Armed man shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago was never interested in politics or guns, cousin says

CAMERON, N.C. (AP) — The 21-year-old North Carolina man whoentered a gateat President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort with a shotgun before he was shot and killed worked as a golf course groundskeeper and liked to sketch.

Mar-a-Lago Shooting

Austin Tucker Martin rarely, if ever, talked about politics, seemed afraid of guns, and came from a family of Trump supporters, according to Braeden Fields, a cousin who said the two grew up together.

"I wouldn't believe he would do something like this. It's mind-blowing," Fields said. "He wouldn't even hurt an ant. He doesn't even know how to use a gun."

Martin walked up to the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early Sunday and went through a gate when it opened for employees to leave, a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said Monday. Martin dropped a gas can and raised a shotgun at two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy who then opened fire "to neutralize the threat," said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

Trump, who often spends weekends at the Palm Beach, Florida, resort, was at the White House at the time.

Investigators have not identified a motive. Trump faced twoassassination attemptsduring the 2024 campaign, including one just a few miles (kilometers) from Mar-a-Lago when a man was spottedaiming a riflethrough shrubbery while Trump was golfing.

Following Sunday's incident, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said investigators believe Martin bought his shotgun while driving to Florida. Authorities said his family had recently reported him missing.

Martin was from central North Carolina, where guns and hunting are a part of life, his cousin said. But whenever they'd go hunting or target shooting, Martin would never pick up a gun, Fields told The Associated Press on Sunday.

He lived with his mother in a modest modular house down a rutted sandy road near the town of Cameron. No one answered the door Monday, and the large police presence from the day before was gone.

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Martin's sister was just 21 when she was killed in a car accident in 2023, and he has an older brother who's in the military, Fields said.

For the past three years, Martin worked as a groundskeeper at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.

"It's tragic. I feel for his family," said Kelly Miller, president of the course in nearby Southern Pines. "It's just unfortunate what transpired. It was totally unexpected."

Martin last year started a business to sell pen drawings he made, according to state records. A website matching the company name features illustrations of golf courses, buildings and ancient Roman architecture.

Politics didn't seem to be among his interests, his cousin said

"We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody," Fields said, but his cousin was "real quiet, never really talked about anything."

This story was corrected to show that the suspect walked through the gate and didn't drive through it.

Associated Press reporters Michelle L. Price in Washington, Ali Swenson in New York, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

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Armed man shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago was never interested in politics or guns, cousin says

CAMERON, N.C. (AP) — The 21-year-old North Carolina man whoentered a gateat President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resor...

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'Surreal sight to see': US tourist describes chaotic scenes in Mexico amid cartel violence

Following the killing of one of Mexico's most notorious drug kingpins, a wave of cartel violence has struck fear into U.S. citizens visiting popular tourist destinations in the country.

The Mexican Army on Sunday said it carried out an operation that killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. U.S. officials have described the cartel as powerful as the Sinaloa organization and a major trafficker of drugs into the United States.

RELATED STORY |Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during operation to capture him

In the aftermath, cartel gunmen torched vehicles to block roads across the country, prompting many residents to shelter indoors. According to The Associated Press, more than 1,000 people were trapped at the Guadalajara Zoo, afraid to risk traveling home. The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico has also urged American travelers to shelter in place as roadblocks have impacted airline operations and led to flight cancellations in both Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta — two popular tourist destinations for Americans.

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Aaron Mason, news director for the Scripps News Group station in Buffalo, New York, was vacationing in Puerto Vallarta when the killing happened. He said he is safe but described tense and unnerving scenes.

"I was walking into the downtown area yesterday morning and you could see smoke pouring from different points of the city," Mason said. "And then I turned one corner to go to the gym, actually, and that's when I saw flames from a car that was just in the middle of the intersection on fire."

"You saw the smoke — at one point it was so heavy that it was just pouring over the downtown area in Zona Romantica and right onto the beach," he said. "I mean, it was just such a surreal sight to see because this is such a beautiful, peaceful place."

US citizens in Mexico urged to shelter in place after killing of cartel leader

It is believed the operation to target Oseguera Cervantes was done with support from U.S. intelligence. The killing comes as President Donald Trump has urged Mexico to take stronger action against cartels and the flow of drugs into the U.S., threatening tariffs or military intervention if results are not seen.

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'Surreal sight to see': US tourist describes chaotic scenes in Mexico amid cartel violence

Following the killing of one of Mexico's most notorious drug kingpins, a wave of cartel violence has struck fear into...

