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by Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, and Perla Trevizo, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and photography by Cengiz Yar, ProPublica ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Sign up for The Brief Weekly to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues. Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump declared an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, giving him authority to unilaterally spend billions on immigration enforcement and wall construction. He has since reportedly urged Congress to authorize an additional $175 billion for border security, far exceeding what was spent during his first term.In the coming months, border towns in Texas and Arizona will receive more grants to fund and equip police patrols. New wall construction projects will fill border communities with workers who eat at restaurants, shop in stores and rent space in RV parks. And National Guard deployments will add to local economies.But if the president asked Sandra Fuentes what the biggest need in her community on the Texas-Mexico border is, the answer would be safe drinking water, not more border security. And if Trump put the same question to Jose Grijalva, the Arizona mayor would say a hospital for his border city, which has struggled without one for a decade.Although billions of state and federal dollars flow into the majority-Latino communities along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, many remain among the poorest places in the nation. In many towns, unemployment is significantly higher and income much lower than their interior counterparts, with limited access to health care, underfunded infrastructure and lagging educational attainment. Security walls are erected next to neighborhoods without running water, and National Guard units deploy to towns without paved roads and hospitals. By some estimates, about 30,000 border residents in Texas lack access to reliable drinking water, among more than a million statewide. For 205,000 people living along Arizonas border with Mexico, the nearest full-service hospital is hours away.Such struggles arent confined to the border. But the region offers perhaps the most striking disparity between the size of federal and state governments investment there and how little its reflected in the quality of life of residents.The border security issue takes up all the oxygen and a lot of the resources in the room, said state Rep. Mary Gonzlez, a Democrat from El Paso County who has sponsored bills to address water needs. It leaves very little space for all the other priorities, specifically water and wastewater infrastructure, because most people dont understand what its like turning your faucet and therell be no water.Heres how residents in two border towns, Del Rio, Texas, and Douglas, Arizona, experience living in places where the government always seems ready to spend on border security while stubborn obstacles to their communities well-being remain. Nearly a fifth of the nearly 50,000 residents in Val Verde County, Texas, live in poverty, compared with the states 14% average. When Cierra Flores gives her daughter a bath at their home in Del Rio, she has to keep a close eye on the water level of the outdoor tank that supplies her house. Like any 6-year-old, her daughter likes to play in the running water. But Flores doesnt have the luxury of leaving the tap open. When the tank runs dry, the household is out of water. That means not washing dishes, doing laundry or flushing the toilet until the trip can be made to get more water.Flores lives on a ranch in Escondido Estates, a neighborhood where many residents have gone decades without running water. Flores family has a well on their property. But during the summer and prolonged droughts, as the region is now experiencing, their well runs dry.At those times, the family relies on a neighbor who has a more dependable well and is willing to sell water. Flores husband makes hourlong trips twice on weekends to fill the familys water tank. Their situation has felt even more tenuous lately, as her neighbors property was listed for sale, prompting worries about whether theyll continue to have access to his well. I have no idea where we would go here if that well wasnt there, Flores said. Its frustrating that we dont have basic resources, especially in a place where they know when the summer comes it doesnt rain. It doesnt rain, we dont have water.Val Verde County, where Del Rio is located, is three times the size of Rhode Island and hours from a major city. About a fifth of its nearly 50,000 residents live in poverty, a rate nearly twice the national average. Some live in colonias rural communities along the U.S.-Mexico border, including illegal subdivisions that lack access to water, sewers or adequate housing.The county has worked for years to bring water to residents, piecing together state and federal grants. Yet about 2,000 people more than 4% of the countys population still lack running water, according to a database kept by the Texas Office of the Attorney General. For those residents, it means showering at fitness centers and doing the dishes once a week with water from plastic jugs. Some neighborhoods along the Mexican border on the outskirts of Del Rio, such as the area where Cierra Flores and her 6-year-old daughter, Olivia, live, still lack infrastructure like paved roads and access to safe drinking water. In the early 1990s, then-Gov. Ann Richards, a Democrat, toured some of the states colonias along the border to assess the living conditions. After stepping into the mud on an unpaved street, shes said to have been so moved by the scene that she told a staffer, Whatever they want, give it to them.Fuentes, a community organizer, likes to tell that story because it drives home how long residents have fought for water and other improvements but been stymied by state and local politics and limited funds.Its going to be an uphill battle, but we are going to keep on battling, she said. What else is there to do? Over the past 30 years, the state has provided more than $1 billion in grants and loans to bring drinking water and wastewater treatment to colonias and other economically distressed areas. Texas 2036, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, estimates Texas needs nearly $154 billion by 2050 to meet water demands across the state amid population growth, the ongoing drought and aging infrastructure. Texas state leaders said they are committed to investing in water projects and infrastructure. Gov. Greg Abbotts office said he is calling on the Legislature to dedicate $1 billion a year for 10 years and is looking forward to working with lawmakers to ensure Texans have a safe, reliable water supply for the next 50 years. Kim Carmichael, a spokesperson for Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, said, Texas is at a critical juncture with its water supply, and every lawmaker recognizes the need to act decisively and meaningfully invest to further secure our water future. The Texas Houses base budget proposes $2.5 billion for water infrastructure.One of the challenges at the federal and state level is that infrastructure needs often exceed available funds, said Olga Morales-Pate, chief executive officer of Rural Community Assistance Partnership, a national network of nonprofits that works with rural communities on access to safe drinking water and wastewater issues. So it becomes a competitive process: Who gets there faster, who has a better application, who is shovel ready to get those funding opportunities out? she said. Community organizer Karen Gonzalez is frustrated that residents of the Del Rio area still lack water access while state leaders focus on border security. The plight of people without water often gets overlooked, said Karen Gonzalez, an organizer who used to work with Fuentes. Even though she grew up in Del Rio, it wasnt until she started to work with the community that she learned some county residents didnt have water.Every person that I come across that I tell that were working this issue is like, Theres people that dont have water? she said. Its not something that is known. Unlike border security, which is constantly in the spotlight.During his inauguration, Trump praised Abbott as a leader of the pack on border security. In 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, a multibillion-dollar effort aimed at curbing illegal immigration and drug trafficking. As part of the operation, the state has awarded Val Verde County and the city of Del Rio more than $10 million in grants, state data obtained by The Texas Tribune shows.A state-funded border wall that has gone up in the county a short distance from the Rio Grande stretches in fits and starts, including next to a neighborhood without running water. As of November, about 5 miles of it had cost at least $162 million, according to the Tribune. The state Legislatures proposed budget includes $6.5 billion to maintain current border security operations.Meanwhile, organizers, elected officials and residents say state and federal programs to fund water infrastructure will continue to fall short of the need. Last year, the state fund created by lawmakers in 1989 to help underserved areas access drinking water had $200 million in applications for assistance and only $100 million in available funding.When grants are awarded, water projects can take years to complete because of increasing costs and unforeseen construction difficulties like hitting unexpected bedrock while laying pipe, said Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens. Project delays some of them, Owens acknowledged, the countys fault impede the ability to get future grants.Organizers like Fuentes and Karen Gonzalez said their frustration with the slow progress on water has grown as theyve watched the border wall go up and billions more dollars spent to deploy state troopers and the National Guard to aid federal border security officers.Its just infuriating, Karen Gonzalez said. She said she hopes elected officials focus on what our actual border community needs are. And for us, I feel like its not border security. Sections of the border wall are being built as part of Gov. Greg Abbotts Operation Lone Star on the outskirts of Del Rio, near neighborhoods without access to safe drinking water. Watch video As paramedics loaded her 8-year-old son into a helicopter in the Arizona border town of Douglas, Nina Nelson did her best to reassure him. Days earlier, Jacob and his father had been riding ATVs on their ranch in far southeastern Arizona, along the U.S.-Mexico border. Dust irritated Jacobs lungs, and over the next few days his breathing deteriorated until Nelson could see him fight for every breath.He needed care that isnt available in Douglas, a town of about 15,000. And he would have to make the trip without her.Buddy, youre gonna be OK, she recalled telling him. She knew it would take more than twice as long to drive the 120 miles to Tucson and the nearest hospital that could provide the care he needed. Im gonna be racing up there. Ill be there. Im gonna find you, she said.Douglas lost its hospital nearly a decade ago. Southeast Arizona Medical Center had struggled financially for years and by 2015 was staffed by out-of-state doctors. When it ran afoul of federal rules too many times, jeopardizing patient safety, the government pulled its ability to bill Medicare and Medicaid and it closed within a week. As her sons breathing took a turn for the worse, Nelson considered the variables everyone in Douglas confronts in a medical emergency. Should she go to the towns stand-alone emergency room, which treats only the most basic maladies? Drive the half hour to Bisbee or an hour to Sierra Vista for slightly higher levels of care? Or could Jacob endure the two hours it takes to drive to Tucson?That is the kind of game you play: How much time do I think I have? Nelson said. Nina Nelsons son Jacob has been transported twice by helicopter to get medical care because Douglas lacks a full-service hospital. Arizona hasnt been as aggressive as Texas in funding border security. But when concerns about the border surge, money often follows.In 2021, the state created the Border Security Fund and allocated $55 million to it. A year later, then-Gov. Doug Ducey asked state lawmakers for $50 million for border security. They gave him more than 10 times that amount, including $335 million for a border wall. The measure was proposed by Sen. David Gowan, a Republican who represents Douglas. In October 2022, crews began stacking shipping containers along the border in Cochise County, where Douglas is located. Gowans spokesperson said he wasnt available for comment.The container wall wasnt effective. Migrants slipped through gaps between containers, and a section toppled over. When the federal government sued, claiming the construction was trespassing on federal land, Ducey had the container wall removed.The cost of erecting, then disassembling the wall: $197 million. (The state recouped about $1.4 million by selling the containers.)Daniel Scarpinato, Duceys former chief of staff, said border security is a significant issue for nearby communities and requires resources, especially given the failures of the federal government. He noted that the Ducey administration didnt ignore other needs in the area, including spending to attract doctors to rural Arizona. But we will make no apologies for prioritizing public safety and security at our border, he said. Southeast Arizona Medical Center closed in 2015, leaving the Douglas area without a full-service hospital. Grijalva, a Douglas native, was sworn in as mayor in December with a list of needs he is determined to make progress on: a community center, more food assistance for the growing number of hungry residents and a hospital. Money the state spent on the container wall wouldve been better used on those projects, he said. I appreciate Doug Ducey trying that, but those resources could have gone into the community, he said.The median income in Douglas is $39,000, about half the states median income, and almost a third of the towns residents live in poverty. A shrinking tax base makes it difficult for Douglas to provide basic services. The town doesnt have enough money for street repairs, let alone to reopen a hospital. The backlog of repaving projects has climbed to $67 million, while Douglas nets only $400,000 a year for street improvements. Money for wall construction or National Guard units gives a short-term boost to the economy, but those efforts can also interfere with the economic lifeblood of towns like Douglas: cross-border traffic.Both Trump and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, have deployed hundreds of guard members and active military personnel to the border. None have shown up in Douglas yet, Grijalva said. When they do, theyll spend money. But a couple dozen troops dont compare to the 3.6 million people who cross the border each year. The Walmart in Douglas, a stones throw from the port of entry, is packed daily with shoppers from Agua Prieta, Sonora, Grijalva said. More troops on both sides of the port bottleneck traffic and raise peoples fears of being detained, which may discourage them from crossing, even when they are doing so legally, he said.Shortly after Trumps inauguration, Grijalva declared a state of emergency, which could make the city eligible for federal aid if its economy takes a hit. I know the executive orders didnt do anything to stop the legal immigration, but its the perception, Grijalva said. If our economy dips in any way, they could give us some funding. Douglas new mayor, Jose Grijalva, declared a state of emergency in January over concerns that Trumps executive orders on border security and immigration will harm the border towns fragile economy. Attracting a new hospital is a longer-term effort. Construction alone could cost upwards of $75 million. But then it would have to be staffed. In its final years, the hospital in Douglas suffered from the shortage of health care professionals plaguing much of rural America. The year it closed, it had no onsite physicians, said Dr. Dan Derksen, director of the Arizona Center for Rural Health. The state has programs to address that problem, including helping doctors in rural areas repay school loans. But the shortage has persisted. If a hospital were to open again in Douglas, it could cost as much as $775,000 to launch a residency program there, according to Derksen and Dr. Conrad Clemens, who heads graduate medical education for the University of Arizona.Theres policy strategies that you can do at the state level that help, but theres no single strategy that is a cure-all, Derksen said. You have to do a variety of strategies.Border security funding, on the other hand, is easier to get.Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels is known for his aggressive border enforcement activities. His office soaks up state and federal grants to help with drug interdiction, human trafficking and surveillance equipment on the border. The state also awarded him $20 million for a new jail and $5 million to open a border security operations center, a base for various agencies enforcing the border, in Sierra Vista, about an hour from Douglas.At its grand opening in November, Dannels said all he had to do was ask for the money.I was speaking with Gov. Ducey and the governor asked me, What do you guys need? Dannels said. I said, We need a collective center that drives actions. Shortly after, the plan came together, he said.However, if Cochise Regional Hospital were still open, Dannels office would have one less security concern. The abandoned building, which is deteriorating in an isolated pocket of desert on the outskirts of Douglas, is a common waypoint for smugglers. Lexi Churchill of ProPublica and The Texas Tribune and Dan Keemahill of The Texas Tribune contributed research.

This is a locator map of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. (AP Photo)2025-04-16T07:44:48Z JERUSALEM (AP) Israels defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, remarks that could further complicate talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release.Israeli forces have taken over more than half of Gaza in a renewed campaign to pressure Hamas to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern Syria after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad in December.Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized, Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. The military will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza as in Lebanon and Syria. The Palestinians and both neighboring countries view the presence of Israeli troops as military occupation in violation of international law. Hamas has said it will not release dozens of remaining hostages without a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. They promised that the hostages come first. In practice, Israel is choosing to seize territory before the hostages, the main organization representing families of the hostages said in a statement. There is one solution that is desirable and feasible, and that is the release of all the hostages at once as part of an agreement, even at the cost of ending the war, it said.Israel says it must maintain control of what it refers to as security zones to prevent a repeat of Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which thousands of militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Israels offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants but says women and children make up more than half of the dead. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israels bombardment and ground operations have left vast areas of the territory uninhabitable and have displaced around 90% of the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians. Many have been displaced multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps with dwindling food after Israel sealed off the territory from all imports more than a month ago.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annihilate Hamas and return the 59 hostages still in Gaza 24 of whom are believed to be alive. He has said that Israel will then implement U.S. President Donald Trumps proposal for the resettlement of much of Gazas population in other countries through what Netanyahu refers to as voluntary emigration.Palestinians and Arab countries have universally rejected Trumps proposal, which human rights experts say would likely violate international law. Palestinians in Gaza say they dont want to leave, and fear another mass expulsion like the one that occurred during the war surrounding Israels creation in 1948. The Trump administration, which took credit for helping to broker the ceasefire that took hold in January, has since expressed full support for Israels decision to end it and to cut off all humanitarian aid. Trumps Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been trying to broker a new ceasefire agreement more favorable to Israel but those efforts appear to have made little progress.Netanyahu helms the most nationalist and religious government in Israels history, and his coalition partners have called for the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza and dismantled its settlements there in 2005, but it maintained control of most of Gazas land border, coastline and airspace, and joined Egypt in imposing a blockade on the territory after Hamas seized power in 2007. Israel seized Gaza, east Jerusalem and the West Bank territories the Palestinians want for a future state in the 1967 Mideast war. It also captured the Golan Heights from Syria in that conflict and annexed it in a move not recognized by any country except for the United States.___Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr speaks during a Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative event in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)2025-04-16T04:02:32Z WASHINGTON (AP) As measles outbreaks popped up across the U.S. this winter, pediatricians waited for the nations public health agency to send a routine, but important, letter that outlines how they could help stop the spread of the illness. It wasnt until last week after the number of cases grew to more than 700, and a second young child in Texas had died from a measles infection that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally issued its correspondence. The delay of that letter may seem minor. But it is one in a string of missteps that more than a dozen doctors, nurses and public health officials interviewed by The Associated Press identified in the Trump administrations response to the outbreak. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to contain an epidemic in a tight-knit, religious community in West Texas have run counter to established public health strategies deployed to end past epidemics. What we are lacking now is one, clear strong voice from the federal to the state to the local saying that the vaccine is the only thing that will prevent measles, said Patricia Stinchfield, a nurse and infectious disease expert who helped stop a 2017 measles outbreak in Minnesotas Somali community. An extremely unusual approach to the outbreak Behind the scenes, Kennedy has not been regularly briefed in person on the outbreak by his own infectious disease experts at the CDC at least through March 21, according to Kevin Griffis, a career staffer who worked as the agencys communications director until he resigned that day. Even after the measles claimed its first young Texas victim in late February, Kennedy had still not been briefed by CDC staff, Griffis said. His account was confirmed by a second former federal health official, who resigned at the end of February. A spokesperson for Kennedy did not answer specific written questions about how he had been briefed or his communications with CDC staff. The spokesperson said the CDC activated an Atlanta-based response in early February to provide overall guidance on measles testing and vaccination strategy. An on-the-ground team was deployed to West Texas throughout most of March and withdrawn on April 1.It was a joint decision between state and federal officials to send the team home, CDC spokesman Jason McDonald said. Another team of seven was dispatched back to the region this week. In previous administrations, health secretaries held weekly briefings with CDC staff, lasting between 25 and 30 minutes, during infectious disease outbreaks, both former HHS officials said. Kennedy, instead, received updates on paper or through email, Griffis said. That is extremely unusual, said Griffis, who sat in on such briefings with the previous health secretary and said that none were held for Kennedy during his first month on the job. Ive never seen that before.In another irregularity, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the nations largest network of pediatricians, has not been tapped to work with the CDC on the outbreak, according to the organizations officials. Historically, the CDC and AAP have convened for monthly or biweekly briefings during outbreaks to share updates, which include details about what doctors are seeing and questions theyre fielding from parents in exam rooms. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss the health departments response. The only updates provided widely to pediatricians by the CDC have come from a health alert network update sent on March 7, a week after the first U.S. measles death in a decade, and the letter sent to providers last week, which, according to the pediatric academy officials, was late in the outbreak. Kennedy praised the CDC on Tuesday during an event in Indianapolis, saying it had done a very good job controlling the measles outbreak. Kennedy endorses vaccines, but still raises safety doubtsKennedys inconsistent and unclear message on the measles vaccines has also made the outbreaks difficult to contain, experts say.He has occasionally endorsed the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as effective, but also continues to raise safety concerns about the shots in other statements. In a CBS interview last week, he claimed the vaccines were not safety tested. That approach has been the biggest flaw of the governments response, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, the president of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Imagine if the captain of the Titanic had told you that you need to be careful about lifeboats and think about other opportunities, del Rio said. Trials were conducted on thousands of children before the vaccine was approved for use in the 1960s. The federal government has since used medical records to continue to monitor for side effects from use in millions of people since. Health secretaries have typically delivered a clear message urging the public to get vaccinated during outbreaks, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, a former deputy director at the CDC who retired after 33 years at the agency in 2021. President Donald Trump and his first-term health secretary, Alex Azar, urged people to get shots during news conferences in 2019, when measles ripped through Brooklyn and infected more than 1,200 nationwide. You dont necessarily need the secretary of health to attend a funeral, OK, but you dont want to have mixed messages on vaccines, Schuchat said. Someone in a federal building in Washington can do a lot of harm from the way that they are messaging.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also quiet on vaccinesLocal leaders have largely been left alone to urge the public to take up vaccinations.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has not urged the public to get vaccinated, either. He has not held any news conferences about the outbreak and posted just once on social media about measles since January. Any statements about the illnesses, which have also put 56 people in the hospital at some point, have been left to his aides.Abbotts office did not respond to questions about his response to the outbreak. Governors in other states have responded more forcefully to the growing measles case count. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat and a doctor, made front page news last week after urging Hawaiians to take up vaccines when the state recorded its first measles case in a year. Ahead of a busy travel week for the Easter holiday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, unequivocally called on people to vaccinate themselves and their children. There are no known measles cases in Nebraska, but an outbreak is active in neighboring Kansas. If youre not vaccinated, youre going to get measles, Pillen said last week.Those types of statements are important for the public to hear leaders say from the top down, said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, who was New York Citys health commissioner during the 2019 measles outbreak. Barbot worked with local rabbis, as well as doctors and nurses in the Jewish community, to send messages that encouraged vaccine uptake. Calls from Trump and Azar, who urged the public to vaccinate, helped her make the case, too. When national leaders distance themselves from that message, she said it starts to erode the effectiveness of people who are trying to convey those messages at the local level. ___Associated Press writers Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, Devi Shastri in Milwaukee and Margery Beck in Omaha contributed to this report. AMANDA SEITZ Seitz is an Associated Press reporter covering federal health care policy. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the military council speaks at a ceremony in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, on Aug. 4, 2019. (AP Photo, File)2025-04-16T08:27:10Z CAIRO (AP) A notorious paramilitary group fighting against the Sudanese military announced that it was forming a rival government, which will rule parts of the country controlled by the group including the western Darfur region where the United Nations says recent attacks by the group have killed over 400 people.Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, announced the move in a speech on Tuesday as the northeastern African nation marked two years of civil war.On this anniversary, we proudly declare the establishment of the Government of Peace and Unity, Dagalo said in a recorded speech, adding that other groups have joined the RSF-led administration, including a faction of the Sudans Liberation Movement, which controls parts of Kordofan region.Dagalo, who is sanctioned by the U.S. over accusations that his forces committed genocide in Darfur, said that he and his allies were also establishing a 15-member Presidential Council representing all of Sudans regions. The move came as the RSF suffered multiple battlefield setbacks, losing the capital, Khartoum and other urban cities in recent months. The paramilitary group has since regrouped in its stronghold in the sprawling region of Darfur. It raises concerns that Sudan is heading towards partition, or a prolonged conflict like that one in neighboring Libya where two rival administrations have been fighting for power for over a decade. The nation of South Sudan won independence from Sudan in a 2011 referendum that followed a war in which Janjaweed militias, a predecessor to the RSF, fought on behalf of the government. The Janjaweed were accused of mass killings, rapes and other atrocities.Many countries, including the U.S., have rejected the RSF efforts to establish an administration in areas they control.Attempts to establish a parallel government are unhelpful for peace & security for the country, and risk further instability & de facto partition of the country, the State Departments Bureau of African Affairs posted on X in March when the RSF and its allies signed what they called transitional constitution in a Kenya-hosted conference. Sudan was plunged into chaos on April 15, 2023 when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country.Since then, at least 24,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far higher. The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries, and pushed parts of the country into famine.The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups.Dagalos announcement has come a few days after his forces and allied militias rampaged through two famine-hit camps, which shelter some 700,000 Sudanese who fled their homes, in North Darfur province.The multi-day attack on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps killed more than 400 people, including 12 aid workers and dozens of children, the U.N. humanitarian office said, citing local sources.U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday the attack forced up to 400,000 people to flee the Zamzam camp in recent days.He said the camp has become inaccessible after the RSF and its allied militias took control of it, restricting the movement of those remaining, especially young people. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00721-zInked scientists choose scientific images to mark career accomplishments and illustrate their research passion.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters at the White House, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-04-16T12:39:23Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration announced a lawsuit Wednesday against Maines education department for not complying with the governments push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that has led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding and a clash at the White House when she told the president: Well see you in court. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the legal action at a news conference in Washington alongside former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has emerged as a public face of the opposition to transgender athletes. Trumps departments of Education and Health and Human Services have said the Maine agency is violating the federal Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls teams. Maine officials have refused to agree with a settlement that would have banned transgender students from sports, arguing that the law does not prevent schools from letting transgender athletes participate. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks during the Commander-in-Chief trophy presentation to the Navy Midshipman football team in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-04-16T11:56:12Z SUN CITY, Ariz. (AP) Susan Hemphill said shes always been frugal with her spending. But the recent volatility in the stock market caused by President Donald Trumps on-again, off-again tariffs and an escalating trade war with China have made her even more cautious. These days, Hemphill is staying closer to home in Sun City, Arizona, a 55-and-older community near Phoenix. No more day trips to Sedona, the retired union organizer said, fighting tears as she wondered aloud whether she could run out of money.Im so tired of Trump playing with our lives, said Hemphill, who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in November. Im too old for this. I just really want to be retired. I want to enjoy I dont want to worry. Trump was elected with a promise to improve the economy, lower taxes and control inflation, addressing voters who said overwhelmingly that the economy was the top issue facing the country. But for retirees like Hemphill, the Republican presidents economic stewardship has been defined by the roller coaster of the stock market and fears his tariffs will lead to higher inflation. Some are considering curtailing their spending, such as saving their tax refunds instead of spending them, while others are adjusting their investment strategies by moving money into more conservative allocations like bonds and gold, said Prudence Zhu, a Phoenix-area financial adviser, in an email. While this is often an emotional response, its not necessarily the optimal strategy in most cases.How all of those issues shake out could have a notable impact on the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election, as the center of political gravity shifts increasingly toward battleground states in the South and the West, places like Arizona that are popular with retirees. Like other emerging political battlegrounds Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina, Arizonas population has exploded over the past half-century, welcoming newcomers who have transformed its politics. Though Arizona has moved from reliably Republican to a battleground, Trump enjoys overwhelming support in Sun City, where Hemphill is among the 40,000 residents in a community that sprouted from the desert in the 1960s. Trump won every precinct in Sun City, most of them by double digits. Trump supporters like Paul Estok said theyre confident that the president has a handle on the situation and that things will stabilize with time.Im real happy about whats going on, said Estok, who gets three pensions from the various government agencies where he worked as a union stationary engineer in the Chicago area. Hes confident the pensions are secure.The tariffs Trump announced on much of the world sparked turmoil in the stock market earlier this month, before the president abruptly hit pause on most of them. But the drama isnt over. Trump said the 90-day pause would be used to negotiate over tariffs with other countries, but he increased the tax rate on Chinese imports to 145%. Estok said hes thrilled to see a president tough enough to impose tariffs despite the economic consequences. Echoing Trump, he said other countries have been taking so much advantage of us. No ones ever stepped up and said, Hey, enoughs enough, Estok said, climbing into his truck after stopping at a grocery store on his way home from the golf course.Don Welling, an 82-year-old Trump voter, said those alarmed by the tariffs are misguided. He didnt enjoy seeing his portfolio take a dip, but he wasnt worried.If people would pay attention to what he said when he was campaigning, things would be better, Welling said as he loaded groceries into his golf cart.Some retirees said theyre worried about the effect Trumps federal cost-cutting is having on Social Security. While Trump insists he will not cut benefits, his administration has eliminated thousands of jobs at the Social Security Administration, leading to complaints about long call wait times.Karl Feiste winced to see his investments fall 20% in the days after Trump announced his tariffs, but he said, so far, his losses are only on paper. If that turns around, then I can still continue to do what Ive been doing, said Feiste, a Vietnam War veteran who voted for Harris. But Im not planning on buying a car. Im not planning on moving. Im not planning on taking extravagant vacations. Im wondering whats going to happen to the market because that basically dictates what leisure money I have.He worries his Social Security checks, which make up half his income, could eventually fall victim to Trumps aggressive government cost-cutting.That smarts, Feiste said. Because I cant live if he takes my Social Security.Trump carried Arizona voters who were age 65 or older, winning 52% of this group compared with Harris 47%, broadly in line with his national margin among seniors, according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of voters and nonvoters that aims to tell the story behind election results. Older Arizona voters were less likely than voters overall to consider the economy and jobs the most important issue facing the country, and they were more likely to consider immigration the top problem. About 3 in 10 seniors said the economy was the biggest problem, compared with about 4 in 10 Arizona voters overall.Hans Vinge, 62, took a prime golf cart parking spot during a grocery store run one recent morning. A former Republican disillusioned by the partys ideological shift under Trump, he thinks the president is doing too much, too fast, with unrealistic expectations for what his tariffs can accomplish.Were not ready right now. These companies arent going to come from offshore into America, Vinge said. Its going to take 10, 15 years to get these companies in to Americanize everything, which is great. But its just its too disruptive right now.Vinge, who is retired from the Air Force and splits his time between North Dakota and Arizona, said its too stressful to follow the news day to day, but its hard to avoid. When he last peeked at the balance of his retirement account, it had fallen $23,000 in one week, he said.Its disappointing to see something thats been doing well for you, Vinge said. I wish I wouldve invested more in gold.___Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed. JONATHAN J. COOPER Cooper writes about national politics from Arizona and beyond for The Associated Press. Now based in Phoenix, he previously covered politics in Oregon and California. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Last week Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) paid contracting giant Palantir tens of millions of dollars to make modifications to a powerful ICE database and search tool to allow complete target analysis of known populations and to update the tools targeting and enforcement priorities, according to procurement records reviewed by 404 Media.The records show that Palantir is actively working on, and making updates to, the technical infrastructure underpinning the Trump administrations mass deportation efforts. The news comes after ICE agents arrested a green card holding student at his interview to become a U.S. citizen; plainclothes officers picked up a student on the street for deportation despite the State Department finding no evidence she was linked to antisemitism or Hamas as claimed; and the American and El Salvadorian presidents deflecting when asked who was going to return a man who was mistakenly deported to a foreign mega prison. Trump has also called for deporting U.S. citizens to El Salvador.At the same time, Palantir is running adverts at U.S. colleges which say a moment of reckoning has arrived for the West. Our culture has fallen into shallow consumerism while abandoning national purpose. Too few in Silicon Valley have asked what ought to be builtand why. We did.Do you work at Palantir? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.As a whole, extending Palantir's services with intentionally vague corporate-speak phrasing coupled with ICE's recent public escalation of violating people's rights via harassment, deportation without a basis, and terrorizing immigrants paints a clear picture: Palantir's engagement with ICE is facilitating and enabling abuses and violation of rightsrights like due process which, I want to note, extend to all in the US, regardless of citizenship status, Calli Schroeder, senior counsel and global privacy counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), told 404 Media in an email after reviewing screenshots of the records.This modification adds licenses, configuration, and engineering services for the Investigative Case Management system to deploy new Targeting and Enforcement Prioritization, Self-Deportation Tracking, and Immigration Lifecycle Process capabilities, one note on a contract between ICE and Palantir from April 11 for $29,898,236 reads. Another from March 14 says the award was for Modification for Data Analytics to support complete target analysis of known populations and populate lead tracking solutions.The Investigative Case Management system, or ICM, connects to other DHS and federal databases, including SEVIA which contains records about people who are inside the country on a student visa; real-time maps associated with ICEs location tracking tools; and other information from other federal agencies. The Intercept has previously reported that those agencies include the FBI, DEA, ATF, and CIA.A screenshot of one of the contract updates.ICM then allows ICE to search for and filter people by hundreds of highly specific categories. 404 Media viewed parts of the database last week, and saw those categories include a persons resident and entry status; physical characteristics such as tattoos or scars; race, hair, and eye color; place of employment; Social Security Number; drivers license status; bankruptcy status, and location and license plate reader data.The award is the continuation of an around $90 million, five year contract that started in September 2022, according to the procurement records. Records created during the Biden administration as part of that contract are much more generic, such as Investigative Case Management (ICM) Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Support Services and Custom Enhancements. Another mentions an implementation for ICEs Office of Professional Responsibility, which is tasked with conducting independent reviews of ICE activities.The two dating from March and April are much more explicit. Regarding the changes around targeting and enforcement prioritization mentioned in one of the contract notes, a previously published privacy impact assessment for the tool says that ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) uses ICM in a more limited way than HSI in support of its mission to enforce U.S. immigration laws by identifying, arresting, and removing aliens in a way that is consistent with current enforcement priorities.The terms used in these documents do nothing to further transparency as they raise more questions than answers. Palantir's technology and ICE's use of it further oppressive and unjust surveillance practices and we have to demand better accountability and transparency from both, Schroeder said.A screenshot of one of the contract updates.The phrases on this contract addition are a clear signal that Palantir stands ready to carry out the racist and lawless immigration policies of the current administration, Laura Rivera, an attorney at Just Futures Law, told 404 Media in an email.Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said at the recent Border Security Expo that his dream for the agency is squads of trucks rounding up immigrants in the same way that Amazon trucks are across the country delivering packages, the Arizona Mirror reported.Neither ICE nor Palantir responded to a request for comment.

This week we start with a couple of Jason and Joseph's stories about the tool ICE uses to lookup an incredible amount of information about people. After the break, Joseph explains how he tested an AI service that calls your parents in case you can't be bothered. In the subscribers-only section, our new regular contributor Matthew Gault tells us all about the hack of 4chan and how we got here.Listen to the weekly podcast onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orYouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism.If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. Inside a Powerful Database ICE Uses to Identify and Deport PeopleI Tested The AI That Calls Your Elderly Parents If You Can't Be Bothered4chan Is Down Following What Looks to Be a Major Hack Spurred By Meme War

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00839-0The World Health Organization accord promotes sharing scientific data in exchange for more equitable distribution of drugs and vaccines.

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01178-wTreading familiar ground.

A 28-year-old Belgian man has apologized after hurling a plastic bottle at former world champion Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race, an act that led to a criminal investigation by French authorities.

Florida sophomore Alex Condon will enter the 2025 NBA draft, while maintaining his NCAA eligibility.

The New York Stock Exchange is shown in New York's Financial District on Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)2025-04-16T04:50:15Z NEW YORK (AP) Nvidia is pulling Wall Street lower on Wednesday after it said new restrictions on exports to China will chisel billions of dollars off its results. The S&P 500 was down 0.9% in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 180 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the slide for Nvidia and other stocks in the chip industry dragged the Nasdaq composite down a market-leading 1.7%. Nvidia was the single heaviest weight on the market and dropped 5.7% after it said the U.S. government is restricting exports of its H20 chips to China, citing worries that they could be used to build a supercomputer. The limits could shave roughly $5.5 billion off Nvidias results for the first quarter, covering charges related to inventory and purchase commitments. China and the United States, the worlds two largest economies, have been locked in a trade war and raising tariffs and other impediments to trade between each other. But these restrictions on exports for chips used in artificial-intelligence technology are getting more support from both U.S. political parties, not just President Donald Trumps. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, asked the U.S. Commerce Department earlier this week to immediately move forward with restrictions on the export of Nvidias H20 and other advanced AI chips to China, saying they could help enhance its military and surveillance operations. Rival chip company Advanced Micro Devices and other companies in the industry also fell sharply Wednesday, with AMD dropping 5.7%. In Amsterdam, ASMLs stock sank 5.3%. The Dutch supplier to the chip industry said demand for AI is continuing to drive growth. However, the recent tariff announcements have increased uncertainty in the macro environment and the situation will remain dynamic for a while, CEO Christophe Fouquet said, and ASML gave a forecast for revenue in the upcoming quarter that fell short of analysts expectations. The uncertainty around Trumps trade war has been scrambling plans for companies across industries and around the world. Its so dynamic that United Airlines gave two different financial forecasts for how it may perform this year, one if theres a recession and one if not. The airline said it gave the twin forecasts because its impossible to predict this year with any degree of confidence. Uniteds stock rose 1.2% after it also reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected and said bookings for premium cabins and for international flights are growing. Many investors along Wall Street are bracing for a possible recession because of Trumps tariffs, which he has said he hopes will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States and trim how much more it exports to other countries than it imports. A survey of global fund managers by Bank of America found expectations for recession are at the fourth-highest level in the last 20 years. Tariffs could also drive up inflation, at least temporarily, by pushing U.S. importers to pass along the higher costs to their customers. The tariffs have also gotten U.S. households to feel much more pessimistic about the economy, according to recent surveys. The fear is that such sour moods could drive them to pull back on their spending, which could by itself cause a recession.If that were to happen, it certainly hasnt yet. A report on Wednesday showed sales growth at U.S. retailers accelerated by more last month than economists expected. Growth surged to 1.4% in March from April, up from 0.2% the prior month. Much of that, though, may be because U.S. shoppers were rushing to buy things before tariffs got a chance to raise their prices, including for automobiles and electronics.Treasury yields eased a bit in the bond market following the report on retail sales. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.33% from 4.35% late Tuesday.In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia.The FTSE 100 dipped 0.4% in London after the government said inflation in the U.K. fell for the second month running in March, largely as a result of lower gas prices. Indexes also dropped 1.9% in Hong Kong, 1% in Tokyo, 1.2% in Seoul and 0.7% in Paris. ___AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as he departs after welcoming the 2025 College Football National Champions, the Ohio State University football team, during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-04-16T12:16:35Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said hes joining some of his top economic advisers on Wednesday for negotiations at the White House over tariffs and trade with a top Japanese official who is traveling to Washington for the talks. The Republican president said in a post on his social media platform that hell attend the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies. Trump recently announced a round of global tariffs but then quickly put them on hold for 90 days after the markets tanked and fears of a recession mounted. He left steep tariffs in place against China. The move put Japans 24% across-the-board tariff on hold, but a 10% baseline tariff and a 25% tariff on cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. remain in place. Japan, like many other nations around the world that are fearful of Trumps tariffs and the likely economic fallout, has been scrambling to respond. It has set up a special task force to assess the impact of the tariffs and offer loans and consultation to anxious companies. Although Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been working hard to coax exemptions out of Trump, the government has said little officially on what concessions it might offer during these talks.Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and TRADE FAIRNESS. I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries, Trump wrote in the social media post. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA! Japans chief trade negotiator, Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa, was headed to Washington on a mission to convince U.S. officials to remove Trumps tariff measures against the East Asian ally of the United States. Akazawa is to hold his first talks with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer through Friday.I am prepared for the talks, Akazawa told reporters at Tokyos Haneda Airport before boarding his flight to Washington. I will negotiate in order to firmly protect our national interest.He said that both Bessent and Greer are known to be pro-Japan and professionally talented and that he hopes to build a relationship of trust with them. I believe we can have good talks toward a win-win relationship that will serve national interest for both Japan and the United States, he said.Japan is among the first countries to start negotiations with the U.S. Trump and other administration officials have said the phones have been ringing off the hook with dozens of countries calling, eager to strike deals with a president who views himself as a master negotiator to avoid tariffs when the 90-day pause ends. But it was not immediately clear what either side hoped to get out of the negotiations. The U.S. asks remain unclear, other than Trumps desire for no bilateral trade deficit.Japans asks also are unclear, although it contends that Trumps tariff measures are likely to violate bilateral trade agreements or World Trade Organization rules. While Ishiba has said he opposes retaliatory tariffs, he also has said he is in no rush to push for a settlement because he doesnt want concessions. Trump said he also wants to discuss U.S. military support for Japan, or how much the Japanese contribute to the cost of American troops stationed there, largely as a deterrent to China.Trumps demand for more defense spending concerns the Japanese.Under its national security strategy, Japan aims to double annual defense spending to nearly $10 trillion, or 2% of GDP, in 2027, while there is a concern that Trump may ask for that to be increased to 3% of GDP. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday that the military budget for this year is about 1.8% of Japans GDP.___Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. DARLENE SUPERVILLE Superville covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a special emphasis on first ladies and first families. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

When I walked into the Shrine of the Renunciation in Assisi, I thought about going to my friends houses in high school to play Xbox, and how bizarre it would be if one of those teenagers became a saint. What if the kid from down the cul-de-sac died, and they put his face on keychains, fridge magnets, and rosaries, and people stood in line to see his dead body through glass?I was there to see Carlo Acutis, the first Millennial Saint, who was born in 1991 and died at 15 years old of leukemia in 2006. By all accounts, he was a fairly normalif not unusually piousteenager. He reportedly knew Javascript and C++, tinkered with 3D rendering in Maya, and played Halo, Super Mario and Pokmon games. His mom said he bought a Playstation when he was eight. Notably, Halo was Xbox-exclusive, making this an inconsistency in the narrative of Acutis life (but whose mom didnt call every gaming console the Sony or some other wildly incorrect catchall). Hes been called the gamer saint, but only gamed about an hour a week, wary of getting too hooked on gaming. He used his programming skills to make websites for volunteer projects and documenting historical miracles.He was a kid, and now his body is coated in wax and dressed in a red track jacket, jeans, and Nikes and lies in a church in a tiny Italian hill town where people arrive on tour buses to kiss their fingers and touch the glass next to his head of thick black hair.VIDEO | The body of Blessed Carlo Acutis is exposed in Assisi, Italy, and even though authorities within the Catholic Church have said the body is not incorrupt, his almost intact appearance is astounding. Future Saint Carlo Acutis, pray for us! pic.twitter.com/97I0BTq97K EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) May 23, 2024Standing in a short line to get a look at Acutis, people snapped sneaky photos on their phones in front of a NO PHOTOS sign. A group of old women sat against the wall in front of the tomb, gazing at his waxy face and soaking up as much Blessedness as possible. Most milled past with a short pause near his reposed head to clutch a rosary or do a half-kneel. I stopped long enough to gawk then moved to the pews and copied a messy sign of the cross from other worshippers as a midday service began.I went into my own off-books pilgrimage knowing almost nothing about Catholic sainthood. I was in nearby Perugia, Italy for the International Journalism Festival and decided to take the train out on a day trip to Assisi, to see the Patron Saint of the Internet in person. But having spent a lot of time in youth groups in a variety of Protestant flavors, I do know an attempt to make the church Cool when I see one.Among religious groups, Catholics are experiencing one of the largest recent declines in church attendance in the U.S., from 45 percent to 33 percent in the last two decades. Meanwhile, the share of Amercans without any religious affiliation is up by a lot: nine percent in 2000-2003 versus 21 percent in 2021-2023. This, of course, is a big problem for the Catholic church: The median age of Catholic adults in the U.S. is 49 years old, according to Pew Research Center, four years older than in 2007. Only 17 percent are under 30 years old. Members = money in most religions, and young members mean the money keeps flowing through generations.Add to this the Catholic Churchs ongoing image crisis, with hundreds of clergy credibly accused of child sex abuse; meanwhile, the Washington State Catholic Conference is opposing new legislation that would require clergy in the state to report sexual abuse if its disclosed to them in confessionals, with Republican legislators calling it an attack on Catholisim.In comes the Millennial Saint, a relatable example of piety and discernment for modern youths. Before him, the most recently-canonized saints lived and died in the 1800s. Acutis is different: He had a phone! He made websites about miracles! He wore sneakers! Hes Gods influencer. Supplicants see him as somehow both approachably normal and extraordinarily devout. He was reportedly uninterested in the trappings common for a wealthy child in Milan, asking his parents to donate the money they would have spent on more designer sneakers to the poor and skipping ski trips to teach catechism instead. Having been a pious little Christian teen myself, I can definitely relate.Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!This is the first time that a contemporary saint is dressed with Nike shoes, jeans, and a sweater. Cool? Yes. But it tells us that the call to holiness is never ever only reserved to the ones in the convents but to all...yes, even to geeks! pic.twitter.com/vDcrmqTEHD Fr. Myke, MSC (@popmonkph) October 11, 2023The campaign for Acutis the Influencer seems to be working, based on the sheer SEO power of the news of Acutiss sainthood and the number of people asking questions, writing blog posts, and making the pilgrimage to see his tomb. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Acutis canonization service in Rome later this monththousands of which, its safe to assume, will be there on Catholic high school field trips. For those who cant make the trip, there are screenings of the Eternal Word Television Networks film Roadmap to Reality, a documentary about teenagers visiting Acutis tomb but also serves as a warning about the ills of technology.In a world losing itself to screens, teenage mystic Carlo Acutis saw beyond the social media-addicted society we live in and offered an answer if were willing to listen, the filmmakers wrote on the documentarys website. Carlo emphasized that the Eucharist, with its real presence and physical communion, serves as a critical anchoring reality. This idea starkly contrasts the often isolating and superficial interactions fostered by digital technology.Coincidentally, technology is bedeviling Acutis early days as a saint. On eBay, people are selling what they claim to be his relics, tiny pieces of a saints body. One anonymous seller was selling supposedly authenticated locks of Acutis hair that were fetching upward of 2,000 euros ($2,200 US), according to the Diocese of Assisi, before being taken down, the AP reported. Its not just despicable, but its also a sin, one reverend who has a tiny fragment of Acutis hair in a chapel by his office told the AP. Every kind of commerce over faith is a sin.There is a lot of non-relic commerce happening at the Shrine of the Renunciation, however. Its free to enter the church, but there is a gift shop around the corner at the exit.Photos from the gift shop and church where Acutis' body is held in Assisi. Photo credit: 404 MediaTheres also a lot of online debate about the status of the Gamer Saints body. Redditors from r/funeraldirectors to r/Catholicism have been asking about his appearance in the big glass coffin.I dont know man. Ive pulled off some good embalmings in my career but nothing ever looked as good as this. I cant explain it, one funeral director wrote. After I saw him IRL, I was similarly confused. Ive seen embalmed people, but this wasnt an embalming. He looks like a mannequin. His folded hands are flat and plasticky. His face is super-smooth and all one color. This is because when he was exhumed in 2019, 13 years after his death, his body showed the normal process of decay, the bishop who oversaw the exhumation said, so they covered it in a layer of wax.From what I understand of sainthood and the bureaucratic process of canonization, its pretty hard to become one, and that process often involves getting dug up and moved around. Would-be saints are sometimes exhumed after the local Bishop and the Vatican approve the investigation into their saint-worthiness, because checking out the state of decay is part of it (as is making relics, like the hair on eBay). A body found incorrupt means its resisted normal decay (allegedly; these exhumations are not exactly open to the public, so were relying on the testimony of clergy who were there) while integral means the whole body remains butas I understand itdid not exactly look tomb-display read. Acutis body was reassembled with art and love, the bishop said.The legacy of the Patron Saint of the Internet isnt immune to fake news, either. A priest in Brazil claimed Acutis body was incorrupt in a Facebook post, but later deleted it and backtracked.Having paid my respects, botched a sign of the cross, and bought a magnet for the fridge, I left the Shrine of the Renunciation feeling like Id just witnessed something stranger than miracles or incorrupt death. A tradition started more than a thousand years ago is brushing roughly up against the 21st century, complete with a livestream where you can submit your intentions at a link in the description. Saint Acutis arrives at a time when young people are being aggressively sold a trad lifestyle and leaders with right-wing, Christian agendas are calling the shots from the highest offices. For the Catholic church, the timing might be perfect.If he hadnt died young, Acutis would be around my age today, and would probably be a front-end software engineer or a priest who was really good at running the parish Instagram account, or any number of more boring things than venerated saint. And if the church didnt need an influencer, I wouldnt be standing in the afternoon sun on the stone streets of Assisi, wondering what well say about the next generation of saintssome of the only people in history whose legacies are preserved across centuries for the encouragement and recruitment of future generations, to a church desperate to have them.

The Trump administration announced a lawsuit Wednesday against Maine's education department for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls' sports.

Here's why each matchup matters, with playoff seeding and draft lottery position on the line.

2025-04-16T14:35:48Z HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) An independent expert will review security at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiros official residence after investigators accused a man of scaling a wall and setting fire to the mansion, state police said Wednesday.The review will be a risk and vulnerability assessment of the governors official residence following the security breach, Pennsylvania State Police announced.

Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects honor guards during the official welcoming ceremony at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, Pool)2025-04-16T04:33:40Z TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) China appointed a new trade negotiator Wednesday in the midst of its tariff fight with the United States as the worlds two largest economies steadily increase tariffs on each others goods.Chinas government said Li Chenggang replaces Wang Shouwen, who participated in negotiations for the countries 2020 trade deal.China faces 145% taxes on exports to the U.S., while the Trump administration gave dozens of other countries a 90-day reprieve for most duties. Beijing has hit back at the U.S. with 125% tariffs on American exports, while stressing its determination to keep its own markets open to trade and investment.Earlier on Wednesday, China announced its economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, supported by strong exports. Analysts are forecasting that the worlds second largest economy will slow significantly in coming months, however, as tariffs on U.S. imports from China take effect. Exports were a strong factor in Chinas 5% annual growth rate in 2024. The official target for this year is also about 5%.In the near term, the tariffs will put pressure on Chinas economy, but they wont derail long-run growth, Sheng Laiyun, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, told reporters earlier. It wasnt clear why China was changing trade negotiators.The decision comes as Chinese officials say the country has multiple options to respond to U.S. actions, including relying more on its own vast market of 1.4 billion consumers and on Europe and countries in the global south. But as Chinas domestic consumption continues to languish, it will be difficult to replace the U.S. consumer. China has also responded to the U.S. by imposing more export controls on rare earths, which include materials used in high-tech products, aerospace manufacturing and the defense sector.Both sides are now running out of tariff options, leaving them in a near-stalemate, said Sun Chenghao, a fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Beijings Tsinghua University. China will likely retain its focus on strengthening economic resilience against external shocks, including deepening trade ties with neighboring countries and promoting domestic consumption by shifting away from exports, Sun said.A U.S. concession on fentanyl or ownership of TikTok could prompt a reciprocal move from Beijing, he added.However, communication remains far from being smooth, Sun said, pointing out that Trump only recently appointed Jamieson Greer as top trade negotiator, and many other key positions remain empty.Prior to his appointment as trade negotiator, Li spent about 4 1/2 years as Chinas ambassador to the World Trade Organization, the body that governs global commerce. Beijing has appealed to it in its tariff dispute with the U.S.Li was also deputy permanent representative to the Chinese delegation to the U.N. office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland.Perhaps more so than his predecessor Wang, Lis experience at the Commerce Ministry and his participation in negotiating Chinas accession to the WTO more than 20 years ago stand him in good stead as China refuses to cave in to U.S. demands, said Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics. Still, higher-ranking leaders from President Xi Jinping on down are likely to chart the course, with Li representing their case in any talks with the U.S., Tu said. There might be another style of negotiations. Li Chenggang is an open-minded person and supports free trade, Tu added.Asked about the possibility of talks with the U.S., Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the U.S. had begun the tariff spat and China was only taking necessary countermeasures to defend its rights and interests.If the U.S. truly wants to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should stop using maximum pressure and stop threats and blackmail. For any dialogue to happen, it must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit, Lin told a daily briefing. Xi has been making the case for China as a source of stability and certainty in global free trade as he tours Southeast Asia this week implying that China is a more reliable trade partner than the U.S. After visiting Vietnam, he arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysias capital, later Tuesday, for a three-day visit and will end with a stop in Cambodia. In Malaysia, Xi is expected to discuss a free trade agreement between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nation, one of several funds and agreements China has led as a means of sidestepping organizations and mechanisms dominated by the U.S. and the West. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01102-2Drugs that clear away brain plaques are a welcome arrival, but targeting amyloid alone might not be enough to halt the disease.

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01104-0The suggestion that pathogens play a part in driving dementia is not as niche as it once was, but the evidence remains inconclusive.

Kris Letang will miss Pittsburgh's finale against Washington after undergoing a procedure to close a small hole in his heart.

Former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round NBA draft pick Charlie Ward is set to become the coach at Florida A&M, sources told ESPN.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif smiles during a meeting with students on a climate change forum at the Gabriel Ren Moreno Autonomous University, in Santa Cruz Bolivia, on July 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)2025-04-16T09:28:30Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iranian state television confirmed on Wednesday that the second round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks will be held in Rome after earlier confusion over where the negotiations would be held.The talks will be mediated by Oman, as they were last weekend in the sultanates capital of Muscat, the state TV report said.On Monday, multiple officials said they would be held in Rome. However, Irans Foreign Ministrys spokesperson said early Tuesday theyd be held in Oman.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran s president formally approved the resignation of one of his vice presidents who served as Tehrans key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, just as the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog was due to arrive in the Islamic Republic on Wednesday. President Masoud Pezeshkians announcement late Tuesday regarding Mohammad Javad Zarif comes as Iran prepares for a second round of negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Meanwhile, the visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, scheduled to start Wednesday may include negotiations over just what access his inspectors can get under any proposed deal. The stakes of the negotiations couldnt be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Irans nuclear program if a deal isnt reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Pezeshkian praises Zarif while acknowledging his resignationZarif served as a key supporter of Pezeshkian in his election last year but drew criticism from hard-liners within Irans Shiite theocracy, who long have alleged Zarif gave away too much in negotiations. In March, Zarif tendered his resignation to Pezeshkian. However, the president did not immediately respond to the letter. Zarif has used resignation announcements in the past in his political career as leverage, including in a dispute last year over the composition of Pezeshkians Cabinet. The president had rejected that resignation.But on late Tuesday, a statement from the presidency said Pezeshkian wrote Zarif a letter praising him but accepting his resignation.Pezeshkian emphasized that due to certain issues, his administration can no longer benefit from Zarifs valuable knowledge and expertise, a statement from the presidency said. The president in a decree appointed Mohsen Ismaili, 59, to be his new vice president for strategic affairs. In Irans political system, the president has multiple vice presidents. Ismaili is known as a political moderate and a legal expert. Grossi visit comes as Iran has restricted IAEA accessGrossi meanwhile was due to arrive in Tehran and have meetings with Pezeshkian and others. Since the nuclear deals collapse in 2018 with Trumps unilateral withdraw of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity near weapons-grade levels of 90%.Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agencys most experienced inspectors. Iranian officials also have increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons, something the West and the IAEA have been worried about for years since Tehran abandoned an organized weapons program in 2003.Any possible deal between Iran and the U.S. likely would need to rely on the IAEAs expertise to ensure Tehrans compliance. And despite tensions between Iran and the agency, its access has not been entirely revoked. Irans foreign minister questions contradictory responses from US envoyIt remains unclear where the next round of talks will be held, though they are scheduled for Saturday. Officials initially identified Rome as hosting the negotiations, only for Iran to insist early Tuesday they would return to Oman. American officials so far havent said where the talks will be held, though Trump did call Omans Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Tuesday while the ruler was on a trip to the Netherlands.Meanwhile, Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday warned the U.S. about taking contradictory stances in the talks. That likely refers to comments from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, who this week initially suggested a deal could see Iran go back to 3.67% uranium enrichment like in the 2015 deal reached by the Obama administration. Witkoff then followed up with saying a deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program, he wrote on the social platform X. It is imperative for the world that we create a tough, fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do. Araghchi warned America about taking any contradictory and opposing stances in the talks.Enrichment is a real and accepted issue, and we are ready for trust building about possible concerns, Araghchi said. But losing the right to enrich at all is not negotiable.___Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto NASSER KARIMI Karimi reports and writes from Tehran, Iran, on various topics for The Associated Press. He began working for AP in 2003. twitter instagram mailto

Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on the second day of jury selection in the rape trial against him, in New York, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)2025-04-16T15:04:50Z NEW YORK (AP) Harvey Weinsteins lawyers asked a judge on Wednesday to allow the ailing ex-studio boss to spend his nights at a New York City hospital instead of jail for the duration of his #MeToo rape retrial.Weinsteins lawyers made the request as jury selection resumed for a second day. The 73-year-old disgraced movie mogul arrived in court in a wheelchair, as he has at all of his recent court appearances.In court papers, his lawyers argued that Weinsteins stay at New York Citys notorious Rikers Island jail complex is exacerbating his health issues and that hed be better off in the prison ward at Bellevue Hospital. He been back and forth to Bellevue several times in recent months for treatment of various maladies.Weinstein has numerous health conditions, including chronic myeloid leukemia, heart issues, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, sciatica and severe limitations on his ability to walk. A recent tongue infection was misdiagnosed at Rikers, requiring hospitalization, and he has gained nearly 20 pounds (9 kilograms) in the past month, his lawyer Imran Ansari said. In a statement, Ansari said Weinstein is also subjected to freezing temperatures at Rikers and isnt provided with clean clothing. Because of this mistreatment, he has been worn down considerably health wise, and now faces the stress of trial in this condition, which may very well lead to serious health complications, even death, Ansari said. Weinsteins lawyers filed a legal claim against New York City last November, alleging he was receiving substandard medical treatment in unhygienic conditions at Rikers. The claim, which seeks $5 million in damages, argues that Weinstein has been returned to Rikers each time before fully recovering at the hospital.The troubled jail complex has faced growing scrutiny for its mistreatment of detainees and dangerous conditions. Last year, a federal judge cleared the way for a possible federal takeover, finding the city had placed inmates in unconstitutional danger. Judge Curtis Farber has yet to rule on the transfer request, and the issue wasnt discussed in court before jury selection resumed on Wednesday morning.The first day ended on Tuesday with no one chosen for the panel of 12 jurors and six alternates. Wednesday kicked off with two dozen prospective jurors being brought to the courtroom for more questioning after making it through an initial round a day earlier.Weinstein is being tried again after New Yorks highest court, the Court of Appeals, last year overturned his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence and ordered a new trial, finding that improper rulings and prejudicial testimony tainted the original one.Weinstein is being retried on two charges from his original trial. Hes accused of raping an aspiring actor in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and a criminal sex act by forcing oral sex on a movie and TV production assistant in 2006.He is also charged with one count of criminal sex act based on an allegation from a woman who was not a part of the original trial. That woman, who has asked not to be named publicly, alleges that Weinstein forced oral sex on her at a Manhattan hotel.Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. MICHAEL R. SISAK Sisak is an Associated Press reporter covering law enforcement and courts in New York City, including former President Donald Trumps criminal and civil cases and problems plaguing the federal prison system. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01227-4Artificial circulatory system enables feat by delivering nutrients to growing tissue.

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01106-ySex and gender research could lead to better, more equitable treatments if it is allowed to continue without political interference.

All you need to know as Formula 1 heads to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for round five of the 2025 season.

Harry Kane has said he adapted his penalty-taking technique after watching Brazilian forward Neymar and other high-profile spot-kick specialists.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, March 16, 2023. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via AP, File)2025-04-16T16:32:58Z Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge on Wednesday said he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt of court for violating his orders to turn around planes carrying deportees to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg warned he could refer the matter for prosecution if the administration does not purge its contempt. Boasberg said the administration could do so by returning to U.S. custody those who were sent to the El Salvador prison in violation of his order so that they might avail themselves of their right to challenge their removability. If the Justice Department declines to prosecute the matter, Boasberg said he will appoint another attorney to prosecute the contempt. The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it, Boasberg wrote. It marks an escalation in a battle between the judicial and executives branches of government over a presidents powers to carry out key White House priorities. The Republican president has called for Boasbergs impeachment while the Justice Department has accused the judge of overstepping his authority. Boasberg, who was nominated to the federal bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, ordered the administration last month not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act. Trump invoked the 1798 wartime law over what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. When Boasberg was told there were already planes in the air headed to El Salvador, which has agreed to house deported migrants in a notorious prison, the judge said the aircraft needed to be returned to the United States. But hours later, El Salvadors president, Nayib Bukele, announced that the deportees had arrived in his country. In a social media post, he said, Oopsie...too late above an article referencing Boasbergs order.The Trump administration has argued it did not violate any orders, noted the judge did not include the turnaround directive in his written order and said the planes had already left the U.S. by the time that order came down.

Israeli soldiers gather next to a military post on the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2025-04-16T16:33:15Z The Israeli defense minister says his countrys troops will stay in security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, after Israel unilaterally expanded its frontiers in the war unleashed by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack.Israel says it needs to hold on to the zones to prevent similar attacks, but the takeovers appear to meet the dictionary definition of military occupation.The acquisition of territory by force is universally seen as a violation of international law, something Western allies of Israel have repeatedly invoked with regard to Russias invasion of Ukraine.Israel, which has captured territory during wars with its Arab neighbors going back to the countrys establishment in 1948, says this is a special case. For decades, Israeli governments said they must hold such lands for self-defense but would return them in peace agreements, as when Israel restored the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in the Camp David Accords. Israel has formally annexed east Jerusalem, as well as the Golan Heights captured from Syria. It has occupied the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians, for more than half a century and built settlements there that today house more than 500,000 Jewish settlers. Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but imposed a blockade, along with Egypt, after Hamas took power two years later.In a statement Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli troops would remain in the so-called security zones in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon in any temporary or permanent situation. What are the security zones?Israel launched a massive offensive after the 2023 attack and carved out a wide buffer zone along the border. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas last month and has since expanded the buffer zone, established corridors across the strip and encircled the southern city of Rafah.Israel now controls over 50% of Gaza, according to experts. Katz did not specify which territories he was referring to.Israel was supposed to withdraw from Lebanon under the ceasefire it reached with the Hezbollah militant group in November after more than a year of fighting. But troops have remained in five strategic locations along the border and have continued to carry out strikes against what Israel says are militant targets.When rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad in December, Israeli forces advanced from the Golan Heights into the Syrian side of a buffer zone established after the 1973 war. Israel has since expanded its zone of control to nearby villages, setting off clashes with residents last month.Israel has also repeatedly bombed Syrian military bases and other targets, and has said it will not allow Syrian security forces to operate south of Damascus.How have Israels neighbors responded?Lebanon and Syria have condemned Israels seizure of their territory as a blatant violation of their sovereignty and of international law. But neither countrys armed forces are capable of defending their borders against Israel.Hezbollah, which was established during the early years of Israels 1982-2000 occupation of southern Lebanon, has threatened to renew hostilities if Israel does not complete its withdrawal, but its military capabilities have been severely depleted by the war and the fall of Assad, who had been a close ally. While Hezbollah seems unlikely to return to war, an ongoing Israeli occupation could complicate Lebanese efforts to negotiate the groups disarmament.The Palestinians seek an independent state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. A two-state solution is widely seen internationally as the only way to resolve the conflict, but the last serious peace talks broke down more than 15 years ago.Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza 24 of whom are believed to be alive in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory and a lasting ceasefire. Israels vow to remain in Gaza could further complicate slow-moving talks on a new ceasefire.What is the Trump administrations position? The United States has not yet commented on Katzs remarks.But the Trump administration has expressed full support for Israels actions in Gaza, including its decision to end the ceasefire, renew military operations with a surprise bombardment that killed hundreds of people, and seal off the territory from all food, fuel or other supplies.During his first term, President Donald Trump gave unprecedented support to Israels acquisition of territory by force, at times upending decades of U.S. foreign policy.Under Trump, the U.S. became the first and so far only state to recognize Israels annexation of the Golan Heights. Trump also relocated the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, lending support to Israels claims to the entire city. Both policies continued under the Biden administration.Trump has proposed that the U.S. take ownership of Gaza after the war and redevelop it as a tourist destination. He has called for the Palestinian population to be resettled in other countries, a plan that has been rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to implement the plan after Hamas is defeated, saying Israel supports the voluntary emigration of Palestinians from a territory it largely controls, much of which has been rendered uninhabitable by its offensive.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

As part of the company's months-long obsession with catching employees leaking internal developments to the press, staff at Wordpress parent company Automattic recently noticed individually-unique watermarks on internal sites, according to employees who spoke to 404 Media. Automattic added the watermarks to an internal employee communications platform called P2. P2 is a WordPress product other workplaces can also use. There are hundreds of P2 sites across teams at Automattic alone; many are team-specific, but some are company-wide for announcements. The watermarks in Automattic's P2 instance are nearly invisible, rendered as a pattern overlaid on the sites white page backgrounds. Zooming in or manually changing the background color reveals the pattern. If, for example, a journalist published a screenshot leaked to them that was taken from P2, Automattic could theoretically identify the employee who shared it.Do you know work at Automattic and have insights to share? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at sam.404. Otherwise, send me an email at sam@404media.co.In October, as part of a series of buyout offers meant to test employees loyalty to his leadership, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg issued a threat for anyone speaking to the press, saying they should exit gracefully, or be fired tomorrow with no severance. Earlier this month, the company laid off nearly 300 people.Many companies provide this kind of forensic watermarking for internal communications. In 2023, one watermarking startup raised $10 million. Apple and Tesla reportedly have watermarking practices for emails and other internal comms, and some game developers add watermarks to game files to catch pre-release leaks.Its not clear when the watermarks started appearing on P2, and Automattic has not responded to a request for comment. But Mullenweg has been warring with web hosting platform WP Engineand as the story has developed, seemingly with his own staffsince last year.Mullenweg started publicly accusing WP Engine of misusing the WordPress brand and not contributing enough to the open-source community in September. WP Engine sent Mullenweg a cease and desist demanding he stop making and retract false, harmful and disparaging statements against WP Engine, and he sent one back then banned WP Engine from using WordPress resources. Contributors to the open-source Wordpress project said theyd been kicked out of community Slack workspaces for criticizing or questioning Mullenwegs actions. Meanwhile, Mullenweg added a required loyalty-pledge checkbox to the Wordpress.org login page demanding contributors denounce WP Engine; a judge told him he had to remove the box as part of the ongoing trial, and he replaced it with a checkbox that said pineapple is delicious on pizza.Automattic employees I spoke to at the time of the October buyout offers told me that this ultimatum meant two kinds of employees: Mullenwegs strongest supporters, and people who couldnt afford to risk leaving their jobs. "Overall, the environment is now full of people who unequivocally support Matt's actions, and people who couldn't leave because of financial reasons (and those are mostly silent), one employee told me.159 people took the offer, 8.4% of the company, the other 91.6% gave up $126M of potential severance to stay! Mullenweg wrote in a blog post following the offer. A few weeks later, he offered another buyout window. He wrote in internal Slack messages seen by 404 Media: New alignment offer: I guess some people were sad they missed the last window. Some have been leaking to the press and ex-employees. That's water under the bridge So many people took him up on the combined offers that the company was very short staffed, he said.Just six months later, in early April, Automattic laid off 16% of its staffreportedly almost 300 people. Multiple people with knowledge of the severance packages offered to laid-off Automatticians told me that some employees, regardless of time spent at the company, received just nine weeks of pay.One Automattic employee told me they dont think anyone is shocked by the watermarking, considering Mullenwegs ongoing campaign to find leakers, but that its still adding to the uncertain, demoralized environment at the company. Can't help but feel even more paranoid now, they said.

Apple TV+is adding a dose of heart and harmony to its family content lineup this spring with Lulu Is a Rhinoceros, a brand-new animated musical special premiering in May.Based on the beloved childrens book by father-daughter duo Jason and Allison Flom, the story follows Lulu, a fun-loving dog who doesnt see a pup in the mirrorshe sees a rhinoceros. And shes not backing down. In a journey filled with courage, friendship, and a whole lot of musical flair, Lulu sets out to prove that identity is something only we get to define for ourselves.Leading the voice cast is Aulii Cravalho (Moana) as Lulu, joined by an all-star lineup that includes Grammy nominee Alex Newell (Glee), Emmy nominee Dul Hill (Psych), Paul Rust (Love), and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts). The special is directed by Angela Stempel, with original songs composed by Golden Globe nominee Leland and lyrics by Allison Flom. Jina Hyojin An and Shirley Song, both known for their work on BE@RBRICK, deliver the original score.Produced by Propagate Content and Bento Box Animation, the special is described as a pop musical family event about kindness, acceptance, and celebrating what makes each of us unique. In the words of Apple, Lulu Is a Rhinoceros is more than a fun adventureits an empowering reminder for kids (and grown-ups) that its okay to be different, and its always worth being yourself.With bright animation, original music, and a story rooted in self-love and empathy, Lulu Is a Rhinoceros promises to be one of Apple TV+s standout family specials this yearjoining a growing slate of award-winning and inclusive childrens programming.The musical premieres globally on Apple TV+ May 30.

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01149-1Spain is feeling the heat. Four researchers share how climate change shapes their work and their fight for a sustainable future.

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01176-yPotential treatments need to be subject to the highest standards of safety and efficacy.

Amid the noise that comes with achieving superstar status, the Pirates ace finds himself in the quiet.

Is anyone outpitching NiJaree Canady? Which teams are serious contenders? Bill Connelly dives into the 2025 college softball season thus far.

You don’t wake up one day and decide to become an extremist. It happens gradually, often without someone realizing they’re going down that road. But in today’s digital world, it’s never been easier to fall into radical thinking — and it’s becoming a real danger. What Is Extremism, Really? At its core, extremism means holding beliefs that are way outside the...

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)2025-04-16T17:06:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen arrived in El Salvador Wednesday to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation. Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a video posted to X before he boarded his flight that he hopes to meet with Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland. He said he also hopes to meet with high-level officials to press for his return to the United States.The goal of this mission is to let the Trump administration, to let the government of El Salvador know that we are going to keep fighting to bring Abrego Garcia home until he returns to his family, Van Hollen said. After arriving in San Salvador, Van Hollen posted another video from the back of a moving car, saying he was traveling into the city and planned to meet with officials at the U.S. embassy. He said he would have a better idea later in the day whether he can meet with Abrego Garcia, who is detained at the notorious CECOT prison. The Trump administration and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said this week that they have no basis to send him back, even as even as the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to facilitate his return. Trump officials have said that Abrego Garcia has ties to the MS-13 gang, but his attorneys note the government has provided no evidence of that. Democrats have seized on the case to highlight what they say is President Donald Trumps disrespect for the courts and overcome their position in the minority in both the House and Senate. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was also considering a trip to El Salvador, as were some House Democrats. I told his wife and his family that I would do everything possible to bring him home, and were going to keep working at this until were successful, Van Hollen said in his video. Trump officials slammed the Democratic senators trip and renewed their claims that he was a gang member. Tom Homan, Trumps border czar, said on Fox News that he is disgusted that any congressional representative is going to run to El Salvador. We got rid of a dangerous person, an El Salvadoran national was returned to the country of El Salvador, so he is home, Homan said. The fight over Abrego Garcia has also played out in contentious court filings, with repeated refusals from the government to tell a judge what it plans to do, if anything, to repatriate him. Since March, El Salvador has accepted from the U.S. more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants whom Trump administration officials have accused of gang activity and violent crimes and placed them inside the countrys maximum-security gang prison just outside of San Salvador. That prison is part of Bukeles broader effort to crack down on the countrys powerful street gangs, which has put 84,000 people behind bars and made Bukele extremely popular at home. Human rights groups have previously accused Bukeles government of subjecting those jailed to systematic use of torture and other mistreatment. Officials there deny wrongdoing. ___Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

The Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, N.Y. is shown on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 (AP Photo/Michael Hill)2025-04-16T17:41:58Z UTICA, N.Y. (AP) Ten New York prison guards were charged Wednesday in connection with the fatal beating of a 22-year-old inmate, including two charged with murder. Its the second time this year a group of correctional officers in the state was indicted for a death behind bars.Other prisoners say several guards severely beat Messiah Nantwi, a prisoner at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, sending him to a hospital where he died on March 1. As a result of the beatings, Nantwi died due to massive head trauma and numerous other injuries to his body, the indictment saidThe Utica-area facility was one of many state prisons that was struggling to function during a three-week wildcat strike by guards.Nantwis death came several months after Robert Brooks was fatally beaten at the Marcy Correctional Facility, across the street from the Mid-State prison. Six guards have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Brooks death and other prison employees have also been charged. According to Wednesdays indictment, the two guards charged with second-degree murder, Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, were called to Nantwis room to help National Guard members with an unknown issue. Levi and Blair entered the room and began beating Messiah Nantwi, including multiple strikes to his body and head with their boots, the indictment says. Nantwi became unresponsive and guards transported him out of the room and headed for the infirmary. While en route to the infirmary, Nantwi was assaulted a second time in a stairwell and was dumped in a holding cell at the infirmary and further assaulted by Blair, the indictment says. Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a horrific crime in announcing the indictments Tuesday.The tragic death of Mr. Nantwi at the hands of correction officers who are responsible for protecting the incarcerated population is deeply, deeply disturbing, Hochul said in a brief video message. The court document said the guards had no legitimate reason to assault Nantwi. It also said the kicking and stomping, along with leaving him unattended in the infirmary holding cell for several minutes while displaying no urgency for medical staff to check on him, demonstrated depraved indifference to Nantwis life and resulted in his death.Levi, Blair and three other guards were also charged with first-degree manslaughter, accused in the indictment of causing Nantwis death by beating him to death with their fists, batons and boots.Correctional officers who were upset over working conditions began illegally walking off the job Feb. 17 at many state prisons, forcing Hochul to send National Guard troops in to maintain operations. Incarcerated people and their advocates complained that services and conditions deteriorated during the walkout.The attorney generals office has recused itself in Nantwis case, citing its representation of several correctional officers in civil lawsuits, and a special prosecutor was appointed, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. He also is the prosecutor in Brooks death. Nantwi entered the state prison system last May and had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon related to an exchange of gunfire with police officers in 2021. At the time he was shot multiple times, while the officers were uninjured.Prosecutors in Manhattan say Nantwi shot and killed Jaylen Duncan, 19, on a Harlem street in April 2023. The following evening, they say, he shot and killed Brandon Brunson, 36, at a Harlem smoke shop after an argument.

For two consecutive weekends the desert town of Indio becomes an epicenter for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. And this year, LGBTQ artists are commanding the stage for both weekends of festivities. It was hard to miss the buzz around Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga and her elaborate and heartfelt return, this time [...]The post Coachella 2025: Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish, Trixie Mattel, VINCINT, Anitta, Japanese Breakfast, Clairo, and More LGBTQ Artists Take the Desert Stage first appeared on GLAAD.