FDA to offer faster drug reviews to companies promoting 'national priorities'

FDA to offer faster drug reviews to companies promoting 'national priorities'

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators will begin offering faster reviews to new medicines that administration officials deem as promoting "the health interests of Americans," under a new initiative announced Tuesday. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makarysaid the agency will aim to review select drugs in one to two months. FDA's long-standing accelerated approval program generally issues decisions in six months for drugs that treatlife-threatening diseases. Regular drug reviews take about 10 months. Since arriving at the FDA in April, Makary has repeatedly told FDA staff they need to "challenge assumptions" and rethink procedures. In amedical journal commentarypublished last week, Makary suggested the agency could conduct "rapid or instant reviews," pointing to the truncated process used to authorize the first COVID-19 vaccines under Operation Warp Speed. For the new program, the FDA will issue a limited number of "national priority vouchers" to companies "aligned with U.S. national priorities," the agency said in a statement. The special designation will give the selected companies access to extra FDA communications, streamlined staff reviews and the ability to submit much of their product information in advance. Speeding up drug approvals has long been a priority of the pharmaceutical industry, which has successfully lobbied Congress to create a variety of special programs and pathways for faster reviews. Many aspects of the plan announced Tuesday overlap with older programs. But the broad criteria for receiving a voucher will give FDA officials unprecedented discretion in deciding which companies can benefit from the fastest reviews. "The ultimate goal is to bring more cures and meaningful treatments to the American public," Makary said in a statement. Makary previously said the FDA should be willing to ease its scientific requirements for certain drugs, for instance, by not always requiring randomized studies in which patients are tracked over time to track safety and effectiveness. Such trials are generally considered the gold standard of medical research, though the FDA has increasingly been willing to accept smaller,less-definitive studiesforrare or life-threatening diseases. In severalrecent cases, the FDA has faced criticism for approving drugs based on preliminary data that didn't ultimately show benefits for patients. The push to rapidly accelerated drug approvals is the opposite approach that Makary and his boss,Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have taken on vaccines. Promising a "return to gold-standard science," Kennedy previously announced that all new vaccines would have to be compared to placebo, or a dummy shot, to win approval. Kennedy and Makary also have announced astricter policyon seasonal updates to COVID-19 shots, saying they will have to undergo new testing before they can be approved for use in healthy children and most adults. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

FDA to offer faster drug reviews to companies promoting 'national priorities'

FDA to offer faster drug reviews to companies promoting 'national priorities' WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators will begin offering ...

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'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, says he's safe 'for now'

'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, says he's safe 'for now'

