Ho Ho Holiday Homicide is a new, original Christmas-themed murder mystery walking tour taking over downtown Ferndale this holiday season.

Part comedy, part scavenger hunt, and part interactive theatre, this limited-run event transforms the city into a festive crime scene starring a cast of mischievous, over-the-top holiday elves.

For days, times and to buy tickets, visit

https://distinctivelydetroit.com/

Today is Sunday, Dec. 7, the 341st day of 2025. There are 24 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 7,1972, America’s last crewed moon mission to date was launched as Apollo 17 blasted off from Cape Canaveral.

Also on this date:

In 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1941, the Empire of Japan launched an air raid on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing more than 2,300 Americans. The United States declared war against Japan the following day.

In 1982, convicted murderer Charlie Brooks Jr. became the first U.S. prisoner to be executed by lethal injection, at a prison in Huntsville, Texas.

In 1988, a major earthquake in the Soviet Union devastated northern Armenia, killing at least 25,000 people.

In 1993, six people were killed and 19 wounded in a mass shooting aboard a Long Island Rail Road train in New York.

In 2004, Hamid Karzai (HAH’-mihd KAHR’-zeye) was sworn in as Afghanistan’s first popularly elected president.

In 2018, James Alex Fields Jr., who drove his car into a crowd of counterdemonstrators at a 2017 white nationalist rally in Virginia, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Heather Heyer, an anti-racism activist. He was later sentenced on that and other convictions to life in prison plus 419 years.

In 2024, the newly-restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was reopened to the public after a devastating blaze nearly destroyed the beloved Gothic masterpiece in 2019. World leaders attended the reopening ceremony amid great fanfare and celebration.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Linguist and political philosopher Noam Chomsky is 97.
• Actor Ellen Burstyn is 93.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench is 78.
• Singer-songwriter Tom Waits is 76.
• Republican Sen. Susan M. Collins of Maine is 73.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird is 69.
• Actor Jeffrey Wright is 60.
• Actor C. Thomas Howell is 59.
• Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens is 52.
• Football Hall of Famer Alan Faneca is 49.
• Actor Shiri Appleby is 47.
• Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (bah-REHL’-es) is 46.
• Actor Nicholas Hoult is 36.
• MLB All-Star Pete Alonso is 31.
• Olympic swimming gold medalist Torri Huske is 23.

ROCHESTER HILLS – The banked 3-pointer by Rochester Adams senior Josiah Fazecas to close the first quarter of Saturday’s MAC/OAA Showcase game against Dakota had teammates in a frenzy and the Highlanders feeling good.

Dakota head coach Paul Tocco, whose team trailed 13-6 at that point, wasn’t quite as enthused about those opening eight minutes.

“I thought we came out lethargic and a little lazy in the first quarter,” Tocco said. “Credit to Adams, who played really hard. They moved the ball well, played disciplined basketball. We didn’t come out with our normal enthusiasm.”

The tables turned swiftly as the Cougars outscored Adams 17-2 in the second quarter, the catalyst for their 60-53 win over the Highlanders at Rochester High School.

Simply put, Tocco said his team “played Dakota basketball” in that second stanza.

Highlanders junior Cannon Flynn scored his team’s only points early in that second quarter, but he collected his third foul that subjected him to the bench for the final four minutes before halftime.

“They got up and pressured us and we couldn’t get into any of our sets, our actions,” Highlanders head coach Isaiah Novak said. “We really rely on attacking closeouts, getting into space and knocking down shots, and we had a really tough time creating advantageous situations for ourselves. Then when we did and got the open shot, they just weren’t falling for us tonight. I think we probably missed five layups in the first half. And it was hard to get those layups, right? So we just didn’t take advantage of the options we did have.”

Novak was reluctant to place too much blame on the foul trouble of his standout player and lone returning starter for his team’s struggles, though it was clear what impact he had when he was on the floor. Flynn scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the second half of the loss.

“A lot of what we do goes through (Cannon), but in some ways, these early season challenges are a good thing,” Novak said. “There’s gonna be times throughout the season where he’s in foul trouble or something else happens and he’s got to be on the bench. Although they’re difficult when you reflect on one game, I think in the overall season, things like that can be challenges that can be good for us in the long run.”

Photos of Dakota vs. Rochester Adams in boys basketball action at the MAC/OAA Showcase

While that disparity in the second quarter didn't put the game away for the Cougars, they continued to utilize a balanced offensive effort in the third when they outscored Adams 21-13 to effectively put the game to bed.

"I've got nine seniors, and I've never coached (that many seniors) before," Tocco said. Five (start) and any one of them can play on the floor at a time. I have really good underclassmen as well, so we've got a really deep team."

One of those seniors, Tovin Williams, led Dakota with 13 points, while classmates Brayden Lee and Benji Jackson added 11 and nine, respectively. Seniors Daniel Terski and Zeke Wilson each finished with 10 for Adams.

The Cougars (2-1) also won at this event last year, beating Lake Orion as part of an 8-1 start. They finished the year just 14-10, though Tocco attributes that just as much to a difficult set of league opponents as anything. "If you look at the Red, you're looking at Warren Lincoln, back-to-back state titles. Grosse Pointe South, a very well-coached team, a lot of good pieces. Chippewa's athletic, Roseville are a really good team this year, and Port Huron Northern, they beat us last year (in districts), it was tough to beat them. So it's a tough MAC Red, and coming back (this year) it's even tougher, so we've got to get ready for that play, and that's what we're doing playing in tournaments and and against good teams like Adams right now."

