Rays Drop Series To Cubs

The Chicago Cubs (6-6) defeated the Tampa Bay Rays (5-7) 6-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field to win the three-game interleague series.

The Cubs got the scoring started with a solo homer from Nico Hoerner in the first, before Jonathan Aranda drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third that tied the game 1-1. The Cubs then used a five-run fifth inning to take control of the game. Jake Fraley drove in the second run of the game for the Rays in the eighth to cut the Cubs lead to 6-2, which would prove to be the final score.

Joe Boyle (0-1, 5.17) got the started and allowed six runs – five of them earned – on four hits while striking out three and walking three. Collin Rea (1-0, 3.18) got the win for the Cubs after allowing just one earned run on two hits in his five innings of work.

The Rays are now off on Thursday and will begin a three-game series against the Yankees on Friday night. First pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 7:10 PM on Friday night – pregame coverage begins with Ronnie Lane hosting Inside Pitch at 6:00 PM on 95.7 WDAE & AM 620, your Home of Rays Baseball.

COVER PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

“,”provider_name”:”TikTok”,”provider_url”:”https://www.tiktok.com”,”thumbnail_height”:1280,”thumbnail_url”:”https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast5-p-0068-tx/ogbPRsGvpISsELDjuBzFzL8EIeDDlzAnDgfy3R~tplv-tiktokx-origin.image?dr=9636&x-expires=1775869200&x-signature=6ggd2DASfssNCiZpcVlOoiWsol8%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=81f88b70&shcp=43f4a2f9&idc=useast5″,”thumbnail_width”:720,”title”:”Sailed to Great Guana Cay this morning to get our scuba tanks filled ⛵️😍 #bahamas @insta360 official “,”type”:”video”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:”100%”},”embed_type”:”video”,”html”:”\u003cblockquote class=\”tiktok-embed\” cite=\”https://www.tiktok.com/@thesailinghookers/video/7624262141092039949\” data-video-id=\”7624262141092039949\” data-embed-from=\”oembed\” style=\”max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\”> \u003csection> \u003ca target=\”_blank\” title=\”@thesailinghookers\” href=\”https://www.tiktok.com/@thesailinghookers?refer=embed\”>@thesailinghookers\u003c/a> \u003cp>Sailed to Great Guana Cay this morning to get our scuba tanks filled ⛵️😍 \u003ca title=\”bahamas\” target=\”_blank\” href=\”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/bahamas?refer=embed\”>#bahamas\u003c/a> @insta360 official \u003c/p> \u003ca target=\”_blank\” title=\”♬ original sound – Daryl Hall & John Oates\” href=\”https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7109091048936262442?refer=embed\”>♬ original sound – Daryl Hall & John Oates\u003c/a> \u003c/section> \u003c/blockquote> \u003cscript async src=\”https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js\”>\u003c/script>”,”provider”:”TikTok”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.tiktok.com/@thesailinghookers/video/7624262141092039949″},{“html”:”\u003cp>Poor weather were initially the suspected cause of Hooker falling out of the dinghy, according to Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief \u003cstrong>Stafford Patterson\u003c/strong>. 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U.S. stocks surged today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping over 1,300 points amid reports of a two-week ceasefire deal between the U.S., Iran, and Israel. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)”,”id”:”%2F69d6cabbab0909491c4ab0bc”,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images News / Getty Images”,”title”:”Markets React To News Of 2-Week Ceasefire In Iran”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>Stocks surged and \u003ca href=\”https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/07/markets/us-stocks-oil-trump-iran-ceasefire\” target=\”_blank\”>oil prices plunged Wednesday\u003c/a> (April 8) after a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect, raising hopes for renewed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and easing global market fears. 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descending a shaft inside a mine”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>A miner was rescued on Wednesday (April 8) after \u003ca href=\”https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/mexican-miner-rescued-after-14-days-flooded-sinaloa-131852365\” target=\”_blank\”>spending nearly 14 days trapped underground in the flooded El Rosario mine\u003c/a> in Sinaloa, Mexico. The collapse, caused by a dam breach and structural failure on March 25, initially trapped \u003cstrong>Francisco Zapata Nájera \u003c/strong>and three coworkers. According to statements from Mexican authorities, 21 of the 25 miners present at the time managed to escape immediately.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Rescue teams located Zapata Nájera on Tuesday, but \u003ca href=\”https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/miracle-rescue-miner-found-alive-36986897\” target=\”_blank\”>heavy flooding delayed their efforts to reach him\u003c/a> for another 21 hours. He was finally brought to the surface by early Wednesday morning. His condition was stabilized, and he was flown by Mexican Air Force helicopter to a hospital in Mazatlán for specialist care, authorities confirmed.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Mexican President \u003cstrong>Claudia Sheinbaum\u003c/strong> stated that while Zapata Nájera survived, \u003ca href=\”https://mexicobusiness.news/mining/news/three-still-trapped-after-180-hours-rescue-ops-sinaloa\” target=\”_blank\”>another miner was found dead\u003c/a> and one remains missing. Earlier, she explained that rescue teams were forced to wait for water to be pumped out before they could reach those trapped.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The search continues for the last missing miner at El Rosario. Authorities have not yet announced when or if the remaining worker might be found.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”}],”canonical_url”:”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-miner-rescued-after-being-trapped-in-flooded-mine-for-nearly-two-weeks/”,”cuser”:”user/ldap/cccnyc1wjg”,”enable_featured_widget”:true,”exclusion”:{“tags”:[]},”external_url”:””,”fb_allow_comments”:true,”featured_widget”:{“country”:””,”id”:””,”kind”:””,”related_id”:””},”feed_content_id”:””,”feed_partner_content”:false,”feed_permalink”:””,”feed_type”:””,”feed_vendor”:””,”include_recommendations”:true,”include_video_monetization”:true,”is_sponsored”:false,”keywords”:[“keywords/ai-assisted”],”permalink”:”https://wflanews.