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Rudy Giuliani is recovering from a fractured vertebra and other injuries following a car crash in New Hampshire, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said Sunday.

Giuliani’s vehicle was struck from behind while traveling on a highway Saturday evening, according to a statement posted on X by Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security.

“He sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Ragusa said, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”

Giuliani, 81, was taken to a nearby trauma center and was being treated for injuries including “a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg,” according to Ragusa.

Prior to the accident, Giuliani had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police assistance on her behalf, Ragusa said. After police arrived, Giuliani continued on his way and his vehicle was hit shortly after pulling onto the highway and was “entirely unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Ragusa told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.

Giuliani was in a rental car and “no one knew it was him,” Ragusa also said in the post on X.

Another Giuliani spokesperson, Ted Goodman, and New Hampshire State Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment and additional details about the domestic incident and crash.

“Thank you to all the people that have reached out since learning the news about my Father,” Andrew Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani’s son, wrote in post on X. “Your prayers mean the world.”

The weekend crash follows some rocky years for the onetime Republican presidential candidate, who was dubbed “America’s mayor” in light of his leadership in New York after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

Giuliani later became President Donald Trump’s personal attorney for a time and a vocal proponent of Trump’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.

Two former Georgia elections workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets. He ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers.

____

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York City contributed to this report.

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Government shutdown looms as Congress returns after monthlong August recess

Congressional Republicans scored a massive victory this summer when they passed President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” of tax and spending cuts without a single Democratic vote. But as they return to Washington this fall after a monthlong August recess, they will have to find a way to work with Democrats — or around them — as a government shutdown looms.

The annual spending battle will dominate the September agenda, along with a possible effort by Senate Republicans to change their chamber’s rules to thwart Democratic stalling tactics on nominations. The Senate is also debating whether to move forward on legislation that would slap steep tariffs on some of Russia’s trading partners as the U.S. pressures Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.

In the House, Republicans will continue their investigations of former President Joe Biden while Speaker Mike Johnson navigates a split in his conference over whether the Trump administration should release more files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

A look at what Congress will be doing as lawmakers return from the August break:

Keeping the Government Open

The most urgent task for Congress is to avoid a government shutdown on Sept. 30, when federal funding runs out. And it’s so far unclear if Republicans and Democrats will be able to agree on how to do that.

Congress will have to pass a short-term spending measure to keep the government funded for a few weeks or months while they try to finish the full-year package. But Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass an extension, and Democrats will want significant concessions. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s vote with Republicans to avoid a shutdown in March prompted furious backlash within his party.

The Trump administration’s efforts to claw back previously approved spending could also complicate the negotiations. Republicans passed legislation this summer that rescinded about $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds and Trump notified Congress again on Friday that he will block $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid.

Democrats have warned that such efforts could tank the broader negotiations. “Trump is rooting for a shutdown,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted on social media Friday.

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Senate Nominations Fight

Senators are expected to return to Washington right where they left off in early August — fighting over Trump’s nominees.

Exasperated Republicans fled Washington for the month after making little headway with Senate Democrats over their nominations blockade, which has forced delays in confirmations and angered Trump as many of his administration’s positions remain unfilled. Republican leaders called it quits after a rare Saturday session that ended with a breakdown in bipartisan negotiations and Trump posting on social media that Chuck Schumer could “GO TO HELL!”

Republicans now say they’re ready to try and change Senate rules to get around the Democratic delays, and they are expected to spend the next several weeks discussing how that might work.

Russian Sanctions

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, has pushed the president for months to support his sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose steep tariffs on countries that are fueling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil, gas, uranium, and other exports. The legislation has the backing of 85 senators, but Trump has yet to endorse it, and Republican leaders have so far said they won’t move without him.

Graham has stepped up his calls after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month in hopes of a peace deal. Since then, Russia has continued to step up attacks on Ukraine.

“If we don’t have this thing moving in the right direction by the time we get back, then I think that plan B needs to kick in,” Graham said of his bill in an interview with The Associated Press last month.

