Great Falls funeral procession for Chief Hovland to affect traffic

Churchill Downs Incorporated has entered an agreement to purchase the Preakness Stakes for $85 million, uniting two major events of American horse racing's Triple Crown, the buyers announced on Tuesday.

The deal, set to close after next month's Preakness, would bring together under one group the Kentucky Derby, raced annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, and the Preakness, traditionally staged two weeks later at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland.

Maryland would continue to be the site of the race under an outline released by CDI.

Together with the Belmont Stakes in June in suburban New York, the races form US flat racing's Triple Crown, the dream sweep for three-year-old thoroughbreds.

"This acquisition adds one of the most iconic brands in American sports to our portfolio and is consistent with our strategy of investing in premier Thoroughbred racing assets with long-term growth potential," CDI chief executive officer Bill Carstanjen said.

"In keeping ownership of the Preakness intellectual property in the racing industry, CDI will support efforts to fully realize the potential of a redeveloped Pimlico and Preakness Stakes within the Triple Crown and the broader sports and entertainment landscape."

The deal with 1/ST Maryland LLC, an affiliate of 1/ST Racing, also includes the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes race, an event for fillies on the eve of the Preakness.

CDI would lease back the rights to the Preakness, first contested in 1873, to the state of Maryland for an annual fee to continue to run the Preakness at Pimlico, which is being renovated, or whatever track the state selects, according to plans outlined by CDI.

"Bringing together two prestigious racing brands, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, is a significant step toward the successful longevity and growth of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing," 1/ST chairman and chief executive officer Belinda Stronach said in a statement.

"The agreement with Churchill Downs Incorporated to acquire ownership of the intellectual property rights of the Preakness Stakes, immediately following Preakness 151, closes our company's thoroughbred racing chapter in Maryland."

Stronach said the company remains focused on California and Florida properties and "supporting a strong and sustainable future for the sport."

Next week's 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby will launch the 2026 Triple Crown season, with the 151st Preakness to follow on May 16 at Laurel Park, a temporary site south of Baltimore being used while Pimlico undergoes renovations.

The treble will conclude on June 6 with the Belmont Stakes being staged at Saratoga while construction continues at its traditional home, Belmont Park.

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Artificial Intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton insisted Tuesday on the need to strictly regulate the technology, warning that it remained unclear if humanity could co-exist with super intelligent AI.

Hinton, considered the "Godfather of AI", told the 2026 Digital World Conference in Geneva that there was a dire need to strengthen governance frameworks and ethical safeguards around the technology.

But, he warned via video link, huge investments were going into convincing the public that regulating the technology was akin to slowing down progress.

Those opposed to regulation say "unregulated AI is like the accelerator, and regulation is like a brake", said the British-Canadian computer scientist who won the 2024 Nobel Physics Prize for his work on AI.

"They want a very fast car with no steering wheel," he said.

His comments came at the end of the day-long Geneva conference on the importance of international cooperation in shaping the social dimensions of AI.

The participants raised concerns over how global debates on AI remain largely driven by technical advances and commercial applications, with less focus on social impacts in areas including labour markets, inequality and public services.

Hinton warned about the impact AI will have on job losses.

The technology can certainly improve productivity in areas like health care, where there is always a need for more.

But in other sectors, like call centres, AI can already do the jobs as well as people and soon will do it better, he said, saying it was clear that no amount of re-training will counter that.

And "if we get super intelligent AI, any intellectual job it will be able to do," he said, meaning that "even if new jobs are created, AI will be a cheaper way to do them".

Hinton, who made headlines when he quit Google in 2023 warning of the "profound risks to society and humanity", said he remains concerned as AI progresses at lightning speed.

"We don't know whether we can co-exist with super intelligent AI," the 78-year-old said.

"But we are constructing it."

Humans "still have a lot of control", he said, stressing that "we should be careful to construct in a way where we still continue to exist, and we can live in harmony with it."   

The problem is that there are "very few models of far more intelligent things allowing far less intelligent things to have freedom", he warned.

"We're at the point in history when it's urgent to try and solve this problem," he said, yet "very few resources are being put into it".

He suggested "maybe one percent" of work on AI was going into making it safer.

"It's crazy."