WASHINGTON − PresidentDonald Trumpthreatened Iran's supreme leader as he pushed Tehran to end its retaliatory airstrikes on Israel and warned against any threats to U.S. servicemembers in the region. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He is an easy target, but is safe there." "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," the president said on June 17. "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin." There was no immediate response from the Iranian government. A short while later, Trump upped the ante with a two-word post: "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" More:Iran's nuclear sites before and after Israeli attacks: See updated maps, satellite images USA TODAY reported June 16 that Trump had warned Israel off a plan to kill Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate sway over Iran. Trump's statement came as new explosions were heard in the Iranian capital and Vice PresidentJD Vancesuggested the U.S. military could get involved if Iran's clerical leadership refuses to give up itsnuclear enrichment program. Here's what to know about Trump, the Israel-Iran conflict, and what might come next. The president has issued a blizzard of statements over less than 48 hours pointing to negotiations with Iran, a desire for Tehran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" and a focus on protecting U.S. troops in the Middle East who might be targets for Iran or its proxy militias. The Iran conflict was two clashes in one. While neither Israel, nor the U.S., nor Europe wants to see a nuclear-armed Tehran, Trump until late last week was forcefully pushing negotations to end Iran's uranium enrichment program. Israel, meanwhile, launched its massive June 13 attack on nuclear and military facilities. Soon the president was warning the Iranian people of destruction and threatening Iran's supreme leader. So what does Trump want? A negotiated solution? Regime change? A military endgame − possiblyincluding American forces? More:Iran: 11 facts about a country rarely visited by Westerners "I think we can take his word for his word, but I'm not going to speculate on, in a large sense, what that would mean," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. "That is up to the president. He is the singular guiding hand about what will be occurring from this point forward − as he has been." Earlier in the day asmembers of Trump's MAGA baseurged the administration to stay out of the war, Vice President JD Vance said the answer isn't complicated. Trump, he said, "has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years...The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment," Vance wrote on X. "And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways − the easy way or the 'other' way." Not long before Israel launched a stunning surprise attack on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, President Donald Trump was still holding out hope Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would accept a U.S. proposal to end its uranium enrichment program. "As long as I think there is an agreement, I don't want them going in, because I think that would blow it. Might help it, actually. But it also could blow it," Trump told reporters on June 12. When the Israeli airstrikes first started punching holes in apartment houses and secret bases, U.S. officials were quick to say Washington wasn't involved. Since then, over five days of a bitter air war, Trump has warmed to Israel's campaign, bragging more than once that Israeli pilots were flying American-made jets, dropping American-made bombs. "We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran," he wrote on Truth Social on June 17. "Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured 'stuff.'" "Nobody does it better than the good ol' USA," he added. President Trump's threat to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei isn't an idle boast. In January 2020, Trump ordered a fatal drone strike on Iranian Maj. Gen.Qasem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Baghdad. But it's Israel that Iran truly fears, when it comes to targeted killings. Israel killed numerous top military leaders and nuclear scientists in its first wave of attacks on Iran on June 13 and has since killed other military leaders. More:MTG, Tucker Carlson urge Trump to stay out of Iran, exposing a MAGA rift A clandestine Israeli assassination program has taken the lives of several scientists who were key to the Iranian nuclear program over the last decade. And Israel killedHamas chief Ismail Haniyehin Tehran in July 2024 with a bomb hidden in his official guest house. Israeli airstrikes killed Hezbollah leaderHassan Nasrallahlast year, as well as Nasrallah's successor. Scores of Hezbollah operatives were killed and maimed byexploding pagersengineered by Israel. Hezbollah had been Iran's strongest proxy in the region. More:Trump indicates US involved in Israeli attacks on Iran in social media post With Iran's clerical rulers suffering their worst security breach since taking power in 1979, the country's cyber security command banned officials from using communications devices and mobile phones, Fars news agency reported June 17. The threats go both ways. In November 2024, federal prosecutors charged an Iranian man with plotting Trump's assassinationin revenge for Soleimani's killing. Vice President JD Vance raised the possiblity that Trump could order U.S. military action if Iran doesn't give up its nuclear enrichment program. Ina lengthy post on X, Vance made the case that Trump has been consistent in his opposition to Iran attaining a nuclear weapon, and that the president has offered them a peaceful alternative. More:Pentagon sends warplanes, aircraft carrier to Middle East as Iran-Israel war rages Throughout the Israel-Iran shooting war, Trump "has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military's focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens," Vance said. "He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment." "That decision ultimately belongs to the president," he added. In a nod torising anti-war sentimentfrom Republicans in Congress, Vance said that "people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue." Air raid sirens wailed again in Tel Aviv shortly after 