Meet Hercules and Ned, the border collies fending off wildlife at West Virginia’s busiest airport

Meet Hercules and Ned, the border collies fending off wildlife at West Virginia’s busiest airport

By JOHN RABY Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Hercules and Ned have quite the spacious office at West Virginia’s busiest airport.

The border collies and their handler make daily patrols along the milelong airfield to ensure birds and other wildlife stay away from planes and keep passengers and crew safe.

Hercules is also the chief ambassador, soaking in affection from passengers inside the terminal while calming some nervously waiting to board a flight at West Virginia International Yeager Airport.

Chris Keyser, the dogs’ handler and the airport’s wildlife specialist, said preventing a bird from hitting a plane “can make a difference for someone’s life.”

How it started

Collisions between wildlife and planes are common at airports nationwide. With that in mind, Yeager management in 2018 bought Hercules at the recommendation of a wildlife biologist.

Hercules spent the first 18 months of his life training to herd geese and sheep around his birthplace at Charlotte, North Carolina-based Flyaway Geese, which teaches border collies to help businesses address nuisance wildlife problems.

When Hercules stepped onto Charleston’s airfield for the first time, “I held my breath,” Flyaway Geese owner Rebecca Gibson said. “But boy, he took hold of the reins. It was his place.

Chris Keyser, airport’s wildlife specialist and the dog handler, shows how he works with two dogs, Hercules and Ned, to keep birds off the airport to keep people safe. (AP video: John Raby)

“He’s done an amazing job and has just been a great dog for them. We’re very proud of him.”

Along the way, Hercules became a local celebrity. He has his own Instagram and TikTok accounts and regularly hosts groups of schoolchildren.

Now 8, Hercules has some help. Ned was 2 when he was welcomed into the fold last year from another kennel where he trained to herd goats and geese. Ned has shadowed Hercules, following commands from Keyser and learning safety issues such as not venturing onto the runway.

“Ned’s ready to go,” Keyser said. “He’s picked up on all that. He’s doing fantastic, running birds off.”

Inside the airport operations center, Hercules is laid back until he’s told it’s time to work, barking at the door in anticipation. Ned, on the other hand, is always moving. When not outside, he’ll bring his blue bouncy ball to anyone willing to play fetch.

A mountaintop menagerie

Charleston’s airport is on top of a mountain and has a menagerie of wildlife, including Canada geese, hawks, ducks, songbirds and bats. After it rains, worms come to the surface and cause an increase in bird activity, Keyser said.

In addition to taking the dogs on their regular rounds, Keyser is in constant contact with the airport tower, which looks for birds on the field or relays reports from airplanes that see wildlife nearby.

“We get plenty of exercise,” Keyser said. “You don’t gain no weight in this job. It’s an all-day job. You’re always got your eyes on the field, you’ve got your ears open listening to the radio.”

Border collies are among the most energetic dog breeds. They’ve been used for decades to shoo Canada geese off golf courses. They’ve also scared away birds at other airports, military bases, and locks and dams.

The dogs’ instincts are to herd, not to kill. “But in the mind of the bird, they’re no different than a coyote or a fox, which is a natural predator for the bird,” Gibson said.

Bird strikes cause delays

About 19,000 strikes involving planes and wildlife occurred at U.S. airports in 2023, of which 95% involved birds, according to a Federal Aviation Administration database. From 1988 to 2023, wildlife collisions in the U.S. killed 76 people and destroyed 126 aircraft.

Perhaps the most famous bird-plane strike occurred in January 2009 when a flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport almost immediately flew into a flock of Canada geese, knocking out both engines. Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger guided the powerless jet into the frigid Hudson River. All 155 people on board survived the incident, which was captured in the 2016 movie “Sully,” starring Tom Hanks.

At the Charleston airport, wildlife-plane incidents vary each year from a few to a couple dozen.

