DETROIT (AP) — Seven major automakers say they’re joining forces to build a North American electric vehicle charging network that would rival Tesla’s and nearly double the number of fast-charging plugs in the U.S. and Canada.

General Motors, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes and Stellantis said Wednesday that they will share in a multibillion-dollar investment to build “high power” charging stations with 30,000 plugs in urban areas and along travel corridors.

The dramatic move is intended to speed the adoption of electric vehicles, allaying fears that chargers won’t be available for long distance travel.

The companies wouldn’t disclose the exact number of charging stations or financial details of the joint venture they’re forming to put the network in place. While they said the first of the U.S. chargers will be ready by next summer, they also would not say how long it will take to build the entire network.

The automakers said in a joint statement Wednesday that they want to build the “leading network” of reliable high-powered charging stations in North America.

“The parties have agreed not to disclose specific investment numbers at this time, but the seven founding automakers intend to work as equals to ensure the success of the joint venture,” the companies said in a written statement answering questions from The Associated Press. “As you can imagine, such a high-powered charging network of this scale requires a multibillion-dollar investment.”

There are currently just under 8,700 direct-current fast-charging stations in the U.S. and Canada with nearly 36,000 charging plugs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Fast chargers can get a battery to 80% of its capacity in 20 minutes to one hour, making them optimal for travel corridors and in some cases comparable to a gasoline fill-up. They’re much quicker than 240-volt “Level 2” chargers that can take hours to get a battery to a full charge.

The new network is expected to have 10 to 20 charging plugs per station, meaning there would be a minimum of 1,500 stations and a maximum of about 3,000.

Tesla’s network, with the largest number of fast chargers in North America, has 2,050 stations and more than 22,000 plugs in the U.S. and Canada, the DOE says.

The network formed by the seven automakers would be public and open to all electric vehicle owners. It will have connectors for both Tesla’s North American Charging Standard plugs as well as the Combined Charging System plugs used by other automakers.

The network will speed up electric vehicle sales in North America by getting people who now are reading stories about holes in the charging network that prevent long-distance travel, said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with S&P Global Mobility.

“It’s stopping them even from exploring what EV life is like,” Brinley said. The announcement of the network “is giving them confidence that this is going to work out.”

In their statement, the seven automakers said they would use renewable energy as much as possible to power the chargers, and they will be in convenient locations with canopies and amenities such as restrooms, food service and stores nearby.

Brinley said a good charging experience is key to earning the trust of potential EV buyers. “The reality is consumers want to feel comfortable when they charge,” she said.

It will take years and billions of dollars to build out the network, which will need special electrical wiring, Brinley said.

The current charging network, being built by a hodgepodge of companies, is growing but is often unreliable or in poor locations. This has prompted Ford, General Motors and others to sign agreements with Tesla to give their EVs access to its much larger network of fast chargers. Automakers also have announced they’re building their own networks, but Brinley said the moves weren’t enough.

She also doesn’t see the automakers’ announcement as a threat to Tesla. “I think the reality is this is needed, and these automakers are getting together to say ‘we need this’” she said. “Tesla can’t build enough for everyone.”

The automakers will seek to use U.S. government funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law to help pay for the network.

“This joint venture will be a critical step in accelerating EV adoption across the U.S. and Canada, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in a statement.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the network is a response to significant growth that’s expected in electric vehicle sales, and the group intends to exceed customer expectations. “We believe that a charging network at scale is vital to protecting freedom of mobility for all,” he said.

What a year! Here’s a look at the standout athletes and state champions from the 2022-23 year in high school sports, compiled by the 757Teamz staff:

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Male Athlete of the Year

David Anderson, Kecoughtan

Anderson started his senior year in football, earning first-team All-Tidewater as a two-way starting lineman. He collected 16 sacks and was an all-state first-team pick on defense and a second-team selection on offense. In the winter, he won the Class 5 indoor state title in the shot put by nearly nine feet and capped his senior year by winning the state outdoor title in both the shot put and discus as Kecoughtan won the program’s first track and field state title. He will play football for Duke.

Runner-up

Lake Taylor’s Elijah Washington, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 43 receptions for 877 yards and 16 touchdowns in football and averaged 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in basketball.

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Female Athlete of the Year

Madison Whyte, Heritage

White picked up where she left off after her junior year – when she was the Pilot and Daily Press Female Athlete of the Year. As a senior, White swept the 100-, 200- and 400-meter runs at the Class 4 meet to lead the Hurricanes to a share of the team state title. She also ran a state-record time of 22.81 seconds in the 200 – third nationally this season among high school girls. Her 52.49-second 400 ranked fourth nationally. White, signed with Southern California, was the Gatorade Virginia Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Runner-up

York’s Ashley Hunt earned first-team all-state honors in volleyball after helping the Falcons rally to knock off previously undefeated Hidden Valley for the Class 3 state title. Hunt averaged 22.5 points per game in basketball, surpassing 1,000 career points, and in soccer she repeated as a first-team all-state goalkeeper and scored 13 goals.

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Coach of the Year

Craig Powers, Kellam boys soccer

Powers led the Knights to the program’s first state championship, finishing with a 20-0 record and landing at No. 3 in the final MaxPreps national poll. Kellam’s 1-0 win over Lewis for the Class 6 state title was the team’s eighth straight shutout, and the Knights permitted just five goals all season.

Runner-up

Woodside’s Stefan Welsh won two boys basketball state championships as a player, and this year he won a third as the coach at his alma mater. The Wolverines caught fire in time for the playoffs, winning their final 10 games and beating Patrick Henry of Roanoke for the Class 5 title.

