Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary saw Rep. Byron Donalds emerge victorious, swiftly overcoming a crowded field of 10 rivals on election night.

With the influential backing of former President Trump, Donalds secured a commanding 49% of the votes. His closest competitor, the state’s current Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, earned 24.7%, while far-right advocate and previous investor James Fishback garnered 10.1%. Having once served as the Florida House Speaker, Paul Renner trailed behind with 8.2% as he contended for the third position.

Standing at age 47, Donalds was the undeniable frontrunner in this race, maintaining an impressive lead of over 30 percentage points against his contenders since October, according to poll averages compiled by RealClearPolitics.

Interestingly, Governor Ron DeSantis, who is ineligible for re-election, chose not to lend his backing to any candidate eyeing his post, including his own Lieutenant Governor.

Throughout the campaign, it was Fishback who constantly grabbed the media spotlight with his incendiary rhetoric. He leveled sharp accusations at Donalds, alleging his intentions to transform Florida into what he referred to as a “Section 8 ghetto,” alongside bold assertions of dispatching civilians equipped with AR-15 rifles to tackle youth violence plaguing the state.

Fishback, 31, also attacked Donalds for his pro-Israel views and acceptance of donations from pro-Israel political action committees — dubbing him “AIPAC Shakur” in a reference to the rapper Tupac Shakur and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — as well as a “token black” and a “slave to his donors.”

The extreme candidate also joined Tinder, ostensibly to meet young female voters, even after a Florida school district cut ties with him in 2022 over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor student, NBC News reported.

Donalds ignored virtually all of his younger opponent’s offensive remarks, offering by way of response: “If you want to be ignorant, you’re allowed to be.”

Donalds raised more than $100 million for his campaign as well as committees backing his bid, a windfall that will now be put to use against Democratic nominee David Jolly, who served in the US House as a Republican from 2014 to 2017.

If elected in November, Donalds will become Florida’s first black governor and its fifth consecutive Republican chief executive.

The last Democrat elected governor of Florida was Buddy MacKay, who exited office in January 1999.

Jolly left the Republican Party in 2018 and registered as an independent. In 2022, the ex-House rep joined Andrew Yang’s Forward Party.

By 2025, Jolly, then a regular pundit on the left-leaning MS NOW, had registered as a Democrat to make his run for governor in Florida.

In a poignant final act, Hayden Panettiere lent her voice to animal rights, featuring in her last project: a campaign video for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The actress, revered for her role in “Heroes,” was tragically discovered deceased at 36 years of age. Authorities suspect an overdose at the Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had traveled with her occasional partner, Brian Hickerson, a local resident.

Hickerson, whose stormy relationship with Panettiere made headlines, was on-site when authorities arrived, accompanied by his brother Zachary. As per the police report, the autopsy revealed no evident trauma contributing to her death, closing some avenues of speculation.

Approaching what would have been her 37th birthday, Panettiere passionately advocated against the captivity of whales and dolphins in aquatic theme parks. In the final weeks of her life, she collaborated on a compelling PETA ad campaign, emphasizing her dedication to animal rights.

On Tuesday, PETA released the poignant video, capturing Panettiere in a bath, symbolically highlighting the confined, unnatural environments that marine creatures endure while in captivity. Her last project stands as a powerful testament to her commitment to change.

‘Imagine spending your entire life in a bathtub. That’s what it’s like for dolphins and whales in tiny tanks at marine amusement parks,’ said Panettiere, a longtime advocate of the rights of ocean animals. ‘We can end this, you and me.’ 

She added: ‘Can you imagine their frustration, their trauma, their depression? All that is important and crucial for their wellbeing is ripped away.’ 

When she was 18 years old, Panettiere participated in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, a condemnation of Japanese dolphin-hunting.

In her segment, filmed in 2007, she joined a group of anti-whaling activists riding surfboards into a killing cove in Taiji and mounting a standoff with the fishermen.

Amid disputed reports that a warrant had been issued for her arrest in Japan, Panettiere held firm to her convictions, inveighing against the ‘outdated, senseless cultural traditions and lazy, bad habits that are resulting in the annihilation of our planet’s resources and the extinction of our species,’ in a statement to VOA News. 

