President Donald Trump's administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.

The move, announced Friday and first reported by The Associated Press, makes good on Trump's threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It's also part of his Republican administration's overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran's key source of revenue its oil exports.

Concurrently, the U.S. this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.

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The sanctions, which cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them, come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping are due to meet in China.

Included in Friday's sanctions is Hengli Petrochemical's facility in the port city of Dalian, which has a processing capacity of roughly 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

The Treasury Department says Hengli has received Iranian crude oil shipments since 2023 and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military.

The advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran said in February 2025 that Hengli is one of dozens of Chinese purchasers of Iranian oil.

China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, importing 80% to 90% of Iranian oil before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran broke out, though the crude transported by a shadow fleet of vessels often has its origin obscured but arrives in China as oil from countries such as Malaysia. Smaller refineries, known as teapot refineries, typically are the buyers of Iranian oil.

Iran has previously said that its demands for ending the war include the lifting of sanctions.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that his agency "will continue to constrict the network of vessels, intermediaries and buyers Iran relies on to move its oil to global markets."

Earlier this month, Bessent's department sent a letter to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman threatening to levy secondary sanctions for doing business with Iran and accusing those countries of allowing Iranian illicit activities to flow through their financial institutions.

Bessent said during a White House press briefing on April 15 that the administration has told countries "that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure."

The sanctions come as the global energy trade is in turmoil as war around the Persian Gulf chokes off oil and natural gas shipments, causing prices to soar.

Treasury has tried to quell the impact of rising oil prices issuing temporary sanctions waivers on Russia oil and a one-time waiver on Iranian oil already at sea.

The AP was making efforts to contact Chinese officials for comment on the sanctions.

China has disagreed with previous U.S. sanctions, but its major companies and banks still comply with U.S. sanctions because they are more exposed to the U.S.-dominated financial system.

After the U.S. earlier this month sanctioned a Chinese refinery accused of buying Iranian oil, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, said the use of the sanctions "undermines international trade order and rules, disrupts normal economic and trade exchanges, and infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals."

Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up prices but the disruption doesn't end there.

For travelers, it can mean having to navigate a confusing web of passenger protections that vary widely depending on where they're flying.

And the timing is amplifying the impact.

"These pressures are arriving at a time when summer travel demand is ramping up, with major events such as the World Cup expected to put additional strain on airports," said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, a company that helps travelers secure compensation for flight disruptions and advocates for passenger rights.

Here's what to know if your flight is canceled.

Are these cancellations happening at the last minute?

In most cases, no. At least for now, fuel-related cuts are often being made days or weeks in advance. Lufthansa Group, for example, said this week it is cutting 20,000 short-haul flights across its network through October.

That gives you more time to adjust plans than you'd typically get with weather-related disruptions, which tend to trigger last-minute cancellations.

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My flight was canceled. What should I do first?

Check your airline's app or website immediately for rebooking options. If you're flying on a U.S. carrier, that's often the fastest and easiest way to secure a new seat, according to Tyler Hosford, security director at International SOS, a global risk management and travel security company.

Non-U.S. carriers tend to have fewer digital tools, Hosford said, so it's worth trying multiple channels, including the airline's customer service lines or airport desks.

Do I have the right to a refund or a new flight?

In most cases, yes. Airlines typically offer either a refund or a rebooking on the next available flight. The exact rules vary by country, but those are the baseline options you can expect.

In the U.S., for example, if your flight is canceled and you choose not to travel, the airline must refund you, regardless of the reason. Airlines may offer travel credits instead, but you're entitled to a full refund for airfare and any extras you didn't use, such as baggage fees or seat upgrades.

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Are passenger rights the same everywhere?

No, and protections vary widely by region from the Montreal Convention, which governs airline liability across more than 140 countries, to specific consumer protection laws in the U.S., Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Brazil.

Europe has some of the strongest protections, including compensation in certain cases. And they apply to any flight departing from an EU airport, regardless of the airline, as well as to passengers flying on an EU-based carrier into the EU even if the journey starts outside Europe. The United Kingdom maintains a similar framework.

The U.S. and Canada offer more limited protections. Policies vary widely across Asia, and in some cases travelers may need to rely more on airline policies than formal regulations.

To get a clearer picture, experts recommend searching the name of the country you're departing from and "passenger rights" before your trip.

What protections apply?

It depends.

Airlines may cite fuel shortages or rising fuel costs as the reason for cancellations. But whether you're entitled to compensation often comes down to if the disruption is considered within the airline's control under local laws.