As to what the Cougars can do to improve upon last year's 3-7 league mark and how they're better this go-around, he added, "We're better defensively this year in our half-court defense. We have five guys that are locked in like we were in that second quarter. And we probably want to start and finish quarters a little better, or start and finish games better. I won't say I'm not happy to win, but we didn't start well and didn't finish well (tonight)."

Novak didn't want to use the fact that his team was coming off a game against Clarkston (a 68-44 loss) on Friday night, though said it could have played into some tired legs for the Highlanders (1-1). "It's possible, but we know the challenges that come with scheduling the way we do," he said. "You're playing Clarkston and Dakota, those are two of the best teams in Macomb and Oakland County, and playing back-to-back makes it even more difficult, but I think it's an opportunity for our kids to come out and know where we're at compared to the best. It exposed our weaknesses early, and now we can identify them and work on them, hopefully correct al ot of those things before we get into the league."

Adams continues with another non-league game on Tuesday at home against Birmingham Seaholm. The Cougars resume play on Wednesday with a MAC Crossover at Utica Ford.

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 23 points and 12 assists and the Detroit Pistons beat Milwaukee 124-112 on Saturday night to end the Bucks’ 15-game winning streak in Detroit.

Milwaukee came into the season with a 13-game winning streak against the Pistons, but Detroit has won two of three this season.

Jalen Duren had 16 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit, which has won four of five to improve to 19-5, with the only loss coming on Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Isaiah Stewart added 19 points.

Kevin Porter Jr. had a season-high 32 points for the Bucks, who have lost 10 of 12. Kyle Kuzma added 15 points.

Detroit shot 57.1% (20-35) from the floor in the first half, including 50% (7-14) on 3-pointers, but only built a 61-56 lead thanks to 13 turnovers that led to 20 Milwaukee points. Cunningham had 15 points and eight assists while Porter scored 19 on 7-8 shooting.

The Pistons started the third quarter with a 13-3 run to take a 74-59 lead, and Milwaukee was still down by 10 going into the fourth.

The Bucks never threatened in the fourth, trailing by 25 when both teams started emptying the benches. Pistons guard Marcus Sasser made his season debut, having missed the first 23 games with a hip injury.

Up next

Bucks: Host Boston on Thursday night.

Pistons: Host Atlanta on Friday night.

Dakota trailed after the opening quarter, then jumped out to a big lead by halftime and went on to beat Rochester Adams 60-53 in the MAC/OAA Showcase on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 at Rochester High School.

AUBURN HILLS (AP) — Ziare Wells led Oakland with 21 points, including the game-winning jump shot with 10 seconds remaining, and the Golden Grizzlies knocked off Toledo 98-97 on Saturday.

Oakland (5-5, 1-0 Horizon League) has won four straight since a 1-5 start.

Wells added five rebounds for the Golden Grizzlies. Brody Robinson scored 19 points while shooting 8 for 14, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc and added six assists. Tuburu Niavalurua had 18 points and went 9 of 16 from the field.

“If you walk away from this basketball game thinking ‘Oh, my gosh, I don’t ever want to watch basketball’, something’s wrong with you,” OU coach Greg Kampe said. “That was an unbelievable basketball game played by 13-14 players that can really play basketball. Two great programs who let their players play. We beat a really well coached team today. We beat a really good team today.”

Saturday’s win was the 900th in Oakland’s program history.

Leroy Blyden Jr. led the Rockets (5-4) in scoring, finishing with 20 points. Jaylan Ouwinga added 16 points and seven rebounds for Toledo. Sonny Wilson also had 16 points and six assists.

Wells scored 10 points in the first half and Oakland went into the break trailing 48-45. Michael Houge scored 13 second-half points. Oakland outscored Toledo by four points over the final half.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and No. 3 Michigan won its fifth consecutive game by 25 or more points, beating Rutgers 101-60 on Saturday.

The Wolverines scored more than 100 points for the third consecutive game, a feat last accomplished during their 1989 national championship season.

Yaxel Lendenborg had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Wolverines (8-0, 1-0) in their Big Ten opener. Trey McKenney added 13 points, and Elliot Cadeau had 11 points and nine assists.

Michigan shot 60% from the field while making its case for the No. 1 spot in the AP poll after No. 1 Purdue lost earlier in the day. The Maize Rage student section did its lobbying with several “No. 1” chants late in the game.

Freshmen Harun Zrno and Kaden Powers led Rutgers (5-5, 0-2) with 13 points apiece. Zrno, a 21-year-old from Bosnia and Herzegovina, made his first career start.

Two people are dead and three others are hurt following a shooting Saturday afternoon in Muskegon, according to the Muskegon Police Department.

Police were called to Jackson Avenue near McLaren Street around 3:15 p.m. following a report of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found multiple people who had been shot.

According to police, a 25-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. A 22-year-old woman was taken to the hospital, but was later pronounced dead.

Two 25-year-old men are hospitalized in critical condition. A 4-year-old child was hospitalized with minor injuries, but is expected to be released.

When speaking with FOX 17, family identified the 25-year-old man found dead as Joshua Fondren Jr. His mother says she's heartbroken for the people he leaves behind.

"He has a baby on the way, and he has an eight month old baby. So his baby will never get to see his daddy, ever," Deborah Wyrick told FOX 17.

Watch the video story below: Two dead, three hurt in Saturday shooting in Muskegon

Muskegon police say this incident does not appear to be a random act, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation.

Police didn't share any information about a suspect.

In a news release Saturday night, the department said that it does not believe there is any threat to the general public, and that the investigation is still very active.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Muskegon Police at (231) 724-6750 or reach out to Silent Observer.