“Anytime a plane hits a bird, it has to be inspected, and it causes a delay in the flight,” Keyser said. “And sometimes you don’t make your connecting flights. So that’s how important it is to keep everything going smooth.”

In 2022 alone, there were five airplane strikes at the airport involving bats. In December 2000, a plane collided with two deer after landing. The tip of the right engine propeller blade separated and punctured the plane’s fuselage, seriously injuring a passenger, according to the FAA.

A comforting paw

Inside the terminal, Hercules wags his tail as he moves about greeting passengers. Among them was Janet Spry, a Scott Depot, West Virginia, resident waiting to board a flight to visit her daughter and grandchildren in San Antonio.

Spry needed a bit of cheering up. In addition to having a fear of flying, Spry’s 15-year-old cat was euthanized the previous day after being diagnosed with an inoperable condition.

An impromptu visit from Hercules brought a smile — and more. Hercules placed a paw on Spry’s arm and delivered plenty of wet kisses.

“He’s making my day better,” Spry said.

She also joked whether the airport might want to let Hercules stay with her a while longer.

“I think there was an empty seat on the plane beside me,” Spry said.

North Carolina’s high court says elections board shift can continue while appeals carry on

North Carolina’s high court says elections board shift can continue while appeals carry on

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A divided North Carolina Supreme Court confirmed Friday that it was OK for a new law that shifted the power to appoint State Board of Elections members away from the Democratic governor to start being enforced earlier this month, even as the law’s constitutionality is deliberated.

The Republican majority on the court declined or dismissed requests that Gov. Josh Stein made three weeks ago to block for now the enforcement of the law approved last year by the GOP-controlled General Assembly shifting authority to Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek.

In late April, some trial judges hearing Stein’s lawsuit declared the law unconstitutional and said the law couldn’t be carried out.

But on April 30 — the day before the board’s five appointments made by Boliek would otherwise begin their terms — a panel on the intermediate-level state Court of Appeals ruled the law could still be carried out while broader legal questions surrounding the power shift are reviewed on appeal.

Stein’s attorneys later that day asked the Supreme Court to intervene and keep blocking the law. But the justices didn’t weigh in publicly until now, effectively handing a legal victory to GOP legislative leaders who for years had wanted to wrest board control from Democratic governors.

Boliek went ahead and made the board appointments May 1, which shifted the board’s majority from a 3-2 Democratic majority to a similar GOP majority immediately. This upended a process going back over a century in which the governor picked the board members, three of whom are traditionally members of the governor’s party. The new board was seated and proceeded to oust Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell.

Now responding to Stein’s legal motions, the prevailing unsigned order issued Friday and backed by the court’s five registered Republicans said there were “multiple grounds” upon which the Court of Appeals panel “could have made a reasoned decision” to suspend the trial judges’ directive to block the law.

In particular, the order read, the trial judges “unambiguously misapplied” rulings from the Supreme Court in recent years that had taken no position on whether moving powers from the governor to another executive branch official — like the elected state auditor — was constitutional. Instead, the order read, the trial judges used those rulings to declare the transfer was in fact unconstitutional.

“The Court of Appeals’ ruling was not manifestly unsupported by reason or so arbitrary that it could not have been the result of a reasoned decision,” the order said.

Associate Justice Richard Dietz, a Republican who wrote his own opinion, acknowledged that it was too late for the Supreme Court to get involved at this juncture, pointing out that the auditor has made appointments and new board staff is being hired.

“The status quo has changed,” Dietz wrote. “It would create quite a mess to try to unring that bell through our own extraordinary writ.”

Stein and the Republican legislative leaders defending the law next will argue the broader legal issues surrounding the case by going through the regular appeals process, which likely will take at least several months. Meanwhile, the new board will make its mark, carrying out campaign finance laws, setting voting administration rules and preparing for the 2026 midterm elections.

Associate Justice Anita Earls, one of the two registered Democrats on the court, blasted the GOP majority for weeks of inaction and accusing it of seemingly already siding with legislature on the broad constitutional issues over the appointments.