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A Democratic lawmaker resigned Tuesday, becoming the third member of the US House of Representatives to step down in just over a week as a wave of ethics scandals engulfs Congress.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida announced her immediate resignation ahead of a scheduled disciplinary hearing by the House Ethics Committee, which had been weighing potential sanctions over a string of campaign finance violations.

Her departure follows the recent resignations of Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Tony Gonzales, who stepped down amid separate sexual misconduct allegations, fueling a rare bipartisan reckoning over lawmakers' treatment of staff in Congress.

Cherfilus-McCormick had been accused of diverting millions of dollars in federal disaster funds for political purposes and is facing a federal criminal case. She denies wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty.

In a statement, she denounced the process as unfair, saying the Ethics Committee "refused my new attorney's reasonable request for time to prepare my defense" and describing the proceedings as "a witch hunt."

"I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished," she said, adding that she would focus on fighting for her community outside Congress.

The Ethics Committee had found Cherfilus-McCormick responsible for 25 violations, citing the scale and persistence of the alleged conduct.

The spate of cases has shaken a narrowly divided House, where pressure has mounted on leaders of both parties to enforce ethical standards even as political calculations complicate disciplinary action.

Her resignation shifts attention to Republican Cory Mills, who remains under investigation over allegations including sexual misconduct, campaign finance violations and misuse of his office, all of which he denies.

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Tourists flocked to an iconic Rio de Janeiro viewpoint on Tuesday, a day after a gunfight between police and drug gangs in a nearby favela trapped over 200 people on the hilltop.

Visitors were stranded for about two hours on Morro Dois Irmaos -- or Two Brothers Hill -- on Monday while fighting raged on a hillside below them between police and members of Comando Vermelho, one of Brazil's largest criminal groups.

Police said when officers arrived at the Vidigal favela, drug traffickers opened fire.

No injuries were reported in the police operation, in which three people were arrested.

The gunfire did not appear to faze tourists, who ascended Morro Dois Irmaos at dawn on Tuesday to watch the sunrise over Rio's sweeping panorama of mountains and curved beaches.

"At first we were a little worried, but we knew that coming here at dawn was an experience not to be missed," Matteo Protti-Barbieri, a 23-year-old French student, told AFP.

Nathan Ferdinands, a 23-year-old Australian student, said he had heard about the shootout but also ultimately decided to carry on with his visit.

"From what we've seen in South America so far, it's been a pretty safe place. Even walking around the favelas this morning, everyone has been super nice and we felt really safe," he said.

Rio received more than 2.1 million international visitors in 2025, a record for the seaside city. 

Monday's incident came almost six months after the deadliest police operation in Brazilian history, on October 28, which left more than 120 dead across favelas in Rio's North Zone.

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Diego Maradona's daughter Gianinna on Tuesday testified about what she called the "total manipulation" of the late player's family by doctors in the lead-up to his 2020 death.

She was testifying at the trial of Maradona's seven-person medical team, which is accused of gross negligence over the death of the Argentine football legend at the age of 60.

"The manipulation was total and horrible," Gianinna told the court in the northern Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro, near where Maradona died while convalescing after surgery for a brain clot.

Gianinna said the medics convinced her and her siblings that their father could recuperate safely at his rented home in the suburb of Tigre.

She said the doctors presented this as a "serious" option and assured that his residence would be well equipped in medical terms.

"I trusted these three people, who only manipulated us and left my son without a grandfather," she added, referring to neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and nurse Carlos Diaz.

A key question at the heart of the trial is whether the decision to allow Maradona to convalesce at home instead of a medical facility endangered his life. 

"They (the medical team) were the ones guiding us, his children, on how to proceed," Gianinna stressed.

The accused argue that the hard-living star, who battled cocaine and alcohol addictions, died of natural causes.

Testifying for over 90 minutes, Gianinna fought back tears as she described racing to her father's bedside on the day of his death to be told by the ambulance service that there was "nothing they could do" to resuscitate him.

The defendants face prison terms of between eight and 25 years if convicted of homicide with possible intent -- pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to death.

The larger-than-life star of the 1986 World Cup died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema -- a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs -- two weeks after the operation.

The passing of the man, who was idolized for his preternatural talent and charisma, plunged Argentina into mourning in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tens of thousands of people defied social distancing rules to bid farewell to him as he lay in state at the presidential palace.

The first trial over his death was annulled last year following revelations that one of the judges took part in a clandestine documentary about the case.