‘I’d do it again,’ she told E! News after her return to Los Angeles. ‘I was very excited that people were interested in what we did. In this town, you tend to only get publicity for not wearing underwear or going to rehab.’

Panettiere died at the end of a long struggle with alcohol and opiates, spending eight months in rehab in 2020 after contracting jaundice and being informed by her doctor that ‘if I didn’t stop drinking, I’d be dead within five years,’ she wrote in her memoir.

In 2018, in order to devote herself to her recovery from her personal demons, Panettiere voluntarily gave up custody of her now 11-year-old daughter Kaya.

Kaya was handed over to the care of her father, Ukrainian boxing star Wladimir Klitschko, with whom Panettiere retained an amicable co-parenting bond.

‘Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life,’ Panettiere wrote in her book: ‘and it’s hard to describe the layers of emotion – including sadness, resentment, and anger – I’ve felt because of it.’

Released months before her death, the book also detailed her fraught equation with her mother Lesley Vogel, who used to be her manager as a child star but from whom she ultimately became estranged.

Panettiere’s PETA ad dropped just after Justin Chatwin, her co-star on her final movie Sleepwalker, reflected on how ‘lonely’ she seemed to him during filming last year.

‘We hit it off great and it was an awesome shoot, but it was about domestic abuse and it was subject matter that may have hit close to home, because she did mention it,’ Chatwin told People. ‘She opened up to me about a lot of things.’

He observed: ‘I could tell she was struggling, and I was like, “I don’t think it’s this movie.” There’s a handful of women that I’ve worked with that I really liked, and I really loved working with her, but I also know that she was really lonely.’ 

The Daily Mail contacted Chatwin’s representatives for further comment. 

Chatwin had met her during the height of her fame on Heroes, which she starred on from 2006 to 2010, but noticed a marked difference in her state of mind by the time they worked with one another on Sleepwalker.

‘Hayden seemed different when I met her this time than when I met her in the early years. I’ve been sober for 15 years, so I know this world of addiction, and Hollywood – it takes, and it takes from youth,’ he said.

‘“I’m sure that everyone else is going to say: “Oh, she’s amazing. She’s such a sweet person on set,” because she was,’ Chatwin noted.

‘But we’re trained to be actors, so we’re acting on set, you know? And she is sweet. She had a beautiful heart. But we’re trained to be on, and I really liked spending time with her because she took that off, and she was authentic with me about her life and she opened up about her struggles with addiction,’ he revealed.

‘And who knows where it comes from? Does it come from Hollywood? Does it come from home? And a lot of times, it’s both.’

On Tuesday, San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez declared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would no longer be permitted to use the county’s sheriff facilities for training exercises or firearms qualification. This decision stems from rising community concerns over ICE’s conduct during armed confrontations across different regions of the nation.

Sheriff Martinez clarified her stance by differentiating ICE from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as local officials aim to terminate facility use agreements with both federal bodies. While Martinez plans to continue granting CBP access to the county’s Otay Range, she cautioned that revoking this access might lead to longer border wait times and negatively impact the local economy.

“Fostering community trust and maintaining robust relationships are essential for effective local law enforcement,” Martinez asserted. “The legitimacy of our legal authority hinges on the trust and confidence placed in us by the communities we protect. My choices are always guided by a balance between public safety and maintaining that essential trust.”

News Media reached out to ICE for comment on Martinez’s decision and asked whether the change could affect its training or operations.

The move comes as the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has directed the county’s chief administrative officer to have the Department of General Services terminate lease agreements with both ICE and CBP.

Martinez, however, opposes cutting off CBP’s access. She said she spent the past two weeks speaking with community stakeholders and concluded that doing so could affect commerce, workers and traffic throughout the border region.

More than 225,000 people enter the U.S. through San Diego ports of entry each day, including more than 90,000 vehicles, 50,000 pedestrians and 5,500 commercial trucks, according to figures provided by the sheriff’s office. Border wait times generally run between one and three hours, the department said.

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CBP officers are required to complete classroom instruction and gun-range qualifications as part of their training. Martinez argued that losing access to nearby facilities could pull officers away from ports of entry for longer periods, leaving fewer personnel available to staff inspection lanes.

