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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — James Dobson, a child psychologist who founded the conservative ministry Focus on the Family and was a politically influential campaigner against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, died on Thursday. He was 89.

Born in 1936 in Shreveport, La., Dobson launched a radio show counseling Christians on how to be good parents and in 1977 started Focus on the Family.

He became a force in the 1980s for pushing conservative Christian ideals in mainstream American politics alongside fundamentalist giants like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. At its peak, Focus on the Family had more than 1,000 employees and gave Dobson a platform to weigh in on legislation and serve as an advisor to five presidents.

His death was confirmed by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley, as well as their two children, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

‘Mount Rushmore’ of conservatives

Dobson interviewed President Reagan in the Oval Office in 1985, and Falwell called him a rising star in 1989. Decades later, he was among the evangelical leaders tapped to advise President Trump in 2016.

In 2022, he praised Trump for appointing conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that allowed states to ban abortion.

“Whether you like Donald Trump or not, whether you supported or voted for him or not, if you are supportive of this Dobbs decision that struck down Roe v. Wade, you have to mention in the same breath the man who made it possible,” he said in a ministry broadcast.

Dobson belongs on the “Mount Rushmore” of Christian conservatives, said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, another group Dobson founded. He promoted ideas from “a biblical standpoint” that pushed back against progressive parenting of the 1960s, Perkins said.

Weighing Dobson’s legacy

John Fea, an American History professor at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, has been critical of Dobson’s politics and ideas but recounts how his own father was a better parent after becoming an evangelical Christian and listening to Dobson’s radio program. Fea’s dad was a tough Marine who spanked his kids when he was mad at them. Dobson advocated spanking to enforce discipline but said it shouldn’t be done in anger.

“Even as a self-identified evangelical Christian that I am, I have no use in my own life for Dobson’s politics or his child-rearing,” he said. “But as a historian what do you do with these stories? About a dad who becomes a better dad?”

Possible presidential run

After developing a following of millions, Dobson considered running for president in the 2000 election, following in the footsteps of former television minister Pat Robertson’s surprise success in 1988.

“He had a big audience. He was not afraid to speak out,” said Ralph Reed, a Christian conservative political organizer and lobbyist who founded the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “If Jim had decided to run, he would have been a major force.”

Despite their close association later in life, Reed’s enduring memory is of Dobson’s voice as his sole companion while traveling through rural America as a younger political organizer.

“I’d be out there somewhere, and I could go to the AM dial and there was never a time, day or night when I couldn’t find that guy,” Reed said. “There will probably never be another one like him.”

A political juggernaut for decades

Dobson helped create a constellation of Family Policy Councils in around 40 states that work in tandem with his organization to push a socially conservative agenda and lobby lawmakers, said Peter Wolfgang, executive director of one such group in Connecticut.

“If there is one man above all whom I would credit with being the builder — not just the thinker — who gave us the institutions that created the space for President Trump to help us turn the tide in the culture war, it would be Dr. James Dobson,” Wolfgang wrote in a column last month.

James Bopp, a lawyer who has represented Focus on the Family, said Dobson was able to rally public support like few other social conservatives.

Records compiled by the watchdog group Open Secrets show that Focus on the Family and Family Research Council have combined to spend more than $4 million on political ads and close to $2 million lobbying Congress since the late 1990s.

Opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights

Dobson left Focus on the Family in 2010 and founded the institute that bears his name. He continued with the Family Talk radio show, which is nationally syndicated and is carried by 1,500 radio outlets with more than half a million listeners weekly, according to the institute.

His radio program featured guests talking about the importance of embracing religion and rejecting homosexuality, promoting the idea that people could change their sexuality.

“The homosexual community will tell us that transformations never occur. That you cannot change,” he said in a 2021 video posted on his institute’s site that promoted “success stories” of people who “no longer struggle with homosexuality” after attending a ministry. He said there is typically a “pain and agitation” associated with homosexuality.

Conversion therapy is the scientifically discredited practice of using therapy to “convert” LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations.

The practice has been banned in 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed in March to hear a Colorado case about whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children.

Ted Bundy interview

An anti-pornography crusader, Dobson recorded a video interview with serial killer Ted Bundy the day before his 1989 execution. Bundy told Dobson that exposure to pornography helped fuel his sexual urges to a point that he looked for satisfaction by mutilating, killing and raping women.

Months after the execution, Bundy’s attorney James Coleman downplayed the Dobson exchange.

“I think that was a little bit of Ted telling the minister what he wanted to hear and Ted offering an explanation that would exonerate him personally,” Coleman said in an interview with the AP. “I had heard that before and I told Ted I never accepted it.”

Catalini and Meyer write for the Associated Press. Catalini reported from Trenton, N.J., and Meyer from Nashville. AP writers Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa; Tiffany Stanley in Washington; Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, N.J.; and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report.

Aug. 21 (UPI) — Frank Caprio judge for the Providence Municipal Court in Rhode Island has died, his son, David Caprio announced. He was 88 years old.

Frank Caprio shared the news on his father’s social media accounts, stating Frank Caprio passed away “peacefully” and “surrounded by family.

Frank Caprio was known for his show Caught in Providence, which received multiple Daytime Emmy award nominations, and he often went viral on TikTok for his compassion as he gained the title of “Nicest Judge in the World.”

“Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond. His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him,” a post on his social media account stated.

In 2023, Caprio was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He shared his diagnosis in a social media post. His last radiation treatment was in the following May.

Caprio grew up in Rhode Island and earned a bachelor’s degree from Providence College. In his post-graduate time, he stayed in the capital city to teach American Government at Hope High School.

During his time teaching, he studied law at night at the Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, where he founded the Antonio “Tup” Caprio Scholarship Fund.

Arrangements for his funeral have not yet been announced.

