US budget deficit remains steady in first quarter of 2026

From false claims that a historic lunar fly-by was staged in a movie studio to unfounded narratives that footage of the crew was AI-generated, the Artemis II mission has been clouded by a blizzard of misinformation.

The falsehoods -- circulating across tech platforms including X, TikTok and Facebook -- have also added fresh fuel to a longstanding conspiracy theory that NASA's 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing was faked.

Hashtags such as "fake space" and "fake NASA" have gained traction online since NASA's lunar fly-by sent astronauts farther from Earth than any human before.

Among the falsehoods was an image, viewed over a million times on X, purporting to show the Artemis II crew floating before a green screen and facing film cameras -- suggesting their mission was staged in a studio, but in reality bore the hallmarks of AI manipulation.

Some users also shared a video showing text appearing through the mission's official mascot as purported proof the flight was staged.

But a digital forensics expert told AFP's fact-checkers that the anomaly was the result of a failed text overlay by a news station that had syndicated the official feed.

Unfounded claims that the Artemis II mission detected a mysterious moving object on the moon's surface also racked up millions of views across platforms.

The misinformation spread as four astronauts -- preparing on Friday for a high-stakes re-entry and splashdown -- captivated the world with stunning visuals from their fly-by of the Earth's natural satellite from aboard the Orion spacecraft.

-  Internet Wild-West -

Once confined to the internet's fringes, conspiracy theories have moved squarely into the mainstream amid growing mistrust of public institutions and traditional media.

Scientific achievements such as the lunar mission present "very easy content for conspiracy influencers," said disinformation researcher Mike Rothschild.

"There are some people whose reflexive reaction to any kind of major event is to claim it's fake and staged, no matter what it is," Rothschild told AFP.

Many of them "pass themselves off as experts in science and physics because it's somehow more believable to their followers than just going with 'the official story.'"

The trend underscores a Wild West internet landscape that is largely bereft of guardrails as false narratives erode digital trust. Several tech platforms have gutted trust and safety teams and scaled back moderation, making them what researchers call a hotbed for misinformation.

Further sowing online confusion were claims that the entire Artemis II mission was a hoax powered by artificial intelligence tools.

The assertion underscores how the rise of cheap and widely available AI tools has given misinformation peddlers a handy incentive to cast doubt on authentic content -- a tactic researchers have dubbed as the "liar's dividend."

- 'Secret knowledge' -

The swirl of falsehoods has also bolstered one of the longest enduring conspiracy theories -- that NASA faked the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, broadcasting visuals shot in a Hollywood studio. 

The conspiratorial discourse has seeped into pop culture, becoming a plotline in movies like romantic comedy "Fly Me to the Moon" -- with Scarlett Johansson's character tasked with faking a moon landing -- and some celebrities also amplifying the claim.

"The moon landing is an example of a conspiracy that will not die," Timothy Caulfield, a misinformation expert from the University of Alberta in Canada, told AFP.

"These conspiracies are attractive for a host of reasons including that they are linked to the allure of having 'secret knowledge' or being aware of things others don't know."

Though easy to debunk, such theories persist as Artemis II comes decades after the previous lunar missions, events today's internet-savvy generation has little recollection of.

"In many ways, it is a testament to how hard it is for humans to travel to the moon -- after all, we did it from 1968 to 1972, and it has taken until 2026 to do it again. It makes many people wonder if it ever happened," space exploration expert Francis French told AFP.

"Right now we are seeing remarkable photographs and video of the Earth and the moon...These photos alone should remove doubt and show once again the amazing things humans are capable of."

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party is poised to secure a majority in parliament in by-elections Monday, but a year into his tenure, hints of vulnerability may be emerging.

A string of recent polls put the Liberals more than 10 points ahead of the opposition Conservatives.

But on a bright chilly morning in a Toronto area -- one of three districts holding special elections next week to fill parliamentary seats -- some said Carney's sparkling credentials had not delivered tangible results.

"He talks a good game but nothing ever changes," said David Gilhooly, 52, who had a long, thick beard and wore a heavy coat as the Canadian winter dragged into April.

Carney led the central banks of Canada and Britain before replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in March 2025. 

Voters had soured on the Liberals after Trudeau's decade in power and the party was headed for an electoral wipeout. 

But Carney transformed the race, persuading Canadians he was the ideal leader to confront the trade conflicts and geopolitical turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump. 

Carney's Liberals won elections last April but fell just short of a majority. 

