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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA began another practice launch countdown Tuesday for its first moonshot in decades with astronauts after making repairs to fixdangerous fuel leaksthat already have bumped the flight into March.

Thefirst fueling testwas halted two weeks ago by the same kind of liquid hydrogen leaks that disrupted the Artemis program'sfirst flightwithout anyone aboard three years ago.

Launch teams replaced a pair of seals and a clogged filter at the Kennedy Space Center pad wherethe giant moon rocket standsbefore starting the countdown clocks back up. The two-day test will culminate Thursday with the attempted fill-up of the rocket's fuel tanks. The four Artemis II astronauts will monitor the crucial dress rehearsal from afar.

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A successful, leak-free test is needed before NASA will set a launch date. The earliest the Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket could blast off is March 6. Officials had considered moving it up by three days, but said the extra time was needed to analyze the fueling test results.

The last time astronauts blasted off for the moon was in 1972 during NASA's Apollo program.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota and federal authorities are investigating the alleged beating of a Mexican citizen by immigration officers last month, seeking to identify what caused the eight skull fractures that landed the man in the intensive care unit of a Minneapolis hospital.

REP-INM EEUU-REDADAS-MINNESOTA-FRACTURA CRÁNEO

Investigators from the St. Paul Police Department and FBI last week canvassed the shopping center parking lot where Alberto Castañeda Mondragón says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wrested him from a vehicle, threw him to the ground andrepeatedly struck him in the headwith a steel baton.

ICE has blamed Castañeda Mondragón for his own injuries, saying he attempted to flee while handcuffed and "fell and hit his head against a concrete wall."

But hospital staff who treated the man told The Associated Press such a fallcould not plausibly accountfor the man's brain hemorrhaging and fragmented memory. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull — injuries a doctor told the AP were inconsistent with a fall.

Earlier this month, the AP published an interview with Castañeda Mondragón in which he said the arresting officers had been "racist" and "started beating me right awaywhen they arrested me." His lawyers have contended ICE racially profiled him.

In separate visits to the shopping center last week, local and federal investigators requested surveillance footage from at least two businesses, whose employees told the AP their cameras either did not capture the Jan. 8 arrest or the images had been overwritten because more than a month passed before law enforcement asked for the video.

Johnny Ratana, who owns Teepwo Market, an Asian grocery store that faces the parking lot where the arrest occurred, said St. Paul police twice sent investigators to the business in recent days. The second time, he said, a data technician sought to recover images automatically overwritten after 30 days.

Ratana said he also was visited by FBI agents interested in the same footage.

The St. Paul Police Department did not respond to requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

The investigations come amid another federal probe into whether two ICE officerslied under oathabout a shooting in Minneapolis. Federal prosecutors dropped charges against two Venezuelan men — who had been accused of attacking one of the officers with a snow shovel and broom handle — after video evidence contradicted the officers' sworn testimony.

The FBI, meanwhile, notified Minnesota authorities last week it would not share any information or evidence it collected in the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers. That killing is the subject of a Justice Departmentcivil rights investigation.

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For weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security refused to discuss any aspect of Castañeda Mondragón's injuries. It has not answered detailed questions from the AP, including whether its officers recorded body-worn camera footage of the arrest.

Agency insists man injured himself

But the agency last week doubled down on its claim that Castañeda Mondragón injured himself.

"On January 8, 2026, ICE conducted a targeted enforcement operation to arrest Alberto Castaneda Mondragon, a 31-year-old illegal alien from Mexico who overstayed his visa," said Tricia McLaughlin, the department's assistant secretary for public affairs "While in handcuffs, Castaneda attempted to escape custody and ran toward a main highway. While running, Castaneda fell and hit his head against a concrete wall."

McLaughlin's assertion that Castañeda Mondragón had been targeted for removal was contradicted by a Jan. 20 court filing in which ICE said officers only determined the man overstayed his work visa after he was in custody. McLaughlin did not respond to questions about which account was correct.

