Starting Sunday, the 聽is hosting a special “Shop the Checkers” event. Participating stores with Croatian flags displayed on their planters will offer special sales, discounts or events related to the European country until June 28.

Guests can also receive a special-themed “Goal Getter” soccer tote bag for free with their purchase, while supplies last.

Megan Podolsky, the owner of Mint Condition and 529 Kids Consign, told 海角社区app that participating stores are staffed up to handle the influx of visitors from around the world coming to the city.

“This is not going to be like a normal summer where everyone leaves Alexandria and goes abroad. They’re all coming to us,” she said. “We’re just ready to welcome everybody, and we’re very excited for this opportunity.”

The Old Town Boutique Community features over 30 independently owned shops located on and around King Street, offering a variety of specialties from apparel and home goods to food and wine.

For Podolsky, having a community that comes together in times of support or celebration, like the World Cup, helps small business owners overcome the hurdles to run their locations the right way.

“It is all small businesses, it’s all independently owned, and so we do come together for tough times, so whether it’s COVID or the tariffs, we band together,” she said. “And that’s when this marketing collective becomes even more important to support each other.

For Lisa Katic, the owner of Wine Gallery 108, the World Cup is coming at the right time. She told 海角社区app that the tariffs on her imported wines and economic uncertainty have caused her some issues running her wine shop, calling it a “juggling act.”

“We’re experiencing definitely some issues in the economy, in terms of prices raising, gas prices being an issue for people, so we’re really looking forward to this,” Katic said. “This is going to be a really big, we think, influx to the city, and hopefully to the business during this time.”

Wine Gallery 108, which offers wine, gourmet foods and art, is a curated shop where Katic tastes everything before it goes on sale. To prepare for the “Shop the Checkers,” Katic 鈥� who is half-Croatian 鈥� began learning about Croatian wines. She contacted her vendors and extended the invitation to small Croatian wine producers.

Wine Gallery 108 will host three special Croatian wine tastings on June 16, 23, and 26, featuring 10-12 wines from various regions of the country.

“For us, and as a city, for me as a business, and us as a city, to have this opportunity is huge,” she said, adding that her shop will be filled with Croatian T-shirts, flags and decorations.

As for Podolsky, both of her businesses, which focus on high-end consignment for women and children, will have a sale on all red, white and blue merchandise. She welcomes any member of the Croatian delegation to stop by with their friends and family to see her store and others around Old Town Alexandria.

What would she do if a Croatian player stopped by during his stay?

“It would be an honor to have these guys in our stores,” Podolsky said. “Hopefully, their wives love some designer clothes, and they’ll want to come shop.”

An entire list of participating stories, a downloadable map and sales can be found on the .

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Electric vehicles. Brain implants. Underground tunnels. A social media platform once called Twitter. And a rocket maker that from Wall Street this week.

Over time, more and more of these ventures have found themselves under the same roof. Musk merged SpaceX 鈥� which went public on Friday 鈥� with his artificial intelligence company xAI . But he still holds the CEO role at several corporations today, in addition to other various executive titles or ownership stakes.

Here’s a look at Musk’s vast business empire.

SpaceX

Musk is CEO of SpaceX, which he founded in 2002. The company has grown far beyond rockets. It owns satellite communications service Starlink, a big source of cash for the company that generated last year. SpaceX also houses social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which Musk and parked it under xAI, the maker of the .

Both xAI and X are money losers (the AI business lost $6.4 billion in operations last year). Nonetheless, SpaceX 鈥� which lost $2.6 billion overall from operations last year 鈥� was able to whip up enough market hype to debut with the biggest initial public offering in history on Friday, closing at just below $161 per share, or a total market value of $2.1 trillion.

Some think that price tag significantly overvalues the company. SpaceX has promised it will become a leader in AI and one day help make human life multiplanetary 鈥� with lofty, and at times sci-fi sounding, goals that range from putting data centers in space to colonizing Mars. But the bulk of that hinges on unproven technology and massive capital needs.

Tesla

Musk is also CEO of Tesla, a role he has held at the electric car maker since 2008.