Oversight of the CDC

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy will appear before the Senate Finance Committee to discuss his health care agenda on Thursday, less than a week after he ousted Susan Monarez as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several other top officials also resigned in protest.

Kennedy has tried to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research. Monarez’s lawyers said she refused “to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.”

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the HELP panel that oversees the CDC and a member of the Finance Committee, has called on the CDC to delay a meeting of outside experts who make recommendations on the use of vaccines until Congress can look into the issue.

Divisions over Epstein

The House left Washington in July amid disagreements among Republicans about whether they should force President Donald Trump’s administration to release more information on the sex trafficking investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. The pressure for more disclosure could only get more intense when lawmakers return.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky are pushing the House to take up their bill to force the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigation. They are planning a news conference this week joined by Epstein victims. The House Oversight Committee is also investigating the issue.

Democrats are eager to keep pressing on the Epstein files, especially after the Trump administration reneged on pledges for transparency. The case for years has been the subject of online conspiracy theories and speculation about who may have been involved or aware of the wealthy financier’s abuse.

Investigating Biden

The House Oversight Committee will return from August recess with a slate of interviews lined up as part of its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s mental state while in office. The committee has already conducted interviews and depositions with nearly a dozen former top Biden aides and members of the president’s inner circle.

The Republican-led committee will hear from former top Biden staffers in September like Jeff Zients, Biden’s final White House chief of staff, Karine Jean-Pierre, the former White House press secretary, and Andrew Bates, a top press aide.

Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has said public hearings and a full report can be expected sometime in the fall.

Stock Trading Ban

Congress has discussed proposals for years to keep lawmakers from engaging in trading individual stocks, nodding to the idea that there’s a potential conflict of interest when they are often privy to information and decisions that can dramatically move markets.

That push is now gaining momentum. A Senate committee has approved legislation from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri that would also extend the prohibition on stock trading to future presidents and vice presidents — while notably exempting Trump. In the House, several members are putting forward proposals and even threatening to maneuver around GOP leadership to force a vote.

Still, there is plenty of resistance to the idea, including from many wealthy lawmakers who reap dividends from their portfolios.

___

Associated Press writers Matt Brown and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

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A U.S. judge at least temporarily blocked the government Sunday from deporting a group of Guatemalan children who had crossed the border without their families, after their lawyers said the youngsters were loaded onto planes overnight and in violation of laws affording protections for migrant kids.

Attorneys for 10 Guatemalan minors, ages 10 to 17, said in court papers filed late Saturday that there were reports that planes were set to take off within hours for the Central American country. But a federal judge in Washington said those children couldn’t be deported for at least 14 days, and after a hastily scheduled hearing Sunday, she enforced that they needed to be taken off the planes and back to the Office of Refugee Resettlement facilities while the legal process plays out.

“I do not want there to be any ambiguity,” said Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, who said her ruling applies broadly to Guatemalan minors who arrived in the U.S. without their parents or guardians.

Government lawyers, meanwhile, maintained that the children weren’t being deported but rather reunited at the request of their parents or guardians — a claim that the children’s lawyers dispute, at least in some cases.

Similar emergency requests were filed in other parts of the country as well. Attorneys in Arizona and Illinois asked federal judges there to block deportations of unaccompanied minors, underscoring how the fight over the government’s efforts has quickly spread.

Alarm bells raised among immigrant advocates

The episode has raised alarms among immigrant advocates, who say it may represent a violation of federal laws designed to protect children who arrive without their parents. While the deportations are on hold for now, the case underscores the high-stakes clash between the government’s immigration enforcement efforts and the legal safeguards that Congress created for some of the most vulnerable migrants.

At the border-area airport in Harlingen, Texas, the scene Sunday morning was unmistakably active. Buses carrying migrants pulled onto the tarmac as clusters of federal agents moved quickly between the vehicles and waiting aircraft. Police cars circled the perimeter, and officers and security guards pushed reporters back from the chain-link fences that line the field. On the runway, planes sat with engines idling, ground crews making final preparations as if departures could come at any moment — all as the courtroom battle played out hundreds of miles away in Washington.