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Play of the Year

WHAT. A. FINISH. Woodside 54, Patrick Henry 52. FINAL. Wolverines’ Christian Greenlaw wins it at the buzzer. pic.twitter.com/ODYpF3poFP

— 757Teamz (@757teamz) March 11, 2023

Woodside’s buzzer-beater for the state title

Woodside grabbed a rebound, went the length of the court and missed the potential game-winning shot. Until Christian Greenlaw grabbed the rebound and hurriedly tossed up a reverse layup in a 54-52 win over Patrick Henry for the Class 5 boys basketball championship.

“I just knew I had to go get it and finish up for the game,” said Greenlaw, who finished with six points and four rebounds. “I knew we didn’t have enough time, so I just put it up, and somehow it went in, and now we’re state champions, baby.”

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State champs!

Fall

Phoebus football (Class 3): Despite the absence of injured all-state QB Nolan James, the Phantoms capped a 15-0 season with a 48-7 win over Heritage of Lynchburg. Jayden Early threw for 236 yards and TD passes of 82 and 75 yards to Jordan Bass, who also returned an interception 83 yards for a score.

Cox girls field hockey (Class 5): Addie Froehlich and Sophia Burch scored goals as the Falcons shut out Nansemond River 2-0 to capture the program’s 24th state title — no Virginia team has won more — and fifth consecutive crown.

Great Bridge field hockey (Class 4): Greyson Curth and Lily Johnson scored in the Wildcats’ three-peat — the program’s fifth state title since 2016 — with a 2-0 win over Courtland.

Tabb field hockey (Class 3): The Tigers were repeat champs by outscoring three state opponents 18-0 and topping Bay Rivers District rival Poquoson 3-0 for the title. Kate Fiest and Mika Hilburger scored.

York girls volleyball (Class 3): Ashley Hunt and Ramsie Pittman combined for 38 kills as the Falcons won their first state title by rallying from two sets down to defeat Hidden Valley.

Winter

Woodside boys basketball (Class 5): Senior Trevor Smith scored a game-high 17 points and Christian Greenlaw scored on a reverse layup at the buzzer to help the Wolverines rally from a 16-point deficit and beat Patrick Henry of Roanoke 54-52 to win the title.

Grassfield girls indoor track (Class 6): Freshman sprinter Sophie Rambo won the 300 meters and finished runner-up in the 500 to help lead the Grizzlies to their first indoor state title.

Nansemond River girls indoor track (Class 5): Senior Jaliyah Person won the 500 meters in a meet-record time of 1:13.63, finished runner-up in the 300, tied for second in the long jump and was eighth in the triple jump as the Warriors won their seventh state title.

Princess Anne girls basketball (Class 5): Mississippi recruit Zakiya Stephenson scored 24 points as the Cavaliers (26-1) beat L.C. Bird 53-45 for the program’s ninth title in 10 seasons.

Hampton girls basketball (Class 4): George Mason signee Kennedy Harris scored 35 points as the Crabbers beat Pulaski County 75-63 to win their second title in three seasons.

Great Bridge wrestling (Class 4): Caleb Neal (138 pounds) and Noah Lawrence (175) won back-to-back state titles and Myron Nixon (132) and Aaron Turner (157) also won as the Wildcats dominated to repeat as team champion.

First Colonial girls swimming (Class 5): Kayleigh Duffy won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events and two relays — Elle Berenguer, Maris Marchione, Addy Roberts and Sara Teague in the 200 free; Berenguer, Dara Duffy, Roberts and Kayleigh Duffy in the 400 free — finished first as the Patriots won a fourth straight state championship.

Bruton girls swimming (Class 2): Maddie Hubbard and Chloe Check both won three gold medals as the Panthers claimed a second consecutive state title.

Spring

Jamestown boys soccer (Class 4): Freshman James Snead scored the winning goal with 19 minutes remaining as the Eagles (21-4) won a fifth state title by beating Smithfield 1-0 in an all-Bay Rivers District final in which goalie Caleb Nixon made several clutch saves.

Kellam boys soccer (Class 6): Freshman Jashaun Johnson scored as the Knights defeated Lewis 1-0 to cap an unbeaten season at 21-0 with the program’s first state championship.

Princess Anne boys soccer (Class 5): The Cavaliers scored three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory over defending state champion Cox in the first all-Beach District state championship game since 1997.

Cox baseball (Class 5): The Falcons won their second state title in three seasons as they upset nationally ranked Independence High of Ashburn 8-0.

Kecoughtan boys track (Class 5): David Anderson won the shot and discus, and Jaymes Saunders finished second in the high jump and third in the triple jump, 110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Jamestown girls tennis (Class 4): Julia Clark, Lauren Elliott, Emily Dahl and Scarlett Gamez won in singles as the Eagles beat Sherando for their second state title in three seasons.

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VISAA state champs

Cape Henry Collegiate baseball

Walsingham Academy baseball

Cape Henry Collegiate field hockey

Veritas School boys golf

Walsingham Academy boys cross country

StoneBridge girls cross country

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball

Greenbrier Christian Academy softball

Cape Henry Collegiate girls tennis

Norfolk Academy girls indoor track and field

Cape Henry Collegiate girls outdoor track and field

Peninsula Catholic girls volleyball

StoneBridge girls volleyball

Denbigh Baptist girls volleyball

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Star power

Athletes who made their mark during the 2022-23 school year.

Abby Adamek, Kellam softball: The junior was named Class 6 Player of the Year after pitching the Knights into the state semifinals with a 23-2 record, accumulating 235 strikeouts over 165 innings.