The other Democrat, Associate Justice Allison Riggs, pointed out in her own opinion that the Court of Appeals panel provided no reasoning in its April 30 order.

Instead, the Supreme Court majority “is rewriting precedent and creating an explanation for an unexplained Court of Appeals order in an effort to upend 125-years status quo for the North Carolina State Board of Elections while this case winds its way through the courts,” she wrote

Friday’s denials also mean that a related provision directing Boliek to choose the chairs of the 100 county election boards starting in late June also can be carried out.

Kyle Larson to start on front row at Coca-Cola 600 alongside pole sitter Chase Briscoe

Kyle Larson to start on front row at Coca-Cola 600 alongside pole sitter Chase Briscoe

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Chase Briscoe won the pole Saturday for the Coca-Cola 600 and will start on the front row for NASCAR’s longest and most grueling race alongside Kyle Larson.

Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, turned a lap of 182.852 mph on the 1 1/2-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway to edge out Larson, who plans to arrive at the track about an hour before the race Sunday night after completing the Indianapolis 500.

“It’s going to be great to start up front,” Briscoe said. “Adding that No. 1 pit stall, and to be able to race in clean air is huge.”

Briscoe comes in with four top-five finishes in the Cup Series this year, but has yet to win a race.

He also won the Daytona 500 pole earlier this year.

“It’s pretty wild, really,” Briscoe said. “I never thought I would get to run a Truck Series race let alone lead the way at two crown jewel events.”

William Byron, who signed a four-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports on Friday, celebrated by turning a lap of 182.642 and will start third, followed by Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger. Rounding out the top 10 will be John Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Alex Bowman and defending race champion Christopher Bell.

Briscoe knows winning the Coca-Cola 600 pole does not necessarily guarantee success, particularly in such a long race.

Larson won from the pole in 2021, but prior to that the last driver to accomplish that feat was Jeff Gordon in 1998.

Bell won last year’s rain-shortened 249-lap race, and is now out to prove that was no fluke.

“Certainly, I have gotten annoyed by people calling it an asterisk win, so I would love to win this race as the Coca-Cola 600 and run the full 600 miles,” Bell said. “We should be really competitive. The last couple of years this has been one of our best intermediate tracks, as far as the 20 group goes, so I really look forward to the challenge.”

Last year fans booed loudly after waiting through a long rain delay, only to have NASCAR announce early in the morning hours that the race could not be completed because of the inability to dry the track.

“I want to be a 600-mile winner and not get booed going into victory lane,” Bell said with a laugh.

One thing to keep an eye on Sunday will be how the track reacts to the racecars in Turns 3 and 4, as drivers talked repeatedly about how particularly bumpy it is there.

“It’s definitely rough down there,” Briscoe said. “It kind of changes year to year.”

Jimmie Johnson, making his 700th career Cup Series start, will start 37th as he attempts to match Darrell Waltrip for the most Coca-Cola 600 wins with five. The part-owner at Legacy Motor Group is largely considered a longshot, despite his tremendous success at the CMS, where he’s also won the Bank of America 400 four times and All-Star race four times.

“I love endurance events and this is our marathon,” Johnson said. “As a kid watching this before I was ever back here racing, I was always so intrigued by a 600-mile race. Cars back then had a tough time making it. The drivers did as well. It is a long event. I think it is a little harder on the party animal fans in the infield to go the extra 100 miles.”

Panthers score 5 in the 3rd period, roll past Hurricanes 6-2 and move a win away from Cup final

Panthers score 5 in the 3rd period, roll past Hurricanes 6-2 and move a win away from Cup final

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — It was tied 1-1 going into the third period. It turned into a blowout. And after a five-goal barrage, one like none other in Florida playoff history, the Panthers are one win from their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Niko Mikkola and Aleksander Barkov each scored twice, and Panthers — fueled by five goals in a span of nine minutes — rolled past the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Jesper Boqvist — playing for the injured Sam Reinhart — scored the go-ahead goal early in the third for Florida and Brad Marchand also scored for the Panthers, who got 23 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky.