Tesla has struggled with rising competition in the EV space. Last year, the company lost its crown as the world鈥檚 largest EV maker to China鈥檚 BYD. Sales were also bruised . Those numbers have , but Musk has repeatedly shrugged off troubles 鈥� emphasizing that Tesla鈥檚 future lies less in car sales than getting people to as self-driving taxis.

Beyond the road, Tesla has been upping production of for homes and businesses. And it’s also been in the solar energy business for about a decade with it purchase of SolarCity, which Musk and two of his cousins. Tesla went public in 2010, and went on to join the trillion dollar club on the S&P 500. Its market cap currently stands around $1.5 trillion.

Neuralink

Musk has also the CEO title at Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company he co-founded in 2016.

Neuralink is one of many groups It’s launched clinical trials for people who have spinal cord injuries, ALS and other conditions. The company (and sometimes ) has announced over recent years. In January, Neuralink said it had 21 trial participants worldwide.

The Boring Company

Musk also founded The Boring Company, a decade-old tunnel digging and underground transportation business.

The Boring Company is behind projects like the 鈥淰egas Loop鈥� 鈥� a network of underground, Tesla-hailing tunnels that first opened around around the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2021. It’s promised to deliver a network of high speed transit 鈥� with plans to also make tunnels in and Nashville. Still, pushback has piled up along the way. The company of breaking multiple safety and environmental requirements in Las Vegas, where its full route is still unfinished, and other criticism from some .

Paypal and other previous endeavors

Musk made his initial fortune by creating two companies, Zip2 and PayPal ( ). Those then-startups were sold to new owners decades ago 鈥� but about $200 million at sale, which Musk used to later start SpaceX and invest in Tesla.

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The company鈥檚 parent app, called Stopfinder, uses GPS technology to track the buses. Parents receive an invitation from the school district and then download the app. Anyone who downloads the app and tries to use it without an invitation won鈥檛 be able to.

During a committee meeting in November, Arlington school officials discussed ways to improve the bus routing system. The software they previously used had been in place for over a decade, according to school board documents.

The change comes after the previous software delayed sending routing information to families and schools, and operated an inefficient routing process.

Nearby Loudoun County Public Schools and Baltimore and Anne Arundel County schools in Maryland are among the D.C.-area districts that use Transfinder, President and CEO Antonio Civitella told 海角社区app.

鈥淲e would like to extend our appreciation to our Superintendent, members of our School Board, Cabinet, and our Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Operations for supporting this partnership,鈥� Lance Johnson, Arlington Public Schools鈥� executive director of transportation and fleet services, said in a statement. 鈥淲e are excited about the opportunities it brings and look forward to enhancing our level of service.鈥�

The Stopfinder app, which is free for parents, allows families to sign up for various alerts, including a notification for when the bus is 10 or 15 minutes away from the pickup spot.

Last year, over 200 million alerts were sent to parents. More than 2,500 school systems across North America use the tech, Civitella said.

If a school bus is taking attendance, parents can sign up for notifications when a student gets on or off the bus.

鈥淧arent apps have a tendency of having high friction,鈥� Civitella said. 鈥淔riction means you have to register, you have to know kids鈥� IDs and so forth, and so there鈥檚 a low adoption rate. What we did, we want to make it frictionless.鈥�

Separately, through a process called trip absorption, the company鈥檚 tech can be used to help find quick solutions when certain drivers aren鈥檛 working on any given day, he said.

鈥淭wo, three drivers are out today. Well, how do I consolidate just for today?鈥� Civitella said. 鈥淗ow do you let our routing algorithm say, 鈥楬ey, I don鈥檛 want this to happen all the time. Today, let鈥檚 consolidate some routes.鈥欌��

The company鈥檚 Routefinder Plus technology, meanwhile, helps school divisions create the safest bus routes for students. It considers ways to minimize having kids cross the street to get on or off the bus using artificial intelligence optimization.