Shaina Aber of Acacia Center for Justice, an immigrant legal defense group, said it was notified Saturday evening that an official list had been drafted with the names of Guatemalan children whom the U.S. administration would attempt to send back to their home country. Advocates learned that the flights would leave from the Texas cities of Harlingen and El Paso, Aber said.

She said she’d heard that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials “were still taking the children,” having not gotten any guidance about the court order.

The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday.

Trump administration plans to remove nearly 700 Guatemalan children

The Trump administration is planning to remove nearly 700 Guatemalan children who came to the U.S. unaccompanied, according to a letter sent Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon. The Guatemalan government has said it is ready to take them in.

It is another step in the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement efforts, which include plans to send a surge of officers to Chicago for an immigration crackdown, ramping up deportations and ending protections for people who have had permission to live and work in the United States.

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Lawyers for the Guatemalan children said the U.S. government doesn’t have the authority to remove the youngsters and is depriving them of due process by preventing them from pursuing asylum claims or immigration relief. Many have active cases in immigration courts, according to the attorneys’ court filing in Washington.

Although the children are supposed to be in the care and custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the government is “illegally transferring them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody to put them on flights to Guatemala, where they may face abuse, neglect, persecution, or torture,” argues the filing by attorneys with the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and the National Immigration Law Center.

An attorney with another advocacy group, the National Center for Youth Law, said the organization starting hearing a few weeks ago from legal service providers that Homeland Security Investigations agents were interviewing children — particularly from Guatemala — in Office of Refugee Resettlement facilities. HSI is ICE’s investigative arm.

The agents asked the children about their relatives in Guatemala, said the attorney, Becky Wolozin.

Then, on Friday, advocates across the country began getting word that their young clients’ immigration court hearings were being canceled, Wolozin said.

Migrant children traveling without their parents or guardians are handed over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement when they are encountered by officials along the U.S.-Mexico border. Once in the U.S., the children often live in government-supervised shelters or with foster care families until they can be released to a sponsor — usually a family member — living in the country.

The minors can request asylum, juvenile immigration status or visas for victims of sexual exploitation.

Due to their age and often traumatic experiences getting to the U.S., their treatment is one of the most sensitive issues in immigration. Advocacy groups already have sued to ask courts to halt new Trump administration vetting procedures for unaccompanied children, saying the changes are keeping families separated longer and are inhumane.

Guatemala says it is willing to receive the unaccompanied minors

Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Martínez said Friday that the government has told the U.S. it is willing to receive hundreds of Guatemalan minors who arrived in the U.S. unaccompanied and are being held in government facilities.

Guatemala is particularly concerned about minors who could pass age limits for the children’s facilities and be sent to adult detention centers, he said.

President Bernardo Arévalo has said that his government has a moral and legal obligation to advocate for the children. His comments came days after U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Guatemala.

___

Santana reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.

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South suburban shooting leaves 1 dead, 4 injured

Chicago Fire Department crews battled a fire at a building that houses a barbecue restaurant in the city’s Edgewater neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.

The fire occurred before 4 p.m. along North Broadway near West Sheridan Road.

Video captured by NBC Chicago showed smoke pouring out of the building as firefighters worked on the scene. What caused the fire wasn’t immediately clear, and it was unknown if any injuries were reported.

Firefighters were seen working on the second floor of the building that houses Porkchop, a popular barbecue spot, but it wasn’t clear if the fire occurred at the restaurant.

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A silent heart disease risk factor may explain why some women end up having heart attacks and strokes despite seeming like they are healthy, a new study suggests.

The analysis of 30 years of data from more than 12,000 women revealed that inflammation was comparable to high LDL cholesterol as a heart disease risk factor, researchers reported Friday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress meeting in Madrid. The results were simultaneously published in the European Heart Journal.

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Measuring inflammation is not a standard part of screening in the United States and there are no outward signs that a person may have high levels.

Inflammation can raise a woman’s risk of a heart attack or stroke even when other risk factors — such as high cholesterol, smoking status and high blood pressure — aren’t an issue, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Paul Ridker, a preventive cardiologist at Mass General Brigham and Women’s Heart and Vascular Institute and a professor of medicine at the Harvard University Medical School.