Regardless of the cause, Napoli said, airlines in the European Union, for example, still have a "duty of care," meaning they must provide "necessary support" to travelers, including rebooking.

"While airlines are citing fuel shortages as a reason for upcoming cancellations, travelers need to know that this does not automatically waive their rights" under EU laws, Napoli said.

How can I prepare before a trip to avoid headaches?

A few steps can make disruptions easier to manage.

Sign up for flight alerts to stay informed, and book directly with the airline when possible it's much easier to resolve issues with the carrier directly than through a third-party booking site.

Knowing your options ahead of time and having a backup plan can make a significant difference if plans change.

What do I need for a claim or complaint?

Documentation is critical. Save everything: boarding passes, receipts, cancellation notices and any communication from the airline.

Take screenshots of app or website updates and any communication taking place online, and jot down key details from phone calls.

Napoli also recommends asking the airline for written confirmation of a flight disruption, including the stated reason.

Should I accept the first alternative flight the airline offers?

Not necessarily.

Experts say one of the most common mistakes travelers make is taking the first option without checking alternatives. Look at other flights, routes or even nearby airports because you may find a faster or more convenient way to reach your destination.

Can I book a different flight myself?

Yes, but proceed carefully.

If the airline's rebooking option doesn't meet your needs especially if your new flight isn't for several days you can look for alternatives and request a refund instead.

Just be aware you may need to pay any fare difference up front, and you might not be reimbursed later.

Any other tips to avoid getting stuck?

Book flights earlier in the day so you have more rebooking options if something goes wrong.

Set up flight alerts through tracking apps such as Flighty to get early notice of cancellations or delays. In some cases, Hosford said, notifications arrive before the airline's.

Consider nearby airports as backup options.

Be kind. Airline agents may be more willing to help when interactions stay calm and respectful.

"Ultimately, the shortage is squeezing the entire system, from travelers to airlines, and is something to watch as the industry looks for any relief ahead of the summer travel season," Napoli said.

Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, the company said Thursday as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires.

The company said it was making the cuts for the sake of efficiency and to allow new investments in parts of its business, as first reported by Bloomberg, which also said the company will leave about 6,000 jobs unfilled.

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Also Thursday, Microsoft said it was offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of its U.S. employees.

The software giant plans to make the offers in early May to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, according to two people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak about it publicly.

While an alternative to the sudden layoffs removing tech workers from peers like Meta and Oracle, the savings are likely tied to a similar industry upheaval that is requiring huge spending on the costs of artificial intelligence. Meta has already warned investors that its 2026 expenses will grow significantly to the range of $162 billion to $169 billion driven by infrastructure costs and employee compensation, particularly for the artificial intelligence experts its been hiring at eye-popping pay levels.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives welcomed Metas cuts in a note to investors Thursday.

He said he sees it as part of a strategy of using AI tools to automate tasks that once required large teams, allowing the company to streamline operations and reduce costs while maintaining productivity driving an increased need for a leaner operating structure.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, has spent billions of dollars operating an ever-expanding global network of data centers powering cloud computing services, AI systems and its own suite of productivity tools, including the AI assistant Copilot.

CNBC reported earlier Thursday on a memo from Microsoft's chief people officer, Amy Coleman, announcing the voluntary retirement plan.

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Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support, Coleman wrote, according to CNBC.

Millions more Americans might qualify for dual Canadian citizenship under a recent change to Canada's requirements that has led to a surge in applications from its southern neighbor.

For people like Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, it was a surprise to learn that under a new law, Canada already considered him and his siblings citizens because their grandmother is Canadian.

"My wife and I were already talking about potentially looking at jobs outside the country, but citizenship pushed Canada way up on our list," he said.

Since the new law took effect Dec. 15, immigration lawyers in the United States and Canada say they have been overwhelmed by clients seeking help submitting proof of citizenship applications. Driven by politics, family heritage, job opportunities and other factors, thousands of Americans are exploring whether the easier process makes now the right time to gain dual citizenship.

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Nicholas Berning, an immigration attorney at Boundary Bay Law in Bellingham, Washington, said his practice is "pretty much flooded with this."

"We've kind of shifted a lot of other work away in order to push these cases through," he said.

Immigration attorney Amandeep Hayer said his Vancouver, British Columbia-area practice went from about 200 citizenship cases a year to more than 20 consultations per day.

How the new law works

Canada has been changing its citizenship laws for decades, whether to update historic interpretations of law or to address discrimination issues.

Previously, Canadian citizenship by descent could only be passed down to one generation, from a parent to a child. But the new law opened up citizenship to anyone born before that date who could prove they have a direct Canadian ancestor a grandparent, great-grandparent or even more distant ancestor.

