SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom said his administration is “moving forward aggressively” to continue laying the groundwork for a giant tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to replumb the state’s water system.

“We got to move faster. Move faster,” Newsom said to regulators during a speech Thursday at a conference held by the Assn. of California Water Agencies. “We all have to be held to a higher level of accountability.”

California’s 40th governor provided a chronological look back at his water policies since taking office in 2019 and asserted the need to continue his effort to modernize state infrastructure to provide for cities and farms into the future.

Newsom cast the tunnel as a “climate adaptation project,” noting that climate change is projected to shrink the amount of water the state can deliver with its current infrastructure.

With his term expiring at the end of the year, Newsom acknowledged that he will soon “pass the baton” on water policy to the next governor. Democrat or Republican, that person could decide the fate of his signature water project.

“The Delta Conveyance, if we had it last year alone, would have provided enough water, in terms of what we could have captured with an updated system, enough water for 9.8 million Californians’ needs for over a year,” Newsom said. “We’ve got to get that done.”

Water has been a focus of the Newsom administration since his first day in office, when the governor took his cabinet to Monterey Park Tract, a rural Central Valley community that lacked access to safe drinking water.

Described by Newsom as “the forever problem” in California, water policy is also among the most politically contentious issues in the state.

The tunnel would create a second route to transport water from new intakes on the Sacramento River to the south side of the Delta, where pumps send water into the aqueducts of the State Water Project.

The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.

Newsom and other supporters have said the tunnel would protect the state’s water system as climate change intensifies severe droughts and deluges. Opponents call the project a costly boondoggle, arguing it’s not necessary and would destroy the Delta.

It’s been mired with regulatory hurdles and other challenges for years.

The State Water Resources Control Board is considering a petition by the Newsom administration to amend permits so water could be tapped where the tunnel intakes would be built.

There have also been other complications. A state appeals court in December rejected the state’s plan for financing the project, and the California Supreme Court in April declined to take up the case. The state Department of Water Resources said it still plans to issue bonds to finance the project.

Other court challenges by Delta-area counties and environmental groups are also pending.

Whether the project is ultimately built may hinge on whether large water agencies, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, decide to participate and pay for its building.

State officials have said that the tunnel, called the Delta Conveyance Project, ultimately would be paid for by participating water agencies.

The state estimated in 2024 that the tunnel would cost $20.1 billion, while opponents say it could cost three to five times more than that.

In the last seven years, California has invested $11 billion in water infrastructure, Newsom said.

The Democratic governor reflected on other parts of his water policies, saying he has prioritized securing funds to provide clean drinking water to more communities where Californians live with contaminated tap water.

He said while there has been progress in bringing safe drinking water to more communities, there is still “a lot more work to be done.”

Newsom touted his administration’s investment in replenishing groundwater in the Central Valley and its efforts supporting plans to build the Sites Reservoir near Sacramento.

Newsom said the Sites Reservoir is critical for the state’s future, and he indicated some frustration about the pace at which it’s advancing.

“We’ve got to do the groundbreaking at Sites,” he said. “If you can’t agree to an off-stream investment in this world of weather whiplash, we’re as dumb as we want to be.”

He said his administration has also made progress on environmental projects including restoring wetlands around the shrinking Salton Sea, removing dams on the Klamath River, and developing a strategy to help salmon, which have suffered major declines in recent years.

Touching on issues that generate heated debate, Newsom talked about a controversial plan for new water rules in the Delta that relies on so-called voluntary agreements in which water agencies would contribute funding for wetland habitat restoration projects and other measures.

Newsom described the approach, called the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program, as a solution to break away from the traditional conflict-ridden regulatory approach and improve the Delta’s ecological health.

“Got to maintain the vigilance on these voluntary agreements. At peril, we go back to our old ways,” he said.

Environmental advocates argue that the proposed approach, which is widely supported by water agencies, would take too much water out of the Delta and threaten native fish that are already in severe decline.

Newsom said climate change is increasingly driving “weather whiplash” in California and that the state must prepare. He noted that his tenure included the extreme drought from 2020-22, followed by extremely wet conditions in 2023, which revived Tulare Lake on thousands of acres of farmland.

He said the state needs to manage water differently because the effects of climate change have been apparent over the last several years: “The hots were getting a lot hotter, the dries were getting a lot drier, and the wets were getting a lot wetter.”

Rory McIlroy posted a first round of 70 at the Truist Championship as he began his challenge to win at Quail Hollow for a fifth time.

The 37-year-old from Northern Ireland made 17 pars before his only birdie of a one-under round came at the 18th hole.

American Matt McCarty set the early pace with an eight-under-par 63 at the event in Charlotte.

England’s Harry Hall managed six birdies and one bogey as he ended the opening round with a five-under 66.

Compatriots Tommy Fleetwood, whose round included an eagle on the 10th, and Alex Fitzpatrick, fresh from securing tour membership, are on four under after 67s.

England’s Matt Wallace and Justin Rose both signed for level-par rounds of 71, while Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre was two over with one to play when play was halted late in the evening because of inclement weather.

The tournament is the last event before the US PGA Championship takes place at the Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania from 14-17 May.