James E. Silcott, a trailblazing Los Angeles architect who, thanks to many gifts to his alma mater, Howard University, became the most generous benefactor to architecture students at historically Black colleges in the U.S., died July 17 in Washington, D.C. He was 95.

Silcott’s memorial service took place on Saturday at Howard; he will be laid to rest in L.A.’s Inglewood Park Cemetery on Sept. 6.

Silcott, who started in Los Angeles working for Gruen Associates alongside colleagues like Frank Gehry, made history as the first Black project architect for both Los Angeles County and UCLA. His successful legal battles with the county — he alleged that he had been unfairly terminated because of his race, and was later a victim of retribution for his lawsuit — shined a light on the entrenched barriers Black professionals faced in public institutions at the time.

Born Dec. 21, 1929, in Boston, to parents from the Caribbean island of Montserrat, Silcott grew up in the city’s Roxbury neighborhood during a time of limited opportunities for young Black people. Living in tenements and walk-ups, and making friends of all races and ethnicities, he learned self-reliance, resilience and cultural fluency, as he recounted in a 2007 oral history for Northeastern University’s Lower Roxbury Black History Project. After graduating high school, he worked as a hotel cook alongside his father. “I didn’t know what I wanted,” he said. But an aptitude test at a local YMCA pointed him toward architecture. After being rejected from several architecture schools, he received a lifeline via Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Silcott entered Howard — its architecture program was the first at a historically Black college to receive accreditation — in 1949. He came under the mentorship of Howard H. Mackey Sr., one of the most prominent Black architects and educators of the 20th century, known for instilling a sense of architecture’s civic purpose. Silcott’s studies were interrupted by three years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. Returning to Howard, he earned his 5-year bachelor of architecture degree in 1957.

Those years were marked by constant financial strain — often forcing him, as he put it, to decide “whether to buy books or buy food” — an experience that would later drive him, as a donor to Howard, to ensure that future students wouldn’t face that choice. He would never forget the role Howard played for him.

“He felt like when nobody else would take him, Howard took him,” said his niece Julie Roberts. “He really credits them for laying the groundwork and setting the path and changing the trajectory of his life.”

Silcott began his career working for architect Arthur Cohen in Boston before moving to Los Angeles — he always hated the cold, said his friends and family — in 1958. Joining Gruen Associates, one of the era’s most influential firms, he, among other efforts, collaborated with Frank Gehry on the design of the Winrock Shopping Center in Albuquerque. He would soon work at UCLA’s architectural and engineering office, becoming the school’s first Black project lead on buildings like the UCLA Boathouse (1965), with its light-filled, maritime-inspired form — including porthole windows and an upper story deck for viewing races. Also at UCLA he collaborated with Welton Becket and Associates on the Jules Stein Eye Institute (1966), with its clean-lined facade of pale stone columns and glass walls that opened to natural light while maintaining shade and privacy.

He later joined Los Angeles County’s Department of Facilities Management, where he would become a senior architect and help oversee projects like the Inglewood Courts Building (1973, another collaboration with Becket) and Los Angeles County Southeast General Hospital (1971), eventually renamed Martin Luther King Jr. General Hospital. As the only Black architect working in the county, Silcott’s good friend (and fellow Howard architecture graduate) Melvin Mitchell said he was not always welcome. “None of those men could ever imagine someone of Silcott’s race or color wielding that kind of power, despite the phony smiles and benign language used,” Mitchell said in his eulogy at Howard.

At the end of the decade Silcott was demoted and later laid off during budget cuts — a move he contended was racially motivated. The county’s Civil Service Commission eventually agreed, ruling in 1984 that he had been improperly terminated in order to preserve the jobs of white employees with less seniority, and ordering that he be reinstated with full back pay. “I had to fight for my job just to make sure the rules were applied fairly,” Silcott told the Los Angeles Times.

Chief County Engineer Stephen J. Koonce, left, gestured as he discussed with James Silcott the details of the architect’s return to work, on March 15, 1984.

(Steve Fontanini / Los Angeles Times)

But the reinstatement was short-lived: within months, Silcott alleged that the county had retaliated by stripping away meaningful duties, among other retributions. “They had him working in a closet at one time,” said Roberts. Later that year, the Board of Supervisors approved a roughly $1 million settlement offer to resolve his federal discrimination lawsuit. The Times noted that his case had “become a rallying point” for those seeking greater equity in public employment. As Silcott later reflected, “This was never just about me. It was about making sure the next Black architect who comes along doesn’t have to fight the same battles.”

Silcott would later work as an architectural consultant to public agencies and universities while serving on several public boards, including the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, the Los Angeles Board of Zoning Appeals and the California State Board of Architectural Examiners.

He built a stylish home in Windsor Hills, where he would regularly host family, not to mention mayors, council members, and, later, former President Obama, said Mitchell.

In 1995 — retired as an architect — he took on minority ownership and a board seat at Kennard Design Group, one of the largest Black-owned architecture firms in the country, following the death of its founder (and Silcott’s good friend) Robert Kennard. “He didn’t hesitate,” said Gail Kennard, Robert’s daughter, who still leads the firm, and wanted to ensure the company’s stability at a difficult time. “He was always there to help. For advice, support, anything. Without hesitation he’d say, ‘I’ll do it.’ He just had that generous spirit.”

But Silcott’s greatest love, noted Kennard, was Howard — particularly its Department of Architecture — where he would go on to become a historically prolific philanthropist, and help mentor generations of aspiring architects.

“He would tell me stories about people who were coming up in the profession,” said Kennard. “He’d say, I found this new student and he or she’s my new project.”

Silcott’s ability to support the school financially grew out of skillful real estate investments, which began with a few buildings in Boston that he inherited from his mother. He managed and expanded numerous properties both in Boston and Los Angeles.