He has since delivered a series of speeches warning that Canada needs to dramatically reduce its economic and security dependence on the United States, arguing Trump's presidency had caused a "rupture" in the world order.  

The prime minister has announced massive military spending increases and sought new trade deals in Europe and Asia. 

The Liberals have also poached five opposition lawmakers to join their caucus.

The stunning defections mean if the Liberals win in two of the three districts holding by-elections Monday, they will take full control of parliament. 

Two of those districts, both in Toronto, are seen as safe Liberal seats. 

- 'Slick guy' -  

Gilhooly volunteers at a center that supports people struggling with addiction and homelessness, in a central Toronto area that has for decades been home to waves of immigrant groups. 

The district was previously represented by former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, who left Canadian politics to work for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Gilhooly sees Carney as a "slick guy" comfortable in "nice suits." 

But "what are you actually offering on the ground level?" he asked. "I don't think things are getting better."

Public surveys support his critique.  

The Angus Reid Institute found last month that while the Liberals maintain an eight-point lead over Conservatives (44 to 36 percent), "concerns over the high cost of living are higher than they have been in recent memory for lower-income Canadians."

Grocery prices are up more than 20 percent since 2022 and unemployment is at 6.7 percent, an elevated number caused partly by Trump's tariffs. 

More than 40 percent of Canadians told Angus Reid they were feeling medium or high levels of financial pressure over issues like food prices and personal debt. That group of voters is far less likely to vote Liberal, the poll found.

- 'Critical disconnect' -

The Conservatives are hammering Carney over what they say is his failure to turn rhetoric about economic transformation into relief. 

Serena Purdy is the by-election candidate for the left-wing New Democrats in the central Toronto district. 

The Liberals have comfortably won the seat in three straight votes and should hold it on Monday.

But Purdy, sitting in a park flanked by row houses, shops and cafes in a historic market area, told AFP that after weeks of knocking on doors she eyes an opportunity. 

"I see a critical disconnect between the day-to-day lives of people" and federal policy, she said. 

"We're building momentum."

But the Liberals remain a political juggernaut for now. 

A Nanos poll from last week shows them leading the Conservatives by 15 points. In head-to-head leadership surveys, Carney trounces Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. 

"I don't recall any period in the past where the popularity of the incumbent prime minister has shot up so quickly and so profoundly a year after an election," said Nelson Wiseman, an emeritus politics professor at the University of Toronto.

bs/mlm

Rory McIlroy spent nine days over his three-week PGA Tour break making visits to Augusta National, practice that has helped him seize the greatest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

The defending champion birdied six of the last seven holes in Friday's second round to grab a Masters record six-stroke edge after 36 holes.

And the secret, it turns out, was coming to Augusta National to use the champions' locker room and enjoy the famed course.

"I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it," McIlroy said. "I spent a lot of time up here the last three weeks.

"Felt like I was part of the furniture at some point, but I think all those rounds I played, and chipping and putting, it has definitely paid off.

"My short game the first two days has been amazing."

With birdies on nine of 18 holes against two bogeys, McIlroy fired a seven-under par 67 to stand on 12-under 132 midway into the year's first major, Americans Sam Burns and Patrick Reed six adrift in second.

"I've built up a nice cushion," McIlroy said. "I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas."

McIlroy's lead ties the third-largest 36-hole edge in major golf history, three off Henry Cotton's 1934 British Open record and one back of Brooks Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship.

"Even though I haven't played tournament golf, I feel like being up here a lot and playing, I've prepared as well for this Masters as any other I've played.

"All that work around the greens over the last three weeks has certainly paid off over the last two days."

McIlroy didn't mind missing the PGA Tour events leading up to the Masters.

"I honestly just don't like the three tournaments leading up to this event," McIlroy said. "I'd rather come up here."

World number two McIlroy chipped in from 29 yards at the 17th before sinking a six-foot birdie at 18 for the record.

McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles, found himself in a rarely reached zone during his incredible finish.

"I've certainly had times where I felt in the zone," he said. "I definitely found a sense of flow those last few holes.

"The only way I can describe it is everything you see or any situation you come across, you can find a positive in it. And then you see birdies and you can see ways to make birdies."

McIlroy said the event is far from over despite his huge margin.

"I just want to go out and play two good rounds again," McIlroy said. "Guys can get on runs, guys can make eagles, you hear roars all over the golf course.

"I think the next two days for me is really about focusing on myself and staying in my own little world out there."