“Half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people who do not have any major risk factors,” Ridker said.

Dr. Anais Hausvater, a cardiologist and co-director of the Cardio-Obstetrics Research Program at NYU Langone Health, called the study “potentially practice changing.”

“Despite a growing body of evidence that inflammation is an incredibly important cardiovascular risk factor and the recommendation that most should be screened, the vast majority of women are not being screened,” said Hausvater, who was not involved with the research.

An inexpensive blood test for what’s known as high-sensitivity CRP can measure inflammation. Ridker said that in Europe it’s already the standard of care to measure hsCRP.

The new study used data from the Women’s Health Study, which was launched by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute in the early 1990s.

At the outset, blood samples were collected from the women to measure cholesterol and hsCRP levels.

Of the nearly 28,000 women who provided a baseline blood test, 12,530 had no standard modifiable risk factors for heart disease, or “SMuRFs.” During 30 years of follow-up, there were 973 cardiovascular events — such as a heart attack or stroke — in this group. Levels of hsCRP were significantly higher among women who experienced them.

The new findings indicate that inflammation should be included in heart disease screenings, Ridker said. High inflammation can be treated with statins, but with a healthy cholesterol reading, these women would not qualify for a statin prescription.

A previous clinical trial found that women who do not have the standard modifiable risk factors could benefit from treatment with statins. That trial showed that women with high inflammation but no other risk factors saw a 38% reduction in serious cardiovascular events such as stroke and heart attack if they received statin therapy, Ridker said.

But if hsCRP isn’t measured, these women won’t get the lifesaving treatment they need, Ridker said. “The bottom line is that physicians will not treat what they don’t measure,” he said.

Hausvater said that screening should be routine for all women.

“This is another tool women should be offered to assess their risk,” she said. “I would say, based on this study, I would recommend that patients ask their physicians to check their hsCRP.”

Dr. Tania Ruiz, a cardiologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, agreed. “This is a very exciting study,” she said. “It’s the first large-scale study of hsCRP as a predictor of cardiovascular events in otherwise healthy women.”

“In recent years, we’ve learned more about the role of inflammation in the formation of plaques and plaque vulnerability,” Ruiz said.

Women with autoimmune diseases such as lupus may be more likely to have a high hsCRP score, Ruiz said. Otherwise, without testing, there’s no way to know.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signs executive order challenging immigration crackdown

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on Saturday, unleashing a plan to counter a looming federal immigration crackdown and a possible National Guard deployment threatened by President Donald Trump.

The legislation signed by Johnson establishes the Protecting Chicago Initiative, a directive to protect the constitutional rights of residents, according to the mayor’s office.

“We do not have the luxury of time,” the mayor stated. “We have received credible reports that we have days, not weeks, before our city sees some type of militarized activity by the federal government. It is unclear at this time what that will look like exactly.”

The order, which Johnson said is the most drastic executive action taken in any U.S. city in response to immigration enforcement, establishes campaigns to inform people of their rights and utilizes legal action and legislation to prevent attempts to violate citizens’ rights.

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The initiative, according to the mayor’s office, affirms the Chicago Police Department will remain a locally controlled agency under the authority of the city and the mayor. Federal law enforcement and U.S. military personnel who operate in Chicago are directed to adhere to the following policies, which CPD officers must also comply with:

• Law enforcement cannot wear any mask, covering or disguise intended to conceal their identities from the public while performing their official duties.
• Personnel must legally wear body cameras and activate those cameras during all law enforcement-related activities during which the officer is interacting with a member of the public.
• ·Personnel must legally display identifying information in a clearly visible fashion. This should include the name of the federal agency, last name, and badge number of the federal law enforcement officer, or the armed forces member’s last name and rank, respectively.

Read details on the Protecting Chicago executive order here.

The executive order also launches a Family Preparedness Campaign in multiple languages to “educate families on how to prepare in the event of a detention by federal agents,” according to the mayor’s office.