“In the third period, I think we took over,” Barkov said.

That’s an understatement from the Panthers’ captain.

Logan Stankoven and Seth Jarvis scored for Carolina, which has now dropped 15 consecutive East finals games — getting swept by Pittsburgh in 2009, Boston in 2019, Florida in 2023 and are now on the brink of it happening again.

Game 4 is Monday in Sunrise.

“They’re a good team, for sure,” Carolina’s Sebastian Aho said. “But I feel like we’ve been giving them the momentum or a goal at the wrong time — and obviously they’ve made us pay”

Florida’s five third-period goals were a club record for any playoff period and ruined what had seemed like a good move by Carolina to switch goaltenders going into Game 3. The Hurricanes went with Pyotr Kochetkov in net, after Frederik Andersen gave up nine goals on just 36 shots in the first five periods of the series.

Kochetkov stopped 14 of 15 shots through two periods. The third, not so much. A tie game became a rout in a hurry.

“I don’t think the way the games have been played is really an indication of what the outcomes have been score-wise,” Marchand said. “They’ve been pretty tight. It just seems like we’ve got a couple of bounces and a couple lucky breaks here and there that have kind of given us a pretty good lead.”

Florida got a break to make it 1-0. Barkov threw a pass across the goal crease, the puck hitting the stick of Evan Rodrigues before finding Mikkola — who tried to feed it back across for Barkov.

It never got there. Mikkola’s pass deflected off Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov and past Kochetkov, opening the scoring and giving Florida an 11-2 cumulative score lead in the series to that point.

Stankoven — who was flat-out robbed by Bobrovsky earlier in the game — tied it on the power play at 14:51 of the second, a breakthrough of sorts for the Hurricanes.

Brent Burns took a shot from near the blue line that Bobrovsky stopped. The rebound skipped off Bobrovsky’s leg and Stankoven redirected it home to make it 1-1 — the first tie of the series, other than 0-0 scores to begin games.

But the third, like the bulk of the series, was all Florida.

“We have to try to put our best foot forward,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I felt like we did tonight for two periods.”

Grilled Steak Flatbread

Grilled Steak Flatbread

Grilled Steak Flatbread

Photo Courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

Grilled Steak Flatbread Recipe from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner

Prep time: 12 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serving size: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 beef Strip Steak, Boneless (about 1 pound)
  • 1 (8 ounce) refrigerated pizza dough
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese
  • 1/2 cup arugula leaves
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic syrup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Pre-heat a small skillet over medium heat; add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and onions to the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until onions are caramelized; Remove from skillet and set aside. 
  2. On a greased sheet pan, take the pizza dough and form it to the size of the sheet pan. Brush both sides of the dough with 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil. Place pizza dough on grid over medium heat. Grill the dough for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side being careful not to burn it. Remove the dough and place it back on the sheet pan. Top the flat bread with roasted red peppers & 1/4 cup of blue cheese. Bake in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes; once the cheese is melted slightly remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Season both sides of the steak with salt & pepper. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals or over medium heat on preheated gas grill. Grill according to the chart for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Remove steak and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2inch strips and set aside.
  4. Take the flat bread and top with the caramelized onions, arugula, sliced steak, remaining blue cheese, and drizzle the balsamic syrup on top. Cut into 6 even sized squares and serve. 
Gazpacho Steak Salad

Gazpacho Steak Salad

Gazpacho Steak Salad

Photo Courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

Gazpacho Steak Salad Recipe from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serving size: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 beef Chuck Shoulder Steak, Arm Steak or Cross Rib Steak, 1 inch thick (about 1 pound)
  • 1 can (5-1/2 ounces) spicy 100% vegetable juice
  • 8 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then into thin slices
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • Salt and pepper
  • Crunchy Tortilla Strips