鈥淲e also consider the approach,鈥� Civitella said. 鈥淎pproaching a stop at the kid鈥檚 house, maybe it鈥檚 faster to come from the north. But if the kid鈥檚 on that side, it鈥檚 important to create a stop that the kid doesn鈥檛 have to cross the street. Those are really our superpower when it comes to optimization.鈥�

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The problem, known as alpha-gal syndrome, was first linked to a particular species of ticks about 15 years ago. But as more people report symptoms such as hives, diarrhea and itchiness after eating as little as a mouthful of meat and 鈥� in some cases 鈥� dairy. The allergy doesn鈥檛 impact consumption of seafood or poultry. Chicken, turkey and eggs are all OK to eat.

For years, the standard treatment has involved avoiding foods that come from cows, pigs and lambs while carrying an epinephrine injector in case of medical emergency. But regulators recently approved the first drug for the condition, and more therapies may be on the way.

Here’s what to know about alpha-gal syndrome:

What causes it?

Unlike other tick-borne illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, alpha-gal syndrome isn’t caused by a bacteria or a virus. Instead, it occurs when the human immune system triggers an allergic response to a type of sugar, known as alpha-gal.

Alpha-gal is found in the meat of most mammals, but not in humans or other primates. It’s also found in the saliva of certain ticks.

When eaten, the sugar is normally harmless. But when ticks bite through the skin, they can introduce the sugar directly into the bloodstream. That triggers the development of antibodies 鈥� immune system proteins that fight off foreign invaders 鈥� that quickly learn to identify and attack alpha-gal sugar molecules.

鈥淚t turns out that the skin is a fantastic way to make an allergic response,” said Dr. Scott Commins, an alpha-gal syndrome researcher at the University of North Carolina. “If this all happened orally, and we were eating alpha-gal like we do with steaks or barbecue, then we wouldn’t become allergic.鈥�

People that develop the antibodies will often experience a strong allergic reaction a few hours after consuming meat or dairy. But it can take weeks or months for the problem to develop, with the severity of symptoms often increasing over time.

Why are more people being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome?

Experts point to increased awareness among health professionals and the public.

鈥淚 think part of it is more people have learned about it and are on the watch for this syndrome,鈥� said Maria Diuk-Wasser, a Columbia University researcher who studies tick-borne diseases.

But rising cases also reflect the expanding habitat range of the lone star tick, the primary source of the condition in the U.S. Often identifiable by a white dot on its back, the lone star tick is most common in the eastern and southern U.S. But in recent years it’s been reported in new parts of the country, including the Great Lakes region and as far north as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

Researchers worry that other types of ticks, including blacklegged ticks, may also increasingly spread the condition.

Roughly 450,000 Americans are estimated to have developed the allergy, according to a 2023 study by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When should someone get tested?

People usually seek medical attention after experiencing worrisome symptoms, including hives, dizziness, difficulty breathing and swelling of the lips, throat, tongue or eyelids. Some people may only experience digestive issues, including diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting and nausea.

Doctors diagnose the allergy based on results from a blood test, symptoms and other details reported by the patient, including whether they recall any recent bug bites.

The blood test detects the presence of alpha-gal antibodies, but not all patients with a positive result develop the condition. Sometimes the test can also be wrong.

鈥淭he blood test in and of itself is great, but you can鈥檛 rely on that just for diagnosis. You need the actual symptoms too,” Commins said. 鈥淚n the allergy world, we have a lot of trouble with false positives on blood tests.鈥�

Which foods are off limits?

Doctors generally advise patients to avoid beef, pork, lamb and other meats from mammals. Some people are still be able to consume dairy products from these animals, including milk, cheese and butter. Those with particularly severe reactions may need to avoid foods made with other animal byproducts such as gelatin, which is found in marshmallows and gummy bears.

One rare exception: from a small number of pigs that have been genetically modified to not produce alpha-gal. Approved for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, the pigs are bred as part of an experimental effort to harvest animal organs for transplantation into humans. Deactivating the alpha-gal gene was a critical first step to make sure the human immune system wouldn’t immediately reject the foreign organs. Meat from these so-called 鈥淕alSafe鈥� pigs is available from a company called Amaroo Hills.