Jordan Bass, Phoebus football: A senior and Abe Goldblatt All-Tidewater Player of the Year, Bass led the Phantoms to a 15-0 record and second consecutive Class 3 state title with 41 touchdowns. He netted 1,535 yards receiving and scored 30 TDs, while returning four of 10 interceptions for scores.

Max Cooper, Jamestown boys soccer: The sophomore led Hampton Roads with 44 goals — 10th all-time on the VHSL’s all-time single-season list.

Leo Davis, Warhill track and field: Davis, a Hampton University recruit, ran a scintillating 800-meter leg of 1:48.75 to rally the Lions to the sprint medley relay title at the New Balance Nationals on a foursome that included Ayden Stewart, Elijah Epps and Andre Picataggi.

Kayleigh Duffy, First Colonial swimming: The junior won two events — the 50 and 100 freestyles — to lead the Patriots to a fourth straight swimming state championship.

Kate Fiest, Tabb field hockey: The senior capped a dominating two-year run, earning All-Tidewater Player of the Year honors after scoring 55 goals as the Tigers won a second straight state championship with back-to-back unbeaten seasons.

Alexis Flannigan, Warhill girls lacrosse: The senior was the only player from Hampton Roads named to the USA Lacrosse All-American team for a second consecutive season. Maury’s Noelle Searing and Courtney Pegram and Nansemond-Suffolk’s Page Henry joined her on the team.

Christian Greenlaw, Woodside football and boys basketball: The senior made the game-winning basket to lead the Wolverines to the Class 5 state title. He also was third-team All-Tidewater in both basketball and football.

Josh Haggerty, Cox golf and soccer: The junior carded a 2-under-par 68 to win the Class 5 golf championship by a stroke in the fall, then was an All-Tidewater first-team selection in soccer after helping the Falcons reach the state championship game.

Kennedy Harris, Hampton girls basketball: The sharpshooter averaged an area-high 31.5 points, scoring 35 in the Crabbers’ win over Pulaski County in the Class 4 state championship game.

Naya Howard, Great Bridge gymnastics: The senior, a Georgia signee, won the vault and uneven parallel bars and finished in a first-place tie on the balance beam at the VHSL open individual competition.

Hamilton Howes, Kellam boys soccer: The senior, a William & Mary signee, was the cornerstone of a stout defensive unit that helped Kellam win its first boys soccer state championship. Howes — the All-Tidewater Boys Soccer POY — switched positions early in the season from striker to defender. He helped the Knights only allow five goals all season and none in the playoffs.

Jashyra Johnson, Kellam girls soccer: The senior, a Radford signee, led the Knights’ offensive attack through an unbeaten regular season, scoring a team-high 14 goals on her way to become All-Tidewater Girls Soccer POY.

Alexis Keeter, Grafton girls volleyball: The junior, a Florida Gulf Coast commit and All-Tidewater Player of the Year, recorded 468 kills and 52 aces to lead the Region A title and Class 4 championship-match berth.

Marin McGowan, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball: She was selected VISAA Division II Player of the Year after pitching a four-hitter, striking out 10 and hitting a run-scoring double in a 13-1 win over Fredericksburg Christian in the state championship game..

Dylan Olinger, Bruton golf: The junior repeated as Class 2 golf champion with his exact score — an even-par 72 — on the same course as in 2021.

Beckham Rombaoa, Indian River boys volleyball: The senior setter and All-Tidewater Player of the Year collected 988 assists to help the Braves finish an unbeaten regular season, followed by a Region A Tournament title and state quarterfinal berth.

Jaymes Saunders, Kecoughtan boys track: The junior finished second in the high jump and third in the triple jump, 110-meter hurdles and 300 hurdles to help lead the Warriors to the Class 5 state title.

Tanner Schaedel, Cape Henry baseball: The junior batted .462 with 42 hits, 35 RBIs, 28 runs and 12 doubles to help lead the Dolphins to the VISAA Division I state title and was named the All-Tidewater and VISAA Division I POY.

Trevor Smith, Woodside basketball: The senior was named an All-Tidewater player and Class 5 POY after he helped lead the Wolverines to the Class 5 state title.

Zakiya Stephenson, Princess Anne girls basketball: The senior averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 7.2 steals, receiving Class 5 Player of the Year honors as the Cavaliers won a ninth state title in 10 seasons.

Cammie Stuffel, Nansemond River softball: A junior committed to UNC Wilmington, Stuffel blasted a VHSL-record 18 home runs in leading the Warriors to the Class 5 state semifinals, in addition to batting .635 with 39 runs.

KING WILLIAM — Major changes are coming to King William’s main recreational area with the arrival of a new walking trail and additional parking.

Details of the new trail and a solution to parking issues at King William Rec Park were discussed by the Board of Supervisors earlier this month.

“There’s been a longstanding partnership between Little League and the park,” Deputy County Administrator Steve Hudgins told the board. “They’ve been longtime tenants of the fields … we just thought it was a good way to commemorate that by naming this trail after them.”

The Little League Trail is just under half a mile long. Hudgins said it follows the line of a path that fell into disuse.

“We’ve always had a trail there. It was let go for a number of years. … This was clearing underbrush, cutting low-hanging limbs and providing upgrades to something we already had but had not been utilizing for years,” he said.

The entrance to the trail is behind the dog park. A picnic area with two tables has been created and maintenance workers built bridges over two wet areas.

The trail is marked with green arrows and cost $2,497, according to Hudgins. The county has also signed a $1,800 contract for debris removal at the site.