May 7 (UPI) — U.S. Central Command said Thursday that American forces struck Iranian military sites responsible for “unprovoked” missile, drone and boat attacks on U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM said Iran had targeted the USS Truxtun, the USS Rafael Peralta and the USS Mason.

“No assets were struck,” it said.

The U.S. strikes targeted the Bandar Abbas and Qeshm ports near the strait, CBS News and CNN reported, each citing unnamed U.S. officials.

The attacked Iranian facilities included “missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes,” according to CENTCOM.

After the U.S. vessels had transited the strait, President Donald Trump promptly took to social media to post a warning to Iran.

“Missiles were shot at our Destroyers, and were easily knocked down,” he wrote. “Likewise, drones came, and were incinerated while in the air. They dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave! A normal Country would have allowed these Destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a Normal country. They are led by LUNATICS.”

Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said in a statement carried by Iranian state-owned outlet Press TV that it attacked the U.S. warships in response to an alleged U.S. cease-fire violation as well as a U.S. attack on an Iranian tanker near the Iranian city of Jask.

Iranian forces caused “significant damage” to the U.S. warships, it said.

A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters also said the Iranian strikes were in response to the “aggressive, terrorist and outlaw” U.S. military, Press TV reported.

The attacks come after Trump earlier this week called off Project Freedom, a U.S. military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington and Tehran try to reach an agreement to end the war.

Despite the attacks, Trump told reporters that the fragile cease-fire that halted the war that began in late February was still intact.

“They trifled with us today. We blew them away,” Trump told reporters Thursday evening.

“If there’s no cease-fire, you’re not going to have to know. You’re just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.”

Nayef Samaro, 26, left work in Nablus to run errands for his wife, who was hours away from delivering their first son by C-section. He was excited, despite the Israeli army raiding his city.

An Israeli soldier shot Nayef in the head, leaving him to bleed out in the street. He never saw his son.

CARA DELEVINGNE has dated a handful of famous blokes, including Harry Styles and Jack O’Connell.

And I bet they’ll be wishing it never happened, after she hinted they were bad in bed.

Cara, who has come out as a lesbian six years after saying she was pansexual, was speaking on stage at the “confessional” segment during Rosalia’s gig at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday.

She said: “If you didn’t know this already I’m a lesbian and my weakness used to be straight women.

“I don’t know why, it’s just because they weren’t really straight. It’s the challenge but it’s also because I generally don’t think anyone is fully straight.

“Also, I don’t think men knew how to pleasure their girlfriends well enough.”

READ MORE ON CARA DELEVINGNE

I DON’T DO QUEUES

Watch as fuming Cara Delevingne has ‘do you know who I am?’ moment at PFW

THE CLONE AGE

How Cara Delevingne transformed from distinctive beauty to Love Island clone

In 2013, she had a short relationship with Jake Bugg and was reported to have had a fling with Harry.

Cara had brief romances with Miley Cyrus and actress Michelle Rodriguez, before dating Skins actor Jack.

She’s been seeing Leah Mason, a singer known as Minke, for almost four years.

In front of the 20,000-strong crowd, she added: “I’m in a committed relationship but the thing is I used to always love being the dominant one, I love to take control.

“But I think it’s because I’m actually scared of being seen.

“I’m scared to be submissive because I didn’t want to receive love but now I think I’m ready.”

MINNEAPOLIS — A man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at a town hall meeting in Minneapolis pleaded guilty to assault Thursday in federal court after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, is awaiting sentencing.

Kazmierczak, dressed in bright orange jail clothing, gave only a fragmentary explanation Thursday of the Jan. 27 assault, which came as the city was already on edge after the fatal shootings of two people by federal agents during a White House crackdown that brought thousands of immigration officers to Minnesota.

After being asked what he remembered of the assault, he told U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen: “It’s fuzzy.”

Kazmierczak, who was in the audience during Omar’s January town hall, leaped up when the representative called for the ouster of then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. He sprayed liquid from a syringe as court documents say he shouted that Noem would not resign and that Omar was “splitting Minnesota apart.”

Security officers tackled Kazmierczak, who told them the liquid was vinegar.

“I didn’t want anybody to think she was in danger,” he said Thursday.

Omar, who was not injured, continued with the town hall after the arrest.

Authorities later determined he’d sprayed her with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. He was charged with assaulting a U.S. officer.

Court documents say Kazmierczak, a critic of Omar who has made online posts supportive of President Trump, told a close associate several years ago that “somebody should kill” her.

Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has long been a target of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. After she was elected seven years ago, Trump said she should “go back” to her home country. He has described her as “garbage” and said she should be investigated.

Trump has also accused Omar of staging the attack, telling ABC News, “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”

On Thursday, Kazmierczak told Ericksen that he was being treated for Parkinson’s disease, and that he’d been diagnosed with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and a form of post-traumatic stress.

After his arrest, his then-attorney said that he did not have access to the medications he needed for Parkinson’s and other serious conditions.

Minnesota court records show that Kazmierczak, who was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989, has been arrested multiple times for driving under the influence and has had numerous traffic citations. There are also indications he has had significant financial problems, including two bankruptcy filings.

In social media posts, Kazmierczak had criticized former President Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars.” Trump wants the U.S. to be “stronger and more prosperous,” he wrote.