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Judge permanently blocks release of Trump classified documents report

WASHINGTON − A federal judge permanently blocked the Justice Department from releasingformer special counsel Jack Smith's report on his criminal case accusingPresident Donald Trumpofmishandling classified documentshe took with him following his first term in office and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, on Feb. 23 found that any public release of the report would be a "manifest injustice" to Trump and two associates because it would detail allegations of alleged criminal wrongdoing in a case that was dismissed before ever going to trial.

The ruling is the latest in a series of decisions by Cannon to protect Trump from having the contents of the case made public.

Jack Smith, the former U.S. Justice Department Special Counsel who brought two now-dropped criminal cases against President Donald Trump, will publicly testify to the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22.

Pictured here, Special Counsel Jack Smith delivered remarks on a recently unsealed indictment against then-former President Trump at the Justice Department on June 9, 2023 in Washington, D.C. At the time, Trump was indicted in the special counsel's classified documents probe.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Smith gave private testimony to the committee in December 2025 where he defended his investigations into Trump, saying that the basis for the prosecutions "rests entirely with President Trump and his actions."

Smith was appointed independent special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to oversee two criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump's alleged role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Former Special Counsel Jack Smith (C) leaves for a break while testifying during a closed-door deposition before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Dec. 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Smith was appointed independent special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to oversee two criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump's alleged role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Former Special Counsel Jack Smith leaves after testifying in a closed-door deposition before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Dec. 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Smith is a long-time prosecutor whose experience ranges from prosecuting a sitting US senator to prosecuting a gang member who was ultimately convicted of murdering New York City police officers. He has also prosecuted war crimes at The Hague.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Who Is Jack Smith? The special counsel named in historic Trump investigations.

Jack Smith, the former U.S. Justice Department Special Counsel who brought twonow-dropped criminal casesagainstPresident Donald Trump, will publicly testify to the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22.Pictured here, Special Counsel Jack Smith delivered remarks on a recently unsealed indictment against then-former President Trump at the Justice Department on June 9, 2023 in Washington, D.C. At the time, Trump was indicted in the special counsel's classified documents probe.

In July 2024, Cannon ruled that Smith's appointment as special counsel under the administration of PresidentJoe Bidenwas unconstitutional anddismissed the case.

The Biden Justice Department appealed that decision but ultimately dropped the case and another charging Trump withunlawfully trying to stay in powerafter losing the 2020 presidential election, after Trump was elected to a second term last November. In both, Smith citeda Justice Department policyagainst prosecuting a sitting president.

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More:'I don't regret it': Jan. 6 prosecutor defends Trump investigations

Citing her 2024 dismissal of the case, Cannon said in her current ruling that Smith was acting "without lawful authority" in obtaining the indictment against Trump, valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos de Oliveira.

"As a result, the former defendants in this case, like any other defendant in this situation, still enjoy the presumption of innocence held sacrosanct in our constitutional order," Cannon wrote in her new order.

Cannon's move means the American public may never see the substantial amount of evidence gathered by prosecutors in one of the four criminal cases Trump faced in his years out of office.

Trump was accused of illegally storing documents related to U.S. national security and defense at his Mar-a-Lago estate and social club and then obstructing U.S. government efforts to retrieve the material.

Trump, Nauta and de Oliveira pleaded not guilty to all charges, with Trump arguing he did nothing wrong in deciding to keep the documents. They asked Cannon to bar the release of the report, which detailed justification for the charges.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Judge blocks release of Jack Smith's Trump classified documents report

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Judge permanently blocks release of Trump classified documents report

WASHINGTON − A federal judge permanently blocked the Justice Department from releasingformer special counsel Jack Smith...

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Slugging 1B Nick Kurtz looks to build on AL Rookie of the Year award in 2nd season with Athletics

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Aside from towering over most of hisAthleticsteammates at 6-foot-5, Nick Kurtz blends in at his locker in the middle of the clubhouse — and that's just the way he prefers it.

Athletics Spring Baseball

Even now with the extra fanfare and attention on him this spring asreigning AL Rookie of the Yearat just 22. Kurtz stuck with his usual offseason routine of returning home to North Carolina, where he likes to "chill," play video games and watch movies when he's not busy training.

"First of all, I'm excited for Year 2. I kind of know what to expect and what it's like to play inthe big leagues," Kurtz said Sunday before his first Cactus League game, against Cleveland. "Am I embracing the spotlight? Not so much. I'm a guy who likes to be out there, but obviously there's a lot more eyes, a lot more expectations, which I'm all about. I use that as our team, we have higher expectations of ourselves and what we think that we can do, so it's a good thing."

A'smanager Mark Kotsaywill consider Kurtz for the leadoff spot — where he was hitting Sunday and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in his team's 6-0 loss to the Guardians — to maximize the slugger's at-bats.