Hudgins brought up a second phase that would include dog waste stations throughout the trail, a sunscreen dispenser at the start of the trail, more trash cans and a possible expansion of the trail around the whole park.

“There are many grants for trail improvement, trail expansion and anything that has to do with that,” he said.

The board also heard an update on potential parking improvements. Parking has proved problematic, particularly when the park hosts sporting events, but developers of a planned unit development may have a solution.

In February, supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of rezoning 166 acres at the northern intersection of Route 360 and Route 30 to allow a planned unit development called The Orchards at Central Garage, paving the way for more than 600 homes and businesses in a part of the county earmarked for growth.

“In wanting to be good neighbors, they have reached out and proffered assistance to help with this problem of expanded recreation,” County Administrator Percy Ashcraft said.

The developer of The Orchards outlined how additional parking associated with the development could be used to ease pressure on the park.

The developers proposed 183 spots to ease the parking issues with the prospect of another 109 spaces in the future. An access gate would allow the spaces to be used for overflow parking on special occasions.

The board unanimously supported the proposal on July 10.

David Macaulay, [email protected]

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — When Ron Rivera met with new boss Josh Harris after the Washington Commanders sale became official, the message was simple.

It wasn’t quite as clear and direct as “Just win, baby.” But there’s no doubt new ownership expects Rivera and the Commanders to win more than they have in recent years.

Rivera goes into his fourth training camp as Washington’s coach and director of football operations and first since Harris’ group that includes Magic Johnson bought the Commanders from longtime owner Dan Snyder, firmly under the microscope — and he knows it.

“I’ve got a lot to prove because I really do think we’ve put ourselves in a really good position,” Rivera said Tuesday at his annual camp-opening news conference. “We’re a good, young football team with some key veterans at key positions, and now is the opportunity to go. And, yeah, I do feel that I do want to prove some stuff.”

Rivera understands he needs to prove himself all over again, just as he did in a similar position with the Carolina Panthers in 2018 when David Tepper took over as owner. He already had seven years on the job and a Super Bowl appearance under his belt by that point in Carolina and made it through less than two more seasons before being fired.

It’s a much smaller sample size this time. Washington has made the playoffs once in three seasons with Rivera in charge, going 22-27-1 in the regular season.

Those circumstances also make this a must-win year for Rivera, or change is to be expected.

“We’ve been too close the last couple of years,” he said. “We get into a really good run. It’s time now to sustain it and just proving that these are the guys, these are the coaches, that I’m the right guy to help this organization continue to go forward.”

Harris at the new ownership group’s introductory news conference Friday after the $6.05 billion sale was approved said he’s excited to learn more about Rivera and the organization. The co-owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils grew up a fan of Washington’s football team, too, so he was paying attention already.

“We’ve witnessed as fans right from the outside what coach Rivera and his staff and the front office have and the team has done over the last few years, and it’s improving,” Harris said. “This is a big season, and we look forward to learning and watching and seeing what happens.”

Rivera said Harris will attend the first practice of camp Wednesday, with the two scheduled to meet afterward to delve into more than the basics and philosophies they discussed in their initial conversation. Beyond the obvious of new starting quarterback Sam Howell, key players in need of extensions and other things, Rivera already understands the winning mandate Harris, Johnson and other partners in the ownership group have for the team.

“What I really appreciated is really how forward he was about it — about winning, about developing, about growing, about culture,” Rivera said.

One thing that might help? In recent years, Rivera has had to serve as the face of the franchise amid many scandals surrounding Snyder and felt like more of a manager.

Now, the former linebacker will be able to spend more time doing hands-on coaching.

“I’ll be around a little bit more,” Rivera said.

The Virginia Beach Oceanfront offers more than surf and sand. Beach goers can get a “legendary” experience when strolling the scenic boardwalk. In addition to concerts, magic and other acts, visitors can be entertained by the “Virginia Legends Live!” program, which teaches local history in a theatrical performance.

Mike Hilton, Live on Atlantic manager, said “Virginia Legends Live!” can be traced back to the Virginia Legends Walk on 13th Street and Atlantic Avenue. The original goal was to bring some of the historical figures featured in the Virginia Legends Walk “to life” with shows that present their powerful life stories. The productions are all locally written and produced shows featuring local actors, musicians and authentic costumes and sets. Each 30 minute show is presented in three unique oceanfront venues and is offered free to the public.

“Visitors to the Virginia Beach resort love these free offerings that are unique to our area and tell stories that are interesting and entertaining as well,” said Hilton.  “They create memories for our guests and add value to an already exceptional resort experience.”

Gary Spell, writer and producer of five of the shows, said recent studies show that tourists are increasingly drawn to areas that are deep in heritage, and Hampton Roads is quite rich with historical relevance.

“These stories are critical to Hampton Roads because they’re ours,” said Spell. “There’s room at the table for all types of entertainment, but in today’s culture, there have to be items of substance on the menu. These younger audiences aren’t just content with being entertained. They want to learn.”

“ELLA: The Life & Music of  Fitzgerald” was the first show presented in the program and is still running. The production features a live band and an Ella Fitzgerald impersonator who shares with the audience watershed moments from the famous singer’s life.  “This show, along with several other productions, bring to life a little bit of Virginia, or more specifically, Virginia Beach history,” said Hilton.

This year, “Virginia Legends Live!” features seven standalone shows, each one highlighting a story with local roots. The performances run through Labor Day and include the following shows:

ELLA:The Life & Music of Ella Fitzgerald: Shares the story of Ella, who was born and raised in Newport News.