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-miner-rescued-after-being-trapped-in-flooded-mine-for-nearly-two-weeks/”,”primary_image”:{“bucket”:”assets.getty”,”id”:”%2F69d6c26d5edd5215183552bf”},”primary_target”:{“categories”:[“categories/national-news”],”distribution”:[“brands/iHeartRadio”]},”publish_date”:1775681940000,”publish_end_date”:4115978604802,”publish_origin”:”brands/iHeartRadio”,”seo_title”:””,”show_updated_timestamp”:false,”simplereach_enabled”:false,”slug”:”2026-04-08-miner-rescued-after-being-trapped-in-flooded-mine-for-nearly-two-weeks”,”social_title”:””,”summary”:”Another miner was found dead and one remains missing.”,”targets”:[{“categories”:[“categories/national-news”],”distribution”:[“formats/NEWSTALK”]},{“categories”:[“syndications/apple-news”],”distribution”:[]},{“categories”:[“syndications/news”],”distribution”:[]}],”title”:”Miner Rescued After Being Trapped In Flooded Mine For Nearly Two Weeks”},”slug”:”2026-04-08-miner-rescued-after-being-trapped-in-flooded-mine-for-nearly-two-weeks”,”summary”:{“image”:”https://i.iheart.com/v3/re/assets.getty/69d6c26d5edd5215183552bf”,”title”:”Miner Rescued After Being Trapped In Flooded Mine For Nearly Two Weeks”,”description”:”Another miner was found dead and one remains missing.”,”author”:”iHeartRadio”},”pub_start”:1775681940000,”pub_until”:4115978604802,”pub_changed”:1775682307181,”subscription”:[{“tags”:[“categories/national-news”,”brands/iHeartRadio”]},{“tags”:[“categories/national-news”,”formats/NEWSTALK”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/apple-news”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/news”]}],”exclusion”:[{“tags”:[]}],”linksData”:[],”lookup”:[“publish_origin:brands/iHeartRadio”,”id:/69d6c14cd3c8de07dc1d87be”,”slug:2026-04-08-miner-rescued-after-being-trapped-in-flooded-mine-for-nearly-two-weeks”,”slug:2026-04-08-miner-rescued-after-being-trapped-in-flooded-mine-for-nearly-two-weeks”,”keyword:keywords/ai-assisted”,”author:user”]}},{“id”:”%2F69d6a5fbf0f4280066cf5a68″,”type”:”PUBLISHING”,”record”:{“ref_id”:”%2F69d6a5fbf0f4280066cf5a68″,”type”:”content”,”payload”:{“amp_enabled”:true,”apple_news”:{“ref_id”:”4b6417eb-7354-42b7-b197-6cc3cdb3b789″,”revision_id”:”AAAAAAAAAAD//////////w==”},”author”:”Jason Hall”,”blocks”:[{“attributes”:{“mimetype”:”image/jpeg”,”type”:”image”},”bucket”:”new_assets”,”caption”:”TOLEDO, OH – OCTOBER 03: Darby Allin in the ring during AEW Collision on October 3, 2024, at the Huntington Center in Toledo, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)”,”id”:”%2F69d6b30a9a74663a7cd4ecad”,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”Getty Images”,”title”:”WRESTLING: OCT 03 AEW Collision”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“id”:”29165646″,”kind”:”podcast”,”related_id”:””,”schedule”:{},”type”:”catalog”},{“html”:”\u003cp>\u003ca href=\”https://www.iheart.com/content/2022-05-12-watch-aews-darby-allin-takes-unbelievable-leap-during-dynamite-match/\” target=\”_blank\”>All Elite Wrestling star \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\”https://www.iheart.com/content/2025-05-19-aews-darby-allin-reaches-mt-everest-summit/\” target=\”_blank\”>\u003cstrong>Darby Allin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> has been praised as one of the company’s ‘pillars,’ given his importance to its launch and continued success since 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>It’s a role he’s lived up to both inside and outside of the ring, having consistently been one of the company’s top stars while also, literally, \u003ca href=\”https://www.iheart.com/content/2025-05-19-aews-darby-allin-reaches-mt-everest-summit/\” target=\”_blank\”>carrying its flag to the summit of Mount Everest\u003c/a> last year. Allin credited AEW for allowing him to be himself completely in an industry where many have historically developed personas to find success.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>"With AEW, it gave me everything and I had to change nothing," Allin said in an exclusive interview with iHeartMedia this week ahead of AEW’s \u003cem>Dynasty\u003c/em> pay-per-view event airing live from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Sunday (April 12). "So to be the face of that is everything to me. To inspire future generations that maybe they can just watch like, ‘oh, this guy literally became the face of this company while never having to change a thing so maybe I don’t have to change a thing.’ Because in a world where everybody’s telling you you’re not good enough, I feel like you need to be reminded that you are always enough and to do that while staying true to myself that’s why I need to become world champion of this place."\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”},{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”YouTube”,”@query”:”https://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=json&omit_script=true&omitscript=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcStneHzpttA%26feature%3Dyoutu.be”,”@url”:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cStneHzpttA&feature=youtu.be”,”author_name”:”Jason Hall”,”author_url”:”https://www.youtube.com/@jhall025″,”height”:113,”html”:”\u003ciframe width=\”200\” height=\”113\” src=\”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cStneHzpttA?feature=oembed\” frameborder=\”0\” allow=\”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\” referrerpolicy=\”strict-origin-when-cross-origin\” allowfullscreen title=\”Darby Allin Says 'Dynasty' PPV Is 'Do Or Die' To Be Face Of AEW\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider_name”:”YouTube”,”provider_url”:”https://www.youtube.com/”,”thumbnail_height”:360,”thumbnail_url”:”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cStneHzpttA/hqdefault.jpg”,”thumbnail_width”:480,”title”:”Darby Allin Says ‘Dynasty’ PPV Is ‘Do Or Die’ To Be Face Of AEW”,”type”:”video”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:200},”embed_type”:”video”,”html”:”\u003ciframe width=\”200\” height=\”113\” src=\”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cStneHzpttA?feature=oembed\” frameborder=\”0\” allow=\”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\” referrerpolicy=\”strict-origin-when-cross-origin\” allowfullscreen title=\”Darby Allin Says 'Dynasty' PPV Is 'Do Or Die' To Be Face Of AEW\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider”:”YouTube”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cStneHzpttA&feature=youtu.be”},{“html”:”\u003cp>Allin shares his ‘pillar’ moniker with \u003cstrong>Maxwell Jacob Friedman\u003c/strong>, who currently holds the AEW Men’s World Championship, the one title that’s alluded him. The 33-year-old will face \u003cstrong>Andrade El Idolo\u003c/strong> at AEW \u003cem>Dynasty\u003c/em> on Sunday and will be guaranteed a future AEW Men’s World Championship if he wins the match, with Friedman set to defend the title against \u003cstrong>Kenny Omega\u003c/strong> in the event’s main event match.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Allin said "it’s hard to say" whether defeating Friedman would make his first world championship victory even sweeter given the option to have a potential dream match with Omega, one of the industry’s most celebrated wrestlers from the past decade and a co-founder of AEW.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>"Yes, because me and Max have gone at it for years, way before AEW on the independents we were at each other’s throats. So to take that from him, somebody that is literally my polar opposite, would mean everything. But on the flip side, if Kenny Omega’s champion, that’s a first time ever match. Something that a lot of people never thought they’d see. I would never think I would’ve ever saw that. I was never in that realm at the time with Kenny and New Japan [Pro Wrestling] and everything like that.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>"To be world champion is everything because I feel this company has given me everything outside the ring and inside the ring. To be the face of this company I truly feel like you need to be that world champion so this week is pretty much do or die."\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Allin completed a two-month expedition of Mount Everest on May 18, 2025, making his return to AEW at the company’s \u003cem>All In\u003c/em> pay-per-view event last July. The Seattle native said he was "able to shove so much things into that trip," which included proposing to his girlfriend in a video recorded from the summit — clarifying that "she wasn’t on the summit…because she did not want to die on the mountain," as well as setting the world record for the highest elevation skateboard kickflip at 20,958 feet, planting the AEW flag and "talking my s**t to [then-AEW Men’s World Champion \u003cstrong>Jon\u003c/strong>] \u003cstrong>Moxley\u003c/strong>" in a video that played during his \u003cem>All In\u003c/em> return.