People with the syndrome may also have to avoid certain medical products and implants. For instance, many heart valves are made from cow or pig parts.

How long does it last?

The allergy can fade away in some people after several years. Commins has seen that happen in about 15% to 20% of his patients. But it’s critical to avoid new tick bites.

What treatments are available?

In 2024, the FDA approved for a variety of food allergies, including alpha-gal syndrome. The drug doesn’t reverse the condition but helps reduce severe allergic reactions after accidental exposure to meat.

The drug was first approved more than 20 years ago for patients with hard-to-control asthma. It works by reducing the release of biological chemicals that cause inflammation and other allergic reactions.

Commins and other researchers hope to study other previously approved drugs as new options for patients.

鈥淭here are certain (biologic drugs) out there nowadays that interfere with the allergic signaling,” Commins said. “We think that if you were on one of those 鈥� or if you got one quickly enough after a tick bite 鈥� perhaps it could interfere with the entire allergic response process.鈥�

___

Associated Press video journalist Mary Conlon contributed to this story.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) 鈥� The United States and Iran appear close to a deal to end and open the .

Pakistan鈥檚 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that a deal aimed at in the Middle East is closer than 鈥渆ver before鈥� and expected to be finalized within 24 hours. Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the agreement, followed immediately by technical-level talks next week.

Previous declarations of an imminent breakthrough failed to materialize.

The apparent breakthrough in negotiations comes after Iran with the U.S. and Israel over three days this week, threatening to push the region into a full-scale war. U.S. Central Command late Friday said in a social media post that it intercepted several Iranian attack drones that were targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the Middle East and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7.

Here’s what to know:

Iran’s nuclear program terms to be finalized within 60 days of the agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday the terms of dealing with Iran鈥檚 nuclear program would be finalized in the 60 days after the initial agreement is signed and that the parties could decide to extend that period.

Iran鈥檚 nuclear program has been a key point of division. The U.S. and Israel fear it could lead to an atomic weapon 鈥� a main reason their leaders cited for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes.

A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Friday that the emerging agreement would begin the process of destroying or removing Tehran鈥檚 highly enriched uranium.

The official said the 60-day period after both sides sign the deal would be used to work out technical details for removing Iran鈥檚 enriched uranium. The official did not detail who the U.S. envisions taking charge of removing the uranium, believed to be entombed under three nuclear sites that were battered by American strikes last year.

The deal will include conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, official says

The U.S. official said the emerging agreement includes provisions for reopening the strait.

Araghchi said Iran wants a deal that allows Tehran to charge ships 鈥渇or services rendered鈥� when they transit the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has imposed a toll system during the war, which the U.S. and other nations say violates international law.

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas, has been disrupted and crimped global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made more expensive well beyond the region.

The agreement is set to include Iranian sanctions relief

Three regional officials said the emerging deal is also expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

They said they expect a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.

What will happen to Lebanon remains unclear

Iran has insisted throughout that any deal must also include a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, Iran鈥檚 proxy militia.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not pull out of the zones it is occupying in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor would it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Fighting continued in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

鈥�

Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Michelle L. Price and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia contributed to this report.

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D.C. Fire and EMS responded to a single car crash early Saturday on Suitland Parkway near Sheridan Road Southeast. First responders were called to the scene shortly before 1:30 a.m.

The crash ended with the car rolled onto its roof .

One of the women in critical condition when EMS arrived was transported by helicopter to a hospital. The three other women were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Single Motor Vehicle Rollover: Inbound Suitland Parkway closest to Sheridan Rd SE.

One vehicle rolled over on its roof.

three adult females transported with non-serious/non-life threatening injuries.

One adult female in critical condition transported via helicopter.

鈥� DC Fire and EMS Department (@dcfireems)

An investigation to determine the cause of the crash remains active.

Source

Elrich said the order directs the Department of Permitting Services to “temporarily pause the acceptance and processing of permit applications for new data centers in Montgomery County.”