Follow FOX 17: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - YouTube

Spencer Deery's son was getting ready for school when someone tried to provoke police into swarming his home by reporting a fake emergency.

Linda Rogers said there were threats at her home and the golf course that her family has run for generations.

Jean Leising faced a pipe bomb scare that was emailed to local law enforcement.

The three are among roughly a dozen Republicans in the Indiana Senate who have seen their lives turned upside down while President Donald Trump pushes to redraw the state's congressional map to expand the party's power in the 2026 midterm elections.

It's a bewildering and frightening experience for lawmakers who consider themselves loyal party members and never imagined they would be doing their jobs under the same shadow of violence that has darkened American political life in recent years. Leising described it as a very dangerous and intimidating process.

RELATED STORY | Indiana's governor calls special session to redraw congressional boundaries

Redistricting is normally done once a decade after a new national census. Trump wants to accelerate the process in hopes of protecting the Republicans' thin majority in the U.S. House next year. His allies in Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina have already gone along with his plans for new political lines.

Now Trump's campaign faces its greatest test yet in a stubborn pocket of Midwestern conservatism. Although Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and the House of Representatives are on board, the proposal may fall short with senators who value their civic traditions and independence over what they fear would be short-term partisan gain.

When you have the president of the United States and your governor sending signals, you want to listen to them, said Rogers, who has not declared her position on the redistricting push. But it doesnt mean youll compromise your values.

On Friday, Trump posted a list of senators who need encouragement to make the right decision," and the conservative campaign organization Turning Point Action said it would spend heavily to unseat anyone who voted no.

Senators are scheduled to convene Monday to consider the proposal after months of turmoil. Resistance could signal the limits of Trump's otherwise undisputed dominance of the Republican Party.

Threats shadow redistricting session

Deery considers himself lucky. The police in his hometown of West Lafayette knew the senator was a potential target for swatting, a dangerous type of hoax when someone reports a fake emergency to provoke an aggressive response from law enforcement.

So when Deery was targeted last month while his son and others were waiting for their daily bus ride to school, officers did not rush to the scene.

You could have had SWAT teams driving in with guns out while there were kids in the area, he said.

Deery was one of the first senators to publicly oppose the mid-decade redistricting, arguing it interferes with voters' right to hold lawmakers accountable through elections.

The country would be an uglier place for it, he said just days after Vice President JD Vance visited the state in August, the first of two trips to talk with lawmakers about approving new maps.

Republican leaders in the Indiana Senate said in mid-November that they would not hold a vote on the matter because there was not enough support for it. Trump lashed out on social media, calling the senators weak and pathetic.

Any Republican that votes against this important redistricting, potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED, he wrote.

The threats against senators began shortly after that.

RELATED STORY | Indiana's governor calls special session to redraw congressional boundaries

Sen. Sue Glick, a Republican who was first elected in 2010 and previously served as a local prosecutor, said she has never seen this kind of rancor in politics in her lifetime. She opposes redistricting, saying it has the taint of cheating.

Not even the plan's supporters are immune to threats.

Republican Sen. Andy Zay said his vehicle-leasing business was targeted with a pipe bomb scare on the same day he learned that he would face a primary challenger who accuses Zay of being insufficiently conservative.

Zay, who has spent a decade in the Senate, believes the threat was related to his criticism of Trump's effort to pressure lawmakers. But the White House has not heeded his suggestions to build public support for redistricting through a media campaign.

When you push us around and into a corner, were not going to change because you hound us and threaten us, Zay said. For those who have made a decision to stand up for history and tradition, the tactics of persuasion do not embolden them to change their viewpoint.

The White House did not respond to messages seeking a reaction to Zay's comments.

Trump sees mixed support from Indiana

Trump easily won Indiana in all his presidential campaigns, and its leaders are unquestionably conservative. For example, the state was the first to restrict abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

But Indiana's political culture never became saturated with the sensibilities of Trump's Make America Great Again movement. Some 21% of Republican voters backed Nikki Haley over Trump in last year's presidential primary, even though the former South Carolina governor had already suspended her campaign two months earlier.

Trump also holds a grudge against Indiana's Mike Pence, who served the state as a congressman and governor before becoming Trump's first vice president. A devout evangelical, Pence loyally accommodated Trump's indiscretions and scandals but refused to go along with Trump's attempt on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's victory.

Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what was necessary, Trump posted online after an angry crowd of his supporters breached the U.S. Capitol.

Pence has not taken a public stance on his home state's redistricting effort. But the governor before him, Republican Mitch Daniels, recently said it was clearly wrong.

The proposed map, which was released Monday and approved by the state House on Friday, attempts to dilute the influence of Democratic voters in Indianapolis by splitting up the city. Parts of the capital would be grafted onto four different Republican-leaning districts, one of which would stretch all the way south to the border with Kentucky.

Rogers, the senator whose family owns the golf course, declined to discuss her feelings about the redistricting. A soft-spoken business leader from the suburbs of South Bend, she said she was very disappointed about the threats.

On Monday, Rogers will be front and center as a member of the Senate Elections Committee, the first one in that chamber to consider the redistricting bill.

We need to do things in a civil manner and have polite discourse, she said.

EAST LANSING (AP) — Cameron Boozer scored 18 points, including 16 in the second half, and Caleb Foster added 12 points Saturday to help No. 4 Duke hold on for a 66-60 victory over No. 7 Michigan State in a game that had the intensity of an NCAA Regional Final.

Boozer, who entered averaging nearly 27 points a game, also had 15 rebounds for the Blue Devils (10-0). Duke’s start is its best open to a season since winning the first 11 games in 2017-18.