NBC News previously reported multiple federal agencies will “surge manpower” to Chicago next week to step up immigration enforcement and arrests.

Two federal law enforcement officials told NBC News that ICE, Border Patrol and other agencies will send numerous agents and equipment to the city in an effort to increase arrests of undocumented immigrants in the city.

The operating base for the enforcement actions is expected to be Naval Station Great Lakes, with the New York Times reporting that more than 200 federal agents and more than 100 vehicles will be part of the operation.

Trump previously said he plans to send the National Guard to Chicago as part of efforts to curb violence, but Democratic leaders voiced strong opposition, with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker saying there is “no emergency” that requires Trump to deploy troops to the city. Johnson has said such a move would be a “flagrant violation” of the Constitution.

“We will protect our Constitution, we will protect our city, and we will protect our people,” he said. “We do not want to see tanks in our streets. We do not want to see families ripped apart. We do not want grandmothers thrown into the back of unmarked vans.”

The mayor said Chicago is going to be “prepared for anything and everything.”

“What his ultimate desire is… is to come into our city, to break the Constitution and to break our democracy and to break our city, and Chicago is going to remain firm in our position,” Johnson said, referring to Trump.

If Trump follows through with a deployment, Johnson has directed city officials to “pursue all available legal and legislative avenues” to resist efforts that violate “the sovereignty of the city and the rights of residents.”

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Taco Bell's Decades menu brings back 5 fan favorites, including the Caramel Apple Empanada

What better way to revive your nostalgia for the early 2000s than with food from that era?

Beginning Oct. 31, Taco Bell will roll out its Decades Y2K Menu, featuring items that defined the turn of the millennium, including the Green Burrito, Meximelt, and more.

One of the biggest comebacks is the Caramel Apple Empanada, a longtime cult dessert that hasn’t been on menus for years. It will reappear on the menu on November 21.

Here’s what fans can expect from the decades lineup:

• ‘60s – Tostada ($2.19): A crispy corn tostada shell, layered with savory refried beans, tangy red sauce, crispy lettuce and shredded cheese.
• ‘70s – Green Burrito ($2.49): A burrito filled with savory refried beans, crunchy onions, shredded cheddar cheese and green sauce made with green chili, tomatillos, jalapeno peppers and spices.
• ‘80s – Meximelt ($2.99): A cult classic stuffed with a blend of three cheeses, seasoned beef and pico de gallo in a tortilla.
• ‘90s – Beef Gordita Supreme ($2.99): The beloved gordita is a flatbread filled with savory seasoned beef, cool reduced-fat sour cream, crisp lettuce, a blend of three cheeses and diced tomatoes.
• ‘00s – Caramel Apple Empanada ($2.99): A golden pastry filled with warm apple and caramel.

For those wanting more, Taco Bell is also dropping a $9 Discovery Luxe Box, packed with two street-sized Cheesy Street Chalupas, a cheesy bean & rice Burrito, chips, and a drink.

Taco Bell

“Thanks to our rich history, we have a vault of craveable products our fans have become passionate about and we continuously explore ways to reintroduce the ones that deliver on the comfort and value they are looking for,” Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery said in a release. “Now, we’re thrilled to unite two groups of fans: those who fondly remember these menu items and those who have yet to experience the delight of a Caramel Apple Empanada or savor their first bite of a Meximelt with this menu.”

The nostalgia doesn’t stop at food. Taco Bell recently introduced Refrescas, its take on Mexican aguas frescas and the first new Baja Blast flavor in 20 years.

The Decades Menu will be available at Taco Bell locations nationwide for a limited time starting October 31.

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Former Major League Baseball All-Star Mark Teixeira, who played for the New York Yankees the last time they won the World Series in 2009, announced Thursday that he’s running for a House seat in Texas and is echoing President Donald Trump’s agenda in his campaign launch.

“As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, I’m ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional,” Teixeira said in a statement announcing his bid for Texas’ 21st Congressional District.

He added, “It takes teamwork to win, and I’m ready to help defend President Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families, and individual liberty.”