- 'Keep swinging' -

After birdies on three of the first four holes, McIlroy said to himself 10-under would be an amazing score. Then he beat that.

"I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn't think I'd birdie six of the last seven," McIlroy said. "It just shows what you can do around here, even if you might hit it in the trees."

Despite ending a 10-year major win drought to complete a career Grand Slam last year, five-time major winner McIlroy still fights to stay aggressive at Augusta.

"My little mantra to myself today was keep swinging hard at it even if you're not hitting fairways, just keep swinging," McIlroy said.

"The experience I've accrued over the years and obviously with what happened last year, it makes it a bit easier out there to keep swinging."

McIlroy's 10th major round of 65 or lower equals the record shared by Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.

js/bb

From undercover police to panic buttons, bus drivers in Peru's capital Lima are pulling out all the stops to protect themselves from attack by extortion gangs, a key theme in Sunday's presidential election.

Racketeering has taken on epic proportions in Peru in recent years, with bus companies among the most common targets of gangs who demand huge sums of money in return for protection from attack.

Failure to pay can spell mortal danger for the vehicle operators.

At least 75 bus drivers were murdered in 2025 in the South American nation, primarily in Lima, according to police data.

Some were gunned down in front of their passengers.

In the low-income Lima district of San Juan de Lurigancho, one of the areas hardest hit by the crime wave, 58-year-old Zacarias Lopez slid nervously behind the wheel to start his work day.

He spent the next 15 hours crisscrossing the dusty avenues of eastern Lima, passing walls plastered with campaign posters.

Most of the record 35 candidates vying to become president have promised a crackdown on crime.

"They promise and never deliver. They play with our feelings, and we keep getting shot," said Lopez, who said he fears "not returning home alive." 

Extortionists also shake down private schools and small businesses of all kinds, from hairdressers to grocery stores.

Peru is experiencing its worst security crisis since a bloody conflict between 1980 and 2000 that pitted the state against Maoist guerrillas. 

From 2018 to 2025, the number of reported murders rose from 1,000 to 2,600 a year, while reported extortion cases jumped more than eightfold to 26,500.

The surge in crime has coincided with the arrival of transnational criminal syndicates who compete with local gangs for control of cocaine trafficking routes, illegal gold mines and extortion rings, among other rackets.

- Broken promises -

The situation has forced bus companies like Lopez's employer Santa Catalina transport company to boost their defenses.

A video surveillance center was inaugurated on Wednesday at Santa Catalina's depot to monitor buses in real time using closed circuit TV cameras.

The drivers now also have panic buttons at their fingertips and sometimes backup from police officers, who come aboard, either in uniform or plainclothes, for the most dangerous stretches of the journey.

But some drivers and passengers say the measures fall short.

A banner with black ribbons erected in the Santa Catalina terminal in memory of a murdered driver serves as a reminder of the dangers.

"If the criminal comes up behind me... I won't even have time to press the button," said Lopez as he collected fares from passengers.

"There's no security anywhere," said 70-year-old Maruja Castillo, who took the bus to go to the doctor.

Many of Santa Catalina's drivers have quit out of fear of attack from any one of the six extortion gangs that have targeted the business in recent months.

Posters on the vehicles advertise for new drivers.

"We've seen promises that have never been kept, but we haven't lost hope that an incoming government will improve" the situation, said Eiffel Calla, 38, the company's head of security. 

The violence has led to a race to the right on the campaign trial, with candidates vying to outdo each other with hardline proposals to crack down on crime.

Former Lima mayor Rafael "Porky" Lopez Aliaga has vowed to build prison colonies in the jungle, ringed by deadly snakes.

TV comedian Carlos Alvarez said he would bring back the death penalty for hitmen.

"All the candidates are going to say what the people want to hear, but whether they'll actually deliver on their promises is another story," said passenger Victoria Perez, 49.

On the eve of the election, she was among the 16 percent of Peruvians still undecided about which way to vote, according to an Ipsos poll.

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Missouri softball fell to Georgia 8-0 in a five-inning game Friday in Athens, Georgia, to sink the Tigers record back to .500. Problems inside the batting box held Mizzou back from making it on base as the team only registered one hit.

The ranked Bulldogs started strong with a series of singles and walks to bring the lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the first.

The Tigers struggled to hit against Georgia pitcher Randi Roelling, who threw multiple rise balls to strike out four Mizzou hitters. Madison Uptegrove registered the lone hit of the game in the third, but was unable to score.