A second trial, conducted by a new panel of judges, began last week. It is expected to last at least three months.

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Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand seeks her first major title while Australian Hannah Green hopes to extend her hot streak when the LPGA Chevron Championship tees off on Thursday.

The year's first major women's tournament moves to a new home at Houston's Memorial Park, which will be tested by the world's top players.

Jeeno won her eighth career LPGA title in February in Thailand but skipped last week's Los Angeles LPGA event to work on her game.

"That one thought of swing it was -- I don't have it," she said. "That's why I can't control my ball as much as possible. It just lost the feelings. You don't know where the ball is going to go.

"I had to work on things. I feel like one week working wasn't enough and then I feel like my iron game was not on track that I want. I feel like we're getting there."

Jeeno, 23, seeks her first major title after several near-misses. She has nine top-10 major finishes without a victory, at least one in all five majors.

"You want to be in contention," Jeeno said. "If you were in contention every week, you saw your name on the top in every week, which means your game was there and just matter of time."

Her best major result was a runner-up effort in last year's Evian Championship, while her best Chevron finish was a share of fourth in 2023.

"Every time I lost in a major for sure people reminding every week," Jeeno said. "It's just another challenge of my career.

"At this age I think I accomplish a lot, but obviously major is the one I feel like first time always the hardest."

Green won last week in Los Angeles after triumphs last month at Singapore, the Women's Australian Open and Australian WPGA Championship.

"I feel like I'm still somewhat on Cloud Nine," Green said. "I definitely have a lot of confidence in my game. It has been a really crazy I guess last five, six events that I've played.

"Every time you come to a tournament you want to win, have the trophy in your hand. Actually doing it has been very surreal.

"I'm just going to try and ride this wave for as long as possible."

Green seeks her second major title after the 2019 Women's PGA Championship, her first of eight career LPGA crowns.

She said managing her expectations while keeping her momentum will be this week's challenge.

"Before last week I was probably thinking, 'OK, top-10 will be really good.' Now I'm more hungry to continue the success that I've had so far," Green said.

"I want to win. Obviously I do. But I feel like it's also a really hard task to win back-to-back weeks."

"I want to make sure that even though I'm very confident that I'm not getting too ahead of myself. Staying patient out there is what you have to do to win major championships, so that's what I'm going to focus on."

- Hull eyes major win -

Second-ranked Nelly Korda, the 2024 Chevron winner, and England's fourth-ranked Charley Hull also figure to contend.

Hull won February's Saudi Ladies International and has 10 top-10 major finishes without a victory, most recently at last year's Women's British Open.

"I've been working very hard on my game so just looking forward to it," Hull said.

Japan's Mao Saigo, ranked 14th, is the defending champion, but has not cracked the top 20 in five starts this year.

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A new batch of World Cup tickets to all 104 matches will go on sale this Wednesday, just 50 days before the tournament kicks off, FIFA said Tuesday.

Tickets to games across the United States, Mexico and Canada will be available via FIFA's website "on a first-come, first-served basis" from 1500 GMT, the sport's governing body said in a statement.

"Along with this set of tickets, additional tickets will continue to be released to the public on an ongoing basis up until the final on Sunday, 19 July (subject to availability)," it said.

The latest batch of tickets comes after FIFA President Gianni Infantino said more than five million tickets have already been sold to the tournament, which begins June 11.

The most tickets ever sold previously for a World Cup was 3.5 million, when the event was last held in the US back in 1994.

Based on the capacity of the 16 stadiums hosting this tournament, approximately seven million tickets are expected to be available in total for the 2026 edition.

FIFA has come under fire for the sky-high prices of tickets, with the most expensive ticket for the World Cup final surpassing $10,000, excluding the re-sale market.

Organizers have defended the pricing of tickets, which Infantino attributed to "crazy" demand, and used a "dynamic pricing" strategy where prices are automatically raised for high-demand matches.

On Tuesday, the Athletic reported that ticket sales were lagging for the United States team's high-priced World Cup opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles -- a claim disputed by FIFA.

"Ticket sales for the FIFA World Cup remain strong with a high degree of interest for all matches," a FIFA spokesperson told AFP.

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Veteran songstress Madonna is appealing for the return of missing costumes she wore during her recent Coachella set with Sabrina Carpenter.

The "Like A Virgin" singer, 67, took to Instagram to ask for help in finding outfits that vanished after the show.