Threats against members of Congress have increased in recent years, peaking in 2021 following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters before dipping slightly, only to climb again, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Capitol Police.

Sullivan writes for the Associated Press.

St. John Bosco has lost 6-foot-8 McDonald’s All-American Christian Collins to graduation, but the Braves are getting another promising 6-8 player to replace him, incoming freshman Bryce Bible, who announced on Thursday he will enroll at the Bellflower campus.

Bible is the son of Bruce Bible, who works for Sierra Canyon’s football program. He also considered the Trailblazers and Long Beach Millikan.

Bryce is tall and lanky with the ability to score in many different ways.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Brijuni National Park in Croatia is one of Europe’s most fascinating destinations – from real dinosaur footprints and an elephant gifted by Indira Gandhi to the vintage Cadillac that once carried Queen Elizabeth II

Brijuni may be one of Croatia’s tiniest islands, but it boasts one of Europe’s most extraordinary travel tales.

Situated just off the coastline near Pula, it is home to Brijuni National Park, where visitors can discover genuine dinosaur footprints, an elephant presented as a gift by Indira Gandhi, a car in which Queen Elizabeth toured the island, and the former private hideaway of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito.

For many years, the island was shut off from the public on the orders of the dictator, who resided there alongside a remarkable collection of exotic animals, bestowed upon him by world leaders.

With Tito long since gone, the island now welcomes tourists. And getting there couldn’t be simpler, with direct flights from London to Pula available from May, with prices beginning at around £35–£40.

Local guide and villa rental company Villsy founder Toni Hrelja explained: “Brijuni may look like a classic Mediterranean paradise, but its history is anything but typical,” says Toni Hrelja, local guide and founder of Villsy, a villa rental company.

READ MORE: Little-known Greek island is ‘world’s most relaxing destination’ with pristine beaches and 25C in JuneREAD MORE: UK government issues plea to Brits who have holidays booked amidst jet fuel crisis

“Thanks to its time as a private residence for former Yugoslav leader Tito, the islands became home to exotic animals gifted by political leaders; and today, you can still see them, or their descendants, grazing freely. It’s a bizarre, fascinating slice of history you simply wouldn’t expect in Croatia.

“Spring is one of the best times to visit, everything is green, temperatures are mild, and you avoid the peak summer crowds. You get the full experience without the heat.” Brijuni National Park comprises 14 islands, with the largest, Veliki (Big) Brijun, home to the main attractions. Despite its name, it’s fairly compact (5.6 km2), making it ideal to explore in a single day.

More than 30 animals inhabit the island, including Lanka, a 54 year old elephant. She arrived in 1972 as a gift from former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and is renowned for her calm nature and engagement with visitors.

The zebras represent another legacy of the Non-Aligned Movement, a herd presented in the 1960s by an African leader.

One of Tito’s most cherished pets still resides on the island: Koki, an African grey parrot with a notoriously mischievous personality. Famous for “talking” to tourists, he’s equally likely to catch visitors off guard with the odd insult. He is also known for shouting “Tito! Tito! Tito”.

Alongside these star animals, the safari also features ostriches, llamas, Somali sheep and Indian cattle (zebu).

The animals serve as the walking and (talking) legacy of Tito, but there’s one mechanical memento of the dictator’s era.

If you’re prepared to spend a bit extra, you can hire a ride in a vintage Cadillac Eldorado, presented to Josip Broz Tito by Croatian emigrants in Canada. The 1953 convertible remains in immaculate condition and continues to be one of the park’s most sought-after attractions. “Tito used it to drive around the island, but what makes it special is who sat in it. Leaders like Indira Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II were among its passengers,” Toni added.

“Once you’ve explored the safari, it’s time to discover the island’s other highlights. I recommend taking the tourist train (especially if you’re with kids), hiring a bicycle or a small electric golf cart. One of my favourite spots is the pine tree avenue.”

These pine trees are more than 100 years old and soar to heights of up to 25 metres, forming a striking landscape.

Brijuni boasted a fascinating history long before it became a political haven for Non-Aligned Movement leaders. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the islands served as a crucial strategic outpost for the Byzantine Empire.

“The Byzantine remains are another fantastic spot for photography and offer a glimpse into the island’s layered history. The ruins look like a giant stone puzzle,” Toni said.

Gandhi’s elephant isn’t the largest creature to have roamed Brijuni. The islands contain over 200 genuine dinosaur footprints, dating back approximately 130 million years to the Early Cretaceous period.

Croatia is a short-haul destination, roughly a 2.5-hour flight from the UK. From May onwards, reaching Brijuni is straightforward, with direct flights from London to Pula available from around £35 with easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair.

Direct flights also operate from Birmingham and Bristol. Pula Airport sits 13 kilometres from Fažana, the port where travellers can board a boat to the national park.

The most convenient way to purchase tickets for Brijuni National Park is online. Guided tours generally cost approximately £30–£35 for adults and roughly £13 for children, depending on the season, with marginally reduced prices in spring.

Lodging is available on the island, spanning from hotel rooms to luxury villas, although many tourists opt to base themselves on the mainland and rent a villa in Istria, treating Brijuni as a day trip.