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern) as Israel and Iran continued their retaliatory strikes. The Israeli military said another volley of missiles was en route from Iran. Less than 30 minutes later, an all-clear message went out telling residents it was safe to leave their shelters. It was unclear if any of the missiles evaded air defenses. An Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear complex at Natanz directly hit the underground uranium enrichment plant there, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said, after initially reporting it had been hit only indirectly. Since Israel's launched wide-ranging attacks on Iran on June 13, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been providing updates on the damage to nuclear sites − although it has not been able to carry out inspections. The IAEA had previously said an above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz was destroyed but the larger underground plant was not directly hit, although IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said June 16 its centrifuges had very likely been badly damaged by a strike on the plant's power supply. On June 17 the agency revised its estimate, saying satellite imagery pointed to "direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz." Early on June 17, the president denied he had reached out to Tehran seeking an end tothe five-day Iran-Israel air war, after earlier suggesting he was working toward a broad Iran nuclear deal. "I have not reached out to Iran for 'Peace Talks' in any way, shape, or form," he wrote on Truth Social early on June 17. "If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table - Would have saved a lot of lives!!!" Trump did encourage his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Vice President JD Vance to offer to meet with the Iranians, a source familiar with those discussions said. A U.S. official separately said Witkoff sought to determine whether there was any room for diplomacy with the Iranians before Trump's statement on June 17 suggesting the time for talking was over. Trump urged residents of Tehran to evacuate the night of June 16 and left the Group of Seven summitt in Alberta, Canada, a day early to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict. French PresidentEmmanuel Macrontold reporters Trump was returning to Washington to work on a ceasefire, but Trump refuted that. "Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that," Trump wrote onTruth Social. Trump said he wants something that's "better than a ceasefire," without elaborating. "IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"he saidin a post on Truth Social. "And it's painful for both parties," he said "but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late." More:Pentagon pizza account reported high activity before Israel's attack on Iran Staff and family members at the American Embassy in Jerusalem were sheltering in place before dawn on June 17. More:'They'd like to talk': Trump says Iran looking to de-escalate with Israel "The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel," the missionsaid in a security alert, noting that Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Israel's seaports were closed. Trump's administration warned Americansnot to travelto Israel the day before, as Iran retaliated for last week's strikes. The Chinese embassy in Israel urged its citizens to leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible. Defense SecretaryPete Hegsethtold Fox News on June 16 the U.S. still wants a nuclear deal with Iran. "Of course," Hegseth said on "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Fox. "We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that's what happens here." Several members of Congress said they will cosponsor measures to block the United States from going to war with Iran. Rep. Thomas Massie, a self-described "constitutional conservative" Republican from Kentucky, announced a measure "to prohibit our involvement," and invited all members of Congressto cosponsor it. More:Israel threatens 'Tehran will burn' after Iran revenge strikes "This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution," Massie posted. Progressive Democratic Reps.Ro Khannaof California andAlexandria Ocasio-Cortezof New York jumped at the invitation. "No war in Iran," Khanna posted. "It's time for every member to go on record. Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?" An hour later,Sen. Bernie Sandersannounced he had "introduced legislation to stop Trump from... leading us into an illegal war with Iran." Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said earlier on June 16 he would introducea war powers resolutionin the Senate. "If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X, imploring Trump to intervene with Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu. Sources told Reuters that Tehran had asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press PresidentDonald Trumpto use his influence onNetanyahuand push for an immediate ceasefire. In return, Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations, said the two Iranian and three regional sources. Israel struck first on June 13. In asurprise attack, it killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Airstrikes on Iran have also taken at least two of Iran's uranium enrichments sites offline. Iran has retaliated with waves of ballistic missiles that have pierced Israel's defenses, striking residential neighborhoods. Netanyahu told troops at an air base that Israel was on its way to achieving its two main aims: wiping out Iran's nuclear program and destroying its missiles. By midday on June 16, officials from each country said 224 Iranians and 24 Israelis had been killed in the conflict. Trump was at theG7 Summitin Canada when he sent his stark warning to Iran. Not long after, the White House abruptly said he would return to Washington early to focus on the deepening conflict. At a photo with world leaders, Trump told reporters: "I have to be back early." "You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can," the president said. Secretary of StateMarco Rubioalso left Canada for Washington. Contributing: Ben Adler, USA TODAY; Reuters. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, says he's safe 'for now'