In 1991 he helped establish the James E. Silcott Fund, now valued at $250,000, offering emergency aid to Howard architecture students in financial distress. In 2002, he established the James E. Silcott Endowed Chair with an initial $1 million, bringing architects like Sir David Adjaye, Philip Freelon, Jack Travis and Roberta Washington to teach and mentor at Howard. And with a $1 million gift he funded the T. George Silcott Gallery, named for his late brother, providing a venue for exhibitions, critiques and public lectures. Silcott also made unrestricted contributions of hundreds of thousands more to Howard’s Department of Architecture, supporting scholarships, travel fellowships and capital improvements. By the end of his life, his contributions to Howard exceeded $3 million, making him, according to the school, the largest individual donor to architecture programs at historically Black colleges and universities in the country.

“Howard and its school of architecture was at the very center of his life,” said Mitchell, who noted Silcott’s gifts also helped keep the school afloat during difficult periods.

Silcott received the Howard University Alumni Achievement Award, the Centennial Professional Excellence Award and the Howard H. Mackey Dean’s Medal, named after his mentor. He also received the Kresge/Coca-Cola Award for philanthropy to HBCUs. In 2020, he was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows.

After a stroke in 2020, Silcott moved to Washington, D.C., to be under family care. He was placed in hospice in 2022, and put on a feeding tube, but lived three more years against the odds, noted Roberts, one of seven close nieces and nephews who called him “Uncle James.”

“He would not acknowledge that he wasn’t going to live forever,” said Roberts. Silcott remained engaged with Howard until his death.

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL said: “Courage is rightly regarded as the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all the others depend.”

The truth of those words is highlighted by the heroics of RAF Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank, who has died at the age 105.

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It was 81 years ago that he performed an extraordinary act of sustained bravery, as he defied the agony of multiple severe injuries to bring home his badly damaged plane after a lethal encounter with a U-boat off the coast of Norway.

For this deed he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

He was one of four Coastal Command airmen to receive this award, but his case was unique.

The other three had died in action and were honoured posthumously.

He had survived but it was a mighty close-run thing.

It was appropriate that this Scotsman of rock-hard resilience should hail from Aberdeen, long known as “the Granite City”.

He had left school in 1938 to become an apprentice in banking.

But the drumbeat of war was echoing across Europe so he volunteered for the Territorial Army, enlisting in the Royal Artillery.

Called up for service with this regiment in 1939, he transferred to the RAF two years later then went through initial flight instruction in Canada and the US.

Back in Britain, having won his wings as a pilot, he continued his training until March 1943 when he was assigned to 210 Squadron in Coastal Command, based at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands.

Man of modesty

His squadron’s main duty was to protect Allied ships from U-boats and they were equipped with the rugged and reliable American-built twin-engine Catalina flying boat.

It was on July 17, 1944, soon after D-Day, that the incident occurred which lifted John Cruickshank into the record book, but almost killed him.

He was piloting an anti- submarine patrol off Norway when his radio operator John Appleton picked up a blip on the Catalina’s equipment.

John began to home in on the target, whose status as a U-boat was confirmed by fire from its 37 mm gun.

Appleton wrote in his memoir: “The skipper manoeuvred into a perfect attacking position astern of the submarine, just out of range of the enemy gunfire. He gave a blast on the klaxon and started the attack run-in from about two miles.”

As the plane got closer, flak from the U-boat intensified and was reinforced as its two pairs of 20mm cannon opened up.

The skipper manoeuvred into a perfect attacking position astern of the submarine, just out of range of the enemy gunfire. He gave a blast on the klaxon and started the attack run-in from about two miles

John Appleton

John flew on and appeared to have released the depth charges at the right moment.

But the bombs had hung up, so he then took the plane out of range of the U-boat, while his crew rearmed their own guns and checked the bomb-release mechanism.

“Everyone ready! Here we go again,” said John over the intercom.

Of the second attack, Appleton recalled: “This time all the flak was bursting much closer to us and I was surprised at how thick it could be.

“We seemed to be flying into a wall of black explosions.”

But again, John descended upon the target without hesitation.

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This time the depth charges hit their target with deadly accuracy. Seconds later, the U-boat began to sink. None of the 52 men on board had a chance of survival.

But by now John’s plane, caught by more enemy fire, was in serious trouble.

Flames and smoke began to fill the aircraft. The radar was wrecked and the nose canopy shattered.

One crewman was dead and four others were badly wounded, including John, who had been hit in his chest and legs and was bleeding heavily.

But all was not lost. With the use of extinguishers, some of the uninjured crewmen put out the fire.

As the co-pilot took over the controls, John was carried to the back of the plane.

Throughout, he set an example of determination, fortitude and devotion to duty in keeping with the highest traditions of the service

Citation from Victoria Cross ceremony

Lapsing in and out of consciousness, he was in tremendous pain but refused any morphine from the emergency safety kit because he wanted to keep alert so he could help bring the Catalina boat plane home to Sullom Voe.

With almost superhuman fortitude, he returned to the cockpit to oversee the final descent just as dawn was breaking.

After landing successfully on the water, he ran the shattered plane on to the beach.

He had to be given an emergency blood transfusion before being taken to Lerwick Hospital, where he was found to have suffered 72 wounds.

Yet, by September, he was fit enough to receive the Victoria Cross from King George VI in Edinburgh, the first time Holyrood House had been used for an investiture since the reign of Queen Victoria.

His citation read: “Throughout, he set an example of determination, fortitude and devotion to duty in keeping with the highest traditions of the service.”

From a generation that never sought the spotlight

Barney Crockett

But he was a man of profound modesty who hated talking about his exploits.

Even at his investiture, he crept out of a side door afterwards to avoid the attention of the press and public.

In the same vein, when he had regained consciousness in the stricken Catalina, the first thing he said was: “How are my crew?”

Though he had recuperated imp-ressively in hospital, the legacy of his injuries was too severe to allow him to return to flying duties, so for the rest of the war he held a staff job at Coastal Command HQ.

