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An odor reported at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Friday sent a number of crew members to the hospital with unspecified injuries, American Airlines said in a statement.

Before passengers boarded Flight 2055 on Friday, the odor was reported, the airline said.

Crew members received medical attention on site, the airline said, adding that some were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and later released.

NBC affiliate WCNC Charlotte reported that seven people were taken to the hospital for treatment. Six people had minor injuries and one person had serious symptoms, the outlet reported.

It was not immediately clear what the odor was or where it came from. The nature of the injuries was also not clear, but WCNC reported they were a result of inhaling something.

The involved airplane was taken out of service and will be inspected, American Airlines said.

VENICE, Italy — Hundreds of protesters marched through Venice’s central streets on Saturday to say “No” to billionaire Jeff Bezos, his bride and their much-anticipated wedding extravaganza, which reached its third and final day amid celebrity-crowded parties and the outcries of tired residents.

On Friday, the world’s fourth-richest man and his bride Lauren Sanchez Bezos tied the knot during a private ceremony with around 200 celebrity guests on the secluded island of San Giorgio.

The wedding, however, divided Venice, with some activists protesting it as an exploitation of the city by the billionaire Bezos, while ordinary residents suffer from overtourism, high housing costs and the constant threat of climate-induced flooding.

As the two newlyweds prepared for the final party on Saturday evening, hundreds of Venetians and protesters from across Italy filled Venice’s tiny streets with colorful banners reading “Kisses Yes, Bezos No” and “No Bezos, no War.”

The demonstration contrasted with the expensive wedding bonanza, seen by critics as an affront to the lagoon city’s fragile environment and its citizens, overwhelmed by throngs of tourists.

“We are here to continue ruining the plans of these rich people, who accumulate money by exploiting many other people … while the conditions of this city remain precarious,” said Martina Vergnano, one of the demonstrators.

The protest organizers had welcomed news that Saturday’s wedding party, to be initially held on in central Venice, was later moved to a former medieval shipyard, the Arsenale, amid high security.

Bezos donated 1 million euros ($1.17 million) each to three environmental research organizations working to preserve Venice, according to Corila, the Venetian environmental research association.

But many protesters saw the move as a clear example of “greenwashing.”

“We want a free Venice, which is finally dedicated to its citizens. … Those donations are just a misery and only aimed at clearing Bezos’ conscience,” said Flavio Cogo, a Venetian activist who joined Saturday’s protest.

Details of the exclusive wedding ceremony Friday night were a closely guarded secret, until Sánchez Bezos posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos.

Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple’s love as to their extraordinary wealth.

The star-studded guest list included Oprah Winfrey and NFL great Tom Brady, along with Hollywood stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Orlando Bloom, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates and top socialites, including the Kardashian-Jenner clan.

Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and their three children also joined the celebrations.

The bride and groom stayed at the Aman Venice hotel on the Grand Canal, where Bezos posed for photos and Sanchez Bezos blew kisses to the press.

“The planet is burning but don’t worry, here’s the list of the 27 dresses of Lauren Sánchez,” read one protest slogan, a reference to the bride’s reported wedding weekend wardrobe. It featured a mermaid-lined wedding gown by Dolce & Gabbana and other Dolce Vita-inspired looks by Italian designers, including Schiaparelli and Bottega Veneta.

The city administration has strongly defended the nuptials as in keeping with Venice’s tradition as an open city that has welcomed popes, emperors and ordinary visitors alike for centuries.

SANTA FE, N.M. — A settlement has been reached in the civil lawsuit alleging negligence in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust”, according to court documents released Friday.

The lawsuit was brought by three “Rust” crew members seeking compensation for emotional distress from producers of “Rust,” including Alec Baldwin as co-producer and lead actor.

The civil suit accused producers of failing to follow industry safety rules — allegations they denied.

Terms of the settlement were not available. Attorneys for “Rust” producers and the plaintiffs could not immediately be reached by phone or email.

Plaintiffs to the lawsuit included Ross Addiego, a front-line crew member who witnessed at close range the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins at close during a rehearsal on October 2021 on a filmset ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

A charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin was dismissed at trial last year on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.

