By LARRY NEUMEISTER and MICHAEL R. SISAK, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Justice Department officials could face court-imposed sanctions for public comments about the prosecution of Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson if they don’t limit what they say, a New York judge said Wednesday.

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Judge Margaret M. Garnett in Manhattan said in an order that statements by government officials about Mangione possibly facing the death penalty may have violated a local rule meant to limit public comments to ensure a fair trial.

Defense lawyers for Mangione had asked that his federal charges be dismissed and the death penalty be taken off the table as a result of the comments.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the fatal shooting of Thompson on Dec. 4 as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.

In the federal case, Mangione is charged with murder through use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty, as well as stalking and gun offenses.

Defense lawyers argued in a written submission to Garnett that Justice Department officials poisoned the case when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi declared prior to his April indictment that capital punishment is warranted for a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Bondi announced in April that she was directing Manhattan federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione.

His lawyers argued that Bondi’s statements and other official actions — including a highly choreographed perp walk that saw Mangione led up a Manhattan pier by armed officers, and President Donald Trump’s administration’s flouting of established death penalty procedures — “have violated Mr. Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case.”

In her order Wednesday, Garnett said it appeared that multiple Justice Department employees may have violated the rule limiting what can be said publicly about a case prior to trial. She said the statements apparently were made by two high-ranking staff members in the department.

The judge asked the department to explain how the violations occurred and what steps are being taken to ensure no future violations happen.

“Future violations may result in sanctions, which could include personal financial penalties, contempt of court findings, or relief specific to the prosecution of this matter,” the judge wrote.

A message for comment sent to the Justice Department was not immediately returned.

The order from Garnett was not the first time a Manhattan federal judge has scolded Justice Department officials for public statements in a criminal case.

In April 2015, Judge Valerie Caproni accused then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of straying “so close to the edge of the rules governing his own conduct” when he announced a corruption case against former Democratic New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that Silver had a legitimate complaint that the “media blitz” that accompanied his arrest was prejudicial.

Silver was eventually convicted on corruption charges and was sentenced to over six years in prison. In January 2022, the federal Bureau of Prisons announced that he had died in federal custody at age 77.

By SIMINA MISTREANU

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Known as the strongest storm of the year in the world, Typhoon Ragasa churned through parts of the Western Pacific and slammed into southern China, whipping massive waves, triggering floods and leaving at least 27 dead in its wake in Taiwan and the Philippines.

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The typhoon was moving west across southern China toward Vietnam after touching down on Hailing Island in southern Guangdong province on Wednesday afternoon. It earlier registered maximum gusts of 150 mph in the city of Jiangmen.

Here are some key facts about the typhoon, dubbed the “King of Storms” by China’s meteorological agency:

A super typhoon began over the Western Pacific

As it formed over Micronesia in the Western Pacific earlier this month, Ragasa rolled over unusually warm ocean waters, gathering strength. By Monday, it had been labeled a super typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 165 mph.

Meteorologists classify tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific based on their maximum sustained wind speeds. Once they reach at least 74 mph, the storms are labeled typhoons. Super typhoons pack one-minute sustained winds of at least 150 mph, according to the U.S. Navy meteorologists’ system. The criteria vary slightly based on the country.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hong Kong weather authorities downgraded Ragasa from a super typhoon to a severe typhoon. By then, the storm was registering maximum sustained winds of 109 mph near its center. It was expected to continue to weaken as it advanced into southern China.

The typhoon led to a deadly lake burst in Taiwan

Before reaching Hong Kong, Ragasa had brought devastation to parts of Taiwan and the Philippines.

In Taiwan’s eastern Hualien County, the typhoon caused a barrier lake to burst its banks, sending water gushing into nearby Guangfu township. Muddy torrents destroyed a bridge, turning the roads in Guangfu into churning rivers that carried vehicles and furniture away.

At least 17 people died in the floods, with authorities searching for another 17.

More than half the township’s roughly 8,450 people sought safety on higher floors of their homes or on higher ground on Wednesday morning, according to local media.

In the northern Philippines, seven fishermen drowned after their boat was battered by huge waves and fierce wind and flipped over on Monday off Santa Ana town in northern Cagayan province. At least three other people died in the region, and five other fishermen remained missing, provincial officials said.

The ‘King of Storms’ displaced nearly 2 million in China

In China, the typhoon led to nearly 1.9 million people being evacuated in southern Guangdong province. Schools, factories and transportation services were shut down in about a dozen cities.

In the financial hub of Hong Kong, at least 80 people were injured as the typhoon’s massive winds knocked down hundreds of trees. At least 700 flights were canceled.

A video showed water bursting through the doors of an oceanside hotel, sweeping patrons off their feet.

Associated Press writer Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

By ELENA BECATOROS

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Activists taking part in a flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones overnight while sailing south of Greece.

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The Global Sumud Flotilla said it was attacked during the night by “unidentified drones and communications jamming.” It said that “at least 13 explosions” were heard on and around several flotilla boats, while drones or aircraft dropped “unidentified objects” on at least 10 boats.

No casualties were reported but there was damage to the vessels and “widespread obstruction in communications,” it added. Activists posted a brief video showing what appeared to be an explosion on or near one of the vessels. Greece’s coast guard did not report any distress calls.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions regarding the attack.