Later, on demobilisation at the end of the war, he resumed his career in banking, eventually working in international finance before he retired in 1977.

Happily married, he lost his beloved wife Marion in 1985.

In his final years, in sheltered accommodation, he disliked any fuss, whether about his VC or his birthdays.

Barney Crockett, the former Lord Provost of his native Aberdeen, once said John was “from a generation that never sought the spotlight”.

But it was also the generation that saved the world from tyranny.

Terence Stamp, the prolific English actor who played General Zod in the “Superman” films and earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the title character in “Billy Budd,” has died. He was 87.

Stamp died of undisclosed causes Sunday morning, his family confirmed to Reuters.

“He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come,” the family said in a statement.

Stamp began his acting career onstage in 1960 on London’s West End, but quickly received international attention and critical acclaim with his 1962 portrayal of the title role in Peter Ustinov’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s historical adventure novel, “Billy Budd.”

The humanity Stamp imbued in the tragic, stammering naval vessel crewman established Stamp as a talent to watch — with a Golden Globe Award for best male newcomer to prove it. Still, Stamp didn’t fully break through in Hollywood until 1978 when he embodied the chilling persona of Superman’s arch-nemesis, General Zod, in the first film of what would become a wildly successful franchise. Stamp took on the role again in 1982’s “Superman II.”

Stamp, with his calm demeanor and pale eyes, proved such a successful villain that he feared he was becoming typecast as one. In 1994 he decided to try something radically different when he took on the role of a transgender woman named Bernadette in Stephan Elliott’s now cult-classic film, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert.”

The film marked one of the first times a transgender character was portrayed as a lead in an international film. When the movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May of that year, The Times’ then film critic, Kenneth Turan, interviewed Stamp for a feature. Stamp told Turan that he had been extremely nervous to play the role, but that a good friend encouraged him to take it, saying, “If you don’t start doing parts like this all you can look forward to is playing villains in Hollywood movies for the rest of your life,” and that, Stamp said, “stuck fear and loathing into my heart.”

“Priscilla,” about a group of drag performers on a bus trip to play a show at a resort hotel in the Australian desert, was a critical success, with Turan writing that it, “added some needed life to the Cannes Film Festival scene,” debuting in a “raucous midnight screening.”

In 1999 Stamp teamed up with Peter Fonda in Steven Soderbergh’s crime thriller, “The Limey.”

“When ‘60s icons collide, that should be the pitch for ‘The Limey,’,” noted a feature in The Times about the project. Stamp called his role as a British ex-con named Wilson investigating the death of his daughter in L.A., “the best offer I’ve had in 40 years.”

Stamp and Fonda, old friends who had long wanted to work together, were both experiencing comebacks at the time, with Stamp having just played Chancellor Finis Valorum in the blockbuster, “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.”

Terence Henry Stamp was born in London in 1938. His father was part of the Merchant Navy, and was often away for long periods of time. Stamp was raised mostly by his mother, grandmother and a variety of aunts. He loved the movies and idolized Gary Cooper and James Dean.

As a young man he earned a scholarship to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art — one of Britain’s leading drama schools — and soon began performing at repertory theaters. His roommate at that time was the young actor Michael Caine, and the pair made friends with Peter O’Toole, quickly becoming enmeshed in the good-looking, fast-moving London party scene of the 1960s. Stamp famously dated actor Julie Christie, whom he starred alongside in director Ken Loach’s first feature film, 1967’s “Poor Cow.”

Stamp was known for his intense dedication to craft, particularly his ability to hone in on the psychological underpinnings of a given character. He was known for bringing the same depth of devotion to all his roles, including 1962’s “Term of Trial” alongside Laurence Olivier; William Wyler’s “The Collector” (1965); Joseph Losey’s “Modesty Blaise” (1966); John Schlesinger’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd” (1967); and a 50-minute short film by Federico Fellini, “Toby Dammit” (1968), among many others.

In 1999, while filming “The Limey,” he told The Times, “When you’ve had a long career you kind of merge all your great roles together. So I don’t think about being good in an individual thing. I think of the collective total, of working with [William] Wyler and Pasolini … I recently thought to myself, ‘You know, if it had to end now, it would really be OK.’ From ‘Billy Budd’ to ‘The Limey,” no actor could ask for more, so it’s a very great moment for me.”

Terence Stamp, the English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in Superman films, has died at the age of 87.

In a career that spanned six decades, the Oscar-nominated actor starred in films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far From the Madding Crowd and Valkyrie.

Stamp died on Sunday morning, his family said in a statement to Reuters news agency.

“He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer that will continue to touch people for years to come,” they said.

Born in Stepney, east London, to working-class parents on 22 July 1938, Stamp attended grammar school before pursuing a career in advertising.

After securing a scholarship to go to drama school, he shot to fame in the 1960s, making his debut playing the titular role in Billy Budd, a 1962 film about a naive young seaman in the 18th century.

His performance earnt him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor and a Golden Globe for best newcomer.

He soon made a name for himself as a villain, with stand-out performances in Superman and Superman II as General Zod and Sergeant Troy in the 1967 Far From the Madding Crowd.

Aug. 15 (UPI) — Former congressman and Gov. Michael N. Castle, R-Del., has died at the age of 86, the politician’s family confirmed in a post online.

The moderate Republican served two terms as governor between 1985 and 1992 before being elected to Congress in 1993.

“Congressman Mike Castle was a founding member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a leading organization for centrist Republicans, and worked in a bipartisan manner to help move people from welfare to work, support fiscally responsible government, improve public education, and protect the community,” his family said in the statement.

“He served on the House Committee on Financial Services, Committee on Education and Workforce and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.”

Castle, who is survived by his wife of over 33 years, Jane DiSabatino, ultimately became the longest-serving member of Congress from Delaware in the state’s history.