A combination of missed open shots and tight defense kept the game close. The teams traded the lead nine times and were tied four times in the second half.

Isaiah Evans gave the Blue Devils a 55-53 lead with 3:59 remaining, but Jeremy Fears tied it at 55 with a pair of free throws with 1:59 left. Boozer then hit two free throws with 1:35 to go to put Duke up for good. Evans then was fouled by Fears on a 3-point shot and made all three free throws to give Duke a 60-55 advantage.

Carson Cooper had a layup with 46 seconds left to cut the margin to 60-57 but that was as close as Michigan State could get.

Cooper led Michigan State (8-1) with 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Jaxon Kohler had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans.

Neither team could get into an offensive rhythm in the first half. Duke led through the first 12 minutes, up by as many as six points. Michigan State grabbed the lead on a 3-pointer by Jesse McCulloch with 5:02 left and held on for a 34-31 halftime advantage.

Both teams struggled with their shooting from the field in the first half, combining for 22 of 63.

Up next

Duke: Hosts Lipscomb on Dec. 16.

Michigan State: Visits Penn State on Dec. 13.

— By BOB TRIPI, Associated Press

By NOAH TRISTER, AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The World Cup final will kick off at 3 p.m. EDT next July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

FIFA announced the start times for the tournament’s 104 matches on Saturday, a day after the draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament. The kickoff time allows for prime-time viewing in Europe, where it will be 9 p.m., and Britain, where it will be 8 p.m.

The average 3 p.m. temperature over the past 30 years in East Rutherford on July 19 is 83 degrees (28 Celsius) with a RealFeel index of 89 (32), according to AccuWeather.

Nine of the 10 World Cup finals from 1978 through 2014 started in the 2-3:30 p.m. EDT range, the exception 2002 in Japan, which began at 7 a.m. EDT. The 2018 final started at 11 a.m. EDT and the 2022 championship of a tournament shifted to winter in Qatar at 10 a.m. EST.

The 1994 final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, kicked off at 12:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. EDT).

FIFA announced the schedule and sites after factoring in travel and broadcast.

“Let’s just say it’s been a long night — or a short night,” chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria said. “As I explained earlier to some of the coaches, we’ve tried to basically strike the right balance looking at the preparation, the recovery that the teams have to do in this very large footprint, the biggest World Cup ever, 16 cities, three countries, different climatic conditions, time zones.”

Zubira said goals included “trying to minimize travel for the teams and the fans to try to see their teams play, and obviously trying to see how to best expose this competition to the world, trying to find the right times for the kickoff times in specific cities, taking into consideration some restrictions.”

The opener at Mexico City on June 11 between El Tri and South Africa will start at 1 p.m. local (3 p.m. EDT).

Semifinals will start at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. EDT) on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and 3 p.m. the following day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, both of which have retractable roofs.

Quarterfinals will begin at 4 p.m. on July 9 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and noon (3 p.m. EDT) the following day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The last two quarterfinals are on July 11, starting at 5 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and 8 p.m. (9 p.m. EDT) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Of the quarterfinal venues, SoFi has a roof but air from the outside can flow in, and the other three are open air.

FIFA announced on Feb. 4 last year that the final was scheduled for New Jersey and that June 12 revealed site-specific matchups for games in the new round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals.

Seventy-eight games will be in the U.S., including all from the quarterfinals on, and 13 apiece in Canada and Mexico.

During an event at the Capital Hilton, FIFA also announced sites of the 54 group stage games not finalized with Friday’s draw, which fixed venues for only Groups A, B and D — which include co-hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States.

South Korea is the only team other than Canada and Mexico with no games in the U.S., playing its opener in Guadalajara against the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland or North Macedonia, then facing El Tri at the same venue and finishing the round against South Africa in Monterrey.

The U.S. first-round games will be a 6 p.m. local start (9 p.m. EDT) against Paraguay at Inglewood on June 12, a noon kickoff (3 p.m. EDT) vs. Australia at Seattle seven days later and a 7 p.m. start on June 25 at SoFi against Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.

Japan’s Group F game against Tunisia at Monterrey, Mexico, on June 20 will be the 1,000th World Cup match.

Germany’s June 14 Group E opener against Curaçao will kick off at noon local (1 p.m. EDT) at NRG Stadium. Curaçao has the smallest population of a country to reach the World Cup at about 150,000.

“It will be played in Houston, which is a closed venue, indoor, so nobody can complain about heat or weather or wind or whatever,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

2026 World Cup Schedule

United States, Mexico, Canada

FIRST ROUND

GROUP A

Thursday, June 11

Mexico City

Mexico vs. South Africa 2000 GMT

Guadalajara

South Korea vs. Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Ireland, 0300 GMT Friday

Thursday, June 18

Atlanta

Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Ireland vs. South Africa, 1700 GMT

Guadalajara

Mexico vs. South Korea, 0200 GMT Friday

Wednesday, June 24

Mexico City

Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Ireland vs. Mexico, 0200 GMT Thursday