The Wreck of the Dictator: Tells the breathtaking true story of the rescue mission of a ship that was slowly being beaten to pieces less than 300 yards from the Virginia Beach shore while a crowd of shocked bystanders looked on.

1619: When Destinies Collide:  Shares the compelling story of the native Africans who first set foot on American soil.

Contraband: Tells the riveting story of three enslaved men searching for sanctuary and Benjamin Butler, the lawyer/General, who improvised a legal strategy that pulled the thread that unraveled slavery.

Aviators and Afterburners: A Virginia Beach Airpower Legacy: Tells the history of naval aviation and its humble beginnings in coastal Virginia.

Valor: The Story of the US Navy Seals and Little Creek:  Learn the history of the US Navy SEALs, some of their most compelling missions and the establishment of their Virginia Beach headquarters – Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek.

The Witch of Pungo:  Earlier this summer, the series shared the story of Grace Sherwood, the first and only woman ever convicted of witchcraft by the Commonwealth of Virginia (*Note – this show wrapped in July).

Go to beacheventsvb.com for times and dates of the performances.

Lee Belote, [email protected]

By AARON MORRISON and EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS (AP National Writers)

When President Joe Biden signed a proclamation Tuesday establishing a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, it marked the fulfillment of a promise Till’s relatives made after his death 68 years ago.

The Black teenager from Chicago, whose abduction, torture and killing in Mississippi in 1955 helped propel the Civil Rights Movement, is now an American story, not just a civil rights story, said Till’s cousin the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr.

“It has been quite a journey for me from the darkness to the light,” Parker said during a proclamation signing ceremony at the White House attended by dozens, including other family members, members of Congress and civil rights leaders.

“Back then in the darkness, I could never imagine the moment like this, standing in the light of wisdom, grace and deliverance,” he said.

With the stroke of Biden’s pen, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, located across three sites in two states, became federally-protected places. Before signing the proclamation, the president said he marvels at the courage of the Till family to “find faith and purpose in pain.”

“Today, on what would have been Emmett’s 82nd birthday, we add another chapter in the story of remembrance and healing,” Biden said.

It’s the fourth such designation by the Democratic president’s administration, reflecting its broader civil rights agenda, the White House said. The move comes as conservative leaders, mostly at the state and local levels, push legislation that limits the teaching of slavery and Black history in public schools.

“At a time when there are those who seek to ban books (and) bury history, we’re making clear, crystal clear,” Biden said. “We can’t just choose to learn what we want to know. We should know everything — the good, the bad, the truth of who we are as a nation. That’s what great nations do.”

On Tuesday, reaction poured in from other elected officials and from the civil rights organizing community. The Rev. Al Sharpton said the Till national monument designation tells him “that out of pain comes power.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies said the monument “places the life and legacy of Emmett Till among our nation’s most treasured memorials.”

“Black history is American history,” he said in a written statement.

Till’s family members, along with a national organization seeking to preserve Black cultural heritage sites, say their work protecting the Till legacy continues. They hope to raise money to restore the sites and develop educational programming to support their inclusion in the National Park System.

Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the federal designation is a milestone in a yearslong effort to preserve and protect places tied to events that have shaped the nation and that symbolize national wounds.

“We believe that not until Black history matters will Black lives and Black bodies matter,” he said. “Through reckoning with America’s racist past, we have the opportunity to heal.”

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has provided $750,000 in grant funding since 2017 to help rescue sites important to the Till legacy. A number of other philanthropic organizations have contributed several million dollars towards preservation of the Till sites.

Biden’s proclamation protects places that are central to the story of Emmett Till’s life and death at age 14, the acquittal of his white killers by an all-white jury and his late mother’s activism.

In the summer of 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley put her son Emmett on a train to her native Mississippi, where he was to spend time with his uncle and his cousins. In the overnight hours of Aug. 28, 1955, Emmett was taken from his uncle’s home at gunpoint by two vengeful white men.

Emmett’s alleged crime? Flirting with the wife of one of his kidnappers.

Three days later, a fisherman on the Tallahatchie River discovered the teenager’s bloated corpse — one of his eyes was detached, an ear was missing, his head was shot and bashed in.

Till-Mobley demanded that Emmett’s mutilated remains be taken back to Chicago for a public, open casket funeral that was attended by tens of thousands of people. Graphic images taken of Emmett’s remains, sanctioned by his mother, were published by Jet magazine and fueled the Civil Rights Movement.

At the trial of his killers in Mississippi, Till-Mobley bravely took the witness stand to counter the perverse image of her son that defense attorneys had painted for jurors and trial watchers.

Altogether, the Till national monument will include 5.7 acres (2.3 hectares) of land and two historic buildings. The Mississippi sites are Graball Landing, the spot where Emmett’s body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River just outside of Glendora, Mississippi, and the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where Emmett’s killers were tried.

At Graball Landing, a memorial sign installed in 2008 had been repeatedly stolen and was riddled with bullets. An inch-thick bulletproof sign was erected at the site in October 2019.

The Illinois site is Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where Emmett’s funeral was held in September 1955.

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who originally introduced the bipartisan legislation to federally recognize and protect Roberts Temple, noted the church’s importance to the history of Chicago and the nation.

“It’s past time we recognize how national monuments can not only teach us about our history — but provoke us to build a more just future,” the Democratic senator said in a statement.

Mississippi state Sen. David Jordan, 90, was a freshman at Mississippi Valley State College in 1955 when he attended part of the trial of the two men charged with killing Emmett. As a state senator for the past 30 years, Jordan, who is Black, spearheaded fundraising for a statue of Emmett Till that was dedicated last year in Greenwood, Mississippi, a few miles from where the teenager was abducted.