He also served as the lieutenant governor of Delaware from 1981 to 1985 prior to being elected governor, and in the state legislature before that.

“Over the arc of the more than 40 years that I knew him – I met him when I was 16 – he repeatedly provided his knowledge and expertise to help me along my own way,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement, calling Castle an “incredible man.”

“When we eventually ran against each other, I did my absolute best to run a respectful, positive, policy-based campaign. As we campaigned against each other, I only liked him more.”

Castle was known as a backer of educational and environmental reforms.

As a member of Congress, Castle was a major proponent of the 2001 “No Child Left Behind,” legislation that was an effort to improve test scores among U.S. school children.

“Governor Castle understood there is no greater legacy we leave to future generations than the quality of our environment. As Governor, his administration’s Environmental Legacy program to protect and preserve forests, wetlands, and beaches won recognition for its foresight and impact,” his family said in the statement.

In addition to DiSabatino, who he married in 1992, Castle is survived by his “many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.”

Visitation will take place August 21 at a funeral home in Wilmington, Del.

Tristan Rogers, the Australian actor behind the magnetic Robert Scorpio on “General Hospital,” died Friday after a battle with lung cancer, according to his manager. He was 79.

In an email to The Times, Rogers’ manager Meryl Soodak said his client was “a family man” who is survived by his wife, two children and a grandson.

“[He was] loyal, kind and loved his role of Scorpio,” Soodak said.

Rogers’ signature commanding voice and poised bravado made Scorpio a fan favorite on the long-running soap opera, and became his most recognizable role. As the enemy-turned-close-friend of star character Luke Spencer (played by Anthony Geary), Rogers appeared in some of the most memorable moments of the show’s run.

In November 1981, Scorpio stood by as Luke and fellow star character Laura wed in front of 30 million viewers, still the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history.

In true soap opera fashion, Scorpio would allegedly die a dramatic and fiery death in an explosion in South America in 1992, only to return alive for a short stint in 2006.

Through every iteration of his “General Hospital” career, Rogers embraced Scorpio’s status as an ‘80s TV icon.

“I think this character will follow me to my grave,” Rogers told the New York Times in 2006.

Rogers was born June 3, 1946, in Melbourne, Australia. Out of high school, he played in a rock band with friends and began taking up modeling roles, he recalled in an interview. For “extra money,” he acted in small TV and soap opera roles in Australia in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, including stints in the shows “Bellbird,” “Number 96” and “The Box.”

Early in his career, his Australian accent deterred casting directors from booking him for American shows, Rogers recalled in a 2022 interview. However, in 1980, he found himself auditioning for what was supposed to be a small, single-episode role on “General Hospital.”

This caught the eye of Gloria Monty, the show’s visionary producer, who asked Rogers to stay on as a recurring character.

Rogers was key to shaping the character of Scorpio, from his name to his risk-taking bravery, on what would eventually become the longest-running daytime soap opera in American television history, according to Guinness World Records.

“I started in earnest, I had a feeling that I had done something right. I had evolved into the character. [Scorpio] took everyone by surprise, he looked different, he sounded different, he conducted himself in a different way and the public latched onto this right away. And so all of a sudden, away we went,” Rogers said in a radio interview earlier this year.

While the show was set in a New York hospital, the late 80s saw it shift focus into an action adventure storyline that heavily featured Scorpio as an agent of the fictional World Security Bureau, or WSB.

Broadcaster ABC notes that the change kept the attention of viewers and contributed to the continuation of the show’s success, as spies and agents created complex and popular mystery storylines within the “General Hospital” universe.

According to the New York Times, the second week after Rogers’ character was revived in 2006, “General Hospital” was the No. 1 daytime drama among young women, drawing larger-than-average audiences back to the show.

Rogers also acted in the series “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bay,” and “Studio City,” as well as voice-acting in the Disney animated film “The Rescuers Down Under.”

Genie Francis, who played Laura Spencer in “General Hospital,” said of Rogers on X, “My heart is heavy. Goodbye my spectacular friend. My deepest condolences to his wife Teresa and their children. Tristan Rogers was a very bright light, as an actor and a person. I was so lucky to have known him.”

Kin Shriner, also an actor on the show, added in a video posted on X, “I met Tristan 44 years ago at the Luke and Laura wedding. We were stashed in a trailer and I was taken by his Australian charm. Over the years we’ve worked together … we always had fun. I will miss Tristan very much.”

In one of his last interviews, Rogers reflected on the joy of his acting career.

“I’ve had a good time of it,” he said.

JEFF Bezos is mourning the loss of his mother, Jacklyn “Jackie” Bezos, who has died at the age of 78.

The Bezos Family Foundation announced the news, revealing she passed away peacefully at her Miami home today.

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While no cause of death was given, the Foundation said she was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020.

In an emotional post, Jeff reflected on how his mom’s life as an adult began early, becoming a mother at just 17.

He said she “pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity,” later bringing his stepfather Mike into the family and expanding her love to his siblings Christina and Mark.

Bezos said her “list of people to love never stopped growing” and that she “always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”

He shared that after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia, Jackie died surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and Mike.

“I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life,” he wrote, adding: “I hold her safe in my heart forever… I love you, mom.”

In a heartfelt tribute, the Foundation described Jackie as “the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness and service to others” — values she passed on to her children and grandchildren.

It praised her husband, Mike Bezos, for staying by her side “at every step” of her illness and thanked the healthcare team who cared for her.

Born December 29, 1946, in Washington, D.C., Jackie had Jeff at 17 with her first husband, Ted Jorgensen, before the couple split when Jeff was a toddler.

She later married Cuban immigrant Miguel “Mike” Bezos in 1968 — a lifelong partnership that lasted nearly six decades.

In 1995, the couple famously invested just under $250,000 into Jeff’s then-new venture, Amazon.