Those born on or after Dec. 15 need to show that their Canadian parent lived in Canada for 1,095 days.

Under the new law, descendants of Canadians are already considered citizens but must provide proof to obtain a certificate of citizenship. Hayer estimated that there are millions of Americans who are Canadian descendants.

"You are Canadian, and you're considered to be one your whole life," said Hayer, who advocated for the new law in parliament. "That's really what you're applying for, the recognition of a right you already have vested."

"The best way I can put it is like, if a baby's born tomorrow in Canada, the baby's Canadian even though they don't have the birth certificate," he said.

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Americans interested in dual citizenship

American applicants have different motivations, but many say President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and other topics have led them to seek dual citizenship.

Michelle Cunha, of Bedford, Massachusetts, said she decided to move to Canada after reflecting on decades of political activism and deciding she had "nothing left to give."

"I put in my best effort for 30 years. I have done everything that I possibly can to make the United States what it promises the world to be, a place of freedom, a place of equality," Cunha said. "But clearly we're not there and we're not going to get there anytime soon."

Troy Hicks, who had a great-grandfather born in Canada, said he was spurred by an international trip.

"I recently went to Australia and you know, first words out of the first person I talked to in Australia was basically an expletive about Trump and the U.S.," said Hicks, of Pahrump, Nevada. "It was just like, whoa, I walked off a 20-hour flight and literally the first words of somebody's mouth to me were that. ... So the idea of doing that with a Canadian passport just seemed easier, better, more palatable."

Maureen Sullivan, of Naples, Florida, said she was motivated by the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which hit home when her teenage nephew encountered federal officers near his high school in St. Paul. Sullivan, whose grandmother was Canadian, said she sees citizenship in Canada as an option in case things in the U.S. "really go south."

"When I first heard about the bill, I couldn't believe it. It was like this little gift that fell in my lap," Sullivan said. "There was kind of this collective excitement amongst the (family) who just felt like, we wanted to feel like we were doing something to take care of our security in the future if needed."

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How much will Canadian citizenship cost?

For those with documentation ready at hand, the proof of citizenship application fee is a relatively inexpensive 75 Canadian dollars ($55).

But costs will climb for those seeking help from an attorney or genealogist to locate records like birth, death and marriage certificates that can establish the lineage to a Canadian ancestor.

Cunha said she used an attorney and estimates the cost will be about $6,500.

However, Mary Mangan, of Somerville, Massachusetts, filed her application in January using advice from online forums.

"There are some situations where a lawyer might be the right thing, but for many people, I would guess 90% of people can probably do this on their own," Mangan said.

The website for the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, which processes applications, says processing times for a certificate is around 10 months, with more 56,000 people awaiting a decision.

The agency said that from Dec. 15 to Jan. 31, it confirmed citizenship by descent for 1,480 people, though not all were Americans. Last year, 24,500 Americans gained dual U.S.-Canada citizenship.

What's the reaction in Canada?

Fen Hampson, professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, said Canadians are generally a "welcoming people."

Hampson said some also worry a surge of interest from Americans could delay efforts by refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing vulnerable situations.

"I think where people start looking askance is someone who's never been to Canada, who has very thin ties. They can get a passport, becoming Canadians of convenience. People don't like that," he said.

An appeals court on Friday blocked President Donald Trumps executive order suspending asylum access, a key pillar of the Republican presidents plan to crack down on migration at the southern border of the U.S.

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that immigration laws give people the right to apply for asylum at the border, and the president cant circumvent that.

The panel concluded that the Immigration and Nationality Act doesnt authorize the president to remove the plaintiffs under procedures of his own making, allow him to suspend plaintiffs right to apply for asylum or curtail procedures for adjudicating their anti-torture claims.

The power by proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of specified foreign individuals into the United States does not contain implicit authority to override the INAs mandatory process to summarily remove foreign individuals, wrote Judge J. Michelle Childs, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden.

The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

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ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said in a statement that the appellate ruling is essential for those fleeing danger who have been denied even a hearing to present asylum claims under the Trump administrations unlawful and inhumane executive order.

Judge Justin Walker, a Trump nominee, wrote a partial dissent. He said the law gives immigrants protections against removal to countries where they would be persecuted, but the administration can issue broad denials of asylum applications.

Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.

Judge Cornelia Pillard, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, also heard the case.

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A new study finds dating is getting more expensive, but singles are pushing back. More than 60% of single Americans say overspending to impress on a date is a red flag, and half say they prefer low-cost date ideas.

The survey of 1,000 single Americans shows rising costs are changing how people approach dating and relationships.

