the second such attack on a top Russian military officer in four months that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

The Investigative Committee said that Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car in Balashikha, just outside Moscow.

The committee's spokesperson, Svetlana Petrenko, said that the explosive device was rigged with shrapnel. She said that investigators were at the scene.

Russian media ran videos of a vehicle burning in the courtyard of an apartment building.

RELATED STORY | Trump says 'Crimea will stay with Russia' as he seeks end to war in Ukraine

The committee did not immediately mention possible suspects, but Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova declared without offering evidence that "there are reasons to believe that Ukrainian special services were involved in the killing."

Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the attack.

"If the investigation confirms the Ukrainian trace in this case, this will once again demonstrate to the world community the barbaric and treacherous nature of the Kyiv regime, which is betting on an escalation of military confrontation with Russia and irresponsibly ignoring constructive proposals aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict," Zakharova said.

The attack follows the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov on Dec. 17, 2024, when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office. Russian authorities also blamed Ukraine and Ukraine's security agency acknowledged it was behind the attack.

Kirillov was the chief of Russia's Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, the special troops tasked with protecting the military from the enemy's use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and ensuring operations in a contaminated environment. Kirillov's assistant also died in the attack.

Friday's bombing came as U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin on a U.S.-brokered peace plan for Ukraine. The meeting was their fourth encounter since February.

Former Republican Rep. George Santos of New York was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison.

Santos, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal, pleaded for mercy in court.

I offer my deepest apologies, he said, according to the Associated Press.

I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.

U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert, however, said she did not believe Santos was truly remorseful and handed down the same sentence prosecutors had requested.

"For the defendant, it was judgment day, and for his many victims including campaign donors, political parties, government agencies, elected bodies, his own family members, and his constituents, it is justice, stated U.S. Attorney John. Durham.

Santos was allowed to walk out of the courtroom on Friday, but will have to surrender before 2 p.m. on July 25.

Santos brief political career was marred by controversy.

Almost immediately after his election in 2022, it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his background, including his education and work history.

RELATED STORY | Former Rep. George Santos says he's reprising drag queen persona

A subsequent House ethics report alleged Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission and used campaign funds for personal expenses, including luxury items and Botox injections.

Following the release of the report, the House voted 311-114 to expel him.

After being removed from the House, Santos launched a short-lived independent run for Congress. He also began offering videos on the platform Cameo, which allows people to purchase content from the former congressman.

A Milwaukee County judge was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday, following allegations that she assisted an immigrant, who is not legally in the U.S., in evading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

In a post on X that was immediately deleted and then republished a while later, FBI Director Kash Patel said agents had evidence that Judge Hannah Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also confirmed the arrest on X.

RELATED STORY | International students ordered to leave US wonder: Why me?

The Scripps News Group in Milwaukee spoke with law enforcement officials who said Dugan was arrested around 8:30 a.m. in the courthouse parking lot by FBI agents and subsequently transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

Dugan was released from custody later on Friday after appearing in U.S. District Court. She was charged with obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a United States department or agency and concealing an individual to prevent their discovery and arrest, according to a criminal complaint.

A note posted on the door of Dugans courtroom Friday morning read, If any attorney, witness coordinator, or other court official knows or believes that a person feels unsafe coming to the courthouse to courtroom 615, please notify the Branch 31 clerk to request court appearance via Zoom.

Immigration attorney believes Trump administration is sending message of fear to judges

According to court documents, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a native of Mexico, had a court appearance on April 18 for charges of battery/domestic abuse before Judge Dugan.

Six agents from ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI learned of his court appearance and obtained a warrant for his arrest as part of Enforcement and Removal Operations.

A criminal complaint for Dugan said that Flores-Ruiz was previously deported back to Mexico in 2013 and did not have authorization to be back in the U.S.

RELATED STORY | Trump admin ordered to facilitate return of another man deported to El Salvador

On the day of Flores-Ruiz's hearing, the group of agents went to the courthouse with the intention to take him into custody and notified the courtroom deputy before posting up in varying positions in the hallway outside of Dugan's courtroom.

Upon learning of the agents' presence outside of her courtroom, Dugan left the bench and then confronted the agents in the hallway in an "angry demeanor," according to the criminal complaint.

Dugan instructed the agents to speak with the chief judge about executing the warrant and escorted part of the arrest team to the chief judge's office.

While most of the arrest team was in the chief judge's office speaking with him on the phone, witnesses in the courtroom reported seeing Dugan speaking with Flores-Ruiz's defense counsel while he sat in the jury box instead of the gallery. The criminal complaint pointed out that this is not normal protocol, as the jury box is typically reserved for a jury.

When Flores-Ruiz and his attorney began walking toward the public courtroom exit, Dugan allegedly directed them to leave through a door that is reserved for jury members, court staff, deputies and defendants who are in custody instead, according to the complaint.

Agents that were not in the chief judge's office saw Flores-Ruiz and his counsel enter the hallway outside of the courtroom and followed him out of the courthouse before identifying themselves as law enforcement and attempting to arrest him. The complaint stated he was ultimately taken into custody after a foot chase.

Dugan is currently in her ninth year as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, primarily overseeing cases in the misdemeanor division, according to the court's website.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement upon learning of Dugan's arrest: In the United States, we have a system of checks and balances and separations of power for damn good reasons. The Presidents administration arresting a sitting judge is a gravely serious and drastic move, and it threatens to breach those very separations of power. Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a Democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by. By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line. While details of this exact case remain minimal, this action fits into the deeply concerning pattern of this President's lawless behavior and undermining courts and Congress's checks on his power.

Famed stunt pilot Rob Holland was killed when his MX Aircraft MXS plane crashed on approach at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia on Thursday morning, according to his official Facebook page.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they are "investigating the crash of an experimental MX Aircraft MXS."

Based on initial gatherings, the plane crashed while "on approach" to the air force base in Hampton.

Watch: JB Langley-Eustis Col. Altman gives update on fatal crash of Rob Holland's plane

Langley colonel provides update on stunt pilot's fatal base crash

This crash happened days before the biennial Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show. Holland had recently performed at the 2023 Air Power show and is a frequent sight at air show events.

Officials said Thursday evening they expect to continue with the air show.

Just after 4 p.m., officials with Joint Base Langley-Eustis said they were canceling a media availability scheduled for Thursday afternoon with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilots "due to unforeseen circumstances."

The base confirmed the fatal crash at 11:39 a.m., and said it was related to the air show.

Using FlightAware data, the aircraft type, and information from the air show's schedule indicating only one aircraft of that type slated to appear, internet sleuths put together the tragedy before media outlets like us could comfortably confirm.

Today we lost a friend of our Air Force family, said Col. Matthew Altman, Joint Base Langley-Eustis commander. On behalf of our entire JBLE team, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of this incredible aviator.

An NTSB investigator is expecting to arrive Friday at Langley to begin looking into the cause of the crash.

This story was originally published by the Scripps News Group in Norfolk.