The Bulldogs responded to Uptegrove's hit with three more runs to solidify its run-rule victory.

A tight strike zone was a challenge for Cierra Harrison, as four hits and seven runs got away from her. She took the loss and is now 9-6 for the season. Courtney Donahue entered the circle in the third, and ended with four hits allowing one earned run.

After the loss, MU is now 21-21 on the season, barely keeping the door open to play in the postseason. The Tigers are 5-8 in conference play.

Mizzou will rematch Georgia for Game 2 of the three-game series at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

(The Center Square) - At a speed astronauts haven’t experienced since Apollo, Artemis II re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down near San Diego Friday evening, concluding a historic mission that took humans farther than ever.

There were cheers everywhere, from the amphibious dock ship USS John P. Murtha, ready to pick up the astronauts and their capsule, to Mission Control in Houston.

The Orion spacecraft, nicknamed Integrity by its crew, landed, as scheduled, at 5:07 p.m. Pacific time on the Pacific Ocean in a splashdown that a NASA commentator called “perfect” under clear skies. Everything seemed to go according to plan as three parachutes slowed down Integrity and brought it gently home. Five airbags on Integrity kept the spacecraft upright as recovery teams approached the capsule. 

Before that was some drama. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen hit the atmosphere at 32 times the speed of sound. That’s roughly 25,000 mph.

Animation by NASA showed the capsule as a quickly descending ball of fire - one protected by a heat shield. In the final minutes, the module appeared in a blue sky, falling toward the water. Wiseman reported the entire crew was in good condition.

The descent started with Integrity separating flawlessly around 4:33 p.m. Pacific time from the European Space Agency’s Service Module. Small boats were on route to the splashdown’s target zone.

The astronauts and Integrity were to be retrieved by the USS John P. Murtha, named after the late Pennsylvania congressman. The amphibious dock ship traveled 50 or so miles from Navy Base San Diego to retrieve the astronauts and Integrity. As the astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, Navy crew in MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters took photos and videos for NASA.

Unlike Apollo capsules that were lifted onto ships by cranes, the Artemis capsule was to be towed through the ocean into the amphibious ship’s well deck. Navy divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 handled the recovery. The divers, who are also doctors, were to immediately check on the astronauts. 

The astronauts were to board the Navy’s HSC-23 helicopters and be transported to the USS John P. Murtha for medical exams.

It was a mission that broke several records, including Koch becoming the first woman to orbit the moon and Glover, the first Black man to do so. Likewise, Hansen became the first Canadian to go around the moon.

As the crew traveled to the moon’s dark side, the astronauts journeyed 252,756 miles from Earth, breaking Apollo 13’s record in 1970. Hansen, who’s with the Canadian Space Agency, told Mission Control that he and his fellow astronauts “choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived.”

NASA is working on making more history in the future.

Earlier this week, NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner told The Center Square that the space agency and its commercial partners are following a timeline to establish a moon base, with NASA keeping its eye on Mars. 

The first phase consists of Artemis missions to prove transportation and lander capabilities. Warner said support infrastructure including mobility and power systems would be introduced during the second phase in the late 2020s, followed by the addition of larger habitation elements in the early-to-mid 2030s.

“These phased efforts will create the foundation for future Mars missions by maturing critical systems, operational practices, and technologies needed for long‑duration human exploration,” Warner said, answering The Center Square’s questions by email.

For now, NASA is working toward Artemis III, next year’s low Earth orbit flight to test the Orion spacecraft and its rendezvous and docking with one or both moon landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. After that, the schedule calls for Artemis IV in 2028 when humans will step on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

An hour's drive north of New York City, the greenhouses at Cropsey Farm are seeing their first leaves of kale, spinach and arugula emerge. But the farmer who runs the outfit is obsessed with something else: the soaring price of fuel.

Every year, Sue Ferreri typically allows a 10 percent "buffer" for production budgeting, "but it's well above that now...We're looking at 20, 25 percent, and it's mainly due to the diesel cost," she told AFP.

Fuel prices have jumped after the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, which led to a blockage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit of oil and fertilizer.

Earlier this week, a gallon (3.8 liters) of diesel -- the fuel most used on the farm located in New City -- rose as high as $5.70 compared with $3.70 in February.

It's essential to the entire operation here: irrigating young plants, spraying fertilizers and plowing the soil.

Shipping costs are up, too, Ferreri said, describing "insane" prices for the delivery of essential farm equipment. Recently when she wanted to order a $60 piece of equipment, the shipping cost was $200, she said.