Gazpacho Dressing:

  • 1 can (5-1/2 ounces) spicy 100% vegetable juice
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

  1. Place beef Chuck Shoulder Steak and 1 can vegetable juice in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight.
  2. Combine dressing ingredients; refrigerate. Combine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and 1 cup green bell pepper; refrigerate.
  3. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Pat steak dry with paper towel. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill shoulder steaks, covered, 12 to 17 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness (top round steak 15 to 19 minutes for medium rare(145°F) doneness; do not overcook), turning occasionally. Carve steak across the grain into thin slices. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Tortilla Strips:

  1. Meanwhile prepare Crunchy Tortilla Strips. Add steak to salad mixture. Drizzle with dressing and top with tortilla strips.
  2. Strips: Heat oven to 400°F. Cut 2 corn tortillas in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips. Place strips in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 4 to 8 minutes or until crisp.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration decision to bar foreign student enrollment at Harvard

Federal judge blocks Trump administration decision to bar foreign student enrollment at Harvard

By COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — For students around the world, an acceptance letter to Harvard University has represented the pinnacle of achievement, offering a spot among the elite at a campus that produces Nobel Prize winners, captains of industry and global leaders.

That allure is now in jeopardy. In its intensifying fight with the White House, Harvard was dealt its heaviest blow yet on Thursday, when the government blocked the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. The move threatens to undermine Harvard’s stature, its revenue and its appeal among top scholars around the world.

Even more than the government’s $2.6 billion in research cuts, the administration’s action represents an existential threat for Harvard. The school summed it up in a lawsuit seeking to block the action: “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”

Within hours of the decision, the consequences were becoming clear. Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a Harvard graduate program, is waiting to find out if she can return next year, the royal palace said. The Chinese government publicly questioned whether Harvard’s international standing will endure.

“The relevant actions by the U.S. side will only damage its own image and international credibility,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing in Beijing.

A federal judge on Friday blocked the administration’s decision for now by issuing a restraining order that stops the government from pulling Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. Belonging to the program allows Harvard to host international students with visas to study in the U.S. But the order is only temporary.

With a $53 billion endowment, Harvard has the means to weather federal funding losses that would cripple other institutions. But this new sanction strikes at the heart of its campus.

Already, the change is causing disarray, as thousands of students consider whether to transfer elsewhere or risk being in the country illegally. It could wipe out a quarter of the university’s total student body, while halving some of its graduate schools and threatening students who work as lab researchers and teaching assistants. Some sports teams would be left nearly empty.

Yet the future consequences pose the greatest threat. If the government’s action stands, Harvard would be banned from admitting new international students for at least two school years. Even if it regains its place as a global magnet, top students may shy away for fear of future government reprisals, the school said in its lawsuit.

In its court filing, Harvard listed some of its most notable alumni who enrolled as foreign students. The list includes Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia; Empress Masako of Japan; and many leaders of major corporations.

The university enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston.

Students in India and China — nations that send more students to the U.S. than any other — were awaiting what comes next. While foreigners set to graduate from Harvard next week can still do so, the remaining current students and those bound for the university in the fall were weighing other opportunities. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, for one, said Friday that it would welcome international students already at Harvard and those who have been admitted.

The action has dominated news in countries around the world, said Mike Henniger, president and CEO of Illume Student Advisory Services, a company that works with colleges in the U.S., Canada and Europe to recruit international students. He is currently traveling in Japan and awoke to the news Friday with dozens of emails from colleagues.

The reactions from the international community, he said, were incredulous: “’Unbelievable!’ ‘Oh My God!’ ‘Unreal!’”

For incoming freshmen who just got accepted to Harvard — and already committed — the timing could not be worse, but they are such strong students that any top university in the world would want to offer them a spot, he said.