"I discovered that the vintage pieces that I wore went missing -- my costume that was pulled from my personal archives -- jacket, corset, dress and other garments," the diva wrote.

"These aren't just clothes, they are part of my history," she said, adding other items from the same era had also gone.

The missive came after her viral appearance alongside Carpenter during the weekend's headline set at the festival in the California desert.

The duo performed Madonna's 1990 hit "Vogue" and 1989's "Like A Prayer" -- chart smashes around the world a decade before Carpenter was born.

"I'm hoping and praying that some kind soul will find these items and reach out," Madonna said, adding: "I'm offering a reward for their safe return."

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The director of the first Argentine film to win an Oscar, Luis Puenzo, died on Tuesday aged 80, the main organization representing Argentine creatives said Tuesday.

"With deep sorrow we bid farewell to the outstanding screenwriter, director, producer and partner in our organization, Luis Puenzo, who passed away today in the city of Buenos Aires at the age of 80," the General Society of Argentine Authors said in a statement.

No cause of death was given but Puenzo had been absent from public life for an extended period due to health issues.

His drama "The Official Story," about the adoption by military families of children snatched from activists during Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship, won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1986.

He also directed the 1989 drama "Old Gringo" starring Jane Fonda as an American teacher who becomes swept up in the Mexican Revolution and "The Plague" (1992) based on the Albert Camus novel of the same title, starring William Hurt and Robert Duvall.

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Prosecutors in the rape retrial of disgraced US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein told Tuesday how he wielded his power to prey on then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann. 

Weinstein, a central figure of abuse allegations that spurred the MeToo movement, appeared at the New York City courtroom wheelchair-bound due to ill health. 

He is being retried on a count of third-degree rape against Mann that allegedly happened in 2013 in a Manhattan hotel room. 

Last June, a judge declared a mistrial on the charge after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud.

Weinstein, 74, is already imprisoned for other sex offenses, so he will remain behind bars regardless of the retrial verdict. 

"This case will come down to power, to control and manipulation," said Assistant District Attorney Candace White.

She told how Weinstein used his Hollywood clout to take advantage of Mann -- then a 27-year-old "barely scraping by" -- including by enticing her with a role in a movie that she had no chance of getting. 

Mann's childhood background of abuse and a sexual assault made her the "perfect target" for Weinstein, the prosecutor told the jury. 

"The defendant preyed upon a fragile and sheltered young woman," White said. 

Weinstein, who wore a suit, appeared engaged through the proceedings and watched along as lawyers delivered their opening statements. 

His attorney Jacob Kaplan sought to dismiss Mann's rape allegation by pointing to four years of contact between her and Weinstein, ending after other actresses came forward with claims against him in 2017. 

He countered that the case is actually "about consent, about choice and about regret."

Kaplan said the pair had a consensual sexual relationship and pointed to "loving and supportive" messages they exchanged by email. 

"This case will be her word against her own word," he said, arguing that Mann masked her ties with Weinstein as "she didn't want others to think that she was sleeping her way to success."

- Avalanche of allegations -

The trial is set to demonstrate the power dynamics of the movie industry, particularly for young women, as well as the complexities of rape trials.

In a bid to clarify Mann's relationship with Weinstein, the prosecution said it will call a forensic psychologist to explain the sometimes "counterintuitive behavior" of sexual assault victims.

Weinstein is already serving a 16-year prison term in a California case for the rape of a European actress more than a decade ago. 

He is appealing that conviction, and another from the trial in June.

Before their foreperson quit, the jury convicted Weinstein of sexual assault against movie producer Miriam Haley and acquitted him of the same alleged crime against Polish-born actress Kaja Sokola.

Weinstein has hired a new legal team including Marc Agnifilo, who represents high profile figures including rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs.

The Oscar-winning Weinstein has claimed to be under threat at the notorious Rikers Island jail complex in the Bronx where he is being held, leaving him mostly in solitary confinement.

"I'm constantly threatened and derided. I wouldn't last long out there," he told the Hollywood Reporter at the start of the year.

Weinstein was known for his fiery temper, and the industry had long been rife with suggestions that he took advantage of his power to sexually exploit women.

In 2017, blockbuster investigations by the New Yorker and the New York Times laid bare a series of claims by young women that triggered an avalanche of allegations from more than 80 complainants and prompted the global MeToo movement.

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