On Tuesday, Jordan praised Biden for creating the Till national monument.

“It’s one of the greatest honors that a president could pay to a person, 14, who lost his life in Mississippi that’s created a movement that changed America,” Jordan told the AP.

Daphne Chamberlain, a history professor at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, said Emmett’s brutal killing continues to resonate in racial justice issues of today.

“Over the past decade or so, we have seen as a nation the murder of young Black men like Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Tyre Nichols in Memphis, (and) Ahmaud Arbery,” she said. “In each of these instances, what we have also seen is the bravery of the mothers in coming to the forefront and speaking out against what happened to their sons, but also making sure that they stayed the course in pursuing justice.”

The Till national monument joins dozens of federally recognized landmarks, buildings and other places in the Deep South, in the north and out west that represent historical events and tragedies from the Civil Rights Movement. For example, in Atlanta, sites representing the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., including his birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, are all part of the National Park Service.

The designation often requires public and private entities to work together on developing interpretation centers at each of the sites, so that anyone who visits can understand the site’s significance. The hiring of park rangers is supported through partnerships with the National Park Foundation, the park service’s official nonprofit, and the National Parks Conservation Association.

Increasingly, the park service includes sites “that are part of the arc of justice in this country, both telling where we’ve come from, how far we’ve come, and frankly, how far we have to still go,” said Will Shafroth, the president and CEO of the National Park Foundation.

For Parker, who was 16 years old when he witnessed Emmett’s abduction, the Till monument proclamation begins to lift the weight of trauma that he has carried for most of his life. In an interview with the AP ahead of Tuesday’s White House event, Parker reflected on the decades-long fight to portray Emmett and his story in a proper light.

“I’ve been suffering for all these years of how they’ve portrayed him — I still deal with that,” Parker, 84, said of his cousin Emmett.

“The truth should carry itself, but it doesn’t have wings. You have to put some wings on it.”

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Associated Press writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

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Aaron Morrison is a New York-based member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on social media.

By ISABEL DEBRE and JULIA FRANKEL (Associated Press)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Israeli doctors walked off their jobs, labor leaders threatened a general strike and senior justices rushed home from a trip abroad on Tuesday, a day after the government’s approval of a law that weakens the country’s Supreme Court. Critics say the legislation will erode the system of checks and balances.

Four leading Israeli newspapers covered their front pages in black ink — an ominous image paid for by an alliance of high-tech companies. The only words on the pages were in a line at the bottom: “A black day for Israeli democracy.”

Monday’s vote — on the first of a series of measures that make up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s divisive judicial overhaul — reverberated across the country. It came despite seven months of fierce popular resistance, Netanyahu’s promises of an eventual compromise and a rare warning against the overhaul from Israel’s closest ally, the United States.

The bill was unanimously passed by the governing coalition, which includes ultra-nationalist and ultra-religious parties, after the opposition stormed out of the house shouting “Shame!”

Opponents say they are not done fighting and civil rights groups submitted petitions to the Supreme Court, calling for the new law to be overturned. Protests again roiled the country’s streets.

“These protests are not going anywhere, especially because the government has clearly stated that this is just phase one,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. “This is the most widespread and significant democratic awakening in the history of the country. Clearly, it won’t end.”

Hundreds of thousands of people fanned out in Tel Aviv overnight, burning tires, setting off fireworks and waving Israeli flags. In Jerusalem, mounted police and water cannons spraying foul-smelling liquid cleared protesters from a main highway. At least 40 people were arrested by police in protests around the country.

Videos showed police officers dragging protesters by the hair and neck, beating people until they bled and violently pushing them back with batons. At least 10 officers were assaulted and injured, police said.

Israel is now hurtling into uncharted territory against the specter of further social and political unrest. Thousands of officers in the military reserves have announced they will no longer turn up for voluntary service — a blow that could undermine the country’s operational readiness. High-tech business leaders are considering relocation.

On Tuesday, Moody’s issued a report warning of “significant risk” if divisions within the country continue as Netanyahu’s government presses ahead with the overhaul, “with negative consequences for Israel’s economy and security situation.”

Netanyahu said the credit rating company’s assessment was “a momentary response, when the dust clears, it will be clear that the Israeli economy is very strong.”

The overhaul also threatens to strain ties with the Biden administration, jeopardize Israel’s new alliances with Arab states and deepen the conflict with the Palestinians, analysts say.

“I think this country is going to either split into two countries or be finished altogether,” said Yossi Nissimov, a protester in a tent city set up by demonstrators outside of the Knesset, or parliament, in Jerusalem.

The vote on the law came just hours after Netanyahu was released from the hospital, where he had a pacemaker implanted, adding another dizzying twist to an already dramatic series of events.

The Israeli Medical Association, which represents nearly all of the country’s doctors, said they would strike en masse Tuesday across the country, with only emergencies and critical care in operation.

“The vast majority of physicians know they will not be able to fulfill their oath to patients under a regime that does not accept the role of reason,” said Hagai Levine, chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health. He was referring to the law passed Monday, which prevents the Supreme Court from using the standard of “reasonableness” to strike down government decisions.

“This overhaul will damage the public health and the health care system in Israel,” Levine said, adding that already over 1,000 physician members have asked to be transferred abroad since the law passed.

Israel’s largest labor union, the Histadrut, which represents some 800,000 workers, said Tuesday that it would convene in the coming days to plan a nationwide general strike.