Singles are adapting rather than giving up on dating, and theyre embracing lower-cost experiences that reward financial honesty over flashy spending, said Erik Stomp, co-founder of DealSeek.

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One reason for the shift is that inflation has hit date nights especially hard. Meals at restaurants and special outings have become more expensive, outpacing inflation for many other items.

Dateflation is the idea that inflation has reshaped nearly every corner of our daily life as we know it, and now its reshaping romance as well, Stomp said.

What advice does Stomp have for singles looking for a partner?

Our findings show that frugality has become a green flag and that bragging about money is the biggest red flag in modern dating, he said.

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The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it will offer ultra-fast review to three psychedelic drugs being developed to treat mental health conditions, including depression, the latest step by the Trump administration toward possible approval of the experimental treatments.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last weekend directing the FDA and other federal agencies to speed research and loosen restrictions on psychedelics, a class of hallucinogenic drugs, which remain illegal under federal law.

The FDA said it awarded priority review vouchers to two companies studying psilocybin the active ingredient in magic mushrooms for hard-to-treat forms of depression. A third company received a voucher for methylone, a drug related to MDMA, for post-traumatic stress disorder. The FDA did not name the companies in a press release announcing the news.

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"We owe it to our nation's veterans and all Americans who are suffering from these conditions to evaluate these potential therapies with urgency," FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement.

The vouchers don't guarantee approval, but instead mean that regulators will try to shorten their reviews from a period of months to weeks.

The recent moves on psychedelics reflect growing popular support for the mind-altering substances among Trump's supporters, including combat veterans and followers of the Make America Healthy Again movement spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Last July, Kennedy told members of Congress his department aimed to make psychedelics available for hard-to-treat psychiatric conditions within one year. Some of Kennedy's top allies and staffers are proponents of the drugs.

Calley Means, a former Kennedy campaign staffer now serving as a senior health adviser, has previously written about the "mind-blowing" power of psychedelics and his plans to invest in companies developing the drugs.

FDA's special treatment for psychedelics is likely to renew scrutiny of its program for speeding up drug reviews, known as the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher program.

Democratic members of Congress have noted that vouchers have gone to companies that are politically favored by the White House, including those that have agreed to cut prices on their medications.

In a separate move, the FDA authorized initial testing of a drug related to ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic made from an African shrub, for people with alcohol use disorder. Ibogaine is known to sometimes cause dangerous heart rhythms but has been embraced by combat veterans as a way to treat trauma and addiction.

The drugmaker, DemeRx, is led by a Florida-based researcher who first began studying ibogaine as a treatment for cocaine addiction in the 1990s, before federal health officials pulled funding for the work.

"Every grant proposal that I submitted to (the National Institute on Drug Abuse) was rejected," Deborah Mash, a neurologist and founder of DemeRx, told The Associated Press. "I couldn't get that funding and that's why ibogaine didn't advance in the 1990s."

Ibogaine is known to cause intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors and sometimes dangerous irregular heart rhythms. Mash says DemeRx's drug is a metabolite of ibogaine, and doesn't carry the same hallucinogenic effects or risks as the original drug.

Saturday's White House event on psychedelics suggested Trump's political allies had a role in pushing the drugs to the top of his agenda.

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Joe Rogan, the podcaster who appeared at the Oval Office event, said he texted Trump about the psychedelic ibogaine, which he's repeatedly discussed on his show. According to Rogan, the president quickly responded: "Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it."

Rogan's endorsement of Trump days before the November 2024 election was seen by White House aides as a key factor in his election victory.

On his show earlier this week, Rogan said he learned about ibogaine from his friend Ed Clay, a mixed martial arts trainer and entrepreneur who runs retreats making use of it in Mexico.

Virtually all psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin and MDMA are classified as Schedule I substances, a category for high-risk drugs that have no medically accepted use.

For decades, drugmakers steered clear of the substances due to the difficulties of studying drugs that are illegal under federal law.

But dozens of small drugmakers, many fueled by Silicon Valley investors, have recently jumped into the race to win FDA approval for various psychedelics. For example, tech billionaire Peter Thiel who has made political donations to both Trump and Vice President JD Vance has invested in AtaiBeckley, a company studying MDMA and other psychedelic compounds.

A powerful tornado in Oklahoma ripped roofs off buildings and reduced others to rubble, knocked down power poles and sent emergency crews rushing into a rural community near Vance Air Force Base, officials said.

The confirmed tornado Thursday moved across parts of Enid, a city of about 50,000 people near the state's northern border, according to the National Weather Service. Video showed a rapidly rotating column of air touching down along with totaled homes.