Castañeda Mondragón's lawyers declined to comment on ICE's statement.

Delay could affect investigations

The criminal investigations could be complicated by the amount of time it took law enforcement to look into the arrest, even as several elected officials called for answers.

St. Paul police told the AP on Feb. 5 that it was aware of "the serious allegations" surrounding the arrest but that it could not begin investigating Castañeda Mondragón's injuries until he filed a police report — a step that was delayed weeks because of the man's hospitalization and uncertainty over his immigration status. Police finally took his statement a week ago at the Mexican consulate.

By that point, at least one nearby business had overwritten its surveillance footage.

"It is my expectation that we will investigate past and future allegations of criminal conduct by federal agents to seek the truth and hold accountable anyone who has violated Minnesota law," John Choi, the chief prosecutor of Ramsey County, said in a statement.

Castañeda Mondragón has been summoned to meet with ICE on Feb. 23 at its main detention facility in Minneapolis, raising the potential he could be taken back into custody and deported.

___ Biesecker reported from Washington and Brook from New Orleans. AP reporter Cedar Attanasio contributed from Seattle.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Conservation organizations and an Iñupiat group filed legal challenges Tuesday to theTrump administration's renewed pushfor oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and an upcoming lease sale that they say improperly makes available ecologically sensitive lands that have been long protected.

At least two lawsuits challenging the March 18 lease sale were filed. One, in federal court in Alaska, was brought by Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth. Another, in federal court in the District of Columbia, was filed by The Wilderness Society and Grandmothers Growing Goodness, a group seeking to draw attention to the impacts of oil and gas development on Iñupiat communities.

The sale would be the first in the reserve since 2019 and the first under a law passed by Congress last year calling for at least five lease sales there over a 10-year period. The reserve covers an area on Alaska's North Slope that's roughly the size of Indiana and provides habitat for an array of wildlife, including caribou, bears, wolves and millions of migratory birds.

Both lawsuits list as defendants the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and top agency officials. The Earthjustice complaint additionally includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An email seeking comment was sent Tuesday to an Interior Department spokesperson. The land management and fish and wildlife agencies fall under Interior.

This is the latest in a long-running debate overhow much of the reserve should be openfor development. A plan adopted by the Trump administration would make about 80% of the reserve available for oil and gas leasing.

Supporters say the petroleum reserve's name suggests it's a place where drilling should occur, while critics argue the law balances allowances for drilling with a need to protect sensitive areas. There also are differing views among Alaska Natives about development. A group representingmany North Slope leadershas supported drilling in the reserve, while others have raised concerns that projects could negatively impact communities.

The lawsuits say next month's planned lease sale includes tracts of lands in areas near Teshekpuk Lake and the Colville River previouslydesignated as specialfor their wildlife, subsistence or other values. They say sales notices provide no rationale for why those tracts were included and no acknowledgment by the Bureau of Land Management of prior findings that lands in those areas should be off limits to leasing.

The case filed by Earthjustice said a management plan for the reserve underpinning the lease sale "unlawfully removes lands from the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area and eliminates the Colville River Special Area." A longstanding federal law pertaining to oil and gas development in the reserve gives the Interior secretary authority "to designate special areas for maximum protection of identified significant resource values," the lawsuit states. "Congress has not authorized the Secretary to remove lands from or eliminate special areas, especially where those lands still contain the significant resource values that supported their designation."

Teshekpuk Lake is the largest lake in Alaska's arctic region. The Colville River and associated wetlands provide habitat for nesting raptors and supports subsistence activities for residents on Alaska's North Slope, the lawsuit says.

It asks a judge to invalidate any leases issued in the upcoming sale and to block future sales based on what the plaintiffs argue are flawed environmental reviews and land management plans.