The UK budget airline has announced that no changes will be made to its summer schedule as jet fuel prices hike due to hedging fuel contracts before the outbreak of war

Ryanair has announced that they will not be making any flight changes until March 2027 due to fuel costs.

The budget airline said that its summer schedule will not change because it had hedged its fuel contracts before the Iran war broke out.

The announcement comes after airlines have been given the go ahead to run less flights this holiday season, with several having already made cancellations.

It has been confirmed by the EU transport commissioner that airlines that cancel flights due to fuel shortages will have to compensate passengers under European law, however this could differ in the UK.

Since the outbreak of war on February 28, the cost of fuel has spiked and the closure of the strait of Hormuz has blocked off the shipping passage from the Middle East.

However, Ryanair have confirmed that they have fuel supplies until March 2027 and will not be cutting down flights over the coming months.

A spokesperson for the airline said: “As Ryanair has hedged 80% of our jet fuel to March 2027 at $67 per barrel – less than half current spot prices – we do not plan any cuts to our schedule this summer.”

Elsewhere, plans are being made to put together realistic flight schedules so passengers don’t face last minute disruption.

A UK government spokesperson said: “UK airlines are clear that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel. Aviation fuel is typically bought in advance and airports and suppliers keep stocks of bunkered fuel to support their resilience.

“We continue to work with fuel suppliers, airports, airlines and international counterparts to keep flights operating. We are also consulting on measures to help airlines plan realistic flight schedules which will avoid last-minute disruption and protect holidays.”

Last week, it emerged that penalties for airlines that cancel UK flights because of jet fuel issues have been eased.

May 7 (UPI) — A group appointed by President Donald Trump made its final recommendations Thursday on changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, suggesting moves that would put more responsibility back on states and other authorities.

The changes also include reviews of agency staffing and privatizing flood insurance, The Hill reported.

“We need to refocus FEMA to get it back on what its mission originally was,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. FEMA is part of Homeland Security.

Panel members said FEMA has become too involved in politics, specifically mentioning state assistance during the coronavirus epidemic, The New York Times reported. Recommendations included changes in how FEMA helps state and local governments with financial recovery.

“Disaster response is complicated and increasingly expensive,” the final report said. “With taxpayers bearing the burden of funding emergency management in the United States, it is the responsibility of every American to embrace their individual responsibility to lessen this burden by being prepared for disasters. … As our nation returns ownership of emergency management back to local communities and their states, tribes and territories, we encourage every American to review their insurance policies and personal disaster plans as well as engaging with their local community leaders to be better prepared when disaster strikes.”

Trump has said that FEMA’s work is too expensive and that state governors should be able to manage more on their own, the Times reported. He has also suggested in the past that the agency should “go away” entirely.

The changes recommended by the report would require congressional approval. They include tweaks meant to make the reimbursement process, once approved, quicker and more direct, and changes meaning the FEMA plays less of a role in helping disaster survivors find housing.

“These recommendations are all about accelerating federal dollars, streamlining the process, making it less bureaucratic, so that Americans can get the help they need on the worst day of their lives,” said former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a member of the council. “And this is not a moment for bureaucracy, it is a moment for action, it is a moment for clarity.”

The Environmental Defense Fund said in a statement that Americans are facing increasingly severe weather and the council’s recommendations “don’t meet this reality.”

“The proposed changes would leave communities without the necessary funding, information and access to insurance to stay prepared and safe when disasters strike,” said Will McDow, the fund’s associate vice president for coasts and watersheds.

The group said the proposed changes would “shift enormous burdens onto states and communities and reduce government efficiency.”

Fans missing Netflix’s hit comedy-drama series After Life should definitely mark their calendars for Ricky Gervais’ next project

The popular Netflix dramedy concluded four years ago.

Netflix has shared an exciting new look at Ricky Gervais’ next series and it looks like a must-watch for After Life fans.

It’s the star’s first series for the streamer since the hit dramedy wrapped up in 2022, concluding the tragically funny story of bereaved journalist Tony Johnson.

This time, Ricky is returning to the world of animation for an original animated series that will definitely have fans of The Ricky Gervais Show with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington feeling nostalgic.

Alley Cats is created and directed by the Office star, who also takes on the leading role as a member of a gang of stray cats.

Netflix teases “the series follows the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats who seek companionship while ruminating about the struggles of everyday life”.

“From the funny to the absurd, the series is packed with Gervais’ signature style of heart and social commentary that audiences have come to expect,” the streamer’s synopsis adds.

It also boasts exceptional 2D animation by award-winning British animation studio, Blink Industries (Dead End: Paranormal Park, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared).

This week, Netflix confirmed the release date for the new series as Friday, 7th August, with all six episodes of the first season dropping at once.

Co-starring with Ricky is a stellar line-up of British talent, including some frequent collaborators who have worked with him on After Life and other projects.

Tom Basden (The Ballad of Wallis Island), Andrew Brooke (PhoneShop), David Earl (Derek), Kerry Godliman (Trigger Point), Jo Hartley (Adolescence), and Diane Morgan (Motherland) complete the main cast. All of them have also previously appeared in After Life.