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”},{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”Instagram”,”@query”:”https://graph.facebook.com/v23.0/instagram_oembed?access_token=121897277851831%7CB5Jm6zMX5ynaMiun755Y_feWNSc&format=json&omit_script=true&omitscript=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDJ1HQayveZM%2F”,”@url”:”https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ1HQayveZM/”,”author_name”:””,”author_url”:””,”height”:0,”html”:”\u003cblockquote class=\”instagram-media\” data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\”https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ1HQayveZM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\” data-instgrm-version=\”14\” style=\” background:#FFF; 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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\”>\u003c/div>\u003c/div>\u003c/a>\u003c/div>\u003c/blockquote>”,”provider”:”Instagram”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ1HQayveZM/”},{“html”:”\u003cp>"It was incredible," Allin said. "I cried at the top because I realized that wrestling is a thing that has no offseason. It’s all year long. And the fact that I was able to do this in the middle of my career, I just can’t put into words because I understood that I was truly living on that mountain. I wasn’t just a cog on the wheel that was going to get chewed up and spit out by the machine, I was truly alive on that mountain."\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>AEW \u003cem>Dynasty\u003c/em> will stream live on \u003cem>HBO Max\u003c/em> or PPV.com in the United States or \u003cem>Prime Video\u003c/em> and \u003cem>MYAEW.com\u003c/em> in international markets on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET. AEW’s flagship weekly television show, \u003cem>Dynamite\u003c/em>, will broadcast live on \u003cem>TBS\u003c/em> and \u003cem>HBO Max\u003c/em> from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada, Wednesday (April 8) at 8:00 p.m. ET.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”}],”canonical_url”:”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-darby-allin-says-dynasty-ppv-is-do-or-die-to-be-face-of-aew/”,”cuser”:”user/ldap/1129279″,”enable_featured_widget”:true,”exclusion”:{“tags”:[]},”external_url”:””,”fb_allow_comments”:true,”featured_widget”:{“country”:””,”id”:””,”kind”:””,”related_id”:””},”feed_content_id”:””,”feed_partner_content”:false,”feed_permalink”:””,”feed_type”:””,”feed_vendor”:””,”include_recommendations”:true,”include_video_monetization”:true,”is_sponsored”:false,”keywords”:[“keywords/Darby Allin”,”keywords/AEW”,”keywords/role”,”keywords/company”,”keywords/face”,”keywords/All Elite Wrestling”],”permalink”:”https://wflanews.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-darby-allin-says-dynasty-ppv-is-do-or-die-to-be-face-of-aew/”,”primary_image”:{“bucket”:”new_assets”,”id”:”%2F69d6b30a9a74663a7cd4ecad”},”primary_target”:{“categories”:[“categories/sports”],”distribution”:[“facets/All Sites – English”]},”publish_date”:1775677920000,”publish_end_date”:4115978604802,”publish_origin”:”brands/iHeartRadio”,”seo_title”:””,”show_updated_timestamp”:false,”simplereach_enabled”:false,”slug”:”2026-04-08-darby-allin-says-dynasty-ppv-is-do-or-die-to-be-face-of-aew”,”social_title”:””,”summary”:”All Elite Wrestling star Darby Allin discusses being a pillar for the company, his championship aspirations, climbing Mount Everest and more in an exclusive interview with iHeartMedia.”,”targets”:[{“categories”:[“syndications/apple-news”],”distribution”:[]},{“categories”:[“syndications/news”],”distribution”:[]}],”title”:”Darby Allin Says ‘Dynasty’ PPV Is ‘Do Or Die’ To Be Face Of AEW”},”slug”:”2026-04-08-darby-allin-says-dynasty-ppv-is-do-or-die-to-be-face-of-aew”,”summary”:{“image”:”https://i.iheart.com/v3/re/new_assets/69d6b30a9a74663a7cd4ecad”,”title”:”Darby Allin Says ‘Dynasty’ PPV Is ‘Do Or Die’ To Be Face Of AEW”,”description”:”All Elite Wrestling star Darby Allin discusses being a pillar for the company, his championship aspirations, climbing Mount Everest and more in an exclusive interview with iHeartMedia.”,”author”:”Jason Hall”},”pub_start”:1775677920000,”pub_until”:4115978604802,”pub_changed”:1775678251427,”subscription”:[{“tags”:[“categories/sports”,”facets/All Sites – English”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/apple-news”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/news”]}],”exclusion”:[{“tags”:[]}],”linksData”:[],”lookup”:[“publish_origin:brands/iHeartRadio”,”id:/69d6a5fbf0f4280066cf5a68″,”slug:2026-04-08-darby-allin-says-dynasty-ppv-is-do-or-die-to-be-face-of-aew”,”slug:2026-04-08-darby-allin-says-dynasty-ppv-is-do-or-die-to-be-face-of-aew”,”keyword:keywords/Darby Allin”,”keyword:keywords/AEW”,”keyword:keywords/role”,”keyword:keywords/company”,”keyword:keywords/face”,”keyword:keywords/All Elite Wrestling”,”author:user”]}},{“id”:”%2F69d6b08cd3c8de07dc1d87b3″,”type”:”PUBLISHING”,”record”:{“ref_id”:”%2F69d6b08cd3c8de07dc1d87b3″,”type”:”content”,”payload”:{“amp_enabled”:true,”apple_news”:{“ref_id”:”14fbad88-e485-47bc-956d-0a178d918279″,”revision_id”:”AAAAAAAAAAD//////////w==”},”author”:”iHeartRadio”,”blocks”:[{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”ohembed”,”@query”:”template”,”@url”:”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer”,”author_name”:””,”author_url”:””,”height”:”300″,”html”:”\u003ciframe allow=\”autoplay\” width=\”100%\” height=\”300\” frameborder=\”0\” style=\”border: 0;\” src=\”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer\” frameborder=\”0\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider_name”:”ohembed”,”thumbnail_height”:0,”thumbnail_url”:””,”thumbnail_width”:0,”title”:””,”type”:”rich”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:”100%”},”embed_type”:”rich”,”html”:”\u003ciframe allow=\”autoplay\” width=\”100%\” height=\”300\” frameborder=\”0\” style=\”border: 0;\” src=\”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer\” frameborder=\”0\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider”:”ohembed”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer”},{“attributes”:{“mimetype”:”image/jpeg”,”type”:”image”},”bucket”:”assets.getty”,”caption”:”Judge hammer gavel on computer keyboard wooden table background. Online internet crime and scammer, social media law and defamation law concept.”,”id”:”%2F69c41d8e1f925eb5ccc149f8″,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”Pla2na / iStock / Getty Images”,”title”:”Judge hammer gavel on computer keyboard wooden table background.”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>An Ohio man has become \u003ca href=\”https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/first-person-convicted-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes-rcna267236\” target=\”_blank\”>the first person in the United States convicted under the federal Take It Down Act\u003c/a>, a law signed by President \u003cstrong>Donald Trump\u003c/strong> in May 2025 that criminalizes the nonconsensual posting of explicit imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes. The Department of Justice announced Tuesday (April 7) that \u003cstrong>James Strahler II\u003c/strong>, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visuals involving minors, and publishing digital forgeries—known as AI-created deepfakes—targeting both adults and children.