The flotilla, which organizers say includes about 50 vessels and participants from dozens of countries, is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, for Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has accused organizers of being linked to Hamas, an accusation organizers reject. Israel has proposed that the activists unload their aid in the Israeli port of Ashkelon for it to be transported into Gaza, saying it will not accept any breach of its blockade.

Italy sending a frigate

Italy condemned the attack and activated a navy frigate to be on hand for possible rescue operations, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.

Crosetto said the Italian Navy’s frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete, was “already heading towards the area for possible rescue operations.” Italy has informed Israel about the decision.

“In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must also be protected when they are carried out in accordance with international law and without resorting to violence,” Crosetto said.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry meanwhile said its computer systems had been overwhelmed by a “mail bombing” campaign in which thousands of what it said were fake emails flooded its servers after the attack on the flotilla.

Earlier Wednesday, the Global Sumud Flotilla had sent out an urgent appeal to its supporters asking them to email the ministry demanding it take a firm position to condemn the attack on the flotilla, protect the participants and put diplomatic pressure on those responsible.

The emails “had the effect of hindering the work” of the ministry’s crisis unit, which has been the main point of contact for Italian citizens aboard the flotilla, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told lawmakers earlier this month he had personally called Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to urge Israel to respect the rights of Italian activists participating in the flotilla.

Tajani said at the time that 58 Italians were in the flotilla, including some lawmakers.

The European Union also warned against the use of any force.

“The freedom of navigation under international law must be upheld,” said Eva Hrncirova, a European Commission spokesperson.

UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called for an investigation, saying “attacks and threats against those trying to deliver aid to and support the hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza who are suffering famine and starvation defy belief.”

Defiant activists

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who is on board one of the boats, called the strikes a “scare tactic” and implored the flotilla’s supporters to stay focused on Gaza rather than on the activists.

“We were aware of the risks of these kind of attacks and that’s not something that’s going to stop us,” Thunberg said on a livestream. “The most important thing isn’t that we were hit by drones. Drones are something that Palestinians experience 24-7.”

Italian activist Simone Zambrin said drones “have been flying over our heads for days now” and on Wednesday “dropped devices at our boats, damaging both the sails and the hearing of some of our crew members.”

She said Israel was trying “to instill fear because it is afraid of our arrival.”

Supporters watch as a boat that is part of the Global Sumud Flotilla departs to Gaza to deliver aid amidst Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian territory, in the Tunisian port of Bizerte, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Anis Mili)

Greg Stoker, an American activist on board one of the boats, said in a social media post that the vessel’s radio communications also suffered interference, with the jammers playing an ABBA song over the radio channel the flotilla was using.

Attacks on the flotilla

The flotilla has reported several attacks since it set sail from Spain on Sept. 1, including two while some of its boats were in Tunisian waters.

Activists say it’s the largest attempt to date to break the Israeli maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has now lasted 18 years, long predating the current war in Gaza. Israel says the blockade is needed to keep Hamas from importing arms, while critics consider it collective punishment.

The Italian fleet of the Global Sumud Flotilla departs from the port of Siracusa, Italy, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Sebastiano Diamante/LaPresse via AP)

The almost two-year war has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says around half were women and children.

The world’s leading authority on hunger crises said last month that Israel’s blockade and ongoing offensive had already pushed Gaza City into famine. More than 300,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks as Israel has ordered the population to move south, but an estimated 700,000 remain, according to U.N. agencies and aid groups.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas stormed into Israel and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Israel says its operation in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to surrender and return the remaining 48 hostages, about 20 of whom Israel believes are still alive. Most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

Activists have launched several flotillas aimed at breaking the blockade over the years, nearly all of them intercepted by Israel. Another vessel said it was attacked by drones in May in international waters off Malta. An overland convoy traveling across North Africa also attempted to reach the border but was blocked by security forces aligned with Egypt in eastern Libya.

In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a boat participating in an aid flotilla attempting to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza, killing 10 Turkish activists in clashes on board.

Associated Press journalists Samuel Metz in Rabat, Morocco; Nicole Winfield and Patricia Thomas in Rome; Samuel McNeil in Brussels and Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

Construction will start Monday on a $9.85 million maintenance project to improve the Interstate 94 bridges over the St. Croix River, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Crews will replace the modular joints on both eastbound and westbound bridges. They also will make concrete surface repairs at the west abutments and piers, place a new polymer overlay on the bridge decks and replace pavement markings.

The westbound bridge will get complete spot painting of its bridge pin and hanger system while the sidewalk railing will be replaced on the eastbound bridge, according to WisDOT.

The project also includes the repair of the retaining wall on the Wisconsin approach. Crews will replace the block wall crossing under and adjacent to I-94 and parallel to the pedestrian path, WisDOT officials said.

Most of the work will be done in 2026, but some of the work, including the widening of the shoulders, will be done this fall and should be complete in mid-October.

During construction, the interstate will remain open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane and shoulder closures during off-peak travel times.

In addition, work is expected to result in nighttime closures of ramps from eastbound I-94 to northbound Wisconsin 35 and southbound Wisconsin 35 to westbound I-94.

For more information visit projects.511wi.gov/i94stcroixriverbridges/.

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