Natalie Cassidy (EastEnders) and Tony Way (After Life, Mandy) will also be taking on featured roles.

The new image features fans’ first look at the cast of cats, nestled together next to some wheelie bins as they look out over a city skyline.

Watch Unchosen on Sky for free

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £15

Sky

Buy Now on Sky

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows.

This includes the brand new UK drama Unchosen, starring Asa Butterfield and Christopher Eccleston.

Netflix’s announcement has already sparked excitement amongst fans, who can’t wait for the After Life cast to return to Netflix for more laughs.

One X user said: “I’m laughing at this already after reading the cast.. This is going to be fun.”

“If it’s created by Ricky Gervais, I’ll give it a shot,” someone else replied. And another fan predicted: “Ricky Gervais doing adult animation? That cast is ridiculously stacked. Alley Cats might be the sleeper hit of August.”

Alley Cats premieres Friday, 7th August on Netflix.

NEW YORK — President Trump’s 10% global tariffs were declared unlawful by a federal trade court in a fresh blow to the administration’s economic agenda, several months after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated earlier levies he’d imposed.

A divided three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan on Thursday granted a request by a group of small businesses and two dozen mostly Democrat-led states to vacate the tariffs. Trump imposed the 10% duties in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which had never previously been invoked.

The court for now only immediately blocked the administration from enforcing the tariffs against the two companies that sued and Washington state, making clear that it was not issuing a so-called universal injunction. The panel found that the other states that sued lacked standing because they aren’t direct importers, instead arguing that they were harmed by having to pay higher prices for goods when businesses passed on tariff costs.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the ruling would mean for now for other importers that had been paying the contested levies.

The majority of the panel rejected the administration’s stance that “balance-of-payments deficits” — a key criterion for imposing the Section 122 tariffs — was “a malleable phrase.” They concluded that Trump’s proclamation imposing the levies failed to identify that such deficits existed within the meaning of the 1974 law, instead using “trade and current account deficits to stand in the place.”

The decision is the latest setback for the president’s effort to levy tariffs without input from Congress. Earlier duties — overturned by the Supreme Court on Feb. 20 — were issued under a different law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. In that case, the justices ruled Trump had exceeded his authority, kicking off a legal scramble by importers for almost $170 billion in refunds.

The U.S. Justice Department could challenge the trade court’s latest ruling by taking the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which ruled against the Trump administration during the last tariff fight.

Section 122 allows presidents to impose duties in situations where the U.S. faces what the law defines as “fundamental international payments problems.” Even before Trump issued the tariffs, economists and policy experts debated whether the president would be able to build a solid legal framework using the statute.

In a proclamation declaring the use of Section 122, Trump said that tariffs were justified because the U.S. runs a “large and serious” trade deficit. He also pointed to the negative net flows of income from investments Americans have overseas and other things that showed the U.S. balance-of-payments relationship with the rest of the world was deteriorating.

Under the law, presidents have the ability to impose tariffs on goods imported into the U.S. on a short-term basis to address concerns about how money is flowing in and out of the country. Those concerns include “large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits” and an “imminent and significant depreciation of the dollar.”

Unlike other legal options Trump might pursue to impose tariffs, Section 122 can be invoked without waiting for a federal agency to conduct an investigation to determine whether the levies are justifiable. But they can still be challenged in court.

The small businesses and states that sued argued that Section 122 became outdated when the U.S. ditched the gold standard decades ago. They say Trump improperly conflated “balance-of-payments deficits” with U.S. trade deficits in order to justify using the law.

They also allege that Trump’s order announcing the Section 122 tariffs was “riddled with omissions and mischaracterizations” around the meaning of a balance-of-payments deficit. The trade deficit cited by Trump is just one part of calculating the country’s balance of payments position, the states say.

Under Section 122, the president can order import duties of as much as 15%. The executive action can last 150 days, at which point Congress would have to extend it. Trump has said he would aim to increase the rate to 15% from 10%.

The states argue that Trump’s new tariffs violate other requirements in Section 122, including that such duties not be discriminatory in their application. The states argue that Trump’s new tariffs improperly exempt some goods from Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

According to the complaint, the Trump administration conceded during the previous litigation over his IEEPA tariffs that trade deficits “are conceptually distinct from balance-of-payments deficits.”

The clash over Section 122 emerged just as the legal fight over refunds from Trump’s IEEPA tariffs began to heat up. A different judge in the Court of International Trade, U.S. Judge Richard Eaton, is overseeing the massive refund effort and ordered Customs and Border Protection to give him regular updates on a largely automated process the government will use to issue most refunds.

Larson and Tillman write for Bloomberg.

Kyle Loftis, who started filming street racing with a point-and-shoot camera and went on to become a pioneer in car culture media, has died, his company confirmed Wednesday. He was 43.

“We are extremely saddened to share that Kyle Loftis, the founder of 1320video, passed away last night,” the company wrote in a statement posted on social media. “We are in a state of shock.”

No cause of death has been disclosed.

The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Gretna Fire Department in Nebraska responded to Loftis’ home Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said in a statement emailed to The Times.

“Loftis was declared deceased; his death is not suspicious,” the spokesperson wrote. “Out of respect for privacy, we will not be releasing further details.”