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>According to the Justice Department, \u003ca href=\”https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/columbus-man-pleads-guilty-cyberstalking-exes-creating-ai-generated-obscene-material?bm-verify=AAQAAAAN_____9-9OWtVekgqd6NDbGwoh66uy6NYDXtfPet_kl6Il7rxxv-J9Bsg_F_GDAeYijs8Ew-bpQQwpg7lpelqiMvN683iG2HohOeHSD1XvB7TjpkzpW-xdMnoTVy8au02P0UvzZqV22OAOaHFxYDgVXVgVIb9tKl33WZtlooaKf1YhnpkL8HSXICzeiBNiWmx0toDFesbQxyT02iR2P9VKGxn37ILpXx1_mzBTPyYD_7rYaOKuHTAz4DHCoBi2kL7b-tXWt-XYgK-c_XY3zHd0MaM2IKqM7Dl3z0JPproqd4lVvE-YvkMFn7jLJi5t06DeNY_e0jZVWKQE0I68ZEW–EJ7QVy72iF3eaVqHa74G5feOsq5KAXPkI\” target=\”_blank\”>Strahler used artificial intelligence tools to create explicit images and videos of people he knew\u003c/a>, including minors in his own community. He manipulated their faces onto the bodies of others in sexually explicit scenarios, sometimes with family members. Authorities discovered that Strahler had over 2,400 illicit files on his phone, had downloaded more than 24 AI platforms, and posted more than 700 images to a website known for child sexual abuse material.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Law enforcement found that \u003ca href=\”https://www.wlwt.com/article/ohio-man-convicted-take-it-down-act-ai-generated-images-first/70963614\” target=\”_blank\”>Strahler targeted at least six adult women and multiple minors\u003c/a>, sending them and their families real and AI-generated nude images. In one instance, he made a deepfake video showing an adult victim in a sex act with her father, which he then sent to her coworkers, according to court records. Strahler also threatened victims with further exposure unless they complied with his demands, a pattern documented by text messages, voicemails, and online activity.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The Take It Down Act, championed by first lady \u003cstrong>Melania Trump\u003c/strong> as part of her “Be Best” initiative, requires online platforms to remove reported nonconsensual imagery within 48 hours. The law passed Congress with near-unanimous support and allows for penalties of up to three years in prison for offenses involving minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>First lady Melania Trump stated, "I am proud to have worked with Congress to provide U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II with a strong legal mechanism to protect innocent victims from cybercrimes of this nature," emphasizing the administration’s commitment to addressing the rise of AI-assisted exploitation.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported over 1.5 million tips related to AI and child sexual exploitation in 2025, highlighting the growing scale of the issue. Investigators say Strahler’s case began with reports to local police before escalating to the FBI and the Maryland AI and Synthetic Media Threats Task Force.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Strahler, who was arrested in June 2025, now awaits sentencing before U.S. District Judge \u003cstrong>Sarah D. Morrison\u003c/strong>. He faces up to three years in federal prison for offenses involving minors. The Department of Justice said it will continue to use new laws like the Take It Down Act to pursue those who use synthetic media to harm others.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”}],”canonical_url”:”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-ohio-man-is-1st-person-convicted-under-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes/”,”cuser”:”user/ldap/cccnyc1wjg”,”enable_featured_widget”:true,”exclusion”:{“tags”:[]},”external_url”:””,”fb_allow_comments”:true,”featured_widget”:{“country”:””,”id”:””,”kind”:””,”related_id”:””},”feed_content_id”:””,”feed_partner_content”:false,”feed_permalink”:””,”feed_type”:””,”feed_vendor”:””,”include_recommendations”:true,”include_video_monetization”:true,”is_sponsored”:false,”keywords”:[“keywords/ai-assisted”],”permalink”:”https://wflanews.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-ohio-man-is-1st-person-convicted-under-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes/”,”primary_image”:{“bucket”:”assets.getty”,”id”:”%2F69c41d8e1f925eb5ccc149f8″},”primary_target”:{“categories”:[“categories/national-news”],”distribution”:[“brands/iHeartRadio”]},”publish_date”:1775677440000,”publish_end_date”:4115978604802,”publish_origin”:”brands/iHeartRadio”,”seo_title”:””,”show_updated_timestamp”:false,”simplereach_enabled”:false,”slug”:”2026-04-08-ohio-man-is-1st-person-convicted-under-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes”,”social_title”:””,”summary”:”James Strahler II, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visuals involving minors, and publishing digital forgeries—known as AI-created deepfakes—targeting both adults and children.”,”targets”:[{“categories”:[“categories/national-news”],”distribution”:[“facets/All Sites – English”]},{“categories”:[“syndications/apple-news”],”distribution”:[]},{“categories”:[“syndications/news”],”distribution”:[]}],”title”:”Ohio Man Is 1st Person Convicted Under Law Criminalizing Intimate Deepfakes”},”slug”:”2026-04-08-ohio-man-is-1st-person-convicted-under-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes”,”summary”:{“image”:”https://i.iheart.com/v3/re/assets.getty/69c41d8e1f925eb5ccc149f8″,”title”:”Ohio Man Is 1st Person Convicted Under Law Criminalizing Intimate Deepfakes”,”description”:”James Strahler II, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visuals involving minors, and publishing digital forgeries—known as AI-created deepfakes—targeting both adults and children.”,”author”:”iHeartRadio”},”pub_start”:1775677440000,”pub_until”:4115978604802,”pub_changed”:1775677807727,”subscription”:[{“tags”:[“categories/national-news”,”brands/iHeartRadio”]},{“tags”:[“categories/national-news”,”facets/All Sites – English”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/apple-news”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/news”]}],”exclusion”:[{“tags”:[]}],”linksData”:[],”lookup”:[“publish_origin:brands/iHeartRadio”,”id:/69d6b08cd3c8de07dc1d87b3″,”slug:2026-04-08-ohio-man-is-1st-person-convicted-under-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes”,”slug:2026-04-08-ohio-man-is-1st-person-convicted-under-law-criminalizing-intimate-deepfakes”,”keyword:keywords/ai-assisted”,”author:user”]}},{“id”:”%2F69d6a359d3c8de07dc1d87a8″,”type”:”PUBLISHING”,”record”:{“ref_id”:”%2F69d6a359d3c8de07dc1d87a8″,”type”:”content”,”payload”:{“amp_enabled”:true,”apple_news”:{“ref_id”:”1743d554-403e-4b53-9626-f48b25618800″,”revision_id”:”AAAAAAAAAAD//////////w==”},”author”:”iHeartRadio”,”blocks”:[{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”ohembed”,”@query”:”template”,”@url”:”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer”,”author_name”:””,”author_url”:””,”height”:”300″,”html”:”\u003ciframe allow=\”autoplay\” width=\”100%\” height=\”300\” frameborder=\”0\” style=\”border: 0;\” src=\”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer\” frameborder=\”0\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider_name”:”ohembed”,”thumbnail_height”:0,”thumbnail_url”:””,”thumbnail_width”:0,”title”:””,”type”:”rich”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:”100%”},”embed_type”:”rich”,”html”:”\u003ciframe allow=\”autoplay\” width=\”100%\” height=\”300\” frameborder=\”0\” style=\”border: 0;\” src=\”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer\” frameborder=\”0\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider”:”ohembed”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer”},{“attributes”:{“mimetype”:”image/jpeg”,”type”:”image”},”bucket”:”assets.getty”,”caption”:”RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK – APRIL 8: Rex A. Heuermann pleads guilty in court on Wednesday to the murders of eight