Monterrey

South Africa vs. South Korea, 0200 GMT Thursday

GROUP B

Friday, June 12

Toronto

Canada vs. Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2000 GMT

Saturday, June 13

Santa Clara, California

Qatar vs. Switzerland, 2000 GMT

Thursday, June 18

Los Angeles

Switzerland vs. Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2000 GMT

Vancouver

Canada vs. Qatar, 2300 GMT

Wednesday, June 24

Vancouver

Switzerland vs. Canada, 2000 GMT

Seattle

Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar, 2000 GMT

GROUP C

Saturday, June 13

East Rutherford, New Jersey

Brazil vs. Morocco, 2300 GMT

Boston

Haiti vs. Scotland, 0200 GMT Sunday

Friday, June 19

Boston

Scotland vs. Morocco, 2300 GMT

Philadelphia

Brazil vs. Haiti, 0200 GMT Saturday

Wednesday, June 24

Miami

Scotland vs. Brazil, 2300 GMT

Atlanta

Morocco vs. Haiti, 2300 GMT

GROUP D

Friday, June 12

Los Angeles

United States vs. Paraguay, 0200 GMT Saturday

Saturday, June 13

Vancouver

Australia vs. Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo, 0500 GMT Sunday

Friday, June 19

Santa Clara, California

Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo vs. Paraguay, 0500 GMT Saturday

Seattle

United States vs. Australia, 2000 GMT

Thursday, June 25

Los Angeles

Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo vs. United States, 0300 GMT Friday

Santa Clara, California

Paraguay vs. Australia, 0300 GMT Friday

GROUP E

Sunday, June 14

Houston

Germany vs. Curacao, 1800 GMT

Philadelphia

Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, 0000 GMT Monday

Saturday, June 20

Toronto

Germany vs. Ivory Coast, 2100 GMT

Kansas City

Ecuador vs. Curacao, 0100 GMT Sunday

Thursday, June 25

East Rutherford, New Jersey

Ecuador vs. Germany, 2100 GMT

Philadelphia

Curacao vs. Ivory Coast, 2100 GMT

GROUP F

Sunday, June 14

Dallas

Netherlands vs. Japan, 2100 GMT

Monterrey

Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania vs. Tunisia, 0300 GMT Monday

Saturday, June 20

Houston

Netherlands vs. Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania, 1800 GMT

Monterrey

Tunisia vs. Japan, 0500 GMT Sunday

Thursday, June 25

Dallas

Japan vs. Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania, 0000 GMT Friday

Kansas City

Tunisia vs. Netherlands, 0000 GMT Friday

GROUP G

Monday, June 15

Seattle

Belgium vs. Egypt, 2000 GMT

Los Angeles

Iran vs. New Zealand, 0200 GMT Tuesday

Sunday, June 21

Los Angeles

Belgium vs. Iran, 2000 GMT

Vancouver

New Zealand vs. Egypt, 0200 GMT Monday

Friday, June 26

Seattle

Egypt vs. Iran, 0400 GMT Saturday

Vancouver

New Zealand vs. Belgium, 0400 GMT Saturday

GROUP H

Monday, June 15

Atlanta

Spain vs. Cape Verde, 1700 GMT

Miami

Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, 2300 GMT

Sunday, June 21

Atlanta

Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, 1700 GMT

Miami

Uruguay vs, Cape Verde, 2300 GMT

Friday, June 26

Houston

Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 0100 GMT Saturday

Guadalajara

Uruguay vs. Spain, 0100 GMT Saturday

GROUP I

Tuesday, June 16

East Rutherford, New Jersey

France vs. Senegal, 2000 GMT

Boston

Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname vs. Norway, 2300 GMT

Monday, June 22

Philadelphia

France vs. Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname, 2200 GMT

East Rutherford, New Jersey

Norway vs. Senegal, 0100 GMT Tuesday

Friday, June 26

Boston

Norway vs. France, 2000 GMT

Toronto

Senegal vs. Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname, 2000 GMT

GROUP J

Tuesday, June 16

Kansas City

Argentina vs. Algeria, 0200 GMT Wednesday

Santa Clara, California

Austria vs. Jordan, 0500 GMT Wednesday

Monday, June 22

Dallas

Argentina vs. Austria, 1800 GMT

Santa Clara, California

Jordan vs. Algeria, 0400 GMT Tuesday

Saturday, June 27

Kansas City

Algeria vs. Austria, 0300 GMT Sunday

Dallas

Jordan vs. Argentina, 0300 GMT Sunday

GROUP K

Wednesday, June 17

Houston

Portugal vs. DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia, 1800 GMT

Mexico City

Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, 0300 GMT Thursday

Tuesday, June 23

Houston

Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, 1800 GMT

Guadalajara

Colombia vs. DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia, 0300 GMT Wednesday

Saturday, June 27

Miami

Colombia vs. Portugal, 0030 Sunday

Atlanta

DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia vs. Uzbekistan, 0030 GMT Sunday

GROUP L

Wednesday, June 17

Dallas

England vs. Croatia, 2100 GMT

Toronto

Ghana vs. Panama, 0000 GMT Thursday

Tuesday, June 23

Boston

England vs. Ghana, 2100 GMT

Toronto

Panama vs. Croatia, 0000 GMT Wednesday

Saturday, June 27

East Rutherford, New Jersey

Panama vs. England, 2200 GMT

Philadelphia

Croatia vs. Ghana, 2200 GMT

The doors of Carmela Diaz's taco joint are locked, the tables are devoid of customers and no one is working in the kitchen. It's one of many once-thriving Hispanic businesses, from Nicaraguan eateries to Honduran restaurants, emptied out in recent weeks in neighborhoods with lots of signs in Spanish but increasingly fewer people on the streets.

In the city of Kenner, which has the highest concentration of Hispanic residents in Louisiana, a federal immigration crackdown aiming for 5,000 arrests has devastated an economy already struggling from ramped-up enforcement efforts this year, some business owners say, and had far-reaching impacts on both immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.

Fewer and fewer people came, said a crying Diaz, whose Taqueria La Conquistadora has been closed for several weeks now with both customers and workers afraid to leave home. There were days we didnt sell anything. Thats why I made the decision to close the business because there was no business.