'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, says he's safe 'for now' WASHINGTON − PresidentDonald Trumpthr...

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Club World Cup: 'Teams are suffering’ in U.S. heat. Will FIFA protect them at World Cup 2026?

Club World Cup: 'Teams are suffering' in U.S. heat. Will FIFA protect them at World Cup 2026?

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Before theClub World Cupeven began, at 5 p.m. on a scorching Saturday, theperils of summer soccer in the United Statesbecame apparent. Hundreds of fans packed into a narrow, shadeless corridor here waiting to enter Hard Rock Stadium. An elderly man, struggling in 92-degree heat, staggered toward a chair; a preteen boy later keeled over and doused himself with water. "We're gonna pass out," one woman said, as she pleaded with security to open locked gates, to no avail. And they weren't the only ones melting; players are, too. AfterParis Saint-Germain's 4-0 win over Atlético Madridthe following day in Pasadena, California, PSG coach Luis Enrique said, "The teams are suffering." Atlético midfielder Marcos Llorente told reporters: "It's impossible, it's terribly hot. My toes were sore, my toenails were hurting, I couldn't stop and start. … It's unbelievable." His PSG counterpart Vitinha said: "I'm all red. It was really difficult." All involved, including 80,000 fans at the Rose Bowl, got previews of an inescapable danger at the2026 World Cup, which will also be staged at11 stadiums across the U.S., plus two in Canada and three in Mexico. Five of those 16 stadiums have roofs; but the rest are open-air and susceptible to weather. And of the 11 outdoor venues, seven arescheduled to experience "extreme" humidity and temperatures in the 90sover the coming week — the same June window in which the World Cup will be played next summer. In the immediate term, that's a concern for the Club World Cup. Temperatures are projected to rise into the mid-90s as Juventus and Wydad kick off at noon in Philadelphia on Sunday; and as Benfica and Bayern Munich battle at 3 p.m. in Charlotte on Tuesday. There are highs of 98 and 100 in East Rutherford, N.J., and Philly respectively early next week, when night games are scheduled between Al Ahly and Porto, and Esperance Tunis and Chelsea. Even in the low 90s, at noon and 1 p.m. in Southern California on Sunday, fans and players struggled to cope. "No European team is used to competing in such high temperatures," Llorente said. And even goalkeepers have been affected. "It's difficult. First time in my life I felt heat like this," Benfica's Anatoliy Trubin said after Benfica's draw with Boca Juniors in 90-degree, humid Miami Gardens. In Pasadena, Enrique said: "The match was clearly influenced by the temperature. … It's impossible to perform at a very high level for 90 minutes." Enrique also noted the issue was the noon PT start. "The timing is great for European fans, but the teams are suffering," he said. That will be the tension at the heart of FIFA's 2026 World Cup scheduling. It tends to prioritize broadcasters and TV viewers, sometimes at the expense of players and match-going fans. It schedules three or four games per day and spreads them out into exclusive windows. Some, therefore, must go in the afternoon, when there is often no reprieve from the summer sun — but when it's prime time in Europe and Africa. Players are afforded one water break per half — during which they've draped ice-cold towels over their heads and neck — but some experts worry that's not enough.At last summer's Copa América, Uruguay defender Ronald Araújo exited a game at halftime feeling "dizzy." Anassistant referee collapsed and was hospitalized, having "suffered from dehydration," according to organizers. Those scares led many to wonder how FIFA would adapt to avoid such danger. But its Club World Cup schedule placed afternoon games in Cincinnati, Pasadena, Miami, North Jersey, Philadelphia, Orlando, Charlotte, Nashville and Washington, D.C. FIFA did not immediately respond to an email seeking information on what extra precautions, if any, are being prepared for the heat wave expected to hit some of those cities later this week. In the meantime, players say they're adapting, and "trying to recover as much as possible," Vitinha said. "Because at this point in the season, it can be decisive."

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

Club World Cup: 'Teams are suffering’ in U.S. heat. Will FIFA protect them at World Cup 2026?

Club World Cup: 'Teams are suffering' in U.S. heat. Will FIFA protect them at World Cup 2026? MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Before theClub W...