women during a 17-year killing spree on April 8, 2026 in Riverhead, New York. Heuermann, the 62-year-old man accused of being the Gilgo Beach serial killer, pleaded guilty to killing seven women mentioned in the indictment and admitted the killing of an eighth victim (Photo by James Carbone – Pool/Getty Images)”,”id”:”%2F69d6a3aa6490dfdbff6903a5″,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”Pool / Getty Images News / Getty Images”,”title”:”Gilgo Beach Killer Suspect Rex Heuermann To Reportedly Plead Guilty To Murders”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rex Heuermann\u003c/strong>, a former New York City architect, \u003ca href=\”https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gilgo-beach-serial-killer-suspect-rex-heuermann-expected-plead-guilty-rcna266547\” target=\”_blank\”>pleaded guilty Wednesday (April 8) to murdering eight women\u003c/a> in the notorious Gilgo Beach serial killings that haunted Long Island for nearly two decades. The plea was entered in a Suffolk County courtroom packed with relatives of victims, law enforcement, and the media, marking a significant development in one of New York’s most chilling unsolved cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Heuermann, 62, admitted to killing \u003cstrong>Melissa Barthelemy\u003c/strong>, \u003cstrong>Megan Waterman\u003c/strong>, \u003cstrong>Amber Costello\u003c/strong>, \u003cstrong>Sandra Costilla\u003c/strong>, \u003cstrong>Valerie Mack\u003c/strong>, \u003cstrong>Jessica Taylor\u003c/strong>, \u003cstrong>Maureen Brainard-Barnes\u003c/strong>, and, as part of his plea deal, intentionally causing the death of \u003cstrong>Karen Vergata\u003c/strong>. Prosecutors said he strangled the women between 1993 and 2010, then left their bodies near Gilgo Beach and other parts of Long Island.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>In exchange for his guilty plea, Heuermann will not face additional charges for Vergata’s murder, but must cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation moving forward. Judge \u003cstrong>Timothy Mazzei\u003c/strong> confirmed Heuermann’s understanding of the plea agreement, including waiving his right to appeal or go to trial. Heuermann is expected to \u003ca href=\”https://nypost.com/2026/04/08/us-news/gilgo-beach-slayings-expected-to-end-with-accused-serial-killer-rex-heuermanns-guilty-plea/\” target=\”_blank\”>receive three consecutive life sentences plus four consecutive sentences of 25 years-to-life\u003c/a>, with no possibility of parole.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The courtroom atmosphere was tense and emotional, with some victims’ family members seen quietly sobbing as Heuermann answered yes or no to each charge. \u003cstrong>Asa Ellerup\u003c/strong>, Heuermann’s ex-wife, and their daughter attended the hearing. Afterward, \u003ca href=\”https://abcnews.com/US/gilgo-beach-serial-killer-suspect-rex-heuermann-returning/story?id=131759998\” target=\”_blank\”>Ellerup said, "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims\u003c/a> and their families. Their loss is immeasurable," according to \u003cem>ABC News\u003c/em>. Her attorney emphasized that she and her daughter were not involved in the crimes and that prosecutors had found the murders happened while the family was away from home.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors detailed how the investigation identified Heuermann as a suspect in 2022, using a tip about his distinctive Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck, burner phones, and DNA evidence from hair found on victims and pizza crust discarded by Heuermann. Authorities said he planned the murders in "excruciating detail," kept guides on how to carry out the crimes, and used aliases to contact his victims.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorney \u003cstrong>Michael Brown\u003c/strong> stated the decision to plead guilty and cooperate with the FBI was entirely Heuermann’s, and that admitting guilt offered him "a huge sense of relief." Heuermann is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, June 17.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The plea agreement closes the chapter on a case that eluded investigators for years, but authorities say Heuermann will continue to cooperate with federal agents as they seek to learn more about his actions and potentially identify any additional victims.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”}],”canonical_url”:”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-rex-heuermann-admits-to-murdering-8-women-in-gilgo-beach-serial-killings/”,”cuser”:”user/ldap/cccnyc1wjg”,”enable_featured_widget”:true,”exclusion”:{“tags”:[]},”external_url”:””,”fb_allow_comments”:true,”featured_widget”:{“country”:””,”id”:””,”kind”:””,”related_id”:””},”feed_content_id”:””,”feed_partner_content”:false,”feed_permalink”:””,”feed_type”:””,”feed_vendor”:””,”include_recommendations”:true,”include_video_monetization”:true,”is_sponsored”:false,”keywords”:[“keywords/ai-assisted”],”permalink”:”https://wflanews.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-rex-heuermann-admits-to-murdering-8-women-in-gilgo-beach-serial-killings/”,”primary_image”:{“bucket”:”assets.getty”,”id”:”%2F69d6a3aa6490dfdbff6903a5″},”primary_target”:{“categories”:[“categories/national-news”],”distribution”:[“brands/iHeartRadio”]},”publish_date”:1775677140000,”publish_end_date”:4115978604802,”publish_origin”:”brands/iHeartRadio”,”seo_title”:””,”show_updated_timestamp”:false,”simplereach_enabled”:false,”slug”:”2026-04-08-rex-heuermann-admits-to-murdering-8-women-in-gilgo-beach-serial-killings”,”social_title”:””,”summary”:”Prosecutors said he strangled the women between 1993 and 2010, then left their bodies near Gilgo Beach and other parts of Long Island.”,”targets”:[{“categories”:[“categories/national-news”],”distribution”:[“facets/All Sites – English”]},{“categories”:[“syndications/apple-news”],”distribution”:[]},{“categories”:[“syndications/news”],”distribution”:[]}],”title”:”Rex Heuermann Admits To Murdering 8 Women In Gilgo Beach Serial Killings”},”slug”:”2026-04-08-rex-heuermann-admits-to-murdering-8-women-in-gilgo-beach-serial-killings”,”summary”:{“image”:”https://i.iheart.com/v3/re/assets.getty/69d6a3aa6490dfdbff6903a5″,”title”:”Rex Heuermann Admits To Murdering 8 Women In Gilgo Beach Serial Killings”,”description”:”Prosecutors said he strangled the women between 1993 and 2010, then left their bodies near Gilgo Beach and other parts of Long Island.”,”author”:”iHeartRadio”},”pub_start”:1775677140000,”pub_until”:4115978604802,”pub_changed”:1775677517396,”subscription”:[{“tags”:[“categories/national-news”,”brands/iHeartRadio”]},{“tags”:[“categories/national-news”,”facets/All Sites – English”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/apple-news”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/news”]}],”exclusion”:[{“tags”:[]}],”linksData”:[],”lookup”:[“publish_origin:brands/iHeartRadio”,”id:/69d6a359d3c8de07dc1d87a8″,”slug:2026-04-08-rex-heuermann-admits-to-murdering-8-women-in-gilgo-beach-serial-killings”,”slug:2026-04-08-rex-heuermann-admits-to-murdering-8-women-in-gilgo-beach-serial-killings”,”keyword:keywords/ai-assisted”,”author:user”]}},{“id”:”%2F69d6a8f135aa28efe0ed2416″,”type”:”PUBLISHING”,”record”:{“ref_id”:”%2F69d6a8f135aa28efe0ed2416″,”type”:”content”,”payload”:{“amp_enabled”:true,”apple_news”:null,”author”:”Joel Malkin”,”blocks”:[{“attributes”:{“mimetype”:”image/jpeg”,”type”:”image”},”bucket”:”new_assets”,”caption”:”Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General, talks to the media during a meeting to prevent human trafficking at Fontainbleu Miami Beach, in Miami Beach on January 9, 2020. – Every year, the American football season ends with the vast spectacle of the Super Bo”,”id”:”%2F6047b4e109f053dcbc11a5f2″,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”AFP”,”title”:”US-NFL-SLAVERY-POLICE-FOORBALL”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>Florida’s junior U.S. Senator continues to push for the passage of the SAVE America Act. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>"I firmly believe that with everything we are seeing, not here in Florida, but in many other states we have got to ensure that American citizens are the only ones voting in American elections."\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Ashley Moody and fellow Florida Senator Rick Scott are co-sponsors of the bill that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and legal I.D. at the polls. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>She wants Congress to end the Easter recess, which is set to run through Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>"I keep pushing for all of us to be back up in Washington right now, along with some of my very dedicated colleagues, and I thank them for that."\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Moody says that’s not just to pass the SAVE Act, but also to fund the Department of Homeland Security, while a partial government shutdown continues.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”},{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”YouTube”,”@query”:”https://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=json&omit_script=true&omitscript=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Da0J8c3lsz-o”,”@url”:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0J8c3lsz-o”,”author_name”:”CBS 12 News – WPEC”,”author_url”:”https://www.youtube.com/@CBS12NewsWPEC”,”height”:113,”html”:”\u003ciframe width=\”200\” height=\”113\” src=\”https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0J8c3lsz-o?feature=oembed\” frameborder=\”0\” allow=\”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\” referrerpolicy=\”strict-origin-when-cross-origin\” allowfullscreen title=\”Senator Moody to make campaign announcement in West Palm Beach\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider_name”:”YouTube”,”provider_url”:”https://www.youtube.com/”,”thumbnail_height”:360,”thumbnail_url”:”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a0J8c3lsz-o/hqdefault.jpg”,”thumbnail_width”:480,”title”:”Senator Moody to make campaign announcement in West Palm Beach”,”type”:”video”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:200},”embed_type”:”video”,”html”:”\u003ciframe width=\”200\” height=\”113\” src=\”https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0J8c3lsz-o?feature=oembed\” frameborder=\”0\” allow=\”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\” referrerpolicy=\”strict-origin-when-cross-origin\” allowfullscreen title=\”Senator Moody to make campaign announcement in West Palm Beach\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider”:”YouTube”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0J8c3lsz-o”},{“html”:”\u003cp>Moody was in West Palm Beach, accepting the endorsement of the statewide Police Benevolent Association this morning as she runs for election to a full term in the seat to which she was appointed by Governor DeSantis last year. \u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”}],”canonical_url”:”https://wiod.iheart.com/featured/florida-news/content/2026-04-08-watch-sen-ashley-moody-in-wpb-pushes-for-passage-of-save-act/”,”cuser”:”user/ldap/CCRPBI2JXM”,”enable_featured_widget”:true,”exclusion”:{“tags”:[]},”external_url”:””,”fb_allow_comments”:true,”featured_widget”:{“country”:””,”id”:””,”kind”:””,”related_id”:””},”feed_content_id”:””,”feed_partner_content”:false,”feed_permalink”:””,”feed_type”:””,”feed_vendor”:””,”include_recommendations”:true,”include_video_monetization”:true,”is_sponsored”:false,”keywords”:[],”permalink”:”https://wflanews.iheart.com/featured/florida-news/content/2026-04-08-watch-sen-ashley-moody-in-wpb-pushes-for-passage-of-save-act/”,”primary_image”:{“bucket”:”new_assets”,”id”:”%2F6047b4e109f053dcbc11a5f2″},”primary_target”:{“categories”:[“categories/local-news”],”distribution”:[“brands/Florida News”,”facets/South Florida News”,”facets/North Florida News”,”brands/WIOD-AM (1175)”,”facets/Central 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Ashley Moody In WPB, Pushes For Passage Of SAVE Act”},”slug”:”2026-04-08-watch-sen-ashley-moody-in-wpb-pushes-for-passage-of-save-act”,”summary”:{“image”:”https://i.iheart.com/v3/re/new_assets/6047b4e109f053dcbc11a5f2″,”title”:”WATCH: Sen. Ashley Moody In WPB, Pushes For Passage Of SAVE Act”,”description”:”Moody was in West Palm Beach, accepting the endorsement of the statewide Police Benevolent Association this morning.”,”author”:”Joel Malkin”},”pub_start”:1775675520000,”pub_until”:4115978604802,”pub_changed”:1775675851964,”subscription”:[{“tags”:[“categories/local-news”,”brands/Florida News”,”facets/South Florida News”,”facets/North Florida News”,”brands/WIOD-AM (1175)”,”facets/Central Florida News”,”brands/WFLA-AM (1139)”]},{“tags”:[“categories/local-news”,”brands/Florida News”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/news”]}],”exclusion”:[{“tags”:[]}],”linksData”:[],”lookup”:[“publish_origin:brands/Florida News”,”id:/69d6a8f135aa28efe0ed2416″,”slug:2026-04-08-watch-sen-ashley-moody-in-wpb-pushes-for-passage-of-save-act”,”slug:2026-04-08-watch-sen-ashley-moody-in-wpb-pushes-for-passage-of-save-act”,”author:user”]}},{“id”:”%2F69d69d519d41ae1c91378d18″,”type”:”PUBLISHING”,”record”:{“ref_id”:”%2F69d69d519d41ae1c91378d18″,”type”:”content”,”payload”:{“amp_enabled”:true,”apple_news”:{“ref_id”:”4b8eefb1-5589-4e75-bfe3-dfd967a3abfc”,”revision_id”:”AAAAAAAAAAD//////////w==”},”author”:”Jason Hall”,”blocks”:[{“id”:”4732″,”kind”:”station”,”related_id”:””,”schedule”:{},”type”:”catalog”},{“attributes”:{“mimetype”:”image/jpeg”,”type”:”image”},”bucket”:”new_assets”,”caption”:”MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers raises the National Championship Trophy after Indiana defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on “,”id”:”%2F69736d2d45086db49c2a6f79″,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”Getty Images”,”title”:”College Football Playoff National Championship: Miami v Indiana”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>Former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback and projected No. 1 overall pick \u003ca href=\”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-01-23-fernando-mendoza-announces-decision-on-future/\” target=\”_blank\”>\u003cstrong>Fernando Mendoza\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> reportedly won’t attend the \u003ca href=\”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-01-04-team-with-first-pick-in-2026-nfl-draft-determined/\” target=\”_blank\”>2026 NFL Draft\u003c/a>, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to \u003ca href=\”https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48421461/sources-fernando-mendoza-not-planning-attend-nfl-draft\” target=\”_blank\”>\u003cem>ESPN\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\”https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48421461/sources-fernando-mendoza-not-planning-attend-nfl-draft\” target=\”_blank\”>’s \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\”https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48421461/sources-fernando-mendoza-not-planning-attend-nfl-draft\” target=\”_blank\”>\u003cstrong>Adam Schefter\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> on Wednesday (April 7).