Teixeira, 45, is running for the seat currently held by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who recently announced that he plans to run for Texas attorney general. The 21st Congressional District covers the area north of San Antonio.

“Congressman Chip Roy has represented this district with unwavering courage and leaves an impressive legacy of principled conservative leadership,” Teixeira said in his statement. “I’m running to ensure District 21 remains prosperous and free for generations to come.”

Teixeira’s name recognition in New York and his general high profile as a professional athlete will likely benefit him with fundraising and notoriety.

The former professional athlete played 14 seasons for Major League teams, including the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and most recently, the Yankees. He played first base for the Bronx Bombers and was part of the team that won the World Series in 2009. He retired from baseball after the 2016 season.

He and his wife eventually moved back to Texas in 2021, where he said they’ve raised their children, pursued business opportunities and supported education and Christian ministries.

“As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, I’m ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional,” Teixeira said. “It takes teamwork to win, and I’m ready to help defend President Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families, and individual liberty.”

Yankees and Trump

He’s not the only baseball player, or member of that Yankees World Series team, to join Trump’s clubhouse. Mariano Rivera, the Hall of Fame closing pitcher who won five championship rings with the Yankees, endorsed Trump.

The president also awarded Rivera with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Johnny Damon, another former All-Star who played on that 2009 World Series team, is also a supporter of the president’s.

In 2020, Trump nominated both Rivera and Damon to join the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

Teixeira’s road ahead

The seat Teixeira is running for is considered very safe for Republicans. Trump would have won the seat by more than 21% last fall, according to analysis from the Texas Legislative Council.

Republicans face a tough road ahead in next year’s midterm elections as they try to hold onto their slim majority in the House. Democrats are only three seats short of retaking control of the lower chamber.

The state legislature just approved new district lines in the state that could net the party up to five seats in the state’s congressional delegation.

Some opponents of those lines have sued and asked a court to block their implementation, but that likely won’t have a significant effect on Teixeira’s bid, as Roy is vacating his seat to run for statewide office regardless.

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Hostess recalls popular snacks sold at Walmart, Target, Jewel-Osco over mold concerns

Popular Hostess snack Ding Dongs sold in retailers across the U.S. are being recalled due to the “potential presence of mold,” according to an announcement from Hostess parent company J.M. Smucker Co.

The voluntary recall was issued Aug. 20, the announcement said. According to the company, an investigation revealed a mechanical issues with a piece of equipment “created conditions that could support the development of mold in the product prior to the expiration date.”

While the issue has since been resolved, 11 different Ding Dong products were impacted.

As part of the recall, withdrawal notices were issued for the following packages. Additional lot numbers and UPC codes can be found here:

• Hostess Ding Dong 6 count – 2.55 oz twin pack carton (15.3 oz) – best if used by Aug. 30, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 6 count – 2.55 oz twin pack carton (15.3 oz) – best if used by Aug. 31, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 10 count – 1.28 oz carton (12.7 oz) – best if used by Aug. 30, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 10 count – 1.28 oz carton (12.7 oz) – best if used by Aug. 31, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 10 count – 1.28 oz carton (12.7 oz) – best if used by Sept. 1, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 10 count – 1.28 oz carton (12.7 oz) – best if used by Sept. 2, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 10 count – 1.28 oz carton (12.7 oz) – best if used by Sept. 3, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 16 count– 1.28 oz carton (20.31 oz) – best if used by Aug. 30, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 16 count– 1.28 oz carton (20.31 oz) – best if used by Aug. 31, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 16 count– 1.28 oz carton (20.31 oz) – best if used by Sept. 1, 2025
• Hostess Ding Dong 16 count– 1.28 oz carton (20.31 oz) – best if used by Sept. 2, 2025

Hostess encouraged customers to check any recently purchased products and to contact the company if they have.

“Based on available data, no other items manufactured by The J.M. Smucker Co. are impacted by this
issue.,” the announcement said.

According to the website, Hostess products are sold at a number of national retailers and grocery stores, including Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Casey’s Gas Stations, Target, Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Heneins, Walmart, Meijer and more.