“It’s not a ban on data centers. It is not a statement that data centers should never be built in Montgomery County, and it’s not a judgement on any specific proposal,” he said. Instead, “What this does is create time for Montgomery County to establish clear rules and expectations before applications begin moving through the permitting process.”

While Montgomery County has zoning and permitting regulations on a variety of developments, “right now, Montgomery County doesn’t have regulations that specifically address data centers,” Elrich said.

The county executive also said he was eager to create specific regulations and have them in place before applications come in because, “I think it’s good for everybody to understand what the rules are going to be before going forward.”

Several proposals have been introduced at the Montgomery County Council, and councilmember Marilyn Balcombe, who serves on the Transportation and Environment Committee said, “The moratorium doesn’t mean that we stop. What it means is that we work harder,” to come up with regulations that will address community concerns.

Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink also spoke at Friday’s event. Jawando said he and Mink proposed a two-year moratorium, and added, “We might not agree on every single issue related to the moratorium but the important thing is that we do agree that we need time to get this right.”

In a statement sent to reporters, Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-Gonzalez wrote: “With the moratorium in place, we now have the space to finish up working on the Data Center Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-01.”

That measure, she said, “establishes clear definitions and limits data centers to industrial zones under conditional use-review” with conditions around noise, environmental protections and siting.

Jawando mentioned California-based Atmosphere Data Centers, which has worked with the county’s planning board on locating a data center on a former coal-fired power plant in Dickerson. Jawando said he believed the developers have good intentions, “but good intentions are not assurances.”

Councilmember Evan Glass, who, like Jawando, is running for county executive, attended the event, but was not invited to speak. After the executive order was signed, he spoke with 海角社区app.

“I’ve introduced two pieces of legislation, one creating a task force, which would have been studying this right now, and another one when that failed, to create a six-month pause,” Glass said. “So while none of the speakers today supported any of my proposals, I’m glad that they do now, and I’m glad that they’re moving forward.”

Caroline Taylor, with the Montgomery Countryside Alliance said she was glad to see the six-month moratorium in place. She said there are concerns about noise, possible impact to water infrastructure and “rate-payer impact: who’s paying for this industry’s energy use?”

Elrich said that while his action won’t stop the planning board’s work with the Atmosphere Data Centers group, it will not provide a permit for the facility during the moratorium.

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Who doesn’t love a good deal?

On the heels of “Friday Freebies,” 海角社区app launches “Saturday Steals,” bringing you great deals and discounts from radio personality Kim Komando. As an Amazon Associate, Kim may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, but recommendations are always objective.

We鈥檒l run them down every Saturday on air at 103.5 FM and here on 海角社区app.com.

This article is republished with permission from 海角社区app鈥檚 news partner The Kim Komando Show. Sign up for The Current, Kim鈥檚 free newsletter at

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WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Workers began removing President name from the facade of the Kennedy Center early Saturday, hours after a court-ordered Friday deadline to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the iconic performing arts venue鈥檚 operations.

Scaffolding was erected Friday around a section of the building that includes Trump鈥檚 name, but shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Center asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday because of thunderstorms that had swept through the Washington area, causing a delay.

In the filing, the Kennedy Center offered assurance that the 鈥渞emoval work is presently ongoing鈥� and would 鈥渃onclude in the early hours of the morning.鈥�

A few hours later, workers began covering the scaffolding with tarps before they eventually started taking down Trump’s name. They packed up and left the site around 3:30 a.m., though the tarps remained, leaving it impossible to determine if all the letters had been removed.

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

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Dozens of people spent hours Friday on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center taking pictures and cheering occasionally as they broke into chants of 鈥渢ake it down.鈥� Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member who sued to have Trump’s name removed from the building, was spotted at one point on the plaza.

Earlier Friday afternoon, a judge rejected a request to pause the court-ordered deadline. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.

After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump’s name was quickly added to the building.

In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center’s name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.

The Kennedy Center’s leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump’s speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.

鈥淭he District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,鈥� according to the appeal. 鈥淚ndeed, total collapse!鈥�

Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump’s name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper’s initial ruling.