After such a special 2025, Kurtz continues to come to work and praise all of his teammates who helped him achieve the spectacular year he had, Kotsay said.

"The same way like he's 13 years old, he's never going to change," Kotsay said at Hohokam Stadium. "It's awesome to watch him in the clubhouse, on the back field, he comes in the same way, the same guy, just feels blessed to be here, and I don't think that's ever going to change for him."

Kurtz batted .290 with 36 home runs, 86 RBIs and a 1.002 OPS in 117 games and became the eighth rookie since 1901 to finish with an OPS over 1.000 while making at least 400 plate appearances. In July, he became the first major league rookieto hit four homersin a game, leading the A's to a 15-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

So, what's it like watching him day to day?

"It's extremely annoying, not fun, because I know whatever I do I can never hit it opposite field that far, so I would say annoying," joked locker mate Zack Gelof, a second baseman rehabbing from surgery last September on his left shoulder. "Not as fun."

The 22-year-old Kurtz is counting on the A's carrying their momentum from late last year in a 76-86 finish and having a faster start this season to become a contender again in the AL West. He loves the young core of this group — many of whom have been locked up on long-term contracts — and hopes to be part of turning the club into a winner ahead of its scheduled move to Las Vegas for the start of the 2028 campaign.

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"My plan is to be here for as long as I can," Kurtz said. "I'll be here for the next six years, minimum, so it's really exciting to know that when we go to Vegas we have guys that we'll be super familiar with and some of my best friends I've made for life, so it's really fun."

Many of those very faces were all together on the island of Maui in Hawaii for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom's wedding in November when the AL Rookie of the Year award was announced, so they celebrated Kurtz's first shining moment of what is expected to just be the start of great things to come in his career.

Still, it wasn't anything outrageous by any means. That wouldn't be Kurtz's way.

"Not a whole lot, maybe a couple beers, just hanging out," he said.

The left-handed hitter then spent the winter focused on making sure he did everything necessary to keep his body strong and healthy for another full year in the major leagues — one he hopes ends with a playoff berth this time. He started swinging a little later, in December, and increased his workload in the weight room, but noted, "I'm not a big changing guy. If it worked last year let's do it again this year."

Center fielder Denzel Clarke appreciates how the understated Kurtz handles his business. The first baseman offered a quick greeting to Guardians catcher David Fry when he stepped into the batter's box in the first inning and grounded out to third on four pitches.

"I don't know how under the radar you can be at 6-5, but he's just a very calm, very chill guy who's going to go about his day-to-day life," Clarke said. "Nothing too crazy, nothing too flashy, he's just going to be him."

Selected No. 4 in the first round of the 2024 amateur draft out of Wake Forest, Kurtz impressed the A's with his maturity from the moment he arrived and made his debut last April. He will turn 23 on March 12.

"I think he learned it really quickly when he got to us, and he mentioned that," Kotsay said. "He did go through a little bit of failure but he found his routines and his processes pretty quickly and recognized you can't get caught in the results, you just get caught in your process, and I think for a young player to realize that as quickly as he did, it showed in the success that he had."

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/mlb

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Slugging 1B Nick Kurtz looks to build on AL Rookie of the Year award in 2nd season with Athletics

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Aside from towering over most of hisAthleticsteammates at 6-foot-5, Nick Kurtz blends in at his locker...

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AC Milan loses at home and Loftus-Cheek hospitalized after collision with Parma goalkeeper

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan lost more ground to city rival Inter Milan after a 1-0 loss to Parma at home on Sunday in a match which saw Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek hospitalized after a collision with the Parma goalkeeper.

Italy Serie A Soccer

Loftus-Cheek was struck on the head after colliding with Edoardo Corvi after a cross into the area about 10 minutes into the match at San Siro.

The 30-year-old Loftus-Cheek had a bloodied face while being treated on the field. He was stretchered off with a neck and head brace, and later taken to hospital.

Italian media reports said the England international and former Chelsea player sustained broken teeth and was being examined for head trauma.

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"Our thoughts are with him," Parma coach Carlos Cuesta said.

Mariano Troilo scored with a header off a corner in the 80th minute to give Parma the win. The goal was initially disallowed for a foul but the call was reversed after video review.

Milan had entered the match looking to cut its gap to Inter to seven points. Inter moved 10 points clear with a2-0 victory at Leccefor its seventh straight league win on Saturday.

Milan had already lost points at home in a 1-1 draw against Como on Wednesday.

It was the third win in a row for Parma, which is in 12th place.