The other lawsuit asks a judge to declare as arbitrary and improper a decision by an Interior Department official canceling a right-of-way issued during the Biden administration that was aimed at protecting the Teshekpuk caribou herd and habitat across roughly 1 million acres within the special area. It also challenges the validity of the tracts offered for lease that fall within the now-canceled right of way and other tracts nearby that overlap with caribou habitat and that the Bureau of Land Management has classified as having high oil and gas development potential.

Former Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore is going to get an evidentiary hearing next month.

A judge granted Moore's motion for the hearing Tuesday, which will allow his lawyer to challenge the basis for his arrest in their quest to have the case thrown out,according to The Athletic. That hearing is currently set for March 2.

Moore's attorney argued in court Tuesday that a detective did not disclose that the alleged victim in the case had worked closely with him within the Michigan football program. That, his attorney argued, presented a one-sided picture that was used to establish probable cause for his arrest in the first place.

"Judge Simpson got it right in this motion, and due process matters," Moore's attorney Ellen Michaels said. "Coach Moore maintains his innocence, and the truth will come out."

Moore was fired in December and then arrested hours laterin a massive scandal. The university fired him for cause after it said he "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member." He was eventually charged with third-degree home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering. Officials said that Moore grabbed butter knives and kitchen scissors at the woman's house after he was fired and threatened to take his own life.

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In court Tuesday, Michaels argued that a detective told a court magistrate only that the alleged victim had been in a romantic relationship with Moore, not that the alleged victim also worked for the Michigan football program and needed to communicate with Moore regularly. That meant that repeated communication from Moore to the alleged victim, Michaels argued, may not actually constitute stalking.

Michigan reportedly received a tip in Octoberthat Moore had been in a relationship with the alleged victim, though they initially denied it. Officials then said that the woman broke up with Moore and came forward to the university in December to reveal the yearslong relationship.

Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski argued Tuesday that disclosing the working relationship would not have altered the underlying facts that justified Moore's arrest, per the report. Rezmierski cited messages that Moore sent after his firing, including allegedly, "I hate you," and "My blood is on your hands," as evidence of the stalking.

"On Dec. 10, as was sworn to by detective Welker, there is more than sufficient probable cause for the issuance of a warrant that includes stalking," Rezmierski said. "That's my position."

Moore had been Michigan's offensive coordinator under previous head coach Jim Harbaugh, though he was promoted to take over for Harbaugh before the 2024 season. He spent two seasons as the team's head coach. Michigan has since hired Kyle Whittingham as its next head coach.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) —Jeremy Fears Jr.had 16 points and 10 assists, leadingNo. 15 Michigan Stateto an 82-59 victory over UCLA on Tuesday night.

The Spartans (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) bounced back with a strong performance after losing three of four games and falling five spots in theAP Top 25this week. Fears scored 11 in the first half to help MSU build a 20-point advantage.

The Bruins(17-9, 9-6) have lost two straight games after winning five of six.

UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau scored 22 points but didn't have much help. None of his teammates were in double figures until Skyy Clark made some late shots to finish with 12 points.

Fears made three 3-pointers in the first half and Michigan State took a 43-23 lead into the break. He finished with four 3s, a career high.

The Spartans were 8 of 14 from beyond the arc in the first half and finished with a season-high 14 3-pointers on 27 attempts.

Coen Carr scored 16 points for Michigan State, Carson Cooper had 12 and freshman Jordan Scott added 11. Jaxon Kohler provided nine points and 10 rebounds.

The Bruins were outscored by 28 points in the second half Saturday at No. 1 Michigan and lost by 30. Then they were routed again Tuesday in the same state.

UCLA center Steven Jamerson, a former Michigan State student, was called for a flagrant foul late in the game for fouling Cooper from behind on a dunk attempt. Bruins coach Mick Cronin then sent Jamerson to the locker room.

Bruins center Xavier Booker, who transferred from Michigan State last April, had two points and two rebounds in 25 minutes.

Up next

UCLA hosts No. 10 Illinois on Saturday.