A June 4 from the Kennedy Center鈥檚 Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as 鈥淭he John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts鈥� or 鈥淜ennedy Center.鈥�

The Kennedy Center鈥檚 website has dropped Trump’s name. And an earlier email offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump鈥檚 name.

___

Associated Press journalists Anna Johnson, Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Source

That鈥檚 the last day of school for students in Prince George鈥檚 County, and it applies to anyone under the age of 18. It鈥檚 also far more strict than the current midnight curfew.

Following other high profile incidents around the DMV, as well as disruptions at Fourth of July festivities last year, kids under 18 won鈥檛 be allowed out in public after 10 p.m. until after Labor Day.

鈥淲e feel that with the recent team meet up throughout the regions, we just want to make sure that our kids, our community is safe, and so we wanted to execute the curfew right after school let out,鈥� said Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor.

There are some exceptions, like if kids are out with their parents, if they鈥檙e going to or from work or coming home from some other organized event or activity.

鈥淚t’s something we see as regional and kids follow regional trends, and we just want to be proactive and making sure that our kids are not out too late,鈥� Sydnor said.

Laurel is also planning to host a series of teen-focused events throughout the summer that aim to keep kids safe, but still get them home in time for the curfew. And Sydnor says the city is putting money behind it.

鈥淚 have a Laurel High School rising senior, she’s a student ambassador, and so she’s going to be coming up with ideas and bringing them to my attention, so we can put funding behind it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to engage our kids in positive activities, that way they don’t have to be outside past a certain time.鈥�

Last year, a similar curfew took effect after Sydnor said Fourth of July celebrations were disrupted. Sydnor said no one was arrested or punished after that expanded curfew was imposed and he鈥檚 hopeful there won鈥檛 be any problems with it this year either.

鈥淜ids were meeting up, and then some incidents happened 鈥� this year with Laurel High School students meeting up in the community, and so we just want to put an extra layer of protection for our young people and also our public citizens as well,鈥� Sydnor said.

Source

A judge earlier in the afternoon rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline of Friday to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the Kennedy Center’s operations. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.

Scaffolding was erected around a section of the building that includes Trump’s name but the Kennedy Center sought a short extension to complete the work. Shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Center asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday because of storms that had swept through the Washington area Friday, causing a delay. Some of the thunderstorms included lightning.

In the filing, the Kennedy Center offered assurance that the 鈥渞emoval work is presently ongoing鈥� and would 鈥渃onclude in the early hours of the morning.鈥�

Dozens of people spent hours on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center taking pictures and cheering occasionally as they broke into chants of 鈥渢ake it down.鈥� Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member who sued to have Trump’s name removed from the building, was spotted at one point on the plaza as well.

After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump’s name was quickly added to the building.

In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center’s name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.

The Kennedy Center’s leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump’s speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.

鈥淭he District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,鈥� according to the appeal. 鈥淚ndeed, total collapse!鈥�

Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump’s name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper’s initial ruling.

A June 4 from the Kennedy Center鈥檚 Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as 鈥淭he John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts鈥� or 鈥淜ennedy Center.鈥�

The Kennedy Center鈥檚 website has dropped Trump’s name. And an earlier email offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump鈥檚 name.

___

Associated Press journalists Anna Johnson, Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Source

A large tent collapsed during a Virginia church’s 20th anniversary celebration on Friday evening, killing one person and injuring nearly two dozen others, officials said.

Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds tore through Moneta, a small community about 124 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Richmond, as the EastLake Community Church was holding an outdoor service, Shelley Basinger, a spokesperson for Bedford County, said in a statement. The group was in the process of leaving the event tent when it collapsed, according to Abbey Johnston, acting chief of Bedford County Fire and Rescue

Eleven people were taken to the hospital and 11 others had minor injuries and were treated at the scene, Basinger said.

鈥淚nitially, I鈥檓 told it was a very chaotic scene, trying to account for the individuals,鈥� Johnston told reporters.

Officials rushed to rescue everyone inside the tent behind the church and move them to safety as the strong thunderstorm raged on, she said.