Separately, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and completed an 18-month sentence in May. Prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of unwittingly bringing live ammunition on set and failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.

Baldwin was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Addiego testified at Gutierrez-Reed’s trial and appeared before the grand jury that indicted Baldwin.

The filming of “Rust” was completed in Montana. The Western was released in theaters in May.

WASHINGTON — Ticks can be active in any season and it’s important to check for and remove the bloodsuckers as quickly as possible — especially after you’ve been outside hiking, gardening or enjoying nature.

“Humans are outside more in summer so we hear about more tick infections,” said Sam Telford, an infectious diseases expert at Tufts University. But he urges caution year-round because “every season is tick season.”

While tick populations vary a lot regionally, some Northeastern states including Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are seeing “above average” numbers of American dog ticks this year, said Telford.

And New York state is seeing a higher number of reported deer tick bites this year than last year, said Saravanan Thangamani, who studies tick-borne diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

How ticks can spread disease

Ticks, like mosquitos, need to feed on blood. But instead of a quick prick, they are slow feeders — with hooked mouth parts that attach into the skin of deer, rabbits, dogs and people.

There are many different species of ticks found globally and only some spread germs that can make people sick. A main worry is blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, which can spread Lyme disease. Once found mainly in New England and pockets of the Midwest, the ticks are now present over a wider range.

A tick bite doesn’t always lead to illness. “If you remove a tick within 24 hours of attachment, it’s fairly unlikely that you will get infected,” said Telford.

How to check for ticks

Ticks are usually found low to the ground, in leaf litter or grassy areas.

Check your clothing for ticks and do a full-body check including under the arms and behind ears, knees and hair.

“If you’re out all day long, try to do a quick check for ticks every few hours,” said Bobbi Pritt at the Mayo Clinic. “When you go back inside, take a shower. That will wash off any unattached ticks, and you’re also more likely to spot any other ticks.”

Use tweezers to remove the tick and grasp it as close to the skin as possible to pull from the head. If you don’t have them handy, you can also use your fingernails, the edge of a credit card or any semi-sharp object.

How to keep ticks away

The best approach is to minimize tick exposure altogether.

Bug sprays containing ingredients such as DEET can be sprayed on exposed skin to ward off ticks and mosquitos, said Telford.

Wear long sleeves and pants, and you can also spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin, a chemical similar to a natural ingredient in chrysanthemums that makes ticks avoid the flowers.

Protect your pets from ticks

Don’t forget to pay attention to outdoor pets. Medications can prevent fleas and ticks from attaching to a dog’s skin. But it’s still a good idea to check the fur after being outside.

“Wherever pets can’t easily groom themselves, that’s where the ticks will be — on the ears, around the muzzle area, under the collar, between the toes,” said Thangamani.

Dogs and cats roaming outdoors can also bring ticks into the house.

“If pets bring ticks in, a tick can live in the house for months until it finds its next blood meal,” which could be another household member, he said.

What to do after a tick bite

After removing the tick, keep an eye on the skin around the bite. If a rash or flu-like symptoms appear within several days or weeks, see a doctor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend tick testing because results may not be reliable.

WASHINGTON — Moments before midnight, Senate Republican leaders released text of their 940-page bill on Friday, with the goal of beginning votes on it Saturday.

GOP lawmakers are racing to pass the sweeping package for President Donald Trump’s agenda by a self-imposed deadline of July 4, but it continues to face hurdles along the way. And it’s unclear if Senate Republicans have enough votes to begin debate on it.

The legislation would extend the tax cuts Trump signed into law in 2017 and slash taxes on tips and overtime pay. It includes a $150 billion boost to military spending this year, along with a surge of federal money to carry out Trump’s mass deportations and immigration enforcement agenda. It partially pays for that with cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and clean energy funding, although the legislation is likely to add to the national debt.

It also contains a $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling ahead of an August deadline to avert a default on the country’s obligations.