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Alix Lapri, the actor best known for her role in Starz’s “Power,” is facing a child cruelty charge and spent a short stint in jail last week.

Lapri, whose full name is Alexus Lapri Geier, was arrested in DeKalb County, Georgia, and booked into jail by the sheriff’s office on Aug. 18, just before 5 p.m., county jail records show.

She was charged with one count of cruelty to children in the third degree and one count of disorderly conduct.

Lapri was released from jail the following day, spending just over 24 hours behind bars, the jail record shows. Details of her release were not immediately available.

It was not clear if Lapri has legal representation in the case. Representatives for Lapri did not immediately respond to NBC News requests for comment.

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It was also not clear what prompted Lapri’s arrest. Online jail records show the incident that led to the arrest took place on Aug. 10.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for more information on Lapri’s arrest and release from jail.

Lapri played Effie for four episodes of “Power” in 2019, and reprised the role in the series spinoff and sequel, “Power Book II: Ghost,” which aired from 2020-2024. She also played Maloa in the 2018 film, “Den of Thieves.”

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Freight train strikes vehicle in Wheaton, blocking nearly all crossings

Wheaton residents will have to find alternate routes after a freight train struck a vehicle Monday, blocking nearly every rail crossing in the city.

According to officials, a freight train struck a vehicle on Monday and remains stopped in the city, blocking all but one rail crossing in the community.

No serious injuries were reported in the collision, but traffic impacts could be long-lasting, with “extensive delays” expected, according to city officials.

As of 1:45 p.m., all train crossings in Wheaton are blocked except for the Washington Street crossing. Motorists are asked to use that crossing or a crossing in nearby Glen Ellyn, or to use the bridge near Bridge Street and Manchester Road.

Metra is also reporting delays on its UP-W line, with trains unable to run through Wheaton due to the stopped freight train.

It is unclear when that service will resume, and the agency will post updates on its social media channels Monday afternoon.

We will provide additional details as they become available.

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What to Know

• National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support Trump’s effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to the federal task force managing the operation.
• Postal services across the world are halting shipments to the United States this week amid mounting confusion over new import duties that will apply to parcels starting Friday.
• Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose arrest and fight to stay in the U.S. has become a flashpoint in Trump ’s immigration crackdown, surrendered this morning to U.S. immigration authorities in Baltimore. He faces possible efforts by the Trump administration to deport him to Uganda.
• More than 180 current and former FEMA employees published a letter today warning that debilitating cuts to the agency charged with handling federal disaster response risks a catastrophe like the one seen after Hurricane Katrina.

Follow along for live updates.

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What to Know

• National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support Trump’s effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to the federal task force managing the operation.
• Postal services across the world are halting shipments to the United States this week amid mounting confusion over new import duties that will apply to parcels starting Friday.
• Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose arrest and fight to stay in the U.S. has become a flashpoint in Trump ’s immigration crackdown, surrendered this morning to U.S. immigration authorities in Baltimore. He faces possible efforts by the Trump administration to deport him to Uganda.
• More than 180 current and former FEMA employees published a letter today warning that debilitating cuts to the agency charged with handling federal disaster response risks a catastrophe like the one seen after Hurricane Katrina.

Follow along for live updates.

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What to Know

• National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support Trump’s effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to the federal task force managing the operation.
• Postal services across the world are halting shipments to the United States this week amid mounting confusion over new import duties that will apply to parcels starting Friday.
• Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose arrest and fight to stay in the U.S. has become a flashpoint in Trump ’s immigration crackdown, surrendered this morning to U.S. immigration authorities in Baltimore. He faces possible efforts by the Trump administration to deport him to Uganda.
• More than 180 current and former FEMA employees published a letter today warning that debilitating cuts to the agency charged with handling federal disaster response risks a catastrophe like the one seen after Hurricane Katrina.

Follow along for live updates.

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A posthumous and “unsparing” memoir by one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, will be published this fall, publishing house Alfred A. Knopf said Sunday.

“Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice” is scheduled for release Oct. 21, the publisher confirmed to The Associated Press. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at age 41, had been working on “Nobody’s Girl” with author-journalist Amy Wallace and had completed the manuscript for the 400-page book, according to Knopf. The publisher’s statement includes an email from Giuffre to Wallace a few weeks before her death, saying that it was her “heartfelt wish” the memoir be released “regardless” of her circumstances.

“The content of this book is crucial, as it aims to shed light on the systemic failures that allow the trafficking of vulnerable individuals across borders,” the email reads. “It is imperative that the truth is understood and that the issues surrounding this topic are addressed, both for the sake of justice and awareness.”

Giuffre had been hospitalized following a serious accident March 24, Knopf said, and sent the email April 1. She died April 25.

“In the event of my passing, I would like to ensure that NOBODY’S GIRL is still released. I believe it has the potential to impact many lives and foster necessary discussions about these grave injustices,” she wrote to Wallace.

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In 2023, the New York Post had reported that Giuffre had reached a deal “believed to be worth millions” with an undisclosed publisher. Knopf spokesperson Todd Doughty said that she initially agreed to a seven-figure contract with Penguin Press, but moved with acquiring editor Emily Cunningham after Knopf hired Cunningham as executive editor last year.

Giuffre had stated often that, in the early 2000s, when she was a teenager, she was caught up in Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring and exploited by Britain’s Prince Andrew and other influential men. Epstein was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019 in what investigators described as a suicide. His former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in late 2021 on sex trafficking and other charges.

Andrew had denied Giuffre’s allegations. In 2022, Giuffre and Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement after she had sued him for sexual assault. A representative for Andrew did not immediately return the AP’s request for comment.

“Nobody’s Girl” is distinct from Giuffre’s unpublished memoir, “The Billionaire’s Playboy Club,” referenced in previous court filings and initially unsealed in 2019. Through Doughty, Wallace says she began working with Giuffre on a new memoir in spring 2021.

Giuffre’s name has continued to appear in headlines, even after her death. In July, President Donald Trump told reporters that Epstein had “stolen” Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida where she once worked. She had alleged being approached by Maxwell and hired as a masseuse for Epstein. Maxwell has denied Giuffre’s allegations.

Doughty declined to provide details about the Epstein associates featured in “Nobody’s Girl,” but confirmed that Giuffre made “no allegations of abuse against Trump,” who continues to face questions about Epstein, the disgraced financier and his former friend.

Knopf’s statement says the book contains “intimate, disturbing, and heartbreaking new details about her time with Epstein, Maxwell and their many well-known friends, including Prince Andrew, about whom she speaks publicly for the first time since their out-of-court settlement in 2022.” Knopf Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jordan Pavlin, in a statement, called “Nobody’s Girl” a “raw and shocking” journey and “the story of a fierce spirit struggling to break free.”

Giuffre’s time with Epstein is well documented, although her accounts have been challenged. She had acknowledged getting details wrong, errors she attributed to trying to recall events from years ago. In 2022, she dropped allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying in a statement at the time that she may “have made a mistake in identifying” the famed attorney as an abuser.

“’Nobody’s Girl’ was both vigorously fact-checked and legally vetted,” a Knopf statement reads.

Giuffre’s co-author on her memoir, Wallace, is an award-winning magazine and newspaper reporter whose work has appeared in The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other publications. She has also collaborated on two previous books, Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull’s “Creativity, Inc.” and former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt’s “Hot Seat.”

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Driver dies, another hurt in Interstate 355 wrong-way crash

A person has died and another suffered serious injuries after a wrong-way crash on Interstate 355 near suburban Lemont Sunday morning.

According to Illinois State Police, a driver at the wheel of a Ford SUV was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the roadway near the Des Plaines River at approximately 1:29 a.m. when he slammed head-on into another vehicle.

The driver of the SUV, who has been identified as a Morris resident, was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said.

The driver of the other vehicle, a Lockport resident, was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, but no further information was immediately available on his condition.

According to police, the roadway was closed for several hours as investigators looked into the crash. Those lanes have since reopened.

No further information was immediately available.

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