Michigan State hosts Ohio State on Sunday.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP News mobile app). AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The college football landscape never stops moving, shifting and changing. The latest change is yet another drastic move of conference realignment. Sacramento State is leaving the FCS to join the FBS as they will now become a part of the MAC. Yes, the team in California is joining the Mid-American Conference. Ross Dellenger explains why Sac State is making this move and what other avenues they pursued. Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey join the conversation and react to this decision. The conversation evolves to the broader landscape of conference realignment. The guys discuss why so many of these drastic shifts are being made and what type of changes to the college football landscape they see coming in the future.

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Then, the guys dive into a couple of notable eligibility court cases. Trinidad Chambliss will be a Rebel for one more season after a judge in the Mississippi state court granted an injunction to give Chambliss one more season of eligibility. The guys compare s the Chambliss situation to other court cases of the past and they contrast it with the Joey Aguilar case in Tennessee. At the time of this recording, we have yet to get a ruling on Aguilar. Plus, the crew shares some of the very unique events that happened at the courthouse during the Chambliss ruling.

Later, Andy, Ross and Godfrey revisit a topic from the previous episode. Recently, a fan of Mr. Beast proposed the idea of Mr. Beast donating $100 million to East Carolina University to try to win them a National Championship. Andy was convinced that wouldn't do much, but Godfrey said he does not feel the same way. The crew discusses the feasibility of this, how small schools could make a big jump with a large cash infusion and what additional power ECU would have by having Mr. Beast behind them.

All of this and more on today's College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - Sac State to the MAC

14:31 - Where does conference realignment go from here?

24:44 - Trinidad Chambliss & Joey Aguilar eligibility cases

42:32 - Would a $100 million from Mr. Beast get ECU to the CFP?

🖥️Watchthis full episode on YouTube

Check out all episodes of theCollege Football Enquirerand the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family athttps://apple.co/3zEuTQjor atyahoosports.tv

HAVANA - Garbage has begun to pile up on street corners in the Cuban capital of Havana, attracting hordes of flies and reeking of rotten food, in one of the most visible impacts of the U.S. bid topreventoil from reaching the Caribbean's largest island.

State-run news outlet Cubadebate reported this month that only 44 of Havana's 106 rubbish trucks were able to keep operating due to fuel shortages, slowing garbage collection.

Cardboard boxes, used bags, plastic bottles and rags have piled up on street corners across the seafront capital, as some residents sorted through the waste looking for scraps they could re-use, while motorists, pedestrians and bikers are forced to circumvent the imposing heaps.

"It's all over the city," said Jose Ramon Cruz, a local resident. "It's been more than 10 days since a garbage truck came."

In other towns on the island - home to around 11 million people - residents took to social media to warn of the risks to public health.

Cuba's communist government has implemented rationing measures toprotect essential servicesin a country that was already suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.

The national oil supply has fallen off dramatically in two months.

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Venezuela - once Cuba's top supplier - effectively stopped sending shipments in mid-December. Mexico's government also said it was halting shipments after Washington threatened tariffs against countries that send supplies to Cuba.

A Russian newspaper last week reported that Russia was preparing to send crude and fuel cargoes to Cuba in the near future, without giving a specific date.

The U.S. has maintained an embargo on Cuba since 1960, but in recent months PresidentDonald Trump's administration has hardened its stance, sanctioning vessels shipping oil to the island and threatening tariffs on suppliers.

The U.S. administration argues the measures will increase pressure forpolitical changein Cuba. The United Nations has long voted for the U.S. to end its embargo, and leaders from Mexico and Venezuela said blocking fuel could have serious humanitarian impacts.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "very concerned" about the situation, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Feb. 16, adding that U.N. teams were working with the Cuban government to help support humanitarian relief efforts.

"The secretary-general would like to see all parties pursue dialogue and respect for international law yet again," he said.

(Reporting by Alien Fernandez and Mario Fuentes; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Dave Sherwood, Nick Zieminski and Paul Simao)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trash piles up in Havana as US oil chokehold halts garbage trucks