A devoted mother to Jeff, Christina, and Mark, Jackie juggled work, night school, and family life — making countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff, supervising cheerleading practice for Christina, and hauling drums in the family station wagon for Mark.

She later earned her psychology degree at 45, proving, as the Foundation put it, “it’s never too late to follow your dreams.”

In 2000, she and Mike founded the Bezos Family Foundation, spearheading initiatives such as Vroom, which supports early childhood development, and the Bezos Scholars Program for students in the US and Africa.

She also played a major role in funding groundbreaking cancer research at Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

Her greatest joy, however, was family — particularly her 11 grandchildren, for whom she created “Camp Marmie,” a summer tradition of adventures, problem-solving, and laughter.

Jeff’s wife, Lauren Sánchez, re-shared the tribute on Instagram Stories with a broken heart emoji.

Jackie is survived by Mike, her children Jeff, Christina, and Mark, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

The family is asking people to honor her memory by supporting a meaningful nonprofit or performing a simple act of kindness.

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A WOMAN has died after falling from a 32-floor skyscraper in London’s financial district.

Police were scrambled to Sirocco Tower in Canary Wharf this morning following the horror.

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The woman, aged in her 20s, tragically could not be saved and was declared dead at the scene.

The Met Police have now launched a probe into the tragedy.

A spokesperson said: “At around 06:39hrs on Wednesday, 13 August police responded to calls that a person had fallen from height in Harbour Way, Canary Wharf.

“Police and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene but sadly a woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Her next of kin have been notified and are being supported by specialist officers.“

At this time her death is being treated as unexpected and enquiries continue.”

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has led tributes to Welsh Labour politician Hefin David, who has died suddenly, aged 47.

Mr David had been Member of the Senedd (MS) for Caerphilly since 2016.

Labour leader Sir Keir called him a “powerful voice for the people of Wales” who “dedicated his life to making sure every person and community in Wales had the opportunities and support they deserve”.

Gwent Police said a 47-year-old man was found unresponsive at a property in Nelson, Caerphilly county, on Tuesday evening, and the death was not being treated as suspicious.

First Minister and Welsh Labour leader Eluned Morgan called Mr David an “outstanding politician” who would be “greatly missed”.

His partner was Cynon Valley MS Vikki Howells, the minister for further and higher education in the Welsh Labour government.

Sir Keir said: “The entire Labour movement will join me in grieving the loss of Hefin David.

“He was a powerful voice for the people of Wales and a committed public servant, who dedicated his life to making sure every person and community in Wales had the opportunities and support they deserve.

“As Member of the Senedd for Caerphilly, where he was born and lived, he was incredibly proud of his community.

“Our hearts are with his family and those who knew and loved him at this painful time. May he rest in peace.”

The first minister said: “We are extremely saddened by the sudden death of Hefin. Our thoughts are with his family at this terrible time.

“Hefin was a much-loved member of the Labour family. He served Caerphilly as a councillor and a Member of the Senedd with pride and passion.

“He was an outstanding politician, warm and enthusiastic and a great communicator – especially on behalf of his constituents.

“He will be greatly missed.”

Gwent Police Chief Constable Mark Hobrough said his “thoughts and heartfelt condolences” are with Mr David’s family, friends and colleagues.

“After I joined Gwent Police as the chief superintendent for the area covering Caerphilly, I worked closely with Hefin on many occasions and I found him to be an engaging and thoughtful individual,” he said.

“A dedicated public servant to Caerphilly, his commitment to our communities will be a significant loss.”

Elected to Cardiff Bay in 2016, Mr David was one of the more prominent Labour backbench members and was never afraid to go against the party line.

Popular with politicians from across the political divide and journalists in Cardiff Bay, he made regular, lively contributions to Senedd debates, and was once reprimanded for calling Plaid Cymru councillors in his constituency as “mad as a box of frogs”.

He was also one of five Senedd commissioners, responsible for the day-to-day running of the institution.

The Welsh Parliament’s presiding officer, or speaker, Elin Jones, said the whole Senedd was “devastated by the tragic news of Hefin’s death”.

“Our thoughts go immediately to his partner, our colleague and friend, Vikki Howells MS and to his cherished children and family,” she said.

“Hefin was so full of life and enthusiasm for his constituents and their causes.

“He was a passionate politician, loyal to his party, his country, and constituents.”

Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservative group in Cardiff Bay, said he was “very sad to hear the shocking news of Hefin David’s death”.

“My deepest condolences go to Hefin’s family and friends, and I would also like to extend my condolences to the Welsh Labour Party,” he said.

“He was a man who always stood up for his constituents and was respected on all sides of the Senedd.”

Mattia Debertolis discovered unconscious during an orienteering event in Chengdu on August 8 and died four days later.

Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis died on Tuesday after being found unresponsive during competition at the World Games in China’s Chengdu, organisers have said.

The 29-year-old was discovered unconscious during an orienteering event on August 8 and died four days later, said a joint statement from World Games organisers and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).

The World Games is a multisport event held every four years for disciplines not included in the Olympics.

“Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away,” the statement said.

It did not provide details on the cause of death.

The event took place in intense heat and humidity, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Orienteering sees athletes navigate an unmarked course with a map and compass, punching in at designated spots along the route in the quickest time.

Debertolis, from Primiero in eastern Italy, was taking part in the final of the men’s middle-distance, the first medal event of the Games.

The 6km (3.7-mile-) course featured 180 metres (590ft) of ascent and 20 control points that athletes must visit.

Footage from the World Games’ social media accounts showed athletes running through crop fields and villages on a largely rural course.

The winner, Switzerland’s Riccardo Rancan, completed the course in 45 minutes and 22 seconds.

“I needed to acclimatise quickly with hot and humid conditions. I think I managed quite well,” Chinese state media quoted Rancan as saying.

Debertolis was listed as “Did Not Finish” in official results, along with 11 other athletes.