\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza, 22, reportedly informed the league that he plans to share his draft day experience with his family in Miami, according to the sources. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion announced his decision to enter the 2026 NFL Draft in a video shared on his social media accounts on January 23.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>"Coming to Indiana was a leap of faith, a leap that led me to go 16-0 with my boys and a national championship," Mendoza said in the video. "And has now led me here, the moment where I get to dream bigger. Thank you to my family, the teammates that pushed me, the coaches that took a chance on me, it’s only with your support and the glory of God that I’m here today. With trust in my foundation and gratitude for every person that has helped me reach this moment. I’m ready to take the next step. My LinkedIn has is now ‘open to work’ and I’m officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft."\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”},{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”Instagram”,”@query”:”https://graph.facebook.com/v23.0/instagram_oembed?access_token=121897277851831%7CB5Jm6zMX5ynaMiun755Y_feWNSc&format=json&omit_script=true&omitscript=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDT2jcuRAJud%2F”,”@url”:”https://www.instagram.com/p/DT2jcuRAJud/”,”author_name”:””,”author_url”:””,”html”:”\u003cblockquote class=\”instagram-media\” data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT2jcuRAJud/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\” data-instgrm-version=\”14\” style=\” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);\”>\u003cdiv style=\”padding:16px;\”> \u003ca href=\”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT2jcuRAJud/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\” style=\” background:#FFFFFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\”>View this post on Instagram\u003c/div>\u003c/div>\u003cdiv style=\”padding: 12.5% 0;\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\”display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\”>\u003cdiv> \u003cdiv style=\”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\”background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\”>\u003c/div>\u003c/div>\u003cdiv style=\”margin-left: 8px;\”> \u003cdiv style=\” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\”>\u003c/div>\u003c/div>\u003cdiv style=\”margin-left: auto;\”> \u003cdiv style=\” width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\” background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\”>\u003c/div>\u003c/div>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\”display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\”> \u003cdiv style=\” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\”>\u003c/div> \u003cdiv style=\” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\”>\u003c/div>\u003c/div>\u003c/a>\u003c/div>\u003c/blockquote>”,”provider”:”Instagram”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.instagram.com/p/DT2jcuRAJud/”},{“html”:”\u003cp>Mendoza announced his decision to transfer from the University of California to Indiana in December 2024 and went on to have one of the most decorated seasons in college football history during his lone year in Bloomington. The redshirt junior threw for 3,535 yards, an NCAA-best 41 touchdowns and six interceptions on 273 of 379 passing in 2025, winning the national title and a slew of individual awards including the Heisman Trophy, College Football Playoff MVP, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award, \u003cem>Associated Press \u003c/em>College Football Player of the Year and Big Ten Most Valuable Player and being selected as a consensus All-American in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with majority owner \u003cstrong>Mark Davis\u003c/strong> and minority owner \u003ca href=\”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-01-20-tom-brady-influencer-both-attend-national-championship-amid-dating-rumors/\” target=\”_blank\”>\u003cstrong>Tom Brady\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> having attended the College Football Playoff National Championship Game amid Mendoza being projected as the top prospect. The 2026 NFL Draft will air live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from April 23 to April 25.\u003c/p>\n\n”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”html”}],”canonical_url”:”https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-fernando-mendozas-draft-day-decision-revealed/”,”cuser”:”user/ldap/1129279″,”enable_featured_widget”:true,”exclusion”:{“tags”:[]},”external_url”:””,”fb_allow_comments”:true,”featured_widget”:{“country”:””,”id”:””,”kind”:””,”related_id”:””},”feed_content_id”:””,”feed_partner_content”:false,”feed_permalink”:””,”feed_type”:””,”feed_vendor”:””,”include_recommendations”:true,”include_video_monetization”:true,”is_sponsored”:false,”keywords”:[“keywords/Fernando Mendoza”,”keywords/sources”,”keywords/NFL Draft”,”keywords/leap”,”keywords/Draft day decision”,”keywords/NFL”,”keywords/Las Vegas Raiders”,”keywords/Indiana Hoosiers”],”permalink”:”https://wflanews.iheart.com/content/2026-04-08-fernando-mendozas-draft-day-decision-revealed/”,”primary_image”:{“bucket”:”new_assets”,”id”:”%2F69736d2d45086db49c2a6f79″},”primary_target”:{“categories”:[“categories/sports”],”distribution”:[“facets/All Sites – English”]},”publish_date”:1775672760000,”publish_end_date”:4115978604802,”publish_origin”:”brands/iHeartRadio”,”seo_title”:””,”show_updated_timestamp”:false,”simplereach_enabled”:false,”slug”:”2026-04-08-fernando-mendozas-draft-day-decision-revealed”,”social_title”:””,”summary”:”Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza’s draft day decision has been revealed.”,”targets”:[{“categories”:[“categories/sports”],”distribution”:[“sports-leagues/NFL”,”sports-teams/Indiana Hoosiers (NCAAF)”,”sports-teams/Las Vegas Raiders (NFL)”]},{“categories”:[“syndications/apple-news”],”distribution”:[]},{“categories”:[“syndications/news”],”distribution”:[]}],”title”:”Fernando Mendoza’s Draft Day Decision Revealed”},”slug”:”2026-04-08-fernando-mendozas-draft-day-decision-revealed”,”summary”:{“image”:”https://i.iheart.com/v3/re/new_assets/69736d2d45086db49c2a6f79″,”title”:”Fernando Mendoza’s Draft Day Decision Revealed”,”description”:”Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza’s draft day decision has been revealed.”,”author”:”Jason Hall”},”pub_start”:1775672760000,”pub_until”:4115978604802,”pub_changed”:1775673158869,”subscription”:[{“tags”:[“categories/sports”,”facets/All Sites – English”]},{“tags”:[“categories/sports”,”sports-leagues/NFL”,”sports-teams/Indiana Hoosiers (NCAAF)”,”sports-teams/Las Vegas Raiders (NFL)”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/apple-news”]},{“tags”:[“syndications/news”]}],”exclusion”:[{“tags”:[]}],”linksData”:[],”lookup”:[“publish_origin:brands/iHeartRadio”,”id:/69d69d519d41ae1c91378d18″,”slug:2026-04-08-fernando-mendozas-draft-day-decision-revealed”,”slug:2026-04-08-fernando-mendozas-draft-day-decision-revealed”,”keyword:keywords/Fernando Mendoza”,”keyword:keywords/sources”,”keyword:keywords/NFL Draft”,”keyword:keywords/leap”,”keyword:keywords/Draft day decision”,”keyword:keywords/NFL”,”keyword:keywords/Las Vegas Raiders”,”keyword:keywords/Indiana Hoosiers”,”author:user”]}},{“id”:”%2F69d6994cd3c8de07dc1d879d”,”type”:”PUBLISHING”,”record”:{“ref_id”:”%2F69d6994cd3c8de07dc1d879d”,”type”:”content”,”payload”:{“amp_enabled”:true,”apple_news”:{“ref_id”:”6654c6a8-da5e-4afe-9e00-a1953a8bee79″,”revision_id”:”AAAAAAAAAAD//////////w==”},”author”:”iHeartRadio”,”blocks”:[{“attributes”:{“@provider”:”ohembed”,”@query”:”template”,”@url”:”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer”,”author_name”:””,”author_url”:””,”height”:”300″,”html”:”\u003ciframe