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There were no immediate reports of fatalities and only minor injuries hours after the tornado passed through, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office. Authorities were going door-to-door in some neighborhoods to check on residents.

Enid Mayor David Mason said some residents were trapped in their homes by debris and had to be rescued.

Some of the worst damage happened in Gray Ridge, a neighborhood on the south side of the city, he said. We have quite a few homes knocked down in there, he told KOCO-TV.

Video from the scene showed piles of rubble where homes once stood. Other buildings appeared to be leveled.

Amy Kuntz, who was driving home to Enid, was calming her daughter over the phone during the storm.

She said, I dont know what to do, And then I was like, Get in the bathtub. So she got in the bathtub and not even a minute later, she's like, Mom, the roofs gone, Kuntz told KFOR-TV.

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Fences and some equipment were knocked down at Vance Air Force Base, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. The base closed until further notice due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts, it posted online Friday.

Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonights tornado, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt posted on social media.

More storms are possible through Friday night across south-central and southeast Oklahoma, the National Weather Service in Norman said. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop Saturday, including in the Enid area.

It was a stormy night for other states, too. In Kearney, Missouri, north of Kansas City, officials reported downed trees, debris blocking roadways and damage to homes on Thursday night after storms passed through the area. Officials said in a social media post that no injuries had been reported. Crews worked to make roads passable by early Friday and were expected to continue cleanup efforts during the day.

The Las Vegas Raiders have selected Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 draft pick of 2026, locking up the promising quarterback as was widely expected.

Mendoza led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national championship earlier this year.

But Mendoza was not present at the draft ceremony itself. He watched the results of the draft from Miami with his family.

He now joins the Raiders to learn under veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who joined the team this offseason. He will also be mentored by seven-time Super Bowl winner and part-owner of the team, Tom Brady.

The remaining teams making up the first five picks of the first round tonight:

2. New York Jets - David Bailey, edge rusher from Texas Tech

The New York Jets selected edge rusher David Bailey second overall.

Bailey, who played for Texas Tech and notched 14.5 sacks last season, will help fill out the defensive profile for the Jets. He joins Joseph Ossai and Will McDonald IV.

3. Arizona Cardinals - Jeremiyah Love, running back from Notre Dame

The Cardinals took running back Jeremiyah Love third overall.

Love was noted for his high maneuverability when running the ball and his willingness to provide pass protection.

4. Tennessee Titans - Carnell Tate, wide receiver from Ohio State

The Tennessee Titans selected wide receiver Carnell Tate fourth overall.

Tate's strengths include his high efficiency on route and the ability to poke holes in zone coverage. Scouts highlighted his ball handling skills and reliability while in traffic.

5. New York Giants - Arvell Reese, linebacker from Ohio State

The New York Giants took Arvell Reese fifth overall.

Reese will bring a mix of explosive speed and blocking power. He was lauded for his ability to handle offensive tackles and muscle running backs.

MORE ON TONIGHT'S DRAFT | 2026 NFL Draft: Full order, top prospects and how to watch

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Certain tickets to the final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are being resold online for the steep price of $2.3 million each.

The tickets, listed for sale on FIFA's ticket resale website, are for seats at the end of the pitch behind the goal.

Some of the other tickets for the last match of the tournament are listed on the resale site for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

FIFA manages the ticket resale site, where ticket holders can set their own prices to potentially resell their tickets. FIFA doesn't cap the sale price for these tickets, but it will take a 15% cut from each ticket sold.

If you're looking to save some money, the cheapest tickets for the final match can currently be bought directly from FIFA for nearly $11,000.

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Prices are also not as steep for the first rounds of the tournament. Fares for the United States' opening match against Paraguay, which will go on June 12 in California, started at $1,940. Tickets to Canada's first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Toronto, started at $980.

The final match is scheduled to take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines with the intent of reselling the struggling budget carrier after oil prices drop.

The president confirmed his continued interest in offering Spirit a financial lifeline after a lawyer told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that the airline was in advanced talks with the U.S. government on a financing deal that would allow Spirit to emerge from Chapter 11 protection.

They have some good aircraft and good assets, and when the prices of oil goes down, well sell it for a profit, Trump said, speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event. Id love to be able to save those jobs. Id love to be able to save an airline.

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Trump stoked speculation of a deal to save Spirit on Tuesday when he encouraged a buyer to rescue the airline and suggested the federal government could help keep it afloat.