He was ranked 137th in the men’s Orienteering World Rankings and had been competing since 2014, according to the IOF website.

He participated in several World Championships and World Cups as part of the Italian team.

Alongside his training, Debertolis was studying for a PhD at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he lived.

President of the Italian Orienteering Federation (FISO), Alfio Giomi, invited the national team to wear black armbands while competing in the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships, which begin on Tuesday in Poland.

Debertolis’ family had agreed that “athletes will be able to participate in the competitions in Mattia’s name and memory,” Giomi said in an online statement.

World Games organisers and the IOF were “struck by this tragedy and extend their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the athlete and the whole orienteering community”, the joint statement read.

“Our thoughts are with those touched by this event.”

Organisers will “continue to support the family of Mattia Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way”, it added.

This is the 12th edition of the World Games, and it runs until August 17, with approximately 4,000 athletes competing in 253 events.

BOGOTA, Colombia — A Colombian senator and presidential hopeful whose shooting at a political rally in June recalled some of the darkest chapters of the country’s drug-fueled violence died Monday.

The family of Miguel Uribe Turbay said the politician died at a hospital in the capital, Bogota. Uribe, 39, was shot three times, twice in the head, while giving a campaign speech in a park and had since remained in an intensive care unit in serious condition with episodes of slight improvement.

“Rest in peace, love of my life. I will take care of our children,” his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, wrote in a social media post confirming his death. “I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you.”

A teenage suspect was arrested at the scene of the June 7 attack in a working-class Bogota neighborhood. Authorities later detained several other people, but they have not determined who ordered the hit or why.

The shooting, which was caught on multiple videos, alarmed Colombians who have not seen this kind of political violence against presidential candidates since Medellin drug lord Pablo Escobar declared war on the state in the 1990s.

Uribe’s own mother, well-known journalist Diana Turbay, was among the victims of that period. She died during a police rescue after being kidnapped by a group of drug traffickers led by Escobar seeking to block their extradition to the United States.

“If my mother was willing to give her life for a cause, how could I not do the same in life and in politics?” Uribe, who was just 5 when his mother was killed, said in an interview last year with a Colombian news outlet.

Uribe, a lawyer with a masters degree in public administration from Harvard University, entered politics as a councilman for Bogota when he was 26. In 2022, he was the biggest vote-getter in the conservative Democratic Center party led by former President Álvaro Uribe.

“Evil destroys everything,” the ex-president, who is not related to the senator, said on social media. “They have killed hope. May Miguel’s struggle be a light that illuminates Colombia’s path.”

The senator was among the strongest critics of Colombia’s current government. In October, he joined the list of politicians seeking to replace Gustavo Petro, the first leftist to govern Colombia, in the May 2026 elections.

Authorities have floated several hypotheses about what led to the attack, while allies of the candidate have complained that the government ignored repeated requests to reinforce his state-provided security detail.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, tens of thousands poured into the streets dressed in white and waving the Colombian flag to reject the violence.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among the politicians who lamented the senator’s death.

“The United States stands in solidarity with his family, the Colombian people, both in mourning and demanding justice for those responsible,” he posted on X.

Suárez writes for the Associated Press.

Presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe was shot in Bogota on June 7 during a rally and underwent multiple surgeries before his death.

Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe, who had been fighting for his life since he was shot in June during a campaign event, has died, according to his family.

Uribe, a 39-year-old senator and a potential presidential candidate from the right-wing opposition, was shot in Bogota on June 7 during a rally and underwent multiple surgeries before his death.

“I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you,” his wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, wrote on social media. “Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children.”

Uribe enjoyed a rapid political rise, becoming a recognised lawmaker for the Democratic Centre party. He was seeking to run in the 2026 presidential election.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a “9mm Glock-type firearm” and has pleaded not guilty after being formally charged on June 10 with attempted murder, the prosecutor’s office said.

More soon.

PIANIST and co-founder of Derek and the Dominos, Bobby Whitlock, has died at the age 77. 

The rock icon died of cancer after a short battle with the illness as his heartbroken wife leads the tributes.

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His manager, Carole Kaye, confirmed his death this morning saying he died at home in Texas at 1:20am.

The legendary rockstar surrounded by his loved ones when he passed.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) said, external it “mourns the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito”.

It added: “This heartbreaking news comes just days after the passing of Shigetoshi Kotari, who died from injuries suffered in his fight on the same card.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time.”

Following the event, the Japan Boxing Commission announced all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title bouts will now be 10 rounds instead of 12.

Urakawa is the third high-profile boxer to die in 2025 after Irishman John Cooney passed away in February following a fight in Belfast.

Cooney died aged 28 after suffering an intracranial haemorrhage from his fight against Welshman Nathan Howells.

Craig Bloomer, 54, died in a horror freak crash while on holiday with his family in Greece – his heartbroken daughter paid tribute to the ‘much-loved’ dad

A “beloved” British grandad tragically died on holiday in Greece following a freak accident.

Craig Bloomer, 54, had travelled to the idyllic island of Corfu, for a family holiday with his two daughters, their partners and kids, but sadly died after a moped incident on July 26. The “much-loved” grandad, from Wolverhampton, on this holiday was the “happiest” he had been since his wife Jane, 53, died two years ago from cancer, according to Craig’s daughter.

The 54-year-old tragically died after he lost control of the moped he was riding and crashed near the village of Agios Mattheos. It comes just days after another British tourist was found dead in a Greece hotel swimming pool.

READ MORE: ‘Nicest ever’ mum left work ‘abruptly’ then was found dead in a hotel roomREAD MORE: Dad’s desperate phone call moments before explosion kills him and his daughters

Craig was rushed to hospital after the horror crash but was pronounced dead by doctors, according to BirminghamLive. His eldest daughter Rebecca, 32, said: “Our dad’s loss has left a massive hole in our lives.”