“I think the bigger story is the students around the country that aren’t a Harvard student, the students that scraped by to get into a state university and are thinking: ‘Are we next?’” he said. “The Harvard kids are going to be OK. It’s more about the damage to the American education brand. The view of the U.S. being a less welcoming place for international students.”

___

Gecker reported from San Francisco.

___

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Grilled Steak and Watermelon Salad

Grilled Steak and Watermelon Salad

Grilled Steak and Watermelon Salad

Photo Courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

Grilled Steak and Watermelon Salad Recipe from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 14-16 minutes

Serving size: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 beef Tenderloin Steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 4 to 5 ounces each)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 slices seedless baby watermelon, 1 inch thick (about 1 pound each)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 cups baby arugula or spinach leaves
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat balsamic or Italian dressing
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Directions

  1. Combine coriander and cumin; press evenly onto beef steaks.
  2. Place steaks in center of grid over medium, ash-covered coals; arrange watermelon slices around steak. Grill steaks, covered, 10 to 14 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 11 to 15 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Grill watermelon 2 to 4 minutes or until grill marks form, turning once.
  3. Carve steaks into slices. Cut each watermelon slice into 6 wedges. Season beef and watermelon with salt and pepper, as desired. Combine arugula and dressing in large bowl; toss to coat. Divide arugula among four serving plates. Arrange beef and watermelon on salad; top evenly with tomatoes, onion and cheese.
Bennett, Verhaeghe help Panthers roll past Hurricanes 5-0, take 2-0 lead in Eastern final

Bennett, Verhaeghe help Panthers roll past Hurricanes 5-0, take 2-0 lead in Eastern final

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida’s three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves and the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final.

Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in another tone-setting opening 20 minutes for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, while Carter Verhaeghe had three assists.

Bennett scored a second time by skating in to clean up an attempt at the right post in the final minute of the second period to make it 4-0, ending a long shift in Carolina’s end prolonged by Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns being stuck on the ice after breaking his stick. Aleksander Barkov added a goal midway through the third as punctuation.

Bobrovsky had his third shutout of the playoffs this year and the sixth of his career, with Florida’s defense smothering a Hurricanes team that typically peppers the net with shots but found little daylight.

Florida had already ripped home-ice advantage away Tuesday night with a 5-2 win, the opener in a rematch of the 2023 conference final swept by the Panthers with four one-goal wins. Florida only tightened its grip on the series with this one, and now heads back south to host Game 3 on Saturday night.

On the other bench, the Hurricanes found themselves on the receiving end of a crushing loss by a jarringly lopsided margin. And it marked their 14th straight loss in a conference final, going back to sweeps in 2009, 2019 and the ’23 tilt with Florida.

The Hurricanes managed just three first-period shots and just seven through two periods, prompting a typically rowdy home crowd to vent its frustrations with two chants of “Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck!” Carolina had a brief boost when Sebastian Aho scored on a turnover in the first minute of the second period to cut the deficit to 3-1.

But Florida successfully challenged that the play was offsides. It turned out Burns’ stick-check on Tkachuk near the blue line forced the puck back into the zone and right to Aho in the slot for the finish.

By the third period, Carolina had pulled veteran Frederik Andersen from net and went with backup Pyotr Kochetkov for the final period.

It wasn’t all great news for Florida. Veteran forward Sam Reinhart was knocked from the game in the first period after taking a hit from Aho in the left leg, causing Reinhart’s knee to bend awkwardly.

Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’

Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’

By ERIC TUCKER, MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum told police after his arrest, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” federal authorities said Thursday in announcing charges in the killings they called a targeted act of terrorism.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest, according to charging documents that provided chilling new details of the Wednesday night shootings in the nation’s capital that killed an American woman and an Israeli man who had just left an event at the museum. They were set to become engaged.

The stunning attack prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel pursues another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in the war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally, and that law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned could inspire violence in the U.S.

Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials and other crimes and did not enter a plea during a perfunctory court appearance. Additional charges are likely, prosecutors said, as authorities continue to investigate the killings as both a hate crime against the Jewish community and terrorism.

“Violence against anyone based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero,” said Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation’s capital.”

The couple planned to become engaged

The two people killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. They were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Those who knew them paid tribute to the pair Thursday as warm, vibrant and curious, dedicated to promoting peace and aspiring to bridge cultural and religious divides.

“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” said Ted Deutch, the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, which organized the event. “Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”

An FBI affidavit made public Thursday presents the killing as calculated and planned, with authorities alleging that Rodriguez flew to the Washington region from Chicago on Tuesday with a handgun in his checked luggage. He purchased a ticket for the event about three hours before it started, the affidavit said.

The couple were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect, who witnesses said had been behaving suspiciously by pacing outside, approached a group of four people and opened fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing closer to the two victims as they fell to the ground, leaning over them and firing additional shots. He even appeared to reload before jogging off, the FBI said.

Affidavit says suspect declared that he ‘did it’

After the shooting, the suspect went inside the museum and stated that he “did it.” He was no longer armed by the time he was taken into custody, according to the affidavit.

“I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,” he spontaneously said. He also told detectives that he admired an active-duty Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing the man as “courageous” and a “martyr,” court documents said.

Investigators said they were still working to corroborate the authenticity of writings purported to be authored by Rodriguez, an apparent reference to a document circulating online that expressed outrage over Israel’s conduct in the war. The FBI is also contacting associates, family members and co-workers.

Rodriguez appeared in federal court in Washington in a white jail suit and listened impassively as the charges and possible punishments, which include the death penalty, were read. At a home listed in public records for Rodriguez’s mother in suburban Chicago, a sign taped on the door Thursday afternoon asked for privacy.

The shooting followed the Jewish advocacy group’s annual Young Diplomats reception at the museum, which the couple had attended.

Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots, and a man came inside looking distressed. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red kaffiyeh, the Palestinian headscarf, and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin said.

“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”

Victims praised for their commitments and compassion

Milgrim, from Overland Park, Kansas, was “warm and compassionate, committed to peace building and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations,” Deutch said.

A former youth director at Congregation Beth Torah recalled her as a brilliant girl with a perpetual smile and a sense of purpose.

“She had a passion for Judaism and for Israel, and she wanted to do some good,” said Marcia Rittmaster, the former youth director. She recommended Milgrim for a Jewish leadership internship upon the young woman’s graduation from high school.

Lischinsky grew up partly in the German city of Nuremberg and moved to Israel at 16.

“He was a Christian, a true lover of Israel, served in the (Israel Defense Forces), and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause,” said Ron Prosor, who taught Lischinsky at Israel’s Reichman University. Lischinsky earned a master’s degree in government, diplomacy and strategy there. “He embodied the Judeo-Christian values and set an example for young people worldwide.”

A friend, David Boskey, recalled Lischinsky as someone unafraid to broach hard questions in order to interrogate his own convictions. He met Lischinsky in 2017 in Jerusalem at a Messianic Jewish congregation, where they would often end up talking together about life and faith, Boskey said.

“He was looking to see where he was going to go in life, asking questions about calling and about identity and about what he was going to study, where he was going to work,” Boskey said.

On Instagram, his bio included a yellow ribbon symbolizing the struggle to free the hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip.

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An earlier version incorrectly said that the suspect in the shooting had been charged with shoplifting in Chicago.

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Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Maya Sweedler, Zeke Miller, Michael Biesecker, Gary Fields, Michael Balsamo, Mike Pesoli, Nathan Ellgren, Dan Huff and Sarah Brumfield in Washington; as well as Jennifer Peltz in New York; Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri; Nick Ingram in Overland Park, Kansas; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, Stefanie Dazio in Berlin; and Natalie Melzer in Nahriya, Israel.

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