The sheriff’s office said CBP currently does not have another comparable training option in the area and that available ranges at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar are limited.

News Media reached out to CBP for comment on Martinez’s concerns and asked whether losing access to the Otay Range could affect staffing or wait times at area ports of entry.

Martinez also warned that longer border waits could hurt commerce and increase pollution from idling vehicles. The effects could extend to Imperial County because some CBP officers there use the Otay Range for training, according to the sheriff’s office.

News Media reached out to San Diego County for comment on Martinez’s concerns and the rationale for seeking to end CBP’s use of county facilities.

“Too many people on both sides of the border would be harmed by a decision to end CBP’s use of the facility,” Martinez said. “As Sheriff, I have a duty to protect and serve everyone who lives in or enters San Diego County.”

The sheriff’s office said it is exploring future training options.

WASHINGTON – With the clock ticking towards a looming midnight deadline, President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney engaged in a flurry of phone conversations on Tuesday, striving to reach a crucial trade agreement. Despite these last-minute efforts, the White House remains cautious about the possibility of finalizing a deal.

On the line are 50% tariffs set to be imposed on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, including popular exports such as hockey sticks, wine, and cheese.

By Tuesday afternoon, administration officials admitted that no resolution was visible on the horizon. This leaves retaliatory tariffs poised to take effect just past midnight, precisely at 12:01 am.

Addressing the press on Monday, Prime Minister Carney characterized the ongoing discussions as “very delicate and intense.” He made it clear that Canada was ready to respond if an agreement could not be achieved.

A breakthrough, if it occurs, would be announced directly by President Trump, according to a U.S. official. Until then, they dismiss all other reports as mere “baseless speculation.”

Trump and Carney spoke at least twice in the past 24 hours: once on Monday and again on Tuesday. Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette have been in Washington DC for several days for in-person meetings with USTR Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

The White House described the tariffs as payback for Canada’s own taxes on US goods, particularly on American autos, alcohol and dairy. 

These tariffs are separate from the retaliatory action President Trump has threatened against Ottawa for the wildfire smoke that drifted across the border and clogged up American skies. He’s accused America’s neighbor to the north of poisoning US air with it smoke.

The president told The Post earlier this month he’s decided on a punishment for Canada but was not ready to announce it.

Canada is the third largest source of imports for America. The products affected by the new tariffs would include consumer goods, but also building materials such as cement and plywood. 

Energy products, potash, fish and critical minerals are excluded from the tariff list.

The US goods trade deficit with Canada was $46.4 billion in 2025, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Trump has long seen Canada as a bete noir and publicly mused about making it America’s 51st state. He had an antagonistic relationship with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

He and Carney have a cordial but tense relationship. The two leaders last saw each other in July at the World Cup final in New Jersey, where Trump failed to mention the retaliatory tariff threat he would announce the next day.

However, the two nations have been involved in a year-long trade tit-for-tat.

Trump has hit Canada with a variety of tariffs and Ottawa has responded with tariffs of its own in a repeated back-and-forth trade scuffle.

Currently, US tariffs on Canadian goods include a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, a 35% tariff on softwood lumber, a 10% tariff on certain energy products, a 12.5% tariff related to forced labor prohibitions, and a 25% tariff on cars not built in the US.

In response to those tariffs, Canada imposed a 25% tariff on fully assembled motor vehicles imported from the United States and on alcohol products. On dairy, Canada only imposes a tariff when American imports pass a certain threshold.

A picturesque corner of the Dolomites, famed for its local delicacy, faces an overwhelming influx of tourists as the stunning mountain landscape grapples with soaring visitor numbers.

This Alpine jewel, celebrated for its breathtaking vistas, cable cars, and enticing hiking trails, ranks among Italy’s most alluring destinations, attracting millions of adventurers annually.

The current season is proving to be no exception, with videos capturing throngs of tourists standing in long, serpentine lines at 2,300 meters above sea level, all eager to savor a cabin’s renowned cream-filled doughnuts.