With a 53-47 majority in the chamber, Republicans can afford just three defections on the vote, with no hope of winning Democratic support. Republicans are seeking to pass the bill through the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is aiming to hold a first test vote on the mammoth package Saturday but is running into problems from rank-and-file Republicans who are trying to pump the brakes on the process.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said during an appearance on Fox News Saturday morning that he would vote against the initial motion to start debate on the bill until he has more time to review it.

“We just got the bill, and I got my first copy about 1:23 in the morning, this morning. About 300 provisions, by my count,” Johnson said. “We shouldn’t take the Nancy Pelosi approach and pass this bill to find out what’s in it. We need to know exactly what’s in it.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told NBC News on Friday that he will oppose the bill, but that he would reconsider if Republicans strip out the debt ceiling hike. That is highly unlikely to happen. Paul, the only GOP senator who has voted against the measure throughout all the steps of the process this year, said it is “much more of a spending bill than a bill that rectifies the debt problem.”

The GOP package prohibits Medicaid funding for entities that provide abortions, including Planned Parenthood, seeking to make good on a long-standing conservative priority. But that pursuit has faced opposition from Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, so the provision could imperil their votes.

Leaving the Capitol on Friday night, Thune said he’s not certain that Republicans have the votes to advance the measure but that it’s time to act.

“It’s a process and hopefully the votes will be there,” Thune said, “but we won’t know for sure until we actually have the vote.”

Even if the package can pass its first hurdle Saturday, it would still have a long way to go. There would be at least 10 hours of debate before senators can start voting on amendments, and Democrats are threatening to force the reading of the entire bill. The House, which passed its own version in May, would need to pass the Senate bill before it heads to Trump’s desk.

GOP leaders are making daring bet that reluctant members won’t vote to scuttle Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” when push comes to shove. And they’ve said they may need to enlist the president to twist arms and sway holdouts.

The Senate legislation seeks to resolve a standoff over the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. It lifts an existing $10,000 cap to $40,000 for five years — down from a decade in the House-passed version — before lowering it back to $10,000. That represents a significant concession for blue-state House Republicans who had insisted on solidifying the higher cap.

The bill seeks to mitigate the pain of Medicaid cuts on some providers by creating a rural hospital fund worth $25 billion over five years. It includes work requirements and other new rules for recipients to qualify.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed the bill.

“At the behest of Big Oil, in the dead of night, Senate Republicans released a new version of their ‘Big, Beautiful Betrayal’ that retroactively raises taxes on energy,” he said in a statement Saturday. “Republicans want to jack up your electric bills and jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs, all so they can give billionaires tax breaks.”

Large crowds of mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran’s capital Tehran as the country held a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month’s aerial war with Israel.

At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

Their coffins were driven into Tehran’s Azadi Square adorned with their photos and national flags, as crowds waved flags and some reached out to touch the caskets and throw rose petals onto them. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display.

Mass prayers were later held in the square.

State TV said the funeral, dubbed the “procession of the Martyrs of Power”, was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children.

In attendance were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as Khamenei’s son Mojtaba.

“Today, Iranians, through heroic resistance against two regimes armed with nuclear weapons, protected their honour and dignity, and look to the future prouder, more dignified, and more resolute than ever,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who also attended the funeral, said in a Telegram post.

There was no immediate statement from Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since the conflict began. In past funerals, he led prayers over the coffins of senior commanders ahead of public ceremonies broadcast on state television.

Israel launched the air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as well as civilians in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq.

Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites, infrastructure and cities. The United States entered the war on June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said it aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.

Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said it has “no credible indication” of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran.

Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Bagheri was being buried at the Behesht Zahra cemetery outside Tehran mid-afternoon on Saturday. Salami and Hajizadeh were due to be buried on Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would consider bombing Iran again, while Khamenei, who has appeared in two pre-recorded video messages since the start of the war, has said Iran would respond to any future U.S. attack by striking U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had delivered a “major blow” to Iran’s nuclear project. On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that Israel and the U.S. “failed to achieve their stated objectives” in the war.

According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the war before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured.

Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians.

Israel’s health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.