On Wednesday, convoys of federal vehicles began rumbling back and forth down Kenner's main commercial streets as the Department of Homeland Security commenced the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations that have included surges in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. Bystanders have posted videos of federal agents detaining people outside Kenner businesses and at construction sites.

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Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino also made an appearance in the city, surrounded by agents in tactical gear, to tout to reporters the launch of the operation dubbed Catahoula Crunch, a name derived from the big game hound that is the Louisiana state dog.

A community on edge

The state's Hispanic population has boomed in the last two decades, with many of them arriving in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild. In Kenner, just west of New Orleans between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, Hispanics make up about 30% of residents.

Diaz, who is from El Salvador, arrived in 2006 after years of doing farm work in Texas. She opened food trucks, earning enough to buy a home in Kenner, and her business has since expanded to a fleet of trucks and two brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Nearly all that is shuttered at the moment because of the crackdown, and Diaz is scraping by through making home deliveries to people fearful of being swept up by agents regardless of their legal status.

They dont respect anyone, Diaz said. They dont ask for documents. They dont investigate. They slap the handcuffs on them and take them away.

Mayra Pineda, CEO of the Louisiana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a Kenner resident for decades, fears for the future if the crackdown continues for months as planned.

How are these business owners going to survive? she said. I dont know. But lets be clear its not only on the Hispanic community but bad for all of us, for the economy in general.

Local police chief backs operation

Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley described the federal immigration operation as a prayer answered for us.

The chief said while crime is decreasing in the city, he has raised concerns about violent crimes involving immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally. The police department shared a dozen press releases documenting crimes between 2022 and 2025, where they say the person arrested had entered the country illegally. The cases included sex crimes, a murder, gang activity and shootings.

Based on the most recent crime report published by the Louisiana Statistical Analysis Center, in 2023 in Kenner a total of 4,436 total offenses were committed, which included 863 crimes against persons.

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Conley said that while violent crimes are concerning, one of the blights" that we see and feel every day are traffic stops and car accidents, that involve drivers who are illegal immigrants that are uninsured and unlicensed.

State Sen. Kirk Talbot, a Republican who represents a portion of Kenner, said he believes the federal operation will ultimately benefit the city and that residents who are in the U.S. legally have nothing to be afraid of.

I think the people that come here illegally, who flee authorities and, especially, ones that have criminal records, need to obey the law and they need to be caught and deported, Talbot said.

While Kenner has closely worked with federal immigration agents before, especially under the 287(g) program that allows local police to question the immigration status of suspects in their custody, Conley said local officers are not currently aiding in the federal operation. However, he said, the department is ready to assist in the operation if asked.

DHS says operations target violent offenders

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Thursday that federal agents have already made dozens of arrests, though the agency has not released a full list of people detained.

Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them, their families, or their neighbors, McLaughlin said in a statement. In just 24 hours on the ground, our law enforcement officers have arrested violent criminals with rap sheets that include homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery, theft, and assault.

The office of Mayor Michael Glaser, a former police chief, declined to comment on his stance on the operation. But it said the crackdown falls under federal jurisdiction and the mayor expects all agencies operating in the city to conduct themselves professionally, lawfully and with respect for our community.

However, the city's police are among the hundreds of local and state law enforcement agencies nationwide that have signed agreements to be part of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that authorizes them to hold detainees for potential deportation.

Fearing for vulnerable relatives

Sergio Perez, a Guatemalan immigrant and U.S. citizen who has lived in Kenner since 2010, said he has loved ones there who lack legal permission to be in the country and risk being detained or deported. He also worries that anyone who is Hispanic is at risk of abuse by federal agents, regardless of their immigration status.

While Perez considers Kenner home a place where it is easy to find favorite dishes like caldo de res, a hearty beef and vegetable stew he is prepared to leave the country if family members are deported.

They dont want us here, Perez said. Its like you are in someones house and you dont feel welcome. Theyre just killing our spirit.

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyler Adams has set a bold goal for the U.S. soccer team, aiming to reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 1930.

“Everyone’s going to want us to say winning it is obviously the goal,” the American midfielder said Friday after the World Cup draw, “but I think setting the benchmark of the furthest the U.S. team has gone is also realistic.”

The 14th-ranked U.S. will start Group D against No. 39 Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California, and then play 26th-ranked Australia six days later at Seattle. The Americans conclude the group stage on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium against the winner of playoffs among Turkey (25), Slovakia (45), Romania (47) and Kosovo (80).

“Getting three points right off right off the bat like that would be would be an amazing start for us and just put us in a great position in the group,” star Christian Pulisic said.

It appears to be among the less difficult of the 12 groups. The top two in each advance to the new round of 32 along with the best four third-place teams.

“Listen, we all want to win a World Cup,” defender Tim Ream said. “You don’t play a tournament just to be there and so we’ve had conversations, Chris and I have had conversations about, yeah, we wan to win. I think people can laugh and say whatever they want.”

In recent friendlies, the U.S. lost 2-1 to Turkey in June, beat Australia 2-1 in October and defeated Paraguay 2-1 last month.

“Potentially we played all three of these teams in the last six months but that can be a little bit of a false kind of sense of security,” defender Ream said.

In nearly a century of World Cup play, the U.S. is 1-7 in knockout games, getting outscored 22-7. The Americans’ only win was 2-0 over Mexico in 2002’s round of 16, which was followed by a 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Germany. The Americans are winless in their last 12 World Cup matches against European teams, outscored 20-10.