Determined visitors often rise at the break of dawn, eager to claim their share of the popular treat before it sells out at the Rifugio Friedrich August hut, nestled on Langkofel mountain, close to the South Tyrol border.

In fact, some enthusiasts have taken to camping overnight to ensure they can indulge in a doughnut or two.

Furious locals have become fed up with holidaymakers more concerned with social media photos than appreciating the region’s natural beauty, while unimpressed TikTok users called the viral spot a ‘tourist trap’.

One wrote under a video of queues: ‘Pretty much all if the huts/refugios in the Alps have great traditional high quality locally/home-made food. 99% of them without having to wait in lines at all.’

‘This is madness,’ said an Italian influencer who promotes tourism in the region. 

One hiker said: ‘I’ve been coming to the mountains for years and I’ve truly never seen such chaos; there are queues everywhere.’ 

Another wrote: ‘They’re not interested in the Dolomites. They come in flip-flops just to take pictures.’ 

An exasperated social media user also commented: ‘Yeah that’s why I’m choosing countries and cities and places no one in social media knows about.’ 

Meanwhile, last week on the day of the solar eclipse, severe traffic gridlocked roads on the Passo di Giau mountain pass.

Footage showed hundreds of cars completely at a standstill all the way down into the valley. 

Barriers have also been installed near the picturesque Santa Maddalena church to prevent unauthorised drivers from reaching it by car. 

The serene beauty spot has been overrun by hundreds of tourists looking to visit the most popular landmarks.

A woman who claimed she has been visiting the Dolomites for 35 years said: ‘This year it seemed to me as if I were on another planet. There have never been so many people here.’ 

Earlier this year a video showed a line hundreds of meters long at a bus stop for a shuttle as crowds waited to visit the world-famous Three Peaks. 

It is one of the most visited attractions in the Alps and during peak season up to 14,000 visitors flock to the region everyday. 

The councillor for the area, Nicola Bombassei, who oversees the environment and land use planning, reportedly said last month the queues were ‘unacceptable’, adding that the region is already seeing a record number of visitors. 

Efforts will be made to find ways to reduce crowds, she said. 

A ski-lift has been suggested in recent years as a means to better manage overcrowding in these zones, however many argue this contravenes a quota system restricting vehicle access to the area.

The director of operations for Dolomiti Bus, Gabriele Mariani, was reported to have said that their shuttle service has been reinforced in the wake of the masses of crowds.

‘We are constantly monitoring visitor flow and adapting our service according to needs,’ he added.

A routine morning run turned harrowing for a local jogger when they found a woman stabbed to death near her car in an upscale neighborhood just outside Washington, D.C. in Northern Virginia on Monday, police reported.

Fairfax County police shared that officers responded around 7 a.m. to a call regarding an unconscious woman found outside a vehicle in the 8800 block of Georgetown Pike, a well-known area in the Great Falls vicinity, after she was spotted by a community member on their morning exercise route.

Upon arrival, authorities found the woman suffering from severe trauma to her upper body and she was declared deceased on-site, according to Fairfax County Police Capt. Jason Chandler during a public briefing. The incident has been officially classified as a “fatal stabbing” by the police department.

Further details revealed that the car located close to the victim was registered in her name, as confirmed by Chandler.

Police said the parking area leads to several trails used by people to hike, walk and enjoy the Great Falls area in McLean.

McLean, located just outside Washington, D.C., is one of Northern Virginia’s most affluent communities, sitting just outside Washington. The median household income tops $250,000, while the median owner-occupied home is valued at more than $1.4 million, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.

Detectives were actively following up on leads Monday, but authorities had not publicly identified a suspect or released a description.

“There is no immediate indication that this was a random act,” Chandler said.

Chandler repeated that assessment when asked whether nearby residents should be concerned.

Police have not publicly identified the woman or disclosed her age beyond describing her as an adult. Authorities also have not said whether she lived in the area or why she was at the trailhead.

Investigators were working to determine how long the woman had been there and whether she arrived alone, Chandler said.

Detectives were also canvassing the surrounding area for surveillance cameras and seeking video from nearby community members as they worked to piece together what happened.

Police are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious around the time of the discovery to contact authorities at 1-866-411-TIPS.