allow=\”autoplay\” width=\”100%\” height=\”300\” frameborder=\”0\” style=\”border: 0;\” src=\”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer\” frameborder=\”0\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider_name”:”ohembed”,”thumbnail_height”:0,”thumbnail_url”:””,”thumbnail_width”:0,”title”:””,”type”:”rich”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:”100%”},”embed_type”:”rich”,”html”:”\u003ciframe allow=\”autoplay\” width=\”100%\” height=\”300\” frameborder=\”0\” style=\”border: 0;\” src=\”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer\” frameborder=\”0\”>\u003c/iframe>”,”provider”:”ohembed”,”rendering_hint”:”default”,”schedule”:{},”type”:”embed”,”url”:”https://www.iheart.com/podcast/87-24-7-news-the-latest-20697776/?embed=true&keyid=EditorialPlayer”},{“attributes”:{“mimetype”:”image/jpeg”,”type”:”image”},”bucket”:”assets.getty”,”caption”:”School but on railroad tracks dangerous situation”,”id”:”%2F69d69a235edd5215183552ba”,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”felixmizioznikov / iStock / Getty Images”,”title”:”School but on railroad tracks dangerous situation”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>A Florida \u003ca href=\”https://www.wesh.com/article/driver-school-bus-hit-train-sumter-child-neglect/70944617\” target=\”_blank\”>school bus driver has been arrested and charged with 29 felony counts of child neglect\u003c/a> after a train clipped the rear of her bus in Bushnell, Sumter County. According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Yvonne Hampton was transporting 29 children and two adults when she allegedly drove through a railroad crossing after warning lights had activated and crossing arms had begun to descend.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Investigators reviewed video and audio from inside the bus. The footage reportedly captured \u003ca href=\”https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2026/04/07/driver-of-sumter-school-bus-hit-by-train-faces-culpable-negligence-charges\” target=\”_blank\”>a voice believed to be Hampton’s saying, "not gonna stop for no train,"\u003c/a> before the collision occurred. Deputies said Hampton later told them she was already crossing the tracks when the warning system turned on, but video evidence contradicted her account.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Sheriff \u003cstrong>Pat Breeden\u003c/strong> stated, "The bus driver made poor decisions that could have resulted in the death of 29 children and one adult." He credited his deputies and school officials for their cooperation and swift investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>No injuries were reported among the students or staff, according to a statement from \u003cstrong>Logan Brown\u003c/strong>, superintendent of the Sumter County School District. Superintendent Brown added, "Student safety is our top priority, and we are incredibly thankful that everyone is safe." He also thanked first responders and school administrators for their quick actions following the crash.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Hampton, who had worked for the school district for more than a decade, was \u003ca href=\”https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/school-bus-driver-busted-after-train-clips-packed-vehicle-at-crossing/\” target=\”_blank\”>fired on the day of the incident\u003c/a>. She appeared before a judge on Tuesday (April 7), facing charges of culpable negligence, reckless driving, and 29 counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. Her bond was set at $30,000, and she was released from the Sumter County jail that evening.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The school district has since removed the crossing from its bus routes and is reviewing its hiring process for drivers. 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Planning budget and calculating expenses. Managing taxes and financial bills. Wealth management. Digital banking habits. Smart banking with technology”,”id”:”%2F696f705ae570d049118eeae6″,”new_tab”:false,”schedule”:{},”source_credit”:”d3sign / Moment / Getty Images”,”title”:”Cropped shot of young Asian woman handling personal banking and finance with laptop at home. Planning budget and calculating expenses. Managing taxes and financial bills. Wealth management. Digital banking habits. Smart banking with technology”,”type”:”asset”,”url”:””,”use_caption”:false},{“html”:”\u003cp>The Internal Revenue Service \u003ca href=\”https://abcnews.com/GMA/News/irs-warns-ai-tax-collection-scams-ahead-tax/story?id=131834976\” target=\”_blank\”>(IRS) is warning Americans to be on high alert for artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tax scams\u003c/a> as Tax Day draws near. The agency’s annual “Dirty Dozen” list for 2026 highlights a surge in AI-generated robocalls, deepfakes, and impersonation tactics designed to steal personal and financial information from taxpayers, according to the IRS and tax experts.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>Criminals are \u003ca href=\”https://www.lasher.com/the-2026-irs-dirty-dozen-tax-scams-getting-smarter-and-how-to-stay-protected/\” target=\”_blank\”>increasingly using sophisticated tools, such as AI-driven voice cloning\u003c/a> and fake emails, to pose as IRS officials. These scams often involve urgent phone calls, texts, emails, or social media messages that appear legitimate but are meant to trick people into sharing Social Security numbers, bank account details, or IRS account credentials. Scammers may use spoofed caller IDs and QR codes to make their messages seem credible.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The IRS stresses that it almost always initiates contact by mail, not aggressive phone calls or digital messages demanding immediate payment. The agency also warns that it will never threaten arrest or demand payment using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. If a taxpayer receives a suspicious message or call, the IRS advises hanging up immediately and reporting the incident to \u003ca href=\”mailto:phishing@irs.gov\” target=\”_blank\”>phishing@irs.gov\u003c/a> or verifying the contact through official channels. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>The 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list also \u003ca href=\”https://creativeplanning.com/insights/taxes/irs-dirty-dozen-tax-scams/\” target=\”_blank\”>warns against misleading tax advice shared on social media\u003c/a> and through AI-generated content, which can lead to filing errors, refund delays, audits, and penalties. Other scams target charitable donations, offer fake tax credits, and encourage inflated deductions or withholding amounts. The IRS recommends only seeking tax advice from trusted professionals and verified sources, not viral videos or unverified online posts.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>As AI technology evolves, tax scams are becoming more convincing and harder to spot. Taxpayers are urged to set up IRS accounts only through \u003ca href=\”https://www.irs.gov/\” target=\”_blank\”>IRS.gov\u003c/a>, enable multi-factor authentication, and use strong, unique passwords. Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a scam should act quickly and consult a qualified tax professional.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003cp>With Tax Day approaching, the IRS continues to remind the public that vigilance and careful verification remain the best defense against these evolving threats. 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