The White House has attempted to blame Spirits predicament on the Biden administration, which in 2023 sued to stop JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit for $3.8 billion. A little more than a year before Trump replaced Joe Biden as president, a federal judge in Dallas blocked a proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger, saying it would drive up airfares for passengers.

Trump said he had a smart person in mind who could potentially run Spirit and that he believed the airline could get back on solid financial footing.

And they have some very good slots too, which are pretty valuable, the president added, referring to scheduled times allocated for airlines to take off or land at airports when demand exceeds available capacity.

Spirit has struggled with losses for years. The airline filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024 and again in August 2005. With the Iran war driving up jet fuel costs for all airlines, creditors earlier this month expressed doubts about Spirits ongoing viability, raising the possibility the airline recognized for its bright yellow planes would be forced to sell its assets and cease operating.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Spirit Airlines cancels routes in 11 cities amid financial struggles

Before Trump's comments about the government buying the airline outright, Marshall Huebner, a lawyer with Davis Polk who is representing Spirit, said during a U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing in New York that government financing would a reorganization possible and help Spirit be more competitive.

Details of a potential deal were shared with all three of the companys primary creditor groups, Huebner said.

It was not immediately clear how a federal acquisition would differ from the terms that were under discussion. The size and terms of the financing aid were not shared publicly. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, both reported an amount of $500 million that would give the government an option to acquire a sizable stake in the airline, which has its headquarters in Florida.

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy voiced skepticism about the government stepping in to keep Spirit alive. In a CBS interview that aired Tuesday night, Duffy questioned whether a deal would set a broader precedent.

Then who else comes to my door? he said, referring to other airlines potentially requesting government aid. The question will be, can we do anything to save Spirit and make it viable, or would we be putting good money into a company that inevitably is going to be liquidated?

Several lawmakers, both Republican and Democrats, also balked at the idea of a bailout. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X on Wednesday that a deal for Spirit would be a terrible idea.

If Spirits creditors or other potential investors dont think they can run it profitably coming out of its second bankruptcy in under two years, I doubt the US Government can either, Tom Cotton, a senator from Arkansas, posted. Not the best use of taxpayer dollars.

The union that represents the airline's pilots, on the other hand, voiced strong support for a rescue deal.

Spirit is the reason so many Americans can afford to visit family, travel for work, or take a vacation, said Capt. Ryan P. Muller, chair of the Spirit Airlines ALPA Master Executive Council. When Spirit enters a market, fares go down.

Spirits relatively young fleet has made it an attractive acquisition target. But previous buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and during Spirits first bankruptcy.

A U.S. special forces soldier involved in the military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro has been charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than $400,000 in an online betting market, federal officials announced Thursday.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to make money on the prediction market site Polymarket, the federal prosecutor's office in New York said.

He has been charged by the Justice Department with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction. He could face years in prison.

Van Dyke, 38, was involved in the planning and execution of capturing Maduro for about a month beginning Dec. 8, 2025, according to the federal prosecutor's office. Even though he signed nondisclosure agreements promising to not divulge "any classified or sensitive information" related to the operations, prosecutors say the Army soldier used this information to make a series of bets related to Maduro being out of power by Jan. 31, 2026.

"This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post to social media.

RELATED STORY | Timeline: From boat strikes to Caracas raid how U.S. forces captured Maduro

A telephone number listed for Van Dyke in public records was not in service. There was not yet an attorney listed for him in court documents.

Polymarket, one of the largest prediction markets in the world, said it had found someone trading on classified government information, alerted the U.S. Department of Justice and "cooperated with their investigation."

"Insider trading has no place on Polymarket," the company said in a statement.

Second complaint filed against the soldier

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency that regulates prediction markets, announced Thursday it had filed a parallel complaint against Van Dyke.

That complaint alleges that Van Dyke moved $35,000 from his personal bank account into a cryptocurrency exchange account on Dec. 26 a little over a week before U.S. forces would fly into Caracas and seize Maduro.

Van Dyke used more than $32,500 to make a series of bets on when Maduro might be removed from power, according to the complaint. He placed those bets between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, with the vast majority occurring the night of Jan. 2 just hours before the first missiles would fall on Caracas.

In the early hours of Jan. 3, President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform a photo of the now-captured Venezuelan leader, wearing a gray sweatsuit, headphones and a blindfold.

The bets Van Dyke made on Maduro leaving power resulted in "more than $404,000 of profits," the complaint said. Bets on three other Venezuela-related contracts netted the soldier more than $5,000, according to the document.

"The defendant was entrusted with confidential information about U.S. operations and yet took action that endangered U.S. national security and put the lives of American service members in harm's way," said Michael Selig, the commission's chairman.