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No win for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their return to Royal Ascot

No win for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their return to Royal Ascot

ASCOT, England (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla endured disappointment on the opening day of Royal Ascot as their horse, Reaching High, failed to back up his status as favorite in one of the big races. Going off at odds of 3-1, Reaching High got stuck near the rail and was never in contention to win the Ascot Stakes, finishing in ninth place under jockey Ryan Moore. He was the only runner for the king and queen on the first day of the prestigious, high-end meeting that mixes elite sport on the course with style and fashion off it. Hours earlier, the monarchs arrived at the course at the head of the traditional carriage procession in front of tens of thousands of racegoers. The royal procession is celebrating its 200th anniversary, with the tradition beginning during the reign of George IV in 1825 when the monarch was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington. Writing in Royal Ascot's official program, the king and queen said: "Having experienced the thrill of victory at Royal Ascot ourselves in 2023, we can only wish all those competing this week the very best of luck and that everyone watching has a most enjoyable five days." They will have to wait for their own winner, though, with Ascending triumphing at 20-1. The late Queen Elizabeth II wasa passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbredsand had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign. Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses andenjoyed their first Royal Ascot winnerin 2023, when Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes. ___ AP sports:https://apnews.com/sports

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

No win for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their return to Royal Ascot

No win for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their return to Royal Ascot ASCOT, England (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla endure...

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A jab from 33,000 feet cools Trump–Macron ties, but is it just a passing frost?

A jab from 33,000 feet cools Trump–Macron ties, but is it just a passing frost?

PARIS (AP) — What began with a handshake evolved into turbulence at 33,000 feet as one of diplomacy's oddest relationships took another strange turn. The political chemistry that once defined the Trump–Macron dynamic — immortalized by afamously tense 29-second handshakein 2017 — was nowhere to be seen in midair Tuesday when U.S.President Donald Trumpblasted his French counterpart on social media. As Trumpdeparted the G7 summit early,French President Emmanuel Macron tried to reframe the exit as strategic. "There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange," Macron told reporters, suggestingthe U.S. might helpbroker a ceasefire betweenIsrael and Iran. But aboard Air Force One, Trump responded with a swipe that accused Macron of showboating. "Wrong! He is 'publicity seeking' and always gets it wrong," Trump said. "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington… Much bigger than that. Stay tuned!" The takedown punctured Macron's narrative and revealed a rupture in a relationship that has featured theater, flattery and touch. Macron, who once styled himself as a "Trump whisperer," has long used charm and proximity to try to manage the unpredictable U.S. leader, often contrasting himself with more openly critical peers like Germany's Angela Merkel. But those efforts are far from foolproof. The Élysée Palace made no formal comment on Trump's outburst. Their diplomatic style has never been purely transactional — and has often been tactile. From their earliest encounters,physical gestures have been part of the pageantry: Trump's firm pats and arm-yanks, Macron's theatrical poise and instinctive touches. The roots of their rapport run deep. In 2017, Macron dazzled Trump with a Bastille Day parade, formal dinners and white-knuckle handshakes. A viral 29-second grip — knuckles white, jaws clenched — set the tone for a relationship of theatrical dominance. The physical choreography evolved over the years: Trump yanking Macron's arm at the Élysée, Macron placing a steadying hand on Trump's thigh in Washington. Their February 2025 White House meeting brought a refined version of the dance as Macron delivered corrections with charm, countering Trump's Ukraine comments while laughing at Fort Knox jokes. Signals of strain before the summit Trump joked about Macron's marriage last month after a video of Brigitte Macron playfully pushing her husband surfaced. "Make sure the door remains closed," he quipped, before adding: "They're fine." But the chill had already begun to set in. This month, Macron traveled to Greenland — a territory Trump has floated buying — to express solidarity with Danish sovereignty. "This is not what is done between allies," he said, in what many interpreted as a veiled swipe at the U.S. The G7 summit, intended to project Western unity on Russia and Iran, instead showcased fracture. Trump skipped the final sessions, refused to back new Russia sanctions, and warned Tehran to "immediately evacuate." Macron tried to frame the early exit as useful. Trump's one-line rebuttal shut that down. But later in the flight, Trump softened his tone. When reporters asked about the outburst, he replied: "That was Emmanuel — nice guy but he doesn't get it right too often." The pivot was familiar. "It's difficult to be confident about any clear arc in President Trump's reactions to people or events," said Dana Allin, U.S. policy expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "He tends to be disinhibited — he says what's on his mind, and that can change quickly." There was no handshake this time. No shoulder clap. Just a flick of the thumb — and a public slap across the alliance. The dynamic, Allin suggests, reflects a shift in how Europe engages with Washington. In Trump's first term, many European leaders treated his behavior as a storm they could wait out. "Now it seems like a more permanent thing," Allin said.