“There’s no easy game in a World Cup. In fact, I think some of our hardest games in the previous World Cup were against the lesser opponents,” Adams said.

At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the U.S. tied Wales 1-1 and England 0-0 before beating Iran 1-0 on a Pulisic goal to advance.

“It’s fair to say that the last World Cup we couldn’t set a bar or standard for anything. We didn’t know what to expect,” Adams said. “Now looking back on it, I think we have more experience. We’re a lot more mature. We’ve grown a lot as individuals and as a team.”

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has scheduled friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in March and vs. a team to be determined and Germany just before the tournament.

As he mulls his roster, Pochettino thinks about “Miracle,” a 2004 movie he watched last month about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team of young players that upset the heavily favored Soviet Union and went on to win the gold medal. Coach Herb Brooks’ decisions made an impression on Pochettino.

“We don’t need the best players, we need the right players to make a team a strong team,” Pochettino said. “The right players to build a powerful team with the possibility to fight with any team in the in the world. Good and right are completely different.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Ferris State right tackle Tim Anderson, a Rochester Adams graduate, was named a finalist Friday for the 2025 Gene Upshaw Award, given yearly to the best lineman in NCAA Division II football.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Anderson — named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year — is among eight finalists, two from each region, for the award named after the Oakland Raider Hall of Famer, and former executive director of the NFL Players Association.

Along with his twin brother, Bob, Anderson leads a Ferris State offensive line — nicknamed The Nasty Boys — that has helped the Bulldogs to the No. 1 scoring (699 points, 53.9 per game) and total offenses (518.5 yards per game) in NCAA Division II, ranking third in rushing (3,984 yards, 306.5 per game) and fewest sacks allowed (eight total, 0.62 per game) entering this weekend’s play.

Anderson also earned first-team all-GLIAC (second time) and all-region honors.

Ferris (14-0), which has won Division II national titles in 2021, 2022 and 2024, is headed to the semifinals of the D2 playoffs, after beating Minnesota State, 52-29, on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs ran for 307 yards as a team — and five touchdowns — and allowed no sacks on the afternoon.

The Upshaw Award is voted on by D-II sports information directors across the country. The winner of the award, given out by the Manheim Touchdown Club, will be announced on Dec. 12.

The other seven finalists, pared down from a group of 29 nominees, include: Kutztown OT Ryan Schernecke, Wingate OG Will Hart, Catawba OT Avery Swinton, Ashland DE Michael Shimek, Central Washington center Slade Edwards and Harding OT Jake Mitchell.

Previous winners include three Ferris players — Caleb Murphy (2022), Dylan Pasquali (2021) and Austin Edwards (2019) — three from Grand Valley — Matt Judon (2015, West Bloomfield HS grad), Brandon Barnes (2007) and Mike McFadden (2005, 2006) — and one from Wayne State — Joe Long (2011).

More Arctic air is on the way this week, but many of us want to know if it will persist through Christmas. As one bitterly cold blast of Arctic air pushes out of the region, another surge of frigid air is already set to move back in. We will experience a bit of a break from the really cold air this weekend. However, another surge of unseasonably cold air driven by the breakdown of the polar vortex will likely expand from central Canada through the Midwest and move into the eastern United States again by early next week. And, to make matters worse, this next blast is the first of more cold spells that may linger through the middle of December.

Polar vortexes are not something new. However, the term polar vortex has only recently been popularized but has always been present. It is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both the Earths poles. It always exists near the poles but weakens in the summer and strengthens in the winter. When a storm is strong, it tends to keep the coldest air locked up over the pole. However, many times during the winter, the polar vortex will expand or stretch sending frigid air southward through Canada and over the United States. This sets the stage for those large outbreaks of Arctic air that may persist for days. We have been in this pattern since late November. This shift in the Polar Vortex is creating more opportunities for below-average temperatures to continue over the Great Lakes, which may continue in waves for another couple of weeks.

Along with these waves of Arctic air will come a parade of quick hitting Alberta Clippers.

These systems will line up bringing the potential for accumulating snow across much of Michigan on Tuesday and a wintry mix possible on Wednesday. The arctic air will seep back into the region likely triggering bands of lake-effect snow on Thursday. The last Clipper of this series will bring another chance for snow to wrap up the week on Friday.

This wintry pattern is expected to continue bringing rounds of snow chances through mid-month. There is some indication that the Arctic air may finally ease its grip on the state by the week of Christmas.

The Marshall Mathers Foundation, along with Beasley Media Detroit, International Outdoor, Forman Mills, and The Bel Air Luxury Cinema, proudly announce a community partnership to distribute hundreds of new free coats to school children in the metro Detroit area.

The free coat giveaway will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 6th, at the Bel Air Luxury Cinema on Eight Mile Road in Detroit.

This event is open to all school-aged children in the metro Detroit area. No prior registration is required. The child must be present to receive a coat. The outwear will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last.

Three years after catastrophic flooding devastated eastern Kentucky, claiming more than 40 lives and destroying entire communities, 18 families in Knott County, Kentucky, are receiving a Christmas miracle.

Samaritan's Purse, a Christian international disaster relief organization, dedicated brand-new homes for the families at no cost, marking a significant milestone in the region's ongoing recovery.

The dedication ceremony took place on Friday afternoon in the Chestnut Ridge neighborhood as volunteers handed over keys to 13 families affected by the 2022 flood. Another five families will move into their new homes next Friday.

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Following the flood, Samaritan's Purse stationed a team in eastern Kentucky and helped more than 600 families mud out their flooded houses. Meanwhile, caseworkers worked to identify recipients for new homes, prioritizing the uninsured and most vulnerable residents.