The grandad had also travelled with his youngest daughter Danni Perks, 27, but his tragic passing meant the family had to cut their holiday short, returning several days earlier than planned on Tuesday, on July 29.

Craig’s body was flown back to England on Wednesday, August 6, which has allowed the family to begin the ordeal of organising his funeral.

Since his passing, tributes have flooded in for Craig who ran The Cafe in the Low Hill area of Wolverhampton, alongside his two daughters.

Paying tribute to her dad, Rebecca said: “We lost our mum two years ago to cancer. Since then, he has been a bit down in the dumps.

“On holiday, it was the happiest I’d ever seen him, he had a new girlfriend. He was lovely and a proper family man. He liked motorbikes, old cars, going to the pub, snooker, drawing, he was really good at art.”

The heartbroken daughter added: “We own a cafe business which my dad started running after my mum died. The amount of tributes we’ve had off people for dad, saying how lovely he was and what a character he was.

“He was like marmite, you either loved him or hated him – and most people loved him.” Craig’s family has created a GoFundMe page to help with costs following his unexpected death – which has raised over £3,000 so far.

This comes after a mum was tragically killed by a stingray at sea in a horror “freak accident” while on holiday. Judy Kay Zagorski, 57, had been on a boat trip in the Florida Keys but the adventure ended in tragedy.

The mum was killed by a huge spotted eagle ray that jumped out of the water and struck her in the face.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States has confirmed that one of its most famous space explorers, Jim Lovell, has died at age 97.

In a statement on Friday, Transportation Secretary and NASA administrator Sean Duffy confirmed that Lovell passed away at his home in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Lovell is perhaps most famous for his 1968 voyage on the Apollo 8 space flight, which made history as the first voyage to take human beings past the Earth’s gravitational field and around the moon.

For that flight, which took more than six days to complete, Lovell served as command module pilot, alongside astronauts Frank Borman II and William Anders. They circled the moon 10 times before returning to Earth.

Lovell was the last surviving crew member from that flight.

He also was a key figure on the doomed 1970 Apollo 13 flight, which was meant to conduct the third lunar landing.

But the flight met disaster when its oxygen tank exploded in space, endangering all on board. It was unclear whether Lovell, the most experienced astronaut on the flight, and his two colleagues, John Swigert Jr and Fred Haise Jr, would return from the voyage alive.

As mission commander, however, Lovell helped steer their lunar module back to Earth in a death-defying splashdown. It was his last space flight, and he has been praised for his calm under pressure.

“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success,” Duffy said.

“From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.”

We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran.

Lovell’s life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues today. https://t.co/AjT8qmxsZI pic.twitter.com/jBlxzgrmSk

— NASA (@NASA) August 8, 2025

Known by the nickname Smilin’ Jim, Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 25, 1928.

He began his aviation career in the 1950s as part of the US Navy, where he completed a four-year tour of duty as a test pilot in Maryland. During his naval service, he logged more than 7,000 hours of flying time.

Then, in 1962, he was selected by NASA to be an astronaut. His first space flight took place as part of the Gemini project, a series of flights designed to improve space travel in order to pave the way for the later Apollo moon missions.

At first, Lovell was a backup pilot for Gemini 4. But he got his break with the Gemini 7 mission in 1965, which was only the 12th crewed flight the US had sent to space by that point.

He was paired with Borman, his future Apollo 8 colleague, for that launch, and together, they made a rendezvous in space with Gemini 6 — a first-time feat for two crewed flights.

Lovell was also on the spacecraft for the final mission of the project, Gemini 12, which paired him with Buzz Aldrin, then a rookie.

With the Gemini missions complete, NASA turned its attention to putting a man on the moon.

Lovell and his colleagues on Apollo 8 helped make that possible, with NASA dubbing the circumnavigation “man’s maiden voyage to the moon”.

“We could actually see the Earth start to shrink,” Lovell would later tell the TV channel CSPAN. “It reminds me of being in a car, looking out the back window, going inside a tunnel and seeing the tunnel entrance shrink as you go farther into the tunnel. It was quite a sensation to think about.”

“You had to pinch yourself: Hey, we’re really going to the moon.”

In 1969, Apollo 11 would make good on the promise of Lovell’s mission, achieving the first successful moon landing of a crewed flight. Lovell’s former colleague Aldrin joined Neil Armstrong in being the first human beings to plant a foot on the moon.

Lovell was meant to land on the moon himself. He was 42 at the time of his flight with Apollo 13, which was likewise charged with completing a lunar landing.

But two days into the 10-day mission, the crew heard an explosion. “OK, Houston,” Lovell’s colleague Swigert radioed back to Earth, coining a famous phrase. “We’ve had a problem here.”

Lovell communicated that the spacecraft was “venting something out into” space. That turned out to be oxygen leaking out of an exploded tank. Another tank remained, but it was damaged, as were the fuel cells. That, in turn, risked leaving the astronauts without electricity.

The fate of the three astronauts on board the Apollo 13 mission, including Lovell, captured international attention.

The crew ultimately transformed their lunar module into a “lifeboat” and faced dangerous levels of carbon dioxide as they looped around the moon to boomerang back to Earth.

Lovell ultimately co-wrote a book about his experience, Lost Moon, and the American actor Tom Hanks played him in a 1995 film adaptation, called Apollo 13.

Lovell himself made a cameo appearance opposite Hanks.

During his final days, Lovell met with Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, who wrote about the meeting on social media.

“Yesterday, I was honored to meet one of my personal heroes, Navy Veteran and astronaut Jim Lovell,” Collins said. “Jim’s remarkable leadership during the historic Apollo 13 mission is an inspiration to all!”

Upon learning of Lovell’s death, Collins joined in the outpouring of condolences: “Astronaut and Navy Veteran Jim Lovell was a legend, plain and simple.”

Lovell is survived by his four children.