The chief justice of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut, along with five other senior justices, cut short a trip to Germany in order to deal with the crisis, the court said. The justices were expected to land home on Tuesday night, a day earlier than expected, to discuss petitions against the overhaul.

But any move by the court to strike down Netanyahu’s new law could lead to a constitutional crisis and put the justices on an unprecedented collision course with the government.

Supporters of the judicial overhaul say the powers of unelected judges should be curbed to boost the powers of elected officials.

Opponents say it will undermine Israeli democracy and erode the country’s only check on majority rule in a system where the prime minister governs through a coalition in parliament — in effect giving him control over the executive and legislative branches of government.

As a result, the Supreme Court plays a critical oversight role. On Tuesday, for instance, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara appealed to the top court to scrap a law passed earlier this year that strips her of the power to remove the prime minister from office.

Netanyahu responded to the court, saying it shouldn’t intervene in the matter.

Protesters also fear that the overhaul is fueled by the personal grievances of Netanyahu, who is currently on trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

While protesters represent a wide cross section of society, they come largely from the country’s secular middle class. Netanyahu’s supporters tend to be poorer, more religious and live in West Bank settlements or outlying rural areas.

The judicial overhaul has laid bare Israel’s social and religious divisions, said Israeli historian Tom Segev.

“This is the beginning of a whole plan to change the basic values of society,” he said.

Abraham Toro went 2 for 5 with four RBIs, including a two-run single that sparked a four-run eighth inning, and the Nashville Sounds rallied for a 10-8 victory over the Norfolk Tides before 5,039 fans Tuesday night at Harbor Park.

The Tides (60-35, 12-9 in second half) blew a 5-0 lead in dropping the first game of a 13-game homestand.

Offense wasn’t the problem as Norfolk collected 15 hits. Joey Ortiz went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and Coby Mayo went 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs.

The Sounds (52-43, 12-9) had only eight hits, but took advantage of three Tides errors to score three unearned runs.

Norfolk scored three runs in the first on Ortiz’s RBI single, Mayo’s run-scoring double and Cesar Prieto’s RBI single. The Tides added single runs in the second and third innings on Ortiz’s sacrifice fly and Mayo’s solo homer to make it 5-0.

Nashville rallied for two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to tie it. Toro hit a two-run double in the fifth and the Sounds hit two homers — Tyler Naquin’s solo shot and Payton Henry’s two-run shot — in the sixth.

The Tides retook the lead at 6-5 in the seventh on Mayo’s RBI double.

The Sounds went ahead for good, though, in the eighth. Toro’s second two-RBI hit of the game, a single, put Nashville in front 7-6. Another run scored on Nick Vespi’s wild pitch and Cam Devanney hit an RBI ground-rule double to make it 9-6.

Nashville scored on another wild pitch in the top of the ninth to make it 10-6, but Norfolk made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth.

Ortiz led off with a single and advanced to third on two wild pitches by Sounds reliever Clayton Andrews. After Kyle Stowers walked, Mayo hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Ortiz and make it 10-7.

Prieto then walked and Daz Cameron singled on a ground ball to short to load the bases and bring the potential winning run to the plate. Robbie Glendinning pinch-hit for Lewin Diaz and Thyago Vieira replaced Andrews on the mound. Nashville won that chess move as Vieira struck out Glendinning on three pitches.

Maverick Handley hit an RBI single to make it 10-8 and put the tying run at second, but Vieira bounced back and struck out Connor Norby on three pitches to end it.

Tides starter Ryan Watson tossed three scoreless innings, but middle relievers Morgan McSweeney and Wandisson Charles (1-2) gave up three runs each in less than an inning.

J.B. Bukauskas (3-2) pitched the seventh and eighth innings for Nashville, giving up a run and getting the victory.

The two teams play again at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday. Right-hander Garrett Stallings (2-2, 4.44), a former Grassfield High star, is the scheduled starter for Norfolk and Nashville will counter with righty Caleb Boushley (5-4, 4.65).

By WALTER BERRY and TERRY TANG (Associated Press)

PHOENIX (AP) — Longtime Phoenix residents know that sweltering Julys are to be expected, but no one could have predicted the brutal heat wave that has enveloped the country’s fifth largest city this summer.

Phoenix this month shattered its record for consecutive days in which the temperature reached at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius), standing at 26 days and counting as of Tuesday, when the forecast called for a high of 118 (47.8 C). The record was likely to grow Wednesday, with a high of 119 degrees (48.3 C) expected.

A bit of relief might be on the horizon, though, after this week.

“It seems unlikely we’ll see over 110 every day through the end of the month,” said meteorologist Isaac Smith, of the National Weather Service in Phoenix. “We are expecting to see the highs fall through this weekend, with chances for monsoon rains rising to 40-50%.”

Smith said by next Monday, the high was expected to be 108 (42.2 C).

Before this year, the longest stretch of days where temperatures reached at least 110 degrees was 18, in 1974, said Dr. Erinanne Saffell, Arizona’s state climatologist.

Phoenix is also on pace to record its first month where the average temperature was at least 100 (37.8 C). Next Monday might be the only day with a high under 110 (43.3 C) and the only July day with measurable rain.

In Arizona, the monsoon season officially begins June 15 and can bring powerful storms with high winds, lightning and heavy bursts of rain.

Phoenix last got measurable precipitation on March 22.

“In the early 1900s, Phoenix had about five days on average every year that were 100 degrees or higher,” Saffell said. “Now, we’re five times that number on average.”

While there have been some monsoon thunderstorms in northern and southern Arizona, Phoenix remains well below the average amount of precipitation for this time of year. It is especially aggravating for a region enduring drought conditions.