"People here are used to being beaten down, they don't have hope. They don't think things can get better. This shows it can get better. Right here," Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, said.

The homes are brand new, built on higher ground, fully furnished and provided at no cost. The project was made possible in part by local donors like the Craft family.

For many residents in this region, even the sight of a new appliance represents a significant burden lifted from their shoulders.

"This is the laundry room with washer and dryer, I'm so excited about that. No more laundromat," Paul Johnson said, giving our reporter a tour of his new home.

When Johnson and his mother Joyce escaped their flooded home, they knew they had been lucky to survive. However, recovery proved to be an uphill battle.

"It's been tough, you never knowyou have to adjust your life and everyday is something different, a new strugglewe've had to live in a camper for 3 years. That's been difficult. Winters are cold, I have a lung condition so it's been hard to keep myself healthy," Paul said.

Johnson also faced a massive setback during his flood recovery. After losing permanent housing, he was removed from the lung transplant waiting list a requirement for transplant candidates. For him, this home means far more than shelter. It represents stability, dignity and a chance to get back on the transplant list.

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"This exceeds anything I expected. It's really beautiful," Paul said.

Now, the phrase "home for the holidays" has never meant more to these families.

"I'm blessed, I'm excited, and I hope this'll be a new start for me and my momma," Johnson said.

This article was written by Megan Mannering for the Scripps News Group in Lexington.

Chief Justice John Roberts has led the Supreme Court 's conservative majority on a steady march of increasing the power of the presidency, starting well before Donald Trump's time in the White House.

The justices could take the next step in a case being argued Monday that calls for a unanimous 90-year-old decision limiting executive authority to be overturned.

The court's conservatives, liberal Justice Elena Kagan noted in September, seem to be raring to take that action.

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They already have allowed Trump, in the opening months of the Republican's second term, to fire almost everyone he has wanted, despite the court's 1935 decision in Humphrey's Executor that prohibits the president from removing the heads of independent agencies without cause.

The officials include Rebecca Slaughter, whose firing from the Federal Trade Commission is at issue in the current case, as well as officials from the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, and Shira Perlmutter, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court already has suggested that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of allegations of mortgage fraud. Cook says she did nothing wrong.

Humphrey's Executor has long been a target of the conservative legal movement that has embraced an expansive view of presidential power known as the unitary executive.

The case before the high court involves the same agency, the FTC, that was at issue in 1935. The justices established that presidents Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt at the time could not fire the appointed leaders of the alphabet soup of federal agencies without cause.

The decision ushered in an era of powerful independent federal agencies charged with regulating labor relations, employment discrimination, the air waves and much else.

Proponents of the unitary executive theory have said the modern administrative state gets the Constitution all wrong: Federal agencies that are part of the executive branch answer to the president, and that includes the ability to fire their leaders at will.

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As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in a 1988 dissent that has taken on mythical status among conservatives, this does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power.

Since 2010 and under Roberts' leadership, the Supreme Court has steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president's ability to fire people.

In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that the Presidents removal power is the rule, not the exception in a decision upholding Trumps firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphreys case.

In the 2024 immunity decision that spared Trump from being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Roberts included the power to fire among the president's conclusive and preclusive powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.

But according to legal historians and even a prominent proponent of the originalism approach to interpreting the Constitution that is favored by conservatives, Roberts may be wrong about the history underpinning the unitary executive.

Both the text and the history of Article II are far more equivocal than the current Court has been suggesting, wrote Caleb Nelson, a University of Virginia law professor who once served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas.

Jane Manners, a Fordham University law professor, said she and other historians filed briefs with the court to provide history and context about the removal power in the country's early years that also could lead the court to revise its views. I'm not holding my breath, she said.

Slaughter's lawyers embrace the historians' arguments, telling the court that limits on Trump's power are consistent with the Constitution and U.S. history.

The Justice Department argues Trump can fire board members for any reason as he works to carry out his agenda and that the precedent should be tossed aside.

Humphreys Executor was always egregiously wrong, Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote.

A second question in the case could affect Cook, the Fed governor. Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement.

That might affect Cook's ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank.

Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officials said theyll meet on Saturday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the nearly 4-year-old war,

Following talks that made progress on a security framework for postwar Ukraine, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any real progress toward any agreement ultimately will depend on Russias readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.

The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end the war.

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Russia used 653 drones and 51 missiles in the wide-reaching overnight attack on Ukraine, which triggered air raid alerts across the country and came as Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day, the countrys air force said Saturday morning.

Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air force said, adding that 29 locations were struck.

At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said.

Among these, at least three people were wounded in the Kyiv region, according to local officials. Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraines Lviv region.

Russia carried out a massive missile-drone attack on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraines national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.

Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power overnight, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday, citing its Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The plant is in an area under Russian control since early in Moscows invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shut-down reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that energy facilities were the main targets of the attacks, also noting that a drone strike had burned down the train station in the city of Fastiv, located in the Kyiv region.

Russias Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Saturday.

Russian Telegram news channel Astra said Ukraine struck Russias Ryazan Oil Refinery, sharing footage appearing to show a fire breaking out and plumes of smoke rising above the refinery. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack. Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said a residential building had been damaged in a drone attack and that drone debris had fallen on the grounds of an industrial facility, but did not mention the refinery.

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Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call weaponizing the cold.

The latest round of attacks came as U.S. President Donald Trumps advisers and Ukrainian officials said theyll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday, after making progress on finding agreement on a security framework for postwar Ukraine.

Following Fridays talks, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any real progress toward any agreement ultimately will depend on Russias readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.

The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war.