- 'Pricey' -

Eight people grow flowers, vegetables and fruit using sustainable farming practices on the ten-hectare (25-acre) farm. Customers include restaurant owners as well as local residents who buy produce in a restored 18th-century barn.

Cropsey Farm was already hit by fuel prices hikes following the war in Ukraine and had begun adapting its methods even before the Middle East conflict broke out.

Now, that shift is accelerating.

"We've been switching more to smaller equipment just because it's more efficient on fuel and it can still do what we need it to do," said head mechanic Jonah Monahan. 

For example, an ATV and walk-behind tractor are now on the farm -- both far less energy-intensive than the typical tractor.

But, added Monahan, "for big jobs, we still need the main tractor, which gets pricey."

In one greenhouse, two women lifted tulip plants out of the ground and used a hand-drawn rolling cart to transport them to a refrigerated shed to await sale.

Everything is done to squeeze fuel costs.

- 'Relief' -

Beyond the tool adaptations, Ferreri said the farm is also shifting to "regenerative" practices, such as plowing the soil less deeply and maximizing space by rotating crops or pairing plants. 

The rapid adjustments at Cropsey, typical of a small operation, have not yet reached larger farms, said Ben Brown, an agriculture researcher at the University of Missouri.

"At this point, most farms are left with taking the higher prices and figuring out how to make it work financially," Brown said. 

"However, if elevated prices were to continue, we would expect to see producers shift some acreage to lower energy dependent crops," he said.

Ferreri said the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran gave her some "relief."

"But as a farmer, you can't trust the weather," she said. "We have to just anticipate the worst, hope for the best, and that's kind of where we're at."

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Mizzou football took to social media Friday to announce that the Tigers' game against Kansas has been moved to Sept. 11. The matchup was originally slated for Sept. 12.

The Tigers travel to face the rival Jayhawks in Week 2 of the 2026 season, marking Missouri's first game at Kansas since 2005. It will be an atypical game as the two programs will meet on a Friday.

The game between Missouri and Kansas will be one of three games occurring that day. Additionally, Rutgers is set to play at Boston College, and Villanova will travel to Louisville.

The Tigers had not faced Kansas since 2011 after transitioning to the Southeastern Conference, but they revived the rivalry in 2025. The game took place on Missouri's home turf, and the Tigers walked away with a 42-31 victory.

The Tigers look to come away with another win in 2026, this time on the road. Missouri and Kansas are also confirmed to play each other in 2031 and 2032.

Rory McIlroy delivered one of the most stunning finishes in major golf history, making birdies on six of Friday's last seven holes to seize a record six-stroke lead after 36 holes at the Masters.

Defying fast and firm conditions at Augusta National, McIlroy fired a seven-under-par 65 in the second round to stand on 12-under-par 132 at the midpoint of the year's first major.

World number two McIlroy's closing run included holing out a spectacular 29-yard pitch at the par-four 17th hole and sinking a six-foot birdie putt at the 18th to break the old 36-hole record lead of five shots.

"Just an amazing end to the round," McIlroy said. "When I was standing on the 12th tee, I didn't imagine I would be six ahead going into the weekend."

McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth player to capture back-to-back green jackets, sank seven-foot birdie putts at the par-three 12th and par-five 13th holes to seize the lead.

He added another from 10 feet at the par-five 15th and sank a three-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th.

Then came the pitch-in stunner and an approach to six feet at 18 followed by the clutch putt for his fourth straight birdie at Masters history.

"This golf course, you can get on runs," McIlroy said. "And for me, it's all about staying patient until I feel good enough that I can get on them."

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, missed a six-foot putt and made bogey at 18 to shoot 69 and share a distant second with fellow American Sam Burns on 138.

England's Justin Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up, and compatriot Tommy Fleetwood, seeking his first major title shared fourth on 139 with Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner.

js/rcw

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Shreveport's Sam Burns finished with a strong second round at The Masters shooting an one-under 71, Friday.

He's six-under par at the tournament in a tie for second place with Patrick Reed.

The former LSU and Calvary star had a bogey and birdie on his first nine holes.

It was starting to get away from Burns on the back nine with bogeys on 11 and 13, but with birdies on 15, 17 and 18, it rocketed him back up the leader board.

Rory McIlroy is in the lead at 12-under par for a six shot lead after a second round 65, which saw him birdie six out of his last seven holes.