According to his LinkedIn page, Loftis attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 2000-2005 and earned a bachelor’s degree in management of information systems.

It was there, Loftis said in a 2023 video on his company’s YouTube channel, that his interests in car stereos and photography evolved into a passion for street racing — in particular, capturing races in still photos and on video and making that media available to fans.

“I’m a hardcore ‘car nut’ that’s taken his love for cars and turned it into the most amazing ‘job’ of my life,” Loftis wrote on LinkedIn. “Through my business, 1320Video, I’m able to experience the craziest & best automotive events (fitting my tastes) and share them with millions of people around the world!”

Back in the early days, Loftis posted his work on message boards and sold it on DVDs. For nearly 10 years after college, he worked for PayPal while building his motorsports media business on his own time. He dedicated himself to 1320Video full time starting in January 2015.

Currently, 1320Video has nearly 4 million subscribers on YouTube, more than 6 million followers on Facebook and nearly 3 million followers on Instagram.

“Kyle’s passion for motorsports inspired millions of people around the world and we will never forget what he has done to grow our beloved sport,” 1320Video wrote. “Kyle was a beam of light at every gathering… his enthusiasm, kindness, and creativeness was contagious.

“Let us pray that Kyle is in a better place.”

Garrett Mitchell — the YouTuber and stock car racer known as Cleetus McFarland — posted a tribute to his longtime friend on Facebook.

“Completely shocked about the loss of Kyle,” Mitchell wrote. “The most influential person on my life. We’re crushed. Please pray for his Mother and close friends, they need it most.”

Barcelona are set to storm La Liga this year and could seal title in Sunday’s Clasico, but what is the history of the Real Madrid rivalry?

Barcelona and Real Madrid will contest the 264th El Clasico when the Spanish giants come together in a La Liga clash on Sunday.

Rarely will there have been a more highly charged atmosphere with a heavily demoralised Real arriving in the Catalan capital, facing the prospect of watching their fiercest rivals crowned champions on the day.

Although knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarterfinals, as Los Blancos were too, Barca are well on course to defend their La Liga crown – and at a canter.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the talking points heading into the game and what the history is of a 124-year-old rivalry.

Will Kylian Mbappe play for Real Madrid against Barcelona?

The headline news surrounding Sunday’s game is the availability of Kylian Mbappe, with the French striker a doubt for the Clasico because of a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old striker tops the scoring charts in the Spanish league this season with 24 goals. Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi is a surprise second on the list with 21 strikes, while Barca’s Lamine Yamal, who is out for the remainder of the season, has netted 16 times and is third on the list.

Despite Mbappe’s goalscoring achievements, a “Mbappe out” petition has garnered more than 33 million signatures calling for the club to sell the striker, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago.

What happened to Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde?

Federico Valverde will definitely miss out on El Clasico after a training ground bust-up on Thursday resulted in the midfielder being taken to hospital.

The 27-year-old Uruguayan is understood to have sustained a head injury following an incident with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.

Real have said they are investigating internally, and have already decided to open disciplinary proceedings against both players.

It is not yet clear if Frenchman Tchouameni will be available for Sunday’s match as a result.

How can Barcelona win La Liga in Sunday’s El Clasico?

Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real trail Hansi Flick’s reigning champions by 11 points with four matches remaining, and are sinking towards a second straight season without a major trophy.

Anything but a win for Real on Sunday will see Barca lift the trophy in their own stadium against the only side to have won La Liga more.

What is meant by El Clasico?

The term El Clasico first appeared in a Spanish newspaper during the 1960s in reference to matches between the two biggest club teams in Spain.

The simple translation is “The Classic”.

By that time, the match had already been long considered one of sport’s fiercest derbies.

How did El Clasico become Spain’s greatest rivalry?

Originally, the phrase “Viejo Clasico” (Old Classic) was a term that referred to the Madrid derby between Real and Athletic Bilbao.

The match between the pair has historically been the most-played fixture in Spanish football before the rise of Barcelona to one of the two most prominent teams in the country.

The term El Clasico, although a 1960s invention in Spain, became a more widely popular and globally associated name when the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona peaked in the 1990s.

Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona were a side to be feared on the global stage, but Quinta del Buitre’s Real were putting up a stern test. In the late 90s, Real’s superstar lineup was dubbed the Galacticos following the heavy financial investment in overseas stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.

By the turn of the century, the rivalry was recognised as one of the biggest match-ups in world sport and heralded in the era of Pep Guardiola vs Jose Mourinho in the dugouts – and the small matter of Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo on the field.

When was the first El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid?

The first match between the clubs took place on May 13, 1902, in the Copa de la Coronacion (a predecessor to the Copa del Rey).

Barcelona won the match 3-1 in the Spanish capital against Madrid FC (the club later became Real Madrid).

Who has won more El Clasico matches, Real Madrid or Barcelona?

Of the 261 matches between the clubs over the last 124 years, Real have won 106, while Barcelona have won 105.

How many times have Real Madrid and Barcelona won La Liga?

Real have lifted the La Liga trophy 36 times while Barca are targeting their 28th title.

Who has scored the most El Clasico goals?