Phoenix is also breaking or matching other records. It tied a daily heat record Monday as temperatures reached 116 degrees (46.7 C). That record high was set in 2018.

The National Weather Service has extended the excessive heat warning, which has been in effect since July 1, through Thursday night.

It’s too soon to predict if climate change guarantees Phoenix will see a repeat performance next summer, according to Saffell.

“It kind of goes back and forth. We’re looking at coming out of two really wet summers,” she said, referring to 2021 and 2022. “We usually don’t have three in a row … but having that heat dome really brought in those temperatures.”

Arizona is not alone. Blistering heat has also swept other parts of the Southwest including New Mexico and Nevada.

___ Associated Press writer Anita Snow contributed to this report.

By MICHAEL VARAKLAS and DEREK GATOPOULOS (Associated Press)

RHODES, Greece (AP) — A Greek air force water-dropping plane crashed while diving into a wildfire in southern Greece on Tuesday, killing both pilots, as authorities battled blazes that have been raging for days across the country amid a return of heat wave temperatures.

Summer wildfires blamed on climate change have also struck other Mediterranean countries, leaving at least 34 people dead in Algeria in recent days and two people dead in southern Italy on Tuesday.

A state ERT TV video showed the bright yellow CL-215 aircraft releasing its load of water on the island of Evia before its wingtip apparently snagged in a tree branch. Moments later it disappeared into a deep fold in the ground from which a fireball erupted.

The air force said the pilots, aged 34 and 27, both died in the crash.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cancelled a planned visit to Cyprus for Wednesday, and Greece’s armed forces declared three days of mourning.

“They offered their lives to save lives,” Mitsotakis said of the pilots. “They proved how hazardous their daily missions in extinguishing fires are … In their memory, we continue the war against the destructive forces of nature.”

A third successive heat wave in Greece pushed temperatures back above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) Tuesday amid a string of evacuations from fires that have raged for days, whipped on by strong winds.

It’s still unclear how they started, although tinder-dry conditions and the summer heat mean the slightest spark can ignite a blaze that will spread fast if not quickly quenched. Several people have been arrested or fined across Greece in recent days for accidentally starting fires.

EU officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires across the European continent, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.

Greek police said a burned body believed to belong to a sheep farmer who had been missing since Sunday in southern Evia — a day before the fire broke out there — was found on Tuesday. It was unclear whether he had been killed by the fire or had died of other causes beforehand.

A fire service spokesman said the worst blazes on Tuesday were on the southeastern island of Rhodes and the northwestern island of Corfu — both popular tourist destinations. “On the other fronts, we have to deal with many cases of the fire flaring up again,” Ioannis Artopios said.

Four villages on Rhodes were ordered evacuated on Tuesday as a fire burning for eight days continued to move inland, torching mountainous forest areas, including a part of a nature reserve.

Another five evacuations were ordered on Corfu, and one overnight on Evia.

On Rhodes, desperate residents, many with wet towels around their necks to stave off the scorching heat, used shovels to beat back flames approaching their homes, while firefighting planes and helicopters resumed water drops at first light.

“For the twelfth day, under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting nonstop on dozens of forest fire fronts. … The Greek Fire Service has battled more than 500 fires — more than 50 a day,” said Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for climate crisis and civil protection.

Authorities said more than 20,000 people have been involved in successive evacuations on the island, mostly tourists over the weekend when fires swept through two coastal areas in the southeast of Rhodes.

Among them was Serbian basketball star Philip Petrusev, a player for the Philadelphia 76ers who was vacationing on Rhodes with his partner Tiana Sumakovic.

In a series of online posts, Sumakovic described frantic scenes as she and Petrusev escaped the fire.

“The fire got got very close and we had to run,” Sumakovic wrote, captioning videos of the fire. “We were choking on the smoke and ran as far as we could … we eventually made it to safety.”

Rhodes is highly popular with Nordic tourists, who are expected to continue heading for the island this week.

Two full charter flights were scheduled to depart from Sweden on Wednesday, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said. Tour operators said holidaymakers would be heading to resorts in the so-far unaffected northern part of Rhodes.

In Athens, authorities resumed afternoon closing hours at the ancient Acropolis, as part of broader measures to cope with the high heat.

The European Union has sent 500 firefighters, 100 vehicles and seven planes from 10 member states, while Turkey, Israel, Egypt and other countries have also sent help.

Contributing nations included Italy, which has its own fires and extreme weather too.

On the island of Sicily, two people were found dead Tuesday in a home burned by a wildfire that temporarily shut down Palermo’s international airport, according to Italian news reports. Regional officials said 55 fires were active on Sicily, amid temperatures in the 40s Celsius. In Puglia, further north, some 2,000 tourists were evacuated from three hotels in Vieste as flames got perilously close.

But in Italy’s northern Lombardy region, a powerful storm accompanied by heavy hail caused flooding and power outages and was blamed for the death of a 16-year-old girl at a scouts’ camp.

In southeastern France, fire crews fought scattered wildfires, including one near Arles in Provence involving 300 firefighters and a water-dropping helicopter. Authorities banned access to several forested areas along the French Riviera and in Corsica.

In Turkey, authorities evacuated a dozen homes and a hospital as a precaution on Tuesday after a wildfire raged through a rugged forest area near the Mediterranean resort of Kemer, in Antalya province.

Another wildfire in the western province of Manisa, was brought under control a day after it burnt at least 14 homes.

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Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Nicole Winfield in Rome, Angela Charlton in Paris, Colleen Barry in Milan and Jari Tanner in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

___ Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Follow AP’s coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment