Ruben Amorim has said he won't throw away games in the Premier League to aid Manchester United's bid to win the Europa League ahead of their tough trip to Newcastle United on Sunday.

As the fate of the infamous Menendez brothers remains up in the air, their remaining relatives are speaking up about their imprisonment including an aunt who has stayed quiet on the matter for decades."Its time 35 years is a long time," 85-year-old Terry Baralt told ABC News. "Its a whole branch of my family erased. The ones that are gone and the ones that are still paying for it, which were kids."Baralt is the only living sister of Jos Menendez, who was murdered by his sons back in 1989, along with his wife, Kitty. More weight has been given in recent years to the accusations that he sexually abused his children, which has played a part in the calls for Erik and Lyle Menendez to finally be eligible for parole after spending over three decades in prison."When kids are little and they come to you, you fix the problem. I cant help them," she admitted. "There is nothing I can do just go visit them and cry when I leave."Last fall, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascn voiced his support for resentencing, which would allow the brothers to be eligible for parole. When Nathan Hochman was elected to replace Gascn in the latest election, he made a hard pivot from his predecessors stance.Hochman has insisted the Menendez brothers have demonstrated a "lack of acceptance of responsibility for their murderous actions" and that they "pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community."Many of their family members, as well as members of the general public, have voiced their disagreement. Currently, a judge is hearing arguments as to whether a resentencing hearing will take place at all.For Baralt, any delays in determining her nephews fate take an additional toll she told ABC News that shes fighting colon cancer, and may not live to see them released if it doesnt happen soon."I have tried to go see them as much as I can, but its hard because I live in New Jersey and Im 85," she said. "I dont have that much time."

Linda McMahon spoke on an educational panel this week, where she reportedly mistook artificial intelligence for steak sauce. While discussing how AI will impact education, McMahon, who is notably the U.S. Secretary of Education, repeatedly referred to AI as A1, as in the vinegar-based condiments used on steaks.McMahon made the gaffe while speaking on a panel at the ASU+GSV Summit, a global annual conference aimed at bringing together leaders to discuss the future of education and workforce skills innovations. During her speech, the Education Secretary said she knew of a school system that's going to start making sure that first graders, or even pre-Ks, have A1 teaching in every year. (@) McMahon, who used to be the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and participated in wrestling skits during matches before President Donald Trump picked her to run the Department of Education, clearly meant to say AI but continued to make the same error repeatedly."Kids are sponges. They just absorb everything," she added. "It wasn't all that long ago that it was, 'We're going to have internet in our schools!' Now let's see A1 and how can that be helpful.While anyone can misspeak, this error makes it sound like the Secretary of Education for the United States of America thinks A1 sauce is the key to childrens success in school.After McMahons blunder went viral, A1s marketing team seized the opportunity and created an image of a new bottle with the label For education purposes only and posted the spoof ad on the companys Instagram account with the text, Agree, Best To Start Them Early.See on InstagramThe brand also captioned the fake ad, You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1.A1s marketing team wasnt the only one lining up to laugh at McMahons mistake; people on the internet have been dunking on her since yesterday. Not only were people hilariously using Simpsons gifs to roast her on X (formerly Twitter), but other people critiqued her intelligence, with one person posting, Were ruled by the stupidest, most incompetent people in the world, while someone else wrote that A1 sauce will help student and the smarter kids can move up to Thousand Island Dressing.Keep scrolling to see the funniest reactions to the Education Secretary proving how much she knows about artificial intelligence! (@) "Education Secretary Linda McMahon keeps referring to AI as A1 and talking about how it will help "students at all levels." But how can we get those kids to drink it? Linda added, 'The smarter kids can move up to Thousand Island Dressing'" (@) "Linda McMahons brain during this speech:" (@) "Secretary Of Education Linda McMahon wants A1 steak sauce teaching your kids instead of AI" (@) "Linda McMahon, the nation's Secretary of Education, promises A1 Steak Sauce in every school!" (@) "Teach the controversy between A1 Sauce and Artificial Intelligence" (@) "Everyone should be taught A1 steak sauce in school" (@) "Ooops U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon referred to AI as 'A1' during discussions on AI in the workforce." (@) "A1 education of our nation is in good hands. WTAF - they cosplay in every department" (@) "Donald Trump calls artificial intelligence 'the AI.' Education Secretary Linda McMahon confuses it with steak sauce and calls it 'A1.' Where are all the MAGA folks who were screeching about Biden?" (@) "Artificial intelligence has disrupted and will continue to disrupthopefully for the betternumerous aspects of society. A1 is a steak sauce. The Secretary of Education needs to understand the difference." (@) "Secretary of education says she heard that first graders will have A1 in school. she went on to say kids are sponges. Why does she think sponges need steak sauce in school?" (@) "Secretary of Education Linda McMahon referred to AI as 'A1' during an interview. The era of meritocracy is over - the US is now ruled by boomer, sub-80 IQ Trump loyalists." (@) "Linda McMahon says first graders will begin having "A1" in schools. The problem isshe wasn't talking about the steak sauce. She meant "AI" as in Artificial Intelligence. A reminder that she is the Secretary of *checks notes* Education." (@) "MAGA Education Secretary Linda McMahon has been seen and heard referring to AI as A1 steak sauce whilst shes working to dismantle public education. We are living in the dumbest of times and the stupidity is endless." (@) "Linda McMahon Just Proved Herself Stupider Than Betsy DeVos" (@) "I feel like its burying the lede here to omit that the secretary of education is Linda McMahon lol" (@) "In a press conference, Linda McMahon repeatedly said 'A-1' when she meant 'A-I.' You read that right. We have a Secretary of Education who struggles with 'Intelligence.'" (@) "Shes the idiot whos in charge of Education. Oh the Irony."

Jeremiah Brent, the newest member of the Queer Eye Fab Five, has shared his initial apprehensions about joining the hit Netflix series, revealing he was really nervous when he first stepped into the role of the shows interior design and home organization expert. Brent joined the Fab Five in 2024 for the ninth season of the makeover show, replacing Bobby Berk, who had been the resident designSource

The latest season of the dystopian anthology series Black Mirror has arrived on Netflix, and one episode in particular, titled Hotel Reverie, is already generating buzz and drawing comparisons to the critically acclaimed and beloved San Junipero for its central queer love story. San Junipero, which aired in the shows third season, is widely regarded as one of the series most poignantSource

Nature, Published online: 11 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01192-yA host of legal claims aim to roll back the Trump administrations grant terminations, indirect-cost cap and more.

UConn star Paige Bueckers, the projected No. 1 pick, headlines a list of 16 players who have been invited to attend Monday's WNBA draft, the league announced Friday.

Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells is expected to miss the rest of the season after breaking his right wrist and sustaining a concussion and facial laceration, the team announced.

Chris Colfer is ready for Coachella!The hilarious actor is showing off his gym progress as he gears up for the iconic festival this weekend in Indio, California.While this isn't the first time Colfer has shown muscle on main, the Instagram picture below is sending fans into a frenzy with many people in his comment section popping off.Dylan Mulvaney spoke for all of us when she commented, "F***ing SEXY," and Ada Vox even went as far to say "Okay DADDY Chris ."Check out the spicy pic for yourself below. We can't wait to see all of the outfits Colfer has prepared for all of the iconic sets at Coachella! See on Instagram

Where do these diamonds go from here?The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is about to conclude their 14th season and the tense reunion comes to an explosive end next week.With the recent news of Garcelle Beauvais' departure from the series, Erika Jayne believes RHOBH should continue casting new women for future seasons of the show."I think that it's someone brand new! I think new blood is always good. Look at Boz, she's been a great addition. I think someone else new shakes up the friend group a bit. I would give anything for that," Jayne tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Jayne has also famously gone head-to-head with her RHOBH co-star Sutton Stracke over the years. With Stracke's bestie Beauvais no longer by her side, it'll be interesting to see how the group dynamic shifts."I don't know what's coming for this show. I don't know how Sutton will feel without Garcelle. I guess we will all find out."Besides her evolving friendships with the other ladies on the show, Jayne's personal life has also faced intense scrutiny over many public lawsuits and controversies. However, she's trying to maneuver all of her hurdles by staying true to herself."I was told a long time ago by a very famous person you don't believe either one. You just remain neutral. When it's good, it's good. When it's bad, it's bad but you remain yourself. You don't fall in love with the good. You don't run from the bad. Be very confident in who you are and you'll be okay."The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesday nights on Bravo. To see the full interview with Erika Jayne, check out the video at the top of the page.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon made headlines this week, but not for the reason youd hope from the nations top education official. While speaking on a panel at the ASU+GSV Summitan annual global conference focused on the future of education and innovationMcMahon repeatedly confused AI (artificial intelligence) with A1, the beloved steak sauce. Yes, really.Source

Its that time againPride and Prejudice is getting a fresh new makeover, and were already obsessed. A brand-new cast, a dreamy six-episode run, and yes, Emma Corrin as Lizzie Bennet? This adaptation is giving us everything weve ever wanted. This week, Netflix revealed the cast for its new six-part limited series based on Jane Austens iconic novel. And playing our favorite sharp-wittedSource

Drew Lock is expected to sign with the Seahawks, a source confirmed to ESPN. Lock is now set to back up Sam Darnold after spending two seasons as Geno Smith's backup in Seattle.

The price of tickets to attend Monday night's WNBA draft has nearly doubled from last year. The Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 pick with UConn's Paige Bueckers expected to be the first selection.

Buckle up (and maybe bring a safe word). The 2025 Cannes Film Festival has revealed its official lineupand this year, its bringing a thrilling wave of queer stories, including one scandalously seductive motorcycle romance thats already revving engines. Among the buzziest world premieres is Pillion, the debut feature from director Harry Lighton. The film, which Variety has cheekily describedSource

South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley intends to enter the transfer portal, sources told ESPN. Fulwiley shined off the bench in helping the Gamecocks to the past two Final Fours.

Bryson Dechambeau posted a 4-under 68 that left him one stroke behind leader Justin Rose after his second round at the Masters.

Justin Rose is still in the lead at the Masters. He suddenly has a lot of all-star company around him.

Rory McIlroy posted a bogey-free second round at the Masters on Friday, carding four birdies and an eagle en route to a 6-under 66 on the day.

President Donald Trump walks up the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)2025-04-11T21:13:12Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is betting that a beleaguered Iran is so vulnerable following a tumultuous 18 months in the Middle East that it might finally be ready to abandon its nuclear program.The renewed push to solve one of the most delicate foreign policy issues facing the White House and the Mideast will begin in earnest Saturday when Trumps Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gather in Oman. Trump says he prefers a diplomatic solution, even as he warns that Iran will face great danger if talks dont go well. But Irans nuclear advances since Trump scrapped an Obama-era agreement during his first term make finding a pathway to a deal difficult, and experts warn that the prospects of U.S. military action on Iranian nuclear facilities appear higher than they have been in years. I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they cant have a nuclear weapon, Trump said Friday night aboard Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the weekend.The moment is certainly fraught, but the White House is seeing hopeful signs that the timing might be right. The push comes as Iran has faced a series of enormous setbacks that has ostensibly left Tehran in a weaker negotiating position. Irans recent challenges The military capabilities of Iranian-backed proxy forces Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been dramatically degraded by Israeli forces. U.S. airstrikes, meanwhile, targeting Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have hit oil refineries, airports and missile sites.Israel also carried out strikes against Iran in October that damaged facilities linked to Tehrans nuclear and ballistic missile programs. And in December, Iran saw Syrian leader Bashar Assad Tehrans closest Mideast ally ousted after more than two decades in power. The leaders of the Islamic Republic also face domestic pressure as years of international sanctions have choked the economy. The U.S. Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions earlier this week targeting five entities and an individual that American officials say play key roles in Irans nuclear program. All eyes are on Oman by Iranians following this very closely and potentially hoping that this would impact the state of the economy, said Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, a Washington-based think tank.But it remains to be seen if the U.S. can entice Iran with a big enough carrot for it to make concessions to meet Trumps demands that any potential deal go further in ensuring Tehran doesnt develop nuclear weapons than the agreement forged during Democratic President Barack Obamas administration.Under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, it has enough to build multiple nuclear weapons if it chooses and has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Its not clear if talks will be face to faceAt the meeting Saturday in Omans capital city of Muscat, Iran will be represented by Araghchi and the United States by Witkoff. Its unclear if the two will speak directly.Trump has said the two sides will have direct negotiations. But Iranian officials have insisted that the plan is for indirect talks, meaning an intermediary from Oman would shuttle messages between Witkoffs and Araghchis teams holed up in different rooms.Either way, the decision for the two sides to talk announced by Trump in the Oval Office this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came as a bit of a surprise.Trump has been calling for direct talks while threatening consequences for Iran if it doesnt move to get a deal done. Iran, meanwhile, has given mixed signals about the utility of the talks, arguing that engaging would be useless under the shadow of threats.After Trump recently sent a letter to Irans supreme leader, 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for direct negotiations, Tehran rejected the entreaty while leaving open the possibility of indirect negotiations. President Masoud Pezeshkian again pledged this week that Irans not after a nuclear bomb and even suggested Tehran could be open to the prospect of direct American investment in the Islamic Republic if the countries can reach a deal.That was a departure from Irans stance after its 2015 nuclear deal, in which Tehran sought to buy American airplanes but in effect barred U.S. companies from coming into the country. How much room is there for negotiation?National security adviser Mike Waltz has said Trump wants the full dismantlement of Irans nuclear program, adding, Thats enrichment, that is weaponization, and that is its strategic missile program.But Trump left greater space for negotiations: The only thing that they cant have is a nuclear weapon, Trump told reporters as he met with his Cabinet secretaries Wednesday.Witkoff also has signaled that the administration could be amenable to a deal that is less than full nuclear disarmament.Where our red line will be, there cant be weaponization of your nuclear capability, Witkoff said in a Wall Street Journal interview published Friday.Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who met with Trump on Monday, said he would welcome a diplomatic agreement along the lines of Libyas deal with the international community in 2003. The Israeli leader is known for his hawkish views on Iran and in the past has urged Washington to take military action against Iran.The Libya deal saw late dictator Moammar Gadhafi give up all of his clandestine nuclear program. Iran has insisted its program, acknowledged to the International Atomic Energy Agency, should continue. But Trump has notably not embraced Netanyahus push for the Libya model, said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, another Washington-based think tank.If its narrow, if its focused on the nuclear program, if the goal of the U.S. is to prevent a nuclear weapon, then there is a likelihood for success, Parsi said. And its under those circumstances that I suspect that you will see talks, perhaps in rather short order, be elevated.___Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Muscat, Oman, contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Tracking which teams have clinched for the playoffs with the 2024-25 NBA regular season nearing its conclusion.

In his final Masters, Bernhard Langer missed playing the weekend by one shot, with his par putt on the 18th hole Friday narrowly off the mark.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has a shoulder injury that could put his status for the 2025 season in jeopardy, according to multiple reports Friday.

Nikola Jokic will average a triple-double for the season, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to achieve that feat.

Jayson Tatum took time to acknowledge "another incredible season" for the 60-win Celtics, but said the team is "shifting gears" as it prepares to defend its title in the postseason.

It's been five years since Romain Grosjean's fiery Bahrain crash. F1's ongoing search for safety saved him.

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)2025-04-12T04:06:35Z JENA, La. (AP) An immigration judge has ruled that a Palestinian Columbia University graduate student who participated in protests against Israel can be deported.Mahmoud Khalils attorneys said they will appeal Fridays ruling. Federal immigration agents detained Khalil last month, the first arrest under President Donald Trumps crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, was taken to an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana, thousands of miles from his attorneys and wife, a U.S. citizen who is due to give birth soon. Heres a look at what has happened so far in Khalils legal battle and what happens next: The arrest Khalil, a 30-year-old international affairs graduate student, had served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists at Columbia University who took over a campus lawn last spring to protest Israels military campaign in Gaza.The university brought police in to dismantle the encampment after a small group of protesters seized an administration building. Khalil is not accused of participating in the building occupation and wasnt among the people arrested in connection with the demonstrations.But images of his maskless face at protests, along with his willingness to share his name with reporters, have made him an object of scorn among those who saw the protesters and their demands as antisemitic. The White House accused Khalil of siding with terrorists but has yet to cite any support for the claim.He was detained March 8 in the lobby of his university-owned apartment. The legal fight Khalil isnt accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. The government has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views that the administration considers to be antisemitic and pro-Hamas, referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.Khalils lawyers have challenged the legality of his detention, saying the Trump administration is trying to deport him for an activity that is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cited a rarely used statute to justify Khalils deportation, which gives him power to deport those who pose potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.The ruling Immigration Judge Jamee E. Comans ruled Friday the governments contention that Khalils presence in the U.S. posed potentially serious foreign policy consequences was enough to satisfy requirements for his deportation. Comans said the government had established by clear and convincing evidence that he is removable.Federal judges in New York and New Jersey previously ordered the government not to deport Khalil while his case plays out in court. Next steps Khalils attorneys said they will keep fighting. They plan to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. They can also pursue an asylum case on his behalf. Even though the judge found Khalil removable on foreign policy grounds, nothing will happen quickly in the immigration proceeding, his attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, said. The judge gave them until April 23 to seek a waiver. Today, we saw our worst fears play out: Mahmoud was subject to a charade of due process, a flagrant violation of his right to a fair hearing, and a weaponization of immigration law to suppress dissent, Van Der Hout said in a statement.Immigration authorities have cracked down on other critics of Israel on college campuses, arresting a Georgetown University scholar who had spoken out on social media about the Israel-Gaza war, canceling the student visas of some protesters and deporting a Brown University professor who they said had attended the Lebanon funeral of a leader of Hezbollah, another militant group that has fought with Israel.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-04-12T04:01:28Z WASHINGTON (AP) Anna Paulina Luna was at her Florida home in fall 2023, caring for her newborn son and turning over a question in her mind as a member of Congress:How do I change this?Luna, then a first-time mom and first-term lawmaker, could no longer fly to Washington to cast votes in the U.S. House, a crucial part of the job, due to complications from childbirth which she blamed at least partially on her hectic schedule, having flown to and from the capital during most of her pregnancy.Luna began reading House rules and found what seemed like a simple solution: allowing proxy voting for new moms.What Luna considered a minor rule change, affecting just a few only about a dozen women had given birth while serving in Congress over time escalated into a standoff against her own Republican leadership and her allies in the hard-right Freedom Caucus. In a matter of months, it became a highly charged debate that crossed party lines, united a younger generation of lawmakers and raised fresh questions about how a more than 200-year-old institution accommodates working parents in the 21st century. The conflict turned on weighty history and thorny procedures, highlighting the difficulties of abiding by documents and rules written long before air travel and Zoom screens and long before women served in Congress.When the Constitution was written, this was not really a topic, Luna said. How GOP leaders came to loathe proxy votingWhen Luna was about to become a new mom, planning for the big change ahead, she asked then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy how she would be able to vote in the days after giving birth. That was 2023, and she didnt realize she was stepping on a political landmine. At the start of the pandemic, more than two years before Luna was elected, Democrats in the majority had created a proxy voting system to contain COVID-19 and avoid overcrowding in the chamber.McCarthy had called the practice a dereliction of duty, an excuse for members to skip out on work, and the resolution creating the system passed without a single Republican vote.When Republicans won the House majority in 2022, McCarthy abandoned proxy voting and for a time, there was no talk of bringing it back.Rep. Luna returns and begins her pushOnce Luna was cleared to fly and returned to Washington, she kept the proxy voting proposal to herself. It wasnt the right time: The House was in turmoil, having just ousted McCarthy from the speakers job and choosing Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as his replacement.But a few months later, Luna made her move.She introduced a bill in January 2024 that would allow a mother to designate a proxy for six weeks, but by autumn, her legislation had gone nowhere, languishing in committee. Luna decided to launch a discharge petition a workaround that allows legislation with 218 supporters to force a vote on the House floor. But she got just a handful of signatures.I went through every and exhausted every avenue, Luna said.Then she turned to Democrats, drafting a new proposal this year with Reps. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado and Sara Jacobs of California that would extend proxy voting to not just moms but all new parents for 12 weeks, double the time Luna had initially proposed. Pettersen, who was previously the first member of the Colorado legislature to give birth, said she came to Congress wanting to work on this.In a matter of months, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, a father to two young girls, became the 218th member to sign the discharge petition, the tally needed to force a vote.But only a dozen signatures came from Republicans. A standoff with the GOP leaders and the House Freedom Caucus Pushback was fierce, from members of the Freedom Caucus and from the speaker himself. Johnson repeatedly called proxy voting unconstitutional. Herself among the more far-right conservatives in the House, her desk adorned with a model of President Donald Trump on Mount Rushmore, Luna resigned from the Freedom Caucus, accusing them of working against her.Luna felt that she had done everything she could to address Johnsons concerns. She agreed that members had abused the practice in the past, but said her proposal included guard rails. Johnson tried to snuff out Lunas discharge petition with a rare legislative maneuver, linking it to a vote that was needed to advance one of the GOP priorities, a voter ID bill.The aggressive move angered several Republicans, including some who didnt even support Lunas proposal. Johnsons gambit failed on the floor.Johnson called the outcome unfortunate and reiterated the argument that proxy voting for moms was a Pandoras box that would open the door for members whod rather not show up to work. Then he sent lawmakers home for the week.Thats when Luna had a talk with Trump.I think shes great, Anna, Trump said aboard Air Force One.The president recalled that he had spoken to her the previous day. When it came to proxy voting, Trump wondered why the idea was controversial. Johnson sprang into action and quickly posted on social media that he had also spoken with Trump, quoting him saying, Mike, you have my proxy on proxy voting.Meanwhile, a political storm was brewing against Luna. Right-wing influencers flooded Twitter to accuse Luna of holding up Trumps agenda as House floor action stalled. She faced attacks from fellow Republicans.Luna reaches a deal to mixed reviewsOn a Sunday afternoon this month, Luna announced that she and leadership had reached an agreement.They would resurrect a well-worn congressional procedure that pairs two members of Congress who plan to vote on opposite sides of an issue, canceling out their votes a way to accommodate the absent member.If we truly want a pro-family Congress, these are the changes that need to happen, Luna posted on X.The plan was quickly tucked into an upcoming procedural vote. This time, it succeeded.Reviews were mixed.Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., called the solution bizarre and said it was unlikely any member would voluntarily participate, essentially nulling their own vote, when the margins were so narrow in Congress.But GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a member of the Freedom Caucus who opposes all proxy voting, said he would consider participating in pairing.We want to make it to where people can, you know, deal with whatever life curveballs they get, Roy said.Not everyone, though, is satisfied.The day that Congress voted on vote-pairing, Pettersen stood outside the House chamber, cradling her son in her arms. What Republican would be willing to vote present for me this week? she asked. Nobody.___ LEAH ASKARINAM Askarinam covers U.S. elections for The Associated Press, working alongside the Decision Desk and explanatory team. mailto

Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is roaming the greens of Augusta as a credentialed photographer.

AC Milan coach Srgio Conceio praised the way Udinese fans applauded Mike Maignan when he had to be carried off on a stretcher following a collision with AC Milan teammate lex Jimnez.

Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, speaks during an interview at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)2025-04-12T03:13:44Z HONG KONG (AP) When Yeung Sum co-founded the citys largest pro-democracy party more than 30 years ago, he knew building a democratic Hong Kong would be a difficult dream. Still, it was not impossible. Today, his Democratic Party is moving toward dissolution, a symbolic marker of the diminishing Western-style civil liberties and high degree of autonomy that the ruling Communist Party in Beijing promised to keep intact in the former British colony for at least 50 years when it returned to China in 1997.Pro-democracy protests that paralyzed Hong Kong in 2019 led to a crackdown that has all but silenced dissent through restricted elections, media censorship and a China-imposed national security law that saw some of Yeungs party members jailed. Dozens of civil society groups closed down. Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Former chairperson Yeung said in an interview with The Associated Press that Chinese officials told him the party needed to disband. He urged his members to support the motion to give the leadership mandate to handle the process. Im not very happy about it, said Yeung. But I can see if we refuse the call to disband, we may pay a very huge price for it. Others received similar messages. Party veteran Fred Li said Chinese officials implied the party wouldnt survive through this years legislative election when he asked about the possibility of its members running. Another founding member, Sin Chung-kai, said some Hong Kong-based members were warned in early February of consequences if the party continued to exist. Promising early years The Democratic Party was formed in 1994 through a merger of two pro-democracy groups. According to its manifesto, it supports Hong Kongs return to China.In its early years, it won the most seats in the legislative council. Before Beijing changed electoral rules in 2021 to ensure only patriots can run, the party was a major pro-democracy voice in the legislature even after it no longer held the largest number of seats. Back then, Yeung said, the pro-democracy camp generally won about 60% of the popular vote. Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, poses for a photo at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, poses for a photo at the Democratic Partys office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Empty chairs at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) Empty chairs at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The reception area at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) The reception area at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yeung was encouraged to see that the experiment in democracy, the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a merit-based administration could work in the city. The entire social system has been demonstrated to be quite, quite, quite promising over the years, he recalled. Negotiations with Beijing drew backlash In 2010, the party came under fire after it supported the governments political reform package in negotiations with Chinese officials that allowed millions of voters to directly elect five lawmakers from their district councils. Some members who hoped for broader democratic reform quit in protest and the party lost two seats in the 2012 legislative election. It also drew backlash from advocates within the pro-democracy camp. Emily Lau is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Emily Lau is interviewed at the Democratic Partys office April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Looking back, former chairperson Emily Lau, who was involved in the talks with Beijing, insists many people supported the outcome because it was a step forward. She said they asked Beijing to continue to have dialogue with others to find a way for universal suffrage, but it never did. Maybe the only thing I would have done a bit differently is not to go into the (Beijings) liaison office (in Hong Kong). I guess we underestimated how many Hong Kong people hated them, she said. As new pro-democracy groups were on the rise, the partys influence dwindled. That became more obvious after the emergence of younger politicians, including pro-Hong Kong independence activists, following the 2014 massive protests calling for universal suffrage. Still, five years later, when the 2019 protests swept Hong Kong, the partys activism won widespread support once again. After crackdownChinas crackdown including the 2020 sweeping security law changed the political landscape. Some former lawmakers, including party ex-chairmen Albert Ho and Wu Chi-wai, are now in prison in prominent national security cases. The Democratic Party has become absent in elections due to the new legal framework for polls. Some observers believe Beijing may no longer consider the party worth cultivating ties with, especially after it did not run in the 2021 legislative election after the electoral overhaul.Other pro-democracy groups have disbanded, including the Civic Party, the second-largest pro-democracy political party, and a decades-old group that organized the annual vigil to commemorate Beijings Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. Some activists chose self-exile or ceased their work. Items for sale at the Democratic Partys office in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Items for sale at the Democratic Partys office in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The Democratic Party pressed on by holding news conferences on livelihood issues. It even submitted opinions on the new national security legislation before it was enacted in March 2024. Ramon Yuen, who had served as a policy spokesperson before and after the security law took effect, admitted the party has become like a pressure group. Unfortunately, this pressure group is also under pressure, said Yuen. Moving toward disbandment In February, the partys central committee decided to set up a task force to look into the procedures for dissolving itself. Current chairperson Lo Kin-hei said it was based on the current political situation and social climate. He declined an interview request. A meeting on Sunday will decide whether to mandate the leadership to proceed. A final vote for dissolution is expected at a later date. Emily Lau poses for a photo next to an Umbrella movement poster with the words "I want genuine universal suffrage." (AP Photo/May James) Emily Lau poses for a photo next to an Umbrella movement poster with the words "I want genuine universal suffrage." (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yeung Sum looks through old pictures at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Yeung Sum looks through old pictures at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/May James) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Yuen, 38, joined the party in 2009. If its shuttered, the city will lose a voice advocating for issues ranging from livelihood concerns to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, he said.Its not easy for the central committee to make this decision, he said. I accept it. I can only say, every era will come to an end.For party veteran Yeung, the disbandment would be a very huge setback for the city, adding that the partys disappearance would make it difficult for people outside to believe in the one country, two systems principle. But he believes it will not be the end of fighting for democracy for Hong Kongers, especially for the young people who tasted a free society. People are quiet because they worry about potential penalties if they openly criticize the government, said Yeung, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in the 2019 protests. So maybe no more democratic formation of party. But I think peoples hearts for democracy, they will not fade out. They still keep it, maybe in different form. KANIS LEUNG Leung covers Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China for The Associated Press. She is based in Hong Kong. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial outside the Jet Set nightclub, in memory of the more than 200 people who died when its roof collapsed, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)2025-04-11T14:53:31Z SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A roof collapse at the legendary Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo has plunged the Dominican Republic into mourning.Authorities say the disaster early Tuesday killed 222 people and injured more than 200 others. Nearly two dozen people remain hospitalized, with several in critical condition.The biggest tragedy to strike the Dominican Republic in recent history has raised questions about the safety of infrastructure in the capital and beyond. While authorities have said its too early to determine why the roof fell, the government has created a technical team to investigate the case.Heres a timeline of what happened: A poster of victim Rubby Perez is seen at a makeshift vigil for the victims of the Jet Set club roof collapse in the Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) A poster of victim Rubby Perez is seen at a makeshift vigil for the victims of the Jet Set club roof collapse in the Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Monday, April 7It was a Jet Set Monday, the day merengue musicians would play at the legendary club every week.That day, acclaimed singer Rubby Prez was to take the stage at 9 p.m. In typical Latino fashion, the music didnt start until 11:50 p.m., according to his manager, Enrique Paulino.As the music began, more than 400 people inside the club applauded the singer known for hits including Volver and El Africano. Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Noticias SIN via AP) Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Noticias SIN via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Tuesday, April 8Halfway through Prezs set, dust from the ceiling began falling into people drinks. Minutes later, the concrete ceiling collapsed onto the crowd.At 12:44 am, the countrys 911 system received the first of 102 calls that day, according to Randolfo Rijo Gmez, the systems director.Two minutes later, at 12:46 a.m., Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, called President Luis Abinader. She told me, Send everyone over here, send all the ambulances, Abinader told reporters.Cruz was rescued but died of injuries at the hospital.Ninety seconds after the first 911 call was received, police arrived. Eight minutes after that call, the first rescue units arrived.In less than 25 minutes, authorities activated 25 soldiers, seven firefighting brigades and 77 ambulances, Gmez said. Rescue workers carry a person pulled from the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Rescue workers carry a person pulled from the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More They deployed dogs, thermal cameras and dozens of specialized equipment.In his first press conference about the disaster, emergency operations director Juan Manuel Mndez said that at least 13 people had died and more than 70 were injured.By that afternoon, the number of victims rose to 58 as more than 100 people donated blood at different centers across the capital.Meanwhile, a crowd of anxious people looking for their loved ones pressed around the remains of the club, forcing authorities to grab a megaphone and ask that they make room for the dozens of ambulances.The victims identified that day included former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; Luis Sols, the saxophonist who was playing onstage when the roof collapsed; and the son of the public works minister.By the end of the day, authorities announced that the number of victims had surged to 98, with the last survivor found early that afternoon. Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Wednesday, April 9In the predawn hours, rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel arrived to help local officials search for survivors and victims.A collective cry was heard when Mndez, the emergency operations director, confirmed they had found the body of Rubby Prez.The number of victims soared to 184 as dozens of people began gathering at hospitals and the countrys forensic institute in search of their loved ones.Wakes were held for Dotel and Prez in the afternoon, with hundreds of people paying their respects, including MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martnez, who said he knew some 50 people who died at Jet Set.More than 20 victims were identified as being from Haina, the hometown of Prez located just southwest of Santo Domingo. Its mayor said officials would offer the families free funeral services.In the evening, the government announced that it was moving to a recovery phase focused on finding bodies. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, front right ands his wife Raquel Arbaje Soni, front left, attend the wake of Dominican singer Rubby Perez who died in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub during his merengue concert, at the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, front right ands his wife Raquel Arbaje Soni, front left, attend the wake of Dominican singer Rubby Perez who died in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub during his merengue concert, at the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Thursday, April 10The government held a memorial for Prez at Santo Domingos National Theater that hundreds attended, including the countrys president and merengue superstar Juan Luis Guerra.As the coffin was carried out to the hearse, the crowd released white balloons and spontaneously sang Volver.Meanwhile, officials in Haina held a wake for at least 10 victims, with mourners crowding around each coffin to say their final farewells.By late morning, the emergency operations director announced that crews had finished searching for victims and potential survivors after working for 53 continuous hours. Mndez broke down as he spoke, calling it the most difficult task Ive had in 20 years.Officials removed heavy machinery, packed their equipment and evicted people from the area as they fumigated the building.Crews had rescued 189 people alive from the rubble.That afternoon, the presidents spokesman, Homero Figueroa, announced that a technical team would be created to determine what caused the roof to collapse, and that national and international experts would be part of it. A person points to the inside of the Jet Set nightclub days after its roof collapsed, killing more than 200 people, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A person points to the inside of the Jet Set nightclub days after its roof collapsed, killing more than 200 people, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Friday, April 11Heavy rain fell as dozens of people remained outside the countrys forensics institute, still wearing face masks as they complained about the odor and demanded the bodies of their loved ones.A screen set up nearby showed the names of victims in different colors. Those in black meant that the bodies were ready but that no one had picked them up, while those in green meant the relatives had identified them.Under a tarp, government officials met with family members who presented official documents of their loved ones in order to pick up their remains.Among those waiting at the forensics institute was Carlos Severino, who lost all three of his children: Dianny Escarlet Severino 31; Diego Armando Severino, 27; and Mariani Escarlet Severino, 23. Flowers and candles sit outside the Jet Set nightclub, placed in memory of the more than 200 people who died when its roof collapsed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Flowers and candles sit outside the Jet Set nightclub, placed in memory of the more than 200 people who died when its roof collapsed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In a phone interview, Severino described them as hardworking, honest and serious.To describe Dianny is to describe an angel. Mariani was the joy of the home. Diego was tenacious, a worker, he said as he began sobbing.Doctors treating the injured at public hospitals said several of them remain in critical condition.Dr. Julio Landrn said a lot of them will have permanent injuries, ranging from paralysis to a damaged finger.

The United States will open the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15 at San Jose, California, play Saudi Arabia four days later at Austin, Texas, and close first-round play in Group D against Haiti on June 22 at Arlington, Texas.

AC Milan secured a convincing 4-0 victory at Udinese in Serie A on Friday, with Srgio Conceio's side earning its first win in nearly a month.

Argentina's President Javier Milei, left, and Economy Minister Luis Caputo attend the Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File)2025-04-11T20:52:34Z BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) President Javier Milei on Friday announced that he would lift most of the countrys strict capital and currency controls next week, a high-stakes gamble made possible by a new loan from the International Monetary Fund. It marked a major step forward in the libertarians program to normalize Argentinas economy after decades of unbridled spending.The IMFs executive board late Friday green-lit the $20 billion bailout package, which offers a lifeline to Argentinas dangerously depleting foreign currency reserves over the next four years. The fund praised President Mileis tough austerity program and zero-deficit fiscal policy, saying the program sought to consolidate impressive initial gains and address remaining macroeconomic vulnerabilities.Against this backdrop, the authorities are embarking on a new phase of their stabilization plan, said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, adding that Argentina has committed to doubling down on spending cuts and economic deregulation and transitioning toward a new foreign currency exchange regime. Shortly afterward, Milei, flanked by his ministers, addressed his nation on television. Today we are breaking the cycle of disillusionment and disenchantment and are beginning to move forward for the first time, he said. We have eliminated the exchange rate controls on the Argentine economy for good. A tangle of regulationsThe capital controls, known here as el cepo, or the clamp, are a tangle of regulations that help to stabilize the peso at an official rate and prevent capital flight from Argentina.Imposed by a previous administration in 2019, the restrictions clamp down on individuals and companies access to dollars, discouraging the foreign investment that Milei needs to achieve his goal of transforming heavily regulated Argentina into a free economy. The restrictions made it almost impossible for ordinary Argentines to purchase dollars, giving rise to a black market that is technically illegal but that almost every Argentine uses to sell their depreciating pesos anyway. Their removal takes effect on Monday. The government said it would $12 billion from the IMF Tuesday a bigger-than-expected upfront sum that gives Argentinas reserves breathing room to make the major change and reflects the funds confidence in Mileis radical reforms.The program is unprecedented in supporting an economic plan that has already yielded results, Milei said.Letting the Argentine peso float kind of The new policy also involves cutting the Argentine peso free from its peg to the dollar. But instead of a risky free float, Argentina is allowing the peso to trade within a so-called currency band that ranges from 1,000 to 1,400 pesos per dollar. The band will expand 1% each month, the bank said. This breaks from Mileis current policy of letting the peso weaken at a pace of 1% against the dollar each month. That crawling peg had drawn backlash from investors worried about the central bank burning through its reserves to prop up the peso. It was forced to spend $2.5 billion to defend the official exchange rate in just the past few weeks. When announcing the removal of exchange controls Economy Minister Luis Caputo insisted it was not a devaluation. The truth is, we dont know where the dollar will end up, he said. Mileis team has sought to fend off a politically costly official devaluation of the peso that could push inflation much higher. Keeping a lid on rising prices a flagship campaign promise has helped the political outsider hold up approval ratings despite his brutal cuts to state spending that might otherwise trigger social unrest. But it was clear that the peso would have to depreciate to some extent, with economists guessing that it would fall to close to its black-market rate. On Friday, that rate was 1,375 pesos to the dollar, compared with the official exchange rate of 1,097 pesos.Marcelo J. Garca, director for the Americas at New York-based geopolitical risk consultancy Horizon Engage, said he expected an initial devaluation of around 20-25%.A big question mark is inflation in the second quarter of the year. Its very likely there will be a shock, said Leonardo Piazza, chief economist at Argentine consulting firm LP Consulting. Argentina, a serial defaulter Before Milei took office in December 2023, the previous left-wing Peronist administration ran up massive budget deficits, leading to sky-high inflation and a chronically weakening peso. By scrapping subsidies and price controls, firing tens of thousands of state workers and halting the central banks overreliance on printing pesos to pay the governments bills, Milei has delivered Argentinas first fiscal surplus in years and largely stabilized its macroeconomic imbalances, thrilling markets even as his shock-therapy approach has hit the population hard.Yet for all the changes and the financial pain, there have been scant signs of a sustainable recovery. Analysts say that a long-term economic revival involves the removal of capital controls, the amassing of currency reserves and access to international capital markets. As a result, foreign companies have waited on the sidelines, wary of pouring their cash into a country infamous for defaulting on its debt.The South American nation is already the IMFs biggest debtor, owing some $43 billion. This new $20 billion loan represents the 23rd rescue package in the nations long and tumultuous history. A tsunami of money outMilei has rejected pressure from investors over the past year to lift the capital controls, insisting that the economic conditions needed to be right. Now, he said, it was finally time.The unusually large first $12 billion disbursement from the IMF will hit Argentinas central bank Tuesday. Another $2 billion will arrive in the next two months, the government said. International organizations will also pitch in, with the Inter-American Development Bank announcing later Friday $10 billion disbursed over the next three years.With this level of reserves, we can back up all the existing pesos in our economy, providing monetary security to our citizens, Milei said. These are the foundations for sustained, long-term growth.Its a high-risk mission, as scrapping the cepo could unleash years of pent-up demand for U.S. dollars and spark a currency run as companies try to send their long-trapped profits home.It could be a tsunami of money out, said Christopher Ecclestone, a strategist with investment bank Hallgarten & Company. Its a total guessing game as to what people will do.The central bank said that while it was lifting restrictions for the public, it would retain taxes on card purchases abroad and some regulations on companies. For instance, from 2025 on, multinational firms will be able to repatriate their earnings. But to get their already trapped holdings out of the country, theyll need to exchange the debt for dollar-denominated security bonds.Its an effort to insure against capital flight, which would imperil Mileis primary accomplishment of lowering inflation ahead of midterm elections in October that are crucial for his libertarian party to expand its small congressional minority. The announcement is more audacious than expected. The government is making a bit of a leap of faith by lifting the cepo, said Garca. Its also bold timing, analysts say, considering the local market turmoil sparked by U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs. In recent days, Argentine stocks and bonds have plunged.Meanwhile, with traders nervous about a possible peso devaluation under Argentinas IMF deal, the closely watched gap between Argentinas currency exchange rates has grown by over 20% in recent week. The gap is a key indicator of confidence in the government and can fuel inflation, which already accelerated in March to its fastest pace in seven months.On Friday, Argentinas National Statistics Institute reported that consumer prices ticked up 3.7% last month compared to 2.4% in February, mainly as a result of rising food prices.Mieli was unruffled. Inflation will disappear, he promised.___Associated Press writer Almudena Calatrava contributed to this report. ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto

In this photo taken from video, a helicopter falls from the sky into the Hudson River , Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (Bruce Wall via AP)2025-04-12T04:10:28Z NEW YORK (AP) A helicopter ride giving a thrilling sweep of Manhattans iconic skyline has long been on the to-do list for New York City tourists of means.For several hundred dollars, tour companies fly passengers high above the rivers that encircle the city, showcasing a stunning, birds-eye view of the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and other monumental landmarks. Debris floats in the water at the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Debris floats in the water at the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More But Thursdays crash that killed a family of five visiting from Spain and the helicopters pilot, a Navy SEAL veteran, has renewed concerns about the safety of the popular sightseeing excursions.Since 2005, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have fallen into the Hudson and East rivers as a result of mechanical failures, pilot errors or collisions, killing 20 people.Longtime opponents have revived calls to ban or limit nonessential helicopter flights, including the roughly 30,000 sightseeing rides over the city each year. Mayor against more restrictionsMayor Eric Adams on Friday said he doesnt support further restrictions on the aircraft, saying theyre crucial for everything from transporting Wall Street executives to police work, and that tens of thousands of tourist flights happen each year with no problems. New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference at Pier 40, where a helicopter went down in the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference at Pier 40, where a helicopter went down in the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People want to see the city from the sky, he said on WINS radio, though he added that it must be done right. The Democrat said the citys airspace is highly regulated, pilots are well-trained and the aircraft are well maintained.Not everyone has his level of comfort.Personally, I dont go on them, Al Yurman, a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said of helicopter tours. I feel like the industry doesnt look after itself the way it should.Previous crashes led to new rulesTourist flights seemed like they might be in jeopardy after a disaster in 2009, when a Liberty Helicopters sightseeing flight carrying Italian visitors collided with a private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine. Flowers rest at the end of a pier, Friday, April 11, 2025, near the site where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Flowers rest at the end of a pier, Friday, April 11, 2025, near the site where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More After that crash, which involved missed radio communications, a distracted air traffic controller and two pilots who didnt see each other until it was too late, the Federal Aviation Administration created new safety rules for the congested airspace over the citys rivers.A few years later, New York City cut the number of flights allowed at Manhattans downtown heliport in half, capping them at just under 30,000 a year.Then, in 2018, five people died when a helicopter offering open door flights crashed in the East River after a passengers restraint tether snagged on a fuel switch, stopping the engine. The pilot escaped but the passengers couldnt get out of their safety harnesses and drowned.That crash prompted more industry scrutiny. Divers investigate the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Divers investigate the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Late last month, the company that arranged that flight, FlyNYON, settled a lawsuit over the crash for $90 million. FlyNYONs chief executive, Patrick Day, said it had made numerous changes to improve safety, including changing its passenger restraint system, switching to a different model of helicopter, adding training for pilots and hiring a safety officer.The introspection and self-critical analysis we have undertaken in the last six-and-a-half years have shaped our view of what it means to be an industry leader, and were a safer, smarter, and stronger company for it, Day said.Fewest crashes in 25 yearsThe cause of Thursdays crash is still undetermined.Videos taken by bystanders showed the Bell 206 helicopter breaking apart mid-flight. The cabin plummeted into the water without its severed tail boom or main rotor, which spun off into a different part of the river and hasnt been recovered.Nationwide, there were 88 helicopter accidents last year across all sectors the lowest in 25 years, according to Jeff Smith, chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, a trade group for helicopter operators based in Kearny, New Jersey, where many Manhattan tour companies depart.Helicopter tours, he added, accounted for a small fraction of all those accidents. We shoot for vision zero, which means no fatalities, Smith said. We train for that. We preach it. It is a cornerstone of our industry. Justin Green, an aviation lawyer and former Marine helicopter pilot, agreed theres nothing especially problematic about New Yorks helicopter tour industry, despite the crashes that seem to happen every few years.At the same time, he said, tour operators should be required to equip their aircraft with modern safety measures, such as terrain awareness technology. Steve Cowell, a Colorado-based aviation expert, suggested the FAA should take a more active role in scrutinizing smaller operators with known financial difficulties.Unfortunately, when people fly, they oftentimes do not check into the safety records or financial viability of the company, Cowell said. Theyre placing their trust and confidence in the abilities of not only the pilots but the maintainers. New York Helicopter, operator of the aircraft that crashed Thursday, had gone through a bankruptcy and been sued twice by creditors in recent months, an AP review found. The company declined to answer questions, but released a statement saying it was profoundly saddened by the deaths of its passengers and pilot.The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew has always been the cornerstone of our operations, it said.___Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. PHILIP MARCELO Marcelo is a general assignment reporter in the NYC bureau. He previously wrote for AP Fact Check and before that was based in Boston, where he focused on race and immigration. twitter mailto

With a top-six playoff seeding on the line, Stephen Curry said he'll be ready to go for a critical regular-season finale Sunday against the Clippers.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Declan Rice after the midfielder revealed that he ignored the advice of the club's set-piece coach before scoring the first of two sensational free kicks against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tours the Native Health Mesa Food Distribution Center in Mesa, Ariz., Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)2025-04-12T04:01:27Z CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent time in tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico this week highlighting ways they are trying to prevent chronic disease among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, something he has said is one of his top priorities.But Kennedy didnt appear to publicly address a Native health program using traditional medicine and foods to tackle disproportionate rates of conditions like diabetes and liver disease. The program, called Healthy Tribes, was gutted in this months federal health layoffs. Some Native leaders say they are having trouble grasping the dissonance between Kennedys words and his actions. With little information, they wonder if Healthy Tribes is part of the Trump administrations push to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. There also is confusion about what and who is left at the 11-year-old program, which was part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under Kennedys agency, and doled out $32.5 million a year. Tribal leaders and health officials told The Associated Press that cuts to the Healthy Tribes program are another violation of the federal governments legal obligation, or trust responsibility, to tribal nations under treaties, law and other acts. That includes funding for health care through the Indian Health Service, as well as education and public safety for citizens of the 574 federally recognized tribes. But federal funding has long fallen short of meeting those needs, leaving tribal governments to rely on additional grants and programs like Healthy Tribes. So many layers of communications of collaboration and partnerships have just been turned off, said Onawa Miller, a Quechan Indian Nation citizen and director of tribal public health for United South and Eastern Tribes, which serves 33 tribes in those regions of the U.S. She said her organization already has received its annual $2 million in Healthy Tribes funding. Several tribal facilities received an email from a CDC employee April 1 notifying them that the positions of many people who staffed the Healthy Tribes program had been eliminated as part of the reduction in force efforts at CDC. The American Federation of Government Employees union, which represents thousands of workers at the CDC in Atlanta, said more than 30 civil servant jobs were or are being eliminated. That includes 11 positions in the Healthy Tribes program and others in the larger Division of Population Health.An email sent to the account of Healthy Tribes director Dr. Julianna Reece, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was met with an automated reply: Due to the recent HHS reduction in force, I have been placed on administrative leave and will be separated from the agency on June 2nd. Reece did not respond to requests for comment sent to her federal and personal email accounts. Native leaders call change a violation of trustPart of the government upheaval in the past several weeks includes top officials at the National Institutes of Health being offered transfers to Indian Health Service offices far from Washington, D.C. The National Indian Health Board also has said the government eliminated key staff and programs at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Healths Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health.The government is required to consult with tribes on decisions impacting them, like mass layoffs in February at the Indian Health Service that were rescinded hours later, and tribal leaders have warned the Trump administration that such consultations are not happening. In some cases tribes can take legal action against the U.S. for failing to meet its trust responsibilities.It is a violation of trust, without a doubt, said W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown SKlallam Tribe in Washington state.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not answer questions related to the Healthy Tribes cuts but told the AP in an email that the Indian Health Service was not impacted by this months workforce reductions and there are no plans to consolidate any of its offices. Kennedys swing through the Southwest included a visit to a community health center in metro Phoenix that provides physical and mental health care to Native people and a hike with the Navajo Nation president. He also moderated a panel at the Tribal Self-Governance Conference, held on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona, but didnt take questions from the audience, tribal leaders on stage or journalists.Allen said he had a constructive conversation with Kennedy, reminding him IHS is already underfunded and understaffed and that tribes rely on additional federal grants and programs.Your issue is to reduce the central office, and so were OK with that, but move the functions that serve the tribes out to the tribes, Allen said he told Kennedy. Because if we dont have those resources, how are we gonna make our communities healthy? He agrees. Grants fund traditional medicine practicesResearch shows Native Americans have shorter life expectancies than other ethnic groups, and the Indian Health Service says they face higher mortality rates from chronic conditions like diabetes and liver disease.In Seattle, Healthy Tribes money pays for a program called GATHER, which focuses on integrating traditional tribal medicine practices into health care. Providers at the Seattle Indian Health Board can use medicine made from plants grown in a community garden. A traditional Native medicine apprentice or healer is a part of a patients care team.Seattle Indian Health Board President Esther Lucero, a descendant of the Navajo Nation, said her staff meets with people from the CDC and other Healthy Tribes grantees bimonthly to discuss project updates and ensure compliance with grants. But after last weeks layoffs, they are having trouble contacting anyone. If you cant actually administer the dollars, how are you going to actually get them out to the programs? she said. With this current administration, its almost like every day we receive an unexpected notice, and then we will get a follow-up notice that says ... you need to move forward as usual.Lycia Ortega, interim CEO of Los Angeles-based United American Indian Involvement, echoed concerns about the ambiguous and somewhat confusing messages. Her organization uses Healthy Tribes money to foster connections between younger people and elders in Native American and Alaska Native communities.Native communities have had to push back against the Trump administrations efforts to cut programs that might be considered DEI initiatives, she said, with the help of lawyers, policy experts and watchdogs who point out areas where the government might not be honoring the trust responsibility. Native people have a distinct political power, said Ortega, a citizen of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, but there are policymakers who see tribes as a threat rather than a partner.Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said he told Kennedy privately that consulting with and engaging in respectful partnerships with tribes is key to fulfilling the federal governments trust responsibilities.Since the Trump administration began making massive cuts to the federal workforce, many tribal leaders have had to clarify with newly appointed federal officials that services to tribes are not based on race but rather on the political status of tribal nations.I made it very clear, we are not DEI as tribal nations, as a political entity, he said.___Bose reported from Jackson, Mississippi, and Bohrer from Juneau, Alaska. Associated Press writers Terry Tang in Phoenix and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. DEVNA BOSE Bose is a public health reporter for The Associated Press, based in Jackson, Mississippi. She covers hospitals, rural health access and disparities, public health funding and other topics that broadly intersect with the health of communities. twitter mailto GRAHAM LEE BREWER Brewer reports for the APs Race and Ethnicity team, focusing on Indigenous communities and tribal nations. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is based in Oklahoma. twitter mailto BECKY BOHRER Bohrer is a statehouse and political reporter based in Juneau, Alaska. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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A woman votes in a referendum on whether to adopt a new constitution, in Libreville, Gabon, on Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Betines Makosso, File)2025-04-12T06:41:36Z LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) Voters in the oil-rich Gabon headed to polling stations on Saturday in the first presidential election since a 2023 military coup ended a political dynasty that lasted over 50 years.Analysts have predicted an overwhelming victory for the interim president who led the coup.Some 920,000 voters, including over 28,000 overseas, are registered to participate across more than 3,000 polling stations. It is a crucial election for the countrys 2.3 million people, a third of whom live in poverty despite its vast oil wealth.The interim president, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, 50, toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba nearly two years ago. He hopes to consolidate his grip on power for a seven-year term in office.Bongo was placed under house arrest after the coup but freed a week later due to health concerns. His wife and son were detained and charged with corruption and embezzlement of public funds. Bongo himself was not charged. Following the coup, Oligui Nguema promised to return power to civilians through credible elections. He has touted himself as a leader who wants to unify the Gabonese and give them hope, running his presidential campaign under the slogan: We Build Together. In January, the parliament adopted a new contentious electoral code allowing military personnel to run in elections. The countrys new constitution, adopted in a referendum in November, has also set the presidential term at seven years, renewable once, instead of the unlimited fiver-year term. It also states family members cant succeed a president and has abolished the position of prime minister.However, some have said Oligui Nguemas stay in office is a continuation of the Bongo familys grip on power as he is a cousin of the ousted president. A challenger with an anti-colonial approachA total of eight candidates are running for president. However, Oligui Nguemas main challenger is Bongos former prime minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who has promised to reorganize public finances, create jobs for young people and end the umbilical cord with former colonial ruler France.In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bilie-By-Nze said he didnt expect the election to be fair or transparent. Everything has been done to lock down the vote, he said.In a region where France is losing longstanding allies in many of its former colonies, Gabon stands out as one of only a few where that partnership has not been threatened. It still has more than 300 French troops present, one of only two African countries still hosting them.Oligui Nguema has not signaled an end to the French military presence, but Bilie-By-Nze has said no subject is off limits in renegotiating the ties between the two countries. Voters cast their ballotsDozens of voters, from various age groups, lined up at ballot stations in the capital city, Libreville, as voting progressed peacefully. Jonas Obiang told the AP while waiting to cast his ballot in the district of Damas that he would vote for Bilie-By-Nze because he viewed the transition since the 2023 coup as a failure.General Oligui Nguema led the country with the same people who plundered the country, the former members of the Bongo regime. I will not vote for him, he said.Andr Moussavou, a retired military man waiting to cast his vote, however, said he believed in Oligui Nguemas plans to move the country forward.I will vote for the progress of the country because the old system left the country in the abyss, he said. MONIKA PRONCZUK Pronczuk covers 22 countries across Central and West Africa for The Associated Press. She is based in Dakar, Senegal. twitter mailto

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Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) reacts after a missed a shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)2025-04-12T04:29:06Z For New Orleans, Charlotte, Washington and Utah, the seasons will end Sunday.That might not be soon enough.The Pelicans, Hornets, Wizards and Jazz all playing out the string of dismal seasons along with the playoff-bound Houston Rockets combined to make the wrong kind of NBA history on Friday night. All five of those teams lost by at least 30 points, marking the first time that the league saw that many blowouts of that size on the same day.Miami beat New Orleans by 49, 153-104. Boston beat Charlotte by 36, 130-94. Oklahoma City beat Utah by 34, 145-111. The Los Angeles Lakers topped Houston by 31, 140-109. And Chicago beat Washington by 30, 119-89.Those five games pushed the NBAs total of games decided by 30 or more points this season to 79 tying the league mark for such games, set in the 2021-22 season.Its challenging. For sure, its tough, Pelicans coach Willie Green said, after a game where his team trailed the Heat by as many as 52 points. You feel for your guys. Theyre out there fighting and were undermanned, but at the same time, youve got to be able to go through some adversity. It builds you. It makes you stronger. It was a night filled with lopsided scoreboards, and plenty of other games seemed poised to join the 30-point blowout trend before the margins got smaller by the final buzzer. Minnesota beat Brooklyn by 26, Dallas led Toronto by 38 before winning by 22, Phoenix led San Antonio by 31 early in the fourth before winning by 19, Golden State led Portland by 27 before winning by 17, and Orlando had a 35-point lead on Indiana before winning by 15. The three other days before Friday that the NBA saw four games decided by at least 30 points:Dec. 7, 2016 Sacramento 120, Dallas 89; Cleveland 126, New York 94; Houston 134, L.A. Lakers 95; Boston 117, Orlando 87.Jan. 15, 2019 Golden State 142, Denver 111; Milwaukee 124, Miami 86; Philadelphia 149, Minnesota 107; Indiana 131, Phoenix 97.May 5, 2021 Utah 126, San Antonio 94; Atlanta 135, Phoenix 103; Portland 141, Cleveland 105; Boston 132, Orlando 96.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba TIM REYNOLDS Reynolds is an Associated Press sports writer, based in South Florida. twitter mailto

A Cape vulture is seen in its enclosure at the Vulture Programme at Boekenhoutkloof near Hartbeespoort Dam, South Africa on Sept. 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)2025-04-12T04:12:48Z CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Vultures have an image problem. Seen as ugly and associated with death, they are among the least loved animals in the world. But conservationists in Africa are trying to change that.Theyve launched an effort to save endangered vultures by trying to put a dollar figure on their incredible value.A recent report by the BirdLife International conservation organization estimated that vultures are worth $1.8 billion a year to certain ecosystems in southern Africa, which might surprise anyone not familiar with the clean-up, pest control and anti-poaching work performed by one of the most efficient scavengers on the planet.They are not up there on the pretty scale. And they are not popular. But we know they are very useful, said Fadzai Matsvimbo, an extinction prevention coordinator at BirdLife International. The report comes at an important time for Africas vultures; six of the 11 species found on the continent are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which says vultures are highly threatened in many parts of the world. In Africa, some species have declined by nearly 90%, Matsvimbo said. Conservationists hope the report will make authorities and the public more aware of the positive impact of vultures.It focused on research in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe and shows how a wake of vultures the term for a group of feeding vultures can strip a decomposing carcass in hours, cleaning up ecosystems, reducing the chance of disease spreading and the presence of pests like rats and feral dogs, which has great benefits to communities. Vultures also have extremely strong stomach acid, dont get food poisoning and are able to consume and neutralize anthrax, botulism and other bacteria and toxins in carcasses that would kill other animals, removing deadly threats from the environment. Just this week, more than 50 hippos died from suspected anthrax poisoning in a reserve in Congo. Vultures are natures best sanitation services, said Matsvimbo. Conservationists have raised the case of the drastic loss of vultures in India over the last 30 years and how that led to a health crisis. A study published last year said half a million people died in India because of the spread of bacteria and infections in the absence of vultures.Matsvimbo said vultures in Africa are also used as sentinels by game rangers because they are often the first to spot a dead animal and can lead rangers to where poachers might be active. They have even proven useful in helping farmers locate dead or injured livestock.Vultures are unique among land vertebrates in that they only feed on carrion dead animals. That makes them especially susceptible to poisoning by humans, either intentionally by poachers and others who want to get rid of them, or by mistake when pests are the target. Hundreds of vultures can die from a single poisoned carcass. Vultures are also regularly killed or maimed in collisions with powerlines in Africa. And they are increasingly being killed for belief-based reasons, said Kerri Wolter, the CEO of the Vulpro vulture rehabilitation center in South Africa, which treats sick and injured vultures to be released back into the wild. She said because vultures have such outstanding eyesight and instincts when it comes to finding a dead animal they are viewed by some as being clairvoyant and able to foresee death. Their body parts, and especially their head, are used in potions or as charms to predict the future.Our work is to change the mindsets of people, Wolter said. For them to see vultures and think, wow that is amazing.Matsvimbo and Wolter both said vultures have been given a raw deal by moviemakers in Hollywood, where they are almost always shown as evil and sinister. Movies have done for vultures what Jaws did for sharks, Wolter said.I love watching The Lion King, but every time they do the vulture part, my heart breaks, said Matsvimbo. Vultures are never portrayed in a positive way. I have a bone to chew with these moviemakers. Or should that be bone to pick?___AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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