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 26 goals for Barcelona
2. Alfredo Di Stefano (Portugal) – 18 goals for Real Madrid
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 18 goals for Real Madrid
4. Karim Benzema (France) – 16 goals for Real Madrid
5. Raul (Spain) – 15 goals for Real Madrid

What are the last five results between Barcelona and Real Madrid?

• January 11, 2026 – Spanish Super Cup final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
• October 26, 2025 – La Liga: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
• May 11, 2025 – La Liga: Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid
• April 26, 2025 – Copa del Rey final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (after extra time)
• January 12, 2025 – Spanish Super Cup final: Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona

How can I follow Sunday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid?

We will bring you our comprehensive text commentary stream of Sunday’s match, starting with our usual extensive build-up – including all the news, analyses and opinion surrounding the game.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is striking against “CoComelon: The Melon Patch” in protest over wages and working conditions.

The union representing crew members working on the live-action YouTube series said the workers are being overworked and that the production is understaffed.

The crew, which consists of 22 workers, recently signed cards seeking the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, to represent them in collective bargaining. The production’s management refused to bargain, according to the workers.

“The crew on this project experienced firsthand what working conditions can be like on a non-union production and organized for fair wages and industry-standard benefits after they started the second season,” IATSE said in a statement to The Times.

The strike began on Wednesday, halfway through the series’ shoot. The workers are currently picketing outside the Stage This studio in Sun Valley.

Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind the “CoComelon” franchise, declined to comment on the matter.

“The Melon Patch” first launched in 2025 and is a spinoff of the original “CoComelon” on YouTube. Over the last several years, “CoComelon” has become a staple in households with young children, known for its brightly colored 3D animation style. The franchise has spawned many spinoffs including Netflix’s “CoComelon Lane.” Universal Pictures is set to release a full-length feature in early 2027.

Several previous “CoComelon” productions have successfully been unionized and covered by IATSE’s contract, including the Netflix series.

Chris Roberts worked as an art director on the first season, but says he was initially offered a lower rate for season two. Though the project is non-union, he said it’s ironic to have to picket a company that makes kids’ content, as he’s unable to support his own family.

“It’s a little disheartening to be offered less money than we were paid in the first season and then have less staff, a heavier workload, and not be able to provide for my kids,” said Roberts, who has been a member of IATSE since 2016.

WASHINGTON  — Louisiana’s state attorneys on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to stand aside for now and to uphold an appeals court ruling that would stop the mailing of abortion pills nationwide.

They blamed former President Biden for undermining the state’s strict bans on abortion and the Trump administration for slow-walking a study on the federal regulations that permit sending the pills through the mail.

The justices are likely to act soon on emergency appeals filed by two makers of mifepristone. They argued the pills have been shown to be safe and effective for ending an early pregnancy.

But last week, the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled for Louisiana and revived an earlier regulation that would require women to obtain the pills in person from a doctor.

The three-judge panel also took the unusual step for putting its order into effect immediately. On Monday, Justice Samuel A. Alito, who oversees the 5th Circuit, issued an administrative stay that will keep the case on hold through Monday.

The justices have to decide whether Louisiana had standing to sue over the federal drug regulations, and if so, whether judges have the authority to overrule the Food and Drug Administration.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court by a 9-0 vote dismissed a similar challenge to the abortion pills that came from the 5th Circuit. And Chief Justice John G. Roberts has said in the past that judges should usually defer to the federal agency that is responsible fo regulating drugs.

In response to anti-abortion advocates, Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. agreed to have the FDA review the safety record of mifepristone.

It was approved in 2000 as safe and effective for ending early pregnancies. And in the past decade, the agency had relaxed earlier restrictions, including a requirement that pregnant women visit a doctor’s office to obtain the pills.

But the FDA said last month its review is far from complete.

In October, Louisiana Atty. Gen. Liz Murrill decided to bypass the FDA review and went to federal court seeking a ruling that would prevent the pills being sent by mail.

A federal judge refused to decide on the issue while the FDA was undertaking its review. But the 5th Circuit chose to act now. The Louisiana state attorney put the focus on the Biden administration.

When the Supreme Court was considering the Dobbs case, which overruled Roe vs. Wade and the right to abortion, “the Biden Administration was preparing a plan that predictably would undermine that decision,” she wrote in Thursday’s response.

“Although Louisiana law generally prohibits abortion and the dispensing of mifepristone to pregnant women, out-of-state prescribers—freed from the in-person dispensing requirement — are causing approximately 1,000 illegal abortions in Louisiana each month by mailing FDA-approved mifepristone into the state,” she said.

The Trump administration has yet to tell the court of its views on this case.

The NCAA announced Thursday that it will expand its two March Madness tournaments by eight teams each next season, a long-expected move that will drop more games into the first week of the highly popular and lucrative showcase without substantially changing its overall form.

The new, 76-team brackets will jam eight extra games — for a total of 12 involving 24 teams — into the front half of the first week of the men’s and the women’s tournaments. It will turn what’s now known as the First Four into a bigger affair that will now be called the “March Madness Opening Round.”

The 12 winners will move into the main 64-team bracket that will begin, as usual, on Thursday for the men and Friday for the women.

It is the first expansion of the tournaments in 15 years, when they were bumped to 68 teams each.