Sitting off the Horn of Africa, the Yemeni island of Socotra was largely left to its own devices for centuries, its few guests arriving to trade for aromatic frankincense, the healing plant aloe and the crimson sap of the dragon’s blood tree, used for dyes.

Roughly the size of New York’s Long Island, Socotra is about 140 miles off the coast of Somalia, a remote location that has allowed a unique ecosystem to flourish. It has a rich array of bird and animal life, and the coral reefs off its shores teem with colorful marine life. One-third of its 825 plant species cannot be found anywhere else on Earth, according to UNESCO.

Some, including conservationist Kay Van Damme, have called it the Galápagos of the Indian Ocean and along with other experts, he is warning that millions of years of evolution on Socotra could be under “serious threat.”

“Climate change is by far the biggest threat to the island’s biodiversity,” Van Damme, who has worked on Socotra for more than two decades, told NBC News in a call last month. “It is a relatively small island with a predominantly arid climate. Even small additional impacts from climate change can have an outsized effect, putting further pressure on fragile ecosystems.”

Prolonged droughts brought on by climate change are compounding damage from devastating cyclones in 2015 and 2018 that destroyed reefs, eroded soil and uprooted rare plants.

The island’s lifeblood, endemic species of frankincense trees, are also under threat. Four of the 11 recognized species on the island were classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in March.

Five were recognized as endangered.“Their decline reflects the wider degradation of terrestrial habitats across the island and the ecosystems they support,” said Van Damme, adding that overgrazing — predominantly from goats — is another significant challenge, leading to habitat degradation and “leaving behind overmature trees with fewer younger trees to replace them.”

Tourism’s growing footprint

Attracted by Socotra’s pristine beaches, turquoise waters and surreal flora, tourists are also placing mounting pressure on the island’s fragile ecosystem.

While there is only a handful of hotels, mostly in the capital Hadibo, a growing number of tour operators offer luxury camping and 4×4 tours around the island, some of which are packaged as ecotourism.

Authorities have agreed to limit the number of tourists to around 4,500 per year, Ali Yahya, a local conservationist and tour operator, said in an interview last month, adding that when it came to “very sensitive areas in terms of ecosystems, biodiversity and cultural heritage, it’s strictly not allowed to build any big buildings or large-scale hotels.”

But despite Socotra’s UNESCO World Heritage designation — requiring preservation under international agreements — violations occur frequently, another local guide, Abdulraoof al-Gamhi, said in a series of voice and written messages last month.

“Some tourists build fires under dragon blood trees, carve inscriptions into rare trees, leave trash behind them and scare birds with their drones,” he said. But he added that many of the island’s residents benefit from tourism and that it is “very important” for “tour companies, car owners, drivers, restaurants, hotels and sellers of handcrafts.”

Echoing his concerns, Van Damme also said endangered species were “being killed just for a selfie,” with rare species like chameleons being captured so tourists can take pictures with them.

Al-Gamhi also said he expected the number of tourists to rise as more people discover the unique locale, and “that will put a lot of pressure on our environment.”

“It will be a big challenge,” he added.

A cautionary tale

Although the Galápagos comparison is often used to celebrate Socotra’s biodiversity, it can also serve as a warning, according to Van Damme, who co-authored a 2011 study on human impacts on the island.

Since the 19th century, the Galápagos, remote islands some 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador known for their unique flora and fauna, have lost numerous endemic species to habitat disruption, overtourism and invasive species.

“Perhaps Socotran ecosystems,” Van Damme wrote at the time, “could now be considered as having at least, a similar state of health of those in the Galápagos at the time of [the Ecuadorian islands’] nomination as world heritage site 30 years ago.” He added that Socotra risked a similar fate without “timely conservation efforts.”

“If we consider the present-day condition in the Galápagos, we might catch a glimpse of Socotra’s future, or better, what could happen if trends and threats continue in parallel,” the paper added.

That assessment “turned out to be very predictive,” particularly in terms of climate change, he told NBC News.

The Galápagos Islands now host over 250,000 annual visitors, under strict controls including visitor caps, mandatory guides, designated trails and substantial tourism fees, which fund conservation.

Socotra needs to implement similar protections before damage becomes irreversible, Van Damme said.

Culture and tradition

Beyond the environment, there are signs that tourism is also eroding the island’s social fabric, according to Yahya, who said there was already a “cultural shift” among its 60,000 residents, many of whom remain deeply traditional and speak Soqotri, an ancient, unwritten language with pre-Islamic roots.

“International behaviors are influencing locals, and we worry about the erosion of our traditions,” he said, adding that while tourists were welcome, some of them needed to be more respectful.

An Instagram picture of a woman posing in a bikini beneath a dragon’s blood tree had upset residents of one mountain village, he said, adding that it was seen as highly disrespectful by the conservative residents.

Despite the pressures, there are reasons to be positive, Van Damme said, noting that authorities on the island are open to collaboration and local conservation projects are gaining traction.

“Community-led and other ongoing initiatives are vital,” he said. “As long as they continue, there’s genuine hope for the island’s future.”

Hundreds of thousands of community college students are at risk of losing financial assistance under the proposed “Big Beautiful Bill,” which would tighten eligibility requirements for Pell Grants.

Students would be required to enroll full time to maintain eligibility for the federally subsidized grants that serve as a financial lifeline for many low- to middle-income students.

The bill would increase the number of credit hours students must take each semester from 12 to 15 and could strain those who work, parent, suffer financial distress or otherwise find it difficult to increase their course loads, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.

More than 10 million people are enrolled in community colleges across the United States. Students who attend four-year colleges can also apply for Pell Grants, but community colleges are often a gateway into the higher education pipeline for low- to middle-income students.

“I don’t have any other options,” said Lakina Mabins, 41, a mother of five who worked two jobs before becoming valedictorian last month at Kennedy King College in Chicago. “I couldn’t take out a loan if I wanted to because you have to have good credit.”

Students can receive between $740 and $7,395 a year from the Pell Grant program, according to the the American Association of Community Colleges.

It costs $4,050 a year on average to attend a community college, while the average four-year, in-state tuition at a public university is $11,610 a year, the association said.

Tighter restrictions for Pell Grant eligibility are part of a sweeping congressional budget bill advanced by Republicans and aimed at cutting taxes and government spending.

House Republicans approved their version of the bill in May, and it’s now being considered by the Senate.

Student Maria Baez, who attends the Community College of Philadelphia, said she would likely have to drop out of school if the bill becomes law because she would not be able to afford it.

She said she received about $3,600 through the Pell Grant program last semester.

“I don’t even have a backup plan,” said Baez, 41, who wants to own a small marketing business one day. “But I want so badly to further my education so that I can have a career.”

Hundreds of thousands of students could be at risk of losing their grants if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is approved, said Martha Parham, a spokeswoman for the American Association of Community Colleges.

Many students are unable to attend college full time because they have other responsibilities, she said.

“Community colleges are the on-ramp to the middle class,” Parham said, but costs can pose a strong barrier.

The first grants were awarded in 1973; the program was later named for the late Sen. Claiborne Pell, D-R.I.

The Big Beautiful Bill would also do away with subsidized federal loans, which would force college borrowers to accumulate more debt.

“It’s going to be extremely hard for people to get out of debt with these changes,” Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective, an organization that helps people fight debt, told CNBC.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is playing a key role in drafting the Senate’s version of the bill, was unavailable for comment this week, his office said.

Cassidy has said the entire Big Beautiful Bill would save an estimated $300 billion in government spending and lift the burden on taxpayers who subsidize college graduates’ loan payments.

But student Michael Weaver, 34, who attends Stanly Community College in Albemarle, North Carolina, on a Pell Grant, said part of the appeal of attending a two-year college is to take courses at your own pace.

“It’s a bit of a stretch for most students, and to be honest, the majority of students receiving the grant are working people who only have the option of attending school part time,” Weaver said.

Mabins, who plans to attend National Louis University in downtown Chicago this fall, considers herself a low-income student because she lives in public housing and is enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.

“The government wants me off assistance, but they are creating more debt and making it harder for me to better myself,” she said. “I have goals, and in the next five years, I see myself with a master’s degree and working in my career field.”