Other results

Fourth-place Roma opened a four-point gap to fifth-place Juventus. Roma scored three second-half goals in a 3-0 home win against 16th-place Cremonese, which has lost 12 consecutive matches.Roma is tied on points with third-place Napoli.Seventh-place Atalanta scored two second-half goals to rally to a 2-1 win over third-place Napoli at home. It was Atalanta's third straight league win. Napoli hasn't won in three consecutive matches in all competitions.Genoa beat Torino 3-0 at home to end a three-game winless streak. Torino, which played the entire second half with 10 men, hasn't won in four straight matches in all tournaments.___AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Fourth-place Roma opened a four-point gap to fifth-place Juventus. Roma scored three second-half goals in a 3-0 home win against 16th-place Cremonese, which has lost 12 consecutive matches.

Roma is tied on points with third-place Napoli.

Seventh-place Atalanta scored two second-half goals to rally to a 2-1 win over third-place Napoli at home. It was Atalanta's third straight league win. Napoli hasn't won in three consecutive matches in all competitions.

Genoa beat Torino 3-0 at home to end a three-game winless streak. Torino, which played the entire second half with 10 men, hasn't won in four straight matches in all tournaments.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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AC Milan loses at home and Loftus-Cheek hospitalized after collision with Parma goalkeeper

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan lost more ground to city rival Inter Milan after a 1-0 loss to Parma at home on Sunday in a match w...

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UK privacy watchdog warns over AI-generated images in joint statement

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Britain's privacy watchdog published ‌a joint statement ‌with dozens of international authorities ​on Monday, setting out concerns over images generated byartificial intelligencewhich ‌depict ⁠identifiable individuals without their consent.

"We call on ⁠organisations to engage proactively with regulators, implement ​robust safeguards ​from ​the outset, ‌and ensure that technological advancement does not come at the expense of privacy, dignity, safety," the ‌statement published ​by the Information ​Commissioner's ​Office said.

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The signatories ‌are especially concerned ​about ​potential harms to children, the ICO added.

(Reporting ​by ‌Sam Tabahriti, writing by ​Sarah Young, editing by ​William James)

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UK privacy watchdog warns over AI-generated images in joint statement

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Britain's privacy watchdog published ‌a joint statement ‌with dozens of international auth...

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EU says it will accept no increase in US tariffs after Supreme Court ruling: 'a deal is a deal'

By Philip Blenkinsop

(Reuters) - The European Commission demanded on Sunday that the United States stick to the terms of an EU-U.S. trade deal reached last year, after ‌the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's global tariffs and he responded with new levies ‌across the board.

The Commission, which negotiates trade policy on behalf of the 27 EU member states, said Washington must provide "full clarity" ​on the steps it intends to take following the court ruling.

After the court struck down Trump's global tariffs on Friday, the U.S. president announced temporary, across-the-board tariffs of 10%, which he then hiked to 15% a day later.

"The current situation is not conducive to delivering 'fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial' transatlantic trade and investment, as agreed ‌to by both sides" in the joint ⁠statement setting out the terms of last year's trade agreement, the Commission said. "A deal is a deal."

The comments were far more strongly worded than the Commission's initial ⁠response on Friday, which had said only that it was studying the outcome of the Supreme Court decision and keeping in contact with the U.S. administration.

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Last year's trade deal set a 15% U.S. tariff rate for most ​EU goods, ​apart from those covered by other sectoral tariffs such ​as on steel. It also allowed zero ‌tariffs on some products such as aircraft and spare parts. The EU agreed to remove import duties on many U.S. goods and withdrew a threat to retaliate with higher levies.

It is not clear whether Trump's new 15% tariffs supersede the EU-U.S. deal. If they do, the EU's zero tariff exemptions could disappear. The new tariffs could also be placed on top of pre-existing 'most-favoured-nation' U.S. duties, which is not the case ‌under the EU-U.S. deal.

Furthermore, the comparative advantage the EU had ​with a 15% tariff would appear to have disappeared as ​even countries without a deal face that ​rate.

Trade policy monitor Global Trade Alert estimates that the EU as a whole will ‌be 0.8 percentage points worse off, with Italy ​facing an extra 1.7 ​percentage points of U.S. tariffs.

"In particular, EU products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed," the EU ​executive said, adding that unpredictable tariffs ‌were disruptive and undermined confidence across global markets.

It said that EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic ​had discussed the issue with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard ​Lutnick on Saturday.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop;Editing by Peter Graff)

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EU says it will accept no increase in US tariffs after Supreme Court ruling: 'a deal is a deal'

By Philip Blenkinsop (Reuters) - The European Commission demanded on Sunday that the United States stick to th...

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