The NCAA said it will distribute more than $131 million in new revenue to schools that make the tournament. That money will come via expanded TV advertising opportunities for alcohol, the likes of which were previously restricted. It said the value of the rights agreement will increase $50 million each year on average over the course of the six years.

Most of the eight new slots are expected to go to teams from the power conferences that were already commanding the lion’s share of entries in the bracket. Two years ago, the Southeastern Conference placed a record 14 teams in the men’s bracket. Last season, the Big Ten had nine.

Keith Gill, the chairman of the Division I men’s basketball committee, called the expansion “a nice way to create some access but make sure we have the bracket we all love when we start Thursday at noon.”

The move is a product of the times, which includes massive expansion — the Atlantic Coast Conference, for instance, has grown from nine to 17 teams since 1996 — and the reality that mid-major schools with top-notch players will often see them plucked away by programs with bigger budgets and the ability to pay them through revenue sharing.

Cinderella? There will still be room for those stirring runs in the tournaments, though not a single mid-major advanced past the first weekend of either tournament the last two seasons.

This is hardly a concern of the decision-makers anymore, who will point to TV ratings that traditionally spell out fans’ preference for the likes of Duke and North Carolina over St. Peter’s and San Diego State, especially once the Sweet 16 starts.

What matters more to the biggest schools is that their teams have a chance to compete in what remains the best postseason in college sports and that they aren’t iced out by lower conference champions who earn automatic bids.

“You’ve got some really, really good teams who are going to end up in that 9, 10, 11 [seed] category that I think should be moved into the” 64-team bracket, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said last year in discussing how he favored expansion.

Also, the money. The new beer and wine money will add to what the NCAA can distribute in “units” that are earned for placing teams in the bracket and then for every round those teams advance. Last year, that amounted to about $350,000 per unit for the men’s tournament. The Big Ten made nearly $70 million from both tournaments, won by conference members Michigan [men] and UCLA [women].

Leaders in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC have all acknowledged that smaller programs help make March Madness what it is, all the while steadily expanding their own power in NCAA decision-making. That brings with it the tacit threat of fracturing the single thing the NCAA does best — the basketball tournament.

This move might forestall that. What it isn’t expected to do is drastically change the TV deal beyond the advertising.

The current deal for the men’s tournament is worth $8.8 billion and runs through 2032. Adding a few extra games between mid-level Power Four teams on Tuesday and Wednesday won’t change that much.

One reason this took as long as it did was the NCAA negotiations with CBS and TNT, which themselves have been in negotiations over their own ownership.

The more drastic option of expanding the tournament to 96 teams or beyond would involve adding an extra week to a tournament that has thrived in part because of the symmetry of a six-round bracket that gets whittled down over three weeks.

That basic shell began in 1985, with only slight tweaks, the latest of which came in 2011 when it was upped to 68.

May 7 (Asia Today) — Japan plans to launch a new National Intelligence Bureau as early as July to centralize intelligence gathering and analysis under the prime minister’s office, a move expected to affect trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

The new organization will upgrade the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office into a roughly 700-member agency, with plans to gradually expand staffing by recruiting specialized intelligence personnel and private-sector experts.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese government has finalized plans to establish the National Intelligence Bureau this summer with an initial workforce similar in size to the current intelligence office.

Legislation creating the National Intelligence Council, which will serve as the legal basis for the new bureau, was submitted to parliament on March 13 and passed the lower house in April. Deliberations in the upper house are scheduled to begin Thursday.

The new bureau will operate under the prime minister’s office and support the National Intelligence Council, chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The restructuring marks a major shift from the current system, in which the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office is largely staffed by officials dispatched from agencies such as the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry.

Beginning next year, Japan plans to recruit its own career-track intelligence officers through the national civil service examination system.

The government also intends to expand midcareer hiring from the private sector to secure experts with foreign language skills, cybersecurity expertise and advanced internet technologies.

Officials are additionally considering hiring engineers capable of using artificial intelligence to process large volumes of intelligence data more efficiently.

The new agency is expected to oversee intelligence exchanges with foreign services, analysis of overseas developments and responses to disinformation and misinformation on social media platforms.

Japan’s opposition parties have raised concerns about the expansion of surveillance powers and the political neutrality of the organization.

Critics argue the legislation does not clearly define the operational scope of intelligence activities and could lead to infringements on privacy rights and freedom of thought.

Some lawmakers have also warned the new system could pave the way for future legislation on anti-spying measures or the establishment of a full-fledged foreign intelligence service.

For South Korea, the reorganization means Japan’s intelligence-sharing channel within trilateral security cooperation with Washington could become more centralized and influential.

Key security issues already shared among the three countries include North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, Chinese military activities in the East and South China seas, Russian military movements in the Far East, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.

Analysts said Japan’s strengthened intelligence structure could accelerate the speed of Japanese threat assessments and crisis responses during regional emergencies.

At the same time, South Korea is expected to closely monitor how Japan integrates the new agency into trilateral intelligence-sharing frameworks and whether the reform strengthens Japan’s independent security decision-making role.

The launch of the National Intelligence Bureau could improve coordination on North Korean missile threats while also marking a broader expansion of Japan’s security and intelligence capabilities.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260507010001415