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

A jab from 33,000 feet cools Trump–Macron ties, but is it just a passing frost?

A jab from 33,000 feet cools Trump–Macron ties, but is it just a passing frost? PARIS (AP) — What began with a handshake evolved into turbul...

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Sen. Mike Lee faces backlash after controversial posts on assassination of Minnesota lawmaker

Sen. Mike Lee faces backlash after controversial posts on assassination of Minnesota lawmaker

WASHINGTON - The backlash began after a couple posts on X. A day after Minnesota Democrat state Rep. Melissa Hortmanand her husband were shotand killed in their home on June 14, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee baselessly suggested their assassination was connected to the political left. "This is what happens. When Marxists don't get their way," he wroteon his personal X accountwith an image of suspect Vance Boelter. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote, "Nightmare on Waltz Street," in an apparent misspelled reference to Minnesota Democrat Gov.Tim Walz. Minnesota Democrat Sen. Tina Smith, a friend of Hortman, then confronted Lee at the Capitol. "I, you know, approached him from a position of respect and wanting him to understand what I thought, and he didn't have that much to say. What he needs to do is he needs to apologize," Smith told CNN after their exchange on June 16. "To indicate that somehow this was some sort of a Marxist leftist attack that causes violence is completely false. He's spreading that misinformation, and he should correct that…as my mother used to say, words have consequences, and his words have a ton of consequence, and he should own that," she added. Boelter's friends have described him as a devout Christian who's attended PresidentDonald Trump's campaign rallies, according to theAssociated Press.He was registered to vote as a Republican in 2004 while residing in Oklahoma, the outlet reported. Lee, who refused toanswer reporters' questionsabout his controversial posts or his conversation with Smith, drew rebuke from across the aisle. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumerwrote on Xthat it was "sickening" to see Lee use the assassination to "take cheap political shots, risk escalating a dangerous moment, fan the flames of division with lies." Former Republican National Committee ChairMichael Steele wrote on X to Lee: "Grow the h--- up." Boelter, who was allegedly disguised as a law enforcement officer during the attack, wasarrested on June 15after anintense manhuntand faces both state and federal murder charges. Walzhas said that the attackwas "politically motivated." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:GOP Sen. Mike Lee's posts on Minnesota shooting draw swift backlash

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

Sen. Mike Lee faces backlash after controversial posts on assassination of Minnesota lawmaker

Sen. Mike Lee faces backlash after controversial posts on assassination of Minnesota lawmaker WASHINGTON - The backlash began after a couple...

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Sabalenka apologizes to Gauff for post-match comments after French Open

Sabalenka apologizes to Gauff for post-match comments after French Open

BERLIN (AP) —Aryna Sabalenkasays she has written toCoco Gauffto apologize for the "unprofessional" comments she made following her loss to her American rival in the final of theFrench Open. Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the top-ranked Sabalenka said her remarks after her6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4loss to Gauff at Roland-Garros this month were a mistake. In her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka had suggested that the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff's performance. "That was just completely unprofessional of me," Sabalenka said. "I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I'm just a human being who's still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward — not immediately, but recently." Sabalenka hit 37 winners but finished the final with 70 unforced errors — compared to Gauff's 30. She said she wrote to Gauff to apologize and "make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her." "I never intended to attack her," Sabalanka added. "I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. I'm not necessarily grateful for what I did. It took me a while to go back and think about it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals?" Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, also lost to Gauffin the 2023 U.S. Open final, where she also won the first set. "I kept getting so emotional," Sabalenka added. "So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I'm the one who always treats my opponents with great respect, whether I win or lose. Without that respect, I wouldn't be where I am today. So it was a tough but very valuable lesson for me." ___ AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

byMario Satorik

in

June 17, 2025

Sabalenka apologizes to Gauff for post-match comments after French Open

Sabalenka apologizes to Gauff for post-match comments after French Open BERLIN (AP) —Aryna Sabalenkasays she has written toCoco Gauffto apol...

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