Troy Keaton, the non-denominational church’s senior pastor, said he had just walked up to the stage to tell the group to go to their cars when a gust of wind picked up the tent.

鈥淪adly one of our dear brothers su铿�ered a fatal injury,鈥� he said in a statement on social media. 鈥淥ur hearts are broken for his precious family.鈥�

The tent had seating for 1,500 people, according to officials, but it was not immediately clear how many were inside when it collapsed.

No details were provided about the conditions of the people in the hospital.

Officials are gathering evidence as they investigate the collapse, Johnston said.

The tent had passed an inspection by the county’s building inspections division three days earlier, according to Basinger.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger said her team has been in close contact with the response crew on the ground.

鈥淚 am praying for the EastLake Community Church and all who are impacted, and we will continue to support the community during this difficult time,鈥� she said in a statement on social media.

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The suspect, 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal, already was being sought by authorities when he began firing at police and bystanders in Midland on Friday before barricading himself in an abandoned veterinary clinic, where he was eventually found dead, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Police have provided limited details about how the shooting unfolded. Police arrived in the area after receiving reports of an active shooter, and Mata Villarreal started firing at officers, said Midland Police Chief Greg Snow. Several officers were pinned down behind their patrol cars and had to be rescued by an armored vehicle, Snow said, but no officers were shot.

Police then got everyone out of the area. 鈥淲e moved to deny more targets for this active shooter,鈥� Snow said.

A few hours after the shooting began, authorities used robot and drone footage from inside the building to confirm the shooter was dead, Midland Mayor Lori Blong. Police did not say how he died.

A spokesperson for the city identified a man killed in the shooting as Ed Scott, a father and husband who worked in solid waste for Midland. He also did a lot of work with local and regional softball organizations, according to the city.

Friends mourning his death described him in social media posts as a softball umpire and volleyball official who was known for his kindness and jokes.

Mata Villarreal, of nearby Odessa, was wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after firing multiple times at a Midland police officer on Wednesday, the state鈥檚 public safety agency said.

The officer, who wasn’t injured, fired back after initially trying to pull over Mata Villarreal, who drove away, investigators said. His vehicle was found empty a short distance away, they said. Police have not said why the officer tried to stop Mata Villarreal.

Friday鈥檚 standoff happened about a half-mile (1 kilometer) from where the shots were fired at the police officer Wednesday.

Police have not said why Mata Villarreal began shooting on Friday or provided any details about the victims, including who they were, how they were shot or the conditions of those still hospitalized.

Midland Memorial Hospital said four people who were brought there underwent surgery and that five had been treated and released.

Calls to numbers listed for some relatives of Mata Villarreal in Texas went unanswered Friday or appeared to be lines that had been disconnected.

Mata Villarreal had several previous encounters with law enforcement, including some arrests, records show.

He was convicted on a 2009 charge of unlawfully carrying a firearm in San Angelo, according to Texas criminal history records.

He was charged in 2003 and 2004 for unlawfully carrying a weapon and unlawful possession of a prohibited weapon, but both cases appear to have been dismissed as part of a plea. He also pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge in 2008 that was later dismissed.

As police responded to Friday’s shooting, dozens of squad cars and law enforcement vehicles descended along what鈥檚 normally a busy roadway lined with hotels and auto businesses a few miles west of Midland鈥檚 downtown.

Andrea Mendias said she heard what sounded like a small explosion at the closed veterinary clinic next to the auto body shop where she works and saw a number of heavily armed police officers rush into the parking lot. Some appeared to go inside the building.

Mendias said she earlier heard what sounded like at least 40 gunshots.

Video from Mendias showed officers pouring out of the back of an armored police vehicle and police deploying robots into the area.

The city with about 140,000 residents sits in the heart of the state鈥檚 oil and gas region and was near the site of a in 2019.

In that shooting, a gunman who had been fired from his oil services job killed seven people and wounded two dozen others while firing at random as he drove around the Odessa and Midland areas. The two cities are more than 300 miles (482 kilometers) west of Dallas.

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Associated Press reporters Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia and Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed.

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