AP Trending SummaryBrief at 11:39 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press

Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf, could intensify as a hurricane and threaten Florida

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. It is 220 miles north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Saturday that it could strengthen into a hurricane and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of Florida’s west coast next week. Hurricane and storm surge watches are likely to be issued Sunday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 35 counties ahead of the storm’s potential landfall. Many of those counties are still recovering from Hurricane Helene. So DeSantis has asked the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal.

Keanu Reeves spins out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in pro auto racing debut

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Hollywood star Keanu Reeves made his professional auto racing debut in an event in which “The Matrix” star spun out at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Reeves spun into the grass Saturday without a collision on the exit of Turn 9 a little more than halfway through the 45-minute race. He re-entered and continued driving, signaling he was uninjured. Reeves, who is 60 years old, is competing at Indianapolis in Toyota GR Cup, a Toyota spec-racing series and a support series for this weekend’s Indy 8 Hour sports car event. He has a second race Sunday.

‘Magical’ flotilla of hot air balloons take flight at international fiesta amid warm temperatures

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A flotilla of hot air balloons ascended into a clear desert sky on Saturday to kick off a colorful mass ascension at the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as giant balloons are unpacked and inflated. Balloons took flight to screams of delight after a brief weather delay and were spirited away by a gentle breeze. Propane burners roared and hundreds of balloons — from traditional globes to cartoonish figures — speckled the sky with color.

Mimis Plessas, a mild-mannered giant of modern Greek music, dies at 99

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Renowned Greek musician and composer Mimis Plessas has died just a week before his 100th birthday. Plessas’ prolific career spanned film, television, and theater and involved collaborations with prominent Greek singers over generations. Greece’s prime minister said Plessas had given the country a unique musical contribution that became ingrained in Greek culture

Solar flares may cause faint auroras across top of Northern Hemisphere

NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms may cause faint auroras across fringes of the northern United States this weekend. Forecasters are also monitoring for possible disruptions to power and communications. The sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making solar storms and northern lights more frequent. The sun shot out two strong flares earlier this week, including one Thursday that was the biggest since 2017. Faint auroras may be visible as far south as South Dakota, Iowa and New York — but the storms could still intensify or weaken over the weekend.

Civilization 7 makers work with Shawnee to bring sincere representation of the tribe to the game

MIAMI, Okla. (AP) — The chief of the Shawnee Tribe grew up playing video games, including hundreds of hours colonizing a distant planet in the 1999 title Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri. So when that same game studio approached the tribal nation with a proposal to make a playable character out of their historical leader Tecumseh in the upcoming game Civilization 7, Chief Ben Barnes felt a rush of excitement. Meier’s Civilization series remains the bestselling franchise in a strategy genre it helped launch in 1991. But society’s understanding of cultural appropriation and the importance of accurate historical framing has changed. To properly represent the Shawnee leader, game developers looked for the input and blessing of the Shawnee people.

Karen Read seeks delay in wrongful death lawsuit until her trial on murder and other charges is done

BOSTON (AP) — Karen Read is seeking to delay a wrongful death lawsuit until her criminal trial in connection with the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend is done. The lawsuit filed last month by the family of John O’Keefe blames his death on Read, and also on what the lawsuit describes as negligence by bars that continued to serve drinks to her despite signs she was drunk. It says the first bar served her seven alcoholic drinks in about 90 minutes the night of Jan. 28, 2022, and that Read carried the last drink into the second bar, where she was served more alcohol.

Garth Brooks accused of rape in lawsuit from hair-and-makeup artist

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who says she worked as a hair-and-makeup artist for Garth Brooks alleges in a lawsuit that the country music star raped and sexually assaulted her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2019. The woman is not named and goes by Jane Roe in the lawsuit filed in LA Superior Court on Thursday. She alleges that Brooks booked only one hotel suite for the two of them on the trip from Nashville to California, and raped her in the suite. Brooks forcefully denied the allegations in a statement and acknowledged he tried to get a court to stop Thursday’s lawsuit from being filed.

Eminem is going to be a grandfather, he reveals in ‘Temporary’ music video

Rapper Eminem has announced his daughter Hailie Jade is pregnant through a touching music video that is a tribute to their relationship. The “Temporary” music video shows his daughter handing Eminem a jersey with the name “Grandpa” emblazoned on the back and ultrasound photos. The social media influencer confirmed the news of her pregnancy in an Instagram post. The video also features photos and clips of home videos from his daughter’s childhood that date back to 1999. The “Lose Yourself” artist has always had a soft spot for his daughter, frequently mentioning her in songs like “Hailie’s Song” and “Mockingbird.”