The massive profits from the well-timed bets aroused public attention days after the raid and brought bipartisan calls for stricter regulation of the markets where people can wager on just about anything.

Officials allege that shortly after the operation, Van Dyke put most of the money he won in a foreign cryptocurrency vault and then into a new brokerage account. He also asked Polymarket to delete his account, saying he had lost access to his email associated with the account, according to the federal prosecutor's office.

Trump, when asked about the case Thursday, drew parallels between the embattled soldier and late professional baseball player Pete Rose, who was banned from the sport amid accusations that he placed bets on his own team.

"The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino, and you look at what's going on all over the world and Europe and every place, they're doing these betting things," Trump told reporters.

The Trump administration has been a key ally of the growing prediction market industry in a critical legal fight with states seeking to ban the platforms. The president's eldest son is an adviser for both Polymarket and its competitor, Kalshi, and a Polymarket investor. Trump's social media platform Truth Social is also launching its own cryptocurrency-based prediction market called Truth Predict.

Nearly two decades in the Army

Van Dyke joined the Army in 2008 and, in 2023, was promoted to the rank of master sergeant, the second-highest enlisted rank in the Army, according to the indictment. Federal prosecutors said he was part of the special forces community and was stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, but their indictment offered little other details about his military service.

The document said Van Dyke was photographed following the raid on the deck of a ship "wearing U.S. military fatigues, and carrying a rifle, standing alongside three other individuals wearing U.S. military fatigues."

The Pentagon referred questions on the case to the Army and the Justice Department.

Army officials declined to provide Van Dyke's service record. Typically, the military services are reticent to offer details about members of the special forces and take measures to keep their identities secret.

Bets on geopolitical tensions draw scrutiny

The high-profile indictment comes as bipartisan lawmakers are considering legislation to ban prediction markets from allowing bets on war, assassinations or terrorist attacks.

Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported that a group of new accounts on Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed bets on whether the U.S. and Iran would reach a ceasefire on April 7, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits for the new customers. On the same day the AP published the report, the White House warned staff against using private information to trade on prediction markets.

On Wednesday, Kalshi fined and suspended three congressional candidates who the company said wagered on the outcome of their own elections.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would be extended for the next three weeks, broadening a tentative truce between the nations as war in Iran heightens tensions across the whole region.

In a social media message, the president said the U.S. would help Lebanon address threats from Hezbollah.

"The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah. The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS," he wrote.

The extension follows in-person talks between officials from the U.S., Israel and Lebanon, hosted at the White House on Thursday.

President Trump said he would soon host the heads of government from both countries for more in-person negotiations.

RELATED NEWS | Second round of Israel-Lebanon talks expected Thursday amid Iran war tensions

Talks earlier in April represented the first such direct negotiations between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than 30 years, and helped lead to the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between the nations. In remarks to reporters following that meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Leiter suggested the countries were on the same side, united against Hezbollah, though he stressed Israel would continue to go after targets that threaten Israeli security.

Hezbollahs leaders, for their part, have rejected the current ceasefire agreement as an insult to our country and a slippery slope with no end in sight. Theyve taken particular issue with Israeli military officials maintaining a presence in Lebanon.

Israeli and Hezbollah fighters have continued to exchange fire after the ceasefire took effect. The IDF as recently as Monday afternoon confirmed a strike on Hezbollah, claiming officials eliminated terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings in Southern Lebanon and approached the troops, posing an imminent threat.

Ticketmaster plans to restart the sale of tickets to Harry Styles concerts in New York City after it discovered scalpers bought an initial run of tickets.

The company says it recently spotted fraudulent ticket purchases and took steps to invalidate the activity.

"We caught scalpers using multiple accounts and fake identities to try to get around ticket limits and resell tickets for profit," the company said in a statement. "We've canceled those tickets, none of which had been transferred to fans, and we are working with the tour to release them back to fans at the original price."

Ticketmaster says its efforts to target the fraudulent accounts will not have disrupted legitimate account holders who may have bought tickets. Any legitimate users who bought tickets or received transferred tickets through a Ticketmaster account won't see their tickets affected.

RELATED STORY | Jury finds Live Nation, Ticketmaster operated monopoly over concert venues

A window to request the re-offered tickets will open from April 30 until May 1st at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Ticketmaster says fans who are granted their request will hear back via email by May 8.

Singer Harry styles is set to play multiple shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City as part of his "Together, Together" world tour. There will be 30 shows at the venue between August 26 and October 31, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV urged the United States and Iran to return to talks to end the war Thursday and condemned capital punishment, in a wide-ranging press conference en route home from his trip to Africa.

Leo also asserted that countries have the right to control their borders but mustnt treat migrants worse than animals, and lamented that the churchs morality teaching is often reduced to sexual issues.

On Iran, capital punishment and peace

After a trip that was dominated by the very public back and forth between Leo and U.S. President Donald Trump over the war, Leo urged the United States and Iran to return to negotiations.

He called for a new culture of peace to replace the recourse to violence whenever conflicts arise.

He said the question wasnt whether the Iran regime should change or not. The question should be about how to promote the values we believe in without the deaths of so many innocents.

He revealed that he carries with him the photo of a Muslim Lebanese boy who had been killed in Israels recent war with Hezbollah. The boy had been photographed holding a sign welcoming the pope when he visited Lebanon last year.

As a pastor I cannot be in favor of war, he told reporters aboard his plane. I would like to encourage everyone to find responses that come from a culture of peace and not hatred and division.

Asked if he condemned Irans recent executions, Leo said he condemned all actions that are unjust and included capital punishment in the list.

I condemn the taking of peoples lives. I condemn capital punishment. I believe human life is to be respected and that all people from conception to natural (death), their lives should be respected and protected.

So when a regime, when a country takes decisions which take away the lives of other people unjustly, then obviously that is something that should be condemned, he said.

Pope Francis changed the churchs social teaching to declare capital punishment immoral in all cases.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV: Not in my interest to engage Trump over Iran war

On migration and the rights of states

Leo affirmed the right of countries to impose immigration controls on their borders and acknowledged that uncontrolled migration had created situations that are sometimes more unjust in the place where they arrive than from where they left.

I personally believe that a state has the right to impose rules for its frontiers, he said. But saying this, I ask: What are we doing in the wealthier countries to change the situation in poorer countries to provide opportunities so that people arent compelled to leave?

Regardless, he said migrants are human beings and deserve to be respected in their human dignity and not be treated worse than house pets, animals.

On LGBTQ+ blessings and morality

Leo was asked about the recent invitation by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich, for the priests and pastoral workers in his archdioceses to adopt a set of guidelines formalizing and ritualizing blessings of same-sex couples.

The guidelines were approved last year by a controversial German church governing body made up of the German bishops conference and a Catholic lay group that has been working to have a greater say in church decision-making.

The Vatican in 2023 allowed for such blessings, but it made clear that they were not to be formalized or ritualized. The Vatican allowed them to be offered spontaneously and informally, as a priest gives a final blessing to all people at the end of Mass.

Leo said the Holy See had made clear to German bishops that we do not agree with the formalized blessing of gay couples or couples in other irregular situations.

The Vaticans 2023 declaration allowing an informal blessing, promulgated with virtually no consultation outside the Vatican, sharply divided the church, with African bishops delivering a continent-wide dissent and refusing to implement it. Homosexual activity is criminalized in several African countries.

Asked how he would handle keeping the church unified over such a divisive issue, Leo spoke broadly about how culture war questions of sexual morality had dominated church discourse, particularly in the West, far too much.

I think its very important to understand that the unity or division of the church should not revolve around sexual matters, he said. We tend to think that when the church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual.

And in reality, I believe that there are much greater and more important issues such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion that would all take priority before that particular issue.

The comment was significant because it suggested that even though he is American, Leo believes the church in the U.S. and the West has excessively reduced its moral teachings to revolve only around sex at the expense of other pressing issues.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo says he does not fear Trump, citing Gospel as he pushes back in feud over Iran war

A pope who keeps on eye on how hes being covered

Historys first U.S. pope showed himself keenly aware of how his Africa trip had been reported and interpreted, including about his sometimes tame public addresses to African leaders who are accused of corruption or authoritarianism.

With a few notable exceptions, Leo kept his political remarks to the leaders largely diplomatic, using a language of encouragement and subtle messaging rather than headline-grabbing condemnations.

He also allowed some of the circumstances of his visit to speak louder than his words: a choreographed song and dance routine by prisoners in a country known for gross human rights abuses, or the extravagant luxury of a presidents hometown in a country where more than half the population lives in poverty.

Leo insisted that his primary reason for visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea was as a pastor, to accompany his flock in their faith.

He added that the Holy See can sometimes achieve more behind the scenes via its diplomatic work, including through the release of political prisoners, than with great proclamations criticizing, judging or condemning.

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

He suffered a heart attack, according to his sister.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She posted a statement on Monday afternoon:

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

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

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

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

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

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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

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

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

RELATED STORY | iPhone privacy report: How to check which apps are tracking you and accessing your data

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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